PhD Projects

Projects under Program 2

Project Leaders: Professor Bernie Dell and Professor Giles Hardy
Project Details: Soil microorganisms play a crucial role in the health and sustainability of plant ecosystems. They are also excellent indicators for soil health and sustainability. They influence plant health by making nutrients available to plants (Brundrett et al. 1996; Chilvers 2000); they are involved in either causing or preventing plant disease, and in resilience against drought and other stressors. Our research has shown a very low abundance of mycorrhizal root mats on the roots of declining tuarts in comparison to healthy trees. In addition, there were fewer functional microbial groups in soils supporting declining trees compared to soils with healthy trees. This study will determine whether changes in the function, diversity and species of mycorrhizal fungi and rhizosphere microorganisms are associated with tree declines. This research will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contacts:
Professor Bernie Dell | Ph: +61 8 9360 2875 | b.dell@murdoch.edu.au
Professor Giles Hardy | Ph: +61 8 9360 6272 | g.hardy@murdoch.edu.au

Project Leaders: Professor Giles Hardy and Assist. Professor Pieter Poot
Project Details: Recent data for tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala) indicates that tree health influences the presence and abundance of different bird and reptile species. One of the steps being undertaken to mitigate tuart decline is the administration of phosphite and macro and micronutrients through stem treatments to improve individual tree health. In addition, the modification of the understorey and application of treatments (e.g. mulch) may have a positive effect on soil health and in turn, overstorey canopy health. Evidence suggests that the canopy of these trees improves as a consequence, and anecdotal observations suggest that more birds may be observed using the canopy of the trees. This project will determine whether phosphite, nutrient implants and insecticide treatments singly or in combination can be used to improve crown health of individual trees. The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contacts:
Professor Giles Hardy | Ph: +61 8 9360 6272 | g.hardy@murdoch.edu.au
Assist. Professor Pieter Poot | Ph: +61 8 6488 2491 | pieterp@plants.uwa.edu.au

Project Leaders: Professor Giles Hardy and Associate Professor Erik Veneklaas
Project Details: There has been little research on the interactions of insect pests on host physiology and health especially with regards to drought stress. There has also been little research on the effect of altered states of host physiology on the susceptibility of eucalypts to attack by insect pests (borers, bark beetles, foliar pests). Forest and woodland diebacks have been associated with drought, successional changes, chronic insect herbivory and fungal pathogens (Old, 2000). Frequently, insects (e.g. Phorocantha spp.) can be isolated from stressed trees. However, their actual role in decline syndromes is poorly understood, and it is likely that their incidence and severity will increase due to stresses imposed by global climate change. In wandoo there is evidence of interactions between borer, fungal pathogen(s) and the environment in causing crown decline (Hooper 2009, PhD thesis). Similar complexities are likely in other eucalypts, probably involving different insects and pathogens. This research will determine if insect pests are playing a role in tree decline syndromes. The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contacts:
Professor Giles Hardy | Ph: +61 8 9360 6272 | Email: g.hardy@murdoch.edu.au
Associate Professor Erik Veneklaas | Ph: +61 8 6488 3584 | Email: evenekla@cyllene.uwa.edu.au

Project Leaders: Professor Giles Hardy and Dr Chris Dunne
Project Details: Phytophthora species are associated with many tree decline and death syndromes worldwide. Many of these Phytophthora species are primary pathogens, whilst others may be opportunistic and cause declines on trees that are already stressed due to other biotic or abiotic (e.g. drought, waterlogging, excess nutrients, herbicide damage, climate change, changed fire regimes). Phytophthora cinnamomi is a known primary pathogen of well over 3000 native plant species in Australia together with many horticultural species. Recently, a newly described Phytophthora, P. multivora was found to be associated with tuart (E. gomphocephala) decline and further work is required to show whether it is a primary or secondary pathogen. In addition, a number of other Phytophthora species, some new to science have been found associated with native plant species. This research will determine if Phytophthora species are playing a role in tree decline syndromes. The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contacts:
Professor Giles Hardy | Ph: +61 8 9360 6272 | Email: g.hardy@murdoch.edu.au
Dr Chris Dunne | Ph: +61 8 9334 0308 | Email: chris.dunne@dec.wa.gov.au

Project Leaders: Professor Neal Enright & Professor Giles Hardy
Project Details: This project will use sound silvicultural practices to determine whether management interventions are appropriate tools that can be used to mitigate the declines being observed in Eucalyptus gomphocephala and Eucalyptus wandoo woodlands. This could be achieved by the thinning of trees (primary trees of interest, co‐dominants) and understorey vegetation. Burning where appropriate for ash beds to stimulate recruitment may also be necessary. DEC will provide a major input to this project. The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contacts:
Professor Neal Enright | Ph: +61 8 9360 6003 | Email: n.enright@murdoch.edu.au
Professor Giles Hardy | Ph: +61 8 9360 6272 | Email: g.hardy@murdoch.edu.au

Projects under Program 3

Program Leaders: Professor Richard Hobbs and Dr Katinka Ruthrof
Project Information: An exciting opportunity exists for a PhD student to be part of a dynamic group comprising industry groups (Alcoa World Alumina Australia), government departments (Department of Conservation and Land Management) and tertiary institutions (Murdoch University and University of Western Australia) researching innovative methods for accelerating the return of fauna to restored sites and methods of managing restored sites to achieve restoration objectives. Their project will investigate the return of bats to areas restored after bauxite mining and potential management techniques for accelerating their return. The project will focus on successional processes in bat communities as restoration matures and an assessment of the value of state-and-transition models as a conceptual model to guide management of restored areas for bats, although there will be scope to expand the project into other areas. The project is field-based and will be conducted at Alcoa’s minesites, consisting of a mosaic of unmined forest and restored mine-pits of varying ages, all located within 100km of Perth in the northern jarrah forest. The northern jarrah forest is a multiple use area managed for mining, water resources, timber, recreation and conservation, so this project provides a real opportunity to conduct research that will help preserve biodiversity in multiple use landscapes. This study will complement previous research conducted on other faunal groups in restored bauxite mines and addresses an urgent need to understand responses of the south-west Western Australian bat fauna to both restoration and disturbance in general. This research will also contribute greatly to the new WA Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland & Forest Health State, based at Murdoch and UWA, and there will be additional opportunities to collaborate with researchers from that centre.

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(e.g. fire, ashbed creation, scarification and removal of adults), weed control and herbivore exclusion (i.e. controlling rabbits, kangaroos and stock)?

Project Leaders: Professor Bernie Dell & Dr Katinka Ruthrof
Project Details: A number of factors may be responsible for woodland regeneration and the failure of woodland plant species to regenerate (Yates et al. 2000). There is considerable evidence to demonstrate that grazing must be excluded, weeds controlled for any restoration program to be successful (Yates and Hobbs 1997; Yates et al. 2000). In addition, the removal of competition with adult trees can lead to improved seedling survival. Therefore, in this project, we ask whether the artificial removal of these factors (grazing, weeds) is enough to facilitate natural recruitment. We will also investigate methods of site manipulation that could facilitate natural recruitment through created disturbance events (e.g. fire, ashbed creation, scarification and removal of adult plants). The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contacts:
Professor Bernie Dell | Ph: +61 8 9360 2875 | b.dell@murdoch.edu.au
Dr Katinka Ruthrof | Ph: +61 8 9360 2605 | k.ruthrof@murdoch.edu.au

Project Leaders: Professor Neal Enright & Dr Katinka Ruthrof
Project Details: Healthy seeds, once dispersed, must escape predation and be incorporated into a soil seed reserve where they remain until specific conditions stimulate germination. However, seed predators such as ants often remove large quantities of seeds from the ground, particularly in temperate eucalypt communities. Stoneman and Dell (1994) reported that 90% of E. marginata seed were remove after one day on the soil surface. In E. gomphocephala, 35% of seeds were removed following four days (Ruthrof 2002).  The little published work on the success of broadcast seeding suggests that it has a high risk of establishment failure (Close & Davidson 2003). Temperature, water, light, seed predation, soil erosion, pathogens, allelopathy and overstorey density all have the potential to affect germination and emergence (Stoneman et al. 1994; Yates et al. 1994; Ruthrof et al. 2003; Turner et al. 2006;). For example, work undertaken in the Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest following post‐mining restoration activities showed that less than 10% of the broadcast seeds germinate and establish (Bellairs & Bell 1993; Koch & Ward 1994).  Presently, for restoration activities, broadcast seeds are ‘hidden’ from seed harvesters by scarification (prior to seeding) or raking the soil (after seeding), both of which are costly. There may be other methods of ‘hiding’ seeds from seed predators or deterring seed predators. This project investigates whether seed predators, such as ants, influences natural regeneration and broadcast seeding, and methods of protecting broadcast seeds from predators temporarily.
Contacts:
Professor Neal Enright: Ph: +61 8 9360 6003 | n.enright@murdoch.edu.au
Dr Katinka Ruthrof | Ph: +61 8 9360 2605 | k.ruthrof@murdoch.edu.au

Project Leaders: Professor Neal Enright & Dr Katinka Ruthrof
Project Details: It can take many years after planting to record significant changes in vegetation diversity and structure. However other elements of the community may respond more rapidly. Ants are very mobile animals that can rapidly recolonise suitable habitat, and are sensitive to changes in vegetation and litter cover. This project will look at the response of ant communities to different aged restoration planting in Tuart woodlands to determine if they can be used as early indicators of restoration success. The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contacts:
Professor Neal Enright: Ph: +61 8 9360 6003 | n.enright@murdoch.edu.au
Dr Katinka Ruthrof | Ph: +61 8 9360 2605 | k.ruthrof@murdoch.edu.au

Project Leaders: Professor Giles Hardy & Dr Michael Craig
Project Details: Recent data for tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala) indicates that tree health influences the presence and abundance of different bird and reptile species. One of the steps being undertaken to mitigate tuart decline is the administration of phosphite and macro and micronutrients through injection to improve individual tree health. In addition, the modification of the understorey and application of treatments (e.g. mulch) may have a positive effect on soil health and in turn, overstorey canopy health. Evidence suggests that the canopy of these trees improves as a consequence, and anecdotal observations suggest that more birds may be observed using the canopy of the trees. This project will 1) determine how treatments affect soil health and crown health of trees, 2) determine the soil and foliar parameters closely linked to declining trees and 3) identify bird and reptile species that are dependent upon healthy canopy. The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contact:
Professor Giles Hardy | Ph: +61 8 9360 6272 | g.hardy@murdoch.edu.au
Dr Mike Craig | Ph: +61 8 9360 2605 | m.craig@murdoch.edu.au

Project Leaders: Dr Michael Craig & Dr Trish Fleming
Project Details: The continual defoliation of E. rudis appears to be causing premature decline and death of this important riparian species. This defoliation appears to be closely linked to the presence of two phytophagous insects, Creiss periculosa (psyllid lerp) and Perthida sp. (leaf miner). The removal of understorey from beneath these trees may in fact remove habitat for insectivorous birds and important parasitic insects that may play a role in controlling the numbers of C. periculosa and Perthida. In addition, the removal of understorey may alter the soil biological, chemical and physical factors that help to maintain the overstorey health of E. rudis.This project will 1) determine how treatments affect soil health and crown health of trees 2) determine the soil and foliar parameters closely linked to declining trees and 3) determine the effect of understorey on insect abundance and ultimately crown health. The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contact:
Dr Mike Craig | Ph: +61 8 9360 2605 | m.craig@murdoch.edu.au
Dr Trish Fleming | Ph: +61 8 9360 6577 | t.fleming@murdoch.edu.au

Project Leaders: Dr Michael Craig & Dr Trish Fleming
Project Details: Large seeds require large animals to disperse them across the landscape. Many large vertebrate dispersers have declined in number in Australia over the last 100 years, and consequently seed dispersal may be reduced for these plants. The student will 1) determine the presence of emus in different sites through presence of scats or footprints 2) undertake scat analysis for seeds of plant species eaten and 3) assess the abundance and population structure of plant species that emus disperse to determine if there is evidence of an impact of reduced emu abundance on these plant species. The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contact:
Dr Mike Craig | Ph: +61 8 9360 2605 | m.craig@murdoch.edu.au
Dr Trish Fleming | Ph: +61 8 9360 6577 | t.fleming@murdoch.edu.au

Project Leaders: Dr Trish Fleming
Project Details: On average, woylies displace an estimated 4.8 tonnes of soil annually (Garkaklis et al. 2004). In dry sclerophyll forests, this digging behaviour has the potential to increase water infiltration (Garkaklis et al. 1998), but also to trap organic matter in subsoil levels and increase soil fungal hyphae, which can increase soil repellency (Garkaklis, et al. 2000). These data suggest that fauna can play a significant role in altering soil structure, chemistry and hydration. However the implications of these changes for ecosystem function and plant germination, recruitment and long‐term survival are unclear.  This project will elucidate the relationship between vertebrate diggings and ecosystem function. The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contact:
Dr Trish Fleming | Ph: +61 8 9360 6577 | t.fleming@murdoch.edu.au

Project Leaders: Professor Bernie Dell & Dr Katinka Ruthrof
Project Details: Mycorrhizal fungi play an important role in ecosystem health. Healthy eucalypts have a large number of beneficial symbiotic mycorrhizal fungal (e.g ectomycorrhizal fungi [ECM]) associations and these decline following disturbance. It is hypothesised that reduction in mycorrhizal abundance and diversity predisposes woodland ecosystems to opportunistic pathogens and pests and reduces the fitness of plants to recover from other stressors e.g. climate change. This loss also has ramifications for the fauna that rely on fungi as a good source, such as the woylie.
Mycorrhizas are particularly prevalent and useful in the Australian environment, where limited water, reduced soil nutrient levels and often acute temperature extremes are the norm. In drying soils, root viability is protected by the ECM association. Drought tolerance through avoidance (more soil volume is subjugated) and desiccation tolerance (roots are thicker and more resistant to desiccation damage) is a direct result of the ECM association. This project will investigate the use of various beneficial soil organisms to improve the success of restoration. The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contacts:
Professor Bernie Dell | Ph: +61 8 9360 2875 | b.dell@murdoch.edu.au
Dr Katinka Ruthrof | Ph: +61 8 9360 2605 | k.ruthrof@murdoch.edu.au

Projects under Program 4

Project Leaders: Associate Professor Susan Moore
Project Details: This project has two parts or could be two projects: (1) identifying policies currently in use to conserve high value woodlands and forests, especially those facing threats (as are the forests in SW Australia); and (2) identifying policies that could work in an adaptive management/social learning environment. Adaptive management relies ideally on policies that can be modified when new information becomes available. Such management is also assisted by policies that facilitate the setting and testing of hypotheses (i.e. experimenting), and enable monitoring to determine the results of experimenting and then modification of efforts based on the monitoring results. Social learning depends on interaction so this project could also include reviewing policy‐making processes that rely on or lend themselves to interactions between stakeholders. The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contact: Sue Moore | Ph: +61 8 9360 6484 | s.moore@murdoch.edu.au

Project Leaders: Associate Professor Susan Moore & Dr Catherine Baudains
Project Details: Policies are made by policy communities – groups if individuals and organisations that interact over time to establish and progress or sabotage policy developments. This project will identify the key policy communities associated with the Tuart (and Wandoo) and how they have historically engaged with forest management and might engage in the future through social learning processes. The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contacts:
Sue Moore | Ph: +61 8 9360 6484 | s.moore@murdoch.edu.au
Catherine Baudains | Ph: +61 8 9360 6393 | c.baudains@murdoch.edu.au

Project Leaders: Dr Tim Kurz & Dr Catherine Baudains
Project Details: This project will examine the effectiveness of current efforts in education for restoration of biodiversity and tree and woodland health. The range of education strategies currently in use with a focus on woodland and forest health will be identified and key programs or projects will be recruited for an evaluation of the educational outcomes (knowledge, attitude, behaviour) achieved as a result of participation in the educational experience or program. The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contact:
Tim Kurz | Ph: +61 8 9360 2986 | t.kurz@murdoch.edu.au
Catherine Baudains | Ph: +61 8 9360 6393 | c.baudains@murdoch.edu.au

Project Leaders: Associate Professor Renato Schibeci & Dr Catherine Baudains
Project Details: It appears that the Centre for Excellence in Climate Change, Tree and Woodland Health has engaged with the requirement for communication of the Centre’s outcomes in a non‐typical way. While other such centres would traditionally employ a communication officer to ‘deliver’ communication and education regarding the centres work, this CoE has incorporated education and communication into the research programs. This raises an interesting question: What is the role of research centres such as this one in community education, and how are the outcomes of these centres communicated? A case study examining the ways in which research centres conceptualise education and communication, and investigating the types of education and communication delivered as a result of this conceptualisation would provide some answers to these questions. The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contact:
Renato Schibeci | Ph: +61 8 9360 2168 | r.schibeci@murdoch.edu.au
Catherine Baudains | Ph: +61 8 9360 6393 | c.baudains@murdoch.edu.au

Project Leaders: Associate Professor Renato Schibeci & Dr Catherine Baudains
Project Details: Examine funding bodies’ (NHMRC, CRC, ARCs, WA CoE program) views and policies on ‘education’ and ‘communication’. Is ‘communication and education’ window dressing in funding applications? Or is there substance in these policies (such as accountability processes to ensure these policies are implemented?). The main research questions of this project are 1) What are the communication policies of major funding bodies? 2) How is the communication policy interpreted by applicants? 3) How do the successful applicants apply the policy and implement the communication requirements? 4) How does the funding body ensure compliance with the policy? The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contact:
Renato Schibeci | Ph: +61 8 9360 2168 | r.schibeci@murdoch.edu.au
Catherine Baudains | Ph: +61 8 9360 6393 | c.baudains@murdoch.edu.au

Project Leaders: Project Leaders: Associate Professor Renato Schibeci & Dr Catherine Baudains
Project Details: This project analyses the climate change research in the Centre in the context of broader current Climate Change (CC) research being conducted by research centres. It tackles the issue of whether CC can be better understood by the community in the context of specific research being undertaken by the Centre. The following research questions will be investigated 1) How effective are current strategies being used by researcher centres to communicate CC? What effect are they having? How are CC impacts perceived by the broad community? 2) Can climate change understanding be made concrete in the context of the Centre’s research? 3) Does the work and research of the Centre provide opportunities for climate change issues to be communicated in a more concrete and tangible manner? The project will contribute greatly to the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health and there will be opportunities for collaboration with other researchers in the Centre, including plant pathologists, ecologists, modellers and social scientists at Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia, and other associated agencies and institutions.
Contact:
Renato Schibeci | Ph: +61 8 9360 2168 | r.schibeci@murdoch.edu.au
Catherine Baudains | Ph: +61 8 9360 6393 | c.baudains@murdoch.edu.au

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Details: If you are interested in doing a PhD project into aspects of the physiological ecology of eucalypts such as tuart and wandoo, please contact us. There are opportunities to study tree water relations, nutrition, growth and other aspects, in the context of tree crown decline, interactions with insect pests, restoration, tree provenances, modelling etc.
Contact: Erik Veneklaas | +61 8 93897409 | evenekla@plants.uwa.edu.au

A number of projects are possible in the area of using ecological modelling to investigate the relationship between climate change and forest and woodland health. These projects could be adapted to suit Honours, Masters or PhD projects. Possible topics include:

1. Modelling the effects of fragmentation and restoration on the resilience of forests and woodlands to climate change threats
2. Using individual-based simulations of the water-use patterns of mixed tree communities to predict the effects of climate change on these communities
3. Optimal strategies for land use planning - balancing agricultural production, forest and woodland biodiversity and carbon sequestration land-use goals

Contact: Michael Renton | Ph: +61 8 6488 1959 | michael.renton@uwa.edu.au

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