Following the mass coral bleaching event earlier this year, Australia is witnessing a significant decline in its ancient forests due to prolonged drought, record heat, and erratic climate change; raising alarms about the increasingly severe impacts of climate change on its ecosystems.
At the end of April, several states in Australia, including Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, and Western Australia, reported widespread death of ancient forests for various reasons, with the core issues being prolonged drought, record-breaking summer heat, and subsequently, a sudden deep cold snap in April.
Tens of thousands of hectares of forest in Australia have suddenly dried out after prolonged drought and heat. (Source: ABC).
In southern New South Wales, authorities have recorded thousands of hectares of ancient forests, primarily eucalyptus and shrubs, dying en masse, creating images of new arid deserts emerging suddenly in areas that were once lush green forests just months ago. This event has compelled the New South Wales authorities to establish investigative committees to assess the causes and possible remedies for the dying trees. In the first quarter of 2024, the state launched numerous programs to encourage and budget for reforestation in all localities facing tree death.
In Tasmania, home to some of the largest and oldest ancient forests in Australia, many of which contain ancient plant ecosystems dating back to the time of the dinosaurs, significant portions of these forests are also disappearing. The Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment has issued an emergency warning as many giant forest areas have rapidly turned brown in recent months. From February to the end of April, Tasmania recorded the lowest rainfall in nearly 100 years.
Large areas of forests in Tasmania and southern New South Wales are changing color from green to dry yellow. (Source: ABC).
Several states like New South Wales and Tasmania are striving to implement reforestation plans to compensate for areas affected by climate change. (Source: ABC).
Similarly, ecosystems in southern and western Australia are facing the same plight, with numerous Jarrah and Bunya forests beginning to show signs of drying out, leading to an increasing risk of wildfires.
According to Dr. Jen Sanger, an environmental researcher from Australia’s Tree Projects, the mass death of ancient forests in Australia, particularly in Tasmania, is at a critical alert level. Most of the trees that have died are due to thermal shock, fungi, or other diseases, all linked to drought and erratic climate change.
Dead patches of gray-yellow forest are increasingly spreading across the ancient forests in Tasmania. (Source: ABC).
Since the beginning of 2024, Australian scientists have continuously raised alarms about the evident negative impacts of climate change, severely damaging Australia’s ecosystem as well as many regions around the world.
Not only on land, in March, scientists from the University of Queensland called on the government to urgently implement solutions to save the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest and most beautiful coral reef, which is facing widespread bleaching, mass coral death, and is unlikely to recover due to rising sea temperatures.
