You know, I was kidding when I joked about a bunch of Creo Herbam mages protecting Dalmatia from vicious deforestation. Here's a quote from a 1954 history of the region by Eric Whelpton:
'To the west stretched the long granite range of the Karst that follows the coastline for so many hundreds of miles. There is no shortage of water, but nothing can grow on the face of the bleak stone. Centuries ago, this region was covered with dense forests, but as soon as the trees had been cut down, surface erosion removed the rich soil that could have produced food for thousands and tens of thousands.'
'In the Adriatic it is believed that the timber was used up by the Romans and later by the Byzantines and the Venetians for the construction of galleys, and no steps were taken for the re-afforestation of the districts that had been despoiled. The present government is taking steps to remedy this ruthless plundering of the coastal region, but the task is so gigantic and so difficult that many years must pass before effective results are obtained.'
Very strange. ;)
-m.