Plant thugs!

[tracy]

I was sent this article.

It is so interesting. I wonder if it was left for 20 years, would it all balance out? Or it is that land has been managed for so long we just don't know....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/gardening/article-1086797/Thuggish-nettles-brambles-make-common-countryside-plants-wild-flowers-driven-out.html

[RichardKing]

Nettles tent to prefer soil that is richer in nutrients, particularly phosphate.

Such conditions are created by human activity, including spreading fertlisers, dumping rubbish or even simply human habitation itself and in fact archaeologists have located ancient sites by noticing patches of them.

Other reports speak of a general increase of soil fertility and is related to the above, but also things like disturbing the ground or even spreading crushed concrete (reducing the acidity of certain soils). All these thing may upset what we regard as the norm, but then to be honest the "natural environment" we see is largely a creation of humans over thousands of years.

[Exeldama]

We humans think nothing can get by without us... durrrrr. Nature if left alone always sorts herself out..perhaps not how we would want but we are the contrary to balance .

It isnt always possible to leave nature to her own devices but she did fine before we arrived and she will when we are gone...well until the sun vapourises the planet.