One of two Athrotaxis species endemic to Tasmania where historically it has suffered from fire and logging. Today, even with protection, there is a continuing decline due to fire.
Distribution
Endemic to Tasmania, Australia and widely distributed in the higlands of west and south-western parts of the island.
Habitat and Ecology
Commonly in the transition zone to (above) montane Eucalyptus woodland; at higher altitudes less frequent, there often on lake shores or alongside streams in sheltered places. The altitudinal range is (400–)730–1200m aabove sea-level. Associated with Richea scoparia, R. pandanifolia, Nothofagus cunninghamii, N. gunnii, Atherosperma spp., Gahnia grandis, Telopea spp., Orites spp., Melaleuca spp., Leptospermum scoparium, Eucalyptus spp., Diselma archeri, Pherosphaera hookeriana and Phyllocladus aspleniifolius. Soils are more or less acidic, rocky (talus) or peaty and usually wet.
Human Uses
King Billy pine provides some excellent wood for special uses like wood carving and turning. However, virtually all trees, including dead wood, are now within protected areas and removal is prohibited. In horticulture it is present only in arboreta and other botanical collections, especially in the British Isles, where several large trees can now be seen.
Conservation Status
Global status and rationale
Vulnerable A2cd; B1ab(ii,iii,v)+2ab(ii,iii,v)
The extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) are below the threshold for Vulnerable (VU) even considering uncertainties in the calculation based on herbarium collection data. Localities mapped by Brown & Hill (in Farjon & Page, 1999) in the SW of Tasmania are not represented by herbarium specimens. Allowing for these and other omissions, the AOO in particular would be substantially less than 2000 km². There has been an estimated decline over the last 200 years of at least 40%, primarily due to fires. While decline has slowed, it has not ceased. This species thus meets the B criterion for VU.
Global threats
The major cause of past decline has been fire, with about 1/3 of its habitat burnt in the twentieth century. Like the other two Athrotaxis species, A. selaginoides is sensitive to fire. Another cause of past decline has been logging. The overall decline is estimated to be about 40% over the last 200 years. This is within the three generation time limit where one generation is estimated to be at least 100 years. Although 84% of forests containing this species are now in protected areas, fires still are a potential hazard. Tasmanian Government policy precludes logging of this species in and outside these reserves.
Conservation Actions
Almost 84% of the entire population is contained within protected areas.
References and further reading
Balmer, J., Whinam, J., Kelman, J., Kirkpatrick, J.B. & Lazarus, E. (2004). A review of the floristic values of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Nature Conservation Report 2004/3.
Brown, M. J. & R. S. Hill. (1999). Regional Action Plan: Conifers of Tasmania. In: A. Farjon and C. N. Page (compilers) (eds), Conifers. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Conifer Specialist Group, pp. 63-72. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
Cullen, P.J. & J. Kirkpatrick. (1988). The ecology of Athrotaxis D.Don Taxodiaceae. 1. Stand structure and regeneration of A. cupressoides. Australian Journal of Botany 36(5): 547-560.
Cullen, P.J. & Kirkpatrick, J.B. (1988). The ecology of Athrotaxis D. Don (Taxodiaceae). 2. The distribution and ecological differentiation of Athrotaxis cupressoides and Athrotaxis selaginoides. Australian Journal of Ecology 36(5): 561-573.
Farjon, A. (2013). Athrotaxis selaginoides. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 05 July 2013.
Enright, N.J. & Hill, R.S. (1995). Ecology of the Southern Conifers. Melbourne University Press, Melbourne.
Farjon, A. (2005). A Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Pyrke, A.F. & J.B. Marsden-Smedley. (2005). Fire-attributes categories, fire sensitivity, and flammability of Tasmanian vegetation communities. Tasforests 16: 35-46.
