Office for Environmental Programs - Theses
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ItemRestoration potential of native forests after harvesting of conifer plantation: what can PFT's tell us?( 2014)There is increasing focus globally on the restoration of monoculture conifer plantations to natural states. Whilst there has been significant progress made on such conversions in Europe, there is relatively little known regarding such restorations in Australia. This study aimed to utilise a plant functional trait approach to examine the composition of regenerating vegetation communities on cleared Pinus radiata sites where prior land use was native forest. With the inclusion of temporal resampling data, we are able to identify longer term trajectories in functional community composition. Sampling of location, site, and edaphic variables further offered opportunity to investigate the relationship between post-plantation communities and environmental changes over time. This study was carried out across five locations in south-eastern Australia in 2005. Paired plot ex-pine and native forest was surveyed at each location in 2005. Temporal data was collected through surveys at ex-pine sites at the Delatite Peninsula in 2003 and 2011, at which time environmental data was obtained. PERMANOVA was used to determine species and trait richness and composition across locations and land-uses. Flexible Beta Clustering on Bray-Curtis similarity matrices' was used to determine emergent functional groups and Indicator Species Analysis determined functional groups characteristic of each land use. Non-metric Multidimensional scaling of attributes showed a clear distinction in composition between land uses and across sites. Similar analysis was repeated for temporal data. Environmental variables were examined using DistLM and Principal Components Analysis in PRIMER (V.6.1.14). Ant dispersed trees and shrubs and Vertebrate dispersed shrubs were characteristic of Native forests, in contrast to Small seeded annuals and Wind dispersed species that predominated regenerating ex-pine. Temporal data revealed that Ant dispersed shrubs were not recovering on ex-pine sites 11 years after harvest. Functional groups associated with ruderal and resource acquisitive species were found to be persisting in significant abundance. Limitations and barriers in the dispersal and persistence of myrmecochores appear to be a key contributor in arresting natural restoration of native forests. The influence of disturbance related environmental variables was found to diminish over time and location conditions were indicators of functional composition. Results concluded that the vegetation communities resembling the structure and function of native forests would not naturally regeneration, and interventions following plantation clearance are crucial to meet long term restoration goals.
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ItemThe effects of coupe level timber harvesting on the home range dynamics of the swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) in the Pyrenees State Forest, Victoria( 2005)The effects of coupe-level timber harvesting on the swamp wallaby was investigated using home range dynamics and habitat selection as an indicator of the extent of the impact. An MBACI design incorporating five control sites and one impact site was used as control for background variation. The results indicate that there were significant changes in the home range size, home range overlap and the geographic centre of location. However, there was no significant change in the centre of activity. Harvesting only appeared to affect animals that had their home range directly on the coupe. The affected animals showed two responses to harvesting. They either increased their home range size or moved away from the coupe altogether. Those animals that did not use the coupe showed little change in home range dynamics. In selecting habitats, the wallabies showed a preference for old burnt forest and forest habitat rather than the harvested area and new burnt forest created by the timber harvesting.