Giles Hardy

Honorary/Emeritus, Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Murdoch University

forest ecology

Dieback

Phytophthora Dieback

plant biotechnology

pathogens

Eucalyptus

mycology

phytopathology

plant disease

plant disease management

Research

Backyard bandicoots

by Trish Fleming, Giles Hardy, Catherine Baudains, Amanda Kristancic, Treena Burgess, Janine Kuehs, Natasha Tay and Bonnie Beal Richardson

Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability

2009–2022

This transdisciplinary project has been examining the role of bandicoots as contribution to healthy urban bushland. Quenda (our local south-west Western Australia bandicoot species) move mycorrhizal fungi between reserves with their scats, and we have shown that these fungi are important for maintaining tree health. The challenge has therefore been to determine whether we can use quenda scats as an inoculant for seedlings to improve tree health.