bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Localized surface plasmons in face to face dimer silver triangular prism nanoparticles
Authors: Azarian Abas , Babaei Ferydon
Published: May 2016

Using the discrete dipole approximation method, all plasmonic bands in 80 nm silver face to face dimer triangular prism nanoparticles were reported. The characteristics of plasmonics peaks were investigated with variations of dimer gap and refractive index of the surrounding medium of dimer. We found that there are three and four plasmonic bands, respectively, for dimer separation 2 and 4 nm. The extinction spectra and electric field distribution showed that the dipole–dipole interaction creates strong plasmonic band, but the quadrupole–quadrupole interaction relates to weak plasmonic band. The results revealed that the strong plasmonic bands have high sensitivity factors with respect to weak plasmonic bands. This study may be used in the synthesis of asymmetric dimers made of metal nanoparticles with new plasmonics properties.
Lie super-bialgebra and quantization of the super Virasoro algebra
Authors: Yuan Lamei , He Caixia
Published: May 2016

In this paper, we study Lie super-bialgebra and quantization of the super Virasoro algebra, whose even part is the centerless twisted Heisenberg-Virasoro algebra. By using some Liu-Pei-Zhu’s results, we prove that all Lie super-bialgebra structures on the super Virasoro algebra are triangular coboundary. Furthermore, we quantize the super Virasoro algebra by the Drinfel’d twist quantization technique and obtain a class of noncommutative and noncocommutative Hopf superalgebras.
Perspective: Toward “synthesis by design”: Exploring atomic correlations during inorganic materials synthesis
Authors: Soderholm L. , Mitchell J. F.
Published: May 2016

Synthesis of inorganic extended solids is a critical starting point from which real-world functional materials and their consequent technologies originate. However, unlike the rich mechanistic foundation of organic synthesis, with its underlying rules of assembly (e.g., functional groups and their reactivities), the synthesis of inorganic materials lacks an underpinning of such robust organizing principles. In the latter case, any such rules must account for the diversity of chemical species and bonding motifs inherent to inorganic materials and the potential impact of mass transport on kinetics, among other considerations. Without such assembly rules, there is less understanding, less predictive power, and ultimately less control of properties. Despite such hurdles, developing a mechanistic understanding for synthesis of inorganic extended solids would dramatically impact the range of new material discoveries and resulting new functionalities, warranting a broad call to explore what is possible. Here we discuss our recent approaches toward a mechanistic framework for the synthesis of bulk inorganic extended solids, in which either embryonic atomic correlations or fully developed phases in solutions or melts can be identified and tracked during product selection and crystallization. The approach hinges on the application of high-energy x-rays, with their penetrating power and large Q-range, to explore reaction pathways in situ. We illustrate this process using two examples: directed assembly of Zr clusters in aqueous solution and total phase awareness during crystallization from K–Cu–S melts. These examples provide a glimpse of what we see as a larger vision, in which large scale simulations, data-driven science, and in situ studies of atomic correlations combine to accelerate materials discovery and synthesis, based on the assembly of well-defined, prenucleated atomic correlations.
Electroless synthesis of cellulose-metal aerogel composites
Authors: Schestakow M. , Muench F. , Reimuth C. , Ratke L. , Ensinger W.
Published: May 2016

An environmentally benign electroless plating procedure enables a dense coating of silver nanoparticles onto complex cellulose aerogel structures. In the course of the nanoparticle deposition, the morphological characteristics of the aerogel are preserved, such as the continuous self-supporting network structure. While achieving a high metal loading, the large specific surface area as well as the low density is retained in the cellulose-metal aerogel composite. Due to the interesting features of cellulose aerogel substrates (e.g., the accessibility of its open-porous network) and electroless plating (e.g., the possibility to control the density, size, and composition of the deposited metal nanoparticles), the outlined synthetic scheme provides a facile and flexible route towards advanced materials in heterogeneous catalysis, plasmonics, and sensing.
Effect of the order-disorder transition on the optical properties of Cu2ZnSnS4
Authors: Valentini M. , Malerba C. , Menchini F. , Tedeschi D. , Polimeni A. , Capizzi M. , Mittiga A.
Published: May 2016

The effect of the order-disorder transition on the band gap of kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4, an interesting material for solar cells, has been investigated by optical spectroscopy. The band gap energy (Eg) decreases continuously with increasing annealing temperature, Ta, and reaches its minimum at Ta ∼ 273 °C. Eg is about 200 meV higher in the most ordered state, than in the fully disordered state. Its value and the transition kinetic depend on the sample stoichiometry. A simplified model able to explain the order degree and stoichiometry effects on the Eg value is developed. Ordering results in narrower Raman peaks without affecting the shape of the photoluminescence spectrum—except for the change in Eg—or the characteristic energy of the exponential tail below the fundamental absorption edge. Although a prolonged annealing increases the order degree, the material properties are still influenced by residual disorder as well as by defects related to the off-stoichiometry composition.
Electronic doping of transition metal oxide perovskites
Authors: Cammarata Antonio , Rondinelli James M.
Published: May 2016

CaFeO3 is a prototypical negative charge transfer oxide that undergoes electronic metal-insulator transition concomitant with a dilation and contraction of nearly rigid octahedra. Altering the charge neutrality of the bulk system destroys the electronic transition, while the structure is significantly modified at high charge content. Using density functional theory simulations, we predict an alternative avenue to modulate the structure and the electronic transition in CaFeO3. Charge distribution can be modulated using strain-rotation coupling and thin film engineering strategies, proposing themselves as a promising avenue for fine tuning electronic features in transition metal-oxide perovskites.
Optimal dose of 3-nitrooxypropanol for decreasing enteric methane emissions from beef cattle fed high-forage and high-grain diets
Authors: Vyas D. , McGinn S. M. , Duval S. M. , Kindermann M. K. , Beauchemin K. A.
Published: May 2016

The objective of the present study was to determine the dose response of the methane (CH4) inhibitor 3-nitrooxypropanol (NOP) on enteric CH4 production and dry matter intake (DMI) for beef cattle fed a high-forage or high-grain diet. Fifteen crossbred yearling steers were used in two consecutive studies (high-forage backgrounding, high-grain finishing), each designed as an incomplete block with two 28-day periods with a 7-day washout in between and treatments corresponding to six doses of NOP (0 (Control), 50, 75, 100, 150, 200 mg/kg DM). The NOP was provided in the ration daily with the dose increased gradually over the first 10 days of each period. No treatment effects were observed on overall DMI or DMI of cattle when they were in the chambers either for the high-forage (P ≥ 0.54) or high-grain (P ≥ 0.26) diet. With the high-forage diet, NOP supplementation lowered total CH4 emissions (g/day) (P = 0.05), with the response at 200 mg NOP/kg DM different from Control (P < 0.05). Similarly, CH4 emissions corrected for DMI (g/kg DMI) and as a percentage of gross energy intake were linearly reduced in the high-forage diet with supplemental NOP (P < 0.01) and responses observed at 100, 150 and 200 mg NOP/kg DM differed from Control (P < 0.05). For the high-grain diet, total CH4 emissions decreased with incremental increases in the concentration of NOP supplemented (P = 0.04) and responses observed at 150 and 200 mg/kg DM differed from Control. Similarly, linear responses were observed with CH4 emissions corrected for DMI (P = 0.04) and gross energy intake (P = 0.02), with 100–200 mg NOP/kg DM differing from Control. Overall, results from the present study demonstrated that for beef cattle fed high-forage and high-grain diets, supplementation of 100–200 mg NOP/kg DM lowered enteric CH4 emissions without inducing any negative effects on DMI.
Why publication matters in conservation biology
Authors: C. Calver M. , C. Calver M. , R. King D. , R. King D.
Published: May 2016

Conservation biologists increasingly follow Soul� (1985) and describe conservation biology as a "crisis discipline". Crises require quick, comprehensive appraisal of the situation and prompt, firm decisions. These actions can be at odds with peer review and publication, which are often slow processes. Although peerreviewed journals in the physical sciences may take as little as six to eight weeks between first receipt of a paper and its publication (Daniel 1993), journals in ecology, wildlife science and conservation biology may take much longer. This problem is being exacerbated by a growth in submissions (e.g., Bull 1998).
Thinking honeyeater: nectar maps for the Northern Territory, Australia
Authors: C. Z. Woinarski John , Connors Greg , C. Franklin Don
Published: May 2016

We create monthly maps of nectar availability for the 1.4 x 106 km2 jurisdiction of the Northern Territory, Australia. These are based on a combination of vegetation mapping and a series of indices of plant species specific nectar scoring. The maps reveal complex spatial and temporal variation in nectar availability, but most notably a greater nectar resource in the monsoon-influenced north than in the arid south, and a peak in nectar availability in the dry season. The latter is associated with the extensive tropical eucalypt forests (especially those co-dominated by Eucalyptus miniata and E. tetrodonta). In contrast, wet season nectar availability in these forests is limited, but riparian and swampland forests, typically dominated by Melaleuca species, provide rich but spatially restricted nectar resources. The extensive and rich nectar resources available in eucalypt forests in the dry season supplement the diets of many species which are not primarily nectarivorous. This resource helps shape the singularity of northern Australian eucalypt forests relative to other extensive forests elsewhere in the world. Nectarivores remain in the system through a combination of movements across a number of scales, habitat shifting, and diet shifting. The latter is aided by the peaking of invertebrate and fruit resources at the times of minimum nectar production; a shuffling in resource availability brought about by the extreme climatic seasonality.
Tasmania's Threatened Fauna Handbook: What, Where and How to Protect Tasmania's Threatened Animals
Authors: Loomes Robyn
Published: May 2016

Australia already has a long list of native species that have become extinct since the arrival of humans in this country. Even longer, however, is the list of flora and fauna currently under threat from human activity. Ongoing clearing, degradation and replacement of native vegetation combined with the invasion of exotic species, not only threatens the survival of endemic flora, but the animals clinging to existence in these vanishing habitats.
The effects of non-consumptive wildlife tourism on free-ranging wildlife: a review
Authors: J. Green Ronda , Higginbottom Karen
Published: May 2016

Tourism based on free-ranging animals is economically important, but there are no comprehensive studies on the overall balance of its negative and positive effects on wildlife. However, there is a growing body of information on which we can draw for minimizing negative effects and enhancing positive ones. Major categories of negative effects include: direct injury and death; disruption of activities or increase in stress levels; and loss or modification of habitat. About half the published research literature on negative effects involves relatively conspicuous avian species, and there is a need for further research on other taxa. Major categories of positive effects include financial and practical contributions by tourists and tourism operators, economic incentives for wildlife conservation (acting through local communities, the tourism industry and governments) and environmental education. There is far less information on positive than on negative effects, and research is required to examine this quantitatively. However, the evidence suggests there is considerable unrealized potential for wildlife tourism to provide substantial conservation benefits.
Is the removal of domestic stock sufficient to restore semi-arid conservation areas?
Authors: J. Page Manda , J. S. Beeton R.
Published: May 2016

Increasingly, conservation areas are proclaimed in non-pristine environments that have biodiversity values and the issue of how to change the management regime to restore such landscapes arises. Before gazettal in 1992, Currawinya National Park (28�52'S, 144�30'E) in south-west Queensland's mulga lands was grazed by domestic stock for over 130 years. Following gazettal, the area was destocked and a monitoring programme initiated to determine the response by the vegetation. This paper describes the grass dynamics in three vegetation communities on Currawinya National Park with three different grazing regimes. Data are presented for an on-park site (native and feral herbivores present), an off-park site (domestic, native and feral herbivores were present), and an exclosure (no mammalian herbivores present). The results show that removal of domestic livestock alone is not sufficient to promote rapid recovery of grass populations, and suggest that conservation area managers must reduce native herbivore numbers as well if the desired outcome is a return to the supposed "natural" condition.
Betrayal of Science and Reason. How Anti-environmental Rhetoric Threatens our Future
Authors: Reid T.
Published: May 2016

Betrayal of Science and Reason, How Antienvironmental Rhetoric Threatens our Future is another excellent example of Paul and Anne Ehrlich's work opening doors to a sustainable future. Betrayal of Science and Reason explores current environmental problems and the importance of the scientific processes that assist in solving them. In doing this, an insight is gained into the sources and implications of anti-environmental rhetoric, providing the reader with means of understanding and refuting the fables that constitute brownlash.
Fish for Thought: Fisheries, International Trade and Sustainable Development
Authors: Rawlinson Luisa
Published: May 2016

THE world's fisheries are in crisis with declining yields and rising demands. Fish for Thought is the first in a series of papers that will flag issues at the intersection of fisheries, international trade and sustainable development. The main function of this paper is to outline the pressures of international trade on the increasing demand to harvest fish sustainably and to outline the perceived tensions between international trade in fish, fish products, fisheries services and sustainable development. While Dommen has set out to convene policy dialogues on fisheries, international trade and sustainable development, she acknowledges that this paper does not aim to be exhaustive, nor to suggest policy options. Rather, the author highlights gaps in our knowledge regarding fisheries, international trade and sustainable development that require further attention and analysis. This paper is an excellent introduction to the effects of trade and fisheries, making it a valuable reference work for those interested in the fundamental issues and problems plaguing the fisheries industry.
Seasonal and landscape differencesin the foraging behaviour of the Rufous Treecreeper Climacteris rufa
Authors: Luck Gary , Charmantier Anne , Ezanno Pauline
Published: May 2016

The insectivorous Rufous Treecreeper Climacteris rufa has declined in abundance in the agricultural regions of southwestern Australia. Examining its foraging behaviour is fundamental to identifying important foraging resources and how landscape change (e.g., fragmentation and disturbance) may affect foraging effectiveness. We studied seasonal and landscape differences in the foraging behaviour of the treecreeper in the wheatbelt of Western Australia. Foraging data were collected in autumn and winter in a large, unfragmented landscape and in a highly modified agricultural landscape (winter only) with grazed and ungrazed woodland patches. The ground layer was the most common foraging location used by the species, although there were seasonal differences in foraging behaviour in the unfragmented landscape. In autumn, treecreepers foraged primarily on trees (56% of observations) with a shift to mostly ground foraging in winter (72-74%). The species also preferentially foraged on larger trees. Foraging behaviour differed between the two landscapes within the same season. Treecreepers foraged less on the ground in the agricultural landscape (52%), but this difference is attributed mainly to the low percentage of ground foraging in ungrazed (43%) compared to grazed (60%) patches. In winter and early spring, the ground layer is an important foraging substrate for the Rufous Treecreeper and other woodland birds. Changes to the ground layer and associated invertebrate communities through habitat disturbance (e.g., weed invasion) may be detrimental to the foraging effectiveness of ground-foraging insectivores. This is a potential contributing factor to the decline of these species in the agricultural regions of southern Australia.
Conservation of wetlands in the Paroo and Warrego River catchments in arid Australia
Authors: T. Kingsford Richard , F. Thomas Rachael , L. Curtin Alison
Published: May 2016

Irrigation proposals to divert water from the Paroo and Warrego Rivers in arid Australia will affect their aquatic ecosystems. These two are the last of 26 major rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin without large dams and diversions. Knowledge of the extent of their biodiversity value is critical to assessing likely impacts. During the 1990 flood, 1.73 million ha of wetlands, or 12.5% of the land surface of the Paroo and Warrego River catchments, were flooded. Flooded wetland area in the respective catchments was 781 330 ha and 890 534 ha. Most of the wetland area (97%) was floodplain, with 37 freshwater lakes (>50 ha) occupying 2.5% of the wetland area and 177 salt lakes covering 0.8%. A high diversity and abundance of biota depend on these wetlands. Only 7% of the wetland area, all in the Paroo catchment, is in conservation reserves. New South Wales has a high proportion of the wetland area on the Paroo (60%) and a substantial proportion of the wetland area on the Warrego River (23%). Queensland, the upstream state, will influence the ecology of the entire catchment areas of both river systems through its proposed water management plan. Any resulting extraction practices will have detrimental ecological consequences within a decade. Conservation of wetlands is usually site-focused and reflects a paradigm of conservation based on reservation of parcels of land. However, wetlands are dependent on water that is seldom adequately protected. Intergovernment co-operation should protect the entire catchment of the Paroo River from major diversions and stop further development on the Warrego River. This would do more for the conservation of wetlands than the formal reservation of small parts of their catchments.
Community characteristics, species diversity and management of middle-mountain moist evergreen broad-leaved forest in the Ailao Mountains, Southwestern China
Authors: Yao Liu Wen , E. D. Fox John , Fu Xu Zai
Published: May 2016

Middle-mountain, moist, evergreen broad-leaved forest is an important forest type of Yunnan Province, SW China. Species composition, vegetation structure, physiognomy, diversity and phenology of this forest in Ailao Mountain were surveyed. The forest has characteristics common to subtropical, evergreen broad-leaved forest elsewhere in China. It also has local features associated with the middle-mountain location at lower latitude and higher altitude, including relatively high humidity and mild temperatures all year. The forest is dominated by species unique to Yunnan. There is a well-developed bamboo layer, fewer megaphanerophytes, more microphylls, more lianas and more epiphytes than in other subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests. Floristically, elements of tropical, temperate and endemic flora comprise 54, 43 and 3% of the genera, while tropical, temperate and endemics account for 22, 38 and 40% of the species in the forest. Two-thirds of the trees and shrubs have leaves with drip tips in varying degree. The phenological rhythm of the forest is similar to that of a tropical forest, with plants flowering and bearing fruits almost throughout the year. Species diversity is richer than that of other evergreen broad-leaved forests in central Yunnan. Some management strategies and priorities for this forest are suggested.
Veterinary Conservation Biology
Authors: F. Recher Harry
Published: May 2016

IN July, I attended the symposium at Taronga Zoo on "Wildlife Health and Management in Australasia" organized by the Australian Association of Veterinary Conservation Biologists, the World Association of Wildlife Veterinarians, the Wildlife Disease Association: Australasian Section, and the Wildlife Society of the New Zealand Veterinary Association. It is worth listing all these, not just because they organized a great symposium, but because I had never heard of any of them before and suspect I may not be alone. Comprehensively, these veterinary associations are concerned about conservation biology, as was the symposium. The symposium, the Proceedings of which will be reviewed in a later edition of Pacific Conservation Biology, had sections on "conservation biology in Australasia", "sustainable utilization of wildlife", "wildlife translocation", "marine wildlife" and "wildlife health", all of which embraced issues that are topical among non-veterinary conservation biologists in the Pacific Region. However, the spin was different and, for me, eye-opening.
Culture, commerce, and international co-operation in the global recovery of Polar Bears
Authors: M. R. Freeman Milton
Published: May 2016

About thirty years ago, Polar Bears were considered to be severely depleted over most of their international range. In 1973, the five range states signed an international treaty that allowed continued hunting and sale of skins by some customary users whose subsistence had historically involved commercial trade in the products of the hunt. There have been multiple benefits associated with this continued consumptive use, including Polar Bear population recovery throughout the species extensive range, enhanced international research and management co-operation, progressive involvement of the user communities in management initiatives, and excellent regulatory compliance. This successful regional and international conservation programme provides a model for managing other highly migratory (and difficult to monitor), culturally and commercially valuable species.
Impacts of agricultural land use on the floristics, diversity and life-form composition of a temperate grassy woodland
Authors: D. Hamilton S.
Published: May 2016

This opportunistic study examines the impacts of cropping and grazing management on a eucalypt grassy woodland in northern Victoria. The woodland is an area of uniformity in abiotic attributes, and with significant anecdotal similarity in pre-European floristic composition and abundance. Permanent vegetation quadrats were established within the now named Dookie Bushland Reserve, a 270 ha remnant of White and Grey Box grassy woodland located at Dookie College in northern Victoria. Density and cover for all species, as well as life form type, were evaluated within quadrats in 1992, when agricultural land uses ceased and conservation management was instigated. Results indicate that agricultural impact over a 27 year period had contributed to significant declines in the number and cover of indigenous species, and had resulted in the significant increase in the number and cover of introduced species. The loss of shrub species, juvenile eucalypts, and the dominance of tussock-forming indigenous grasses with increased agricultural impact was observed. Individual species responded differently to increased agricultural impacts. Some species, particularly non-tussock forming indigenous grasses and introduced annuals, were promoted in establishment and cover by increased impact, while others, most notably Orchidaceae and Liliaceae, were intolerant of any impact. Certain groups of indigenous species, particularly the Asteraceae and tussock forming indigenous grasses, were reduced significantly in cover by increasing impact. Grazing increased proportions of therophytic (annuals) and/or hemicryptophytic (rosette-forming) forbs, while lesser impacted sites contained a greater diversity of forbs, greater evenness across life form types, and greater proportions of perennial phanerophytes, chamaephytes and cryptophytes, and with fewer therophytes.
Conservation of relict potato Solanum tuberosum cultivars within Maori communities in New Zealand
Authors: Harris Graham
Published: May 2016

It is generally accepted by scholars that potatoes were first introduced to New Zealand in the late 18th century by Captain James Cook and the French explorer, Marion du Fresne. Further introductions of potatoes from a variety of sources including possible direct introductions from South America, followed into the 19th century. Maori were quick to recognize the advantages that these new introductions had over their traditional food crops including kumara (sweet potato) Ipomoea batatas and Taro Colocasia esculentum both of which they introduced from east Polynesia some 800-100 years previously. Potatoes soon became a staple item in the Maori diet and an important trade commodity and by the mid-19th century they were growing thousands of hectares of potatoes for that purpose. The various cultivars that were introduced were given Maori names and many of these early types are still grown by Maori, having been passed down through families for many generations. With their deep set eyes, often knobbly irregular shape, "open" leaves and colourful tubers these "Maori Potatoes" are quite distinctive in appearance from modern potatoes and some retain many of the features of Solanum tuberosum subsp. andigena types. This paper discusses the adoption of the potato by Maori, the effects it had on Maori society and the perpetuation of the early cultivars within Maori families and communities. This examination of an introduced crop plant and its intersection with an indigenous people is essentially an ethnobotanical study which in addition to its botanical and anthropological foci includes elements of Matauranga Maori (traditional Maori knowledge) history, geography and horticulture. The preservation of these old potato cultivars by generations of Maori people has made a valuable contribution to conservation of biological diversity.
Recovery of wildlife and restoration of habitats New Zealand
Authors: A. E. Atkinson I.
Published: May 2016

Although New Zealand's native fauna shares a Gondwana origin with that of Australia, there are major differences between our countries. The near-absence of land mammals and the restricted biodiversity and habitat range of New Zealand, contrast with the species-rich fauna and habitat variety of Australia. Both countries share an unenviable extinction record, particularly birds in New Zealand and mammals in Australia. Introduced mammals, often interacting with habitat destruction, have frequently been responsible for these losses in New Zealand. In some places, entire vertebrate foraging guilds have disappeared. On the mainland, control of introduced mammals has had limited success but a steadily increasing number of islands have been cleared of alien mammals. This has created new opportunities for translocating threatened species of native vertebrates and invertebrates to pest-free islands. It has also created options for substituting an ecologically similar species for one that is extinct, thus potentially achieving a more comprehensive restoration. Recent progress with island restoration has stimulated a "mainland island" strategy involving simultaneous intensive control of several pest mammals within a limited area that is then used to re-establish viable populations of threatened species. Examples are given to illustrate these conservation actions.
Effects of alien rodent control on demography of the O'ahu 'Elepaio, an endangered Hawaiian forest bird
Authors: A. Vanderwerf Eric , G. Smith David
Published: May 2016

The O'ahu 'Elepaio Chasiempis sandwichensis ibidis is an endangered monarch flycatcher endemic to the Hawaiian island of O'ahu. Nest predation by alien Black Rats Rattus rattus is one of the main causes of the decline of this forest bird. From 1996 to 2000 we monitored demography of the largest remaining O'ahu 'Elepaio population and we controlled rats with snap traps and poison bait stations in an attempt to begin recovery of the species. Nest predation by Black Rats influenced many aspects of 'Elepaio demography. Rat control resulted in a 112% increase in 'Elepaio reproduction, a 66% increase in survival of female 'Elepaio, and restored mate fidelity, site fidelity, female age structure, and female recruitment age to more natural conditions. The 'Elepaio population growth rate (lambda) was 0.76 without rat control and 1.00 with rat control, indicating rat control stabilized 'Elepaio populations, but was not sufficient to cause population increase due to the added threat of alien mosquito-borne diseases. Rat control may facilitate evolution of disease resistance by providing birds that have greater natural immunity an increased chance of reproducing, thereby increasing the proportion of resistant birds in each subsequent generation more quickly.
The ecological consequences of Buffel Grass Cenchrus ciliaris establishment within remnant vegetation of Queensland
Authors: J. Franks Andrew
Published: May 2016

The effects of Buffel Grass Cenchrus ciliaris presence and dominance in 78 Poplar Box Eucalyptus populnea woodland remnants of south central Queensland are documented, Buffel Grass was recorded from the majority of sites sampled, As the relative cover of Buffel Grass increased at both the quadrat and site level, the number of native ground cover species declined significantly. Most commonly recorded ground cover species displayed significant changes in frequency as Buffel Grass cover increased, Only two species increased with increased Buffel Grass cover: Desert Goosefoot Chenopodium desertorum subsp. anidiophyllum and Galvanised Burr Sclerolaena birchii. The average cover of Buffel Grass decreased significantly from the edge of remnants towards the core areas. The foliage projected cover of the sub-canopy layers appeared to be an important factor affecting the relative cover of Buffel Grass at any one site indicating that shading and competition with the woody layers are important determinants in the structure and composition of the ground cover layer. A number of sub-canopy species were found to produce leachates that were capable of significantly reducing the germination or growth of Buffel Grass seeds, alluding that allelopathy may play a minor role in determining ground cover species assemblages. However, this result can only be interpreted conservatively in relation to its ecological relevance with effects related to competition with overstorey woody species being of greater importance. This study quantifies the long observed effect that the exotic perennial Buffel Grass excludes other ground cover species, which may have detrimental ramifications on the functioning of remnant native vegetation over much of the state. With the recent introduction of regulations controlling broad scale tree clearing on both freehold and leasehold lands in Queensland, it is now important to identify a range of issues pertaining to the effective on ground management of remnant vegetation located outside the existing nature refuge network.
The ecological roles of logs in Australian forests and the potential impacts of harvesting intensification on log-using biota
Authors: B. Lindenmayer D. , W. Claridge A. , M. Gilmore A. , Michael D. , D. Lindenmayer B.
Published: May 2016

A review is presented of the ecological values of logs in Australian eucalypt forests. Logs are a key component of stand structural complexity and have critical functional roles for forest biodiversity including:- (1) providing nesting and sheltering sites for biota, (2) providing foraging substrates for predators like snakes and predatory invertebrates such as velvet worms, (3) providing basking and hibernation sites for reptiles, (4) facilitating animal movement, (5) providing places for key social behaviours, (6) acting as plant germination sites, (7) providing substrates to promote the growth of fungi, (8) providing mesic refugia for organisms during drought and/or fire, and (9) contributing to heterogeneity in the litter layer and patterns of ground cover. Logs also play significant roles in nutrient cycling in forests. The role of logs is often ignored in forestry operations, including those where harvesting intensification will occur through the removal of dead and/or "defective" standing trees and logs under the guise of removing so-called waste or logging "residues". Recently proposed intensive large-scale forestry operations in the Australian native forest estate (e.g., biomass burning power plants and charcoal plants) have the potential to reduce stand structural complexity, alter forest ecosystem function and negatively impact upon log-dependent species in those part of the landscape where harvesting takes place. The risks of such impacts have not been adequately measured in Australia, but they need to be addressed urgently. Prescriptions for the retention and future recruitment of logs must be developed to avert possible losses of biodiversity.
Causes of mortality of Black-fronted Terns Sterna albostriata on the Ohau River, South Island, New Zealand
Authors: J. Keedwell Rachel , D. Sanders Mark , Alley Maurice , Twentyman Caroline
Published: May 2016

We examined the carcasses of 148 Black-fronted Terns Sterna albostriata found during the 1998-2000 breeding seasons on the Ohau River, South Island, New Zealand. Predation was the primary cause of mortality of adults, juveniles and chicks, resulting in 47% of all deaths. Video footage showed Feral Cats Felis catus were responsible for 6% of all predator-caused deaths, and physical evidence at carcass remains linked cats to another 19% of predations. Further evidence suggested Norway Rats Rattus norvegicus and Stoats Mustela erminea were responsible for 51% and 6% of predator-caused deaths, respectively. The prey remains left by the different predator species are described. Other causes of mortality included starvation (4%), power lines (1%), road traffic (1%) and various natural causes of mortality (5%). Causes of mortality could not be assigned to 41 % of Black-fronted Terns, but most of these were young chicks that died at the nest soon after hatching. We suggest that predators are potentially the main cause of population decline in black-fronted terns and that predator control targeting cats and Norway Rats during the breeding season should be trialled.
Impacts of logging, fire and grazing regimes on bird species assemblages of the Pilliga woodlands of New South Wales
Authors: M. Date E. , A. Ford H. , F. Recher H.
Published: May 2016

We investigated the composition and distribution of bird assemblages in the continuous Pilliga woodlands of north-west New South Wales in relation to floristic assemblages and disturbance (logging, fire and grazing) patterns. Box-ironbark woodlands contained high densities of White Cypress Pine Callitris glaucophylla and Narrow-leaved Ironbark Eucalyptus crebra, had a sparse, depauperate understorey, and were associated with frequent, intense logging and infrequent fires (due to fire exclusion and the use of grazing for fuel reduction). Box-ironbark woodlands were characterized by high frequencies of 12 bird species that occurred throughout the Pilliga and low frequencies of many other species. Blakely's Red Gum E. blakelyi woodlands typical of creeks and Broad-leaved Ironbark E. fibrosa woodlands typical of poor soils contained lower densities or smaller trees of C. glaucophylla and E. crebra, had a moderately dense, diverse understorey, and were associated with infrequent low-intensity logging and moderately frequent wildfire. Bird species assemblages of Broad-leaved Ironbark woodlands were similar to those of box-ironbark woodlands. Blakely's Red Gum woodlands were characterized by 36 bird species that were virtually absent from box-ironbark and Broad-leaved Ironbark woodlands, including 10 threatened and declining species. The 10 are among 48 woodland species that are known or thought to be declining and that are dependent on woodlands with mature trees and grassy or patchy grass/shrub understorey. We conclude that these species have declined in the Pilliga and will continue to decline under existing disturbance regimes, particularly in box-ironbark woodlands. We suggest adaptive management strategies for maintaining and rehabilitating their habitats.
The Vegetation of the Australian Tropical Savannas
Authors: Hewitt Mark
Published: May 2016

THE publication is a CD containing 1:2 000 000 scale maps in three sheets and an accompanying technical report produced by members of the Queensland Herbarium. It is the result of a collaboration of State, Territory and Federal agencies and researchers. The full list of authors include Fox, I. D., Neldner, V. J., Wilson, G. W., Bannink, P. J., Wilson, B. A., Brocklehurst, P. S., Clark, M. J., Dickinson, K. J. M., Beard, P. S., Hopkins, A. J. M., Beeston, G. R., Harvey, J. M., Thompson, E. J., Ryan, T. S., Thompson, S. L., Butler, S. w., Cartan, H., Addicott, E. P., Bailey, L. P., Cumming, R. J., Johnson, S. C., Schmeider, M., Stephens, K. M. and Bean, A. R.
How grassland plants are distributed over five human-created habitats typical of eucalypt woodlands in a variegated landscape
Authors: McIntyre S. , M. Heard K. , G. Martin T.
Published: May 2016

A sample of 212 quadrats in grassland vegetation was collected in eucalypt woodlands in sub-tropical Queensland. These included roadside (53 sites), native pasture (109), riparian zone (20), sown pasture (16) and crop (14) habitats. A total of 350 species and subspecies was recorded of which 89 species were identified as being locally rare (native species of <3% frequency, not specialists of other habitats). Forty-three species were collected in addition to the quadrat records. Multivariate analysis indicated the major difference in floristic composition was between roadsides and native pastures, versus the other three habitats. The second axis separated roadside from native pasture vegetation, and the third axis separated riparian sites from all the rest. Crop and sown pasture habitats were the most similar in composition. The grazing practices in this region have enabled the persistence of grasslands that are of national significance in conservation terms. The variegated nature of the landscape is demonstrated by the occurrence of native grassland species across all the human-created habitats, including native species that were unique to intensive land uses. However, our results also show that intensive land uses (cropping, sown pastures) are more of a threat to the conservation status of grasslands than is cattle grazing, even at commercial levels of stocking. Species at most immediate risk are those that are sensitive to commercial cattle grazing and to intensive land uses such as crops and sown pastures.
Vision for a Sustainable Future
Authors: F. Recher Harry , J. Hobbs Richard , A. Saunders Denis
Published: May 2016

IN 1996, the Australian Federal, State and Territory governments ratified the National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia's Biological Diversity (Commonwealth of Australia 1996). This strategy states that production systems must be sustainable and not result in further loss of biological diversity. Although there is a considerable amount of work addressing the issues of landscape degradation and sustainability, it is largely conducted in the absence of any clear vision of where Australia, as an environment in which we live, should be at the end of the 21st Century and beyond. That is, Australia lacks an integrated, long-term strategic plan for the future. As a nation, Australia is not alone in lacking a vision for the future. At whatever scale we choose, from global to regional, effective environmental management and the conservation of natural systems are hampered by the lack of vision and planning on the ecological and evolutionary time scales appropriate for complex and continually changing ecosystems.
Guiding principles for sustainability
Authors: J. Hobbs Richard
Published: May 2016

SUSTAINABILITY means many things to many people. Thus, the challenge is to find a set of guidelines aimed at achieving sustainability that will be relevant to everyone. One set of six guidelines for the integrated management for agricultural production and nature conservation in Australia was developed from the expert knowledge and opinions of farmers and scientists. In effect, the guidelines are practical suggestions which can be translated easily into what farmers and land managers actually do:
Farming for the future: designing agricultural landscapes for conservation and production
Authors: Lambeck Robert
Published: May 2016

THE application of European farming practices to Australian landscapes has generated significant financial return to the nation for many decades. However, there have been substantial costs associated with these practices. These costs take the form of land degradation, loss of biological diversity and a corresponding decline in the attractiveness of rural landscapes as places in which to live. While the monetary benefits have been gradually declining over the years, the environmental costs have been mounting. In many landscapes, the point has been reached where costs threaten returns and we can no longer continue to harvest the benefits without also considering these costs.
Windows and missed opportunities
Authors: C. Paton David
Published: May 2016

WATER rationing has been introduced in most of the larger cities of southern Australia as a consequence of a shortage of water. The rationing is implemented by limiting the timing (to cooler parts of the day) and frequency with which gardens can be watered, and preventing unneeded waste, such as cleaning vehicles and concrete paths with hoses. There is, however, no guarantee that this method will lead to less water being used and no predetermined target for the level of reduction required. Few people complain about this type of rationing because the quality of our lives has not altered. But what if the requirement was for every one of us to reduce our current water consumption by at least 20% or perhaps to have an absolute limit placed on the volume of water we could use. How would we use the ration of water that we were allocated?
Translocation of the socially complex Black-eared Miner Manorina melanotis: a trial using hard and soft release techniques
Authors: H. Clarke Rohan , L. Boulton Rebecca , F. Clarke Michael
Published: May 2016

We translocated five colonies of the highly social and co-operatively breeding Black-eared Miner Manorina melanotis, an endangered Australian honeyeater. Two colonies were released immediately (hard release) and two colonies were housed in aviaries for up to a week on-site and then supplied with food for a further week following release (soft release), A fifth colony was released using a combination of methods. All four hard and soft released colonies contained dependent fledglings at the time of release, This appears to be the first translocation of a co-operative species where intact colonies containing multiple breeding females, each with a suite of helpers have been translocated successfully. Both hard and soft release treatments appeared equally successful during an initial monitoring period of up to two months. All four colonies maintained social cohesion, and displayed high levels of survival and site fidelity. Both hard release and one soft release colony attempted to breed within 600 m of their release site within eight weeks of release, The other soft release colony bred 12 months later. We believe the inclusion of dependent young in each translocated colony provided a focus for translocated colonies that promoted site faithfulness and colony cohesion. Results of long-term monitoring remain inconclusive and it is recommended that monitoring be repeated during several future breeding events. Given our findings, we recommend that when translocating highly social species every effort is made to translocate the entire group, hard release techniques be applied and stimuli that enhance group cohesion and site faithfulness (the presence of dependent young) be exploited.
Saltwater People: The Waves of Memory
Authors: Car Zoe
Published: May 2016

NONIE SHARP has spent the past 25 years exploring the dynamic cultural traditions of tropical Australia's saltwater communities, speaking with people indigenous to the coast and recording their unique perspectives on spirituality and sense of place. This book, which flows on from her previous works, is a wide-ranging exploration of the links between saltwater people of many cultures and their seascapes.
Woodland fragmentation is causing the decline of species and functional groups of birds in southeastern Australia
Authors: Watson James , Watson Alexander , Paull David , Freudenberger David
Published: May 2016

The clearance of woodlands and the simultaneous creation of alien environments have been identified as the primary reasons for the decline of many woodland birds in southeastern Australia. This study measured how the size of woodland remnants and habitat structural complexity affected bird composition and distribution in the northern Australian Capital Territory and bordering areas of New South Wales. Within this region only 8% of the original woodlands remain, embedded as patches in a matrix of pasture and suburbia. Woodland birds were surveyed in 72 woodland remnants of different size and vegetation structural complexity. Avifaunal species richness was found to increase with remnant area and habitat complexity (p < 0.01). Of the 31 resident woodland bird species detected, 22 were significantly affected by woodland patch size reduction and 20 species were significantly affected by habitat complexity loss (p < 0.05). Of the species affected, 19 were affected by both reductions in patch size and vegetation complexity. Seven species (Weebill, Brown Thornbill, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Spotted Pardalote, Grey Shrike-thrush, Scarlet Robin and White-winged Chough) not previously identified as threatened by habitat fragmentation occurred significantly less often in small remnants with low habitat complexity. Assessment of avifaunal guilds based on body size and foraging behaviour showed that all large species (n = 4) and 85% (n = 17) of insectivorous species that foraged above the ground were statistically affected by patch size and/or loss of habitat complexity. The occurrence of three species (50%) of granivores was also significantly affected (p < 0.05) by patch size and/or habitat complexity reduction. These results show that the distribution of many bird species, including some considered "common" and "widespread", is affected by patch size and habitat complexity. There are few, large complex woodland remnants within the study area, which continue to reduce in size and complexity. It is therefore predicted that the decline of woodland bird species will continue unless appropriate habitat conservation strategies are applied.