Threat to Huon Pine at Mt Read in Tasmania
9/14/99
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Threat to Huon Pine at Mt Read in Tasmania
Source: mtread@mail.com
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: September 14, 1999
Byline: Kathyn Allen
re: Lake Johnston [Mt Read] Draft Management Plan
The following is an important political request for support from you
to help prevent the destruction of a very valuable dendro-resource
for the global community: Huon pine at Mt Read
All you need do to show your support for conserving the remarkable
and unique Huon pine trees at Mt Read is to send a message to
mtread@mail.com containing your name and affiliation by 1 October
1999.
Please also forward this message on to anyone else who may be
interested.
More details are presented in the following three short paragraphs.
This complements other information provided by Kathyn Allen
(University of Tasmania, Australia) posted earlier this month. Please
contact Kathy or myself for further information
Indeed, contact the Dept. Primary Industires, Water and Environment
(DPIWE, see details at end) primarily,
Minister for Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Mr David
Llewellyn
e-mail: davidl@dpiwe.tas.gov.au (David Llewellyn) cc: mtread@mail.com
Fax : (03) 6224 0617
Huon pine is a long-lived conifer species (Lagarostrobos franklinii)
endemic to the west coast of Tasmania, presently exposed to the
Southern Ocean in the Southern Hemisphere. An important stand of
approximately 300 stems on Mt Read (1123 m a.s.l.) is unique because
it is near the species' upper altitudinal boundary, all Huon pine
trees are male (vegetative propagation) and genetically very similar,
it is responsive to temperature, it has been cross-dated to construct
a dendrochronological record extending back over 2500 years, it
complements other Huon pine dendrochronological records including one
extending back over 12 000 years at Stanley River..., and it is now
under serious threat by the Local Government's proposal to make it a
tourist park.
The Local Government is clearly not aware of the scientific value of
this particular stand of Huon pine trees. As a tourist attraction, as
"the 10 500 year old tree" it is a fraud. As scenery it is less
splendid than other Huon pine sites at lower altitude. High
correlation between Huon pine tree-ring width and the longest
available instrumental records of temperature (<200 years) indicates
the high value of, in particular, this stand of trees as a palaeo-
thermometer. This should be much more than enough reason NOT to
destroy it. Personally I have used samples from these stems to build
coherent records of 13C/12C and 18O/16O records to infer long-term
physiology over the interval AD 1800-1994. I can vouch that this is a
remarkable site with long-lived Huon pine that represent a very
precious resource with great potential to provide foreseen and
perhaps unforeseen benefits to the global community. The Local
Government is making a mistake and they believe incorrectly that
weakly-substantial economic benefit now in the short-term is the way
to proceed, largely to secure votes for the political future of one
or more individuals.
We as a local group of people (concerned scientists
/conservationists) who believe in the potential of this site to
provide to the wider community much more than the Local Government
realise and refuse (doggedly) to acknowledge, now need the support of
the international community. This fragile but important site will not
tolerate up to "700 visitors per year" without serious impact to it.
Judging by long-term variations recorded by tree-ring width and
isotopes, this stand of Huon pine has recorded atmospheric and
climatic variations for thousands of years. Additional impact planned
by the Local Government is not only a threat to the continuation of
these records but a threat to the site and the conservation of these
trees.
I again urge you to please show your support by sending a message to
mtread@mail.com containing your name and affiliation by 1 October
1999. Importantly, please also forward this message on to anyone else
who may be interested in showing support.
Contact details for DPIWE are:
Minister for Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Mr David
Llewellyn
Secretary for Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Mr Kim Evans
DEPARTMENT of PRIMARY INDUSTRIES, WATER and ENVIRONMENT Head Office,
Hobart Marine Board Building, 1 Franklin Wharf HOBART TAS 7001
Telephone +61 3 6233 8011
Fax +61 3 6234 1335
e-mail: davidl@dpiwe.tas.gov.au (David Llewellyn) cc:
mtread@mail.com
Fax : (03) 6224 0617
Mr David Llewellyn
Offices:
1 Franklin Square Hobart
Ph. (03) 6233 6454
Fax : (03) 6224 0617
148 Gilbert St. Latrobe
0418 122 048
1 Byatt Court Scamander
(03) 6372 5399
2 Circle St. New Norfolk
0418 122 048
After Hours:
11 Corinth St. Howrah
(03) 6247 9699
Mobile
0418 122 048
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Requests for copies: Lake Johnston [Mt Read] Draft Management Plan
Steve harris at steveha@dpiwe.tas.gov.au. [cc: mtread@mail.com]