Day 240 - 24 Apr 96 - Page 32


     
     1   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.
     2
     3   MR. MORRIS:  Yes, I was reading.
     4
     5   MR. JUSTICE BELL: Have you read 4.3?.
     6
     7   MR. MORRIS:  Pardon?
     8
     9   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  You have read 4.3.
    10
    11   MR. MORRIS:  Yes, then I was reading 4.4.
    12
    13   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Start at the beginning of 4.4 again and then,
    14        at an appropriate moment, pause and ask the question you
    15        wanted to ask.
    16
    17   MR. MORRIS:  Right:
    18
    19        "Most, if not all, tropical forest types require several
    20        hundred years of naturally occurring regeneration before
    21        primary tree species become established, and the forest has
    22        reached its mature or final phase of successional
    23        development.  It is in these forest types that generally
    24        the high diversity of species are found.  Earlier
    25        establishment and secondary phases occur over decadeal to
    26        century time scales (depending on the species and forest
    27        ecosystem type) as does planned and deliberate
    28        reforestation."
    29
    30        Can you just explain that last sentence?
    31        A.  That sentence has to be understood in the context of
    32        what I have written earlier.  In any forest type you can
    33        recognise different stages of development.  The stages of
    34        development in a forest ecosystem type are generally
    35        referred to as the pioneer phase when you have cleared land
    36        for whatever reason and the initial forest tree species are
    37        establishing themselves.  They tend to be rapid growing,
    38        light loving species that may take between 10, 20 years to
    39        become established.
    40
    41        Those species then, as long as there is no adverse impact,
    42        give way to longer growing species of tree and shrub which
    43        is usually distinguished as the secondary phase.  Those
    44        tree species that typify the secondary phase of tropical
    45        forest development take up to 100 or a couple of hundred
    46        years to become mature, and then, in turn, again assuming
    47        no adverse impact on the forest area, those secondary
    48        species give way to what are known as primary tree species
    49        types that take several hundred years to reach maturity and
    50        to become established and, by that stage, the forest has 
    51        reached its mature phase in which no further succession of 
    52        other tree species occur unless, for one reason or another, 
    53        the primary tree species die and then, as land is cleared,
    54        so the cycle of forest development begins again with
    55        pioneer species taking over.
    56
    57   Q.   You said that the pioneer forest would re-establish itself
    58        in 10 to 20 years?
    59        A.  Yes.
    60

Prev Next Index