Field Botany Manual 2010

Field Botany Manual 2010

List of sites to be visited Site no. LOWLAND: 0-600m East South Altit. (m) 1.1 Dry sclerophyll forest - near the park 4775 52739 185 entrance 1.2 Wet sclerophyll forest - near the Tall 4755 52743 250 Trees Walk 2.1 Sedgeland/heathland near the post- 46563 52647 275 /pre-Carboniferous geolog. bound. 2.2 Sclerophyll shrubbery (Kallista Ck) on 46142 526569 380 the Scotts Peak Dam Road 2.3 Tim Shea – inter- & intraspecific 4562 52703 926 variation in eucalypts 2.4 Rainforest - the Creepy Crawly Nature 44968 525744 463 Walk, Scotts Peak Dam Road 2.5 Buttongrass moorland with E. nitida 44945 525159 395 copses - Gelignite Creek Site no. SUB-ALPINE: 600-1000m (E. delegatensis - E. coccifera) 1.3 Sphagnum bog - near the Lyrebird 4732 52742 645 Nature Walk 1.4 Mixed forest - Lyrebird Nature Walk (alt. 4728 52746 680 680m) 1.5 Subalpine woodland near Lake Fenton 4695 52746 1000 1.6 Subalpine sclerophyll woodland at 4685 52741 1050 Wombat Moor 1.7 Subalpine woodland near Lake Dobson 4663 52739 1000 Site no. ALPINE: alt. over 1000m 1.8 Coniferous shrubbery & Sclerophyll 4657 52742 1240 heath- above Ski Huts 1.9 Coniferous shrubbery & alpine 4648 52757 1180 rainforest- Roberts Tarn 1.10 Herbfield & microshrubbery - halfway 4641 52758 1150 along Tarn Shelf 1.11 Coniferous shrubbery & Sclerophyll 4639 52757 1150 heath after fire 1.12 Microshrubbery (cushion plant 4631 52771 1280 community) at Newdegate Pass Site no. Logged lowland mixed-forest 3.1 Clearfelled, burnt, 1999, "natural 4663 52638 400 regeneration" 3.2 Clearfelled, burnt, 1990, "natural 4633 52633 350 regeneration" 3.3 Clearfelled, burnt, 1951, "natural 4666 52634 420 regeneration" 3.4 Selective logging, not burnt, 400years, 4720 52596 350 Published by the School of Plant Science, University of Tasmania Private Bag 55, Hobart 7001 February 2010. www.utas.edu.au/docs/plant_science/field_botany/field Contents Unit outline........................................................................................... 2 Outline of activities ............................................................................. 4 Assessment ......................................................................................... 6 Reference Guide.................................................................................. 9 Plant Names & Derivations................................................................. 17 Key to Dicot. Families ......................................................................... 20 Key to Monocot. Families ................................................................... 25 List of Plant Communities .................................................................. 28 Notes - Community Descriptions & Scoresheets ............................ 29 Ecology & conservation of a rare & endangered species............... 137 Eucalyptus morrisbyi – Threatened species listing statement .............. 142 Warra longterm ecological monitoring project....................................... 146 Appendix 1 - Species List for Mt Field ................................................. 150 KPA375 Field Botany - Mt Field Handbook 2 UNIT OUTLINE Weight 12.5% Prerequisites KPA214 & KPA215 or KPA210 Ecology of Tasmania Co-requisites KPA379 Plant Ecology is recommended Teaching pattern Lectures, tutorials & field work over 8 days Mon 8th - Fri. 12th Feb. 2010 Mt Field National Park, Mon. 16th - Wed. 18th Feb excursions from Sandy Bay campus Campus Field-based course, Mt Field National Park / ex Sandy Bay campus Lecturers Prof Jim Reid, Paddy Dalton & Rob Wiltshire (Unit Co-ordinator) Introduction The first part of the course is field-based, with informal lectures & practical exercises conducted in the Mt Field National Park & SW Tasmania over 5 days, with some plant identification work at night. There is a quite strenuous walk along the Tarn Shelf, over Newdegate Pass & back along the Rodway Range. Students that are not physically fit must seek the advice of the unit coordinator. This part of the course is based at the Giant’s Table, Maydena. The second part of the course introduces demographic techniques, conservation strategies & practice, & examines applied ecological practice in forestry harvesting methods in wet sclerophyll forest in the long-term monitoring site at Warra as day excursions from the Sandy Bay campus. Assessment is by: a field test (50%) on the last day of the course, assessing plant identification ability & an understanding of the ecological processes shaping the vegetation; two reports based on data collected in the field (40%); & a group plant collection (10%). Transport Transport to Mt Field from the University is provided. Vehicles will depart from the Life Sciences car park at 9:00 am Mon. 8th Feb. & return at 5:00 pm on Fri. 12th Feb. Please bring your lunch, waterproofs & collecting gear packed separately for Day 1. Equipment 1. Adequate clothing is essential; warm clothes, good boots & waterproof clothing are required for protection against rain, wind & snow. The weather at Mt Field can be very changeable & work will proceed regardless of weather. Swimming is possible in good weather, so bring bathers. Also bring spare footwear & clothing for evening wear. Bring a light daypack for day trips 2. You will be working at 1000 metres, so bring a sunscreen (15 +), insect repellant & a shade hat. 3. Bring personal collecting equipment, field note books, masking tape, zip-lock plastic bags, hand lens, camera, clipboard & texts. Accommodation & Costs Accommodation is luxurious this year, but you will need to bring your own fluffy dressing gown, slippers, & towel. There is a levy of $120 to help cover accommodation costs, the School will fund the remainder. This should be paid prior to the course at the Cashiers Office (Admin. Building), quoting account no. 1.10.319.44787.3807. Alternatively, you may find your own accommodation but this would diminish the experience. If you have difficulty in paying the levy, please discuss the matter with Dr Anthony Koutoulis. Cooking Dinner is supplied on all four nights. Bring food for breakfast & lunches, although milk & bread, tea & coffee will be provided. Be prepared to take lunches & drinks into the field. Collections Only small samples of plant specimens may be taken in the National Park, & samples are not to be taken next to or alongside walking tracks. Alternatively, photographic collections may be made. Enquiries: Dr Rob Wiltshire 03 62 262690 email [email protected] KPA375 Field Botany - Mt Field Handbook 3 UNIT OUTLINE OBJECTIVES OF FIELD BOTANY At the completion of this unit, students should be able to: • demonstrate an understanding of the major types of plant communities found in Tasmania • describe the key elements of the vegetation that differentiate these communities, • identify major environmental factors affecting plant growth, • describe the differences between the more common families, • identify a wide range of the more common plant species, • describe morphological & physiological strategies evolved by plants in response to their environment, • describe & distinguish between the patterns of, & processes leading to, variation within & between species, using eucalypts as specific examples, & • undertake vegetation & population surveys. KPA375 Field Botany - Mt Field Handbook 4 OUTLINE OF ACTIVITIES PART 1. PLANT COMMUNITIES OF MT FIELD & SOUTHWEST TASMANIA An outline of the week's activities at Mt Field follows, although the weather will dictate to some extent what can be achieved, & in what order. Day 1: Altitudinal transect & associated changes in physiognomy & community types • Examination of sub-alpine sclerophyll woodland, moor, mixed forest & wet sclerophyll communities & the basis of community classifications. • Species recognition, species identification, plant collection. • Altitudinal variation in plant communities & its causes. Day 2: Alpine vegetation (Tarn Shelf, Newdegate Pass, Rodway Range) • Examination of communities including: herbfields, microshrubbery (cushionplants), coniferous shrubbery, alpine rainforest. • Species recognition, species identification, plant collection. • Community identification in relation to microenvironment. • Growth habit & general morphology of microshrubbery. • Effect of fire on alpine vegetation. Day 3: East-West variation in vegetation • Illustration of the association of vegetation types with geology & soils, • Study of rainforest & buttongrass communities, plant collection. • The nature of boundaries between vegetation types. Day 4: Succession in wet sclerophyll forest & the impact of forestry practices • Temporal changes in vegetation type & physiognomy following disturbance by fire / clearfelling from year zero to 400 years. • Ecological basis of silvicultural practices in wet sclerophyll vegetation. Day 5: Bryological diversity & mophological variation in eucalypts - patterns & processes. • Identification of moss & hepatic species & ecological preferences at Growling Swallet • Morphological changes in the E. vernicosa complex on Tim Shea/Mt Field with altitude & exposure. • Inter- & intra-specific variation in E. nitida & E. coccifera on Tim Shea. KPA375 Field Botany - Mt Field Handbook 5 OUTLINE OF ACTIVITIES PART 2. APPLIED FIELD BOTANY Day 6: Population ecology & conservation of endangered species • Long term monitoring project for seedling establishment for the rare & endangered Eucalyptus morrisbyi at Calverts Hill. • Data entry Day 7: Long term ecological monitoring site at Warra • Variable retention silviculture in Tasmania – alternatives

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