Tasmania’s tall eucalypt forests are globally significant. They accumulate carbon faster than any other natural forest ecosystem in the world.
Tasmania’s tall eucalypt forests are globally significant. They accumulate carbon faster than any other natural forest ecosystem in the world.
But climate change is making it harder for these forests to remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it in wood. During heat waves, they stop removing carbon altogether and release it instead.
What will happen as heat waves occur more frequently? Tasmania’s tall eucalypt forests will become carbon sources more and more of the time. As temperatures continue to rise, the forests will reach a « tipping point ». When this happens the forests will no longer be able to store carbon and mass tree deaths will occur.
My new report released today makes recommendations about preparing for this. There are serious implications for greenhouse gas emissions, conservation and wood production. We cannot ignore the risks of a warming climate. There is a lot we can do now to prepare and make future forests more resilient.
The Tasmania Wilderness World Heritage Area is ranked number one of all UNESCO sites globally for taking carbon out of the atmosphere and storing it. That’s because western Tasmania’s high rainfall and cool temperatures are ideal for forest growth.
These tall eucalypt forests contribute greatly to Tasmania’s claim to net-zero emissions in its greenhouse gas accounts.
The forests have produced most of the high-quality sawlogs supplying Tasmania’s sawmilling industry for more than a century.
They also provide unique and long-lasting habitat for wildlife. Large logs support diverse communities of insects and fungi.
The forest supports unique tourism experiences and an emerging opportunity for « big tree tourism ».
Tall eucalypt forests are dominated by one or two or three species of Eucalyptus:
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