Fire suppression is a key element in the management of the area. Janzen says that, since there are no summer thunderstorms, the forest did not evolve with fire. According to the World Resources Institute , the incidence of fire in AGC is down 90 percent, and the introduced grass, jaragua, is virtually gone from the area. Within 20 to 50 years, researchers expect the canopy to close, killing off all remaining jaragua and stopping set fires completely. The problem with big wilderness areas is that they don't seem to have an owner or presence.
People come along and take what they want and do what they like.
It's like having a vacant lot next to your house. You'll wash your car there and let the kids run all over it. However, if the lot next door has a house and a family, you'll respect it and keep the kids off the yard. One of the products our farm now offers is what we call 'ecosystem services,' including carbon fixation . Our farm has room for lots and lots of trees.