Skia and ecology do not match

1987/12/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ingurumena

Last summer many people have died in the Alps due to landslides. Drifting waves carry plenty of lives that enjoyed the beauty of the mountain. These unexpected landslides are due to the cutting of trees for the extension of the skie tracks. Trees in major changes, among other functions, sustain the terrain. When the trees are missing, the land has no handles and then the rains can soften and descend on slope. By cutting down trees, the top layer of land melts without protection.

The forests of the Alps are affected by two diseases. On the one hand, the fact that sky has become a very popular sport has increasingly needed clues to respond to consumer demand. This has meant hundreds of square kilometers of forests over the last ten years. Some data are representative. While in Austria there is 5800 km of track, there are 6000 km of ski track.

On the other hand, trees are contaminated. A 1986 study reveals that two-thirds of trees over 60 years old were almost affected by pollution. Forest scientists claim that replacing these damaged trees is very difficult due to the harsh environment.