Eucalyptus Regnans - Impact On The Environment

Impact On The Environment

ABC News reported on 17 June 2009 that a study has been carried out by environmental scientist Professor Brendan Mackey of the Australian National University which identified that mountain ash forests in Victoria’s Central Highlands as the best in the world at locking up carbon.

Mackey and colleagues found the highest amount of carbon was contained in a forest located in Victoria’s Central Highlands, which held 1900 tonnes of carbon per hectare. This most “carbon-dense” forest was a stand of unlogged mountain ash over 100 years old. Mountain ash live for at least 350 years, according to Mackey.

"The Big Tree" (previously thought to be the tallest remaining), is about 15 metres around the base. The sign at its base states its dimensions and the tonnage of timber that could potentially be cut from it. A few such trees of extreme size have been recorded by Forestry Tasmania as worthy of preservation. Clearfelled old-growth forest of Eucalyptus regnans near the Styx Valley in southern Tasmania, prior to bull-dozing and burning. A very tall mountain ash by a logging road. Trees that have been identified as above the permissible height for logging are left isolated when the forest around them is logged. If reduced in height by storm, the tree becomes loggable. Mountain ash logs. Older trees are often hollow and are only suitable for woodchip. The efficient harvesting of Eucalyptus regnans for replacement with Pinus radiata. High grade woodchip for the papermills of Japan is exported from Burnie