What in the World is This? (2)

Yes, we saw trees all over, in the cities and rural areas, with wrappings like what you see in the picture to the right? What in the World is This?

The answer:

Actually it is a "tree protector" of sorts. The ideas is that insects that start crawling up a tree trunk will get caught munching on the rice straw (not quite sure if that's what it's made of, but...) before bothering the tree itself. At some point, the people caring for the trees will remove and burn these mats, effectively preventing the tree from insect infestation. Pest control, of a natural, chemical-free variety. Cool, huh?