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Living Eucalyptus obliqua trees and logs as habitat for wood-inhabiting
fungi in southern Tasmania
Anna HopkinsCRC-Forestry & University of Tasmania
Current address: Scion Forest Biosecurity and Protection, Rotorua, New Zealand
Forestry in TasmaniaForestry in Tasmania
Rotation lengths of 80-100 years
Reduction of old growth trees (>150 yrs)
Reduction of large diameter logs (>120cm)
Alteration to stand and CWD dynamics
Forests still largely untouched, unharvested
Research Questions:Research Questions:
•What fungi are found within living Eucalyptus obliqua trees and logs?
•Is there a change in the number and community structure of wood-inhabiting fungi:-as trees age?-in large and small diameter logs?-in regrowth and mature forests?
•Eucalyptus obliqua in native forests in Southern Tasmania
•At the Warra LTER and surroundshttp://www.warra.com/
•60 km south-west of Hobart
MethodsMethods
Cultures of wood-inhabiting fungi
Traced patterns of decay
Incubated decayed wood on specialised media
Dissected stem/log at several points
MethodsMethods
•Two studies on E. obliqua:
•18 trees (69yo, 105yo, >150yo)
•36 logs - large (>85 cm) & small (30-60 cm)- logging regeneration & mature forest
•Associated with beetle and rot type studies
Morphospecies of beetlesRotten wood types
• Trees:• Over 300 individual fungal isolates• 91 species: 20 common, 71 only found once• 57 species unnamed to order• Common taxa: Postia, Coniophora, Hymenochaetaceae,
Athelia, Stereum.
• Logs:• More than 500 fungal isolates• 60 common species: 28 named• Common taxa: Postia, Coniophora, Ganodermataceae,
Armillaria
Mature trees have more species
Significantly more species in old trees (>150yo)
Younger age classes had similar numbers of species
Totals: >150 = 56, 105 = 21, 69 = 26
024
68
1012
1416
69 105 >150
Tree Age Class
Num
ber o
f Spe
cies
of F
ungi
Small trees are still significant
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000
Cumulative cross-sectional area (cm2)
Num
ber o
f Spe
cies
69105>150
Adjusting for sampling effort:
More species in 69yo trees when equal samples compared
Mature trees have different fungi
Mature trees (>150yo) have distinct communities of wood decay fungi
-0.3
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
-0.5 -0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3
69
105
>150
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000
Cumulative Cross-Sectional Area (cm2)
Estim
ated
Num
ber o
f Spe
cies
Small
Large
Fungi change with log size
•More species in small logs when equal samples compared
Fungi change with log size and forest type
-0.3
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
-0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3
Canonical axis for forest type
Can
onic
al a
xis
for l
og s
ize
Regenerating forest, Large log
Regenerating forest, Small log
Mature forest, Large log
Mature forest, Small log
•Fungal community composition is affected by:-Log size-Forest type•Large logs & mature trees similar
Are old trees and large logs special?
-Inventory of fungi-Mature trees (>150yo) & large logs important for fungal biodiversity-Younger trees and small logs also important for fungal biodiversity-Fungal community changes with forest type
-Patterns supported by beetle and rot data
Implications for forest managementImportant to retain structural complexity throughout the forest landscape
-Mature trees and large logs important for fungal diversity-Fungi with specific preferences for habitat-Fungi may have a specific functional role
Current trial of aggregated retention (15-30% retained)-Retention of living trees within stands-Temporal continuity of tree ages
Advocate adaptive management techniques-Dispersal capabilities of fungi-Effect of microclimate and edge effects
AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements
Jack Simpson (State Forests, NSW)
David Ratkowsky (UTas)
Genevieve Gates (UTas)
Marie Yee (Forestry Tas)
Kate Harrison (CRC-F/UTas)
Yuan Zi-Qing (UTas)
Simon Grove (Forestry Tas)
Tim Wardlaw (Forestry Tas)
Caroline Mohammed (CSIRO/UTas)
Morag Glen (CSIRO)
Malcolm Hall (CSIRO)
Holsworth Wildlife Research Grant
Warra Grant fromForestry Tasmania
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