Tag: Banksia

Dirt-poor soils, pesky parasites and friendly fungi shape plant diversity in south-western Australia

Please join us for our first webinar series!

Presented by Hans Lambers, School of Biological Sciences, UWA

Click ‘Reserve Tickets’ and you will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom meeting link attached. This link is only available to those who reserve tickets.

Southwest Australia is a biodiversity hotspot, with the greatest plant diversity on severely phosphorus-impoverished soils. Non-mycorrhizal plant families (e.g., Proteaceae) feature prominently on the poorest soils, and are uncommon on richer soils.

The ecological success of Proteaceae on severely impoverished soils can be explained by two traits. Almost all Proteaceae produce cluster roots, which mobilise the scarcely-available but essential element, phosphorus. Australian Proteaceae also use phosphorus very efficiently in photosynthesis, and show a tremendous capacity to remobilise it from senescing leaves.

But the Proteaceae are only one component of the extraordinary plant diversity. Why do species with a less effective phosphorus-acquisition strategy coexist with ones that are far superior in extracting phosphorus from our extremely poor soils? Facilitation by neighbours definitely plays a role, and nutrients mobilised by Proteaceae are also used by neighbours without this strategy. It is only part of the story, however, and we are unlocking the next chapter of how native parasites (oomycetes or water-moulds) also contribute to the megadiversity in the southwest.

Guest Speaker: Professor Byron Lamont – Banksia woodland and iconic species of the Swan Coastal Plain

Please join us to hear Byron Lamont, who is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Curtin University, provide an insight into the geomorphology of the Swan Coastal Plain and some of the features of the vegetation and flora. Byron wants to particularly talk about the ecology of the woolly bush Adenanthos cygnorum and firewood banksia Banksia menziesii, pointing out interesting features that would escape most people unless they were keen naturalists.

Byron had a childhood in the 50s exploring the uncleared banksia woodland of Mt Pleasant and Bull Creek, which must have given him a great love of ecology.

“Brentwood, a new suburb of small cheap houses according to my dad, was just starting to be built. Leach Hwy did not exist then and neither did the freeway or Mt Henry Bridge. My dad was a landscape gardener and I helped him as a teenager and after I finished my Bachelors in Agricultural Science in 1966. The work was too heavy and had no future that I could see, so I decided to return to University to undertake research on native plants in 1969.”

“I pioneered research on the root systems and woody fruits of the banksia family. I was the first person in Australia to submit my PhD thesis as published papers, and the only botanist to receive a Doctor of Science from the University of WA since 1960. I was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2010 for my research and teaching about the Australian flora. This year, 2022, I was ranked fifth among 20 thousand researchers who have published articles about fire ecology over the last 10 years. With Phil Groom I published a book on the ecology of the Southwest Australian flora in 2015 that can be downloaded free from the web.”

To add to all this Byron is also a competent artist and pianist and keen tennis player.

Come and Learn about WA Native Community

DPaW invites you to attend the Banksia Woodland Management Workshop on Friday 16th June 2017 from 10am – 4.30pm at the McNamara Conservation Science Centre, Department of Parks and Wildlife (17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA). SEE VENUE CHANGE BELOW

Department of Parks and Wildlife is planning a packed program with 21 speakers giving 5, 15 and 20-minute talks for community and professional land managers of Banksia woodland. One of the speakers is the patron of Murdoch Branch Dr Joe Fontaine. Joe will also talk on outcomes of PhD project undertaken by one of his student Pawel Waryszak. Pawel and Joe spent 4 years surveying and analysing the outcomes of multiple experimental treatments in the restoration project that utilized  topsoil salvaged from under cleared Banksia woodland at the Jandakot Airport. The topsoil, that contains large native seed bank, was transferred to two restoration sites, at Anketell Road and Forrestdale Lake, with aim to rehabilitate degraded paddock. Come, learn and show your support for this unique WA ecological community.

The workshop is planned to start with an overview of Banksia woodlands on the Swan Coastal Plain and more details about its very recent federal listing as a threatened ecological community. Parks and Wildlife staff will then share outcomes from five years of the Banksia Woodland Restoration Project, as well as research on fire recovery and weed management. To follow, sessions will showcase studies from respected academics and researchers on the topics of dieback, groundwater, genetics, fire, and fauna, and feature case studies of Banksia woodland management from local government and community perspectives. An opportunity for informal discussion will follow. The workshop is a free event with lunch, afternoon tea and refreshments provided but registration is critical.

On Tuesday 20th June 2017 (10am – 12 noon),  Parks and Wildlife staff offers also a guided tour to Banksia woodland restoration site at Anketell Road in Oakford (self-drive).

To register, contact Julia Cullity at Julia.Cullity@dpaw.wa.gov.au or on 9442 0320 (please indicate whether you will be attending the workshop, field trip or both). Registrations close Friday 2nd June 2017.

STOP PRESS:  CHANGE OF VENUE AS AT 29 MAY 2017

Due to a huge response of interest, we have changed the venue of the Banksia Woodland Management Workshop.

  • Banksia Woodland Management Workshop
  • The University Club of Western Australia, UWA
  • 9.45–4.30pm Friday 16 June 2017

Parking may be limited. Additional free parking at Parks and Wildlife Crawley office is available 1km from the venue. Please see reception for a parking permit.

Please confirm that you can make this change of venue. And if you haven’t already responded, please let me know if you have any special dietary requirements and if you would like to attend the post-conference field trip on Tuesday 20 June 2017.

Cheers

Julia Cullity

Community Bushland Coordinator

P: 9442 0320| M: 0400 017 977| E: julia.cullity@dpaw.wa.gov.au