> Dynamite is New Weapon in Battle to Save Forest
> By Craig Brown
> v
> WHEN it comes to protecting the environment, dynamite is not one of
> the materials that comes to mind.
>
> But yesterday RSPB Scotland began a unique approach to conservation by
> using explosives to blow up a number of trees in the ancient Abernethy
> forest.
>
> The project, which involved blowing up the crowns of nine trees, is
> part of an attempt to increase the amount of large-volume dead wood in
> the forest.
>
> When trees die, their function within the forest ecosystem is far from
> over, and they retain a crucial role in the health and productivity of
> the woodland.
> av
> In fact, in a natural forest ecosystem free from human interference,
> between 20 and 30 per cent of the trees will either be dead or dying.
>
> But much of the ancient and semi-natural woodlands in Scotland have
> been highly modified over the millennia, through forest management and
> agricultural development, and this natural dynamic has been either
> lost or diminished.
>
> The Abernethy forest, in the eastern Highlands, is one of the last
> remnants of the Caledonian pine forest that once covered the country
> and the largest remaining stretch of native pinewood in Britain,
> containing several million trees.
>
> James Reynolds, spokesman for the RSPB, said: "We've been simply
> felling trees and trying to create dead wood habitats in that way
> before, but we don't think it allowed the process to get going quickly
> enough.
>
> "This is the first time we've done this. It's the only way we can
> mimic nature's effect on trees, so that they are rent asunder, torn
> and shredded by an extreme event. So the trunk splinters and more of
> the heart wood is exposed. It allows more of the pathogens, microbes
> and bacteria which start the process of decay to get in there
> quicker."
>
> He added the exploded trees were of massive value in ecological terms
> in that, beyond their importance as habitats, they recycled the
> nutrients of the forest and acted as carbon sinks for as long as a
> century.
>
> RSPB Scotland's conservation experts targeted trees aged between 100
> and 200 years, ranging in height from 40 to 60 feet, and far from
> visitor routes.
>
> Ten trees were meant to be blown up, but one specimen was spared after
> it was judged to be too close to a power line.
>
> Holes were drilled into the trunks and small charges packed into them
> at around 25 feet from the top of each crown.
>
> The resulting explosion reduced each one to a "totem pole". It is
> expected that it could be 100 years before each of these trunks
> finally fall, and a further 300 before they rot into the ground.
>
> Desmond Dugan, site manager for the Forest Lodge section of Abernethy,
> said this was long-term conservation: "Dead wood habitats,
> particularly large volume deadwood, are in short supply at Abernethy
> forest.
>
> "Some people have spoken about the short-term effects of the
> explosions and the loud noises in the forest, but when we talk about
> conservation in Abernethy, we're looking at it into the next century,
> not next week.
>
> "The exploded trees will be carefully monitored to measure the
> effectiveness of this novel management. Explosives may sound extreme
> but the effect will be no more catastrophic than a wind-snapped,
> lightning-struck or avalanched tree."
>
> There is great competition among bird species to secure what are
> generally scarce habitats and nesting birds are often evicted by more
> dominant birds such as goosanders, goldeneye ducks or tawny owls, or
> by mammals like the pine marten.
>
> A spokesman for Forestry Commission Scotland said that body applauded
> the charity's efforts to improve biodiversity:
>
> "We support management to promote more deadwood in pine forests as the
> level of natural deadwood is generally too low."
>
> Q & A: EXPLODING TREES
>
> Why is it necessary to blow up living trees?
>
> Human interference has resulted in the Abernethy forest ecosystem
> becoming unbalanced, causing shortage of deadwood that sustains flora
> and fauna.
>
> Which trees are targeted?
>
> Being an ancient forest, Abernethy has a wide variety, but only Scots
> pines were chosen for this project
>
> What are the benefits of dead trees?
>
> They provide protection for plants from grazing animals, as well as
> shelter to birds and small mammals. They are also a store of nutrients
> that can be cycled through the ecosystem, and of carbon.
>
> How many species rely on dead trees for habitats?
>
> About 16 breeds of birds use them, including crested tits, woodpeckers
> and swifts.
>
> Will other species benefit ?
>
> In winter, the cavities in rotting trees are favoured by butterflies
> and hibernating bats. They are also colonised by invertebrates, such
> as stag beetles, and various lichens, mosses and fungi.
>
> Why not use a chainsaw?
>
> The charges will expose a greater surface area than the clean cuts
> created by a chainsaw, which will in turn accelerate the decay
> process.
>
> Won't the process endanger the very wildlife the RSPB seeks to help?
>
> No, the detonations are taking place well after the nesting season.
> Also, the charges are packed tightly, ensuring that the explosion will
> be limited to the tree.
>
> Story from REDORBIT NEWS:
> http://www.redorbit.com/news/display/?id=701668
>
>