Patent ID: 12239054

The figures herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Before the present disclosure is described in greater detail, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular embodiments described, and as such may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting.

Unless specifically stated, terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting. Likewise, a group of items linked with the conjunction “and” should not be read as requiring that each and every one of those items be present in the grouping, but rather should be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Similarly, a group of items linked with the conjunction “or” should not be read as requiring mutual exclusivity among that group, but rather should also be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise.

Furthermore, although items, elements or components of the disclosure may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated to be within the scope thereof unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “at least,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present disclosure, the preferred methods and materials are now described.

All publications and patents cited in this specification are cited to disclose and describe the methods and/or materials in connection with which the publications are cited. All such publications and patents are herein incorporated by references as if each individual publication or patent were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Such incorporation by reference is expressly limited to the methods and/or materials described in the cited publications and patents and does not extend to any lexicographical definitions from the cited publications and patents. Any lexicographical definition in the publications and patents cited that is not also expressly repeated in the instant application should not be treated as such and should not be read as defining any terms appearing in the accompanying claims The citation of any publication is for its disclosure prior to the filing date and should not be construed as an admission that the present disclosure is not entitled to antedate such publication by virtue of prior disclosure. Further, the dates of publication provided could be different from the actual publication dates that may need to be independently confirmed.

As will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, each of the individual embodiments described and illustrated herein has discrete components and features which may be readily separated from or combined with the features of any of the other several embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the present disclosure. Any recited method can be carried out in the order of events recited or in any other order that is logically possible.

Where a range is expressed, a further embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. The recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numbers and fractions subsumed within the respective ranges, as well as the recited endpoints. Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limit of that range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range, is encompassed within the disclosure. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included in the smaller ranges and are also encompassed within the disclosure, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included in the disclosure. For example, where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included in the disclosure, e.g. the phrase “x to y” includes the range from ‘x’ to ‘y’ as well as the range greater than ‘x’ and less than ‘y’. The range can also be expressed as an upper limit, e.g. ‘about x, y, z, or less’ and should be interpreted to include the specific ranges of ‘about x’, ‘about y’, and ‘about z’ as well as the ranges of ‘less than x’, less than y′, and ‘less than z’. Likewise, the phrase ‘about x, y, z, or greater’ should be interpreted to include the specific ranges of ‘about x’, ‘about y’, and ‘about z’ as well as the ranges of ‘greater than x’, greater than y′, and ‘greater than z’. In addition, the phrase “about ‘x’ to ‘y’”, where ‘x’ and ‘y’ are numerical values, includes “about ‘x’ to about ‘y’”.

It should be noted that ratios, concentrations, amounts, and other numerical data can be expressed herein in a range format. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint. It is also understood that there are a number of values disclosed herein, and that each value is also herein disclosed as “about” that particular value in addition to the value itself. For example, if the value “10” is disclosed, then “about 10” is also disclosed. Ranges can be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and/or to “about” another particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms a further aspect. For example, if the value “about 10” is disclosed, then “10” is also disclosed.

It is to be understood that such a range format is used for convenience and brevity, and thus, should be interpreted in a flexible manner to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. To illustrate, a numerical range of “about 0.1% to 5%” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 0.1% to about 5%, but also include individual values (e.g., about 1%, about 2%, about 3%, and about 4%) and the sub-ranges (e.g., about 0.5% to about 1.1%; about 5% to about 2.4%; about 0.5% to about 3.2%, and about 0.5% to about 4.4%, and other possible sub-ranges) within the indicated range.

As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include both singular and plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

As used herein, “about,” “approximately,” “substantially,” and the like, when used in connection with a measurable variable such as a parameter, an amount, a temporal duration, and the like, are meant to encompass variations of and from the specified value including those within experimental error (which can be determined by e.g. given data set, art accepted standard, and/or with e.g. a given confidence interval (e.g. 90%, 95%, or more confidence interval from the mean), such as variations of +/−10% or less, +/−5% or less, +/−1% or less, and +/−0.1% or less of and from the specified value, insofar such variations are appropriate to perform in the disclosure. As used herein, the terms “about,” “approximate,” “at or about,” and “substantially” can mean that the amount or value in question can be the exact value or a value that provides equivalent results or effects as recited in the claims or taught herein. That is, it is understood that amounts, sizes, formulations, parameters, and other quantities and characteristics are not and need not be exact, but may be approximate and/or larger or smaller, as desired, reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like, and other factors known to those of skill in the art such that equivalent results or effects are obtained. In some circumstances, the value that provides equivalent results or effects cannot be reasonably determined. In general, an amount, size, formulation, parameter or other quantity or characteristic is “about,” “approximate,” or “at or about” whether or not expressly stated to be such. It is understood that where “about,” “approximate,” or “at or about” is used before a quantitative value, the parameter also includes the specific quantitative value itself, unless specifically stated otherwise.

The term “optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequent described event, circumstance or substituent may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where the event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not.

As used herein, “tangible medium of expression” refers to a medium that is physically tangible or accessible and is not a mere abstract thought or an unrecorded spoken word. “Tangible medium of expression” includes, but is not limited to, words on a cellulosic or plastic material, or data stored in a suitable computer readable memory form. The data can be stored on a unit device, such as a flash memory or CD-ROM or on a server that can be accessed by a user via, e.g. a web interface.

Various embodiments are described hereinafter. It should be noted that the specific embodiments are not intended as an exhaustive description or as a limitation to the broader aspects discussed herein. One aspect described in conjunction with a particular embodiment is not necessarily limited to that embodiment and can be practiced with any other embodiment(s). Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” or “an example embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to a person skilled in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments. Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the disclosure. For example, in the appended claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

All patents, patent applications, published applications, and publications, databases, websites and other published materials cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as though each individual publication, published patent document, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated as being incorporated by reference.

Kits

Any of the devices described herein can be presented as a combination kit. As used herein, the terms “combination kit” or “kit of parts” refers to the devices and any additional components that are used to package, sell, market, deliver, and/or deploy the device therein. Such additional components include, but are not limited to, packaging, blister packages, nutrients, growth media, stakes, seed tapes, and the like. The separate kit components can be contained in a single package or in separate packages within the kit.

In some embodiments, the combination kit also includes instructions printed on or otherwise contained in a tangible medium of expression. The instructions can provide information regarding the content of the compounds and/or formulations, safety information regarding the device contained therein. In some embodiments, the instructions can provide directions and protocols for using the device. In some embodiments, the instructions can provide one or more embodiments of the methods for deploying and using the device such as any of the methods described in greater detail elsewhere herein.

The inventor of the device described herein, known as a SEED CROWN™ is a landowner in a portion of the Longleaf region where planting nursery-grown seedlings for reforestation purposes is not a good fit. In additional to the prohibitive costs of nursery stock, the inventor's property sits in a comparatively isolated, higher elevation montane longleaf region. Consequently, one of the goals of the current disclosure is to aid in efforts to preserve whatever genetic adaptations might exist among local trees near a given planting site. The progeny of nursery-grown seedlings is both limited and often uncertain. As a result, great amounts of time have been spent determining how to get from having a longleaf seed in a tree to having a longleaf seedling prospering in a desired location on the forest floor with the least possible inputs in between. This disclosure affords a vast reduction in the total inputs necessary to establish a viable longleaf tree in a forest setting and, therefore, represents a much more sustainable method for meeting conservation objectives.

Experimentation for the current disclosure includes both growing seedlings for transplant and direct seeding, all from locally sourced seeds. These attempts confirm the intensity of predation longleaf seeds and young seedlings face. Through trial and error, however, the inventor discovered the period of greatest predation risk is quite brief. Observations suggest that predation loss begins to decline just a few weeks after germination and becomes almost rare in less than12weeks. Further, even modest amounts of predator deterrence can tip the balance in favor of seedling survival.

Indeed, the inventor's experiments have shown that covering a well-planted seed with a simple upside-down plastic strawberry basket will produce germination and three-month survival rates exceeding 50%. It takes no great amount of imagination or experience to recognize that simply sticking a seed in the ground and covering it with a little basket compares favorably in terms of total inputs with the more conventional method of starting a seedling in a nursery and then transplanting it to a forest location, especially if survival rates are at least on the same order of magnitude. Further, a viable direct seeding method would make it practical for individual landowners able to collect even a few ripe cones to regenerate Longleaf on their own property, thereby greatly expanding—indeed democratizing—the conservation effort.

The problem with anything like a strawberry basket, however, is that it quickly clogs with other vegetation and, even if it remains free of competition, it would eventually impede growth of the desired seedling if left in place for more than a few weeks as the plant and cohabitant vegetation grow. As such, the baskets (or almost all of the other devices discussed in the prior art section) need to be revisited and eventually retrieved, at least doubling the labor requirement. Interestingly, efforts were made several decades ago to use biodegradable, compound-part seed shelters in Canada's boreal forests for regenerating different conifer species, but vegetative fouling, the expense of the plastics chosen, complexity of the devices, and labor requirements resulted in the efforts being abandoned.

After trying a number of variations on basket-like coverings to thwart predation, the inventor's breakthrough solution was to cut the bottom half from drink cups made of cornstarch plastic (i.e., biodegradable materials such as polyactic acid or “PLA”) in a pattern that leaves protruding spikes or palisades that are taller than the opening circumference. Turned upside down, the solid plastic side thwarts or at least deters small mammals, birds and ground-crawling insects, and the palisade points are enough to deter larger animals like deer and rabbit because it is difficult or not possible to reach the seed or seedling through the top opening without encountering the points. A second breakthrough was to heat formed the pointed palisades to curve inward so as to narrow the top opening, thereby making a predator's access from above even less appealing and, equally as important, helping to deflect leaf litter falling in the forest (which can be a problem with completely open topped guard designs), all while remaining flexible enough not to impair seedling growth or become fouled by co-habitant vegetation growing alongside the desired seedling.

A third critical breakthrough was to recognize that, while the PLA would eventually biodegrade on its own, the material begins to melt at ˜200° F. Typical prescribed fire temperatures in the southeastern United States typically peek around 800° F. (See Kennard, et al., Fire Ecology 1, 75-84 (2005).) Thus, the PLA employed for the current devices will melt between the preferred prescribed fire range of approximately 200° F. to 800° F. Therefore, devices made from PLA or similar biodegradable plastics readily vanish when exposed to prescribed fire, essential forest management tool for Longleaf and may other fire-adapted species. Another important feature of PLA is that it is the least expensive of the plant-based plastics. In order to be a viable alternative to nursery-grown seedlings on a large scale, any aid for direct seeding must have very low manufacturing costs. It should be possible to manufacture SEED CROWN™ using thermoforming from PLA plastic sheets in the same fashion as dome-shaped lids used for drinking cups on a large scale at a cost of a few pennies per unit. It should likewise be possible to make mesh or basket versions from PLA or other biodegradable material that are economically viable.

Turning to a description of the ergonomic process of planting a Longleaf seed with a SEED CROWN™, full deployment involves approximately six steps: (1) from a standing position, scrape away surface litter with a boot toe to create a clear spot on the ground slightly larger than a SEED CROWN™; (2) using one hand holding two staking skewers, probe the ground to a depth of about a half-inch to loosen soil and check for near-surface impediments like roots or rocks; (3) insert one or more Longleaf seeds (point down/wing up) in the soil so that approximately ¾ of the seed is below surface; (4) if necessary (and available), apply light watering to secure the seeds; (5) place a SEED CROWN™ over the seed or seeds so the planting site is centered; and (6) secure the SEED CROWN™ to the ground using two pegs or skewers inserted through the holes (or through the mesh of the basket version).

The inventor has obtained the best results planting between October 1 and March 31, but Longleaf can be successfully planted under a SEED CROWN™ anytime soil moisture remains adequate for germination and survival. Draught is always a peril for any seedling (especially in the first year), and a severe freeze within a few weeks of germination can also result in significant mortality, so planting in October and November are optimal. For planting at the scale of hundreds or thousands, it may be useful to have a large-wheel “game cart” or even an ATV with a several-gallon water jug (equipped with a spray nozzle) and a holder for SEED CROWN™ devices, as well as a nail apron for skewers and seeds. For rugged terrain, a planting kit could be assembled in a standing backpack (similar to a golf bag) for transport to the target location and relatively easy movement between specific planting spots.

With regard to the need for watering, the ideal conditions for carefully planting seeds are during a light rain or shortly after rain so that the seeds “stick” to wet soil particles and, therefore, remain in the desired position even if it rains again before the radical root hairs emerge. Under those ideal conditions, watering is not necessary. If the surface soil is dry, however, germination rates can be materially improved by applying a small amount of water (less than 0.5 oz.) to help secure the seed in place. Planters in the field can obtain the same result applying the light watering after the SEED CROWN™ is in place, meaning dozens or even hundreds of seeds can be fully planted under a corresponding number of SEED CROWN™ devices and then followed in sequence by light watering of a larger cohort, an approach that improves efficiency in most settings.

A SEED CROWN™ can be left in place after planting even though its work will be done in about six to ten weeks (meaning the seedlings will have reached the point where predation is no longer a significant peril). Depending on temperature and sunlight falling on the micro-site, a SEED CROWN™ will begin fracturing apart in the first year of deployment. However, major portions or even intact SEED CROWN™ devices will persist until the first prescribed burn, which will melt the PLA plastic. Whether decomposition occurs with or without fire, the PLA remains non-toxic.

FIG.10shows one embodiment of a seed/sapling protection device1000. Device1000may include primary palisades1002, which may be separated from one another by less than 0.5″, 1.0″, 1.5″, 2.0″, 2.5″, etc., which curve towards the top opening to deflect leaf litter while allowing unimpeded growth of the seedling. Palisades1002may also protect from predation from omnivores and herbivores by having sharpened points1004. The length of the primary palisades1002is greater than the radius of the bottom opening, a ratio that results in the bending palisade shielding the seed or seedling when pressed downward by the snout of a predator, and which also results in discouraging engagement with the opposing points. Also gaps1006may be formed between palisades. Gaps1006may allow fascicle needles, stems, shoots, etc., to protrude from device1000, instead of hampering or preventing same as seen in past attempts. The gaps1006may end in crescent transitions1008where they meet the body1010of the device1000to divert water flowing down the palisades inward towards the seed or seedling, to provide a gentle point of engagement for protruding plant members such as needles, stems, buds, etc., and to increase flexibility of the primary palisades1002and eventual decomposition the entire device1000, whether by melting or biodegradation. Device1000may also have anchor tabs1012that define anchor holes1014within anchor1012to accommodate pegs1016that may be pressed into the ground to secure device1000. Device1000may also form secondary palisades1018between primary palisades1002to increase ventilation and rain ingress while also serving to deter predation via sharpened points1020. Device1000may also have vertical scoring or breakpoints along the solid base to enhance fracturing over time.

FIG.11shows an alternative embodiment of a SEED CROWN™ of the current disclosure. In this embodiment, seedling protection device1100has a mesh or basket weave body1110and primary palisades1102and secondary palisades1108formed of ribs protruding above the top ring of the mesh or woven body1110. By making the top-most ring1114of the mesh narrower than the other rings1112, the flexible primary palisades1102and secondary palisades1108tilt inward. The length of the primary palisades1102is greater than the radius of the bottom opening, a ratio that results in the bending palisade shielding the seed or seedling when pressed downward by the snout of a predator, and which also results in discouraging engagement with the opposing points. The rings1112forming the horizontal members of the mesh or weave body1110may be crimped to accelerate decomposition whether when melting by fire or slower biodegradation. The more “open air” structure to the seedling protection device1100may allow greater ventilation and rain infiltration and less greenhouse effect as compared to embodiment1000inFIG.10, making device1100potentially preferable for comparatively hotter or drier conditions.

FIG.12Ashows a picture of one embodiment of a SEED CROWN™ of the current disclosure with straight primary palisades and lacking secondary palisades. Note that the length of the primary palisades in this embodiment is greater than the diameter of the opening, a ratio that makes it difficult to reach the seed or seedling without encountering the palisade points. This embodiment may be preferred where falling leaf litter or other detritus is not a concern, such as an “old field” planting site.FIG.12Bshows the device ofFIG.12Aplaced over a seedling.FIG.12Cshows the device ofFIG.12Aafter the seedling has increased in size, demonstrating both the protective effects and benefits provided by a SEED CROWN™.

FIG.13shows an embodiment of a SEED CROWN™ ofFIG.10with curved and pointed primary palisades and pointed secondary palisades, and with coloration applied to the transparent material to make the device easier to observe.

FIG.14shows a deployed SEED CROWN™ with curved and pointed primary palisades and pointed secondary palisades, and with coloration applied to the transparent material to make the device easier to observe, protecting a recently germinated seedling.

FIG.15shows a 1.5 year-old seedling with a deployed SEED CROWN™ that has curved and pointed primary palisades and pointed secondary palisades, and with coloration applied to the transparent material to make the device easier to observe. The older seedling's needles protrude unimpeded through the side gaps and top opening.

FIG.16shows the same seedling shown inFIG.15approximately five minutes after a controlled burn has occurred. This figure shows that the SEED CROWN™ has been eliminated completely and no residue remains behind, leaving the seedling to grow and mature.

FIG.17shows an additional feature whereby the SEED CROWN™ palisades curl outward when exposed to low level heat over time, such as direct summer sun, further reducing the extent to which the device might impede growth of seedlings or cohabitant vegetation.

In addition to the embodiments disclosed and described herein in which a SEED CROWN™ may be made in one piece from polyactive acid plastic, in other embodiments SEED CROWN™ devices may be made from other biodegradable materials such as, but not limited to, starch blends, cellulose-based plastics, lignin-based polymer composites, polyglycolic acid (PGA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polycaprolactone (PCL), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA, PVOH) etc. Additional embodiments can be made from petroleum-based plastics where reuse of individual SEED CROWN™ devices is desirable, such as in research settings, just as an example. However, the current disclosure is not limited to just plastics and extends to other biodegradable materials such as bamboo, Tipa bio-plastic polymers, mycelium, hemp, jute, other woods, Areca palm leaf, Avocado bio-plastic, etc. Biodegradability may be defined per ASTM D5208, D6400, D5338, D6691, and/or D7991.

In a further embodiment, the material forming the SEED CROWN™ may have the approximate thickness and weight of a drink cup or, in the basket or mesh embodiment, of a plastic strawberry basket, simplifying handling of large quantities in the field.

Further, a SEED CROWN™ may be transparent for better sunlight transmission or distinctly colored, such as blaze or neon colors, to allow for easier location of the SEED CROWN™ once deployed (a feature that may be helpful in maintaining desired planting densities and also in research settings).

FIG.18shows a further embodiment of a protective device1800of the current disclosure. Device1800may include primary palisades1802and secondary palisades1804. Device1800demonstrates a pattern of two secondary palisades1804for each primary palisade1802, with the length of the primary palisades resulting in a gap between opposing palisade points of less than one inch and the length of the secondary palisades being slightly greater than the radius of the perimeter boundary1812, thereby being sufficient for litter deflection while minimizing shade and shedding of rainfall The secondary palisades1804bend inward on the same plane as the primary palisades to limit snagging leaf litter, with pointed tips present to deter predation. While shown as arranged in a circular format, the current disclosure is not so limited and perimeter boundary1812may be shaped in circular, oblong, parallelogram, polygon, and/or other/random shapes optimized for the number or geometrical pattern of seeds planted or plant species to be protected. By way of illustrative examples, and not to be considered limiting, a “figure8” or “snowman” shape would optimize for planting two grouping of seeds or seedlings beneath a single SEED CROWN™. While a roughly 4″ diameter perimeter boundary1812for a SEED CROWN™ appears optimized for longleaf, an 8″ to 12″ diameter perimeter boundary1812might be better suited for species with taller seedling morphologies like ponderosa pine or deciduous trees. Further, primary palisades1802extend above and beyond secondary palisades1804and form open end1805via primary palisades1802angling toward one another's distal ends1807. Secondary palisades1804may also be oriented with their respective distal ends1807angled upward and toward open end1805. Both types of palisades include elongated and sharpened spines1806truncating in protective spikes1808, by having spines1806narrow and taper as they extend, forming a protective spike ring perimeter1809around and enclosing open end1805; the spines on primary palisades1802are longer than those of secondary palisades1804. Further, both primary palisade1802and secondary palisades1804define inward angled ledges1814, which angle inward toward protective device interior1816to prevent ingress into protective device interior1816. The inside angle of the intersection of the line running along the palisades rising from the base and the ground surface will ideally be slightly under vertical (i.e., approximately 80°) and the inside angle formed by the intersection of a line projecting along the plane of the ledge1814and the ground surface will be approximately 45°. Primary palisades1802and secondary palisades1804are defined in protective device body1810and extend from perimeter boundary1812, which extends from protective device base1813, device base1813may be formed as open-ended interior perimeter1815to allow for unobstructed placement over a seed or seedling, the various palisades are separated by defined chasms1818that serve to allow sunlight and oxygen to reach protective device interior1816. The side wall spacing of primary palisades1802and secondary palisades1804ideally results in a ratio of openings or chasms1818to palisades of approximately 50%. (I.e., there will be approximately twice as much area covered by the palisades as compared to the area exposed via chasms1818.) Chasms1818while shown as defined slots in protective device body1810are not limited in shape and can be open-ended slots, closed parallelograms or polygons, open or closed bodied irregular and/or random shapes and are not limited to just the design shown inFIG.18. Chasms1818may be open to the air and unobstructed and uncovered to allow air, rain, light, etc., to enter device interior1816unimpeded. This also lowers protection costs and material waste. In one embodiment, chasms1818may be open ended slots to reduce material usage when forming protective device1800, as well as to allow oxygen and light to access device interior1816. In one embodiment, the chasms between palisades are vertically unobstructed from the point the palisades rise from perimeter boundary1812of the device. Device protective body1810may also define scoring or score line(s)1820into outer surface1822of protective device1800. Scoring1820may extend partially into outer surface1822or may extend completely through protective device1800and exit interior surface1824into device interior1816, defining further openings, not shown, into protective device1800. Scoring1820may also extend along palisades1802and1804. Protective device base1813may also define stake openings1826, which allow stakes to be driven through protective device1800to secure it into the ground surrounding a seed or seedling.

FIG.19shows a photo of a downward view of the embodiment shown inFIG.18.FIG.20shows a photo of a side view of the embodiment ofFIG.18.FIG.21shows a photograph of multiple constructs shown inFIG.18.FIG.22shows a photograph of the protective device shown inFIG.18covering a seven month old seedling.FIG.23shows a photograph of the protective device shown inFIG.18covering a two year old sapling.

Various modifications and variations of the described methods, pharmaceutical compositions, and kits of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. Although the disclosure has been described in connection with specific embodiments, it will be understood that it is capable of further modifications and that the disclosure as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the disclosure that are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure following, in general, the principles of the disclosure and including such departures from the present disclosure come within known customary practice within the art to which the disclosure pertains and may be applied to the essential features herein before set forth.