Carboxylate exudation and phosphorus acquisition in eucalypts. Eucalypts are thought to rely on mycorrhizas to acquire phosphorus (P). Using leaf manganese concentrations in the field to proxy rhizosphere carboxylates, followed by plant growth in low P-solutions, it was shown that some, but not all eucalypts that grow on P-impoverished soils release carboxylates from their roots. This trait is a strategy of Proteaceae to access soil P, but assumed not to be used by eucalypts. This game-changing ....Carboxylate exudation and phosphorus acquisition in eucalypts. Eucalypts are thought to rely on mycorrhizas to acquire phosphorus (P). Using leaf manganese concentrations in the field to proxy rhizosphere carboxylates, followed by plant growth in low P-solutions, it was shown that some, but not all eucalypts that grow on P-impoverished soils release carboxylates from their roots. This trait is a strategy of Proteaceae to access soil P, but assumed not to be used by eucalypts. This game-changing discovery challenges the current dogma that eucalypts invariably rely on mycorrhizas to acquire P. This project will explore the significance of this newly-described trait for functioning of eucalypts more broadly and produce results that are important for conservation, restoration and forestry activities. Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL220100099
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,360,986.00
Summary
Practical and sustainable pathways to community coexistence with bushfires. The project addresses an urgent national and global challenge to policy and practice: the escalating risk of bushfire disasters. It aims to develop adaptation pathways so Australian communities can co-exist safely and sustainably with intrinsically flammable landscapes, through an innovative integration of historical, social, economic, and biophysical lines of research. In collaboration with local councils, fire-manageme ....Practical and sustainable pathways to community coexistence with bushfires. The project addresses an urgent national and global challenge to policy and practice: the escalating risk of bushfire disasters. It aims to develop adaptation pathways so Australian communities can co-exist safely and sustainably with intrinsically flammable landscapes, through an innovative integration of historical, social, economic, and biophysical lines of research. In collaboration with local councils, fire-management agencies, Aboriginal communities contributing traditional knowledge, and world-leading fire scientists, it is expected to deliver benefit through insights into the drivers of fire disaster, concrete outcomes such as optimal preventive and mitigation strategies, and greatly improved community understanding and involvement.Read moreRead less