His palm pressed against the surface of the wood, his fingertips slowly tracing the grain.
[ Substrate Analysis LV1 initiated.]
The scan covered a radius of thirty meters, but Su Wei focused his attention on the dead tree in front of him.
Data started pouring in.
Wood moisture content: 11.2%, fiber density is medium to low.
Primary fungal colonies have formed on the surface, mainly wood-decaying fungi, with a small amount of filamentous organisms penetrating to the core three centimeters deep.
This dead tree is more thoroughly decayed than the first one.
Placing it near the ground in forested areas provides a better substrate for moss to attach.
"Don't put this one upright, lay it horizontally."
Su Wei drew a line on the ground with his finger.
"Along this direction, it forms a 45-degree angle with the first one."
What's underneath?
"Pine needle soil, but not spread directly on top."
Su Wei stood up and walked to the bags of pine needle soil.
He opened a bag, grabbed a handful, and crushed it between his fingers.
Dark brown pine needle dust leaked through my fingers, its strong aroma carrying the distinctive sourness and spiciness of coniferous forests.
[ Substrate Analysis feedback: Pine needle soil has a pH of 5.8, slightly acidic. It has an organic matter content of 42%, a loose fibrous structure, and good drainage. It is suitable as a substrate for moss.]
"The bottom layer should be 15 centimeters of pine needle soil."
Su Wei said to the workers who had gathered around.
"But it needs to be mixed with snakewood chips, in a ratio of 7:3, with 7 parts pine needles and 3 parts snakewood."
"Snake fiber is coarser, which increases the breathability of the root zone and prevents waterlogging at the roots."
He squatted down and gestured with his hands on the ground.
"The area where the roots of dead trees come into contact with soil should not be covered with pine needle soil, but with humus soil instead."
"This location requires higher fungal activity. The mycelial network in the humus will climb up the fibers of the dead wood and merge with the original wood-decaying fungal community on the surface of the dead wood within three to five days."
A young worker squatted nearby, holding a shovel in his hand, tilting his head.
"Boss, isn't this just... piling dirt and wood on the ground? Is there any particular reason for it?"
Su Wei didn't answer; he placed his palm on the broken end of the second dead tree.
Look at this cross-section.
The young workers crowded around.
"Counting from the outside in, the outermost layer, a silvery-gray, is completely weathered dead wood."
"Two centimeters inward, the color darkens, turning a bit yellowish-brown; that's the active zone for wood-decaying fungi."
"Further inside, the heartwood is lighter in color and harder."
Su Wei scratched a line on the cross-section with his fingernail.
"If this dead tree is laid horizontally with the active fungal side facing upwards, it will spread to the soil surface within three days, competing with the moss for nutrients; the moss won't survive a week."
He turned the dead wood over.
"But if the active side is facing down and pressed into the humus, the mycelium will spread deeper into the soil, in turn providing the moss with decomposed mineral nutrients."
The young worker paused for two seconds, and several older workers nearby also stopped what they were doing.
Su Wei stood up and brushed the sawdust off his hands.
"This isn't a pile, it's a seed."
No one asked anymore.
For the next three hours, the second-floor Lin area transformed into a sophisticated assembly site.
Su Wei instructions were detailed down to the centimeter.
The first layer, a drainage layer, is covered with 10 centimeters of volcanic rock fragments, with a particle size controlled between two and four centimeters.
Crush the larger pieces and sift out the smaller ones. This layer is only responsible for drainage and does not participate in the ecological cycle.
The second layer is a 15-centimeter-thick substrate made of a mixture of pine needle soil and tree fern fiber.
Su Wei instructed the workers to mix the wood chips by hand, not with shovels, because the metal of the shovels would damage the fiber structure of the tree fern chips.
Six workers squatted on the ground, kneading the two materials evenly with their gloved hands.
The third layer is humus, but it is only laid in specific locations.
Su Wei used red spray paint to mark seventeen irregular sections on the surface of the substrate.
The larger ones are two square meters, while the smaller ones are only the size of a palm, and the thickness of the humus soil varies in each area.
"These thicker areas will be used to place large moss communities later."
Su Wei pointed to the three largest blocks.
"A thick substrate can store more water, supporting the expansion of the root system."
"Place small ferns and lichens in thinner areas; they don't need many nutrients, but they do require rapid drainage."
The placement of dead wood is even more particular.
Three dead cedar logs were arranged in a staggered triangular structure.
The longest one leans against two raised volcanic rocks, its roots buried in the humus soil.
The second one lies horizontally on the ground, intersecting with the first one.
The shortest one was inserted vertically into the corner, and its bottom was fixed to the weld point of the load-bearing steel plate with a steel wire.
The gap between the three dead trees is the habitat of moss and ferns.
Su Wei took out the peat moss divisions from the temperature-controlled preservation box.
He squatted on the substrate and used his fingertips to carefully embed the roots of the peat moss into the surface of the humus.
The spacing between each plant is precisely controlled to be eight to ten centimeters.
The movements were slow and gentle.
The workers stood by and watched, no one urging them on, and no one uttered a sound.
[ Ecological Landscaping LV3 Passive Effect Activated.]
Su Wei's every judgment was half a beat too fast.
If the fungal density in a particular patch of humus is insufficient, additional bacterial solution needs to be added.
Each patch of moss must be tilted 15 degrees to receive the optimal angle of light.
A small piece of peat moss should be placed at the bottom of the deadwood as a humidity regulator.
This information floods into the brain without requiring thought.
The 200-square-meter Woodland Base was laid before 2 p. m.
Su Wei straightened up and took a few steps back.
The scene before me was no longer just piles of scattered materials.
Silver-gray deadwood protrudes from the dark brown substrate, with moss dotting the crevices between the wood and rocks, creating distinct layers.
The sourness of pine needle soil, the muddy smell of humus, and the dry, woody aroma of dead wood blend together to create a complex flavor unique to primeval forests.
Lunch consisted of sandwiches and coffee that Matt had someone bring back from town.
Su Wei took two bites of the turkey sandwich, drank half a cup of black coffee, and then turned to the right.
The sky area is 200 square meters.
At the heart of this area is a vertical rock face that mimics the Neptune Cliff.
The basalt samples that the Su Wei had previously brought back have been cut into plates of varying sizes.
The largest piece weighs over 100 kilograms and requires two people to move it.
The smallest one is only the size of a fist, used to fill gaps.
The problem isn't with moving the parts, but with piecing them together.
The texture of natural cliffs is irregular.
Weathering cracks, water erosion grooves, and pits left by salt crystal erosion—these details determine whether a rock face is genuine or not.
Any repetitive texture or overly regular seam will turn the entire rock face into a cheap backdrop.
The Su Wei would not allow such a thing to happen.
The steel frame has been welded.
The four-meter-high vertical frame is covered with load-bearing hooks and fixing clips welded to its surface.