The harm of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus has the function of storing nutrients and sprouting and renewing, and its growth rate is very fast, but the biological characteristics of eucalyptus are very special. Eucalyptus often requires a lot of water during its growth. If it is planted on a large scale, it will cause the water level to drop and the soil's water retention capacity to be reduced. If this continues for a long time, the soil will become desertified. Therefore, eucalyptus is not suitable for large-scale planting.

1. Eucalyptus is a "water pump". Eucalyptus is a fast-growing and high-yielding forest with a huge demand for soil moisture. Large-scale introduction of eucalyptus will cause the groundwater level to drop and its ability to retain water is very poor. Over time, the land surface will become hardened and desertification will occur.

2. Eucalyptus is a "fertilizer extractor". Eucalyptus has a huge demand for fertilizer and nutrients in the soil. Wherever eucalyptus is planted, the fertility of the land decreases or even becomes exhausted. The original vegetation is severely damaged due to lack of sufficient fertilizer and nutrients, causing land degradation, worsening soil and water conservation, and barren land. At that time, other introduced plants will simply not be able to survive.

4. The chemical products used with eucalyptus are highly toxic and have long-lasting toxic effects. Eucalyptus gas has irritating and poisonous effects. When planting eucalyptus, some highly toxic and long-lasting chemical products are used. Once these products are applied to the land, they will be difficult to remove and will cause great pollution to the water quality, causing immeasurable harm to humans and animals after drinking them. In addition, the smell emitted by eucalyptus is irritating and poisonous to the human body, which will threaten the health of local people.

Eucalyptus trees have beautiful posture, are evergreen all year round, grow extremely fast, and have strong drought resistance. They are suitable as street trees, windbreak and sand fixation forests, and landscaping tree species. The leaves contain aromatic oils that have bactericidal and mosquito-repellent effects and can be used to extract essential oils. They are also a good greening tree species for sanatoriums, residential areas, hospitals and public green spaces.

Eucalyptus plantations are also a huge carbon sink. According to research, each hectare of eucalyptus can absorb 9 tons of carbon dioxide each year while releasing oxygen. Planting eucalyptus on degraded land can improve soil structure, increase soil biomass, improve the microclimate of the afforestation area, and change the ecological environment. In the past, the Leizhou Peninsula was a barren land with a deteriorating environment and a forest coverage rate of only 8%. In 1954, a large number of eucalyptus plantations were planted. Now there are nearly 3 million acres of eucalyptus trees and a forest coverage rate of 24%. The ecological environment has improved significantly, making it an important agricultural city in the South Asian tropics.