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Helicopter Sows First Alpine Ash Seed In East Gippsland Gippsland will soon reap the first results of a huge operation to regenerate Alpine Ash destroyed in the recent bushfires. By Department of Primary Industries - 11th June 2003 - Back to News A helicopter is sowing coupes of burnt immature ash around Swifts Creek with seed collected by professional climbers. While mature Ash can regenerate, trees less than 20 years old can not, requiring manual seed collection and aerial sowing.
Forest crews have been working from dawn to dusk, seven days a week, in an unprecedented effort to climb Alpine Ash, one of the world’s tallest flowering trees, and collect seed to regenerate forests around Swifts Creek, Omeo and Nunnett district.
"The aerial sowing program marks the culmination of a gigantic human effort involving more than 70 people across Gippsland and the State’s North East," said Regional Manager, Forestry Victoria, Gippsland East, Anne Geary.
"We have been unable to locate seed crops near the burnt areas due to a combination of smoke, drought and heat opening the capsules and releasing the seed.
"South of the Divide there have been poor seed crops outside the fire area. We are therefore relying on support from the North East region where there are good crops."
In addition to collecting local seed, Gippsland crews have joined colleagues in the North East to assist seed collection operations near Mansfield. Overall Gippsland is expected to gain around 600 kg of Alpine Ash seed from the North East to top up local collections and existing stores.
"This is a fantastic collaborative effort which should meet our requirements for the 1,050 hectares of Alpine Ash seed beds that are receptive for sowing this winter," said Ms Geary.
"As long as the weather conditions remain stable, seeding in the Swifts Creek area will begin this Thursday June 12."
Professional climbers have obtained the bulk of seed by scaling 70 metres trunks to reach the Alpine Ash crowns and cut down the seed capsules. These are then bagged and sent to special extraction units, where they are heated and rotated to release the seed.
The seed is sown by helicopter in a precision operation using aerial sowing plans. The seed is fed into a hopper mounted on the aircraft and then spun out underneath the chopper in swathes approximately 20 metres wide. The rate of sowing is determined by seed quality tests.
Alpine Ash seed needs six weeks of cold treatment in order to germinate in the spring. Crews are therefore battling to collect and sow as much seed as possible by mid July.
The 2002/03 Victorian bushfires were the largest experienced in the state since 1939, burning 1.3 million hectares of land, principally in National Park and State Forest areas.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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