Dr Matthew Brookhouse
Areas of expertise
- Natural Resource Management 050209
- Palaeoclimatology 040605
- Palaeoecology 060206
- Plant Physiology 060705
- Archaeological Science 210102
- Terrestrial Ecology 060208
- Tree Nutrition And Physiology 070508
- Landscape Ecology 050104
- Forestry Sciences 0705
Research interests
- Plant physiology
- Sub-alpine ecology
- Dendrochronology
- e[CO2] responsiveness
- Stable isotopes
Biography
I completed a BSc(Forestry) Hons. at ANU in 1997 and returned to the ANU in 2003 after six years designing and implementing growth and yield studies, and forest inventory protocols in Victoria's commercial native forests.
After receiving my PhD (2008) and two postdoctoral research projects focussed the use of forest structural complexity for landscape planning and dendrochronological reconstrcution of river flow in Victoria, I accepted a position as Lecturer in Ecological Modelling and Measurement at the Fenner School of Environment and Society. In 2012 I commenced a dual appointment between the Research School of Biology (Farquhar lab) and Fenner School and undertook research aimed at understanding water use in regenerating mountain ash forests and [CO2] responsiveness in commercial forest species.
In 2018 I was permanently appointed as a Senior Lecturer in the Fenner School. I currently teach first-year research methods, with a specific focus upon helping students make the important connection between the theory of inferential statistics and their application. I am continuing to explore the genotype-by-[CO2] interactions in eucalypt species and have ongoing dendrochronological, and silvicultural research interests. I am also leading collaborative research efforts focussed on understanding wood-borer induced dieback of snow-gum woodland in the Australian Alps.
Researcher's projects
- GxCO2 responses in tropcial provenances of Eucalyptus camaldulensis
- Age-dependent water use and carbon assimilation in ash forests
- Impact of nursery practice on growth and survival of Pinus radiata plantings
- Climatological sensitivity of Podocarpus lawrencei and Eucalyptus pauciflora
- Decline and dieback of high-elevation snow-gum woodlands
Current student projects
Medd, O. High-resolution stable isotopic methods for sub-annual resolution of meteorological impacts on eucalypt growth at high elevations. PhD
Charerntantanakul, W. Spatial and temporal attributes of remotely sensed indicators of canopy decline in high-elevation forests. PhD.
Erskine, J. Hydraulic attributes associated with elevational and dieback gradients in high-elevation forests. Hons.
Remont, C. Impact of Phytophthora inoculation on Eucalyptus viminalis. Hons.
Woodcock, E. Interaction between soil and understorey vegatetion composition and their assoviation with sub-alpine dieback. Hons.
Aitken, E. Physiological canopy attributes associated with elevational and dieback gradients in high-elevation forests. Hons.
Past student projects
Soraya, E. (in review) Growth response of eucalypt regrowth forest to thinning and fertiliser application. PhD thesis.
Publications
- Brookhouse, M, Bush, D, Ivkovich, M et al. 2022, 'Early-growth results within a Eucalyptus globulus breeding population suggest limited scope for selection focused on CO2 responsiveness', Tree Genetics and Genomes, vol. 18, no. 2.
- Allen, K, Stewart, S, Tozer, C et al. 2022, 'Reconstructing seasonal fire danger in southeastern Australia using tree rings', International Journal of Wildland Fire, vol. 31, no. 6, pp. 559-571pp.
- Leggate, W, Shirmohammadi , M, McGavin , R et al. 2021, 'Examination of Wood Adhesive Bonds via MicroCT: The Influence of Pre-Gluing Surface Machining Treatments for Southern Pine, Spotted Gum, and Darwin', BioResources, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 5058-5082.
- Hnatiuk, S, Rayner, I, Brookhouse, M et al 2020, Survival of native seedlings planted by volunteers: The Lower Cotter, ACT case study.
- Allen, K, Freund, M, Palmer, J et al. 2020, 'Hydroclimate extremes in a north Australian drought reconstruction asymmetrically linked with Central Pacific Sea surface temperatures', Global and Planetary Change, vol. 195, no. December 2020.
- Brookhouse, M, Ives, S, Dredge, P et al. 2020, 'Mapping Henry: Dendrochronological Analysis of a Sixteenth-Century Panel Painting Based Upon Synchrotron-Sourced X-ray Fluorescence Mapping', Studies in Conservation.
- Shimono, H, Farquhar, G, Brookhouse, M et al 2019, 'Prescreening in large populations as a tool for identifying elevated CO2-responsive genotypes in plants', Functional Plant Biology, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 1-14.
- Allen, K, Brookhouse, M, French, B et al 2019, 'Two climate-sensitive tree-ring chronologies from Arnhem Land, monsoonal Australia', Austral Ecology, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 113-125.
- Brookhouse, M & Graham, R 2016, 'Application of the Minimum Blue-Intensity Technique to A Southern-Hemisphere Conifer', Tree-Ring Research, vol. 72, no. 2, pp. 103-107.
- Goldin, S & Brookhouse, M 2015, 'Effects of coarse woody debris on understorey plants in a temperate Australian woodland', Applied Vegetation Science, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 134-142.
- Paredes-Villanueva, K, López, L, Brookhouse, M & Navarro Cerrillo, RM 2015, 'Rainfall and temperature variability in Bolivia derived from the tree-ring width of Amburana cearensis (Fr. Allem.) A.C. Smith', Dendrochronologia, vol. 35, pp. 80-86.
- Brookhouse, M, Farquhar, G & Roderick, M 2013, 'The impact of bushfires on water yield from south-east Australia's ash forests', Water Resources Research, vol. 49, no. 7, pp. 4493-4505.
- Mills, K, Gell, P, Gergis, J, Baker, PJ, Finlayson, CM, Hesse, PP, Jones, R, Hershaw, P, Pearson, S, Treble, PC, Barr, C, Brookhouse, M, Drysdale, R, McDonald, J, Haberle, S, Reid, M, Thoms, M & Tibby, J., 2013, 'Paleoclimate studies and natural-resource management in the Murray-Darling Basin II: unravelling human impacts and climate variability', Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, vol. 60, no. 5, pp. 561-571.
- McDougall, K, Brookhouse, M & Broome, L 2012, 'Dendroclimatological investigation of mainland Australia's only alpine conifer, Podocarpus lawrencei Hook.f', Dendrochronologia, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 1-9.
- Berry, S, Keith, H, Mackey, B, Brookhouse, M & Johnson, J, 2010, Green Carbon: The role of natural forests in carbon storage, Part 2. Biomass carbon stocks in the Great Western Woodlands, ANU ePress, Canberra Australia.
- Gell, P, Gergis, J, Mills, K et al. 2009, Palaeoclimate Studies Relevant to Natural Resource Management in the Murray-Darling Basin.
- Brookhouse, M, Brack, C & McElhinny, C 2010, 'The distance to structural complement (DiSCo) approach for expressing forest structure described by Aerial Photograph Interpretation data sets', Forest Ecology and Management, vol. 260, no. 7, pp. 1230-1240.
- Gibbons, P, Briggs, S, Murphy, D, Lindenmayer, DB, McElhinny, C & Brookhouse, M, 2010, 'Benchmark stem densities for forests and woodlands in south-eastern Australia under conditions of relatively little modification by humans since European settlement', Forest Ecology and Management, vol. 260, pp. 2125-2133.
- Brookhouse, M & Bi, H 2009, 'Elevation-dependent climate sensitivity in Eucalyptus pauciflora Sieb. ex Spreng', Trees (Structure and Function), vol. 23, pp. 1309-1320.
- Brack, C, Waterworth, R, McElhinny, C, Brookhouse, M, 2009, 'One Measure of Quality and Disturbance can be used to Improve Estimates of Almost Anything', IUFRO Division 4.01 Conference, International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), Australia, p. 1.
- Brookhouse, M, Lindesay, J & Brack, C 2008, 'The Potential of Tree Rings in Eucalyptus pauciflora for Climatological and Hydrological Reconstruction', Geographical Research, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 421-434.
- Brookhouse, M & Brack, C 2008, 'The effect of age and sample position on eucalypt tree-ring width series', Canadian Journal of Forest Research, vol. 38, pp. 1144-1158.
- Brookhouse, M & Brack, C 2006, 'Crossdating and analysis of eucalypt tree rings exhibiting terminal and reverse latewood', Trees (Structure and Function), vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 767-781.
- Brookhouse, M 2006, 'Eucalypt dendrochronology: past, present and potential', Australian Journal of Botany, vol. 54, pp. 435-449.
Projects and Grants
Grants information is drawn from ARIES. To add or update Projects or Grants information please contact your College Research Office.
- Understanding snow gum dieback for effective and integrated management (Secondary Investigator)
- Environmental drivers, landscape determinants and control of snow-gum dieback (Primary Investigator)
- Survey and montoring of snow gum dieback (Primary Investigator)
- High-resolution dendrometric monitoring of snow-gum growth (equipment purchase) (Primary Investigator)
- Dendrochronological sampling and analysis of mountain plum pine (Podocarpus lawrencei) communities throughout the Australian Alps (Primary Investigator)