annual report 2011 - Forestry Tasmania

Biology and Conservation - Key research and development projects (continued)
Sustainability Objective FT Staff and
Collaborators
Project name and aims 2010-11 Progress
3. Sustaining carbon stores, clean air, water and healthy forests
3.4 Weeds, pests and diseases
Control weeds, pests and diseases
to protect State forests.
Avoid use and minimise risks of
chemical control methods.
T Wardlaw
D Williams
Collaborators
University of
Tasmania,
Bushfire CRC,
DPIPWE,
University of
Melbourne
Browsing IPM
Cost-effective management of browsing that
seeks to capture maximum benefit from lowcost
non-lethal options through integration with
operational monitoring and culling.
FT E. nitens seedlots screened (nursery and field) using near infrared
spectroscopy to rank according to sideroxylonal levels. High and low
sideroxylonal seedlots identified.
Collaborated with CRC Forestry/UTas to develop experimental plan for
demonstrator IPM (stockings + repellents + genetics with operational
monitoring / culling) for establishment in spring 2011.
D Bashford
N Ramsden
Collaborators
University of
Tasmania
Sirex wood wasp
Prevent significant losses from outbreaks of Sirex
wood wasp in P. radiata plantations.
Established and maintained static traps in five plantations and introduced
nematodes into two plantations.
Supervised post-doc and PhD in ARC-Linkage research project (Ips
competition with Sirex in trap-trees).
L Jordan
T Wardlaw
K Wotherspoon
M Syme
J Elek
Collaborators
University of
Tasmania,
CSIRO
Sustainable
Ecosystems,
CRC Forestry
Leaf beetle management
An IPM system that is efficient at preventing
economic damage by leaf beetles in plantations.
Co-ordinated 2010-11 leaf beetle IPM. The program monitored 29,000 ha of
which 33% were above-threshold: nearly 5,800 ha were sprayed (96%with
Dominex), natural population reductions were measured in 1,300 ha.
Refined guidelines to make Spinsad simpler and cheaper to to use:
incentive did not result in substantial increase in useage.
Completed operational and financial analyis of the 2009-10 leaf beetle IPM
and documented in a Technical Report.
Collaborated with UTas Honours student conducting an study that related
leaf beetle populations to site, climatic and landscape attributes. Simple
risk model was developed.
Commenced study to map spatial heterogenity of leaf beetle populations:
three plantations spanning a range of population levels were mapped.
Installed and monitored growth plots to measure the impact of defoliation
on growth in mid-rotation plantations.
Documented refinements to leaf beetle IPM: two key changes proposed –
risk-based targeting of plantations to include in IPM; hybrid roadside OLPS
monitoring.
20