Environmental Woes of Tierra del Fuego -- Forest Exploitation

Producing flowers and seeds in one burst every seven to 10 years, beech trees create a seedling bank on the forest floor. These seedlings, growing to a height of 10-20 centimeters, stand idle between these "mast years," waiting for an opening to sunlight when an old tree falls, or for the next mast year when a new crop of seedlings sprout. "Your responsible logger could be looking to take the trees out in a year or two after the mast year, allowing the seedlings from these trees to grow up and fill the gaps," says Utah State biologist Matt Robson. But southern beech seedlings are fragile, and heavy logging equipment or grazing animals can easily destroy them.

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Filename: 08Seedling.jpg
Copyright: © Kevin Moloney, 2000
Image Size: 4605x3054 / 2.9MB; log logger logging lumber saw sawmill wood ecosystem beech deforestation environment forest forestry Tierra del Fuego tree
Contained in galleries: 4. Deforestation

Producing flowers and seeds in one burst every seven to 10 years, beech trees create a seedling bank on the forest floor. These seedlings, growing to a height of 10-20 centimeters, stand idle between these "mast years," waiting for an opening to sunlight when an old tree falls, or for the next mast year when a new crop of seedlings sprout. "Your responsible logger could be looking to take the trees out in a year or two after the mast year, allowing the seedlings from these trees to grow up and fill the gaps," says Utah State biologist Matt Robson. But southern beech seedlings are fragile, and heavy logging equipment or grazing animals can easily destroy them.