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Plant Ecology

Red Gum Woodlands

A. Hahs and M. McDonnell

This study is focused on understanding the ecology of small patches of remnant red gum woodlands located in urban, suburban and rural landscapes. Twelve patches of remnant red gum woodland located north of the Yarra River in Melbourne have been chosen for the study. The landscape surrounding each patch has been characterised using remotely sensed imagery. Specific research questions address the role of landscape context in modifying the effects of fragmentation on vegetation dynamics and ecosystem processes (i.e., litter decomposition) within the remnant plant communities.

Grasslands

N. Williams, K. Holland, M. McDonnell

This research theme investigates how urbanisation has altered the landscape pattern and ecological processes occurring in south eastern Australia's endangered native grasslands. Native grasslands are highly fragmented and occur in both urban and rural landscapes. Nick Williams, ARCUE Research Officer and PhD student at the University of Melbourne, is investigating if the rates of local extinction of grassland plants are higher in urban areas and if this is related to remnant patch characteristics such as area, degree of isolation and site history. He is also seeking to determine the attributes of grassland plant species that may predispose them to local extinction in urban and rural landscapes and the landscape characteristics of remnant grassland patches that predispose them to destruction by development of loss to weed invasion. Nick's PhD is also investigating whether edge effects differ between urban and rural grasslands.

Other grasslands projects have investigated the impact of mollusc herbivory on the composition of urban and rural grasslands through field surveys and feeding trials and the quantified the amount of soil biological activity.

Heathlands

G. Phelan, T. Browning, M. McDonnell and N. Williams

Heathland was once widespread in the Melbourne area that is now covered by urban and suburban development. It is now highly fragmented and exists as a range of different size
remnants in urban and rural landscapes. These studies were focused on understanding the distribution and ecology of the remnant patches of heathland.

The effect of urbanisation on Melbourne's heathland

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