CLIMATE · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Australia's Large Old Trees Disappearing Due to Logging
WHY IT MATTERS
The loss of large old trees threatens Australia's biodiversity and carbon storage capacity, highlighting the need for sustainable forest management practices.
What happened
Australia's native forests are losing their large old trees due to logging, according to long-term research. These trees store significant amounts of carbon and provide essential habitats for hundreds of animal species.
Logging operations remove most trees, leaving the remaining ones exposed to increased windspeeds and high-severity fires.
This results in logged and regenerated forests having fewer large old trees compared to unlogged areas.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Logging and the slow disappearance of Australia’s large old trees (commentary)
Mongabay · Rhett Butler · Discovery and factual synthesis only; publisher copyright terms apply