Coolibah (Eucalyptus coolabah Blakely & Jacobs) of the Diamantina and Warburton River systems in north-eastern South Australia J.S. Gillen June 2017 Report to the South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University Disclaimer The South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board, and its employees do not warrant or make any representation regarding the use, or results of use of the information contained herein as to its correctness, accuracy, reliability, currency or otherwise. The South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board and its employees expressly disclaim all liability or responsibility to any person using the information or advice. © South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board 2017 This report may be cited as: Gillen, J.S. 2017. Coolibah (Eucalyptus coolabah Blakely & Jacobs) of the Diamantina and Warburton River systems in north eastern South Australia. Report by Australian National University to the South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board, Pt Augusta. Cover images: Coolibah at Goyder Lagoon waterhole April 2014; coolibah at Goyder Lagoon waterhole May 2015 Copies of the report can be obtained from: Natural Resources Centre, Port Augusta T: +61 (8) 8648 5300 E: [email protected] Coolibah of the Diamantina and Warburton River Systems 2 Contents 1 Background 7 2 Coolibah - Keystone species 8 3 Taxonomic history 10 3.1 Eucalyptus microtheca vs Eucalyptus coolabah 10 4 Coolibah characteristics 15 4.1 Uses 16 5 Genetics 18 5.1 Introduction 18 5.2 Methodology 19 5.3 Sampling design Diamantina/Warburton River System 21 5.4 Sampling design Cooper Creek System 23 5.5 Discussion 25 6 Dendrochronology and demography 26 6.1 Background 26 6.2 Consequences of recruitment disruption 27 6.3 Radiocarbon analysis 27 6.4 Methodology 29 6.5 Results 31 7 Coolibah Recuitment: seed viability . flotation and seeding growth 35 7.1 Introduction 35 7.2 Seed Viability and Longevity Methodology 36 7.3 Seed Viability and Longevity Results 37 7.4 Seed Flotation Trials 39 7.5 Methodology 39 7.6 Results 40 7.7 Discussion 40 7.8 Seedling growth experiment 41 7.9 Materials and methodology 41 7.10 Results 43 7.11 Discussion - Seed viability and longevity 47 7.12 Discussion - Seedling growth and development 49 8 Palatability 53 8.1 Introduction 53 9 Coolibah water use 56 9.1 Background 56 9.2 Methodology 56 9.3 Results 57 Coolibah of the Diamantina and Warburton River Systems 3 10 Estimated Coolibah biomass 58 10.1 Introduction 58 10.2 Methodology 58 10.3 Results 59 11 Ethnology of Coolibah - Aboriginal uses 61 11.1 “Coolibah” and associated nomenclature 63 11.2 Coolibah as source of food 65 11.3 Coolibah as source of moisture 68 11.4 Coolibah as Pharmacopoeia 69 11.5 Coolibah and hunting 70 11.6 Coolibah as building material 71 11.7 Coolibah and ceremony 73 11.8 Coolibah and communication 74 11.9 Coolibah and artefacts 75 11.10 Coolibah and play 77 11.11 Mythology totemism and the spiritual 77 12 Summary and recommendations 83 13 Acknowledgements 86 14 Bibliography 88 15 Appendix A 94 15.1 Seed Viability Results – CSIRO Australian Tree Seed Centre 94 16 Appendix B 97 16.1 Seed Collection Details 97 17 Appendix C 103 17.1 Seedling Growth Analyses Results – Total Biomass (g) 103 18 Appendix D 106 18.1 Seedling Growth Analyses Results – Foliage and Stem Dry Weight (g) 106 19 Appendix E 112 19.1 Seedling Growth Analyses Results – Root Dry Weight (g) 112 20 Appendix F 115 20.1 Seedling Growth Analyses Results – Height (cm) 115 21 Appendix G 122 2 21.1 Seedling Growth Analyses Results – Total Leaf Area (cm ) 122 22 Appendix H 129 22.1 Soil Analyses Results – Andrewilla Waterhole pH, EC & Bulk Density Values 10 x 10cm (depth) samples per quadrat 129 23 Appendix I 131 23.1 Soil Analyses Results – Andrewilla Waterhole, Soil Profile- pH & EC, 1 x 50 cm profile per quadrat, 5 x 10cm increments down each profile 131 Coolibah of the Diamantina and Warburton River Systems 4 24 Appendix J 132 24.1 Soil Analyses Results – Andrewilla Waterhole- Bulk density & Soil Moisture curves 132 List of Tables Table 1 14C dating results for Cowarie cross section 31 Table 2 Average growth rates 32 Table 3 ANU Germination Results (Replicate weight = 0.2 g) 37 Table 4 CSIRO Germination Results 37 Table 5 Boland et a. germination results 38 Table 6 Loss in viability over time 39 Table 7 ANOVA results 43 Table 8 Available Nitrogen results for Mature and Immature foliage 54 Table 9 Parameter assumptions used in allometric equation 59 List of Figures Figure 1 Coolibah as a keystone species; facilitator; and bioengineer 9 Figure 2 Ferdinand von Mueller’s description of Eucalyptus microtheca 10 Figure 3 Distribution of Eucalyptus coolabah subspecies: (Hill and Johnson, 1994) 12 Figure 4 Comparison of Eucalyptus coolabah with E. microtheca (Slee et al., 2006) 13 Figure 5 Variation in Bark of E. coolabah in Diamantina study area 14 Figure 6 Left, Coolibah, D Split Waterhole; Right, Coolibah, Cooper Creek crossing Birdsville Track 15 Figure 7 Coolibah root structure; in vicinity of Yammakirra Waterhole 16 Figure 8 Pastoral industry uses of Coolibah 17 Figure 9 Levels of biodiversity; adapted from Noss (1990) 18 Figure 10 Dendrogram depicting relatedness between individuals and sites 21 Figure 11 Location of leaf sampling sites during 2015 22 Figure 12 Example of sampling structure at site level; Cowarie Crossing 2016 23 Figure 13 Location of sampling sites during 2016 24 Figure 14 All sampling sites, 2015-16 24 Figure 15 14C Calibration curve(Wood et al., 2010) 28 Figure 16 14C “Bomb Spike”(Wood et al., 2010) 28 Figure 17 Distribution of samples, 2014-2015 29 Figure 18 Left, increment corer; Upper Right, CSIRO corer; Lower right, 20mm cores 30 Figure 19 Coolibah cross section from Cowarie crossing 30 Figure 20 Atmospheric F14C from the Southern Hemisphere zone 1,2 (Hua et al., 2013). Tree wood F14C measurements calibrated to calendar age using Atmospheric F14C from the Southern Hemisphere zone curve. 32 Figure 21 Coolibah cross section from Mona Downs Waterhole 33 14 Figure 22 estimated C Dates 33 Coolibah of the Diamantina and Warburton River Systems 5 14 Figure 23 C dates on calibration curve 33 Figure 24 Potentail age of Mona Downs tree 34 Figure 25 Sapling cross section, Ultoomurra Waterhole 34 Figure 26 Distribution of sites from which Coolibah seed was collected 2015-2016 36 Figure 27 Coolibah seed viability across sites 38 Figure 28 P50 for Coolibah seed 39 Figure 29 Experimental treatments 41 Figure 30 Soils collected from Kalamunkinna Waterhole 41 Figure 31 Experimental design 42 Figure 32 Seedling root growth 43 Figure 33 Experimental results; Total biomass; dry and wet treatments 45 Figure 34 Seed Growth, Left; Drought treatment; Right; Flood Treatment 45 Figure 35 Comparative seedling root development between soil treatments 46 Figure 36 Coolibah root development; D Split Waterhole 47 Figure 37 Conceptual model of hydrochory 49 Figure 38 Source ; (Gillen, 2010)’ 51 Figure 39 (Source: Dr William Foley) 53 Figure 40 Left, browse line on mature Coolibah. Right, “Bonsaied” form 53 Figure 41 Graphical depiction of Available Nitrogen results 54 Figure 42 Location of sap flow loggers 56 Figure 43 Left, sensors attached to Coolibah trunks. Right, Solar panels powering sensors/loggers 57 Figure 44 Estimation of potential Carbon sequestered 59 Figure 45 Comparative coolibah densities 60 Figure 46 Aboriginal Language Groups, Lake Eyre Basin (source:(AIATSIS, 2008) 62 Figure 47 Location of Yuwaaliyaay language group 64 Figure 48 Coolibah seed collected by ants, Yellow Waterhole, Kalamurina Station 66 Figure 49 Water from Eucalyptus root (Noble and Bradstock, 1989) 69 Figure 50 Timber fish trap (Aiston and Horne, 2009 (2nd ed.)) 71 Figure 51 Shelter under construction (Basedow, 2012 (2nd ed.)) 72 Figure 52 Graves (Basedow, 2012 (2nd ed.)) 73 Figure 53 Screen of Coolibah foliage (Aiston and Horne, 2009 (2nd ed.)) 74 Figure 54 Message sticks(Aiston and Horne, 2009 (2nd ed.)) 74 Figure 55 Fighting with Murrawirrie (Aiston and Horne, 2009 (2nd ed.)) 76 Figure 58 Conceptual understanding of main supporting drivers and threats 85 Coolibah of the Diamantina and Warburton River Systems 6 1 Background This study is a component of a larger multidisciplinary project to; identify the biophysical processes influencing ecosystem health; sustain biodiversity; and inform environmental water requirements within the Diamantina River system in far north-east South Australia. The project was funded by the Australian Government with the intent to “maintain ecosystem function and increase ecosystem resilience to climate change; and increase and improve the management of biodiverse carbon stores across the country”. The funds were awarded to the South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board (SAAL NRM Board) and co- administered with the South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR) Evidence of detailed autecological studies of Australian floodplain perennial species of arid zone environments is limited in the literature. There have been two studies of Eucalyptus coolabah in the far north-east of South Australia. The first examined the basic demography of Eucalyptus coolabah in the lower reaches of the Cooper near the Birdsville track. The second examined the water sources accessed by Eucalyptus coolabah at sites on the floodplain of the Diamantina and Neales Rivers. Both authors refer to the dearth of knowledge regarding the ecology of this species (Costelloe et al., 2008, Roberts, 1993). Coolibah of the Diamantina and Warburton River Systems 7 2 Coolibah - Keystone species This autecological report forms an adjunct to the related synecological report of the riparian vegetation communities of the study region (Gillen 2017).