91 



From what we know of the slow development of environment (par- 

 ticularly soil fertility which represents energy stored from the ex- 

 penditures of many generations of plants and animals and from the 

 long weathering effects of climatic forces) we should suspect that the 

 rapid release of the environment's energy by combustion w r ould repre- 

 sent a loss to the landowner out of proportion to the gain. 



There are perhaps cases in which practical gain may exceed practi- 

 cal loss, as when the burning of western scrub (shrubs or stunted trees 

 which are of little value for grazing, or anything else) will permit 

 grasses to grow, and provide some return to the human race. Even 

 this is a highly questionable procedure unless carefully controlled, 

 and usually succeeds only if the area is seeded to grass by man. 



Careful studies on plots in Kansas, over a six year period, show 

 unburned pasture producing 45 per cent greater yield than from 

 autumn-burned dry plots. 1 The same scientists mention studies show- 

 ing that burning of bluegrass pasture is harmful, and that burning 

 of chaparral, mesquite, and in some cases sagebrush, soon resulted in 

 increasing the scrub at the expense of the grasses. There are cases in 

 which dominance is shared by scrub and grasses; there, one may be 

 eliminated, leaving the field to the other for a time at least. 



The burning of woodland pasture each year usually dooms the 

 trees. Reproduction is prevented by killing or injuring the seedlings 

 so that they fall prey to insects or fungus attack. Injury to the mature 

 trees shortens their life and reduces their value. 



Where the cultural pattern of man touches the basic requirements 

 of life, that pattern must constantly be re-evaluated in the light of 

 new knowledge. Time and again man's culture has threatened and 

 destroyed its own foundation. The great demands which the present 

 huge world population makes on the environment permits of no 

 further errors if civilization is to continue its progress. The rise 

 and fall of past cultures offers fair warning that Nature reacts with 

 certainty to errors in landscape management. 



iWeaver and Clements, Plant Ecology, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1938, p. 29. 



PIG-. 45. "The grandeur that was Rome." Here a portion of Timgad, Roman 



city in North Africa ( Algeria), has been cleaned up by the French. Observe 



the perfect harmony between city and landscape both wrecked. 



SSMHifc^: 



