Somebody could be in for a Nobel Prize for this. When I was in Central America, I couldn't help but be saddened by the state of the Rain Forests in Belize, Guatemala and, to a lesser extent, Honduras. They've been clearing the Forest in an attempt to raise cattle. But the resulting soil (they call it marl) is so deficient in nutrients that grass can barely survive. Plus, they were observing a moratorium on cutting Mahogany Trees. You could cut and burn everything except Mahogany. So this is what you saw travelling along the road- Whispy grass (not lush Savanna) fighting for it's life with a few skinny cattle every mile or so hiding from the relentless sun in the shade of a big Mahogany Tree. Pitiful. Tragic.
Terra Preta might turn things around in those areas.