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Media Release

July 26 2006

Trees are good, but grass is greener
In response to National Tree Day, July 28 and 30
 

UniSA’s Joan Gibbs says that on National Tree Day we need to branch out from the monoculture of “trees being the best” ─ and think about ecosystems as a whole.

“Grasslands are under the biggest threat. For every tree we plant, we need to plant 10,000 grass plants,” said Gibbs, an ecologist from UniSA’s School of Natural and Built Environments.

“National Tree Day is a very important initiative; I encourage everyone to get involved. But we also need to think about other kinds of vegetation ─ and grasslands are the most endangered ecosystem in the world.”

Gibbs explains that grasslands are important to make sure that the good work of the trees is not wasted.

“Trees alone will not heal degraded land, and trees grow poorly on degraded land. For healthy land and healthy trees, we should include grasses, herbs and shrubs when we plant trees. A diverse ecosystem will cycle minerals and encourage live animals, which will keep the trees healthy for a long time,” she said.

Gibbs says grasslands are important because they create healthy soil, which maintains the earth beneath and everything that grows in it. Open grasslands are also vital for land animals to roam on.

“Anyone can buy native grass through the Native Grass Resources Group. Lately, different native grasses have been used as prominent landscape features,” she said.

Gibbs also warns that in some instances, planting too many trees can be counterproductive, as there is the possibility that they will encroach onto the valuable grasslands.

“Grass used to be managed by traditional burning. This kept the grass healthy and reduced tree encroachment. At the edges of the forests, trees spread their seeds into nearby grasslands, and mature trees will shade out important grassland species which need sunlight and soil moisture without competition.”

Gibbs acknowledges that organiser Planet Ark does advocate the correct information about tree and grass planting ─ but because many people are inexperienced or ill-informed, they don’t always know what to do.

“You should only plant trees that naturally grow from within 10 km of the area you intend to plant. This thinking evolved around the 1970s, after everyone planted trees that weren’t matched to the environment, causing many problems for surrounding flora and fauna,” she said.

While last year’s National Tree Day saw more than 1.5 million trees planted, Gibbs says this is just a drop in the ocean.

“We shouldn’t only just be thinking about these things one day every year. We need to think about restoring entire ecosystems and maintaining biodiversity,” said Gibbs.

 

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