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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

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Life Sciences

2008

Soil

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Assessing Soil Remobilisation In Catchments Using A 137 Cs-Sediment Hillslope Model, Ava D. Simms, Colin D. Woodroffe, Brian G. Jones, Henk Heijnis, Jennifer Harrison, Rob Mann Jan 2008

Assessing Soil Remobilisation In Catchments Using A 137 Cs-Sediment Hillslope Model, Ava D. Simms, Colin D. Woodroffe, Brian G. Jones, Henk Heijnis, Jennifer Harrison, Rob Mann

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Soil redistribution studies are important, especially in water supply catchments, because the rate at which denudation is occurring has implications for offsite water quality. However, the extent to which soil is redistributed within the landscape can be difficult to determine. This challenge can be overcome using fallout caesium-137 (137Cs). This paper describes the rates of soil loss and remobilisation in two sub-catchments within the Sydney Basin region, namely Kembla and Kentish Creeks, which drain to the Cordeaux reservoir. The total inventories of 137Cs in catchment soils were determined, a 137Cs-regression equation and a theoretical diffusion and migration …


Soil Temperatures During Autumn Prescribed Burning: Implications For The Germination Of Fire Responsive Species?, Trent D. Penman, A L. Towerton Jan 2008

Soil Temperatures During Autumn Prescribed Burning: Implications For The Germination Of Fire Responsive Species?, Trent D. Penman, A L. Towerton

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Prescribed fire is a widely applied management tool in native forests. There have been concerns raised about the ecological impacts of prescribed fire on native flora. One aspect of the debate is the extent towhich prescribed fire heats the soil to levels reported to trigger germination in the soil seed banks.We used Thermochrons to test soil temperatures at 2 and 5 cm in prescribed burns in dry sclerophyll forests. Soil temperatures during the burns were generally low (<40◦C) with less than 5% of sites being exposed to temperatures necessary for the germination of fire-dependent shrub species. High temperatures were associated with high fuel consumption and large woody debris. This information suggests that prescribed fires, carried out according to standard practices, in these forests are unlikely to trigger germination in the majority of the soil-stored seed banks. If ecological burns in these forests are aimed at promoting populations of senescing obligate seeder species, they need to be hotter than standard practice if they are to achieve their objectives, although we acknowledge that there are inherent risks associated with hotter burns.


Germination Responses Of A Dry Sclerophyll Forest Soil-Stored Seedbank To Fire Related Cues, Trent D. Penman, D Binns, R Allen, R Shiels, S Plummer Jan 2008

Germination Responses Of A Dry Sclerophyll Forest Soil-Stored Seedbank To Fire Related Cues, Trent D. Penman, D Binns, R Allen, R Shiels, S Plummer

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Fire is an integral component of many ecosystems worldwide. Many plant species require fire-related cues, primarily heat and smoke, to trigger germination. Despite the importance of this process, the responses of many Australian species to these cues are unknown. Without this knowledge fire management strategies may be developed that are inappropriate for individual species and vegetation communities. In this study we examined the responses of a dry sclerophyll forest seed bank to heat and smoke germination cues. Analysis was possible for 48 taxa within the soil seedbank with 34 of these showing a response to one or both of the …