Journal articles: 'Australian lowland rivers'

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Thoms, Martin C., and Fran Sheldon. "Lowland rivers: an Australian introduction." Regulated Rivers: Research & Management 16, no. 5 (2000): 375–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/1099-1646(200009/10)16:5<375::aid-rrr591>3.0.co;2-#.

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Webster, Ian T., Phillip W. Ford, and Gary Hancock. "Phosphorus dynamics in Australian lowland rivers." Marine and Freshwater Research 52, no. 1 (2001): 127. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf00037.

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In freshwater systems, phosphorus is adsorbed predominantly to clay within the sediments. Assuming a linear adsorption/desorption isotherm, rapid equilibrium adsorption, and transport by molecular diffusion, estimates are derived for (a) the rates of exchange between the adsorbed phosphorus pool in the sediments and the dissolved pool in the water column and (b) time scales to re-establish equilibrium after a step change in the water column phosphorus concentration. For oxic sediments, the time scale is of the order of tens of days. Anoxic release is much faster;the time scale is tens of minutes. The release of treated sewage at Narrabri abruptly raises the phosphorus concentration in the Namoi River. The concentration only returns to its original level 10–20 km downstream. A sediment adsorptive-uptake model underestimates the downstream phosphorus uptake rates. An alternative model, based on biotic uptake by Cladophora , describes reality better. It treats phosphorus transfer as controlled by physical transport processes and by the phosphorus uptake capacity of the biota. We show also that carp resuspension is faster than diffusion (6 v. 28 days) in restoring phosphorus concentrations in the water column after perturbation by rapid algal drawdown.

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Rees, Gavin N., P. M. Bowen, and Garth O. Watson. "Variability in benthic respiration in three southeastern Australian lowland rivers." River Research and Applications 21, no. 10 (2005): 1147–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/rra.874.

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Brizga, S. O., and B. L. Finlayson. "Interactions between upland catchment and lowland rivers: an applied Australian case study." Geomorphology 9, no. 3 (May 1994): 189–201. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0169-555x(94)90062-0.

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Lyon, Jarod P., Simon J. Nicol, Jason A. Lieschke, and David S. L. Ramsey. "Does wood type influence the colonisation of this habitat by macroinvertebrates in large lowland rivers?" Marine and Freshwater Research 60, no. 5 (2009): 384. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf07233.

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Submerged woody habitat provides the major structure around which ecological processes operate in many lowland rivers. Colonisation by macroinvertebrates was measured in a south-eastern Australian river over a 32-day period in an experiment testing the hypothesis that wood type influences the invertebrate assemblage structure. The wood types were green wood, dry wood, and dry but previously waterlogged wood. All wood used was river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis). Macroinvertebrates colonised previously waterlogged wood more rapidly than green or dry wood. The assemblage structure varied significantly over the sampling period, with copepods and cladocerans numerically dominating the assemblage during the first few days after the introduction of the wood. The assemblage became more diverse through time and was numerically dominated by dipterans, ephemeropterans and trichopterans. The results indicate that there was little difference in the time taken for macroinvertebrate colonisation after wood introduction when using either green or dry wood. This has implications for large-scale restoration projects, where green wood is likely to be a more readily available option for reintroduction than dry wood.

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Scealy, J. A., S. J. Mika, and A. J. Boulton. "Aquatic macroinvertebrate communities on wood in an Australian lowland river: experimental assessment of the interactions of habitat, substrate complexity and retained organic matter." Marine and Freshwater Research 58, no. 2 (2007): 153. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf06105.

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Since European settlement, vast amounts of wood have been removed from Australian rivers. In recognition of its ecological value, including as habitat for aquatic invertebrates, wood is being reintroduced but with little understanding of optimum placement (pools v. riffles) or structural complexity to enhance invertebrate diversity. We hypothesised that complex woody debris would support higher numbers and more macroinvertebrate taxa, especially in riffles. Wood substrates of two complexities but similar surface areas were introduced into pools and riffles at three sites along the Hunter River, Australia. After 30 days, more taxa and individuals occurred on the complex substrates in pools and riffles at all sites. Substrates in riffles usually supported more taxa and individuals but responses were site-specific. Community composition varied among sites, substrates and habitats. Complex substrates, especially in riffles, trapped drifting organic matter that increased abundance and taxa richness but did not alter overall trends among substrates or habitats within sites. However, densities of rheophilic (flow-loving) taxa were reduced by entrained organic matter. Our results indicated that complex woody debris introduced into riffles could enhance diversity and abundance of macroinvertebrates in the Hunter River. However, these conclusions from a short-term, small-scale experiment need validation from longer-term, large-scale river rehabilitation projects.

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Price, Amina E., Paul Humphries, Ben Gawne, and Martin C. Thoms. "Effects of discharge regulation on slackwater characteristics at multiple scales in a lowland river." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 70, no. 2 (February 2013): 253–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2012-0164.

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The spatial and temporal dynamics of physical habitat in rivers is driven by the interaction between channel morphology and discharge. However, little is known about how altered discharge affects the dynamics of habitat patches such as slackwaters. This study investigated the influence of discharge on the availability, stability, quality, and diversity of slackwaters in a southeastern Australian lowland river. The area, spatial configuration, permanence, and within-patch characteristics of slackwaters of two reaches in a regulated section and two reaches in a largely unregulated section of the river were compared. There was less slackwater area and it was less permanent at higher discharges and in the two regulated reaches than at lower discharges and in the largely unregulated reaches. Individual slackwaters were more homogenous in relation to within-patch characteristics in the regulated than in the largely unregulated reaches. However, variability in the spatial configuration of slackwaters and within-patch characteristics and diversity at the reach scale were not related to discharge. We suggest that channel morphology, rather than discharge, is the main driver of these characteristics.

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Richardson, A. J., and R. A. Cook. "Habitat use by caridean shrimps in lowland rivers." Marine and Freshwater Research 57, no. 7 (2006): 695. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf05160.

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Caridean shrimps are an important component of lowland river ecosystems and their distributions may be affected by river regulation. We studied the mesoscale distributions of Paratya australiensis, Caridina mccullochi and Macrobrachium australiense in five lowland rivers of the Murray–Darling Basin, south-eastern Australia. We distinguished habitat patches according to water-current velocity and channel location – still littoral (SL), slow-current-velocity littoral (SCVL) and moderate-current-velocity channel (MCVC) – and investigated ontogenetic shifts in habitat use. We sampled seven reaches for shrimp in March 2003 and December 2003 using a modified backpack electrofisher. Paratya australiensis occurred in all habitats but was mostly associated with SL. All life stages of C. mccullochi utilised SL and SCVL, and only a few adults were collected from areas with greater than slow current velocity. The habitat preference of M. australiense changed with development: larvae only occurred in SL, but adults and berried females strongly preferred MCVC. Low flows and slow water currents are characteristic of lowland rivers in southern Australia during summer and autumn (December–April), the period during which shrimps’ larval development and juvenile recruitment occurs. Caridina mccullochi and M. australiense may rely on still and slow-current-velocity habitats during larval development and juvenile recruitment and to facilitate upstream movements.

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Rees, Gavin N., Gillian Beattie, Patricia M. Bowen, and Barry T. Hart. "Heterotrophic bacterial production in the lower Murray River, south-eastern Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 56, no. 6 (2005): 835. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf04232.

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Bacterial production is important in aquatic carbon cycles because it represents a key component whereby dissolved and particulate carbon can be recycled back into food webs. Despite its acknowledged importance, few studies have examined bacterial production in lowland rivers. Since studies have suggested bacterial production is closely related to some carbon pools, we anticipated this to be the case in the Murray River, but that the timing and type of carbon inputs in the Murray River may lead to bacterial dynamics that differ from studies from other sites. Bacterial abundance and production were measured at three contrasting sites of the lowland Murray River, south-eastern Australia, over an 18-month period. Bacterial abundance varied across the three sites on the Murray River and was correlated with chlorophyll a concentrations but not with temperature, nutrients, particulate organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon concentrations. Bacterial production also varied across the sites. Lowest production was at the site most immediately downstream of a large reservoir, with production generally ranging from 0.88 to 8.00 μg C L−1 h−1. Bacterial production in a reach within a large forest ranged from 4.00 to 17.38 μg C L−1 h−1. Production at the reach furthest downstream ranged from 1.04 to 23.50 μg C L−1 h−1. Bacterial production in the Murray River was generally greater than in the European River Spree, reaches of the Meuse and Rhine without immediate impacts from major urban centres and the Amazon River, but was similar to the concentration measured in the Mississippi and Hudson Rivers. Bacterial production was closely correlated with chlorophyll a concentration and total phosphorus, but not with temperature, dissolved organic carbon, particulate organic carbon or inorganic nitrogen. Despite the differences in production and respiration measured at different sites across the Murray River, bacterial growth efficiency was very similar at the three sites. Bacterial populations in the Murray River appear to be influenced by reach-specific conditions rather than broad-scale drivers such as temperature, carbon and nutrient concentrations.

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Nielsen, Daryl L., Robert A. Cook, Nathan Ning, Ben Gawne, and Rochelle Petrie. "Carbon and nutrient subsidies to a lowland river following floodplain inundation." Marine and Freshwater Research 67, no. 9 (2016): 1302. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf14390.

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Despite the perceived importance of floodplain inundation to the functioning of lowland rivers, there is limited understanding of the contribution that floodplains make to the main river channel during floods. In 2010, substantial flooding occurred throughout south-eastern Australia, which provided an opportunity to quantify the export of biological material and nutrients from a floodplain back in to the main river channel. We quantified the amounts of zooplankton, phytoplankton, dissolved organic carbon and nutrients within the main river channel of the River Murray immediately upstream of the Barmah–Millewa Forest, and at two sites immediately downstream of the forest during two flood events in July and October of 2010. Results demonstrated that although a smaller flood event in July did not contribute substantially to an increase in the measured parameters, a much larger flood in October contributed 0.4 tonnes (t) of phytoplankton; 7t of zooplankton and 300t of dissolved organic carbon. This suggests that small floods will provide minimal resource subsidies back into the main channel after the cessation of flooding. In comparison, larger floods that result in large volumes of floodplain water returning to the river will provide substantial subsidies of terrestrially derived resources.

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Gehrke, Peter C., and John H. Harris. "Large-scale patterns in species richness and composition of temperate riverine fish communities, south-eastern Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 51, no. 2 (2000): 165. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf99061.

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Riverine fish in New South Wales were studied to examine longitudinal trends in species richness and to identify fish communities on a large spatial scale. Five replicate rivers of four types (montane, slopes, regulated lowland and unregulated lowland) were selected from North Coast, South Coast, Murray and Darling regions. Fishwere sampled during summer and winter in two consecutive years with standardized gear that maximized the range of species caught. The composition of fish communities varied among regions and river types, with little temporal variation. Distinct regional communities converged in montane reaches and diverged downstream. The fish fauna can be classified into North Coast, South Coast, Murray and Darling communities, with a distinct montane community at high elevations irrespective of the drainage division. Species richness increased downstream in both North Coast and South Coast regions by both replacement and the addition of new species. In contrast, species richness in the Darling and Murray regions reached a maximum in the slopes reaches and then declined, reflecting a loss of species in lowland reaches. The small number of species is typical of the freshwater fish faunas of similar climatic regions world-wide. Fish communities identified in this study form logical entities for fisheries management consistent with the ecosystem-focused, catchment-based approach to river management and water reform being adopted in Australia.

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Moran, Nicholas P., George G. Ganf, Todd A. Wallace, and Justin D. Brookes. "Flow variability and longitudinal characteristics of organic carbon in the Lachlan River, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 65, no. 1 (2014): 50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf12297.

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Heterotrophic organic-carbon cycling is a major source of energy to aquatic food webs, yet there are few studies into patterns of heterotrophic productivity in large lowland rivers. The Lachlan River experienced a period of extreme flow variability from September 2010 to February 2011; for example, daily discharge (ML day–1) at one site reached >22 times its 10-year average. Heterotrophic cycling of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) were assessed over this period at six sites on the Lachlan River. Concentrations of total organic carbon (TOC) ranged from 7 to 30 mg L–1, of which the majority was in dissolved form. Concentration of DOC was positively correlated with daily discharge. Biochemical oxygen demand of TOC over 5 days (BOD5) showed significant variability, ranging from 0.6 to 6.6 mg O2 L–1. BOD5 did not appear related to discharge, but instead to a range of other factors, including regulation via weirs, lateral and longitudinal factors. Partitioning of DOC and POC showed that POC had an influence on BOD5 comparable to DOC. This is relevant to environmental-flow management in the Lachlan River, the Murray–Darling Basin and rivers generally, by showing that flow variability influences a fundamental ecosystem characteristic, namely organic carbon.

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Liu, Xiaoying, Robyn J. Watts, Julia A. Howitt, and Nicole McCasker. "Carbon and nutrient release from experimental inundation of agricultural and forested floodplain soil and vegetation: influence of floodplain land use on the development of hypoxic blackwater during floods." Marine and Freshwater Research 71, no. 2 (2020): 213. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf18452.

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Overbank floods in modified lowland rivers often inundate a mosaic of different land uses (e.g. forests, crops and pastures) on the floodplain. We used a glasshouse experiment to investigate dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrient (TP, NH4+, NOx) releases, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dissolved oxygen (DO) depletion in water following inundation of soil and vegetation from a lowland river floodplain in southern Australia. Six replicate samples of six intact soil and groundcover treatments were collected during summer; three from a forest (bare soil, wallaby grass and leaf litter) and three from an adjacent paddock (bare soil, wheat and ryegrass). Samples were placed in pots, inundated with river water over 16 days, and their leachates were compared with a river-water control. All vegetated groundcover treatments had significantly higher DOC and COD and significantly less DO at both Day 1 and Day 16 than did the soil-only treatments or the control. Leachates from paddock treatments were less coloured than those from forest treatments, despite having similar concentrations of DOC. Our findings imply that the inundation of any vegetation during summer floods can be a major source of DOC and a major contributor to DO depletion.

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Liu, Xiaoying, Robyn J. Watts, Julia A. Howitt, and Nicole McCasker. "Corrigendum to: Carbon and nutrient release from experimental inundation of agricultural and forested floodplain soil and vegetation: influence of floodplain land use on the development of hypoxic blackwater during floods." Marine and Freshwater Research 71, no. 2 (2020): 261. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf18452_co.

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Overbank floods in modified lowland rivers often inundate a mosaic of different land uses (e.g. forests, crops and pastures) on the floodplain. We used a glasshouse experiment to investigate dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrient (TP, NH4+, NOx) releases, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dissolved oxygen (DO) depletion in water following inundation of soil and vegetation from a lowland river floodplain in southern Australia. Six replicate samples of six intact soil and groundcover treatments were collected during summer; three from a forest (bare soil, wallaby grass and leaf litter) and three from an adjacent paddock (bare soil, wheat and ryegrass). Samples were placed in pots, inundated with river water over 16 days, and their leachates were compared with a river-water control. All vegetated groundcover treatments had significantly higher DOC and COD and significantly less DO at both Day 1 and Day 16 than did the soil-only treatments or the control. Leachates from paddock treatments were less coloured than those from forest treatments, despite having similar concentrations of DOC. Our findings imply that the inundation of any vegetation during summer floods can be a major source of DOC and a major contributor to DO depletion.

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Framenau, Volker W., Randolf Manderbach, and Martin Baehr. "Riparian gravel banks of upland and lowland rivers in Victoria (south-east Australia): arthropod community structure and life-history patterns along a longitudinal gradient." Australian Journal of Zoology 50, no. 1 (2002): 103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo01039.

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Riparian sand and gravel banks are inhabited by a fauna that is well adapted to varying river water levels and frequent inundation of the banks. Arthropods found in these habitats were studied from November 1998 to January 1999 in the upper and lower floodplains of the main rivers and tributaries in ten major catchments in the Victorian Alps. Wolf spiders (Lycosidae, 68%) and ground beetles (Carabidae, 7.8%) were the most abundant arthropods, with densities averaging 14.6 ± 1.8 (s.e.) and 2.3 ± 0.4 individuals m–2 respectively. Species composition and wolf spider densities changed substantially between upland and lowland rivers. These differences correspond with changes in altitude, shading, and gravel and gravel bank size. Comparison of our results with similar studies conducted in temperate Northern Hemisphere floodplains showed significant differences. Carabidae, not Lycosidae, are the dominant arthropod group in Northern Hemisphere floodplains. Wolf spider densities are higher in upper than lower reaches of rivers in the Victorian Alps, but do not change along rivers in the Northern Hemisphere. In contrast, carabid beetles showed similar densities between upland and lowland floodplains in Victoria, but increase in density along rivers in the Northern Hemisphere. A second, monthly sampling program on gravel banks along the Avon River (Gippsland) over a one-year period in 1996 and 1997 provided information on the life histories of eight common gravel-bank arthropods: Venatrix lapidosa, V. arenaris, two undescribed Artoria species (‘A’, ‘B’) (Lycosidae), Eudalia macleayi, Elaphropus ovensensis, Perileptus constricticeps and an unidentified Loxandrus species (‘B’) (Carabidae). Artoria sp. A and sp. B are diplochronous. Despite its smaller size, Artoria sp. B matured one month after Artoria sp. A. Lower temperatures at upland streams and rivers, the typical habitat for Artoria sp. B, may delay its development in comparison with Artoria sp. A, which is generally found further downstream. The life histories of both lycosid spiders and carabid beetles, characterised by prolonged reproductive period and short larval development, appear to have some adaptive value in regard to the disturbance-prone environment.

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Hesse, Paul P., Rory Williams, Timothy J. Ralph, Kirstie A. Fryirs, Zacchary T. Larkin, Kira E. Westaway, and Will Farebrother. "Palaeohydrology of lowland rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia." Quaternary Science Reviews 200 (November 2018): 85–105. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.09.035.

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Hesse, Paul P., Rory Williams, Timothy J. Ralph, Zacchary T. Larkin, Kirstie A. Fryirs, Kira E. Westaway, and David Yonge. "Dramatic reduction in size of the lowland Macquarie River in response to Late Quaternary climate-driven hydrologic change." Quaternary Research 90, no. 2 (September 2018): 360–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/qua.2018.48.

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AbstractPalaeochannels of lowland rivers provide a means of investigating the sensitivity of river response to climate-driven hydrologic change. About 80 palaeochannels of the lower Macquarie River of southeastern Australia record the evolution of this distributive fluvial system. Six Macquarie palaeochannels were dated by single-grain optically stimulated luminescence. The largest of the palaeochannels (Quombothoo, median age 54 ka) was on average 284 m wide, 12 times wider than the modern river (24 m) and with 21 times greater meander wavelength. Palaeo-discharge then declined, resulting in a younger, narrower, group of palaeochannels, Bibbijibbery (125 m wide, 34 ka), Billybingbone (92 m, 20 ka), Milmiland (112 m, 22 ka), and Mundadoo (86 m, 5.6 ka). Yet these channels were still much larger than the modern river and were continuous downstream to the confluence with the Barwon-Darling River. At 5.5 ka, a further decrease in river discharge led to the formation of the narrow modern river, the ecologically important Macquarie Marshes, and Marra Creek palaeochannel (31 m, 2.1 ka) and diminished sediment delivery to the Barwon-Darling River as palaeo-discharge fell further. The hydrologic changes suggest precipitation was a driving forcing on catchment discharge in addition to a temperature-driven runoff response.

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Lyon, Jarod P., Robin Hale, Adrian Kitchingman, Justin O'Connor, Joanne Sharley, and Zeb Tonkin. "Effects of tag type, morphological location and tagger experience on tag retention rates in freshwater fishes." Marine and Freshwater Research 70, no. 6 (2019): 891. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf18368.

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Mark–recapture of fish is often used to inform fisheries or conservation management. Given that variability in tagging efficiencies can affect estimates of population size, it is important that rates of tag rejection are quantified. We double tagged over 45000 large-bodied, long-lived fish in a turbid lowland river in south-eastern Australia. During yearly recapture fish surveys, data on tag rejection were collected. We found that the probability of tag rejection varied as a function of fish species, tag type and tagger experience. Floy tags were more likely to be rejected as dart tags in large-bodied golden perch Macquaria ambigua (6 and 3% respectively), silver perch (18 and 4% respectively) and trout cod (19 and 7% respectively), whereas rates of rejection in the large-bodied Murray cod Maccullochella peelii were similar for both tag types (12 and 10% respectively). More experienced taggers had lower rates of rejection, which varied between 1 and 48% for individual taggers. We trialled three morphological locations for passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagging of fish, with rejection rates lowest for tags implanted in the stomach cavity and highest for those implanted in the pectoral musculature. This study presents the first tag rejection rates for dart, floy and PIT tags for lowland Australian river fish, information that can help guide future monitoring programs.

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Bormans, Myriam, Phillip W. Ford, Larelle Fabbro, and Gary Hancock. "Onset and persistence of cyanobacterial blooms in a large impounded tropical river, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 55, no. 1 (2004): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf03045.

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The dynamic interplay between physical, chemical and biological factors in the development and persistence of cyanobacterial blooms in impounded rivers is an important topic. Over a 3-year study period, variable climatic conditions were recorded in the Fitzroy River, Queensland, Australia, which is a typical, impounded lowland tropical river. Post-flood turbidity reduced the available light in the well-mixed water column to levels insufficient for cyanobacterial growth. Only when the water column stratified and the slowly sinking particles dropped from the surface layer did the ratio of surface mixed layer depth to euphotic depth approach 1, allowing cyanobacterial growth. By the time the light climate became favorable, most of the dissolved nutrients had been scavenged from the water column by settling particles or sequestered by fringing macrophytes and other biogeochemical processes. Cyanobacterial blooms dominated by Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii persisted for several months until the next flood flushed the system. The cyanobacterial species dominating that environment were very small and had high specific phosphorus uptake rates. Their nutrient requirement was met by transfer across the oxycline driven by regular high wind mixing events, entraining nutrient-rich bottom waters. Nutrient fluxes from the sediments into the anoxic bottom layer were sufficient to replace the bottom nutrients lost to the surface layer.

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Hamilton, Serena H., Carmel A. Pollino, and Keith F. Walker. "Regionalisation of freshwater fish assemblages in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 68, no. 4 (2017): 629. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf15359.

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Regionalisations based on species assemblages are a useful framework for characterising ecological communities and revealing patterns in the environment. In the present study, multivariate analyses are used to discern large-scale patterns in fish assemblages in the Murray–Darling Basin, based on information from the Murray–Darling Basin Authority’s first Sustainable Rivers Audit (SRA), conducted in 2004–2007. The Basin is classified into nine regions with similar historical fish assemblages (i.e. without major human intervention), using data that combine expert opinion, museum collections and historical records. These regions are (1) Darling Basin Plains, (2) Northern Uplands, (3) Murray Basin Plains, (4) Northern Alps, (5) Central East, (6) Avoca Lowland, (7) Southern Slopes, (8) Southern Alps and (9) South-Western Slopes. Associations between assemblages and physical variables (catchment area, elevation, hydrology, precipitation, temperature) are identified and used to reinforce the definitions of regions. Sustainable Rivers Audit data are compared with the historical assemblages, highlighting species whose range and abundance have changed since the early 19th century. Notable changes include declines in native species such as silver perch, river blackfish, mountain galaxias, Macquarie perch, trout cod and freshwater catfish, and the advent of alien species including common carp, eastern gambusia, goldfish, redfin perch, brown trout and rainbow trout. Less significant declines are evident for native carp gudgeons, golden perch, two-spined blackfish, bony herring and flathead gudgeon. Changes are evident even in regions where habitats have been little disturbed in the past 200 years.

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Lieschke, J. A., J. P. Lyon, P. D. Moloney, and S. J. Nicol. "Spatial partitioning in the use of structural woody habitat supports the cohabitation of two cod species in a large lowland river." Marine and Freshwater Research 67, no. 12 (2016): 1835. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf15067.

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Many freshwater fish worldwide have been shown to use Structural Woody Habitat (SWH) for a variety of reasons. The mid reaches of the Murray River, a large lowland river in south-eastern Australia, was surveyed by boat electrofishing, to investigate the use of SWH type (hollows, rootmass and solids), SWH distance to bank (near bank, intermediate to bank and mid-channel) and the interaction between SWH type and distance to bank. The study found that Murray cod catch per unit effort (CPUE) increased in near-bank areas when hollows were a component of the SWH. The CPUE of trout cod was higher when hollows were present. However, the interactions between distance to bank and hollow SWH were complex and dependent on presence or absence of rootmass. The species-specific interactions between SWH microhabitat and distance to bank found within this study has important relevance for stream managers. The common practice of realigning SWH favours Murray cod over trout cod, which could have negative consequences for the endangered trout cod. More broadly, managers may need to consider a balance of SWH type and where it is placed in the river for the species they are targeting when rehabilitating rivers via the introduction of SWH.

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Wallace, Todd A., and Deborah Furst. "Open water metabolism and dissolved organic carbon in response to environmental watering in a lowland river–floodplain complex." Marine and Freshwater Research 67, no. 9 (2016): 1346. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf15318.

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The relative importance of autochthonous and allochthonous organic material in fuelling ecosystem metabolism is increasingly understood for some river systems. However, in south-eastern Australia, the majority of studies have been conducted during low flows when the supply of allochthonous carbon was limited. Consequently, the importance of episodic inputs of terrestrially derived material in supporting these food webs remains poorly understood. We assessed the influence of return flows from two different scales of environmental watering actions on dissolved organic carbon and open-water productivity in receiving waters adjacent to the watered area. For the wetland-scale event, gross primary productivity and ecosystem respiration increased in the receiving waters during the period of return flows. During the floodplain-scale watering, differences were observed among sites. Within the managed inundation zone, values for net ecosystem productivity switched from near zero during the baseline to strongly negative during the impact period, whereas values at the river sites were either near zero or positive. The results contribute to our understanding of the relative role of allochthonous material in supporting aquatic food webs in lowland rivers, and demonstrate potential for watering actions to have a positive influence on riverine productivity during periods of low water availability.

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Hillyard, Karl A., Benjamin B. Smith, Anthony J. Conallin, and Bronwyn M. Gillanders. "Optimising exclusion screens to control exotic carp in an Australian lowland river." Marine and Freshwater Research 61, no. 4 (2010): 418. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf09017.

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Carp exclusion screens (CES) are used to restrict adult common carp from entering wetlands, thereby minimising their ecological impacts and spawning and recruitment potential, but there is marked variation in current CES design and management. We quantified current CES designs, dimensions and locations within the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia. Directional fyke nets at inlets of six permanently inundated wetlands were used to identify fish using wetlands and therefore potentially vulnerable to CES. Morphometric data from captured fish were then used to design CES that excluded sexually mature carp. The ability of optimised and existing CES designs to exclude large-bodied fishes that used wetlands was then assessed. Fifty-four CES with eight mesh designs and varied dimensions were identified. We recorded 18 species comprising 212 927 fish in the wetland inlets. Two optimised meshes to exclude sexually mature carp were developed: a 44-mm square grid mesh and a ‘jail bar’ mesh with 31.4-mm gaps. Modelling revealed that up to 92% of carp could be excluded by either optimised mesh design, although few young-of-year carp were caught. Optimised and existing CES designs would also exclude 2–65% of large-bodied native fishes. Optimised CES may allow localised carp control without restricting passage of some key native fishes.

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Richardson, A. J., J. E. Growns, and R. A. Cook. "Distribution and life history of caridean shrimps in regulated lowland rivers in southern Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 55, no. 3 (2004): 295. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf03126.

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Caridean shrimps are an integral component of lowland river ecosystems in south-eastern Australia, but their distributions may be affected by flow alteration. Monthly shrimp samples were collected from slackwaters in three hydrologically distinct sections of the heavily regulated Campaspe River and the less regulated Broken River for three consecutive years. The distributions of Paratya australiensis, Caridina mccullochi and Macrobrachium australiense, along with their life history in river sections with different hydrology are outlined. Paratya australiensis and M. australiense occurred in all sections, but C. mccullochi was absent from sections of the Campaspe River that received irrigation flows during summer/autumn. Shrimp larvae were most abundant in summer (December–February) and juvenile recruitment continued through to mid autumn (April). Breeding and recruitment of P. australiensis occurred for longer than other shrimps. Apart from large adult and berried M. australiense, all life stages of shrimps commonly occurred in slackwaters, particularly the larval and juvenile stages. Irrigation flows in summer/autumn probably adversely affect the size, extent and arrangement of slackwaters, at a time when they may be critical habitats for C. mccullochi larval development and recruitment. Dams and weirs in the Campaspe River may have influenced shrimp abundance and the timing of breeding.

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Koehn, J. D., J. A. McKenzie, D. J. O’Mahony, S. J. Nicol, J. P. O’Connor, and W. G. O’Connor. "Movements of Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii) in a large Australian lowland river." Ecology of Freshwater Fish 18, no. 4 (September 17, 2009): 594–602. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0633.2009.00375.x.

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Gippel, Christopher J., Brian L. Finlayson, and Ian C. O'Neill. "Distribution and hydraulic significance of large woody debris in a lowland Australian river." Hydrobiologia 318, no. 3 (February 1996): 179–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf00016679.

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Stuart, Ivor G., Brenton P. Zampatti, and Lee J. Baumgartner. "Can a low-gradient vertical-slot fishway provide passage for a lowland river fish community?" Marine and Freshwater Research 59, no. 4 (2008): 332. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf07141.

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Fishways are commonly used to restore native fish movements in regulated rivers. In the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia, 14 fishways are to be built by 2011 to improve passage along 2225 km of the river. The first of these fishways, constructed in 2003, is a vertical-slot design with low water velocities (0.98–1.4 m s–1) and turbulence (average 42 W m–3). This design was selected to provide passage for individuals between 20 and 1000 mm long. To determine passage success, trapping and a remote automated passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag reading system was used from October 2003 to February 2006. In 57 24-h samples at the exit (upstream end) and entrance (downstream end), 13 species and 30 409 fish were collected at a maximum rate of 4415 fish per day. Fish between 31 and 1030 mm successfully ascended the fishway. However, significantly smaller (<31 mm) fish and small-bodied (<50 mm) carp gudgeons (Hypseleotris spp.), a species previously considered non-migratory, were sampled downstream from the entrance of the fishway. The remote PIT tag reading system revealed that 81% of native golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) and 87% of non-native common carp (Cyprinus carpio) successfully ascended the fishway. These data will help maximise the efficiency of future fishways against a series of pre-determined performance criteria.

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Cook, Robert A., Ben Gawne, Rochelle Petrie, Darren S. Baldwin, Gavin N. Rees, Daryl L. Nielsen, and Nathan S. P. Ning. "River metabolism and carbon dynamics in response to flooding in a lowland river." Marine and Freshwater Research 66, no. 10 (2015): 919. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf14199.

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Lowland riverine–floodplain systems often have significant but irregular inputs of allochthonous carbon. However, the importance of this carbon to riverine systems remains poorly understood. We assessed open water dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, metabolism and biofilm stable isotope (δ13C) signatures, upstream and downstream of an extensive floodplain forest on the Murray River, Australia, before and after a flood event. Prior to flooding, all sites had similar concentrations of DOC, rates of metabolism and biofilm δ13C signatures. During the flood DOC concentration increased up to three-fold downstream of the forest, gross primary production (GPP) increased at all sites, but community respiration (CR) increased only at the downstream sites, resulting in decreased in NPP downstream and a slight increase upstream. Biofilm δ13C signatures became depleted by between 4 and 7‰ downstream of the forest during the flood, reflecting a rapid incorporation of allochthonous carbon into the biofilm. These results indicate that flooding led to a substantial increase to the energy budget of the Murray River through the provisioning of large quantities of allochthonous carbon and that terrestrial carbon was processed within the river biofilms. Allochthonous carbon assimilation within biofilms during flooding provides a potential pathway for allochthonous carbon to be incorporated into the metazoan foodweb.

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Lambkin, Kevin J. "Conrad Kelsall: “Butterflying” on the Little Mulgrave River, north Queensland, in 1903." Archives of Natural History 40, no. 1 (April 2013): 111–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/anh.2013.0140.

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In 1900, an English immigrant, Conrad Kelsall (1873–1936), settled on a block of virgin lowland rainforest on the Little Mulgrave River in tropical north Queensland. Four letters written to his family in Devon in 1903 tell of his butterfly collecting, both as a personal interest and a potential commercial activity. He supplied specimens to local natural history dealer, Alfred Bernie Bell, who sold them to major Australian butterfly collectors, G. A. Waterhouse and George Lyell, English natural history dealers Watkins and Doncaster, and famed lepidopterist Walter Rothschild. One letter also records Kelsall's contact with little-known Australian beetle collector, Horace Brown. The four letters provide a glimpse of the local enthusiasm for “butterflying” in north Queensland in the early twentieth century, as well as a record of how north Queensland specimens found their way to some of the major butterfly collectors of the day. Annotated transcripts of the letters are provided.

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Conallin, Anthony J., Ben B. Smith, Leigh A. Thwaites, Keith F. Walker, and Bronwyn M. Gillanders. "Environmental Water Allocations in regulated lowland rivers may encourage offstream movements and spawning by common carp, Cyprinus carpio: implications for wetland rehabilitation." Marine and Freshwater Research 63, no. 10 (2012): 865. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf12044.

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Environmental Water Allocations (EWAs) are used to enhance native flora and fauna in regulated rivers, but may also benefit alien invasive species like common carp (Cyprinus carpio). We examined the invasion and spawning risk posed by adult common carp during an EWA delivered from the River Murray to a flow-through wetland in South Australia from June to December 2008. Offstream movements of fish and turtles were monitored continuously via the inlet and outlet creeks. Long-necked turtles (Chelodina longicollis, n = 129) dominated at the inlet where few fish were collected (n = 24), whereas much larger numbers of common carp in prime spawning condition (n = 4709), alien goldfish (Carassius auratus, n = 1201) and native bony herring (Nematalosa erebi, n = 93) were attracted to the outlet and displayed distinct movements. Adult common carp movements began in August, in response to increasing water temperatures, peaked in mid-September before spawning, then declined and were close to zero by December. The timing of EWA deliveries potentially could be manipulated to reduce adult carp invasion and spawning potential while providing some advantage to native fish, but the benefits may be short-lived without additional carp management interventions such as wetland drying.

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Taylor, Andrew R., Sébastien Lamontagne, and Russell S. Crosbie. "Measurements of riverbed hydraulic conductivity in a semi-arid lowland river system (Murray–Darling Basin, Australia)." Soil Research 51, no. 5 (2013): 363. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr13090.

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Riverbed hydraulic conductivity (Kr) was measured along one river reach in four tributaries of the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) in south-eastern Australia. Two techniques were trialled: in-river falling-head tests in high Kr sediments, and laboratory evaporation tests on intact riverbed cores for low Kr sediments. In-river falling-head tests were conducted using two types of permeameter: a steel-base permeameter or a stand-pipe permeameter. Kr was found to range from 10–10 to 10–3 m s–1, corresponding to a range in riverbed sediment textures from clay to silty gravels, respectively. Although the within-reach variability in Kr was also large, in general the river reaches could be divided in two groups, those with a low Kr (<10–8 m s–1) or a high Kr (>10–5 m s–1). The low Kr reach (Billabong Creek) was a clay-lined bed, whereas the others had silty sand or silty gravel beds. Thus, regional-scale assessments of Kr in the MDB could be made using a stratified sampling process in which reaches would be first classified into low or high Kr classes, and then Kr measurements made in a subsample of low and high Kr reaches. This would be an improvement over the current practice whereby riverbed Kr is estimated either from regional soil maps or through the calibration of groundwater models.

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STUART, I. G., and M. J. JONES. "Movement of common carp, Cyprinus carpio, in a regulated lowland Australian river: implications for management." Fisheries Management and Ecology 13, no. 4 (August 2006): 213–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2400.2006.00495.x.

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Treadwell, Simon. "Photosynthetic characteristics of biofilms growing on large woody debris in an Australian lowland river system." SIL Proceedings, 1922-2010 28, no. 3 (October 2002): 1366–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03680770.2001.11902679.

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34

Wedderburn, Scotte D., Michael P. Hammer, Christopher M. Bice, Lance N. Lloyd, Nick S. Whiterod, and Brenton P. Zampatti. "Flow regulation simplifies a lowland fish assemblage in the Lower River Murray, South Australia." Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 141, no. 2 (July 3, 2017): 169–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03721426.2017.1373411.

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35

Woolschot, Leisl, Jane M. Hughes, and Stuart E. Bunn. "Dispersal among populations of Caridina sp. (Decapoda : Atyidae) in coastal lowland streams, south-eastern Queensland, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 50, no. 7 (1999): 681. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf99011.

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Caridina sp. is an atyid shrimp occupying coastal streams in south-eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales. Shrimps from two geographic regions in south-eastern Queensland were examined. An analysis of 7 allozyme loci showed very high levels of genetic differentiation among catchments (F ST = 0.65) with much lower levels within catchments. This indicates extremely limited dispersal among catchments with greater levels within catchments. The levels of genetic differentiation were even greater than previously reported for two other atyid shrimp species occurring in upland rainforest streams. Populations from the Noosa River were more similar to those from the Glasshouse Mountains than to those from the geographically closer Tin Can Bay streams. This pattern was remarkably similar to that of a fish species occurring in the same streams and may reflect a recent confluence of streams from the Glasshouse Mountains and the Noosa River regions.

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36

Crook, David A. "Movements associated with home-range establishment by two species of lowland river fish." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 61, no. 11 (November 1, 2004): 2183–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f04-151.

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Individuals that occupy restricted home ranges for long periods have little chance to sample surrounding habitats and may only be able to respond to changes in the distribution of resources at very local scales. Processes leading to the selection of a home range, therefore, potentially have an important bearing on individual fitness and, ultimately, on population structure. In this study, movements associated with the establishment of home ranges by golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in an Australian lowland river were examined using radiotelemetry. To examine behaviour associated with exploration and settlement into new home ranges, fish were artificially translocated into an unfamiliar river section. Although there was substantial intraspecific variation in patterns of movement, all fish tracked over the entire study period eventually settled into restricted home ranges. Several fish of both species either moved away from established home ranges and settled in new areas, or undertook large-scale movements and subsequently returned to the original home range. It is suggested that such movements may provide a mechanism by which fish can reap the benefits of home-range occupation whilst still being able to respond to changes in the distributions of spatially and temporally dynamic resources.

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Tonkin, Z., A. King, J. Mahoney, and J. Morrongiello. "Diel and spatial drifting patterns of silver perch Bidyanus bidyanus eggs in an Australian lowland river." Journal of Fish Biology 70, no. 1 (January 2007): 313–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2006.01281.x.

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HUMPHRIES, PAUL, PAUL BROWN, JOHN DOUGLAS, ANDREW PICKWORTH, RUSSEL STRONGMAN, KYLIE HALL, and LUCIANO SERAFINI. "Flow-related patterns in abundance and composition of the fish fauna of a degraded Australian lowland river." Freshwater Biology 53, no. 4 (April 2008): 789–813. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2427.2007.01904.x.

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39

Lind, P. R., B. J. Robson, and B. D. Mitchell. "Multiple lines of evidence for the beneficial effects of environmental flows in two lowland rivers in Victoria, Australia." River Research and Applications 23, no. 9 (2007): 933–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/rra.1016.

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Howson, T. J., B. J. Robson, and B. D. Mitchell. "Patch-specific spawning is linked to restoration of a sediment-disturbed lowland river, south-eastern Australia." Ecological Engineering 36, no. 7 (July 2010): 920–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2010.04.007.

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Pollino, Carmel A., Pat Feehan, Michael R. Grace, and Barry T. Hart. "Fish communities and habitat changes in the highly modified Goulburn Catchment, Victoria, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 55, no. 8 (2004): 769. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf03180.

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Evidence for the decline in native fish communities in the lowland Goulburn Catchment has been based primarily on studies investigating changes to environmental conditions as a result of river regulation. The present study aggregates historical fisheries data to spatially compare native fish communities in different parts of the catchment. Multivariate analyses demonstrate that distinctly different community compositions are found in different parts of the catchment. Eildon Dam, a deep release reservoir, has drastically altered the hydrology and water quality of the upper Goulburn River, and ordination analyses show that this has created both physical and artificial barriers to movement of native fish into the main channel. Concurrently, fisheries data from the upper main channel show the community is highly divergent compared to the remaining catchment. Further downstream, Goulburn Weir creates a barrier to fish movement between Lake Nagambie and the lower Goulburn Catchment, and alters the natural hydrological regime. Similarity Percentage analyses demonstrate that these stressors have facilitated the establishment of alien species, which dominate fish abundance in the upper and lower main channels. The current study emphasises the need to explore alternatives for improving management strategies to rehabilitate fish communities throughout the Goulburn Catchment.

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42

Westhorpe, Douglas P., and Simon M. Mitrovic. "Dissolved organic carbon mobilisation in relation to variable discharges and environmental flows in a highly regulated lowland river." Marine and Freshwater Research 63, no. 12 (2012): 1218. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf12122.

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The relationships between discharge and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) have been extensively studied in rainfall runoff-driven stream systems. Less is known about discharge and DOC relationships in river systems dependent on floodplain inundation. We examined DOC dynamics and mobilisation over low discharge periods and several larger discharge events in the highly regulated lowland Namoi River, Australia. Stable isotope signatures (δ13C) of various water-column fractions (e.g. 200 µm, fine particulate organic matter) were used to determine the sources of DOC. DOC concentrations over low discharge periods were fairly similar among sites and ranged between 5 and 10 mg L–1. Concentrations during a high-discharge event increased substantially with a mean of 20.4 mg L–1 and a maximum of 44 mg L–1. Significant positive linear relationships were found between DOC concentrations and discharge (P < 0.001, r2 = 0.45). The 13C composition of DOC sampled across the three sites (e.g. –26.2‰) suggests a mixture of terrestrial and aquatic sources, with little downstream variation; however, we would envisage that during periods of high discharge allochthonous sources would dominate. Environmental flows (that are ecologically beneficial, potentially reversing changes brought about by flow regulation) have been allocated to the river, with the intention to increase the amount of DOC delivered to the river. The relationship between DOC and discharge was used to estimate DOC loads to the river under different modelled flow-management scenarios, including without environmental flow, with environmental flow, and simulated natural (low development) flow. On the basis of the modelling results, environmental flows should increase the amount of allochthonous DOC transported within the river in years with moderate and large flow events. Years with low flows did not deliver large loads of allochthonous DOC. The present results showed the potential variability in DOC delivery in relation to floodplain inundation in a lowland river that may not otherwise be detected in rainfall/runoff-driven headwater streams.

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Wedderburn, Scotte D., Keith F. Walker, and Brenton P. Zampatti. "Salinity may cause fragmentation of hardyhead (Teleostei: Atherinidae) populations in the River Murray, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 59, no. 3 (2008): 254. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf07205.

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Salinisation in lowland areas of the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia, has had noticeable effects on fish. The endangered endemic Murray hardyhead Craterocephalus fluviatilis is distributed patchily and confined mainly to saline waters (0.4–20 g L–1), whereas the unspecked hardyhead C. stercusmuscarum fulvus has a more continuous distribution but is absent from high salinities (>10). Osmoregulation was compared in these two congeners and an estuarine atherinid, the small-mouth hardyhead Atherinosoma microstoma, over a wide salinity range (0.03–85). All three species are euryhaline, although the osmoregulatory ability of C. s. fulvus falters above ~35 salinity. In low salinity (<1), C. fluviatilis is a better osmoregulator than A. microstoma, but both species tolerate hypersaline conditions (85). These data imply a physiological reason for the predominance of C. fluviatilis in inland saline waters, but the reasons for its absence from freshwater habitats (<0.4) remain unclear. The findings have implications for other freshwater fish, especially populations of closely related species, subjected to the effects of salinisation or other stressors.

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Koehn, John D., Simon J. Nicol, and Peter S. Fairbrother. "Spatial arrangement and physical characteristics of structural woody habitat in a lowland river in south-eastern Australia." Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 14, no. 5 (September 2004): 457–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aqc.619.

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45

J. Richards, Stephen, Keith R. McDonald, and Ross A. Alford. "Declines in populations of Australia's endemic tropical rainforest frogs." Pacific Conservation Biology 1, no. 1 (1994): 66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc930066.

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Comparisons of present and past occurrences suggest that populations of six frog species endemic to the tropical rainforests of northern Queensland have declined during the past ten years. Most declines have occurred at high altitudes in the southern portions of the tropical rainforest. An extensive survey conducted during the summer of 1991-1992 did not locate any individuals of two upland species, Litoria nyakalensis and Taudactylus rheophilus. Another upland species, T. acutirostris, which formerly was widely distributed, appears to have declined in rainforests south of the Daintree River. Three species (Litoria nannotis, L. rheocola and Nyctimystes dayi) were absent from most upland sites south of the Daintree River, but were common at lowland sites and at all sites north of the Daintree River. Aspects of water chemistry, including inorganic ions, heavy metals, and pesticide residues, were analysed for many sites. These analyses failed to identify any abnormalities that might have contributed to frog declines. Declines appear to be unrelated to the history of forestry or mining at sites, or to low rainfall in wet seasons. Levels of habitat disturbance by feral pigs appear to have increased at some sites in recent years and, either by this disturbance or through direct predation, feral pigs may have contributed to declines in some populations. However, pigs are unlikely to be the sole cause of frog population declines. Once declines have occurred, fragmentation of rainforest habitats may prevent recolonization from adjacent sites. Until causal agents associated with declines can be identified, management strategies to ensure the long-term survival of these species must involve protection of the riparian habitats in which they occur.

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Price, Amina E., and Paul Humphries. "The role of dispersal and retention in the early life stages of shrimp in a lowland river." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 67, no. 4 (April 2010): 720–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f10-015.

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This study investigated the importance of dispersal and retention processes during early ontogeny for three caridean shrimp species that complete their entire life history in freshwater. Directional traps were used to examine the small-scale movement patterns of shrimp into and out of nursery habitat patches (slackwaters) in a small lowland river in southeastern Australia. Movement patterns provided evidence for two contrasting life history based dispersal and retention strategies. For the two smaller atyid species, Paratya australiensis and Caridina mccullochi , the majority of larvae remained within the slackwater in which they were hatched until the final stage of development, at which point dispersal, either among slackwaters or out of slackwaters to faster-flowing pool and run habitats, occurred. For the larger palaemonid species, Macrobrachium australiense , larvae were hatched into slackwaters and dispersal occurred predominately during the first stage of larval development and then decreased as development progressed. Despite the differences in dispersal strategies among species, movement was mostly associated with a particular larval stage and thus emphasizes the importance of retention during critical developmental periods and of the potential impact that flow alteration could have on these and other species with similar life histories.

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EBNER, BRENDAN C., JASON D. THIEM, DEAN M. GILLIGAN, MARK LINTERMANS, IAN J. WOODEN, and SIMON LINKE. "Estimating species richness and catch per unit effort from boat electro-fishing in a lowland river in temperate Australia." Austral Ecology 33, no. 7 (November 2008): 891–901. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2008.01862.x.

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Starrs, Danswell, Brendan C. Ebner, and Christopher J. Fulton. "Ceasefire: minimal aggression among Murray River crayfish feeding upon patches of allochthonous material." Australian Journal of Zoology 63, no. 2 (2015): 115. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo14081.

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Transport and processing of allochthonous material is crucial for trophic pathways in headwater streams. Freshwater crayfish are known to affect and exploit the break-down of in-stream terrestrial plant material into detritus. We recorded Euastacus armatus (Murray River crayfish) individuals feeding on discrete patches of allochthonous material within an unregulated section of the Goodradigbee River, an upland stream in temperate Australia. Despite suggestions of aggressive territoriality, E. armatus were observed by remote and manual underwater filming to feed in non-aggressive aggregations on these piles of fine woody debris and leaf litter. On the basis of observations of 25 individuals found in the vicinity of the allochthonous patches, this population comprised mostly female individuals at smaller sizes of maturity than has been recorded for lowland populations of E. armatus. Our study confirms the importance of concentrated allochthonous food patches for detritivores, and points to the important trophic linkage between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems via a widespread and iconic freshwater invertebrate. Moreover, these non-aggressive feeding aggregations of E. armatus challenge notions of aggression in this species that have been developed in small-scale aquarium studies.

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Goldney, D. "The Distribution and Abundance of Platypuses in The Thredbo River-Lake Jindabyne System." Australian Mammalogy 20, no. 2 (1998): 303. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am98307.

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The Thredbo River is an upland alpine stream, with a steep gradient over its 50 km length contained within a 251 km2 catchment in the Australian Alps. The altitude gradient from its source to Lake Jindabyne is 850 metres. The distribution and abundance of platypuses were determined over a two year period using volunteer sightings, disciplined transect walking and pool observation, gill-netting in selected pools and fyke-netting in riffle areas. Under low flow conditions, 93 pools were identified downstream of Dead Horse Gap, 85% of which were judged to be in the medium to small category. Under snow melt conditions, as river flow increases and smaller pool 'disappear' in the torrent, the carrying capacity of the river is significantly reduced. Some base-line data were available from the 1980s. Platypuses were uncommon or absent in the upland and common, but not abundant, in the mid and lowland segments of the river. Small numbers of platypuses were located in two larger tributaries, but none in the remainder, which had very steep gradients and narrow channels. Low recruitment rates, an overall decline in numbers, as judged by catch effort compared to base-line data, a probable increase in transience suggesting a non-stable population, are all signs that the population is under considerable stress. Episodic flood events, habitat degradation and the dam wall barrier preventing reinvasion from downstream segments of the population after flood-induced population losses, when considered together with population data, suggest that the platypus population is vulnerable.

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Kaminskas, Simon, and Paul Humphries. "Diet of Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii) (Mitchell) larvae in an Australian lowland river in low flow and high flow years." Hydrobiologia 636, no. 1 (November 5, 2009): 449–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10750-009-9973-8.

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Journal articles on the topic 'Australian lowland rivers'

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