PROTECTION FORESTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 9 April 1930, Page 3

PROTECTION FORESTS

EXISTING TIMBEI>, ARRAS Speaking at the opening session of flic State Forest Conference yesterday afternoon on protection fo'esis. Mr A. 1). McGavncki who !or the prist nine yea is I as been Conservator of Forests /or tho ,Vestland 'figion, and ".-as recently appointed to the important post of Asdistant Director of Forestry, pointed out that one of the main functions of the Forestry Service was the conservation of existing timber areas from the vavn<'es of fire. It was well known what an important effect bush lias on the water supply and for this purpose its protection iit the heads of rivers and watersheds was of I lie utmost importance. It was easy to see that a continuous covering of'trees must have an important, effect upon the surface of the ground beneath with rogard to the rainfall. A mud surface unprotected by a plantcovering would be readied by the whole of a down-pour, light or heavy. Tt was also easy to note.that on an unprotected area there was nothing to check the evaporation from the so:i caused by the suiand the wind. By the mere suppression of evaporation the forests functioned in the conservation of water and assisted in keeping up the underground supply 0:1 which the permanency of rivers depended. Perhaps the most important factor regarding protection forests was the part they played in the prevention of erosion and to secure an even flow of water to foster the industries of the State. Unfortunately there, were many instances in New Zealand where the disastrous effects of the icnioval of the forests was to be seen. The flow of the flood waters were unchecked and they carried with them large ■jiianliti is of soil, gravel, and other debris which were ultimately deposited in the river bed. The effect of this was that during abnormal rainfalls, the beds of the rivers were unable to carry all the surplus water with the result that the adjoining country was flooded and considerable damage was caused by the destruction of good land. Thousands of pounds were now being spent in river protection works throughout the country which had been necessitated largely in the first instance, by indiscriminate burning of the sub-alpine shrubs. Another important factor had been the indiscriminate burning of the,pastures and overstocking of country unclothed with shrubs either alpine or sub-alpine. Added to the dangers above quoted, the equally, if not more serious menace to the protection, viz., deer, chamois, thar etc., had now to be faced. There was abundant evidence of the ravages of these pests by the destruction of alpine and sub-alpine shrubs and young trees of all descriptions.