Heat And Drought Killing Cyprus' Forests - Even 100-Year-Old Trees Succumbing

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THE ISLAND’S ongoing drought is killing trees, which are increasingly drying up, threatening serious ecological damages. The Forestry Department is showing increased concerns about the large number of trees that are drying up. The best hope is that the weather conditions will soon change.

What is noticeable around the island is that all kinds of trees, even those which are considered more resistant to drought conditions, such as pines, cypress and carob trees are withering away and turning brown – an indication of their poor state. Takis Tsentidis, Senior Official of the Forestry Department, told the Mail yesterday that “drought affects both the growth of the trees but also the success of their revival”. As he explained, many trees have been destroyed, especially in the eastern parts of Mesaoria, the eastern part of Troodos and the forests of Machairas and Stavrovouni”.

However, the present threat to trees is not only due to the current drought, as low rainfall conditions have been commonplace in Cyprus for the past few years. “The rainfall this year was at really low levels, but it is not only that,” Tsentidis continued, “it is also the extremely high temperatures. Trees that have survived naturally for over 100 years and carob trees have dried up.

“It is the combination of a series of unfavourable conditions, which are maybe the worst we have seen in a period of say 100 years. It is not only the low levels of rainfall but also the very high temperatures,” said Tsentidis. Aristos Ioannou, Director of the Forestry Department, said that “with four years with low rainfall it was anticipated that our forests would reach this tragic situation.”

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http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=41365&cat_id=1