The destruction of Paarl trees continues, with clear signs of it this time on the very old camphor tree on the corner of Van der Lingen and Breda streets in Paarl, which has again been badly ring-barked.
These trees are estimated to be about 200 years old. One of these trees is now showing signs of dying, most probably because of the damage done to it.
Bark stripping is the stripping and harvesting of the bark of a tree for individual profit, which is illegal. Trees that are specifically targeted tend to have a thinner bark – for example, fever trees, camphor trees, and Norfolk pines. A thinner bark is not only easier to strip off and harvest, but also to pulverise.
Ring barking is where an entire circumference strip or section of bark from a tree is removed, ultimately resulting in the death of that tree. This has seen many trees in areas around Drakenstein under threat, as the stripping of its bark exposes the complex tissues underneath to the elements. The tree is, therefore, also at risk of viral or bacterial infection, growth is stunted and the tree is ultimately resigned to a slow death.
Not only does bark stripping damage the tree itself, but also creates a ripple effect that spreads through an entire forest ecosystem. Animals and insects all rely on the trees for survival, but with more and more trees dying their natural habitat is threatened. Dead trees also pose a fire hazard.
Shortly after Paarl Post reported on this issue earlier this year, the Drakenstein Municipality did paint the tree bark, but this evidently did not deter “bark thieves”.
The tree bark is used for medicinal purposes particularly in indigenous cultures. The municipality encourages members of the public to report tree-bark poaching to the Parks Division on 021 807 7739.
