Official plans to rehabilitate the Primavera Forest after the devastating fire in April of this year are far from adequate, says researcher Miguel Angel Magaña of the University of Guadalajara’s Center for Biological and Agricultural Studies (CUCBA).
The researcher points out that a detailed study of the damage caused by the fire has not yet been carried out, especially in regard to the impact on the soil. In particular, he criticizes CONAFOR (Comisión Nacional Forestal) for planting trees “which don’t correspond to the natural proportion of pine to oak trees of this forest,” and for hiding the fact that “almost all of the 33 million trees CONAFOR planted during the last 18 years are now dead.”
“CONAFOR,” says Magaña, “continues to treat the Bosque de la Primavera as if it were just any woods and not a Protected Area.” He suggests making a detailed inventory of the bushes and plants which have been lost, as these are vital for the survival of the fauna living in the forest. “They have to replace the species of plants that were destroyed, but no serious studies have been carried out that could help to accomplish this.”
To avoid the repetition of such scenarios, the researcher in Environmental Sciences proposes changing all administrators who have anything to do with the Primavera Forest, “just as long as the replacements are chosen for technical, not political reasons.” He proposes the creation of an autonomous organism including land owners, specialists, responsible citizens and the government, heavily weighted in favor of technically competent people, in order to help “depoliticize” the Bosque.
“Decisions about the Forest should no longer be vertical, descending from a bureaucratic dictatorship of people who are only playing games. This has to stop now.”
Magaña’s words were well received by several environmentalists interviewed by this newspaper. Naturalist Jesús Moreno said, “I agree with Magaña. This kind of reforesting is brainless. They are planting only one species, turning what was a biodiverse woods into a sort of Pine-tree Park. All the flora and fauna that depend on other kinds of trees, like madroños, are doomed. I’ve even seen them planting their pine trees in places where there were never any pines at all. Really, if they would just leave the forest in peace, it will recuperate all by itself.”
Other knowledgeable environmentalists likewise minced no words:
“All of CONAFOR’s reforestation projects end in death. Their seedlings are too small and die from lack of water or for having been stepped on.”
“They end up killing the bushes and plants in order to create one-crop ‘plantations’ which don’t coincide with the natural vegetation of the area.”
“CONAFOR seems to have a guilt complex, trying to tell the world ‘we helped the Bosque,’ while in reality making things worse.”
“I recently walked out to the part of the Bosque hardest hit by last April’s fire. I found an abundance of grasses, bushes and wildflowers sprouting and new growth on 95% of the trees, even those badly burnt. Most surprising was the great number of pine tree seedlings coming up all on their own. CONAFOR should be planting anything but pine trees.”
“As someone with a lot of experience in habitat restoration it is painful to see what they are doing to the Bosque right now. There is no responsible, scientific entity that would endorse planting parallel rows of one species for any purpose. Here, it’s even worse, because the effect of planting is actually harmful. A pine-oak forest is successional, with open areas due to varied causes, areas that eventually will be filled with the appropriate mix of vegetation. The Bosque thankfully has very few invasive species, and with the rains, oaks and pines are sprouting naturally through much of the burned area, even in the areas where there were crown fires and the trees actually died. In most places, only the leaf litter burned and the leaves and needles on the trees were seared and died later. The trees are coming back just fine, thank you very much. I’ve seen planting that has disrupted areas of rare wildflowers, including orchids, to dig big holes and stick in pine trees. I’ve seen planting in the fire breaks (I guess they are the easiest place to plant). I’ve seen piles of white lime that they plan to use to modify the soil, even though the plants here have evolved to grow in this particular soil. I’ve even seen pines planted every few feet in the center of a trail that’s probably been in use for centuries, in areas that didn’t burn at all. It would be so much better to use the resources dedicated to the planting of pine rows to improve stewardship of the Bosque, to preserve and protect the extraordinary resource that is the Protected Area.”
The environmentalists interviewed responded somewhat differently when asked their opinions about SEMARNAT’s plan to install an undisclosed number of video cameras in the Bosque to spot people starting fires. These would be installed wherever the woods are in proximity to residential areas and the cost will be two million pesos.
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Jesús Moreno, “as long as they actually do what they say they will do.”
Another naturalist said, “The cameras are fine, but a quick-response system has to be set up as well. Most Primavera Forest fires, including the last one, get out of hand because the fire-fighters’ response is abysmally slow.”
An expert in forest management stated, “The cameras are a high-tech solution to a low-tech problem. The best option for the Bosque would be to invest in more and better-equipped staff to patrol the preserve. A well-trained (and adequately compensated) cadre of Guardabosques would be aware of problem areas and be able to interact with the public, prevent illegal access, and stop potential problems from developing into something serious. The other solution is to have realistic public access and land-use policies, along with actual enforcement of the law. About the last thing the Bosque needs is a bunch of cameras with no staff to watch them!”
Internet comments on the camera project were mixed:
“Cameras? How many would it take? The woods are as big as the city. Better to increase the tiny staff of fire watchmen.”—Curval
“Excellent news. This will mean the end of fires in the Primavera.”—Rogelio Oscar Mondragon Velasco
“Video cameras are a good idea but considering the belts of poverty surrounding the forest, it’s most likely that the cameras will be damaged or stolen.”—Perryman
“Will these cameras be fireproof?”—Yomero
Judging from the comments on these two subjects, SEMARNAT is barely holding its own while CONAFOR is definitely in the doghouse.