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Viewing posts by Peter Donovan

Water and soil demonstration

Posted by Peter Donovan 14 years, 2 months ago

Soil scientist Ray Archuleta shows a remarkable contrast in the responses of tilled and no-tilled soil to water. Note that the biological glue he speaks of during the second half, substances such as glomalin, are one of the important large compounds that contain soil carbon. The takeaway from this demonstration is also that soil organic carbon has huge leverage on the effectiveness of the water cycle. See also http://managingwholes.com/eco-water-cycle.htm


Soil and society

Posted by Peter Donovan 14 years, 2 months ago

Charles E. Kellogg wrote an essay published in the United States Department of Agriculture's 1938 Yearbook of Agriculture (Soils and Men). Thanks to Abe Collins for the tip.


John Todd on soil and the carbon cycle

Posted by Peter Donovan 14 years, 5 months ago

John Todd, of Living Machines fame and the New Alchemy Institute, has an interesting essay on http://www.thesolutionsjournal.com/node/634 about the need for our urban and industrial society to understand the foundational role of soil, and the carbon cycle.


Keyline film from 1955

Posted by Peter Donovan 14 years, 5 months ago

We are indebted to Darren Doherty's website regenag.com for the following information and video:


Living from livestock: Sam Bingham's 1984 classic available for download

Posted by Peter Donovan 14 years, 5 months ago

In 1984 Sam Bingham wrote a short book for Navajo country called Living from Livestock. Though one or two items are outdated (such as the recommendation to build radial grazing cells) it is a wonderfully illustrated and trenchant introduction to the relationship of grazing to ecosystem function in an arid environment. Thanks to Sam we are able to offer it as downloadable pdfs. (Right click, Save As, to download.)