Academic literature on the topic 'Plant communities Victoria'

AbstractThis paper proposes a new objectively-generated vegetation classification for southern and northern Victoria Land (continental Antarctica) based on the floristic composition of the plant communities. The new classification aims to integrate the existing physiognomic classification of the cryptogamic Antarctic tundra, provide useful data on floristic composition and distribution of the vegetation occurring in southern and northern Victoria Land, and develop a suitable tool allowing easy comparison of syntaxa from different locations. Field data from 26 sites along a latitudinal gradient (72°–77°S) were analysed by a hierarchical classification integrated with multivariate statistics, including indirect ecological information (Principal Component Analysis). Similarity of the identified groups was assessed through the Jaccard similarity index. The new classification is compatible with previous ones and is widely applicable to Victoria Land and includes previous classification. This standardized approach relates plant communities to their floristic composition and provides a basis for relating vegetation composition to environmental gradients and to patterns of vegetation dynamics and succession which are still poorly understood in Antarctica.

We used multivariate methods to investigate the composition and spatial organisation of tundra plant communities in the Wellington Bay region of southeastern Victoria Island (69°N, 106°W). Ordination and classification of sites at an intermediate scale (≈ 1 ha) were conducted using principal components analysis and sums of squares agglomerative clustering on a matrix of standardized chord distances. The findings suggested eight vegetation classes. These communities are described floristically. At this spatial scale, the vegetation showed correspondence to elevation, slope, and thickness of soil, but not to aspect. The spatial patterns of multiple plant species and physical variables (i.e., slope of terrain and thickness of soil) were examined using multiscale ordination and double logarithmic regressions of variance on distance, respectively. Multiscale ordination revealed ever-increasing plant heterogeneity with distance (0.25 – 1600 m) and suggested only weak general patterns at scales ≤ 200 m. Similarly, variance in the physical factors tended to increase continually with distance. Both the vegetation and physical environment thus appeared to be organised on gradients. Key words: Arctic, classification, ordination, spatial scale, tundra.

It is often assumed that saline coastal wetlands experience environmental conditions so severe that they are largely immune to invasion by exotic plant species. The belief is implicit in many older reviews of threats to mangroves and coastal saltmarshes, where a limited range of vascular plant taxa, often focussing on *Spartina, (throughout the paper an asterisk denotes an introduced (exotic) species as per Carr 2012) have been invoked as the major species of concern. Even though the weed flora of southern Australia is derived largely from agriculture and horticulture, neither of which includes many species tolerant of waterlogged, variably saline environments, a recent assessment of Victorian saline coastal wetlands indicated that exotic plants were the third-most pervasive threat, after land ‘reclamation’ and grazing. Tall wheat grass, *Lophopyrum ponticum (Podp.) A.Love., is one of the most severe and widely distributed weeds of saline coastal wetlands in south-eastern Australia. It is promoted by the agricultural extension arm of the Victorian government as a salt-tolerant pasture grass; however, its broad ecological amplitude and robust life form make it a most serious invader of upper saltmarsh in Victoria. We assessed the effectiveness of different control measures, including slashing and herbicides, for the management of *L. ponticum infestations (and their side effects on saltmarsh communities) in the Western Port region of Victoria. A nominally monocot-specific herbicide widely used to control *Spartina, Fluazifop-P, was ineffective in controlling *L. ponticum. The broad-spectrum systemic herbicide glyphosate was more effective in controlling *L. ponticum, but had undesirable impacts on native plant species. Controlling weeds in coastal wetlands using available herbicides for use near coastal waterways would seem to remain problematic.

AbstractThe Jurassic plant fossil record of Gondwana is generally meagre, which renders phytogeographic and palaeoclimatic interpretations difficult to date. Moreover, plant fossil assemblages mainly consist of impressions/compressions with rather limited palaeobiological and palaeoecological significance. We here present a detailed survey of new Early Jurassic plant assemblages from the Pliensbachian Shafer Peak Formation, north Victoria Land, Transantarctic Mountains. Some of the well-preserved fossils yield cuticle. The floras consist of isoetalean lycophytes, sphenophytes, several ferns, bennettitaleans, and conifers. In addition, three distinct kinds of conifer shoots and needles were obtained from bulk macerations. The composition of the plant communities is typical for Jurassic macrofloras of Gondwana, which underscores the general homogeneity of Southern Hemisphere vegetation during the mid-Mesozoic. Altogether, the plant fossil assemblages indicate humid and warm temperate conditions, which is in contrast to recent palaeoclimatic models that predict cool temperate climates for the continental interior of southern Gondwana during the Jurassic. However, there is no evidence for notable soil development or peat accumulation. The environmental conditions were apparently very unstable due to intense volcanic activity that resulted in frequent perturbation of landscape and vegetation, hampering the development of long-lived climax communities. Cuticles of bennettitaleans and conifers show xeromorphic features that may have been beneficial for growth in this volcanic environment.

The Eastern Otway Ranges, Victoria is an area recognised for its significant flora and fauna communities. An area of about 7000 ha, the Anglesea heathlands has been listed on the register of the National Estate. Although symptoms of the plant pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi have been recorded in the area since the 1970s, the extent of infestation and its effects have not been documented. The aims of this study were to assess the distribution of infestation, identify the relationship of plant infection to site variables and to identify evidence of spread of the pathogen. The presence of P. cinnamomi was assessed at 50 study sites by a visual evaluation of the vegetation, using species such as Xanthorrhoea australis (Austral grass tree) and Isopogon ceratophyllus (horny cone bush) as indicator species. Soil and plant tissues were assayed for the presence of the pathogen by cotyledon baiting and immunoassay methods. Phytophthora cinnamomi was isolated at 76% of the study sites from the floristic communities identified: heathy open forest; heathy woodland I and II; Bald Hills heathland; riparian open forest. There were significantly more diseased sites at lower altitudes. The pathogen is widely spread and causing disease throughout the area, but at present often only in small patches. There is an urgent need for disease management to protect the significant communities. These findings suggest that management actions such as mapping current infestations, closing tracks and implementing vehicle wash-down points are required.

Bryophytic communities in plateau forests of mature Eucalyptus regnans are distributed according to substrate type and microclimate, whereas those in gully rainforests are more catholic. Objective classification of releves indicated the extent to which groupings are shared between these major topographic sites and the degree to which their distribution is mediated by differences in microclimate. Communities on many substrates in E. regnans forests are either seral to a fern floor 'climax' or exhibit pattern and process cycles of regenerative stability.

Connection to centralised regional sewage systems has been too expensive for small-dispersed communities, and these townships have traditionally been serviced by on-site septic tank systems. The conventional on-site system in Australia has consisted of an anaerobic holding tank followed by adsorption trenches. This technique relies heavily on the uptake of nutrients by plants for effective removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from the effluent, and is very seasonal in its efficiency. Hence, as these small communities have grown in size, the environmental effects of the septic tank discharges have become a problem. In locations throughout Australia, such as rural Victoria and along the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, septic tanks are being replaced with the transport of sewage to regional treatment plants. For some isolated communities, this can mean spending $20,000-$40,000/household, as opposed to more common connection prices of $7,000/household. This paper explores some alternative options that might be suitable for these small communities, and attempts to identify solutions that provide acceptable environmental outcomes at lower cost. The types of alternative systems that are assessed in the paper include local treatment systems, separate blackwater and greywater collection and treatment systems both with and without non-potable water recycling, a small township scale treatment plant compared to either existing septic tank systems or pumping to a remote regional treatment facility.The work demonstrated the benefits of a scenario analysis approach for the assessment of a range of alternative systems. It demonstrated that some of the alternatives systems can achieve better than 90% reductions in the discharge of nutrients to the environment at significantly lower cost than removing the wastewater to a remote regional treatment plant. These concepts allow wastewater to be retained within a community allowing for local reuse of treated effluent.

This thesis seeks to explain how site-scale design decisions can assist retention of rare plant communities concentrated in and near settled areas. To do so it focuses on a specific species and development context. Explanations are sought through examination of case studies of landuse developments in proximity to retained Garry oak plant communities located in the perimeter of Victoria, British Columbia. In the study region, exponential declines in species populations, health, and diversity of rare Garry oak ecosystems have been largely attributed to impacts from land-use developments. Over the past century, land-use developments have transformed the floral, spatial, structural and functional characteristics of the settled landscape. Isolated islands of imperiled plant associations remain on protected bioreserves: for recruitment and connectivity, these rare fauna rely on private-land greenways. Architectural teams have the potential to influence the decision-making processes that create ecologically-vital greenspace on private land, thereby enhancing survival for declining plant communities. Case-study evidence for the importance of land-use decisions on diminishing Garry oak meadow is gathered through vegetation surveys conducted on Garry oak meadow in proximity to six architectural projects on Victoria's western edge. Observed changes in growth extensions are then categorized in relation to human activities associated with built form, and correlated with principles from Landscape Ecology. An ARC of design strategies, developed in primary research by K. D. Rothley is adapted for architectural use as follows: firstly, AREA of a plant community is kept free of encroachment by the orderly frame established around vegetation; secondly, RARE SPECIES and habitat are identified with borders or signage; thirdly, CONNECTIVITY between retained landscapes is secured by siting roads and buildings to minimize ecosystem fragmentation. To effectively communicate preexisting landscape ecology principles, grouped under the ARC of strategies, illustrations and key-word phrases are developed. These principles, when integrated into architectural teams' structural knowledge, extend the architects' perceived role beyond aesthetics and economic efficiency. Enhancing habitat value through retention or restoration of rare ecosystems at the margins of suburban development, becomes an additional realm of influence for professional teams designing the spatial configurations of peri-urban landscapes.

Rainforest Restoration Manual for South-Eastern Australia is the definitive guide to the recovery and restoration of Subtropical, Warm Temperate, Cool Temperate, Gallery, Dry, Dry Gully and Littoral Rainforests from south-eastern Queensland to Tasmania. All of these rainforest types were inherently rare prior to settlement, and today with depletion, feral animals, weeds and climate change, all are threatened – with many listed under state and federal legislation. The manual presents detailed restoration methods in 10 easy-to-follow steps, documenting the research and trials undertaken during rainforest restoration over more than two decades. These experiments and their results will empower readers to uncover answers to many of the problems they could encounter. The manual is supported by a CD that provides important background information, with 32 appendices, a propagation manual for the region's 735 rainforest plants, an illustrated glossary and resources for teachers. Species lists and specific planting guides are provided for the 57 rainforest floristic communities that occur from the coast to the mountains between Durras Mountain in New South Wales and the Otways in Victoria. Extensively illustrated with colour photographs, this book will empower you or your group to be able to restore, manage, protect and conserve the magnificent rainforests that are in your care. The general principles and techniques described will meet the needs of students and teachers, novices, experienced practitioners, community groups and agencies alike.

The surge seemed successful at first, especially because it coincided with the Anbar Awakening spreading through Sunni communities. Violence levels plummeted. However, the U.S. administration was still being manipulated by the Iraq government, which continued its sectarian agenda. More importantly, the surge was not strategically connected to a specific war termination outcome, making it unclear how it could be turned into durable success.

This chapter looks at the nascent environmental movement in Austin in the 1960s and 1970s. It argues that, while early environmentalists achieved many victories and set the tone for later environmental issues in Austin, they also demonstrated a lack of understanding of minority issues and sometimes directly undermined minority communities. Environmentalists fought the business community and worked to maintain public open space, beautify the city, and stave off undesirable development. They sponsored a public planning initiative, Austin Tomorrow, which gave citizens a greater voice in planning Austin’s growth. But their plans often imagined minority places as sites of white middle class leisure. They also failed to incorporate minorities into Austin Tomorrow.

This chapter describes the work of Philadelphia chapter of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) as it became increasingly involved in the fight against global AIDS, starting in the mid 1990s. Around this time, both white and African American grassroots activists at ACT UP Philadelphia redirected the group’s protest politics to address the structural inequalities driving AIDS rates in poor communities of color, both at home and abroad. ACT UP Philadelphia members situated their local work in the larger international movement against globalization and free trade. In Philadelphia, they focused on issues of concern to poor people of color with HIV/AIDS, including Medicaid privatization, needle exchange, and access to highly effective but expensive HIV drugs. The campaigns they waged at the local level fed into work on a much broader scale, as members joined forces with anti-globalization groups to protest American free trade policies in Africa. Today, the group claims at least a partial victory in the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a massive funding package to support HIV prevention and AIDS treatment in sub-Saharan Africa and other countries in the developing world that have been hit particularly hard by the epidemic.

Bombay did not play the kind of administrative nodal role that first Madras and later Calcutta did in terms of overarching governance in the Indian subcontinent, occupying instead a pivotal position for the region’s commerce and industry. Nonetheless, the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Bombay were a formative age for education and research in science, as in the other Presidencies. A colonial government, a large native population enrolled in the new European-style educational system, and the rise of several institutions of instruction and learning, fostered an environment of scientific curiosity. The Asiatic Society of Bombay (1804), which was initially the hub of research in all disciplines, became increasingly antiquarian and ethnographic through the course of the nineteenth century. The Victoria and Albert Museum (conceived in 1862 and built by 1871 and opened to the public in 1872), was established to carry out research on the industrial arts of the region, taking for its original collections fine and decorative arts that highlight practices and crafts of various communities in the Bombay Presidency. The University of Bombay (1857) was primarily tasked with teaching, and it was left to other establishments to conduct research. Key institutions in this regard included the Bombay Natural History Society (1883) given to local studies of plants and animals, and the Haffkine Institute (1899), which examined the role of plague that had been a dominant feature of the social cityscape from 1896. The Royal Institute of Science (1920) marked a point of departure, as it was conceived as a teaching institution but its lavish funding demanded a research agenda, especially at the post-graduate level. The Prince of Wales Museum (1922) would prove to be seminal in matters of collection and display of objects for the purpose of research. All of these institutions would shape the intellectual debates in the city concerning higher education. Typically founded by European colonial officials, they would increasingly be administered and staffed by Indians.

Palma Nova near Venice, with its famous star-shaped fortifications, is a city of two tales. You can read complementary narratives from the plan. One tale is of enclosure. The walls, as in other ancient, medieval, and Renaissance cities, protected the concentrations of assets and settled populations within from nomadic bandits and mobile armies without. In addition, as Lewis Mumford cogently put it, “[T]he power of massed numbers in itself gave the city a superiority over the thinly populated widely scattered villages, and served as an incentive to further growth.” Density and defended walls provided safety, economic vitality, and long-term resilience. At the extreme, under siege, the gates were closed, soldiers manned the battlements, and the city became selfcontained for the duration. To attack it, one needed some technology to breach the defensive perimeter—Joshua’s trumpet, Achilles’ wooden horse, Francesco di Giorgio’s tunnel beneath the walls of Castel Nuovo, a battering ram, or a siege engine. The second tale is of connection. The central piazza, surrounded by public buildings, is both the focus of the internal street network and the local hub of a road network that extends through the gates and out into the countryside, linking the city to others. The piazza is—like the server of a local Internet service provider (ISP)—a node at which nearby and larger communities are connected. When the gates are open, the city functions as a crossroads rather than as a sealed enclosure, a place of interaction rather than one of exclusion. Urban history is, from one perspective, a struggle of these narratives for dominance. Eventually, the network won. Mumford associated this victory with the rise of capitalism—a new constellation of economic forces that “favored expansion and dispersal in every direction, from overseas colonization to the building up of new industries, whose technological improvements simply canceled out all medieval restrictions.” For cities, “[T]he demolition of their urban walls was both practical and symbolic.” Superficially, modern Manhattan resembles a scaled-up version of Palma Nova; it is a regularized street grid, surrounded by water, and accessed by a limited number of bridges and tunnels.

The Australian Catholic University (ACU National at www.acu.edu.au) is a public university funded by the Australian Government. There are six campuses across the country, located in Brisbane, Queensland; North Sydney, New South Wales; Strathfield, New South Wales; Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT); Ballarat, Victoria; and Melbourne, Victoria. The university serves a total of approximately 27,000 students, including both full- and part-time students, and those enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Through fostering and advancing knowledge in education, health, commerce, the humanities, science and technology, and the creative arts, ACU National seeks to make specific and targeted contributions to its local, national, and international communities. The university explicitly engages the social, ethical, and religious dimensions of the questions it faces in teaching, research, and service. In its endeavors, it is guided by a fundamental concern for social justice, equity, and inclusivity. The university is open to all, irrespective of religious belief or background. ACU National opened its doors in 1991 following the amalgamation of four Catholic tertiary institutions in eastern Australia. The institutions that merged to form the university had their origins in the mid-17th century when religious orders and institutes became involved in the preparation of teachers for Catholic schools and, later, nurses for Catholic hospitals. As a result of a series of amalgamations, relocations, transfers of responsibilities, and diocesan initiatives, more than twenty historical entities have contributed to the creation of ACU National. Today, ACU National operates within a rapidly changing educational and industrial context. Student numbers are increasing, areas of teaching and learning have changed and expanded, e-learning plays an important role, and there is greater emphasis on research. In its 2005–2009 Strategic Plan, the university commits to the adoption of quality teaching, an internationalized curriculum, as well as the cultivation of generic skills in students, to meet the challenges of the dynamic university and information environment (ACU National, 2008). The Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) Program at ACU Canberra Situated in Australia’s capital city, the Canberra campus is one of the smallest campuses of ACU National, where there are approximately 800 undergraduate and 200 postgraduate students studying to be primary or secondary school teachers through the School of Education (ACT). Other programs offered at this campus include nursing, theology, social work, arts, and religious education. A new model of pre-service secondary teacher education commenced with the introduction of the Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) program at this campus in 2005. It marked an innovative collaboration between the university and a cohort of experienced secondary school teachers in the ACT and its surrounding region. This partnership was forged to allow student teachers undertaking the program to be inducted into the teaching profession with the cooperation of leading practitioners from schools in and around the ACT. In the preparation of novices for the teaching profession, an enduring challenge is to create learning experiences capable of transforming practice, and to instill in the novices an array of professional skills, attributes, and competencies (Putnam & Borko, 2000). Another dimension of the beginning teacher experience is the need to bridge theory and practice, and to apply pedagogical content knowledge in real-life classroom practice. During the one-year Graduate Diploma program, the student teachers undertake two four-week block practicum placements, during which they have the opportunity to observe exemplary lessons, as well as to commence teaching. The goals of the practicum include improving participants’ access to innovative pedagogy and educational theory, helping them situate their own prior knowledge regarding pedagogy, and assisting them in reflecting on and evaluating their own practice. Each student teacher is paired with a more experienced teacher based at the school where he/she is placed, who serves as a supervisor and mentor. In 2007, a new dimension to the teaching practicum was added to facilitate online peer mentoring among the pre-service teachers at the Canberra campus of ACU National, and provide them with opportunities to reflect on teaching prior to entering full-time employment at a school. The creation of an online community to facilitate this mentorship and professional development process forms the context for the present case study. While on their practicum, students used social software in the form of collaborative web logging (blogging) and threaded voice discussion tools that were integrated into the university’s course management system (CMS), to share and reflect on their experiences, identify critical incidents, and invite comment on their responses and reactions from peers.

The Mojave Desert and Mountain Recycling Authority is a California Joint Powers Authority (the JPA), consisting of nine communities in California’s San Bernardino County high desert and mountain region. In August 2008 the JPA contracted with Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc. (GBB) to prepare the Victor Valley Resource Management Strategy (Resource Management Strategy). Working with RRT Design and Construction, Inc. (RRT), GBB prepared a coordinated forward-looking strategy to guide the JPA’s future program and facilities decisions. The Resource Management Strategy focused on the Town of Apple Valley, population 70,092, and the City of Victorville, population 107,408, the two largest JPA member communities, which have a combined total of more than 130,000 tons per year of material entering the JPA’s recycling system and the Victorville Landfill. The Resource Management Strategy is underpinned by a characterization of waste loads delivered to the Victorville Landfill. A visual characterization was carried out by RRT in September/October 2008. RRT engineers identified proportions of materials recoverable for recycling and composting among all loads collected from residential and non-residential generators for a full week, nearly 300 loads total. The JPA financed and manages the operations contract for the highly automated Victor Valley Material Recovery Facility (MRF). The MRF today receives and processes an average of 130 tons per day (tpd), five days per week, of single stream paper and containers and recyclable-rich commercial waste loads. The waste characterization indicated that as much as 80 percent of loads of residential and commercial waste currently landfilled could be processed for recycling and composting in a combination manual and automated sorting facility. Residue from the MRF, which is predominated by paper, would provide potential feedstock for an energy recovery project; however, the JPA has two strategies regarding process residue. The first strategy is to reduce residue rates from existing deliveries, to optimize MRF operations. An assessment of the MRF conducted by RRT indicated that residue rates could be reduced, although this material would continue to be rich in combustible materials. The second strategy is to increase recovery for recycling by expanding the recyclable-rich and organics-dense waste load deliveries to the MRF and/or a composting facility. The Resource Management Strategy provided a conceptual design and cost that identified projected capital and operations costs that would be incurred to expand the MRF processing system for the program expansion. Based on the waste composition analysis, residue from a proposed system was estimated. This residue also would be rich in combustible materials. The December 2008 California Scoping Plan is the roadmap for statewide greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts. The Scoping Plan specifically calls out mandatory commercial recycling, expanded organics composting (particularly food residue), and inclusion of anaerobic digestion as renewable energy. The Resource Management Strategy sets the stage for JPA programs to address Scoping Plan mandates and priorities. California Public Resources Code Section 40051(b) requires that communities: Maximize the use of all feasible source reduction, recycling, and composting options in order to reduce the amount of solid waste that must be disposed of by transformation and land disposal. For wastes that cannot feasibly be reduced at their source, recycled, or composted, the local agency may use environmentally safe transformation or environmentally safe land disposal, or both of those practices. Moreover, Section 41783(b) only allows transformation diversion credit (10 percent of the 50 percent required) if: The transformation project uses front-end methods or programs to remove all recyclable materials from the waste stream prior to transformation to the maximum extent feasible. Finally, prior to permitting a new transformation facility the California Integrated Waste Management Board is governed by Section 41783(d), which requires that CIWMB: “Hold a public hearing in the city, county, or regional agency jurisdiction within which the transformation project is proposed, and, after the public hearing, the board makes both of the following findings, based upon substantial evidence on the record: (1) The city, county, or regional agency is, and will continue to be, effectively implementing all feasible source reduction, recycling, and composting measures. (2) The transformation project will not adversely affect public health and safety or the environment.” The Resource Management Strategy assessed two cement manufacturers located in the high desert region for their potential to replace coal fuel with residue from the MRF and potentially from other waste quantities generated in the region. Cement kilns are large consumers of fossil fuels, operate on a continuous basis, and collectively are California’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. The Resource Management Strategy also identified further processing requirements for size reduction and screening to remove non-combustible materials and produce a feasible refuse derived fuel (RDF). A conceptual design system to process residue and supply RDF to a cement kiln was developed, as were estimated capital and operating costs to implement the RDF production system. The Resource Management Strategy addressed the PRC requirement that “all feasible source reduction, recycling and composting measures” are implemented prior to approving any new “transformation” facility. This planning effort also provided a basis for greenhouse gas reduction analysis, consistent with statewide initiatives to reduce landfill disposal. This paper will report on the results of this planning and the decisions made by the JPA, brought current to the time of the conference.