After an aborted climb up the mountain (thick mist, wind, cold, turn back) above Constantia Neck, we walked down the jeep track through the recently felled plantations.
Initially I had been sad to think of the big trees being chopped down, but after thinking about it for two minutes I realized that the fynbos returning is a far better thing. It cannot grow under the pines and eucalyptus that were planted here, and the water the exotic trees sucked up belongs better to the plants that make this part of the country, and world, unique. Already on the felled slopes lobelia, pelargoniums, gnidia and struthiola were growing and blooming...
2/12/11 - for an educated view of the complication of felled forest + fynbos, read Marijke's post at her Biodiversity Blog and more specifically her comment to my question, there.
Neat photo. you have such a good eye for light.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shot, I dream of that.
ReplyDeleteI'd suppose the fynbos are better for erosion, but how'd it look?
Hello0 Marie
ReplyDeleteWell said, I am in total agreement.
Many people seem to forget that the Pine and Eucalypt. trees were planted AS A CROP and thus NEED TO BE HARVESTED. and thankfully when the time comes for the harvest to take place and the trauma (for some) and mess is all over our WONDERFUL fynbos can re-appear - OH JOY!!!
Why, thank you webb :-)
ReplyDeleteFrank - Thanks! It would look quite uniform from a distance, shrubs and perennials and grasses about thigh high, so no tree-like height and shade. But it would match up with the rest of the fynbos-clad mountain, and rewards close inspection - lots and lots of species diversity. Also, fynbos honey is the best! :-)
Hi Lyn - yes, ain't it strange to see Cecilia now?
Oh, it is hard to imagine those trees being cut down. How different!
ReplyDelete