A team of researchers has mapped trees in an area near Canberra to learn more about the fundamental importance of large old trees to birds, mammals, insects, plants and other inhabitants.

 More than 300 species of Australian birds and mammals need large old trees to live.

 The area near Canberra was chosen because it represents the plight of temperate eucalypt woodlands, which have shrunk by up to 99% since European colonisation.

 The team focussed on mature trees because they have many features that younger trees don’t have: cracks, hollows, dead branches, peeling bark and large quantities of nectar and seeds. The limbs and leaves that fall on the ground make excellent homes for many small creatures.

Using lidar (scanning using lasers), the team has been able to map small, medium and large tree crowns in unprecedented detail.

A report on the study has been published in The Conversation.