Comparative eco-physiology of two contrasting arid-zone woodlands in Central Australia: hydrological niche separation and ecosystem resilience

Funding: 2014: $136,000
2015: $130,000
2016: $134,000

Project Member(s): Eamus, D.

Funding or Partner Organisation: Australian Research Council (ARC Discovery Projects)

Start year: 2014

Summary: This proposal addresses 2 fundamental questions: how do co-occurring species co-exist & why do Australian ecosystems have larger ecosystem water-use-efficiencies than those in the USA? This proposal will 1) determine the resilience of two contrasting arid-zone woodlands; 2) compare variation in hydraulic-related plant traits across co-existing species; and 3) determine the relative contribution of changes in assimilation and stomatal conductance to variation (across species and time) in water-use-efficiency. Outcomes of this work include a mechanistic understanding of the behaviour of water-limited woodlands in current and future climates. This is significant because such biomes are globally important and are home to 2 billion people.

Publications:

Tarin, T, Nolan, RH, Medlyn, BE, Cleverly, J & Eamus, D 2020, 'Water‐use efficiency in a semi‐arid woodland with high rainfall variability', Global Change Biology, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 496-508.
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Bloomfield, KJ, Prentice, IC, Cernusak, LA, Eamus, D, Medlyn, BE, Rumman, R, Wright, IJ, Boer, MM, Cale, P, Cleverly, J, Egerton, JJG, Ellsworth, DS, Evans, BJ, Hayes, LS, Hutchinson, MF, Liddell, MJ, Macfarlane, C, Meyer, WS, Togashi, HF, Wardlaw, T, Zhu, L & Atkin, OK 2019, 'The validity of optimal leaf traits modelled on environmental conditions', New Phytologist, vol. 221, no. 3, pp. 1409-1423.
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Bloomfield, KJ, Cernusak, LA, Eamus, D, Ellsworth, DS, Colin Prentice, I, Wright, IJ, Boer, MM, Bradford, MG, Cale, P, Cleverly, J, Egerton, JJG, Evans, BJ, Hayes, LS, Hutchinson, MF, Liddell, MJ, Macfarlane, C, Meyer, WS, Prober, SM, Togashi, HF, Wardlaw, T, Zhu, L & Atkin, OK 2018, 'A continental‐scale assessment of variability in leaf traits: Within species, across sites and between seasons', Functional Ecology, vol. 32, no. 6, pp. 1492-1506.
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Nolan, RH, Tarin, T, Rumman, R, Cleverly, J, Fairweather, KA, Zolfaghar, S, Santini, NS, O'Grady, AP & Eamus, D 2018, 'Contrasting ecophysiology of two widespread arid zone tree species with differing access to water resources', Journal of Arid Environments, vol. 153, pp. 1-10.
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Santini, NS, Cleverly, J, Faux, R, McBean, K, Nolan, R & Eamus, D 2018, 'Root xylem characteristics and hydraulic strategies of species co-occurring in semi-arid Australia', IAWA Journal, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 43-62.
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Nolan, RH, Fairweather, KA, Tarin, T, Santini, NS, Cleverly, J, Faux, R & Eamus, D 2017, 'Divergence in plant water-use strategies in semiarid woody species', Functional Plant Biology, vol. 44, no. 11, pp. 1134-1134.
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Nolan, RH, Tarin, T, Fairweather, KA, Cleverly, J & Eamus, D 2017, 'Variation in photosynthetic traits related to access to water in semiarid Australian woody species', Functional Plant Biology, vol. 44, no. 11, pp. 1087-1087.
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Nolan, RH, Tarin, T, Santini, NS, McAdam, SAM, Ruman, R & Eamus, D 2017, 'Differences in osmotic adjustment, foliar abscisic acid dynamics, and stomatal regulation between an isohydric and anisohydric woody angiosperm during drought', Plant, Cell & Environment, vol. 40, no. 12, pp. 3122-3134.
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Rumman, R, Cleverly, J, Nolan, RH, Tarin, T & Eamus, D 2017, 'Speculations on the application of foliar <sup>13</sup>C discrimination to reveal groundwater dependency of vegetation, provide estimates of root depth and rates of groundwater use', Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, vol. 22, pp. 1-25.
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Eamus, D, Huete, A, Cleverly, J, Nolan, RH, Ma, X, Tarin, T & Santini, NS 2016, 'Mulga, a major tropical dry open forest of Australia: recent insights to carbon and water fluxes', Environmental Research Letters, vol. 11, no. 12, pp. 125011-125011.
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Keywords: Plant physiology,Ecohydrology,Plant ecophysiology

FOR Codes: Plant Physiology, Forest and Woodlands Water Management, Ecological Impacts of Climate Change, Forest and Woodlands Land Management, Ecosystem Function, Plant physiology , Ecological impacts of climate change and ecological adaptation, Terrestrial systems and management

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.