permaculture

[John Schinnerer <eco_living@yahoo.com>]

Aloha,

> Well, they're certainly motivated to "install" succesionally low
> grassland
> communities because they feel that these ecosystems are so endangered
> and inclined to view woody brush encroachment as a cause of that
> endangerment...

Ecosystems come, ecosystems go; been happening long before our species
was around.  Sounds like they just want to have their Disneyland-style
grasslands with some cute low-maintenance songbirds without all the
complications of a self-maintaining ecosystem (like free-roaming large
ungulates and related large predators, encroaching forest/brushland
edges,  etc.).  Reminds me of Yosemite controversies - people wanting
to dredge Mirror lake because those darn natural processes were making
a meadow out of it; people wanting to log valley floor forest edges
because those darn natural processes were filling the meadows with
trees.  Running out of room for the 3 pm - dusk shift of placidly
grazing deer...that just won't do...

> Domestic livestock are probably our best tool for the job but even
> that
> entails fencing, livestock and labor for ranching...

Wasn't needed back when - bison, etc. seemed to do a fine job of prarie
maintenance on open range up until we fence-builders overran the place.
 Early cattle ranching was all open-range too.

> I'd love to see more pronghorn antelope, mule deer, bison, bob cats,
> and wolves.  You can imagine the complexity of reintroducing these
> animals, however.  What a challenge!

That's more like it.  Don't leave out plenty of predators or the
ungulates will populate like crazy and trash the place - especially
sheep and goats.  Plenty of existing examples (Glacier Nat'l Park, Na
Pali coast cliffs, etc.


> ...Whisenet's been working in China in the great river valley where
> they're building that humungous dam.

I was really hoping the flooding there lately would take that project
out completely, wash it right on down the river.  I suppose there's
still hope...maybe Ma Nature isn't at bat yet on that one.


=====
John Schinnerer, MA
-------------------------
- Eco-Living -
Cultural & Ecological Designing
People - Place - Learning - Integration
john@eco-living.net
http://eco-living.net

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