Observations on drought damage to some native plant species in eucalypt forests and woodlands near Hobart, Tasmania

A large number of shrub and tree species suffered damage in the Ridgeway and University Reserves near Hobart, Tasmania during a prolonged drought. Damage was largely confined to shallow soils and gully margins on dolerite, there being little or no damage on equivalent sites on sedimentary substrata. Intraspecific damage was inversely related to the heights of individuals for particular sites. Relative drought resistance is presented diagrammatically for 24 small shrub species and 17 tall shrub and tree species. Drought damage does not directly limit the distribution of most species observed in this study, although the patterns of relative drought resistance accord well with species distribution in respect to available water.