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ItemAllometric equations of Dicksonia antarctica for estimating aboveground biomass and its associated contribution to forest carbon stocks in Victoria( 2013)The use of forests as carbon sinks is increasingly recognised as a way to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Driven by the need to estimate carbon stocks for national greenhouse gas balance Inventories, regional and species-specific biomass data sets and allometric equations need to be developed to enable accurate prediction of aboveground carbon. Within Australian temperate moist forests, tree ferns are known to form a large component of the under storey; Dicksonia Antarctica in particular has been known to form large single-species stands excluding all other vegetation. Beets et aL (2012) recently conducted a study to develop mixed-species allometric equations for estimating carbon stocks of 4 New Zealand tree fern species in natural forests. However, there are currently no allometric models for Australian tree fern species and uncertainty remains regarding their quantitative contribution to the total carbon pool within these forests, and the application of allometrics developed for New Zealand tree fern species. The new allometric equations developed from this study are specific to D. Antarctica and have made it possible to predict total biomass for both the caudex and frond component to calculate the total stored carbon from 2 parameters; height and base diameter. Diameter at base was consistently found to be the best predictor of other parameters including: height, number of fronds, frond radius, caudex biomass, frond biomass and total tree fern biomass. The addition of height to allometrics also resulted in further improvements of biomass estimations. Aboveground carbon predictions were on average 50% higher than New Zealand allometric estimates with approximately 1937 tonnes of carbon per hectare stored in D. Antarctica demonstrating the importance of allometric equations developed through direct methods (destructive harvesting) that are species-specific. This significant contribution of D. Antarctica in the wet and temperate rain forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria have a number of implications for management in relation to the major drivers of carbon stock change predicted to occur in these forests including; frequent planned and unplanned bush fires, harvesting operations within publicly managed land, as well as future climate Change predictions for South-eastern Australia which could adversely impact on tree ferns and their associated contribution to forest carbon pools. The establishment of allometric relationships between parameters of Ii Antarctica can be coupled with light detection and ranging (LiDAR) prediction models so that it can be applied at a larger scale and allow for rapid estimation of available biomass and thus aid in planning for sustainable management of D. Antarctica.
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ItemManaging the Australian Alps in a changing climate: lessons from international conservation practice( 2013)The flora of the Australian Alps are facing increasing threats from predicted climate change. Responding to this threat, however, is challenging, as managers must account for both uncertainty in the extent of climate change, as well as the uncertain responses of alpine species to these changes. T us, whilst a large body of knowledge has been created in these fields, a lack of integration between scientific knowledge and management policy can be observed. Predictions of climate change, though not precise, have been the subject of much research, and are relatively well understood. In the Australian Alps, the effects of climate change have already been observed, with warming of 0.74C between 1950 and 2007. Over the next 15-20 years, the alpine climate is predicted to warm by 1-1.2C. Beyond 2030, climate trends become more uncertain, as they will be dependent upon our success in rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Notwithstanding, this warming will not be linear, and managing for erratic changes in climate remains a significant challenge. In Australia, and indeed world-wide, the responses of alpine plants to predicted warming have been studied, through both empirical observations and experimental warming. As a result, broad trends in the responses of alpine communities can be articulated. Individual responses consist of phenotypic plasticity, genetic adaptations and migration. As these responses occur differentially between species, warming trends will see changes in the structure, composition and distribution of alpine plant communities. Though significant uncertainty still exists, anticipatory management responses are nonetheless critical to the protection of the Australian Alps. Without such measures in place, the impacts on some alpine species will be irreversible. This literature review therefore seeks to integrate scientific knowledge into policy. Literature from the three distinct fields of climate research, plant science and management are considered, with a view to informing a policy for the ongoing management of the Australian Alps.