Toward Sustainable Management: Southern Africa's Afromontane, And
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Early Differential Responses of Co-Dominant Canopy Species to Sudden and Severe Drought in a Mediterranean-Climate Type Forest
Forests 2015, 6, 2082-2091; doi:10.3390/f6062082 OPEN ACCESS forests ISSN 1999-4907 www.mdpi.com/journal/forests Communication Early Differential Responses of Co-dominant Canopy Species to Sudden and Severe Drought in a Mediterranean-climate Type Forest Katinka X. Ruthrof 1,*, George Matusick 1,2 and Giles E. St. J. Hardy 1 1 Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health, Murdoch University, Murdoch 6150, Australia; E-Mails: [email protected] (G.M.); G.Hardy@ murdoch.edu.au (G.E.S.J.H.) 2 The Nature Conservancy, Georgia Chapter, Chattahoochee Fall Line Conservation Office, Fort Benning, GA 31905, USA * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: [email protected]; Tel.: +61-893-602-605; Fax: +61-893-606-303. Academic Editor: Steven Jansen Received: 7 April 2015 / Accepted: 3 June 2015 / Published: 9 June 2015 Abstract: Globally, drought and heat-induced forest disturbance is garnering increasing concern. Species from Mediterranean forests have resistance and resilience mechanisms to cope with drought and differences in these ecological strategies will profoundly influence vegetation composition in response to drought. Our aim was to contrast the early response of two co-occurring forest species, Eucalyptus marginata and Corymbia calophylla, in the Northern Jarrah Forest of southwestern Australia, following a sudden and severe drought event. Forest plots were monitored for health and response, three and 16 months following the drought. Eucalyptus marginata was more susceptible to partial and complete crown dieback compared to C. calophylla, three months after the drought. However, resprouting among trees exhibiting complete crown dieback was similar between species. -
Eucalyptus Study Group Article
Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants Eucalyptus Study Group ISSN 1035-4603 Eucalyptus Study Group Newsletter December 2012 No. 57 Study Group Leader Warwick Varley Eucalypt Study Group Website PO Box 456, WOLLONGONG, NSW 2520 http://asgap.org.au/EucSG/index.html Email: [email protected] Membership officer Sue Guymer 13 Conos Court, DONVALE, VICTORIA 3111 Email: [email protected] Contents Do Australia's giant fire-dependent trees belong in the rainforest? By EurekAlert! Giant Eucalypts sent back to the rainforest By Rachel Sullivan Abstract: Dual mycorrhizal associations of jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) in a nurse-pot system The Eucalypt's survival secret By Danny Kingsley Plant Profile; Corymbia gummifera By Tony Popovich Eucalyptus ×trabutii By Warwick Varley SUBSCRIPTION TIME Do Australia's giant fire-dependent trees belong in the rainforest? By EurekAlert! Australia's giant eucalyptus trees are the tallest flowering plants on earth, yet their unique relationship with fire makes them a puzzle for ecologists. Now the first global assessment of these giants, published in New Phytologist, seeks to end a century of debate over the species' classification and may change the way it is managed in future. Gigantic trees are rare. Of the 100,000 global tree species only 50, less than 0.005 per cent, reach over 70 metres in height. While many of the giants live in Pacific North America, Borneo and similar habitats, 13 are eucalypts endemic to Southern and Eastern Australia. The tallest flowering plant in Australia is Eucalyptus regnans, with temperate eastern Victoria and Tasmania being home to the six tallest recorded species of the genus. -
Seed Dispersal by Ants in Jarrah Forest Restorations of Western Australia
Seed Dispersal by Ants in Jarrah Forest Restorations of Western Australia Troy L. Wanless Introduction The jarrah forests in Western Australia cover approximately 1.75 million ha in the southwestern corner of the state (Figure 1). Jarrah, otherwise known as Eucalyptus marginata, is only one species among many that inhabit a region with considerable physical and biological diversity. 1200 species of plants, 29 mammalian species, 45 reptile species, 17 frog species, 4 fish species and 150 bird species live in this system which also has highly adverse conditions for survival. These may include infertile, often salt-laden soils, drought, and the occasional wildfire (Western Australia Forest Alliance, 2003). Considerable deposits of bauxite, which is the primary material involved in the production of aluminum, are scattered throughout the region. Since 1963, Alcoa of Australia Ltd. has cleared these jarrah forests to make way for mining of this ore. It is estimated that these deposits cover 7-8% of the forested area although only 3-4% will ever be mined due to environmental and economic constraints (Majer, 1989). These mined areas create a scattering of patches throughout the forest that are essentially stripped of any kind of biodiversity that was once there (Figure 2). Restoration efforts on these previously mined patches focus on many aspects of the jarrah forest ecosystem. Specifically interesting is the role that ants play in seed dispersal. This paper will focus on the topic of seed dispersal by ants in the northern jarrah forests of Western Australia while paying particular attention to myrmecochory. Figure 1. Location of jarrah forest in Australia Figure 2. -
MVG04 Tropical Eucalypt Open Forests DRAFT
MVG 4 - TROPICAL EUCALYPT OPEN FORESTS Tropical eucalypt savanna forest Kakadu National Park, NT (Photo: D. Keith) Overview Also known as tropical savannas. MVG 4 occurs in high rainfall areas of Cape York in Queensland, on Melville and Bathurst Islands, the Top End in Northern Territory, and in Western Australia close to Kimberley coast. Structurally it is an open forest with a tall grass-dominated groundlayer. Dominated by eucalypts, primarily species of Corymbia and Eucalyptus, notably the subgenera Fibridia and Leprolaena, but the tree canopy also includes a range of tropical non-eucalypt genera. The grassy understorey is dominated by annual and perennial species exclusively with C4 photosynthetic pathways. Closely associated with tropical monsoonal climates with wet summers and dry winters. Regularly fire-prone in dry seasons. Facts and figures Major Vegetation Group MVG 4 – Tropical Eucalypt Open Forests Major Vegetation Subgroups xx. Tropical eucalypt savanna forest NT, QLD, WA (number of NVIS descriptions) Typical NVIS structural formations Low open forest Number of IBRA regions 26 Most extensive in IBRA region Est. pre-1750: Jarrah Forest (WA) (Est. pre-1750 and present) Present: Nandewar (NSW) Estimated pre-1750 extent (km2) 4 726 Present extent (km2) 3 952 Area protected (km2) 1 417 Structure and physiognomy Open forests dominated by eucalypts with tall grass dominated understories. Trees are taller with straighter boles and the canopy cover is greater than in the savanna woodlands of MVG 12. Leaves of the tree canopies are sclerophyllous and vary in size from notophyll (20 – 45 cm2) to mesophyll (45 – 150 cm2). Broad-leaved shrubs, palms and cycads occur in the understorey (Dunlop 2001; Beard et al. -
The Performance of Eucalyptus Species in Hill Country
Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. THE PERFORMANCE OF EUCALYPTUS SPECIES IN HILL COUNTRY A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. J ames Peter Millner 2006 Abstract Eucalyptus species, particularly stringybarks, which produce hard, durable wood are potentially useful in New Zealand, but most species are site sensitive. Twelve species (E. agglomerata, E. baxteri, E. botryoides, E. cladocalyx, E. globoidea, E. microcorys, E. muelleriana, E. nitens, E. obliqua, E. pilularis, E. regnans and E. sa ligna) were compared on four hill country microsites; upper and lower slope on sunny and shady aspects. Assessments included survival, foliar macro-nutrients, diameter at breast height (DBH), height, stem form, basic wood density and health to age 5 years. Site monitoring included solar radiation, temperature, rainfall and exposure. Foliar nutrients were strongly influenced by species and moderately influenced by microsite. Inter-nutrient and nutrient-growth correlations were identified and discussed. Subgeneric differences in nutrient profile were analysed with the aid of principal components analysis. Solar radiation and temperature were seasonal on both aspects but higher on the sunny face than the shady. Aspect differences were moderate, being greatest in the winter and least in the summer. A strongly seasonal growth pattern resulted, maximum DBH and height increments occurring in the spring and summer respectively. -
Workshop Notes Perth Region Plant Biodiversity Project Jarrah Forest Reference Sites of the Perth Metropolitan Area: the Southe
Workshop Notes Perth Region Plant Biodiversity Project Jarrah Forest Reference Sites of the Perth Metropolitan Area: The Southern Transect Shaun Molloy February 2008 Lithic complex (reference point MN2) Photograph by Shaun Molloy - 1 - Introduction Bush Forever is a 10 year strategic plan instigated by the Western Australian Government in conjunction with the general community and appropriate Local Government organisations to protect some 51,200 hectares of regionally significant bushland in 287 Bush Forever Sites, representing, where achievable, a target of at least 10 percent of each of the original 26 vegetation complexes of the Swan Coastal Plain portion of the Perth Metropolitan Region. Subsequent to Bush Forever, the Perth Biodiversity Project identified the need to catalogue and describe a series reference sites to facilitate consistency in the assessment of local natural areas and to further enhance the capacity of relevant people to undertake site recording tasks. To this end 40 reference sites were established based on Bush Forever on the Swan Coastal Plain part of the Perth Metropolitan Region (PMR) as part of the Perth Region Plant Biodiversity Project (PRPBP), a collaborative project between the WA Local Government Association’s Perth Biodiversity Project and the Department of Environment and Conservation. The PRPBP recognises a need to provide a fuller appreciation of the diversity of native vegetation found within the PMR. To that end, it was decided to establish reference sites within, or in close proximity to, Darling Plateau part of the PMR. It is proposed that these reference sites are established so as to represent major variations found in the plant communities found within this area thereby complementing reference sites already set up on the Swan Coastal Plain as part of the Perth Biodiversity Project. -
Northern Jarrah Forest – Is There a Mesopredator Release Effect?
Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre Uptake of Products and Strategies Program: Project:10.U.1 Western Australian Demonstration Site Subproject 2: Introduced predator control and sustained fauna recovery in south- west Western Australia. The importance of fox, cat and native predator interactions to sustained fauna recovery in the northern jarrah forest – is there a mesopredator release effect? Progress Report at 30 June 2008 Paul de Tores, Duncan Sutherland, Al Glen, Rob Hill, Lenny Bloomfield, Sean Garretson, Lauren Strümpher, Deb Feeniks, Helen Darby, Sheree Mammone, Jennyffer Cruz and Gillian Bryant Not for citation without discussion with the authors Contents 1 The project team, collaborators and volunteers .............................................. 1 2 Overview and background ................................................................................. 5 3 The northern jarrah forest predator interaction project .................................. 7 4 Objectives and hypotheses................................................................................ 9 5 Methodology ...................................................................................................... 16 5.1 The baiting treatments – spatial and temporal design ....................................16 5.2 Trials to assess non-target uptake of the cat bait, Eradicat............................18 5.3 Indices of Activity and estimates of density - sandplots..................................18 5.3.1 Fox and cat indices and density estimates...................................................... -
Environmental Protection Authority State of the Environment Report: Western Australia 2007 Website
www.soe.wa.gov.au Environmental Protection Authority www.epa.wa.gov.au State of the Environment Report: Western Australia 2007 website www.soe.wa.gov.au Copyright © Government of Western Australia 2007 ISBN 1 920947 98 1 The preferred reference for this publication is: Environmental Protection Authority (2007) State of the Environment Report: Western Australia 2007, Department of Environment and Conservation, Perth, Western Australia. Reprinted September 2007 2007356-0907-750 This report was produced by the Environmental Protection Authority with oversight by the State of the Environment Steering Group, the assistance of the State of the Environment Project Team, and the advice of various working groups and independent reviewers. See Appendix for detailed acknowledgements. State of the Environment Project Team c/ Department of Environment and Conservation PO Box K822 Perth Western Australia 6842 Internet www.soe.wa.gov.au Email [email protected] Project manager: Dr Ray Wallis Principal authors: Brad Jakowyna, Karen Crews, Jelena May Spatial data co-ordination, analysis and maps: Rodney Nowrojee, Bernadette Streppel Editing of final report: Dr David Sutton; Editing of draft report: Dr David Sutton, Jan Knight (Flying Edits) and Amanda Ellis Graphic design and layout: Grant Fuller, John Pinneri (John Pinneri Design Services) Internet design: Freckle Creative Printing: Advance Press, a Level 2 Green Stamp accredited business. This report is printed in Western Australia on 9Lives, which is 80% recycled, chlorine free paper that is accredited under the Forest Stewardship Council. Dyes are vegetable based inks. Copies from: Department of Environment and Conservation Library The Atrium, Level 4, 168 St Georges Tce, Perth [email protected] Phone: +61 8 6364 6510 Fax: +61 8 6364 6511 Internet: www.soe.wa.gov.au Front cover and theme cover images courtesy of Tourism Western Australia, Department of Environment and Conservation, and Office of Energy. -
Landcorp Denmark East Development Precinct Flora and Fauna Survey
LandCorp Denmark East Development Precinct Flora and Fauna Survey October 2016 Executive summary Introduction Through the Royalties for Regions “Growing our South” initiative, the Shire of Denmark has received funding to provide a second crossing of the Denmark River, to upgrade approximately 6.5 km of local roads and to support the delivery of an industrial estate adjacent to McIntosh Road. GHD Pty Ltd (GHD) was commissioned by LandCorp to undertake a biological assessment of the project survey area. The purpose of the assessment was to identify and describe flora, vegetation and fauna within the survey area. The outcomes of the assessment will be used in the environmental assessment and approvals process and will identify the possible need for, and scope of, further field investigations will inform environmental impact assessment of the road upgrades. The survey area is approximately 68.5 ha in area and includes a broad area of land between Scotsdale Road and the Denmark River and the road reserve and adjacent land along East River Road and McIntosh Road between the Denmark Mt Barker Road and South Western Highway. A 200 m section north and south along the Denmark Mt Barker Road from East River Road was also surveyed. The biological assessment involved a desktop review and three separate field surveys, including a winter flora and fauna survey, spring flora and fauna survey and spring nocturnal fauna survey. Fauna surveys also included the use of movement sensitive cameras in key locations. Key biological aspects The key biological aspects and constraints identified for the survey area are summarised in the following table. -
Characterisation of Wood Properties and Transverse Anatomy for Vacuum Drying Modelling of Commercially Important Australian Hardwood Species
Characterisation of wood properties and transverse anatomy for vacuum drying modelling of commercially important Australian hardwood species Denis M Cullity Research Fellowship Report Adam Lloyd Redman Research Scientist, Innovative Forest Products Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Forest and Wood Products Australia Report Number PG08.5097 Preface The Denis M Cullity Fellowship was established by the Forest and Wood Products Research & Development Corporation, the predecessor entity of Forest and Wood Products Australia Ltd, in 2000 in honour of the Corporation’s inaugural Chairman Mr Denis M Cullity CMG AO. The Fellowship is intended to support professional development of leading Australian forestry or forest product scientists and increase the value and benefits derived from research completed for the forestry products industry. For further information on the Fellowships contact Forest and Wood Products Australia: Suite 607, Level 6 Yarra Tower, World Trade Centre Melbourne, VIC 3005 PO Box 69, World Trade Centre VIC 8005 Tel : (03) 9614 7544 Fax : (03) 9614 6822 Email : [email protected] Webpage : www.fwpa.com.au 2 Financial and In-kind Contributors The substantial contributions of AgroParisTech University - l’École Nationale du Génie Rural des Eaux des Forêts (ENGREF), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) and the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F), to the successful undertaking of this collaborative project are gratefully acknowledged. Acknowledgements Dr Patrick Perré, Professor, Head of LERMAB (Integrated research unit on wood science), AgroParisTech – ENGREF France Dr Françoise Huber, Research Engineer, INRA France Dr Romain Remond, Research Engineer, AgroParisTech – ENGREF France Dr Giana Almeida, Post Doctorate, ESALQ Brazil. -
Assessing the Conservation Reserve System in the Jarrah Forest Bioregion
JournalJournal of ofthe the Royal Royal Society Society of ofWestern Western Australia, Australia, 79(4), 79:241–248, December 1996 1996 Assessing the conservation reserve system in the Jarrah Forest Bioregion N L McKenzie1, S D Hopper2, G Wardell-Johnson1,3 & N Gibson1 1 Science and Information Division, Department of Conservation and Land Management, P O Box 51, Wanneroo WA 6065; 2 Kings Park and Botanic Gardens, Fraser Avenue, West Perth WA 6005; 3 present address: Department of Biology, University of Namibia, Private Bag 13301, Windhoek Namibia Abstract Recent reviews have assessed the comprehensiveness of the conservation reserve system over the northern part of the Jarrah Forest Bioregion in terms of vegetation complexes. The complexes were distinguished in terms of geomorphology and dominant vegetation. The least reserved complexes are those of the Darling Scarp, Blackwood Plateau, Collie Coalfields and those with agriculturally desirable soils. Available maps can be used to estimate the reserved area of each of the Bioregion’s vegetation complexes or geomorphic units, but there are not enough data on patterns in biodiversity to assess other facets of its adequacy, even in the northern part of the region. A quadrat-based regional survey is necessary if the representativeness of the area’s reserve system is to be assessed from an ecosystem perspective. The sampling would need to cover a range of the different components of the biota (perennial floristics, vertebrates and selected invertebrate taxa). Such surveys are time-consuming and expensive. Current studies of rare, restricted and endemic spe- cies, of weed, feral animal and pathogen impacts, and of forest management effects, need to continue in parallel. -
Propagation of Jarrah Forest Plants for Mine Restoration: Alcoa's Marrinup
124 Combined Proceedings International Plant Propagators’ Society, Volume 60, 2010 Propagation of Jarrah Forest Plants for Mine Restoration: Alcoa’s Marrinup Nursery© David Willyams Marrinup Nursery, Mine Environmental Department, Alcoa of Australia Ltd., P.O. Box 52, Dwell- ingup, Western Australia. Australia 6213. Email: [email protected] INTRODUCTION Plant propagation has a useful role to play in disturbed land restoration. Alcoa of Aus- tralia (Alcoa) operates a nursery and tissue culture laboratory to produce plants for restoration following mining. This paper provides an overview of a 16-year program to develop ex situ propagation and large-scale production methods for plants absent from mine restoration. In Western Australia Alcoa operates two bauxite mines and Marrinup Nursery in the Darling Range south of Perth, and has three alumina re- fineries on the coastal plain. The principal vegetation of the Darling Range is Jarrah Forest. This forest has at least 784 plant species (Bell and Heddle, 1989) and is part of one of the world’s top 25 biodiversity hotspots (Myers et al., 2000). Alcoa aims to establish a self-sustaining jarrah forest ecosystem on its bauxite mine-sites (see Koch 2007a and 2007b for details on the general mining and restoration processes). With a large area to restore each year (over 550 ha) and such a large number of plant species in the pre-mining forest, any propagation and restoration work is com- plex. Southwest Australia has a dry Mediterranean-type climate (Beard, 1990), and this further challenges plant propagation for mine restoration. The nursery’s entire annual production has to be held onsite throughout the year, then planted in the first 2 months of the short winter wet season.