Interesting topic. Here in Ontario we have had this discussion in reference to what would be the "base case" or point of comparison for setting objectives for forest managment on public lands. During the development of the recently approved Crown Forest Sustainability Act the environmental community put forward a submission that forest plans should be required to maintain the species compostion, age class structure and disturbance matrix of the natural forest. The reference point for this natural forest would be remaining unlogged areas (yes we still have original forest left in many of our ecoregions). Our input was not included in the new act and the new process allows forest managers to select a "future forest condition" that is not referenced back to the natural state. Tim Gray Wildland League a chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society ---------- From: Zelazny, Vince (DNRE/FMB) Sent: April 8, 1998 9:33 AM To: FOREST@listserv.funet.fi Subject: what is natural Maybe we should ask the question "what is natural" to the naturalist community. Many naturalists that I know have rather clear views on this. Even a relatively poor naturalist like me can spot the forest plants here in eastern Canada that tell me a stand has grown up on an old field or whether its plant community has longer precedent. In many parts of eastern North America that original plant community is all but erased, and remains holed up in small parks and natural areas (oops, there's that word again). On my recent trip to the southeast I spent a small part of the time looking for evidence of the precolonial forest peculiar to that geographic place. I visited a couple of old baldcypress sites. A reading of E.O. Wilson's autobiography "Naturalist" that describes his boyhood in the Florida swamps and Gulf coast gave me lots of mental images to work with, and called to mind my own boyhood fascination with the natural (ouch!) world, not on par with Wilson's intense collecting and study but a solid memory nonetheless. Oh yes, and the novel "Killing Mr. Watson" about life around the turn of the century in the 10,000 Islands and the Big Cypress area by naturalist Peter Matthiessen was another good read that gave context for my trip south. To me, a natural forest has pre-colonial precedent and has not lost its characteristic species. This sets the bar pretty high, I know, but why not go for it? You'll gain a lot of allies (and you won't necessarily lose a lot of wood). These days we rationalize away even the most obviously true concepts! Spend time with naturalists, and watch out! you might learn what's natural. Vince Zelazny, RPF only my opinion, eh.
Mail converted by
MHonArc 1.1.0