This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to safely work within a laboratory environment, collect and identify wood decay fungi specimens, prepare in vitro cultures, and carry out primary experiments.

This unit applies to individuals with advanced theoretical and technical knowledge and skills for professional or highly skilled work and/or further learning in one or more disciplines or areas of practice. This unit applies to individuals with advanced cognitive, technical and communication skills to provide specialist advice, analyse, generate and transmit solutions to complex problems, and to demonstrate autonomy, well-developed judgement, adaptability and responsibility as a practitioner or learner.

The role involves the self-directed application of specialised knowledge in arboriculture with substantial depth in areas of tree pathology and mycology.

Work is performed under standard laboratory procedures of hygiene and safety for sampling, and use, sterilisation and cleaning of standard laboratory equipment and instruments.

No occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements are known to apply to this unit at the time of publication.

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 pathology

researching the role and contribution of wood decay fungi to forest health, the influence of environmental stresses and physiological tree responses

examining the taxonomy and evolutionary relationships of corticoid and polypore wood decay fungi

investigating the role of fungal species on various hosts

conducting analysis of lifecycle, biology, ecology and effects of pathogenic wood decay fungi species

conducting analysis of lifecycle, biology, ecology and effects of saprophytic wood decay fungi species

examining 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 cavities

performing field identification of wood decay species of fungi to generic level

performing field identification of non-pathogenic fungi species to generic level

documenting 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 landscape

determining methods of introduction, establishment, spread, and susceptibility of adjacent trees and vegetation

performing field sampling techniques of wood decay fungi and mycoparasites suitable for in-vitro culture and identification

decanting and preparing standard laboratory chemicals and materials

creating selective culturing media to grow and isolate field samples

preparing field samples for culturing on media

taking samples from field samples and apply to growth media

isolating clean cultures from primary field cultures, and repeating until clean sample is obtained

preparing cultured samples for further testing such as deoxyribonucleic (DNA) based assay techniques

documenting records and storing securely digital and physical evidence: field samples, slides, growth media, DNA and cultured samples, following chain of evidence protocols

preparing microscope slides of isolated cultures

examining and identify cultured fungal samples

performing laboratory identification of wood decay fungi to generic level

recording digital images of identified fungi

performing laboratory assay tests for growth rate, temperature range, pathogenicity, and mycoparasitism to evaluate fungal characteristics

documenting experimental assay test results

developing and maintaining a culture collection for identification of fungi and submission to relevant government databases and culture collections

documenting a diagnostic report on a suspected emergency plant pest (EPP) following PLANTPLAN guidelines.

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:

the role of fungi in biodiversity, tree nutrition, forest health, environmental biochemistry and pathology

the role and contribution of wood decay fungi to forest health, the influence of environmental stresses and physiological tree responses

taxonomy and evolutionary relationships of corticoid and polypore wood decay fungi

the role of fungal species on various hosts

lifecycles, biology, ecology and effects of pathogenic wood decay fungi species

lifecycle, biology, ecology and effects of saprophytic wood decay fungi species

relationships 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 cavities

field identification of wood decay species of fungi to generic level

field identification of non-pathogenic fungi species to generic level

location, 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 landscape

methods of introduction, establishment, spread, and susceptibility of adjacent trees and vegetation

field sampling techniques of wood decay fungi and mycoparasites

in-vitro culture of wood decay fungi and mycoparasites

identification of wood decay fungi and mycoparasites

methods of decanting and preparing standard laboratory chemicals and materials

creation of selective culturing media to grow and isolate field samples

preparation of field samples for culturing on media

methods of sampling from field samples

methods of application of samples to growth media

isolation of clean cultures from primary field cultures

methods of obtaining clean samples

preparation of cultured samples

deoxyribonucleic (DNA) based assay techniques

documentation of records

secure storage of digital and physical evidence: field samples, slides, growth media, DNA and cultured samples

chain of evidence protocols

preparation of microscope slides of isolated cultures

identification of cultured fungal samples

laboratory identification of wood decay fungi to generic level

digital imaging of identified fungi

laboratory assay tests for growth rate, temperature range, pathogenicity, and mycoparasitism to evaluate fungal characteristics

documentation of experimental assay test results

development and maintenance of culture collections

methods of submission to relevant government databases and culture collections

documentation of diagnostic reports

emergency plant pest (EPP)

PLANTPLAN guidelines.

It is an industry requirement that competency in this unit requires the:

field identification of a minimum of ten (10) wood decay fungi to generic level

field identification of a minimum of ten (10) non-pathogenic fungi to generic level

analysis of the lifecycle, biology, ecology and effects of a minimum of ten (10) saprophytic wood decay fungi species

analysis of the lifecycle, biology, ecology and effects of a minimum of ten (10) pathogenic wood decay fungi species

laboratory identification of a minimum of five (5) wood decay fungi to generic level.

Assessment must be demonstrated consistently over time in a suitable range of contexts and have a productivity-based outcome. No single assessment event or report is sufficient to achieve competency in this unit.

Assessment may be conducted in a simulated or real work environment, however determination of competency requires the application of work practices under work conditions.

The mandatory equipment and materials used to gather evidence for assessment include:

equipment:

computer

word processing software

digital camera with macro

diagnostic tools including sounding hammer, trowel, probe, cordless drill

soil testing equipment

digital dissection microscope 10 -100x

compound microscope

microtome, staining and slide mounting equipment

slides and coverslips

temporary/permanent mountant

histochemical stains

laboratory equipment to perform aseptic techniques in a sterile environment

materials:

emergency plant pest diagnostic report

Assessors must satisfy current standards for RTOs in the assessment of arboriculture units of competency.

Assessment must be conducted only by persons who have:

mycology vocational competencies at least to the level being assessed

current mycology skills directly relevant to the unit of competency being assessed

Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Arboriculture (ARB)