Eucalyptus Trees and the impact in Galicia
- Introduction
- Species in Galicia - Eucalyptus Globulus
- Fire Hazard
- Animals
- Insects
- Proliferation
- From pod to tree
- How to create oil from Eucalyptus
- How to make Soap from Eucalyptus
- Working with Eucalyptus Wood
Introduction
Prior to the around the 1980s Galicia still had a predominantly peasant culture which had little changed over hundreds of years. As a child, I went with carts and cows to collect the grass which had been cut with a sickle. Food was made over a black iron stove with a fire. The firewood used was pine. The forests were kept clean because the bush growing between the pines was used for animals' bedding. (known to me as 'batume').Roughly 60 or 70 years ago the Eucalyptus tree was introduced to Galicia. As a fast-growing and much larger tree, it made sense since the benefits were clear over the pine. Fast forward to today and it seems to have dwarfed the original pine trees. And today few still cook using the black iron stoves. Though they still are in abundance, most are using gas or electricity.
The consequence is that forests now are left to their own (which I'm a big advocate off!) and eucalyptus trees continue to proliferate. Another consequence is that fires have become a more prevailing problem which recently the Xunta has decided to introduce laws to prevent tragedies and protect the landscape. In a nutshell, Eucalyptus and Pine trees must be 50m from properties. And they have started to act on it sending letters to owners informing them they have to clean the areas or the ayuntamiento will clean it and pass the bill on to them.
Aside from those issues regarding the overabundance of Eucalyptus and fire risks, there is another issue which is how the Eucalyptus affects the land itself. And the reason this article has come about is that when I was a child there were plenty of cherry trees and one of the many good memories of my time there was climbing and collecting a basketful of cherries. But today there is not one cherry tree in the vicinity that gives fruit. Plenty of cherry trees but no fruit.
A few years ago I stopped by the side of the road to buy some cherries and I told the old man about no cherries and he immediately replied. "Where there are eucalyptus trees there are no Cherries".
I asked around if anyone had heard this and no-one had so I was still left curious as to why.
I should say at this point that this article at least at the moment has no scientific or facts to quantify why the cherries have stopped growing. But the point of this article is to gather more information on Eucalyptus trees! More on cherries as and when later!
Species in Galicia - Eucalyptus Globulus
Fire Hazard
Eucalyptus trees burn really well. They produce gummy resin and oily leaves and this oil is highly flammable. Fallen trees, peeling bark (occurs during dry periods), and leaves on the ground are resistant to breakdown by fungi because of the oil, and so decomposition is very slow. The result is the accumulation of large amounts of dry, combustible fuel.
One bolt of lightning or a careless cigarette and the forest can easily become an inferno in a matter of minutes. This is the cause of many wildfires.
This is exactly what happened in 2017 in Portugal when 64 people died.
https://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-portugal-eucalyptus-fire-20170620-story.html
Eucalyptus can and do explode in the heat of a fire. The sap of the tree expands and can seep through cracks in the bark. The oil gives off flammable fumes in a similar manner (although to a lesser extent!) as petrol, and these fumes can be ignited by flying sparks and cinders, causing the tree to explode - just as a spark outside a petrol tank can ignite and explode petrol inside the tank. That is why in Australia they as know as "gasoline trees".
After a fire sweeps through an area, the eucalyptus trees an advantage over other plants. Their seed capsules open up when burned, and the seedlings thrive in freshly burned, ash-rich soils. Burn a forest and the eucalyptus will absolutely dominate. They will grow intensively in the first few years of life and outcompete everything. This has an impact on the diversity of different tree species.
One bolt of lightning or a careless cigarette and the forest can easily become an inferno in a matter of minutes. This is the cause of many wildfires.
This is exactly what happened in 2017 in Portugal when 64 people died.
https://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-portugal-eucalyptus-fire-20170620-story.html
Eucalyptus can and do explode in the heat of a fire. The sap of the tree expands and can seep through cracks in the bark. The oil gives off flammable fumes in a similar manner (although to a lesser extent!) as petrol, and these fumes can be ignited by flying sparks and cinders, causing the tree to explode - just as a spark outside a petrol tank can ignite and explode petrol inside the tank. That is why in Australia they as know as "gasoline trees".
After a fire sweeps through an area, the eucalyptus trees an advantage over other plants. Their seed capsules open up when burned, and the seedlings thrive in freshly burned, ash-rich soils. Burn a forest and the eucalyptus will absolutely dominate. They will grow intensively in the first few years of life and outcompete everything. This has an impact on the diversity of different tree species.
Animals
Eucalyptus leaves are toxic to most herbivores, except koalas because of their unique digestion system. To most animals they are poison. Hence the diversity of animal life on the ground is detrimentally impacted.
The lack of broad-leaved trees also means there are not as many nesting places for animals that inhabit them, such as mammals, birds, and insects.
Seeds are contained within capsules approximately 12cm in diameter. They are produced abundantly Eucalypts can scatter their seed while the capsules remain on the tree, or if the capsule falls to the ground intact, the seed will spill out in "little heaps."
Protect with Engine Oil or Diesel. Dont soak them or they might warp. Buy a pump up bottle with a trigger two litters with adjustable nozzle.
The lack of broad-leaved trees also means there are not as many nesting places for animals that inhabit them, such as mammals, birds, and insects.
Insects
The oil of the Eucalyptus is a repellent against mosquitos and bugs. Humans use the oil as a natural repellent by rubbing the oil on the skin. In this capacity, it is a benefit.Proliferation
A common local assertion is that the Eucalyptus is bad for the soil and takes water from other tree species. In Galicia, Eucalyptus trees grow easily next to pine or any other trees. Looking around I see no evidence that it has an adverse effect on the ground or on taking water from other species. Water is not an issue in Galicia (maybe exceptional hot summers) and so competition for water between trees is non-existant. I see no evidence that soils are drying out.
The proliferation of the tree has happened due to 2 reasons:
(1) Creating plantations for financial benefit. That said the logging companies control the market and so have lowered the price of wood. As a consequence, the countrymen try to exploit the Eucalyptus as much as they can. Due to this intensive exploitation, forests are neither able to achieve their climax nor the conservation of the ecosystem is maintained. Hence, the negative impact on the environment increases while the social benefit decreases.
(Credit: https://www.eoi.es/blogs/inescamarero/2014/01/15/the-eucalyptus-in-galicia-and-its-impacts/)
The proliferation of the tree has happened due to 2 reasons:
(1) Creating plantations for financial benefit. That said the logging companies control the market and so have lowered the price of wood. As a consequence, the countrymen try to exploit the Eucalyptus as much as they can. Due to this intensive exploitation, forests are neither able to achieve their climax nor the conservation of the ecosystem is maintained. Hence, the negative impact on the environment increases while the social benefit decreases.
(Credit: https://www.eoi.es/blogs/inescamarero/2014/01/15/the-eucalyptus-in-galicia-and-its-impacts/)
(2) Within the space of 20-30 years, it's clear that the Eucalyptus has begun to dominate the landscape by natural progression. Without human interference, they have managed to reproduce in abundance to the point where in some areas can be called an "invasive" species.
From pod to tree
Seeds are contained within capsules approximately 12cm in diameter. They are produced abundantly Eucalypts can scatter their seed while the capsules remain on the tree, or if the capsule falls to the ground intact, the seed will spill out in "little heaps."
Working with Eucalyptus Wood
Cut the wood when it is green.Protect with Engine Oil or Diesel. Dont soak them or they might warp. Buy a pump up bottle with a trigger two litters with adjustable nozzle.
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