We experienced one of our terrific wind storms today on the west coast. Gusts up to 100 km in certain areas. Power went out for about 3 hours. El Nina is not about to relent yet.
I have been learning more and more about soil and humus. Up until now most of our knowledge about how soil is formed comes from the belief that wind and weather are the main forces that break down rock and turn it into soil. Well this is true but not the complete truth. Plants play a mighty role as well.
We now know that lichen are neither plant or animal. They are actually a class unto themselves. They are a brilliant combination of algae and fungi neither of which could live off of rock on their own. Algae contributes the carbohydrates through photosynthesis and the fungi contribute water storage and chemical salts capacities. The lichen feed off of the rock using a process called chelation.
Chelation, meaning "claw", is a process by which a molecule encircles and binds to a metal, literally extracting it. Through complex acid secretions the lichen are able to extract and dissolve the iron and other minerals within the rock and feast on them. At the same time the lichen are feeding they are contributing to the slow but steady progress of breaking down rock into its' eventual form. SOIL !
There is a bird called a pito living in the Andes mountains of South America. It uses a plant called the harakeh'ama to dissolve and soften rock so that it can make a nest in the indentation it forms. Holding the leaves in its' beak it swishes the leaves in a circular motion on the desired rock and keeps getting more leaves until it has made the right size hollow in which to nest ! This plant is also chelating the rock in order to break it down.
Chelation is going on in soil, microbes, cells of plants and in the bodies of animals and man. Chelating agents course through our bloodstream keeping minerals soluble and fluid. Minerals must be made soluble in order for plants and animals to absorb them and use them.
So this windy, windy day has uncovered and exposed a few more amazing things that nature does on a daily basis. Its just going about its' business.
Puts wind in my sails !!
