Ugamthilini—Uwusizo Kangakanani?

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! e-Australia

EZINYE zinde—zingaphezu kwamamitha angu-90 ukuphakama—zibalwa phakathi kwezihlahla ezinde kunazo zonke emhlabeni. Ezinye zimfushane futhi zisontekile, zikhasa phansi enhlabathini egangathekile. Amaqabunga azo ayisimangaliso somklamo, futhi izimbali zazo ziwumbukwane. Ngandlela-thile, kungenzeka nawe wake wayisebenzisa ingxenye yalesi sihlahla.

Ezimbalwa zazo zinamagama ahlukile njenge-alpine ash ne-Tasmanian oak, kodwa eziningi zaziwa nje ngokuthi ugamthilini. Empeleni, inhlaka kagamthilini wangempela iyinto encibilikayo emanzini eyakhiwe ama-carbohydrate, futhi awukho ugamthilini okhiqiza lokho. Ngakho igama elithi ugamthilini aliwufanele. Lezi zihlahla zibizwa kahle ngokuthi uhlobo lwe-Eucalyptus, futhi kunezinhlobo zazo ezingaphezu kuka-600 e-Australia lapho zidabuka khona.

Ugamthilini uthanda izindawo ezishisayo zaseNorthern Territory e-Australia kanye namathafa omile emaphandleni akhona. Kodwa uyachuma nasemoyeni wase-Antarctic eningizimu yeTasmania nenkungu ezintabeni ezingasogwini. Uthe chithi saka kangangokuthi omunye umhloli wamazwe futhi owayeyisazi sesayensi yezilwane sekhulu le-19 wakhononda: “Sibathe sibona izihlahla zikagamthilini ngapha nangapha: akukho okunye ngaphandle kwamaqabunga awo asabalele yonke indawo.”

Kusukela ngesikhathi abaseYurophu bethuthelekela e-Australia ekhulwini le-19, ugamthilini uye wancipha kakhulu. Lezi zihlahla ezisendaweni engamakhilomitha-skwele abalelwa ku-300 000 ziye zasishulwa phansi ngoba zazibhekwa njengezivimbela intuthuko. Kodwa akubona bonke abantu ababonisa ukungazikhathaleli lezi zihlahla eziwusizo. Phakathi nekhulu le-19, ugamthilini waphinde wabuya ngezinkani.

Umbusi Nodokotela

Ngawo-1880, uMbusi uMenelik II wase-Abyssinia, manje ebizwa ngokuthi iTopiya, wayedinga izihlahla zomthunzi kanye nezinkuni ayezozisebenzisa enhloko-dolobha yakhe entsha eyomile, i-Addis Ababa. Asikho isihlahla esidabuka e-Afrika esatholakala siyilungele le ndawo eyomile. Ngakho ochwepheshe balo mbusi bafuna kwezinye izindawo ukuze bathole isihlahla esikwazi ukuchuma elangeni elivutha bhé njengelakubo. Elithi “Addis Ababa” lisho ukuthi “Imbali Entsha,” futhi kungenzeka ukuthi leli gama laqanjwa kuhlonishwa ugamthilini, isihlahla esathathwa kwelinye izwe esafeza indima ebalulekile emnothweni waseTopiya.

Omunye umuntu owaba nesandla ekuthuthweni kukagamthilini namuhla uDkt. Edmundo Navarro de Andrade. Ezimisele ukuvuselela amahlathi aseBrazil ayefadalala ngokushesha, waqala ukuthutha ugamthilini e-Australia ngo-1910. Watshala izihlahla zawo eziyizigidi ezingu-38. Namuhla kunezihlahla zikagamthilini ezingaphezu kwezigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili ezitshalwe eBrazil.

Ngakho-ke, ngaphezu kwamahlathi ayo emvula, iBrazil inezihlahla zikamgamthilini eziningi ukwedlula zonke ezinye izindawo ngaphandle kwase-Australia. Umnotho waseBrazil uye wathuthuka kangangokuthi ngenxa yokuletha leli gugu ezweni lakubo, uDkt. Navarro waklonyeliswa ngendondo ekhethekile yenkonzo ephakeme.

Umuthi Wokuphila

Ezinye izihlahla zikagamthilini, njengama-mallee, zikwazi ukuchuma endaweni enesomiso ngokugcina amanzi amaningi ezimpandeni. AboMdabu base-Australia nabahloli bamazwe bakuqala bakwazi ukuhlala kula maphandle asemaqaqasini ngokusebenzisa le mithombo yamanzi engaphansi kwenhlabathi. Kwakumbiwa izimpande eziphezulu ezinde bese zinqanyulwa zibe mfushane. Lapho kufuthwa ngasekugcineni kwesinqamu, kuphuma amanzi ansundu ngokuphaphathekile. Nakuba engesona isiphuzo esimnandi kangako, kulinganiselwa ukuthi ezimpandeni ezingamamitha angu-9 kungaphuma amalitha angu-1,5 alolu ketshezi olusindisa ukuphila.

Ezinye izinhlobo zimila ezindaweni ezingamaxhaphozi, zimunca wonke amanzi enhlabathini emanzi. Leli khono lasetshenziswa amaNtaliyane, asebenzisa ugamthilini wasemaxhaphozini ukuze amunce amaxhaphozi asePontine ayegcwele omiyane. Le ndawo manje seyenziwe ipulazi eliwusizo.

Angaphezu kuka-50 amazwe e-Afrika, e-Asia, eMelika naseYurophu aye asebenzisa ugamthilini kwezentengiselwano nangenxa yobuhle bawo. Ababazi befenisha bayalwazisa ukhuni lwawo olubomvu noluphuzi ngokusagolide. Incwadi ethile ithi: “Ugamthilini ukhiqiza ukhuni olusindayo, oluqinile noluhlala isikhathi eside kunazo zonke ezaziwayo. Iqophelo eliphezulu lokhuni, kanye nokukhula ngokushesha kwalezi zihlahla . . . kuzenza zibe umthombo obaluleke kakhulu wokhuni oluqinile emhlabeni.”

Izinhlobo zalesi sihlahla ezimelana namanzi ziyasetshenziswa ekwakhiweni kwemikhumbi, izinsika zesikhumulo, izigxobo zocingo, uthango nezindlela. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izimbali ezinhle eziqhakaza kugamthilini wohlobo olwaziwa ngokuthi i-yellow box ne-ironbark zikhiqiza umpe olunoshukela, izinyosi ezenza ngalo uju olwehl’ esiphundu. Eminyakeni yamuva nje, amathani ayizigidi ezingu-4,5 amazwibela okhuni lukagamthilini aye athathwa e-Australia athunyelwa kwamanye amazwe, angenisa ama-dollar ayizigidi ezingu-250 (amaRandi ayizigidi eziyinkulungwane) unyaka ngamunye.

I-kino, Amafutha Ne-tannin

Amagxoko nokhuni lukagamthilini kukhipha isithako esibomvu klebhu, esinjengenhlaka okuthiwa i-kino. Ezinye izinhlobo ze-kino zisetshenziselwa ukuvikela ukhuni ezinhlaveni. I-kino iyasetshenziswa nasekwenzeni umuthi onqanda ukopha. Amagxolo ezinye izinhlobo akhiqiza i-tannin, esetshenziselwa ukushuka isikhumba nokudaya izindwangu.

Amaqabunga ayisimangaliso somklamo futhi agcina amafutha aphambili. Alenga njengeminwe engenamandla yesandla esikhubazekile, izihloko zawo zibheke esiqwini sesihlahla. Le ndlela ame ngayo isiza amaqabunga ukuba asebenze njengesetho esikhulu. Amaqabunga abamba umswakama oyigugu, bese wehla usuka ezihlokweni zawo eziqinile uye ezimpandeni ezilindile.

Amafutha kagamthilini, anephunga elinamandla eliqabulayo, akhishwa eqabungeni ngenqubo yokuhwamukisa nokupholisa. Ngokwesibonelo, asetshenziswa kakhulu lapho kwenziwa amakha, insipho, imithi, ukudla okunoshukela nemikhiqizo yokuhlanza. Uma engakenziwa lutho, amafutha aphuma eqabungeni futhi agcwalise umoya ngamaconsi amancane ahlatshwa imisebe yelanga, enze ihlathi likagamthilini libe nombala oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Izintaba zaseBlue Mountains, ezingasemaphethelweni angasentshonalanga edolobha iSydney, zaqanjwa igama lazo elingajwayelekile ngenxa yalokhu.

Ikhaya Lezilwane Eziyizichizi Ekudleni

Isakhamuzi esidume kakhulu sasemahlathini kagamthilini isilwane esihle esiyindilinga esinoboya esaziwa ngokuthi i-koala. Lesi silwane esidla uhlaza esichizayo sithanda ukudla ezihlokweni zamaqabunga ezinhlobo zikagamthilini ezingu-12. Ukudla okunjalo kungazibulala izilwane eziningi, kodwa hhayi i-koala. Kungani?

Kungenxa yesimiso sokugaya ukudla se-koala esiklanywe ngendlela ekhethekile, esihlanganisa ne-appendix eyimitha elilodwa kuya kwamabili ubude. Uma kuqhathaniswa, i-appendix yomuntu ingamasentimitha angu-8 kuya kwangu-15 ubude. I-appendix ye-koala engavamile isiza lesi silwanyana ukuba simunce wonke amaprotheni, ama-carbohydrate namafutha esiwadingayo.

Isilwane esingadumile sase-Australia esidla amaqabunga kagamthilini njenge-koala yisilwane esikhulu esintwezayo i-opossum. Le marsupial enoboya ingangekati. Inomsila omahlikihliki ongaba amasentimitha angu-40 ubude nesikhumba phakathi kwezidladla ezingaphambili nezingemuva. Isebenzisa la maphiko ayinyama, i-opossum igxuma ngemilenze, intweze ibanga elingaba amamitha ayikhulu, ijike njengoba indiza, bese ibambelela egatsheni elilandelayo ngokuphepha.

Imililo Yequbula Nokuhluma Kabusha

Imililo yequbula iwusongo kakhulu ehlathini likagamthilini e-Australia. Nokho, lezi zihlahla ziklanywe ngendlela yokuba zikwazi ukusinda. Kanjani?

Ngaphansana nje kwamagxolo alesi sihlahla, esiqwini saso nasemagatsheni, kukhona imiqumbe yamaqabunga efihlekile. Uma isihlahla sisha amagxolo namaqabunga, le miqumbe iqala ukuhluma. Imbathisa isiqu sesihlahla esishile ngamaqabunga amasha aluhlaza. Ngenxa yalokho, isihlahla siyasinda. Ngaphezu kwalokho, imbewu yesihlahla esisenhlabathini ivame ukusebenzisa lelo thuba bese iyamila, iveze izihlahla ezintsha.

Isihlahla Okumelwe Saziswe

Wake wawuphuza umuthi owenziwe ngogamthilini ukuze upholise umphimbo noma wadla amaswidi enziwe ngoju lukagamthilini? Wake wahamba ngesikebhe esakhiwe ngokhuni lwalesi sihlahla, noma wake walala endlini yokhuni lukagamthilini noma wotha umlilo wezinkuni zawo? Kungenzeka ukuthi ngandlela-thile uye wazuza kulesi sihlahla esivelele. Ngakho ngokuzayo lapho ubona i-koala enoboya—noma ubuka isithombe sayo—kwangathi singakukhumbuza isimangaliso somklamo wesihlahla okuhlala kuso i-koala.

Ngempela, ugamthilini onezinhlobo eziningi nongaqothuleki kalula uyisihlahla esisetshenziselwa izinto ezihlukahlukene.

[Izithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

Ugamthilini uphakathi kwezihlahla ezinde kakhulu emhlabeni

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Izinyosi zisebenzisa umpe lukagamthilini ukuze zenze uju oluphambili

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Izihlahla zikagamthilini “zikhiqiza ukhuni olusindayo, oluqinile noluhlala isikhathi eside kakhulu olwaziwayo”

[Izithombe ekhasini 18]

Ama-“koala” (ngakwesobunxele) nama-“opossum” antwezayo (ngenhla) adla amaqabunga kagamthilini

[Umthombo]

© Alan Root/Okapia/PR

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 16]

Geoff Law/The Wilderness Society

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 17]

Courtesy of the Mount Annan Botanic Gardens