Crop production on duplex soils in south-eastern Australia

1992 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 915 ◽  
Author(s):  
WK Gardner ◽  
RG Fawcett ◽  
GR Steed ◽  
JE Pratley ◽  
DM Whitfield ◽  
...  

The environment, duplex soil types and trends in crop production in South Australia, southern New South Wales, north-eastern and north-central Victoria, the southern Wimmera and the Victorian Western District are reviewed. In the latter 2 regions, pastoral industries dominate and crop production is curtailed by regular and severe soil waterlogging, except for limited areas of lower rainfall. Subsurface drainage can eliminate waterlogging, but is feasible only for the Western District where subsoils are sufficiently stable. The other regions all have a long history of soil degradation due to cropping practices, but these effects can now be minimised with the use of direct drilling and stubble retention cropping methods. A vigorous pasture ley phase is still considered necessary to maintain nitrogen levels and to restore soil structure to adequate levels for sustainable farming. Future productivity improvements will require increased root growth in the subsoils. Deep ripping, 'slotting' of gypsum, and crop species capable of opening up subsoils are techniques which may hold promise in this regard. The inclusion of lucerne, a perennial species, in annual pastures and intercropping at intervals is a technique being pioneered in north-central and western Victoria and may provide the best opportunity to crop duplex soils successfully without associated land degradation.

1969 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 665 ◽  
Author(s):  
PD Dwyer

In south-eastern Australia banding of M. schreibersii has been concentrated in four areas: north-eastern New South Wales, south-eastern New South Wales, south-eastern Victoria, and south-western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia. The present paper analyses 2083 reported movements. Only 17 of these are from one of the four areas to another with the longest movement being 810 miles. Biologically and geographically separate populations of M. schreibersii are recognized in both north-eastern and south-eastern New South Wales. Each population has its basis in dependence upon a specific nursery site which is used annually by nearly all adult females in that population. Boundaries of population ranges in New South Wales are considered to be prominent features of physiography (i.e. divides). Bats move between population ranges less often than they move within population ranges. This cannot be explained solely in terms of the distances separating roosts. Available movement records from Victoria and South Australia are consistent with the pattern described for New South Wales. Two biologically recognizable populations (i.e, different birth periods) occur in south-western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia but these may have overlapping ranges. Only one nursery colony of M. schreibersii is known from south-eastern Victoria. On present evidence it remains possible that the apparent integrity of the population associated with this nursery is merely a consequence of distance from other areas of banding activity. Detailed analyses of movements in bats may provide direct evidence as to the kinds of cues by which a given species navigates. Thus the physiographic basis described for population ranges in New South Wales is consistent with the view that M. schreibersii may orientate to waterways or divides or both. The probability that there are area differences in the subtlety or nature of navigational cues is implied by the different physiographic circumstances of south-western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia. It is suggested that knowledge of population range boundaries may aid planning of meaningful homing experiments.


1980 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 477 ◽  
Author(s):  
HC Harris ◽  
JR McWilliam ◽  
VJ Bofinger

The probability of the occurrence of temperatures suited to the production of high quality sunflower oil has been examined for 37 locations in eastern Australia. The results indicate that temperatures suited to development of oil with =62% linoleic acid occur throughout the potential cropping season with a probability =0.6 in Tasmania, south-western Victoria, south-eastern South Australia and the highlands of New South Wales. In most established cropping regions probabilities of this level are reached only in the later third or half of the sunflower growing season. The probability of temperature suited to production of oil with = 72 % linoleic acid is less than 0.6 in all regions for much of the season, and in any environment only very late-sown crops can be expected to yield oil of this quality. The results are discussed in the light of factors controlling the distribution of sunflower production, and it is concluded that, with existing genotypes, adequate supplies of high quality oil to meet market requirements will not be reliably available from the Australian crop.


2000 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. R. Cardinal ◽  
L. Christidis

A combined molecular and morphological analysis was undertaken to resolve the systematics of the Miniopterus schreibersii complex in Australia. The study of skull morphology and sequence analysis of two mitochondrial genes, nicotinamine dehydrogenase subunit 2 and cytochrome-b, revealed three distinct Australian forms of M. schreibersii which are treated as subspecies. M. s. orianae occurs in northern Australia, M. s. oceanensis occurs in eastern Australia from Queensland through to central Victoria and M. s. bassanii, sp. nov. occurs in Western Victoria and eastern South Australia. The biogeographical history of the complex in Australia is discussed in the light of this new revision.


2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth D. Holmes ◽  
Trisha L. Downing ◽  
Elizabeth A. James ◽  
Mark J. Blacket ◽  
Ary A. Hoffmann ◽  
...  

The holly grevilleas are an informal grouping of 15 species (19 taxa) of woody shrubs from south-eastern Australia, with a centre of distribution in central to western Victoria. Many of the species are narrowly endemic. The present study is the first molecular-phylogenetic analysis of the group, with the aim of providing an evolutionary framework for assessing species-level taxonomy and conservation priorities. Analyses using the nrDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions were complicated by the presence of divergent paralogues, including inferred pseudogenes; analyses restricted to presumed orthologous, functional ITS sequences were uninformative. Combined analyses of three chloroplast intergenic spacers (trnQ–5′rps16, trnL–trnF and rpoB–trnC) strongly support the monophyly of a core group of 16 taxa (the ‘southern holly grevilleas’) from Victoria and South Australia. However, nodes outside this group are poorly resolved and poorly supported, and the relationships of taxa from New South Wales and eastern Victoria (the ‘northern holly grevilleas’) are unclear. Among the southern holly grevilleas, the following four distinct and partly sympatric cpDNA clades are identified: the ‘Grevillea ilicifolia’, ‘G. aquifolium’, ‘G. dryophylla’ and ‘G. repens’ clades, among which the earliest and most strongly supported divergence is that of the western-most ‘G. ilicifolia’ clade. Variation in cpDNA is incongruent with current species-level taxonomy, especially for G. aquifolium (polyphyletic), G. montis-cole (polyphyletic, but the two subspecies each monophyletic) and G. microstegia (nested in G. aquifolium). The effects of incomplete chloroplast lineage sorting, gene flow through hybridisation or introgression, and inappropriate taxonomy are possible explanations for this incongruence. The formal conservation listing for some species within the holly grevillea group requires re-evaluation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 337
Author(s):  
A. E. Orchard

The present paper completes a revision of the endemic Australian genus Cassinia R.Br. Cassinia subgenus Achromolaena comprises two sections, namely, section Achromolaena of seven species (C. laevis, C. arcuata, C. uncata, C. tenuifolia, C. collina, C. subtropica, and C. quinquefaria), and Cassinia section Siftonia, which contains two species (C. sifton and C. theodorii). Cassinia laevis is divided into western (C. laevis subsp. laevis) and eastern (C. laevis subsp. rosmarinifolia (A.Cunn.) Orchard, comb. et stat. nov.) taxa. Examination of the type of C. arcuata showed that this name is synonymous with C. paniculata, and applies to a relatively rare taxon with whitish capitula arranged in short erect compact panicles, and found in Western Australia, the midlands of South Australia, western Victoria and (formerly) south-western New South Wales. Furthermore, it belongs to section Achromolaena. The taxon with red to brown capitula, widespread throughout south-eastern Australia, which until now has been (incorrectly) known as C. arcuata (Sifton bush) is distinct, but lacks a published name. The name Cassinia sifton Orchard, sp. nov. is here proposed for this taxon. An unfortunate outcome of this discovery is that the sectional name Cassinia section Arcuatae, with C. arcuata as type, becomes synonymous with section Achromolaena. The new name Cassinia section Siftonia is proposed to accommodate Sifton bush (C. sifton) and its narrowly endemic sister species C. theodorii. A summary of the whole genus is provided, with keys to all taxa. Three former subspecies of C. macrocephala are raised to species rank (C. petrapendula (Orchard) Orchard, C. storyi (Orchard) Orchard, C. tenuis (Orchard) Orchard), and it is suggested that C. furtiva Orchard may be conspecific with C. straminea (Benth.) Orchard.


1988 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 493-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garrick McDonald ◽  
Roger A. Farrow

AbstractAerial sampling for Nysius vinitor Bergroth was undertaken in the surface and upper air, at altitudes of 2 and 100-300 m, respectively, at Trangie in central New South Wales and at Corny Point, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. Insects were sampled for 15 periods, each of 3-11 days, between October 1979 and February 1984, covering all months except January, March and May. N. vinitor was one of the most abundant insects caught in the upper air during the day and night (mean density of 652/106 m3), while the congeneric N. clevelandensis Evans was rarely caught at any time. N. vinitor was caught in all months sampled except for the winter months of July and August, and the largest daily catches occurred in September. Females were generally less common than males, although the relative incidence in the upper air catches frequently increased significantly from day to night. Fewer mature females were caught in the upper air (0-16·8%) than at the surface (0-48·4%). Densities were generally much greater in the surface air than in the upper air, although during the major flights of spring, there was less than a two-fold difference, indicating increased migratory activity. Migration occurred in a range of synoptic conditions resulting in the displacement of individuals in a variety of directions and distances depending on synoptic flow at the time of flight. Major migrations occurred at night, following dusk take-off, in disturbed weather associated with prefrontal airflows. These resulted in net southward displacements of ca 200-300 km depending on flight duration. It is suggested that major immigration flights into central-western New South Wales and regions to the south regularly occur in early spring (September-October) and probably arise from breeding areas in subtropical latitudes.


2004 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trisha L. Downing ◽  
Marco F. Duretto ◽  
Pauline Y. Ladiges

A morphological study of herbarium and field-collected specimens, using phenetic techniques of agglomerative classification, ordination and minimum spanning trees, and covering the geographic range of the Holly Grevillea, G.�ilicifolia (R.Br.) R.Br. sensu lato, has resulted in the recognition of three species and four subspecies. The taxa are based on leaf form, noted by previous authors to be highly variable between populations. The taxa recognised here are G.�ilicifolia, G.�ilicifolia subsp. ilicifolia (typical, kite-shaped leaf form), G.�ilicifolia subsp. lobata (F.Muell.) T.L.Downing comb. et stat. nov. (oak-shaped leaf form), G.�dilatata (R.Br.) T.L.Downing comb. et stat. nov. (fan-shaped leaf form), G.�angustiloba (F.Muell.) T.L.Downing comb. et stat. nov., G.�angustiloba subsp. angustiloba (narrow-lobed leaf form) and G.�angustiloba subsp. wirregaensis T.L.Downing subsp. nov. (very narrow-lobed leaf form). The rank of subspecies is used where there are some intermediate plants between forms. Grevillea ilicifolia subsp. ilicifolia is the most widespread taxon and occurs in South Australia, western Victoria and in two localities in New South Wales. Grevillea angustiloba subsp. wirregaensis has the most restricted range, occurring in semi-arid regions near Wirrega in South Australia. Grevillea dilatata is largely endemic to Kangaroo Island, South Australia.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael F. Braby ◽  
Rod Eastwood

The Australian endemic lycaenid Pseudalmenus H.H. Druce, 1902 occupies a unique phylogenetic position within the Theclinae–Polyommatinae assemblage. Although the genus exhibits complex geographic variation, it has long been considered to be monotypic. However, evidence from adult phenotype (colour pattern), immature stages (final instar larva) and ecology (ant specificity) (total of 10 unique character states) as well as limited genetic data (mitochondrial COI) suggest that there are two species, namely, P. chlorinda (Blanchard, 1848) from Tasmania and the mainland of south-eastern Australia and P. barringtonensis Waterhouse, 1928 stat. rev., which is allopatric and narrowly restricted to montane areas in northern New South Wales. Examination of the ‘holotype’ male of P. barringtonensis in the Australian Museum showed that it is a fake, although the data label is genuine; the specimen is actually P. chlorinda chloris Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914 that has been modified with red paint to resemble P. barringtonensis. The true holotype is currently missing, but a specimen in the Australian Museum (registration No. K199026) that is part of the Colin W. Wyatt Theft Collection with a fictitious label is almost certainly the true holotype of P. barringtonensis. We discuss the history of this most unusual and bizarre circumstance and conclude that Wyatt stole the holotype sometime in 1946 before he returned to England (~72 years ago) and fabricated the fake holotype as a replacement specimen. Such a fraudulent and unprecedented act surely ranks as Australia’s greatest taxonomic fraud.


2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 631 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. D. Bruce ◽  
F. J. Neira ◽  
R. W. Bradford

The early life histories of the commercially important blue and spotted warehous (Seriolella brama and S. punctata) were examined on the basis of archived ichthyoplankton samples collected over broad areas of southern Australia. Larvae of both species were widely distributed during winter and spring within shelf and slope waters. Larvae of S. brama were recorded from Kangaroo Island, South Australia (SA), to southern New South Wales (NSW). Seriolella punctata larvae were recorded from western Tasmania to southern NSW. Back-calculated spawning dates, based on otolith microstructure, indicated that spawning predominantly occurs during late July and August but that the timing of spawning varies between regions. The abundances of small larvae (<5. 0 mm body length) were highest for both species off western Tasmania and southern NSW. No small S. brama larvae were recorded between southern Tasmania and southern NSW, whereas low but consistent numbers of small S. punctata larvae were found between these regions. The data suggest that there are separate spawning areas for S. brama in western and eastern regions of Australia’s South East Fishery. The pattern for S. punctata is less clear, but suggests a more continuous link among populations in south-eastern Australia.


2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (11) ◽  
pp. 1597 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Colgan

Understanding a region’s phylogeography is essential for an evolutionary perspective on its biological conservation. This review examines the phylogeographic structures in south-eastern Australia that have been revealed by mitochondrial DNA sequencing and other genetic techniques and examines whether they can be explained by known factors. The review covers species that occur in the intertidal zone or, even infrequently, in the shallow subtidal zone. The coasts most frequently associated with phylogeographic structure are the boundaries between the Peronian and Maugean biogeographical provinces in southern New South Wales and the Maugean and Flindersian provinces in South Australia, the areas in Victoria and north-eastern Tasmania separated by the Bassian Isthmus at glacial maxima, long sandy stretches without rocky intertidal habitat on the Ninety Mile Beach in Victoria and the Younghusband Peninsula–Coorong in South Australia, southern Tasmania and Bass Strait, which acts as a barrier for littoral species.


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