Mountain Journal

Across the mountains of south eastern Australia, climate change is already driving profound change. In many places in the high country, snow gum forests are facing a double threat: dieback, caused by a native beetle is killing individual trees, and climate change driven fire regimes are devastating vast areas of forest.

Recent research by John Morgan, Michael Shackleton and Zac Walker from the Research Centre for Applied Alpine Ecology at La Trobe University highlights that ‘Long-unburnt snow gum forests (now) comprise less than 1% of snow gum forests in the Victorian Alps’.

We know that snow gums can survive fire. We also know that across the Alps snow gum woodlands are starting to collapse from too frequent fire. That’s why we have to appreciate and protect the old forests that remain.

What’s the solution?

The report is clear:

‘Old-growth forest structure will be restored only in the prolonged absence of fires, although climate-driven increases in fire frequency and severity make this outcome increasingly difficult to conceptualise’.

That will require political will and additional fire fighting capacity (sadly currently lacking). You can find out more and take action here.

In the meantime, these amazing forests continue to decline.

So let’s cherish the old trees that remain. The La Trobe Uni research identifies three key areas in the VIC alps where sizeable pockets of older forests still exist. There are also smaller areas of old growth, like at Mt Wills. And then there are the recovering ‘middle aged’ forests that are slowly returning to old age – for instance on the Baw Baw plateau.

I recently found myself back at Mt MacDonald (to the south of The Bluff and east of Mt Skene) as part of a BTAC worktrip after a long absence and was delighted to find a healthy, multi aged snow gum forest that was in recovery from fires in the early 2000s. In addition to thriving regrowth, there was a large number of older trees that had survived the earlier fires.

I don’t think I have ever seen a forest so filled with badly burnt snow gums that have survived and are now thriving. It’s so good for the spirit.