Hybridisation and gene flow in Eucalyptus. We propose to use a molecular approach to study hybridisation in eucalypts. We will study the genetic barriers to gene flow and provide base-line data to assess the potential threat of genetic pollution from exotic plantations to our native forest gene pools. We will concentrate our studies on species of subgenus Symphyomyrtus which includes all the major plantation species. This will allow us to extend our long-running studies of hybridisation towar ....Hybridisation and gene flow in Eucalyptus. We propose to use a molecular approach to study hybridisation in eucalypts. We will study the genetic barriers to gene flow and provide base-line data to assess the potential threat of genetic pollution from exotic plantations to our native forest gene pools. We will concentrate our studies on species of subgenus Symphyomyrtus which includes all the major plantation species. This will allow us to extend our long-running studies of hybridisation towards understanding the dynamics and consequences of genetic invasion and help develop guidelines to minimise the risk of genetic pollution.Read moreRead less
Optimising biodiversity conservation in managed forest landscapes. How to meet human needs for timber while limiting harm to biodiversity is an urgent scientific goal. The project will address this challenge by quantifying the impacts of forestry systems and wildfire on mammal species. Novel network modelling of interactions among plants, animals, and environmental variables will establish cost-effective management improvements to maximise biodiversity values. A systematic conservation planning ....Optimising biodiversity conservation in managed forest landscapes. How to meet human needs for timber while limiting harm to biodiversity is an urgent scientific goal. The project will address this challenge by quantifying the impacts of forestry systems and wildfire on mammal species. Novel network modelling of interactions among plants, animals, and environmental variables will establish cost-effective management improvements to maximise biodiversity values. A systematic conservation planning approach will deliver spatially and temporally explicit solutions to balancing trade-offs between production and conservation taking into account dynamic impacts from climate change and fire. Outcomes will provide a foundation for policy changes to put theoretical solutions into practice.Read moreRead less
Genetic legacy of climate change in Australian temperate forests. This work will make a significant contribution to the understanding of the Quaternary history of the forests of south-eastern Australia. Finding the location of glacial refugia is crucial to the development of long-term conservation strategies, as they are areas of high genetic and species diversity. Understanding the evolutionary processes that affect genetic diversity and gene flow of these keystone species (Nothofagus cunningha ....Genetic legacy of climate change in Australian temperate forests. This work will make a significant contribution to the understanding of the Quaternary history of the forests of south-eastern Australia. Finding the location of glacial refugia is crucial to the development of long-term conservation strategies, as they are areas of high genetic and species diversity. Understanding the evolutionary processes that affect genetic diversity and gene flow of these keystone species (Nothofagus cunninghamii, N. moorei, Acacia melanoxylon, Eucalyptus viminalis) will help their long-term management.Read moreRead less
Ultra-high-throughput genotyping of Eucalyptus trees: Development and application of diversity array technology for genomic studies. A major international eucalypt genomic project is underway. Australia needs to take part because the Australian public would expect Australia to be at the forefront of research on one of its national symbols. Eucalypts are critically important to biodiversity and commercial forestry. The development of the proposed generic eucalypt DArT chip will help keep Australi ....Ultra-high-throughput genotyping of Eucalyptus trees: Development and application of diversity array technology for genomic studies. A major international eucalypt genomic project is underway. Australia needs to take part because the Australian public would expect Australia to be at the forefront of research on one of its national symbols. Eucalypts are critically important to biodiversity and commercial forestry. The development of the proposed generic eucalypt DArT chip will help keep Australia at the forefront of genetic and genomic research in eucalypts and help develop our biotechnology industry. Such research is essential for future forest tree breeding. Furthermore, eucalypt forests are one of our most important natural assets and their continual preservation requires that we develop better knowledge of their natural genetic variation and development.Read moreRead less
The future of forests under climatic stress. This project aims to measure the vulnerability of forest trees to more extreme drought as global temperatures inevitably rise. Australian forests face the immediate threat of increased mortality associated with intensifying drought stress in the future. Understanding the magnitude of this threat is of the utmost urgency. This project aims to predict future mortality of forest communities in Australia and worldwide using recent breakthroughs enabling t ....The future of forests under climatic stress. This project aims to measure the vulnerability of forest trees to more extreme drought as global temperatures inevitably rise. Australian forests face the immediate threat of increased mortality associated with intensifying drought stress in the future. Understanding the magnitude of this threat is of the utmost urgency. This project aims to predict future mortality of forest communities in Australia and worldwide using recent breakthroughs enabling the rapid quantification of lethal stress in trees. This new understanding will provide a basis upon which to make far-reaching decisions about land management, conservation and restoration.Read moreRead less
The genetics of adaptation: changing developmental trajectories in eucalypts. During their life cycles, many animals and plants undergo genetically programmed changes in form. Such changes may be dramatic and rapid as seen in insect metamorphoses or plant heteroblasty, and may have ecological, evolutionary and even economic consequences. The project aims to identify the genes controlling such transitions in Australia's eucalypts.