Lead Investigator: Dr Michael Franklin (WSU)

Co-Investigators: Professor Uffe Nielsen (WSU)

Project Summary: Remaining temperate woodlands face ongoing pressures from agriculture and urban expansion, with most having been disturbed by human activities, resulting in structural and composition change, degradation, and biodiversity losses. To better manage and promote resilience in threatened woodlands, we need to know more about the relationships between structure and diversity in these ecosystems. The influences of tree assemblage attributes on herb species have been investigated in forests, but such effects are poorly understood in woodlands, where tree assemblage structure is relatively open.

This project aims to determine how native tree species richness, tree size diversity and tree canopy cover influence the assemblage composition, species richness, and cover of native herbs in coastal grassy woodlands of south-eastern Australia. A secondary aim is to explore the potential for ecological tree thinning to enhance native herb species richness and cover using simulations. This project is led by Michael Franklin with Uffe Nielsen and a team of NSW LLS and WSU collaborators.

Tree and herb composition and structure data were captured in the Cumberland Plain Woodland Research and Monitoring Plot Network. Project findings will be used to inform adaptive conservation and restoration management in relation woodland tree assemblage structure and composition, including interventions such as tree planting and thinning of dense, post-disturbance tree regrowth.

Research Publication: Franklin, M.J.M., Ridgeway, P., Bristol, D., Bendall, J., Rymer, P.D. and Nielsen, U.N. (2026), Structurally diverse and species rich canopy tree assemblages support native herbs in grassy woodlands. Biol Conserv, 313: 111526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111526