Hot Spot
Genome-wide markers provide multi-purpose data for
Eucalyptus studies
 Two research papers were
published recently reporting the development and testing of a set
of genome-wide markers for Eucalyptus. The Diversity
Arrays Technology (DArT) markers were designed primarily for use in
genetic linkage mapping and association studies, but they are also
proving to be a powerful tool for studies of population
genetics. [read more]
What's On
CRC scientist wins Fulbright scholarship
 Dr Natasha
Wiggins, an expert on animal physiology and herbivory, was recently
awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study for twelve months at Boise
State University, Idaho, and Washington State University,
USA. [read
more]
Forest Restoration Conference, September 2011
 A symposium on the
latest advances in the technical and theoretical aspects of forest
restoration will be hosted by IUFRO in Madrid, Spain, on 27-29
September 2011. The conference will cover strategies for: ecosystem
restoration; predicting field performance using ecophysiological
indicators; producing plant material that will resist environmental
stresses; and preparing a site for best restoration outcomes.
[read
more]
Deadwood and dying trees: a matter of life and diversity
Dr Simon Grove and Dr Martin Moroni will be presenting results
from a decade of research on coarse woody debris at the
‘International Symposium on Dynamics and Ecological Services
of Deadwood in Forest Ecosystems’, to be held in Quebec in
May. [read more]
Genetics and silviculture meeting in Brazil
Brazil is a world leader in plantation eucalypt forestry, so
where better to hold a meeting to discuss "... silvicultural and
genetic strategies to minimize Eucalyptus environmental
stresses: from research to practice"? Prof Brad Potts has
been invited to give one of the plenary talks in the session on
"Genetics of Eucalyptus" and will present "Advances in
eucalypt genetics: From genes to ecosystems". [visit conference website]
Disturbance dynamics in boreal forests
 The 7th international
conference on Disturbance Dynamics in Boreal Forests will be held
in the city of Saguenay, Quebec, Canada from May 29 to June 3,
2011. The theme this year is "Managing the boreal forests to
emulate natural disturbance: utopia or reality?" While
eucalypt forests might not be strictly "boreal", the research
undertaken in Tasmania on aggregated retention is certainly
relevant. Steve Read (Forestry Tasmania) will be presenting
this research in a talk entitled "Silviculture guided by natural
disturbance: variable retention in wet eucalypt forests" [read
abstract].
To find out more, visit the conference
website.
Strong representation of CRC at International Botanical
Congress
 The
International Botanical Congress, held once every four years, will
be held in Melbourne in July 2011. The CRC will be
represented by Prof Brad Potts, Assoc Prof Rene Vaillancourt, Dr
Julianne O'Reilly-Wapstra, Dr Dorothy Steane, Ms Christina Borzak
(all from UTAS) and Dr Merv Shepherd (SCU). The delegation
will be involved in organising and chairing symposia as well as
presenting talks and posters. [read more]
What's Been On
Eucalyptus studies contribute to foundation species
conference
 Prof Brad Potts was
invited to contribute to a conference on “The genetics of
foundation species as drivers of ecological processes” that
was held in February 2011 in Flagstaff, Arizona. Brad presented
results of community genetics studies involving Eucalyptus
globulus, a tree that is gaining a reputation as a model
species for this type of research in the southern hemisphere.
[read
more]
CRC scientists attend STBA technical advisory meeting
The annual technical advisory meeting of the Southern Tree
Breeding Association was held in Melbourne on 8-10th March
2011. The CRC was represented at the meeting by Brad Potts,
Matthew Hamilton and PhD student David Blackburn, all of whom
presented talks. Matthew presented a research update on work being
undertaken on Mycosphearella genetics in subproject 4.2.10 and David overviewed his PhD
research being undertaken in research program 2. Brad
presented talks on quantitative genetics of Eucalyptus
globulus, the status of the myrtle rust in Australia (click
here
for more information) and also provided an update on progress with
the development of the CRC for Forestry application for extension
(see prospectus).
Native grassland management field excursion
 Native grassland is
embedded amongst eucalypt forests in many production landscapes in
Tasmania and active management is often required to maintain
biodiversity values. Gunns Ltd, the Tasmanian Land
Conservancy and the Cradle Coast Natural Resource Management hosted
a two-day field visit on the 14th and 15th December 2010 that
addressed issues of montane native grassland and moorland
conservation and management in north-west Tasmania. [read
more]
Tree hollow management and Tasmanian micro-bat field
event
 In March 2011 the
Forest Practices Authority (FPA, Tasmania) ran an evening on tree
hollow identification and management that included an introduction
to Tasmanian bat species. Sarah Munks (FPA) reports.
[read
more]
Odd Spot
Giant eucalypts found in ... EUROPE!
 Dr Dean Nicolle, the
director of Currency Creek Arboretum - home to the largest and most
comprehensive Eucalyptus collection in the world -
recently went on a tour of Europe in search of giant trees.
While not quite as big as The Centurion, Dean did come
across some very respectable specimens. [read more]
Subproject 4.2.1 Biodiversity benefits of alternatives to
clearfelling
ARN research continues
Subproject 4.2.1 - dedicated to assessing aggregated retention
(ARN) as an alternative to clearfelling - is winding up, with just
two PhD students working hard to complete their theses. The
research, however, is set to continue in the form of an ARC Linkage
Grant at UTAS. Dr Sue Baker (who recently returned to Hobart
from a year-long fellowship at the World Forestry Institute, USA)
will work with Dr Greg Jordan and other scientists from UTAS and
Forestry Tasmania on "Managing variable retention harvesting to
maintain forest biodiversity - effect of forest influence and
successional stage on recolonisation". Click
here for more information.
Subproject 4.2.2 Biodiversity outcomes from plantation expansion
into agricultural and native forest landscapes
Forest health, tree decline and remnant restoration
 Research on remnant
eucalypt forests over the past five years has yielded much useful
information that has been incorporated into tools and
recommendations for management of remnant eucalypt
populations. Neil Davidson (UTAS) provides an overview of his
team's results into tree decline, forest health and remnant
restoration. [read more]
Student update
The end of the CRC is approaching and our post-graduate students
are cruising to their finish lines - final measurements and
analyses, paper writing, thesis production ... it's a veritable
hive of activity out there! [read more]
Subproject 4.2.3 Biodiversity value of coarse woody debris
Fungal community research attracts global attention
 A PhD thesis by Dr
Genevieve Gates is receiving extraordinary amounts of attention on
the UTAS eprints website. Her research addressed many aspects
- diversity, ecology, phenology and sustainable management - of
macrofungal assemblages found on coarse woody debris in Tasmania's
southern forests. [read more]
DELTA describes debris dynamics
The CWD team is producing publications at a rate of knots.
Nearing completion is a paper that describes DELTA - Dynamics of
Eucalypt Logs in Temperate Australia. [read more]
Subproject 4.2.5 Management of forest species of high conservation
signficance, including threatened species
Did someone call the ghostbusters? No ... it's the bat
team!
 If you were in
Tasmania's south-east this summer you might have passed a group of
people, led by UTAS PhD student, Lisa Cawthen, holding strange
looking antennae and electronic gadgetry, wandering down roads,
over hills and finally disappearing into treefern-filled gullies.
These people weren't hunting for ghosts or aliens, but for bats and
their day-time roosts. [read more]
Owl calls are not just idle chatter
 Mick Todd, has been
analysing recordings of the Tasmanian Masked Owl as part of his
doctoral studies at UTAS. He has found that there are several
types of calls - screech, continuous screech and chatter calls -
that vary with age, sex and ... the weather! [read more]
Student update
Click here for a
brief overview of student activities in subproject 4.2.5.
Subproject 4.2.6 Management of the risk of gene flow from eucalypt
plantations
Hybrid vigour key to assessing risk of gene flow from exotic
plantations
 The risk of
gene flow from exotic eucalypt plantations into wild eucalypt
populations depends on a number of factors including the movement
of pollen in the landscape, the likelihood of hybridisation between
two species and the likelihood of hybrid establishment in the
wild. A fourth factor that is being monitored is the relative
fitness of hybrids in the wild compared to the native
species. Matt Larcombe reports. [read more]
Spotting the spotted gum hybrids
 As part of
her studies on the genetics of flowering phenology and gene flow in
Corymbia, Myralyn Abasolo, a PhD candidate at SCU, is
developing a range of methodologies for hybrid identification.
[read
more]
Related references
Click here
to view a list of references relating to the management of the risk
of gene flow from eucalypt plantations.
Student update
The students affiliated with subproject 4.2.6 are in the middle
of their post-graduate studies, so field work, lab work and data
collection are in full swing. [read more]
Subproject 4.2.7 Management of genetic resources
Using genetics to plan for native carbon plantings
 Archana
Gauli, a CRC-affiliated PhD student at UTAS, is studying the
quantitative and molecular genetics of cabbage gum (Eucalyptus
pauciflora) to identify important genetic and environmental
factors that need to be taken into consideration when planting
native forests for carbon sequestration. [read more]
Stringy bark population research makes front cover of
AJB
 In the
scientific equivalent to a centrefold, Eucalyptus obliqua
has made the front cover of Australian Journal of Botany. UTAS
lecturer and photographer, Rob Wiltshire, provided a stunning
photograph of an E. obliqua canopy in Tasmania's southern
forests to illustrate Justin Bloomfield's article on E.
obliqua population structure. [read more]
Student update
For the latest news on student activity in subproject 4.2.7, click
here.
Subproject 4.2.8 Integrated management of browsing mammals
Operational testing of a defensive chemical 'fence'
Operational trials of Eucalyptus nitens (shining gum)
deployment stock will be planted in spring to determine whether
planting the perimeter of a plantation with genotypes that are
relatively high in marsupial-deterring compounds results in an
overall decrease in browsing throughout the field trial. [read more]
Genetics study tackles biotic effects of drought
 A new
CRC-affiliated PhD student at UTAS, Adam McKiernan, will study the
effect of drought on the defensive chemistry of Eucalyptus
globulus (Tasmanian blue gum) and the consequences for
associated biota. [read more]
Subproject 4.2.9 Lethal trap trees
Seventh heaven for beetles
 This summer
was perfect for beetles and their entomological mates in
Tasmania. Perfect conditions for a really good final test of
the trap trees. [read more]
Subproject 4.2.10 Improving Mycosphaerella leaf
disease resistance in Eucalyptus globulus
Leaf defensive chemicals and Mycosphaerella leaf
disease
Eucalypts have to put up with attacks from browsing mammals,
insects and fungi such as Mycosphaerella leaf disease
(MLD). We know that eucalypts produce nasty chemicals to
counter at least some of these attacks ... but do the chemicals
produced for one purpose have any effect on the incidence or
magnitude of attack from other enemy lines? Matt Hamilton
(UTAS) has been investigating whether there is any relationship
between leaf defense chemicals produced to deter marsupial browsers
and MLD damage on juvenile foliage. [read more]
The genetic relationship between
Mycosphaerella leaf disease and growth
 Over the
past seven years, blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) progeny
trials have been established in north-western and north-eastern
Tasmania to study the genetics of Mycosphaerella leaf
disease (MLD). This valuable resource will produce genetic
data for many years to come and it is important that the trials are
monitored regularly for growth and health traits. At present
the trials range from just three to seven years old. They were
assessed recently for growth. [read more]
Project 4.4 Integrated Pest Management Group (Western Australia and
Green Triangle)
For the latest news from IPMG visit the IPMG website.
Related sites
Forest Practices
Authority
Applied Environmental
Decision Analysis (AEDA) newsletter
Industry Pest
Management Group
Feedback
The editor of BioBuzz is Dr Dorothy Steane. Please
contact Dot with any feedback or with your ideas for BioBuzz
15 (December 2011).
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