Eucalypt Health Surveillance - Gippsland sightings

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Purpose

For use as a reference collection to monitor Eucalypt health in the Gippsland area of Victoria. Impacts on Eucalypts include: climate change, plant pathogens and pests, and widespread severe fire (megadisturbance).

Dieback syndromes that can be recorded with NatureMapr sightings include: Bell Miner - Psyllid dieback, Phytophthora dieback, Drought-induced fissure - Long-horned beetle dieback, Drought-induced xylem embolism and cavitation (hydraulic failure), Ginger tree syndrome, Novel fire regime from climate change and/or weed invasion, and Rural dieback. In urban remnant vegetation, environmental weeds also contribute to Eucalypt decline, e.g. English Ivy.

Eucalypts include the following genera: Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora.

Eucalypts are keystone species

Eucalypts are keystone species for many Australian ecosystems. Planted Eucalypts are also strongly associated with insect and bird diversity and this can assist bird populations in adjacent woodland or forest. Hence why this project includes planted Eucalypts as well as those that are naturally occurring.

Eucalypt canopies and fine roots affect soil properties, via rainfall through fall, rainfall stem flow, leaf and bark litter, extensive fine root turnover, and mycorrhizas. This has a significant effect on nutirent cycling and understorey vegetation patterns.

How to add your Eucalypt sightings

Add your Eucalypt sightings to the project collection by selecting the star icon at the top right of the sighting page (to the left of the edit option) on your desktop computer, and scroll thru the collection list to find the collection title 'Eucalypt health surveillance - Gippsland'. Don't forget to fill out all the data fields for the Eucalypt sighting: number of the species (field of view and distinctiveness of the species will affect this), tree health, height, number of hollows, circumference, canopy radius (if asked), planted or naturally occurring, and use the public comments field for extra plant health information (e.g. disturbances, pests, site history).

Helpful id guides: The EUCLID app, and Native Eucalypts of Victoria and Tasmania - South-eastern Australia by Dean Nicolle.

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