Transcript Station 2: Cow Bay Based at the Daintree Discovery Centre

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.