PhD Candidate: Paweł Waryszak

Early outcomes of topsoil transfer in Banksia woodland restoration

Supervisors: Dr Joe Fontaine, Prof. Neal Enright, Dr Phil Ladd, Dr Rachel Standish

Industry Partners: JAH DEC/DPaW

Old LandscapeNutrient poor soilsHeatFire

Mediterranean Type Ecosystems

We do not know how to propagate50% new to science since 19906759 plant species in SWA & still growing (Hopper 2004)80% of Banksia Woodlands have been cleared.

High Dormancy (Topsoil)

Soil Seed Bank Transfer in Restorative Operations

• Cost-effective biodiversity return versus planting

Time of the year is very important

Direct Transfer

• Pioneering work by Alcoa in Jarrah Forest (1963) but only in mine (clay) settings

• Important lessons:

Sandy Uncertainties!

Regional species pool

Local community

After Funk et al. 2008 TREE 23: 695–703.

Dispersal filter

Abiotic filter

Biotic filter

Community assembly | filter model

AIMS The role of transferred soil seed bank in restoration success of SCP farm land.

To investigate possibilities to optimize restoration success of topsoil seed bank

Dispersal Limitation

(depths treatment)

Abiotic Barrier (ripping

treatment)

Biotic Barrier (herbivory exclosures treatment)

2012-2014 ONGOING February Maypre-2012

BACKROUND DATA ANALYSIS SEEDLINGS SURVIVAL

DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION

SEEDLING EMERGENCE

Plant Traits & Soil Properties

Analysis

August

THESIS PROGRESS

HISTORY

EXPERIMENT rCHAPTER I CHAPTER III

CHAPTER II

2015June September December 2013-2014March 2012

Murdoch University

Jandakot Airport

Forestdale Lake

Anketell Road

June September DecemberMarch

OVERVIEW

June September December 2013-2014March

ripped

unripped

ripped

unripped

March

Site & Plot (4m²) - scale Treatments Design

2015June September December 2013-2014March

Plot (4m²) Treatments Layout

JuneMarch

Plot-size (4m²) Treatments

2015June September December 2013-2014March

1. Smoke Water Only2. S. Water + Plastic3. Plastic Cover Only

4. Heat

Weed Control

872.8

733.4

No summer storms

1905-47 1986-2011 2012 2013

June September DecemberMarch

June September December 2013-2014March

Germination of native perennials in year I (log-transformed, n=192)

Data: Site-scale Treatments

Error=95% CI

YEAR

June September DecemberMarch

June September December 2013-2014March

Germination of native annuals in year I (log-transformed, n=192)

Data: Site-scale Treatments

Error=95% CI

YEAR

June September DecemberMarch

June September December 2013-2014March

Germination of native perennials in year II (log-transformed, n>282)

Data: Site-scale Treatments

Error=95% CI

YEAR

June September DecemberMarch

June September December 2013-2014March

Germination of native annuals in year II (log-transformed, n>282)

Data: Site-scale Treatments

Error=95% CI

YEAR

June September DecemberMarch

June September December 2013-2014March

Data: Site-scale Treatments. SUMMARY.

Diversity Index ~ Plant Density (0.7)

YEAR

Error=95% CI

June September DecemberMarch

June September December 2013-2014March

Data: Site-scale Treatments. SYNERGY.

Error=95% CI

YEAR

Compare Emergence (Anketell)

Compare Emergence (Forrestdale)

Data: Plot-scale Treatments. Year I

Error=95% CI

Data: Plot-scale Treatments. Year II

Error=95% CI

June September DecemberMarch

June September December 2013-2014March

Data: Most Abundant Families

Year II Perennial:• Ericaceae• Fabaceae• Dilleniaceae

Year II Annual:• Asteraceae• Araliaceae• Crassulaceae

Year I Perennial:• Fabaceae• Ericaceae• Asparagaceae

Year I Annual:• Asteraceae• Araliaceae• Crassulaceae

Nr Species Year I Year II

Annual 28 26

Perennial 101 89

Total 129 115

June September DecemberMarch

June September December 2013-2014March

Data: % Composition of Growth Forms

Woody -86% highest in ripped

77-79% even

June September DecemberMarch

June September December 2013-2014March

Data: % Input of Nitrogen Fixers

N-fixers: 18-21% even

N-fixers: 55% highest in ripped

June September DecemberMarch

June September December 2013-2014March

Data: % Input of Resprouters

61%Fowler (2015)

Resp: 31-34% even

Resp: 22-27%

Site-scale Treatment Survival

Plot-scale Treatment Survival~29%

June September DecemberMarch

June September December 2013-2014March

Conclusions

• Emergence is high in both years since topsoil transfer (annuals respond to rip & depth treatments in year II)

• Deep & unripped treatment produce the highest seedlings’ density in Year I

• Heat treatment may stimulate extra germination in Year II

• Topsoil treatments can affect the environmental filters to some extent but overall survival is

Is very low.

THANK YOU