i love forests too. i don't know where you live, but you might learn something about grasslands from the southern grasslands institute: https://www.segrasslands.org/
re: "history isn't gone," that's a reductive position. it will certainly be very different millions of years from now, but it won't be as drastic within our lifetime. the ecological history of a place tells us where plants thrive and don't thrive. site selection is a fact of plant success. certain types of trees grow in grasslands but they aren't the dominate plant life — fossil records would indicate this.
i'm no ecologist or scientist, but i've read that grasslands can hold water too. just google "do grasslands store water"
"i'm no ecologist or scientist, but i've read that grasslands can hold water too. just google "do grasslands store water""
Well, I am also not a formal educated ecologist, but I am friends with some (including regular heated discussions) and have had a strong interest in the subject since years.
So yes, grasslands do hold water. But afaik it is a really tiny amount compared to trees. Also just compare how deep the roots of trees reach, compared with grass.
(even though the savannah grass is of course a special breed and way better equipped against droughts than the common gras on a lawn)
"the ecological history of a place tells us where plants thrive and don't thrive. site selection is a fact of plant success."
I agree that it is stupid to ignore that.
But we humans changed so much on the earth already, that the conditions in many places also changed. Winds, rain, temperature, .. including the soil but usually for the worse (acid rain and co, but also fertilizers). This is what I meant with history is gone.
So my point is, I would not not plant a forest, just because 100 years ago, there also wasn't a forest there.
(Also humans have had cattle for a long time and overgrazing is likely the number one reason for desertification or plain grasslands.)
I rather would just look at the current data. How is the soil. PH. Salt level. How much rainfall. What is the temperature, etc.
And then start with the right shrubs and bushes. And then trees.
A forest will grow on its own with the right conditions. We can help with those conditions.
i agree that humans have changed a lot. and i also agree that you should look at the current data. you should also look at the failures of reforesting areas that weren't historically forests. what is the data of reforestation failure vs success in those areas?
re: "history isn't gone," that's a reductive position. it will certainly be very different millions of years from now, but it won't be as drastic within our lifetime. the ecological history of a place tells us where plants thrive and don't thrive. site selection is a fact of plant success. certain types of trees grow in grasslands but they aren't the dominate plant life — fossil records would indicate this.
i'm no ecologist or scientist, but i've read that grasslands can hold water too. just google "do grasslands store water"