15106: Nadal: Foret des Pins on Fire (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Olivier Nadal <o_nadal@bellsouth.net>


I just received reports from reliable sources that the Parc La Visite is
indeed on fire. It seems that the news is being broadcasted by several radio
stations in Port-au-Prince.

The park "La visite" is all above 1600 meters elevation and is known under
the name of "Forêt des Pins". Because the broad-leaved forest grows in the
areas where conditions favor gardens and agriculture, and because the
vegetation of the broadleaved forest is so sensitive to fire, the habitat
has been severely reduced in extent in historical times and the rate of loss
has accelerated in recent decades.