Sadly I don't think there is anything that can be done to reverse this trend. These areas aren't exactly eco paradises inhabited by peace loving indigenous peoples. The other problems mentioned like more frequent fires, over grazing and Asian Horned beetle infestation might be tough to educate an illiterate people suspicious of outside influence. Throughout Africa people desparate for earning some type of living to support their families have turned to charcoal production to sell to Europeans wanting to Bar-B-Q during summer. I work with a student from Sierra Leone who has confirmed this deforestation trend in his tribal area where Acaicia trees are now scarce. Over grazing by large herds of cattle owned by individuals wanting to profit more is another problem. They push more cattle onto a landscape which will not support such large herds. Many seem to be making the same stupid mistakes Europeans did on the North American continent with massive herds over grazing and resulting in the destruction of the top soil. It's going to take drastic mechanical hands on action to replant, cultivate and ensure protection of young seedlings, but given the violence of most of these areas or regions where these trees inhabit, I doubt anything really can be done by any human efforts. On a side note. There are a couple of individuals around the globe who have made some common sense differences in making the land more productive while saving and restoring the environment at the same time. One of these is an Eco farmer named Joel Salatin and the other is an Australian named Peter Andrews. I found a couple of links on the Ron Paul website[not interested in politics here] where a library has been put together of videos about what these men have done and the speaking tours they provide. Bookmark these pages and enjoy their stories. Joel Salatin's strategies I have used myself in urban landscaping and environment restoration. Seriously though, please take a look. Joel Salatin's Polyface Farm (Video Library) AND Natural Sequence Farming (Video Library) Enjoy! ------
