Does available foraging area, location or colony character control the size of multispecies egret colonies?

1998 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. S. Baxter ◽  
P. G. Fairweather
Keyword(s):  
Colony Size ◽  
Native Species ◽  
New South ◽  
Colonial Nesting ◽  
Foraging Area ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Feeding Habitat ◽  
Bird Colonies ◽  
The Relationship

Food supply is commonly regarded as ultimately controlling the size of bird colonies. Most studies examining this problem have been on seabirds, and all in the Northern Hemisphere. To search more widely for evidence of the importance of food as a factor controlling the size of bird colonies, we investigated egret colonies in a Southern Hemisphere region. We examined the relationship between colony size and the area of potential feeding habitat around each colony, compared with variables associated with the location and the physical characteristics of each colony. All colonies (13 in total) along 800 km of coastline in New South Wales, Australia, were studied. Colony size ranged from 7 to more than 2000 nests. There were very few correlations between the number of nests and the areas of different types of feeding habitat within 20 km of colonies. However, the available area of saltmarshes proved to be a significant predictor of colony size for great (Ardea alba), intermediate (A. intermedia) and little egrets (Egretta garzetta). Saltmarshes may be stable, long-term feeding habitats for these three native ‘aquatic feeders’, but not for the terrestrially feeding cattle egret (Ardea ibis). Nest numbers of this latter species were related positively to the area of saltmarshes, and negatively to latitude, suggesting that nest numbers of this exotic species may be influenced by climate, with proximate factors such as colonial nesting with the three native species also being important. Because of the numerical dominance of cattle egrets, the numbers of nests of all species followed the same pattern as that for cattle egrets.

Flush development in Tahitian lime

2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor Olesen ◽  
Glenn Smith ◽  
Steven J. Muldoon
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Daily Temperature ◽  
Temperature Threshold ◽  
First Flush ◽  
Emergence Time ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Bud Emergence ◽  
Temperature Records ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship between the cycle of flush development and temperature is not well described for Tahitian lime, or citrus species in general. We pruned trees over 16 months in the humid subtropics of northern New South Wales (NSW), and monitored post-pruning flush development over two cycles, in terms of flush commencement and flowering. We also recorded temperatures over this period. The time from pruning to the emergence of the first post-pruning flush was correlated with mean daily temperature, with emergence being slower at cooler temperatures. Emergence times ranged from 11 to 39 days. The time between the commencement of the first and second flushes was also correlated with mean daily temperature, with slower development of the first flush at cooler temperatures. The duration of the first flush varied from 41 to 128 days. There was more flowering on the first than the second flush (16% of shoots versus 3%). There was no flowering on flushes that commenced in the warmer months, from November to March. The temperature threshold for flowering appeared to be at a mean daily temperature of ~20°C. Regressions between flush development and temperature were used to estimate the effects of climate warming from 1963–1971 to 2003–2011, using long-term temperature records. The warming decreased bud emergence time by 1.6 days in winter and 1 day in summer; and reduced the time from the first to the second flush by 11.8 days in winter and 9.2 days in summer. The results for Tahitian lime were similar to those for other recurrent flushing trees.

Goat and Sheep Grazing in Shrub-Infested Semi-arid Woodlands of New South Wales.

1986 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 140 ◽  
Author(s):  
BH Downing
Keyword(s):  
Animal Species ◽  
New South ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
Dietary Preferences ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Continuous Grazing ◽  
Local Observation ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Western Division

Examination of data on dietary preferences of sheep, goats and cattle suggests that different grazing systems are desirable for each of the three major woodland types (belah-rosewood, mulga, poplar box) examined. Competition for herbs, frequently palatable to all animal species, indicates that goats and sheep are unsuitable for joint use either in heavily wooded country or where annual herbaceous production is less than 200 kg-ha. Supplementary feeding, fire and judicious stocking are proposed as a strategy for inducing goats to eat a proportion of unpalatable shrubs. The literature provides little helpful information on how rangelands in the Western Division should be managed. No reports are given on comparisons of grazing systems, such as rotational grazing, rotational resting, and continuous grazing. No guidance is given on grazing after burning of the rangeland. Recommendations are generally against the use of goats for control of woody plants, whereas local observation shows this to be an apparently effective practice. The recommendations are mostly based on experimental procedures which, although suitable for detecting animal dietary preferences in the short term, are less appropriate for investigation of the effects of grazing on range condition in the long term. Some suggestions are made towards a different approach for: investigating the effects of grazing by sheep and goats on rangeland condition, and the economic implications of this in terms of animal production.

Sydney rock oyster farming in Australia.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Nell
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Quality Assurance Program ◽  
First Year ◽  
Water Sampling ◽  
Time To Market ◽  
Profit Margins ◽  
Rock Oyster ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Sampling Programme

Abstract The 120-year-old Sydney rock oyster industry in New South Wales (NSW) and southern Queensland is one of the oldest aquaculture industries in Australia. The industry has been forced to adapt to competition from other species, tighter harvesting and oyster storage and handling requirements as well as eroding profit margins. Recent changes in farming practices include the move away from stick culture to single seed culture, as the half-shell market demands a more uniformly shaped oyster. When selective breeding demonstrated that it could reduce time to market (50 g whole weight) by nearly a year out of an industry average of 3.5 years, the industry wanted to try hatchery technology. Although the industry had never used hatchery technology before, it purchased 10 million spat or 8% of its annual spat requirement from hatcheries in 2003-2004, the first year that they were made available to farmers. The industry also embraced the Australian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program, which requires that shellfish harvest areas be classified on the basis of a sanitary survey and the results of an ongoing strategic water-sampling programme. This programme ensures product safety for the consumers and helps to provide the industry with a long-term future.

Mammal surveys in the forests of the Carrai Plateau and Richmond Range in north-east New South Wales.

1994 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
J. Barker ◽  
D. Lunney ◽  
T. Bubela
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
North East ◽  
Mammal Fauna ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Species Lists ◽  
Fauna Composition ◽  
Eucalypt Forests ◽  
Open Forests

Mammal surveys were carried out on the Carrai Plateau and Richmond Range in north-east New South Wales between March 1988 and November 1989. The emphasis was placed on rainforest mammals, following the recognition by Adam ( 1987) that the species lists of mammals in the state's rainforests were incomplete and that more research was needed. The mammals were surveyed primarily by analysis of prey remains in Dog and Fox scats, collected from roads throughout the forests, and from bat trapping. The bat fauna at both the Carrai Plateau and Richmond Range is rich (1 0 species and nine species respectively, including the rare Golden-tipped Bat, Kerivoula papuensis, in the Richmond Range). Scat analysis revealed the presence of 24 native species on the Carrai Plateau, and on the Richmond Range there were 17 species, including high numbers of two pademelon species. Feral prey species are almost completely absent, although the Fox is an established predator in both areas. A sharp division was identified between the mammal faunas of closed and open forests. Differences were found also between the mammal fauna composition of the two rainforest sites, and with those of nearby eucalypt forests. The mammal fauna of New South Wales rainforests is distinct from open forests and future mammal surveys are needed to ensure an adequate level of knowledge to identify and conserve these areas.

Prehistoric aboriginal occupation of the rangelands: Interpreting the surface archaeological record of far western New South Wales, Australia.

2000 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
SJ Holdaway ◽  
PC Fanning ◽  
DC Witter
Keyword(s):  
Arid Regions ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Landscape Archaeology ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Different Parts ◽  
Stone Artefact

Recent erosion in arid regions of western NSW has exposed large areas that are scattered with stone artefacts manufactured by Aboriginal people in prehistory. These exposures offer an opportunity for archaeologists to study the artefacts abandoned by Aboriginal people through time and to compare those artefacts that accumulate in different parts of the landscape. To reconstruct the nature of prehistoric behaviour in the rangelands, two approaches are needed. First, the geomorphological context of the artefacts needs to be considered since exposure of the artefacts is a function of landscape history. Second, large areas (measured in thousands of square metres) and large numbers of artefacts need to be considered if patterns reflecting long-term abandonment behaviour by Aboriginal people are to be identified. This paper reports on the Western New South Wales Archaeological Program (WNSWAP) which was initiated in 1995 to study surface archaeology in the rangelands. Geomorphological studies are combined with artefact analysis using geographic information system software to investigate Aboriginal stone artefact scatters and associated features such as heat retainer hearths, in a landscape context. Results suggest that apparently random scatters of stone artefacts are in fact patterned in ways which inform on prehistoric Aboriginal settlement of the rangelands. Key words: Aboriginal stone artefacts; rangelands; landscape archaeology; geomorphology; GIs

Soil-extractable sulfur and pasture response to applied sulfur

1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 567 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. C. Anderson ◽  
R. D. B. Lefroy ◽  
G. J. Blair
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
New South ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
Acid Digestion ◽  
Extraction Techniques ◽  
Organic S ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Trifolium Repens L ◽  
Soil Sulfur ◽  
The Relationship

Summary. A glasshouse experiment was conducted to study the correlation between various soil sulfur (S) extractants and pasture response to applied S grown under controlled environmental conditions (glasshouse) as influenced by variations in levels of extractable S. Intact paired soil cores were collected at 2-month intervals from an S x P factorial experiment at 4 field sites on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales on 11 occasions. Soil samples were collected from each core and the cores placed in the glasshouse. Sulfur was applied to one core of each pair and basal nutrients applied to all cores which were then oversown with white clover (Trifolium repens L. cv. Haifa). The extractable S in the soil was analysed using the following techniques: 0.1 mol Ca(H2PO4)2/L (MCPt); 0.1 mol Ca(H2PO4)2/L, treated with activated charcoal (MCPi); water (H2O); 0.25 mol KCl/L, heated at 40°C for 3 h (KCl-40); 0.25 mol KCl/L, heated at 100°C for 4 h (KCl-100); 0.5 mol NaHCO3/L (NaHCO3); and an acid digestion of the soil (total). Dry matter yield and S content of the pasture shoots were measured for each 2-month growth period. The relationship between the various soil S extraction techniques and the response of pasture to applied S varied over time and was influenced by the level of inorganic S present in the soil and the amount of organic S extracted. When the level of MCPi-extractable S ranged between 2 and 22 µg S/g soil due to the application of fertiliser (summer 1987–88 and autumn 1988), or after a period of high mineralisation rates (spring 1988), the MCPi, MCPt, H2O and KCl-40 techniques had the highest correlation with the increase in S content of the pasture when S was applied. The higher correlation for the MCPt, H2O and KCl-40 techniques than the MCPi technique indicates that plants obtained some S from the organic S pool. In contrast, when the levels of MCPi-extractable S ranged between 2 and 10 µg S/g soil and the rate of mineralisation increased in response to an increase in soil temperature (June 1988 and June 1989) or moisture (September 1989) upon transfer of samples from the field to the glasshouse, the MCPt, H2O and KCl-40 techniques underestimated the available S pool and had lower r2 values than either the KCl-100 or NaHCO3 techniques.

A new Australian record of a Parajapidae (Diplura): a potential pest of wheat

Soil Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (7) ◽  
pp. 657
Author(s):  
Penelope Greenslade ◽  
Yun-Xia Luan
Keyword(s):  
Sequence Data ◽  
New South ◽  
Agricultural Crops ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Potential Pest ◽  
North And South America ◽  
First Time ◽  
North And South

Parajapyx isabellae (Grassi, 1886) is recorded for the first time from Australia. It is a cosmopolitan soil species found in Europe, North and South America and Asia. Womersley last studied Australian Parajapygidae 80 years ago, listing a single endemic species for the genus Parajapyx Silvestri, 1903, sensu stricta. In 2017, an unidentified Parajapyx was found in deep soil under wheat in winter, spring and summer at Harden, New South Wales, in a long-term tillage trial. It was most abundant in the minimum tillage/stubble retained plots in soil below 5 cm but rarely observed in the conventionally tilled/stubble burned plots. The same field experiment was sampled five times using the same methods over 3 years from 1993–95 but no specimens of Diplura were collected. The specimens were identified as P. isabellae using morphology and confirmed with the DNA barcoding sequence data. Most species of Parajapygidae are carnivores feeding on small arthropods but there are records from North America, Europe and Hawaii of P. isabellae feeding on roots of wheat and other agricultural crops. We provide here illustrations of species P. isabellae so that crop scientists in Australia are aware of the potential pest and can identify it. Sequence data indicate that the population may have originated from two sources.

Criminal mobility of outlaw motorcycle gangs in Australia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Dowling ◽  
Anthony Morgan
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Gang Members ◽  
Opportunity Structures ◽  
Significant Challenge ◽  
Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs ◽  
South Wales

The criminal mobility of outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG) members presents a significant challenge to Australian governments and police. Examining patterns of mobility can help to better understand the opportunity structures that underpin offending by OMCGs and to drive national collaborative responses to these gangs. This study examines the prevalence and patterns of criminal mobility in a sample of almost 4,000 OMCG members in more than 400 chapters. Around one in 10 members showed evidence of criminal mobility over the long term, while more than one-third of chapters comprised criminally mobile members. Criminally mobile gang members were heavily concentrated in a small number of chapters. Patterns of criminal mobility primarily involve movements into east coast jurisdictions. New South Wales and Queensland emerged as the most common destinations for criminally mobile OMCG members.

Biscayne National Park colonial nesting birds monitoring protocol—Version 1.1

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Muxo ◽  
Kevin Whelan ◽  
Raul Urgelles ◽  
Joaquin Alonso ◽  
Judd Patterson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
National Park Service ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Colonial Nesting ◽  
Wading Bird ◽  
Park Service ◽  
Biscayne National Park ◽  
Bird Colonies

Breeding colonies of wading birds (orders Ciconiiformes, Pelecaniformes) and seabirds (orders Suliformes, Pelecaniformes) serve as important indicators of aquatic ecosystem health, as they respond to changes in food abundance and quality, contaminants, invasive species, and disturbance. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, Restoration Coordination & Verification program (CERP-RECOVER) has identified wading-bird colonies as an important ecosystem restoration indicator. The National Park Service South Florida/Caribbean Inventory & Monitoring Network (SFCN) ranked colonial nesting birds eighth out of 44 vital signs of park natural resource conditions for ecological significance and feasibility. However, while large-scale monitoring efforts are occurring in the rest of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, only minimal historic data collection and no extensive ongoing monitoring of wading bird and seabird nesting have occurred in Biscayne National Park. Consequently, due to their high importance as biological indicators and because they are a gap occurring in regional monitoring efforts, the network has initiated a monitoring program of colonial nesting birds in Biscayne National Park. This protocol provides the rationale, approach, and detailed Standard Operating Procedures for annual colonial bird monitoring within and close to Biscayne National Park and conforms to the Oakley et al. (2003) guidelines for National Park Service long-term monitoring protocols. The specific objectives of this monitoring program are to determine status and long-term trends in: Numbers and locations of active colonies of colonial nesting birds with a special focus on Double-crested Cormorants, Great Egrets, Great White Herons, Great Blue Herons, White Ibises, and Roseate Spoonbills. Annual peak active nest counts of colonial nesting birds in Biscayne National Park with a special focus on the species mentioned above. An annual nesting index (i.e., sum of monthly nest counts) with a special focus on the species mentioned above. Timing of peak nest counts for the focal species.

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