Journal articles on the topic 'Wetland restoration – Australia – New South Wales'
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1
Marshall, Graham R. "Evaluating Adaptive Efficiency in Environmental Water Recovery: Application of a Framework for Institutional Cost-Effectiveness Analysis." Water Economics and Policy 06, no. 02 (April 2020): 2050003. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s2382624x20500034.
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The first empirical application of an established framework for evaluating the adaptive efficiency of policy and project options — the Institutional Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (ICEA) framework — is documented in this paper. The application involves cost-effectiveness comparison of six projects for environmental water recovery in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia, managed by the New South Wales (NSW) Government under three programs: The Living Murray Initiative; the NSW Wetland Recovery Program; and the NSW Rivers Environmental Restoration Program. Focussing primarily on one of the projects — the Darling Anabranch Pipeline Project (DAPP) — allows an in-depth account to be presented of the ICEA framework’s application. Abatement and transaction costs, and public and private subsets of these costs, were accounted for in the applications. The adaptive efficiency of the DAPP (a “water-saving project”) is found provisionally — i.e., without accounting quantitatively for institutional lock-in costs — to exceed that of the five other environmental water recovery projects (including two “market-purchase projects”) evaluated. This finding is significant given a tendency for economists to presume that environmental water recovery is generally achieved more efficiently through market-purchase projects. With water management, and environmental management more broadly, exposed to increasing uncertainty, adaptive efficiency will grow in importance as a metric for economic evaluation. The application of the ICEA framework documented in this paper can guide researchers in applying this metric to evaluations of projects and policies implemented in, or proposed for, this domain.
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Streever, W. J., M. Callaghan-Perry, A. Searles, T. Stevens, and P. Svoboda. "Public attitudes and values for wetland conservation in New South Wales, Australia." Journal of Environmental Management 54, no. 1 (September 1998): 1–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/jema.1998.0224.
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Kingsford, R. T., K. Brandis, R. F. Thomas, P. Crighton, E. Knowles, and E. Gale. "Classifying landform at broad spatial scales: the distribution and conservation of wetlands in New South Wales, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 55, no. 1 (2004): 17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf03075.
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Relatively few large-scale inventories of the world's wetlands exist because of the difficulties of spatial scale, associated cost and multiple objectives, often temporally confounded, that drive classification. The extent of wetlands across a large part of Australia (New South Wales, 80.6 million ha) was determined using satellite image analyses. These data allowed analyses of the distribution of wetlands, their conservation status and potential threats at different spatial scales; that is, State, coastal and inland, and catchment. Approximately 5.6% of New South Wales is wetland (4.5 million ha), mostly (96%) in inland river catchments. Broad classification allowed identification of the extent of wetland types: (i) floodplains (89%); (ii) freshwater lakes (6.6%); (iii) saline lakes (< 1%); (iv) estuarine wetlands (2.5%); and (v) coastal lagoons and lakes (1.5%). Conservation reserves protect only 3% of wetland area. The analyses identified the north-west as the key area for wetland conservation as most other catchments have lower wetland extent and more potential threatening processes. The first stage of a large-scale inventory is to determine the extent and location of wetlands, with immediate benefits for strategic conservation and management. Other objectives (e.g. classification, biotic composition, hydrology and threats) seldom have sufficient data available for large-scale inventories but can be completed later with resources.
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Chick, A. J., and D. S. Mitchell. "A pilot study of vertical flow wetlands at coffs harbour, New South Wales, Australia." Water Science and Technology 32, no. 3 (August 1, 1995): 103–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.1995.0131.
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A modular series of vertical flow wetland (VFW) systems was established in 1989/90 to treat up to 130,000 litres per day of primary settled sewage on the north coast of New South Wales, Australia as an experimental scale-up of wetland microcosms that had been developed with this hydrological format. Monitoring of inflow and outflow water quality was maintained on a weekly basis from January 1991 to February 1992. Some management parameters (e.g. flow rates) were varied during this period. Dye injection to examine hydraulic behaviour within the gravel bed was carried out on two occasions in one VFW. In general the removal of nutrients was lower than expected, with between 20% and 40% reduction in concentrations and removal of loads over the year. Suspended solids and BOD removals were excellent, with a surprisingly good reduction in faecal coliform counts as well. Reduction in flow rates improved performance markedly in all parameters.
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Ling, J. E., M. T. Casanova, I. Shannon, and M. Powell. "Development of a wetland plant indicator list to inform the delineation of wetlands in New South Wales." Marine and Freshwater Research 70, no. 3 (2019): 322. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf18114.
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Wetlands experience fluctuating water levels, so their extent varies spatially and temporally. This characteristic is widespread and likely to increase as global temperatures and evaporation rates increase. The temporary nature of wetlands can confound where a wetland begins and ends, resulting in unreliable mapping and determination of wetland areas for inventory, planning or monitoring purposes. The occurrence of plants that rely on the presence of water for part or all of their life history can be a reliable way to determine the extent of water-affected ecosystems. A wetland plant indicator list (WPIL) could enable more accurate mapping and provide a tool for on-ground validation of wetland boundaries. However, this introduces the problem of the definition of ‘wetland plant’, especially with species that can tolerate, or require, water level fluctuation, and that respond to flooding or drought by adjusting their morphology or phenology (i.e. ‘amphibious’ plants and those that grow only during drawdown). In this study we developed a WPIL through a process of expert elicitation. The expert decisions were compared and standardised for each species. It is envisaged that this work will lead to a comprehensive listing of wetland plants for Australia for the purposes of planning, mapping and management.
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Bavor, H. J., and E. F. Andel. "Nutrient Removal and Disinfection Performance in the Byron Bay Constructed Wetland System." Water Science and Technology 29, no. 4 (February 1, 1994): 201–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.1994.0191.
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A constructed wetland system has been developed for polishing of treated sewage effluent at Byron Bay, northern New South Wales, Australia. Nutrient removal and disinfection performance of the system has been monitored in preliminary investigations and has been found to be promising. The system, monitoring program and ongoing research program are described
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Hughes, Michael G., Kerrylee Rogers, and Li Wen. "Saline wetland extents and tidal inundation regimes on a micro-tidal coast, New South Wales, Australia." Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 227 (October 2019): 106297. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2019.106297.
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Briggs, S. V., J. A. Seddon, and S. J. Doyle. "Structures of bird communities in woodland remnants in central New South Wales, Australia." Australian Journal of Zoology 55, no. 1 (2007): 29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo06064.
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The overall aim of this study was to investigate structures of bird communities in remnants of fragmented box/cypress pine woodlands in central New South Wales, Australia, to guide habitat rehabilitation. The aims of the study were to: (1) determine how bird densities and species richness varied with remnant category; (2) determine how ranked densities of bird species varied by feeding group with remnant category; and (3) provide information on structures of bird communities in box/cypress pine woodlands to guide restoration. Structures of bird communities varied with remnant category. Large remnants had the most species whereas medium-sized and small remnants in low condition had the fewest. Bird densities increased with decreasing remnant area although densities did not differ significantly between remnant categories. Ranked bird densities varied between remnant categories, with relatively even distributions in large remnants in high condition, and uneven distributions in small remnants in low condition. Densities of small insectivores were much lower in small, low-condition remnants than in large, high-condition remnants. Densities of generalists such as noisy miner and galah showed the reverse pattern. The structures of bird communities in large remnants in good condition provide a reference state for assessing recovery of bird communities.
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Burgin, Shelley, Andrew Norris, and David Karlson. "Alternanthera philoxeroides in New South Wales, Australia: Are We Closer to Control of Alligator Weed?" Weed Technology 24, no. 2 (June 2010): 121–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1614/wt-08-059.1.
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Alligator weed is a serious weed in many countries. In Australia, it is a “weed of national significance” because of its actual and potential impact. We surveyed all local governments in New South Wales in 2001 and 2007 to determine whether the weed is being contained. We found an increased number and extent of infestations, despite more resources and a better knowledge base. Most considered that further research is needed in tactics for control of the weed. On the basis of current containment in urban gardens, we recommend that governments better mobilize the community (e.g., bush restoration consultants, Landcare groups) to deal with alligator weed infestations.
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Broadhurst, Linda M., Brian G. Murray, Robert Forrester, and Andrew G. Young. "Cryptic genetic variability in Swainsona sericea (A. Lee) H. Eichler (Fabaceae): lessons for restoration." Australian Journal of Botany 60, no. 5 (2012): 429. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt12026.
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Grassland communities worldwide have been extensively modified or lost following broadscale agricultural expansion. In south-eastern Australia few natural grasslands remain, with most now being small, isolated and degraded. Conservation and restoration of grassland communities requires an understanding of the impacts of fragmentation on genetic and demographic processes. Swainsona sericea is a perennial grassland herb with conservation listing in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Reproductive output, progeny fitness and genetic diversity were assessed in nine S. sericea populations occupying fragmented grasslands across the southern tablelands of New South Wales. Unexpectedly, four chromosome classes were observed among the populations (2n = 4x = 32, 2n = 10x = 80, 2n = 14x = 112, 2n = 16x = 128), suggesting a more complex taxonomy than is currently recognised. There was no association between reproductive output and population size or ploidy level whereas population size influenced the number of alleles and percentage of polymorphic loci while ploidy influenced effective alleles and expected heterozygosity. Restricted maximum likelihood analyses of progeny growth indicated that ploidy had a significant influence on height, shoot weight, shoot to root ratio and days to germination. The cytological complexity in S. sericea requires clarification, including delineating the cytological boundaries to enable land managers to include this in their conservation and management plans.
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de Jong, N. H. "Woody plant restoration and natural regeneration in wet meadow at Coomonderry Swamp on the south coast of New South Wales." Marine and Freshwater Research 51, no. 1 (2000): 81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf99037.
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This study investigated planting techniques and natural regeneration of indigenous woody species within degraded wet meadow wetland at Coomonderry Swamp. Planting tubestock directly into existing vegetation was practical and cost-effective. Clearing of plots allowed infiltration of weeds, early growth of tubestock was inhibited, acid sulfate soils were exposed, and open inundated plots were choked by algae. After four years, Melaleuca ericifolia and Melaleuca linariifolia showed good survivorship at upper and lower elevations. Eucalyptus robusta and Casuarina glauca were more successful at upper elevations, and Leptospermum juniperinum did not succeed at either elevation. These results corresponded to patterns of regeneration and to distributions within undisturbed stands. Despite the evidence of natural regeneration, direct seeding was not successful at the experimental site. Given that poor dispersal was indicated at Coomonderry Swamp, it is unlikely that isolated wetlands in the region could rely solely on seed dispersal for woody revegetation. Even where regeneration can occur naturally, some planting or culling might be required if the desired outcome is a species mix comparable to that observed on undisturbed margins.
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Whalley, R. D. B., J. N. Price, M. J. Macdonald, and P. J. Berney. "Drivers of change in the Social-Ecological Systems of the Gwydir Wetlands and Macquarie Marshes in northern New South Wales, Australia." Rangeland Journal 33, no. 2 (2011): 109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj11002.
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The Murray–Darling Basin is a Social-Ecological System (SES) of major importance to Australia and includes extensive wetland areas in the north-western parts of New South Wales. The Gwydir Wetlands and the Macquarie Marshes are the particular focus of this paper. These two wetland SES have undergone five successive adaptive cycles (phases) since they were first visited by Europeans in the early 19th century and the ecological, economic and social drivers initiating each transformation to a new cycle are described and analysed. The arrival of the European settlers with their domestic livestock rapidly displaced the Indigenous SES and the wetlands were extensively grazed; during wet periods the livestock were moved out of the wetlands and moved back in as the water receded. More recent land-use changes resulted from the building of major dams to enable storage of water for use in irrigated agriculture. A consequence of dam construction and water use has been a reduction in the frequency and extent of flooding, which has allowed many parts of the wetlands to be continually grazed. Furthermore, as machinery capable of cultivating the very heavy textured soils became available, dryland cropping became a major enterprise in areas of the floodplain where the likelihood of flooding was reduced. With the reduction in flooding, these wetland sites have been seriously degraded. The final phase has seen the invasion by an exotic weed, lippia [Phyla canescens (Kunth) Greene], which is a perennial that grows mat-like between other species of plants and spreads to produce a virtually mono-specific stand. The domestic livestock carrying capacity of the land becomes more or less zero and the conservation value of the wetlands is also dramatically decreased. Therefore, we suggest that lippia should be classed as an ecosystem engineer that has caused the latest transformation of these wetland SES and suggest research directions to investigate how they can be managed to revert to a state in which lippia is no longer dominant.
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Maher, MT, and LW Braithwaite. "Patterns of waterbird use in wetlands of the Paroo, A river system of inland Australia." Rangeland Journal 14, no. 2 (1992): 128. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj9920128.
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The significance of inland wetlands to Australian waterbirds has been overlooked until recently. One important area identified from regular aerial survey centres on the Paroo River in north-western New South Wales. Between April 1983 and December 1985, a period covering a major flood, waterbird populations were estimated on five wetland systems associated with the Paroo during 14 trips. Fifty- three waterbird species were recorded with the anatids, Anas gibberifrons and Malacorhynchus membranaceus, accounting for 75 per cent of total estimated populations. Most breeding events were observed in those wetlands dominated by Muehlenbeckia florulenta (lignum). Breeding accounted for shifts in waterbird populations between wetland systems. A model of waterbird usage of the five wetland systems in relation to a complete flood event is described. The importance for waterbird conservation of wetlands used for breeding and maintenance of populations between flood events, and threats to the integrity of these wetlands are discussed.
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White, Laura, Claudia Catterall, and Kathryn Taffs. "The habitat and management of hairy jointgrass (Arthraxon hispidus, Poaceae) on the north coast of New South Wales, Australia." Pacific Conservation Biology 26, no. 1 (2020): 45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc19017.
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Ecological information about threatened species is required to guide strategic management approaches for effective biodiversity conservation in Australia. Arthraxon hispidus (hairy jointgrass) is a listed threatened species in New South Wales (NSW), but there is limited information on its habitat preferences and native vegetation associations, as well as the impact of historical and ongoing anthropogenic disturbance on its distribution and abundance. In the present study, populations of A. hispidus on the north coast of NSW were surveyed to investigate the habitat characteristics associated with various occurrences of the species. Its preferred habitat was found to be dense ground-cover formations in high-moisture, low-canopy conditions. Cover was highest in moisture-associated assemblages in and around wetlands, drainage lines and groundwater seepages, often in association with native grasses, sedges and herbs. These findings suggest that naturally open freshwater wetland communities comprise the most plausible native habitat niches for A. hispidus populations on the north coast of NSW. A. hispidus also occurs widely among introduced pastures and weeds in previously forested areas, demonstrating the species’ potential to exploit derived habitat. Results indicate that, although ongoing disturbance continues to promote A. hispidus in these exotic-dominated landscapes where historical clearing has created potential habitat opportunities, anthropogenic disturbance (slashing or cattle grazing) is not necessary to sustain A. hispidus within native-dominated wetland communities. Findings suggest more scope for integrated management of A. hispidus within broader native vegetation conservation strategies rather than a single species approach.
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Zhang, Yang, and Samsung Lim. "Drivers of Wildfire Occurrence Patterns in the Inland Riverine Environment of New South Wales, Australia." Forests 10, no. 6 (June 24, 2019): 524. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f10060524.
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In the inland riverine environment of Australia, wildfires not only threaten human life and cause economic loss but also make distinctive impacts on the ecosystem (e.g., injuring or killing fire-sensitive wetland species such as the river red gum). Understanding the drivers of wildfire occurrence patterns in this particular environment is vital for fire-risk reduction and ecologically sustainable management. This study investigated patterns and driving factors of wildfire occurrence over the years from 2001 to 2016 and across the New South Wales side of the Riverina bioregion. Descriptive analyses were conducted for fires of different causes and that burned different vegetation types. Logistic regression models were developed by incorporating factors that provide information on weather, climate, fuel, topography and ignition sources. Analyses revealed that most fires occurred in summer, with human-caused fires primarily in spring and summer, and natural fires in summer. Summer was the most fire-prone season in forested wetlands, whereas fires in drylands mostly occurred during spring and summer. Fire probabilities were higher under severe weather conditions, in areas with higher annual rainfall, in forested wetlands and in areas with intermediate inundation frequencies. Special attention needs to be paid to the effects of vegetation type and inundation frequency on fire occurrence. Weather, climate&fuel and ignition sources were comparably important in explaining human-caused fire occurrence, whereas weather was more important than climate&fuel in explaining natural fire occurrence. Understandings obtained from this study can potentially support the planning of fire and forest management, as well as to supplement the relatively scarce knowledge on riverine wildfire occurrence.
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Adcock, P. W., G. L. Ryan, and P. L. Osborne. "Nutrient partitioning in a clay-based surface flow wetland." Water Science and Technology 32, no. 3 (August 1, 1995): 203–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.1995.0142.
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A constructed, clay-based, surface flow wetland located in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia, was studied to determine the relative importance of living plant tissue, plant litter, sediment, and the water column as nutrient stores. The nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon contents of each nutrient compartment were determined throughout the wetland. The nitrogen and phosphorus content of the plants was higher at the inlet end of the wetland and declined with distance away from it. Nutrient levels in the sediment and water column did not vary significantly with distance through the wetland. Phosphorus concentrations in the sediments were high, but plants were shown to be responsible for the majority of nutrient accumulation from this system. The plants had failed to penetrate the clay substrate and a solid mat of adventitious roots had developed in the overlying water. In essence the plants, mainly grasses, were growing hydroponically.
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Ainsworth, Frank, and Patricia Hansen. "Establishing Adoption as a Route Out of Care in New South Wales: A Commentary." Children Australia 41, no. 3 (August 17, 2016): 232–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/cha.2016.26.
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Over the last 25 years (1990–2015), the number of adoptions of children (and young persons) in Australia declined from 1,142 to 292 (25.5 %). Of the 292 adoptions that took place in 2014–15, 83 (28%) were inter country adoptions, with the remaining 209 (72 %) adoptions of Australian children. Very few of the adoptions of Australian children were in New South Wales. In amendments in 2014 to the New South Wales Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 and the Adoptions Act 2000, a new emphasis on ‘open’ adoption was introduced. The focus of these amendments is on adoption of children who are in foster care where the New South Wales Children's Court has ruled that there is no realistic possibility of restoration of the child to parental care. This article is about the implementation of this new legislative emphasis on adoption. It does not examine the benefit or otherwise of adoption for children who cannot be safely restored to parental care as this issue has been extensively canvassed elsewhere. This article also highlights the US and English experience of adoption from care in order to place the New South Wales development in perspective. The article concludes with discussion of the issues adoption raises for the parents of a child who is being considered for adoption from care.
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Mahony, Michael, Andrew Hamer, and Simon Lane. "Habitat correlates of five amphibian species and of species-richness in a wetland system in New South Wales, Australia." Applied Herpetology 4, no. 1 (2007): 65–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/157075407779766688.
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McLoughlin, Lynne. "The impact of planting for restoration of remnant bushland on its scientific and educational values: implications for conservation planning." Pacific Conservation Biology 3, no. 1 (1997): 27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc970027.
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Large amounts of time and money are currently being expended in "restoring" damaged bushland in many parts of Australia, particularly those remnants in or near large centres of population such as Sydney. This paper argues that it is time to critically examine policies and practices of bushland conservation for the range of bushland values they are serving. Since the introduction of minimum intervention "bush regeneration" in Sydney in the 1960s "restoration" has developed to encompass a much broader range of disturbed areas from lightly weed invaded bush to totally cleared sites, and there has been a blurring of distinctions between regeneration and other restoration practices. In particular, both restoration and regeneration now include planting as widely accepted practice. Focusing on New South Wales, particularly the Sydney region, this paper reviews the role of values in current conservation planning and bushland management in New South Wales, the development of "regeneration", and "restoration" and the nature of scientific and educational values of remnant bushland, and examines how the practice of planting in bushland is degrading those values. Alternative methods to achieve natural regeneration, particularly the use of fire, are discussed. The paper concludes with an emphasis on the importance of developing a planning process for bushland conservation and management which establishes significance based on its specific values, and adopts integrated objectives and strategies, policies and practices, to protect that significance and ensure that restoration does not degrade the values for which the bushland is being preserved and restored.
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Priddel, David, and Robert Wheeler. "An experimental translocation of brush-tailed bettongs (Bettongia penicillata) to western New South Wales." Wildlife Research 31, no. 4 (2004): 421. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr03050.
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A total of 85 brush-tailed bettongs (Bettongia penicillata) from Western Australia and two sites in South Australia were translocated to Yathong Nature Reserve (YNR) in western New South Wales in October 2001. Aerial baiting to control the introduced red fox (Vulpes vulpes) had been undertaken on YNR since 1996. Thirty-one bettongs were fitted with radio-transmitters at the time of release, and two subsequently. Trapping took place at irregular intervals after the translocation. In all, 73% of telemetered bettongs died within the first six months; all were dead within 13 months. Eight bettongs died within the first eight days immediately following their release, due to causes other than predation. These eight all originated from St Peter Island (SPI), South Australia. A low incidence of breeding on SPI supports the belief that this source population was in poor condition and unsuited for translocation. Overall, 19 of the 33 telemetered bettongs were killed by predators: 14 (74%) by feral house cats (Felis catus), two (11%) by birds, and three (16%) by predators, which, although they could not be fully identified, were not foxes. One month after release, surviving bettongs weighed less than they did at the time of their release (mean decrease in mass = 9.7%, range 2.6–22.4%, n = 11). Within two months of their release most had regained any lost mass (mean change in mass since release = –0.3%, range –5.9 to 10.5%). Food resources on YNR appeared sufficient to sustain adult brush-tailed bettongs, despite a period of severe drought. Small pouch young present at the time of release were subsequently lost. Females gave birth and carried small pouch young (up to 50 mm), but no young-at-foot were recorded. Bettongs did not disperse further than 10 km from their release site. Overall, 50% of aerial-tracking locations were no further than 3.2 km from the release site, and 92% no further than 7.0 km. This experimental translocation of brush-tailed bettongs failed due to predation by cats. It demonstrated that foxes were no longer a threat to wildlife on YNR and identified cats as the major impediment to the restoration of locally extinct fauna.
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Hunter, John T., and Alex M. Lechner. "A multiscale, hierarchical, ecoregional and floristic classification of arid and semi-arid ephemeral wetlands in New South Wales, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 69, no. 3 (2018): 418. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf17006.
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Describing, classifying and quantifying vegetation communities is fundamental for understanding their current distribution, rarity, interrelationships and ecosystem functions. In the present study, we apply a consistent objective classification system for ephemeral wetlands of arid and semi-arid areas of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Our approach uses a two-step statistically based, hierarchical, multiscale classification of environmental data at broad scales and floristics data at intermediate scales. At broad scales, ecoregionalisation methods were used to describe three wetland macrogroups. Within these groups, we performed unsupervised analyses of 640 floristic survey plots using the Bray–Curtis algorithm, clustering by group averaging and testing of clusters using similarity profile analysis (SIMPROF). From this we delineated 18 vegetation groups with class definition based on a combination of diagnostic and non-diagnostic similarity percentage analysis (SIMPER) outputs and dominant taxa. We show that a consistent classification system can be effectively created for subsets of vegetation that have adequate plot data within a general matrix that is poorly sampled if outputs are restricted to appropriate scales of resolution. We suggest that our approach provides a stable and robust classification system that can be added to as more data become available.
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T. Kingsford, Richard, Rachael F. Thomas, and Alison L. Curtin. "Conservation of wetlands in the Paroo and Warrego River catchments in arid Australia." Pacific Conservation Biology 7, no. 1 (2001): 21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc010021.
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Irrigation proposals to divert water from the Paroo and Warrego Rivers in arid Australia will affect their aquatic ecosystems. These two are the last of 26 major rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin without large dams and diversions. Knowledge of the extent of their biodiversity value is critical to assessing likely impacts. During the 1990 flood, 1.73 million ha of wetlands, or 12.5% of the land surface of the Paroo and Warrego River catchments, were flooded. Flooded wetland area in the respective catchments was 781 330 ha and 890 534 ha. Most of the wetland area (97%) was floodplain, with 37 freshwater lakes (>50 ha) occupying 2.5% of the wetland area and 177 salt lakes covering 0.8%. A high diversity and abundance of biota depend on these wetlands. Only 7% of the wetland area, all in the Paroo catchment, is in conservation reserves. New South Wales has a high proportion of the wetland area on the Paroo (60%) and a substantial proportion of the wetland area on the Warrego River (23%). Queensland, the upstream state, will influence the ecology of the entire catchment areas of both river systems through its proposed water management plan. Any resulting extraction practices will have detrimental ecological consequences within a decade. Conservation of wetlands is usually site-focused and reflects a paradigm of conservation based on reservation of parcels of land. However, wetlands are dependent on water that is seldom adequately protected. Intergovernment co-operation should protect the entire catchment of the Paroo River from major diversions and stop further development on the Warrego River. This would do more for the conservation of wetlands than the formal reservation of small parts of their catchments.
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Koehn, John D., Scott M. Raymond, Ivor Stuart, Charles R. Todd, Stephen R. Balcombe, Brenton P. Zampatti, Heleena Bamford, et al. "A compendium of ecological knowledge for restoration of freshwater fishes in Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 71, no. 11 (2020): 1391. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf20127.
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Many freshwater fishes are imperilled globally, and there is a need for easily accessible, contemporary ecological knowledge to guide management. This compendium contains knowledge collated from over 600 publications and 27 expert workshops to support the restoration of 9 priority native freshwater fish species, representative of the range of life-history strategies and values in south-eastern Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin. To help prioritise future research investment and restoration actions, ecological knowledge and threats were assessed for each species and life stage. There is considerable new knowledge (80% of publications used were from the past 20 years), but this varied among species and life stages, with most known about adults, then egg, juvenile and larval stages (in that order). The biggest knowledge gaps concerned early life stage requirements, survival, recruitment, growth rates, condition and movements. Key threats include reduced longitudinal and lateral connectivity, altered flows, loss of refugia, reductions in both flowing (lotic) and slackwater riverine habitats, degradation of wetland habitats, alien species interactions and loss of aquatic vegetation. Examples and case studies illustrating the application of this knowledge to underpin effective restoration management are provided. This extensive ecological evidence base for multiple species is presented in a tabular format to assist a range of readers.
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C. Chessman, Bruce, and Simon A. Williams. "Biodiversity and conservation of river macroinvertebrates on an expanding urban fringe: western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia." Pacific Conservation Biology 5, no. 1 (1999): 36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc990036.
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As in many growing urban areas, the prevention of environmental damage as Sydney spreads westward into the Hawkesbury-Nepean River basin is a major challenge for planners, managers and the local community, We surveyed macroinvertebrates at 45 river and stream sites in April-June 1996, and reviewed data from other sources, in order to assess the issues involved in conservation of the lotic macro invertebrate fauna, Regional richness is high with 443 recorded species and morphospecies, Cluster analysis showed community pattems related mainly to waterway size (separating the Hawkesbury-Nepean River from tributary streams), geology (tributaries on shale or sandstone), tidal intrusion and urbanization (impoverished faunas in urban streams). The ability of genus richness of mites and major insect orders to reflect overall genus richness at a site was limited, and Diptera and Trichoptera appear to have the greatest value as biodiversity predictors. Urban expansion is the major threat to lotic macro invertebrate communities in the region, but agriculture, flow regulation, sand and gravel ex1raction and introduced species have probably also impacted on the fauna, Streams with high conservation value for macroinvertebrates include those few on the Cumberland Plain and surrounding slopes that retain substantial indigenous vegetation in relatively undeveloped catchments. The Hawkesbury-Nepean River sfill harbours a rich faunal community and is also important for conservation, The development of effective strategies for conservation assessment and management is problematic for several reasons, Some species in the region are known to be vulnerable, but the status of most cannot be assessed because of a lack of taxonomic and zoogeographic information, Most "biodiversity indicator" concepts are of dubious value for aquatic macroinvertebrate conservation. A multi-faceted management approach emphasizing subcatchment reserves, riparian restoration and the control of threatening processes is required.
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Mo, Matthew. "Red-eared Sliders Trachemys scripta elegans in southern Sydney, including new incursions." Australian Zoologist 40, no. 2 (December 2019): 314–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.7882/az.2018.022.
Full textAbstract:
The invasive Red-eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans has spread extensively, forming naturalised populations on all continents except Antarctica. Ranked among the 100 worst invasive species, there are biosecurity concerns that native turtles become outcompeted and displaced, as well as other speculative impacts. The actual ecological impacts in Australia have not been properly studied, however impacts shown in other countries are concerning. Incursions have presented in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. A number of sightings have been reported from southern Sydney, including six sites where more than one slider has persisted. The incursions at Yeramba Lagoon in the Georges River National Park and the Centennial Parklands have been the most documented, whereas incursions in the Lime Kiln Bay Wetland, Rockdale Wetlands Corridor and Audley in the Royal National Park appear to have occurred recently. To date, breeding in southern Sydney has only been confirmed at Yeramba Lagoon. A range of removal techniques have been successfully applied to eradicate isolated incursions in Brisbane and Melbourne. However, these options are difficult to implement in southern Sydney sites where incursions occur in high visitation public lands.
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A. Keith, David, and Judith Scott. "Native vegetation of coastal floodplains ? a diagnosis of the major plant communities in New South Wales." Pacific Conservation Biology 11, no. 2 (2005): 81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc050081.
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Coastal floodplains are among the most modified landscapes in southeastern Australia. We used available vegetation survey data for coastal alluvium and other unconsolidated Quarternary sediments to construct a diagnosis of the major plant communities and document their flora. We used soil landscape maps and historical portion plans to gain an understanding of the distribution and environmental relationships of the communities. The flora of coastal floodplains includes more than 1 000 native vascular plant taxa and more than 200 introduced taxa. The introduced flora is likely to be considerably larger, given that sampling was biased toward the least disturbed sites. Six major plant communities were diagnosed including a rainforest found north from the Shoalhaven floodplain, a mixed forest of eucalypts and melaleucas found north from Jervis Bay, a casuarina forest (sometimes with melaleuca) found throughout the coast, one open eucalypt forest found principally south from the Hunter region, another open eucalypt forest found north of the Hunter region and a complex of treeless wetland assemblages scattered throughout the coast. The extent and spatial arrangement of these communities varies between floodplains, with landform, rainfall, water regime and soil properties including moisture, fertility and salinity thought to be important factors mediating their distribution patterns. All six assemblages are listed as Endangered Ecological Communities under Threatened Species legislation. The coastal floodplain communities continue to be threatened by land clearing and crop conversion, fragmentation, changes to water flows, flooding and drainage, input of polluted runoff, weed invasion, activation of acid sulphate soils, climate change and degradation through rubbish dumping and other physical disturbances.
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Pedler, Reece D., Rebecca S. West, John L. Read, Katherine E. Moseby, Michael Letnic, David A. Keith, Keith D. Leggett, Sharon R. Ryall, and Richard T. Kingsford. "Conservation challenges and benefits of multispecies reintroductions to a national park – a case study from New South Wales, Australia." Pacific Conservation Biology 24, no. 4 (2018): 397. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc17058.
Full textAbstract:
Species reintroductions into predator-controlled areas are an increasingly used conservation tool. Typically, ecological outcomes of such projects (e.g. recruitment, predation) are the focus but seldom necessary legislative, policy, social and institutional processes required for establishing large projects. This particularly applies to protected areas, managed by governments for conservation. Reintroductions are recommended for a third of threatened Australian vertebrates, with the New South Wales Government boldly embarking on a 2013 initiative to return locally extinct mammals to three protected areas. We detail the legislative, policy, social and institutional processes required for one of these sites, Wild Deserts, in Sturt National Park. Seven locally extinct species, including the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis), western barred bandicoot (Perameles bougainville), golden bandicoot (Isoodon auratus), greater stick-nest rat (Leporillus conditor), crest-tailed mulgara (Dasycercus cristicauda), western quoll (Dasyurus geoffroii) and burrowing bettong (Bettongia lesueur) will be reintroduced into two exclosures. The scale of the project required identification of an appropriate location, satisfaction of statutory requirements for major infrastructure in a national park, assessments of potential ecological costs and benefits, engagement of the national park agency and other stakeholders (Traditional Owners, other government agencies, neighbours), and staff training to meet government agency requirements. We outline the resourcing, costs and benefits of such a project on government-managed land along with lessons learnt for similar large-scale restoration and reintroduction projects. Future projects would benefit from understanding legislative and policy frameworks and the need for transparency, while maximising efficiencies.
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Rhind, Susan G., Murray V. Ellis, Martin Smith, and Daniel Lunney. "Do Koalas Phascolarctos cinereus use trees planted on farms? A case study from north-west New South Wales, Australia." Pacific Conservation Biology 20, no. 3 (2014): 302. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc140302.
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Biodiversity benefits are routinely cited as an outcome of planting trees on farms but there has been too little information to properly substantiate such claims. This study is among the first to examine the use of plantings by arboreal mammals. We examined an important inland koala population and its use of farm revegetation to determine: (1) if koalas use planted trees; (2) patch characteristics correlated with use/non-use by koalas; and, (3) contextual characteristics correlated with use/non-use. Surveys of koala dung, also known as scats or faecal pellets, were conducted under trees in 19 plantings. Fourteen showed signs of koalas and their pellets were recorded under 16 of the 25 tree taxa examined. All sizes and ages of trees were used, including the youngest plantings (six years). Considerable koala activity occurred in the various Eucalyptus species, but some tree species were not used. Koalas made substantial use of inland ironbark species, which are not listed as ‘koala food trees’ in government policy documents. Proximity to potential source populations of koalas was the strongest predictor of a planting being used, but this was further improved by including the age of the planting. There is extensive public funding available for restoration and land care activities. This study demonstrates that certain trees rapidly provide koala habitat when planted on farms and that the first priority should be restoring sites in close proximity to known koala populations. Tree species used should include local recognized food trees, as well as ironbarks and non-eucalyptus species that offer shelter.
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Brown, Sharon L., Nick Reid, Jackie Reid, Rhiannon Smith, R. D. B. (Wal) Whalley, and David Carr. "Topsoil removal and carbon addition for weed control and native grass recruitment in a temperate-derived grassland in northern New South Wales." Rangeland Journal 39, no. 4 (2017): 355. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj17029.
Full textAbstract:
Restoring the grassy understorey to temperate woodlands in south-eastern Australia is often disregarded due to a poor understanding of the techniques involved. The natural recruitment of native grasses is uncommon in the remnants of some of these woodlands, so the restoration of the grass layer is often dependent on interventions to overcome restoration barriers. Soil enrichment from agricultural fertilisers favours the invasion of exotic broadleaf weeds and grasses, and is one of the primary barriers to the successful recruitment and establishment of native grasses, which dominated before agricultural development. This study on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales investigated the effects of different weed control treatments – scalping, glyphosate (Roundup®) herbicide, and combinations of glyphosate with carbon (sugar and sawdust) addition and a control (nil treatment) recruitment of native grasses and weed emergence after broadcast seeding. The experimental site was a mown grass lawn consisting of fescue (Festuca arundinacea Shreb.), cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) and paspalum (Paspalum dilatatum Poir). Native grass recruitment varied significantly between treatments. The maximum number of recruits in scalped plots was 29 recruits m–2 compared with an average of <2 recruits m–2 for the glyphosate and glyphosate carbon combinations. Scalping reduced soil nitrogen from 0.6% in non-scalped plots to 0.1% and phosphorus from 191.6 ppm to 40.3 ppm. Maximum weed cover occurred in the glyphosate herbicide treatment (45%), whereas combinations of glyphosate plus either sugar or sawdust maintained weed cover at 13%. The present study suggests that scalping may be a successful intervention strategy because it has the potential to significantly improve native grass recruitment compared with other restoration methods used in this study. Scalping allows more time for native grasses to germinate and establish in the absence of competitive fast-growing exotic weeds.
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Gell, Peter A., Sorell Bulpin, Peter Wallbrink, Gary Hancock, and Sophie Bickford. "Tareena Billabong - a palaeolimnological history of an ever-changing wetland, Chowilla Floodplain, lower Murray - Darling Basin, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 56, no. 4 (2005): 441. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf04107.
Full textAbstract:
A 427-cm sediment core was extracted from Tareena Billabong, a Murray River floodplain wetland in the extreme south-west of New South Wales, Australia. Analysis of fossil diatoms and pollen, sediment 210Pb and 137Cs profiles and radiocarbon and luminescence dating reveal that Tareena Billabong has undergone substantial environmental change in its ~5000-year history. Shortly after its formation, the billabong was a freshwater lagoon with a diatom flora dominated by Synedra ulna and Planothidium lanceolatum. An increase in Aulacoseira granulata, a river plankton dominant today, reflects two phases of increased connectivity with the Murray River in the mid to late Holocene. A shift to lagoonal taxa after ~3000 years BP is attributed to water balance and river-flow changes, possibly associated with regional climate change. Importantly, it appears to have undergone an extended phase of increasing turbidity, and possibly wetland salinity, commencing ~3000 years BP. Sedimentation increased at least 15-fold in the European phase. Billabong salinity increased markedly soon after European settlement, reaching a peak in the late 1800s AD. While regulation then increased the degree of connection between the billabong with the River in the 1920s AD, salinity levels remained high. Increased salinity is revealed by increases in the diatom taxa Amphora spp., Cyclotella meneghiniana, Gyrosigma acuminatum, Planothidium delicatulum and Tryblionella hungarica and by declines in Casuarinaceae, Eucalyptus, Myriophyllum and Cyperaceae pollen. Tareena Billabong was subjected to considerable environmental pressures from the early stages of European settlement in terms of sediment load, hydrological change and salinity.
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Wen, Li, and Michael G. Hughes. "Coastal Wetland Responses to Sea Level Rise: The Losers and Winners Based on Hydro-Geomorphological Settings." Remote Sensing 14, no. 8 (April 14, 2022): 1888. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs14081888.
Full textAbstract:
Many coastal wetlands are under pressure due to climate change and the associated sea level rise (SLR). Many previous studies suggest that upslope lateral migration is the key adaptive mechanism for saline wetlands, such as mangroves and saltmarshes. However, few studies have explored the long-term fate of other wetland types, such as brackish swamps and freshwater forests. Using the current wetland map of a micro-tidal estuary, the Manning River in New South Wales, Australia, this study built a machine learning model based on the hydro-geomorphological settings of four broad wetland types. The model was then used to predict the future wetland distribution under three sea level rise scenarios. The predictions were compared to compute the persistence, net, swap, and total changes in the wetlands to investigate the loss and gain potential of different wetland classes. Our results for the study area show extensive gains by mangroves under low (0.5 m), moderate (1.0 m), and high (1.5 m) sea level rise scenarios, whereas the other wetland classes could suffer substantial losses. Our findings suggest that the accommodation spaces might only be beneficial to mangroves, and their availability to saltmarshes might be limited by coastal squeeze at saline–freshwater ecotones. Furthermore, the accommodation spaces for freshwater wetlands were also restrained by coastal squeeze at the wetland-upland ecotones. As sea level rises, coastal wetlands other than mangroves could be lost due to barriers at the transitional ecotones. In our study, these are largely manifested by slope impacts on hydrology at a higher sea level. Our approach provides a framework to systematically assess the vulnerability of all coastal wetland types.
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Bender, Isobel, James Pittock, and Jane Roberts. "Snowy River environmental flows post-2002: lessons to be learnt." Marine and Freshwater Research 73, no. 4 (February 7, 2022): 454–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf21209.
Full textAbstract:
In 2002, the Australian, New South Wales and Victorian governments agreed to the Snowy Water Inquiry Outcomes Implementation Deed for environmental flows to (in part) restore the health of the Snowy River in south-eastern Australia. This was the first legally binding commitment to deliver annual environmental flows in Australia. Twenty years on, we assess this Deed and its implementation to derive lessons that can inform environmental flows agreements globally. Information from governance documents, flow release data and interviews with stakeholders are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Deed. The target of 212 GL year−1 from 2012 has not once been reached. In turn, we find that implementation has been hindered by release of too little water, overly complex institutions that lack ownership and accountability, and no provision for review of the Deed. The lessons for effective environmental flow institutions are: (a) set clear, science-based environmental restoration objectives with stakeholders; (b) make roles and responsibilities for implementation clear; (c) enable independent and transparent monitoring, reporting and regulation; and (d) undertake periodic review to incorporate new knowledge, and to adapt to climatic and other unanticipated changes.
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Bennett, William W., Kerstin Hockmann, Scott G. Johnston, and Edward D. Burton. "Synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals antimony sequestration by reduced sulfur in a freshwater wetland sediment." Environmental Chemistry 14, no. 6 (2017): 345. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/en16198.
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Environmental contextAntimony is an environmental contaminant of increasing concern, due to its growing industrial usage in flame retardants, lead alloys, glass, ceramics and plastics. Here we show, using X-ray absorption spectroscopy, that antimony may be trapped in wetland sediments by reduced sulfur. This finding has implications for the management and remediation of wetlands contaminated with antimony. AbstractThe biogeochemistry of antimony (Sb) in wetland sediments is poorly characterised, despite their importance as contaminant sinks. The organic-rich, reducing nature of wetland sediments may facilitate sequestration mechanisms that are not typically present in oxic soils, where the majority of research to date has taken place. Using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), we present evidence of antimony speciation being dominated by secondary antimony–sulfur phases in a wetland sediment. Our results demonstrate that, by incorporating a newly developed SbIII–organic sulfur reference standard, linear combination fitting analysis of antimony K-edge XAS spectra and robust statistical assessment of fit quality allows the reliable discrimination of SbIII coordination environments. We found that a contaminated wetland sediment in New South Wales, Australia, contained 57% of the total antimony as SbIII–phases, with 44% present as a highly-disordered antimony phase, likely consisting of SbIII complexed by organic sulfur (e.g. thiols) or an amorphous SbIII sulfide (e.g. SbS3). The methodological approach outlined in this study and our identification of the importance of reduced sulfur in sequestering antimony has implications for future research in the area of antimony biogeochemistry, and for the management of both natural and artificial wetlands contaminated with antimony.
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Goldingay, Ross L., Brendan D. Taylor, and Jonathan L. Parkyn. "Use of tall wooden poles by four species of gliding mammal provides further proof of concept for habitat restoration." Australian Mammalogy 41, no. 2 (2019): 255. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am18008.
Full textAbstract:
Tall wooden poles (glide poles) and rope canopy-bridges are frequently installed along new highways in Australia to maintain population connectivity for gliding mammals. Knowledge of the use of these structures is rudimentary. We monitored two pairs of glide poles and a canopy-bridge over three years at Port Macquarie, New South Wales. The sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) and the squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) were collectively detected on 12–18% of nights on the pole pairs compared with 1% on the rope-bridge. The feathertail glider (Acrobates frontalis) was detected on 3% of nights on the pole pairs compared with 0.2% on the rope-bridge. The yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis) was detected twice on one pole. Our results demonstrate that gliding mammals readily use glide poles. Further research is needed to resolve whether glide poles can mitigate the barrier effect of the road canopy gap.
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Griffith, Stephen J., Susan Rutherford, Kerri L. Clarke, and Nigel W. M. Warwick. "Water relations of wallum species in contrasting groundwater habitats of Pleistocene beach ridge barriers on the lower north coast of New South Wales, Australia." Australian Journal of Botany 63, no. 7 (2015): 618. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt15103.
Full textAbstract:
This study examined the water relations of sclerophyllous evergreen vegetation (wallum) on coastal sand barriers in eastern Australia. Many wallum species may be groundwater dependent, although the extent of this dependency is largely unknown. Twenty-six perennial tree, shrub and herb species were investigated in three groundwater habitats (ridge, open depression, closed depression). Pre-dawn and midday shoot xylem water potentials (ψx) were measured monthly between late autumn 2010 and late summer 2011. Pressure–volume curve traits were determined in mid- to late spring 2009, including the osmotic potential at full (π100) and zero (π0) turgor, and bulk modulus of elasticity (ε). Carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) were also determined in mid- to late spring 2009, to measure water-use efficiency (WUE). The species displayed a range of physiological strategies in response to water relations, and these strategies overlapped among contrasting growth forms and habitats. Linear relationships between osmotic and elastic adjustment were significant. A strong correlation between δ13C and distribution along the hydrological gradient was not apparent. Banksia ericifolia subsp. macrantha (A.S.George) A.S.George, Eucalyptus racemosa Cav. subsp. racemosa and Eucalyptus robusta Sm. displayed little seasonal variation in ψx and maintained a comparatively high pre-dawn ψx, and are therefore likely to be phreatophytic. Wetland vegetation in the lowest part of the landscape appeared to tolerate extreme fluctuations in water availability linked to a prevailing climatic pattern of variable and unreliable seasonal rainfall.
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Goldingay, Ross L., Jonathan Parkyn, and David A. Newell. "No evidence of protracted population decline across 17 years in an unmanaged population of the green and golden bell frog in north-eastern New South Wales." Australian Journal of Zoology 65, no. 2 (2017): 87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo16087.
Full textAbstract:
Describing the population trends of threatened species over time is central to their management and conservation. The green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) is a formerly common species of south-eastern Australia that has declined to ~40 populations in New South Wales, and experienced a substantial contraction of its geographic range. We aimed to determine whether an unmanaged population at the northern end of its range had declined across a 17-year period. We estimated population size at the beginning and end of this period, using several population models to fully characterise this population. Different modelling approaches gave different population estimates. Based on a similar number of survey occasions the adult male segment of the population was estimated using the Popan model at 112.0 (±13.5, s.e.; 95% CI: 85.5–138.8) in 1998/99 and 95.2 (±17.6; 60.8–129.7) in 2015/16. With the inclusion of maturing subadults following the practice of earlier studies, the population was estimated at 163.6 (±25.9; 112.8–214.5) males in 2015/16. These estimates represent an index of a larger population because the largest wetland was subsampled. Our data provide no evidence of a declining population. Our study highlights the need to understand the implications of using different population models and two age-classes to estimate population parameters.
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Prober, Suzanne M., Ian D. Lunt, and Kevin R. Thiele. "Determining reference conditions for management and restoration of temperate grassy woodlands: relationships among trees, topsoils and understorey flora in little-grazed remnants." Australian Journal of Botany 50, no. 6 (2002): 687. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt02043.
Full textAbstract:
Temperate grassy woodlands were once widespread and dominant in many agricultural regions of south-eastern Australia. Most are now highly degraded and fragmented and exist within a context of broadscale landscape degradation. Greater understanding of natural processes in these woodlands is needed to benchmark management and restoration efforts that are now critical for their ongoing survival. We studied physical and chemical properties of topsoils from rare, little-grazed remnants of grassy Eucalyptus albens Benth. and E. melliodora Cunn. ex Schauer woodlands in central New South Wales and examined natural patterns in topsoil properties and understorey flora in relation to trees and canopy gaps. Topsoils were generally low in available macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur), but were favourable for plant growth in most other measured characteristics. Topsoils beneath trees were notably more fertile than in open areas, particularly in total carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium and salinity. Higher nutrient concentrations, particularly of available phosphorus, may have contributed to patterns in understorey dominants, with Themeda australis (R.Br.) Stapf predominating in open areas and Poa sieberiana Spreng. beneath trees. Trees were also associated with a higher native-plant richness, possibly resulting from their influence on the competitive dynamics of the dominant grasses. We discuss the implications of these interactions for the use of burning, grazing and slashing in woodland management and re-establishment of native grasses and trees in restoration efforts.
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Glamore, William, and Buddhima Indraratna. "A two-stage decision support tool for restoring tidal flows to flood mitigation drains affected by acid sulfate soil: case study of Broughton Creek floodplain, New South Wales, Australia." Soil Research 42, no. 6 (2004): 639. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr03166.
Full textAbstract:
A 2-stage flood estimation and water quality decision support tool (DST) was developed, calibrated, and applied to a field site in south-eastern New South Wales (NSW) to simulate tidal restoration in a flood mitigation drain affected by acid sulfate soils leachate. The first stage of the DST employs a digital terrain map, geographic information tools, and measured water levels to calculate drain water overtopping due to tidal variations. Simulations using the GIS technique at the study site indicated that the primary drainage network can safely contain full tidal flushing (0.91 m AHD or a 58% increase), whereas at the same level the secondary drainage network overtops along relict drainage channels. The second stage of the DST simulates the change in drain water quality using an ion-specific program code written within the open interface PHREEQC program. The results from the water quality model were calibrated against laboratory titration tests. Drain water pH was shown to increase above 6.0, and soluble aluminium and iron concentrations decreased by 73% and 56%, respectively. The extent of water quality change is directly related to the ionic strength of the intruding water and the ion-specific reaction kinetics of aluminium, iron, and sulfate.
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Borchard, Philip, John McIlroy, and Clare McArthur. "Links between riparian characteristics and the abundance of common wombat (Vombatus ursinus) burrows in an agricultural landscape." Wildlife Research 35, no. 8 (2008): 760. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr08071.
Full textAbstract:
Agricultural riparian zones are often vulnerable to weed invasion and degradation of the physical streambank character through the trampling of livestock. Riparian zone restoration seeks to improve habitat biodiversity, minimise streambank erosion and improve water quality. In order for this to be effective land managers need to broadly understand the connections between riparian systems and adjoining agricultural ecosystems and to understand the habitat requirements of wildlife species adapted to the evolving riparian landscape. Common wombats (Vombatus ursinus) are abundant in the riparian agricultural landscapes of south-eastern Australia, but there is concern about their persistence in other landscapes. To understand the importance of riparian characteristics for wombats, we examined five physical and five vegetative characteristics associated with abundance of wombat burrows in the riparian zone of an agricultural landscape in south-eastern New South Wales, using two independent datasets. The abundance of wombat burrows increased substantially with increasing shrub cover in both datasets. There was weaker but consistent support for an association between wombat burrows and stream order and vegetation width. There were more burrows per metre by high than low order streams and burrows were most abundant at an intermediate vegetation width. In one of the two datasets, burrow abundance declined as the proportion of native shrubs in the shrub layer increased. As wombats are generally limited to riparian buffers in agricultural landscapes, these results are important as a first step toward managing and restoring the riparian zone. Restoration strategies, for example, may need to consider retaining patches of shrubs, even if they are weeds, whereas native shrubs are established in interspersed patches along larger rivers, in order to maintain suitable wombat habitat.
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Brinson, Mark M., and Ana Inés Malvárez. "Temperate freshwater wetlands: types, status, and threats." Environmental Conservation 29, no. 2 (June 2002): 115–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892902000085.
Full textAbstract:
This review examines the status of temperate-zone freshwater wetlands and makes projections of how changes over the 2025 time horizon might affect their biodiversity. The six geographic regions addressed are temperate areas of North America, South America, northern Europe, northern Mediterranean, temperate Russia, Mongolia, north-east China, Korea and Japan, and southern Australia and New Zealand. Information from the recent technical literature, general accounts in books, and some first-hand experience provided the basis for describing major wetland types, their status and major threats. Loss of biodiversity is a consequence both of a reduction in area and deterioration in condition. The information base for either change is highly variable geographically. Many countries lack accurate inventories, and for those with inventories, classifications differ, thus making comparisons difficult. Factors responsible for losses and degradation include diversions and damming of river flows, disconnecting floodplain wetlands from flood flows, eutrophication, contamination, grazing, harvests of plants and animals, global warming, invasions of exotics, and the practices of filling, dyking and draining. In humid regions, drainage of depressions and flats has eliminated large areas of wetlands. In arid regions, irrigated agriculture directly competes with wetlands for water. Eutrophication is widespread, which, together with effects of invasive species, reduces biotic complexity. In northern Europe and the northern Mediterranean, losses have been ongoing for hundreds of years, while losses in North America accelerated during the 1950s through to the 1970s. In contrast, areas such as China appear to be on the cusp of expanding drainage projects and building impoundments that will eliminate and degrade freshwater wetlands. Generalizations and trends gleaned from this paper should be considered only as a starting point for developing world-scale data sets. One trend is that the more industrialized countries are likely to conserve their already impacted, remaining wetlands, while nations with less industrialization are now experiencing accelerated losses, and may continue to do so for the next several decades. Another observation is that countries with both protection and restoration programmes do not necessarily enjoy a net increase in area and improvement in condition. Consequently, both reductions in the rates of wetland loss and increases in the rates of restoration are needed in tandem to achieve overall improvements in wetland area and condition.
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Campbell, Cherie Joy, Fiona Linda Freestone, Richard P. Duncan, Will Higgisson, and Sascha Jade Healy. "The more the merrier: using environmental flows to improve floodplain vegetation condition." Marine and Freshwater Research 72, no. 8 (2021): 1185. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf20303.
Full textAbstract:
Environmental flows are increasingly being used to restore degraded floodplain vegetation; however, the type of flow regime required for recovery to healthy condition can vary depending on the extent of degradation before restoration. Regulation of the River Murray has affected floodplain ecosystems at many locations, including Bottle Bend Reserve, in south-western New South Wales, Australia. Within Bottle Bend Reserve, tangled lignum (Duma florulenta) dominates sections of the higher floodplain elevations. Lignum is an important and widely distributed Australian shrub occurring in arid and semiarid river systems within the Murray–Darling and Lake Eyre Basins. In an effort to restore floodplain vegetation, three environmental flows were delivered to Bottle Bend Reserve between 2013 and 2016. Flows varied in magnitude, leading to a mosaic of different regimes across the area. Condition surveys were undertaken over 1 year, namely, before, during and after delivery of the September 2016 environmental flow. This study found that the greatest response occurred in lignum plants with no recent environmental water, although lignum plants with one or two recent environmental flows still responded relative to the control. Lignum was in a better condition at sites that received more environmental flows, demonstrating the value of increased frequency of flows in recovering vegetation health.
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Stevens, Leonie, and Lynette Russell. "The Dutch East India Company (VOC) Tasman Map and Australia: Competing Interests, Myth Making, and an Australian Icon." Thematic Issue: The Social Lives of Maps, Volume 1 92-93 (August 10, 2022): 72–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.7202/1091245ar.
Full textAbstract:
The floor of the entrance to the Mitchell Library vestibule, which is part of the State Library of New South Wales, displays a stunning mosaic 1939-1941 reproduction of a seventeenth century map recording Abel Tasman’s two journeys of 1642 and 1644. It charts the west, north and southern coasts of the Australian continent, but is incomplete, thus representing the historical moment between an imagined Terra Australis Incognita, and the final survey of the east coast which presaged British colonisation. The original Tasman map, also held by the Mitchell library and currently undergoing restoration, has a strange and chequered biography. This paper explores the myths associated with what is known colloquially as the Bonaparte Tasman map, in honour of its last owner Prince Roland Bonaparte, a nephew of Napoleon. We examine its contested origins and role as an agent of Dutch East India Company imperial ambitions, relegation to forgotten cast-off when that empire collapsed, Bonaparte’s desire to gift it to the nascent Australian Commonwealth as a symbol of new nationhood, and the international subterfuge involved in its acquisition by not by the nation, but the State Library of NSW. Analysis of what was known of the map in the decades prior to its arrival in Australia challenges the conventional narratives, and we propose the biography of the Tasman map (and its embodiment in the Mitchell Library vestibule mosaic) is a study in imperialism, colonialism, federation, and power.
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Bean, Judith M., Gavin J. Melville, Ronald B. Hacker, Sharon Anderson, Alicia Whittington, and Stephen P. Clipperton. "Effects of fenced seed production areas and restoration treatments on the size and composition of the native grass seedbanks in moderately degraded rangelands in semiarid Australia." Rangeland Journal 38, no. 1 (2016): 47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj15065.
Full textAbstract:
Seed production areas containing populations of native grasses were fenced on topographically high areas at two study sites in the semiarid rangelands of north-west New South Wales, Australia. The surrounding slopes were initially almost bare of pastorally preferred grasses. Three restoration treatments (control, mechanical pitting, and contour-aligned branch piles) were established on these surrounding slopes and the size and composition of the native grass seedbanks determined. A positive influence of the seed production areas mostly occurred within 15 m of the fence and was probably insignificant beyond 33 m at both sites. On a hard-setting red earth site, the size of the native grass seedbank in all three treatments increased over 2 years with the greatest increase under the piles of branches and smaller increases in the pitting and control treatments. The piles of branches preferentially incorporated seed of the pastorally preferred species Monachather paradoxus Steud into the seedbank whereas pits preferentially incorporated seed of the pastorally unpreferred species Aristida jerichoensis (Domin) Henrad. Evidence generally pointed to incoming seed rain rather than the seedbank as the main source of new seedlings. On a medium-textured lithosol site neither the pits nor the branches treatment was effective in enhancing either the size or composition of the seedbank; in fact the piles of branches resulted in a decrease in its size.
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Good, Megan K., Jodi N. Price, Peter J. Clarke, and Nick Reid. "Dense regeneration of floodplain Eucalyptus coolabah: invasive scrub or passive restoration of an endangered woodland community?" Rangeland Journal 34, no. 2 (2012): 219. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj12008.
Full textAbstract:
Clearing of native vegetation and changes to disturbance regimes have resulted in dense regeneration of native trees and shrubs in parts of Australia. The conversion of open vegetation to dense woodlands may result in changes to the composition of plant communities and ecosystem function if structure, composition and function are tightly linked. Widespread clearing of the floodplain tree Eucalyptus coolabah subsp. coolabah (coolibah), in New South Wales, Australia, has led to state and federal listings of coolibah woodland as an endangered ecological community. Dense regeneration of coolibah in the mid 1970s, however, also resulted in its listing as an ‘invasive native species’ in NSW, meaning it can be legally cleared under certain conditions. Dense regeneration could be a novel state dissimilar to the threatened community or it could represent the next generation of coolibah woodlands and may contribute to passive restoration of heavily cleared landscapes. This study investigated if dense stands are distinct from remnant woodland by comparing floristic composition of the ground-storey community and top-soil properties of four coolibah vegetation states: derived grassland, derived degraded grassland, dense regeneration and remnant woodland. Ground-storey composition was found to overlap broadly among states regardless of tree density. Most species were common to all states, although dense regeneration contained characteristic woodland species that were absent from grasslands. The carbon : nitrogen ratio of the soil was significantly higher in dense regeneration and remnant woodland than in either of the grassland states, indicating that the woody states are broadly similar in terms of nutrient cycling. The study demonstrates that structurally different vegetation states (grasslands, woodlands and dense regeneration) are not associated with distinct plant communities. The results also suggest that grazing management has a more pronounced effect on ground-storey composition of plant communities than tree density and that well managed derived grasslands and dense regeneration are floristically similar to remnant woodlands. Since dense regeneration and remnant woodlands are not floristically distinct from one another, dense regeneration could contribute to the conservation of endangered coolibah woodlands in cleared agricultural landscapes.
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Higgisson, William, Adrian Cobb, Alica Tschierschke, and Fiona Dyer. "The Role of Environmental Water and Reedbed Condition on the Response of Phragmites australis Reedbeds to Flooding." Remote Sensing 14, no. 8 (April 13, 2022): 1868. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs14081868.
Full textAbstract:
Globally, wetlands have experienced significant declines in area and condition. Reedbeds are a key attribute of many wetlands and are typically composed of Phragmites australis (common reed), a globally distributed emergent aquatic perennial grass. Environmental water is increasingly used to support functioning river and floodplain ecosystems, including reedbeds, where maintaining wetland vegetation condition is a common objective. Drone-based remote sensing allows for the consistent collection of high-quality data in locations such as wetlands where access is limited. We used unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAVs) and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to estimate the cover of Phragmites australis and examine the role of reedbed condition and prior environmental watering in the response of reedbeds to flooding. Data were collected from a large inland reedbed in semi-arid western New South Wales, Australia between October 2019 and March 2021 using UAVs and processed using CNNs. Prior to the flood event, sites that had received environmental water had a significantly greater cover of Phragmites australis. The sites that were not managed with environmental water had very low cover (<1%) of reeds prior to the flood event and transitioned from a Critical condition to a Poor or Medium condition following flooding. Using UAVs and CNNs we demonstrated the role environmental water plays in filling the gaps between large flood events and maintaining the condition and resilience of reedbeds.
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Smallbone, Lisa T., Suzanne M. Prober, and Ian D. Lunt. "Restoration treatments enhance early establishment of native forbs in a degraded temperate grassy woodland." Australian Journal of Botany 55, no. 8 (2007): 818. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt07106.
Full textAbstract:
We investigated effects of three understorey restoration treatments, carbon (sugar) addition, spring burning and re-establishment of the perennial native grass Themeda australis (R.Br.) Stapf, on early establishment of eight species of native forbs in a degraded white box (Eucalyptus albens Benth.) woodland dominated by exotic annuals, in central New South Wales, Australia. Forb seeds and seedlings were introduced to treatments in a randomised, irrigated field trial and monitored for 4–8 months. Treatments significantly altered vegetation structure and composition, resulting in higher native grass and lower exotic grass cover on sugar and burnt plots (especially if seeded with Themeda), a proliferation of broadleaf exotic annuals on burnt plots, and continued high cover of exotic annual grasses and broadleaf annuals on control plots. Forb germination was largely confined to three large-seeded forbs, Bulbine bulbosa (R.Br.) Haw., Dichopogon fimbriatus (R.Br.) J.F.Macbr. and Microseris lanceolata (Walp.) Schultz-Bip., and few germinants of three small-seeded forbs were observed. Overall, germination (% emergence, and seedling numbers after 4 months) was significantly greater on sugar than burnt and control plots, while transplant survival was significantly enhanced by both sugar and burning treatments for up to 8 months after planting. Re-introduced Themeda swards significantly promoted seedling germination and transplant survival in burnt plots. While long-term seedling survival was extremely low owing to severe drought, we concluded that (i) the applied restoration treatments (especially carbon addition) have considerable potential for promoting forb establishment in degraded woodlands, (ii) reduced competition with exotic annuals associated with carbon addition outweighed potential disadvantages of reduced nutrient levels, (iii) competition with broadleaf annuals and/or exposure to more extreme environments associated with burning may be problematic for forb germination and (iv) Themeda swards may be more conducive to establishment of native forbs than swards of exotic annuals, owing to their contrasting growth strategies.
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Wright, Penny E., Kathryn T. A. Lambert, and Paul G. McDonald. "The role of Lantana camara in areas of bell miner (Manorina melanophrys) associated dieback and its implications for terrestrial mammal and insectivorous bat populations." Australian Mammalogy 41, no. 1 (2019): 49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am17003.
Full textAbstract:
Bell miner–associated dieback (BMAD) is a form of canopy decline involving bell miner (Manorina melanophrys) colonies on the eastern coast of Australia. The association can include an understorey of lantana (Lantana camara) preventing eucalypt regeneration. To date, comparatively little is known about the effects of these processes on mammal diversity and abundance. We therefore considered the effects of BMAD and lantana presence on ground mammals and insectivorous bats in four forest sites within New South Wales. These were monitored in association with a restoration project for the treatment of lantana that used glyphosate spraying to kill lantana in half of six 50m×50m quadrats per site (three control and three treated). Passive bioacoustic recorders, infrared cameras and Elliott traps were used to survey understorey fauna over four consecutive nights during each season. We found a greater number of small ground-dwelling and large mammals in control areas with an intact understorey of lantana relative to areas where lantana had been treated. However, insectivorous bats were not influenced by lantana presence. Our results suggest that ground-dwelling mammals benefit from the presence of lantana, as it may provide structural complexity that reduces predation risk and/or provides a food resource.
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Jacobs, SWL, and KL Wilson. "A biogeographical analysis of the freshwater plants of Australasia." Australian Systematic Botany 9, no. 2 (1996): 169. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sb9960169.
Full textAbstract:
Patterns in the distribution of Australasian species of freshwater aquatic plants were sought, to determine whether vicariance, distance dispersal, local speciation, or a mixture of these could best explain the distribution. The distribution was recorded from 10 regions of Australasia that include sizeable areas of wetland: Papua New Guinea, Cape York Peninsula, south-east Queensland, eastern New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, New Zealand, northern Northern Territory, the Kimberley, and south-west Western Australia. Matrices of 553 species by 10 regions, 139 genera by 10 regions, and 56 families by 10 regions were analysed using hierarchical fusion, nearest neighbour and ordination techniques. The results indicate that there are two distinct elements in the aquatic flora, tropical and temperate. The diffuse boundary between these two climatic zones could be interpreted as a barrier in the sense used in definitions of vicariance. There is little effective spread between tropical and temperate areas but, within each of these climatic zones, the species are mobile and many spread reasonably readily between regions, provided suitable habitats and dispersal opportunities are available. Where geographic barriers to distance dispersal have been great then these may become as important as the climatic barrier. This is demonstrated, at least in part, by the differences between some of the generic and species dendrograms. Local speciation (not shown by our PATN analyses because of the endemic species being ignored in them) has been important where some primarily aquatic genera have proliferated when conditions have been suitable. Local speciation has occurred in cosmopolitan aquatic genera that have presumably arrived in regions via long distance dispersal. The significance of bird migration and dispersal patterns are discussed. The aquatic flora of the monsoon tropics has evolved mainly from long distance dispersal but with significant local speciation in some genera such as Nymphoides, Utricularia, Nymphaea and Vallisneria. The pattern of distribution was compared with those recorded from other ecologically defined groups such as the Australian arid and alpine floras.
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Cole, Ian, Ian D. Lunt, and Terry Koen. "Effects of soil disturbance, weed control and mulch treatments on establishment of Themeda triandra (Poaceae) in a degraded white box (Eucalyptus albens) woodland in central western New South Wales." Australian Journal of Botany 52, no. 5 (2004): 629. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt04010.
Full textAbstract:
Temperate grassy woodlands are endangered ecosystems in Australia, and many degraded remnants are in desperate need of understorey restoration. This experiment compared the effects of soil disturbance, weed control and mulch treatments on establishment of the original dominant grass, Themeda triandra Forssk., in a degraded white box (Eucalyptus albens Benth.) woodland at Cowra in central New South Wales (NSW). Awned Themeda seeds were surface-sown into replicated plots treated as follows: soil scalping, soil disturbance (by ripping), herbicide (simazine) application and retention of natural mulch. Scalping combined with soil disturbance best promoted Themeda establishment (47.8% after 40 days and 28% after 518 days), and also reduced broadleaf-herb densities. By contrast, scalping without soil disturbance had the worst effect on Themeda establishment (5.2% after 40 days and 4.5% after 518 days). Disturbance significantly enhanced Themeda establishment and decreased the density of annual grasses and the basal cover of non-Themeda species. By contrast, the retention of 500–800 kg of natural surface mulch had no apparent effect on Themeda establishment. Contrary to expectations, simazine reduced the density and basal cover of all species, including Themeda, which is normally resistant to this herbicide. All combinations of the mulched, disturbed and herbicide treatments (i.e. all treatments except scalping) gave similar results, ranging from 10.7 to 22.0 Themeda plants m–2 after 518 days. These results suggest that Themeda stands can be established in degraded box woodlands by using awned seed materials, with minimal seedbed preparation and simple sowing techniques. Further studies are required to determine whether established swards can resist weed invasion in the absence of ongoing weed management, and whether establishment success varies with soil conditions and landscape position.
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Higgisson, William, Linda Broadhurst, Foyez Shams, Bernd Gruber, and Fiona Dyer. "Reproductive Strategies and Population Genetic Structure in Two Dryland River Floodplain Plants, Marsilea drummondii and Eleocharis acuta." Genes 13, no. 9 (August 23, 2022): 1506. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/genes13091506.
Full textAbstract:
Aquatic plants share a range of convergent reproductive strategies, such as the ability to reproduce both sexually and asexually through vegetative growth. In dryland river systems, floodplain inundation is infrequent and irregular, and wetlands consist of discrete and unstable habitat patches. In these systems, life history strategies such as long-distance dispersal, seed longevity, self-fertilisation, and reproduction from vegetative propagules are important strategies that allow plants to persist. Using two aquatic plants, Marsilea drummondii and Eleocharis acuta, we investigated the proportions of sexual and asexual reproduction and self-fertilisation by employing next-generation sequencing approaches, and we used this information to understand the population genetic structure of a large inland floodplain in western New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Asexual vegetative reproduction and self-fertilisation were more common in M. drummondii, but both species used sexual reproduction as the main mode of reproduction. This resulted in a highly differentiated genetic structure between wetlands and a similar genetic structure within wetlands. The similarity in genetic structure was influenced by the wetland in the two species, highlighting the influence of the floodplain landscape and hydrology on structuring population genetic structure. The high levels of genetic variation among wetlands and the low variation within wetlands suggests that dispersal and pollination occur within close proximity and that gene flow is restricted. This suggests a reliance on locally sourced (persistent) seed, rather than asexual (clonal) reproduction or recolonisation via dispersal, for the population maintenance of plants in dryland rivers. This highlights the importance of floodplain inundation to promote seed germination, establishment, and reproduction in dryland regions.