[at-l] (no subject)

[bullard@northnet.org (James Bullard)]

At 09:09 PM 4/20/01 -0400, DanandGailSC@aol.com wrote:
>A few days ago several listers commented on hiking pole damage to the trail,
>and it reminded me of the AT in TN/VA last week.  I saw many hiking stick
>holes alongside the trail, but many stretches of the trail were also bordered
>by beautiful green grass, tracing each side of the path.  The grass grew
>mostly along the trail, while the ground away from the trail was still
>dormant.  Why does the grass appear along the trail first??

The pole tips are aerating the soil. Soil that contains some clay and 
decaying plant material becomes compressed from walking over it, heavy snow 
laying on it, etc. It is actually beneficial to such soil to have something 
loosen it from time to time. It absorbs rain better and the plant roots 
have an easier time growing through loose soil. They make power equipment 
to do this to lawns.

This effect along the trail is probably limited to areas where the soil is 
a fairly good humus. Soil at higher elevations tends to be more sandy. 
Granular soil that lacks clay platelets (clay is the result of stream 
erosion and is never found at high elevation) or decaying vegetable matter 
to make it stick together will be more subject to erosion as a result of 
loosing by the tips of hiking poles.

Saunterer