While in Porto Allegro in Southern Brazil in September I was astonished at the large cultivated areas of not only eucalypt forests but also Acacias and was told that these areas were previously used for beef production which is being moved to freshly cleared Amazon forests. It is a worry!! Happy New Year, Shelley > From: hartsentwine.australia@gmail.com > Date: Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:05:35 +1000 > To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > Subject: Re: [pbs] conservation of habitats (rain forest) > > Hi Peter > The sort of changes you are speaking of are already becoming evident in the Amazonian & surrounding areas. > Areas that used to be extensive precipitation rich jungles are now reduced to soy bean fields & farms. Although it is obvious that any reduction in precipitation will make relative changes, the volume would still be negligible at this stage & measuring salt levels etc would show no significant reading with currant technology. > > Although satellite imagery is reducing tree poaching due to faster enforcement at ground level by up to 14 days quicker in which time poachers would be gone in the old days. The modern problem is deforestation for soy beans & palm products & some small crop even livestock. > > These are economical & social difficulties that will be impossible to stop even with the fastest of conservation methods in such an area. land clearing & forest burning are extensive & difficult to enforce. > > Sent from my iPhone > > On 28/12/2011, at 8:11 AM, Peter Taggart <petersirises@gmail.com> wrote: > > > I am aware that a tree is oxgen / carbon neutral on balance, it is the > > turnaround of water which I understand to influence weather patterns beond > > an immediate locality. Were the western Amazonian area to reduce its > > rainfall, the total amount of vegetation would reduce. Surely the effects > > of reduced moisture and of reduced cloud would change the weather systems > > of the area, convection currents, temperature gradients, fresh w\ater on > > salt and so on, with knock on effects on a wider scale? > > _______________________________________________ > > pbs mailing list > > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/