Researchers Return to a Forgotten Forest Experiment 30 Years Later—With “Astounding” Results
A new look at the trees revealed an overlooked “win-win-win” scenario for forest maintenance The post Researchers Return to a Forgotten Forest Experiment 30 Years Later—With “Astounding” Results appeared first on Nautilus .
After 30 years, researchers returned to an abandoned study in a Victorian forest and discovered "astounding" results. The original research, conducted in 1987 in the Tanjil Bren mountain ash forest in Australia, examined methods of sustainably managing forests. Clearfelling, which involves clearing an entire forest patch, burning debris, and reseeding, was considered the superior option at the time.
However, initial studies published later revealed that clearfelling did not yield better results compared to leaving a certain proportion of trees standing. The project was left unmonitored until 2014, when new researchers returned to Tanjil Bren. Over the next few years, they resumed measuring the area and published their findings in 2026 in the journal Forest Science.
Their conclusion was that retention harvesting—keeping 30 to 50 percent of mature trees standing—proved to be more effective in several ways. The remaining trees grew larger, absorbed more carbon, and created hollows, providing habitats for endangered species and offering greater fire resistance. The researchers deemed retention harvesting a "win-win-win" solution, promoting timber production, ecosystem protection, and climate change mitigation.
This revelation raises questions about the potential for rediscovering other unexplored experiments in the field.
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