Primates help forests...?

Regenerative Subsistence Land
#1

Found this on Anthropik’s rss: http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0915-kone_tcs.html

The excerpts that I think are most important (all emphasis mine):

Because monkeys are key seed dispersal agents, the results suggest that [b]primate conservation may sustain the persistence of plant resources[/b]
"Indeed, the local [b]extinction[/b] of frugivorous [b]primates is predicted to have deleterious consequences for forest regeneration[/b] and/or tree species community composition."
"Results of this study suggest that maintaining populations of monkeys is important not only for forest regeneration..."

Just thought this was interesting in light of humans actually benefitting ecologies not just benefitting from ecologies. :o

#2

I’ve been reading Tending the Wild, and in the book the native americans believed that the wild benefits from human ‘interference’.

If you look at some of the places around the world that used to flourish before humans were “moved” to civilization you can definitely see how much forests and plants rely on (or are assisted by) certain species…

after all they evolved in our presence…

#3

Tending the Wild is a very important book that everyone interested in the hunter-gathererway of life should read.

Although it is a (very in-depth) study about California, just about everything it says applies to the Pacific Northwest, as well.

It is a way of life of reciprocity and participation.

I am working on a similar book about the Amazon Basin, but the depth and thoroughness of research in Tending the Wild intimidates me. This book is a hard act to follow.

It looks long but is very readable – and I would put it at THE VERY TOP of the must-read list here.

#4

:smiley:

yeah, I’ve actually read Tending the Wild.

I’ve held the view that humans can contribute greatly to a healthy ecology for a while, I just get excited when I see that awareness become more mainstream.