Gibson, N., Brown Mj, et al. (1992). "Flora and vegetation of ultramafic

areas in Tasmania." Australian Journal of Ecology 17(3): 297-303.

The flora and plant communities were surveyed of 15 areas of ultramafic

(serpentine) rock in Tasmania. Dry sclerophyll communities on ultramafic

rock were restricted to 2 areas in the north of Tasmania. In the wetter

western and southern areas the ultramafic land supported heathlands, wet

scrubs, and a wet sclerophyll/mixed forest community dominated by

Eucalyptus obliqua, E. nitida or E. delegatensis. One of the most striking

features of the ultramafic areas in Tasmania is the variable degree of

physiognomic differentiation between adjacent ultramafic and non-ultramafic

substrates at the different sites. Physiognomic differentiation is less on

non-lateritic soil types or where accumulation of colluvial material has

occurred. Only 3 ultramafic endemic taxa were recorded.

Grant, J., Laffan Md, et al. (1995). "Forest soils of Tasmania: a handbook

for identification and management." 189(5).

This book describes a range of forest soils commonly found in Tasmania in

terms of their site and profile characteristics. It provides interpretation

of potential degradation hazards for each soil and recommendations for

management. Colour photographs of typical soil profiles together with

associated native vegetation are included as an aid for identification. A

glossary of soil terms is included, as well as many annexes giving detailed

information and analysis of the soils, and listing the plant species

mentioned in the site descriptions.

Jordan, G. J., B. M. Potts, et al. (1993). "Variation in the Eucalyptus

globulus complex revisited." Aust. J. Bot no. 6: pp.

Patterns of variation of the Eucalyptus globulus Labill. complex are

reassessed by combining capsule measurements from an earlier study with

recent collections, mainly of subspecies globulus. Four groups of

populations are apparent and can be ascribed to the four subspecies

maidenii, pseudoglobulus, bicostata and globulus. Intergrade populations

between the latter three subspecies are widespread and mainly occur in the

Otway Ranges and west Gippsland. There is a continuum in capsule morphology

between the three-fruited subspecies, pseudoglobulus and bicostata.

Subspecies globulus intergrades with these three-fruited intermediates.

Three-fruited intergrade populations occurring north and south of the range

of core pseudoglobulus can be differentiated and probably represent

intergrades between pseudoglobulus and bicostata and between pseudoglobulus

and globulus respectively. The climatic regimes of the subspecies are

markedly different and most three-fruited and globulus intergrade

populations have closer climatic affinities to pseudoglobulus and globulus

respectively. Hypotheses relating to the origin of the pattern of variation

in E. globulus are discussed.

Lynch, A. J. J. and J. B. Kirkpatrick (1995). "Pattern and process in

alpine vegetation and landforms at Hill One, Southern Range, Tasmania."

Aust. J. Bot no. 6: pp.

Hill One is a wind-exposed, alpine environment in southern Tasmania. The

prevailing wind-stream is westerly. However, high intensity south-westerly

winds associated with frost events appear to control the patterning of

fjaeldmark. These winds cause necrosis of prostrate Richea scoparia and

cushion plants on their south-western side and induce migration of

individual plants in a north-easterly direction. Fjaeldmark is confined to

the exposed mountain summit and terrace and step treads. Mosaic cushion

heath occurs in more exposed and poorly drained areas than other heath

communities. The horizontally bedded sediments of Hill One have been worked

by erosional and depositional agents into a complex morphology. Large

terraces and non-sorted steps are likely to have formed from altiplanation

processes, that is, differential erosion of interbedded sediments, with

accumulation of erosional debris at the foot of the risers. Depositional

lobes and erosional washout features are actively forming in localised

areas of concentrateddrainage. The distribution of plant communities is

closely associated with rockiness, wind exposure and drainage.

Nesbitt, K. A., B. M. Potts, et al. (1995). "Partitioning and distribution

of RAPD variation in a forest tree species, Eucalyptus globulus

(Myrtaceae)." HEREDITY 1995 vol no. 6: pp.

Eucalyptus globulus is an important species for pulpwood production in

many countries. The pattern and partitioning of variation is important

baseline knowledge for tree breeding. Currently the species is divided into

four subspecies: globulus, bicostata, pseudoglobulus and maidenii. Random

Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to analyse variation in

173 representatives of 37 natural populations of E. globulus: 31 localities

of ssp. globulus (148 individuals), two localities each of ssp. bicostata

(nine individuals), ssp. maidenii (ten individuals) and ssp. pseudoglobulus

(six individuals). Ten 10-mer primers amplified a total of 162 scorable

bands, of which 149 (91.9 per cent) were polymorphic. AMOVA analysis of a

Euclidean distance matrix based on presence/absence of polymorphic bands

found most variation within localities, but significant differences between

localities and regions. Principal components analysis (PCA) identified a

major latitudinal cline in RAPD phenotype that differentiated southern

Tasmanian localities from other ssp. globulus localities on mainland

Australia. Many localities previously identified as intermediate between

subspecies globulus and other subspecies in morphology were not

intermediate in RAPD phenotype. In some cases regions which showed marked

differentiation between localities in capsule and juvenile leaf morphology

showed little RAPD differentiation between localities. RAPDs also provided

new insights into the affinities of outlying localities. Although RAPD

technology has not yet been applied to many forest tree species, patterns

of variation were similar to those found in other outcrossing species

studied using both RAPDs and other molecular markers.

Olesen, T. (1994). "Light climate as a factor in the morphological

variation of Atherosperma moschatum in a Tasmanian forest." Australian

Journal of Ecology 19(1): 40-45.

The growth of saplings of Atherosperma moschatum within a Tasmanian forest

during 1987-88 was negatively correlated with canopy closure. The dry

weights and specific leaf weights of new leaves were also negatively

correlated with canopy closure, but leaf areas showed a maximum at an

intermediate canopy closure. Leaf chlorophyll concentration was positively

correlated with canopy closure. Internode length was not correlated with

canopy closure, but the ratio of leaf dry weight to internode length was

negatively correlated with canopy closure. These results indicate that the

load of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) may be a major

determinant of variation in plant development.

Polglase, P. and P. Attiwill (1992). "Nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in

relation to stand age of Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell. I. Return from plant

to soil in litterfall." Plant and Soil 142(2): 157-166.

The N and P contents of the litter layer and the return of these nutrients

in litterfall were measured in seven stands of mountain ash (Eucalyptus

regnans) in Victoria, Australia, ranging in age from 5 years to _ 250

years. Both annual litterfall and nutrient return were correlated with

stand basal area and were high compared with other productive eucalypt

forests. In contrast, the fall of dead eucalypt leaves was constant with

stand age, demonstrating that sites are fully occupied at an early age.

Similarly, amounts of N and P in total leaf fall (overstorey plus

understorey) were constant with stand age, except for low amounts in the

stand aged 40 years where Acacia spp., important fixers of atmospheric N,

were not prevalent. The decomposition constant (k) of organic matter in the

litter layer decreased with stand age, from 0.3/year at age 5 years to

0.23/year at age 250 years. These constants also applied to N and P,

indicating a tight coupling between organic matter decomposition and

release of these nutrients from litter. The litter layer released _ 30

kg/ha of N at age 5 years, and _ 70 kg/ha at age 80 years. These results

are discussed in relation to growth of mountain ash following fire, and the

subsequent retention and accumulation of N during stand development.

Potts, B. M. and L. A. Pederick (1997). Morphology, phylogeny, distribution

and genetic diversity of eucalypts. Diseases of Eucalypts and Their

Management. P. J. e. a. Keane: in press.

West, P. w. and K. f. Wells (1992). "Method of application of a model to

predict the light environment of individual tree crowns and its use in a

eucalypt forest." Ecological Modelling 60(3-4): 199-231.

A model is described, with particular application to forests in Australia,

in which the passage of beams of light from the sun is followed through the

vegetation canopy moment by moment throughout individual days, requiring

detailed descriptions of the crown of each plant. Simulations show that

predictions by the model are consistent with theoretical expectations, and

indicate what length of time steps during a day and how frequently during a

year the model must be applied to yield useful estimates of light

absorption by a forest canopy. Results are discussed from an application to

a 12-yr-old regrowth stand of Eucalyptus regnans in southern Tasmania in

which each individual tree crown was represented either in a complex

fashion as a set of spherical shapes or much more simply as a single

ellipsoid. Predictions were made for amount of light absorbed by the crown

of each tree in this stand, average light intensity to which each crown was

exposed, and light intensity at single points within the crown of each

tree, over periods of a single hour, a single day or a whole year, and with

stand unthinned or thinned to varying degrees.

Wilkinson, G. and W. Neilsen (1995). "Implications of early browsing damage

on the long term productivity of eucalypt forests." Forest Ecology and

Management 74(1-3): 117-124.

Seedlings of Eucalyptus nitens (Deane et Maiden) and Eucalyptus regnans F.

Muell. were artificially defoliated at various times during their first

growing season in order to simulate the effects of animal browsing. Results

after 7 years indicated that there was no long term effect on the survival

and growth of seedlings that were subjected to the removal of growing tips

in the first spring and autumn following planting. The loss of half of the

crown in autumn resulted in lower survival than for unbrowsed seedlings but

the better growth rate of the surviving seedlings resulted in no loss of

total volume production. However, seedlings subjected to the loss of half

of the crown in spring produced 25% less total volume growth than unbrowsed

seedlings. The complete removal of the crown resulted in long term volume

losses of 71-97% as a result of very low survival and poor growth rates.

The poor growth of heavily browsed seedlings was attributed to their

failure to achieve dominance over the competing vegetation. Overall, the

severity of defoliation had a greater effect on survival and growth than

the timing of treatment, although browsing in autumn resulted in higher

mortality than in spring. The results confirmed the need for eucalypt

seedlings to be protected against severe browsing damage in order to

achieve site occupancy and full growth potential.Keywords: Browsing damage;

Productivity; Eucalypt forest; Eucalyptus spp.

Wiltshire, R. J. E., B. M. Potts, et al. (1992). "A paedomorphocline in

Eucalyptus . II. Variation in seedling morphology in the E. risdonii /E.

tenuiramis complex." Aust. J. Bot no. 6: pp.

Previous studies of phenotypic variation among natural populations in the

Eucalyptus risdonii /E. tenuiramis complex indicated that the two taxa are

linked by a cline in the retention of the juvenile leaf form

(paedomorphocline) and that division into the two taxa, E. risdonii and E.

tenuiramis , on the basis of these ontogenetic differences obscures the

phenetic relationships within and between the taxa. This study attempts to

remove the environmental and ontogenetic variation to reveal the

genetically based variation by examining seedling morphology. The results

suggest that genetic variation between geographically contiguous

populations of E. risdonii and E. tenuiramis is relatively small and

continuous, and classification into either taxon on the basis of seedling

phenotype is not possible for populations in this transitional area.