Honours supervisors and projects

Dr Gerry Rayner

Plant Ecology and Ecophysiology

Telephone: 9905 5629
Email: gerry.rayner@sci.monash.edu.au

My interests include studying the germination biology, growth and ecophysiological characteristics of plant species, in particular those inhabiting arid and semi-arid regions. I’m also keen to investigate clines in ecological or morphological attributes in species that are distributed across broad environmental gradients, in order to better understand the rates and pathways of plant evolution.

Possible Honours Projects for 2009

• Species distributed across broad environmental gradients often exhibit clines in a variety of character states, including seed and seedling biology and leaf size and pubescence. The aim of this project is to investigate possible clines in such characters within a species, and then grow the species under controlled conditions to determine whether the observed variation has a genetic basis.
• Are there differences in character states such as germination and/or seedling biology of closely related species that can help explain observed differences in their distributions? This project will integrate such characters, together with bioclimatic modelling, to help ascertain pathways of evolution among such species.
• Are there generalised patterns in seed biology or seedling growth variables (e.g. relative growth rate, net assimilation rate and root biology and architecture) in congeneric plant species pairs from contrasting arid and mesic habitats
• Collaborative project with Zoos Victoria - Soil seedbank biology and seed viability in Kunzea ericoides at Corranderk Reserve, Healesville.
  The understorey strata of dry sclerophyll woodlands that have experienced severe disturbance or lack of periodic burning are prone to dominance by Kunzea ericoides. Active control may be a primary strategy in breaking the cycle of increasing dominance by this shrub. A better understanding of the ecology of this shrub is required to inform control methods. Areas of possible investigation (to be discussed) include:
  
  1. Seedbank dynamics;
  2. Longevity of viable seed;
  3. Implications of above for Kunzea recruitment and use of fire and/or herbicides as control mechanisms.