permaculture

[John Schinnerer <eco_living@yahoo.com>]

Aloha,

> But there have been many studies  showing that fire frequency 
> increased dramatically once humans arrived.

This is congruent with the idea that we did not "invent" fire - we
"designed" it (and designed using it - see
http://www.advanceddesign.org/ for more design-thinking stuff)..."fire
happens," and we designed applications of it...

> New England was burned
> just as often as California but stayed wet.

True, and pretty much clear-cut several times over also - and the
growing season is short...hmmm...

Climate is #1 on the Keyline scale of permanence; land shape is #2;
trees are way down at #5, this in a system developed in relatively
*arid* landscapes.  So there must be significant systemic differences
between New England and Pacific coast states, such that human use of
fire (and clearcutting) had quite different long-term consequences. 
Otherwise New England would have been desertified by clearcutting (not
to mention plowing) long ago...


=====
John Schinnerer, MA
-------------------------
- Eco-Living -
Cultural & Ecological Designing
Food - Water - Shelter - Community - Technology
john@eco-living.net
http://eco-living.net

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