» Patch deaths in tropical Queensland rainforests

ISBN 0 646 36601 7
Patch deaths in tropical Queensland rainforests: association and impact of Phytophthora cinnamomi and other soil borne organisms

This publication was an outcome of a Phytophthora cinnamomi Workshop held at James Cook University in Cairns April 1998. The Workshop bought together experts from a range of disciplines to address concerns expressed by the ecotourism industry about the spread of pathogens in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area and how this might affect their continued access to particular areas of the rainforest.

CONTENTS

• Introduction and Overview
  Paul Gadek
• Current concerns and management issues of Phytophthora cinnamomi in the rainforests of the Wet Tropics
  Steve Goosem and Nigel Tucker
• Phytophthora cinnamomi - tourism industry considerations
  Guy Chester
• General biology and ecology of Phytophthora with special reference to Phytophthora cinnamomi
  David Cahill
• Cell biology of Phytophthora cinnamomi
  Adrienne Hardham
• Nature and effect of Phytophthora in horticulture
  David Guest
• Occurrence and impact of Phytophthora cinnamomi and other Phytophthora species in rainforests of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area and of the Mackay region, Queensland
  Bruce Brown
• Detection and identification of Phytophthora
  Drenth, A., Wagels, G., Smith, B.N., Maclean, D.J, and John Irwin
• Phytophthora cinnamomi in tropical rainforest - management of outbreaks
  Ken Pegg
• References

» Rainforest dieback mapping 2002

ISBN 0 86443 695 5
Rainforest Dieback Mapping and Assessment
Edited by P.A. Gadek and S. Worboys

This publication provides a report on the status of dieback studies in upland rainforests of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area of north Queensland. The report focuses on field work undertaken over the period August 2001 to July 2002, and represents Stage 3 in a program of studies initiated in 1998. Funding has been provided by the Wet Tropics Management Authority, initially through the Rainforest CRC. The Report is in two main sections:

Section 1:
Identification and distribution of Phytophthora species and genetic population structure of Phytophthora cinnamomi

Section 2:
Impact of dieback on forest canopies

» Rainforest dieback - roads and walking tracks

ISBN 0 86443 712 9
Rainforest Dieback: Risks Associated with Roads and Walking Tracks in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area
S. Worboys and P. Gadek

This report identifies the risks posed by maintenance works and use of roads and walking tracks in identified dieback-affected rainforests, and also identifies and recommends actions that can be implemented by management agencies to reduce the threat posed by Phytophthera species to native species and ecological communities.

Research for this report was funded by the Wet Tropics Management Authority.

» Rainforest dieback mapping 2004

ISBN 0 86443 758 7
Rainforest Dieback Mapping and Assessment:
2004 Monitoring Report Including an Assessment of Dieback in High Altitude Rainforests
Stuart J. Worboys

Extracts from Section 1. Introduction:

Dieback caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi has had a devastating impact on forests, heathlands and woodlands across the wetter areas of Australia.

In response to the threat it poses to biodiversity at a national scale, P. cinnamomi has been identified as a 'Key Threatening Process' under the Commonwealth's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. A National Threat Abatement Plan has been developed to prioritise actions for its control.

Gadek and Worboys highlighted the need to continue the monitoring of patch death areas [associated with P. cinnamomi] and also expressed a strong concern regarding the presence of dieback on high altitude ridgelines in the Wet Tropics. The Wet Tropics Management Authority funded investigations in 2004 to address these concerns.

This report documents the results of dieback monitoring that was undertaken between April and June 2004, and provides a discussion of the outcomes of the monitoring site assessments established on Mount Bartle Frere. Also included is a report of the results of investigations undertaken on high altitude ridgelines on Mount Bellender Ker.

» Monitoring phytophthora

ISBN 0 86443 755 2
Guide to Monitoring Phytophthora-related Dieback in the Wet Tropics of North Queensland
Stuart J. Worboys

Dieback caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi has had a devastating effect on forests, heathlands and woodlands across the wetter areas of Australia. The pathogenic fungus-like organism is believed to have been introduced during European settlement and now affects hundreds of thousands of hectares of native vegetation, impacting significantly on biodiversity values and threatening the survival of some species. In response to the threat it poses to biodiversity, P. cinnamomi has been identified as a 'Key Threatening Process' under the Commonwealth's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. A national Threat Abatement Plan has also been developed to prioritise actions for its control.

This guide to monitoring Phytophthora-related dieback establishes the procedures for collecting data from monitoring sites. It details the methods that are to be used in collecting data so that information can be compared between years. It also includes:

• Detailed site descriptions and site locations;
• A suggested layout for the data recording sheets used in monitoring;
• Clear criteria by which tree health can be assessed;
• Species lists from each monitoring site; and
• Copies of data from previous monitoring events and a blank database for use in entering data.

Monitoring sites have been established throughout the Wet Tropics and two tree health assessments have been carried out by James Cook University. It is anticipated that the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service will take a leading role in coordinating future monitoring events.