A Parapatric Boundary between Ranidella signifera and R. riparia (Anura: Leptodactylidae) in South Australia

1982 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
FJ Odendaal ◽  
CM Bull
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Close Association ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
The North ◽  
Flinders Ranges ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Overlap Area

Ranidella signifera has a wide distribution in south-eastern Australia; R. riparia is endemic to the Flin- ders Ranges in South Australia. The ranges of the two species are largely allopatric, but they contact and overlap in a zone about 10 km wide, in the southern Flinders Ranges. The nature of the creeks changes across this zone. Immediately to the south and east, where only R. signifera is found, the creeks are slow-flowing and heavily vegetated, with mud or sand substrates. To the north and west the creeks are swift-flowing, and have rocky substrates and little vegetation; only R. riparia is found in these. In the sympatric overlap zone creeks are heterogeneous, with both habitat types represented. The close association between species and creek habitat is lost in populations not immediately adjacent to the overlap zone. This implies that each species can survive in both creek habitats but that R. riparia has a competitive advantage in swift, rocky creeks and R, signifera has an advantage in slow, vegetated creeks. This prevents either species from expanding its distribution beyond the narrow overlap area.

The history of Ilex (Aquifoliaceae) with special reference to Australia: Evidence from pollen

1977 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 655 ◽  
Author(s):  
HA Martin
Keyword(s):  
Upper Cretaceous ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Geographic Region ◽  
Fossil Species ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
The North ◽  
Equable Climate ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
History Of ◽  
Place Of Origin

Ilex is cosmopolitan excluding the arid and arctic areas and consists of some 400 species. Australia has one species, Ilex arnhemensis, which is restricted to the north. The pollen of Ilex is very distinctive and fossil specimens can be related to it with certainty. There is an undescribed fossil species in the Turonian (earliest Upper Cretaceous) of south-eastern Australia, where Ilex predates the first appearance of Nothofagus. Ilexpollenites spp. are usually present from Maastrichtian (latest Upper Cretaceous) to late Miocene. Elsewhere in the world there are three other Cretaceous records and abundant Tertiary occurrences from every geographic region. Ilex was cosmopolitan throughout the Tertiary and it may have been world wide in the Upper Cretaceous also. Ilex grows as a tree or shrub and requires a relatively wet and equable climate (with perhaps a few exceptions). The seeds are dispersed by birds and the embryo undergoes continuous development until germination which may take from 2 to 8 years. Such strategies must be an asset for a wide distribution. Previous works on modern distributions and morphology have implicated south-eastern Asia as the place of origin of Ilex. The fossil record does not support this hypothesis although it is not sufficient to pinpoint its origin. At the time when Ilex evolved, more equable climates extended much further towards the poles than they do today. The south-east Asian region has had one of the most stable climates and is a refuge for ancient angiosperms, regardless of place of origin. No doubt the development of aridity in Australia has restricted Ilex to the north.

Hydrocotyle simulans (Araliaceae), a new perennial species from south-eastern Australia

Phytotaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 437 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-72
Author(s):  
ANDREW J. PERKINS
Keyword(s):  
South Australia ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Perennial Species ◽  
Photographic Images ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
The North ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Floral Bracts ◽  
South Eastern Australia

Hydrocotyle simulans, a new perennial species from south-eastern Australia, is here described with associated illustration, photographic images and distribution map. The new species is restricted mostly to freshwater swamps in coastal areas of south-eastern South Australia, southern Victoria and to the Furneaux Group of islands, off the north-eastern coast of Tasmania. Hydrocotyle simulans resembles both H. plebeya and H. pterocarpa, in having orbicular-cordate to reniform leaves, hydathodes along leaf lamina margins and broadly ovate to orbicular stipules with entire margins. It differs from these taxa by a combination of characters, such as reflexed white trichomes congregated at the petiole apices, ovate floral bracts with basal lobes, subsessile flowers with pale to dark crimson petals and lenticular mericarps with minutely rugulose surfaces when mature.

Differential responses by sympatric macropodids to severe drought.

2004 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 185
Author(s):  
PE Hornsby ◽  
EY Corlett
Keyword(s):  
South Australia ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
The North ◽  
Flinders Ranges ◽  
Drought Conditions ◽  
Differential Responses ◽  
A Site ◽  
Significant Mortality

Responses to severe drought by two sympatric macropodids, the yellow-footed rock-wallaby (Petrogale xanthopus) and the euro (Macropus robustus erubescens) were examined at a site in the North Flinders Ranges of South Australia. The results indicate that the two species respond differentially to drought conditions. It was observed that small fluctuations occurred in the P. xanthopus population. In contrast, M. r. erubescens evidenced significant mortality, especially among larger animals.

Survival and biomass of exotic earthworms, Aporrectodea spp. (Lumbricidae), when introduced to pastures in south-eastern Australia

1999 ◽  
Vol 50 (7) ◽  
pp. 1233 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. H. Baker ◽  
P. J. Carter ◽  
V. J. Barrett
Keyword(s):  
South Australia ◽  
Clay Content ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Soil P ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Inoculation Density ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Exotic Earthworms ◽  
Soil Clay Content ◽  
South Eastern Australia

The earthworm fauna of pastures in south-eastern Australia is dominated by exotic lumbricid earthworms, in particular the endogeic species, Aporrectodea caliginosa and A. trapezoides. Anecic species such as A. longa are very rare. All 3 species were introduced within cages in 10 pastures on a range of soil types within the region. Five months later, A. longa had generally survived the best and A. trapezoides the worst. The survivals and weights of individual worms varied between sites for all 3 species. The survivals of A. caliginosa and A. longa, and to a lesser extent A. trapezoides, were positively correlated with soil clay content. The weights of A. caliginosa and A. longa, but not A. trapezoides, were positively correlated with soil P content. The survivals and weights of A. longa and A. trapezoides and the weights only of A. caliginosa decreased with increasing inoculation density, suggesting increased intraspecific competition for resources, particularly in the first two species. A. longa reduced the abundance and biomass of the exotic acanthodrilid earthworm, Microscolex dubius, at one site, and the total biomass of 3 native megascolecid species at another, when these latter species occurred as contaminants in A. longa cages. The addition of lime had no effect on the survivals and weights of A. caliginosa, A. longa, and A. trapezoides, although the soils were acid at the sites tested. The addition of sheep dung increased the survival and weights of some species at some sites. Mechanical disturbance of the soil within cages reduced the survivals of A. longa and A. trapezoides. A. longa was released without being caged at 25 sites within one pasture in South Australia. Four years later, it was recovered at all release points. A. longa has the potential to colonise pastures widely throughout the higher rainfall regions of south-eastern Australia.

Movement and mortality of Australian pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus) banded at inland and coastal breeding sites in South Australia

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory R. Johnston ◽  
Maxwell H. Waterman ◽  
Clare E. Manning
Keyword(s):  
South Australia ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Causes Of Mortality ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
South Eastern Australia

Globally, pelican populations have decreased, with three species being of conservation concern. Australian pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus) are not regarded as endangered, but have declined across south-eastern Australia. Information on their movements and causes of mortality are required to interpret the importance of these regional declines to the species’ global population. We explored patterns of movement and causes of mortality by analysing recoveries from 14 615 Australian pelicans banded over 37 years between 1969 and 2006. Data from 243 leg band recoveries showed that Australian pelicans move distances of up to 3206 km, and travel across the species’ entire geographic range, within a year of fledging. We found little evidence for the popular notion that these birds move en masse from the coast to inland areas in response to flooding rains. Maximum recorded age of a banded Australian pelican was 15 years. The banding data suggest that the regional pelican declines could reflect long-distance movements rather than an overall population response. However, a concentration of band returns from south-eastern Australia where the declines have been recorded, and the high incidence of human-induced deaths (16.4%) suggest otherwise. Accurate assessment of population trends in long-lived, long-distance nomads such as Australian pelicans requires assessment at a continental scale. Our results emphasise the importance of knowledge about fundamental aspects of a species’ biology for accurate interpretation of regional population declines.

Population ranges of Miniopterus schreibersii (Chiroptera) in south-eastern Australia

1969 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 665 ◽  
Author(s):  
PD Dwyer
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
South Australia ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Navigational Cues ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Western Victoria ◽  
South Eastern Australia

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.

Larval distribution and abundance of blue and spotted warehous (Seriolella brama and S. punctata: Centrolophidae) in south-eastern Australia

2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 631 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. D. Bruce ◽  
F. J. Neira ◽  
R. W. Bradford
Keyword(s):  
Life Histories ◽  
New South ◽  
South Australia ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Larval Distribution ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Spawning Areas ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Commercially Important ◽  
South Eastern Australia

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.

Marine and estuarine phylogeography of the coasts of south-eastern Australia

2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (11) ◽  
pp. 1597 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Colgan
Keyword(s):  
South Australia ◽  
Rocky Intertidal ◽  
Phylogeographic Structure ◽  
Subtidal Zone ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Genetic Techniques ◽  
South Eastern Australia

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.

Impact of grain-based ethanol production on the cattle feedlot industry in eastern Australia: grain supply

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 601 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Hunter ◽  
P. M. Kennedy ◽  
E. J. Sparke
Keyword(s):  
Ethanol Production ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Feedlot Cattle ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Grain Yields ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Eastern Australia

Statistical data from the years 1998–2005 were used to investigate the capacity of the grain industry in eastern Australia to supply the grain necessary for inclusion of 10% ethanol in petrol (E10), in addition to the demands of grain for feedlot cattle. Evidence is provided that the variations in grain yields and grain consumption by cattle in these years are representative of the on-going situation and that interpretations and conclusions have continuing relevance. During 1998–2005, annual production of cereal grains in eastern Australia varied between 10 and 25 million tonnes. Similar fluctuations (11 and 27 million tonnes) in annual grain yields were observed between 2006 and 2014. The Australian potential requirement for E10 ethanol is ~2500 ML annually, with a grain usage of 6.1–7.6 million tonnes depending on the grain sources used. Established national grain demand for ruminant and monogastric livestock, human consumption and other domestic uses is ~7.5 million tonnes per year. In years of average or higher grain yields in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, the combined grain surpluses are more than sufficient for E10 ethanol to be produced domestically. In the years of the lowest grain yields, the surplus over more traditional usages is sufficient to satisfy only 50% of potential demand for E10. The greatest densities of feedlot cattle are in south-eastern Queensland, northern New South Wales and in the Murrumbidgee region of southern New South Wales. On a regional basis, the grain surplus to feedlot demand in most years in south-eastern Queensland is not sufficient to satisfy requirement for ethanol production without competition for grain. In years of highest yields, the grain surplus was sufficient for a 240-ML ethanol plant. Northern New South Wales could support at least two 400-ML plants in years of average and above yields, once established grain demands are met. The grain shortfall in years of lowest yield for one 400-ML plant is about half a million tonnes. Grain surpluses in average years in the Murrumbidgee region are sufficient to support at least one 400-ML plant. In years of lowest yield, only a 160-ML plant could be supported without competition for grain.

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