Wilding Pines Management - Pukaki Downs. Check link below for better version of slides

transcript

PUKAKI DOWNS

At The Epicenter of Wilding Spread

in the Mackenzie Basin

KEY POINT

The Seed-Source MUST be removed

simultaneously with spread control

KEY POINT

Failure to remove the seed source will lead to ever

increasing wilding control costs in the mid to long term and the

potential failure of wilding control strategies

3,723 ha.

Victims of legacy planting in the 1960’sShelter Belt

Current state of mature wilding spread

We are victims of government

planting from the 1960’s

Rapid expansion of wildings on Rhoboro Downs

Rapid expansion of wildings into central Pukaki Downs

Shelter Belt

Rapid expansion of wildings into central Pukaki Downs

Example of the rapid spread

Red line is property boundary

Photo taken when property was acquired

Scattered outliers are visible, but the huge amount of seed and seedlings in

the ground are not visible

8 YRS LATER

JUST 6 YRS LATER

Dec 2015 – viewed from Southern boundary

looking North

Very mature massive seed-source

1. Wilding problem will continue to grow throughout West Pukaki until seed sources are removed.

2. Seed rain from our neighbours will continue to threaten us.

3. Seed rain from us threatens our property and our neighbours.

4. A closed canopy forest offers the greatest protection from seed rain.

5. Re-engineering our forest, i.e. clearing wildings and replanting with non-spreading species will protect us.

Assumptions of the Strategy

The Strategy

1. Containment.

2. Progressively clear and replant the forest with non-spreading trees over 10 years.

3. “Hold the line” – Clear wildings spread beyond containment lines, visiting/sweeping all areas of our property every 2-3 years.

– Clear and plant containment belts of non-spreading pines around the forest.

SHORTCOMINGS of the STRATEGY

1. The forest is not static, the volume of seed-rain grows over time as the forest grows in density, maturity and height.

4. Conclusion – Effective wilding control requires the removal of the seed source simultaneously with containment.

2. Did not properly consider: a) The ever-growing volume of seed-rain as the forest matures b) The increasing range of spread as the trees grow taller.

3. The sharply rising costs year on year for the removal of the ever-increasing wilding spread and ever increasing density of seedlings outside of the containment lines.

1. Our annual wilding control costs are approx. $400,000.

2. Clearing trees outside of the containment lines is eating up an increasing share of the budget. We clear an average of 700 ha. per year. The number of hectares cleared per man day decreases over time (due to higher density), resulting in increasing cost of clearing over time.

3. At the time of wilding clearing/sweeps, visible trees represent only 1/3 or less of the total volume of seedlings in the ground. Spread control budgets often underestimate the costs needed to re-clear these areas in future years.

Rising Costs of Clearing Spread

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 20150

2000 15005338

35666899

Lake Tekapo Scientific Reserve

Graph data thanks to David Scott

David Scott leads an effort to remove wilding seedlings from the Lake Tekapo Scientific Reserve each year.

His records reveal an exponential growth due to increasing seed-rain.

Very young wildings are practically invisible at 3-4

meters making the estimation of the scope of

the problem difficult.

Regrowth from these subsequent generations of young seedlings can be 2-3 times more dense than the initial spread.

A 340 ha. block West of the Twizel River. This wasregrowth in 2011 after clearing/sweeping twice

Regrowth just 3 years later

Rising Costs of Clearing SpreadKey Point

4. An expanding and ever-growing seed-source results in an exponential growth of wilding spread.

Seed spreads up to 40km from source.

Implications for the Mackenzie Basin?

5 & 10 km seed-spread radius from 7 major seed sources.

SEED SPREAD

Underlying map was produced by Rob Young

10 & 20 km seed-spread radius from just the 3 largest seed-sources potentially covers 75% of the Basin

Seed-rain grows exponentially as trees grow in density, maturity and height.

The need to urgently remove seed-sources is essential.

Ferintosh StationPukaki Downs

Our northern boundary

We are clearing our Seed-Source, yet we are exposed to re-infestation from neighboring station

Clearing the seed-source

This area to be cleared and replanted in 2016-17

Replanting to create closed-canopy protection from seed-rain

KEY POINT

Failure to remove the seed source will lead to ever

increasing wilding control costs in the mid to long term and the

potential failure of wilding control strategies

Promising New Wilding Control Methods

1. Removal of Mature Forests – Bulldozer with crushing forestry rollers

BULLDOZER WITH CRUSHER/ROLLER

BURNABLE SLASH FROM CRUSHER/ROLLER

Promising New Wilding Control Methods

2. On younger forests - Heavy discing, pasture intensification, followed by mob-stocking or cropping

1. Removal of Mature Forests – Bulldozer with crushing forestry rollers

HEAVY DISCING 1st PASS

Pastoral Intensification is potentially the cheapest & most effective wilding control method

Successful Discing on Rhoboro & Pukaki Downs

Areas Where an Effective National StrategyCan Impact Wilding Removal

1. Aid with heavy equipment financing in seed-source areas:a. Excavatorsb. Bulldozersc. Forestry rollersd. Heavy discs

2. Re-evaluation of conflicting government policies and rules:

a) Remove the restrictions on burning that effectively remove the use of fire to control wildings. Fires are only permitted at the times of year when they will be least effective

Large windrows of mature trees from 2014-15 clearing ready for burning

We needed a hot burn to destroy scattered seed and seedlings around the windrows.

Burn permits are only granted during the least optimum times to burn, resulting in incomplete burns

Incomplete burn

At optimum times burns are complete and cheaper to manage

b) Policies on nitrogen loading and water use that prevent the conversion of wilding infested areas into pasture

a) Restrictions on burning

c) The Mackenzie Basin has been declared an Outstanding Natural Landscape, restricting alternative land uses suitable/ideal for wilding control – e.g. pasture intensification

a) Restrictions on burning

b) Policies on nitrogen loading and water use

3. Government needs to extend the seasonal worker visa program to include wilding control workers.

a. There is a shortage of workers available to work during the wilding control season.

• For the past several years we have run wilding crews. • We have our own training program for these crews. • We use Kiwis, Aussies, Canadians and some WOOFERS.

1. National and local level strategies and funding must involve and incentivize landowners with mature seed sources to deal with their seed source now otherwise there will be a high risk of failure of wilding control strategy.

2. Policies currently being discussed may result in landowners with mature seed source forest taking no action while they wait for future government funding.

3. Funding must be provided now to remove mature seed sources.

Landowners Must Be Incentivized

1. Effective wilding control strategy must focus on seed source removal simultaneously with containment and removal of outliers.

2. Failure to remove mature seed sources will lead to ever increasing wilding control costs in the mid to long term and the potential failure of wilding control strategies.

KEY POINT SUMMARY

Government Help

1. Aid with heavy equipment financing in seed-source areas

2. Intervention to adjust government policies and rules that hinder wilding control efforts:

c) The Mackenzie Basin - an Outstanding Natural Landscape restricting alternative land uses for wilding control. Government should encourage Local Councils to consider control methods which can ultimately protect ONLs.

a) Burning restrictions that hinder wilding control effortsb) Policies on nitrogen loading and water use that prevent

pasture intensification (an effective wilding control method)

Government Help

3. Extend the seasonal worker visa program to include wilding control workers.

1. Aid with heavy equipment financing in seed-source areas

2. Intervention to adjust government policies and rules that hinder wilding control efforts:

Inquires: info@pukakidowns.com

George Ormond – 027 - 275-7873

Wilding Pines Management - Pukaki Downs. Check link below for better version of slides

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