Does plant phosphorus economy determine ecological status in biodiverse Australian communities? The phosphorus (P)-impoverished nature of the soils of south-western Australia has allowed the evolution of many plant species that are amazingly efficient at acquiring and utilising P. Among the most P efficient are species of the Proteaceae, which produce cluster roots. We will explore why less efficient species can co-occur with the very efficient Proteaceae. A deep and thorough understanding of th ....Does plant phosphorus economy determine ecological status in biodiverse Australian communities? The phosphorus (P)-impoverished nature of the soils of south-western Australia has allowed the evolution of many plant species that are amazingly efficient at acquiring and utilising P. Among the most P efficient are species of the Proteaceae, which produce cluster roots. We will explore why less efficient species can co-occur with the very efficient Proteaceae. A deep and thorough understanding of the mechanism determining P efficiency of these species will contribute significantly to our basic understanding of P nutrition in plants and to our understanding of the P-impoverished ecosystems of the southwest. It will also assist in developing crops that are more efficient at acquiring and/or utilising P.Read moreRead less
ARC Australia-New Zealand Research Network for Vegetation Function. Plant species vary widely in quantitative functional traits, and in their relations to climate, soils and geography. Global generalizations are emerging. Vegetation Function network will reach from plant function into genomics and crop breeding, into palaeoecology and vegetation history, into landscape management for carbon, water and salinity outcomes, into forecasting future ecosystems under global change, and into phylogeny, ....ARC Australia-New Zealand Research Network for Vegetation Function. Plant species vary widely in quantitative functional traits, and in their relations to climate, soils and geography. Global generalizations are emerging. Vegetation Function network will reach from plant function into genomics and crop breeding, into palaeoecology and vegetation history, into landscape management for carbon, water and salinity outcomes, into forecasting future ecosystems under global change, and into phylogeny, ecoinformatics and evolutionary theory. Across this span, working groups will target nine identified opportunities for breakthrough research. Each research target needs input from two or more disciplines. Together, the nine targets link across disciplines, as a network that spans from genomic to planetary scales.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100073
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$280,000.00
Summary
High-throughput sample preparation robotics to enable emerging large-scale plant genomics, metabolomics and proteomics research. Discovering and breeding plants that are best suited for new environmental conditions requires the analysis of many samples to discover the underlying genes, metabolites and proteins. The project will build two robotic instruments that will facilitate the rapid grinding and extraction of plant tissues to facilitate these discoveries across Australia.
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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Carboxylate exudation and phosphate nutrition in Hakea prostrata (Proteaecea). Nonmycorrhizal Proteaceae are very successful in acquiring phosphate from nutrient-impoverished soils; their cluster roots account for this. They are also extremely sensitive to phosphate toxicity. We will elucidate aspects of production and release of carboxylates that are associated with functioning of cluster roots, using Hakea prostrata (Proteaceae) as a model. Types and rates of exudation by cluster roots, as in ....Carboxylate exudation and phosphate nutrition in Hakea prostrata (Proteaecea). Nonmycorrhizal Proteaceae are very successful in acquiring phosphate from nutrient-impoverished soils; their cluster roots account for this. They are also extremely sensitive to phosphate toxicity. We will elucidate aspects of production and release of carboxylates that are associated with functioning of cluster roots, using Hakea prostrata (Proteaceae) as a model. Types and rates of exudation by cluster roots, as influenced by development and environmental signals, will be assessed. Our findings will provide key information on adaptive mechanisms associated with both phosphate acquisition from phosphate-fixing soils and phosphate toxicity.Read moreRead less
Mid-rotation diagnosis and management options for correction of water and nutrient deficiencies in plantation-grown eucalypts. This research will improve productivity of bluegum plantations by improving current diagnostic techniques (foliage and soil analysis) for nutrient disorders and the supply of water. Using a novel phloem sampling and analysis technique, we will develop a nutrient (e.g. N, P) and water diagnosis procedure that is quick, cheap, robust and reliable for field use. A major in ....Mid-rotation diagnosis and management options for correction of water and nutrient deficiencies in plantation-grown eucalypts. This research will improve productivity of bluegum plantations by improving current diagnostic techniques (foliage and soil analysis) for nutrient disorders and the supply of water. Using a novel phloem sampling and analysis technique, we will develop a nutrient (e.g. N, P) and water diagnosis procedure that is quick, cheap, robust and reliable for field use. A major innovation will be distinguishing the effects of shortages of water on growth from those of other growth influences. Overall, this project will provide a highly significant theoretical, conceptual and practical advance in mid-rotation, diagnostics for plantations with considerable commercial promise.Read moreRead less
Functional diversity in root systems that are critical for water and nutrient acquisition by Australian monocotyledons. Specialised root structures facilitate water and nutrient acquisition in grass-like sedges, a major vegetation type on nutrient-poor, intensely weathered soils in Australia. The project will enhance our understanding of key root structures and functional traits for water and nutrient acquisition in various habitats. The identification of such structures and traits will contribu ....Functional diversity in root systems that are critical for water and nutrient acquisition by Australian monocotyledons. Specialised root structures facilitate water and nutrient acquisition in grass-like sedges, a major vegetation type on nutrient-poor, intensely weathered soils in Australia. The project will enhance our understanding of key root structures and functional traits for water and nutrient acquisition in various habitats. The identification of such structures and traits will contribute to Australia's excellent international reputation in this discipline. Increased fundamental insight into the strategies of perennial monocotyledons in Australian ecosystems will be directly relevant to difficult cases of landscape restoration on skeletal soils with widely varying water availability and thus addresses the National Research Priority: An Environmentally Sustainable Australia.Read moreRead less
Does calcium toxicity explain the absence of most Proteaceae from calcareous habitats? Native Proteaceae plants inhabit sandy environments across Australia, but are invariably limited in their distribution by soil conditions. This project will determine elemental and genetic factors that determine Proteaceae distribution and survival, in order to improve ecosystem conservation and restoration strategies and preserve biodiversity.
The role of mycorrhizal fungi in nutrient supply and habitat specificity of the rare underground orchid (Rhizanthella gardneri). The underground orchid (Rhizanthella gardneri) is an extremely rare achlorophyllous myco-heterotroph that shares a mycorrhizal fungus with broom bush (Melaleuca uncinata). This project will investigate habitat requirements for R. gardneri and assess the orchid dependence on M. uncinata for carbon and nutrient supply. We will measure magnitude and timing of nutrient a ....The role of mycorrhizal fungi in nutrient supply and habitat specificity of the rare underground orchid (Rhizanthella gardneri). The underground orchid (Rhizanthella gardneri) is an extremely rare achlorophyllous myco-heterotroph that shares a mycorrhizal fungus with broom bush (Melaleuca uncinata). This project will investigate habitat requirements for R. gardneri and assess the orchid dependence on M. uncinata for carbon and nutrient supply. We will measure magnitude and timing of nutrient and carbon transfers between M. uncinata roots, fungal hyphae and R. gardneri using stable isotope techniques. This project will provide knowledge essential for conserving the underground orchid, a unique Australian plant, and other critically endangered orchids.Read moreRead less
Ecology of fine root endophytes in native and agricultural ecosystems. This project aims to investigate the abundance, diversity and function of fine root endophytes in Australian native and agricultural ecosystems in response to recent genetic data proving they are taxonomically distinct from the well-studied arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The project aims to complete a comprehensive field survey, novel molecular analyses and innovative glasshouse experiments. Outcomes should include globally si ....Ecology of fine root endophytes in native and agricultural ecosystems. This project aims to investigate the abundance, diversity and function of fine root endophytes in Australian native and agricultural ecosystems in response to recent genetic data proving they are taxonomically distinct from the well-studied arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The project aims to complete a comprehensive field survey, novel molecular analyses and innovative glasshouse experiments. Outcomes should include globally significant insights into fine root endophytes and their role in plant growth. The project will strengthen capacity to predict impacts of global environmental change on ecosystem functions driven by the soil rhizosphere.Read moreRead less