Trees killing vegetation

CAPE York Peninsula, the land that my family and friends love, is disappearing under an ocean of trees.

Gone are the open river frontages with their scattered trees where you could see for miles.

Gone are the open plains, the black soil flats through the sand ridges, the gulf plains.

Timber thickening through loss of ground cover increases run-off in the wet and causes an artificial drought in the dry because trees soak up so much water, drying up springs, soaks and wet flats etc.

In 30 to 50 years large areas of the Peninsula will not be able to be mustered.

Scattered trees enhance grass and legume growth, producing good ground cover, thus slowing run-off.

Once the tree canopies meet, grass production reduces. The good deep rooting grasses are replaced by shallow rooted grasses producing little ground cover. The thicker the canopy, the less grass. The thicker the timber, more run-off. The more ground cover, the less runoff.

Since 1970, timber thickening at Pinnacle Station has increased by four to six times and, in some spots, by as much as 10 times.

If properties were allowed to selectively clear timber within an area, the density of the timber on the property would be reduced and the grass growth will increase. Bill Raymond, Pinnacle Station via Laura 461: Death of Pope Leo I (the Great),

pope from 440-461. 1938: anti-Semitic legislation is adopted

in Italy 1945: Western powers recognise Communist-dominated Albanian government. 1963: Cholera epidemic in India and Pakistan is reported to have killed more than 1500 people in previous few weeks. 1969: Children’s educational program Sesame Street makes its debut on PBS television in the United States. 1980: East German president Erich Honecker makes his first state visit to a western country, Austria. 1989: Gaby Kennard (above) arrives back in Sydney, the first Australian woman to fly solo around the world. 2001: Prime minister John Howard celebrates his third term in office following the LNP’s election victory.