Understanding plant uptake of organic and inorganic nitrogen for optimal fertiliser application in forestry. Nitrogen (N) in soils occurs in both organic and inorganic forms. Plants can take up inorganic N - nitrate and ammonium - but, on average, these account for only 5% of the soluble N in soils. Recent evidence suggests that plants may be able to tap into some of the 95% of N that occurs in organic forms. We will investigate the importance of organic N uptake for two plantation Eucalyptus sp ....Understanding plant uptake of organic and inorganic nitrogen for optimal fertiliser application in forestry. Nitrogen (N) in soils occurs in both organic and inorganic forms. Plants can take up inorganic N - nitrate and ammonium - but, on average, these account for only 5% of the soluble N in soils. Recent evidence suggests that plants may be able to tap into some of the 95% of N that occurs in organic forms. We will investigate the importance of organic N uptake for two plantation Eucalyptus species by tracing the uptake of different N forms by bacteria, fungi and eucalypts. This information will redefine what is meant by 'available N' and will guide the development of a new test for soil N status.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
ARC Australia-New Zealand Research Network for Vegetation Function. Plant species vary widely in quantitative functional traits, and in their relations to climate, soils and geography. Global generalizations are emerging. Vegetation Function network will reach from plant function into genomics and crop breeding, into palaeoecology and vegetation history, into landscape management for carbon, water and salinity outcomes, into forecasting future ecosystems under global change, and into phylogeny, ....ARC Australia-New Zealand Research Network for Vegetation Function. Plant species vary widely in quantitative functional traits, and in their relations to climate, soils and geography. Global generalizations are emerging. Vegetation Function network will reach from plant function into genomics and crop breeding, into palaeoecology and vegetation history, into landscape management for carbon, water and salinity outcomes, into forecasting future ecosystems under global change, and into phylogeny, ecoinformatics and evolutionary theory. Across this span, working groups will target nine identified opportunities for breakthrough research. Each research target needs input from two or more disciplines. Together, the nine targets link across disciplines, as a network that spans from genomic to planetary scales.Read moreRead less