bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Flux in the sublittoral macrobenthos of Moreton Bay
Authors: STEPHENSON W.
Published: July 2006

Several different intertime dissimilarity measures, used with a variety of standardisations of data, were applied to transformed data of macrobenthic species at six sites. These data were obtained over twenty‐two times at 8‐week intervals. Results were evaluated by stepwise regressions (linear, annual cyclical, longer term cycles). Manhattan metric flux between consecutive times was preferred for most subsequent purposes. This flux divided into positive and negative components which measure, summated over all species, rates of recruitment and depletion. Use of algebraic and absolute sums permits evaluation of an index of homeostasis which measures the counterbalancing of recruitment by some species and depletion by others; this index had a value of ca 0.7.

Use of the Manhattan metric with catch standardized data indicated changes of community composition at the (more coastal) Bramble Bay sites with a roughly 3‐yr cycle and at the (more oceanic) Middle Banks sites with a roughly 51/2‐yr cycle.

In the main analyses, sites were considered individually and in various groupings. It was shown that at Bramble Bay the optimum near‐annual periodicity gives a 50‐instead of a 52‐week year, and also that with increased numbers of sites in a grouping, the greater the significance of the near‐annual cycles.

An hypothesis is outlined involving ‘counterbalancing’ between sites of depletion rates due to mobile predators or ‘disturbers’ (fish and prawns). The counterbalancing of recruitment rates is linked to depletion, and is in line with Caswell's (1978) somewhat theoretical paper in which he suggested the temporary action of predation opens up new cells for colonization.

This hypothesis goes far towards ‘explaining’ the known patchiness of benthos in Moreton Bay. Also if mobile predators are a link between areas in proximity with different biotas the ecological unit (2 ‘community’) is necessarily expanded.
The light‐brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Walker): 5. Variability of demographic characteristics in field populations of southeastern Australia.
Authors: GEIER P. W. , BRIESE D. T.
Published: July 2006

Studies of population samples of the light‐brown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana (Walker), collected along a 1500 km north‐south transect in southeastern Australia, revealed significant differences in demographic performance between cohorts of different origins reared under uniform conditions in the laboratory. Mean sample values for survivorship and rate of pre‐imaginal development, notably, were found to vary according to the latitude and mean January temperature of collection sites, suggesting that specialized forms had evolved in LBAM as an adaptive response to the characteristics of local environments. Underlying this general trend, however, great differences were recorded between samples from neighbouring populations, in actual values manifested for specific properties affecting demographic performance which would support the hypothesis that LBAM might currently be in the process of diversification throughout the area surveyed, as a consequence of environmental changes resulting from European settlement.

General inferences are drawn from the present findings, concerning feasible objectives and procedures for the practical study of pest insects.
Replacement interaction diagrams in interspecific competition experiments
Authors: WILDIN J. H. , HALL R. L.
Published: July 2006

Replacement interaction diagrams offer a new approach in displaying results of interspecific competition experiments. They allow visual assessment of both actual and relative responses of two species in a replacement series to treatments arranged in a factorial array. Yield data are plotted on a semi‐logarithmic scale along the vertical axis. Treatments are arranged on the horizontal axis.

The degree of interspecific interference or competition in mixed populations is best assessed by comparing the species response in a mixture with that in the monoculture. In competition experiments involving a number of treatment variables, replacement interaction diagrams highlight trends in treatment responses and allow some comparisions of responses between plant frequences.
The ecology of Araucaria species in New Guinea. III. Population dynamics of sample stands
Authors: ENRIGHT N. J.
Published: July 2006

Life table data for A. cunninghamii and A. hunsteinii from a total of four sites near Bulolo, Papua New Guinea are presented. Sample populations are analysed using the Leslie matrix method. Values of λ, the ‘finite rate of natural increase’, vary between sites and species in the predicted manner. The value of λ calculated for the A. cunninghamii population is close to, and slightly above 1.0, while the three values calculated for A. hunsteinii show wide variation, with values both above and below 1.0. It is argued that A. hunsteinii is a gap regenerating species and cannot regenerate beneath a closed canopy. Evidence presented here and elsewhere indicates that A. cunninghamii is more shade tolerant and therefore, theoretically, better adapted to stable forest situations.
Soil requirements of central Australian sandridge plants in relation to the duneswale soil catena
Authors: BUCKLEY R.
Published: July 2006

The soil requirements of seven central Australian sandridge plant species were examined by comparing the soils associated with individuals of each species in their typical sandridge habitats and in anomalous habitats such as dry watercourses, grader banks on road verges, disturbed ground near boreholes, and sand‐filled rock crevices.

The species studied were Zygochloa paradoxa, Chamaesyce wheeleri, Calotis erinacea, Helichrysum ambiguum, Dampiera cinerea, Triodia basedowii and Monachather paradoxa.

The first two of these are characteristic of open dunecrests, the next three of crests and upper dune slopes, and the last two of lower slopes and swales. The first five species grow in a range of anomalous habitats with nutrient status comparable to swales and lowerslopes, but only if the soils are loosened or have enhanced moisture status. The deep wellsorted sands of dry watercourses form the only anomalous habitat for Zygochloa paradoxa and Chamaesyce wheeleri. Calotis erinacea, Helichrysum ambiguum and Dampiera cinerea also grow on poorly sorted graderbank and borehole soils in the swales, but not on unmodified swale soils. The only anomalous habitats in which the last two have been found are very similar to their typical sandridge habitats and so reveal little of soil requirements.
Floristic composition and structure of a rainforest area 25yr after logging
Authors: KING G. C. , CHAPMAN W. S.
Published: July 2006

In 1949 an area of undisturbed warm temperate rainforest (simple notophyll vine forest) in mid‐north coastal New South Wales, Australia was studied in terms of both floristics and structure (Burges A. & Johnston R. D. J. Ecol. 41, 72‐83, 1953).

During 1955‐56, the area in which the transect was located was logged. Over 90% of the upper closed canopy trees adjacent to the creek and on the lower slope and about 35% of canopy trees on the upper slope were removed.

The area was reassessed in terms of floristics and structure in 1981. The greatest impact of logging in the study area was structural and largely confined to the flat adjacent to the creek and to the lower slope. With the exception of the remaining gaps covering 6% of the area, structural recovery time is estimated at 140‐190 yr. In the gaps structural recovery may take up to 250 yr.

All flowering plants, ferns and mosses previously recorded were present 25 yr after logging. The two alien plant species on the site are short lived intolerant species and gradually disappearing with canopy closure of the regenerating forest.

The regeneration of the original tree species is healthy and vigorous with most regeneration resulting from the growth of advance regeneration present at the time of logging or the germination of new seedlings. Eleven per cent of the regeneration is attributable to coppicing. The importance of remnant canopy trees as a source of propagules for the trees and epiphytes is recognised. The larger openings are slower to recover as a result of lack of protection from frost. The stability of floristic composition of this area of warm temperate rainforest following heavy logging is demonstrated.
Water stress, leaf nutrients and defoliation: a model of dieback of rural eucalypts
Authors: LANDSBERG J. , WYLIE F. R.
Published: July 2006

Water stress, concentrations of foliar nutrients and damage of foliage by insects were studied over an eleven month period, for eight dieback eucalypts and eight closely matched healthy trees growing in close association on two grazing properties near Brisbane. Four healthy eucalypts in a neighbouring State Forest were also studied. The study region had suffered severe climatic stress between 1972 and 1976 when dieback was first observed by residents and when high populations of defoliating insects were observed. Dieback trees had a higher proportion of foliage damaged by insects and higher concentrations of foliar nutrients than did matched healthy trees. The study period was one of low climatic stress during which dieback and healthy trees followed similar seasonal patterns of predawn xylem pressure potential. Dieback trees developed lower daytime minimum xylem pressure potentials than did matched healthy trees, and differed in their stomatal responses. A model of initiation and development of rural eucalypt dieback is proposed. This may have general application to many non‐specific rural diebacks in which heavy insect damage is implicated. The balance between rural eucalypts and their insect herbivores is precarious. Any factor capable of causing extensive defoliation, or an increase in foliar nitrogen, or an increase in populations of insect herbivores may upset this balance. A positive feedback loop may be activated, whereby the production of nitrogen rich epicormic foliage enhances a build up of insect populations. Repeated insect defoliation leads to tree dieback. Evidence in the literature supporting the model is reviewed and aspects requiring further research are outlined.
Changes in the composition of understorey vegetation after harvesting eucalypts for sawlogs and pulpwood in East Gippsland
Authors: LOYN RICHARD H. , FAGG PETER C. , PIGGIN JOSEPHINE E. , MORTONKEVIN ANN G. , TOLHURST G.
Published: July 2006

Cover and abundance of all understorey vascular plant species were studied on permanent plots on two areas (Maramingo and Reedy Creek) in the foothill forests of East Gippsland, eastern Victoria. The areas were harvested for sawlogs and pulpwood in 1976, and parts were burned to assist regeneration. Plots were assessed before harvesting and at intervals until 1980. Changes in total species composition were minimal, although there were many positive and negative changes in crown cover and abundance of individual species. Total cover of understorey vegetation was reduced initially but recovered well on both areas. By 1980, cover at Maramingo was slightly greater than the low levels before harvesting. Some species there were favoured by burning while others were not. At Reedy Creek the original dense understorey had not regenerated fully by 1980. Snig tracks had revegetated to 60% of original average cover but log landings were slower to revegetate. Introduced species were initially a very minor component of the vegetation on both areas: they remained so at Reedy Creek (confined mainly to tracks) but at Maramingo three species proliferated along with other small herbaceous plants.
Rainforest—eucalypt forest interactions and the relevance of the biological nomad concept
Authors: SMITH J.M.B. , GUYER I.J.
Published: July 2006

Transects across the margins of rainforests with eucalypt forests at two sites in New South Wales are described. At Girard State Forest along ten transects it was consistently found that pure rainforest occurs where there is no evidence of past burning; and that rainforest tree species appear to be invading and replacing eucalypt forest through a formerly burned ecotone area. A similar pattern was found at Barrington Tops. It is suggested that adaptations shown by species of tall open forests which enable them to regenerate rapidly after burning may have evolved initially in a fire free, prehuman rainforest environment in response to other types of disturbance.
The kwongan (sclerophyllous shrublands) of Tutanning Nature Reserve, Western Australia
Authors: BROWN J. M. , HOPKINS A. J. M.
Published: July 2006

Kwongan is an important vegetation type in southwestern Australia. It occurs in small patches throughout Tutanning Nature Reserve. Eleven patches, totalling 64 ha, were found to contain 315 vascular plant species: over half the total species recorded for the whole reserve. The patches were floristically heterotoneous (cf. Westhoff & van der Maarel 1973) but could be grouped according to three major soil types. The richest kwongan was on pockets of shallow duplex soil occurring midway down the landscape profile. Species richness appears to decline only slightly with increasing time since fire. Presence of emergent Banksia attenuata at one site did not influence the overall speciesrichness of that area.
Nitrogen and the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus): some indirect evidence
Authors: DEGABRIELE ROBERT
Published: July 2006

Indirect evidence provides additional support for the hypothesis that the level of available nitrogenous food is the major limiting influence in the abundance of the koala. It appears that koalas may select for low fibre content which is usually correlated with high nitrogen levels of leaves.
An extension of the Leslie matrix model to include a variable immature period
Authors: LONGSTAFF BARRY C.
Published: July 2006

An extension to the Leslie matrix is presented in which the age of transformation from immature to adult has a log—normal distribution. The major effect of this is shown to be on the second largest eigenvalue. The ratio of the largest to the second largest eigenvalue |λ1/λ2|, which is an index of the rate of approach to the stable age distribution, is greater in the new model, even though the value of λ1 is effectively the same. The differences in the models are most pronounced where the population is subjected to a harvesting regime.
Effects of fire on central Australian rangelands. II Changes in tree and shrub populations
Authors: GRIFFIN G. F. , FRIEDEL M. H.
Published: July 2006

The effect of a summer fire or a winter fire on tree and shrub populations in two rangeland vegetation types in central Australia was investigated. Changes in population structure of two major species occurred regardless of the season of burn. The decrease in overall density of Acacia aneura, Eremophila gilesii and Cassia spp. was similar for summer and winter fire treatments: greater reduction of E. latrobei followed the summer burn.

Higher fire line intensity caused greater mortality in all species but enhanced germination in A. aneura, a potentially ‘weedy’ species. Winter fires appear to be preferable for management of woody plants in the particular vegetation types studied.
Inter‐tree competition and small‐scale pattern in monoculture ofEucalyptus obliquaL'Herit
Authors: WEST P. W.
Published: July 2006

The pattern of spatial arrangement of trees at scales up to 20 m is examined in 12 plots of even‐aged monoculture of tall‐openEucalyptus obliquaL'Herit. forest, aged 30–57 years, in Tasmania. In general, trees were randomly arranged on the plots. In four plots there was a tendency towards regular spacing amongst the 50% largest diameter trees of the plots, these trees being the more successful competitors. There was evidence that this occurred simply because crown spread prevents dominant trees being too close together. There were slight tendencies in some plots for larger trees to be further from their nearest neighbouring tree than smaller trees and to have smaller nearest neighbours than smaller trees. These results are considered in relation to suggestions that competition in monoculture should impose spatial regularity on successful competitors and that dominant trees suppress near by trees. It is suggested that inter‐tree root grafting or variability in the shape of root and crown systems may reduce the tendency for these effects to apply, consistent with the results of the present work.
Ecological studies on Thrips imaginis Bagnall (Thysanoptera) in flowers of Echium plantagineum L. in Australia
Authors: KIRK W. D. J.
Published: July 2006

Aspects of the ecology of Thrips imaginis Bagnall in flowers of Echium plantagineum L. are described and subjected to experimental analysis.

Thrips eggs were mostly laid in plant parts that were not lost when the short‐lived flowers abscissed. The abundance of adults and larvae in flowers from the bud stage through to abscission was determined. Larvae usually required more than one flower to complete development and so had to migrate between flowers to survive. Larvae generally remained between the bases of the stamen filaments when in direct sunlight, but moved along the filaments to the anthers for rapid pollen feeding during low light intensity, especially at night. There was little spatial and temporal overlap between thrips larvae and honeybees in the flowers. Ants can cause much damage to the flowers and can feed on thrips.

Pollen feeding of T. imaginis is described. The species of pollen grain affects feeding, and this may influence breeding success.

Low u.v.‐reflecting white, blue and yellow water traps caught more T. imaginis that green, red, black and high u.v.‐reflecting white. These results agree well with the numbers of adults in several native and non‐native flowers of various colours.

Adult female thrips colour variation is correlated with for ewing length, and hence reflects factors acting on a pre‐adult stage.
Recolonization by ants of rehabilitated mineral sand mines on North Stradbroke Island, Queensland, with particular reference to seed removal
Authors: MAJER J. D.
Published: July 2006

The ant fauna of 12 sand‐mined plots representing a range of rehabilitation ages and three undisturbed vegetation controls was surveyed during 1982. Physical and botanical parameters were also measured in each plot.

Sixty‐four ant species were collected from the 15 study plots, of which 44 had colonized one or more of the mined plots. Ant recolonization proceeded rapidly in plots up to 6 years old and may have been influenced by the passage of time, plant cover, density and diversity variables, the amount of litter and by the paucity of logs. In terms of ant species composition, the mined plots were most different from the undisturbed areas. The older plots exhibited a lower ant species richness and this is believed to have resulted from interspecific competition with the tramp ant, Pheidole megacephala. Ant succession proceeded in a slower fashion in the plots dominated by P megacephala.

The influence of ants on seeds applied during broadcast seeding of rehabilitated areas was also investigated. Seed removal by ants was greatest for the arillate seeds of Acacia concurrens but moderate quantities of Allocasuarina spp., Eucalyptus spp. Xanthorrhoea sp. and Banksia spp. were taken also.

Seed removal by ants was low in the areas which had recently had topsoil applied except where ants foraged from adjacent rehabilitation areas; here they exerted their influence up to 50 m across the fresh topsoil. Seed removal rates in topsoil adjacent to forest were low. Removal rates in a revegetated area 2.5 years old approached those in forest. This indicates that the previous ant‐seed relationship had been partially restored by this time, although the relative contribution of seed harvesters and elaiosome collectors still needs to be assessed.
Existence of a soil seed bank under rainforest in New Guinea
Authors: ENRIGHT NEAL
Published: July 2006

A germination experiment indicated the existence of viable buried seed of early secondary species under well‐developed rainforest near Bulolo, Papua New Guinea. The seed bank was dominated numerically by the secondary tree species, Pipturus argenteus, this dominance increasing with depth. The same species was found to germinate most rapidly and to dominate developing plant cover in seed trays.
The distribution and abundance of the Portuguese millipede Ommatoiulus moreletii (Diplopoda: Iulidae) in Australia
Authors: BAKER G. H.
Published: July 2006

The Portuguese millipede Ommatoiulus moreletii is widespread in South Australia, well‐established in Victoria and Tasmania and has recently been found in Perth. Western Australia. It is predicted that this millipede will eventually occur in pest numbers in large areas of southern Australia.

Within South Australia, O. moreletii initially erupts in very large numbers following invasion of a new area, then declines to a lower abundance. The decrease in abundance may be caused by a shortage of food.

There was no evidence to suggest changes in the sex ratio, age distribution or percentage maturity of O. moreletii following invasion. However, millipedes in newly‐invaded areas were larger (and therefore more fecund in the case of females) than those in older populations.

There was no evidence that O. moreletii is competing with native millipedes in South Australia. Three to four years after a bushfire in a Eucalyptus woodland, there was no difference between the numbers of O. moreletii in burnt and unburnt areas.
Effects of nutrient level on thinning and non‐thinning crowding in even‐aged populations of subterranean clover
Authors: MORRIS E. C. , MYERSCOUGH P. J.
Published: July 2006

Populations of subterranean clover were used to examine the effect of lowering nutrient supply on crowding in even‐aged monospecific populations. Two hypotheses were being tested. Under one, termed ‘altered‐speed’, reducing the nutrient supply to populations merely slows down the crowding process. Under the other, called ‘altered‐form’, reducing the nutrient supply intensifies the crowding process (Morris & Myerscough 1984).

The populations were grown at eight densities of sowing and three levels of nutrient supply. Non‐thinning yield‐density curves and self‐thinning lines were fitted to the data. For the thinning populations, reducing the nutrient supply led to altered‐form crowding, with thinning lines of reduced slope and intercept for total and shoot weight being observed in populations grown at lower levels of nutrient supply. For the non‐thinning yield‐density curves, lowering the nutrient supply did alter crowding effects, but not to the extent necessary to give full altered‐form crowding. Rather, crowding effects intermediate between altered‐speed and altered‐form were observed. No altered‐speed crowding was observed in this experiment.

Comparison was made between the altered‐speed crowding observed in other data (Hozumi & Ueno 1954: White & Harper 1970) with the altered‐form crowding observed here and elsewhere (Hozumi & Ueno 1954). In these data, altered‐form crowding was consistently associated with an increase in the proportion of root in the plants' growth as nutrient level was reduced, while in altered‐speed crowding there was a complete lack of any such nutrient effect on root‐shoot proportion. This was taken as evidence that under altered‐speed crowding, variations in the level of nutrient supply did not lead to major change in the way that plants interfered with each other. For altered‐form crowding, major change in the way plants interfered with each other's growth did occur as nutrient level fell.
Do pollinators influence seed‐set inBanksia paludosaSm. andBanksia spinulosaR. Br.?
Authors: WHELAN ROBERT J. , GOLDINGAY ROSS L.
Published: July 2006

The consequences of observed variations in pollinator activity for plant reproduction depend on the breeding system of the plant and also on whether pollination is a resource in short supply. These factors are frequently assumed rather than tested. In bagging experiments withBanksia paludosain heath andB. spinulosavar.spinulosain woodland, the present study demonstrated that seed‐set does not occur by autogamy and that pollinators are indeed necessary. Experimental addition of outcrossed pollen to inflorescences failed to produce any increase in the mean number of seeds per inflorescence, measured for non‐barren inflorescences, for either species. However, inB. paludosa, the addition of pollen increased the numbers of inflorescences that set seed from 20% (controls) to 45% (pollen‐added treatment). This suggests either unusual patterns of pollen movement among and within plants or control of the pattern of seed‐set within a plant. Pollen additions failed to alter seed‐set inB. spinulosa.It is possible that a greater abundance of pollinators in the woodland ensures adequate pollination for these plants
Aspects of the dynamics of the seed‐banks and seedling populations of Acacia victoriae and Cassia spp. in arid western New South Wales
Authors: GRICE A. C. , WESTOBY MARK
Published: July 2006

Acacia victoriae, Cassia nemophila and C. phyllodinea are shrubs which occur throughout large areas of arid and semi‐arid Australia. This paper examines aspects of the dynamics of the seed‐banks and seedling populations of these plants to determine their influence upon recruitment frequency. Seed‐banks in the soil are large, ranging from 50 to 3900 seeds m‐2for A. victoriae and from 5 to 400 seeds m‐2for Cassia spp. A large proportion (ca. 80%) of these seeds are viable. Seedling densities soon after emergence range up to 25.7 m‐2for A. victoriae and up to 21.7 m‐2for Cassia spp. Any individual cohort of seedlings represents only a small proportion (< 6%) of the total seed‐bank. Most viable seeds fail to germinate even when adequate moisture is available. Seedling mortality rates are high (ca. 100%) during the first 12 months after germination. If recruitment of these shrubs is intermittent, it is most likely a result of low seedling survival rather than infrequent germination.
The effect of fire frequency on the sclerophyll vegetation of the West Head, New South Wales
Authors: NIEUWENHUIS A.
Published: July 2006

The effect of fire frequency on the relative abundance of obligate‐seeders and vegetative‐regenerators was studied in 15 pairs of sites on the West Head, NSW. Each site pair consisted of a site which had been burnt frequently over the past 20 years and a nearby site which had been burnt less frequently. The data were collected in two phases. First, the relative abundance of the two overall groups of vegetative‐regenerators and obligate‐seeders was recorded by measuring the projective cover of live foliage. The presence or absence of particular species was then measured. For all the site pairs the projective cover of live foliage of obligate‐seeders was dramatically less in the frequently burnt sites. Some obligate‐seeder shrub species were absent from frequently burnt sites and the vegetation structure was simplified. In 11 of the 15 site pairs there was an increase in the projective cover of live foliage of vegetative‐regenerators in the frequently burnt sites, while in the remaining four site pairs there were no significant differences between the infrequently and frequently burnt sites. Overall, the increases in the relative abundance of vegetative‐regenerators made by high fire frequencies were not as large as the decreases in the relative abundance of obligate‐seeders.
The soil seed bank of Triodia basedowii in relation to time since fire
Authors: WESTOBY MARK , RICE BARBARA , GRIFFIN GRAHAM , FRIEDEL MARGARET
Published: July 2006

Triodia basedowii seeds were found almost exclusively within Triodia hummocks, both in the centres and under the edges. Averaged over the whole ground surface, live seed densities in soil and litter were 85‐263 m−2 in stands which had been burnt 9 and > 35 years previously. These live seeds comprised only 56% of all filled grains, and in turn filled grains were present in only about 6% of all fruits. Thus > 4% of fruits contained live seeds. A site burnt 1 year previously had about 35 live seeds m−2 still ungerminated, but at sites burnt 3 years previously none of the pre‐fire seed bank was alive. After fire, juvenile plants were found predominantly around the edges of where hummocks had been before the fire, suggesting that seeds survive fires better around the edges.
Feral pig rooting in a mountain forest and woodland: Distribution, abundance and relationships with environmental variables
Authors: HONE JIM
Published: July 2006

The distribution, abundance and relationships with environmental variables of feral pig rooting were investigated in a mountain forest and woodland in south‐east Australia. Feral pig rooting occurred in 27 of 29, 1/km2 grids and the observed feral pig density was I/km2. A significant correlation occurred between the frequencies of plots with pig rooting and plots with pig dung. The frequency of feral rooting was significantly correlated with altitude, and with the frequency of rocks, drainage lines, and vegetation type. The occurrence of pig rooting was accurately predicted in 13 km2 by a power series function. A model of the dynamics of feral pig rooting during an eruptive fluctuation was formulated.
Spatial analysis of vegetation patterns in southern Western Australia: implications for reserve design
Authors: BURGMAN MARK A.
Published: July 2006

Spatial analysis of vegetation and soil data collected from 64 sites in southern Western Australia suggests that both soil characteristics and geographic distance between sites are important predictors of the floristic resemblance of sites on a regional scale. These two factors are largely independent, a finding that may reflect recent, rapid speciation in the study area postulated in other studies. Spatial patterns of plant guilds suggest geographic replacement, and contingent exclusion may be an important mechanism maintaining species‐richness. Existing soil and vegetation maps used to delineate reserve boundaries are found to be accurate, although the soil maps include information on vegetation patterns, independent of information on soil patterns. Within broad vegetation formations, there is some correlation of floristics in mallee stands with soil characteristics. Ordination analysis indicates a soil moisture/nutrient axis. In contrast, there are few important correlations of floristics with soil characters in kwongan (sand heath) or halophytic vegetation. Geographic distance between sites is a much more important factor. The absence of edaphic correlations implies that the observed geographic replacement of species between sites is a historical legacy, the result of recent, rapid speciation in the spatially patchy environment. It is concluded that if reserves in the region are to conserve the flora, especially rare species, the reserve system should include replicates of stands within the same broad formations and soil types at intervals less than 15 km, the minimum scale of resolution of this study.
The phenology of Onitis alexis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in the Araluen Valley: Survival in a marginal environment
Authors: TYNDALE‐BISCOE MARINA
Published: July 2006

The introduced African dung beetle, Onitis alexis Klug, has become established in the warmer regions of Australia. The south‐eastern limit of its current distribution is Moruya, NSW, and the Araluen Valley 50 km inland. At Araluen newly emerged beetles are present in dung in late spring, summer and autumn. Egg‐laying starts 1‐2 weeks after emergence and continues throughout the summer and autumn, as indicated by the presence of parous females in the population and of broods under experimental pads. Eggs laid in December/January produce adults in late summer and autumn, those laid from February to April produce adults in the following spring and summer.

In the laboratory, mortality of larvae is high in cold (0–16°C), wet conditions and their development is delayed in warm (25°C and 27°C), dry conditions. This delay was confirmed in the field during the summer drought of 1982‐83 when predicted times of emergence (based on day‐degree summation in the soil) always preceded the observed emergence time of the local population, as well as preceding the emergence of beetles developing from eggs laid at known times.

Follicle resorption in adult females was related directly to increasing age and to rainfall. Dung collected from hayed‐off pasture did not affect fecundity, but caused larval mortality. Adults survived the winters at Araluen in some years, and immatures survived best during dry winters, being facilitated in this by a cold‐induced larval diapause.

Onitis alexis larvae can survive wet or dry summers, and cold dry winters (down to about 0°C) but not wet winters. This seems to be the major factor limiting the southern distribution of the species.
Effects of hazard‐reduction burning on populations of understorey plant species on Hawkesbury sandstone
Authors: CLARK STEPHEN S.
Published: July 2006

Density counts were taken for 37 plant species on 12 plots which were assigned to three treatments: spring burn, autumn burn, and control. Post‐fire sampling was carried out at intervals of up to 6 years when a second fire treatment was applied, followed by further sampling at 1 year.

Most pre‐fire species returned by 12 months after fire. Initial recovery was slower on the autumn burn plots and these were surpassed after 12 months by the spring burn plots which remained significantly more diverse until 6 years after fire when the treatments converged. The second fire led to further loss of species, especially on the autumn burn plots. Overall, numbers of individuals were lower in the post‐fire community and did not fully recover during the 6 years before the second fire.

Of the 37 species followed over the study period, eight had population numbers consistently below pre‐fire values, seven showed better recovery on the autumn burn plots, eight showed better recovery on the spring burn plots, and fourteen had population numbers equal to or greater than pre‐fire values.

Most of the species not fully recovering had relatively poor survival rates. The better recovery rate of species on the autumn burn plots was attributable to better recruitment while the species recovering on the spring burn plots showed better survival and recruitment. The species increasing their numbers after the fire did so through good recruitment or survival, or both.

For some species post‐fire rainfall or temperature was significantly correlated with greater post‐fire recruitment; others were more strongly affected by the treatment itself or more directly by the somewhat different fire intensities in spring and autumn, the differences in soil and litter moisture content, or seasonal variations in soil seed populations.
Fire studies in mallee (Eucalyptus spp.) communities of western New South Wales: The effects of fires applied in different seasons on herbage productivity and their implications for management
Authors: NOBLE J. C.
Published: July 2006

The post‐fire development of herbaceous understoreys of Tnodia/mallee burnt in different seasons was studied over a 3 year period in south‐western New South Wales, Australia. Near Pooncarie, NSW, a 3 year sequence of above‐average rainfall immediately following burning in either the spring, autumn or winter resulted in a substantial increase in species richness and herbage dry matter production. Plots burnt in the spring produced significantly more dry matter than either the autumn or the winter‐burnt plots but only in the first growing season after burning. Some species such as Haloragis odontocarpa behaved as ephemerals, being abundant in the first post‐fire season, particularly after spring fire, before becoming inconspicuous. Short‐lived grasses, such as Stipa species, then became relatively abundant except during drought. Other experiments confirmed the potential of fire to increase herbage diversity and productivity when there was adequate rainfall. During drought, post‐fire herbage production was low and the dominant perennials, viz. mallee Eucalyptus and Triodia irritans, regenerated at the expense of the herbs. There was a strong negative correlation between combined mallee and Triodia cover and total herbage cover over time. Seedling recruitment of Triodia irritans was significantly higher on plots burnt in the spring at Pooncarie.
Lerp‐feeding in birds: A smorgasbord experiment
Authors: WOINARSKI J. C. Z. , CULLEN J. M. , HULL C. , NAYUDU R.
Published: July 2006

Lerps from three species of psyllids were presented to recently‐caught wild birds. A total of 187 birds of 29 species was tested, each for a 20 min period. In most trials some lerps were eaten. Lerps of Glycaspis fuscovena were favoured by 21 of 22 bird species which ate lerps in the trials. Almost all lerps of Creiis ?corniculata were left uneaten. The percentage consumption of lerps of Lasiopsylla striatus was intermediate. This ordering is consistent with biomass and concentration of soluble sugars, though it is the reverse of the order for protein content. There was significant variation between bird species in the number of lerps eaten, with the best performers being thornbills, Weebill, pardalotes. Rufous Whistler, and White‐eared, Brown‐headed and Fuscous Honeyeaters. In most cases, associated with the detachment of the covering lerp, the psyllid nymph sheltering underneath was eaten also. This varied substantially between bird species and the nymph itself was probably an unimportant object of foraging. Most bird species ate a higher proportion of large (>2 mm long) than of small (< 2 mm) lerps; this was so especially for birds with relatively broad bills.
An example of ant‐assisted plant invasion
Authors: SMITH J. M. B.
Published: July 2006

At a site near Armidale, New South Wales, Australia, unplanted individuals of two plant species not native to the region (Grevillea rosmarinifolia and Viola odorata) grow predominantly within 5 m of a nest of the ant Iridomyrmex purpureus, which is situated 40–50 m from planted, parent individuals. Seeds of both species, but not of two other plant species (Dianthus barbatus. Nigella damascena) not growing near the nest, were shown to be attractive to ants. Marked seeds of V. odorata were observed being carried into the I. purpureus nest, and some (with most of the elaiosome removed) were later discarded by ants from the nest. Plant invasion apparently is being facilitated by myrmecochory.
Pollen analysis and dynamics of a peat deposit in Carnarvon National Park, central Queensland
Authors: BELL C. J. E. , FINLAYSON B. L. , KERSHAW A. P.
Published: July 2006

A peat deposit within the valley of Louisa Creek in the central highlands of Queensland formed because the valley is incised below the water table in the Precipice Sandstone, an important Jurassic aquifer in the Great Artesian Basin. Peat growth appears to have been rapid, reaching a maximum depth of some 4 m in 1000 years. The pollen record preserved in the peat indicates that the vegetation communities have not altered over this period except for recent modifications perhaps attributable to increased salinity and the influence of cattle grazing. Both the Louisa Creek peat and the floodplain sediments on the Nogoa River downstream testify to a dynamic geomorphic environment. The geomorphic setting and the location of this site on the dry‐subhumid/semi‐arid boundary in Queensland, suggest that minor climatic shifts have had a substantial environmental impact leading to alternating conditions of scour and fill of valley sediments.
The response of Mitchell grasses (Astrebla spp.) and Button grass (Dactyloctenium radulans (R. Br.)) to rainfall and their importance to the survival of the Australian plague locust, Chortoicetes terminifera (Walker), in the arid zone
Authors: HUNTER D. M.
Published: July 2006

The environmental conditions that allow the growth of Barley Mitchell grass, Astrebla pectinata, and the development of the Australian plague locust, Chortoicetes terminifera, are similar. A single fall of more than 20 mm rain and a mean monthly maximum temperature above 23°C ensures sustained growth of Barley Mitchell grass and hatching of eggs of the Australian plague locust. Curly Mitchell grass, Astrebla lappacea, is found in heavier clay soils and requires about 40 mm to respond. Both Mitchell grasses normally remain green for about 2 months after rain which is slightly longer than the duration of locust development to the adult stage. As a result, locusts in Mitchell grass areas can complete their development to migration and laying on a single substantial fall of rain: an adaptation of critical importance in the arid zone where follow‐up rain is unlikely.

Under similar circumstances, ephemerals like Button grass, Dactyloctenium radulans, are dry in approximately 6 weeks. The locusts are usually at the late nymphal stage by this time and even though Mitchell grass is still quite green, nymphal growth is retarded, resulting in adults which are smaller than normal. These adults are able to accumulate the fat needed for migration by feeding on the dry green Mitchell grasses. In the absence of dry green or green Mitchell grass, the locusts persist locally and die without laying unless there is further rain.
Canopy‐borne seed store in three Western Australian plant communities
Authors: BELLAIRS SEAN M. , BELL DAVID T.
Published: July 2006

The canopy‐borne store of seed in the kwongan plant communities at Kulin and Eneabba, and in the forest understorey stratum at Jarrahdale, Western Australia was found to average 1121, 305 and 7 seeds m‐2, respectively. The bradysporous seed reserve of the plant communities increased with decreasing average annual rainfall. In comparisons between species of the same genus, obligatory reseeding bradysporous species tended to have greater numbers of seed per plant than resprouting species. The bradysporous species richness and the average seed content per plant within a species did not vary significantly with soil type, although the bradysporous species composition changed.
Effects of honey bees on colonies of Exoneura asimillima, an Australian native bee
Authors: SUGDEN EVAN A. , PYKE GRAHAM H.
Published: July 2006

Honey bee hives were placed, during two consecutive summers, in an experimental site which contained natural and artificially placed colonies of Exoneura asimillima, a semi‐social, native bee. Two classes of colonies were studied: founders, and established colonies. Nests and contents were collected from an experimental site and three control sites following several months of exposure at the experimental site to the apiary honey bee population. Nest contents were analysed for differences among sites in colony population parameters which could have been caused by resource competition with introduced honey bees. Colony founding and overall colony survival were also considered.

During the first season, the average number of large larvae plus prepupae per colony was significantly higher in the experimental site than in the control site. This difference could, however, have been the result of a two‐week gap in sampling all the sites. All nest parameters showed high variability and there were no other significant differences between the two kinds of site.

In the experimental site during the second season there were, relative to the control sites, significantly fewer total numbers of adult males and females in established nests and in all nests combined, significantly more immatures of all stages in founder nests and significantly lower adult male:female ratio. Although preliminary in nature, the data suggest that, in the experimental plots, E. asimillima showed: (i) increased adult emigration, (ii) increased brood rearing success, and/or (iii) relatively later colony founding, compared to the three controls. The possibility of resource competiton with honey bees causing the observed changes is discussed, along with alternative explanations.
Effect of plant age on tolerance of two grasses to simulated trampling
Authors: SUN DAN
Published: July 2006

The effect of plant age up to 85 days on the resistance to trampling and recovery of Cynodon dactylon and Lolium perenne was examined quantitatively in a glasshouse experiment. Simulated trampling treatments were initially applied to these plants at six different time intervals based upon age: 5, 15, 25, 45, 65 and 85 days after seed germination. Resistance of both species to trampling was found to increase with age. Overall, the recovery of C. dactylon also increased with age while L. perenne showed no significant difference in recovery as age increased. Resistance of L. perenne to trampling was higher than that of C. dactylon at all six ages while the recovery of C. dactylon from trampling was greater than that of L. perenne at all six ages. In conclusion, trampling can be considered as an important factor affecting the establishment of seedlings.
Plants, fungi and bettongs: A fire‐dependent co‐evolutionary relationship
Authors: TAYLOR ROBERT J.
Published: July 2006

Digging activity by Bettongia gaimardi increased in small areas burnt by a low intensity fire at a site in northern Tasmania. A gap of several days occurred after the fire before digging began. Sporocarps of only one genus of mycorrhizal fungi (Mesophellia) were eaten by bettongs after the fire, in contrast to high numbers of species eaten in surrounding unburnt areas. It is hypothesized that the fire selectively stimulated the production of sporocarps by Mesophellia (a genus associated with eucalypts) rather than by simply making them more accessible or detectable. Stimulation of production of sporocarps by fire may ensure high infection rates and facilitate the uptake by eucalypts of nutrients released by the fire. These observations have important management implications.
Floral traits and pollinator constancy: Foraging by native bees among three sympatric legumes
Authors: GROSS C. L.
Published: July 2006

Abstract
The foraging constancy of the solitary bee, Trichocolletes sp., was documented in a semi‐arid ecosystem where three morphologically similar legumes co‐occur. To quantify the degree of floral similarity among the forage plants, Dillwynia hispida, Dillwynia uncinata and Pultenaea densifolia, discriminant function analysis of petal dimensions and a spectral analysis of corolla colour was undertaken. Petal size varied moderately among species resulting in 2–14% of specimens being misclassified, usually as D. uncinata. Subtle variation in corolla colour in the ultraviolet wavelengths contributed to the distinctiveness of each species. All three species exhibit an UV‐absorbing region at the base of the standard petal which contrasts sharply with the rest of the UV‐rerlecting petal. Between 450 nm and 470 nm, per cent reflectance drops for D. hispida and P. densifolia, but remains steady for D. uncinata. Above 480 nm, parts of the standard petal in all species reflect similar amounts of light with little variation exhibited among species. Nectar was only offered by D. hispida and D. uncinata, whereas P. densifolia produced an excess of pollen which may serve as a reward. Despite the subtle differences in floral morphology and rewards among these sympatric legumes, Trichocolletes bees only remained faithful to a given species in 43% of 183 interplant flights. Inconstant foraging by Trichocolletes sp. increases the pool of resources because rewards in all three legume species can be obtained in exactly the same manner.