I thank David Beuster for the very positive tone of his letter (Cape Times, August 17) regarding my attitude to `alien' trees - a refreshing change from the aggressively hostile tone of so many others. The central claim he makes is that I and those who think like me are thinking in a narrow rather than holistic way about the environment. I find this ironic because in my view it is the opposite way round - it is many in the environmental movement that have got themselves trapped in a tunnel vision that cannot see the whole picture. A holistic view can see more values in the environment than merely whether a tree is alien or not - there are many other things that come into play. It takes the crucial issue of context into account in devising policies, rather than trying to use the same single solution irrespective of context. It welcomes diversity rather than trying to impose uniformity on the world around us. And it takes note of the complexity of interactions that lead to unintended consequences in complex systems.

First, a holistic view takes note that a forest or plantation has economic, cultural, amenity, and aesthetic aspects as well as botanical ones. It provides shade on hot days, shelter on wet or cold windy ones, and the beauty of sunlight shining down between the tall trees of Cecelia Forest that lifts my heart. It is for this reason that so many people enjoy walking and picnicking in Tokai and Cecelia forests. Mr. Beuster should travel from Hermanus to Cape Town to experience this for himself. Capetonians should have a right to enjoy their tree heritage, which they do at present by hiking, dog walking, picnicking, braaiing, mushroom picking, taking children, horseriding, mountain biking. All this will disappear if the forests are destroyed. And off course plantations provide employment as well as wood for all sorts of uses.

Second, as well as taking into account the social context, a holistic view notes that the magnificent fynbos trees mentioned by David Beuster only grow in sheltered kloofs. In the open (see for example the Palmiet river valley near Kleinmond or the Redhill area above Simonstown) there is virtually no shade or shelter available from our indigenous vegetation. The aliens were brought in not because those doing so were small-minded but because they provided amenity and resources that the local vegetation did not provide in these contexts. Once Tokai forest is destroyed and replaced by indigenous vegetation there will never be shade there again - a wonderful resource for the people of the Cape Flats will be destroyed, just as happened for example at the top of the Ou Kaapse weg on the Kalk Bay side. Many hundreds from the Cape Flats used to picnic there before those forests were destroyed.

Now it is just a parking area. Sure it now has nice fynbos, but nobody picnics there any more. So I am in facts speaking on behalf of the multitudes of Capetonians who miss amenities once available.

Third, I value diversity and the choice it brings with it. Fynbos does not have to be everywhere - almost everywhere is fine. The forests such as Cecelia and Tokai are a tiny fraction of the Mountain park area, and those who do not like them can walk in the 96% of the park covered by the beautiful fynbos. Why this driving need to destroy variety, and coercively remove from me the option of walking in the shade that I have appreciated for over 50 years? The fynbos ecosystems are thriving in most of the mountain park area, and the Parks Board is doing a good job in looking after them. They are not in any way threatened by a few non-indigenous forest areas. I and those like me are not just pine and bluegum lovers, we are foremost tree lovers, and would have welcomed knysna-type indigenous forests around here. The problem is that they only thrive in very restricted areas.

Finally unintended consequences will surely arise once these forests are destroyed. All those who enjoy walking and picnicking in the shade will then be forced to congregate in the remaining areas of shade trees left.

So the density of use there will skyrocket - we will have to queue on those few paths that will remain in the small patches of indigenous forest in the mountain park (part of the present policy is to close down all but a few of the paths in that forest). It be like a walk in a densely populated urban area. And it is all so unnecessary. If you don't like these forests, unable to see their beauty, surely you can see the logic of allowing them to remain in order to remove the load on those forest areas you do like?

Mr Beuster, please try and look at the larger picture. Your conclusion will reverse! My attitude and that of my companion tree lovers IS in fact holistic in that we consider trees of all kinds as an integral part of nature, particularly in the Peninsula which has had 300 years of tradition of planting trees everywhere. It is not a matter of pines and bluegums, its a matter of Capetonians' love of those trees which give nature a dimension that fynbos cannot - in addition to their love of the fynbos and indigenous tree areas.

George Ellis

Kenilworth