Ecophysiological limitations that affect water and carbon balance within large tree canopies: a comparative investigation. Supply of water to forest canopies is a major control of hydrological, atmospheric and biotic processes that impinge on groundwater stability, catchment yield, the fate of pollutants and plant productivity. Fundamental aspects of water transport and distribution within plant tissues remain obscured by conflicting experimental data and conflicting theoretical models that des ....Ecophysiological limitations that affect water and carbon balance within large tree canopies: a comparative investigation. Supply of water to forest canopies is a major control of hydrological, atmospheric and biotic processes that impinge on groundwater stability, catchment yield, the fate of pollutants and plant productivity. Fundamental aspects of water transport and distribution within plant tissues remain obscured by conflicting experimental data and conflicting theoretical models that describe physiological functioning.
Potential hydraulic constraints to the exchange of water and carbon between leaf and atmosphere require investigation before accurate models and informed decisions can be made with respect to the role of forests in biosphere-atmosphere processes. I will use large trees to investigate physiological and morphological determinants of hydraulic function and consider relationships between tree size, water requirements and water supply.
This project will foster comparative analyses of hydraulic functioning in large angiosperm and conifer species to elucidate universal principles that relate form to function and explain relationships between trees and their environment.
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Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775739
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$135,000.00
Summary
Environmental Research Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (ERIRMS). The projects supported by this facility are esential to: sustainable management of Sydney's surface and groundwater; understanding food webs and trophic interactions in Sydney Harbour and elsewhere on the eastern seaboard; developing predictive models for the impacts of climate change on Australia's forests, especially carbon sequestration and water yield; understanding the trade-offs involved in managing fire risks through prescr ....Environmental Research Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (ERIRMS). The projects supported by this facility are esential to: sustainable management of Sydney's surface and groundwater; understanding food webs and trophic interactions in Sydney Harbour and elsewhere on the eastern seaboard; developing predictive models for the impacts of climate change on Australia's forests, especially carbon sequestration and water yield; understanding the trade-offs involved in managing fire risks through prescribed burning, especially trade-offs involving carbon and water; and understanding and predicting air quality and the effects of emissions from cars, industry, fires and natural sources.
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Accelerated breeding for a changing environment: genomic and physiological profiling of newly generated polyploid trees. Global climate change threatens the health and productivity of forests and plantations. Because tree breeding is slow, elite trees cannot be adapted rapidly to new environments. A new procedure for accelerated tree breeding has been developed by the industry partner. The procedure, termed polyploidisation, increases DNA content and produces novel traits that can improve plant ....Accelerated breeding for a changing environment: genomic and physiological profiling of newly generated polyploid trees. Global climate change threatens the health and productivity of forests and plantations. Because tree breeding is slow, elite trees cannot be adapted rapidly to new environments. A new procedure for accelerated tree breeding has been developed by the industry partner. The procedure, termed polyploidisation, increases DNA content and produces novel traits that can improve plant growth and resilience. Polyploidisation is a natural force in plant evolution and its routine application for tree breeding has much potential. Using diverse approaches, we will investigate how newly synthesised polyploid tree species perform under heat and drought stress.Read moreRead less
Explaining forest responses to rising carbon-dioxide concentrations at stand scale using a new, simple model of plant carbon economy. Australia is undergoing large changes in [CO2] and rainfall patterns, with 20% decreases in annual rainfall across southern Australia over the past 30 years, and large increases in north-western Australia. The impacts of rising [CO2] and altered rainfall must be factored into Australia's environmental and water-catchment management strategies. The outcome of this ....Explaining forest responses to rising carbon-dioxide concentrations at stand scale using a new, simple model of plant carbon economy. Australia is undergoing large changes in [CO2] and rainfall patterns, with 20% decreases in annual rainfall across southern Australia over the past 30 years, and large increases in north-western Australia. The impacts of rising [CO2] and altered rainfall must be factored into Australia's environmental and water-catchment management strategies. The outcome of this project will be a new simplified forest model that has been validated for Australia's leading climate-change experiment on forests, the Hawkesbury Forest Experiment, which includes both CO2 and watering treatments. The model will be readily transferable to new sites and at regional scale, so it can be applied as a tool for future management of Australia's forests.Read moreRead less
Quantifying tree and soil respiration and their responses to global change. The Australian Greenhouse Office, as well as independent analysis, recognizes that belowground processes must be better quantified if Australia's contributions to atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GG) are to be firmly based. A major issue is the lack of dedicated research focused on soil and plant root emissions of GG and, in particular, a lack of testing of methodologies suited to Australian soils and con ....Quantifying tree and soil respiration and their responses to global change. The Australian Greenhouse Office, as well as independent analysis, recognizes that belowground processes must be better quantified if Australia's contributions to atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GG) are to be firmly based. A major issue is the lack of dedicated research focused on soil and plant root emissions of GG and, in particular, a lack of testing of methodologies suited to Australian soils and conditions. This project will address these concerns. We will also be addressing the clear need for further training of PhD qualified researchers in the field of climate change. Read moreRead less
Reducing uncertainties in greenhouse gas emissions from sub-tropical land use systems. The principle outcome of the research is the identification of sustainable land use management strategies that will ensure the continued productivity and profitability of food and fibre in the Australian sub-tropics and tropics in response to climate change whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Regional communities will benefit through a greater awareness of emission sources and sinks and exposure to viabl ....Reducing uncertainties in greenhouse gas emissions from sub-tropical land use systems. The principle outcome of the research is the identification of sustainable land use management strategies that will ensure the continued productivity and profitability of food and fibre in the Australian sub-tropics and tropics in response to climate change whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Regional communities will benefit through a greater awareness of emission sources and sinks and exposure to viable and practical strategies that promote productivity through regional diversity in land use. Improved data on greenhouse gas accounts will also ensure the Australia community is provided with full and accurate representation in international climate change fora and policy development.Read moreRead less
Future climate change: consequences for decomposition and pathways of carbon flow through rhizosphere fungal communities. The proposed collaboration will provide novel insights into likely consequences of global climate change on decomposition and pathways of carbon flow through forest soils. This will refine predictive models of future climate change and its impacts on the sustainability of Australia's forests. It will also enhance the protection of our valued habitats and their important soil ....Future climate change: consequences for decomposition and pathways of carbon flow through rhizosphere fungal communities. The proposed collaboration will provide novel insights into likely consequences of global climate change on decomposition and pathways of carbon flow through forest soils. This will refine predictive models of future climate change and its impacts on the sustainability of Australia's forests. It will also enhance the protection of our valued habitats and their important soil biodiversity. The knowledge gained will help land managers to adapt current practices to meet the demands of future climate change. This will maximize the opportunities for sequestering carbon in Australia's forests and so contribute to meeting Australia's global responsibility for mitigation of climate change.Read moreRead less
Metabolite pools and their implications for plant responses to global change. Australian landscape management faces significant challenges from existing land practices and the effects of climate change. Effective management and targeted remediation requires an understanding of the processes that drive ecosystem function. The development of broadly applicable tools for the monitoring of plant and ecosystem health is therefore of considerable interest. Flexibility in core processes of plant functi ....Metabolite pools and their implications for plant responses to global change. Australian landscape management faces significant challenges from existing land practices and the effects of climate change. Effective management and targeted remediation requires an understanding of the processes that drive ecosystem function. The development of broadly applicable tools for the monitoring of plant and ecosystem health is therefore of considerable interest. Flexibility in core processes of plant function represents a significant opportunity to develop such tools. With a focus on plant metabolites, this project will characterise how Australian trees alter the allocation of resources to cope with environmental changes and produce metabolite-based selective traits for stress tolerance in Australian trees. Read moreRead less