scholarly journals A list of reptiles and amphibians from Box Gum Grassy Woodlands in south-eastern Australia

Check List ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey M. Kay ◽  
Damian R. Michael ◽  
Mason Crane ◽  
Sachiko Okada ◽  
Christopher MacGregor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Environmental Stewardship ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Stewardship Program ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Domestic Livestock ◽  
South Eastern Australia

A large-scale biodiversity monitoring program examining the response of herpetofauna to the Australian Government’s Environmental Stewardship Program is taking place in south-eastern Australia within the critically endangered Box Gum Grassy Woodland vegetation community. Field surveys involve counting reptiles in areas under Environmental Stewardship management. These “Stewardship” areas have been matched with areas managed for primary production (domestic livestock grazing). We list reptiles recorded during surveys conducted between 2010 and 2012. We recorded sixty-nine species from ten families. The list will be useful for workers interested in the zoogeographical distribution of reptiles and amphibians in fragmented agricultural woodland ecosystems.

scholarly journals Effects of large fires on biodiversity in south-eastern Australia: disaster or template for diversity?

2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross A. Bradstock
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Habitat Variation ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Rate Adaptive ◽  
Large Fires ◽  
South Eastern Australia

Large fires coincident with drought occurred in south-eastern Australia during 2001–2007. Perceptions of large, intense fires as being ecologically ‘disastrous’ are common. These are summarised by four hypotheses characterising large fires as: (i) homogenous in extent and intensity; (ii) causing large-scale extinction due to perceived lack of survival and regeneration capacity among biota; (iii) degrading due to erosion and related edaphic effects; (iv) unnatural, as a consequence of contemporary land management. These hypotheses are examined using available evidence and shown to inadequately account for effects of large fires on biodiversity. Large fires do not burn homogeneously, though they may produce intensely burnt patches and areas. The bulk of biota are resilient through a variety of in situ persistence mechanisms that are reinforced by landscape factors. Severe erosive episodes following fire tend to be local and uncertain rather than global and inevitable. Redistribution of soil and nutrients may reinforce habitat variation in some cases. Signals of fire are highly variable over prehistoric and historic eras, and, in some cases, contemporary and pre-European signal levels are equivalent. The most important effects of large fires in these diverse ecological communities and landscapes stem from their recurrence rate. Adaptive management of fire regimes rather than fire events is required, based on an understanding of risks posed by particular regimes to biota.

Drought resistance of native and introduced perennial grasses of south-eastern Australia

2005 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 1261 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. P. Bolger ◽  
A. R. Rivelli ◽  
D. L. Garden
Keyword(s):  
Drought Resistance ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Dehydration Avoidance ◽  
Leaf Survival ◽  
South Eastern Australia

Perennial grasses are the key to the economic and environmental sustainability of pastures for livestock grazing in south-eastern Australia. Mortality of perennial grasses can occur during drought periods and there is anecdotal evidence of differences in drought resistance among species, but information on the basic ecophysiological responses of these species to drought is lacking. An experiment was conducted to determine the responses of 7 native and 3 introduced perennial grass species to continuous drought. Leaf survival during severe drought varied among the species nearly 4-fold, from 11 to 40 days, and was considered a measure of their overall drought resistance. All of the species had good dehydration tolerance, so the differences in drought resistance were related more to their dehydration avoidance traits, specifically to the amount of water available to the plant at the point where plant transpiration became minimal. The native species had both the longest and shortest leaf survival periods, with the introduced species ranking intermediate. Species exhibited various morphological traits that contributed to dehydration avoidance during severe drought, including leaf folding or rolling, rapid leaf shedding, and large amounts of cuticular wax. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for perennial grass persistence in south-eastern and in south-western Australia.

Can outbreaks of house mice in south-eastern Australia be predicted by weather models?

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles J. Krebs ◽  
Alice J. Kenney ◽  
Grant R. Singleton ◽  
Greg Mutze ◽  
Roger P. Pech ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Plant Production ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Weather Variables ◽  
Mouse Population ◽  
Enso Events ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
South Eastern Australia

Outbreaks of house mice (Mus domesticus) occur irregularly in the wheat-growing areas of south-eastern Australia, and are thought to be driven by weather variability, particularly rainfall. If rainfall drives grass and seed production, and vegetation production drives mouse dynamics, we should achieve better predictability of mouse outbreaks by the use of plant-production data. On a broader scale, if climatic variability is affected by El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, large-scale weather variables might be associated with mouse outbreaks. We could not find any association of mouse outbreaks over the last century with any ENSO measurements or other large-scale weather variables, indicating that the causal change linking mouse numbers with weather variation is more complex than is commonly assumed. For the 1960–2002 period we were only partly successful in using variation in cereal production to predict outbreaks of mice in nine areas of Victoria and South Australia, and we got better predictability of outbreaks from rainfall data alone. We achieved 70% correct predictions for a qualitative model using rainfall and 58% for a quantitative model using rainfall and spring mouse numbers. Without the detailed specific mechanisms underlying mouse population dynamics, we may not be able to improve on these simple models that link rainfall to mouse outbreaks.

Evidence of large-scale spatial declines in recruitment patterns of southern rock lobster Jasus edwardsii, across south-eastern Australia

2010 ◽  
Vol 105 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Linnane ◽  
Caleb Gardner ◽  
David Hobday ◽  
André Punt ◽  
Richard McGarvey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Rock Lobster ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Jasus Edwardsii ◽  
Recruitment Patterns ◽  
South Eastern Australia

Effects of large-scale high-severity fire on occupancy and abundances of an invasive large mammal in south-eastern Australia

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 555 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Forsyth ◽  
Andrew M. Gormley ◽  
Luke Woodford ◽  
Tony Fitzgerald
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Large Mammal ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Pellet Counts ◽  
Sambar Deer ◽  
South Eastern Australia

Context Despite large mammals being an important component of many ecosystems, there is little information on the impacts of fire on large mammal populations. Aims We evaluated the effects of the large-scale high-severity ‘Black Saturday’ fires of 7 February 2009 on occupancy and abundances of an invasive large mammal, the sambar deer (Cervus unicolor), in south-eastern Australia. Methods The effects of the Black Saturday fires on the abundance of sambar deer were assessed using repeated annual counts of faecal pellets during 2007–11 in Kinglake National Park, which was burnt, and in Mount Buffalo National Park, which was not burnt. Pre-fire occupancy was modelled from data collected at 80 4-km2 cells using three survey methods. The same survey methods were used at 15 burnt (n = 9 sampled pre-fire) and 15 unburnt (n = 5 sampled pre-fire) cells 16–24 months after Black Saturday. Because multiple surveys were performed in each cell, we used a Bayesian state–space site-occupancy model to partition changes in the probability of occupancy from changes in the probability of detection. Key results Counts of sambar deer pellets increased linearly during 2007–11 in the unburnt Mount Buffalo National Park. Pellet counts also increased linearly in Kinglake National Park from 2007 to 2008, and then decreased (to zero) following Black Saturday; pellet counts increased again in 2010 and 2011. Sambar deer occupancy was weakly reduced (from 0.99 to 0.88) in burnt cells 16–24 months after Black Saturday, but was little changed in unburnt cells (from 0.99 to 0.98). Conclusions We conclude that the abundance of sambar deer was substantially reduced by the large-scale high-severity Black Saturday fires, but that most burnt habitat was reoccupied 16–24 months later. Implications There is concern about the negative impacts of invasive sambar deer on native biodiversity, particularly immediately post-fire. Our study suggests that it takes at least 8 months before sambar deer recolonise areas burnt by a large-scale high-severity fire; however, a risk-averse approach would be to act (e.g. by erecting fences or culling) sooner than that.

Genetic Variation and Phenotypic Plasticity in Populations of Paterson's Curse (Echium plantagineum L.) In South-Eastern Australia

1985 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 677 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Wood ◽  
R Degabriele
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Moisture Stress ◽  
Climatic Indices ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Moisture Regimes ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
South Eastern Australia

Natural populations of Echium plantagineum on an east-west line across south-eastern Australia were sampled on three occasions during the growing season, and seeds collected from individual plants in each population were grown in a common glasshouse. In another experiment seedlings of E. plantagineum were divided and clones from each plant were grown under two soil moisture regimes. Field populations differed significantly in all seven characters measured at all sampling dates but, with one exception, between-population differences were unrelated to five climatic indices. Glasshouse populations differed significantly in 15 of 27 characters; variations in some of these characters were related by regression analysis to one or more of the climatic indices. Clones grown under moisture stress flowered later, had proportionally wider leaves and were smaller than well watered clones. The data suggest that an ecocline has developed, or is developing, in E. plantagineum in south- eastern Australia in response to large-scale and long-term aspects of climate, although extensive genetic variation between individuals in each population was also observed. This species exhibits a great deal of phenotypic plasticity in response to localized environmental factors.

scholarly journals Recolonisation of rabbit warrens following coordinated ripping programs in Victoria, south-eastern Australia

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 46 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. S. L. Ramsey ◽  
S. R. McPhee ◽  
D. M. Forsyth ◽  
I. G. Stuart ◽  
M. P. Scroggie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Source Population ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Adaptive Monitoring ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Using Data ◽  
South Eastern Australia

Context Warren ripping has been demonstrated to be an effective tool for controlling rabbit populations. However, few studies have examined factors influencing the rate at which ripped warrens are likely to be recolonised (i.e. be re-opened). Aims To examine factors influencing the recolonisation of ripped warrens by rabbits by using data collected on 555 warrens for up to 15 years following coordinated ripping programs at 12 sites in Victoria, south-eastern Australia. Methods Warren-monitoring data (number of active and inactive warren entrances) were analysed using discrete-time survival analysis to determine the effects of warren-level and site-level covariates on the recolonisation of ripped warrens. Key results Warren recolonisation was related to the distance between the ripped warren and the nearest active warren, the number of active entrances in the nearest warren, the initial number of active entrances in the ripped warren and the rabbit spotlight abundance index at the site. The probability of warren recolonisation was highest for ripped warrens within 1 km of an active warren and negligible beyond 3 km. The probability of warren recolonisation also increased by 22% for every increase in the rabbit spotlight count at the site by 10 rabbits km–1. Conclusions The recolonisation of ripped warrens was highly influenced by both the distance to, and size of, neighbouring active warrens. Larger warrens also appear to be preferentially recolonised compared with smaller warrens, suggesting that recolonisation of ripped areas may be related to habitat quality. The present results are consistent with ideas from classical metapopulation theory predicting that the rates of colonisation of vacant patches are dependent on both the proximity and size of the source population as well as the quality of habitat patches. Implications Although coordinated warren ripping programs are effective at achieving long-term control of rabbits, their efficiency at maintaining low rabbit populations can be increased by adopting an adaptive monitoring program that incorporates warren size and the spatial relationships among warrens, and using this information to better target maintenance-control activities.

scholarly journals Large-scale patterns in puerulus settlement and links to fishery recruitment in the southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii), across south-eastern Australia

2013 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 528-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Linnane ◽  
Richard McGarvey ◽  
Caleb Gardner ◽  
Terence I. Walker ◽  
Janet Matthews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Carapace Length ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Rock Lobster ◽  
Important Data ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Data Source ◽  
South Eastern Australia

Abstract Monthly monitoring of puerulus settlement across South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania has been undertaken since the early 1990s. Firstly, annual trends in settlement were spatially analysed across the three States. In South Australian and Victorian settlement patterns were closely related. In Tasmania, settlement sites along the northeast coast were positively correlated, but showed no relationship with areas further south or in any other State. Secondly, annual settlement indices were correlated with lagged estimates of fishery recruitment. In South Australia, the strongest correlations between settlement and recruitment to legal size were observed using a 4–5- year time-lag. Within Victoria and Tasmania, the period from settlement to recruitment at 60 mm carapace length (CL) was 2 and 3 years, respectively. The period from 60 mm to legal size was another 2–3 years, suggesting that the total time from settlement to the fishery ranges from 4–6 years in these regions. The correlation between settlement and recruitment was used to forecast future estimates of exploitable biomass in one region of South Australia. The results indicate that puerulus monitoring is a relatively robust indicator of future fishery performance and should be regarded as an important data source for rock lobster resources within south-eastern Australia.

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