MORE than 1,000 gum trees on Fenghuang Mountain in Bao’an District have been chopped down, prompting complaints from tourists and nearby residents.

Officials with the district agriculture bureau said the trees were felled last year by a company commissioned to do afforestation work on the mountain. They had already ordered the company to halt the felling before the contract expires, the officials said.

According to the contract with the government, the company, Shenzhen Lubaogui, can fell trees as a return for its investment in afforestation but should obtain prior approval from the government. The company did not apply for approval for felling.

The district greening commission said it would require the company to replant trees on the slope where the gum trees had been felled.

A source who refused to be identified said the gum trees were “felled for profit.” The trees are mainly used as raw material for papermaking.

He told Shenzhen Economic Daily that gum trees, also known as eucalyptus, is a fast-growing source of wood but many people now have misunderstanding about it. “Many people thought the trees could emit toxic gas, and deprive soil of water and nourishment. The saying doesn’t have scientific basis,” said the source. “Some unscrupulous businesspeople therefore exaggerate the harm of the trees so they can fell them for profit without restraint.”