– ABOUT
Forest Resilience
Forest species have lifecycles spanning decades and even centuries, and their ability to grow and thrive in changing or adverse environments is a result of their genetics and epigenetics.
The Genomics for Forest Resilience Initiative seeks to generate referential and population-level genomic data for Australia’s native forest species. In collaboration with our early end-user partner Restore and Renew (NSW Royal Botanic Gardens), this data will empower researchers and land managers to better understand genetic diversity in key forest species, leading to more informed restoration and management strategies that boost forest resilience.
Forests support a significant portion of Australia’s biodiversity, including many unique native plant families and species. They cover 133.6 million hectares, 17% of the nation’s land. Australia’s native forests are primarily Eucalypt forests, covering 77% of the total forest area, while rainforests represent only 3%. Though limited in distribution, rainforests contain 60% of Australia’s plant species and provide critical habitat for endemic and protected species. Several ecologically important tree species are also valuable to Australia’s hardwood forestry industry. Forests provide essential ecosystem services such as nutrient recycling and clean air and water, mitigating climate change and supporting healthy environments. Conserving and managing forests is critical to Australia’s biodiversity and well-being.
Using genomics in forest restoration and forest management improves the effectiveness and resilience of vulnerable species. Genomics enable the assessment of genetic diversity within and between populations, helping practitioners select those best suited to local conditions. By identifying genetic traits linked to adaptation (e.g., drought tolerance, disease resistance), newly planted species are more likely to thrive. Genomic data also predicts how species or genetic varieties might respond to environmental shifts, pests, and diseases, supporting long-term forest sustainability.
OBJECTIVES
The Genomics for Forest Resilience Initiative will create referential and population-scale whole genome sequencing data for Australian forest species with aims to:
- Generate genomic data that will inform the restoration of resilient and adaptable forest ecosystems, enabling more precise management and conservation strategies.
- Develop genomic tools to understand and address the Key Threatening Processes identified in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, such as climate change, fire, invasive species, and plant pathogens.
- Provide strategic support for seed collection, provenance determination, and the establishment of evolutionarily representative germplasm collections to ensure that restoration projects are informed by genetic diversity.
- Improve ecological monitoring including understanding historical and demographic forces that have shaped variation in different species, structural variance, reproductive isolation, inbreeding levels and prediction of adaptive variance.
DATA
For further information and to view and access initiative data, please go to the Bioplatforms Australia Data Portal.
PROJECTS
| Species name | Common name | Project Summary | Data Strategy | Project Lead | Partners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agonis flexuosa | Peppermint tree | Agonis flexuosa is a keystone species in south west Western Australia and is known to be susceptible to myrtle rust. The generation of the first reference genome of Agonis flexuosa will enable exploration of the potential genomic basis of myrtle rust susceptibility. At the same time, population genomic sampling across the native range will help to understand genomic variation and its relationship with myrtle rust susceptibility, and climate change. Together, these genomic approaches will enable a holistic approach to urban and coastal forest management and provide potential direct for future conservation efforts of our native peppermint tree. | Reference genome (PacBio), Whole genome resequencing (Illumina) | Anna Hopkins | Edith Cowan University; Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions |
| Archirhodomyrtus beckleri | Rose myrtle | Archirhodomyrtus beckleri is a small tree of rainforest and wet sclerophyll forests. It is being impacted by the disease myrtle rust. This project will generate new information on the distribution of genetic variation in this species. This will help us understand how best to preserve the remaining diversity in this species, and to promote resistance and resilience in populations. | Whole genome resequencing (Illumina) | Jason Bragg | Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, Botanic Gardens of Sydney; James Cook University / Australian Tropical Herbarium; Qld Department of Primary Industries; Australian National University; NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water |
| Bursaria spinosa | Sweet Native Buckthorn, Sweet Bursaria | Bursaria spinosa is one of the most ubiquitous shrubs of the bushland of south-eastern Australia. The species is a hardy and able to grow under a wide range of environmental conditions, providing habitat to small birds that shelter amongst its thorny branches and copper butterflies that depend on the species as part of their symbiotic relationships with ant species. However, previous work has identified several highly distinct genetic lineages that occur in different parts of the species range and may be adapted to different environmental conditions. This project will investigate the underlying genomic distinctiveness of these lineages and help to define how material should be moved across the landscapes of QLD and NSW for use in ecological restoration plantings. | Reference genome (PacBio), Whole genome resequencing (Illumina) | Patrick Fahey | Queensland Herbarium and Biodiversity Science, Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation; Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, Botanic Gardens of Sydney; University of Tasmania |
| Eucalyptus delegatensis | Alpine Ash | Alpine Ash (Eucalyptus delegatensis) is a keystone ecological species, providing vital habitat to many endangered species, and increasing water quality in both natural waterways and water catchment facilities. Alpine Ash is adapted to one of the coldest ecosystems in Australia, and global climate change will push this species to its physiological limits as rising temperatures interfere with ideal germination conditions. A high-quality reference genome, along with whole genome resequencing of individuals sources from cold and warm range extremes of this species will help researchers to uncover the genetic basis for temperature tolerance in this species, as well as the genetic architecture of temperature germination limits. | Reference genome (PacBio), Whole genome resequencing (Illumina) | David Field | Macquarie University; Greening Australia; Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action |
| Leptospermum scoparium | Manuka | Leptospermum scoparium is part of a broader project aiming to characterise genetic diversity and adaptive capacity in a suite of iconic, mostly endemic, Tasmanian forest species at risk of climate change. Together, knowledge from these phylogenetically diverse forest species will enhance management of Tasmanian forests at risk from climate change. | Reference genome (PacBio), Whole genome resequencing (Illumina) | Rebecca Jordan | CSIRO; University of Tasmania |
| Phyllocladus aspleniifolius | Celery Top Pine | Phyllocladus aspleniifoliusis part of a broader project aiming to characterise genetic diversity and adaptive capacity in a suite of iconic, mostly endemic, Tasmanian forest species at risk of climate change. Together, knowledge from these phylogenetically diverse forest species will enhance management of Tasmanian forests at risk from climate change. | Reference genome (PacBio, Hi-C), Whole genome resequencing (Illumina) | Rebecca Jones | University of Tasmania; CSIRO; Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Japan |
PARTNERS
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advisory committee members
| Maurizio Rossetto (Chair) | Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney |
| Darren Crayn | Australia’s Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University |
| Rebecca Jones | University of Tasmania |
| Antanas Spokevicius | University of Melbourne |
| Rachael Gallagher | Western Sydney University |
| Peri Tobias | University of Sydney |
| Lucy Commander | ALCOA, WA |
| Kelly Scarlett | Bioplatforms Australia |
KEY INFORMATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT INFORMATION
Bioplatforms Initiative DOI: https://doi.org/10.25953/p879-9h31
Umbrella Bioproject ID: PRJNA1217485
Please use this ID when submitting any derived data to a database that is a member of the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC), such as GenBank/NCBI, ENA or DDBJ.
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Citation Guidelines
To cite the general initiative:
The Genomics for Forest Resilience Initiative, 2025, https://doi.org/10.25953/p879-9h31
To cite a specific dataset:
The Genomics for Forest Resilience Initiative, 2025, https://doi.org/10.25953/p879-9h31, [year-of-data-download], [full dataset title], [dataset-access-URL], accessed [date-of-access].
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Acknowledgement Statement
We would like to acknowledge the contribution of the The Genomics for Forest Resilience Initiative Consortium in the generation of data used in this publication. The Initiative is supported by funding from Bioplatforms Australia, enabled by the Commonwealth Government National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).
If relevant, also credit other organisations involved in the collection of the particular dataset you are using, as listed in the ‘project_lead’ and ‘project_collaborators’ in the metadata record.
CONTACT US
Project Manager
Mabel Lum – Bioplatforms Australia
mlum@bioplatforms.com
Partnerships and Engagement Lead
Kelly Scarlett – Bioplatforms Australia
kscarlett@bioplatforms.com
DATA AND COLLABORATION POLICY
Data generated through this initiative is subject to the Data and Collaboration policy. Please review it here.