The Hunt for Wild Macadamias

Despite their prevalence in backyards and orchards across Australia and overseas, Macadamia are threatened species, with all four species considered either vulnerable or endangered under Queensland, New South Wales and Australian Government legislation. In the wild, Macadamia trees are generally found in small populations, scattered in rainforest remnants. Clearing for settlement and agriculture has led to the loss of over 80% Macadamia habitat and the trees themselves; though in many areas, the delicious nut provided by some Macadamia species meant they were left standing while the forest around them was cleared. Early conservation efforts in the late 1800s, also led to the planting of nuts from wild trees in backyards across south east Queensland, north east New South Wales and further afield. Understanding the genetic composition of wild trees - both where they naturally occur (in-situ) and where they have been transplanted (ex-situ) is important for conservation and the future of the macadamia industry (which was founded on very few trees and has limited genetic diversity).

This project is being undertaken in partnership with the Macadamia Conservation Trust, Brisbane City Council and Hort Innovation.

尽管澳洲坚果（Macadamia）在澳大利亚及海外的庭院与果园中广泛分布，但该属所有4个物种均属于受威胁物种：依据昆士兰州、新南威尔士州以及澳大利亚联邦的相关立法，所有澳洲坚果物种均被列为易危或濒危等级。在自然野生环境中，澳洲坚果通常以小型种群形式存在，零散分布于残存雨林斑块中。因定居开发与农业开垦，澳洲坚果的栖息地与植株本身已丧失超过80%；不过在诸多区域，部分澳洲坚果物种所产出的美味坚果得以留存，周边森林被砍伐时这些植株得以保留。19世纪末的早期保护工作，也推动人们从野生植株采集坚果，在昆士兰州东南部、新南威尔士州东北部以及其他更远区域的庭院中进行种植。明确野生澳洲坚果植株的遗传组成——包括其自然分布的原位（in-situ）种群与已被移栽的迁地（ex-situ）种群——对于物种保护以及澳洲坚果产业的未来发展至关重要。该产业最初仅依托极少的植株建立，遗传多样性较为有限。
本项目由澳洲坚果保护信托（Macadamia Conservation Trust）、布里斯班市议会以及园艺创新（Hort Innovation）合作开展。