Academic literature on the topic 'Lower Balonne'

In dryland river systems subject to prolonged low and no flow periods, waterholes, or sections of river channel that are deep relative to the rest of the channel and that retain water for longer periods of no flow, provide refugia for aquatic biota and hence are critical to the resilience of aquatic ecosystems. This study examined physical, chemical and bio-stratigraphy in refugial waterholes situated along four distributaries of the Lower Balonne River system in semi-arid Australia. In doing so we reconstructed environmental histories for the waterholes, calculated how sedimentation rates have changed in response to land use change over the past two centuries, and assessed whether they are threatened by increased sedimentation through potential effects on waterhole depth and hence persistence times and habitat quality. Our study found that sedimentation rates have increased substantially since European settlement, most likely in response to removal of groundcover by grazers. The increased sediment accumulation rates are estimated to have reduced persistence times during low and no flow periods of the waterholes by 2–4 months. Despite evidence from other similar systems in Australia that increased influx of sediment coincided with loss of submerged macrophytes, stratigraphic records of preserved pollen and diatoms did not provide consistent evidence of biotic or habitat quality changes within the waterholes associated with European settlement.

Abstract The current study completed the information regarding the phenotypic variability in the Danube ruffe (Gymnocephalus baloni). We also assessed the phylogenetic relationship of G. baloni with the other two species of the genus Gymnocephalus from the Lower Danube River. Ten morphological characters were the most useful together for discriminating between G. baloni and G. cernua from the Lower Danube River. In addition, we found a more streamlined body shape in G. baloni compared with the described holotype, which could be in connection with fish phenotypic response to ecological characteristics of the Lower Danube River.

A new species of the genus Tilapia Smith, 1840 is described from the Pra River drainage in Ghana. Tilapia pra sp. nov. is distinguished from all Tilapia species except T. sparrmanii, T. ruweti, T. guinasana, T. baloni, T. brevimanus, T. mariae, T. cabrae and T. busumana in having bicuspid posterior pharyngeal teeth on the lower pharyngeal jaw. It differs from T. baloni and T. ruweti in having more gill rakers on the first ceratobranchial (lower) gill-arch (10–12 vs. 6–9), from T. guinasana in having a higher number of upper lateral line scales (18–22 vs. 14–17) and from T. sparrmanii in a combination of a higher number of upper lateral line scales (18–22 vs. 14–19), a shorter anal fin base (15.0–18.6% vs. 18.0–23.8% of SL) and a lower number of vertical stripes (6–7 vs. 8–9). It differs from T. mariae, T. cabrae and T. brevimanus in having robust, non-spatulate outer row jaw teeth (vs. gracile spatulate teeth) and from T. busumana in having a longer last dorsal-fin spine (16.2–21.3% vs. 11.6–14.9% of SL), and a smaller lower lip length (8.0–10.7% vs. 9.6–13.9% of SL) and lower jaw length (9.9–13.6% vs. 10.5–15.2% of SL). In addition, T. pra sp. nov. differs from T. busumana in ground coloration. T. pra sp. nov. possesses a light brown to greyish dorsum and a beige to yellow ventral area vs. a bluish-purple to blackish dorsum and darker on underside of head and body of T. busumana.

AbstractWe have determined radii for Cepheids using nearinfrared K(2.2 µm) photometry and Balona’s approach to the Baade-Wesselink method of radius determination. The lower sensitivity of the K flux to temperature variations results in improved sensitivity to radius changes. We present the results of maximum-likelihood radius solutions for Cepheids with modern radial velocity curves. We point out limitations of the Balona technique as it is currently applied in the optical and suggest improvements.

The study aims to determine the presence of pests and natural enemies on soybean plants and to study the effect of insecticides on the diversity. Methods for observation of insects was done by using different type of traps i.e. yellow pan trap, pitfall trap, light trap, sweeping net and direct observation (visual). The presence of pests and natural enemies of soybean plants on plots without insecticide was lower than on the plots that was treated with insecticide. Composition of the population of pests found in soybean plots that were not treated with insecticide were dominated by Aphis sp. followed by Phaedonia inclusa, Riptortus linearis, Nezara viridula and Ophiomyia phaseoli. Composition of the population of natural enemies (predators) found in soybean cropps that were not treated with insecticide was family Coccinellidae followed by Syrphidae, Chrysopidae, Mantidae and Oxyopidae. The highest composition of natural enemies (parasites) found in treated and untreated soybean plots were family Braconidae then followed by family Ichneumonidae.

<p><em>Banana (Musa spp.) is a tropical fruit that is widely grown in Indonesia as it beneficially increases the farmers’ welfare. However, the wider scale of suitable land still needs to be developed. This study aims to know the distribution of suitable locations for banana cultivation in Jenawi based on the climate conditions. The research was done by making soil map unit, characterizing land’s climate, matching climate conditions with plant growth requirements, and then mapping the suitable location for banana cultivation. The results showed that the agriculture’s climate suitability in Jenawi is classified into two areas: (1) middle - upper/eastern area (not suitable for banana cultivation as it is located in the high area of 2,056 masl with the low temperature 13.8°C and the high rainfall 3,750 mm/year); (2) middle - lower/west area (suitable for banana cultivation as it is located in the lower area of 610 masl with the higher temperature 22.6 °C and lower rainfall 3,333 mm/year. So that the banana plants are potentially developed in the middle - lower/west area of Jenawi i.e. in the Village of Trengguli, Sidomukti, Balong, Lempong, Menjing and Seloromo. The determination of the land suitability class in detail and in terms of the characteristics and quality of the soil can be more focused on the area which suitable climate conditions in order to obtain the land suitability class, limiting factors and improvement efforts.</em></p>

AbstractNumerous calc-alkaline granitoid intrusions in the eastern Kunlun Orogen provide a valuable opportunity to constrain the evolution of the orogen. The age and genesis of these intrusions, however, remain poorly understood. The granitoid intrusions near the Balong region, eastern Kunlun Orogen, consist of granodiorite, diorite and syenogranite. The granodiorite contains crystallized segregations, abundant mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) and small quartz diorite stocks. In situ zircon U–Pb dating reveals that the granodiorites and quartz diorites were emplaced between 263 and 241 Ma, whereas the syenogranite was produced at c. 231 Ma. The granodiorite and quartz diorite have a calc-alkaline affinity and are metaluminous and Na-rich, with slightly enriched Sr–Nd isotope compositions. The granodiorite is characterized by fractionated REE patterns, whereas the quartz diorite displays a relatively flat REE pattern. The MMEs are consistent with the granodiorite in terms of incompatible elements and Sr–Nd isotope composition. Compared to the granodiorite and diorite, the syenogranite has higher SiO2, K, Rb, Th and Sr contents and a lower Rb/Sr ratio. The results presented here, when combined with regional geological data, indicate that the granodiorite and quartz diorite were derived from dehydration melting of mafic lower crustal rocks during the N-directed subduction of the Anyemaqen ocean lithosphere in Late Permian–Middle Triassic times, whereas the syenogranite was produced at a higher crustal level in a syn-collisional setting compared to the granodiorite.

Floodplains are amongst the most productive and biodiverse ecosystems. The structure and functioning of floodplains is controlled by the interaction of intermittent inundation with the floodplain landscape. These interactions create highly complex and dynamic ecosystems that are difficult to study at large scales. Consequently, most research of floodplains has been conducted at small spatial and temporal scales. Inundation of floodplains can extend over many square kilometres, however, which unifies the floodplain landscape into an integrated ecosystem operating at the landscape scale. The lack of data and poor understanding of the landscape-scale structure and functioning of floodplains limits the possibility of managing floodplains sustainably as pressure for exploitation of their resources increases. This thesis quantifies the landscape-scale relationship between the frequency and patterns of inundation, the composition and structure of the landscape, and the functioning of the floodplain landscape in terms of the distribution and dynamics of plant growth vigour over an area of approximately 376,000 ha on the Lower Balonne Floodplain; highly biodiverse, semi-arid floodplain ecosystem that straddles the state border between New South Wales and Queensland approximately 500 km inland from the eastern coast of Australia. Mean annual rainfall at St.George, to the north of the study area, is approximately 400�450 mm per year, and median annual evaporation is approximately 2000 mm per year. Plants and animals on the floodplain are therefore heavily dependent upon flooding for survival. This project is based on the analysis of 13 Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite images captured over a 10-year period during which land and water resource development increased substantially. There is now concern that development activities have affected the functioning of the floodplain to the detriment of the natural environment and agricultural productivity. The impacts from these activities on the functioning of the floodplain are not yet known, however. Inundation of the Lower Balonne Floodplain was mapped using a two-part process involving a band ratio to identify deep clear water, and a change detection analysis to identify areas of shallower inundation. This analysis shows that, in contrast with most floodplains, the main flowpath of the Lower Balonne Floodplain runs along its central axis away from river channels, which flow along the floodplain�s outer edges. Inundation propagates from the centre of the floodplain out towards river channels as flood discharge volumes increase. Variations in the spatial pattern of inundated patches within the inundated extent create distinctive aquatic habitat and connectivity conditions at different flow levels. These can be described in terms of three connectivity phases: (I) Disconnected, in which isolated patches of inundation occur at low flows and river channels are hydrologically dislocated from the floodplain; (II) Interaction, where increased hydrological connectivity between inundated patches, and between the floodplain and the river channels at moderate flows, may enable significant exchange of materials, organisms and energy; and (III) Integration, in which almost the entire floodplain landscape is connected by open water during large magnitude floods. There is an abrupt transition in inundation patterns as flows increase between 60,000 ML day-1 and 65,000 ML day-1 (ARI 2 to 2.3 years) in which inundation patterns transform from being relatively disconnected into a highly integrated network of patches. These patterns may have significant consequences for the structure and functioning of the floodplain. Increases in flows across this small range may therefore mark an important ecological flow threshold on this system. Water resource development impacts have changed the relative frequency of flows on the Lower Balonne Floodplain, which will probably affect the sequence of connectivity phases over time. The most likely impact of these changes will be to create a floodplain that is drier overall than under natural flow conditions, and that has a smaller and wetter area of high inundation frequency. The relationship between inundation and the structure of the floodplain landscape was examined by comparing a landcover map showing the distribution and character of 10 landcover types to the inundation frequency maps. Landcover types were mapped from a multi-date Reference Image composite of seven images captured over a period of 10 years. The Reference Image improves landcover discrimination by at least 14% over classification of a single-date image, and has an overall accuracy between 82.5% and 85% at the landscape-scale. The Reference Image shows that the landscape of the Lower Balonne Floodplain is a highly fragmented mosaic of diverse landcover types distributed in association with inundation frequency. Stratifying the floodplain into zones of frequent and rare inundation shows that frequently inundated areas have a less fragmented but less diverse landscape structure than rarely inundated areas. Assessment of the functioning of each landcover types within the floodplain ecosystem, based on landscape pattern metric analysis, indicates that the function of landcover types also changes between inundation frequency zones. Most importantly, these changes include a transformation of the matrix landcover type, which controls the character and dynamics of the ecosystem overall, from Open Grassland to Coolibah Open Woodland in the frequently inundated zone. The landscape structure of the Lower Balonne Floodplain has been affected by development impacts, which include clearing of native vegetation, isolation of parts of the floodplain from natural inundation events by the construction of levee banks and drainage channels, and grazing impacts. Changes to the inundation regime may also affect the structure of the floodplain landscape. Over the long term, these changes are likely to create a larger area of Open Grassland and a smaller area of Coolibah Open Woodland as the zone of frequent inundation becomes smaller and wetter. To examine the functioning of the floodplain ecosystem, the inundation maps were compared to remotely sensed indexes of plant growth vigour at the landscape and landcover-type scales. The dynamics of plant growth vigour over time are influenced by factors operating at the regional, landscape and patch scales. Evaporation is the major control of growth vigour levels at the landscape scale, but each landcover type has a distinctive pattern of growth vigour dynamics that is related to its composition and location, and possibly its landscape structure. The association between the spatial distribution of plant growth vigour and inundation frequency is non-linear, with the highest growth vigour occurring where inundation occurs approximately once per year. This indicates a subsidy-stress interaction with water in which plant growth vigour is limited by soil anoxia in areas of frequent or long term inundation, and by drought stress in rarely inundated areas. A landscape-scale model of growth vigour dynamics, founded on the principles of Hierarchical Patch Dynamics and Landscape Ecology, was created from growth vigour measurements of each landcover type over time. This model was used to examine possible impacts of development activities on the functioning of the floodplain ecosystem. This model shows that the response of plant growth vigour development activities can be complex and subtle, and include a change in mean long-term growth vigour and an increased susceptibility to drought. The model also indicates that periods of high growth vigour can occur in substantially altered floodplain ecosystems. The model was also used to explore the levels of landcover change that might cause a threshold change in the functioning of the ecosystem, which may substantially alter the disturbance-response characteristics of the floodplain ecosystem. The model indicates a threshold change when the extent of Open Grassland is reduced by 30% of its extent in 1993, in which plant growth vigour response to disturbance is virtually inverted from that observed in the images. The temporal variability of plant growth vigour levels increases as the extent of Open Grassland is further reduced. This thesis makes a number of important contributions to our understanding of floodplain structure and functioning. It includes the development of new techniques suited to studying large diverse and complex landscapes at the landscape scale from satellite images, and provides quantitative data describing the links between the structure of floodplain landscapes and their functioning at the landscape scale. This work improves the understanding of floodplain ecosystems by integrating models of floodplain structure and functioning, which have been developed largely from smaller-scale studies of temperate and tropical floodplains, with landscape-scale measurements of this semi-arid system. This thesis also has implications for the Lower Balonne Floodplain by improving the level of information about this important ecosystem and providing baseline data against which the condition of the floodplain can be assessed in future.

The end of the 1980’s marked the close of development of public dams in most Australian states. It was the start of an era which recognised scarcity of water resources, economic issues related to water supply for irrigation and concerns over use on the environment. Water needed to be reallocated from inefficient to ‘high-value’ use, and degraded land needed to be retired from irrigation. To do so, policy-makers gave a key role to market mechanisms. Water needed to be specified as a commodity fro markets to work properly. Following policy made by the Council of Australian Governments in the mid 1990s, state governments started the reform of legislation to implement this radical policy change. Based on a critical analysis of water law reform from 1989 to 1999, this thesis argues that a suite of legal mechanisms should be adopted in a new legal regime to guard against a failure to provide water for ecosystems. Three case studies were carried out in Queensland’s Lower Balonne sub-catchment, the Goulburn and Murray catchments in Victoria and NSW’S Lachlan catchment. The studies describe the role irrigation played in shaping water law, analyse conflict over sharing of floodplain flows, chart the specifications of new property rights in water, and examine the formulation of environmental flows. My research reveals that there were fundamental flaws in the pre-reform regulatory framework which allocated water through administrative means. First, the adoption of English common law concepts of water was inappropriate. Secondly, water bureaucrats failed to use their powers to protect consumptive use. Thirdly, provision of water for ecosystems needs was completely ignored. Finally the findings suggest the law was poorly implemented partly because of a culture of non-enforcement engendered by the influence of powerful groups over water allocation and management. This thesis also reveals shortcomings in the reform measures. The concept of ‘property’ has not been well understood by policy-makers. While other legal systems have emphasised public property in rivers, Australian policy does not expressly address the issue. Hence setting up a market in water entrenches the interests of consumptive users who already consider their administrative rights de facto private property rights. Legal provisions elevate the concept of private property while water for ecosystems are public rights which are vague and difficult to enforce. Other findings relate to inappropriate specifications of bulk water property rights; inadequate provisions for restoring aquatic ecosystems; and incomplete organisational reform. Types of environmental allocations and the place of public involvement in water planning are discussed. Several recommendations are made in the light of these findings. A framework of property rights should include express recognition of public property, legal concepts should be relevant to Australian hydrological conditions, and legislation should expressly provide for restoration of ecosystems. The necessity of ongoing reform in the structure of state water is debated. Finally, to overcome the culture of non-enforcement of law, the thesis calls for reform to include a range of substantive and procedural mechanisms to close the gap between the law and its implementation.

For particular applications, like large fans for thermal energy facilities making energy from waste, very special designs are needed for the impeller and the volute in order to accomplish with the plant fan specifications. The diameter of these impellers is 2,2 m and the operating temperature with the waste bio gas ranges between 20°C and 700 °C. Waste power plants enable recovery of valuable materials from the waste and generate over one megawatt of energy from a typical ton of residual household or commercial waste. The system is based on gasification and pyrolysis to convert organic waste content into a synthetic gas, similar to natural gas. Since the bio gas might still have some waste particles the impeller blades are straight, with inlet and outlet angles of 90° in order to reduce abrasion. Another reason for the straight blades is the reduced blade material resistance due to the high temperatures. For that reason the design space of these impellers is restricted to the outer dimensions, hub and shroud shapes, number and size of the blades and eventually to splitter blades. Therefore the proper design of the spiral casing is of great importance in order to achieve the operating point at a high efficiency. Spiral casings for centrifugal fans and blowers are widely used in industry. Classical fan and blower basic spiral casing design is based on a free vortex flow pattern and the assumption of a circumferentially uniform flow at the operating point where the flow rate through the impeller is equal to the flow rate through the spiral casing, e.g. Eck [1]. The shape of the spiral casing might have round, rectangular or more complex cross section shapes. In many cases, however, the manufacturing process plays an important role in the design process of the spiral casings. Especially spiral casings for larger fans are made of bended metal sheets with parallel upper and lower surfaces in order to assure a relative simple way of production. In Germany the method of Bommes [2] is well-known for delivering fans with spiral casings of high efficiency. Therefore these spiral casings are also known for their ease of manufacturing, since the logarithmic spiral form is approximated by four circle segments of 90° each. In order to deliver best efficiencies the ratio of the width of the Bommes spiral casing B and the impeller width at the exit b2, i.e. B/b2 has to lie between 2 and 3. In the recent literature Qiang et al. [3] the influence of various volute designs on volute overall performance is analyzed with CFD. In Baloni et. al [4] the performance of centrifugal blower is enhanced with an optimization process on the blower volute using Taguchi method. However in these and other recent publications no special matching of the volute to the respective impeller is done. In the present work the Bommes [2] spiral casing method is modified and adapted to the respective impellers. In such a way a completely new class of spiral casings was designed. For that purpose 44 different fan, i.e. impeller – spiral casing designs where done. For this purpose a parametric model was implemented in the ANSYS Workbench running ANSYS CFX. The design of the models to be simulated in the Workbench was done based on extended analytical combined impeller – volute design considerations, Epple et. al. [5,6]. It is shown, that the optimum for several designs not always is close to the value of B/b2 recommended by Bommes [2], which lies between 2 and 3. Furthermore it is also shown that for two different impellers, one delivering higher pressure characteristic then the other one, when running in the very same spiral casing this situation can even reverse. It is shown, that spiral casing and impeller cannot be deigned separately. In order to achieve best efficiencies considering all the design constrains the spiral casing has to be matched to the impeller design.