EucFACE Reveals That Australian Trees Limited By Lack Of Nutrients

 

The EucFACE experiment exposes native woodland to elevated carbon dioxide. We found that:

  • Despite consistent increases in leaf photosynthesis, eucalypts could not put on more wood, stem and leaf growth under elevated CO2.
  • When phosphorus was added in tests, productivity increased by 35%.
  • Findings completely opposite to overseas FACE experiments that found a 23% increase in tree productivity with elevated CO2.
  • Findings demonstrate the importance of Australian science with implications for global climate change models.

Latest News, Events And Highlights

May 24
Dr Jessica Meade - Movement ecology of flying-foxes

Weds 24th May 2017

Dr Meade will provide background information on movement ecology and animal navigation, and then go on to give an overview of her current research and present some preliminary results.

May 31
Prof David Richardson - University of Stellenbosch, South Africa -

Weds 31st May 2017

In this talk I will review the history and current status of alien tree invasions in South Africa and discuss some recent and ongoing work to understand and manage these invasions.

Positions Vacant

New positions vacant at our PACE Climate Change Facility.

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Pastures and Climate Extremes (Plant Ecology)
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Pastures and Climate Extremes (Plant - Soil Interactions)
  • Senior Tech Off (Pastures and Climate Extremes Field Facility)
Volunteer Experience

7 February 2017: New Volunteering Opportunities

  • Emu Fieldwork - Three Volunteers Needed
  • Christmas Island Flying Fox
  • Ghost Bats
  • Climatic change on plants and insects in the Sydney region

2017 QS University Rankings

 

The international Quacarelli Symonds Subject Rankings are a worldwide ranking of major disciplines. The criteria for designating a ranking are:

  • Academic peer review
  • Faculty/Student ratio
  • Citations per faculty
  • Employer reputation
  • International student ratio
  • A measurement of the diversity of the student community
  • International staff ratio

For Agriculture and Forestry, and the Environmental Sciences, these 2017 rankings place Western Sydney University within the top 3% of universities in the world.

 

Quacarelli Symonds Rankings Agriculture and Forestry Top 200 2017

Quacarelli Symonds Rankings Environmental Sciences Top 300 2017

Strength in diversity: research finds a mix of tree species is better for overall growth (opens in a new window)

1 February 2017

New international research conducted in collaboration with Western Sydney University's Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment demonstrates the beneficial impact of planting a diverse mix of trees rather than opting for monoculture plantings. In experimental plantings of young temperate trees, the researchers found that the trees in diverse, mixed-species plantings were able to make much better use of light to produce more growth than equivalent trees from single species.

'Success Showcase' Magazine

Success Showcase
Autumn Edition Of Success Showcase Magazine

Welcome to the Autumn Success Showcase, our showcase magazine of news, research, stories and features from the Hawkesbury Institute...

Summer 2015 Showcase
Summer Edition Of Success Showcase Magazine

Selecting Red Gums for a warmer, drier Australia of the future and much more...