Mchmchcmchchcmchc u notice, wow mchcmchcm wel al you dogies who luvs steaks and al you kitties loves your kitin nips, mchcmchcmchcmchcmch bees makes it possible, even my nuts needs the bees mchcmchc my daisy would weilt..anyway try this on for size.

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bees and calciumtopic posted Today, 4:27 PM by Talisunbrow delete entire topic

Pollinator decline

It may be linked to calcium transport affected by acidic rain in the soil and the availability of heavy metal made available to plants that thrive on heavy metals and do not need a high amount of calcium to survive. Most invasives are nectar producers not pollen producers. Heavy metals are stored in nectar.
I. ATMOSPHERIC EFFECT ON SOIL AND PLANTS
Rain reacts with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which makes it slightly acidic, usually around pH 5.6.
The acidification is mainly caused by sulphur dioxide, which is a product of burning fossil fuels predominantly emitted from power stations. Also various oxides of nitrogen are emitted from the vehicle exhausts which react with water vapour and forms sulphuric acid and nitric acid.
The acid rain increases the acidity of soils in many areas.
• The acid leaches out important minerals needed by plants for growth. For example calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
• Toxic materials become mobilized, for example aluminum and lead
• Decomposition in the soil is inhibited by acid.
• Most invasive plants thrive on heavy metals and acidic soils
• Many native plants need calcium as a vital nutrient
• Native plants and pollenators can’t survive in calcium deficient soils
Red acid soils exhibit both low fertility and potential toxicity to native plants. An acid red soil lacking in soil organic matter can solubilize large amounts of metals, notably aluminum and manganese. When these metallic ions dominate the soil solution, they block the absorption and activity of essential nutrients such as calcium.
Soils are becoming more acid as a result of the removal of the cations calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium through leaching. As the cations are removed from the soil colloids, they are replaced with acid-forming hydrogen and aluminum





II. NATIVE PLANTS AND POLLINATORS
Calcium
• acts as a regulator of balance of micro nutrients.
• regulates non-essential trace elements.
• prevents excess uptake of many of heavy metals
• keeps them from having adverse effects when their levels get high. (1)www.hmhgypsum.com/why.htm
In order for a pollen tube to grow it requires calcium ions and cell adhesion proteins
Butterflies and other pollinators need calcium or they won't seek out the females.

Pollinators

• affected by heavy metals passed through nectar and pollen.
Some of the problems caused by acid rain are presented with emphasis on the effects on bees, especially in the Northeast. Trace minerals are being leached out of the soils and nectar that lacks calcium is being passed by when the bees forage. The first plants to show the effects will be the wild varieties of the legumes, such as clover. This leaves only plants on the extreme end of the acid scale such as the blueberry for bee forage. This leads to the side effect of the movement of calcium in nectar which will be restricted due to a lack of calcium. (2)www.osti.gov/energycitat...t.biblio.jsp
It is shown that the nectar-plants of adult butterflies are much more sensitive to heavy metals than the nectar-plants of moths and other pollinating insects. It is hypothesized that the butterfly decline is a secondary effect of heavy metal stress on local plants, not resulting in a decrease in the number of host-plants, but in a selective pressure of pollutants on the plant vigour, subsequently affecting their pollinators (3)cat.inist.fr/
Pollinators are at risk because they absorb heavy metals from the necter sources.As the soil becomes more acidic, metals become more soluble. As metals become soluble they can be more easily transported to surface and ground waters(4).www.deq.state.mi.us/document...ps-sm.pdf
INVASIVE PLANT TOLERANCE
NNIPS THRIVE IN ACIDIC SOILS THAT HAVE BEEN LEACHED OF NUTRIENTS. NNIPS can fix nitrogen, THUSLY MAKING THE SOIL MORE ACIDIC. Native plants won’t survive. NNIPS ABILITY TO ABSORB HEAVY METALS THAT HAVE BEEN FREED UP DUE TO ACID RAIN POSES A MYRIAD OF PROBLEMS AS WELL>
• Invasives that spread through vegetative growth thrive.
• Invasive plants that require pollinators will not survive when pollinators are gone.
• The problem is not the invasives, It is pollution, heavy metal and human caused soil disturbances

Crownvetch has growth characteristics that help it to succeed where other plants fail. It grows well on infertile, sandy, gravely-rocky, clay or shale soils that range in acidity from 5.5 to 7.0 and lack organic matter. These soil conditions are often encountered on highway embankments. (5)www.propertyrightsresearch.org/20...htm

Lespedeza cuneata will grow on strongly acidic to neutral soils. (6)www.invasivespecies.net/databa...rch.asp

Multiflora rose is commonly found on marginal sites or poorly managed
agricultural lands and tolerates adverse site conditions [7,8,9]. It
is found with greater frequency on acidic soils, but will establish on
all soils except those that are poorly drained. It favors disturbed or
open sites and aggressively colonizes streambanks, field edges,
pastures, and reclaimed strip mines [8,9]. Multiflora rose is also
found on prairies and savannahs
(10)reference.allrefer.com/wildli...ll.html

Stiltgrass appears to prefer moist, acidic to neutral soils that are high in nitrogen
(11)www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/mivi1.htm

Conclusion

Soils are becoming more acid as a result of the removal of the cations calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium through leaching. As the cations are removed from the soil colloids, they are replaced with acid-forming hydrogen and aluminum.
• Acid rain raises soil acidity
• Prime nutrients are leached
• Native calcium dependant ecosystems die off
• Invasive tolerants move in increase nitrates in soil
• Soil becomes more acidic and supportive of various NNIPS
• Heavy metals become mobil in soil and plants
• Remaining native fauna are poisoned and extripated
• Most aggressive invasives create a monoculture stand

What can be done….save seed…Suppliment pollinators with feeders, that have nutrients required. Treat ground with same. Remove non-natives. Consistent stewardship. Petition to congress to regulate emissions on factories.

(1)www.hmhgypsum.com/why.htm
(2)www.osti.gov/energycitat...t.biblio.jsp
(3)cat.inist.fr/
(4).www.deq.state.mi.us/document...ps-sm.pdf
(5)www.propertyrightsresearch.org/20...htm
(6)www.invasivespecies.net/databa...rch.asp
(7)Hindal, Dale F.; Wong, Man Sek. 1988. Potential biocontrol of multiflora rose, Rosa multiflora. Weed Technology. 2: 122-131. [11092]
(8)Hughes, H. Glenn. 1989. Use of native shrubs on strip-mined lands in thehumid East. In: Wallace, Arthur; McArthur, E. Durant; Haferkamp,Marshall R., compilers. Proceedings--symposium on shrub ecophysiologyand biotechnology; 1987 June 30 - July 2; Logan, UT. Gen. Tech. Rep.INT-256. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,Intermountain Research Station: 70-73. [5925]
(9)Hughes, H. Glenn. 1990. Ecological restoration: fact or fantasy on strip-mined
(10)reference.allrefer.com/wildli...ll.html
(11)www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/mivi1.htm