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Elements and Performance Criteria
- Research pathogenic and saprophytic wood decay fungi species
- Evaluate decay and identify fungi
- Perform visual evaluation of the signs and symptoms of fungi and decay, including: visual symptoms such as dieback, reduced growth rate and chlorosis, presence of basidiocarps, decayed wounds, hollows and cavities
- Perform field identification of wood decay species of fungi to generic level
- Perform field identification of non-pathogenic fungi species to generic level
- Document location, size, and condition of wood decay fungi, presence of mycoparasites, and size, condition and extent of hollows and cavities
- Document details of environmental characteristics of fungal affected trees: site characteristics, site history, soil conditions, climate and microclimatic variables, proximity of adjacent trees and vegetation, movement of people and vehicles, and potential impacts to assets, property and landscape
- Determine methods of introduction, establishment, spread, and susceptibility of adjacent trees and vegetation
- Perform field sampling techniques of wood decay fungi and mycoparasites suitable for in-vitro culture and identification
- Prepare in-vitro media, cultures
- Conduct laboratory identification and assays
Range Statement
Performance Evidence
The candidate must be assessed on their ability to integrate and apply the performance requirements of this unit in a workplace setting. Performance must be demonstrated consistently over time and in a suitable range of contexts.
The candidate must provide evidence for and demonstrate:researching the role of fungi in biodiversity, tree nutrition, forest health, environmental biochemistry and pathologyresearching the role and contribution of wood decay fungi to forest health, the influence of environmental stresses and physiological tree responsesexamining the taxonomy and evolutionary relationships of corticoid and polypore wood decay fungiinvestigating the role of fungal species on various hostsconducting analysis of lifecycle, biology, ecology and effects of pathogenic wood decay fungi speciesconducting analysis of lifecycle, biology, ecology and effects of saprophytic wood decay fungi speciesexamining the relationships of fungal species with branch and tree failures analysing biosecurity implications of known and threat fungal species reviewing PLANTPLAN biosecurity plans and procedures performing visual evaluation of the signs and symptoms of fungi and decay, including: visual symptoms such as dieback, reduced growth rate and chlorosis, presence of basidiocarps, decayed wounds, hollows and cavitiesperforming field identification of wood decay species of fungi to generic levelperforming field identification of non-pathogenic fungi species to generic leveldocumenting location, size, and condition of wood decay fungi, presence of mycoparasites, and size, condition and extent of hollows and cavities documenting details of environmental characteristics of fungal affected trees: site characteristics, site history, soil conditions, climate and microclimatic variables, proximity of adjacent trees and vegetation, movement of people and vehicles, and potential impacts to assets, property and landscapedetermining methods of introduction, establishment, spread, and susceptibility of adjacent trees and vegetationperforming field sampling techniques of wood decay fungi and mycoparasites suitable for in-vitro culture and identificationdecanting and preparing standard laboratory chemicals and materialscreating selective culturing media to grow and isolate field samples preparing field samples for culturing on mediataking samples from field samples and apply to growth mediaisolating clean cultures from primary field cultures, and repeating until clean sample is obtainedpreparing cultured samples for further testing such as deoxyribonucleic (DNA) based assay techniquesdocumenting records and storing securely digital and physical evidence: field samples, slides, growth media, DNA and cultured samples, following chain of evidence protocolspreparing microscope slides of isolated cultures examining and identify cultured fungal samplesperforming laboratory identification of wood decay fungi to generic levelrecording digital images of identified fungiperforming laboratory assay tests for growth rate, temperature range, pathogenicity, and mycoparasitism to evaluate fungal characteristicsdocumenting experimental assay test resultsdeveloping and maintaining a culture collection for identification of fungi and submission to relevant government databases and culture collectionsdocumenting a diagnostic report on a suspected emergency plant pest (EPP) following PLANTPLAN guidelines.
Knowledge Evidence
The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:
the role of fungi in biodiversity, tree nutrition, forest health, environmental biochemistry and pathologythe role and contribution of wood decay fungi to forest health, the influence of environmental stresses and physiological tree responsestaxonomy and evolutionary relationships of corticoid and polypore wood decay fungithe role of fungal species on various hostslifecycles, biology, ecology and effects of pathogenic wood decay fungi specieslifecycle, biology, ecology and effects of saprophytic wood decay fungi speciesrelationships of fungal species with branch and tree failures biosecurity implications of known and threat fungal species PLANTPLAN biosecurity plans and procedures visual evaluation of the signs and symptoms of fungi and decay, including: visual symptoms such as dieback, reduced growth rate and chlorosis, presence of basidiocarps, decayed wounds, hollows and cavitiesfield identification of wood decay species of fungi to generic levelfield identification of non-pathogenic fungi species to generic levellocation, size, and condition of wood decay fungi, presence of mycoparasites, and size, condition and extent of hollows and cavities environmental characteristics of fungal affected trees: site characteristics, site history, soil conditions, climate and microclimatic variables, proximity of adjacent trees and vegetation, movement of people and vehicles, and potential impacts to assets, property and landscapemethods of introduction, establishment, spread, and susceptibility of adjacent trees and vegetationfield sampling techniques of wood decay fungi and mycoparasitesin-vitro culture of wood decay fungi and mycoparasitesidentification of wood decay fungi and mycoparasitesmethods of decanting and preparing standard laboratory chemicals and materialscreation of selective culturing media to grow and isolate field samplespreparation of field samples for culturing on mediamethods of sampling from field samplesmethods of application of samples to growth mediaisolation of clean cultures from primary field culturesmethods of obtaining clean samplespreparation of cultured samplesdeoxyribonucleic (DNA) based assay techniquesdocumentation of recordssecure storage of digital and physical evidence: field samples, slides, growth media, DNA and cultured sampleschain of evidence protocolspreparation of microscope slides of isolated culturesidentification of cultured fungal sampleslaboratory identification of wood decay fungi to generic leveldigital imaging of identified fungilaboratory assay tests for growth rate, temperature range, pathogenicity, and mycoparasitism to evaluate fungal characteristicsdocumentation of experimental assay test resultsdevelopment and maintenance of culture collectionsmethods of submission to relevant government databases and culture collectionsdocumentation of diagnostic reportsemergency plant pest (EPP)PLANTPLAN guidelines.