Linking environmental stress in pine plantations to bark stripping by browsers and fungal attack: developing novel options for management. The Australian forest industry, under the pressure of certification requirements, is moving towards a more integrated, reduced chemical, environmentally sustainable approach to protecting forest. Novel insights into the stress biology of pine will provide valuable information that will underpin efforts to reduce risk e.g. the matching of specific genotypes to ....Linking environmental stress in pine plantations to bark stripping by browsers and fungal attack: developing novel options for management. The Australian forest industry, under the pressure of certification requirements, is moving towards a more integrated, reduced chemical, environmentally sustainable approach to protecting forest. Novel insights into the stress biology of pine will provide valuable information that will underpin efforts to reduce risk e.g. the matching of specific genotypes to site so that pest resistance can be maintained even under environmental stress conditions. By understanding the 'attraction' factor of stressed pine to wallabies we will develop and test an urgently and nationally required diversionary feed for this browser. Lethal control involving poison is becoming increasingly restricted.Read moreRead less
Understanding and manipulating stress physiology of eucalypt seedlings to improve survival and growth. Eucalyptus globulus and E. nitens are the major species being established to meet the 2020 Vision (Anon 1999) of trebling Australia's plantation estate. Seedling mortality and/or reduced growth after planting, linked to the transition from ideal growing conditions in the nursery to stressful conditions (high drought and browsing risk) at the planting sites, significantly increase the costs of ....Understanding and manipulating stress physiology of eucalypt seedlings to improve survival and growth. Eucalyptus globulus and E. nitens are the major species being established to meet the 2020 Vision (Anon 1999) of trebling Australia's plantation estate. Seedling mortality and/or reduced growth after planting, linked to the transition from ideal growing conditions in the nursery to stressful conditions (high drought and browsing risk) at the planting sites, significantly increase the costs of plantation production. By investigating physiological mechanisms of seedlings and their responses to drought and browsing stress during establishment in the field, methods for the production of seedlings acclimated to drought or browsing stress will be developed. The research outcomes will help maximise the financial return on over $28 M per annum being invested by the 8 project partners in seedling production and planting over 80, 000 ha per year for the next 19 years to meet the requirements of Vision 2020.Read moreRead less
Social acceptability of forest management options: Landscape level visualisation and evaluation. Sustainable forest policy requires social acceptance. Prior research has investigated relative acceptability of options at a forest stand level. However, we have insufficient understanding of public acceptance of forest management systems implemented across the wider landscape. Only detailed knowledge of public reaction to social, environmental and economic impacts and the trade-offs involved can red ....Social acceptability of forest management options: Landscape level visualisation and evaluation. Sustainable forest policy requires social acceptance. Prior research has investigated relative acceptability of options at a forest stand level. However, we have insufficient understanding of public acceptance of forest management systems implemented across the wider landscape. Only detailed knowledge of public reaction to social, environmental and economic impacts and the trade-offs involved can reduce the divisive nature of the forest management debate. This project will use interactive, still and animated computer representations of landscapes to examine social acceptability of alternatives to clearfell harvesting. This knowledge will be integrated with biophysical data to improve management of forested landscapes.Read moreRead less
Acceptability of Forest Harvesting Systems. Fierce public debate over forest management has prompted forest agencies to develop and test alternative harvesting systems. This project will examine community response to these harvesting and regeneration options. It will avoid the biases of existing research by developing an interactive simulation of the forest environment that will allow participants to view visual, ecological and economic outcomes of harvest options, as well as changes over time ....Acceptability of Forest Harvesting Systems. Fierce public debate over forest management has prompted forest agencies to develop and test alternative harvesting systems. This project will examine community response to these harvesting and regeneration options. It will avoid the biases of existing research by developing an interactive simulation of the forest environment that will allow participants to view visual, ecological and economic outcomes of harvest options, as well as changes over time as forest regenerates. Public judgements of the acceptability of harvesting options will be integrated with the outcomes of related biophysical studies to identify socially and ecologically sustainable management options for Australian native forests.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
Info-chemicals for the environmentally sustainable management of autumn gum moth and scarab beetle pests of bluegum plantations. Insect pest control in Australian bluegum plantations currently relies on insecticides. Insecticides are incompatible with maintaining populations of native beneficial insects and achieving biotic regulation of pest populations. Info-chemicals offer ways of disrupting pest populations that are benign to beneficials because they only interfere with the responses of the ....Info-chemicals for the environmentally sustainable management of autumn gum moth and scarab beetle pests of bluegum plantations. Insect pest control in Australian bluegum plantations currently relies on insecticides. Insecticides are incompatible with maintaining populations of native beneficial insects and achieving biotic regulation of pest populations. Info-chemicals offer ways of disrupting pest populations that are benign to beneficials because they only interfere with the responses of the target insect. This project will pioneer the development of sex pheromone-based technologies for managing autumn gum moth and reveal potential applications of info-chemicals for managing scarab beetles. Application of info-chemical solutions to plantation pests will improve public perception of the industry and assist with forestry standard certification.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
Selection and deployment of browsing resistant Eucalyptus globulus and Eucalyptus nitens. Marsupial browsing is a significant problem for eucalypt plantation establishment in Australia. To date, browsing control has relied on the use of 1080 pesticide, but through political and social pressure this will cease in Tasmanian State Forests by December 2005. To develop new approaches to integrated pest management, we will explore the use of natural plant resistance to marsupial browsers. We will dete ....Selection and deployment of browsing resistant Eucalyptus globulus and Eucalyptus nitens. Marsupial browsing is a significant problem for eucalypt plantation establishment in Australia. To date, browsing control has relied on the use of 1080 pesticide, but through political and social pressure this will cease in Tasmanian State Forests by December 2005. To develop new approaches to integrated pest management, we will explore the use of natural plant resistance to marsupial browsers. We will determine the genetic and chemical basis of seedling resistance in Eucalyptus globulus and E. nitens, and investigate the stability of resistance though tree development and across different sites. Resistant germplasm will be identified and tested in operational plantings.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
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354908
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
The Insect-Plant Chemical Ecology Network (IPCEN). We bring together plant molecular biology, entomology and analytical chemistry to transform three leading fields of Australian research into an advanced science with far reaching capabilities in innovative research and applied outcomes. Expertise studying the biochemical pathways that produce specific plant compounds and expertise in insect recognition and response to these chemicals will be brought together. This will lead to new research outco ....The Insect-Plant Chemical Ecology Network (IPCEN). We bring together plant molecular biology, entomology and analytical chemistry to transform three leading fields of Australian research into an advanced science with far reaching capabilities in innovative research and applied outcomes. Expertise studying the biochemical pathways that produce specific plant compounds and expertise in insect recognition and response to these chemicals will be brought together. This will lead to new research outcomes and solutions to problems in agriculture, horticulture, forestry and protection of Australia's native flora. Researchers are struggling to create these links, constrained by disciplinary boundaries and geographical isolation. Key industries and researchers already support this proposal.Read moreRead less