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1
Watson, Simon J., Rick S. Taylor, Lisa Spence-Bailey, Dale G. Nimmo, Sally Kenny, Luke T. Kelly, Angie Haslem, et al. "The Mallee fire and biodiversity project." Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 124, no. 1 (2012): 38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rs12038.
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Fire is a widespread disturbance and an important ecological process in semi-arid mallee ecosystems of southern Australia. Understanding the effects of fire on plants and animals is a key challenge for the conservation and management of biodiversity in this ecosystem. Commencing in 2006, the Mallee Fire and Biodiversity Project is investigating the effects of fire on a range of taxa (vascular plants, invertebrates, reptiles, birds and mammals), with a focus on the influence of the properties of ‘fire mosaics’ on biota. A ‘whole of landscape’ design was employed, in which the flora and fauna were sampled in 28 study landscapes, each 4 km in diameter (12.5 km2) across a 104, 000 km2 area of the Murray Mallee region of Victoria, SA and NSW. Here, we summarise some key results and outputs from this project to date. These include: detailed maps of fire history and major vegetation types; a method for predicting the age of mallee vegetation; novel information about the distribution of fire age-classes in the region; and changes to vegetation structure and in the occurrence of reptile, bird and mammal species over a century-long post-fire time-frame. We also present an overview of the effects of fire mosaics (extent of particular age classes, diversity of fire age-classes) on the richness of some mallee fauna. A wealth of knowledge has been developed through the Mallee Fire and Biodiversity Project that will assist the management of mallee ecosystems in southern Australia for the future.
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Dunbabin, V. M., R. D. Armstrong, S. J. Officer, and R. M. Norton. "Identifying fertiliser management strategies to maximise nitrogen and phosphorus acquisition by wheat in two contrasting soils from Victoria, Australia." Soil Research 47, no. 1 (2009): 74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr08107.
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Crop yield and profitability in the dryland production systems of southern Australia are directly affected by the application of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilisers. How efficiently a crop utilises applied fertiliser is affected by several factors that interact in a complex way, including: nutrient mobility, soil type and soil physicochemical and biological factors, season (including rainfall amount and distribution), and crop physiology. In addition, nutrient supply and crop demand need to synchronise both temporally and spatially if nutrient use efficiency is to be optimised. In this study, the mechanistic simulation model, ROOTMAP, was used to investigate and generate hypotheses about the implications of a range of fertiliser management strategies on the nutrient utilisation of wheat. A range of seasons and 2 commercially important soil types (a Wimmera Vertosol and a Mallee Sodosol) were considered. Simulation results showed a strong interaction between the timing and placement of N and P fertiliser, soil type, seasonal conditions, root growth, and nutrient uptake by wheat. This suggests that region-specific recommendations for fertiliser management may be superior to the ‘one size fits all’ approach typically adopted over the Wimmera/Mallee region. Fertiliser use efficiency differed between the 2 soil types, primarily because physicochemical subsoil constraints were present in the Sodosol, but not the Vertosol. These affected rooting depth, total root system size, and root distribution—notably root growth and hence foraging in the topsoil layer. The root growth response to fertiliser management strategies and seasonal rainfall was also reduced on the Sodosol compared with the Vertosol. Simulated fertiliser uptake was responsive to the placement strategy in a dry year characterised by small rainfall events, typical for the Wimmera and Mallee regions. Shallow placement (0.05 or 0.025 m) of N and P in the topsoil utilised topsoil moisture from these small rainfall events, improving crop N and P uptake. The degree of benefit differed between the 2 soil types, and placement of fertiliser was more effective than topdressing. The simulation approach used here provides a preliminary assessment of a range of fertiliser strategies for different soil type and seasonal conditions. However, because ROOTMAP does not provide direct predictions of grain yield response, simulation results need subsequent validation under field conditions before they can be used by growers.
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Brown, Geoff W., Peter Robertson, and Ben G. Fanson. "Digging in: a review of the ecology and management of a threatened reptile with a small disjunct distribution – the heath skink, Liopholis multiscutata, in Victoria, south-eastern Australia." Pacific Conservation Biology 25, no. 3 (2019): 222. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc17057.
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The central issue for species that are highly localised habitat specialists and occur in relatively small numbers is vulnerability to extinction processes. The heath skink, Liopholis multiscutata, is considered Critically Endangered in Victoria, in part because it is restricted to essentially four small and highly disjunct populations in semiarid mallee dunefields. It provides an example of a rare and cryptic species that is especially vulnerable to decline and consequently provides management challenges. Here, we crystallise available information on the ecology and life history of this threatened lizard, and review monitoring data to evaluate population status, primary threats and management imperatives. There has been a substantial decrease across the known range of the lizard in Victoria, most likely due to predation and fire. Recent monitoring of the four potentially viable populations revealed a general trend of decline. Recommendations for research and management priorities for the lizard in Victoria are provided; generally, these include further exploration of the lizard’s phylogeny and ecology, and ongoing monitoring of the trajectory of the lizard’s population status, threats to the lizard’s persistence and the effectiveness of management actions employed to ameliorate extinction threats.
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Coulson, G. "Use of heterogeneous habitat by the western grey kangaroo, Macropus fuliginosus." Wildlife Research 20, no. 2 (1993): 137. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9930137.
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The western grey kangaroo, Macropus fuliginosus, typically occurs at highest population densities in areas of greatest habitat heterogeneity. Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, in semiarid north-western Victoria, supports a relatively high density of this species, and has a mosaic of four major vegetation associations: mallee, woodland, lake bed and grassland. The patterns of habitat use by western grey kangaroos at Hattah-Kulkyne were examined from March 1983 until May 1985 using line-transect surveys to estimate population density in each habitat, and radio-tracking to estimate home range. The population was not dispersed randomly, but generally exhibited either positive or negative preferences for each of the four habitats in early morning and at midday, and on different bimonthly surveys. These preferences often reversed between times of day and between surveys. Home ranges of individuals ranged from 221 to 459 ha (asymptotic MAP[O.95] estimates), each encompassing three or four habitat types, and there was extensive spatial and temporal overlap between individuals. Kangaroos at Hattah-Kulkyne thus alternated between adjacent habitats that offered a range of forage conditions and shelter.
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O'Connell, M. G., D. J. Connor, and G. J. O'Leary. "Crop growth, yield and water use in long fallow and continuous cropping sequences in the Victorian mallee." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 42, no. 7 (2002): 971. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea01096.
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The agronomic implications of substituting mustard (Brassica juncea) for long (winter) fallows were investigated in a 6-year field experiment by comparing 2 cropping sequences (fallow–wheat–pea v. mustard–wheat–pea) in the semi-arid Victorian mallee. Production and water use of wheat, pea and mustard were measured. Grain yields ranged from 0.1 to 2.4 t/ha for wheat (mean 1.72 t/ha after fallow and 1.22 t/ha after mustard); from 0 to 0.6 t/ha (mean 0.22 t/ha) for mustard and from 0 to 1.4 t/ha (mean 0.8 t/ha) for field pea, strongly reflecting variable seasonal conditions (in-crop rainfall range from 84 to 231 mm). Mustard was shown to be a potential replacement for long fallow producing additional yield benefit (mustard + wheat) in one year. However, under drought conditions it introduces severe penalties to wheat growth and yield compared with the traditional fallow cropping system. Further, mustard did not affect water use, growth, or yield of the second crop after wheat (in our case field pea). This study highlights a conflict between developing farming systems that are productive, environmentally and socially acceptable under variable weather conditions and yet uphold the regional need to reduce dependence on fallowing. Further analyses of weather patterns and other crop choice strategies are needed to help develop better management strategies for the mallee region of Australia.
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Armstrong, R. D., J. Fitzpatrick, M. A. Rab, M. Abuzar, P. D. Fisher, and G. J. O'Leary. "Advances in precision agriculture in south-eastern Australia. III. Interactions between soil properties and water use help explain spatial variability of crop production in the Victorian Mallee." Crop and Pasture Science 60, no. 9 (2009): 870. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp08349.
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A major barrier to the adoption of precision agriculture in dryland cropping systems is our current inability to reliably predict spatial patterns of grain yield for future crops for a specific paddock. An experiment was undertaken to develop a better understanding of how edaphic and climatic factors interact to influence the spatial variation in the growth, water use, and grain yield of different crops in a single paddock so as to improve predictions of the likely spatial pattern of grain yields in future crops. Changes in a range of crop and soil properties were monitored over 3 consecutive seasons (barley in 2005 and 2007 and lentils in 2006) in the southern section of a 167-ha paddock in the Mallee region of Victoria, which had been classified into 3 different yield (low, moderate, and high) and seasonal variability (stable and variable) zones using normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) and historic yield maps. The different management zones reflected marked differences in a range of soil properties including both texture in the topsoil and potential chemical-physical constraints in the subsoil (SSCs) to root growth and water use. Dry matter production, grain yield, and quality differed significantly between the yield zones but the relative difference between zones was reduced when supplementary irrigation was applied to barley in 2005, suggesting that some other factor, e.g. nitrogen (N), may have become limiting in that year. There was a strong relationship between crop growth and the use of soil water and nitrate across the management zones, with most water use by the crop occurring in the pre-anthesis/flowering period, but the nature of this relationship appeared to vary with year and/or crop type. In 2006, lentil yield was strongly related to crop establishment, which varied with soil texture and differences in plant-available water. In 2007 the presence of soil water following a good break to the season permitted root growth into the subsoil where there was evidence that SSCs may have adversely affected crop growth. Because of potential residual effects of one crop on another, e.g. through differential N supply and use, we conclude that the utility of the NDVI methodology for developing zone management maps could be improved by using historical records and data for a range of crop types rather than pooling data from a range of seasons.
7
Coulson, G. "The Influence of population density and habitat on grouping in the western grey kangaroo, Macropus fuliginosus." Wildlife Research 20, no. 2 (1993): 151. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9930151.
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Population density and habitat structure have been identified as influencing grouping patterns in kangaroos, but the separate contributions of each factor have rarely been distinguished. Grouping was examined in the western grey kangaroo, Macropus fuliginosus, at Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, north-western Victoria, where the population exhibits marked changes in density throughout habitats that provide a range of cover. Group size and population density in each habitat were surveyed at two times of day and at roughly 2-monthly intervals from March 1983 until December 1985. Of the four major habitats, mallee and woodland offered moderate cover, whereas grassland and lake bed gave sparse cover. Visibility of kangaroo groups was highest in the sparse habitats, and was positively related to the size of the group, at least in the lower range of group sizes. At densities up to 40km-2, groups that formed in the sparse habitats were larger than the groups in the two habitats that offered moderate cover. Three habitats (lake bed, grassland and woodland) had more smaller and more larger groups than expected if group formation was a random process. Large males were seen alone more often than expected by chance in lake bed, and less often in moderate cover; females with young-atfoot were over-represented as singletons in all four habitats. The size and composition of groups recorded in this study suggest that the basic components of the social organisation of kangaroos are best discerned in habitats that carry a low population density, but that also provide the most cover.
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Lethbridge, Mark R. "Insights into feral goat movement in Australia using dynamic Brownian Bridges for movement analysis." Rangeland Journal 38, no. 4 (2016): 343. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj15024.
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Movement analyses were conducted for 50 goats across southern Australia using GPS satellite collars. A radio or satellite-tracked animal used to direct culling operations is generally called a ‘Judas’ animal. Goats used as ‘Judas’ animals in control operations were compared with non-‘Judas’ goats in the states of South Australia and Victoria, respectively. Their movement in two land systems were also compared. Dynamic Brownian Bridges Movement Models were used to calculate home ranges (95% utilisation areas). Changes in movement behaviour were identified to partition sedentary behaviour from long-distance movement events, defined here as ranging. Eleven goats exhibited ranging behaviour and moved from 9 to 33 km between their home ranges. After partitioning, their home ranges varied from 1.97 to 223.8 km2. In this study in the Southern Australian Mallee regions, non-‘Judas’ goats had significantly smaller home ranges than ‘Judas’ goats. However, no significant differences were found in the ranging distances between non-‘Judas’ goats and ‘Judas’ goats. Understanding these two distinct forms of goat movement is important in the planning and budgeting of removal operations. To demonstrate this a simple goat management decision tool is used to illustrate the biases that can result in the expected hours of removal operations when the assumptions about goat movement are ill-defined.
9
Sadras, Víctor, David Roget, and Garry O'Leary. "On-farm assessment of environmental and management constraints to wheat yield and efficiency in the use of rainfall in the Mallee." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 53, no. 5 (2002): 587. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar01150.
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The responses of wheat grain yield to soil properties, weather, root diseases, and management practices were investigated in 75 grower-managed crops in the Mallee region of South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales during 3 growing seasons. Fourteen cultivars were represented in the sampled crops, with Frame being the most common (56%). The most widespread crop sequence was wheat after pasture (43% of wheat crops), followed by wheat after fallow or cereal (both about 20%); 12% of the wheat was sown after legumes. Wheat after cereal was more common in drier sites, and wheat after fallow in wetter sites. Wheat yield was proportional to Fischer’s photothermal coefficient around flowering, and ranged from nil to 4.7 t/ha. On average, wheat crops sown after cereals yielded 0.4 t/ha less than their counterparts sown after fallow, and 0.7 t/ha less than those after legumes. Sowing date ranged from 24 April to 21 July; yield declined with delayed sowing at an average rate of 17 kg/ha.day. Growing season rainfall (April–October) ranged from 111 to 266 mm, and accounted for 27% of the variation in grain yield. Soil water content at sowing (0–1 m) ranged from 32 to 330 mm; yield increased with initial soil water at an average rate of 6 kg/ha.mm. Grain yield per unit growing season rainfall was generally low, with 75% of crops producing <12 kg grain/ha.mm; the maximum ratio was 21 kg/ha.mm. Soil constraints, including sodicity, alkalinity, salinity, and boron toxicity, reduced yield in part by reducing availability of stored soil water. Owing to severity of chemical constraints increasing with soil depth, grain yield and yield per unit growing season rainfall were both inversely related to the proportion of water stored deeper in the soil (0.5–1 m). Yield was unrelated to nitrogen, both initial and applied. Larger amounts of nitrogen accumulated in soils with more severe constraints partially accounted for the lack of association between yield and nitrogen.
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Nuttall, J. G., and R. D. Armstrong. "Impact of subsoil physicochemical constraints on crops grown in the Wimmera and Mallee is reduced during dry seasonal conditions." Soil Research 48, no. 2 (2010): 125. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr09075.
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Subsoil physicochemical constraints can limit crop production on alkaline soils of south-eastern Australia. Fifteen farmer paddocks sown to a range of crops including canola, lentil, wheat, and barley in the Wimmera and Mallee of Victoria and the mid-north and Eyre Peninsula of South Australia were monitored from 2003 to 2006 to define the relationship between key abiotic/edaphic factors and crop growth. The soils were a combination of Calcarosol and Vertosol profiles, most of which had saline and sodic subsoils. There were significant correlations between ECe and Cl– (r = 0.90), ESP and B (r = 0.82), ESP and ECe (r = 0.79), and ESP and Cl– (r = 0.73). The seasons monitored had dry pre-cropping conditions and large variations in spring rainfall in the period around flowering. At sowing, the available soil water to a depth of 1.2 m (θa) averaged 3 mm for paddocks sown to lentils, 28 mm for barley, 44 mm for wheat, and 92 mm for canola. Subsoil constraints affected canola and lentil crops but not wheat or barley. For lentil crops, yield variation was largely explained by growing season rainfall (GSR) and θa in the shallow subsoil (0.10–0.60 m). Salinity in this soil layer affected lentil crops through reduced water extraction and decreased yields where ECe exceeded 2.2 dS/m. For canola crops, GSR and θa in the shallow (0.10–0.60 m) and deep (0.60–1.20 m) layers were important factors explaining yield variation. Sodicity (measured as ESP) in the deep subsoil (0.80–1.00 m) reduced canola growth where ESP exceeded 16%, corresponding to a 500 kg/ha yield penalty. For cereal crops, rainfall in the month around anthesis was the most important factor explaining grain yield, due to the large variation in rainfall during October combined with the determinant nature of these crops. For wheat, θa in the shallow subsoil (0.10–0.60 m) at sowing was also an important factor explaining yield variation. Subsoil constraints had no impact on cereal yield in this study, which is attributed to the lack of available soil water at depth, and the crops’ tolerance of the physicochemical conditions encountered in the shallow subsoil, where plant-available water was more likely to occur. Continuing dry seasonal conditions may mean that the opportunity to recharge soil water in the deeper subsoil, under continuous cropping systems, is increasingly remote. Constraints in the deep subsoil are therefore likely to have reduced impact on cereals under these conditions, and it is the management of water supply, from GSR and accrued soil water, in the shallow subsoil that will be increasingly critical in determining crop yields in the future.
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McJannet, David, Aaron Hawdon, Brett Baker, Luigi Renzullo, and Ross Searle. "Multiscale soil moisture estimates using static and roving cosmic-ray soil moisture sensors." Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 21, no. 12 (December 1, 2017): 6049–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-6049-2017.
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Abstract. Soil moisture plays a critical role in land surface processes and as such there has been a recent increase in the number and resolution of satellite soil moisture observations and the development of land surface process models with ever increasing resolution. Despite these developments, validation and calibration of these products has been limited because of a lack of observations on corresponding scales. A recently developed mobile soil moisture monitoring platform, known as the rover, offers opportunities to overcome this scale issue. This paper describes methods, results and testing of soil moisture estimates produced using rover surveys on a range of scales that are commensurate with model and satellite retrievals. Our investigation involved static cosmic-ray neutron sensors and rover surveys across both broad (36 × 36 km at 9 km resolution) and intensive (10 × 10 km at 1 km resolution) scales in a cropping district in the Mallee region of Victoria, Australia. We describe approaches for converting rover survey neutron counts to soil moisture and discuss the factors controlling soil moisture variability. We use independent gravimetric and modelled soil moisture estimates collected across both space and time to validate rover soil moisture products. Measurements revealed that temporal patterns in soil moisture were preserved through time and regression modelling approaches were utilised to produce time series of property-scale soil moisture which may also have applications in calibration and validation studies or local farm management. Intensive-scale rover surveys produced reliable soil moisture estimates at 1 km resolution while broad-scale surveys produced soil moisture estimates at 9 km resolution. We conclude that the multiscale soil moisture products produced in this study are well suited to future analysis of satellite soil moisture retrievals and finer-scale soil moisture models.
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Anwar, M. R., G. J. O'Leary, M. A. Rab, P. D. Fisher, and R. D. Armstrong. "Advances in precision agriculture in south-eastern Australia. V. Effect of seasonal conditions on wheat and barley yield response to applied nitrogen across management zones." Crop and Pasture Science 60, no. 9 (2009): 901. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp08351.
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Spatial variability in grain yield across a paddock often indicates spatial variation in soil properties, especially in regions like the Victorian Mallee. We combined 2 years of field data and 119 years of simulation experiments (APSIM-Wheat and APSIM-Barley crop models) to simulate crop yield at various levels of N application in 4 different management zones to explore the robustness of the zones previously determined for an experimental site at Birchip. The crop models explained 96% and 67% of the observed variability in wheat and barley grain yields, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 310 kg/ha and 230 kg/ha, respectively. The model produced consistent responses to the observed data from the field experiment in 2004 and 2005 where a high and stable yielding zone produced the highest dry matter as well as grain yield, while a low and variable zone recorded the lowest grain yield. However, from the long-term (119 years) simulation, the highest median wheat yield value was obtained on the low variable zone (2911 kg/ha) with high N fertiliser application, while the lowest was obtained on the high variable zone (851 kg/ha). Similarly, the highest barley yields (1880–3350 kg/ha) occurred on the low variable zone using the long-term simulation. In 10–20% of years the highest yield occurred in the high-yielding zones, with the variable and stable zones changing rank with interactive behaviour only under early-sown conditions. Our analyses highlight the problem of using a limited range of seasons of different weather conditions in agronomy to make strategic conclusions as the long-term simulation did not confirm the original yield zone determination. The challenge ahead is to predict in advance the seasons where application of N fertiliser will be beneficial.
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Lumsden, IF, and AF Bennet. "Bats of a semi-arid environment in south-eastern Australia: biogeography, ecology and conservation." Wildlife Research 22, no. 2 (1995): 217. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9950217.
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A total of 2075 captures of 11 taxa of bats was recorded during an extensive survey of the vertebrate fauna of the semi-arid Mallee region of Victoria. A further two species, Pteropus scapulatus and Saccolaimus flaviventris, are known from previous records, thus bringing the total to 13 taxa known from the region. There was a marked seasonality in activity patterns and in reproduction. Activity, as revealed by trap captures, peaked over the spring to early autumn months when daytime temperatures are high and nights are mild. Births occurred from October to December, lactating females were recorded from November to February, and juveniles were trapped between December and late February, with minor variation in timing between species. Morphometric measurements revealed that females were generally larger and heavier than males. There was a high level of overlap of species between broad vegetation types. Woodland habitats, especially Riverine Woodland, tended to have a higher frequency of capture and a greater species richness of bats per trapping event than did Mallee Shrubland. The assemblage of bats in the Mallee region, Victoria, like those in other semi-arid regions of southern Australia, includes species that are widespread in Australia (e.g. Chalinolobus gouldii and Nyctophilus geoffroyi), together with species that primarily occur in semi-arid and arid environments (e.g. N. timoriensis, Scotorepens balstoni and Vespadelus baverstocki). This region, which includes mesic riverine habitats, also supports a group of species that are characteristic of temperate south-eastern Australia (e.g. C. morio, V. regulus and V. vulturnus). In comparison with assemblages from temperate and tropical environmental regions, those from the semi-arid region tend to have a lower species richness with fewer families represented, a higher level of insectivory, and a smaller modal body size. The conservation status of bats from the Mallee region, Victoria, is believed to be secure, although the status of N. timoriensis warrants further attention.
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Myers, BA, DH Ashton, and JA Osborne. "The Ecology of the Mallee Outlier of Eucalyptus behriana F. Muell. Near Melton, Victoria." Australian Journal of Botany 34, no. 1 (1986): 15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt9860015.
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An outlier of mallee vegetation occurs south of the Great Dividing Range in Victoria in a rain shadow region (annual rainfall approx. 500 mm) about 50 km west of Melbourne. A Eucalyptus behriana open-scrub with a sparse understorey of chenopods, mosses, lichens and some grasses occurs on solonetz soil on lateritized Tertiary sandy clays and on skeletal soils on Ordovician slates and sandstones. The dryness of the mallee site is probably exacerbated by the smaller rate of water infiltration and greater salinity of the solonetz soil under E. behriana compared with the solodic soil, in the moister area further north, under an open-forest of E. microcarpa. The multistemmed habit of E. behriana appears to be partly genetically fixed. Hollow lignotuberous rings, filled to a depth of about 15-25 cm with brown, nutrient-rich humus, are common. Pattern analysis of the distribution of stems of E. behriana indicated strong clumping at about 9 m², due to the multistemmed habit, and weaker clumping at about 600 m², which correlated with the size of groups of dense, spindly individuals of E. behriana, resulting from a past phase of gap regeneration.
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Nuttall, J. G., G. J. O'Leary, N. Khimashia, S. Asseng, G. Fitzgerald, and R. Norton. "‘Haying-off' in wheat is predicted to increase under a future climate in south-eastern Australia." Crop and Pasture Science 63, no. 7 (2012): 593. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp12062.
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Under a future climate for south-eastern Australia there is the likelihood that the net effect of elevated CO2, (eCO2) lower growing-season rainfall and high temperature will increase haying-off thus limit production of rain-fed wheat crops. We used a modelling approach to assess the impact of an expected future climate on wheat growth across four cropping regions in Victoria. A wheat model, APSIM-Nwheat, was performance tested against three datasets: (i) a field experiment at Wagga Wagga, NSW; (ii) the Australian Grains Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (AGFACE) experiment at Horsham, Victoria; and (iii) a broad-acre wheat crop survey in western Victoria. For down-scaled climate predictions for 2050, average rainfall during October, which coincides with crop flowering, decreased by 32, 29, 26, and 18% for the semiarid regions of the northern Mallee, the southern Mallee, Wimmera, and higher rainfall zone, (HRZ) in the Western District, respectively. Mean annual minimum and maximum temperature over the four regions increased by 1.9 and 2.2°C, respectively. A pair-wise comparison of the yield/anthesis biomass ratio across climate scenarios, used for assessing haying-off response, revealed that there was a 39, 49 and 47% increase in frequency of haying-off for the northern Mallee, southern Mallee and Wimmera, respectively, when crops were sown near the historically optimal time (1 June). This translated to a reduction in yield from 1.6 to 1.4 t/ha (northern Mallee), 2.5 to 2.2 t/ha (southern Mallee) and 3.7 to 3.6 t/ha (Wimmera) under a future climate. Sowing earlier (1 May) reduced the impact of a future climate on haying-off where decreases in yield/anthesis biomass ratio were 24, 28 and 23% for the respective regions. Heavy textured soils exacerbated the impact of a future climate on haying-off within the Wimmera. Within the HRZ of the Western District crops were not water limited during grain filling, so no evidence of haying-off existed where average crop yields increased by 5% under a future climate (6.4–6.7 t/ha). The simulated effect of eCO2 alone (FACE conditions) increased average yields from 18 to 38% for the semiarid regions but not in the HRZ and there was no evidence of haying-off. For a future climate, sowing earlier limited the impact of hotter, drier conditions by reducing pre-anthesis plant growth, grain set and resource depletion and shifted the grain-filling phase earlier, which reduced the impact of future drier conditions in spring. Overall, earlier sowing in a Mediterranean-type environment appears to be an important management strategy for maintaining wheat production in semiarid cropping regions into the future, although this has to be balanced with other agronomic considerations such as frost risk and weed control.
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Woinarski, JCZ. "The Vertebrate Fauna of Broombush Melaleuca-Uncinata Vegetation in Northwestern Victoria, With Reference to Effects of Broombush Harvesting." Wildlife Research 16, no. 2 (1989): 217. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9890217.
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The vertebrate fauna of broombush Melaleuca uncinata vegetation in north-western Victoria was assessed by censusing in marked quadrats, trapping and wide-ranging observations. Most species of vertebrates known to occur in mallee shrublands in Victoria we recorded in broombush (those recorded included four amphibian, 42 reptile, 126 bird and 18 mammal species). This high diversity resulted from a substantial variation in vertebrate (particularly reptile and bird) species composition between broombush of differing ages (0-80 years). Some floristic variation between broombush stands and the local presence within these stands of particular plant species (notably Triodia irritans and Banksia ornata) also added to vertebrate species diversity. Locally, broombush patches were characteristically simple in structure and of low floristic diversity. Bird species diversity and density were low (<3 individuals per ha). Broombush is being harvested at an accelerating rate in Victoria. The effects of this industry on vertebrates generally are minor. No vertebrate species is restricted to broombush, and most vertebrate species recorded in this survey were found in harvested areas. Nonetheless, broombush is an important habitat for several species (e.g. Ctenophorus pictus, Ctenotus uber, C. brooksi, Leipoa ocellata, Pachycephala rufogularis, Psophodes nigrogularis, Drymodes brunneopygia, Cercartetus lepidus and Notomys mitchelli). Information on the ecology of most species of vertebrates living in the mallee is very limited, and some species may be affected by broombush cutting through a decrease in area of habitat of suitable age.
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Campbell, Lachlan. "Wimmera River (Victoria, Australia) – Increasing Use of a Diminishing Resource." Water Science and Technology 21, no. 2 (February 1, 1989): 245–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.1989.0058.
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The Wimmera River is central western Victoria's most important river, rising in the Grampians National Park, filling storages that supply the major water supply to the vast Wimmera and Mallee regions. It passes through the Little Desert National Park, an area of significant scenic, recreation, historical and conservation value and terminates in Victoria's largest inland freshwater lakes (Lakes Hindmarsh and Albacutya). The brittleness of the whole closed Wimmera River system, and the over committal of the water resources was brought to the public's attention when appeals were lodged against the proposal to licence a discharge of high standard secondary effluent from an extended aeration oxidation ditch and lagoon treatment facility at Horsham. Residents, user and community groups, Municipal Councils and Government Departments, aware of the deterioration of the Wimmera River had somewhere to focus their attention. Victoria's and possibly Australia's longest environmental appeal, lasting twenty-five days, and a State Environment Protection Policy, determined that all major point sources of nutrients should be removed from the River. More resources for clearing of unwanted emergent weeds, more facilities for protection of Crown Land and catchments generally, and the implementation of environmental summer flows as piping of the Wimmera-Mallee Stock and Domestic System proceeds, are all required. A River Management Board with strength, wealth, good public relations and a dedication to the task could make the Wimmera River an example for all Australia and a tourist attraction of immense value to the region.
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Ladiges, PY, and T. Whiffin. "Taxonomic Revision of Eucalyptus alpina s.l. and Recognition of Three New Species, E. victoriana, E. serraensis and E. verrucosa." Australian Systematic Botany 6, no. 4 (1993): 365. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sb9930365.
Full textAbstract:
Forms previously recognised within Eucalyptus alpina Lindl., an endemic of the Grampian Ranges, Victoria, are described as three new species. E. victoriana sp. nov. occurs in the Mt Thackeray area, Victoria Range; it is a tall tree with smooth upper branches and flaky bark on the lower trunk, adult leaves which are broad-lanceolate, buds which are slightly warty, and fruits which are compressed-hemispherical with a level to slightly ascending disc. E. serraensis sp. nov. is a small tree or mallee of the Wonderland Range and northern Serra Range; adult leaves are ovate, apiculate and coriaceous, buds are warty, and fruits have a broad, distinctly raised disc. E. verrucosa sp. nov. is a small tree or shrub of the southern Sena Range; adult leaves are orbicular, emarginate and coriaceous, buds are very warty, and fruits are large, with a level and folded disc. The type for E. alpina is from a probable hybrid tree with E. baxteri (Benth.) Maiden & Blakely ex Black and hence the name cannot be applied to any of the taxa recognised here.
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Brown, Peter R., Grant R. Singleton, Brian Kearns, and John Griffiths. "Evaluation and Cost-effectiveness of Strychnine for Control of Populations of Wild House Mice (Mus domesticus) in Victoria." Wildlife Research 24, no. 2 (1997): 159. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr96018.
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The efficacy and cost-effectiveness of strychnine baiting was tested at sowing in May–June 1994 in two cereal-grain-growing regions of Victoria, when numbers of house mice (Mus domesticus) were high (up to 1000 mice ha-1 in the Mallee) and moderate (100–250 mice ha-1 in the Wimmera). In each region, there were four replicates of baited and unbaited sites. Strychnine was applied once by ground spreaders to 40% of each stubble paddock and to all fencelines at each treated site. Treatments did not significantly affect the demographics (size cohorts, breeding status or sex ratio) or abundance indices of mouse populations. The most pronounced reduction occurred in stubble paddocks (harvested five months earlier) in the Mallee region, where there was a 57% reduction in mean mouse density two days after baiting. This difference was not significant because of high variation between sites within treatments. Moreover, three weeks later the mean density of mice in treated stubble paddocks was approximately double that in the untreated sites. The Wimmera study indicated that strychnine had a minimal effect on mouse populations when ample other food was available. The application of strychnine was inexpensive: $A0.45 ha-1 in the Wimmera and $A0.61 ha-1 in the Mallee; however, mouse damage to crops after sowing was minor. Unfortunately, we could not accurately assess damage to crops because of compensation at an early stage of growth and problems with assessing damage caused by mice. Overall, our results suggest that although strychnine may be an effective palliative method of control when a mouse plague has occurred, its effectiveness as a strategic rodenticide for preventing plagues is questionable.
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Bush, David, David Spencer, John Doran, and Richard Davis. "Testing New Provenances of Eucalyptus polybractea: A Eucalypt Oil Mallee Adapted to Semi-Arid Environments." Forests 13, no. 7 (July 15, 2022): 1109. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f13071109.
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Novel genetic accessions of Eucalyptus polybractea from a previously untested, hotter and drier part of the species’ natural range were tested in a common garden trial at a semi-arid site in NSW, Australia. Eucalyptus polybractea is a mallee eucalypt cultivated for essential oils (1,8-cineole), bioenergy and carbon sequestration on dryland sites in southern Australia (sites receiving about 450 mm mean annual rainfall, MAR). A trial of six previously untested provenances from the relatively hot, dry part of the species’ natural range in South Australia (SA) (250–450 mm MAR) was established alongside seven provenances from New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria within a commercial plantation in NSW. The trial was assessed at age 3.7 years for growth and oil characteristics. While survival was excellent, most of the SA sources were slower growing and of sub-standard oil concentration and quality relative to those from Victoria and NSW. However, a single SA provenance, with the highest oil concentration and 1,8-cineole percentage of all provenances tested, may have potential as a source of selected germplasm. Infusion of SA material into the breeding populations of E. polybractea, which are currently based on NSW and Victorian selections only, may provide more resilience in the face of hotter and drier temperatures expected under projected climate change scenarios, and/or allow the introduction of the species to hotter and drier climates in Australia or other parts of the world with semi-arid climates. However, high-intensity selection of infusions will be required to maintain the growth and oil characteristics in the existing breeding population.
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Riffkin, P. A., P. M. Evans, J. F. Chin, and G. A. Kearney. "Early-maturing spring wheat outperforms late-maturing winter wheat in the high rainfall environment of south-western Victoria." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 54, no. 2 (2003): 193. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar02081.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this experiment was to identify suitable cultivars and sowing times for winter and spring wheat types in the high rainfall environment of south-western Victoria. Spring and winter wheat cultivars with a range of flowering times were sown at 3 (April–June) and 6 (April–September) sowing times in 1997 and 1999, respectively, at Hamilton. Strong cultivar × sowing time interactions occurred. Grain yields ranged from 0.3 t/ha for a winter wheat (cv. Declic) sown in September to 8 t/ha for a spring wheat (cv. Silverstar) sown in June. The early-maturing spring wheat cultivar Silverstar, initially bred for the lower rainfall Mallee environment, produced the highest yields in both years from all sowing times except April. Our data indicate that higher yields are achieved from crops that flower earlier than is currently recommended. The optimum flowering period in south-western Victoria needs to be redefined, especially since many crops are now sown on raised beds.
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Sudmeyer, R. A., T. Daniels, H. Jones, and D. Huxtable. "The extent and cost of mallee - crop competition in unharvested carbon sequestration and harvested mallee biomass agroforestry systems." Crop and Pasture Science 63, no. 6 (2012): 555. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp12129.
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Mallee-based agroforestry has potential to provide farmers with new income sources derived from biofuels, biofeedstocks, and carbon sequestration. Although mallees are planted on >12 700 ha across the south-west of Western Australia, very little commercial harvesting of mallee has occurred to date. The development of biomass processing industries is constrained by lack of robust information regarding the productivity of integrated mallee and agricultural systems. This study addresses this constraint by quantifying the productivity and economics of agricultural crops and pastures growing in the competition zone adjacent to mallee belts at 15 sites across the Western Australian wheatbelt. The sites covered a range of climate and edaphic conditions, three mallee species (Eucalyptus polybractea R Baker, E. loxophleba ssp. lissophloia LAS Johnson and KD Hill, or E. kochii ssp. plenissima (CA Gardner) Brooker), various crop and pasture rotations, and various mallee harvest-management treatments. Mallee–crop competition was negatively correlated with rainfall and positively correlated with mallee age and size, and greater for crops than pasture. Consequently, extent and magnitude of competition were highly variable across sites and years. On average, mallee–crop competition extended 11.3 m from unharvested belts and reduced crop and pasture yields by 36% within 2–20 m of the mallee belts relative to open paddock yields. This is similar to what has been reported for taller tree species. Harvesting mallees reduced competition such that crop and pasture yield was reduced by 22 or 27% relative to open paddock yields for mallees harvested at 3- or 6+-year intervals, respectively. The economic cost of mallee–crop competition on agricultural enterprises was also highly variable between sites, and between years within individual sites. Averaged across all site-years, the opportunity cost of competition was equivalent to forgoing agricultural production for 14.4 m on each side of unharvested mallee belts, or 9–10 m on each side of harvested belts. Farmers with mallee agroforestry systems will need to manage the economic impacts of competition by reducing agricultural input costs in the competition zone, timing crop-grazing rotations with mallee harvests, ensuring that the width of alleys is at least 25 times the height of the mature trees, and possibly root-pruning mallees in unharvested or long harvest interval systems. This research has shown that mallee–crop competition presents a significant cost to farmers and must be considered when designing mallee agroforestry systems. The findings have relevance for the development of appropriate biomass and carbon sequestration pricing benchmarks for mallee plantings.
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Tann, CR, GR Singleton, and BJ Coman. "Diet of the House Mouse, Mus domesticus, in the Mallee Wheatlands of North-Western Victoria." Wildlife Research 18, no. 1 (1991): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9910001.
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The quality and/or quantity of food available to mice at key times may be important in generating plagues. This study examined the diet and breeding performance of mice over two years in the mallee wheatlands of Victoria. Mice were trapped approximately every 6th week and their stomach contents examined for seven categories of food. Indices of occurrence and estimates of percentage volumes of each category indicated that cereal seeds were the staple food of mice. They bred earlier in the second year, but in both years there was a pulse of invertebrates and fresh grass seeds in the diet before the onset of breeding. These pulses occurred when seed reserves ['mature' (>3 months) cereal and dicotyledon seeds] were low. Mice, however, were highly responsive to changes in the availability of different food classes throughout the study. Thus the relative influences of nutritional factors (food quality) and availability of food (food quantity) on the onset of breeding were difficult to determine. The annual peak in female breeding coincided with the availability of fresh cereal grain. Breeding ceased in autumn each year despite the presence of ample 'mature' cereal seeds. Investigations of the effect of climatic factors on timing and abundance of nutrients in the environment is essential for an understanding of their influence on the population dynamics of mice.
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Booth, DT. "Home Range and Hatching Success of Malleefowl, Leipoa-Ocellata Gould (Megapodiidae), in Murray Mallee Near Renmark, Sa." Wildlife Research 14, no. 1 (1987): 95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9870095.
Full textAbstract:
The home range of malleefowl in low-rainfall Murray mallee was approximately 4 km2, but home ranges of birds from different mounds overlapped to a considerable degree, resulting in an overall breeding density of 1.1 pairs per square kilometre. Mean clutch size (�95% CI) was 13.8 � 4.1, mean egg mass (�95% CI) 168�2 g; and 79.2% of eggs hatched successfully. No eggs were taken by foxes, but four out of six radio-tagged adults were eaten by foxes. These results differ from those of Frith, who studied malleefowl in high-rainfall mallee near Griffith, N.S.W. I suggest that differences in bird density and fecundity are related to vegetation differences, and that the difference in egg predation is related to differences in the way tkie incubation mounds at the two sites were maintained.
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Tann, CR, GR Singleton, and BJ Coman. "Corrigendum to : Diet of the house mouse, Mus domesticus, in the Mallee wheatlands of north-western Victoria." Wildlife Research 18, no. 3 (1991): 375. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9910375.
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Korte, Chris J., Patrick Wilson, Brian Kearns, Glenn J. Fitzgerald, Joe F. Panozzo, Cassandra K. Walker, Brendan Christy, et al. "Potential impact of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate change on Victorian wheat marketing grades and value." Crop and Pasture Science 70, no. 11 (2019): 926. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp19155.
Full textAbstract:
The potential impact of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) and future climate predicted for 2050 on wheat marketing grades and grain value was evaluated for Victoria, Australia. This evaluation was based on measured grain yield and quality from the Australian Grains FACE program and commercial grain delivery data from Victoria for five seasons (2009–13). Extrapolation of relationships derived from field experimentation under elevated [CO2] to the Victorian wheat crop indicated that 34% of grain would be downgraded by one marketing grade (range 1–62% depending on season and region) because of reduced protein concentration; and that proportions of high-protein wheat grades would reduce and proportions of lower protein grades would increase, with the largest increase in the Australian Standard White (ASW1) grade. Simulation modelling with predicted 2050 [CO2] and future climate indicated reduced wheat yields compared with 2009–13 but higher and lower grain quality depending on region. The Mallee Region was most negatively affected by climate change, with a predicted 43% yield reduction and 43% of grain downgraded by one marketing grade. Using 2016 prices, the value of Victorian wheat grain was influenced mainly by production in the different scenarios, with quality changes in different scenarios having minimal impact on grain value.
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Singleton, GR. "Population Dynamics of Mus Musculus and Its Parasites in Mallee Wheatlands in Victoria During and After a Drought." Wildlife Research 12, no. 3 (1985): 437. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9850437.
Full textAbstract:
The population dynamics and cestodes, nematodes, ticks and fleas of wild mice in mallee wheatlands in Victoria, Australia, were monitored every 6th week from November 1982 to November 1983. Presence of Acarina and Nosopsyllus spp. in a total of 355 mice from farm buildings, crops and near permanent water was independent of that of Hymenolepis fraterna, Taenia taeniaeformis, Aspiculuris tetraptera, Syphacia obvelata and Muspicea borreli. S. obvelata was recorded in every habitat throughout all seasons (although its prevalence was significantly higher in winter near permanent water) and was the most prevalent helminth (67.0%). Overall prevalences of H. fraterna, T. taeniaeformis, A. tetraptera and M. borreli were 7.0, 5.3, 6.2 and 1.7% resp. The overall prevalence of the ticks Radfordia affinis and Myobia murismusculi was 93.9% and that of Nosopsyllus spp. was 36.7%. Other ticks were found on 39.8% of mice. The number of parasite species and prevalence of infection were lowest during severe drought in summer. After the drought parasite prevalence increased significantly . Prevalence of some species differed with habitat, both within and between seasons, but the reasons for the differences were unclear. Prevalence and intensity of parasitism was independent of mouse population density. Muspicea borreli is recorded from Australia for the first time. ADDITIONAL ABSTRACT: The population dynamics and parasite fauna of wild Mus musculus were monitored every 6th week from November 1982 to November 1983 in the mallee wheatlands of northwest Victoria. Endo- and ectoparasites were examined in 355 mice sampled from farm buildings, crops and around permanent water. The presence of ectoparasites (myobiid mites and fleas of the genus Nosopsyllus) was independent of that of endoparasites (nasal mites, cestodes and nematodes). The number of parasite species and prevalence of infection were lowest in summer, a period of severe drought. After the drought, seasonal differences in the number of parasite species were not significant but the prevalence of parasite infection increased significantly. The prevalence and mean intensity of infection varied for each parasite species. The prevalence of many species differed with habitat, both within and between seasons. Generally, reasons for these differences were not clear. The prevalence and intensity of parasitism was independent of mouse population density.
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Grierson, PF, MA Adams, and PM Attiwill. "Estimates of Carbon Storage in the Aboveground Biomass of Victorias Forests." Australian Journal of Botany 40, no. 5 (1992): 631. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt9920631.
Full textAbstract:
The pool of carbon in the world's forests is of similar magnitude to that in the atmosphere, yet little attention has been given to improving measures of carbon in terrestrial biomass. Much of the critical data for forest biomass on which models of global carbon cycling rely is, in fact, based on the accurate sampling of less than 100 ha of forest. Uncertainties in biomass estimation at the local and regional level may be responsible for much of the current speculation as to unidentified sinks for carbon. We have used a forest inventory (i.e. records of forest volume obtained for harvesting purposes) approach to quantify the biomass of forests in Victoria, Australia. Forests were analysed by type, age and region. Regression equations were developed for the accumulation of biomass with age across all productivity classes for each forest type. The mean carbon density for above-ground components of Victorian native forests is 157 tonnes ha-1 (t ha-1), although forest types range in mean carbon density from 250 to 18 t ha-1. Pinus radiata D. Don plantations in Victoria have a mean carbon density of 91 t ha-1 in the above-ground components. Total carbon stored in above-ground biomass is estimated to be 1.2 X 109 t. Rates of carbon fixation vary with forest age, species and site. Mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell.) forests fix around 9 t of carbon ha-1 annually during the first few years of growth, decreasing to 6 t ha-1 by age 10. Rates of carbon accumulation by other forests are generally less than this and, at the lower end of the range, box-ironbark forests, mallee and woodlands accumulate between 0.5 and 2 t ha-1 year-1. P. radiata plantations in Victoria will accumulate around 7 t carbon ha-1 year-1.
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Kabwe, Mwila, Jennifer L. Dittmer, Jaimee Oxford, Catina Eyres, Ancara Thomas, Andrew Mahony, and Bruce Bolam. "A Novel Approach to Managing a COVID-19 Outbreak at a Farm in Outer Regional Victoria, Australia." Nursing Reports 12, no. 4 (October 7, 2022): 717–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nursrep12040071.
Full textAbstract:
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been established as a major occupational health and safety issue that compounds pre-existing socioeconomic inequalities such as access to basic health services. This is exacerbated in migrant farmworkers who are an essential workforce in maintaining food supply across the country. An outbreak occurred in a remote part of Victoria with limited access to healthcare resources. Existing relationships allowed the Loddon Mallee Public Health Unit to quickly engage farm management and local pathology services and provide cultural and language support. After contact-tracing and comprehensive clinical review, rather than isolate positive cases, those who were asymptomatic and willing to work continued to do so whilst negative workers were in quarantine. Outbreak management and public health actions were quickly implemented even when the nationwide state-testing and contact-tracing systems were experiencing significant strain due to the rapid escalation in case numbers. Despite a large outbreak (68/74 workers), the management of the outbreak allowed asymptomatic cases to perform their work so farm productivity remained uninterrupted. Cases’ health status was closely monitored, with no adverse outcomes in a high-risk population. COVID-19 negative workers safely quarantined away from positive cases until the closure of the outbreak.
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Nuttall, J. G., R. D. Armstrong, D. J. Connor, and V. J. Matassa. "Interrelationships between edaphic factors potentially limiting cereal growth on alkaline soils in north-western Victoria." Soil Research 41, no. 2 (2003): 277. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr02022.
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Calcarosols of the Victorian southern Mallee comprise subsoils that are typically saline, sodic, and have high concentrations of soluble boron (B), which have the potential to restrict growth of rain-fed grain crops. This paper reports relationships between various soil factors, from 150 soil profiles over a survey area of 3600 km2, to determine if field texture, pH1:5, electrical conductivity (ECe), and Na+ could be used to estimate exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) and B. Assessment of soil profiles across 5 layers to 1 m (n = 750) showed that exchangeable Na+ correlated well with both ESP (r = 0.96) and B (r = 0.88). High correlation also existed between ESP and ECe (r = 0.71) and between B and pH1:5 (r = 0.70). Using linear and asymptotic regression functions, ESP overall was defined by: ESP = 1.47 + 2.68 × Na+ (r2 = 93.9) or ESP = 26.53 – 29.84 × 0.84ECe (r2 = 75.5). Boron was described by: B = –0.34 + 3.93 × Na+ (r2 = 76.7) or B = 3.2 × 10–6 × 6.11pH1:5 (r2 = 68.5). Inclusion of multiple explanatory variates, using stepwise multiple regression, did not account for more variation; hence, prediction using several variables simultaneously appeared unnecessary. Rapidly determined Na+, by ion-specific electrode, could also accurately predict sodicity: ESP = 1.31 + 0.03 × Na+ (r2 = 95.1). Soils with a pH1:5 <8.1 were shown to have B levels not potentially toxic to cereal growth. Soil texture also provided valuable estimation of B. Soils in the sand to clay loam texture range did not have levels of B toxic to cereal growth, unlike soils in the light to heavy clay range that frequently had levels of B potentially toxic to cereal growth.
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Hunt, J. R., C. Browne, T. M. McBeath, K. Verburg, S. Craig, and A. M. Whitbread. "Summer fallow weed control and residue management impacts on winter crop yield though soil water and N accumulation in a winter-dominant, low rainfall region of southern Australia." Crop and Pasture Science 64, no. 9 (2013): 922. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp13237.
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The majority of rain used by winter grain crops in the Mallee region of Victoria, Australia, falls during the cooler months of the year (April–October). However, rain falling during the summer fallow period (November–March) and stored as soil moisture contributes to grain yield. Strategies to better capture and store summer fallow rain include (i) retention of crop residues on the soil surface to improve water infiltration and evaporation; and (ii) chemical or mechanical control of summer fallow weeds to reduce transpiration. Despite the widespread adoption of no-till farming systems in the region, few published studies have considered the benefits of residue management during the summer fallow relative to weed control, and none quantify the impacts or identify the mechanisms by which summer fallow weeds influence subsequent crop yield. Over 3 years (2009–11), identical experiments on adjacent sand and clay soil types at Hopetoun in the southern Mallee were conducted to quantify the effect of residue management (standing, removed, or slashed) and summer fallow weed control (± chemical control) compared with cultivation on soil water and nitrogen (N) accumulation and subsequent crop yield. The presence of residue (2.4–5.8 t/ha) had no effect on soil water accumulation and a small negative effect on grain yield on the clay soil in 2011. Controlling summer weeds (Heliotropium europaeum and volunteer crop species) increased soil water accumulation (mean 45 mm) and mineral N (mean 45 kg/ha) before sowing on both soil types in 2 years of the experiment with significant amounts of summer fallow rain (2010 and 2011). Control of summer weeds increased grain yield of canola by 0.6 t/ha in 2010 and wheat by 1.4 t/ha in 2011. Using the data from these experiments to parameterise the APSIM model, simulation of selected treatments using historical climate data (1958–2011) showed that an extra 40 mm of stored soil water resulted in an average additional 0.4 t/ha yield, most of which was achieved in dry growing seasons. An additional 40 kg/ha N increased yield only in wetter growing seasons (mean 0.4 t/ha on both soil types). The combination of extra water and N that was found experimentally to result from control of summer fallow weeds increased subsequent crop yield in all season types (mean 0.7 t/ha on sand, 0.9 t/ha on clay). The co-limitation of yield by water and N in the Mallee environment means that yield increases due to summer weed control (and thus returns on investment) are very reliable.
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Robertson, Fiona, Roger Armstrong, Debra Partington, Roger Perris, Ivanah Oliver, Colin Aumann, Doug Crawford, and David Rees. "Effect of cropping practices on soil organic carbon: evidence from long-term field experiments in Victoria, Australia." Soil Research 53, no. 6 (2015): 636. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr14227.
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Despite considerable research, predicting how soil organic carbon (SOC) in grain production systems will respond to conservation management practices, such as reduced tillage, residue retention and alternative rotations, remains difficult because of the slowness of change and apparent site specificity of the effects. We compared SOC stocks (equivalent soil mass to ~0–0.3 m depth) under various tillage, residue management and rotation treatments in three long-term (12-, 28- and 94-year-old) field experiments in two contrasting environments (Mallee and Wimmera regions). Our hypotheses were that SOC stocks are increased by: (1) minimum tillage rather than traditional tillage; (2) continuous cropping, rather than crop–fallow rotations; and (3) phases of crop or pasture legumes in rotations, relative to continuous cropping with cereals. We found that zero tillage and stubble retention increased SOC in some circumstances (by up to 1.5 Mg C ha–1, or 8%) but not in others. Inclusion of bare fallow in rotations reduced SOC (by 1.4–2.4 Mg C ha–1, or 8–12%) compared with continuous cropping. Including a pulse crop (field pea, where the grain was harvested) in rotations also increased SOC in some instances (by ~6–8 Mg C ha–1, or 29–35%) but not in others. Similarly, leguminous pasture (medic or lucerne) phases in rotations either increased SOC (by 3.5 Mg C ha–1, or 21%) or had no significant effect compared with continuous wheat. Inclusion of a vetch green manure or unfertilised oat pasture in the rotation did not significantly increase SOC compared with continuous wheat. The responses in SOC to these management treatments were likely to be due, in part, to differences in nitrogen and water availability (and their effects on carbon inputs and decomposition) and, in part, to other, unidentified, interactions. We conclude that the management practices examined in the present study may not reliably increase SOC on their own, but that significant increases in SOC are possible under some circumstances through the long-term use of multiple practices, such as stubble retention + zero tillage + legume N input + elimination of fallow. The circumstances under which increases in SOC can be achieved require further investigation.
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Paterson, John. "Water Management and Recreational Values; Some Cases in Victoria, Australia." Water Science and Technology 21, no. 2 (February 1, 1989): 1–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.1989.0021.
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The growing recognition of recreational and amenity demands on water systems introduces a multitude of issues, many of them complex, to the established tasks of water quality management and water management generally. Victorian case studies are presented. They (1) illustrate the range and diversity of situations that can arise in managing competition and enhancing compatibility between traditional water supply objectives and recreational demands. (2) Fluctuation of storage levels, essential to storage operations, detract from recreational value. Recreational and tourism demands upon Lake Hume have grown to threaten traditional operating flexibility. (3) Mokoan is another such instance, but with its supply function in a state of flux, Lake Mokoan provides more scope for a shift in the balance. (4) Salinity management has become an issue in the management of lakes and wetlands when water supply interests and environmental/recreation interests respectively have different perspectives on salt disposal. (5) Recreational use of town supply sources has long been a vexed issue, although marked shifts in the attitudues of many supply authorities have occurred in recent years. (6) Eutrophication of lakes and estuaries raises difficult issues of responsibility and scientific uncertainty, and the water management connection may be tenuous but will attract public attention. (7) The water body attributes valued by specialised recreational interests require definition in terms that water managers can deal with using routine techniques of systems analysis and evaluation. (8) The demands of the fish population and anglers introduce a new perspective in river management and perceptions of instream values are changing markedly. (9) Direct costs of recreational services supplied by water authorities are not fully accounted: allocation choices and fiscal incidence will emerge as issues of significance. (10) These case studies raise only a fraction of the total range of matters that will, in the years to come, tax the technology and political skills of governments and management.
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Priddel, D., and R. Wheeler. "MOrtality of captive-raised malleefowl, Leipoa ocellata, released into a mallee remnant within the wheat-belt of New South Wales." Wildlife Research 21, no. 5 (1994): 543. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9940543.
Full textAbstract:
Loss, fragmentation and degradation of mallee habitat within the New South Wales wheat-belt have caused a marked decline in the range and local abundance of malleefowl, Leipoa ocellata. Small disjunct populations of malleefowl now occupy small isolated remnants of suitable habitat. and several of these populations have become locally extinct in recent times. Young captive-reared malleefowl(8-184 days old) were experimentally released in March and June 1988 into a 558-ha remnant of mallee vegetation. The remnant contained a small but declining population of rnalleefowl. From the first day after release, malleefowl were found dead, and mortality continued at a rapid rate until none remained alive. Of the 31 released, 16 (52%) were dead after 7 days, at least 22 (71%) were dead after 11 days, and none survived longer than 107 days. In all, 94% of malleefowl were killed by predators: 26-39% by raptors, and 55-68% by introduced predators, principally foxes, Vulpes vulpes. No improvement in survival was evident when malleefowl were given supplementary food. Relying principally on camouflage, young malleefowl have no effective defence or escape behaviour to evade ground-dwelling predators such as the fox. By imposing severe predation pressure on young malleefowl, foxes are likely to be curtailing recruitment into the breeding population. Such a situation must inevitably lead to the further localised extinction of small disjunct populations of malleefowl. Foxes are thus a major threat to the continuance of remnant populations of malleefowl within the wheat-belt of New South Wales.
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Ford, GW, JJ Martin, P. Rengasamy, SC Boucher, and A. Ellington. "Soil sodicity in Victoria." Soil Research 31, no. 6 (1993): 869. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr9930869.
Full textAbstract:
This paper gives a broad overview of the distribution and agricultural importance of sodic soils in Victoria. Sodic soils are estimated to occupy at least 13.4 Mha, representing at least 73% of Victoria's agricultural land. Most of this land is used for dryland farming; about 85% of the cropped land and 66% of the land sown to dryland pastures occurs on sodic soils. The largest sodicity class is 'alkaline sodic', dominated by a diverse range of soils (red duplex, yellow duplex, calcareous earths and self-mulching cracking clays). Alkaline sodic soils comprise half of the total agricultural land area, or about 24% of the area of land currently used for dryland cropping and 21% of the land under sown pasture. Land degradation problems are recognized as affecting most agricultural land in Victoria, and to be substantially limiting its productivity. The nature, extent and severity of the various forms of land degradation are a consequence of both intrinsic soil properties and of management practices. There is an urgent need to improve current farming practices to prevent further deterioration of the soil resource. Existing knowledge of the behaviour of sodic soils under both dryland and irrigated agriculture is reviewed. It is concluded that substantial gains in productivity are possible, but will require effective collaboration between soil scientists, agronomists, and land managers. Collation and integration of current knowledge on the properties and management of sodic soils in Victoria, and the acquisition of additional relevant information by targeted long-term research is required. Key issues for future research are identified.
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Frischke, Alison J., James R. Hunt, Dannielle K. McMillan, and Claire J. Browne. "Forage and grain yield of grazed or defoliated spring and winter cereals in a winter-dominant, low-rainfall environment." Crop and Pasture Science 66, no. 4 (2015): 308. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp14273.
Full textAbstract:
In the Mallee region of north-western Victoria, Australia, there is very little grazing of crops that are intended for grain production. The success of dual-purpose crops in other regions in south-eastern Australia with higher and more evenly distributed rainfall has driven interest in assessing the performance of dual-purpose cereals in the region. Five experiments were established in five consecutive years (2009–13) in the southern Mallee to measure the forage production and grain yield and quality response in wheat and barley to grazing by sheep or mechanical defoliation. The first three experiments focused on spring cultivars sown from late April to June, and the last two on winter cultivars planted from late February to early March. Cereal crops provided early and nutritious feed for livestock, with earlier sowing increasing the amount of dry matter available for winter grazing, and barley consistently produced more dry matter at the time of grazing or defoliation than wheat. However, the grain-production response of cereals to grazing or defoliation was variable and unpredictable. Effects on yield varied from –0.7 to +0.6 t/ha, with most site × year × cultivar combinations neutral (23) or negative (14), and few positive (2). Changes in grain protein were generally consistent with yield dilution effects. Defoliation increased the percentage of screenings (grains passing a 2-mm sieve) in three of five experiments. Given the risk of reduced grain yield and quality found in this study, and the importance of grain income in determining farm profitability in the region, it is unlikely that dual-purpose use of current cereal cultivars will become widespread under existing grazing management guidelines for dual-purpose crops (i.e. that cereal crops can be safely grazed once anchored, until Zadoks growth stage Z30, without grain yield penalty). It was demonstrated that early-sown winter wheat cultivars could produce more dry matter for grazing (0.4–0.5 t/ha) than later sown spring wheat and barley cultivars popular in the region (0.03–0.21 t/ha), and development of regionally adapted winter cultivars may facilitate adoption of dual-purpose cereals on mixed farms.
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Vieira, E. M., G. R. Finlayson, and C. R. Dickman. "Habitat use and density of numbats (Myrmecobius fasciatus) reintroduced in an area of mallee vegetation, New South Wales." Australian Mammalogy 29, no. 1 (2007): 17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am07002.
Full textAbstract:
The distribution of the numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) has been dramatically reduced since European settlement, with remnant populations now occurring naturally only in the south west of Western Australia. In recent years a number of reintroductions have led to the reestablishment of this species in parts of its former range. In this study we investigated the density and habitat use of the numbat within a 4,000 ha feral - free site on Scotia Sanctuary in western New South Wales. Numbats had been reintroduced to this site in 1999 and 2000. During transect sampling 500 km were driven and 10 numbats were observed. An additional 14 sightings were made incidentally during the survey period. We estimated the density of numbats at Scotia to be 1.24 individuals/100 ha (SE = 0.56). Numbats were located randomly throughout the four major vegetation communities within the reintroduction site. At a finer scale, numbats selected for areas with less spinifex and less bare ground, although visibility using this sampling technique in areas with less spinifex cover may be increased. This study provides information on the habitats used and selected for by numbats at a local scale, and suggests that the species is capable of re-inhabiting areas within its former range where essential resources such as food and shelter are still available at adequate levels, and introduced predators are absent. This, in turn, has implications for future management decisions about how and where to reintroduce this species to other parts of its former range.
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R. Friend, G., and M. R. Williams. "Impact of fire on invertebrate communities in mallee-heath shrublands of southwestern Australia." Pacific Conservation Biology 2, no. 3 (1995): 244. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc960244.
Full textAbstract:
A three-year study (1989?92) of the responses of invertebrates to fire was carried out in mallee-heath shrublands in the Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia. Abundances were measured at the Order level for major groups, and at the morphospecies level for Coleoptera. Changes in floristics and vegetation structure were monitored over the same period. At the Order level, variation in abundances was attributable more to locality, seasonal and year-to-year effects than to fire. Responses of beetles at the morphospecies level, however, reflected changes due to fire as well those attributable to season and year. Coleoptera and Diptera were most abundant 40 years after fire, Hemiptera and Orthoptera peaked in earlier seral stages, while Hymenoptera and Araneae showed relatively few fire-related trends. Coleoptera and Diptera best reflected changes due to season, year and fire, and together with some Araneae such as mygalomorph spiders, would most likely be suitable groups to consider in future studies. Multivariate analyses indicated that classification to morphospecies level is essential to elucidate changes due to fire. These analyses also indicated that changes in invertebrate abundance and composition did not accord with changes in floristics or vegetation structure. Each set of data therefore represents different facets of change over time, including those due to fire. Comparing our data with contemporaneous information collected in upland areas of the Park indicates that there is a clear dichotomy in the fire sensitivity of species inhabiting the wet gullies and thickets of the mountains and those occupying the seasonally dry lowland mallee-heaths. Fire management strategies need to take account of this dichotomy by protecting relictual fire sensitive species and habitats.
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Barbee, Nicole C., Robin Hale, John Morrongiello, Andy Hicks, David Semmens, Barbara J. Downes, and Stephen E. Swearer. "Large-scale variation in life history traits of the widespread diadromous fish, Galaxias maculatus, reflects geographic differences in local environmental conditions." Marine and Freshwater Research 62, no. 7 (2011): 790. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf10284.
Full textAbstract:
Applying uniform population models and management strategies to widespread species can be ineffective if populations exhibit variable life histories in response to local conditions. Galaxias maculatus, one of the world’s most widely distributed fish species, occurs in a broad range of habitats and is highly adaptable, making it an ideal species for examining variation in life history traits across large geographic scales. Here, we examine the spawning biology and early life history of diadromous G. maculatus in coastal rivers in Victoria, Australia, and compare them to other populations throughout its range. We predicted that traits associated with these critical life stages, especially those that respond to environmental conditions that vary geographically, such as seasonal cues and temperature, are likely to vary across large spatial scales. We found that spawning occurs later in Victoria than in New Zealand (NZ) and South America, but migration back to rivers occurs at the same time in Victoria and NZ, but not South America. G. maculatus returning to rivers are also smaller and younger in Victoria than those in NZ. Other traits, like some attributes of spawning schools and spawning habitats, did not vary across large scales. Researchers and managers should be cautious when making broad assumptions about the biology of widely distributed species.
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Dufty, AC. "Habitat and spatial requirements of the eastern barred bandicoot (Perameles gunnii) at Hamilton, Victoria." Wildlife Research 21, no. 4 (1994): 459. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9940459.
Full textAbstract:
Perameles gunnii was greatly affected by the introduction of European agriculture to the volcanic plains in Victoria. At Hamilton, agricultural areas possessed little structural complexity and supported a fairly homogeneous composition of pasture species that were generally shorter than 100 mm because of heavy stock grazing. No P. gurznii were caught in agricultural areas at Hamilton. At the Hamilton Municipal Tip, most captures and nest sites occurred where food resources and structural complexity were greatest. Descriptions of 16 diurnal nest sites indicated that a range of natural and artificial materials was used for shelter, including fallen branches, sawn timber, cement culverts, galvanised iron, and scrap metal. Earthworms were most frequently observed in faecal and stomach material, while beetles and crickets were also common. Optimal habitat for P. gunnii was defined by high structural complexity and habitat heterogeneity. Older P. gunnii may usurp optimal habitat and force subordinate adult females into sub-optimal habitat. Associated with their occupation of optimal habitat, older P. gunnii may utilise smaller nocturnal foraging areas. Analysis of the movement of P. gunnii within the Hamilton Municipal Tip indicated that males occupied significantly larger nocturnal foraging areas than females. Mean female and male home ranges (defined by Minimum Convex Polygon analysis) were 1.6 ha (n = 13, range 0.02-5.9 ha) and 4 ha (n = 18, range 0.8-9.0 ha), respectively. Also, nocturnal foraging areas were analysed on the basis of pattern of use of an area, and these were referred to as utilisation distributions. The mean utilisation distributions (defined by Minimum Area v. Probability [0.95] analysis) for females and males were 0.64 ha (n = 13, range 0.01-4.7 ha) and 4.0 ha (n = 18, range 0.01-19.6 ha), respectively. Mean female and male observed range lengths were 173 m (tz = 26, range 0-364 m) and 249 m (n = 34, range 50430 m), respectively. Mean ( +/-s.e ) observed range length (214+/-20, n = 60, range 50-430 m) was less than half the grid width (500 m), which suggests that grid size did not negatively bias the calculated home-range sizes.
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Robley, Alan, Andrew Gormley, David M. Forsyth, Alan N. Wilton, and Danielle Stephens. "Movements and habitat selection by wild dogs in eastern Victoria." Australian Mammalogy 32, no. 1 (2010): 23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am09030.
Full textAbstract:
To investigate movements and habitat selection by wild dogs we attached satellite-linked global positioning system (GPS) units to nine wild dogs (Canis lupus dingo and Canis lupus familiaris) captured in eastern Victoria in summer 2007. Units estimated locations at 30-min intervals for the first six months and then at 480-min intervals for six more months. DNA testing revealed all these wild dogs to be related. Home ranges of males were almost three times larger than those of females (males: 124.3 km2 ± 56.3, n = 4; females: 45.2 km2 ± 17.3, n = 5) and both sexes preferred subalpine grassland, shrub or woodland at the landscape and home-range scales. Wild dogs were recorded more often than expected within 25 m of roads and less often than expected within 25 m of watercourses. Wild dogs displayed higher-velocity movements with shallow turning angles (generally forwards) that connected spatial and temporal clusters comprising slower-velocity, shorter, and sharper turning movements. One wild dog travelled 230 km in 9 days before returning to its home range and another travelled 105 km in 87 days. The home-range sizes reported in this study are much larger than previously reported in south-eastern Australia. This finding, together with previous studies, suggests that the spatial scale at which wild dog management occurs needs to be reconsidered.
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Calder, DM, SC Cropper, and D. Tonkinson. "The Ecology of Thelymitra epipactoides F Muell (Orchidaceae) in Victoria, Australia, and the Implications for Management of the Species." Australian Journal of Botany 37, no. 1 (1989): 19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt9890019.
Full textAbstract:
The habitats of existing populations of Thelymitra epipactoides in Victoria, Australia, are described according to the physical and biotic environments. The orchid is confined to a range of heathland communities usually near the coast. The species seems to prefer the more open, previously disturbed sites within the community. Following a discussion of the particular habitat requirements of T. epipactoides, some guidelines for the conservation management of the species are outlined.
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Coman, BJ, J. Robinson, and C. Beaumont. "Home Range, Dispersal and Density of Red Foxes (Vulpes Vulpes L.) In Central Victoria." Wildlife Research 18, no. 2 (1991): 215. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9910215.
Full textAbstract:
Between 1983 and 1986, various aspects of red fox spatial behaviour were studied in both rural and semi-urban environments in central Victoria. Using radio-telemetry, the short-term home ranges of three adult foxes (2 male, 1 female) in a pasture/woodland habitat were estimated to be of the order of 5-7 km2 each. In a semi-urban environment nearby, the home ranges of a further 3 adult animals (2 male, 1 female) were estimated to be 0.6-1.3 km2 each. Estimates of home range size based on a 90% space utilisation effectively halved the home range area for all six foxes. There were indications that, for the animals concerned, ranges were mutually exclusive except in the case of a breeding pair which shared a common home range. During the studies, 137 young fox cubs were ear-tagged and released at the point of capture. Subsequently, 46 of these animals were returned by hunters. Nearly 70% of the returned animals were killed at a distance of 2 km or less from the tagging site but dispersal distances of up to 30 km were recorded. The average dispersal distance for animals killed more than 2 km from the tagging site was 11 km. Estimates of fox density in a rural area of some 2400 ha were obtained by a survey of active breeding dens in the 1985 and 1986 breeding seasons. Assuming one breeding pair plus three surviving young per litter, the maximum summer density was estimated at about 3.0 foxes km-2 and the minimum winter density as about 1.2 foxes km-2. For a further estimate of density, 13 foxes were live-captured, fitted with radios and released. In a short control program on the study area a few weeks later, 7 of these animals were recovered in a total sample of 50 foxes killed. The remaining 6 foxes were established as still present in the study area. Using this capturehecapture data, an early autumn density of about 3.9 foxes km-2 was indicated. The significance of this data in relation to the possible role of foxes as vectors of rabies disease in Australia is discussed.
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Troy, S., and G. Coulson. "Home range of the swamp wallaby, Wallabia bicolor." Wildlife Research 20, no. 5 (1993): 571. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9930571.
Full textAbstract:
Home range in the swamp wallaby, Wallabia bicolor (Marsupialia : Macropodoidea) was examined using radio-tracking in a 150-ha remnant of mixed eucalypt forest at Healesville, Victoria. Three methods were used to calculate home-range size: minimum convex polygons, fourier transform MAP(O.95) and MAP(0.50) estimation, and harmonic mean 50% isopleths and 95% isopleths. The minimum convex polygon method produced the largest estimate of home-range area (16.01 +/-.45 ha). Each method required a different number of fixes before home-range area estimates reached an asymptote. These data showed that W. bicolor have small, overlapping home ranges and that the shape of the home range varied between individuals. Home-range area was larger than previously reported for this species, and there was no significant difference between the sexes in home-range size.
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Olfat, Hamed, Behnam Atazadeh, Abbas Rajabifard, Afshin Mesbah, Farshad Badiee, Yiqun Chen, Davood Shojaei, and Mark Briffa. "Moving Towards a Single Smart Cadastral Platform in Victoria, Australia." ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information 9, no. 5 (May 7, 2020): 303. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9050303.
Full textAbstract:
Various jurisdictions are currently in the process of reforming their cadastral systems to achieve a smart and multidimensional system that provides a range of land administration services to the wider community. The state of Victoria in Australia has been actively modernizing its cadastral system since the 1990s by developing a digital cadastre database, an online digital cadastral plan lodgment portal named SPEAR, and smart cadastre services for validating and visualizing digital data in the ePlan (LandXML) format. However, due to challenges in the implementation of the smart cadastre lifecycle in Victoria, the uptake of ePlan is currently low across the surveying industry. This study aims to explore the feasibility of implementing a smart platform for managing ePlan lodgments in Victoria, which provides all required services within an integrated digital environment. To achieve this aim, the business and technical requirements for realizing a single smart cadastral platform are first explored. A proof of concept (PoC) is then developed to showcase a suitable approach for developing this platform. The evaluation of the PoC confirmed that integration of smart cadastre services into a single environment could significantly streamline the digital cadastral data management processes in Victoria.
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Chapman, D. F., B. R. Cullen, I. R. Johnson, and D. Beca. "Interannual variation in pasture growth rate in Australian and New Zealand dairy regions and its consequences for system management." Animal Production Science 49, no. 12 (2009): 1071. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an09054.
Full textAbstract:
The profitability of dairy farms in Australia and New Zealand is closely related to the amount of pasture dry matter consumed per hectare per year. There is variability in the pasture growth curve within years (seasonal variation) and between years (interannual variation) in all dairy regions in both countries. Therefore, the biological efficiency of production systems depends on the accuracy and timeliness of the many strategic and tactical decisions that influence the balance between feed supply and demand over an annual cycle. In the case of interannual variation, decisions are made with only limited quantitative information on the range of possible pasture growth outcomes. To address this limitation, we used the biophysical simulation model ‘DairyMod’ to estimate mean monthly herbage accumulation rates of annual or perennial ryegrass-based pastures in 100 years (1907–2006) for five Australian sites (Kyabram in northern Victoria, Terang in south-west Victoria, Ellinbank in Gippsland, Elliott in north-west Tasmania and Vasse in south-west Western Australia) and in 35 years (1972–2006) for three sites in New Zealand (Hamilton in the Waikato, Palmerston North in the Manawatu and Winchmore in Canterbury). The aim was to evaluate whether or not a probabilistic approach to the analysis of pasture growth could provide useful information to support decision making. For the one site where annual ryegrass was simulated, Vasse, the difference between the 25th and 75th percentile years was 20 kg DM/ha.day or less in all months when pasture growth occurred. Irrigation at Kyabram and Winchmore also resulted in a narrow range of growth rates in most months. For non-irrigated sites, the 25th–75th percentile range was narrow (10–15 kg DM/ha.day) from May or June through to September or October, because plant available soil water was adequate to support perennial ryegrass growth, and the main source of interannual variability was variation in temperature. Outside of these months, however, variability in growth was large. There was a positive relationship between total annual herbage accumulation rate and mean stocking for four southern Australian regions (northern Victoria, south-west Victoria, Gippsland and Tasmania), but there was evidence of a negative relationship between the co-efficient of variation in pasture growth and stocking rate. The latter suggests that farmers do account for risk in pasture supply in their stocking rate decisions. However, for the one New Zealand region included in this analysis, Waikato, stocking rate was much higher than would be expected based on the variability in pasture growth, indicating that farmers in this region have well defined decision rules for coping with feed deficits or surpluses. Model predictions such as those presented here are one source of information that can support farm management decision making, but should always be coupled with published data, direct experience, and other relevant information to analyse risk for individual farm businesses.
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Bennett, Andrew F., Greg J. Holland, Anna Flanagan, Sarah Kelly, and Michael F. Clarke. "Fire and its interaction with ecological processes in box-ironbark forests." Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 124, no. 1 (2012): 72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rs12072.
Full textAbstract:
Box-Ironbark forests extend across a swathe of northern Victoria on the inland side of the Great Dividing Range. Although extensively cleared and modified, they support a distinctive suite of plants and animals. Historical fire regimes in this ecosystem are largely unknown, as are the effects of fire on most of the biota. However, knowledge of the ecological attributes of plant species has been used to determine minimum and maximum tolerable fire intervals for this ecosystem to guide current fire management. Here, we consider the potential effects of planned fire in the context of major ecological drivers of the current box-ironbark forests: namely, the climate and physical environment; historical land clearing and fragmentation; and extractive land uses. We outline an experimental management and research project based on application of planned burns in different seasons (autumn, spring) and at different levels of burn cover (patchy, extensive). A range of ecological attributes will be monitored before and after burns to provide better understanding of the landscape-scale effects of fire in box-ironbark forests. Such integration of management and research is essential to address the many knowledge gaps in fire ecology, particularly in the context of massively increased levels of planned burning currently being implemented in Victoria.
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Wilson, Gai, Paul Butler, Tricia Szirom, and Jenny Cameron. "Indirect Services Funded by the National Women's Health Program in Victoria." Australian Journal of Primary Health 4, no. 2 (1998): 77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py98023.
Full textAbstract:
Victoria's Women's Health Services and Centres Against Sexual Assault have implemented a range of indirect activities utilising various strategies and methods with a particular focus on information and resource provision, education and training, community development and promotional activity. They have increased women's access to existing services by working to make those services more appropriate and relevant. To achieve this they have involved women in the community in program management, design and implementation. Collaboration with other agencies in health and related services has also been a key strategy in achieving changes to mainstream services and fulfilling the aims of the dual strategy.
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Robertson, Fiona, Doug Crawford, Debra Partington, Ivanah Oliver, David Rees, Colin Aumann, Roger Armstrong, et al. "Soil organic carbon in cropping and pasture systems of Victoria, Australia." Soil Research 54, no. 1 (2016): 64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr15008.
Full textAbstract:
Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in agricultural soils through changes to management may help to mitigate rising greenhouse gas emissions and sustain agricultural productivity and environmental conditions. However, in order to improve assessment of the potential for increasing SOC storage in the agricultural lands of Victoria, Australia, further information is required on current SOC levels and how they are related to environmental conditions, soil properties and agricultural management. Therefore, we measured stocks of SOC at 615 sites in pasture and cropping systems in Victoria, encompassing eight regions, five soil orders and four management classes (continuous cropping, crop–pasture rotation, sheep or beef pasture, and dairy pasture), and explored relationships between the C stocks and environment, soil and management. The results showed an extremely wide range in SOC, from 2 to 239 t C/ha (0–30 cm). Most of this variation was attributable to climate; almost 80% of the variation in SOC stock was related to annual rainfall or vapour pressure deficit (i.e. humidity). Texture-related soil properties accounted for a small, additional amount of variation in SOC. After accounting for climate, differences in SOC between management classes were small and often not significant. Management practices such as stubble retention, minimum cultivation, perennial pasture species, rotational grazing and fertiliser inputs were not significantly related to SOC stock. The relationships between SOC and environment, soil and management were scale-dependent. Within individual regions, the apparent influence of climate and soil properties on SOC stock varied, and in some regions, much of the variation in SOC stock remained unexplained. The results suggest that, across Victoria, there is a general hierarchy of influence on SOC stock: climate > soil properties > management class > management practices.
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Gourley, CJP. "Predicting the responsiveness of pasture to potassium fertiliser in Victoria." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 29, no. 3 (1989): 377. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9890377.
Full textAbstract:
A quantitative model has been developed from the results of 180 field experiments in Victoria, to estimate pasture responses to rates of potassium fertiliser, where the amount of soil potassium extracted by 0.05 mol/L HCl, soil texture and annual rainfall are known. Available soil potassium accounted for 42% of the variation in pasture responses. Soil texture did not affect the magnitude of the response to applied potassium, but there was an apparent affect of soil texture on the curvature of the response curve. Potassium fertiliser recommendations in Victoria can now be based on the results of 180 field experiments which measured the response of pasture to potassium fertiliser at different locations and years, under a range of management conditions.