Snow gum summit: Scientists warn climate change threatens ecosystems and water security.
Friends of the Earth
Top scientists have issued a dire warning that the widespread death of a key eucalypt species in Australian ecosystems could be imminent, due to global heating. Scientists from leading institutions gathered at the Snow Gum Summit in Jindabyne last weekend March 14-15 to discuss combating the loss of an iconic tree of the Australian Alps, the Snow Gum.
Dr Matthew Brookhouse, a leading researcher investigating snow gum die-back, said proactive investment from government and industry was needed to contend with the unprecedented territory researchers and land managers are navigating.
“This is not just about snow gums – this is about climate affected change in ecosystems. This is a real warning. Wherever you are, die-back events could be coming for you,” said Dr Brookhouse.
The Snow Gum Summit, convened by Friends of the Earth Melbourne, was the second convergence since 2025 of top academics from ANU, Curtin and Latrobe University, as well as land managers from the ACT, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. Ngarigo Custodians and Taungurung Land & Waters Council also presented on the rights and capacities of First Peoples to respond to ecological challenges.
“People have been modifying environments for a long time. We have been doing this work in the mountains for a long time. But there is a clear indication that, when temperature rise is on the table, the operating conditions have changed,” said Dr Brookhouse.
Consensus at the Summit was that significant resources needed to be allocated to researchers and land managers to enable them to embrace ‘resist, accept, direct’ frameworks in order to mitigate catastrophic impacts of climate change induced die-back in Australian ecosystems. Snow Gum die-back events (caused by climate change altering the behaviour of native wood-boring beetles) were once localised but are now widespread across the Australian high country. This threatens Australia’s water security, by potentially removing high-elevation tree cover responsible for 30 percent of flows into the Murray Daring Basin, our largest river system.
Scientists, as well as Landcare and outdoor education groups, also outlined the need for resources to proactively protect important ecological assets, like snow gums, from frequent and intense bushfires driven by climate change. Dr Steve Leonard platformed Tasmania’s innovations in firefighting, including technology like remote cameras to spot lighting strikes and investment in remote area firefighters to rapidly respond to fires.
Discussions at the Summit underscored a clear and consistent message: that the challenges facing snow gums are emblematic of broader ecosystem shifts already underway across Australia. Addressing these impacts will require coordinated action across research, land management, policy, and community engagement, alongside sustained investment to support adaptive responses in an increasingly uncertain climate future.
Further comment:
Cam Walker, Friends of the Earth, 0419 338 047
High res images available on request.