Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research

Australian Flora Resources and Management
1995 / 96

Program Leader

Judy WEST Tel.: (06) 246 5113 Email: judyw@pican.csiro.au

Goal

To provide a basis for biological conservation, management and use of the Australian flora and vegetation

Description

With the Australian National Herbarium as a major resource, basic systematic work is focused on the Australian flora to provide a data resource on variation, distribution, interaction with microbial flora and ecology of native and naturalised plant species.

Native plants receive particular attention as potential genetic resources because of their adaptation to local conditions and their integration into natural ecosystems. Detailed studies are made of population genetics, breeding systems, disease resistance and ecological tolerances in selected target groups.

Research has been extended to the management of Australian plants in cultivation, and we are now selecting biotypes and studying growth conditions required to increase the production efficiency and range of native plants for ornamental and landscaping purposes.

An understanding of the ecology of plant species and communities is fundamental to the conservation and sound management of Australia's biodiversity. Our studies are directed towards remnant vegetation and fragmented communities, small populations and their genetic diversity and resilience and towards native species which are rare or threatened. Furthermore, we are studying a variety of woody plant communities to investigate processes affecting plant biodiversity paying special attention to the effects of fires, and particularly to determine how plants adapt to fire regimes and how fire regimes affect species composition of plant communities.

Subprogram UA - Biodiversity and Evolution of the Australian Flora

To determine the biological diversity, distribution, relationships and genetic systems of native genera and species of the Australian flora.

Subprogram UB - Conservation Biology and Utilisation of the Australian Flora

To identify, conserve and develop selected indigenous species for use as sources of genes for crop improvement, and to study the population dynamics, genetic diversity, responses to fire and resilience of the Australian flora in relation to conservation biology, and to apply the results to integrated land use management.

Subprogram UC - Australian National Herbarium: Research Collections and Services

To develop and manage scientific collections of Australian and related floras as a permanent record of Australian plant diversity, and a resource for research on those floras, and to provide high quality botanical information to a range of users.

Subprogram UD - Botanical Information and Network Management

To establish and manage flexible and effective databases of botanical information, accessible to researchers, government and the public, and to provide a national focus for and play a coordinating role in national botanical data management.