3 ms·
That’s not true in North America. In the northeast, the forests we see are actually cultivated, and much that is deciduous would become pine forest with impass
by whiddershins 4y ago
That’s not true in North America.
In the northeast, the forests we see are actually cultivated, and much that is deciduous would become pine forest with impassable underbrush without human intervention.
Prevention of wildfires requires human intervention and brush clearing. I believe this is a factor right now in California.
The Great Plains is largely cultivated, and without proper maintenance is shrinking.
Some people theorize that much of the lush vegetation European settlers saw in New England was actually human cultivation, that was left untended due to mass smallpox deaths.
Strategic neglect is a strategy, but when applied naively you may not end up with the ecosystem you wanted.
- theptip 4y ago> Prevention of wildfires requires human intervention and brush clearing. I believe this is a factor right now in California Prevention of all wildfires requires intervention, but the natural state is lots of small fires and that actually results in fewer huge fires, so “neglect” is a valid strategy. Unfortunately it’s hard to do proscribed burns to “catch up” to the natural state as they are unpopular.
- aliqot 4y agoWildfires are the natural earth's own clearing process, returning carbon harvested by the trees to the soil. It's only a negative thing because it effects us.