PhD Scholar
Ecosystem services provided by coarse woody debris in yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora) - blakely's red gum (E. blakelyi) grassy woodlands.
E-mail: sarah.goldin@anu.edu.au

I am studying Coarse Woody Debris (CWD) in a range of sizes and decay states within the Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve in the Australian Capital Territory. The site supports remnant yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora) - blakely's red gum (E. blakelyi) grassy woodlands, typical of those found in south-eastern Australia. These woodlands have the unfortunate coincidence of occurring in areas suitable for agriculture, and now approximately 90% have been cleared. CWD has also been removed from these landscapes, because it is considered an obstacle for grazing animals and machinery.

The ecosystem services provided by CWD have generally been overlooked. There is growing interest in using CWD as a restoration treatment to introduce missing structural complexity to modified ecosystems. However, little is known about how CWD influences the microenvironments it creates, especially in the Australian context. It is suggested that within modified Australian woodlands, CWD is a source of nutrients and refugia for flora and fauna, creating 'fertile hotspots' within the landscape. These hotspots may be important sites for restoring ecosystem function to woodlands.

My study will quantify the effects of CWD in modified woodlands by investigating the fundamental drivers and responses of ecosystem function. These include soil temperature, moisture, nutrients and properties, as well as floristic diversity and functional groups.