“Living fossil” tree frozen in time is being planted in secret locations

Recovery teams are planting Wollemi pines in secret locations known to have defenses against environmental threats.

In a groundbreaking conservation effort, scientists have embarked on a long-term project to protect the Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis), a tree species thought to be extinct until its rediscovery in 1994 in the Blue Mountains of Australia.

Known as “living fossils“, these trees remained practically unchanged for millions of years, dating back to the Cretaceous period. However, today they face the risk of extinction, with only around 60 specimens surviving in the wild, threatened by disease and forest fires.

Recently, scientists decoded its genome to understand how it survived, almost unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs.

The Wollemi Pine Recovery Team, a collaboration between Australian government scientists and conservationists, has embarked on a bold plan to reintroduce Wollemi pines to their natural habitat in Wollemi National Park. This strategy involves planting in secret and remote locationschosen for their natural defenses against environmental threats, explains Live Science.

These high-elevation sandstone gorges offer protection from the frequent and intense wildfires and droughts that have ravaged the area, posing significant risks to the survival of these ancient trees.

Despite challenges, including a devastating forest fire in 2019 which destroyed a significant number of newly planted pine trees, the project has seen some success. In 2021, 502 additional seedlings were planted, with more than 80% surviving thanks to the favorable conditions brought by the La Niña climate pattern.

However, project success is measured in centuriesnot years, as these trees grow slowly and will take decades to mature and reproduce.

The recovery team has taken extraordinary measures to protect these nascent populations, including keeping their locations secret and implementing strict biosecurity measures to prevent the introduction of Phytophthora cinnamomi, a pathogenic water mold.

The team also experimented with exposing some young trees to wildfires to study their response and resilience, crucial to understanding how to support the species in the face of increasing climate threats.

The slow recovery journey of the Wollemi pine continues, underlining the importance of multigenerational management and the need for global efforts to combat environmental challenges that threaten our planet’s biodiversity.