Review of Rural Tree Decline in a Changing Australian Climate ( Pdf )
Review of rural tree decline in a changing Australian climate D.C. Close1,2,3* and N.J. Davidson1,3 1Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Production Forestry, Private Bag 12, Hobart 7001 2Schools of Agricultural Science and Zoology, Private Bag 54, Hobart 7001 3School of Plant Science, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart 7001 Abstract native animals. Superimposed on these factors are below-average rainfall and above-average Rural tree decline (RTD) in Australia is a temperatures over the past three decades, complex biological issue involving dieback of phenomena that are associated with climate native trees following the removal of native change. Climate change has been linked to vegetation, the introduction of improved eucalypt decline in landscapes with little or no pasture species, soil fertilisation and the rural land use, and to tree decline across Europe. grazing of livestock. The extent and severity The contributions of climate change and rural of RTD has reached historically high levels in land use to RTD are considered in this review and the past two to three decades. As this period recommendations for management are discussed. has coincided with an unprecedented increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, it may be speculated that climate change, a Introduction result of the Greenhouse Effect, has played a signifi cant role in RTD. Ecological similarities Rural tree decline (RTD) and dieback in between two geographically and climatically Australia have long been observed (Norton distinct Australian case studies (the Midlands 1886) but in the past three decades have of Tasmania and the New England Tablelands of reached historically high levels (Williams New South Wales), both characterised by severe and Nadolny 1981; Rees 2000).
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