permaculture

["Kirby Fry" <peace@totalaccess.net>]

Mark & All,

Here's some more data from the Pc Design Manual attesting to the amazing
production potential of grasslands.  They're all from the same page.

p. 436  "If the forest takes 80 years to regrow from the ground level, then
it yields or gains about 2.5 t / ha / year.  If the grasses can be cut or
grazed twice in a season, they can yield some 10 t / ha / year."

"Grasslands (or rather herblands) lie between forests and deserts.  Alpine
herblands lie above the treeline, and below the barren upper slopes of
mountains, as savannahs lie between humid rainforest and deserts, and
riverine or shoreline herbfields between the forest and open water."

The section goes on to say that herblands are best harvested by wildlife
rather than farming.

"We may never again equal the product yield of the 60 million bison on the
American prairies, with their unnumbered associated hordes of pronghorn and
mule deer, and a host of minor species.

Interesting stuff to ponder.  I would sure like to see a resurgence of the
bison and its minions as the Russians have apparently done with the Saiga
antelope.

"Russia has preserved and encouraged the Saiga antelope (from near
extinction in the 1940's) to over a million today, and can cull 40% of these
annually for food."

"About 24% of the earth's surface is in some form of grasslands."

Maybe with all the international attention on carbon sinks, and the U.S.A.'s
proclivity to avoid reducing its emissions, some serious herbland
rehabilitation will get underway utilizing bison, antelope and deer.

Huge grazing stations the size of Texas would spot the Great Plains of North
America where people feasted on buffalo steaks and venison backstrap!  Am I
dreaming?  We couldn't live without our cereals and soy beans could we?

Kirby