Science Seminar Series 6 Anne Jensen

Environment Institute Science Seminar Series 2009 Are river red gums being pushed to the edge? Presented by: Dr Anne Jensen

Are River Red Gums being pushed to the edge? Dr Anne Jensen Environment Institute Science Seminar Series 2009 Banrock 2005 Banrock 2008

Characteristics of River Red Gums ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

Red gums at higher density on inside bends where flood frequency higher, sandier soils

Water Sources for Red Gums ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

Responses of River Red Gums ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],extreme stress, Melrose

How do Red Gums grow? ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],seeds & chaff 500 μ m

Less seed from stressed trees Annual seed rain in healthy trees >10-40,000 m -2 Annual seed rain in stressed trees ~ 10 times less <6,400 m -2 declining to <<1,000 m -2 10 seed trees ha -1 sufficient for eucalypt recruitment (Cremer 1965) Stop press: minimal seed rain from healthy trees on Murray floodplain as drought continues 2004 2005 2006 2007

Where do Red Gums get water? ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],Water availability River Murray Water availability other regions ,[object Object],[object Object],seasonality of peak flows (% by month ) Mean monthly rainfall (118 y)

Red Gums in Trouble – Mid and Lower Murray ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],No improvement since 2004 – now 13 years since last effective over-bank flows in Lower Murray

Red Gums in Trouble – Lower Lachlan ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],Source: Armstrong, Kingsford & Jenkins (2009)

Booligal Swamps, Lower Lachlan Source: Armstrong, Kingsford & Jenkins (2009)

Red Gums in Trouble – Mid-North SA ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],Mambray Creek Beautiful Valley Creek, Wilmington

Northern Regional Die-back Since 1980s ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

1911 1983 2009 King Tree, Wirrabara Forest Historic photos supplied by ForestrySA

Northern & Yorke red gum condition survey 2008 ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

Northern & Yorke Case Study – Booleroo Whim Creek ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

Northern & Yorke Case Study – Mambray Creek ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

Northern & Yorke Case Study – Wakefield River ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],1985 1994

Red Gums in Trouble -- Flinders ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],Sliding Rock Creek upstream Sliding Rock Creek downstream of Cadnia

Can we save our Murray Red Gums? ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

The Living Murray Program ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],not watered watered

Small Amounts of Water Not Enough New seedlings and dense new leaves after watering, but some trees did not recover

Bottom Line for the River Murray ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],To sustain a healthy working river:

Environmental flows ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

Defining environmental flows ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

What is the local Red Gum cycle?

What moisture conditions are critical? ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],Experimental results for Murray red gums:

Water to extend effect of rain or flood, and to match seed rain ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],Twin Creeks, Chowilla

Barmah-Millewa icon site http://thelivingmurray.mdbc.gov.au/iconsites/barmah_millewa_forest Cover

Barmah-Millewa Forest 150 GL environmental allocation Barmah Lake : Spring floods sustain moira grasslands and marshes (Victorian Dept of Sustainability & Environment)

Note: it took 13 years to work out best use of environmental allocations Source: Victorian Dept of Sustainability & Environment

Lower Murray floodplain trees are dying -- can’t wait for next high flow event or official environmental flows! ,[object Object],[object Object],Interim measures needed in the short term

What if we lose our Red Gums? ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],What would be the consequences? how far can this red gum be pushed before it falls over?

Research Questions ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

Water is the key! Banrock 9 May 2009

Acknowledgements ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],Jane from Orange Emma Chief field assistant Bjarne

Environment Institute Science Seminar Series 2009 Adapting to a drier Australia Presented by: Assoc. Prof. Justin Brookes

Science Seminar Series 6 Anne Jensen

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Science Seminar Series 6 Anne Jensen