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Dappled Sun on Ancient History

These gnarly veterans are Antarctic Beeches (Lophozonia/Nothofagus moorei) growing on the Springbrook Plateau near the 'Greatest of All Lookout'. Their lumpy bases are thought to part of the root mass made visible by soil erosion. The spread is caused by coppicing or suckering as an adjunct to sexual reproduction which can still occur but requires particular conditions.

 

There is speculation that these trees date back to the well-supported plate tectonic plate theory suggesting that Antarctica broke way from Gondwanaland the remains of which are now the lands in the South Pacific including Australia.

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Uploaded on February 10, 2022
Taken on February 9, 2022