2,000 km2 Eucalypt Forest Dying For A Decade In NSW; Scientists Now Suspect Warming, Drying Climate
For more than a decade it has been a mystery as to what is causing eucalypt trees to die on the Monaro in south-east, New South Wales. The dieback is centred around Berridale near Cooma NSW and it spans more than 2000 square kilometres - an area larger than the ACT.
Research by PhD candidate Catherine Ross, from the Australian National University, suggests that climate change has played a role in the spread of the weevils and the stress on the ribbon gum trees. "The weevils are native to the region and are found right across south eastern Australia, so the question was, 'Why is it only affecting the Monaro?'" she said
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"So what I've come to the conclusion is the underlying cause - is that it has something to do with the climate in the Monaro, which is already very harsh and variable. "The region is in a rain shadow of the Snowy Mountains so it has low rainfall in comparison to the surrounding areas.
"It also has extremes of heat and cold which make it difficult for plants to grow. But over the last few decades, and in particular due to the Millennium Drought, there's been a severe reduction of rainfall particularly in the autumn, which is a particularly important growth period for plants." While it's not clear what the exact relationship is between climate change and the insect attack, Ms Ross said the dieback had a severe impact on local biodiversity.
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http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-09/nsw-monaro-dieback-climate-change/6290900