10.26181/5d254ec5955ad
Cherie Campbell
Cherie
Campbell
Samantha Capon
Samantha
Capon
Susan Gehrig
Susan
Gehrig
Cassandra James
Cassandra
James
Kaylene Morris
Kaylene
Morris
Jason Nicol
Jason
Nicol
Daryl Nielsen
Daryl
Nielsen
Rachael Thomas
Rachael
Thomas
Murray-Darling Basin Environmental Water Knowledge and Research Project: Vegetation Theme Research Report
La Trobe
2019
Environmental water assessment
vegetation communities
germination success
mesocosms
EWKR
seedbank
watering requirements
environmental water delivery
floodplain habitiat complexity
Plant Biology
Community Ecology (excl. Invasive Species Ecology)
Ecology
Ecosystem Function
Environmental Management
Environmental Science
2019-07-17 07:13:31
Journal contribution
https://opal.latrobe.edu.au/articles/journal_contribution/Murray-Darling_Basin_Environmental_Water_Knowledge_and_Research_Project_Vegetation_Theme_Research_Report/8847977
The EWKR vegetation theme sought to:<br>1. Provide a framework and guiding principles to help define the process of ‘what are we watering for and why?’ to help refine objectives, define function and value, and select indicators across a range of spatial and temporal scales, given the myriad of potential vegetation outcomes; and<br>2. Improve predictive capacity and the underlying knowledge base by determining drivers of responses to watering actions, for:<br>a. Existing understory communities<br>b. Seed bank diversity<br>c. Woody seedling establishment<br>d. Lignum structure<br>The EWKR vegetation theme shows that there is incredible variation in local plant communities and associated seed banks in space and time. This is even though many wetland and floodplain species have wide distributions, are largely cosmopolitan species and are rarely considered endemic. The vegetation theme looked at what causes this variation and how to predict it, and we are beginning to be able to determine community assembly rules. We’re starting to be able to: i) identify what the significant drivers are; ii) determine their relative importance; and iii) understand their interactions.