The lecture today was so awesome! I'm fascinated by the trajectory of the research that has been going on in the Luquillo Mtns. They've gone from basic data collection, the foundation, to the interaction of human populations with the environment. Urban sprawl is especially interesting, since I'm interested in human populations developing sustainably. Roads, the subject of my project, deals with that directional change that Nick talked about, since the forest cannot grow back to its original state in a paved area with constant traffic.
Land-use is a controversial subject in sustainable development, since seemingly harmless clearings for housing, small-scale farming and the like can open the area up to disturbance specialists that may alter the structure of the ecological community. But, to what extent do we seek to naively maintain a "pristine" natural environment that does not allow for humans to develop? The answer is highly individualistic, though, and in my opinion should NEVER be given a generic solution.
I'm stoked about the tree inventory that goes on every year too. I'm guessing they teach you how to ID the trees and from there you're on your own counting those bad fellas. Or maybe in a group with a more experienced person. Either way, for those interested, it would be a cool bridge between the regular folks in PR and their beautiful forest. I'm definitely mentioning it to Omar, since he's into ecotourism and, though not a scientist, appreciates learning about nature.
I only wish science were as easy as that...although, thinking it over it can be, with sufficient collaboration.
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