Our tall, wet forests were not open and park-like when colonists arrived – and we shouldn’t be burning them

By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University
Chris Taylor, Research Fellow, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University
Elle Bowd, Research Fellow, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University
Philip Zylstra, Research Associate, University of New South Wales, and Adjunct Associate Professor, Curtin University

All the evidence – colonial accounts and records, First Peoples’ testimony and scientific data – points to the existence of widespread tall, dense forests 250 years ago.

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