Synthase

I really liked this tree which is referred to as Sir Viminalis ie. the tallest Manna gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) in existence at ~92 m. I used to live in Armidale NSW which is surrounded by many 10 - 20 m tall Manna gums (as is much of the great dividing range in NSW/Vic) so to see one in Tas 5 - 10 x taller was something special.

The tallest were quoted as 99.7 m and 99.4 m however I believe they are rather dynamic and the tallest, Centurion, is shrinking due to old age whilst the younger 99.4 m one is still growing. In the Styx valley in Tasmania there are multiple trees over 90 m of which several were estimated to once be ~=>100m but are now ~90m and shrinking due to old age. I think it would be nice to have them remeasured accurately as I think year-on-year the heights of these trees may change by several meters. I think there are many old groves of E. regnans in Tasmania and Victoria, if left alone for the next 50 - 100 years, could perhaps become the tallest trees on the planet.

I went to the spot where El Grande was, which is now a deforested clearing full of tree stumps. Thought I had pics of it but apparently not... A 15 minute drive down the road is the tree which is reported as having the biggest butt in Tas currently, also a regnans. I found it really difficult to photograph this tree whilst demonstrating its actual size due to the density of vegetation surrounding it so I apologise for the average quality of the pics. Both these pics are of the same tree.

Pics from a recent trip to Tasmania. The tree with the blueish sky in the background is Centurion which is the supposed tallest tree in Australia/outside western America. The other picture is the second tallest tree in Australia. Both are Eucalyptus regnans and both are in state forests.

Lots going on near the state border

Ive got a big softspot for mountain grey gums, remind me of the great times Ive had around Wollongong and Moruya

I seen lots underneath Antartic Beech trees in Werrikimbe N.P. about a month ago (and underneath Casuarina, Allocasuarina, Pinus (and other conifers) trees).

Finding lots in NENSW in the tablelands/mountains. Been cold and wet here =) Thought Vic was usually the first place to get them.

Hi all! Found these just west of Grafton today growing out of cow dung in the bottom of a steep valley. Thought they might be Pans but not confident with this genus. Spore print was black. Also found tons of subbies on the ridges but can ID those with my eyes closed

Found a handful of subs on New England plateau yesterday =)

Southern tablelands last friday. Pretty dry and quiet out there...

1. implexa, 2.falcata, 3 probably longifolia, 4 falcata, 5 longifolia probably 6 longifolia, 7 implexa

According to Professor Roberts of Wollongong University, "There are two theories. One is people came in and did so much burning of vegetation and that caused hardship and the megafauna died of starvation. The other is they (humans) only had to eat a very few each year and they still would have driven the species to extinction." The study is "damning evidence" that humans were involved in megafauna extinction. This is one of the studies from 2008, the qoute above is from a 2010 study by Professor Roberts. (Turney, C.S.M., Flannery, T.F., Roberts, R.G., Reid, C., Fifield, L.K., Higham, T.F.G., Jacobs, Z., Kemp, N., Colhoun, E.A., Kalin, R.M. & Ogle, N. (2008). Late-surviving megafauna in Tasmania, Australia, implicate human involvement in their extinction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 105, 12150–12153.) Those scientists make up a large proportion of respected Australian naturalists, so not sure who 'most scientists' are. I've been under the impression that most of Australia was a rainforest before humans arrived, and that eucalypt's were not the dominate tree. I've heard gymnosperm forests were more widespread, with fire being the key element in there retraction (climate change and humans).