Waterponding: Reclamation technique for scalded duplex soils in western New South Wales rangelands

Summary Building on previous trials initiated in the 1960s, a demonstration programme involving 18 landholders was established at Nyngan, New South Wales Australia; in the mid‐1980s to refine ‘waterponding’ techniques used to rehabilitate scalded claypans. The waterponding technique involves building horseshoe shaped banks (about 240 m in length) to create ponds of about 0.4 ha each. Each pond retains up to 10 cm of water after rain which leaches soluble salts from the scald surface. This improves the remaining soil structure, inducing surface cracking, better water penetration and allows entrapment of wind‐blown seed. Consequently, niches are formed for the germination of this (and any sown) seed and recovery of a range of chenopod native pasture species occurs on the sites, which can be supplemented by direct seeding. What started as a project continues now as a standard rangeland rehabilitation process for reclaiming bare, scalded semi‐arid areas of New South Wales and turning them back into biodiverse and productive rangelands. Since 1985, further modifications have been made to the method and the ongoing programme has surveyed, marked out and built approximately 56 700 waterponds within the Marra Creek waterponding district.     

The importance of urban reserves for conserving beetle communities: a case study from New Zealand

Urban reserves provide a major opportunity for conservation of indigenous biodiversity in the heavily urbanised landscape of Waitakere City (Auckland), New Zealand. However, there is little documented information on what indigenous fauna survives in these reserves. Beetle (Coleoptera) communities associated with two small, isolated urban reserves and two sites in a larger forest area within the Waitakere Ranges were sampled using pitfall traps and analysed. A total of 887 beetles, from 23 families and 89 recognisable taxonomic units were caught. The urban reserves had a marked reduction in species richness and abundance of beetles compared with the sites within the larger forest areas. Various environmental factors influencing the distribution of beetles across the sites were investigated. The most important factors were size of fragment, local forest cover and soil moisture. Common species (>5 specimens in the total dataset) found in the Waitakere Ranges and small urban reserves, were either endemic or indigenous to New Zealand. Therefore, even though these reserves may be isolated from a larger, more continuous forest tract, they have considerable potential as reservoirs of beetle diversity in highly modified landscapes and the contribution of urban reserves to the local sustainability of beetle assemblages emphasises the importance of maintaining green areas in and around cities.     

A survey of koala road kills in New South Wales.

Between 1984 and 1990, 75 koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) from the central northern coast of New South Wales (Australia) were presented for necropsy due to motor vehicle accidents. The koalas consisted of 44 males and 31 females. Fifty one of these were between 2 and 7 yr (39 males and 12 females). The greater proportion of koalas, especially males, were struck by vehicles between June and December. The main injuries detected were head injuries (44), hemoperitoneum (16), limb injuries (16), hemothorax (15) and spinal injuries (7). Nine koalas were not dead at the time of the accident but died later following complications from the trauma. Twelve koalas had evidence of underlying disease at the time of accident. Ten of these had either conjunctivitis, cystitis, prostatitis, periovarian cysts, endometritis or a combination of the diseases. All 10 koalas still had good body condition. It is suggested that healthy young to middle-aged males are particularly prone to vehicular accidents during the mating period. This has implications for the management of local koala populations.     

The appropriation of an Aboriginal landscape in northern New South Wales

The attachment of Australian Aboriginal people to land has not only been amply documented by anthropologists since the late 19^th century, it is also one of their own enduring tropes of differentiation from non‐Aboriginal and “official” Australian state society. In the face of widespread and concerted alteration of the pre‐settlement landscape engendered by industrial and commercial development, Aboriginal people seek to reclaim or reappropriate remnants of a pristine environment untransformed by modern development. Alteration of the landscape, as far as Aboriginal people are concerned, also goes hand in hand with the progressive decimation of Aboriginal populations in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries through violence and disease. Contemporary Aboriginal communities seek to protect the sites of violent death, believed heavily populated with the frustrated spirits of the deceased, from disturbance, particularly by non‐Aboriginal people. In this chapter I discuss some of the anthropological implications of seeing landscape as a terrain of intercultural conjunction in such a bifold society in northern New South Wales, and what levels of transformation are and are not acknowledged by a marginal, minority indigenous population seeking to insulate their historical landscape from development.     

The conservation status of athalassic lakes in New South Wales,Australia

To provide an overview for the State Pollution Control Commission of NSW, 102 lakes were visited throughout the state during the 1988–9 summer to ascertain their ecological condition. The sites chosen covered a spectrum of geomorphic types in approximate proportion to their perceived relative abundance. Field work concentrated on some physicochemical parameters and on zooplankton and littoral invertebrates. A summary of these features of the lakes of NSW is given.The most widespread problem is eutrophication, though for many lakes changes in trophic status could be part of wider changes in lakes since European settlement. A significant number of lakes suffer eroded shorelines and sedimentation. The introduced mosquito fish, Gambusia affinis, is associated with decreased diversity mainly in coastal lakes where also alien plants may be pestiferous. A few lakes in western areas have their flooding regime altered, while a number in the east are drained. With few exceptions there are no management programs to improve the conservation status of degraded lakes in NSW.     

The vegetation of seacliffs and headlands in New South Wales,Australia

A phytosociological survey of seacliff and headland vegetation on the central and south coast of New South Wales was carried out. Analysis of the quadrat data led to the recognition of 15 communities; the occurrence of a number of other vegetation types is briefly discussed. The vegetation types fall into three major groupings: grasslands, scrub and heathland, although the coincidence between structural and floristic boundaries is poor. Ordination of the communities indicates that the major factors varying between communities are exposure and soil fertility, the grasslands and scrubs occurring on more fertile soils than the heathlands. Amongst the woody communities it is suggested that the two major groups recognized fall into different phytosociological alliances, although lack of studies of Australian vegetation limits the applicability of a conventional hierarchical classification. The true heathlands correspond closely with the alliance Leptospermion, previously recognized in Victoria. The scrub communities are assigned to a new alliance, the Westringio-Banksion integrifoliae.     

Ichthyofaunal assemblages in estuaries: A South African case study

This review places the life-history styles of fishes associated with South African estuaries in a global context and presents a classification system incorporating all the major life-history categories for estuary-associated fish species around the world. In addition, it documents the early life histories of the major fish groups in South African estuaries, with particular emphasis on the differing modes of estuarine utilization by marine, estuarine and freshwater taxa.This review details factors influencing the ichthyofaunal community structure in South African estuaries. The availability of fish for recruitment into an estuary depends primarily upon the distributional range of euryhaline marine and estuarine species, with tropical and temperate taxa showing marked abundance trends. Within a particular biogeographic region, however, estuarine type and prevailing salinity regime have a major influence on the detailed ichthyofaunal structure that develops. There is an increasing preponderance of marine fish taxa when moving from a freshwater-dominated towards a seawater-dominated type of system, and a decline in species diversity between subtropical estuaries in the north-east and cool temperate systems in the south-west. Similar declines in fish species diversity between tropical and temperate estuaries in other parts of the world are highlighted.Fish assemblages in estuaries adjust constantly in response to changing seasons, salinities, turbidities, etc. Despite persistent fluctuations in both the biotic and abiotic environment, the basic ichthyofaunal structure appears to have an underlying stability and to be predictable in terms of the response of individual species to specific conditions. This stability seems to be governed by factors such as the dominance of eurytopic taxa within estuarine assemblages and the robust nature of food webs within these systems. The predictability arises from factors such as the seasonality associated with estuarine spawning cycles and juvenile fish recruitment patterns. These patterns, together with a well-documented resilience to a wide range of physico-chemical and biotic perturbations, appear to be an underlying feature of fish assemblages in estuaries around the world.In contrast to marine fish species, estuary-associated taxa have received little conservation attention. Apart from the designation of protected areas, the main direct means of conserving estuary-associated fish stocks include habitat conservation and controls over fishing methods, effort, efficiency and seasonality. Of these, the conservation of fish habitats, the most important, because healthy aquatic environments invariably support healthy fish populations. The use of estuarine sanctuaries for fish conservation is briefly reviewed, as well as the legislation governing the USA National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) and the Australian Marine and Estuarine Protected Area (MEPA) system. It is concluded that South Africa requires an expansion of the existing Estuarine Protected Area (EPA) network, as well as the upgrading of selected 'estuarine reserves' where fishing is permitted, into 'estuarine sanctuaries' where no exploitation of biological resources is allowed.     

The ecology of the Australian gecko Heteronotia binoei in northern New South Wales

A two year study was carried out on Heteronotia binoei (Gray) in the Pilliga Scrub by means of visits of six days' duration in each month of the year. Animals were individually marked by toe-clipping and a mark-recapture programme was carried out throughout the study.
In the Pilliga Scrub Heteronotia lives below bark or boards on the ground or below the bark at the base of dead trees or stumps.
The mark-recapture programme provided extensive data on the population, its movements, growth, tail loss and regeneration. Samples were collected for analysis of intestinal contents. The above data together with observations of behaviour provided a well corroborated picture of the biology of this small gekkonid lizard.     

Woodlands on farms in southern New South Wales: A longer-term assessment of vegetation changes after fencing

Summary Fencing incentive programmes have been widely used throughout Australia to assist landholders to fence remnant woodland vegetation, to control grazing and improve native vegetation condition. This study investigated vegetation and soil condition in remnant woodlands fenced for 7–9 years in the Murray catchment area in southern New South Wales. Surveys were undertaken at 42 sites, where vegetation condition was assessed in paired fenced and unfenced sites. Semi‐structured interviews were also conducted with landholders to gather management information. Woodlands surveyed were Yellow Box/Blakely's Red Gum (Eucalyptus melliodora/E. blakelyi, 15 sites), Grey Box (E. microcarpa, 13 sites) and White Cypress Pine (Callitris glaucophylla, 14 sites). Fencing resulted in a range of responses which were highly variable between sites and vegetation types. In general, fenced sites had greater tree regeneration, cover of native perennial grasses, less cover of exotic annual grasses and weeds, and less soil compaction than unfenced sites. However, there was greater tree recruitment in remnants to the west of the study area, and tree recruitment was positively correlated with time since fencing. Within sites, tree recruitment tended to occur in more open areas with a good cover of native perennial grasses, as compared to sites with a dense tree canopy, or dominated by exotic annuals grasses or weeds. Forty‐eight per cent of fenced sites had no tree regeneration. There was a significant decline in native perennial grasses, and increase of several unpalatable weeds in many fenced areas, suggesting certain ecological barriers may be preventing further recovery. However, drought conditions and associated grazing are the most likely cause of this trend. A range of grazing strategies was implemented in fenced sites which require further research as a conservation management tool. Continued long‐term monitoring is essential to detect key threats to endangered woodland remnants.     

The emergence and control of overwintering Helicoverpa armigera pupae in southern New South Wales

Abstract  The extent and timing of the spring emergence of Helicoverpa armigera moths from overwintering pupae was measured in southern New South Wales (NSW). Survival was comparable to that in northern NSW, suggesting that the colder conditions did not significantly reduce the survival of overwintering pupae. Most adults emerged from mid-October to mid-November, approximately 2 weeks later than reported in northern NSW. The pattern of emergence is similar to that predicted by the HElicoverpa Armigera and Punctigera Simulation (HEAPS) model, although it tended to be earlier than predicted. Simulation of the pattern of emergence from 1990 to 2001 predicted a range of approximately 4 weeks in the date of emergence. This suggests that moths will not emerge in this part of southern NSW before October. The impact of locally used cultivation techniques on the survival of overwintering pupae supported previous findings highlighting the need for either plant line or full cultivation to ensure adequate control of overwintering pupae. Neither direct drilling nor shallow cultivation (Lillistons) provided consistently reliable control. Practical management of overwintering pupae in the region requires adequate cultivation before October     

A radar and aerial-trapping study of an early spring migration of moths (Lepidoptera) in inland New South Wales

The migrations of a number of species ofnoctuid and pvralid moths were studied with a specialpurpose radar unit and by direct sampling with a kite-borne net at a locality in central-western New South Wales during the early spring of 1980. The observations coincided with the appearance of very large numbers of moths throughout much of south-eastern Australia, and immediately followed a major caterpillar plague in south-western New South Wales. The migrations occurred mainly at night, and were most intense during periods of warm weather. Several different directions of migration were observed, but the movements were always approximately downwind; distances of a few hundred kilometres were typically covered during a single night. A number of quantitative measures of the migration intensity have been estimated for some of the flights. The migrating population frequently exhibited a degree of mutual alignment, which was sometimes in a direction different from that of the migration. Migrants became concentrated into layers at high altitudes (up to 1900 m) on two occasions during the night. Similar high-altitude migrations were also detected during daylight. It is inferred that an early spring re-invasion of drought-affected inland areas, and of areas on the continental periphery which have a cool winter climate, by means of long-distance migrations from inland areas where autumn and winter conditions have been favourable for larval development, is an almost regular feature of the population dynamics of several moth species that are of economic importance in south-eas-tern Australia. These migrations are interpreted as an adaptation to the geographie and climatic factors that control larval development and moth flight in this region, and especially to the erratic rainfall regime of the inland source areas.     

Occurrence of the mayfly family Teloganodidae in northern New South Wales

Teloganodid mayfly nymphs, previously known in Australia only from south-eastern Queensland, have now been recorded from numerous localities in the coastal drainages of northern New South Wales (NSW) from the Barrington Tops district to the Richmond River system. The nymphs seem to be restricted to riffles in forest streams and occur over a wide altitudinal range with records up to 940 m. They appear identical to those of Austremerella picta Riek, but rearing to the adult is needed to be certain that they represent the same species. The apparent restriction of Australian Teloganodidae to southern Queensland and northern NSW poses a biogeographical puzzle.     

Evidence supporting zoonotic transmission of Cryptosporidium in rural New South Wales

Cryptosporidium hominis, which has an anthroponotic transmission cycle and Cryptosporidium parvum, which is zoonotic, are the primary species of Cryptosporidium that infect humans. The present study identified the species/genotypes and subgenotypes of Cryptosporidium in 7 human and 15 cattle cases of sporadic cryptosporidiosis in rural western NSW during the period from November 2005 to January 2006. The species/genotype of isolates was determined by PCR sequence analysis of the 18S rRNA and C. parvum and C. hominis isolates were subgenotyped by sequence analysis of the GP60 gene. Fourteen of 15 cattle-derived isolates were identified as C. parvum and 1 as a C. bovis/C. parvum mixture. Of the human isolates, 4 were C. parvum and 3 were C. hominis. Two different subgenotypes were identified with the human C. hominis isolates and six different subgenotypes were identified within the C. parvum species from humans and cattle. All four of the C. parvum subtypes found in humans were also found in the cattle, indicating that zoonotic transmission may be an important contributor to sporadic human cases cryptosporidiosis in rural NSW.