Acacia peuce – The waddi tree of the desert

Did you know that the dating of the Waddi Tree timber was the realisation that dead Waddi Trees can remain intact, storing carbon and providing habitat, for at least 200 years – and likely much longer than that – after death? The role of arid woodlands in carbon storage in Australia is virtually unknown and efforts to better understand the implications for carbon accounting posed by the durability of Acacia peuce is in train.

This knowledge arose from a joint project between the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the School of Marine and Tropical Biology at James Cook University. Researchers are exploring the history and biology of the Waddi Tree, a rare tree found in three widely separated localities around the edges of the Simpson Desert. Molecular genetic approaches are being employed to investigate the processes that have resulted in the desert distribution of the Waddi Tree. Also being investigated are longevity, through radiocarbon dating, and the dendroclimatological potential of the growth rings. This has resulted in the conclusion that the Waddi Tree rarely lives longer than 200-300 years. A census of the status and health of the Waddi Tree populations in Queensland is also underway and when this data is combined with demographic data obtained from radiocarbon dating and field surveys, will provide an assessment of the conservation status of the species. These studies are being supported by the Australia Pacific Science Foundation, the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering and the Australian Flora Foundation.

Contact persons: Jonathan.luly@jcu.edu.au, Michelle.Waycott@jcu.edu.au, Joseph.Holtum@jcu.edu.au