Habitat Destruction in Mexico

[Chris J. Durden]

Paul,
  That was a regional phenomenon, not a blanket assault on the lanscape. It
was of patchy distribution which changed over the decades with climatic
fluctuations. Some systems still operate that way when left alone - eg. the
seven-tree-species-forest south of Hudson's Bay which is, from the air a
patchwork of small burns and regrowth with rare old growth pockets
persisting in naturally protected sites such as peninsulas, islands and
cliffs. Under population pressure if this land were colonized, the
old-growth pockets would not persist. It is in these pockets of old-growth
that many of the rare and relict species survive.
  Today we are faced with a million cases of arson, perpetrated on the
best-soil-areas in the region by newcomers to the area. This is surely
nothing like the natural phenomenon of lightning-started fires that it has
replaced. 
.....Chris Durden

At 11:54  17/05/00 +0000, you wrote:
>Chris J. Durden wrote:
>
>> Fantastic image of Sinaloa and parts of adjacent states! A sorry sight.
>
>Does anyone here remember learning in their college Plant Ecology classes
that 
>prior to the arrival of european man, most of western North America burned 
>roughly every 7-10 years?
>
>Paul Cherubini, Placerville, Calif.
>
>