Forestry Corporation has embarked on the second year of an alpine ash and white ash seed collection program to protect these important eucalypt forests from future fires.

Alpine ash (Eucalyptus delegatensis) is a fast-growing eucalypt reaching heights of up to 40 metres in NSW and thriving in the high country.

Although resilient in cold climates, it is highly susceptible to fire, particularly before trees reach 20 years of age.

As an obligate seeder the species’ survival depends entirely on seeds released from the tree canopy following a bushfire.

To protect ash forest stands from future fires, Forestry Corporation has engaged contractors Worseldine Forest Produce to collect and extract alpine ash seed to help build a seed bank that’s stored in a cool room at Eden.

Forestry Corporation Resources Supervisor for the Southern Region Joel Dawson said alpine ash seeds have recently been collected from Maragle State Forest in the Tumbarumba area.

“Expert seed collection arborists have climbed alpine ash trees in Maragle State Forest and collected seed capsules from the tree canopies in areas that we have been monitoring for the last few years. Last year in conjunction with Worseldine Forest Produce we identified a widespread flowering event in the alpine ash stands, which meant there is mature seed present in the canopy that can be collected this year and next year,” Mr Dawson said.

“These seeds will be stored until they are needed, and act as an insurance policy to the natural regeneration that is occurring in fire-affected stands as they reseed and regenerate following the Black Summer Bushfires of 2019-2020.

“Should another fire impact those same forests before the ash trees reach maturity then the there is no way for the forest to regenerate without intervention, the seed bank we are building will allow us to regrow those forests,” he said.

A range of technology has been used to collect seed including the use of drones to monitor and identify flowering events and all-terrain vehicles to help navigate rough terrain while minimising environmental impact on forest vegetation.

Prior to last year, Forestry Corporation held just 3kg of alpine ash seed, a volume unable to execute a long-term reseeding strategy in case of another catastrophic fire.

Today 440kg of seed is held in storage, with collection efforts to continue for another month before resuming in Spring - the overall goal is to build a seed bank comprising 800kg of seed.

“In NSW, across both the National Park and State Forest estates 18,850ha of alpine ash forests has burnt twice in the past 25 years,” Mr Dawson said.

“Just 4,650ha, or 6% of the total alpine ash area, remains untouched by fire since before 2003—the majority of which is located in Bondo and Micalong State Forests,” he said.

White ash (Eucalyptus fraxinoides) seed collection will also continue in the tableland state forests of the Eden-Monaro.

Forestry Corporation has to date collected 25kg of white ash seed with a goal of storing 150kg of seed to support long-term regeneration efforts.

For more information visit www.forestrycorporation.com.au