Planted three decades ago, a row of terminalia mantaly trees flank Jiousi Road, Section 2 in Changhua County’s Beidou Township. Over time, the trees have formed a natural “green tunnel” and turned the area into a picturesque rural vista. However, along one section of the tunnel with a greenhouse farm on the other side of the embankment, 12 terminalia mantaly trees have shed all their leaves and appear to be on the verge of dying. On close inspection, it was discovered that each of the trees have had a ring cut around the entire circumference of their trunks.
A member of the public, surnamed Hsiao, said, “The cuts on the trunks are a specialized technique intended to kill the trees.” Hsiao added that he was dumbfounded as to why someone would decide to damage the trees at this moment in time, since they have been there for so many years. Using a chainsaw to cut into a tree’s bark effectively cuts off its water supply, Hsiao said, adding that the act is particularly reprehensible, given that the road is a major thoroughfare: If the trees keel over onto the road, and in doing so injure a road user, then what? Furthermore, he said, if the trees were to die, with their roots no longer providing support to the soil, the embankment would be liable to collapse at any time, the effects of which would be too horrible to contemplate. We must apprehend the culprit, he said.
A spokesperson from Changhua County Government Department of Water Resources says the department has already reported the matter to Beidou Township Government and will assemble a joint investigation team as soon as possible to find the culprit. The spokesperson added: the team will also preemptively remove the trees if they are confirmed to be dying and are beyond rescue.
Photo: Chen Kuan-pei, Liberty Times 照片:自由時報記者陳冠備
(Liberty Times, translated by Edward Jones)
彰化縣北斗鎮舊溪路二段種有一排小葉欖仁樹木,樹齡達三十年以上,成為當地絕佳田野美景的天然綠色隧道,不過近日該道路上一處溫室農場前方,有十二棵小葉欖仁樹葉掉光光,幾乎枯死,而且經仔細一查發現,每棵樹幹表皮都有環狀切開痕跡。
蕭姓民眾說:「這是一刀致命的專業手法!」蕭姓民眾說,這裡小葉欖仁已種植多年,不解為什麼會有人要選擇此時破壞它們,以電鋸鋸開樹皮,等於切斷水份,這行徑相當惡劣,而且該道路是交通要道,若樹枯倒塌壓傷用路人怎麼辦?另外樹死了,根莖對護堤不再有保護力,藉時發生潰堤,後果不堪設想,一定要抓到破壞者。
Photo: Chen Kuan-pei, Liberty Times 照片:自由時報記者陳冠備
對此,彰化縣政府水資處表示,日前經公所反映此事,將儘速安排到場會勘,除追查破壞者外,如確定為枯死樹木,會將先行移除。
(自由時報記者陳冠備)
Photo: Chen Kuan-pei, Liberty Times 照片:自由時報記者陳冠備
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