Dr Richard Robinson

Qualifications

• Undergraduate: 1985 BSc, Plant Sciences, University of Tasmania. 1986 BSc (Hons), Plant Sciences, University of Tasmania.
• Postgraduate: 1997 PhD, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, CANADA.
  

Profile

I began my career in forest research as a field and laboratory technician with the CSIRO in Hobart in 1978. In 1982, I enrolled at the University of Tasmania and completed my Bachelor of Science with Honours in Plant Science in 1986. I later worked with Forestry Tasmania initially as a Teccnical Officer and then as a Research Officer on various forest conservation projects. In 1991 I gained application to undertake a PhD in the Forest Science Department at the University of British Columbia in Canada. On completion of my doctorate, I was offered a position as a Research Scientist with the Science Division in Manjimup.

I am currently engaged in research on the biology and control of armillaria root disease in karri regrowth forestry and the ecology and the effects of forest management on fungal species and communities. I also act in an advisory role on general pathology problems in native, regrowth and plantation forests.

Other areas of research I have worked in are: the biology and population dynamics of wood decay fungi, host-pathogen interactions including the histology of host reaction to infection and the production of host anti-fungal proteins. I have also undertaken various fungal survey work in both the Tasmanian rainforests and in the southern forests of WA.

Expertise

• Armillaria root disease
• Host-pathogen interactions
• Host response to wounding and infection
• Biology of wood decay fungi
• Forest mycology

Research Interests

Armillaria, armillaria root disease, disease survey, forest pathology, fungal ecology, fungi, fungi survey, fungus, mushroom, mycology, pathology, polypore, root disease, tree disease, wood decay

Research Experience

i) Honours thesis: The biology of Heterobasidion hemitephram (Now renamed Fomitopsis hemitephrum). This project described the infection biology, breeding biology and population dynamics of the wood decay fungus Fomotopsis hemitephrum in Nothofagus cunninghamii (myrtle beech).

ii) PhD thesis: Response of western larch and Douglas-fir to infection by Armillaria ostoyae. This research investigated host response, in the form of whole lesion formation, periderm formation and changes in protein profiles in phloem tissues, of western larch and Douglas-fir to infection by the root pathogen Armillaria ostoyae. This research was carried out in British Columbia, Canada.

iii) Project Officer, Forestry Tasmania: In 1990 I was responsible for researching and producing a general guide book titled "Rainforest Fungi of Tasmania and Southeast Australia". The guide includes introductory text and colour photographs of 115 species of fungi from temperate rainforest in Tasmania and Victoria.

iv) Research Officer, Department of Conservation and Land Management, Western Australia. Since 1996 I have been investigating armillaria root disease (caused by Armillaria luteobubalina) in regenerated karri forests. This has involved investigating control of the pathogen by utilising alternative operational methods in forest management and possible biocontrol using wood decay fungi. This has involved investigating the below ground incidence of the disease and behaviour of the pathogen on a range of site quality types, the effects of past thinning operations on the spread of the disease, and the effect armillaria root disease has on tree growth. The effectiveness of above-ground disease survey has also been investigated.

My other area of study is investigating the effect which fire has on the fruiting of macro fungi in regrowth karri forests. The study covers individual species as well as communities and is monitoring the succession of fungi from the early colonisers found on recently burnt ground to the more stable communities colonising long unburnt sites. The study also involves collaborative work on the taxonomy of southern forest fungi. I am also involved in FORESTCHECK where I will be monitoring fungal species and litter accumulation in the southern jarrah forest following forest management activities.

Current Science Projects

• Control of Armillaria in karri.
• Below ground incidence of Armillaria.
• The effects of fire on the fruiting of macrofungi.

Publications

View Publications here >>

Department of Environment and Conservation
Manjimup Research,
Brain Street, Manjimup WA 6258, Australia / Locked Bag 2, Manjimup WA 6258, Australia

Ph: +61 (8) 9771 7997
Fax: +61 (8) 9777 1183

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