Huon pine (4).
Distinguishing characteristics include : "cone pendulous on decurved cone axis, pale green to white; fertile bracts spreading spoon-shaped, separated by distinct internodes; ovules obliquely inclined towards cone axis, partially inverted, one with pollination drop in early stage of resorption; cone 6 mm x 2 mm." [R. Lamberts] (18). |
Lagarostrobos franklinii (Hook f.) Quinn 1982
Common NamesHuon pine (1), Macquarie pine (2).Taxonomic notesSyn: Dacrydium franklinii Hooker (7). The sole species in Lagarostrobos C.J. Quinn 1982. A former second species, L. colensoi, has lately (1995) been segregated to the monotypic genus Manoao.Lagarostrobos was formerly included in Dacrydium, but de Laubenfels (10) segregated the genus Falcatifolium and Quinn (7) further segregated the genera Halocarpus, Lagarostrobos, and Lepidothamnus, leaving Dacrydium sensu strictu. These segregations were made on the basis of differences in female cone morphology, a criterion that has been used as the taxonomic basis for differentiating all genera in the Podocarpaceae. "The name Lagarostrobos refers to the lax open nature of the female cone" (7). DescriptionFor the genus: "Trees with narrow, linear, subulate decurrent juvenile leaves arranged distichously; adult leaves broad appressed imbricate scales. Male cones solitary, terminal, sessile. Female cones terminal on branchlets that are generally markedly decurved, very distinctive in the lax nature of the young cone. Ovules borne in a median position on the adaxial surface of the fertile bract, initially obliquely inclined toward the cone axis but becoming virtually erect at maturity. The epimatium forming a fleshy asymmetrical sheath around the base of the seed and up to half its height at maturity; seeds not compressed, maturing in 1 year" (7).For the species: A straight-trunked, pyramidal tree 21-30 m tall, 70-100 cm dbh, bark gray (2, 9). "Branchlets slender. Leaves small, scale-like, about [1 mm] long, closely pressed, strongly keeled, blunt and concave in mature plants, resembling those of a cypress but differing markedly in the presence of scattered white stomata on the back. Cones very small, terminating the branchlets, each with 4-8 scales. Seeds globose, about [2 mm] in diameter" (9). RangeAustralia: Tasmania, along river systems and in wet mountains (e.g. Mt. Read) near the southern and western coasts at altitudes of 150 to 600 m (2, 9, 11). See also publications by Shapcott and Read, listed below.Big Tree[There are] "individuals that would take the arm spans of at least 3 people, possibly 4, to encircle" (11).OldestA specimen collected by Cook et al. in 1991 (8) had a crossdated age of 1089 years. Living trees sampled by increment borer have yielded ring counted ages of up to 2500 years, and since these were not pith dates, it seems likely that there are living trees with ages in excess of 3000 years (15).DendrochronologyHas been used in radiocarbon time scale calibration (5) and studies of long term temperature variation (12, 13, 14). Because the wood is extremely rot resistant, subfossil specimens have enabled the construction of a continuous tree ring record covering over 12,000 years at the Stanley River site (16). This is one of the world's longest continuous tree-ring records.EthnobotanyThe fragrant, soft wood is used for furniture, cabinetry, turning and carving. It is a highly regarded specialty wood due to its aesthetic qualities and the appeal of owning something made from what is now thought to be the longest-lived tree in Australasia. The wood supply is restricted, natural stands having been largely logged or protected, but much of the logging was in areas slated for inundation due to hydroelectric development and the wood was stockpiled. At the current usage rate of about 500 mObservationsRemarksThis species is currently listed on the index of threatened Australian plant species.Recently the State Government of Tasmania has proposed developing a tourist park at the tree's occurrence on Mt. Read (the Lake Johnston Draft Management Plan). This is a site of extraordinary scientific significance. It contains only male trees that are almost genetically identical, with all current regeneration occurring vegetatively. Pollen data indicate the trees have been growing at this site for at least 10,500 years, and the oldest known living trees occur at this site. These trees have been used for a variety of dendrochronological studies of long-term climate variation, and indeed this is probably the best site for such studies in the southern hemisphere -- certainly the best in Australasia (16, 17). Development of the area would essentially terminate the scientific record by introducing localized human impacts that would alter the tree's response to climate variation and, judging by the record of such development elsewhere in the world, would probably lead to vandalism and the death of some of the oldest trees. The site is difficult of access and has a very Tasmanian climate (i.e. cold, wet, foggy, almost all of the time), so it is basically a poor site for a tourist attraction. Hopefully success will come to the coalition of scientists and citizens that has been organized to oppose this development. Huon pine was named for the river in D'Entrecasteaux Channel, in the bed of which logs of the timber were found. It was first recorded by Alan Cunningham in 1818 (9). Citations(1) Silba 1986.(2) "Huon pine,"Britannica Online. (3) tastimber.tas.gov.au. (4) Native Conifers of Tasmania. http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/veg/pines.html. Accessed 31-Oct-1999. (5) Barbetti et al. 1995. (6) Tasmania Regional Forest Agreement: Social and Economic Report: Craftwood. (7) Quinn 1982. (8) Brown 1996. (10) de Laubenfels 1969. (11) E-mail communication 10-Nov-1998 from Kathryn Allen, Dept. Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania. (12) Cook, E.R., T. Bird, M. Peterson, M. Barbetti, B.M. Buckley, R.J. Francey, D. Martins and P. Tans. 1991. A 1089-year temperature record for Tasmania inferred from tree rings of subalpine Huon Pine. Science 253: 1266-1268. (13) Cook, E.R., T. Bird, M. Peterson, M. Barbetti, B.M. Buckley, R.D. D'Arrigo and R.J. Francey. 1992. Climatic change over the last millenium in Tasmania reconstructed from tree-rings. The Holocene 2: 205-217. (14) Cook, E.R., R.J. Francey, B.M. Buckley and R.D. D'Arrigo. 1996. Recent increases in Tasmanian Huon Pine ring widths from a subalpine stand: natural climate variability, or greenhouse warming? Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 130(2): 65-71. (15) E-mail communication 18-Aug-1999 from Jayne Balmer, Botanist, Parks and Wildlife Service, Tasmania. (16) E-mail communication 14-Sep-1999 from David Pepper, University of Sydney [davidp@emu.usyd.edu.au]. (17) Tasmanian Public Land Use Commission. 1996. Public Land Commission Brochures Page, Section 3.5.8, Mt Read RAP 175. URL = http://www.delm.tas.gov.au/pluc/partb_35.html, accessed 31-Oct-1999. (18) Molloy 1995. See also: The Interactive Tour of Tasmania: Huon Pine. URL = http://vcserv.seas.smu.edu/tastour/fauna/huon.html, accessed 31-Oct-1999. P. 58-59 in Boland et al. 1985. Anonymous. 1984. Conservation of the Huon pine. World Wildlife Fund Newsletter 18:4. Gibson, N. 1986. Conservation and management of Huon pine in Tasmania. Wildlife Division Technical Report 86/3. Hobart: Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife Service. Gibson, N. 1988. A description of the Huon pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii) (Hook. f.) C.J. Quinn forests of the Prince of Wales and King Billy Ranges. Papers of the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 122:127-133. Gibson, N., J. Davies and M.J. Brown. 1991. The ecology of Lagarostrobos franklinii (Hook. f.) Quinn (Podocarpaceae) in Tasmania. 1. Distribution, floristics and environmental correlates. Australian Journal of Ecology 16(2):215-222. Gibson, N. and M.J. Brown. 1991. The ecology of Lagarostrobos franklinii (Hook. f.) Quinn (Podocarpaceae) in Tasmania. 2. Population structure and spatial pattern. Australian Journal of Ecology 16(2):223-230. Hickey, J.F. and K.C. Felton. 1988. Subalpine Huon pine near Frenchman's Cap. Tasmanian Naturalist 93:1-4. Kershaw, P. 1983. Huon Pine - Australia's longest living tree - tells an epic story of survival. Habitat Australia 11:32-34. Millington, R.J. 1982. Woodman, spare that tree. Geo 4:124-131. Millington, R.J., Jones, R., Brown, D. and Vernon, B. 1983. Huon Pine: Endangered? (Environmental Studies: University of Tasmania). Pedley, J., Brown, M.J. and Jarman, S.J. 1980. A Survey of Huon Pine in the Pieman River State Reserve and Environs. Wildlife Division Technical Report 80/2. Hobart: Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife Service. Peterson, M.J. 1990. Distribution and Conservation of Huon Pine. Hobart: Forestry Commission of Tasmania. Read, J. 1985. Photosynthetic and growth responses to different light regimes of the major canopy species of Tasmanian cool temperate rainforest. Australian Journal of Ecology 10: 327-334. Read, J. 1989. Phenology and germination in some rainforest canopy species at Mt Field National Park, Tasmania. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 123: 211-221. Read, J. and R.S. Hill. 1988. Comparative responses to temperature of the major canopy species of Tasmanian cool temperate rainforest and their ecological significance. I. Foliar frost resistance. Australian Journal of Botany 36: 131-143. Read, J. and J.R. Busby. 1990. Comparative responses to temperature of the major canopy species of Tasmanian cool temperate rainforest and their ecological significance. II. Net photosynthesis and climate analysis. Australian Journal of Botany 38: 185-205. Read, J. 1995. The importance of comparative growth rates in determining the canopy composition of Tasmanian rainforest. Australian Journal of Botany 43: 243-271. Shapcott, A. 1991. Studies in the Population Biology and Genetic Variation of Huon Pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii). Tasmanian NRCP Report No. 4. Hobart: National Rainforest Conservation Program. Shapcott, A. 1991. Dispersal and establishment of Huon pine ( Lagarostrobos franklinii). Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 125:17-28. Shapcott, A. 1995. A Huon pine story. [report on a study of the population ecology and population genetics of the species] Danthonia 4(3):3-4. Shapcott, A., M. Brown, J.B. Kirkpatrick and J.B. Reid. 1995. Stand structure, reproductive activity and sex expression in Huon Pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii (Hook f.) Quinn.) Journal of Biogeography 22. Tasmania Forestry Commission. 1987. Management Policy for Huon Pine. Hobart: Forestry Commission. |
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