WindstormsWindstorms

Windstorms

Banks (2002) noted a “horseshoe-shaped flaw” in the wood of a fallen Wollemi Pine trunk from the wild population, which he suggests was similar to flaws in Araucaria cunninghamii (hoop pine) wood that have been attributed to wind storms (“which bend trees until the bole elasticity is exceeded, causing internal failures”). The shattered base of the fallen Wollemi Pine trunk in question provided further evidence for the impact of severe wind on the wild stands (Banks 2002). Whether emergent species such as the Wollemi Pine are generally more likely to be damaged by wind has not yet been resolved, as damage can be influenced by multiple and interacting factors including stem size, species, stand conditions and plant health, not to mention abiotic factors including topography, disturbance history and soil (Everham and Brokaw 1996).