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NEWS FROM THE DAINTREE RAINFOREST Dr Mike Liddell Chemistry Department James Cook University TWO STATION APPROACH Station 1 : Cape Tribulation Based at the Australian Canopy Crane this station has been operating since 2001. Due to risk management decisions at JCU the station has been idle since June 2007 when tower access was removed for all JCU employees. In principle the Cape Trib station will restart later in February (or May!). Station 2: Cow Bay Based at the Daintree Discovery Centre this station is currently under construction and is due to go operational in March 2008. THE LOCATIONS Satellite Imagery Cape Tribulation LANDSAT 80m resolution THE FOREST Pristine lowland rainforest at both stations. Complex Type 1A mesophyll vine forest Canopy height 25-35m – dependant on topography/soils. Leaf area index Station 1 4 (Amazon 8-10) High species diversity Station 1: 88 tree spp. in 1 Ha. Moderate stand density Station 1: 680 stems >10cm dbh in 1 Ha Significant species overlap between the two stations both in flora and fauna. TOPOGRAPHY Fetch: both stations have relatively flat topographic features for around 1-2 km in the prevailing wind direction at each site. Behind both stations is an elevated Tablelands region which creates drainage flow at night. THE SITES The key question that we are looking for an answer for in this study: Is there a measureable change in carbon, water or sensible heat fluxes that can be attributed to climate change perturbing the rainforest? Both sites are in complex terrain. Only daytime flux data will be used for long term analyses. Microclimate : T essentially identical Station 1 wetter and less solar (pyran.) Station 2 drier and lower RH Soils : Station 1 fertile clay-loam / colluvial gravels Station 2 deep basalt derived soils SOIL CHARACTERISTICS Cape Trib station : water availability is likely to be a key driver of productivity in these seasonally dry rainforests. A sensor pit was dug – initially by hand! Rock : Soil ratio : around 40% 1m temp probes 0.1m 0.75m 1.5m 1m CS616-L Gypsum blocks FOREST PRODUCTIVITY Cape Trib station above ground productivity Dendrometry: 171 trees have been banded. Litter: 25 traps have been monitored fortnightly. 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 6 6 5 5 4 4 5 3 3 2 0 2 1 5 1 0 0 0 9 5 9 8 0 6093 6090 6091 308 6096 ALLOMETRY 6092 6063 6057 6067 5029 7095 7075 6072 6071 5081 6077 5077 5098 6019 5066 6024 5049 5060 5059 4037 4036 6027 7044 7045 7046 7039 6015 5036 5035 7084 50255046 5010 4039 7082 7083 7054 7053 7034 7032 5004 5014 5009 5003 5005 5002 7052 7014 20039 7033 20013 4030 7080 7079 7056 7055 10035 5070 5047 5024 100465061 5062 7030 7028 20038 4040 4041 7085 7059 5007 5044 5048 5053 7092 7061 5067 5050 7071 5068 5034 5082 5056 7065 7066 7063 5033 5031 5074 5057 7022 7018 4027 56 41 4031 4044 7006 4018 4050 4067 7010 7009 4026 4047 4019 4020 4049 15 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 270 2 4054 2057 4055 16 20001 14 3 1002 3005 8 19 2002 4003 13007 29 1023 1007 3043 2009 1012 10003 1013 2018 2017 3041 3042 1020 53 52 1017 10010 2006 3036 1029 3040 3027 1026 1038 2008 3026 3011 3015 10058 3024 1039 2021 1053 1050 1070 1069 2030 3014 3013 2066 10030 1032 1034 2036 2037 2033 3051 48 51 25 1004 1005 3034 50 1014 3045 3032 23 18 22 4022 3048 3028 2032 1074 1073 1052 2 3016 1067 2028 3018 3019 3017 2 11000 10001 10002 1061 1060 2040 2039 8001 10056 2051 2 1078 2 511 2055 2 2056 2046 2 2071 2 1 2059 1 1 180 2070 2073 2068 crown height [m] 2 33 32 47 7 4005 30043003 3002 3008 34 35 36 17 1 4000 401440134002 4011 10007 10 4004 4052 38 42 4007 4008 4025 4051 45 90 Species specific allometric equations have been developed along with general species equations allowing calculation of site biomass = 270 t ha-1 7099 7074 6031 6053 6079 5030 5083 5080 5079 6054 6058 6059 5038 5085 5027 6081 6048 6042 6046 6047 6045 6038 6044 6039 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 Detailed measurements of crown dimensions allows the forest architecture to be monitored quanititatively. PHENOLOGY Aim: is to look for early warning signs of the Daintree rainforest being influenced by climate change by studying forest phenology. Long term project : 10 years + Select species will be chosen that have a sensitivity to extinction, along with pioneer species, iconic species and species of cultural significance (Kuku Yalanji). Around 700 – 900 trees will be monitored on a monthly basis using binoculars and traps. Site and species selection is currently underway using existing detailed soil and species maps. DISCOVERY CENTRE TOWER Daintree Discovery Centre : located near Cow Bay pub, welcomed its 1 millionth visitor in 2007. Tower : 23m walk-up tower (3 abreast!) Mast : 10m above the top platform RAINFALL Annual average rainfall approx. 3900m. Strongly seasonal 70% falls between December and April. CAPE TRIBULATION MEAN MONTHLY RAINFALL (1939-2003) 800 700 600 MM 500 400 300 200 100 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec The low rainfall in 2002 has happened only once in the last 40 years - <2500mm. - 2003 was a repeat event! 2006 was 5944mm CARBON FLUXES Station 1: Cape Tribulation Average values of daytime carbon flux. (mmol/m2/s-1) YEAR CARBON FLUX 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 -5.98 -4.85 -4.91 -6.09 -6.35 -6.18 RAINFALL (mm) Wet + Transition 1 3992.2 1552.8 1270.4 3437.4 2253.4 3894.4 Dry + Transition 2 1778.4 819.6 1061.3 1219.8 1072.8 2535.2 CONCLUSIONS The carbon flux data indicates that this ecosystem is acting as a sink for carbon in years with normal wet and dry seasons. Where one of these periods has reduced precipitation the forest shifts to become a source of carbon. The Daintree region is predicted to have significantly longer and dryer dry seasons (CSIRO) indicating potential problems for the viability of this type of rainforest. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Prof. Steve Turton (ATFI) Dr Peter Franks (JCU Botany) Dr Paul Nelson (JCU Earth Sciences) Cassandra Nichols (JCU ACCRF) David Blake (UQ) Nicolas Nieullet (ENGREF, FRANCE) Otavio Campoe (UNESP, BRAZIL ) Australian Crane Research Facility Dick Cooper (late), R. Rader, K. Goodall. Research Assistants: T. Shmueli, C. Fairweather, T. Fischer Funding: MTSRF, ARC (RIEF), CRC-TREM State Government – Premiers Dept. JCU (Program, MRG) , Discovery Centre.