Puzzled by grassland areas

• To: forest@nic.funet.fi
• Subject: Puzzled by grassland areas
• From: "A. Apan [Geography/Env.Sci.]" <Armando.Apan@arts.monash.edu.au>
• Date: Fri, 12 Aug 1994 14:28:12 +0300
• Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
• Organization: Monash Uni Arts Faculty
• Priority: normal

Dear Netters,

     I am puzzled by my data obtained from a Landsat image of Mindoro 
Occidental, Philippines. It shows that there are about 10,638 hectares 
of grasslands or bareland/openland areas in slope greater than 50% 
(very steep/mountainous). I could not fully explain why there is such 
a big area of grasslands/bareland areas in very steep slopes, where 
logging or man-made destructions are not feasible. (My assumption is 
that, these areas are previously forested.)

    Soils of the said area is classified by Bureau of Soils as just 
"rough  mountainous lands" and the bedrock geology is mainly composed 
of basalt and schists.

    One of my hypothesis is that the area is really a "grassland 
climax ecosystem". Eversince, no trees grow there because of some bio-
physical factors. But how it is formed?

    What do you think? I will greatly appreciate any info or ideas 
about it.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Arman     


<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
 Armando A. Apan                            /\/\
 GIS Laboratory                                         _------ \
 Dept. of Geography and Envi. Science           /\/\   /         \\    
 Monash University                                    (           )
 Clayton, Victoria 3168                               (           )
 AUSTRALIA                                             (    _   )) 
                                              ( )         \| |/ 
 Phone: (61)(3) 905-2928                      \|/          | |
 Fax  : (61)(3) 905-2948                       |           | |
 Email: Armando.Apan@arts.monash.edu.au       / \         /   \
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
                                

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