Botanic Gardens of Sydney Built Global Wollemi Pine Safeguard for 45 Wild Trees
Updated
Updated · spacedaily.com · Jul 14
Botanic Gardens of Sydney Built Global Wollemi Pine Safeguard for 45 Wild Trees
2 articles · Updated · spacedaily.com · Jul 14
Summary
Only 45 mature Wollemi pines and 46 seedlings remain in the wild across four small stands, pushing Botanic Gardens of Sydney and partners to build an international backup through seed banks, living collections and new translocated stands.
That effort followed David Noble’s 1994 discovery of 19 mature trees in a remote Wollemi National Park gorge, where botanists soon identified Wollemia nobilis as a new species and genus thought absent from the fossil record for about 2 million years.
A 2005 commercial release widened cultivation in public gardens and private hands, reducing pressure on the secret wild site while later genetic work identified three distinct lineages that conservation teams now try to preserve in balanced collections.
The strategy reflects acute risks at the original canyon, where soil-borne pathogens, trampling, drought and climate change threaten the species and the 2019-20 fires showed how one regional disaster could endanger nearly every wild individual at once.
Thirty years after the find, the Wollemi pine has become a model for conserving ultra-rare plants: cultivated trees provide insurance and research material, but they do not replace the wild canyon ecosystem.
The 'saved' Wollemi Pine is a global clone. Is the species truly secure or just awaiting a new plague?
Has the Wollemi Pine’s celebrity status starved less famous but equally endangered species of vital conservation funds?
The Wollemi Pine Crisis: How Fewer Than 100 Wild Trees Sparked a Worldwide Conservation Effort
Overview
The Wollemi Pine, once thought extinct for up to 90 million years, was rediscovered in 1994 in a remote Australian gorge. Despite this remarkable find, the species remains critically endangered, with fewer than 100 wild individuals left after devastating fires in 2019. The Wollemi Pine faces serious threats, including frequent wildfires, disease, unauthorized visitation, pests, weeds, and climate change. Conservation efforts focus on protecting the small wild population, keeping its location secret, and growing new plants in botanic gardens worldwide. These combined actions aim to secure the future of this ancient and unique species.