Impacts of Eucalypt genetics at the community and ecosystem levels. The genetics of a dominant tree species has recently been shown to have far reaching effects on associated biodiversity and ecosystem processes. If this finding proves to be general and is shown to be the case for Australia's iconic eucalypts then understanding their genetics will provide significant insights into the drivers of biological organisation and ecological processes in Australia's native forests and woodlands. This w ....Impacts of Eucalypt genetics at the community and ecosystem levels. The genetics of a dominant tree species has recently been shown to have far reaching effects on associated biodiversity and ecosystem processes. If this finding proves to be general and is shown to be the case for Australia's iconic eucalypts then understanding their genetics will provide significant insights into the drivers of biological organisation and ecological processes in Australia's native forests and woodlands. This will also have major implications for the rapidly expanding environmental and forestry plantings across Australia where choice of seed source may have far reaching consequences.Read moreRead less
Assessing the risk of genetic pollution from Eucalyptus globulus and Corymbia plantations. We will provide the biological information necessary to assess the risk of genetic pollution of native eucalypt forest from plantations of Eucalyptus globulus and Corymbia torelliana. Key biological factors that can act as barriers to hybridisation including flowering time, pollen and seed dispersal distances, crossability, hybrid fitness and the potential for backcrossing will be identified and used to de ....Assessing the risk of genetic pollution from Eucalyptus globulus and Corymbia plantations. We will provide the biological information necessary to assess the risk of genetic pollution of native eucalypt forest from plantations of Eucalyptus globulus and Corymbia torelliana. Key biological factors that can act as barriers to hybridisation including flowering time, pollen and seed dispersal distances, crossability, hybrid fitness and the potential for backcrossing will be identified and used to develop strategies to reduce the risk of genetic pollution. The molecular differentiation between populations of the E. globulus complex, including plantations, will be studied to provide a genetic framework for the management of the genepool of this most important hardwood plantation species.Read moreRead less
Genetic impacts on eucalypt forest biodiversity. Australia is the centre of origin for most of the world's eucalypt genetic resources. This project will provide the research required to develop management strategies to reduce the risk of genetic pollution of this important genetic resource from the expanding eucalypt plantings in Australia. It will provide leading-edge science to better assess the risk and impact of genetic pollution not only on the native eucalypt gene pools per se but also on ....Genetic impacts on eucalypt forest biodiversity. Australia is the centre of origin for most of the world's eucalypt genetic resources. This project will provide the research required to develop management strategies to reduce the risk of genetic pollution of this important genetic resource from the expanding eucalypt plantings in Australia. It will provide leading-edge science to better assess the risk and impact of genetic pollution not only on the native eucalypt gene pools per se but also on the structure and biodiversity of the fungi, insect and vertebrate communities that are dependent on the eucalyptsRead moreRead less
Managing variable retention harvesting to maintain forest biodiversity—effects of forest influence and successional stage on recolonisation. The project will provide the ecological evidence that will allow forest harvesting practices to be designed to sustain the full range of biodiversity in managed forest systems. It therefore will provide the basis for sustainable forest management, with extensive economic implications. It will specifically test the biodiversity implications of the new and in ....Managing variable retention harvesting to maintain forest biodiversity—effects of forest influence and successional stage on recolonisation. The project will provide the ecological evidence that will allow forest harvesting practices to be designed to sustain the full range of biodiversity in managed forest systems. It therefore will provide the basis for sustainable forest management, with extensive economic implications. It will specifically test the biodiversity implications of the new and increasingly important variable retention methods of forest harvesting, and provide the basis for optimising these methods. In addition, the large database of DNA barcodes for forest beetles developed as a by-product by this project will provide a basis for less expensive and more accurate biodiversity assessments in sustainable management of forest systems in general.Read moreRead less
Applying macroecology to assist in the management of Kakadu National Park. The ecological integrity of Kakadu National Park is threatened by fires, weeds, and feral animals. To help tackle these problems, we will develop a cost-effective, culturally appropriate, park-wide monitoring system based on changes in the boundaries of closed forests, woodland and grassland. We will gauge the effect of broad-scale land management interventions, and predict the consequences of future change. The findings ....Applying macroecology to assist in the management of Kakadu National Park. The ecological integrity of Kakadu National Park is threatened by fires, weeds, and feral animals. To help tackle these problems, we will develop a cost-effective, culturally appropriate, park-wide monitoring system based on changes in the boundaries of closed forests, woodland and grassland. We will gauge the effect of broad-scale land management interventions, and predict the consequences of future change. The findings of this study will be transferable to other landscape settings in Australia and overseas. It will contribute to debates about the ecological consequences of current land management practices and how these compare with past Aboriginal land management.Read moreRead less
Community and ecosystem consequences of adaptive evolution in Eucalyptus. There is emerging evidence across plant systems that genes in one species influence biodiversity and the services ecosystems provide, including soil fertility, carbon storage, and pollination. These results suggest that adaptive evolution in plants can lead to change in biodiversity and ecosystem function. If this finding proves to be true, results from this proposal might be critical to future decisions on the ecosystem ....Community and ecosystem consequences of adaptive evolution in Eucalyptus. There is emerging evidence across plant systems that genes in one species influence biodiversity and the services ecosystems provide, including soil fertility, carbon storage, and pollination. These results suggest that adaptive evolution in plants can lead to change in biodiversity and ecosystem function. If this finding proves to be true, results from this proposal might be critical to future decisions on the ecosystem consequences of landscape level selective events. There may be major implications for the rapidly expanding environmental and forestry plantings across Australia and temperate regions of the world where choice of seed source may have far reaching consequences.Read moreRead less
Environmental and genetic control over blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) timber colour, density, and recovery. The project will investigate the roles of environment and genetics in the expression of wood characteristics in blackwood. It will determine the potential heritability of valuable blackwood wood traits and provide a sound understanding of the basis of colour expression. Heartwood characteristics, particularly colour, density, ring width and knottiness determine the commercial value of blac ....Environmental and genetic control over blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) timber colour, density, and recovery. The project will investigate the roles of environment and genetics in the expression of wood characteristics in blackwood. It will determine the potential heritability of valuable blackwood wood traits and provide a sound understanding of the basis of colour expression. Heartwood characteristics, particularly colour, density, ring width and knottiness determine the commercial value of blackwood. The limited research on these characteristics, all undertaken outside Australia, points to combined genetic and environmental control. By understanding the relative importance that environmental conditions and genetic material have in producing desirable wood traits, growers will be better able to realise the full commercial value of blackwood.Read moreRead less
Genetic legacy of climate change in Australian temperate forests. This work will make a significant contribution to the understanding of the Quaternary history of the forests of south-eastern Australia. Finding the location of glacial refugia is crucial to the development of long-term conservation strategies, as they are areas of high genetic and species diversity. Understanding the evolutionary processes that affect genetic diversity and gene flow of these keystone species (Nothofagus cunningha ....Genetic legacy of climate change in Australian temperate forests. This work will make a significant contribution to the understanding of the Quaternary history of the forests of south-eastern Australia. Finding the location of glacial refugia is crucial to the development of long-term conservation strategies, as they are areas of high genetic and species diversity. Understanding the evolutionary processes that affect genetic diversity and gene flow of these keystone species (Nothofagus cunninghamii, N. moorei, Acacia melanoxylon, Eucalyptus viminalis) will help their long-term management.Read moreRead less
Managing for persistence of the saproxylic biota in production forest landscapes. The pattern of 'fragmentation' and 'matrix alteration' being examined in this study mirrors not just other areas of Tasmania but also much of south-eastern Australia. The research addresses a conservation biology issue in a new and novel way and has been developed with, and is supported by an industry partner working in multiple-use forest management, so the research provides both immediate applied and strategic o ....Managing for persistence of the saproxylic biota in production forest landscapes. The pattern of 'fragmentation' and 'matrix alteration' being examined in this study mirrors not just other areas of Tasmania but also much of south-eastern Australia. The research addresses a conservation biology issue in a new and novel way and has been developed with, and is supported by an industry partner working in multiple-use forest management, so the research provides both immediate applied and strategic outcomes. These outcomes directly relate to forest sustainability especially the management of the biodiverse dead wood habitat including the harvesting of fuelwood.Read moreRead less
Landscape-scale population dynamics of open forests in the Australian monsoon tropics. Over the last century there has been a trend of increasing tree cover in many landscapes. Yet the causes of this globally important ecological phenomenon are poorly understood, but may include the effects of climate, fire, grazing and CO2. We will determine how an area of forest has changed over 50 years in Kakadu National Park, linking forest demography with remote sensing techniques, re-measurement and analy ....Landscape-scale population dynamics of open forests in the Australian monsoon tropics. Over the last century there has been a trend of increasing tree cover in many landscapes. Yet the causes of this globally important ecological phenomenon are poorly understood, but may include the effects of climate, fire, grazing and CO2. We will determine how an area of forest has changed over 50 years in Kakadu National Park, linking forest demography with remote sensing techniques, re-measurement and analysis of long-term tree demography datasets, and simulation models of tree population dynamics on a landscape scale. This will provide a scientific framework to develop sustainable land management and the conservation of Australia's forest biodiversity.Read moreRead less