The Blue Mountains

The Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis), upon discovery, was found in only one isolated canyon, deep within the Blue Mountains. There were estimated to be less than 100 individual plants and there was no discernible difference in the genetics between the plants which suggests it went through a bottle-neck period with only one or two plants surviving.

 

The Wollemi pine can grow to heights of up to 40 metres and requires very little sunlight as it only grows naturally within a deep-sided canyon which receives sunlight for only a small portion of the day.

 

The Wollemi pine has adapted to its environment in many ways to survive for so long as only a small colony.

 

Firstly, the Wollemi pine very often sprouts multiple trunks simultaneously which helps it to survive natural disasters such as fires. This has been vital to its survival as it lives in only a very small pocket and a single fire could have wiped out the entire species.

 

Secondly, the Wollemi pine has adapted to lose very little water. Its leaves have a very thick cuticle (a film around the outside of a leaf), a strong hypodermis (the cells just under the epidermis) and small stomata (pores that let chemicals in and out of the leaf).

 

Lastly, the Wollemi pine has very light, winged seeds which are dispersed by the wind. This helps it to grow new seedlings to help its chance of survival.