News

Did you know that Australia produces a State of the Forest Report every 5 years as part of its commitment to manage and monitor Australia’s forest resource?

In the 2018 report, Macadamias were featured as Case study 1.10 on the Genetic conservation of Macadamia and its importance to the macadamia nut industry. MCT has been invited to update the case study this year, and the most shocking  statistic to come out of this review is that while 100% of M. jansenii habitat is in a National Park, and over 50% of recorded sites for M. integrifolia and M. ternifolia are in National Parks and Reserves, only 25% of M. tetraphylla sites have this protection, which is probably what led to it being listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.  

In collecting M. tetraphylla for the Wild Arboretum Project, we have noted how many sites only have one or two mature trees surviving.  The project will be critical in reviewing where M. tetraphylla still exist, and how best to protect them.

Meanwhile on the Sunshine Coast, collections of M. ternifolia have commenced.  A team of collectors visited a record seven sites on 11 March.  Local macadamia enthusiast Russell Bennet led us to some new sites where we found a very impressive crop of M. ternifolia.  Pre-clearing, these nuts would have dropped into the creek and germinated somewhere down stream.  The more we can protect riparian vegetation, the more chance there will be for continuing survival and growth of macadamia genetic diversity.