Living Eucalyptus obliqua trees and logs as habitat for wood
Transcript of Living Eucalyptus obliqua trees and logs as habitat for wood
Living Eucalyptus obliqua trees and logs as habitat for wood-inhabiting
fungi in southern Tasmania
Anna HopkinsCRC-Forestry & University of Tasmania
Current address: Scion Forest Biosecurity and Protection, Rotorua, New Zealand
Forestry in TasmaniaForestry in Tasmania
Rotation lengths of 80-100 years
Reduction of old growth trees (>150 yrs)
Reduction of large diameter logs (>120cm)
Alteration to stand and CWD dynamics
Forests still largely untouched, unharvested
Research Questions:Research Questions:
•What fungi are found within living Eucalyptus obliqua trees and logs?
•Is there a change in the number and community structure of wood-inhabiting fungi:-as trees age?-in large and small diameter logs?-in regrowth and mature forests?
•Eucalyptus obliqua in native forests in Southern Tasmania
•At the Warra LTER and surroundshttp://www.warra.com/
•60 km south-west of Hobart
MethodsMethods
Cultures of wood-inhabiting fungi
Traced patterns of decay
Incubated decayed wood on specialised media
Dissected stem/log at several points
MethodsMethods
•Two studies on E. obliqua:
•18 trees (69yo, 105yo, >150yo)
•36 logs - large (>85 cm) & small (30-60 cm)- logging regeneration & mature forest
•Associated with beetle and rot type studies
Morphospecies of beetlesRotten wood types
• Trees:• Over 300 individual fungal isolates• 91 species: 20 common, 71 only found once• 57 species unnamed to order• Common taxa: Postia, Coniophora, Hymenochaetaceae,
Athelia, Stereum.
• Logs:• More than 500 fungal isolates• 60 common species: 28 named• Common taxa: Postia, Coniophora, Ganodermataceae,
Armillaria
Mature trees have more species
Significantly more species in old trees (>150yo)
Younger age classes had similar numbers of species
Totals: >150 = 56, 105 = 21, 69 = 26
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68
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1416
69 105 >150
Tree Age Class
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f Spe
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of F
ungi
Small trees are still significant
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Cumulative cross-sectional area (cm2)
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69105>150
Adjusting for sampling effort:
More species in 69yo trees when equal samples compared
Mature trees have different fungi
Mature trees (>150yo) have distinct communities of wood decay fungi
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Cumulative Cross-Sectional Area (cm2)
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Fungi change with log size
•More species in small logs when equal samples compared
Fungi change with log size and forest type
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Canonical axis for forest type
Can
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Regenerating forest, Large log
Regenerating forest, Small log
Mature forest, Large log
Mature forest, Small log
•Fungal community composition is affected by:-Log size-Forest type•Large logs & mature trees similar
Are old trees and large logs special?
-Inventory of fungi-Mature trees (>150yo) & large logs important for fungal biodiversity-Younger trees and small logs also important for fungal biodiversity-Fungal community changes with forest type
-Patterns supported by beetle and rot data
Implications for forest managementImportant to retain structural complexity throughout the forest landscape
-Mature trees and large logs important for fungal diversity-Fungi with specific preferences for habitat-Fungi may have a specific functional role
Current trial of aggregated retention (15-30% retained)-Retention of living trees within stands-Temporal continuity of tree ages
Advocate adaptive management techniques-Dispersal capabilities of fungi-Effect of microclimate and edge effects
AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements
Jack Simpson (State Forests, NSW)
David Ratkowsky (UTas)
Genevieve Gates (UTas)
Marie Yee (Forestry Tas)
Kate Harrison (CRC-F/UTas)
Yuan Zi-Qing (UTas)
Simon Grove (Forestry Tas)
Tim Wardlaw (Forestry Tas)
Caroline Mohammed (CSIRO/UTas)
Morag Glen (CSIRO)
Malcolm Hall (CSIRO)
Holsworth Wildlife Research Grant
Warra Grant fromForestry Tasmania