Dr. William J. Foley
Reader, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

"Conserving Eucalyptus Forests to Ensure Adequate Food Supplies for the Koala of Australia using Spectroscopy"

(Category: Conservation of Plant and Animal Resources)

There is a long-standing debate about the use of Eucalyptus forests in Australia. The forest industry is interested in using natural toxins found in Eucalyptus leaves as an alternative to chemical pesticides for controlling insects, as well as preserving trees that can be used for timber and wood fiber. However, this impacts the koala population whose major food source is Eucalyptus leaves. Dr. Foley believes it may be possible to grow Eucalyptus trees that contain high concentrations of natural toxins in commercial plantation forests where insect attack is an issue. Since koalas prefer low concentrations of the toxins, such trees could be re-planted elsewhere for koalas. To gather sufficient data for effective forest management decisions for both conserving koala habitat and production forestry, Dr. Foley will use airplanes equipped with a near-infrared spectroscopy device that can map the chemical components of the forest canopy. With this information, the nutritional quality of the leaves can be determined, and thereby contribute to the key biological data necessary for the sustainable management of koalas in Eucalyptus production forests.

This Lindbergh/Newton Grant in conservation of plant and animal resources has been made possible by a gift from Eleanor F. Newton in memory of James D. Newton.