Invasion impacts on biodiversity: responses of ant communities to infestation by cat’s claw creeper, Macfadyena unguis-cati (Bignoniaceae) in subtropical Australia

Ants are the dominant soil faunal group in many if not most terrestrial ecosystems, and play a key role in soil structure and function. This study documents the impacts of invasion by the exotic cat’s claw creeper vine, Macfadyena unguis-cati (L.) Gentry (Bignoniaceae) on surface-situated (epigaeic) and subterranean (hypogaeic) ant communities in subtropical SE Queensland Australia where it is a major environmental weed of riparian areas, rainforest communities and remnant natural vegetation, smothering standing vegetation and causing canopy collapse. Soil ants were sampled in infested and uninfested areas at eight sites spanning both riparian and non-riparian habitats in subtropical SE Queensland. Patterns of ant species composition and functional grouping in response to patch invasion status, landscape type and habitat stratum were investigated using ANOVA and non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination. The epigaeic and subterranean strata supported markedly different ant assemblages, and ant communities also differed between riparian and non-riparian habitats. However, M. unguis-cati invasion had a surprisingly limited impact. There was a tendency for ant abundance and species richness to be lower in infested patches, and overall species composition was different between infested and uninfested patches, but these differences were relatively small, and did not occur consistently across sites. There were changes in functional group composition that conformed to known functional group responses to environmental change, but these were similarly limited and inconsistent across sites. Our study has shown that ant communities are surprisingly resilient to invasion by M. unguis-cati, and serves as a warning against making assumptions about invasion impacts based on visual appearances.

Satellite Telemetry and Long-Range Bat Movements.

Background: Understanding the long-distance movement of bats has direct relevance to studies of population dynamics, ecology, disease emergence, and conservation. Methodology/Principal Findings: We developed and trialed several collar and platform terminal transmitter (PTT) combinations on both free-living and captive fruit bats (Family Pteropodidae: Genus Pteropus). We examined transmitter weight, size, profile and comfort as key determinants of maximized transmitter activity. We then tested the importance of bat-related variables (species size/weight, roosting habitat and behavior) and environmental variables (day-length, rainfall pattern) in determining optimal collar/PTT configuration. We compared battery- and solar-powered PTT performance in various field situations, and found the latter more successful in maintaining voltage on species that roosted higher in the tree canopy, and at lower density, than those that roost more densely and lower in trees. Finally, we trialed transmitter accuracy, and found that actual distance errors and Argos location class error estimates were in broad agreement. Conclusions/Significance: We conclude that no single collar or transmitter design is optimal for all bat species, and that species size/weight, species ecology and study objectives are key design considerations. Our study provides a strategy for collar and platform choice that will be applicable to a larger number of bat species as transmitter size and weight continue to decrease in the future.

Fishing power and standardised catch rates: Implications of missing vessel-characteristic data from the Australian eastern king prawn fishery

Standardised time series of fishery catch rates require collations of fishing power data on vessel characteristics. Linear mixed models were used to quantify fishing power trends and study the effect of missing data encountered when relying on commercial logbooks. For this, Australian eastern king prawn (Melicertus plebejus) harvests were analysed with historical (from vessel surveys) and current (from commercial logbooks) vessel data. Between 1989 and 2010, fishing power increased up to 76%. To date, both forward-filling and, alternatively, omitting records with missing vessel information from commercial logbooks produce broadly similar fishing power increases and standardised catch rates, due to the strong influence of years with complete vessel data (16 out of 23 years of data). However, if gaps in vessel information had not originated randomly and skippers from the most efficient vessels were the most diligent at filling in logbooks, considerable errors would be introduced. Also, the buffering effect of complete years would be short lived as years with missing data accumulate. Given ongoing changes in fleet profile with high-catching vessels fishing proportionately more of the fleet’s effort, compliance with logbook completion, or alternatively ongoing vessel gear surveys, is required for generating accurate estimates of fishing power and standardised catch rates.

The structure of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) stems in relation to wood properties of sawn timber

An important challenge in forest industry is to get the appropriate raw material out from the forests to the wood processing industry. Growth and stem reconstruction simulators are therefore increasingly integrated in industrial conversion simulators, for linking the properties of wooden products to the three-dimensional structure of stems and their growing conditions. Static simulators predict the wood properties from stem dimensions at the end of a growth simulation period, whereas in dynamic approaches, the structural components, e.g. branches, are incremented along with the growth processes. The dynamic approach can be applied to stem reconstruction by predicting the three-dimensional stem structure from external tree variables (i.e. age, height) as a result of growth to the current state. In this study, a dynamic growth simulator, PipeQual, and a stem reconstruction simulator, RetroSTEM, are adapted to Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) to predict the three-dimensional structure of stems (tapers, branchiness, wood basic density) over time such that both simulators can be integrated in a sawing simulator. The parameterisation of the PipeQual and RetroSTEM simulators for Norway spruce relied on the theoretically based description of tree structure developing in the growth process and following certain conservative structural regularities while allowing for plasticity in the crown development. The crown expressed both regularity and plasticity in its development, as the vertical foliage density peaked regularly at about 5 m from the stem apex, varying below that with tree age and dominance position (Study I). Conservative stem structure was characterized in terms of (1) the pipe ratios between foliage mass and branch and stem cross-sectional areas at crown base, (2) the allometric relationship between foliage mass and crown length, (3) mean branch length relative to crown length and (4) form coefficients in branches and stem (Study II). The pipe ratio between branch and stem cross-sectional area at crown base, and mean branch length relative to the crown length may differ in trees before and after canopy closure, but the variation should be further analysed in stands of different ages and densities with varying site fertilities and climates. The predictions of the PipeQual and RetroSTEM simulators were evaluated by comparing the simulated values to measured ones (Study III, IV). Both simulators predicted stem taper and branch diameter at the individual tree level with a small bias. RetroSTEM predictions of wood density were accurate. For focusing on even more accurate predictions of stem diameters and branchiness along the stem, both simulators should be further improved by revising the following aspects in the simulators: the relationship between foliage and stem sapwood area in the upper stem, the error source in branch sizes, the crown base development and the height growth models in RetroSTEM. In Study V, the RetroSTEM simulator was integrated in the InnoSIM sawing simulator, and according to the pilot simulations, this turned out to be an efficient tool for readily producing stand scale information about stem sizes and structure when approximating the available assortments of wood products.

Water and thermal regimes for field pea in Australia and their implications for breeding.

There is a large gap between the refined approaches to characterise genotypes and the common use of location and season as a coarse surrogate for environmental characterisation of breeding trials. As a framework for breeding, the aim of this paper is quantifying the spatial and temporal patterns of thermal and water stress for field pea in Australia. We compiled a dataset for yield of the cv. Kaspa measured in 185 environments, and investigated the associations between yield and seasonal patterns of actual temperature and modelled water stress. Correlations between yield and temperature indicated two distinct stages. In the first stage, during crop establishment and canopy expansion before flowering, yield was positively associated with minimum temperature. Mean minimum temperature below similar to 7 degrees C suggests that crops were under suboptimal temperature for both canopy expansion and radiation-use efficiency during a significant part of this early growth period. In the second stage, during critical reproductive phases, grain yield was negatively associated with maximum temperature over 25 degrees C. Correlations between yield and modelled water supply/demand ratio showed a consistent pattern with three phases: no correlation at early stages of the growth cycle, a progressive increase in the association that peaked as the crop approached the flowering window, and a progressive decline at later reproductive stages. Using long-term weather records (1957-2010) and modelled water stress for 104 locations, we identified three major patterns of water deficit nation wide. Environment type 1 (ET1) represents the most favourable condition, with no stress during most of the pre-flowering phase and gradual development of mild stress after flowering. Type 2 is characterised by increasing water deficit between 400 degree-days before flowering and 200 degree-days after flowering and rainfall that relieves stress late in the season. Type 3 represents the more stressful condition with increasing water deficit between 400 degree-days before flowering and maturity. Across Australia, the frequency of occurrence was 24% for ET1, 32% for ET2 and 43% for ET3, highlighting the dominance of the most stressful condition. Actual yield averaged 2.2 t/ha for ET1, 1.9 t/ha for ET2 and 1.4 t/ha for ET3, and the frequency of each pattern varied substantially among locations. Shifting from a nominal (i.e. location and season) to a quantitative (i.e. stress type) characterisation of environments could help improving breeding efficiency of field pea in Australia.

African mahogany (Khaya senegalensis) plantations in Australia - status, needs and progress

The Australian African mahogany estate comprises over 12,000 ha of industrial plantations, farm-forestry plots and trials, virtually all derived from Africa-sourced wild seed. However, the better trees have given high-value products such as veneers, high-grade boards and award-winning furniture. Collaborative conservation and improvement by the Northern Territory (NT) and Queensland governments since 2000 realised seed orchards, hedge gardens and genetic tests revealing promising clones and families. Private sector R&D since the mid 2000s includes silvicultural-management and wood studies, participatory testing of government material and establishing over 90 African provenances and many single-tree seedlots in multisite provenance and family trials. Recent, mainly public sector research included a 5-agency project of 2009-12 resulting in advanced propagation technologies and greater knowledge of biology, wood properties and processing. Operational priority in the short term should focus on developing seed production areas and ‘rolling front’ clonal seed orchards. R&D priorities should include: developing and implementing a collaborative improvement strategy based on pooled resources; developing non-destructive evaluation of select-tree wood properties, micropropagation (including field testing of material from this source) to ‘industry ready’ and a select-tree index; optimising seed production in orchards; advancing controlled pollination techniques; and maximising benefits from the progeny, clone and provenance trials. Australia leads the world in improvement and ex situ conservation of African mahogany based on the governments’ 13-year program and more recent industry inputs such that accumulated genetic resources total over 120 provenances and many families from 15 of the 19 African countries of its range. Having built valuable genetic resources, expertise, technologies and knowledge, the species is almost ‘industry ready’. The industry will benefit if it exploits the comparative advantage these assets provide. However the status of much of the diverse germplasm introduced since the mid 2000s is uncertain due to changes in ownership. Further, recent reductions of government investment in forestry R&D will be detrimental unless the industry fills the funding gaps. Expansion and sustainability of the embryonic industry must capitalise on past and current R&D, while initiating and sustaining critical new work through all-stakeholder collaboration.

Spatial and diurnal pattern of protein foraging by Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) on a host plant

Background: Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni, is the major pest fruit fly in Australia. Protein bait sprays, where insecticides are mixed with spot applications of a protein based food lure, are one of the sustainable pre-harvest fruit fly management strategies used in Australia. Although protein bait sprays do manage fruit fly infestation in the field, there is little science underpinning this technique and so improving its efficacy is difficult. Lacking information includes where and when to apply protein bait in order to best target foraging B. tryoni. As part of new work in this area, we investigated the effect of height of protein on tree and host plant fruiting status on the spatial and temporal protein foraging patterns of B. tryoni. MEthod: The work was conducted in the field using nectarine and guava plants and wild B. tryoni at Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia. Spot sprays of protein bait were applied to the foliage of randomly selected fruiting and non-fruiting trees. Each tree received protein bait spot sprays on the lower and higher foliage at 0530hrs. The number, sex and species of flies that fed on each protein spot were recorded hourly from 0600hrs through to 1800hrs.Results: For nectarines, there was a significant difference in the number of B. tryoni feeding on protein bait placed at different locations within the tree (ANOVA, F = 8.898, p = 0.001). More flies fed on protein placed on higher foliage relative to lower, irrespective of the fruiting status of the nectarine trees. A significant difference was also observed in the diurnal protein feeding pattern of B. tryoni (ANOVA, F = 2.164, p = 0.024), with more flies feeding at 1600hrs. Results for guava are still being collected and will be presented at the meeting.Conclusions: We conclude that B. tryoni effectively forages for protein at heights higher than 1.3m from ground, indicating greater efficacy of protein bait when applied at foliage higher in the canopy. Bactrocera tryoni actively forages for protein throughout the day, with a highest feeding peak at 1600hrs. The lack of significant difference in the spatial protein foraging pattern between fruiting and non-fruiting nectarine trees may be a real result, or may have resulted from the fruiting tree being very close (within 1 – 2 metres) of the non-fruiting tree. This hypothesis is being tested in the guava trial.

Innovative new production systems for low-chill stonefruit in Australia and South-East Asia: a review

Fruit size and quality are major problems in early-season stonefruit cultivars grown in Australia and South-East Asia. In Australia, Thailand and Vietnam, new training and trellising systems are being developed to improve yield and fruit quality. Australian trials found that new training systems, such as the Open Tatura system, are more productive compared with standard vase-trained trees. We established new crop-loading indices for low-chill stonefruit to provide a guide for optimum fruit thinning based on fruit number per canopy surface and butt cross sectional area. Best management practices were developed for low-chill stonefruit cultivation using growth retardants, optimizing leaf nitrogen concentrations and controlling rates and timing of irrigation. Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) improved fruit sugar concentrations by restricting water application during stage II of fruit growth. New pest and disease control measures are also being developed using a new generation of fruit fly baits. Soft insecticides such as (Spinosad) are used at significantly lower concentrations and have lower mammalian toxicity than the organophosphates currently registered in Australia. In addition, fruit fly exclusion netting effectively eliminated fruit fly and many other insect pests from the orchard with no increase in diseases. This netting system increased sugar concentrations of peach and nectarine by as much as 30%. Economic analyses showed that the break-even point can be reduced from 12 to 6 years Open Tatura trellising and exclusion netting.

The ozone transfer between atmosphere and vegetation. A study on Scots pine in the field

Ozone (O3) is a reactive gas present in the troposphere in the range of parts per billion (ppb), i.e. molecules of O3 in 109 molecules of air. Its strong oxidative capacity makes it a key element in tropospheric chemistry and a threat to the integrity of materials, including living organisms. Knowledge and control of O3 levels are an issue in relation to indoor air quality, building material endurance, respiratory human disorders, and plant performance. Ozone is also a greenhouse gas and its abundance is relevant to global warming. The interaction of the lower troposphere with vegetated landscapes results in O3 being removed from the atmosphere by reactions that lead to the oxidation of plant-related components. Details on the rate and pattern of removal on different landscapes as well as the ultimate mechanisms by which this occurs are not fully resolved. This thesis analysed the controlling processes of the transfer of ozone at the air-plant interface. Improvement in the knowledge of these processes benefits the prediction of both atmospheric removal of O3 and its impact on vegetation. This study was based on the measurement and analysis of multi-year field measurements of O3 flux to Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) foliage with a shoot-scale gas-exchange enclosure system. In addition, the analyses made use of simultaneous CO2 and H2O exchange, canopy-scale O3, CO2 and H2O exchange, foliage surface wetness, and environmental variables. All data was gathered at the SMEAR measuring station (southern Finland). Enclosure gas-exchange techniques such as those commonly used for the measure of CO2 and water vapour can be applied to the measure of ozone gas-exchange in the field. Through analysis of the system dynamics the occurring disturbances and noise can be identified. In the system used in this study, the possible artefacts arising from the ozone reactivity towards the system materials in combination with low background concentrations need to be taken into account. The main artefact was the loss of ozone towards the chamber walls, which was found to be very variable. The level of wall-loss was obtained from simultaneous and continuous measurements, and was included in the formulation of the mass balance of O3 concentration inside the chamber. The analysis of the field measurements in this study show that the flux of ozone to the Scots pine foliage is generated in about equal proportions by stomatal and non-stomatal controlled processes. Deposition towards foliage and forest is sustained also during night and winter when stomatal gas-exchange is low or absent. The non-stomatal portion of the flux was analysed further. The pattern of flux in time was found to be an overlap of the patterns of biological activity and presence of wetness in the environment. This was seen to occur both at the shoot and canopy scale. The presence of wetness enhanced the flux not only in the presence of liquid droplets but also during existence of a moisture film on the plant surfaces. The existence of these films and their relation to the ozone sinks was determined by simultaneous measurements of leaf surface wetness and ozone flux. The results seem to suggest ozone would be reacting at the foliage surface and the reaction rate would be mediated by the presence of surface wetness. Alternative mechanisms were discussed, including nocturnal stomatal aperture and emission of reactive volatile compounds. The prediction of the total flux could thus be based on a combination of a model of stomatal behaviour and a model of water absorption on the foliage surfaces. The concepts behind the division of stomatal and non-stomatal sinks were reconsidered. This study showed that it is theoretically possible that a sink located before or near the stomatal aperture prevents or diminishes the diffusion of ozone towards the intercellular air space of the mesophyll. This obstacle to stomatal diffusion happens only under certain conditions, which include a very low presence of reaction sites in the mesophyll, an extremely strong sink located on the outer surfaces or stomatal pore. The relevance, or existence, of this process in natural conditions would need to be assessed further. Potentially strong reactions were considered, including dissolved sulphate, volatile organic compounds, and apoplastic ascorbic acid. Information on the location and the relative abundance of these compounds would be valuable. The highest total flux towards the foliage and forest happens when both the plant activity and ambient moisture are high. The highest uptake into the interior of the foliage happens at large stomatal apertures, provided that scavenging reactions located near the stomatal pore are weak or non-existent. The discussion covers the methodological developments of this study, the relevance of the different controlling factors of ozone flux, the partition amongst its component, and the possible mechanisms of non-stomatal uptake.

Fuel conditions and fire behavior characteristics of managed Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris forests in Finland

The objectives of this study were to analyze the impact of structural stand characteristics on ignition potential, surface fuel moisture, and fire behavior in Pinus sylvestris L. and Picea abies (L.) Karst stands in Finland and to explain stand-specific fire danger using the Canadian Fire Weather Index System and the Finnish Fire Risk Index. Additionally, the study analyzes the relationship between observed fire activity and fire weather indices at different stages of growing season. Field experiments were carried out in Pinus sylvestris or Picea abies dominated stands during fire seasons 2001 and 2002. Observations on ignition potential, fuel moisture, and fire behavior were analyzed in relation to stand structure and the outputs of the Finnish and Canadian fire weather indices. Seasonal patterns of fire activity were examined based on national fire statistics 1996 2003, effective temperature sum, and the fire weather indices. Point fire ignition potential was highest in Pinus clear-cuts and lowest in closed Picea stands. Moss-dominated surface fuels were driest in clear-cut and sapling stage stands and presented the highest moisture content under closed Picea canopy. Pinus sylvestris stands carried fire under a wide range of fire weather conditions under which Picea abies stands failed to sustain fire. In the national fire records, the daily number of reported ignitions presented its highest value during late fire season whereas the daily area burned peaked most substantially during early season. The fire weather indices correlated significantly with ignition potential and fuel moisture but were unable to explain fire behavior in the experimental fires. During the initial and final stages of the growing season, fire activity was disconnected from weather-based fire danger ratings. Information on stand structure and season stage would benefit the assessment of fire danger in Finnish forest landscape for fire suppression and controlled burning purposes.

Impact of a biological control agent, Chiasmia assimilis, on prickly acacia (Acacia nilotica ssp. indica) seedlings

A leaf-feeding geometrid, Chiasmia assimilis (Warren), was introduced into northern Queensland from South Africa in 2002 as a biological control agent for the invasive woody weed, prickly acacia, Acacia nilotica subsp. indica (Bentham) Brenan. The insect established in infestations in coastal areas between the townships of Ayr and Bowen where the larvae periodically cause extensive defoliation at some localities during summer and autumn. The impact of this herbivory on a number of plant parameters, including shoot length, basal stem diameter, root length, number of leaves, number of branches, and above and below ground biomass was investigated at one coastal site through an insect exclusion trial using potted seedlings and regular spray applications of a systemic insecticide to exclude the biological control agent. Half the seedlings, both sprayed and unsprayed, were placed beneath the prickly acacia canopy, the other half were placed in full sunlight. Larvae of C. assimilis were found on unsprayed seedlings in both situations. The effects of herbivory, however, were significant only for seedlings grown beneath the canopy. At the end of the five-month trial period, shoot length of these seedlings was reduced by 30%, basal stem diameter by 44%, root length by 15%, number of leaves by 97%, above ground biomass by 87%, and below ground biomass by 77% when compared to sprayed seedlings. Implications are that the insect, where established, may reduce seedling growth beneath existing canopies and in turn may help limit the formation of dense infestations. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Natural regeneration and ecological succession in Pinus kesiya watershed plantations in northern Thailand : Implications on plantation management

Establishment of Pinus kesiya Roy. ex Gord. plantations in Thailand began in the 1960s by the Royal Forest Department. The aim was to reforest abandoned swidden areas and grasslands in order to reduce erosion and to produce timber and fuel wood. Today there are about 150, 000 ha of P. kesiya plantations in northern Thailand. Most of these plantations cannot be harvested due to a national logging ban. Previous studies have suggested that Pinus kesiya plantations posses a capability as a foster environment for native broadleaved tree species, but little is known about the extent of regeneration in these plantations. The general aim of the study was to clarify the extent of forest regeneration and interactions behind it in Pinus kesiya plantations of the Ping River basin, northern Thailand. Based on the results of this study and previous literature, forest management proposals were produced for the area studied. In four different pine plantation areas, a total of seven plantations were assessed using systematic data collection with clustered circular sample plots. Vegetation and environmental data were statistically analysed, so as to recognise the key factors affecting regeneration. Regeneration had occurred in all plantations studied. Regeneration of broadleaved trees was negatively affected by forest fire and canopy coverage. A high basal area of mature broadleaved trees affected the regeneration process positively. Forest fire disturbance had a strong effect also on plantation structure and species composition. Because of an unclear future forest management setting as regards forest laws in Thailand, a management system that enables various future utilisation possibilities and emphasises local participation is recommended for P. kesiya watershed platations of northern Thailand.

The conservation status of the world’s reptiles

Effective and targeted conservation action requires detailed information about species, their distribution, systematics and ecology as well as the distribution of threat processes which affect them. Knowledge of reptilian diversity remains surprisingly disparate, and innovative means of gaining rapid insight into the status of reptiles are needed in order to highlight urgent conservation cases and inform environmental policy with appropriate biodiversity information in a timely manner. We present the first ever global analysis of extinction risk in reptiles, based on a random representative sample of 1500 species (16% of all currently known species). To our knowledge, our results provide the first analysis of the global conservation status and distribution patterns of reptiles and the threats affecting them, highlighting conservation priorities and knowledge gaps which need to be addressed urgently to ensure the continued survival of the world’s reptiles. Nearly one in five reptilian species are threatened with extinction, with another one in five species classed as Data Deficient. The proportion of threatened reptile species is highest in freshwater environments, tropical regions and on oceanic islands, while data deficiency was highest in tropical areas, such as Central Africa and Southeast Asia, and among fossorial reptiles. Our results emphasise the need for research attention to be focussed on tropical areas which are experiencing the most dramatic rates of habitat loss, on fossorial reptiles for which there is a chronic lack of data, and on certain taxa such as snakes for which extinction risk may currently be underestimated due to lack of population information. Conservation actions specifically need to mitigate the effects of human-induced habitat loss and harvesting, which are the predominant threats to reptiles.

The Distribution of Henipaviruses in Southeast Asia and Australasia: Is Wallace's Line a Barrier to Nipah Virus?

Nipah virus (NiV) (Genus Henipavirus) is a recently emerged zoonotic virus that causes severe disease in humans and has been found in bats of the genus Pteropus. Whilst NiV has not been detected in Australia, evidence for NiV-infection has been found in pteropid bats in some of Australia's closest neighbours. The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of henipaviruses in fruit bat (Family Pteropodidae) populations to the north of Australia. In particular we tested the hypothesis that Nipah virus is restricted to west of Wallace's Line. Fruit bats from Australia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Indonesia were tested for the presence of antibodies to Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus, and tested for the presence of HeV, NiV or henipavirus RNA by PCR. Evidence was found for the presence of Nipah virus in both Pteropus vampyrus and Rousettus amplexicaudatus populations from East Timor. Serology and PCR also suggested the presence of a henipavirus that was neither HeV nor NiV in Pteropus alecto and Acerodon celebensis. The results demonstrate the presence of NiV in the fruit bat populations on the eastern side of Wallace's Line and within 500 km of Australia. They indicate the presence of non-NiV, non-HeV henipaviruses in fruit bat populations of Sulawesi and Sumba and possibly in Papua New Guinea. It appears that NiV is present where P. vampyrus occurs, such as in the fruit bat populations of Timor, but where this bat species is absent other henipaviruses may be present, as on Sulawesi and Sumba. Evidence was obtained for the presence henipaviruses in the non-Pteropid species R. amplexicaudatus and in A. celebensis. The findings of this work fill some gaps in knowledge in geographical and species distribution of henipaviruses in Australasia which will contribute to planning of risk management and surveillance activities.

A multisite managed environment facility for targeted trait and germplasm phenotyping

Field evaluation of germplasm for performance under water and heat stress is challenging. Field environments are variable and unpredictable, and genotype x environment interactions are difficult to interpret if environments are not well characterised. Numerous traits, genes and quantitative trait loci have been proposed for improving performance but few have been used in variety development. This reflects the limited capacity of commercial breeding companies to screen for these traits and the absence of validation in field environments relevant to breeding companies, and because little is known about the economic benefit of selecting one particular trait over another. The value of the proposed traits or genes is commonly not demonstrated in genetic backgrounds of value to breeding companies. To overcome this disconnection between physiological trait breeding and uptake by breeding companies, three field sites representing the main environment types encountered across the Australian wheatbelt were selected to form a set of managed environment facilities (MEFs). Each MEF manages soil moisture stress through irrigation, and the effects of heat stress through variable sowing dates. Field trials are monitored continuously for weather variables and changes in soil water and canopy temperature in selected probe genotypes, which aids in decisions guiding irrigation scheduling and sampling times. Protocols have been standardised for an essential core set of measurements so that phenotyping yield and other traits are consistent across sites and seasons. MEFs enable assessment of a large number of traits across multiple genetic backgrounds in relevant environments, determine relative trait value, and facilitate delivery of promising germplasm and high value traits into commercial breeding programs.