Ken Belford - from Decompositions

Before I understood the overstory
structure, I lived among the poor
that result from deforestation, on
the edge of an abandoned pasture
seeded with aggressive grasses.
Many transitional families live
awhile by the forest edge wherever
there are remnant trees on the un-
productive land around the city.
Out on the patches I mean, pastures
are prone to burn, ridge and valley
are controlled by fern, and
drying leads to abandonment,
increasing fragmentation. Several
authors could have an impact on
the abrupt decline of diversity, but
luckily trees fall in storms and
fire burns them later. In the valley,
introduced grasses are a barrier
to succession. The seeds that fall
into abandoned areas are not
enough, and it is only much later
when trees slowly shade grasses out,
the large disturbance of cattle is
replaced by the regenerating trees.