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
5. Sustaining science-based stewardship
5.3 Research
Use science to inform
continuous improvement in
forest policy and management.
T Wardlaw
S Grove
Collaborators
University of
Tasmania,
University of
Melbourne
Tasmanian Forest Insect Collection
Establish a set of long-term monitoring sites to
provide natural disturbance benchmarks against
which biodiversity and structural changes in the
Warra SST can be assessed. These sites fulfil the
scientific criteria of an extended “space-for-time”
design.
Combined floristic / structural data with same from SFEFL CAR Reserves
project for University of Tasmania PhD study (Jayne Balmer).
Completed three seasonal field campaigns of a collaborative study with
UMelb PhD student (Benedikt Fest) to measure soil fluxes of methane and
nitrous oxide in chronosequence plots as part of a wider study examining the
effects of forest disturbances on soil fluxes of non-CO 2
greenhouse gases.
D Bashford
A Phillips
J Lesek
Laboratory management
Maintain a functional laboratory facility to support
research.
Routine maintenance and calibration of equipment undertaken.
S Grove
S Read
T Wardlaw
Collaborators
University of
Tasmania,
University of
Melbourne,
CRC for
Forestry,
James Cook
University,
TERN
Warra development
Maintain a high public and scientific profile of the
Warra LTER.
Develop a long-term research strategy based on
the Warra Ecological Model. Promote collaborative
research at the Warra LTER site.
Collaborated with James Cook University to develop investment proposal for
Supersite Network as part of TERN 2 funding.
Two small project grants were maintained during year.
Provided summer student scholarship to sort, mount and identify beetles.
Hosted visits to Warra LTER during Science Week.
All research staff
Communications
Maintain strong linkage between research and
science-based forest management.
Maintain a high profile for credible research within
the scientific community.
Staff from the branch were involved in two radio interviews, presentations
at 10 workshops and conferences; produced 18 technical reports and had 14
papers published or accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journals or
book chapters.
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