conservation of habitats (rain forest)
Randall P. Linke (Tue, 27 Dec 2011 19:24:43 PST)

I think we should keep in mind that a lot of places have already lost their
native cover, and to think they will be returned to a natural state is
beyond wishful thinking. Eucalypt and acacia plantations have been
proposed to provide sustainable forestry and sources of pulp and fuel in
areas already devastated. This may not be the most desirable outcome for
these hectares of land, but considering the alternatives, and the millions
of hectares of land under exotic cultivation around the world, something
self sustaining is probably the lesser, if not altogether most desirable,
evil.

That is not saying I condone it, just trying to be realistic.

Randy

On Tue, Dec 27, 2011 at 6:57 PM, Richard Haard <richrd@nas.com> wrote:

re re in defense of Eucalypt monoculture plantations in southern
Brazil...............

In 2009-10 I spent several months with my equivalent (seed collector and
native plant propagator) in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. This area about S23
degrees W48 deg and in the rainforest transition. When settled and cleared,
just like my mixed conifer forest biome in PNW @ 48 degrees north 110 years
ago coffee plantations were installed. Then as soil fertility declined,
plantations were replaced with row crops - corn, beans and finally grazing
with cattle After these soils were depleted or eroded to subsoils even
cattle would not use the land. My friend, Carlos, is the last of three
generations of settlers who have finally abandoned this depleted land for
the big city, Sao Paulo. We toured these places in all directions from his
village, Angatuba, documenting with photographs the eroded slopes,
indicator poverty grasses. Here are a few pictures of this scene <
http://flickr.com/photos/rchaard/…>.

Not that the entire area was devastated. There is diversified farming in
country side <http://flic.kr/p/5ysWBF/>. Many local people are truly
aware of their environmental crisis. Rapidly replacing these devastated
fields are Eucalypt plantations that are spreading over the landscape like
a blanket. Contrast these devastated places with this view <
http://flic.kr/p/5tuhS1/> and recently cleared land after harvesting a 3
year old standing crop <http://flic.kr/p/5tpUpp/>. The government in this
state is indeed enlightened. There are very strict rules for preservation
of riparian corridors and planting native plant buffers around irrigation
ponds, village parks and drainages. Villages have their own native plant
nurseries making wide assortment of trees available to local farmers and
foresters. The plantations of eucalypt are restoring the fertility of the
land that has been lost giving the ground a chance to restore itself from
the soil parent material.

I envy the diversity of flora in these tropics. Here in PNW, USA we only
have 20 or so trees and shrubs in our flora and in Brazil there are
hundreds literally that I studied with my friend. On one set of field trips
I visited the protected watershed of the community, Angatuba. Looking like
5 square miles at least it was 20 years ago logged and burned. However
natural recruitment has completely restored the forest. The Eucalypt and
local production of cane sugar makes the region energy self sufficient and
feeds a pulp mill employing 10000 workers. The village has a community
ethanol plant <http://youtu.be/Af17D4urOlQ/ > that supplies sugar and
alcohol fuel to run all government vehicles. Eucalypt is energy feedstock
for their boiler, (w bagasse). Every other place that needed process energy
I could find in the area. A cheese plant, lumber dry kiln, food
manufacture, cooking and metalurgical charcoal kiln <
http://youtu.be/5VwsN0z5C_4/>, turpentine plant and so on, (including fe
edstock for pottery kiln) <http://youtu.be/FxX_0gSQ7uU/>.

I also envy the opportunity for sustainability this state government and
the people have with their diversity of flora, the productivity of the
land, and the demonstrated ability of the land to heal with stewardship.
These folks also demonstrate minimum use of machinery to maximize their
utilization of human resources. Including their use of human labor instead
of machinery at their (mandated) recycling plant.
http://flickr.com/photos/rchaard/…

Watershed health, community sustainability, stewardship - we need to
include our fellow humans in a realistic policy to preserve rain forest
habitats.

Rich Haard
Bellingham Washington
N 48deg W122 deg
On Dec 27, 2011, at 5:08 PM, Shelley Gage wrote:

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

_______________________________________________
pbs mailing list
pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/

--
* *
A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial
appearance of being right. - Thomas Paine ---
*
*