NATURE—AND MAN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 181, 5 August 1935, Page 2

NATURE—AND MAN

“NEW ZEALAND'S ENEMY NO. 1.” DEER WORSE THAN RABBITS. (Edited by Leo Fanning.) •Several evils have been named “New Zealand’s Enemy No. 1.” fn the view of the Forest and Bird Protection Society, the strongest claim to that title belongs to deer. This belief is impressively supported by an article in the society’s August Bulletin, which declares “that there is plenty of indisputable evidence that deer arc New Zealand’s Enemy No. 1. In some forests, especially the girdle of Mt. Egmont, wild goats are the main menace, but the districts threatened by hordes of deer are of much, greater

“The introduction of rabbits has proved a very costly blunder but »bad as the rabbits is as a destroyer it has to take second place to deer. Why? Well, the rabbit makes its habitat in country that is easily accessible. Experience has proved that strict enforcement of existing laws can keep this business under control. A few years ago, when the prices of skins soared to high points, this animal was practically cleaned out of some thicklyinfested parts of Otago and Southland. “It is not so easy to wage successful war on deer, which can take refuge in very rough country. They are like the plundering old-time barons of England who could retire to strong castles when pressed by their enemies.

“Always the deer are bringing death nearer to forests, on which the welfare of large tracts of farming country is absolutely dependent. They are eating out the undergrowth and so preventing regeneration; they are also killing adult trees. They are spoiling the forest floor—changing it from a sponge, a natural regulator of waterflow', into a waste of rubble. When these forests cease to be protective of the high-country soil, which i s a comparatively thin layer, resting on rock, the lowlands will be smitten with irreparable disaster.

“A good few thousands of the pests have been killed during the past three years in limited areas, but the tally of the slain would be far short of the natural increase, because those alien animals have no natural enemies in the forests. Sir Alexander Young (Minister of Internal Affairs), with a full knowledge of the havoc wrought by deer, has rightly declared a war of extermination against them, but he lacks the funds for the necessary large-scale operations.

“The time has come,’’ the article concludes, “for the Government to recognise properly its responsibility to the present population of New Zealand and to posterity. An effective onset against deer—a great campaign to save the vitally necessary forests—is far more important to the Dominion than anything else that is visible in the Government’s programme.” “Seeing is Believing.” The illustrations are reproductions of photographs supplied by the State Forest Service. These pictures show how deer have destroyed much undergrowth of the Hauraki State Forest (on the eastern side of Wellington Province) and mountain beech in a forest of Otago. Indeed, the havoc of the deer is such as the largest “war-tank” might, cause in rampaging through woods. One of the pictures is titled

“One of the final stages of deer ruin. Scoured scarps in parts of th e Hauraki Reserve after the forest cover has been ravaged by deer.’’

In contrast with that distressing evidence of desolation is a picture showing how Nature, in suitable localities, can make new forests'if she is not checked by man or animals. It is a beautiful young growth of beech in a Southland forest (previosly cut over), a strong regeneration, because the area is not infested by deer. Individuals and the State. It is a widespread belief that there can be too much “State interference” with private enterprise, but here are unquesionably some cases where the rights of the State (the whole public and posterity) must prevail against selfish schemes which take an unbalanced toll of natural assets. This matter is interestingly treated editorially in Nature Magazine (published by the American Nature Association). “Our constitution,” the writer says, “protects the rights of individuals but such individual rights must be made to har-

monise with the welfare’of the people as a whole. In short, the future man agement of our public lands needs to go much further than the Taylor Grazing Act (which is intended to control grazing by domestic stock on the public domain). It must find means to compensate individuals for individual hardship without sacrificing the principles of strictest conservation—that, is to say, much of this vast area of public land should be withdrawn from any present use. by domestic stock until Nature has had time to get in her work and restore an adequate natural vegetation. . . . “Thru is a strange anomaly in the present situation, in that one large group of economic doctors claims an over-product ion of agricultural products, including livestock, and actually goes so far as to pay farmers and stockmen real money for the right to destroy crops and kill livestock, while, at the same time, the proposition to re duce the number of livestock by natural moans of adequately restricting overgrazing is considered a wild dream. To be sure, there are practical difficulties to be overcome in the fulfilment of any such drcam, but, if they were attacked directly, in accordance with a precon reived plan, it would seem to the logical mind that better and more permanent results could bo obtained.’’ New Zealand has suffered from over grazing of Crown lands in the high tussock country of Otago, Canterbury and Marlborough. In Otago, particularly, the burning of tussock (to induce new growth) by graziers has destroyed this vegetation in large areas, which then become subject to erosion. Thus the way is opened for damage to better farming lands in the lower country. Capers of Dotterel. Some birds are almost as fond of frolic and gambols as kittens and puppies are. The banded dotterel of New Zealand has moods of playfulness. “ During the mating season,” wrote

Edgar Stead, “and also to a lesser extent. at other periods of the year, dot terel have a style of flight that we call “cutting capers.” Usually single birds, but sometimes two or three, will suddenly begin to fly at a greater rate, steering a most erratic course, up and down, twisting, spiralling and diving at such speed that it is difficult to follow their evolutions with the eve. The whole performance lasts only for a few seconds, and covers a very small area, but it is a most amazing effort of flight. It is apparently indulged in for pure amusement.”