ANIMALS AND OUR FORESTS

Forest and Bird, Issue 8, 1 March 1925, Page 6

ANIMALS AND OUR FORESTS

By Hon. Secretary, New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society.

Animals in our forests means slow but certain death to bur forests. Such is the assertion; and now it behoves us to analyse this statement. Our forests are maintained largely, succoured and kept moist by decaying leaves, moss and numerous small plant life forming their floor. The function of this floor is to act in a sponge-like manner and hold moisture over and about the roots of the forest trees, which trees are in New Zealand surface feeding. Besides this all this growing and decaying humus matter nourishes and keeps the soil warm, thus encouraging growth. Animals of course destroy the floor totally or in a lesser degree according to the numbers present, leaving roots bare in many places, besides destroying the young trees which are intended to eventually take the place of the older and more matured trees. ' « A forest consists of trees in various stages from the seedling to the matured tree. Now it is very apparent that, if the seedling and young trees are destroyed, the sequence, as it were, in the growth of the forest is broken and there will come a time when the older trees will reach maturity and die, and with them the forest will die, as there will be no young trees to replace the losses. There is even a greater evil arising from the presence of animals than this in that these trespassers tramp on the exposed roots, rub their horns on the stems, eat and tear bark off, forming suitable entry places for various fungoid and other diseases which in many instances have already killed the larger timber trees. This constant worrying and harrying of our forests by animals has the effect of letting in cold winds, thus driving away the remaining .moisture and heat, forming tracks for other less energetic animals, vermin, etc., with the result that the . main matured timber trees, robbed of their natural root protection and attacked by diseases, are some of the first to die and can be seen in the form of giant skeletons in those forests where animals are or have been numerous. To him who has eyes to see the effects of the presence of animals are apparent from the con-

dition of the floor to the unhealthy appearance of the larger trees themselves. Now it behoves us to ponder and realise what will be the final result of the presence of deer, goats, wapiti, cattle, etc., in our forests, national parks, scenic reserves, reserves and forests which are necessary to the adequate maintenance of beneficial climatic influences, prevention of erosion, timber supplies, etc., and without which no country can be prosperous, and must finally be reduced, without such forests, to little more than a desert. Such things have happened elsewhere as a result of forest destruction. On the other hand with the removal of animals the regeneration of our forests is wonderful. The trees soon take on a healthier appearance and prosper if the exclusion off the trespassers is not too long delayed. For ages past no herbivorous animals roamed in our forests, .therefore a forest has been evolved which is not equipped to withstand the ravages of such animals; and we cannot retain our forests in their natural scenic glory and value unless we at least greatly reduce, better still exterminate, animals in those forests it is desired to preserve. Are our indispensable forests and our wonderful scenic beauties, of which we are justly proud, worthy of the effort, or shall we meekly say we cannot do anything?