“In response [to drought], conservationists here are frantically chopping down trees — and are even contemplating burning them down.”
“While preserving the world’s forests is widely considered essential to combating climate change, scientists in South Africa have determined that invasive tree species are sucking up so much groundwater that the area is better off eliminating the trees. Invasive black wattle, pine, and gum trees crowd the jagged slopes that encircle this region’s sprawling wine lands, displacing native vegetation and choking off precious water that would otherwise trickle into the city’s reservoirs.”
“Projections by hydrologists working for the Greater Cape Town Water Fund — a consortium of government, businesses and conservation groups — show that getting rid of foreign tree species can produce an extra two months’ worth of water for Cape Town much more cheaply than other solutions such as desalination.”
It’s fascinating to learn about the functions of ecosystems as well as terrifying to learn about the consequences of meddling with it.
Edit: added more details.
Introducing non-native species usually gives an answer to “What could go wrong?” pretty quickly. I am sorry to see that a longer term problem came up here. I am glad to see science respected even if the right path appears counterintuitive.
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“In response [to drought], conservationists here are frantically chopping down trees — and are even contemplating burning them down.”
“While preserving the world’s forests is widely considered essential to combating climate change, scientists in South Africa have determined that invasive tree species are sucking up so much groundwater that the area is better off eliminating the trees. Invasive black wattle, pine, and gum trees crowd the jagged slopes that encircle this region’s sprawling wine lands, displacing native vegetation and choking off precious water that would otherwise trickle into the city’s reservoirs.”
“Projections by hydrologists working for the Greater Cape Town Water Fund — a consortium of government, businesses and conservation groups — show that getting rid of foreign tree species can produce an extra two months’ worth of water for Cape Town much more cheaply than other solutions such as desalination.”
It’s fascinating to learn about the functions of ecosystems as well as terrifying to learn about the consequences of meddling with it.
Edit: added more details.
Introducing non-native species usually gives an answer to “What could go wrong?” pretty quickly. I am sorry to see that a longer term problem came up here. I am glad to see science respected even if the right path appears counterintuitive.