SEED CONTAINERS FOR ENABLING WATER AND VEGETATION TO PENETRATE A HYDROPHOBIC LAYER AFTER A FOREST FIRE

Abstract

A device and method for penetrating a hydrophobic layer caused by a fire and introducing new vegetation into a forest floor includes seeds, seedlings, and/or saplings carried within a plurality of tapered containers, possibly mixed with soil, sand, gravel, fertilizer, SAP granules, and/or water. The containers are inserted into the ground through the hydrophobic layer by dropping or propelling them from an aircraft, or manually pressing on them. One or more holes proximate the bottoms of the containers enable rain water and germinating roots to penetrate into soil beneath the hydrophobic layer. A perforated lid can prevent the seeds or seedlings from being ejected upon impact with the forest floor. A weighted tip can improve penetration of the containers into the forest floor. A plurality of tapered containers can extend downward from a tray or frame. The container and/or perforated lid can be made from biodegradable materials.

Claims

1: A seed planting device comprising: a tapered container having a top and a bottom, wherein a cross-sectional area of the top is larger than a cross-sectional area of the bottom; at least one hole penetrating the tapered container proximate the bottom thereof; and one or more seeds, seedlings, and/or saplings contained within the tapered container.

2: The seed planting device of claim 1, further comprising a porous or perforated lid fixed to the tapered container above said plurality of seeds and/or seedlings.

3: The seed planting device of claim 1, wherein the tapered container is shaped substantially as a cone or a truncated cone.

4: The seed planting device of claim 1, wherein the one or more seeds and/or seedlings and/or saplings that are contained within the tapered container are mixed with at least one of soil, sand, gravel, super-absorbent polymer granules, fertilizer, and water.

5: The seed planting device of claim 1, wherein the bottom of the tapered container terminates in a point.

6: The seed planting device of claim 1, wherein the at least one hole includes an opening at the bottom of the tapered container.

7: The seed planting device of claim 1, wherein the at least one hole includes at least one hole penetrating a side of the tapered container proximate the bottom thereof.

8: The seed planting device of claim 1, further comprising a weighted and pointed tip extending from the bottom of the tapered container.

9: The seed planting device of claim 8, wherein the weighted and pointed tip is made from a biodegradable material.

10: The seed planting device of claim 8, wherein the weighted and pointed tip is configured to be pushed away from the bottom of the tapered container by roots growing downward from new vegetation arising from the seeds and/or seedlings and/or saplings, thereby leaving an opening in the bottom of the tapered container.

11: The seed planting device of claim 1, wherein the tapered container is made from at least one biodegradable material.

12: The seed planting device of claim 11, wherein the at least one biodegradable material includes at least one of AshCrete, hempcrete clay, coir, Timbercrete, bamboo, and recycled wood.

13: A seed planting tray or common frame from which a plurality of tapered containers according to claim 1 extend downward.

14: The tray or common frame of claim 13, wherein the tray or common frame is configured to press the seeding cones into the forest floor, and then release the seeding cones when the tapered containers have been inserted into the forest floor and the tray or common frame is lifted upward.

15: The tray or common frame of claim 13, further comprising a seed chamber above the tray or common frame that is configured to contain at least one seed or seedling or sapling, whereby as the at least one seed or seedling or sapling germinates and/or grows, it is able to extend roots downward into a plurality of the tapered containers.

16: A method of planting vegetation in a forest floor after a forest fire that has created a hydrophobic layer on the forest floor, the method comprising: providing a plurality of seed planting devices according to claim 1; and dropping or propelling the plurality of seed planting devices from an aircraft onto the forest floor, such that the plurality of tapered containers penetrate through the hydrophobic layer, thereby enabling rain water to flow through the hydrophobic layer via the seed planting devices, and causing vegetation arising from the seeds and/or seedlings and/or saplings that are contained within the tapered containers to take root at least partially in soil that is beneath the hydrophobic layer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the aircraft is one of a piloted helicopter, a remotely controlled winged aircraft, and a remotely controlled hovering drone.

18: The method of claim 16, wherein the impact energy of the seed planting devices is derived entirely from gravitational acceleration after being released from the aircraft.

19: The method of claim 16, wherein the seed planting devices are ballistically propelled from the aircraft toward the forest floor.

20: The method of claim 19, wherein the seed planting devices are ballistically propelled by at least one of a compressed gas and a chemical explosive.

21: The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of tapered containers extend downward from a common frame, and the seed or seedling is contained in an upper chamber attached to the common frame such that as the seed or seedling germinates and/or grows, it is able to extend roots through the plurality of tapered containers.

22: A method of planting vegetation in a forest floor after a forest fire that has created a hydrophobic layer within the forest floor, the method comprising: providing a plurality of seed planting devices according to claim 1; attaching the seed planting devices to a rigid tray, such that the seeding devices extend downward from the tray; placing the tray and seed planting devices onto the ground, such that the tray is suspended above the ground by the seed planting devices; pressing downward on the tray, thereby simultaneously pushing all of the seed planting devices into the ground, so that they penetrate through the hydrophobic layer; and removing the tray from the seed planting devices, whereby the seed planting devices remain in the ground and continue to penetrate the hydrophobic layer, thereby enabling rain water to flow through the hydrophobic layer via the seed planting devices, and causing vegetation arising from the seeds and/or seedlings, and/or saplings that are contained within the seed planting devices to take root at least partially in soil that is beneath the hydrophobic layer.

23: The method of claim 22, wherein the seed planting devices are attached to the tray by frangible gaskets that prevent the seed planting devices from gravitationally falling away from the tray, while allowing the seed planting devices to remain in the ground when the tray is removed after the seed planting devices have been pressed into the ground.

24: The method of claim 22, wherein pressing downward on the tray includes stepping on the tray.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] FIG. 1 is a cross section indicating a prior art method of introducing vegetation into a forest after a fire;

[0042] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a seed planting device in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] FIG. 3 illustrates dropping of a plurality of the seed planting devices of FIG. 2 onto a forest floor after a fire;

[0044] FIG. 4A is a cross section illustrating penetration of the seed planting devices of FIG. 3 into the forest floor;

[0045] FIG. 4B illustrates the growth of vegetation and the penetration of roots into the soil below the hydrophobic layer that arises from germination and/or growth of the seeds and/or seedlings delivered by the seed planting devices;

[0046] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a seed planting device similar to FIG. 2, but including a weighted tip at the bottom thereof;

[0047] FIG. 6A is a partially exploded perspective view of a common frame and seed chamber that can allow one or more seedlings or saplings to extend roots simultaneously through a plurality of tapered containers;

[0048] FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the frame and seed chamber of FIG. 6A shown after a single sapling has burst through the lid of the seed chamber and extended roots through all of the tapered containers;

[0049] FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a tray to which a plurality of seeding cones are mounted for manual, simultaneous deployment through the hydroscopic layer; and

[0050] FIG. 7B is a cross sectional view of one of the seeding cones of FIG. 7A illustrating a structure that is able to retain the seed cones in the tray before deployment, and release them after deployment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The present invention is an apparatus and method for increasing absorption of rainwater into soil below a hydrophobic layer of a forest floor after a forest fire, and for introducing new ground cover into an area that has experienced a forest fire, thereby reducing the threat of mudslides and consequent erosion of the land.

[0052] With reference to FIG. 2, the disclosed seed planting device 200 comprises a pointed or otherwise tapered container 202, which in the illustrated embodiment is shaped as a pointed cone 202, that contains a soil and seed mixture, from which seeds and/or seedlings and/or saplings will ultimately mature. For ease of expression, the phrase soil and seed mixture is used herein generically to refer to one or more seeds and/or seedlings and/or saplings, and to any mixture 204 of a material such as sand, gravel, super absorbent polymer (SAP) granules, and/or soil with seeds and/or seedlings and/or saplings. Similarly, the term seeding cone is used herein to generically refer to the seed planting device, whether or not the tapered container is shaped as a cone, unless otherwise required by context.

[0053] At least one opening 206 is provided at or near the bottom of the tapered container 202 through which water can seep, but which are small enough to prevent significant loss of the soil and seed mixture 204.

[0054] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the seed planting device 200 includes a perforated or porous lid or screen 208, such as a wire screen or porous fabric, that is fixed to the cone 202 above the contained seed and soil mixture 204. The openings in the lid 208 are small enough to prevent any significant amount of the seed and soil mixture 204 from being ejected through the top of the cone 202 upon impact with the forest floor 300, while being large enough to allow water to pass through the lid 208 and into the tapered container 202. The lid 208 can be made from a frangible material, such as a sheet of cellulose, such that germinating and growing plant life can burst upward through the lid, or the holes in the lid 208 can be large enough to allow the stems or branches to pass through. In some embodiments the lid 208 is spaced above the upper surface of the seed and soil mixture 204, and thereby provides partial shade to newly germinated seedlings or saplings as they extend above the seed and soil mixture 204 within the tapered container 202 until the seedlings have grown sufficiently to pierce or pass through the lid.

[0055] The lid 208 can be fixed to the cone 202 by any attachment means known in the art, including by an adhesive, by a fastener such as a rivet or screw, or by tabs that extend from the lid through slots or other openings provided in the cone 202 and are bent upward or downward, thereby fixing the lid 208 to the cone 202 while only slightly impacting the aerodynamics of the seeding cone 200. In some embodiments the lid 208 is perforated only in a central region thereof, for example in cases where the seeding cone 200 is relatively large as compared to the seedling or sapling that will emerge after germination. A larger tapered container 202 might be implemented, for example, to increase the weight and perforating power of the seeding cone 200.

[0056] With reference to FIG. 3, in embodiments of the disclosed method, after a forest fire a plurality of the seeding cones 200 are treated as seeding projectiles in that they are dropped or propelled onto the forest floor 300 from an aircraft 302 The aircraft 302 can include a global positioning system and/or a wind direction and speed sensor so as to more accurately drop or propel the projectiles 200 to the desired locations. In the embodiment of FIG. 3A, the projectiles 200 are dropped from a piloted helicopter 302. In other embodiments, the aircraft 302 can be a remote-controlled winged aircraft or a remotely controlled drone.

[0057] With reference to FIG. 4A, due to the shape and weight of the seeding cones 200, they impact the forest floor 300 with sufficient energy to penetrate into the ground through the hydrophobic layer 102 thereby allowing rainwater to seep into and through the tapered containers 202, and out through the openings 206 near the bottom of the tapered container 202 into the underlying soil 104, as is indicated 400 in the drawing. As a result, rainwater is less likely to pool on top of the hydrophobic layer 102 to form a major downhill flood. In some of these embodiments, the impact energy of the seeding cones 200 is derived entirely from gravitational acceleration, while in other of these embodiments the seeding cones 200 are energetically propelled toward the forest floor 300, for example by a compressed gas or a chemical explosive.

[0058] With reference to FIG. 4B, upon germination of the seeds and/or seedlings within the tapered container 202, the roots 404 of the new ground cover 406 grow out through the openings 206 at or near the bottom of the tapered container 202 and into the soil 104 that is beneath the hydrophobic layer 102, thereby anchoring the new vegetation 402 to the underlying soil layer 104, and further reducing the threat of mudslides.

[0059] With reference to FIG. 5, in some embodiments the tapered container 202 is terminated by a weighted and hardened tip 500 that provides additional weight, energy, and penetrating power to the seeding cone 200. In some of these embodiments, the tip 500 is designed to be pushed away from the tapered container 202 by the growing roots of the new vegetation, and/or to rapidly biodegrade after impact with the forest floor 300, thereby providing an opening in the bottom of the tapered container 202 through which water and roots 504 can penetrate.

[0060] With reference to FIG. 6A, in various embodiments a plurality of tapered containers 202 are mounted such that they all extend downward from a common frame 600, where the tops of the tapered containers 202 extend to openings 606 in the common frame 600. In these embodiments, the tapered containers 202 can be empty, or can be filled with any material or mixture of materials, such as sand, gravel, soil, SAPs, and fertilizer, that are conducive to the growth of vegetation. However, in these embodiments the tapered containers 202 typically do not contain seeds or seedlings. Instead, a single seed or seedling 604, or a plurality of seeds and seedlings, are included in a soil and seed mixture provided in an upper chamber 602 that extends upward from the frame 600. In FIG. 6A, the upper chamber 602 is shown above the frame 600 so that the structure of the frame 600 can be more clearly discerned. The weight of the assembly is sufficient to allow all of the cones 202 to penetrate through the hydrophobic layer 102, due to gravity and/or ballistic propulsion.

[0061] With reference to FIG. 6B, some of these embodiments enable a larger plant 604 to be established, such as a sapling 604 that is intended to replace a burned tree of the forest, because the roots 608 of the plant 604 can extend simultaneously through all of the plurality of seeding cones 202, thereby establishing a larger root system 608 than might be possible for a plant that is germinated within a single seeding cone 202. Note that in the embodiment of FIGS. 6A and 6B, the upper screen 208 is frangible, and has been penetrated by the growing sapling or other plant 604.

[0062] With reference to FIG. 7A, in other embodiments of the disclosed method, the seeding cones 200 are pressed into the soil by personnel on the ground. As is illustrated in FIG. 7B, in some of these embodiments a plurality of the seeding cones 200 are mounted to a rigid tray 700, such that the cones 200 extend below the tray 700. By placing the tray 700 with seeding cones 200 onto the ground, such that the points of the seeding cones 200 rest on the ground and support the tray 700, all of the seeding cones 200 can be simultaneously pressed onto the soil, for example by stepping on the tray.

[0063] With reference to FIG. 7B, in the illustrated embodiment the tray 704 has a top 712 and a bottom 714 that are both penetrated by concentric, overlapping holes 706, 708, wherein the upper holes 706 in the top 712 are smaller in diameter than the tops of the seeding cones 200, thereby ensuring that the seeding cones 200 will be pushed by the tray 704 into the soil when the tray 704 is pressed downward.

[0064] The lower holes 708 in the bottom 714 of the tray 704 are larger in diameter than the tops of the seeding cones 200. The seeding cones are preventing from falling out through the larger holes 708 by frangible gaskets 710, made for example from cardboard, that are sufficiently strong to keep the seeding cones 200 from falling through the larger holes 708 solely due to gravity, but which will give way and allow the seeding cones 200 to pass through the larger holes 708 when the tray is lifted up and away from the ground after they the seeding cones 200 have been pressed into the ground, thereby allowing the seeding cones 200 to remain behind in the ground. The frangible gaskets 710 can be attached to the bottom 714 of the tray 704 by any convenient means, such as by rivets or screws, or by an adhesive.

[0065] In embodiments, the cones 202 and/or lids 208 and/or other components of the present invention are made from one or more biodegradable materials, such as from AshCrete, hempcrete clay, Timbercrete, bamboo, recycled wood, and/or other recycled materials, so that after the danger of mudslides has abated the seeding cones 200 can partially or fully biodegrade and blend into the soil.

[0066] The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. Each and every page of this submission, and all contents thereon, however characterized, identified, or numbered, is considered a substantive part of this application for all purposes, irrespective of form or placement within the application. This specification is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of this disclosure.

[0067] Although the present application is shown in a limited number of forms, the scope of the invention is not limited to just these forms, but is amenable to various changes and modifications. The disclosure presented herein does not explicitly disclose all possible combinations of features that fall within the scope of the invention. The features disclosed herein for the various embodiments can generally be interchanged and combined into any combinations that are not self-contradictory without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the limitations presented in dependent claims below can be combined with their corresponding independent claims in any number and in any order without departing from the scope of this disclosure, unless the dependent claims are logically incompatible with each other.