Red Gum trees affected by the drought in Echuca, Australia.

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Red Gum trees are iconic Australian trees that grow along the banks of the Murray River. They rely on a regular flood cycle to survive. The unprecedented drought of the last 15 years has lead to low river levels on the Murray River. This and upstream dams taking water out for irrigation has vastly reduced the seasonal flooding. As a result 75% of the Red gums are either dead or dying. Climate change will only increase the likelihood that these trees and the wild life that they support are left increasingly vulnerable. These trees are in the Barmah forest, the largest stand of Red Gums in the world.

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Size: 3533px × 5300px
Photo credit: © Ashley Cooper / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: australia, barmah, change, climate, dead, dieing, dried, drought, dry, dying, echuca, forest, global, gum, levels, murray, national, park, red, river, security, shortage, skeleton, state, supply, tree, victoria, warming, water