Water and nutrient availabilities do not affect lignotuber growth and sprouting ability of three eucalypt species of south-eastern Queensland
Judi R. Walters A , Alan P. N. House A B D and David Doley CA Queensland Forestry Research Institute, Fraser Road, Gympie, Qld 4570, Australia.
B Current address: CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, 306 Carmody Road, St Lucia, Qld 4067, Australia.
C Department of Botany, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: alan.house@csiro.au
Australian Journal of Botany 53(3) 251-257 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT04021
Submitted: 1 February 2004 Accepted: 14 December 2004 Published: 26 May 2005
Abstract
Shoot biomass and lignotuber size of seedlings of three eucalypt species, Eucalyptus acmenoides Schauer, E. siderophloia Benth. and Corymbia variegata [syn. E. maculata (F.Muell.) K.D.Hill and L.A.S.Johnson], were measured for glasshouse-grown seedlings established under two water and nutrient regimes. Seedlings were subjected to shoot removal (clipping) at ages from 9 to 19 weeks, and transferred to the high water treatment for a further 8 weeks to assess shoot emergence from lignotubers. Seedling shoot biomass was greater in both the high than the low nutrient and water treatments, but lignotuber diameter was not affected significantly. C. variegata seedlings had the largest lignotuber diameters, followed by E. siderophloia and E. acmenoides, respectively. Although growth of shoots was influenced by nutrient availability, results suggest that species differences in the growth of lignotubers was less affected. It is suggested that lignotuber growth was strongly influenced by genotype. More than 70% of C. variegata seedlings clipped at 9 weeks sprouted, compared with only 5 and 10% of seedlings of E. siderophloia and E. acmenoides, respectively. All C. variegata seedlings sprouted after being clipped at 19 weeks, but <80% of E. siderophloia and <60% of E. acmenoides sprouted when clipped at the same age. It was concluded that seedlings forming part of the regeneration stratum in dry sclerophyll forests need to be protected from damage for at least 4 months (for C. variegata) or at least 6 months (for E. siderophloia and E. acmenoides) if they are to survive by sprouting from lignotubers.
Acknowledgments
This work was conducted while J.R. Walters (nee Buckmaster) was supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award at The University of Queensland. The seed used was provided by the DPI Forestry Tree Seed Centre and glasshouse facilities were provided by the Queensland Forest Research Institute, Gympie. The help of the glasshouse manager, Mr Bob Scott, is gratefully acknowledged.
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