The Alerce, or Chilean Larch (Fitzroya cupressoides), is one of the most emblematic species of Chile, and is condemned to disappear if the government does not take immediate measures to avert its destruction. Its distribution in Chile is between the parallels 39o 50’ and 43o 30’ south latitude. It grows principally in the
Coastal and Andes mountain ranges, generally at altitudes of between 700 and 1,000 meters above sea level. It can grow to be 50 meters high and 5 meters in diameter. It is one of the oldest trees in the world, with some individuals living to be more than 3,600 years old. Some studies indicate that in the year 1550,
approximately 617,077 hectares of Alerce forest existed. Today, only 263,191 hectares remain. Of the remaining forest, 17% is protected by the state, and only 2.6% of that protected area is in the coastal mountain range.
In 1973, Alerce was included under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, CITES, which prohibits its
exportation. In 1976, the Chilean government declared Alerce a Natural Monument through Supreme Decree No. 490 and its exploitation was
prohibited. Yet this decree has proved to be ineffective, and wide-scale destruction of the species continues. There are however loopholes in the law
- the government authorizes logging of Alerce that were damaged by fires or logging before 1973, and also allows logging of trees that died in “natural
ways” and that were buried in the soil under the forest.
DOCUMENTATION OF THE DESTRUCTION
A team aboard the Green peace ship MV Arctic Sunrise has documented Alerce destruction in two important areas in Chile: the Andes range and the Coastal Mountain Range. In the Coastal range, the Alerce forests are under much greater threat than in the Andes range. Green peace documented areas of illegal logging throughout the Sarao mountain range, located in the Fresia area in Region X. Green peace was able to identify several types of illegal logging and an extensive network of roads to transport the illegal wood by undertaking surveys by helicopter. We were able to identify Alerce logging by examining the color of the sawdust left on the soil.
Illegal logging of Alerce in this sector has been reported consistently for a few years, but the exploitation continues unpunished and the government has not made an effort to prosecute the responsible parties. The difficulty accessing this region and the lack of funding to enforce the law are two important reasons that
illegal logging of Alerce continues unabated.
In the Andes range, there are Lenca, Puelo and Hornopiren sectors, located to the east of Puerto Montt. In this region, the two greatest threats are intentionally set forest fires and illegal logging. Illegal loggers set fire to the forests and then apply to CONAF for a permit to log the Alerce. A prime example of this illegal logging took place in 1999 in the Candelaria area, located between Puelo and Hornopiren National Park. 25 Alerce trees with diameters between 0.7 and 2 meters were cut while alive on land owned by the Piedras Moras Investment Society. Even though the logging was denounced and the State Defense Council was asked to intervene, there have not been any prosecutions to date.

MEASURES NEEDED TO PROTECT ALERCE
The state of the Alerce forests in Chile clearly reflects the failure of the Chilean government to provide adequate conservation measures and protection, and
brings into question its ability to abide by international treaties such as CITES. The Chilean government must urgently implement policies aimed to preserve and
recover Alerce forests. These policies should take into account the following elements: The ownership of Alerce forests, now that a significant amount of forest area belongs to the private sector.
Putting a definitive end to the massive illegal logging in sectors located in the Coastal range in the Fresia area in Region X. The illegal logging must be treated
as a crime. There must also be investigations into the chain of custody associated with destruction of Alerce forests, and the buyers must also be held responsible. Amend Supreme Decree 490, prohibiting extraction of dead Alerce in areas that haven’t been inventoried and identified by the agencies in charge of protecting and conserving Chile’s native forests. Increase the role of and funding for the National Forests Corporation, the entity that oversees conservation and protection of Chile’s forests.

WAU chile

It was in May 22, 1960 when the history of Valdivia was darkened by tragedy. A tremendous earthquake of 8,5 degrees affected the cities of Valdivia and Puerto Montt in Chile. The quake originated 180 feet below the bottom of the sea and 100 miles into the Pacific Ocean.There were not extremely large numbers of victims,for such an earthquake, because the opulation was alerted on that something was going to happen by previous shakes and underground noise.

However, 2300 people lost its life in the quake and in the tsunami that followed it. 80 feet high waves devastated the Chilean and Peruvian coasts and they propagated at more than 200 miles an hour to the coasts of Hawaii, Philippines, and Japan, destroying everything on its way and killing many people. In Valdivia, the stories of the earthquake are alive in people’s minds. Immediately after the quake and knowing what will came next, the people of the lowlands run to the hills for
protection. But not all of them follow those security measures. Meanwhile the tide started to retreat
into the ocean, leaving the rivers dry.

Afterwards the inevitable arrived, a huge 80 feet tidal wave devastated everything on its way,taking with it fishing boats and sinking large ships. The wave followed the river course and damaged the city’s industrial zone leaving ruins that are
visible even today. Then the wave returned to the sea carrying back small boats with fishermen and whole houses with people alive asking for help while in their fatal travel to the ocean. They were not to be seen again. The landslides blocked the rivers and they threaten to produce a major flood, which could have erased Valdivia from the map. Hardworking and sacrifice stop it from happening, sparing the city of a worst disaster.

Valdivia lost much with the earthquake, however the city was rebuilt and it is now one of the most beautiful of Chile. The ruins of industrial installations and sunken ships are the only testimony of such a tragic day.

WAU Chile

Tourist Information

Dunmore Caves – Dearc Fearnas – Co. Kilkenny

Dunmore Cave is described in folklore as the mouth of a huge beast, with ten thousand teeth above his head and as many under his feet. The huge, imposing entrance, has been known for centuries, but it is only comparatively recently that it has been fully explored. Until the seventeenth century caves were regarded with dread and awe as being entrances to Hell. From the eighteenth century onwards a number of visitors, including scientists and historians, have written about the cave. Research on geological and historical aspects of the cave has been pursued making it one of the best documented cave sites in Europe.

Dunmore Cave- A Viking Massacre Site.

January 2000 saw the natural cave at Dunmore, Co. Kilkenny under the world spotlight as a hoard of 43 silver and bronze items which had been discovered late in 1999 was displayed to the public at the National Museum of Ireland for the first time. The hoard was dated by several coins minted in the North of England to around 970 AD It consisted of hack silver and ingots as well as conical buttons made of fine silver wire woven expertly to form their present shape. The richness of the hoard which had been concealed in a rocky cleft deep in the cave and the fact that it was never returned to, hints that a personal tragedy overcame its owner.

The cave was known in the Irish Annals as ‘Dearc Fearna’- the ‘Cave of the Alders’ and was one of the three darkest places in Ireland. In the Annals of the Four Masters it is recorded that ‘Godfrey, son of Imhar with the foreigners of Dublin plundered Dearc Fearna and killed 1000 people in 928 AD. Bones have frequently been found by cavers giving credence to the tale of a massacre. A recent study of bones from the cave identified 44 individuals, 19 of which were adult, 25 children. The bulk of the adult bones were female. In 1996 a group of bones were discovered and analysed by the author which gives a sad insight into one personal tragedy that happened at Dunmore.

The bone was from a cavity beside a feature in the cave known as Town Hall. It consisted almost entirely of animal bone but there was a small amount of human bone present. The majority of human bones were from an infant but there were also three fragments of long bone from an adult and one fragment of adult rib.

The frontal bone, part of the right temporal bone and the left maxilla survived from the infant skull. The partially formed crown of a central incisor was the only tooth present.

Most of the left side of the infant, including the left clavicle and scapula, three left ribs, left radius and ulna and left tibia were complete and in a relatively good state of preservation. The right illium remained from the pelvis and there was also a fibula and fragments of a femur present.

The infant bones were probably from one individual and from the state of development of the incisor and from the length of the long bones it was probably not a full term infant.

The length of the long bones was used to estimate the body length (Kosa 1991) and hence to estimate the state of foetal development. All the bones are consistent with a foetus of about 36 weeks gestation.

As the group of bones was so small it is not possible to assess how the tragedy came about. The infant could have been born prematurely and did not survive or the infant could have died when the mother died. Whether the mother died of an infection, during childbirth or as a result of the massacre is also unknown but this case study does serve to bring home the personal nature of this distant tragedy.

· On the change of the 20th into the 21st century decisions have been made that will at least influence the natural future of the forest during the coming hundreds of years – and possibly determine her future;

· It is a virgin forest, but it is not unassailable. We are able to preserve it – but as easily we are able to hurt its deepest souls and impose her onto a number of coming human generations in an unnatural state of desintegration.

As noted before, the Bialowieza Forest has preserved in Poland (and in Belarus). By this I mean that the soil of the forest is original and pure and that the types of forests actually present are still partially (nearly) undisturbed. Also it means that all biodiversity is directly connected to conditions like our climate, water economy and the everlasting competition of species. The great variation in species is apparent simply when we take into account the naturally occuring species of mammals that are ever present in the forest.

The European Bison (Bison bonasus), the largest mammal on the continent of Europe, is living in the woods of Bialowieza in a number of 550 specimens. It is the biggest population of wild living European bisons and one of thee populations on world scale that meets requirements for a lasting and stable local existence of the species.

Arguments for a strict reduction of harvesting wood in Bialowieza-

1. Forest developed naturally during 4.000 years. Bialowieza Forest developed itself since her coming in existence, ca. 4000 years ago, when the changing climate allowed the spontaneous growth of forests again. It developed itself into the natural forest which is (still) partially existing today. Without any appreciable human influence a stable system developed with a wide range of variation of well mixed types of woods. It is inconceivable to think that man is able to increase the ecological value of the remaining natural stands by means of multi-purpose forestry management principles.

2. The most natural lowland forest of Europe. The Bialowieza forest is being characterised by specialists as the “most natural forest ecosystem within the temperate climate zone of the European lowland”. On other localities, especially on this scale, comparable conditions have been lost already a number of centuries ago.

The Past 10 years in Bialowieza

1994. Expansion of the Bialowieza National Park – now covering about 10.000 hectares or about 1/6th of the Polish part of the Bialowieza forest.

January 1, 1998. The Polish government introduces a strict ban on cutting and logging trees aged more than one hundred years. The new regulation offers a more or less efficient protection to the remaining stand of the original primeval forest. However, an exception on the new rule is made for those Spruces that are being “attacked” by Bark beetles. The result of this exception is that this tree species – which is one of the most economically valuable in the forest – is being cut, even within existing reserves, the Im. Szafera landscape reserve and the part of the Bialowieza National Park that has been added in 1996 to the existing National Park.

January 1, 2001. After more than a decade of preparations, research and proposed alternative ways of income for locals, the projected expansion of the Bialowieza National Park to cover the whole territory of the forest is being rejected by the Polish government.

July 1st, 2003. The ban on cutting trees aged over one hundred years is lifted by the newly elected government of Poland. As a consequence the level of harvesting wood in Bialowieza increases dramatically at once. The new management plan for Bialowieza allows an increase in the cutting activities from the 120.000 m3 to over 150.000 m3 starting in 2003! (according to Polish NGO’s citing the Polish State Forestry Administration statistics!). The abolishment of the prohibition again allows foresters to cut century-old Oaks and Lindens, which so far does not at all or seldomly happen since it is “common sense” amongst foresters and citizens of Bialowieza to respect these majestive trees. However, the law allows cutting of these trees since July 2003 and therefore strong supervision is a must to prevent that wood-cutting activities are being shifted to these old trees – that date back into the truly undisturbed primeval times of Bialowieza forest!