That's interesting Ben, I had never heard or known someone who got claustrophobic in a forest. maybe because I always felt peaceful and enjoyed them?
I think I read someplace that when our ancestors moved from trees to savannas they acquired this taste and is why people clear forests or cut down trees in their yards if it blocks a view. I can't quote a source, but I probably read this in Scientific American many years ago.
A lot of the burning that native groups engaged in were directed at creating meadowland for hunting. What is now Vancouver Washington was open meadow area when Lewis and Clark came through and they remarked that this was a good place for a settlement since it was one of the only clearings they saw along the Columbia. It turned out to be the case that the indigenous tribes were actively managing the meadows by setting small fires to keep the forests from taking over. This was fairly common practice for quite a bit of the Pacific NW.
