Honours supervisors and projects

Assoc Prof Jenny Read

Plant Ecology

Telephone: 9905 5622
Email: jenny.read@sci.monash.edu.au

My research interests lie predominantly in the three following areas:

• The controls of rainforest structure and composition;
• The differences in biology between tropical and temperate species;
• The functional significance of leaf form, including anti-herbivore defence.

Suggested projects for 2010 are as follows:

1. How does the biology of the cool temperate rainforest species Nothofagus cunninghamii differ from that of Elaeocarpus holopetalus, which replaces it on Errinundra Plateau, East Gippsland?

Nothofagus cunninghamii, the canopy dominant of much of the cool temperate rainforest in Victoria and Tasmania, does not occur on Errinundra Plateau in East Gippsland, even though climate analysis suggests that the climate is suitable.  The summers in part of this region are unusually wet compared with other parts of Victoria.  One of the possible explanations is that N. cunninghamii is outcompeted by Elaeocarpus holopetalus under these mild but wet conditions.  In this project the responses of the two species to water regimes will be compared.  This project will require a mid-year start.

2. Does differential nutrient-use efficiency among species explain trends in the canopy composition of Tasmanian rainforests?

In Tasmania, Nothofagus cunninghamii forms monodominant rainforests on relatively fertile soils in lowland areas, but declines in abundance on infertile soils. On infertile soils, species such as Eucryphia lucida and Phyllocladus aspleniifolius increase in abundance. The capacity of the latter species to dominate rainforests on infertile soils is related to superior growth rates under these conditions, compared with N. cunninghamii. This project will investigate whether E. lucida and P. aspleniifolius have high plant-level nutrient-use efficiency (NUE), i.e. the capacity to grow more per unit nutrient uptake, and the mechanisms that contribute to NUE. This project would involve growing seedlings of the main canopy species on high-nutrient and low-nutrient soils and measuring various aspects of plant performance (photosynthesis, growth and morphology).  Another similar project is available that focuses on a different group of plant species.

3. Succession in sand heath at Loch Sport, East Gippsland.

This project is field-based and focuses on changes in plant species composition and dominance in sand heath with time since the last fire.  It is only relevant to a student willing to undertake very careful species identification.

Recent published papers from the work of honours students

• Chatain A, Read J, Jaffré T. (2009) Does leaf-level nutrient-use efficiency explain Nothofagus-dominance of some tropical rain-forests in New Caledonia? Plant Ecology 201:51-66.
• Sommerville KE, Read J (2008) Contrasting water-use strategies in two sympatric cool- temperate rainforest species, Nothofagus cunninghamii (Nothofagaceae) and Atherosperma moschatum (Atherospermataceae). Australian Journal of Botany 56, 109-118.
• Brunt C, Read J, Sanson GD. (2006) Changes in resource concentration and protection during leaf development in a tough-leaved (Nothofagus moorei) and soft-leaved (Toona ciliata) species. Oecologia 148, 583-592.
• Hallam A, Read J. (2006) Do tropical species invest more in anti-herbivore defence than temperate species? A test in Eucryphia (Cunoniaceae).  Journal of Tropical Ecology 22, 41-51.
• Gras E, Read J, Mach C, Sanson GD, Clissold F. (2005) Herbivore damage, resource richness and putative defences in juvenile versus adult Eucalyptus leaves. Australian Journal of Botany 53, 33-44.
• Boyd L, Mac Nally R, Read J. (2005) Does fallen timber on floodplains influence distributions of nutrients, plants and seeds? Plant Ecology 177, 165-176.
• Iddles T, Read J, Sanson GD. (2003) The potential contribution of biomechanical properties to anti-herbivore defence in six Australian rainforest trees.  Australian Journal of Botany 51, 119-128.
• Edwards C, Read J, Sanson G. (2000)  Characterising sclerophylly: some mechanical properties of leaves from heath and forest.  Oecologia 123, 158-167.