Watershed trees that are about 14 years old, never fertilized, however holding the soil and retaining water which is absorbed and released to adjust to climatic and soil conditions. It is the lateral roots that hold the leaves and humus. Their layers protect the soil from erosion. However, it takes more than a decade for the leaves to pile significantly enough to do their soil protection duties because the decaying of the leaves is constant and a source of nutrients for the trees. Nevertheless, the soil in which these trees were planted was in terrible shape after 34 years of being barren. These True Mahogany grow well under such conditions making way for the reintroduction of local species of Producers (fruit, nut, sap, fiber, medicinal, herbal and biomass). This soil now supports earth worms, a sure sign of soil rehabilitation. When thinning these trees only five percent will be cut in rows that stretch East and West so that the daily path of the sun will cast its light upon the Producer saplings. The remaining mahogany will provide protection against typhoon winds and will continue to hold the soil during torrential rains. The next year will see another transformation of five percent, but in terms of board feet and not numbers of trees. Each year the trees add three centimeters to their girth and therefore to obtain the same number of board feet actually requires the thinning of fewer trees, thereby making the process easily sustainable.
Indigenous or Endemic
Many environmentalists espouse leaving a forest completely indigenous or endemic. Their desires are understood and there are some areas of the world where it is practical to have pure wilderness. Unfortunately, very few. We should find all such areas and plan for their protection. Instead of vast areas in most parts of the world it is only possible now to find small primary forests. In the Philippines we can still find tracks of primary forest that are from 500 hectares to 10,000 hectares, usually upland covering the upper most portion of the mountainous regions. In a few selected areas there are some lowland and midland primary forests remaining, but all-in-all what used to be 95% is now 2.7%.
In most areas of the tropical regions where natural forests used to flourish there is now barren land. Upon site inspection it is even rare that there is a visible relic of the former forest. Stumps are gone, logs left behind are fully decayed and eroded away. The primary proof of a forest of yesteryear is in talking to the seniors who can still recall how vast they were when the seniors were yet still in their youth.
There are also those who further espouse openly that when replanting a forest that only "endemic" and "indigenous" flora be planted. The job of reforesting the barren land is faced with having to successfully plant and grow out trees to three years before they can maintain themselves, after that mortality declines from 50+ percent to less than 1%. Most of the soil in which the seedlings must be planted has long been over-exposed to ultra violet rays. The microbes are long gone as is the humus. This planting environment is as close to being a desert as you can come to without actually being one. They want flora, which is a system of biodiversity. From a very practical standpoint restoration of flora in most areas cannot be considered feasible until the soil is rehabilitated and the harshness of the UV is utilized in photosynthesis by trees that are capable of growing in such harsh conditions, providing shade, moisture barrier and a habitat for insects and birds. Following such a grow-out the thinning process may accommodate the further design and development of endemic or indigenous planting to begin a flora system.
The area in need of planting exceeds two billion hectares in the tropical and subtropical belt around Earth. No government can achieve such numbers successfully in such a way as to benefit the locals. It is the locals, however, who can grow the forests provided they get a little help from either the government sources and or private. It is their children and grandchildren who are the beneficiaries. However, the growing of a new forest also provides the grower with opportunities to grow special varieties of trees and plants that can yield revenues within a matter of months instead of decades so he too can be a beneficiary.
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