Current Appointment: Professor of Environmental Science

Contact: Department of Environmental Sciences
University of Technology, Sydney
P.O. Box 123 BROADWAY NSW 2007
Australia  Office: Building 4, Room 5.50I
Phone: +61 2 9514 4154
Fax: +61 2 9514 4079
E-mail: Derek.Eamus@uts.edu.au

Profile

Derek Eamus is a plant physiologist and ecophysiologist who has worked mostly on tree species for the past 15 years. For the decade 1990-2000 he worked on savanna ecophysiology, through the CRC for Tropical Savannas and the Northern Territory University.  He has been keen to have projects that integrate measurements over several spatial scales.  For example, his lab has undertaken measurements of leaf scale processes (photosynthesis and transpiration) and leaf scale attributes (specific leaf area, foliar Nitrogen content, cost-benefit analyses of leaves); tree-scale processes and attributes (whole tree water-use; growth rate, allometric relationships; hydraulic architecture and xylem embolism); stand –scale processes and attributes (canopy exchange of water and CO2; leaf area index) and catchment scale processes (vegetation and groundwater interactions).  He was recently appointed to the Chair of Environmental Sciences at UTS where he continues his interests in plant physiology and ecophysiology, working at cellular, whole organism and ecosystem scales.

Web Links

Institute for Water and Environmental Resource Management

The CRC for Tropical savannas project on carbon and water fluxes of savanna vegetation

The National Centre for Groundwater Management

The Australian Society of Ecology

Research Interests

Derek's research interests include the following:

• CO₂ and water flux measurements of leaves and canopies
• Stomatal physiology and function
• Climate change
• Hydraulic architecture of trees
• Eco-hydrology
• Plant stress physiology

Recent Grants Awarded

1. 2005 Australian Greenhouse Office Grant
   $1.3 million
   The Hawkesbury Forest CO₂ enrichment experiment.
2. ARC Linkage Grant with WSN PLC $66,000
   Revegetation of waste disposal sites to stop recharge
3. 2005 ARC Discovery Grant
   $220,000
   Modelling vegetation water use.
4. 2004 UTS Infrastructure Grant
   $200,000
   Water quality and image analyses.
5. 2004 Reseatch Excellence Grant
   $20,000
   Xylem sap composition regulates stomatal behaviour and transpiration from two eucalypt tree species.
6. 2003 ARC Discovery Grant
   $700,000
   Landscape water availability and NPP in Australia.
7. 2002 ATN Grant
   $28,000
   Salinity and vegetation responses.
8. 2002 ARC Linkage Grant
   $67,500
   Tree water use and amelioration of salinity.
9. ARC Grant
   $160,000
   Leaf scale attributes of several diverse tropical ecosystems.

Recent Publications

2006 Eamus, D., Hatton, T., Cook, PG and Colvin, C (2006). Ecohydrology: vegetation function, water and resource management Pp348 CSIRO, Melbourne.

Eamus, D., and Froend, R. 2006. Groundwater dependent ecosystems: the where, what and why of GDEs. Australian Journal of Botany 54: 91-96.

Eamus, D., Murray, B. and Froend, R. 2006. A functional methodology for determining the groundwater regime needed to maintain health of groundwater dependent ecosystems. Australian Journal of Botany 54: 197-114.

Murray B.R, Hose G.C., Eamus, D. and Licari, D. 2006. Valuation of groundwater dependent ecosystems: a functional methodology incorporating ecosystem services. Australian Journal of Botany 54: 221–229.

O’Grady A.P., Eamus, D., Cook, P.G. and Lamontagne S. (2006) Comparative water use by riparian trees Melaleuca argentea and Corymbia bella in the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia. Tree physiology 26: 219-228.

O’Grady, A., Eamus, D., Cook, P.G. and Lamontagne, S. 2006. Groundwater use by riparian vegetation along the Daly River in the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia. Australian Journal of Botany 54: 145-154.

Zeppel, M., Yunusa, I., and Eamus, D 2006. Daily, seasonal, and annual patterns of transpiration from a stand of remnant vegetation dominated by a coniferous Callitris species and a broad-leaved Eucalyptus species. Physiologia Plantarum 127: 413–422
2005 Chave, J., Andalo, C., Brown, S., Cairns, M.A., Chambers, J.Q., Eamus, D., Folster, H., Fromard, F., Higuchi, N., Lescure, J-P., Nelson, B.W., Ogawa, H., Puig, H., Riera, B., and Yamakura, T. 2005. Tree allometry and carbon sequestration in tropical forests. In Oecologia 145: 87-99.

Chen, X., Hutley, L.B. Eamus, D. 2005 Soil organic carbon content at a range of north Australia tropical savannas with contrasting life histories. Plant and Soil 268: 161-171.

Eamus, D., Macinnins-Ng, C., Hose, G.C., Zeppel, M.J., Taylor, D.T., and Murray, B. 2005. In the service of ecosystem services. Turner Review for the Australian Journal of Botany 53: 1-19.

Lamontagne, S., Cook, P.G., O’Grady, A. and Eamus, D. 2005 Groundwater use by vegetation in a tropical savanna. Journal of Hydrology 310: 280-293.

Prior, L., Bowman, D.M.J.S., and Eamus, D. 2005. Intra-specific variation in leaf attributes of four savanna tree species across a rainfall gradient in tropical Australia. Australian Journal of Botany 53: 323-335.
2004 Cardoso-Vilhena, J., Balaguer, L., Eamus, D., Ollerenshaw, J., and Barnes, J. 2004. Mechanisms underlying the amelioration of O3 induced damage by elevated atmospheric concentrations of CO₂. Journal of Experimental Botany 55: 771-781.

Chen, X., Eamus, D., and Hutley, L.B. 2004 Seasonal patterns of fine root productivity and turnover in a tropical savanna of northern Australia. Journal of Tropical Ecology 20: 221-224.

Eamus, D. and Jarvis, P.G., 2004. Direct effect of CO₂ increases on native and planted trees. Advances in Ecological Research 34: 1-58.

Hose, G., Murray, B., and Eamus, D. 2004. Water quality guidelines to protect groundwater dependent ecosystems. Ecological Management and Restoration 50: 78-80.

MacInnis-Ng, C., McClenahan, K. and Eamus, D. 2004. Convergence in hydraulic architecture, water relations and primary productivity amongst habitats and across seasons in Sydney. Functional Plant Biology 31: 429-439.

McClenahan, K., Macinnis-Ng, C and Eamus, D. 2004. Hydraulic architecture and water relations of several species at diverse sites around Sydney. Australian Journal of Botany 52: 509-518.

McPherson, S, Eamus, D and Murray BR. 2004. Seasonal impacts on leaf attributes of several tree species growing in three diverse ecosystems of SE Australia. Australian Journal of Botany 52: 293-301.

Prior, L.D., & Bowman, D.J.M.S, Eamus, D. 2004. Seasonal differences in leaf attributes in Australian tropical tree species: family and habitat comparisons. Functional Ecology 18: 707-718.

Prior, L.D., Eamus, D., & Bowman, DJMS 2004. Tree growth rates in north Australian savanna habitata: seasonal patterns and correlations with leaf attributes. Australian Journal of Botany 52: 303-314.

Zeppel, M., Murray, B., Barton, C and Eamus, D. 2004. The response of tree water use to drought VPD and solar radiation in a stand. Functional Plant Biology 31: 461-470.
2003 Chen, X., Hutley, L.B., and Eamus, D. 2003 Carbon balance of a tropical savanna of northern Australia. Oecologia 137: 399-404.

Choinski, J.S., Ralph, P., and Eamus, D. 2003. Changes in photosynthesis during leaf expansion in Corymbia gummifera. Australian Journal of Botany 51: 1-8.

Eamus, D. 2003. How does ecosystem water balance affect net primary productivity of woody ecosystems? Functional Plant Biology 30: 187-205.

Murray B.R., Zeppel M.J.B., Hose G.C. & Eamus D. (2003) Groundwater-dependent ecosystems in Australia: It's more than just water for rivers. Ecological Management & Restoration 4: 109-112.

Prior, L., Eamus, D., and Bowman, D.M.J.S. 2003 Leaf attributes in the seasonally dry tropics - a comparison of four habitats in northern Australia. Functional Ecology 17: 504-515.

Zeppel, M.J.B., Murray, B.R. and Eamus, D. 2003 The potential impact of dryland salinity on the threatened flora and fauna of NSW. Ecological Management and Restoration 4: 53-59.
2002 Chen, X., Eamus, D. and Hutley, L.B. 2002. Seasonal patterns of soil CO2 efflux from a wet-dry tropical savannas in northern Australia. Australian Journal Botany 50: 43-51.

Eamus, D., Chen, X., Kelley, G., and Hutley, L.B. 2002. Root biomass and root fractal analyses of an open Euclayptus forest in a savanna of north Australia. Australian Journal Botany 50: 31-41.

Eamus, D., and Shanahan, S.T., 2002. A rate equation model of stomatal responses to vapour pressure deficit and drought. BMC Ecology 2: 1-14.

Snowdon, P., Raison, J., Keith, H., Ritson, P., Grierson, P., Adams, M., Montagu, K., Bi, H., Burrows, W. and Eamus, D. 2002. Protocol for Sampling Tree and Stand biomass. National Carbon Accounting System Technical Report No. 31, Australian Greenhouse Office, Canberra. 66p.100)

Thomas, S.D., and Eamus, D. 2002. Seasonal patterns of xylem sap pH xylem ABA concentration leaf water potential and stomatal conductance of 6 evergreen and deciduous Australian savanna species. Australian Journal of Botany 50: 229-236.
2001 Eamus, D. 2001. How Does Ecosystem Water Balance Influence Net Primary Productivity? - A Discussion. In “NPP of Australia”. CRC for Carbon Accounting Publication, Canberra. M Kirschbaum (Ed).pp 10-15.

Eamus, D. and Ceulemans, R. 2001. Effects of greenhouse gases on the gas exchange of forest tress. In “The Impact of CO2 and other Greenhouse Gases on Forest Ecosystems”. D Karnosky and R Ceulemans (Eds). CABI Publishing, UK. Pp17-56.

Eamus, D., Hutley, L. and O’Grady, A.P 2001. Carbon and water fluxes above a north Australian savanna . Tree Physiology 21: 977-988.

Hutley, L.B. A.P. O'Grady, D. Eamus (2001) Monsoonal influences on evapotranspiration of savanna vegetation of northern Australia. Oecologia 126: 434-443.

Kirschbaum, M.U.F., Eamus, D., Gifford, R.M., Roderick, M.L., Roxburgh, S.H. and Sands, P.J. 2001. Definitions of some ecological terms commonly used in carbon accounting. In “ NPP of Australia” CRC for Carbon Accounting, Canberra. M. Kirschbaum (Ed). Pp 2-6.
2000 Eamus, D., Myers, B., Duff, G. and Williams, R. 2000.  A cost-benefit analysis of eight Australian savanna tree species of differing phenology. Photosynthetica 36: 575-586

Eamus, D., O'Grady, A.P., and Hutley, L.B. 2000. Do dry season conditions determine wet season transpiration rate in north Australian savanna trees? Tree Physiology 20: 219-226.

Fordyce, I.R., Eamus, D. and Duff, G.A. 2000.  Episodic seedling growth in Allosyncarpia ternata, a lignotuberous monsoon rainforest tree of tropical Australia. Austral Ecology 25: 25-35.

Hutley, L.B., O'Grady, A.P. and Eamus, D. 2000. Daily and seasonal patterns of evapotranspiration from Eucalypt open forests savanna of tropical northern Australia. Functional Ecology 14: 183-194.

Prior, L. and Eamus, D. 2000. Hydraulic architecture and xylem embolism in Eucalyptus tetrodonta: seasonal patterns and methodological considerations. Plant, Cell and Environment 23: 955-965.

Thomas, D.S., Eamus, D. and Shanahan, S. 2000.  Studies on the influence of season, drought and xylem ABA on stomatal responses to leaf-to-air vapour pressure difference of trees of the Australian wet-dry tropics. Australian Journal of Botany 48: 50-59

Textbooks

Derek was a co-editor and major contributor to the recently published Plants in Action textbook, (MacMillan Press, 1999).  He has also just co-written a chapter on north Australian Ecology for an Oxford University Press book on Australian Ecology (2001).

Teaching Duties

Derek's principle areas for teaching are Plant Physiology (91270) and a newly developing suite of units on ecohydrology in a new Masters program, funded by a recent DETYA Lectureship grant, in collaboration with the National Centre for Groundwater Management. He also has postgraduate students (Hons, MSc, PhD) and post-doctoral scientists working on stomatal physiology, comparative plant ecology, tree hydraulic architecture and tree and canopy exchange processes (measuring CO₂ and H₂O fluxes).