Tom Wright
Department of Forest and Ecosystem Science
The University of Melbourne, Creswick Campus
Water Street, Creswick, VIC 3363, Australia
Email:t.wright2@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au
Degree
PhD
Thesis title
Comparing the water relations of native vegetation in an agricultural and plantation landscape
Supervisors
Lauren Bennett (from September 2006)
Sabine Kasel (from September 2006)
Michael Tausz (from September 2006)
Project Description
The previous decade has seen a significant growth in the area of land under plantation forests, largely driven by a burgeoning pulpwood industry. This growth has been concentrated in the traditional ‘wheat-sheep belt’ of south western and south eastern Australia, where agricultural land has been converted to Eucalyptus globulus ssp. globulus (Blue Gum) plantations. Such a major change in land use (or matrix) has an impact on the movement of energy and matter across the landscape and important consequences for the environmental conditions of surrounding ecosystems. This study investigates how the conversion of agricultural land to Eucalyptus globulus ssp. globulus affects adjacent remnant vegetation, with particular focus on the microclimate and plant physiological responses at remnant edges.
Previous studies on the effects of change in land use from agricultural land to plantation support two contrasting hypotheses. There is less ground water recharge under plantations than agricultural crops/pasture, therefore the water supply to neighbouring deep-rooted vegetation could be reduced and the vegetation more water-stressed. Alternatively, remnant edges adjacent to plantations could be less-water stressed due to remnant edges being buffered against wind and light exposure, resulting in less evaporation.
The study is located in the northern half of The Green Triangle Plantation Region (south-eastern South Australia and south-western Victoria), where Blue Gum plantations occupy about five per cent of the region. The remnant vegetation community of interest is Eucalyptus baxteri/E. arenacea heathy woodlands.
Publications
Wright T, Stockdale M, Hamilton S, Robinson D, O'Dwyer C (2006) The influence of management techniques on vegetation dynamics of grasslands in Northern Victoria . Veg Futures 06 Conference Proceedings, Greening Australia , March 20-22 2006, Albury, NSW.
Wright T, Stockdale M, Hamilton S, Robinson D, O'Dwyer, C (2005) The influence of management techniques on vegetation dynamics of grasslands in Northern Victoria : interim findings. Fourth National Native Grasses Conference, Stipa, October 11-13 2005, Burra , South Australia .
Qualifications
BRM (Hons) School of Resource Management, University of Melbourne
Thesis: The effects of time-since fire and burning season on the floristics and structure of Victoria's Northern Plains Grasslands.
Supervisor: Dr Steve Hamilton (School of Resource Management, University of Melbourne).
Links
Co-operative Research Centre for Forestry - www.crcforestry.com.au
Ecophysiology and Ecosystem Processes Group