Warra Long-Term Ecological Research

The Warra LTER Site of 15,900 ha was designated in 1995 to encourage long-term ecological research and monitoring in wet forests in Tasmania.

The site is supported by nine LTER site partners from Tasmanian and national research agencies. About 350 people visited the Warra LTER Site in 2006/07 to observe current research activities and outcomes. They included policy makers, forest managers, scientists and students.

Major activities for 2006/07 were:

• Formal designation of an “Experimental Forest Landscape” (EFL) anchored on Warra and extending eastwards towards Geeveston, as a focus for future landscape-scale ecological research.
• Completion of the establishment of twelve wildfire chronosequence plots, to be used for measuring the development of forest structure and biodiversity after natural wildfire.
• Commencement of a study with University of Melbourne on ‘social acceptability of forest management options: landscape level visualisation and evaluation.’
• Completion of regeneration surveys in aggregated retention coupes in the silvicultural systems trial.
• Establishment of a long-term study of forest structure and habitat suitability for hollow-dependent fauna in the silvicultural systems trial.
• Analysis of the first cycle of insects emerging from the log decay study.
• Engagement of Hydro Tasmania to develop rating curves for flow over the Warra weirs and collate and convert time-series data collected at the three weirs.
• Collaboration with US and East-Asian LTER data managers, leading to the expansion of the Warra metadatabase and the establishment of dynamic web pages for Warra research projects.

Some 13 peer-reviewed papers, 2 theses and several reports were produced in 2006 based on research at the Warra LTER Site. The Division of Forest Research and Development provided Warra small projects grants to 7 researchers during the year.

For further Information contact
Dr Simon Grove
Conservation Biologist
Ph: 0362 33 8141
email: simon.grove@forestrytas.com.au