NEW DATA REVEALS STYX CARBON KINGS OLDER THAN FORESTRY TASMANIA CLAIM

Today (Thursday, Dec 17) Still Wild Still Threatened released research results which show Tasmanias giant eucalypts are considerably older than was previously thought. Radiocarbon dating tests carried out on wood from a Styx Valley tree reveal an age of between 500 and 600 years old. Conservationists will gather at Parliament lawns at 12:30pm today to hear forest campaigners detail their findings and officially release the data.

A sample of wood taken from a giant Styx Valley stump was sent to the radiocarbon dating laboratory at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. The Eucalyptus regnans tree is most likely (83% chance) to have started growing between 1420 and 1510 AD according to the laboratorys results.

These results greatly exceed previous tree age estimates from the forestry industry and conservationists alike. Still Wild Still Threatened and Forestry Tasmania previously thought Eucalyptus regnans in the Styx valley were 300-400 years old Still Wild Still Threatened spokesperson Ed Hill said.

The sampled tree took approximately one hour to cut down and potentially 600 years to reach its former size. The giant tree would have been growing when Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and would have been fully mature when Abel Tasman landed on the east coast of Tasmania in 1642.

We have known for a long time that these giant eucalypts are the largest flowering plants on Earth, last year we learned that these forests are the most carbon dense on Earth, now we are revising the maximum age of these magnificent trees,

Oldgrowth Eucalyptus regnans forests have recently been found to be the most carbon dense forests in the world. Studies by scientists at the ANU show Eucalyptus regnans forest can store up to 2000 tonnes of carbon per hectare. Said Still Wild Still Threatened spokesperson Ed Hill.

Our data shows that this Eucalyptus regnans tree is significantly older than previously thought. This would suggest these ancient trees can store huge amounts of carbon longer than we thought. Said Mr. Hill

The Australian government could easily achieve massive emissions cuts through a transition away from the industrial logging and burning of Tasmanias high conservation value forests. Scientists from the ANU have found as much as 20% of our total carbon emissions come from native forest logging. Said Mr. Hill

While world leaders from developed nations are in Copenhagen encouraging developing nations to reduce emissions from logging, in Tasmania we are still clear felling, burning and wood chipping the most carbon dense ancient forests on earth. Said Mr. Hill

Forest industry claims that a large percentage of the carbon in a logged forest is retained in wood products such as furniture do not stack up. About 80% of logged native forest is exported as woodchips to make paper products, which has a very short life with much of it ending up in Asian land fills. The massive amount of waste wood that is left behind after industrial forestry operations is burnt at high intensity, releasing on average over 700 tonnes of carbon dioxide per hectare. Said Mr. Hill.

Forestry Tasmania claims that libraries are great carbon sinks rather than intact ancient forest. Said Mr Hill

State and Federal governments must seize the opportunity to make massive emissions cuts by giving ancient forests the protection they deserve whilst also looking after jobs by making use of existing plantations. Concluded Mr Hill.

PRESS CONFERENCE AND OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF DATA AT 12:45PM

PARLIAMENT LAWNS.

Still Wild Still Threatened is a grassroots community organisation campaigning for the immediate protection of Tasmania’s ancient forests and the creation of an equitable and environmentally sustainable forestry industry in Tasmania.

www.stillwildstillthreatened.org
stillwildstillthreatened@gmail.com www.myspace.com/stillwildstillthreatened
PO Box 295. South Hobart TAS 7004
Media Backgrounder 17.12.09.doc

Ed Hill, Still Wild Still Threatened