Primary goals

• To restore some of the long-term rainforest plots that were established 70+ years ago by the Qld Dept of Forestry to study the effects of different forestry and silviculture practices on tree growth.
• To incorporate this historical long-term tree growth data into current research questions to understand the ecology, growth and survival of rainforest tree species. The data will help better understand their responses to current and past conditions, providing invaluable info for their conservation and about their responses to climate change.

Key expected outcomes

1. While the plots were abandoned in 1987, our group has re-established >25 of the plots across the Wet Tropics Region.
2. Over five PhD research theses completed integrating the long-term rainforest plot data.
3. Understanding of the effects of silvicultural practices such as enrichment planting and selective logging on the long-term growth and species composition of the forest.
4. Understanding of the use dynamics and competition for resources, such as light and soil available water, from co-occurring trees of over 40 species and how this varies across seasons and in relation to their functional traits.

Progress

This project commenced in 1997 and is ongoing.

Lead researchers

• John Herbohn
• Grahame Applegate

Project partners

• TFAP
• WTMA
• SkyRail Foundation
• Others

Sustainable Development Goals

This project works towards these UN Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 15: Life on Land