Conservation in Latin America is being given much more serious consideration than it was 10 or even 5 years ago. There is an awakening to realities and the knowledge, for instance, that a rain forest which appears to be inviolable now could be lost to future generations by the activities of a single lumbering crew. Effective communications have been established between the Latin American countries themselves and private nongovernmental conservation organizations both in Latin America and the United States. The Latin American Desk of The Nature Conservancy, headed by Dr. Maria Buchinger, is doing pioneer work in this field, and it is the hope of the author that there will soon be a Nature Conservancy in every one of the Latin American countries. 32 BioScience January 1965 l This content downloaded from 207.46.13.156 on Sat, 10 Sep 2016 04:39:01 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms racing slopes with rock walls were common practices in Pre-Colombian times. The natives all over the continent had an intimate knowledge of and used wisely the natural resources which surrounded them. Two native priests in 1552 finished the Manuscrito Badiano, enumerating 183 medical plants, describing them in Latin and Aztec. Cures for different diseases were recommended. Among others, it is mentioned that cacalozochilt (Plumiera rubra) served as a potent ingredient, together with 37 other plants, in a tea used by public employees who were suffering from nervous breakdowns. The esthetic value of flowers was also greatly appreciated; the red cantuta of the Incas and the passion flower of the Quechuas and Aimaras are good examples. The first explorers who visited the continent took back to Europe descriptions of the flora and fauna and the use the natives made of them. Diego Garcia wrote in 1526 that the Guarani Indians grew corn and squash in the Delta Islands of the Parana; he also observed many seals of the Flores Islands. The red wood of (Caesalpinia echinata) soon became a highly favored dye in Europe; and the land where it grew, which was originally called Santa Cruz, was later on referred to by the Portuguese as Terra de Pau or Brasil for short. Many other Latin American trees were transported and used in great quantities overseas. The conquerors, however, at least theoretically, did not intend an unscrupulous exploitation of the forests: laws were enacted as early as 1552 (Leyes de Indias) requesting planting of trees, observing the right time for cutting, and other silvicultural practices. The conquerors also tried to improve and supplement the existing natural resources by introducing livestock and seeds of crop plants from the Old World. Cattle, horses, and coffee undoubtedly had a great influence on the development of the Latin American countries. After independence was achieved, free commerce with the rest of the world began. Latin America rapidly became an important supplier of agricultural products and other raw materials. It seemed that a limitless bounty of natural resources would insure a constant growing process and a carefree future for all. Expeditions explored the continent and discovered new resources. Many of the plants and animals were previously unknown to scientists. In 1857-60 the German scientist Burmeister collected a remarkable number of new specimens and described the agricultural practices and forest industries of the regions he visited. In the Argentina province of Tucuman he observed the development of a French tannic industry based on the use of the bark of (Piptadenia macrocarpa). He warned that this industry endangered the cebil forests; his prophecy soon came true. The production of tannin had to be stopped for lack of raw materials as the original forests became extinct, and there was absolutely no reforestation. Similar warnings were made in other situations by other scientists warnings which were often disregarded but were nevertheless valuable in calling attention to critical problems. Explorers were also impressed by the beauty and uniqueness of the landscape. The national park concept, which originated in the United States, found immediate acceptance south of the border. The first private donation for a national park in Latin America was made in 1903 by Francisco P. Moreno who gave his land surrounding Lake Nahuel Huapi for this purpose to the Argentine nation. As early as the end of the last century Andre Pinto Rebouces encouraged Brazilian authorities to establish a national park on the Brazilian side of he famous Iguazu Falls. An interest in conservation and preservation is indeed traditional in Latin America. To this is added the especially lively concern of new immigrants. They discover wilderness areas and spots of pristine beauty in Latin America which are practically nonexistent in their native countries in the over-