Track 2-07: Climate Change Impacts on Grassland Production, Composition, Distribution and Adaptation
Description
Triodia (“spinifex”) is a widely distributed endemic C4 grass genus in Australia. Triodia species form the hummock grasslands which is one of Australia’s dominant vegetation types covering approximately 30% of the continental land mass in the arid zone. Hummock grasslands are commonly used as rangelands and Triodia plays an important role in the ecosystem by providing habitat for arid fauna and maintaining arid lands vegetated.
Currently, Triodia survive extreme temperatures, water deficit and low nutrient availability. Predicted changes for Australia’s arid climate under elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2) include reduction in rainfall and higher daily average temperatures in the next 50 years (CSIRO and BOM 2007). It is therefore likely that Triodia will experience more stressful conditions and there is insufficient knowledge to predict how Triodia species may respond to climate change.
Included in
Photosynthetic and Growth Response of Triodia pungens to Elevated CO2 Concentration
Triodia (“spinifex”) is a widely distributed endemic C4 grass genus in Australia. Triodia species form the hummock grasslands which is one of Australia’s dominant vegetation types covering approximately 30% of the continental land mass in the arid zone. Hummock grasslands are commonly used as rangelands and Triodia plays an important role in the ecosystem by providing habitat for arid fauna and maintaining arid lands vegetated.
Currently, Triodia survive extreme temperatures, water deficit and low nutrient availability. Predicted changes for Australia’s arid climate under elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2) include reduction in rainfall and higher daily average temperatures in the next 50 years (CSIRO and BOM 2007). It is therefore likely that Triodia will experience more stressful conditions and there is insufficient knowledge to predict how Triodia species may respond to climate change.
