Missing the wood for the trees

Over the past few months I have tried to keep a straight face at the occasional statements of the Federation for Hunters and Conservationists (FKNK), but its latest absurd claim for compensation for the uprooting of Eucalyptus and Acacia trees goes beyond the pale.

Behind the veil of greenery of Eucalyptus and Acacia trees lurk negative environmental impacts- Alan Deidun

In response to the recently-released draft Trees and Woodlands regulations, the FKNK called for hunters to be compensated in the eventuality that these alien/exotic trees are uprooted and replaced by indigenous species.

While the FKNK’s misgivings about the financial burden of uprooting the trees in question are legitimate and should be ad­dressed in a second draft of the regulations, the federation’s statement in this case lacks any sound scientific basis whatsoever.

For instance, the federation equates beauty and greenery with a desirable environment, paying little attention to the fact that both Eucalyptus and Acacia tree species are non-indigenous and invasive species (especially in the case of the Acacia).

One particular Acacia species – Acacia karoo – which is very common in places like Dwejra in Malta, is characterised by long thorns which can inflict very nasty injuries.

When the federation says that “the Maltese countryside is much greener now” and that “the miracle did not happen overnight”, it is literally missing the wood for the trees.

Behind the veil of greenery of the Eucalyptus and Acacia trees, both of which hail from Australasia, lurk two negative environmental effects – one on the surrounding soil and the others on the freshwater below.

Due to their prodigious water-absorbing properties, Eucalyptus trees have been planted in some areas in the Mediterranean, such as Sicily, Algeria and Libya, simply to drain up swamps to prevent the spread of malaria. In other areas, they have been planted to lower the water table.

But in a semi-arid country like ours, it is hardly wise to plant such trees – their impact on the stability of clay slopes, due to the upwelling of water from deep down, is a cause for concern.

Another unwelcome impact of such trees is that their roots and leaves release leachates into the soil. Leachates are chemicals that serve various functions – in this case, the alien tree species use them to nip competition in the bud, by stemming the growth of ‘weedy’ species in their vicinity.

This means that very few plant species are capable of growing in the immediate vicinity of such trees, resulting in a floral monoculture. This ‘chemical warfare’ phenomenon by plants is known as allelopathy.

Against this background it is pertinent to ask: were the Eucalyptus and Acacia trees planted by hunters solely out of a genuine love for more greenery in this country? Or could it be that these trees were planted simply to attract birds to shoot at?

If the federation is keen on keeping the word ‘conservationists’ in its name, it should base its statements on science to ensure they do not run counter to the principles it claims to uphold.

A suggestion for Arbor Day

We are exactly two months away from Arbor Day, an annual commemoration held on January 14 which is normally marked by numerous tree-plantings around Malta, especially in recently-expanded parks like Salini and Foresta 2000 in Mellieħa.

While the planting of trees in these areas is highly commendable, one of the main driving forces behind this year’s Arbor Day activities should be the replacement of mature trees that have borne the brunt of man’s roughshod tactics over the past few months.

As the accompanying photos show, mature trees are being lost due to the several road-construction projects currently underway on the islands or due to shameless vandalism or ill-conceived weed management by farmers.

In the latter case, for instance, at least 10 to 15 mature oak trees in Girgenti valley ended up completely charred because a farmer lit fires to clear weeds.

The uprooting of mature trees for road-widening purposes is perfectly legitimate when sanctioned by Malta Environment and Planning Authority permits but this still does not ease the gut-wrenching feeling one gets when seeing formerly graceful trees lying flat on the ground.

Road contractors and, in particular, Transport Malta, should be asked to finance tree-planting schemes around the islands identified by environmental NGOs, not by landscaping consortiums, with indigenous trees being planted to compensate for the ones lost in these projects.

Climate change still on the agenda

Two recent initiatives undertaken by two separate University centres and institutes have contributed towards keeping climate change on the radar, against a backdrop of economic woes which threatens to render everything else superfluous.

Last month, the European Documentation and Research Centre hosted the 23rd International Climate Policy Workshop.

The workshop is held bi-annually and is the excellent showcase for Ph.D. students homing in on various legislative aspects of climate change to present their work.

The participants’ presentations, which may be downloaded from www.um.edu.mt/events/icpworkshop2011/powerpointpresentations, deal with a range of climate change-related topics such as the link with European studies, mitigation measuresin the building sector, economic instruments, forests andmodeling tools.

A second climate change-related workshop, organised by the Islands and Small States Institute, focused on the evidence of climate change obtainable from different sources, such as the atmosphere and the sea, and the impact of the phenomenon on small islands and on Malta’s climate.

Peter Mills from Harper Adams University College also spoke about innovations in the UK agricultural sector aimed at cuting greenhouse gas emissions from this sector.

‘Quiet’ asphalt

The European Environment Agency and the Noise Abatement Society recently presented the first ever European Soundscape Award, designed to give recognition to companies or public entities that manage to come up with innovative ways to how to mitigate excessive noise generation.

This year’s winner was a duo comprised by a Dutch province and municipality for their cutting-edge techniques to stave off noise pollution in the Dutch village of Alverna. The measures they adopted included lowering roads by 0.5m, flanking the roads with low one-metre-high noise barriers and the use of ‘quiet’ asphalt, among other measures.

The end result was comparable to that of deploying the unpopular four-metre-high noise barriers along the flanks of roads, which deprives motorists of views of their surroundings.

Across Europe, at least 100 million people are exposed to damaging levels of noise just from road traffic.

Exposure to unwanted noise can cause stress and interfere with sleep, rest and study. Moreover, prolonged exposure can also trigger serious illness such as hypertension and heart disease.

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