Fires fail to halt collection of Alpine and Mountain Ash seed

This summer’s fires haven’t stopped the State’s Forest Restoration Program collecting vital seed.

The team are out collecting Alpine Ash and Mountain Ash seed, formed after a massive flowering event in 2024, where they can.

'Team safety is paramount and we operate outside the fire footprint,' said Acting Project Manager Jim Anderson.

'We have shifted seed collection crews around as a result of the recent fires as many collection areas have been impacted.'

'But the fires and their potential forest impact does highlight why seed collection is important.'

The team have been buoyed by this year’s Ash species flowering and seed forecast.

'An assessment of Ash flowering and forecast seed availability carried out by DEECA and Forest Solutions has given us confidence that mature Alpine and Mountain Ash forests stands will, in most instances, be able to recover naturally should a fire occur,' Project Manager Catilin Cruikshank said.

'Immature Ash forests which are too young to set seed, and areas of forest where flowering hasn’t been as strong will still be vulnerable but the forecast is good news, particularly after some lean years.'

Seed Collection relies on natural cycle

The program has 23.5 Tonne of seed including Alpine and Mountain Ash to help these forests. Fires aside – seed collection is highly opportunistic.

Ms Cruikshank said for example the good rains after the Black Summer fires have had a mixed impact.

'The rain replaced moisture in the soils and the trees responded,' she said. 'But they put their efforts into growth rather than seed production.'

'So, while there was good flowering in 2021 the trees aborted seed development.'

'This made a pre-existing natural seed shortage of Mountain Ash, and supply of Alpine Ash seed worse. If a fire had occurred, in those areas, in 2024/25 some forests may have been at risk of poor recovery.'

Ms Cruikshank said seed was collected for both Ash species this year and the team received other good news that Mountain Ash was predicted to return to its usual two yearly flowering cycle.

Opportunities to collect through to 2027

'While Alpine Ash is only expected to produce light crops from the 2026 flowering we expect to have good opportunities to collect seed through to 2027 due to the widespread flowering across the Ash forests during 2024,' she said.

'As we saw after 2021 and other years, it is a natural cycle and can change.'

While the trees work to a natural cycle, the seed collection program continues to build the seed in store.

Technology is also lending a helping hand.

Ms Cruikshank said the team were trialling the use of drone flights to assess seed crops from above before the pickers went to the site.

Artificial Intelligence combined with satellite remote sensing were also being trialled to assess where the trees are flowering to predict future seed crops.