Victoria’s 1987 forest experiment surprised researchers 30 years later

Victoria's 1987 A$26 million Silvicultural Systems Project in mountain ash forests yielded surprising results after 30 years.

Intense thinning of trees led to lush growth and increased diameters in surviving trees.

Thinned trees exhibited greater fire resilience and are likely to create hollows for wildlife.

Leadbeater's possums thrived in thinned and acacia zones but were absent from untouched areas.

The findings suggest forest thinning may offer substantial ecological advantages.