The University of Western Australia

W/Prof Lynette Abbott

Vice-Dean/Winthrop Professor
Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Contact details

Address

Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
The University of Western Australia (M082)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia

Phone

6488 5551

Fax

6488 1002

Email

lynette.abbott@uwa.edu.au

Qualifications

BSc Syd., PhD Monash, FAIAST

Biography

Research in Soil Biology is a major activity within the School of Earth and Environment at The University of Western Australia. Our emphasis is on understanding the activities of a wide range of soil organisms in the context of their contribution to important soil processes. We are interested in soil organisms and their roles in natural ecosystems as well as in agriculture/horticulture and disturbed environments such as minesites.

Key research

Soil health related to agriculture, horticulture and viticulture, soil biology, indicators of soil quality, soil fertility, plant-microbe symbioses (especially arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi), minesite rehabilitation and soil management (including organic agricultural practices).

Biochar-soil interactions

This research examines the potential role of biochar in the sustainability of dry-land farming, especially in relation to the provision of a habitat for beneficial microorganisms. It includes interactions between biochar, organic matter and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in agricultural soils.

Carbon sequestration in soil

This research includes the effect of land management practices on soil biological processes that influence soil carbon sequestration as well as loss of soil carbon through microbial activity. Emphasis is on identifying best management options for different soil types and environments and includes the efficacy of soil amendments such as clay, biosolids and compost. Potential impacts of climate change are considered.

Soil restoration – arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

We are investigating interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in plants and soil in sustainable dry-land agriculture and mine sites under rehabilitation. The impact of land management on the contributions of these symbiotic fungi is a focus.

Soil health

Clarification of the role of soil biology in sustainable farming practice and restoration of disturbed natural environments is a long-term goal of our research. Further information for land managers and others in the community, including newsletters for the Australian Soil Club can be found at the following websites www.soilhealth.com and www.soil.org.au

Publications

Publications 2001-2010

BOOKS
Abbott, L.K. and Murphy, D.V. (Eds) (2003) Soil Biological Fertility - A key to sustainable land use in agriculture. Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands. pp 264. Reprinted 2007.

Varma, A., Abbott, L.K., Werner, D. and Hampp, R. (Eds) (2004) Plant Surface Microbiology. Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, pp 628
BOOK CHAPTERS
Brundrett, M.C. and Abbott, L.K. (2002) Arbuscular mycorrhizas in plant communities. In Microorganisms in Plant Conservation and Biodiversity. Eds. Sivasithamparam, K., Dixon, K. and Barrett, R.L. Kluwer Academic Publishers. pp 151-193

Abbott, L.K. and Murphy D.V. (2003) What is soil biological fertility? In: Soil Biological Fertility - A key to sustainable land use in agriculture. Eds. Abbott, L.K. and Murphy, D.V. Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands pp 1-15

Solaiman, M.Z. and Abbott, L.K. (2004) Functional diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on root surfaces. In: Plant Surface Microbiology. Eds. Varma, A., Abbott, L.K., Werner, D., and Hampp, R. Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg. pp 331-349

Varma, A., Abbott, L.K., Werner, D and Hampp, R. (2004) The state of the art. Eds. Varma, A., Abbott, L.K., Werner, D., and Hampp, R. In: Plant Surface Microbiology. Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany.

Davis, J and Abbott, L.K. (2006) Soil fertility in organic farming systems. In: Organic agriculture: A global perspective. Eds. Paul Kristiansen, Acram Taji and John Reganold. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne pp 25-51.

Djajadi and Abbott, L.K. (2006) Inter-relationships of physical and biological aspects of soil health in sandy soil. In: Soil Microbes: Health and environment. I.K. International Publishing House, New Delhi, India.
Djuuna IAF, Abbott, LK and Solaiman MZ (2009) Use of Mycorrhiza Bioassays in Ecological Studies. In Varma, A and Kharkwal, AC (Eds) Symbiotic Fungi. Soil Biology 18. Springer-Verlag Berlin


JOURNAL ARTICLES
Jakobsen, I. Gazey, C. and Abbott L.K. (2001) Phosphate transport by communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in soil cores from annual pastures. New Phytologist 149: 95-103.

Collins, M.T., Thies, J.E. and Abbott, L.K. (2002) Diversity and symbiotic effectiveness of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii isolates from pasture soils in south-western Australia. Australian Journal of Soil Research 40: 1319-1329

Ganz, T.R., Harris, D., Abbott, L.K. and Kailis, S.G. (2002) Organoleptic and nutritional quality of olive oil from south-western region of Australia. Advances in Horticultural Science 3-4: 267-272

Ganz, T.R., Kailis, S.G. and Abbott, L.K. (2002) Mycorrhizal colonization and its effect on growth, phosphate uptake and tissue phenolic content in the European olice (Olea europaea L.) Advances in Horticultural Science 3-4: 109-116

Sano, S.M., Abbott, L.K., Solaiman, Z. and Robson, A.D. (2002) Influence of liming, inoculum level and inoculum placement on root colonization of subterranean clover. Mycorrhiza 12: 285-290

Peltzer S., Abbott, L.K. and Atkins, C. (2002) Effect of low root-zone temperature on nodule initiation in narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L). Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 53: 355-365

Bell, J., Wells, S., Jasper, D.A. and Abbott, L.K. (2003) Field inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in rehabilitation of mine sites with native vegetation, including Acacia spp. Australian Systematic Botany 16: 131-138

Levy, A., Chang, B.J., Abbott, L.K. and Inglis, T. (2003) Invasion of spores of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Gigaspora decipiens by Burkholderia spp. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 69:6250-6256

Gazey, C., Abbott, L.K. and Robson, A.D (2004) Indigenous and introduced arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi contribute to plant growth in two agricultural soils from south-western Australia. Mycorrhiza 14: 355-362

Solaiman, M.Z. and Abbott, L.K. (2003) Phosphorus uptake by a community of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in jarrah forest. Plant and Soil 248: 312-320

Juniper, S. and Abbott, L.K. (2004) A change in the concentration of NaCl in soil alters the rate of hyphal extension of some arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Canadian Journal of Botany-Revue Canadienne De Botanique 82 (8): 1235-1242

McInnes, A., Thies, J.E., Abbott, L.K. and Howieson, J.G. (2004) The structure and diversity of rhizobial populations and communities – a review. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 36 (8): 191-194

Osler, G.H.R., Gauci, C.S. and Abbott L.K. (2004) Limited evidence for short-term succession of microarthropods during early phases of surface litter decomposition. Pedobiologia 48 (1): 37-49

Osler, G.H.R., Recous, S. and Fillery I.R.P., Craig S. Gauci, Chunya Zhu and Lynette K. Abbott (2004) Correlation between mite community structure and gross N fluxes. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 36 (1): 191-194

Schwartz, M.W., Hoeksema, J.D., Gehring C.A., Johnson, N.C., Klironomos, J.N., Abbott, L.K., Pringle, A. (2006) The promise and the potential consequences of the global transport of mycorrhizal fungal inoculum. Ecology Letters 9: 501–515.

Juniper, S and Abbott, L.K. (2006) Soil salinity delays germination and limits growth of hyphae from propagules of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhiza 16: 371-397

Schweiger, PF, Robson, AD, Barrow, NJ and Abbott, LK (2007) Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from three general induce two-phase plant growth responses on a high P-fixing soil. Plant and Soil 292: 1810192.
Solaiman MZ and Abbott LK (2008) Influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, inoculum level and phosphorus placement on growth and phosphorus uptake of Phyllanthus calycinus in jarrah forest soil. Biology and Fertility of Soils 44: 815-821
Amir H, Jasper DA and Abbott LK (2008) Tolerance and induction of tolerance to Ni of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from New Caledonian ultramafic soils. Mycorrhiza 19: 1-6
Sudmeyer RA, Abbott L and Jones H (2008) Phase Farming with Trees. Field validation of the cropping phase. RIRDC Publication No 08/122: 1-57
Levy A, Merritt AJ, Mayo MJ, Chang BJ, Abbott LK and Inglis TJJ (2009) Association between Burkholderia species and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus spores in soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 41: 1757-1759

Industrial relevance

Land management in agriculture, horticulture, viticulture, minesite restoration; soil health; soil fertility; organic agriculture

Honours and awards

Fellow, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology
Carrick Citation, Australian Learning and Teaching Council, 2007

Teaching

SCIE3303 Organic Agriculture and Horticulture
ENVT2251 Environmental Hydrology
EART3320 Environmental Change
ENVT2210 Environmental Policy and Law
ENVT3320 Climate Dynamics

Current external positions

International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) Chair Division 4 - The Role of Soil in Sustaining Society and the Environment (to August 2010)
Perth Region NRM, WA, Rural Landuse Reference Group
Associate Editor, Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science
Advisory Board, Organic Agriculture (Journal of the International Society of Organic
Agriculture Research to be published by Springer from 2011)
Editorial Board, Applied and Environmental Soil Science
Editorial Board, Journal of Organic Systems

Research profile

Research profile and publications