Flooded Forest and Desert Creek Ecology and History of the River Red Gum

About this book

The river red gum has the most widespread natural distribution of any Eucalyptus species in Australia; from Geraldton to Grafton, from the Yorke Peninsula to the Cape York Peninsula. As extensive forest and woodland it forms the structural and functional elements of important floodplain and wetland ecosystems. This tree has played a central role in the tension between economy, society and environment. Since the 1870s it has been the subject of repeated government enquiries over its conservation, use and management. We have now begun to move from a culture of wholesale exploitation of river red gum forests and woodlands to one of sustainable uses and conservation. The author traces this shift through the depiction of river red gums and inland floodplains in art, literature and the media.

Contents

Foreword
Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction
Part 1. The Unfolding Forest
Chapter 1. Floodplain and River
Chapter 2. Names and Relationships
Chapter 3. Life History
Chapter 4. The River Red Gum as an Ecosystem Engineer
Part 2. Forces of Change
Chapter 5. Fire
Chapter 6. Grazing
Chapter 7. Timber Harvesting
Chapter 8. Flood, Drought and River Regulation
Part 3. From Exploitation to Conservation and Multiple Values
Chapter 9. River Red Gum Consciousness
Chapter 10. Conservation and Multiple Values
Chapter 11. The Future of the River Red Gum
Notes
Bibliography
Index

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Biography

Matthew Colloff is a Principal Research Scientist with CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences. He currently researches floodplain ecosystem function and biodiversity. He has worked on ecosystem services, soil nutrient cycling, restoration of degraded agricultural landscapes, environmental weeds, and the interface between natural resource management science, policy and practice. His interests are in how ecosystems work, how they are changing, and what we can do about managing them.