Our Research: Research Program 2

Program Leaders:

Professor Giles Hardy and Associate Professor Erik Veneklaas

Strategic Goal for the Program:  

To understand the causes and processes behind woodland and forest declines to assist in the implementation of adaptive management to control these declines.

Program Challenge:

In order to manage and restore trees in decline in Australian ecosystems it is necessary to understand the causes and processes behind the declines. While the Program works on the premise that the simultaneous decline of several tree species points to a common basic driver, such as climate change, it is unlikely that the rate, extent and mechanisms of decline are the same in all areas and for all species. Detailed research comparing the physiology of healthy and declining trees in the landscape, as well as analysis of the environment below and above ground are essential. This approach requires examination of key biotic and abiotic indicators of tree decline. They include tree responses to drought and nutrient stresses, attack by primary pathogens, deleterious changes in soil properties, and changes in soil microbial diversity and function.

Our hypothesis is that only through detailed study of the biology, biological processes and resource utilization of trees in their environment can identification of the causes of tree decline be made. This knowledge will then enable us to devise options for their management and recovery. Four research projects will cover the breadth of the research that is required to underpin the Program. Study sites will be in common with Program 1 and data will be integrated across Projects in order that the rate of spread of tree declines and their biological attributes can be integrated into spatial and temporal models.

Project Leader/s: Dr. P. Barber, Dr. C. Stone,
Project Team: Professor B. Dell, Professor G. Hardy, Mr. G. Behn, Associate Professor E. Veneklaas, Associate Professor N. Coops, Dr. L. McCaw

Objective: Produce accurate maps of the distribution of iconic woodland and forest species and develop techniques for quantifying their canopy health using remotely sensed data; use this data to investigate correlations with archived and field-acquired data and develop and validate models for predicting the likely distribution of decline throughout Western Australia; determine strong correlations between canopy health indicators on the ground and spectral and textural indices in the high-resolution remotely sensed imagery.

<< Page top

Project Leader/s: Professor G. Hardy and Professor B. Dell
Project Team: Dr. B. Bowen, Dr. O’Brien, Dr. P. Barber, Dr. T. Burgess, Dr. Y. Cai, Dr. R. Robinson, Dr. G. O’Hara, Dr. N. Davidson

Objective: To determine whether changes in the diversity and species of mycorrhizal fungi and rhizosphere microorganisms are associated with tree declines.

<< Page top

Project Leader/s: Prof. G. Hardy
Project Team: Prof. B. Dell, Assoc. Prof.  E. Veneklaas, Dr. Paul Barber, Dr. T. Burgess, Dr. C. Dunne, Prof. Jiang, Dr. G. O’Hara, Dr. T. Jung

Objective: To determine if pests and pathogens are associated with tree decline syndromes, and whether the incidence and severity of pests are increasing due to global climate change.

<< Page top

Project Leader/s: Assoc. Prof. E. Veneklaas
Project Team: Assist. Prof.  M. Renton, Assist. Prof. P. Poot, Dr. P. Barber, Prof. B. Dell, Prof. G. Hardy, Prof. R. Hobbs, Dr. J. Kinal, Dr N Davidson

Objective: To identify the key site factors and tree physiological traits that determine the nature, magnitude and rate of response of trees to a long-term decline in rainfall

<< Page top

Project Leader/s: Assoc. Prof. E. Veneklaas
Project Team: Prof. Hardy, Dr. T. Burgess, Dr. P. Poot.  Dr. J. Farr, Prof. Jiang

Objective: To determine, for key woodland tree species, how abiotic and biotic factors interact to create a tree decline phenomenon. 

<< Page top

Program Leaders:

	Professor Giles Hardy
	Associate Professor Erik Veneklaas

Projects

Project 2.1
Project 2.2
Project 2.3
Project 2.4
Project 2.5

Sister Sites