| External Collaborators / Partners | Department of Environment and Conservation, WA, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Edith Cowan University |
|---|---|
| UTAS Collaborators | School of Plant Science |
| Funding Source | Climate Change Adaptation Research Grants Program, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF) |
| Project Status | Current |
This research investigates ways of improving the resilience of restored ecosystems to changing climate. Restoration of fragmented and degraded landscapes requires significant investment of resources and revegetation projects have traditionally aimed to use seeds that were sourced locally to the area in which they will be planted. However, much of southern Australia is predicted to become hotter and drier, and what this means for restoration efforts and for management of existing vegetation is still unclear.
We will examine adaptation to climate in several widespread species of Australia’s dominant eucalypts to determine whether populations are adapted the climatic conditions of the site or have the genetic flexibility to adapt to changing climatic conditions. If they are adapted to the site conditions then revegetation should include seed from populations that are adapted to more arid conditions. If they have genetic flexibility then local seed sources will have the capacity for adapted genotypes to be selected when conditions change.
Research will be undertaken on populations of York Gum (Eucalyptus loxophleba) and Gimlet (Eucalyptus salubris) in south west Australia, as well as Red Ironbark (Eucalyptus tricarpa) in south east Australia. We will compare populations of these species along gradients of temperature and rainfall, and determine differences in genetic markers, and in physical traits that affect how plants cope with heat and drought, such as leaf size and shape. This will show whether the populations are each adapted to their specific climate, or whether they can adjust to a wider range of climates. A novel aspect of the UTAS part of this collaboration will be the use genome scans, with sequenced-anchored molecular markers, to detect genomic regions showing signatures of this adaptation.
The results will provide the basis for a framework to guide sourcing of plant propagules for revegetation in a changing climate, to ensure the long term success of investments in ecological restoration.
Members (External)
Project leader: Dr Margaret Byrne (DEC, WA))
Members:
Dr Dorothy Steane Dorothy.Steane@utas.edu.au (UTAS School of Plant Science and CRN Senior Research Fellow University of the Sunshine Coast)
Assoc. Prof. René Vaillancourt R.Vaillancourt@utas.edu.au (UTAS School of Plant Science)
Prof. Brad Potts B.M.Potts@utas.edu.au (UTAS School of Plant Science)
Dr Elizabeth McLean (CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences)
Dr Suzanne Prober (CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences )
Prof. William Stock (Edith Cowan University)
Dr Andrzej Kilian (Director, Diversity Arrays Technology Pty Ltd, Canberra)