A dynamic model of annual foliage growth and carbon uptake in trees

Source: Journal of the Royal Society, online March 2009
"The growth of trees and other plants occurs through the interactive combination of photosynthesis and carbon (and other nutrient) assimilation. Photosynthesis enables the production of carbohydrate that can then be used in growing foliage, whereby photosynthesis is enabled. We construct a mathematical model of carbon uptake and storage, which allows the prediction of the growth dynamics of trees. We find that the simplest model allows uncontrolled foliage production through the positive feedback outlined above, but that leaf shading provides an automatic saturation to carbon assimilation, and hence to foliage production. The model explains the necessity for finite leaf area production at outbreak, and it explains why foliage density reaches a constant value during a growing season, while also non-leaf tissue also continues to grow. It also explains why trees will die when their carbon stores are depleted below a certain threshold, because the cost of foliage growth and maintenance exceeds the dynamic supply of carbon by photosynthesis."

Littoral rainforest and coastal vine thickets of eastern Australia

source: Dept. of the Environment, Water, Hertitage & the Arts
"This brochure is designed to assist land managers, owners and occupiers to identify, assess and manage the Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia, an ecological community listed under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The brochure is a companion document for the listing advice which can be found at the Australian Government’s species profile and threats database (SPRAT)."

CMKb: a web-based prototype for integrating Australian Aboriginal customary medicinal plant knowledge

Source: BMC BioInformatics, 9 (2008)
"The customary medicinal plant knowledge possessed by the Australian Aboriginal people is a significant resource. Published information on it is scattered throughout the literature, in heterogeneous data formats, and is scattered among various Aboriginal communities across Australia, due to a multiplicity of languages. This ancient knowledge is at risk due to loss of biodiversity, cultural impact and the demise of many of its custodians. The authors of this paper have developed the Customary Medicinal Knowledgebase (CMKb), an integrated multidisciplinary resource, to document, conserve and disseminate this knowledge."