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Research describes impact on south coast of WA

Research reveals the impact of dieback on the South Coast

A recent study funded by DEC’s Biodiversity Conservation Initiative has made significant advances in understanding the impact of plant disease Phytophthora dieback in the South Coast of WA.

DEC Senior Research Scientist Chris Dunne said the two year study focussed on the impact of Phytophthora dieback in Fitzgerald River and Stirling Range national parks, where the plant pathogen is well adapted to cause high levels of damage.

The highly invasive pathogen spreads through water, soil and plant tissue and kills plants by attacking their root system.

Chris explained that while dieback is a tropical disease, originating from tropical rainforests in south-east Asia, it is finding ways to adapt to WA’s Mediterranean climate.

“Our research has found that the pathogen is able to adapt its behaviour in our native plant communities,” Chris said.

“The Fitzgerald National Park is a semi-arid area, where native plants have adaptations to maximise rain water interception or group their root systems around areas in the soil profile with high soil moisture.

“The pathogen is attracted to these moist areas and it only takes one plant to be affected by Phytophthora dieback to contaminate the group.

Chris said the research showed climate change could affect the spread of the disease due to higher rainfall levels.

“Extreme weather events, such as high levels of summer rainfall linked to northern cyclonic activity, can lead to a significant spread of dieback and cause a mass collapse in native vegetation communities,” he said.

The research findings are expected to assist the development of a long-term strategy for managing Phytophthora dieback in the biodiverse national parks of the South Coast.

“The findings from this research will help land managers, including DEC, to better understand the disease and how best to manage this devastating pathogen,” Chris said.