Melbourne School of Land and Environment Department of Forest and Ecosystem Science

Dr Chris Weston

 
Position Senior Lecturer
Address Department of Forest and Ecosystem Science
University of Melbourne
Water Street, Creswick, Victoria 3363
Australia
Email weston@unimelb.edu.au
Phone +61 3 5321 4103 / +61 (0) 409 40 60 58
Chris's CV

 

Photo: Chris Weston

Biography
Research Interests
Publications
Student Supervision
Teaching
DFES Staff Index

Biography

Professional experience

1991–present: Lecturer/ Senior Lecturer in the Department of Forest and Ecosystem Science, The University of Melbourne

1988–1991: APM Forests, Morwell, Victoria, Research Forester, National Afforestation Program – Eucalypt Nutrition

Qualifications

University of Melbourne, School of Botany: Ph.D (1984–1990)
Recovery of nutrient cycling in Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell. forests following disturbance

University of Melbourne, School of Botany: B.Sc. (Hons) (First Class) (1980–1983)
Nitrogen cycling and ionic mobility in soils of Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell. forests following disturbance

 

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Research Interests

 
  • Biogeochemistry and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems
  • Forest productivity and respiration fluxes of CO2 from above and below ground
  • Fluxes of greenhouse gases from forest soils
  • Nitrogen cycling and N2 fixation
 

Knowledge Transfer and professional involvement

Member, Australian Forestry Council Research Working Groups (RWG): Soils & Nutrition (RWG No. 3) and Plantation Silviculture (RWG No. 5) 1991–2000
Member, Australian Forestry Council Research Working Group: Soil and Water (RWG No. 3) 2001–2005
Hon. Federal Secretary, Australian Soil Science Society Incorporated 1994–1996
Deputy Chair — West RFA Sawlog Farming Steering Committee 2000–2004
Board Member, North Central Catchment Management Authority — Biodiversity and Vegetation Portfolio 2000–2003
Member, Parks Victoria Koala Technical Advisory Committee 2000–
Forest Soils expert for the Allen Consulting Group, Carbon Trading Options 1999
AusAid Consultant (India, Reclamation of saline soils; three working trips to India, 1994, 1995, 1996) 1994–1997
Save the Bush Program, consultant to the Australian Nature Conservation Agency 1994
Member Institute of Foresters of Australia 1992–2002

Referee for scientific manuscripts submitted to the following journals:

Australian Journal of Ecology
Plant and Soil
Plant Biology
Forest Ecology and Management
Australian Forestry
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture
Functional Plant Biology
Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
Tasforests

 

 

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Publications

Book chapters and reference works

Attiwill PM and Weston CJ (2006) Soils In Ecology: An Australian Perspective (ed. PM Attiwill & BA Wilson), pp 141 — 160.  Second Edition. Oxford University Press, Melbourne, Australia.

Weston CJ and Whittaker KL (2004)  Soil Biology In Encyclopedia of Forest Science (Eds J. Burley, J. Youngquist & J. Evans).  Volume 4 pp. 1183 — 1189.  Elsevier, Oxford.

Attiwill PM and Weston CJ (2003) Soils In Ecology: An Australian Perspective (ed. PM Attiwill & BA Wilson), pp 54 — 72.  Oxford University Press, Melbourne, Australia.

Attiwill PM and Weston CJ (2001) Forest Soils. In The Forests Handbook, Volume 1 An Overview of Forest Science. (ed. Julian Evans). pp. 157–187. Blackwell Science Ltd., Oxford.

Attiwill PM Polglase PJ Weston CJ and Adams MA (1996) Productivity and nutrient cycling in eucalypt forests of south-eastern Australia, pp. 191–227. In Attiwill, PM and Adams, MA (Editors) Nutrition of Eucalypts. CSIRO, Melbourne.

 

Journal articles and selected Conference Papers

Livesley SJ, Arndt SK, Weston CJ, Kiese R and Butterbach-Bahl K (submitted) Trace gas exchange in a fertilised and unfertilised Eucalyptus globulus plantation. Submitted for ISFS2007 – "Forest Soils and Ecosystem Health" conference Noosa QLD.

Pfautsch S, Gessler A, Rennenberg H, Weston C. Adams MA. (submitted)  Climate, topography and the growth and carbon isotope composition of Nothofagus cunninghamii at Mt Donna Buang, Victoria, Australia. Functional Plant Biology

Whittaker KL, Arndt SK, and Weston CJ, (submitted) Applying a correction factor to account for changes in carbon isotope composition of CO2 during storage in septum capped vials. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry.

Gessler A, Keitel C, Kodama N, Weston C, Winters A, Keith H, Grice K, Leuning R and Farquhar G (2007) d13C of organic matter transported from the leaves to the roots in Eucalyptus delegatensis - short-term variations and relation to respired CO2. Functional Plant Biology 34: 12 – 22.

Brandes E, Kodama N, Whittaker K, Weston C, Rennenberg H, Keitel C,  Adams MA, Gessler A. (2006) Short-term variation in the isotopic composition of organic matter allocated  from the leaves to the stem of Pinus sylvestris - effects of photosynthetic and  post-photosynthetic carbon isotope fractionation Global Change Biology 12:1–18.

Hopmans P, Bauhus J, Khanna P, and Weston C. (2005) Carbon and nitrogen in forest soils: Potential indicators for sustainable management of eucalypt forests in south-eastern Australia. Forest Ecology and Management 220: 75 – 87.

Wilson K, Pressey B, Newton A, Burgman MA, Possingham H and Weston, C (2005) Measuring and incorporating vulnerability into conservation planning. Environmental Management 35: 527 – 543

Wilson K, Newton A, Echeverria C, Weston C and Burgman M (2005)  A vulnerability analysis of the temperate forests of south central Chile.  Biological Conservation 122: 9 – 21.

Park G and Weston C (2004) Fostering regional landscape change that recognizes environmental services: efforts and initiatives in the North Central Region of Victoria.  pp 149 – 154.  Proceedings of the Australian Forest Growers Biennial Conference — Ballarat 2004: Integrating forestry into farms, communities and catchments.

O’Brien N, Attiwill PM and Weston CJ (2003) Stability of soil organic matter in Eucalyptus regnans forests and Pinus radiata plantations in south-eastern Australia. Forest Ecology and Management 185: 249 — 261.

Hooda AK, Weston CJ and Chen D (2003) Denitrification in effluent-irrigated clay soil under Eucalyptus globulus plantation in south-eastern Australia. Forest Ecology and Management 179: 547 — 558.

Mendham DS, Smethurst PJ, Holz GK, Menary RC, Grove TS, Weston C and Baker T (2002) Soil analyses as indicators of phosphorus response in young eucalypt plantations. Soil Science Society of America Journal 66 (3): 959–968 (May-Jun 2002)

Bauhus J, Khanna PK, Hopmans P and Weston C (2002) Is soil carbon a useful indicator of sustainable forest soil management? — a case study from native eucalypt forests of south-eastern Australia. Forest Ecology and Management 6072: 1–16.

Robinson MB, Polglase PJ, and Weston C (2002) Loss of mass and nitrogen from biosolids applied to a pine plantation. Australian Journal of Soil Research 40(6): 1027-1039.

Hooda N and Weston CJ (1999) The effects of site and fertilizer addition on foliage and litter quality in six-year-old Eucalyptus globulus (Labill.) plantations in Gippsland, southeastern Australia. Australian Journal of Botany 47: 189–206.

Hooda A, Weston CJ, Baker TG, Duncan M and Wall G (1998) Nitrogen removal via plant uptake and denitrification in a wastewater irrigated Eucalyptus globulus plantation. IUFRO Division No 8 Conference Proceedings, 19–23 October 1998, Kyoto, Japan, pp. 255–256.

Bennett LT, Weston CJ and Attiwill PM (1997) Biomass, nutrient content and growth response to fertilizers of six-year-old Eucalyptus globulus plantations at three contrasting sites in Gippsland, Victoria. Australian Journal of Botany 45: 103–121.

Weston CJ and Attiwill PM (1996) Clearfelling and burning effects on nitrogen mineralization and leaching in soils of old-age Eucalyptus regnans forests. Forest Ecology and Management 89: 13–24.

Judd T, Bennett LT, Weston CJ, Attiwill PM and Whiteman PH (1996) The response of growth and foliar nutrients to fertilizers in young Eucalyptus globulus (Labill.) plantations in Gippsland, southeastern Australia. Forest Ecology and Management 82: 87–101.

Bennett LT, Weston CJ, Judd TS, Attiwill PM and Whiteman PH (1996) The effects of fertilizers on early growth and foliar nutrient concentrations of three plantation eucalypts on high quality sites in Gippsland, southeastern Australia. Forest Ecology and Management 89: 213–226.

Bussau AJ, Weston CJ, Adams MA, Attiwill PM (1996) An improved method for extraction of soluble amino compounds from eucalypt leaves. In: Abstracts of The Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology/ Abstracts of The Australian Society of Plant Physiologists, Canbera 29 September to 2 October 1996.

Adams MA and Weston CJ (1993) Nitrogen transport and translocation in eucalyptus: Implications for productivity and pest management. In: Nutrient uptake and cycling in forest ecosystems, A CEC/IUFRO Symposium, Tylosand, Halmstad, Sweden. 7–10 June 1993.

Weston CJ, Attiwill PM and Cameron JN (1991). Growth and nutrition of eucalypt plantations in relation to soil type and former land use in Gippsland, Victoria, pp. 480–491. IUFRO Symposium, Intensive Forestry: The Role of Eucalypts, Durban, South Africa, September 1991.

Weston CJ (1991). Factors limiting the growth of eucalypts across a range of sites in Gippsland, Victoria. Third Australian Forest Soils and Nutrition Conference, Melbourne, October 1991.

Weston CJ and Attiwill PM (1990). Effects of fire and harvesting on nitrogen transformations and ionic mobility in soils of Eucalyptus regnans forests of south-eastern Australia. Oecologia 83: 20–26.

Adams MA, Polglase, PJ Attiwill PM and Weston CJ (1989). In situ studies of nitrogen mineralization and uptake in forest soils; some comments on methodology. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 21: 423–429.

Weston CJ and Bennett LT (1989). Soils, nutrients and eucalypt growth in Gippsland. Proceedings of the Australian Soil Science Society Workshop: Soil Types and Tree Growth: Diversity of Soils for Plantation Forestry, Creswick, July 1989.

Attiwill PM, Adams MA, Polglase PJ and Weston CJ (1984). Modification of litter and biomass by fire. Paper presented to the Australian Forestry Council Research Working Group No.3, Soils and Nutrition, Launceston, August 1984.

 

Industry Reports

Franks EJ, England JR, Weston CJ, Falkiner RA and Polglase PJ (2007) Assessing early growth of environmental plantings in relation to site and management factors in north central Victoria. Client Report No. 1776 for Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. 50 pages, Ensis CSIRO/Scion.

Bennett, LT, Weston, CJ and Attiwill, PM (1995). Chemical analysis of soils from young eucalypt plantations in the Latrobe Valley. Unpublished report to Amcor Plantations Pty Ltd, Maryvale.

Ferguson, IS, Weston, M, Burgman, MA, Weston, CJ, Spencer, RD and Miller, K (1994). Save the Bush Program: Strategic Planning Report. School of Forestry, The University of Melbourne, June 1994. Unpublished report to the Australian Nature Conservation Agency, Canberra.

Weston, CJ, Cameron, JN, Whiteman, PH and Attiwill, PM (1989). Nutrient characteristics at two years in 1986 Eucalypt species by site study. APM Forests Technical Report No. 89/4 (unpublished).

Howell, CI, Weston, CJ and Cameron, JN (1992). Fertilizer recommendations for eucalypts based on 1986 and 1989 nutrition trials. APM Forests Technical Report 92/10 (unpublished).

Weston, CJ, Cameron, JN, Whiteman, PH and Attiwill, PM (1989). Summary of initial foliage and soil nutrient characteristics of Eucalyptus globulus, E. nitens and E. regnans two year post-planting fertilizer trials. APM Forests Technical Report No. 89/6 (unpublished).

Weston, CJ, Attiwill, PM and Cameron, JN (1991). Response to three rates of fertilizer addition in three-year-old Eucalyptus globulus and E. nitens. APM Forests Technical Report 91/14 (unpublished).

Weston, CJ (1991). Height growth at 14 months in the 1989 eucalypt NPK factorial nutrition trials. APM Forests Technical Report No. 91/9 (unpublished).

Weston, CJ, Bennett, LT, Whiteman, PH, Appleton, R and Krygsman, M (1989). Effect of fertilizer form, placement and rate of application on early growth of Eucalyptus regnans. APM Forests Technical Report No. 89/17 (unpublished).

Weston, CJ, Attiwill, PM and Cameron, JN (1991). Response to three rates of fertilizer addition and soil and foliage nutrient parameters in young eucalypt plantations. APM Forests Technical Report 91/8 (unpublished).

Turvey, ND, Stark, N, Cameron, JN and Weston, CJ (1990). Preliminary study of nutrient content of xylem sap as a diagnostic tool in P. radiata. APM Forests Technical Report 90/19 (unpublished).

Krygsman, M, Whiteman, PH and Weston, CJ (1990). Eucalypt pre-plant herbicide screening trial. APM Forests Technical Report No. 90/21 (unpublished).Weston, CJ, Stark, N, Turvey, ND and Cameron, JN (1990). Appraisal of xylem sap analysis as a method for determining nutrient requirement of young eucalypts. APM Forests Technical Report 90/18 (unpublished).

Whiteman, PH, Cameron, JN and Weston, CJ (1989). Carry-over of phosphorus in litter and soil thirteen years after application and two years after clear falling P. radiata. APM Forests Technical Report No. 89/22 (unpublished).

Bennett, LT, Weston, CJ and Cameron, JN (1989). Outline of the 1989 Eucalypt NPK factorial nutrition trials. APM Forests Technical Report No. 89/24 (unpublished).

 

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Student Supervision

Degree

Student

Thesis title

Status

Supervisors

MForSci Hari Ram Shrestha Nitrogen fixation in Acacia obliquinervia regenerating after the 2003 alpine fires in south-eastern Australia Commenced July 2007 CJ Weston
TL Bell
PhD Kerryn McTaggart The effect of fire on soil microbial populations and processes Commenced March 2005 TL Bell
CJ Weston
LT Bennett
PhD Oka Karyanto Impact of Eucalyptus globulus plantation establishment on soil respiration and soil organic matter. Submission 2nd semester 2007 CJ Weston
SK Arndt
S Livesley
PhD Katherine Whittaker Above ground woody tissue respiration in Eucalyptus globulus plantations of south-eastern Australia Passed 2007 CJ Weston
SK Arndt
S Livesley
PhD Dean Severino Biogeochemistry of nitrogen and phosphorus in central Victorian managed forests. Passed 2007 CJ Weston
LJ Bren
P Hopmans
PhD Robert Simpson Greenhouse gas fluxes from burnt and unburnt alpine communities on the Bogong High Plains. Passed  2006 MA Adams
CJ Weston
TL Bell
PhD Eny Faridah Molecular analysis of plant responses to salt stress in eucalypts. Passed 2005 G Bossinger
CJ Weston
PhD Tarryn Turnbull Environmental influences on photosynthesis in Eucalyptus globulus. Passed 2005 C Warren
MA Adams
CJ Weston
PhD Kerrie Wilson Uncertainty and vulnerability in conservation planning. Passed 2004 CJ Weston
MA Burgman
R Pressey
PhD Dharam Sharma Remote sensing of leaf area index and land cover classification of mountain forests. Passed 2002 LJ Bren
CJ Weston
PhD Terry Walshe The parameters of stochastic disturbance in Eucalyptus regnans forests in Victoria. Passed 2001 MA Burgman
CJ Weston
PM Attiwill
PhD Anil Hooda Nitrogen leaching and denitrification under flood irrigation of Eucalyptus globulus (Labill.). Passed 2000 CJ Weston
RE White
TG Baker
PhD Neeta Hooda Nutrient cycling and nitrogen transformations in litter and soil of Eucalyptus globulus (Labill.) plantations. Passed 1999 CJ Weston
PM Attiwill
PhD Andrew Bussau Soluble nitrogen compounds in Eucalyptus globulus (Labill.) foliage; effects of site season and nutrient addition. Passed 1998 CJ Weston
PM Attiwill
PhD Nicholas O’Brien Nutritional physiology of Eucalyptus grandis and Pinus radiata irrigated with municipal effluent. Passed 1998 CJ Weston
R Sands
EKS Nambiar
PhD Michael Robinson Sustainable use of bio solids in plantation forests. Passed 1998 CJ Weston
PJ Polglase
MForSci Sakti Hadengganen The effects of competition removal on water relations, foliar nutrients and growth of thirteen-year-old Douglas Fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco. Passed 1995 CJ Weston
R Sands
MForSci Norman Kimanzu The effect of fertilizer application on the growth of Eucalyptus globulus. Passed 1993 CJ Weston
MForSci David Kamau Phosphorus and potassium sorption characteristics and their relation to seedling growth in a highly weathered kaolinite soil. Passed 1993 CJ Weston

 

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Teaching

Master of Forest Ecosystem Science

Course Coordinator

Subjects:

Forest Ecosystems - Coordinator and Lecturer
Advanced Plantation Management - Coordinator and Lecturer
Forest Research Project - Coordinator and Supervisor

Current Undergraduate Teaching

Soil and Water Resources (2nd year) - Lecturer 2003 –
Industry Project (3rd year) - Coordinator and lecturer 2007 -

Previous Undergraduate Teaching - Bachelor of Forest Science

Conservation of Australian Forests (1st year) - Coordinator and lecturer 1992-2003
Soil Science (2nd year) - Coordinator and lecturer 1991–1995
Forest Soils (2nd year) - Coordinator and lecturer 1996–2002
Forest Ecology (2nd year) - Coordinator and lecturer 1999–2001
Processes in Forest Ecology (2nd year) - Coordinator and lecturer 2002–2005
Plantation Silviculture (3rd year) - Coordinator and lecturer 1991–2002
Plantations and Farm Forests (3rd year) - Coordinator and lecturer 2002–2005
Processes in Forest Ecology (4th year) - Coordinator and lecturer 2001, 2006
Native Forest Ecosystems and Biodiversity (2nd year) - Coordinator and lecturer 2006–2008

 

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