Boomplantweek en die Internasionale Jaar van Woude - Dendro.co.za

DENDRON » No/Nr: 43 » November 2011
70
byeenkomste
events
BERIGTE
Boomplantfunksie saam met Solidariteit Helpende Hand
Izak van der Merwe - Filadelfia
Mnr. Dirk Hermann het in Kameeldrif- Wes naby Pretoria het homself en sy grond toegewy aan die bediening en
huisvesting van arm blanke gesinne. Hierdie projek, bekend as Filadelfia Ark, huisves reeds ‘n aantal mense wat
ook werk gebied word in onder meer ‘n kombuis wat tuisgebak maak en verkoop, en ‘n aanleg waar bitumen
pakkies vervaardig en aan munisipaliteite verkoop word om slaggate mee te vul.
Op 23 September het die Dendrologiese Vereniging in samewerking met Solidariteit Helpende Hand en die
NG Gemeente Lynnwoodweg inheemse bome geplant by die sowat 50 nuwe Wendyhuise wat op die terrein vir
huisvesting opgerig word. Hierdie bome sal mettertyd koelte verskaf en die omgewing verfraai. Professor Andre
de Villiers, voorsitter van die Magaliestak, het tydens die geleentheid gepraat oor die belangrike rol wat bome
in ons kultuurerfenis speel, aangesien die geleentheid saamgeval het met Erfenisdag.
Die geharde boomsoorte wat geplant is was versigtig geselekteer om die harde omgewingstoestande van
winterryp en kleigronde te oorleef. Die Vereniging lewer in Desember nog vrugtebome by Filadelfia Ark af.
Dendrological Society Pays for Radar Scan of Tree Giant
Izak van der Merwe
The Woodville Big Tree is a giant Outeniqua yellowwood (Podocarpus falcatus) standing in the Knysna forests near
George. This tree has a trunk circumference of 8.9m and a height of about 33m. It has been declared a Champion
Tree, and receives thousands of visitors per year. Members of the Dendrological Society raised a concern about
the condition of the tree, since considerable crown die-back could be observed. It was then decided to spend
a part of funds raised specifically for conservation projects on a crown inspection by an arboriculturalist and a
high-tech radar scan of the tree trunk to detect whether there might be tree-rot, in which case special measures
would have to be taken to save the tree. Such surveys are expensive, and securing government funding for tree
conservation activities of this nature is seriously hampered by red tape.
On 28 June 2011 a member of the Central Committee of the Society joined Mr Daan Loock, an arboriculturist of
Arbor Oxygen based in Australia, in his investigation of the tree. The radar scan with a tomograph fortunately
indicated no major internal decay requiring urgent action. There are signs of outer decay that has to be monitored,
with removal of some dead wood recommended. The creation of a larger boardwalk area around the tree was
also recommended, to prevent further compaction of soil around the tree.
On 15 August 2011 tree climber, Leon Visser
from Trees Unlimited in Stellenbosch scaled and
measured a Sydney gum tree (Eucalyptus saligna),
which turned out to be a new African tree height
record. This tree towers above a stand of gum
trees planted in 1906 in the Woodbush Forest
Estate, Limpopo Province. The tree climb formed
part of a tree measuring expedition organised
by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries, sponsored by Stihl South Africa. Three
giant Mexican Pine trees (Pinus oocarpa) were also
climbed, the tallest of which measured at over 50
metres tall. These sturdy trees with trunks of just
under 5 metres in circumference, were dubbed
“The Three Matrons”. Few pine trees anywhere in
the world reach such dimensions. The pine trees,
like their gum tree counterparts nearby, are already
New Africa Tree Record
Adopted from a Press Release by Daff
more than a century old. According to the planting
records they were planted a year before the gum
trees.
The Sydney gum tree, measured at over 80 metres,
breaks the previous South African tree height record
held by two gum trees, known as the “Twin Giants
of Magoebaskloof”, by just a metre. It stands so
close to the twin trees such that their crowns almost
touch. The trio of world-class champions may now
be called “The Magoebaskloof Triplets”, officially
the tallest trees in Africa, and also the tallest planted
trees in the world. The Department protects the tree
stand as a whole as a grove of Champion Trees,
which is managed by Komatiland Forests.