A hot topic within the world of conservation is the protection of trees against ongoing elephant damage across Africa.
This is actively noticeable almost anywhere you go within protected areas, and ranges from trees completely pushed over, to trees stripped of bark (ring-barking). No matter where we go, the outcome remains the same: we are losing trees in large numbers. I’d like to discuss this as a way of opening conversations about larger-scale efforts to protect tree species at Ingwelala. This is from my personal perspective, and is something I feel needs more lateral thinking in terms of hopefully making our efforts more successful in the long-term.
The protection of large trees and protected tree species is something that has been discussed at length in the world of conservation, and the topic tends to stir a lot of emotion. Usually, a range of suggested solutions are offered, but ultimately there isn’t a successful method or solution that will always work in every environment or protected area. The areas covered are simply too diverse, and more often than not, there just isn’t enough financial support available.
The reality of conservation is that as much as methods are tried and tested, those methods will never be fool-proof across a blanket of environments and protected areas, and majority of the time they require a lot of monetary input to put in place, build over time or maintain. That does not mean, however, that we shouldn’t try. It just means we need to be smart about the methods we choose to use, and think laterally to put the best plans in place for where we are, realistically.
On Ingwelala various options for tree protection have been implemented, which are still ongoing. This includes tree wrapping (using wire wrapped around tree trunks to discourage and hopefully prevent ring-barking of trees), and the placement of cement pyramids/cones around the bases of trees (to hopefully prevent elephants from reaching the tree trunk altogether). In some cases, both have been used together. Many other options have been tried within Africa, including the use of bee hives and even Creosote in an attempt to discourage elephant presence, although these methods do not seem to be as favourable in South Africa, specifically.
Here, a combination of solutions is necessary for the best possible outcome for the protection of trees, although we know that none are 100% effective all the time. Wrapping a tree without the addition of pyramids will not stop the elephants from pushing it over, just the same as placing individual pyramids alone will not prevent the elephants from moving them to access the bark or push the tree over. A combination of the two seems to be the best possible way to physically protect the trees here: “matted” or connected pyramids at the base of trees (so the elephants can’t move them out of the way as easily) and wire-wrapping the trees to protect the bark.
As productive as physically protecting the trees can be, it is important to note that this is a slow process that costs a lot of money, is highly labour-intensive and is never guaranteed to work. We continue to do what we can, but there might be other methods we could look at implementing alongside the physical protection of trees that might make overall tree protection more successful in the long-term. This might even encompass multiple large-scale ideas.
An incredibly important observation to take note of is that the presence of any browsing animals is undoubtedly what puts pressure on tree populations. The extreme localisation of animals can be due to many things, including overpopulation, but is in this area it is most likely due to the high availability of water sources. When there are many constantly available water sources, animals tend to stay within the general area, and this is what puts pressure on the habitat. We are in an area where the water distribution and density is high in comparison to surrounding areas such as the Kruger National Park, so constant pressure will naturally be applied to the habitat and trees here - something that is, in fact, not strictly natural for this area.
Also bear in mind that as much as we may see the damage undoubtedly being done by elephants, it is not only the elephants we need to look at in the overall landscape of tree protection: other animals play a massive role in this too. Think of the many impalas, nyalas and kudus we see on the reserve. Again, if there is a high water density or availability, they will not need to leave the area at all, and are more likely to stay in the area on a constant basis. These browsers and mixed feeders have a particular taste for young trees - the same young trees that are essential in forming the next generations of large trees in our area. If there is increased pressure on the young saplings, there will hardly be any left to establish and replace the older trees in our area. Species of interest here include Marula, Knobthorn, Boerbean and Jackalberry trees, among others. Many are classified as Protected species.
Because of this, the best solution might very well have to be more than just physical tree protection - we need to think about possibly implementing a larger-scale protection strategy that includes physical protection combined with something like a more limited, rotational water source distributions, for example. If we decrease the water availability, it should, hopefully, decrease the pressure on trees in the area, both large and small. If we rotate available water sources, this may also encourage animals to move more to find water sources, as they naturally would have, and hopefully the trees may have more of a chance to recover or survive.
This is just one of many possible options, and I’m aiming to bring about an awareness of broader-spectrum conservation efforts that probably need to be looked at as potential options for what could become more successful conservation efforts in our overall landscape. In my opinion, as it stands, we will not be able to keep up with the rate of tree damage using physical methods alone - it is simply not possible if we cannot decrease the constant pressure on trees, amongst other things. However, if we combine larger-scale habitat efforts with local, physical efforts, we have a better chance of protecting the tree landscape in the future.
Please feel free to let me know how you feel about this - I’d love to discuss potential options and ideas with you in an effort to save more trees on Ingwelala, and hopefully in the greater area as well. Thank you!
by Tess Woollgar. Images courtesy of Tess Woollgar