The Bunya in Queensland's Forests

Authors

  • Ian R. Smith Queensland Environmental Protection Authority
  • Don Butler University of Queensland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1017/S1321816600002932

Keywords:

Bunya pine, Wollemi pine, Queensland forests, 'living fossil'

Abstract

Much publicity has been given over the past decade to the discovery of the Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis) north of Sydney and its status as a ‘living fossil’. It is not generally realised that the bunya (Araucaria bidwillii), a unique part of Queensland's forests, has a similar status. The tree is the last surviving species of the section Bunya of the genus Araucaria. This section was more diverse and widespread during the Mesozoic, (Table 1), with some species having cone morphology similar to A. bidwillii appearing during the Jurassic with fossils extending into the northern hemisphere.

Author Biographies

  • Ian R. Smith, Queensland Environmental Protection Authority

    Ian Smith MPhil(GU), MLitt(NE), BDSc(Qld) has had a varied career as, among other things, an RAAF pilot, tractor salesman and dentist. Ian is now a Principal Conservation Officer with the Queensland Environmental Protection Authority. He is currently carrying out PhD research on the ecology of the bunya pine. His previous research has been on recovery from disturbance in riparian systems and on community/government cooperation in management of natural systems.

  • Don Butler, University of Queensland

    Don Butler is a PhD candidate in the University of Queensland's (UQ) Botany Department and a Senior Botanist at the Queensland Herbarium (Environmental Protection Agency). Don is interested in landscape ecology, biogeography and evolution. His research at UQ considers the interaction between life history characters, particularly dispersal syndromes, and the distribution of rainforest plants in South-East Queensland. This work has included examination ofspatial patterns in rainforest plant distribution in the Bunya Mountains. Don's other research interests include palaeobotany and plant invasions. His role at the Queensland Herbarium involves mapping and management of vegetation in Queensland.

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Published

2002-11-01

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 2 (2002): Special Issue: On The Bunya Trail

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Smith, I. R., & Butler, D. (2002). The Bunya in Queensland’s Forests. Queensland Review, 9(2), 31-38. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1321816600002932