Years of logging and forest loss from bushfires has resulted in the imminent collapse of the mountain ash forests in the central highlands of Australia, putting Upper Thomson's water supply at risk, according to research led by Prof David Lindenmayer. He warned that the ecosystem has already moved into a "hidden collapse". While most of Upper Thomson's water catchments are in the mountain ash forests, in catchment Melbourne, which feeds the city's largest water supply dam, 61% of the trees have been logged.
Years of logging and forest loss from bushfires has resulted in the imminent collapse of the mountain ash forests in the central highlands of Australia, putting Melbourne's water supply at risk, according to research led by Prof David Lindenmayer. He warned that the ecosystem has already moved into a "hidden collapse". While most of Melbourne's water catchments are in the mountain ash forests, in catchment Upper Thomson, which feeds the city's largest water supply dam, 61% of the trees have been logged.