Geographic variation in the snail Velacumantus (Gastropoda : Potamididae)

1967 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1163 ◽  
Author(s):  
WH Ewers

A morph-frequency cline and a size cline are described for the snail Velacumantus australis. The frequency of a white-banded form decreases clinally with latitude South. Living populations from Queensland and northern New South Wales have frequencies between 7 and 18% whereas all populations from southern New South Wales and eastern Victoria, except those from Lake Illawarra, have frequencies between 2 and 5%. The frequency in Port Phillip Bay is less than 0.1%. The frequency in a sample from Swan River, Western Australia, was 9.1% about the same as in samples from localities of the same latitude on the eastern coast of Australia. The frequency in most fossil samples was similar to that in nearby living populations. The mean length of populations from the eastern states increases clinally with increase in latitude South, although there are some irregular fluctuations between adjacent populations which are probably influenced by population density.

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 141
Author(s):  
Emilie Aragnou ◽  
Sean Watt ◽  
Hiep Nguyen Duc ◽  
Cassandra Cheeseman ◽  
Matthew Riley ◽  
...  

Dust storms originating from Central Australia and western New South Wales frequently cause high particle concentrations at many sites across New South Wales, both inland and along the coast. This study focussed on a dust storm event in February 2019 which affected air quality across the state as detected at many ambient monitoring stations in the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) air quality monitoring network. The WRF-Chem (Weather Research and Forecast Model—Chemistry) model is used to study the formation, dispersion and transport of dust across the state of New South Wales (NSW, Australia). Wildfires also happened in northern NSW at the same time of the dust storm in February 2019, and their emissions are taken into account in the WRF-Chem model by using Fire Inventory from NCAR (FINN) as emission input. The model performance is evaluated and is shown to predict fairly accurate the PM2.5 and PM10 concentration as compared to observation. The predicted PM2.5 concentration over New South Wales during 5 days from 11 to 15 February 2019 is then used to estimate the impact of the February 2019 dust storm event on three health endpoints, namely mortality, respiratory and cardiac disease hospitalisation rates. The results show that even though as the daily average of PM2.5 over some parts of the state, especially in western and north western NSW near the centre of the dust storm and wild fires, are very high (over 900 µg/m3), the population exposure is low due to the sparse population. Generally, the health impact is similar in order of magnitude to that caused by biomass burning events from wildfires or from hazardous reduction burnings (HRBs) near populous centres such as in Sydney in May 2016. One notable difference is the higher respiratory disease hospitalisation for this dust event (161) compared to the fire event (24).


2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan E. Chenhall ◽  
Brian G. Jones ◽  
Craig R. Sloss ◽  
Mark O'Donnell ◽  
Marrack Payne ◽  
...  

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul L. Brown ◽  
Vincent J. Carolan ◽  
Deborah J. Hafey ◽  
Machiko Iko ◽  
Scott J. Markich ◽  
...  

1998 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damon L. Oliver

The regent honeyea ter, Xanthomyza phrygia, is an endangered woodland bird whose range and population size have decreased in the last thirty years. Suggested reasons for this decline include abnormal breeding behaviour, poor reproductive output, and excessive inter- and intra-specific aggression. This study investigated the breeding behaviour and aggressive interactions of regent honeyeaters during the nest construction, incubation, nestling, and fledgling stages in two consecutive breeding seasons in the Bundarra–Barraba region near Armidale, New South Wales. The female was entirely responsible for nest construction and incubation, which is typical of many honeyeaters. Both parents fed the nestlings, and at a similar rate, although only the female brooded chicks on the nest. Both parents fed the fledglings. The mean frequency at which nestlings (23 times per hour) and fledglings (29 times per hour) were fed is the highest published rate of any non-cooperative honeyeater. Breeding males were involved in significantly more aggressive interactions with conspecifics and other nectarivores than were females, although the overall percentage of day-time spent in aggression for both sexes was low (2.5%). It appears that abnormal breeding behaviour, poor reproductive effort, or excessive aggression are not experienced by this species in northern New South Wales, and that other factors are likely to be responsible for its current low population level.


1994 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
GM Lodge

Burrs were collected from paddocks on 3 properties in northern New South Wales where the age of the Trifolium subterraneum var. brachycalycinum cv. Clare swards varied from 19 to 28 years. At 1 site burrs were also sampled from swards sown 2 and 10 years previously. Twenty seedlings from these burrs and 20 plants of certified cv. Clare were grown as spaced plants in a nursery. These were assessed for vegetative and floral characters, flowering time, number of seeds per burr, seed weight, and percentage hardseed after storage at 25/25�C for 6 months and 25/45�C for a further 6 months. For most plants the mean number of days from sowing to first flower was similar to that of Clare. Compared with the naturalised strains, Clare had the lowest (P<0.05) mean number of seeds per burr: about 25% below the mean of the strains (2.7 seeds per burr). While the lowest mean seed weights of the strains were not significantly different from those of Clare, the seed weights of plants from 3 sites were higher (P<0.05) than those of Clare. After storage for either 6 or 12 months, hardseed levels were also lowest (P<0.05) for Clare. Plants from the 2-year-old sward had the same median number of seeds per burr (2.0) as Clare. As sward age increased, the median number of seeds per burr increased to 2.8. Hardseed percentages were lowest for plants of Clare and for those from the 2-year-old sward after 6 months, and for Clare after 12 months. These studies indicated the presence of divergent strains in old swards of Clare in a summer rainfall environment. Natural selection among variability within Clare is the most likely reason for the development of these strains in an environment marginal for the long-term persistence of this softseeded cultivar. Although strains had the same vegetative and floral markings as Clare, differences in ecologically important characters such as number of seeds per burr, seed weight, and hardseededness may result in plants that are better adapted to the environment in which they evolved. From these studies 23 plants of T. subterraneum var. brachycalycinum were selected for further evaluation.


1967 ◽  
Vol 7 (24) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
P McInnes ◽  
TJ Grainger ◽  
MD Smith

Data are presented on the recovery and reproductive performance of 2 1/2-year-old maiden Merino ewes after a prolonged period of undernutrition. The 217 sheep had been hand-fed on a submaintenance ration in pen feeding trials at Glenfield, New South Wales. During the seven months of the trials they had lost 6 kg (28 to 22 kg) body weight. They were transported to Condobolin in south-western New South Wales, divided into two treatment groups and run on good quality pastures. One group was joined immediately (May 1959) and again ten months later, and the other group was mated after six months at Condobolin (in October 1959) and again 12 months later. The ewes recovered rapidly. The mean weight of both groups had reached 30 kg within six weeks and 40 kg within six months. In the first year 73 of the 100 May-mated ewes bore lambs, but only 38 of these lambs were weaned. Ewes bearing lambs had a higher body weight at the start of joining and gained more during joining than the barren ewes. At the other three joinings (October 1959, May 1960, October 1960) lambing percentage was from 86-89 and weaning percentage from 62-69-both normal for the district. The proportion of twin lambs (3-6 per cent) was low. Wool weight in 1959 was not affected by time of mating or by pregnancy.


1993 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 787 ◽  
Author(s):  
PJ Suter

A new genus, Wundacaenis, is erected for three new species of Australian caenid mayflies. The genus is diagnosed by possession of distinctive lobes on the anterolateral margins of the mesonotum. The distribution of Wundacaenis extends from the Kimberleys in Western Australia, through the Alligator Rivers Region in the Northern Territory, and down the eastern coast to the Shoalhaven River in New South Wales.


1996 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 331 ◽  
Author(s):  
AG Miskiewicz ◽  
BD Bruce ◽  
P Dixon

The distribution of tailor (Pomatomus saltatrix) larvae is described on the basis of the results of four plankton surveys undertaken in northern and central New South Wales (NSW) coastal waters. These comprised a single survey during May 1989 along the northern NSW coast and multiple surveys in January, March and May 1983 between Sydney and Brisbane. Pomatomus saltatrix larvae occurred throughout the survey period, with the highest abundances on the northern NSW coast. Most larvae were caught in mid and outer continental shelf waters at water temperatures of ≥22�C. The only known spawning locality for P. saltatrix is in the vicinity of Fraser Island in southern Queensland from August to October. The occurrence of larvae along the NSW coast from January to May indicates that the spawning season of P. saltatrix is more extensive than previously reported and that spawning occurs along the east coast of Australia in localities other than Fraser Island. Further surveys of larvae in southern Queensland and northern NSW waters, especially from August to December, are required to determine if P. saltatrix has one extended or two discrete spawning seasons along the eastern coast of Australia.


1978 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 167
Author(s):  
VR Squires

In order to assess the current level of stock watering facilities on pastoral properties within the western Riverina district of New South Wales and to relate this information to paddock size and vegetation type, large of areas of land (785,000 ha) within the region were surveyed. Paddock boundaries and the location of watering points were plotted. Watering points were classified as to type. Three broad vegetation types were represented: chenopod shrublands (Atriplex and Maireana spp.) degraded grasslands (Stipal Danthonia spp.), and mallee woodlands (Eucalyptus socinlis F. Meull., E, oleosa, F. Meull.) Size of paddocks was related to the dominant vegetation type. On the degraded grasslands in the eastern part of the study area the mean paddock size was 746 ha; on the chenopod shrublands it was 780 ha, and in the Malleedominated areas it was 1,553 ha. The number of permanent watering points per paddock varied from one to four. Less than half the paddocks (43%) had fresh water available as well as saline waters from sub-artesian bores. Almost half the paddocks (47%) were so large, or the watering points so positioned, that the sheep would need to walk more than 3 km to reach the most remote parts of the paddock when temporary waters had dried up. Overall 18% of the land in the non- mallee areas was more than 3 km from permanent water. Therefore the majority of the land could be used in all seasons. Generally the central and northern Riverina district is adequately watered. It would be uneconomic to supply permanent water in the mallee woodlands. In some paddocks in the chenopod dominated area extra watering points may be justified.


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