Gardens Shorts
From the Director
New Watering Technology
Good News Story
Australian Biological Resources Study
Did you know ?
From the Director, Anne Duncan
Australia Day has just passed us, the beginning of another year. I have been reflecting on our new Prime Minister's Australia Day speech - and find that it serves as useful inspiration for the ANBG. He spoke about reflecting on our past achievements, and on embracing the future.
The ANBG was the first botanic garden focussed on native Australian species and the garden that was created is indeed one to reflect on and be proud of. And we should be optimistic about what the ANBG can achieve in the future; the possibilities are unlimited.
One of the great challenges facing the nation is, of course, climate change. Australia's botanic gardens can play a key role in national efforts to address climate change and to assist the notion in adapting to it - it is the most important challenge that the ANBG can take on and it is a challenge which will ensure we are relevant to the nation. People ask, what has climate change got to do with the ANBG, what can we do, as if it is beyond us!
Taking on climate change as a focus does not mean dropping everything we do and doing something different. It means that it becomes our new focus. It means that :
- climate change, its impacts on biodiversity and possible responses, should be the focus of our education programs;
- that the priority species for collection, propagation and ex-situ conservation should be species which might be threatened by climate change;
- that the focus of our botanical and horticultural research should be issues relevant to climate change;
- that all the information about plants which is hidden away in botanic gardens should be made accessible, urgently, to scientists and the community so that it can contribute to the research of others;
- and that, as the only nationally focussed garden, we should be taking a leadership role and working with other Australian gardens to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our collective efforts.
So as we start 2008 it is appropriate that we search for a new vision for a modern ANBG, one which will ensure we are engaged in the challenges of the nation, one which will inspire and enrich the nation well beyond our site in Canberra.
The review of the Management Plan will begin in earnest shortly and there will be many interesting discussions about a new vision. I encourage you to consider the national role of the ANBG and get engaged in the opportunities provided by the planning process. In the words of the PM "If we are to build a modern Australia to face the challenges of the future we need to harness our best brains, our best ideas, all for the national good". And that applies to the ANBG too !
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New Watering Technology, Paul Janssens, Curator, Living Collections
With its new Water Management Strategy the ANBG is introducing latest technology practices and moving towards being more environmentally responsible and water efficient. The strategy, which should be completed in February 2008, has two major components - a centralised computer-operated irrigation system and soil moisture sensors.
The irrigation system was installed in 2006 and has been operating for 18 months. It allows staff to program irrigation from one location and access water usage reports. There is a full report in the Friends Newsletter
No. 55, March, 2007.
During this year we will be installing 12 soil moisture sensors, of two types. The first is a 300 mm probe with sensors at each 50 mm depth (six sensors per probe). These will relay data back to a computer located in the bottom depot using UHF frequency. This means that data can be viewed in graph form live (immediately). This tool will allow our horticulturists to fine tune irrigation programming because they can see more precisely what is happening with soil moisture across the Gardens. The second type of sensor will be connected to the irrigation system and will only allow programs to operate when soil moisture reaches a 'dry' threshold. If soils haven't dried out, then irrigation won't occur.
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Good News Story, Phil Hurle, Manager, Bottom Depot
The apparently dead Wollemi pine lives again !
Photo by Barry Brown
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A root pathogen was the chief suspect, but when the pine was exhumed, it was clearly not the case. Gardens staff potted it up to see what would happen and sent some soil and root material to Sydney for testing of known pathogens, Armillaria and Phytopthera.
These came back negative. Since then, the pine has shot from the base and there are signs of leaf buds about to burst along the stem. The current theory is that it was too exposed to the extreme sun and heat in October and dropped its leaves in protest. Apparently it wasn't happy in that spot as it had put on virtually no growth in the last few years, but it is doing OK now in a pot hidden in deep shade. There is now a replacement pine a bit further down the path towards the rainforest gully, where the aspect will be more favourable (more shade and no westerly exposure to the harsh afternoon sun).
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Australian Biological Resources Study, Helen Thompson, ABRS
Strolling through the Gardens, most visitors are probably unaware of the important scientific work taking place in the Ellis Rowan and Franklin Buildings. These modest brick buildings house the 13 staff of the Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS). It is the centre that coordinates Australian research in taxonomy, the science that identifies, describes, classifies and records the distribution of our flora and fauna.
Australia's rich and diverse biodiversity poses special challenges for taxonomists and produces a seemingly unlimited forward work program. Of the estimated 250,000 invertebrate species of Australian fauna, less than half have been formally described, tat is 'taxonomically'. Fungal species have been even less under the microscope with less than 10 percent thought to have been identified.
Happily the work on higher plants and vertebrate animals is further advanced but much remains to be done. Nearly half of the 60 volume Flora of Australia has been published with the most recent being Flora of Australia Volume 2, Winteraceae to Platanaceae \, which describes some of the most ancient flowering plants known. The three volume set of the Zoological Catalogue of Australia on the fishes was also publised last year and documents around 4,500 fish species.
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In the past year ABRS has published four volumes in its new book series Algae of Australia. Over 12,000 known Australian algal species are found in marine and freshwater habitats, in soils, in water films, and even deeply buried in solid rocks. The3 identification and description of Australian algae will enable ABRS to provide authoritative identification guides to some of our most significant and sensitive organisms.
A significant challenge for ABRS is to ensure that its work is readily accessible. As well as its specialist publications, ABRS maintains on-line searchable databases and helps to produce interactive identification guides. Wasps can now be identified with the help of a new CD ROM What wasp is that? An interactive guide to the Australasian families of Hymenoptera. Flies can be identified with a similar key, On the Fly. And the definitive guide to all 57 recognised general of Australian Ladybird beetles comes in the form of a splendidly illustrated review.
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Further information on ABRS is at
www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs
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Did you know ?
Staff of the ANBG are involved in recovery projects for a range of threatened species, with a range of collaborating institutions throughout Australia.
| Cassinia tegulata |
Tony Orchard has been working in South Australia, collaborating with SA Department of Environment and Heritage
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Corybas dowlingii
Cryptostylis hunteriana
Rhizanthelia slateri
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Mark Clements has been developing and implementing translocation techniques for these orchids with NSW Road and Traffic Authority in Bulahdela, NSW
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| Eucalyptus imlayensis |
David Taylor and Paul Carmen, on behalf of NSW NP&WS, working at Mt Imlay on the south coast, are attempting to discover whether this eucalypt is susceptible to Phytopthera
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Hakea pulvinifera
Lomatia tasmanica
Swainsona recta
Zieria baureienii |
Joe Macauliffe is growing ex situ clones, as per recovery plans for each species, in consultation with Royal Botanic Gardens Tasmania on L. tasmanica, and with Booderee Botanic Gardens and NSW NP&WS on Z. baurienii.
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| Muehlenbeckia tuggeranong |
Dave Mallinson and Joe Macauliffe, with Sarah Sharp from what was Environment ACT, are determining if an increase in plants results in seed production, and secondly, increasing the number of plants in situ. Joe is also growing clones ex situ.
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| Rhacocarpus rehmannianus var. webbianus |
Chris Cargill is working with WA Department of Environment and Conservation to ascertain whether this moss can be artificially cultured so it can be repatriated back into the wild.
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| Treubia tasmanica |
Chris Cargill has four or five live plants in a growth cabinet, but is also attempting to grow plants from spores in culture. These liverworts grow on boulders along the West Tyers River near Mt Baw Baw.
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Tanya Dunstan, Dickson College
Kylie Gstrein, Calwell High School
