Michelle Cocks and Tony Dold 7946 mm DBH was found with severe harvesting damage but with many flowers.
This represents the smallest flowering C. flanaganii found and sets the minimum
reproductive size for harvested C. flanaganii. However, this size may not
represent the minimum reproductive size for a nonharvested tree as the profuse
flowering may have been a result of harvesting stress. Should stress play a
role in early flowering of this specimen, the size estimate would be a
conservative underestimation, meaning that there are even less potentially
reproductive trees in the forest.
The survey clearly reveals a lack of large individuals. Palmer and Pitman
(1972) and Pooley (1993) state that the tree attains a diameter of up to 230
mm, whereas the largest individual recorded in the study site was only 120
mm DBH. There is no doubt that this discrepancy is due to excessive bark
harvesting (complete ring-barking) resulting in fatality of the larger trees.
This has important ecological implications as the species is being harvested
unsustainably and there are virtually no mature individuals in the populations
to ensure its continued reproduction. C. flanaganii has a relatively thin bole
and bark that tends to peel off easily in sheets. Sustainable harvesting based
upon harvesting one side of the trunk is therefore not considered a viable
strategy. It is suggested that C. flanaganii has a low potential for sustainable
harvesting. Currently there are no studies investigating the impact of different
harvesting regimes on the long-term survival of this species.Photo 1. Evidence of bark harvesting within Cwengcwe Forest (Photo by T. Dold)05cassipourea.p65 79 22/12/2004, 11:04