Contents About this issue Editorial and Bulletin deadlines............................... 1 Society News

President’s Report ............................................... 2 Executive Officer's Report .................................. 3 Secretary’s Report ............................................... 4 Other ESA News ................................................. 8

Jill Landsberg Trust...................................... 8 Position Statements ...................................... 8 New Members .............................................. 8 ESA Annual Conference ............................ 10

Miscellaneous.................................................... 11 Ecology around Australia

Tasmania ........................................................... 18 Northern Territory ............................................. 20 Queensland ........................................................ 22 Victoria ............................................................ 30 ACT ................................................................. 32 South Australia.................................................. 32 New South Wales .............................................. 33

News from Overseas Societies ............................. 44 Abstracts of Higher Degrees ............................... 46 NoticeBoard Forthcoming Meetings ........................................... 54 Interesting websites................................................ 56 Membership information and application form ........................................................................... 59-60 Office Bearers ............................................................. Inside Covers

BULLETIN

of the ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA

INCORPORATED

37: 1 March 2007

ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

2007 Office Bearers

President Peter Fairweather School of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science & Engineering Flinders University Adelaide SA 5001 Ph: 08 8201 5021 President@ecolsoc.org.au Hon Secretary Tish Silberbauer C/ ESA Office Ph: 08 8953 7544 Secretary@ecolsoc.org.au Hon. Treasurer Charles Morris School of Science, Food & Horticulture Hawkesbury Campus University of Western Sydney Locked Bag 1797 South Penrith DC 1797 Ph: 02 4570 1635 Fax: 02 4570 1621 Treasurer@ecolsoc.org.au Executive Officer Larelle McMillan PO Box 8250 Alice Springs NT 0871 Ph: 07 5459 4681 Fax: 07 5459 4547 ExecutiveOfficer@ecolsoc.org.au

Vice-Presidents Kris French Department of Biological Sciences University of Wollongong Northfields Ave Wollongong NSW 2522 Ph: 02 4221 3655 Fax: 02 4221 4135 VP2@ecolsoc.org.au Dawn Hawthorn-Jackson South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board PO Box 1374 Berri SA 5343 Ph: 08 8226 9953 VP1@ecolsoc.org.au Caroline Gross Ecosystem Management The University of New England Armidale NSW 2035 Ph: 02 6773 3759 VP3@ecolsoc.org.au Past President Craig James Rangelands and Savannas Program CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems PO Box 2111 Alice Springs NT 0871 Ph: 08 8950 7157 Fax: 08 8950 7187 PastPres@ecolsoc.org.au

Hon. Bulletin Editor Sue Murray-Jones Coastal Protection Branch Dept for Environment and Heritage GPO Box 1047 ADELAIDE SA 5001 Ph: 08 8124 4895 Fax: 08 8124 4920 Bulletin@ecolsoc.org.au

Membership Manager Lyn McCormick PO Box 8250 Alice Springs NT 0871 Ph: 08 8953 7544 Fax: 08 8953 7566 membership@ecolsoc.org.au

Hon. Public Officer Debbie Saunders Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies WK Hancock Building West 43 Biology Place Australian National University (ANU) Canberra ACT 2601 Ph: 02 6125 2635 PublicOfficer@ecolsoc.org.au

FASTS Representative Michael L. Roderick Research School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Advanced Studies, ANU GPO Box 475, Canberra ACT 2601

General Mail to the ESA should be directed to: Ecological Society of Australia Inc.P O Box 8250 Alice Springs NT 0871

Ph: 02 61255589 Fax: 02 61255095 FASTS@ecolsoc.org.au

(Listing continued inside back cover)

Published by the Ecological Society of Australia Inc., PO Box 8250 Alice Springs NT 0871 ISSN 1320-548X

The Bulletin is printed by Pirion Printing, Fyshwick, ACT ©Ecological Society of Australia, Inc. 2007

NOTICE: Items printed herein should not be reproduced without the permission of the Society or the author of the material. Opinions expressed by contributors to the Bulletin do not necessarily represent the views of the Ecological Society of Australia, Inc. unless otherwise stated. Any mention of companies or products in the Bulletin should not be viewed as an endorsement by the Ecological Society of Australia, Inc. Cover Picture: Logo for the 2007 ESA conference in Perth. Drawn by Luda Korczynskyj.

ESA publications are printed on recycled paper.

ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED 2007 Office Bearers

Austral Ecology Managing Editor: Mike Bull School of Biological Sciences Flinders University GPO Box 2100 Adelaide SA 5001 Ph: 08 201 2263 AustralEditor@ecolsoc.org.au Book Review Editor Ian Lunt Vegetation Management, School of Envt & Information Sciences Charles Sturt University PO Box 789 Albury NSW 2640 Ph: 02 6051 9624; Fax: 02 6051 9897 books@ecolsoc.org.au Associate Editors Alan Andersen, Darwin Ros Blanche, Atherton Gee Chapman, Sydney Peter Clarke, Armidale Ross Coleman, Sydney Don Driscoll, Adelaide Kris French, Wollongong Pete Green, Melbourne Caroline Gross, Armidale David Keith, Sydney Michelle Leishman, Sydney John Ludwig, Atherton Ralph MacNally, Melbourne Angus McIntosh, Christchurch, NZ Jane Melville, Melbourne Todd Minchinton, Wollongong Jeremy Midgley, CapeTown, S. Africa Nicola Mitchell, Perth Ben Moore, Townsville John Morgan, Melbourne Tim Moulton, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brad Murray, Sydney Tony Norton, Launceston Kirsten Parris, Melbourne Adele Pile, Sydney Alastair Robertson, Palmerston North, New Zealand Kevin Rogers, Johannesburg, S. Africa Michael Schwarz, Adelaide Lin Schwarzkopf, Townsville Anita Smyth, Alice Springs William Stock, Perth Jenny Taylor, Sydney Jim Thomson, Melbourne Erik Wapstra, Hobart Glenda Wardle, Sydney David Watson, Albury Carol West, Invercargill, NZ Martin Whiting, Johannesburg, S. Africa Karen Wills, Hobart

Regional Councillors Australian Capital Territory Jason Cummings 59 Cameron Avenue Belconnen ACT Australia Ph: 02 6245 1921 ACT@ecolsoc.org.au New South Wales Liz Tasker Dept of Environment & Conservation PO Box 1967, Hurstville NSW 2220 Ph: 02 9585 6061, Fax: 02 9585 6606 NSW@ecolsoc.org.au Northern Territory Brooke Rankmore Biodiversity Unit, NT Govt PO Box 496 Palmerston NT 0831 Ph: 08 8944 8458 NT@ecolsoc.org.au Queensland Andrew R. Hayes Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland St Lucia QLD 4072 Ph: 07 3346 2980 QLD@ecolsoc.org.au South Australia Meredith Henderson Science and Conservation, SA Dept for Environment and Heritage Ph: 08 8222 9455; Fax: 08 8222 9456 SA@ecolsoc.org.au Tasmania Oberon Carter Biodiversity Conservation Branch, DPIWE. GPO Box 44, Hobart Tas 7000 Ph: 03 6233 6372; Fax: 03 6233 3477 TAS@ecolsoc.org.au Victoria Euan Ritchie School of Tropical Biology James Cook University 55 Kirwood Street Blairgowrie VIC 3942 Ph: 03 59888230 VIC@ecolsoc.org.au Western Australia Eddie Van Etten School of Natural Sciences Edith Cowan University 100 Joondalup Drive WA 6027 Ph: 08 9400 5566, Fax: 08 9400 5509 WA@ecolsoc.org.au

Other Societies' Bulletins Bernie Masters; PO Box 315 Capel WA 6271 Ph: 08 9752 1949 Fax: 08 9727 2670 bmasters@iinet.net.au Ecological Society of NZ Ingrid Gruner, Dept. Conservation, West Coast Tai Poutini Conservancy, Private Bag 701, Sewell Street Hokitika. Ph: 03 7555536; Fax: 03 7558380 igruner@doc.govt.nz

Ecological Management & Restoration Editor Dr Tein McDonald PO Box 14 Woodburn NSW 2472 EMReditor@ecolsoc.org.au Executive Jann Williams (Chair), La Trobe University Andrew Bennett, Deakin University Nigel Tucker, Biotropica Australia Craig Copeland, NSW Department of Primary Industries Andrew Campbell (ex officio), Land & Water Australia, ACT Editorial Board Peter Bayliss, ERISS Darwin Sean Bellairs, Charles Darwin University Sandra Berry, The Australian National University Stuart Blanch, WWF Australia Robin Buchanan, Consultant Sue Carthew, University of Adelaide Michelle Casanova, Consultant Ian Davidson, Greening Australia NSW Peter Fairweather, Flinders University Alaric Fisher, Department of Infrastructure, Planning & Environment Guy Fitzhardinge, Thring Pastoral Company David Goldney, Charles Sturt University Richard Hobbs, Murdoch University John Kanowski, Griffith University Richard Kingsford, University of New South Wales Juliana McCosker, Environmental Protection Agency, Qld Mark McDonnell, Univ. of Melbourne Craig Miller, NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources David Norton, Univ. of Canterbury, NZ Noel Preece, EcOz Australia, NT Suzanne Prober, Consultant Mark Robinson, Bioregen Paul Ryan, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, ACT Cas Vanderwoude, Consultant, NZ Angela Wardell-Johnston, Corinda Ben White, University of Western Australia Chris Williams, Trust for Nature (Victoria) New Zealand representative Robyn Sinclair Biological Sciences, Macquarie Univ. North Ryde, NSW, 2109 Ph: 02 9850 8191 rsinclai@bio.mq.edu.au

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 1

EDITORIAL Sue Murray-Jones, Hon. Bulletin Editor

I would like to thank Ray Wills for stepping up and putting out the December issue while I was swimming with dolphins and whale sharks in Mozambique. Really helped me to leave it in safe hands. Ray also voluntarily did the membership list - what a star!

Working in Africa was an amazing experience. I was working with a Swazi-based organisation, which undertakes terrestrial conservation work and ecological programs in Swaziland, South Africa, and Mozambique. They wanted to add some marine programs in southern Mozambique, which is where I came in.

They are doing some good work, and are looking for more involvement from other researchers, both terrestrial and marine. There are several ways to get involved, from collaborative projects to work experience for recent postgraduates. I have written a short article for this edition on the projects they are running, just in case anyone is interested in extending their research to other places in the southern hemisphere (see p16). I can certainly recommend the experience.

A fascinating new report (Atmosphere of Pressure: Political Interference in Federal Climate Science) reveals some of the dirty tricks the Bush administration has used to discredit global warming (p11). It’s a frightening indictment for a democracy. Ecologists everywhere need to take a stand against this sort of meddling. Also making news is the release of the long-awaited Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change report. The jury’s back in, climate change is official, real, and down to human action ... no surprises there! There are flaws in the report, though (see p11). Would love someone with more expertise on this than me to write a short article on this for the next Bulletin.

Other news of interest: the Jill Landsberg Trust is up and running and has already achieved a very respectable balance (see report on page 8), and will be giving grants this year. Jill would have been very pleased. With the end of the financial year coming up, now is a good time to make donations and claw back some money from the tax collector.

Copy Deadlines

Material for publication in the June 2007 issue of the Bulletin, including Regional Reports, should be sent to the Editor, Dr Sue Murray-Jones (Coastal Protection Branch, Dept for Environment and Heritage, GPO Box 1047 Adelaide 5001; ph. (08) 8124 4895, e.mail: Bulletin@ecolsoc.org.au) by Friday 11 May 2007. Note that material for ‘Ecology around Australia’ should go directly to Regional Councillors, not the Editor. Contact details inside back cover.

Instructions to authors The preferred format is a minimally formatted text or RTF file submitted as an attachment to an e.mail message. Please avoid sending copy as text within e.mail messages. Attachment file names should include the author’s family name and the issue for which copy is intended. Please DO NOT use names such as “abstract.doc” or “bulletin.doc”.

Please observe the following conventions when preparing your contribution. • single font (Times New Roman 12 point) throughout • italicise all scientific names • give the full wording of acronyms for organisations,

agreements etc. on first mention

• keep formatting to a minimum • no extra lines between paragraphs • use single spacing

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Loose inserts and pamphlets can be included in a mail-out; heavy items incur a higher rate to meet Australia Post charges. Inserts must not project beyond the covers of the Bulletin; inserts requiring folding will attract an additional fee. Prices for inclusions on request. Loose advertising material should be delivered to Dr Nick Nicholls by Friday 11 May 2007. Postal address: CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems PO Box 284, Canberra ACT 2601 Street address for courier deliveries: CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems (Stores entry), Bellenden Street, Grace ACT 2911. Phone (02) 6242 1753, Fax (02) 6242 1555

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 2

SOCIETY NEWS PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Peter Fairweather Happy New Year for 2007. I would like to welcome all the new Councillors onto ESA Council. I hope that your time serving the interests of our Society and the membership will be as rewarding as it is challenging. Thank you on behalf of the membership for assuming these in important duties. And I am excited to be able to announce that Carla Catterall of Griffith University has agreed to serve for 2007 as President-Elect, with a view to being elected as our President from 2008.

The summer has proven to be a very newsworthy time for ecology and the environment in general. Much of the political activity that impinges upon our professional concerns as ecologists is also providing opportunities for ESA to contribute to the debate. Our politicians from all sides of the political fence seem to have ‘discovered’ many ecological realities that they were previously denying – these Johnnies-come-lately are no doubt just reflecting the public mood, so it is heartening to see that so many of our messages about applied ecology are getting through to the wider public. We should seek to continue that trend.

A bad season for bushfires has seen one blaze run for 10 weeks through much of NE Victoria. Regardless of any factual information, some people have taken that opportunity to push old political barrows of “grazing would prevent blazing”, “forestry lands don’t burn” and “with ‘proper’ management we can remove all risk of bushfire on public lands”. On the other hand, it was heartening to see David Lindenmayer of ANU piping up in a recent ABC documentary series on bushfire to point out that Australian ecosystems are often well-adapted to fire and that the oft-heard news reporting of “100s of hectares were destroyed” is plainly an over-reaction. Such voices of reason that base their arguments

upon good science are to be applauded. ESA, of course, has a public policy about fire in the Australian landscape and I urge members to reacquaint themselves with this statement and use it in their own debates and brushes with the media. ESA Council, on your behalf, has also lent support to some prominent members in fire ecology to make a more current public statement.

The water crisis has been highlighted in this federal election year as a major issue. The severe drought across the southern part of the country and the threat of another El Niño event have highlighted the crumbling of an aged and neglected public infrastructure needed to deliver water to the Australian public. The science of water allocation, environmental flows and recycling for potable use have all been highlighted in the media recently. Water removal from wetlands, or damming it behind instream weirs, so as to ensure supplies for drinking in cities such as mine, are also policy areas in which the ecological message needs full consideration. Playing catch-up isn’t easy without creating even more problems for the future!

On top of this are the threatening predictions coming from the IPCC’s latest modelling and global assessments – realities made more plausible and even palatable by the efforts of Al Gore and Tim Flannery, amongst others. Hence the considerable about-face performed by our federal government regarding how our emissions affect the global greenhouse and climate change more broadly. A touted solution, nuclear power, raises further issues of the greenhouse costs of mining, processing and waste disposal that don’t seem to be fully canvassed as yet. Also we may need to do something soon to avert future costs of greenhouse gases that are already in the

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 3

atmosphere. As usual, lags in the ecosystem response are likely to dwarf current concerns.

ESA welcomes these debates and hopes that our efforts at research and restoration will feature in society’s decisions. Understanding the ways in which our animals, plants and microbes may adapt in these changing circumstances will be an ongoing job of work for our evolutionary ecologists.

Another area of public concern is how we can mandate now for best environmental practice in our land-use industries – obviously we need to recognise and incorporate our ecological understandings. A case in point is the coming Australian Forestry Standard – Ross Peacock, on behalf of ESA, has been a key negotiator of what we can hope is an improved way of logging across the country. Such an environmental standard should be one that both the industry and public can be

proud of. The approval process, occurring under the Standards Australia banner, has been a challenging one for scientists such as Ross and another ESA member, Brendan Wintle (as an independent environmental science representative). It seems that a final vote on the Standard may be delayed some months whilst the best possible outcome is finalised.

All the above should make for a spirited discussion at the annual Science Meets Parliament sessions coming up in March and organised by FASTS. Again, ESA hopes to send at least a couple of members along. Such are the myriad of ways that ESA represents our professional interest. In the meantime, happy data hunting and concept gathering.

Peter Fairweather 11/2/2007

EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REPORT Larelle McMillan

With the busy end of year period in 2006

now over, and all workshop, AGM and audit reporting complete, I’m now well underway with some exciting 2007 activities.

Before telling you a bit about these, I should let you know that a CD of presentations from the Plantations vs Native Forests workshop held in Sydney in December 2006 is now available from the ESA. Already we have had over 30 requests for these CDs – mainly from people unable to make the workshop.

At the Council planning meeting held in Sydney (alongside the workshop), Council agreed to investigate the possibility and options for the ESA to reduce its ecological footprint and work towards becoming ‘Carbon Neutral’. I have been developing a draft policy and options and this will be presented to Council at the March meeting.

Lyn and I will be attending a training seminar in Brisbane this month which focuses on financial sustainability of non-profits; exploring investments, tax issues, and other financial management and reporting issues. Lyn will then work with me here in Queensland for a few days where we will

focus on the Society’s systems and procedures, with the view to developing a comprehensive procedures manual. This will enable succession to be tackled with ease and ensure all aspects of the Society’s operations are managed to the highest standards.

Other activities that have taken up much of my time in the first part of this year have been progressing with the Jill Landsberg Trust Fund (management and distribution issues) and support for the fundraiser held in Melbourne on 23 February (a report will feature in the June Bulletin); Science meets Parliament to be held on 27 & 28 March; many follow-up tasks from Council meetings; and support for our Regional Councillors.

Preparations are also well underway for the Perth Conference in November this year. I’ve been assisting the local organising committee with various tasks including website, sponsorship and promotions.

The first few months of 2007 are evidence that this year is set to be extremely busy, I’m looking forward to the challenge and supporting the Society with many exciting events and activities forthcoming.

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 4

SECRETARY’S REPORT Tish Silberbauer

Council Meeting 12 December 2006 (meeting 6 of 6) Meeting at Building EA Room G36, U Western Sydney, Parramatta; 9am - 3.30pm 1 Welcome to old and new members; apologies Present: Peter Fairweather, Eddie van Etten, Kris French, Meredith Henderson, Jann Williams, Jason Cummings, Andrew Hayes, Tish Silberbauer, Charles Morris, Larelle McMillan, Lyn McCormick, Liz Tasker. Apologies: Mike Austin, Sandy Berry, Mike Bull, Oberon Carter, Tracy Dawes-Gromadzki, Caroline Gross, Dawn Hawthorn-Jackson, Craig James, Sue Murray-Jones, Ben Moore, Brooke Rankmore, Euan Ritchie, Debbie Saunders, Ray Wills.

PF welcomed new Council members – Jason Cummings (ACT regional councillor), Andrew Hayes (Qld regional councillor), Brooke Rankmore (NT regional councillor) and Debbie Saunders (Public Officer).

PF, on behalf of the ESA Council, thanked retiring Council members - Mike Austin, Sandy Berry, Ben Moore and Tracy Dawes-Gromadzki for the work they did for ESA. 2 Minutes of previous meeting Motion: That the minutes of the previous meeting be accepted as a true and correct record. Proposed PF, 2nd TF. Motion carried. 3 Items arising from the minutes 5.18.1 Larelle to apply for an extension and communicate with Brendan. Brendan volunteered to coordinate something from the ESA – time restrictions made it impossible to get a formal ESA response, but Brendan has collated opinions of about six ESA members and has submitted those opinions on behalf of those members. 4 Larelle’s four month review

There has been only positive feedback about Larelle’s work as Exec Officer. Everyone is pleased with the way Larelle is going about her position Proposal: That Larelle be confirmed in the position as Executive Officer of the ESA. Proposed: PF, 2nd LT. All in favour 5 ESA 2007 conference The Perth local organising committee (LOC) consists of 12 people. The budget is tight and currently estimates about $1000 loss to ESA based on 400 people registering for the conference – a conservative estimate based on recent conferences. Previous conferences have averaged about 500 people. Council requested the 2007 LOC prepare three projections based on small, medium and large numbers of delegates and to look at previous numbers attending conferences in Perth.

EvE noted that costs for the 2007 were increased because of using a convention centre (rather than a more traditional venue of a university). The advantage of a convention centre is that everyone is in the same location and not scattered across campus. The convention centre also has a large auditorium that will easily fit all delegates. The convention centre is easy to reach by public transport (train station at the convention centre) and is central. It is difficult to get a large lecture theatre and rooms at UWA. EvE is getting a preliminary quote from the convention centre.

The postgraduate day will be held at UWA. Catering can be adjusted down.

PF – what about the use of student volunteers to keep costs down? EvE said that the LOC will be using student volunteers. EvE will ask Judy Potter if she can negotiate with the convention centre AV company to use student volunteers (and lower AV charges).

Field trips will be budgeted separately and based on a break-even budget.

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 5

Media - $11,000 quote from Econnect. Larelle will talk with Econnect about a contract rather than a conference-by-conference arrangement. EvE will discuss co-ordinating media with the Birds Australia conference.

The budget is based on high sponsorship (~$60,000 - $46,000 major sponsors + $13,000 minor sponsors). Good prospects from mining companies. JW suggested considering asking for $10,000 from each sponsor.

Registration fees: currently $484 early member, $550 regular member; $165 early student, $240 regular student. Council is happy with registration fees.

EvE will contact Mark Westoby about the student day.

Invited sponsored lecture: need to develop protocols for selecting and inviting people to talk. Need to make a selection committee. Send invitation out by mid-year. Gold medal lecture President’s address Plenary: Paul Erlich Andrewartha symposium: EvE will contact Alan Butler, CSIRO, who was one of Andrewartha’s last students. Will also talk with Murray Littlejohn.

Environmental footprint – will try to minimize environmental footprint. 6.5.1 EvE to organise budget projections based on low, medium and large numbers of delegates to the 2007 conference. ASAP. 6.5.2 Larelle to discuss a longer-term contract with Econnect, rather than the current one (conference-by-conference). During 2007. 6.5.3 EvE to contact Mark Westoby about student day. ASAP. 6.5.4 TS to email original Westoby letter to EvE. Complete. 6 ESA 2008 conference David Keith has agreed to be on Sydney LOC LOC should consider including a marine component. JW suggests including some female speakers in the plenary and invited speaker list. 6.6.1 LT will ask about plans to accommodate delegates in excess of 500 people. During 2007.

6.6.2 LT to ask Sydney LOC to approach Sydney-based ESA members to see who wishes to be involved with conference. During 2007. 6.6.3 TS to inform Sydney LOC that LT is an ex-officio member of the LOC. Complete. 7 Investment strategy James Thier, Executive Director of Australian Ethical, visited the meeting to talk about ethical investments Australia. Handed out information brochures. Has a charter to avoid polluters, human rights abusers, etc. Supports recycling, renewable energy, regional initiatives, etc. CM – ESA can do better with investments than current term deposits (which return ~5%). Proposes that ESA invest some funds in managed trusts. Ethical investments are better, ethically, than other options. 6.7.1 CM, PF and Lyn will consider for the Business Plan. During 2007. 8 INTECOL INTECOL LOC is about to sign a contract with the professional conference orgnanisers (PCO) “Tour Hosts”. PF has handed out stacks of bookmarks. The INTECOL scientific committee is going ahead with Mike Bull as the Chair. Will assemble an international advisory board for the scientific program. Council to consider if we want on-going input to the INTECOL LOC. The MOU with NZ is in its final form and will be signed before Christmas. 9 ISI listing of EMR NOTE – EMR turned a small profit in 2005/06. Congratulations to the EMR team.

Keep an eye on ISI listing as it is a two-year cycle. RQF will impact on manuscript submission from academics and CSIRO. KF thinks that four years is too long because RQF will have an impact sooner. This will damage links between academics and practitioners.. ESA can’t afford not to apply for ISI listing. JW – ISI will change the focus of the journal by going to more academic and less for practitioners. KF – encourage EMR to put itself into a position where ISI listing is possible over the next 12-18 months. Maybe put 1-2 high-profile people onto the EMR board.

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 6

CM – Internationalisation – perhaps go the Austral Ecology route via NZ and South Africa. PF – There will be a NZ member on the EMR board after the Wellington discussions. CM – South America also possible. KF – no-one wants EMR to disappear. JW – the best thing to ensure the viability of the journal. e.g. Tein considering broadening international input. LT – make sure international issues are relevant, e.g. mining, pests. KF – linked target hot fields prior to ISI application. PF – still lots of scope for promoting EMR to other societies. 6.9.1 EMR to explore options that would put itself into a position to apply for ISI listing, as well as support the viability of the journal, over the next 12-18 months - then review potential listing at that stage. 2007 and 2008. 10 ESA and Greening Australia (GA) PF tabled a proposal put forward by Greening Australia to the ESA. PF – concern about perception that non-members get free stuff from ESA e.g. access to member’s area of ESA website. MH – many points about GA getting stuff from ESA that they could get from being members. They should just become members. Addressing points raised in GA proposal: 1. fine 2. fine 3. fine 4. always possible, especially through ESA regional councillors. e.g. joint thematic workshops 5. fine 6. could run something in the Bulletin to advertise 7. to be negotiated, already have members involved with GA programs 8. GA have been sponsors – modest 9. rule out KF – promote exchange between ESA and GA through regional councillors (RCs) and conferences. EvE – get GA involved as co-sponsors of programs. ESA has no process for MOUs between societies. 6.10.1 JW to talk to David Carr about GA providing state representatives to liaise with ESA RCs. During 2007.

6.10.2 JW to suggest GA collate questions for ESA members and send to ESA listserver a few times per year. Limited access via Larelle, e.g. once per month. Request help from ESA members. Urgent questions to be channelled through RCs. During 2007. 11 Austral Ecology affiliate price Sustaining Associates access to journals. Mike Bull suggests making a rule that sustaining associates receive the Bulletin only. PF suggests doing away with the sustaining associates category. Larelle and Lyn point out that sustaining associates may be in the constitution. JW suggests that EMR have a password system like Austral Ecology and restricting them to a single print copy each. PF read letter from Rose Williams about the transfer of contract from Blackwells to Blackwells+Wiley. Council endorsed PF to complete item. 6.11.1 May need to re-word constitution to amend sustaining associates’ rights to all ESA publications. After 2007 all sustaining associates get one paper copy of journal each. During 2007. 6.11.2 Lyn to contact GA and say that they if they subscribe as a Sustaining Associate again in 2007 then they will only receive one hard copy of the journal (as per the constitution). ASAP. KF left meeting 12 Education and public awareness Key question: who are we trying to reach by increasing awareness? Why? increase profile, increase membership, or increase opportunities for members? Regional media workshops. $5000 quote from Econnect to run a workshop for 10 people. May be able to negotiate a price or get local people / organisations to run. Maybe ask senior people who have done training to be media contacts for ESA. ESA expert guide – quality control is an issue.

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 7

Promote EMR and Austral Ecology e.g. by inserting note about EMR through newsletters to CMAs, water groups, land managers, etc. NRM Jobs list is a good place to start. Advertise in The Land. Find out where Blackwells advertises and promote. Send sample journals to regional events – Larelle and Lyn will send some to ESA 2007. 6.12.1 RCs to survey members to gauge interest. Larelle to forward words to RCs. During 2007. 6.12.2 RCs and Larelle to have phone hook-ups to discuss RC stuff. On-going. 6.12.3 Council to develop a list of potential media contacts by email and give list to Larelle. By February 2007. 6.12.4 Lyn and Larelle to create HTML email advert and email to NRM jobs list. Include links to journals in email signatures. On-going. 6.12.5 Perth LOC (via National Media Centre) to look for WA-based science media companies. During 2007. 6.12.6 Larelle to investigate media-release writing skills development. During 2007. 13 TERN by NCRIS PF asked council who would like to be involved with developing TERN over the next 3-6 months. KF will be the primary contact. JW expressed an interest. Other names to approach: Rod Keenan, Rob Whelan, Liz Tasker, Alan York, Steve Turton, Roger Kitching, Meredith Henderson, Mark Westoby, Richard Hobbs, Eddie van Etten. ESA needs to provide names to Graham Harris when items arise. 14 ESA environmental policy Environmental footprint of ESA: Does not feature in strategic plan, but could insert words, e.g. “ESA encourages recycling”.

The carbon-neutral 2007 conference approach: Remediate by perhaps planting offsets. Track and report each year. Maybe appoint a sustainability officer / councillor.

On the positive side, ESA Council and Exec are minimizing waste of resources by using email over letters, and having phone hook-ups rather than travelling to meetings. 6.14.1 Larelle will investigate options. During 2007.

15 Secretary TS will have to take leave from ESA secretary position from June 2007 for at least six months. She is seeking a replacement for that time. 6.15.1 TS to seek a replacement secretary for the second half of 2007. ASAP. 16 Forward agenda for 2007 Get strategic plan approved by membership. Draft business plan, circulate and get approved by membership. Continue to work on issues raised today. Succession planning. Develop and act on strategic plan items, e.g. ethics. 17 Other Business CM proposes a vote of thanks to KF for organising the Plantations Workshop. All in favour. Presentation of accounts 6.17.1 Lyn to email TS a copy of accounts to 30 November 2006. President-elect PF has talked with two candidates and is looking to appoint someone by March or April 2007. FASTS Asked if ESA wants to nominate RQF workshops. February or March in Canberra. ESA go into biological and environmental disciplines. Names suggested: Chris Dickman, Rick Shine, Mark Westoby, Will Stock, Rob Whelan, Lesley Hughes, Hugh Possingham, Mike Bull. 6.17.2 PF to draft email to membership for Larelle to distribute. ASAP. 6.17.3 TS to email council to help KF with grants. Complete. 18 Next Meeting Meeting schedule – first Friday of every month. Exec to meet mid-January and Council in early February.

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 8

OTHER ESA NEWS JILL LANDSBERG TRUST

FUND The Jill Landsberg Trust Fund has been established by the Ecological Society of Australia Inc, to celebrate the life and contributions of Jill to the Society and to Australian ecology in general. The Fund will provide an annual scholarship in applied ecology to assist with the fieldwork expenses of a postgraduate student.

As well as this direct financial support for fieldwork, the successful applicant will be supported to attend the ESA conference at which the scholarship is awarded, and in the following year to attend the conference again and present a paper on the research findings.

The Trustees are currently developing the criteria and rules for the scholarship, with the intention that applications will be invited in the June 2007 Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Inc. We anticipate announcing the first recipient in time to make a presentation at the Perth ESA conference.

The Trustees of the Landsberg Trust Fund are pleased to report that the Fund is now formally established, with a balance of $55,850 at the end of 2006. This has been achieved through the generosity of 45 donors. More donations are expected in 2007, together with the proceeds of a fundraiser to be held by the Victorian members of ESA in late February. Our sincere thanks to Kirsti Abbott and Euan Ritchie for taking this important initiative.

More details of the Jill Landsberg Trust Fund can be found at www.ecolsoc.org.au/What%20we%20do/Endowments.html

NEW MEMBERS

A very warm welcome to the following new members: Andrew Carty; Benjamin Russell; Bronwen Forsyth; Cassandra Stokes; Denna Kingdom; Dixie Nott; Gerald Page; Joanne Oldland; Karen Mitchell; Leo Phelan; Liubov Volkova; Lucy Simnett; Nevil Schultz; Phil Straw; Rod Kavanagh; Rohan Sadler; Shae

Callan; Sian Wilkins; Simon Cook; Simon Hudson; Timothy Cavagnaro; Vanessa Keyzer; Zena Lakis.

ESA POSITION STATEMENTS

Co-ordinator Dr Ross Peacock Ross.Peacock@dipnr.nsw.gov.au

1. A small working group has been formed to scope and develop an ESA position statement on forestry. Initial activity has focussed on exploring what is meant by 'forestry' - does it include plantations, agro-forestry, farm forestry, tree planting for environmental purposes, traditional multiple-use production forestry on public land, etc? Should it include issues in forests such as harvesting, fuel reduction, grazing, health/disease, fragmentation, weed invasion, traditional use, passive use, or benign neglect? The focus will be on these activities relevance to the maintenance of forest ecological systems. Further ideas and assistance in the development of the position statement are welcomed.

2. A draft revision of the clearing position statement has been completed. Keep your eye on the web site. The authors are after information on recent estimates of clearing in the top end (N.T.), as they understand there's substantial conversion to plantations in that region. If you are not on the ESA e.list, and want a copy, please contact Caroline Gross at: (cgross@pobox.une.edu.au). Towards the development of a Position Statement on destructive fishing practices: Should ESA promote academic discussion? Jon Neville, jon_nevill@yahoo.com.au. Summary: Australia is committed to phasing out destructive fishing practices by 2012; however, neither the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) nor the fisheries management agencies of the States have developed policy statements on destructive fishing practices, which would

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 9

chart a course towards the 2012 goal. A wide definition of destructive fishing practices would include overfishing beyond reasonable recovery, damaging levels of bycatch, fishing of spawning aggregations, bottom trawling over vulnerable habitat, and ghost fishing by discarded gear. In one form or another all these activities currently occur within the Australian Fishing Zone. Background: The outcomes statement of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg in 2002, contains a commitment to phasing out destructive fishing practices in the marine environment by the year 2012. Australia supported this statement, along with all other nations attending the Summit.

Many nations had made commitments to end destructive fishing practices much earlier. In 1999, 124 nations explicitly gave their support to the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries 1995 through the Rome Declaration on Responsible Fisheries. The list of these nations includes Australia. However, while the Code of Conduct contains a commitment to end destructive fishing practices, the Code (naturally enough) contains no timelines.

The narrowest definition of destructive fishing practices might refer principally to bottom trawling over vulnerable habitat (deep sea corals, for example) along with blast-fishing and poison-fishing. A wider and more useful definition would include: • overfishing beyond reasonable recovery limits; • damaging levels of bycatch; • the fishing of spawning aggregations; • bottom trawling over vulnerable habitat;

This definition could be extended to cover activities such as: • ghost fishing by lost or discarded gear (at present Australian fishers have no legal obligation to recover lost gear, or to identify gear subject to loss); • shark netting of popular swimming beaches (with high bycatch); • amateur use of fish aggregating devices where they increase the likelihood of unsustainable catch levels; and • spearfishing at night or by SCUBA.

All these activities, in one form or another, continue under the regulation of either AFMA or State fisheries management agencies, or both. A notable example of destructive deep sea trawling associated with unsustainable bycatch is the orange roughy fishery over the Cascade Plateau in south eastern Australia. Policy change within fisheries agencies: Fisheries management agencies around the world have a history of moving slowly, often very slowly, to accommodate changes in both science and community attitudes.

An internet search carried out on 5 October 2006 indicated that no Australian fisheries management agency has undertaken preparation of a broad-ranging policy on destructive fishing practices. Moreover, the search revealed that, of 16 regional fisheries management organisations only one (CCAMLR) has commenced development of such a policy, and this document is still in draft form. The global search similarly failed to find evidence of the development of a wide-ranging policy by either management agencies, fisher organisations, or marine conservation organisations – in spite of the importance of the issue world-wide.

Raising awareness: To gather information and ideas, and to heighten awareness of the project, a student competition could be organised for the best paper on “the control of destructive fishing practices in Australia.” Such a competition could be announced in time for students to consider the issue during the 2007 academic year. Hopefully lecturers setting student projects and essays might facilitate this exercise.

OnlyOnePlanet Australia has already agreed to donate $1000 towards the prize for such a competition. It is possible that other sponsors could be found.

A copy of this paper including endnotes and references may be obtained from jon_nevill@yahoo.com.au.

ESA is considering developing a position

statement on this issue. Comments welcome, either to Jon or post to ESA Forum (see p58 for details).

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 10

Annual Conference of the Ecological Society of Australia

Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre Perth WA 25th – 30th November 2007

Adapting to change Society - Environment - Science

This conference will explore the place of ecology and ecologists in our changing world. By highlighting three key elements – society, environment, and science – we want to broaden the debate about change, and explore the way we view, understand, manage and influence change. Can ecology play a more effective role in facilitating change in human societies? As the environment changes what is the role of ecology in understanding, managing and adapting to this change? And as the way science is done changes and the way science is perceived by society changes, how does our own discipline of ecology need to adapt?

“In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future.” (Eric Hoffer)

Highlights: * Renowned Plenary Speakers addressing the conference theme include Paul Ehrlich, President, Center for Conservation Biology & Bing Professor of Population Studies, Stanford University, USA * Range of interesting symposia addressing emerging issues in ecology * Open-forum featuring a diverse array of presentations – both oral papers & posters (with post-graduates strongly encouraged to present) * Post-graduate Student Workshop, Sunday 25 November (Current Ecology and Evolution) * Mid-week conference field trips (one-day) to various sites around Perth, Rottnest Island, National Parks, Nature Reserves, Bushland Remnants, Wetlands * Pre- and post- field trips planned (3 to 7 days) * ‘Dove-tails’ with Australasian Ornithological Congress (3rd-5th Dec at UWA) * Conference dinner, welcoming function and other social events * Central and convenient location at the new Perth Convention Centre

Key Dates:

28 February Call for Symposia submissions (late submissions may be allowed – email conference organisers)

8 March Confirmation of Symposium Topics 16 March Call for abstracts 1 April Registration available online 31 August Final date for abstract submissions 14 September Program finalised 1 October Close of Early Bird 26-30 November Conference

www.ecolsoc.org.au/ESA2007Conference.htm

Contact: esa@welldone.com.au Tel: +61 2 4422 2211

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 11

MISCELLANEOUS

Scientific Foundation for Climate Change The new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been released. The report presents a snapshot of peer-reviewed climate change science and confirms that human activity is causing global warming. The IPCC is the United Nation’s chief authority on the science of climate change. This report is the first of four instalments to be released this year. Each reflects the work of more than 500 scientists and is based on rigorous scientific research and discovery. For more information, or for a copy of the report, see www.ipcc.ch. (Why are politicians acting as if this report contains much new information? Now it seems that we still shouldn’t do anything much about carbon emissions, as it will be bad for Australian business! Perhaps politicians should consider how bad climate change itself will be for business! Unfortunately, a colleague of mine tells me that, due to the cut-off date for literature considered, data about accelerated rates of melting of glaciers and ice sheets have not been incorporated into these IPCC estimates of sea level rise. Also not included is any information that is not already incorporated into models. Later revised estimates are likely to be much more gloomy. Watch this space. Ed.)

Dirty tricks Out of concern that inappropriate political interference and media favouritism are compromising federal climate science, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and the Government Accountability Project (GAP) undertook independent investigations of federal climate science. UCS mailed a questionnaire to more than 1,600 climate scientists at federal agencies to gauge the extent to which politics was playing a role in scientists' research. Surveys were also sent to scientists at the independent National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) for comparison.

GAP also conducted in-depth interviews with federal climate scientists and other officials and analysed thousands of pages of government documents.

Conclusions? The quality of federal climate change research is good, BUT there is broad interference in communicating scientific results. The report (Atmosphere of Pressure: Political Interference in Federal

Climate Science) reveals some of the dirty tricks the Bush administration has employed to discredit global warming. Over 40% of respondents reported pressure to change wording and eliminate difficult phrases like ‘climate change’ from reports.

More info and executive summary at: www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/interference/atmosphere-of-pressure.html. Australia and South Africa formalise climate change partnership South Africa and Australia have set the foundations to work more closely on climate change, with the signing of a Letter of Intent by South African Minister for the Environment and the Australian Minister for the Environment and Heritage. The agreement sets in place a formal partnership for future action and cooperation. For more information on Australia’s climate change partnerships, visit www.greenhouse.gov.au/international.

Climate records Ancient giant clams dug from Papua New Guinea's tropical rainforests have provided Australian paleoclimatologists with a unique and detailed record of climate to 400 000 years ago. See: www.publish.csiro.au/?act=view_file&file_id=EC132p8.pdf Fossilised coral reef reveals link between warmer climate and higher sea levels The discovery of a fossilised coral reef sitting high and dry at the southern tip of Western Australia has provided a warning that climate change is likely to cause a catastrophic melting of ice and rapid rise in sea level. The fossilised reef has been dated to about 125,000 years ago, the middle of the last period of global warming, known as the last interglacial. It shows that when temperatures were about two to three degrees higher during that time, sea levels were at least three to four metres higher than at present (BRN News).

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Tim Flannery - Australian of the Year Tim Flannery has been recognised for his work in tackling climate change and named Australian of the Year. Flannery wants to use his award to convince farmers, big business and government that time is running out to deal with climate change and water shortages. US$25 million global warming prize Airline tycoon Richard Branson has announced a US$25 million prize for the first person to come up with a way of scrubbing greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere in the battle to beat global warming.

Flanked by climate campaigners former US Vice President Al Gore and British ex-diplomat Crispin Tickell, Branson said he hoped the prize would spur innovative and creative thought to save mankind from self-destruction. Banksia awards The Banksia Awards over the last 17 years have recognised many valuable Australians for their tireless efforts in making a positive difference to our environment. Leading by example, the finalists and winners of the Banksia Environmental Awards have inspired and motivated other individuals, organisations and companies across Australia to take up the vision, pursuit and practice of environmental excellence. It’s time to nominate yourself or colleagues for an award, as well as for the 2007 Prime Minister's Environmentalist of the Year Award. Closing date Tuesday 8 May 2007. See www.banksiafdn.com/index.php.

Review of the GBR Marine Park Act A review of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 has been released. The review focused on updating the regulatory, governance and accountability frameworks and consultative mechanisms required for the long-term protection of the Great Barrier Reef, and the impact of the landmark Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The review was conducted following the implementation of the Representative Areas Programme, which dramatically increased protection of the reef’s marine life and diversity, and provided a generous package to help affected fishing

industries and communities adjust to zoning changes. For a copy of the report see www.deh.gov.au. New Ministry The Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP, and the Hon John Cobb MP are the new Minister and Assistant Minister responsible for the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Water Resources (was Dept Environment and Heritage). Environmental valuation database The NSW Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) is currently funding, on behalf of Australia, a 2-year pilot membership of the Environmental Valuation Reference Inventory (EVRI). EVRI is a Canadian-run international environmental valuation database supported by Australia, Canada, France, UK and USA. It contains over 1,700 international studies providing values, methodologies, techniques and theories on environmental valuation and the benefits transfer approach. DEC's sponsorship o allows Australian residents to have free access to this growing database. EVRI is an invaluable resource for economists, researchers, policymakers, consultants, students and others interested in environmental valuation. For links to EVRI and more information please visit http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/publications/evri.htm (BRN News). National Pollutant Inventory 05/06 Annual information on emissions to Australia's air, land and water has been released for 2005-6. The NPI is a publicly accessible database containing information on emissions of 90 substances from more than 3,800 facilities around the country. This was the eighth NPI reporting year. A total of 47 of the 90 NPI substances reported by industrial facilities decreased compared to the previous year. The NPI can be accessed at www.npi.gov.au New fire research centre established With two principal partners, the NSW Department of Environment & Conservation and the NSW Rural Fire Service, Ross

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Bradstock has established a new Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires at the University of Wollongong. The Centre is devoted to understanding how we can live with fire in a sustainable way. Research at the Centre is focused on how bushfire risks to the environment can be mitigated, balanced and managed. Details from rossb@uow.edu.au (BRN News). New cyclone tracking map A graphic new cyclone tracking map doubles the forecast period of a predicted storm system to 48 hours. The colourful visual on the Bureau website makes it easier for people to see where the cyclone has been - and where it is forecast to go. The map can be accessed via the Bureau of Meteorology’s website, www.bom.gov.au/. Market-based instruments to boost soil, water and vegetation management The Australian, State and Territory governments have approved nine new pilot projects to test whether market-based instruments can improve management of soil, water and vegetation. Up to $5 million will be allocated under round two of the National Market Based Instruments Pilot Programme – an initiative under the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality. Market-based instruments, such as auctions and tenders, can increase the cost-effectiveness of delivering incentives to landholders and create new markets for natural resource management and environmental outcomes. The funding will help catchment management authorities and regional bodies implement the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality. www.napswq.gov.au/mbi/index.html. ARC-NZ Research Network for Vegetation Function The Network for Vegetation Function operates through working groups. These gather 10 or so researchers get together for sessions of a few days, to tackle research questions that need data synthesis or new concepts or theory. This is an open call for proposals towards fresh working groups. The potential range of topics is wide, spanning for example molecular genetics and proteomics,

evolutionary radiation, ecophysiology, development and architecture, root symbioses, ecosystem processes, functional and comparative ecology, global change, natural resource management, herbivory, pollination, vegetation dynamics, soil processes, nutrient cycles, plant diseases, global change, palaeoecology.

Proposals should be brief (1-2 pages). Send to rdelves@bio.mq.edu.au by 16 April 2007. They need to articulate an idea and to indicate people who would be involved, but do not need to specify budgets or dates. See www.vegfunction.net/research/opencall.htm. You are also welcome to discuss possibilities in advance: Mark.Westoby@mq.edu.au or iwright@bio.mq.edu.au.

Anti-whaling nations unite against Japan Australia has joined 21 anti-whaling allies to protest against Japan’s scientific whaling programme, known as JARPA II. In a joint diplomatic representation the governments of Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States have united to express serious concerns about the departure of Japan’s whaling fleet on 15 November to Antarctic waters to kill whales in the name of science, and called upon Japan to halt its so-called scientific whaling operations. Community engagement kits Victoria’s Department of Sustainability and Environment has published a free Effective Engagement Kit to help project teams achieve better outcomes. The kit also aims to help communities create better relationships, enhance the reputation of their organisation, increase understanding of community issues and improve partnerships and networks. See www.dse.vic.gov.au/engage. National Ecological Meta Database The Bureau of Meteorology hosts the National Ecological Meta Database (NEMD), a database intended to improve the accessibility of natural systems data to researchers, natural resource managers and

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 14

policy makers. The database has been designed to store, and search for, information (metadata) about ecological datasets. The NEMD is a work in progress and organisations and individuals are encouraged to contribute information about natural systems data they hold. Have a look online at www.bom.gov.au/nemd/ (BRN News). New botanical ambassador to Kew Royal Botanic Gardens A botanist will be posted to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew to help research Australia's early plant collections. A/Prof Jeremy Bruhl, from the University of New England, will be the 52nd botanist appointed as the Australian Botanic Liaison Officer. The majority of Australia's early plant collections dating back to Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander are held in Kew and other European herbaria. They are a fantastic resource - a rich historical record of early explorers and the specimens they collected. For nearly 70 years an Australian botanist has been appointed to work at Kew. The Liaison Officer acts as a botanical ambassador in London and elsewhere, presenting lectures and attending conferences.

Productivity Commission waste report The Commission’s Terms of Reference were to examine and report on current and potential resource efficiency in Australia, in particular issues associated with solid, non-hazardous waste, including municipal waste, commercial and industrial waste, and construction and demolition waste. Some of the issues addressed by the Commission include the need for better national waste data, improved community education about the nature of waste problems and the need for a sound analysis of the costs and benefits of strategies to address those problems. The Commission has also made a number of recommendations about landfill management. See: www.pc.gov.au/inquiry/waste/index.html Australian Biological Resources Study The nation's premier taxonomy advisory committee has new members. The Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) is an Australian Government research agency

providing species information for biodiversity management.The ABRS Advisory Committee advises the Parliamentary Secretary on taxonomy policy and assesses research grants that provide valuable information on little known Australian plants, animals and micro-organisms. Australia still has a large number of species that are still poorly known or completely undocumented. The study of such species is fundamental to effective conservation, and for the use of plants and animals in medicines and vaccines. The following new members took up their three year appointments in January: Professor Merilyn Sleigh as the chair of the committee, Dr Brett Summerell, Dr Robin Wilson, Mr Andrew Inglis, and Dr Anna Lavelle. Bird species and climate change A status report reviews more than 200 scientific articles and finds a clear and escalating pattern of climate change impacts on bird species around the world, suggesting a trend towards a major bird extinction from global warming. Specific groups of birds are at high risk from climate change, particularly migratory, mountain, island, wetland, Arctic and Antarctic birds, and seabirds.

While bird species that can move easily to new habitats are expected to continue to do well, bird species that thrive only in a narrow environmental range are expected to decline, and to be outnumbered by invasive species. The report concludes that birds suffer from climate change effects in every part of the globe and notes that scientists have found declines of up to 90% in some bird populations, as well as total and unprecedented reproductive failure in others. http://assets.panda.org/downloads/birdsclimatereportfinal.pdf. (Wormworth, J. and Mallon, K. 2006.: The Global Status Report (version 1.0). A report to: World Wide Fund for Nature. 74 pp.)

Predation by rats on islands listed as a key threatening process Predation by exotic rats on Australian offshore islands of less than 1000 km2 (100,000 ha) has now been listed as a key threatening process. See: www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/ktp/island-rats.html

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 15

European research opportunities Michaela Bauer is working at the Australian Embassy in Brussels as part of a team from the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). Their mandate is to promote Australian research excellence in Europe and to highlight opportunities for strengthening cooperation between European and Australian researchers. They wish to encourage Australian researchers to participate in research projects or mobility schemes under the EU Framework Programmes, such as the 7th European Union (EU) Framework Programme for research and technological development (FP7).

The total budget for FP7 is EUR 50.521 billion, and it will run until 2013.

There are 10 themes that have been proposed for collaborative research, including health; food, agriculture and fisheries, biotechnology; environment (including climate change).

Australian participation in FP7: All areas are open to participation by researchers from outside the European Union. An Australian researcher would need to be part of a research consortium containing at least three researchers from different EU member states or associated countries.

All calls for proposals are published on http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/calls/.

Further information is available at www.cordis.europa.eu. If you have any further questions about FP7, advice about proposals or how to find European project partners, please consult the website of the Forum for European-Australian Science and Technology Cooperation (FEAST) on www.feast.org, OR contact Michaela Bauer, michaela.bauer@dfat.gov.au.

Australian researchers can subscribe to 'European Science & Research News', the regular newsletter produced by the DEST Brussels office. To subscribe go to www.feast.org/?newsletters.

FASTS news (see FASTS@anu.edu.au.)@web!

SMP Science meets Parliament 2007 will be conducted on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 March 2007. ESA will be sending representatives, watch this space for feedback. The 2006 State of the Environment Report The 2006 State of the Environment Report has been released. Some key messages are:

• Environmental Data: It is still not possible to give a comprehensive national picture of the state of Australia's environment. This is because we lack accurate, nationally consistent environmental data.

• Consumption: Many of the pressures from human activity that were reported in the 2001 State of the Environment Report still exist, and some have intensified.

• Australia's Variable Climate: Australia has always experienced a climate that is naturally extremely variable and in the last 200 years we have not seen the full range of this variability. Yet we have to learn to live in this environment and there are consequences that need acknowledging. The recent (and continuing) drought has shown that our cities, lands, biodiversity and rural industries are vulnerable.

• Climate Change: Climate change compounded with climate variability adds to this important finding. The future nature and extent of climate change is uncertain, its existence is not. We need to make sure that our response focuses on adaptation in the context of our variable climate, the need for environmental restoration and any climate changes that we may reasonably anticipate in the future. Uncertainty should not inhibit the taking of appropriate steps to address the issue.

See www.deh.gov.au/soe/2006/index.html. New Pathways to Prosperity The Business Council of Australia has released a discussion paper on innovation – New Pathways to Prosperity. The paper advocates five ‘key pointers’:

• Recognise innovation as a critical national priority, and align efforts by

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 16

governments and business to boost innovation.

• Strengthen linkages and collaboration between all elements of Australia’s innovation system.

• Implement specific policy and investment measures to strengthen Australia’s research networks and institutions.

• Enhance policy focus and strategic investment in education and training to improve the innovation capabilities and culture of our people.

• Undertake continuing micro-economic reforms to improve and sustain a business environment suitable for innovation. See www.bca.com.au.

Economic Impact Study of the CRC Programme A report commissioned by DEST by the economic consultants, Insight Ecomonics, shows that the Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) boost the Australian economy by an estimated $2.7 billion per year. The report finds that for every $1 invested, GDP is cumulatively $1.16 higher than it otherwise would have been if the money had been left with the taxpayer. This is a return greater than 2:1. See www.crc.gov.au/.

Labor’s First Step On Science And Mathematics FASTS has welcomed Labor’s announcement that it would target student debt to provide incentives to science and mathematics students. The President of FASTS, Professor Tom Spurling said Labor’s proposal will help rebalance the absurd situation whereby a science or mathematics teacher commences their career with a significantly higher HECS debt than arts and humanities teachers.

Labor has promised to reduce the HECS debt for a full time student from $7,118 to $3,998 per year, and pay 50% of the HECS debt for each year, up to 5 years, for science and mathematics graduates who work in specified occupations including teaching.

OTHER Conservation in southern Africa I have just returned from three months helping a Swazi-based organisation, All Out Africa, set up some marine conservation programs in southern Mozambique. All Out run a variety of care, teaching and conservation programs, taking advantage of the huge interest in Europe for having a meaningful experience during what’s now known as a gap year – something that didn’t exist back when I was at school. The money paid by these gap year volunteers is All Out’s main funding source, and it allows them to carry out some diverse programs.

The conservation programs range from helping out in various national parks and conservation reserves in the region, to full-on research projects. An ecologist, Prof. Ara Monadjem at the University of Swaziland, is their research director. Ara’s main areas of interest are bats, reptiles and birds. Ara has an impressive publication record … a quick search on Google Advanced Scholar will give an idea of the breadth of his interests.

Swaziland is an interesting area, ecologically speaking. The eastern region forms part of the Maputaland Centre of Plant Diversity (one of the world's ‘hotspots’ of floral, as well as faunal, species richness and endemism), while the western region falls within another area of global significance, the Drakensberg Escarpment Endemic Bird Area. The value of Swaziland's biodiversity has long been recognised by Swazis who make use of it on a daily basis for various reasons such as traditional medicine and food. Traditional systems of conserving biodiversity also exist but have not been documented and are currently being eroded.

Some of the projects All Out are active in are aimed at facilitating the development of Trans-Frontier Conservation Areas, for example the Malolotja-Somingvelo TFCA across the South Africa-Swaziland border. Projects underway are in National Parks and Nature Reserves both in mountainous areas and savannah ecosystems. The projects focus on carrying out research and monitoring work necessary for conservation management. Currently their research focus is on threatened birds (e.g.

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 17

Blue swallows, vultures and Marabou storks), bat communities and tortoise ecology.

The other area of focus is marine conservation in southern Mozambique. Kicking much of this off was my role. At present this involves a swag of monitoring programs, both subtidal and intertidal, cetacean research and turtle tagging, litter surveys etc. There is an opportunity for some interesting research projects here, and All Out plan to develop some cross-border projects, into the St Lucia Greater Wetland Park in Kwa-Zulu Natal province in South Africa.

All Out is keen to develop more projects and is looking for strong ecological partnerships with researchers elsewhere. Currently, there are three categories of people working with All Out (excluding paid staff), listed below; however there is definitely flexibility in all of this, and collaborative projects from other researchers would be welcome, as long as there is potential to occupy volunteers in fieldwork. All Out is a not-for-profit organisation, but has to cover costs and pay staff, run vehicles etc. The main way at present they do this is by attracting paying volunteers. Other funding opportunities are very limited in Swaziland, outside of very specific areas of interest from international agencies.

I think that there is scope to look at some of the interesting ecological questions in a broader context. This is an opportunity to add data points, expand your focus, or test your theory in a separate ecosystem. After all, we changed the name of our journal from Australian Journal of Ecology to Austral Ecology to reflect the need to include more research from our hemisphere.

Africa was much easier to work in than I expected and is definitely worth considering. Feel free to give me a call or email me for more information (see inside cover for my details), or you can approach All Out direct. Their website is www.all-out.org/, and it contains more information on current programs, although the marine projects have not yet been updated. I have offered to help with this as soon as I can. Bear in mind while looking at the website that is designed to catch the eye of gap-year students rather than to attract other researchers!

Current categories of involvement (very flexible): 1. Project coordinator/researcher: This person will coordinate projects, develop new ones, write up results, manage volunteers, network etc etc. Generally at least a 3 month position. All Out will pay expenses except travel to Swaziland. This is a fantastic opportunity for new postgrads, people in-between short-term contracts – or people like me who just need a change, and a chance to do something a bit more hands-on than the usual grind. 2. Research assistant: someone who comes on board to run or set up a specific research project but who would not have the responsibility of managing volunteers. Generally they would be expected to pay for their own accommodation and food (generally cheap in the region), but would not be expected to pay the project fee. 3. Volunteers: they pay All Out as per the schedule on the web site. They are the “engine” that fuels the program! (Note: All Out need more volunteers to be able to expand programs. Although most of their current volunteers join via other organisations, All Out receives more funds if people join them direct. If you know anyone who is interested in doing volunteer work, steer them to All Out. I can recommend the experience). Sue Murray-Jones, Bulletin Editor

Recreational harvesting on Mozambique/ South African Border

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 18

ECOLOGY AROUND AUSTRALIA

TASMANIA Oberon Carter, Regional Councillor

Department of Primary Industries & Water Louise Gilfedder, local contact Louise Gilfedder has recently returned from a Churchill Fellowship to the USA and Canada, investigating approaches to achieving biodiversity conservation objectives in rural landscapes through partnership models. The fellowship gave the opportunity to investigate what are the types of incentives that encourage the integration of agricultural production and conservation, and what are the partnerships that facilitate their development and delivery. Ecoregional planning and successful landscape approaches to conservation planning were also investigated. Louise.Gilfedder@dpiw.tas.gov.au for more details.

‘From Mountains to the Sea – the JBK years’ (11th November 2006) Kerry Bridle, local contact A celebration of the contribution of Jamie Kirkpatrick to Australian ecology, and the laughter could be heard all around the building.

Many ecologists have gone forth from the direction of Jamie Kirkpatrick, and have nestled in various parts of Australia and New Zealand. Some bond exists between these ex-Tasmanian residents, so much so that when four of them got together for a walk one Christmas they decided that it would be a good idea to get together to celebrate Jamie’s 60th birthday (Neil Gibson, Kate Brown, Fiona Coates, and Ian Thomas). And what better way to celebrate it than a ‘secret’ meeting of the clan in Hobart.

The idea went along the lines of ex-students presenting at a symposium with the sole aim of getting Jamie to laugh through each talk, to see who got him to laugh

loudest, longest and whether he could sustain the laughter all day long. Neil delegated this task to me, and then sat down to his coffee and cake, well satisfied with his job well done!

We approached ex-students from far and wide to come and present their research. With the help of Christina Kirkpatrick, we managed to keep it all a secret from Jamie, so that on the day, he knew something was happening, but not what. And using the laughter meter, he was not prepared for the arrival of Neil and Kate (WA), Rod Fensham (Qld), Kath Dickinson (NZ via China), Ian and Fiona (Vic) and news from Dave Bowman (o/s) and Jocelyne Hughes (UK).

Laughter was heard loud and strong, all day long. Chris Harwood gave an overview of fieldwork with Jamie (in the days of hobnailed boots), while ‘locals’ such as Jenny Scott, Jennie Whinam and John Marsden-Smedley also gave their version of how Jamie had influenced their lives (sent two off to the coldest place on earth and turned the third into a pyromaniac). The tone of the day was well set by Mick Brown’s overview of Jamie’s career to date though superimposing Jamie’s head onto a St Kilda football player’s body was more of a statement of Jamie’s dream state rather than reality.

Thanks for everyone for making the effort to attend. Thanks to Dave Green who did a fantastic job with the catering and Steve Leonard who organised the afternoon drinks. Special thanks must go to the Ecological Society who supported this event. The day was all about celebrating ecology, celebrating ecologists and celebrating the contributions made to ecology by many ecologists in the room. We did laugh loud and long and just about all day, but Jamie did still have the loudest laugh of all.

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School of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania Emma Pharo, local contact Kerry Bridle organised a special one day meeting celebrating Jamie Kirkpatrick's enormous contribution toward understanding Tasmanian vegetation. It was attended by many of Jamie's PhD graduates including Rod Fensham from Qld, Kath Dickinson from NZ, Neil Gibson from WA, and Fiona Coates from Melbourne. The talks ranged from coastal to alpine, and included Mick Brown's entertaining ordination of the attributes of Jamie's past students. Some clear groupings emerged as well as some interesting outliers.

Emma Pharo's bryophyte ecology lab at the University of Tasmania is working in a range of spectacular Tasmanian communities. Mikayla Jones continues her PhD work on the functional ecology of bryophytes in buttongrass in collaboration with the Biodiversity Conservation Branch of DPIW. Anneka Ferguson is commencing work on cryptogamic response to fire and grazing in grassland and buttongrass. Oliver Strutt is working on edge effects on epiphytic bryophytes inhabiting aggregated retention in clear cut coupes in wet sclerophyll forest. Daniel Hodge, Jamie Toliver, and Melanie Askew are working on a series of connected 3rd year projects investigating change in bryophyte abundance and diversity along a wildfire chronosequence. The sites are part of a Forestry Tasmania flagship project headed by Dr Pep Turner. The sites burned in 2005 are a low diversity carpet of Marchantia, Funaria, and regenerating eucalypts. The other sites (disturbed in 1967, 1934, 1898 and old growth) appear to be more similar in composition than we were expecting, but we only have preliminary data as yet.

The International Exchange of Biological Data Lee Belbin, local contact Most ESAers won't know about a small volunteer group under the International Union of Biological Sciences called TDWG – the Taxonomic Database Working Group (www.tdwg.org). But you should. Why? If you ever hunt biological data on the Internet, chances are you will at some point be using

standards developed by TDWG. Now, thanks to our Gordon and Betty Moore funded project, this group is now more accurately named ‘Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG)’. TDWG originally developed standards for storing biological data. The group is now concerned with standards to support the EXCHANGE of biological data. It doesn’t matter so much how it is stored, as long as it can map to TDWG standards, data can be discovered, exchanged and aggregated.

TDWG's interoperability standards enable GBIF (www.gbif.org) to function as a portal to 195 agencies around the world serving biological data. Australian agencies linked to GBIF include the Australian National Herbarium, Australian National Insect Collection, National Herbarium of New South Wales, Australian Biological Resources Study, the Online Zoological Collections of Australian Museums and the Australian Antarctic Data Centre.

Our project aims to modernise TDWG and to restructure it to make standards development more effective. There are five components: 1) a more effective structure and processes for the group; 2) a supportive online environment; 3) an improved approach to documentation; 4) the design and employment a globally unique identifier (GUID) system for biological data; and 5) provide a strategy for ongoing support of the group.

The project has provided more than US$500,000 for work that will advanced these five goals. Kevin Thiele (WA Herbarium) and Greg Whitbread (ANBG) were two Australians who have received project funding in the past year.

Our priority for 2007 is to develop and deploy Life Science Identifiers (LSIDs), a form of GUID based on semantic web standards. A key benefit of LSIDs is that they will help to address the ambiguities associated with species names. See: www.tdwg.org/uploads/media/LSIDs_for_Biologists.pdf for a readable two pager on LSIDs. If that's beyond you, try www.tdwg.org/uploads/media/LSIDs_for_Managers.pdf. The project is working with GBIF, IPNI, Species 2000, Index Fungorum, ZooBank and other data providers and

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aggregators to provide tools to link names, specimens and publications. Fingers crossed!

NORTHERN TERRITORY Brooke Rankmore, Regional

Councillor CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems in Darwin Barbara McKaige, local contact Burning for Biodiversity research meeting At the end of November researchers involved in the Bushfire CRC’s north Australian Burning for Biodiversity project participated in a workshop showcasing the latest research results from the fire experiment at the Territory Wildlife Park (TWP), south of Darwin. Studies include fire behaviour, fire effects on woody vegetation and grass dynamics, fire influence on microbial biomass and immediate impacts of fire on ant fauna. The talks also provided an update on the Aboriginal wetland burning project in Kakadu National Park, which has now expanded to include wetland burning at Yellow Water. Bushfire CRC Research Director, Richard Thornton, and Brian Richardson (CSIRO/ Ensis representative on the Bushfire CRC board) attended along with staff and students from CSIRO, the NT Government and Charles Darwin University. For further information contact Alan.Andersen@csiro.au. Valuing tropical river ecosystem services CSIRO’s Anna Straton has recently commenced a new Land & Water Australia funded project on valuing tropical river ecosystem services. In collaboration with Charles Darwin University, the project will assess the value of tropical river ecosystem services and develop management options with local communities. There will be three case studies; one each in the NT, QLD and WA. For further information contact Anna.Straton@csiro.au.

US meeting on sustainable pastoralism Late last year CSIRO’s Leigh Hunt attended a meeting in the US on the role of animal behaviour in land management and the potential to modify livestock behaviour to

improve ecological and economic outcomes. The meeting was convened by the BEHAVE consortium based at Utah State University and included delegates with ecological and social research backgrounds as well as ranchers, state agency representatives and people with wildlife and conservation interests. Leigh was invited to speak on extensive grazing systems and animal behaviour in Australia, and his talk stimulated quite a bit of interest. The program was dominated by local presentations but other international speakers originated from France, Spain, Israel and South Africa.

Leigh was also able to visit Desert Ranch (owned by the Latter Day Saints church) in eastern Utah where very innovative management has allowed the co-existence of substantial wildlife populations on a highly profitable cattle enterprise. He also made a quick trip to Flying D Ranch in Montana, which is one of Ted Turner’s bison ranches, where the aim is to restore the west back to what it once was in terms of its ‘ecology’ (i.e. large free-ranging herds of bison) but make a viable enterprise out of it too. For further information contact Leigh.Hunt@csiro.au.

Ecological modelling CSIRO’s Adam Liedloff attended a CSIRO Water for a Healthy Country sediment and nutrient modelling workshop in Brisbane late last year to assess the current methods of modelling sediment loads moving onto the Great Barrier Reef. During this workshop he presented the Savanna.au eco-hydrology model which is aimed at simulating paddock-scale hill slopes. His team believes that this is the scale at which the effects of management (stocking rates) most strongly influences sediment movement and should be considered in the more regional catchment models such as SedNet. The Savanna.au simulations are currently being used to investigate the effects of stocking rates and associated changes in soil health at Wambiana (Charters Towers) with Tracy Dawes-Gromadzki (CSIRO), Garry Cook (CSIRO), Austin Brandis (CSIRO) and Peter O'Regain (QDPIF) as part of a Water for a Healthy Country soil health project. For further information contact Adam.Liedloff@csiro.au.

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Late last year Adam Liedloff, Garry Cook and Dick Williams (all from the CSIRO Darwin lab) attended the 3rd International Fire Ecology and Management Congress in San Diego, USA. Adam presented the Flames model and described the fire and drought impacts on tree populations of the tropical savannas. After the conference Adam spent time in Fort Collins, Colorado at Colorado State University's Natural Resource Ecology Lab. During this visit he worked with Dr Mike Coughenour who developed the Savanna model from which Savanna.au has been developed. They discussed the new approaches used in the Australian version Adam has developed with John Ludwig (CSIRO) and the Tropical Savannas CRC and the opportunities to use the Australian version in South African and US simulations. Adam also met with Dr Rick Engermann to discuss the advantages of using indexes to estimate animal abundance using mark-recapture trapping over the more statistical estimation methods which has been a long standing challenge arising from his PhD research.

Coarse Woody Debris simulator CSIRO’s Adam Liedloff has developed a Coarse Woody Debris simulator (Virtual CWD) with Dick Williams (CSIRO), and Charles Darwin University Honours student, David Rose. The impressive dataset of coarse woody debris allometric data collected by David around Howard Springs just south of Darwin in the NT has been used to create virtual landscapes of CWD distribution. In this virtual landscape any of the CWD sampling methods can be applied and their efficiency assessed. Like sampling from any non-uniformly distributed population to estimate abundance, the more time and effort spent sampling, the better your final estimate. This is because it is difficult to sample the rare events, which in this case are the big fallen trees that account for a large proportion of the CWD biomass (Carbon store) per hectare. This Virtual landscape can be used to test different sampling approaches, saving time and effort in often very trying NT field conditions! For further information contact Adam.Liedloff@csiro.au.

Biodiversity Conservation, NRETA Brydie Hill, local contact Top end activities from NRETA Biodiversity North After much effort a northern hopping mouse Notomys aquilo was finally caught on Groote Island by Simon Ward and Jane Edwards in November. Notoriously trap-shy, this individual was caught by hand. Four other individuals were also seen whilst spotlighting in sandy woodland habitat, which was previously not considered ideal for the species.

In December, a trip led by Brooke Rankmore and local Gumurr-Marthakal rangers confirmed the expanded and continued healthy status of the translocated populations of northern quolls on Astell and Pobasso Islands in the English Company archipelago following their introduction in 2003.

Carol Palmer has two exciting new projects starting this year. Expanding her already broad niche of interests, she is commencing a study of the Australian snubfin dolphin (formerly the Irrawaddy) and the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin. These dolphins are only found in shallow coastal waters always close to the mouths of large tidal rivers in northern Australia (elsewhere they are found and tropical waters of Asia and the Indian and Pacific oceans, though taxonomic status remains unclear). Research includes collecting baseline information regarding population status and identifying hotspot areas for the species. Carol is also in consultation with traditional owners, Northern Land Council and the Gumurr Marthakal Rangers to undertake the translocation of golden bandicoots from the only known NT population of the species on Marchinbar Island to 1 or 2 other islands in the Wessels chain. The translocated populations are being established as a precaution against cats and other feral animals being released on Marchinbar Island.

Continuing with the mammal theme, a collaborative project between the Australian National University, NRETA, The Wilderness Society and local Aboriginal groups - aims to use Aboriginal knowledge of mammals across

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northern Australia to complement what is known from scientific studies of mammals in the north. The project, led by Mark Ziembicki, has already provided novel insights regarding mammals across the Top End, extending the known ranges of some and providing new information about the status and ecology of many others. Significant new information has been recorded for poorly known species such as the Northern Brush-tailed phascogale, black-footed tree rat, water mouse and the spectacled hare-wallaby. A possible recent sighting of the golden-backed tree rat by locals in central Arnhem Land may be the first in the NT since 1969.

Taking a break from fieldwork during the wet season, Mark is racing against the clock to write up his PhD thesis on the Australian bustard in northern Australia before dry season fieldwork recommences. Among the more interesting findings of his study is that bustards exhibit an exploded lek mating system with males having a high degree of inter-seasonal fidelity to traditional display sites as long as habitat remains suitable. Surveys and satellite telemetry of the species suggest that populations in the north are partially migratory with males making post-breeding season dispersive movements while females are largely sedentary.

Dave Liddle and Lou Elliot have recently expanded the known populations for an endangered saprophytic herb Burmannia sp. on the Tiwi Islands. This species grows in organic substrates and is restricted to spring fed rainforest. Burmannia sp. is vulnerable to destruction of habitat due to soil turnover by feral pigs. Dave and Lou have set up a series of exclusion fences to examine the response of this rare plant to pig removal.

The monsoon season is sending Michael Braby off to the Cobourg Peninsula in search of what he describes as a rather charismatic snail species, which has not been recorded since 1850 on the peninsula. He is also looking for the atlas moth, a species endemic to the NT. Both of these species are associated with monsoon forest and become active during the monsoon rains.

A team at Tropical Savannas CRC, including Peter Jacklyn, Gay Crowley, Riikka

Hokkanen, Kelly Menadue, Taegan Calnan, Brian Lynch and Tricia Handasyde, has undertaken the gargantuan task of bringing together all information available on sustainable land management for northern savanna regions into one website (www.landmanager.org.au). This site contains information on best practice biodiversity, pest and grazing management, and caring for country activities. It includes a range of material including case studies, contact details and bibliographic details. Part of an NHT-funded project aimed at meeting the needs of land managers and natural resource planners, the site will also be an invaluable resource for students and researchers. Anyone working on ecological projects in northern Australia can ensure their websites, projects and publications are listed by contacting gabriel.crowley@cdu.edu.au.

QUEENSLAND Andrew Hayes, Regional Councillor

As the new Regional Councillor for Queensland (as of the AGM last December), I would like to start by saying a big thank you to Ben Moore who has had the job for the last couple of years. Ben has now moved on to pastures greener (well cooler at least) as he starts a new job in Scotland. Thanks Ben for all your efforts to bring together the ESA membership in Queensland.

A little about myself. I am a chemical ecologist, interested in chemical signals passed between animals, such as pheromones and alarm signals. I have a BSc (Hons) in Zoology from Sydney University, and a PhD from UWS. My PhD research focused on the chemical ecology of the rabbit, studying the chemistry of the secretion from the chin gland that is involved in maintaining dominance hierarchies. I then started a project in collaboration with colleagues in the US, looking at the connection between relatedness, behavioural ecology and odour in lemurs, as part of which I was able to go for a brief trip to Madagascar and work with wild lemurs in the jungle.

I moved to Brisbane about four years ago to take up a postdoc position in the

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School of Natural Resource Sciences at QUT. My research at QUT looked at predator-prey interactions in native rats in the rainforest of the Atherton Tableland, looking at their behavioural response to predator faeces. Since the beginning of last year I have been working at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at UQ, studying the chemical ecology of the cane toad, with the aim of developing better control mechanisms for the pest species through exploiting its own biology against it.

If anyone has any suggestions for ESA regional activities, either in Brisbane, or somewhere else, please let me know and I’ll try and organise something. An event in a regional centre would be fantastic, any ideas anyone? The event could be educational, for networking, or just for fun. Any opportunity for a group of us to get together is worthwhile. Now to some of the activities being carried out by ecologists around the state, starting from the top (there is a very north focus to the reports this time) and working south. Queensland Herbarium, Mareeba Office Gary Wilson, local contact The wet season is finally with us and, with fieldwork restricted to main roads, we are office-bound and have the opportunity to look back on activities in the latter part of 2006.

Principal Botanist Eda Addicott and Technical Officer Mark Newton continued on their dual tasks of writing up the vegetation mapping of the Einasleigh Uplands bioregion and revising the mapping of Cape York Peninsula bioregion. On Cape York, the flooding associated with cyclones Larry and Monica and satellite images of it provided further insight to the extent of water in the lowlands and raised interesting questions about the definition of land zones. The enormity of these tasks is put into perspective when you realise the area of the Einasleigh Uplands is similar to that of England. Those of you interested in the mapping and description of regional ecosystems in Queensland can access descriptions of them at www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/biodiversity/regional_ecosystems.

Team members Gary Wilson and Mark Newton also continued mapping in the Gulf Plains bioregion.This work is also seasonal, being restricted by the extremes of flooding and temperature and the associated windows of opportunity to make reasonable collections of fertile material.

On the home front we continued to expand and curate the collection and prepare for the move in mid-2007 to the Australian Tropical Forest Institute (ATFI) on the Cairns campus of James Cook University. The Mareeba collection of the Herbarium, the collection currently located at CSIRO in Atherton and the JCU collection will merge to form the Australian Tropical Herbarium (ATH). Staff currently based in Mareeeba will move to the new facility and join with additional research and curatorial staff in the new herbarium.

A highlight of the year was the 2006 Conference of the Australian Systematic Botany Society (ASBS) held at JCU Cairns campus in November. Eda Addicott was the Hebarium respresentative on the organising committee and several staff attended the conference and both enjoyed the presentations and renewed old friendships. We also enjoyed the associated visits to the Herbarium by conference attendees pursuing research interests while they were in tropical Queensland. School for Field Studies, Centre for Rainforest Studies, Yungaburra Tim Curran, local contact Recently Alastair Freeman was appointed as the first School for Field Studies Research Fellow. Alastair’s research at the school has focused on habitat use of the scrub python (Morelia kinghorni) in a fragmented landscape. This, the largest snake in Australia, is the largest carnivore found in the Wet Tropics and potentially may have a significant influence on predator-prey relationships in rainforest, particularly in forest fragments. In addition to his python work, Alastair is also working in association with SFS-CRS staff and students on a research project looking at the composition and density of reptile and amphibian species in Mabi forest fragments on the Atherton

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Tablelands. This information will be used to ascertain the relationships between size, location, and condition of Mabi rainforest fragments and their herpetofauna. Amanda Freeman and Maggie Vinson have been continuing their research on how cyclone Larry affected bird communities in Mabi rainforest fragments. In the first weeks following the storm, numbers of frugivores were reduced in two of the three fragments examined, while in another, where fruiting trees remained, frugivore abundance increased. Numbers of honeyeaters were also reduced while some insectivorous species increased in abundance or conspicuousness. At the Centre for Rainforest Studies, tooth-billed bowerbird courtship displays began a month later than in the previous two years. Amanda and Maggie found that in forest most affected by cyclone Larry, many tooth-bill males did not clear courts and many others moved their courts. On average, the number of leaves used to decorate their courts was lower than in the previous two years, suggesting less time available for maintaining courts – perhaps due to poor fruit availability and a consequent need to spend longer foraging. Maggie Vinson, who completed her Internship with SFS in December, has now returned to the US and is seeking employment in an ecological field before, we hope, returning to Australia for graduate study. Jess Wallace has recently been appointed as the new Tropical Rainforest Ecology Faculty. She’s originally from New Zealand where she worked for the Department of Conservation on developing a new monitoring technique for the endangered Archey’s frog, using photography in mark-recapture studies. More recently she looked at flight patterns of short-tailed bats within podocarp and beech forests to enhance their detectability using ultrasonic recorders. Her research on the Atherton Tablelands has continued her microbat interests by looking at the presence and density of microbat species within different sized rainforest fragments. She is also currently collaborating with Alastair Freeman looking at the composition and density of reptile and amphibian species in fragments.

Tim Curran has been continuing his research on how cyclone Larry affected rainforest tree communities. In the time since that storm many trees have begun to re-sprout from their snapped trunks. Consequently, Tim’s recent research has focused on the trade-off between cyclone resistance, the ability of trees to resist damage during a cyclone, and cyclone resilience, the ability of trees to recover after cyclone damage. These strategies of cyclone survival reflect the widely considered trade-off in plants of safety vs growth rate. Will Edwards and Andrew Krockenberger of James Cook University are collaborators on this research. Tim, Andrew and Will have also been examining how the cyclone impacted the habitat of green ringtail possums Vertebrate Ecophysiology lab, School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns Sarah Kerr, local contact The Vertebrate Ecophysiology lab is looking a little empty just now. We farewelled Katie Jones at the end of last year, and she farewelled her green ringtail possums, finishing up her PhD and heading homeward to South Australia. Micha Anderson completed her Honours research into the tradeoffs made by Carlia rubigularis skinks between predation risk and staying warm, and Steve Ryan finished his Honours on the thermal dependence of performance in the same species. Steve has since travelled to South Africa to study, a destination also chosen by research assistant Samantha Price-Rees. Sarah Kerr continues her PhD project examining the biology, ecology and evolution of the coppery brushtail possum, and Masters student Gabriel Porolak has returned from six months in the field in Papua New Guinea researching the ecology of the Matschie's tree kangaroo. Andrew Krockenberger has returned from sabatical, to not only continue leading the vertebrate ecophysiology team (a large task in itself!), but has taken on the extra challenge of being JCU Cairns's new Deputy Head of Marine and Tropical Biology.

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Vertebrate Ecology Group, School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville Jane DeGabriel, local contact Head of the mammal ecology group Chris Johnson is continuing his research into Australian mammal extinctions, with a recent focus on the importance of top native predators, notably the dingo, in reducing extinction risk. He has recently published an excellent book on this subject titled Australia’s Mammal Extinctions: a 50,000 year history, which is recommended reading for all Australian ecologists. Post-doc Ben Moore (former ESA Queensland regional councillor) has moved on from Townsville to Scotland, but is still wrapping up investigations into the roles of herbivory, environment and shared evolution in shaping patterns of chemical defence in the Queensland red ironbarks and into how landscape-level variation in foliar chemistry influences brushtail possum populations. His new job as a chemical ecologist at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute in Aberdeen will primarily see him involved in a large project studying the effects of fragmentation and herbivory on the genetics and conservation of ground vegetation species associated with native Caledonian pine woodlands throughout Scotland. His work will focus on the role of chemical diversity in maintaining plant and animal communities in these remnant woodlands and the effects of herbivory on Scots pine and willow.

ANU PhD student Jane DeGabriel has completed the fieldwork for her study into the role of Eucalyptus chemical defences in the population ecology of common brushtail possums and has now moved back to Canberra to write up. Her results show clear variation in the nutritional quality of individual possums’ home ranges which can be linked to their level of reproductive success. She is also completing a suite of captive feeding experiments in Townsville, Canberra and Tasmania to determine whether different populations of brushtail possums have differing abilities to cope with plant chemical defences, as a result of local adaptation. During the year, we were fortunate to have visiting academic A/Prof

Lisa Shipley from Washington State University in the group on sabbatical. Lisa’s research primarily focuses on the foraging ecology of herbivores and she worked closely with Ben and Jane on their projects, particularly Jane’s captive feeding experiments. PhD student Les Moore is attempting to determine the ecological basis for sympatric speciation in the common giant white-tailed rat Uromys caudimaculatus, and the rare pygmy white-tailed rat U. hadrourus. His research is focussing on inter-species interactions, and the ecological and behavioural differences that sustain the maintenance of the two species. The study also aims to provide an insight into the ways in which ecological factors have influenced the evolution of speciation in these two species. Stephen Kolomyjec (MSc candidate) is investigating the population genetics of the platypus, particularly in northern Queensland. Microsatellites and d-loop sequences will be used to look at the significance of naturally occurring population breaks. Brooke Bateman has recently upgraded from a Masters to a PhD and is working hard on the fieldwork for her project on the ecology and conservation of the endangered northern bettong (Bettongia tropica), particularly focussing on the Coane Range population. PhD student Veronica Menz is continuing her research into the trade-offs associated with reproduction in a population of common brushtail possums on Magnetic Island. Euan Ritchie (ESA Victorian regional councillor) has recently handed in his PhD on the macroecology and conservation status of the Antilopine wallaroo and is now employed by Museum Victoria.

Since completing her PhD on the population genetics of the spectacled flying fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) in 2006, Sam Fox has been undertaking a collaborative study with researchers from University of Sydney on the grey-headed flying fox, looking at genetic diversity, relatedness and gene flow. Jen Parsons has commenced a PhD in collaboration with Townsville Airport Pty Ltd to see if ecological information can be used to minimise the risk of flying fox strikes in the aviation industry, as bats now represent a significant proportion of aircraft strikes in Australia. This project will answer important

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questions about flying fox ecology and behaviour and look at what factors are likely to bring them into conflict with air traffic.

In the Centre of Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, Joanne Isaac’s postdoctoral research is focusing on predicting extinction risk in Wet Tropics vertebrates, including all frogs, mammals, reptiles and birds, under predicted climate change scenarios. Outputs in 2006 included a review on climate change and extinction for the upcoming Encyclopaedia of Biodiversity, and two chapters for the Rainforest CRC book Living in a Dynamic Tropical System. Phylogenies for mammals and frogs of the Wet Tropics are complete, and a phylogeny for endemic birds is currently being constructed. Work in 2007 will include estimates of relative extinction risk for all Wet Tropics vertebrates based on life history and ecology, and population viability analysis under various climate scenarios for a number of endangered and vulnerable endemic species. PhD student Itzel Zamora Vilchis is investigating the association between behavioural traits and immune genes of the avifauna of tropical rainforests. She is testing whether behavioural traits that have been found as good predictors of parasite load such as group size, breeding sociality, dispersion and vertical habitat, can correlate with the diversity of MHC genes by comparing 16 species of birds inhabiting the wet tropics of Australia. Yvette Williams has recently handed in her PhD on the determinants of rarity in microhylid frogs.

In the herpetology group, Lin Schwarkopf is supervising a number of students, including Mat Vucko (MSc) who is looking at causes of the evolution of diversity in Diplodactyline geckos. She is looking at the effect of paragrass control treatments (grazing and fire) on reptiles and amphibians, with Ashley Pearcy (MSc) and Jared O'Farrel (technician); and, in conjunction with Ross Alford, she is still trying to attract more cane toads to traps, with the help of Jen Davis (MSc). She and Ross are also awaiting the decision on an ARC Linkage grant with Powerlink Queensland, examining the impact of Powerlink works on frog populations in lowland rainforest. Brett Goodman has

recently completed his PhD that investigated the ecomorphology, performance and reproduction of tropical Lygosomine skinks. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that members of this group of lizards have evolved morphological and performance adaptations in response to a habitat gradient that spans from open habitats dominated by a substrate of large rocks to closed habitats composed predominantly of a leaf litter substrate. Contrary to predictions based on lizards from other groups (i.e. Anolis), species with enhanced sprinting ability did not exhibit trade-offs in climbing or clinging ability. The absence of a trade-off suggests patterns of performance specialization may not be general for lizards from all habitats or groups. Carryn Manicom is nearing the end of the fieldwork component of her PhD at Ramsey Bay, Hinchinbrook Island, looking at the effect of the removal of top- and intermediate-level predators on lower levels of the food chain, with the help of Mat Vickers (technician). The study examines the effect of varanid lizards on scincid lizard and spider assemblages, and the cascading effect to lower trophic levels. Carryn is currently analysing data on the effect of varanids and skinks on spider abundance and behaviour, and spending many hours at the microscope sorting arthropod samples. Leonie Valentine recently submitted her PhD on the impacts of weed management burning on bird and reptile assemblages in grazed open woodlands.

Extensive research led by Ross Alford is being carried out on the amphibian disease chytridiomycosis which is caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Nicole Kenyon’s PhD research is looking at variation in susceptibility among frog species, mainly their innate immune responses, microenvironment selection and possible avoidance of contact with infected frogs or contaminated water bodies. Jamie Voyle’s research aims to explain pathogenesis and the mechanisms of mortality in amphibians with this disease. Rebecca Webb has also commenced a PhD on the disease.

In the Freshwater Ecology group, Tom Rayner has submitted his PhD examining the flow-mediated trophic dynamics of fish communities in the Mulgrave River near

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Cairns. His research shows that fish track seasonal changes in food resource abundance by moving between habitat types. These results differ markedly those from larger tropical systems, such as the Amazon River, where fish change their diets to take advantage of seasonally available foods (such as fruits in flooded forests). Tom aims to extend his research by assessing the potential impact of climate change on the strong relationship between river flows and fish communities.

In the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (formerly TESAG) at JCU ecological research on marine wildlife continues apace. James Sheppard is close to completing his PhD on dugong foraging ecology, having used some new analytical techniques to extract full value from GPS tracking data. Other students continue to study dugongs, sea turtles and coastal dolphins. An expanding area is freshwater turtle ecology and conservation. Mark Hamann, Ivan Lawler and Emma Gyuris are, in various combinations, supervising student projects on diving, diet and general ecology of North Queensland species. First cab off the rank here was Jason Schaffer who recently finished an honours project examining the effects of dissolved oxygen, temperature and turbidity on dive duration for three species. CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Davies Laboratory, Townsville Iain Gordon & Juanita Movigliatti, local contacts Great Barrier Reef: Through the ‘Water for a Healthy Country’ flagship, CSIRO is helping to implement the Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Protection Plan. Our research is directed at improving water quality and wetland productivity while enhancing community wellbeing and protecting reef-based industries. Projects target revitalised rangelands, floodplain renewal and catchment futures. The Tully catchment is being used as an initial case study for floodplain renewal. Rangelands: A major project is assessing biodiversity condition and developing a toolkit to help resource managers have a

better understanding of how native animals respond to changes in grazing land management and climate. This complements research aimed at improving economic performance for graziers while reducing erosion and improving water quality. Invasive Species: Research focuses on restoring northern wetlands degraded by weeds such as para grass and hymenachne. Other studies aim to help control chinee apple, prickly acacia and parkinsonia. New work is targeted at reducing feral pigs in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. People and Production: Scientists seek to understand how people view, perceive and value the ecosystems from which they derive benefit, and ensure that this knowledge informs policy and resource management. Sugarcane: Crop growth and productivity issues in the sugarcane industry remain a focus. Scientists are developing cane varieties with higher sugar yields and resistance to disease. They manage field trials in the Burdekin and Herbert regions. Climate Change: CSIRO is encouraging pastoralists to use seasonal forecasts to reduce uncertainty associated with climate variability. Research on the impacts of climate change on northern savannas and rangelands has found that rising carbon dioxide is reducing the nutritional quality of forage grasses. Water Resources: There is national interest in ensuring the North does not experience degradation of its water resources and repair costs faced by other areas. Northern Australia Irrigation Futures (NAIF) addresses these issues and involves collaboration with many lead agencies. University of the Sunshine Coast – Faculty of Science – Conservation Genetics Robert Lamont, local contact Our departmental head, Alison Shapcott is currently using microsatellite markers to investigate the population genetics of the Bankouale palm, (Livistona carinensis), an

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endangered species from Djibouti, in conjunction with Kew Gardens, but will shortly be resuming her instructional role as the Faculty’s Vegetation and Plant Ecology/Genetics lecturer.

Otherwise, projects here are mainly concerned with the ecology and conservation genetics of threatened plant species from our now, heavily-urbanised and disappearing heathlands, although some molecular ecology work is being undertaken (with QFRI, Gympie) by Rhonda Stokoe and Helen Wallace in relation to the pollination biology of a promising forestry species cross, Corymbia torelliana x C. citriodora ssp. variegata (i.e. Cadagi/spotted gum), with another DPI & F collaborative project on Eucalyptus argophloia (Chinchilla white gum), starring PhD student, Linda Stower, having recently commenced.

Mike Powell is modelling the habitat of southern Queensland Macadamia spp. by developing realised environmental niche models to predict the spatial distribution of three species in particular (M. integrifolia, M. ternifolia and M. tetraphylla). Progress to date includes assembly and synthesis of current macadamia locations and vegetation survey records. A conceptual framework outlining a modelling approach utilizing GIS-integrated ecological, data and statistical models has been completed. Work on the data model has substantially commenced, including development of a two-stage stratified sampling design incorporating key environmental variables aimed at uniform sampling of the range of environmental space across the defined study region. Exploratory statistical analysis is currently in progress. The project is supported by an APAI scholarship. The participating industry partners are the Australian Macadamia Society, the Queensland Herbarium and the Sunshine Coast Environment Council. Personally, I think he’s nuts and shouldn’t sit at his computer for more than 12 hours at a time.

Robert Powell is still looking at the population genetics of the endangered Emu Mountain she-oak (Allocasuarina emuina) and the potential, if any, for the loss of species identity through genetic swamping by

a common congener (A. littoralis). As apomixis, polyploidy and hybridisation (read: sexual gymnastics) are rife within this genus of anemophilous (wind-pollinated) Gondwanan relicts, it appears that anything goes in the world of Allocasuarinan bet-hedging. After achieving only limited success in the development of microsatellite markers using RAPD fragments (PIMA; Lunt et al. 1999), he has updated and taken to using streptavidin coated beads and biotinylated probes with much greater success. Watch this space.

Finally, our good friend, Mal McVey, who was investigating the population ecology and genetics of three rare and threatened coastal heathland species (Acacia baueri, Blandfordia grandiflora and Schoenus scabripes), was tragically killed in a surfing accident shortly before Christmas, and is sadly missed by all who knew him. The Centre for Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Science (CRSSIS), The University of Queensland, St Lucia campus Bronwyn Price, local contact The Centre for Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Science (CRSSIS) combines the disciplines of Geographical Information Systems, Remote Sensing, Spatial Ecology and Spatial Analysis to understand and solve environmental, social and economic problems. The Centre provides and maintains the necessary infrastructure, technical experience and research training through staff-student projects to become the primary postgraduate Spatial/Geographic Information Sciences research university in Queensland and Australia. CRSSIS provides complementary coverage to the Spatial CRC and existing government and university programs in spatial information and spatial information applications. Collaborative staff and student-based projects are implemented with government agencies, private companies and non-government organizations.

The centre has over 40 members including over 20 PhD students. Members of the Centre are working on a diverse range of projects encompassing these disciplines which include: developing surveillance protocols for weed incursions; integrating

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field data, satellite images and ecosystem models to manage and monitor coral reefs throughout the world; measuring and presenting uncertainty in complex natural resource monitoring programs; koala conservation; impacts of land cover change on Australia’s climate; and development of spatial analysis tools and surface textural measures for quantifying gradients in landscape structure.

The following PhD projects have recently been completed by members of the Centre: ‘A framework for Riparian Zone Monitoring over Local to Regional Scales in Australian Tropical Savannas’ – Kasper Johansen; ‘Conserving and Restoring Biodiversity in Fragmented Urban Landscapes (Brisbane, Qld)’ – Jenni Garden; ‘History and Analysis of the Drivers of Landscape Change in the Southern Brigalow Belt, Queensland’ - Leonie Seabrook; ‘Simulating the Effects of Land Use on Multiple Ecohydrological Functions of the Landscape’ – Justin Ryan. Sustainable Landscapes, Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments, University of Southern Queensland Simon Attwood, local contact Much has happened in our group since the last update, so without further ado…

Mycologist John Dearnaley recently formally joined the Sustainable Landscapes group, although he has been collaborating with members for a number of years. John has been studying mycorrhizal relationships, particularly in myco-heterotropic orchid species. He hopes to turn his expertise towards examining the role of mycorrhizas in contributing to biodiversity in both production and natural landscapes. Alex Downie has just commenced her Honours examining mycorrhizal associations of the vulnerable Sophora fraseri (Fabaceae), a rare perennial shrub of the dry rainforest margins of southern Queensland and northern NSW. PhD candidate Stuart Collard recently submitted his thesis entitled Agricultural intensification and ecosystem function in a Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) landscape: implications for ecosystem services and has taken off for a couple of months in Japan and

Europe. The research examined a range of indicators of biodiversity and ecosystem function in an agricultural landscape. On his return to Australia, Stuart will move back to Adelaide and will be sadly missed. We wish him well and congratulate him on his submission. Kate Reardon-Smith continues her PhD research on the biodiversity and condition of riparian floodplain vegetation in the eastern Darling Downs. Her fieldwork continues, despite the extremely dry conditions, and she is currently focusing on an investigation of the role of arboreal mammalian herbivores in dieback-affected eucalypts (E. camaldulensis and E. tereticornis) in riparian woodlands of the Condamine floodplain. Kate also presented preliminary data at the lippia forum in Narrabri. Masters student Alison Howes is examining the impact of noisy miners (Manorina melanocephala) on woodland bird communities in Carnarvon Station Reserve. The aims of the study are to: 1) identify the driving factors behind the large abundance and distribution of noisy miners on CSR; 2) to identify what areas support high avian abundance and richness; and 3) to develop a practical method that identifies areas of noisy miner dominance and predicts responses to management solutions.

Andy Le Brocque continues research on biodiversity and production in a sheep grazing landscape in southern Queensland with a field exclosure monitoring study recently receiving a further two years funding from Land and Water Australia. Simon Attwood has completed his second summer of fieldwork, determining the movements of predatory ground arthropods between sorghum paddocks and adjacent non-cropped habitats, and how this may relate to the potential for refugial habitats to influence rates of natural pest control. Jarrod Kath is at the halfway point of his Honours project examining the influences of habitat fragmentation on avian and herptofauna distribution in the Crows Nest Shire, south east Queensland. Specifically the project aims to determine the relative importance of landscape factors, such as patch area and connectivity compared with local habitat characteristics.

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VICTORIA Euan Ritchie, Regional Councillor

Hello everyone, I hope you’ve all had a safe and enjoyable break. Already in 2007 there are a number of exciting events to look forward to. The first event, to be held very shortly (February 23, 7pm at the Redback Pub in Melbourne), will be a fundraising auction to support the Jill Landsberg Memorial Trust Fund, please see below for further details.

Later this year, there will be a second regional event, which will honour Dave Ashton. In consultation with others, the idea of a combined tree planting and picnic has been agreed upon and will most likely occur mid-year, once temperatures cool down and seedlings will have a fighting chance at surviving in the midst of this extended drought! Parks Victoria have generously offered some support for this event as well as a site for the tree planting, and there is also the possibility of an interpretive sign being created which will outline Dave’s substantial contribution to our understanding of forests. If you would like to be involved with this event, please contact me.

There has been limited interest for the introductory GIS for ecologists course (see September 2006 issue for details); we need approximately 20 people to make it viable. So perhaps this will remain on the backburner as a possibility in 2008. However if you are interested please let me know and I’ll keep an eye on numbers.

Auction for the Jill Landsberg Trust Fund There will be a fundraising auction for the Jill Landsberg Trust Fund at the Redback Pub, 75 Flemington Road, North Melbourne on the evening of Friday February 23. The event will be an auction of goods and services, with all profits donated to the fund. We have organised for some light food to be available, so to have an idea of numbers if you could please RSVP before the event it would be greatly appreciated. Nibbles will start at 7pm with the auctioning beginning around 8pm. Meals are available as well, so if you want dinner perhaps turn up a little earlier before the festivities begin! Kirsti Abbott

(kirsti.abbott@gmail.com ) is organising this event along with myself (euan.ritchie@jcu.edu.au). We would like to have as many people at this event as possible and of course contributions for the auction from all of you talented people. Items can take any form, artwork, statistical advice, cakes, lawn mowing….

We are also seeking volunteers to help with the setting up and running of this event, and in particular, an auctioneer! If anyone would like to help please contact either of us as soon as possible. We expect this to be a very enjoyable evening and a great opportunity to catch up with fellow ecologists and to contribute to this fund, which honours the fantastic contribution made to the society and ecology in Australia by Jill. Hope to see you all there! (This issue will come out after the event, but I hope it went well. Ed.)

School of Forest and Ecosystem Science, University of Melbourne Fiona Christie fjc@unimelb.edu.au, local contact Recent fires across the state have provided both new opportunities and headaches for The Fire Ecology and Management Group. With much of our research supported by funding from DSE and the Bushfire CRC, our main focus is in determining the ecological sustainability of current fire management practices and the development of a risk management decision support system.

On the ecological front Alan York continues his biodiversity work in south-west Victoria and has just completed invertebrate sampling over a series of fire chronosequence sites. Research Scientist Tina Bell currently travels in Spain where she is giving a series of lectures on fire in Mediterranean ecosystems at the University of Girona. Kevin Tolhurst continues his research into fire dynamics, including modelling the risk of bushfires. New additions to the group in recent months have seen a buzz of activity both in the field and in the lab. Catherine Nield, an Honours graduate from Latrobe University, has recently joined the group and is well positioned to start her role as a Research Assistant with a solid background in fire ecology. Catherine will be assisting on

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several of the group’s projects investigating the effects of fire on ecosystem processes and biodiversity. Our newest Research Assistant, Cara Reece joins us from the Department of Primary Industries where she was employed as a Revegetation Project Officer. Cara is a Masters graduate from the University of Melbourne. She will be assisting Dr Tina Bell on a number of CRC Bushfire projects.

Julian DiStefano is in the throes of writing up his PhD investigating the effect of resource quality on the ecology of swamp wallabies, Wallabia bicolor, in a landscape modified by timber harvesting. Julian’s aims were to quantify the impact of harvesting-induced habitat change on swamp wallaby behaviour in terms of: (a) space use; (b) density; (c) diet selection; and (d) habitat selection. His results are consistent with the theoretical expectation that space use will be negatively related to resource quality, a major finding was that wallabies had substantially smaller home ranges in areas with relatively high levels of shelter and food.

Kerryn McTaggert has found the fire component of her PhD research more dominating then she anticipated with recent Alpine fires causing a rethink on how she will go about investigating the effects of fire on soil microbial populations and processes.

Anne Miehs recently commenced her PhD. Anne will be examining the role of coarse woody debris (CWD) in biodiversity conservation in the fire prone stringy bark woodlands of south-west Victoria. Her project will look at the impacts of fire frequency on CWD habitat and its associated fauna. Having recently completed a pilot study comparing CWD sampling methodologies her next experiments will elucidate the associations of small vertebrates and selected invertebrates with CWD.

Tom Duff has also commenced his PhD. Tom will be working on implementing a dynamic landscape model for assessing the affects of fire regime on heathy woodland vegetation communities. The aim of the project will be to investigate vegetation interactions within the heathy woodlands over time utilising a dynamic landscape model to simulate the development and response of vegetation communities to disturbance.

For more information on these projects, and the people involved, please visit our website at www.forestscience.unimelb.edu.au/whatwedo.html.

Mallee Fire and Biodiversity Project, La Trobe and Deakin Universities Kate Callister, local contact (k.callister@latrobe.edu.au) The Mallee Fire and Biodiversity Project is jointly led by A/Prof Mike Clarke (La Trobe University) and A/Prof Andrew Bennett (Deakin University), and aims to identify the properties of habitat mosaics produced by fire that enhance the persistence and status of a broad range of taxonomic groups (birds, mammals, reptiles, key invertebrates and plants) in eucalypt-dominated mallee habitats.

The Mallee Fire and Biodiversity Project has made good progress over our first year. We’ve installed 2,800 pitfall traps over 28 mosaics across Victoria, NSW and SA, and trapped more than 3,700 reptiles and mammals, comprising 51 species of reptile and seven species of small mammal over our first trapping season. Toilet rolls have proved to be a fantastic termite bait with more than half of buried rolls occupied by termites, and a range of species detected. In the bird surveys to date, many threatened species have been observed on the 280 km of transects walked including mallee emu-wren, black-eared miner, red-lored whistler, malleefowl, southern scrub-robin, striated grasswren and regent parrot to name a few. The pilot study for the vegetation analysis has also been completed with approximately 100 plant species recorded across 50 pilot study sites over the study area, and lots of information to aid our habitat assessment protocol design.

During the upcoming year we will be continuing our surveying efforts across our large study area, and commencing our habitat assessments this winter. We continue to need field volunteers for pitfalling and over winter will be looking for assistance for habitat assessments. If you’re interested, please contact Kate Callister for more details (k.callister@latrobe.edu.au).

We are very grateful for the assistance we continue to receive from Land and Water

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Australia, the Mallee Catchment Management Authority, Department of Sustainability and Environment Vic, Parks Victoria, Department for Environment and Heritage SA, Lower Murray-Darling Catchment Management Authority, Department of Environment and Conservation NSW, Australian Wildlife Conservancy, and Birds Australia.

ACT Jason Cummings, Regional Councillor Based on the call for submissions for the Bulletin, it would appear that CRES at ANU is the only active ecological institution in the ACT? Could this be true? Or are ACT members presently too focussed on visiting politicians and upheaval in the Commonwealth and State NRM frameworks? If you’re not from CRES, doing ecology, and a member based in the ACT, you could offer to compile a brief summation of what is going on in your eco-world, following is a good example. We are establishing a network of key contacts in the ACT, preferably one from each institution; so if you’d like to volunteer, please contact me.

ACT members may also be interested in volunteering for some national threatened species recovery bird surveys. If you’d like to help survey swift parrot or regent honeyeater populations in and around the ACT, please contact Belinda Cooke (1800 66 57 66, swiftparrots@yahoo.com.au).

Survey dates: 19-20 May and 4-5 August (3rd weekend in May and 1st weekend in August each year). Where: across south eastern Australia from south-east Queensland, through NSW, ACT and Victoria, to eastern South Australia. CRES ANU Nicki Munro, local contact Ecologists at CRES, ANU have been active with several recently completed PhD projects.

Caroline Blackmore has submitted her PhD thesis on identifying the behavioural mechanisms that have rendered grey-crowned babblers vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, to the extent that they have experienced local extinctions and ongoing decline in parts of

their range. This project included the impact of habitat fragmentation on cooperatively breeding birds; the social dynamics of grey-crowned babblers; conservation of woodland habitat; the impact of conservation initiatives on rural communities; avian mating systems; the evolution of cooperative breeding; and reproductive skew.

Nadeena Beck investigated the dispersal behaviour of white-winged choughs, a woodland bird where individuals must live in cooperative groups to breed successfully. She used DNA-microsatellites to tease apart the complex social structure of groups and the mating system. Amongst her findings were that individuals only dispersed under conditions of severe drought when entire groups disintegrated, and that the mating system was mostly monogamous with polygamy occurring in newly formed groups. Comparisons of choughs living in urban environments with those living in woodland showed that although the former initiated breeding earlier, they had a higher rate of nest failures, and overall did not reproduce any better or worse than their city counterparts.

David Wilson studied green pythons to determine their conservation status, ecology and the evolutionary significance of their colour change from yellow to green. They are relatively common in lowland rainforest on Cape York, with males maturing at three years, one year before females. Yellow juveniles eat mainly diurnal skinks and insects, while adults eat mainly nocturnal terrestrial mammals, moths and birds. The colour change occurs at approximately 55 cm at a time when individuals are first able to swallow mammals.

Adam Felton is the latest to submit his PhD thesis. He looked at changes to bird assemblages and forest structure in a reduced impact logged forestry concession, in Bolivian lowland rainforest.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA Meredith Henderson, Regional

Councillor This will be my second year as RC for the SA members, and I intend to get the members

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fired up!! I am really keen to establish the ESA networks in SA, so that there is more contact between members. I have approached the three universities based in Adelaide to ask for local contacts, so do not be shy about putting forth ideas, news items or establishing links.

There are opportunities for the members to put forth suggestions about events they may wish to see occur in SA. Last year, for example, the ESA held a joint event with AMSA and we also held a very successful statistics workshop. Perhaps you would like an opportunity to meet other local members? Any suggestions are welcome.

Department for Environment & Heritage Meredith Henderson, local contact After what seemed like a blistering beginning to summer, with quite a number of significant fire events across the state, the fire activity has settled. A few opportunities have emerged particularly following the Bookmark fire (about 100 000 ha) and the Mount Bold fire.

The Bookmark area is home to a number of threatened species, including black-eared miner (BEM) and malleefowl populations. By the time this goes to print, a number of DEH staff and members of the BEM recovery team will have met to discuss how this fire may have impacted on the species. The team will determine how any negative impacts may be mitigated.

The Mt Bold fire in January 2007 occurred in an area previously surveyed by the Nature Conservation Society in 2005. The data collected may provide a good opportunity to follow some of the populations as they recover from the fire. Mt Bold forms part of the catchment area for Adelaide’s water supply and SA Water is keen to determine what likely negative impacts there may be on water quality. Rowena Morris (PhD candidate at U Adelaide & co-supervised by Bertram Ostendorf and myself!) has already set up some sites to look at erosion potential and sediment movement in the catchment. This work is a pilot study for Rowena and I know she is keen to get out there.

I am busy completing data analyses of work conducted in collaboration with Don

Driscoll (Flinders Uni) on the ecological consequences on vegetation assemblages of changing fire regimes in mallee reserves on the Eyre Peninsula. Sadly, Don is moving on to ANU very soon. ANU has gained a valuable resource in Don and I wish him all the best.

At the Seed Conservation Centre at the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide, we welcome Dr Leanne Pound. Leanne has taken up a post-doc position with Dr Phil Ainsley (BGA) and Dr José Facelli (U Adelaide). Leanne is working on a restoration ecology project within Yellabinna Regional Reserve on the far west coast of SA. The main focus of the research is seed biology and germination and there is potential for postgraduate work investigating establishment trials.

The Science and Conservation research hub, headed up by Prof. Andy Lowe (joint position with U Adelaide) is gaining momentum. The first of a number of themed fora is likely to take place in late February.

NEW SOUTH WALES Liz Tasker, Regional Councillor

Hi folks. Well there’s a bountiful abundance of news for this bulletin – as you will see below – so I’ll keep my blather short and let the submissions speak for themselves. A really BIG thankyou to everyone who sent in material (I hope it’s all there!)!!!! University of Sydney Kristin Connell, local contact McArthur Lab Dr Clare McArthur has been at the University of Sydney for just over three years after moving here from the University of Tasmania. In that time, her lab has rapidly expanded and is part of a larger research group within the School, Animal-Plant Interactions Group (APIG). Broadly, her interests are in the ecology of mammals - how they live and interact with individuals of their own species, with plants and other animals within their community and with the environment itself. Her specific research interest is the ecology and evolution of plant-

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herbivore interactions, falling roughly under the following topics: plant-herbivore interactions, foraging ecology of mammals, and conservation and management. She has a number of students working on PhDs, Masters and Honours projects.

Katherine Tuft is in her second year of her PhD project looking at the diet of brush tailed rock wallabies. Marsupial herbivores are traditionally distributed along a gradient of dietary adaptation from specialist grazers to specialist browsers. Rock-wallabies (species of the Petrogale group) are classed as intermediate grazer-browsers. Dietary studies to date indicate that rock-wallaby diet can by very broad and generally exhibits high temporal and spatial variability. Rock-wallabies are restricted in space by their dependence on rocky refuge areas. They are therefore limited in their ability to travel in search of better forage resources and hence particularly subject to changes in the availability of resources. The adaptations that enable rock-wallabies to fulfil their dietary requirements from a variable resource within a restricted area are poorly understood. As rock-wallaby species continue to decline it is increasingly important that we develop a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind the malleable dietary habits of the Petrogale group. This area of research is particularly pertinent when considering the threats posed by greater climatic extremes as a result of human-induced climate change. Katherine’s project aims to investigate the details, mechanisms and implications of the broad and flexible Petrogale diet, using the Brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) as a case study. The theoretical understanding gained will be applied to developing practical conservation strategies in two subsidiary studies. The first will assess the potential for competition between rock-wallabies and other herbivores. The second component detailed here will assess the effectiveness of using strategic burning to improve the forage resources available to rock-wallabies.

Carolyn Finn is another PhD student working on plant secondary metabolites (PSM) and brushtail possums. PSM or toxins which are natural compounds produced by

plants as a defence mechanism against herbivore browsing. These chemicals have been shown to reduce food intake and effect diet choice in mammalian herbivores. The quantity of food a herbivore can consume safely depends on the rate that they are able to detoxify plant toxins found in their diet. This may result in behavioural changes when saturation of detoxification pathways requires a herbivore to stop feeding until concentrations fall, or find something else to eat. The consumption of a mixed diet with a range of PSMs allows the animal to metabolize toxins through several different rate-limited detoxification pathways. Consequently, it is necessary for generalists to regulate their intake of plant toxins through diet mixing to avoid overloading their detoxification pathways. In the natural environment, plant heterogeneity occurs at a spatial scale imposing a foraging cost on the animals. Diet switching, over distance and time, may be an important behaviour associated with maximising intake and foraging efficiency. If a herbivore is forced to stop eating a particular plant due to toxic constraints it is faced with the very real problem of what it should do next. Switching to another plant entails energetic costs of travelling and possible increased risk of predation. The alternative would be to wait and suffer the cost of eating less. This aim of this study is to build on existing research looking into the ramifications of spatial heterogeneity on the foraging behaviour of generalist herbivores using the brushtail possum as a model.

Kristin Connell is continuing her PhD research on the feeding and foraging behaviour of the native water rat in riparian systems. Water rats (Hydromys chrysogaster) are a distinctive feature of Australian aquatic environments. As a top predator in the aquatic system, water rats have the potential to significantly influence the structure of aquatic food webs, yet this species has been little studied. The purpose of this project is to investigate the role of water rats in riparian systems and how they interact with other species within that system. The main aim of this project is to examine both the sub-lethal and indirect effects that water rats have on the

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aquatic community. This four-tiered trophic system comprises water rats, yabbies (Cherax destructor, prey of water rats), snails (Planorbidae, prey of yabbies), and algae (food of yabbies and snails). To determine if flow-on effects of predation occur, both laboratory and field based manipulative enclosure experiments are being carried out to examine both behavioural and population level responses. This study should provide insight into the role that chemical cues play in sub-lethal behavioural modifications among various levels of the food chain in freshwater riparian systems.

Kelly Davis has just started her PhD with A/Prof Ross Coleman, Prof Tony Underwood and Dr Clare McArthur. She is continuing to focus on chemical macroalgal defences produced in response to grazing by herbivores, and subsequent interactions with natural herbivore enemies in the marine environment of the Southern Hemisphere. This work follows on from her research conducted at The University of Plymouth, UK, (in press with Oecologia). Marine and terrestrial ecosystems consist of complex trophic relationships, mediated by direct and indirect interactions within and between different trophic levels. These interactions between plants, herbivores and predators have long been implicated as structuring forces affecting whole ecosystem function. Consequences of adaptations to attack, defend, and escape, cascade indirectly to other trophic levels. These indirect effects are rarely immediately obvious to the observer, but exploring such subtle influences is critical to understanding the intricacies of trophic relationships and unravelling interaction webs within ecosystems.

Emilie Kissler is a Masters student studying the induction of chemical defences in response to browsing, investigating the effects of artificial and natural browsing by introduced Rusa deer on the eucalypt Corymbia gummifera. Plants have an array of chemical and physical characteristics, which affects their vulnerability to consumption by mammalian and invertebrate herbivores. These characteristics are often plastic and change as a function of the abiotic environment, including soil nutrients and

degree of shading. However, it is also apparent that many plants respond to herbivory, and become less palatable after browsing due to changes in both primary and secondary chemistry. This induction of “defences” has been related to foliage loss directly, but also as a chemical response initiated by the saliva of the herbivores during feeding. Eucalypts, including the genus Corymbia (formerly within the genus Eucalyptus), comprise the dominant tree species of the forests of eastern Australia, and are prone to herbivory by a range of native, and introduced herbivores. Whether these trees respond to herbivory via induction of chemical defences remains untested. This project aims to study the effects of artificial browsing and application of extract from deer salivary glands on levels of leaf phenolics of C. gummifera trees growing in their natural environment and to determine the change in leaf phenolics of C. gummifera seedlings over time in the nursery, in response to artificial defoliation and application of deer salivary gland extract.

Helen Stephens is midway through her honours project investigating the foraging behaviour of the Rusa deer, an introduced mixed-feeder mammal herbivore, and the responses of plants to this behaviour. Browsing preferences and the vulnerability of focal plants in relation to neighbouring vegetation will be explored. The chemical response of plants to herbivory will be used to predict the impact Rusa deer have on plant species and assemblages in a key ecological community. This project has implications for the management of a key threatening species by providing information on deer behaviour and impacts. Wardle Lab Yvonne Davila completed her thesis entitled ‘Pollination ecology of Trachymene incisa. (Apiaceae): Understanding generalised plant-pollinator systems’ at the end of last year. See abstract section for more information1.

Tim Parratt is a PhD student looking at the role of fire and rainfall on plant response in the Simpson Desert. The last field

1 Due to space constraints, this will appear next issue.

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trip at the end of 2006 followed up the winter watering manipulations, and monitored the germination response of seeds subjected to controlled burns and a 300 mm watering treatment. Germination response was disappointing although experimental trials back in Sydney on the same seed stock used in the plots showed that the seeds were viable. Some very exciting news is that the study site has received nearly 300 mm of rain since the New Year. Although flooding has restricted vehicle access to Ethabuka, the airstrip is still open. A rainfall event such as this may occur only once in every ten years and the timing is very fortuitous. Tim is planning to fly out to the study site later this month to survey the plant response.

Anja Divjlan, another PhD student in the lab, is studying aging in grey-headed flying foxes. In light of a 35% decrease in numbers in the past 10 years, the grey-headed flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) has been listed as vulnerable nationwide; however, our knowledge on population dynamics (and subsequent management measures) for this species is limited, and information on the life-history parameters (e.g. longevity, age at first reproduction, mortality) are still unknown. Anja’s PhD research examines the age structure of P. poliocephalus with a focus on the method for accurately ageing individuals and its application in further studies of flying-foxes nationwide. At present, Anja is investigating the effect of both human-induced (e.g. electrocutions, net entanglements, shootings in orchards and plane collisions) and natural (e.g. heat stress and hail) mortality sources on the population structure. This work is closely related to her ongoing study of the live colony in the Sydney Botanic Gardens, where animals are trapped and processed on a weekly basis. During this study, she has managed to trap, measure and age 250 animals and this data will be used in final stages of modelling the age structure of the P. poliocephalus population. The success of our trapping method will be demonstrated to participants of the Royal Zoological Society conference which will be held in April, 2007.

In addition, Anja is looking at the tooth eruption in young animals and whether

this method can be used to age young bats (under four months) with greater accuracy than that provided by the widely used forearm measurements and weight. She has made progress in developing a method for quantifying the degree of sexual dimorphism in the skulls of grey-headed flying-fox. The method is an addition to the already known dimorphism in the shape of the pelvic girdle in the species, and can be used to accurately determine the gender of specimens when limited skeletal remains are available.

Moira Williams is continuing her PhD studying the spread of Pinus radiata from plantations into native vegetation. Major aims of the project are to quantify the impact of pine invasion and investigate the factors facilitating spread of the species. She has given an invited talk to the Orange Field Naturalist Society in Orange, an area where pines are invading native bushland. Results on the role of propagule pressure in the invasion process and the negative impacts of pine litter on native germination were presented at ESA’s meeting in New Zealand at the end of last year and at the recent Southern Connections conference in Adelaide. Moira intends to submit her thesis this year.

Anke Frank started a PhD in February 2006 on the effect of grazing on small mammals and reptiles in the Simpson Desert, Queensland. Her research aims to achieve new insights into the effect of cattle grazing on diversity and abundance of small mammals and reptiles across three properties with different grazing histories. Differences in species richness, abundance and composition will be investigated in relation to variation in habitat type (spinifex grassland and Gidgee woodland), habitat structure, vegetation composition, climatic context, grazing animal abundance and behaviour as well as food (invertebrates) availability. Hochuli Lab Fiona Powell is continuing her PhD project with Dr Dieter Hochuli on co-extinction risk. The present high rate of biodiversity loss is a global phenomenon that is seemingly unparalleled in the fossil history. Estimates of species at risk vary, but may be as high as 100

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 37

000 for every million species or possibly even greater with most historical and predicted extinctions being insects. Insects may be particularly vulnerable to processes affecting narrow range specialists and to co-extinction. For beetles alone, estimates indicate that 4600 species are likely to be ‘co-endangered’ with host plant species currently listed as endangered. Despite this apparent crisis, neither the process of co-extinction or the plight of insects has received much attention. Few insect extinctions have been documented and no case of co-extinction has been recorded, either for insects or other taxa. Fiona aims to address this paucity of data on insect extinctions, and co-extinction in particular, by investigating the co-extinction risk of insects affiliated with threatened species of Acacia. She is currently sampling insects from A. pubescens and an endangered population of A. prominens. Insect samples from these host plants are being compared to samples from sympatric common acacias and other plants to determine if any insects are host-specific to the threatened acacias and therefore at risk of co-extinction.

Boris Lomov has recently completed his PhD with Dieter looking at plant-insect interactions as indicators for restoration ecology. See the abstract section for more details on his research2. Thompson Lab Professor Mike Thompson is working with Dr David Chapple from Victoria University of Wellington on a National Geographic Society Grant to study the genetics of the invasive Australian lizard, Lampropholis delicata in its introduced range (Hawaii, Lord Howe Island, New Zealand) and its native range in Eastern Australia. Scott van Barneveld has received a scholarship from the Invasive Animals CRC to study the ecology, behaviour and physiology of L. delicata. NSW Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) Karen Ross, local contact This is my first Bulletin as the local contact for DEC, and I do hope that news for future

2 Due to space constraints, this will appear next issue.

bulletin issues doesn’t prove as painful to extract from DEC ecologists!

Though I can still be found in the Biodiversity Conservation Science Section office of DEC in Hurstville, Sydney, since September last year I’ve been working as a post-doctoral fellow for Charles Sturt University, Albury, on an ARC Linkage funded project: ‘Managing tree densities in western New South Wales: development of a process-based model to predict woodland dynamics’. DEC is the partner organisation in this project, with Ian Lunt (CSU), Michael Bedward (DEC) and Ross Bradstock (Uni Wollongong, ex-DEC) all involved. In this project we’re developing and expanding a simulation model of woodland tree populations in inland south-eastern Australia. Initial model development and validation has been carried out for white cypress pine (Callitris glaucophylla) in a previous project I was involved in with DEC (funded by Land & Water Australia). The model is now being expanded to other woodland species, site productivity variation and a range of disturbance types. The current ARC project also funds a field-based PhD study at CSU, being carried out by Janet Cohn (ex-DEC). Janet is examining the role of drought, inter-specific competition and disturbance on woodland stand structures across productivity gradients at multiple scales. We hope to integrate the PhD field studies and the modelling work to improve our understanding of the factors driving woodland dynamics and to provide insights into managing woodland tree densities, particularly as the new suite of native vegetation legislation and tools to deal with ‘invasive native species’ (aka woody weeds) comes into force.

Debbie Andrew (A/Senior Ranger, Royal NP, DEC) is excited to have recently completed the final touches to her Masters’ Thesis through the University of Wollongong on ‘Ecology of the Tiger Quoll Dasyurus maculatus maculatus in coastal New South Wales’. Studying both captive and wild populations, Debbie’s research documented important aspects of the breeding biology, spatial and social organisation (including den use, home range), habitat preferences and diet of this threatened species. See Debbie’s

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abstract in “Abstracts of Higher Degree Theses” section elsewhere in the Bulletin3.

We were sorry to see Jennifer Taylor leave the Biodiversity Conservation Science Section, but happy for her in gaining a lecturing position at the Australian Catholic University (North Sydney Campus) last September. Jenny has worked in DEC for the last four years on a wide range of projects, including State of the Parks, determining conservation values of wetlands in the Tweed catchment, and examining the population dynamics of grey-crowned babblers (Pomatostomus temporalis) in the NSW wheatbelt. Demonstrating her formidable multi-tasking skills, Jenny is continuing her work on babblers in an ongoing collaboration with DEC. When she is not lecturing she can be found babbling in the wheatbelt with Michael Bedward and Murray Ellis (DEC, Dubbo). Murray has recently (officially) joined the team as a project officer with the Population Analysis and Modelling Unit (headed by Michael Bedward) of DEC.

The quarterly DEC Science Seminar Series is run by the Biodiversity Conservation Science Section, and highlights current research and conservation work by DEC staff and associated researchers. These varied and interesting presentations are relevant to conservation managers and ecologists alike. The series is sometimes thematic, such as the May 2006 seminars: ‘Equollogy: ecology and conservation of quolls in NSW’. The seminars also provide a forum for critical evaluation of DEC’s conservation work and policies, often stimulating lively discussion. The seminar series is (as far as anyone can recall) celebrating its 10th anniversary of being recorded this year, though the date when the seminars themselves started is a little more hazy, though the consensus (from the memory of the ‘older’ folk in the section ☺) seems to be that they commenced in 1985. The seminars are held on the last Friday of February, May, August and November, and are open to external audiences. To have your name included on the email circulation list outlining forthcoming speakers, please contact Jane.curtis@environment.nsw.gov.au.

3 Due to space constraints, this will appear next issue.

The seminars are also recorded on DVD and can be borrowed from the DEC library in Hurstville.

The following studies were presented in November 2006: Mumbulla bats revisited 20 years after woodchipping Dan Lunney (Principal Research Scientist, DEC) reported on a long term project on which he has worked with Peggy Eby, Shaan Gresser, Harry Parnaby, Alison Matthews, David Priddel, Rob Wheeler and Chris Corben. Part of a broader study of the long-term impact of woodchip logging on fauna, this aspect of the study focused on a group of animals dependent on old-growth elements in the forest: tree cavity-dwelling bats. The aim was to determine the roosts selected by Gould's long-eared bat (Nyctophilus gouldi) and the little forest bat (Vespadelus vulturnus) in forests near Bega, NSW that had been partly logged for woodchips 25 years earlier. Both bat species were selective in the species, size and condition (live/dead) of their roost trees, and in landscape characteristics, such as logging history, topography and aspect. Roost preferences varied between and within the species. Gould's Long-eared bat selected, as maternity roosts, cavities in large, live eucalypts, located in coupes in selectively logged forest (i.e. non woodchipped forest). Adult males preferred to roost under the exfoliating bark of dead Acacia dealbata. Both male and female little forest bats selected cavities in large, dead stringybarks. Neither species used live trees <50 cm dbh, although such trees dominated the forest. While roost preferences of micro-chiropterans are complex, there is a consistent pattern of dependence on cavities in dead or decaying trees. This and earlier studies offer no evidence that regrowth vegetation in intensively managed forests provides roosting habitat for tree-roosting bats. Rather, conservation of these species depends on preservation and recruitment of old growth forest elements. Learnings from the PVP process. I - Background and the turbulent boundary between policy and science

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Sue Briggs (Senior Research Scientist, DEC) reflected on lessons learnt during the development of BioMetric, the biodiversity decision support tool for Property Vegetation Plans (PVPs) under the NSW Native Vegetation Act 2003. This work has been carried out by Sue, Phil Gibbons, Danielle Ayers, Julian Seddon and Stuart Doyle. Sue highlighted the divergent and often incompatible approaches of policy versus science in natural resource management. Policy has to cope with uncertainties, work within various knowledge and values systems, and make trade-offs. Science is about systematic study, proficiency by individuals, and gaining and testing new knowledge. Sue emphasised that integration of two such disparate cultures cannot be forced and must be mutually desired and mutually beneficial. Policy and science are more likely to communicate effectively if the advantages of their partnership outweigh the disadvantages, and if the two disciplines can respect and trust each other. See: Briggs, S. V. (2006). Integrating policy and science in natural resources: Why so difficult? Ecological Management and Restoration 7, 37-39 for more information. Spatial modelling in conservation assessment: myth and reality Simon Ferrier (Principal GIS Research Officer, DEC) talked about how various types of spatial (GIS-based) modelling are now employed in conservation assessment and planning activities around the world - from relatively simple models of species and community distributions through to complex simulations of the impact of alternative management scenarios on biodiversity. Simon pointed out that while such approaches can add considerable value to the application of available data and knowledge in decision-making, this potential is often marred by inappropriate use of, or over-reliance on, modelling and associated products. He suggested such problems may be alleviated by: 1) fostering appreciation of the role played by modelling in relation to other activities of scientific research, data collection, monitoring, planning and decision-making; 2) improving understanding of types

and levels of uncertainty in modelling; and 3) developing better techniques for factoring these uncertainties into conservation assessment and planning. Trends in land management and biodiversity in the Northern Territory Owen Price, long-time ecologist with the Biodiversity Unit of the NT Government, has spent the last year or two as a Visiting Fellow in the Biodiversity Conservation Science Section of DEC, Sydney. Owen gave us an overview of the broad trends in biodiversity decline and the conservation challenges facing the Northern Territory. While for many the NT is the archetypal untainted frontier of the nation, unfortunately the real picture is ‘doom and gloom’. There have been profound environmental changes in the 150 years since European colonisation. Fourteen species of medium sized mammals became extinct soon after colonisation, mostly from the arid centre. A wave of decline has now spread northward, affecting seed eating birds and most mammals. The reasons for these losses are still poorly known. Several land management practices are likely to increase pressure in the coming decades. Pastoral stations (occupying almost half the NT), are intensifying production, often using sown exotic pastures. Several pasture species have become environmental weeds that are poised to explode across the Territory. Arable agriculture is expanding. Climate change will probably intensify drought in the arid zone. A glimmer of hope in all this is a trend of improving bushfire management, spearheaded by an expanding network of Aboriginal Rangers, and an overall improvement in understanding of biodiversity issues across NT society. Charles Sturt Uniniversity Terry Korodaj, local contact Project summaries from School of Environmental Sciences, CSU: Thomisidae of the SW Slopes of NSW Cathy Car, CSU Cathy discovered that a thomisid is not just a thomisid when she studied crab spider diversity in selected woodland understorey

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sites. The main focus was to explore relationships between both thomisid richness and abundance and vegetation attributes, other spider families, insect abundance, seasonal influences and abiotic factors. Not surprisingly, at a fine taxonomic scale, thomisids showed considerable temporal and spatial variation in their responses to environmental factors. Results indicate that aims of ‘snap shot surveys’ and choice of indicator species may need very careful definition to ensure meaningful data is provided. Email: ccar@csu.edu.au.

An alternative home for gliders Rebecca Durant (Honours Student), CSU Rebecca investigated factors influencing occupancy of nest boxes by sugar and squirrel gliders in a peri-urban landscape. Nest boxes have been known to successfully increase populations for vertebrate species dependent on hollows; however, little is known about what influences their use, especially in urban environments. Knowledge gained will assist in future management of nest box programs. Email: r.durant@bigpond.com.

Dryland salinity as a disturbance mechanism Matthew Humphrey (PhD Candidate, CSU) Epigeal invertebrate assemblages are Matthew’s focus as he investigates the impacts of increasing salinisation on the Murray River floodplain area of South Australia. Although salinity is widely recognised as a destructive mechanism within natural habitats, impacts on some of the most important (arguably) aspects of this ecosystem remains to be explored. This investigation will help to differentiate between primary disturbance caused by salinity and the secondary effects such as loss of habitat and resources. Email: Humphreymj@gmail.com.

Soil Indicators Brendan Kelly (Honours Student), CSU Brendan is exploring how farmers make decisions on soil management of their land in southern NSW. The primary focus is to determine which soil indicators influence management practice and why preference is

applied to some indicators. Results of this study will assist in developing learning programmes associated with soil management and will also assess farmer willingness to participate in data gathering for sustainability indicators. Email: brkelly@csu.edu.au.

The ‘rural rebound’ and changes in rural property ownership Emily Mendham (PhD Candidate), CSU Current research suggests higher levels of change in ownership and management of rural properties in SE Australia over the next decade. This trend is likely to have important implications for natural resource management. Emily’s current research will measure and predict levels of change in rural property ownership and management in regional Victoria and explore the extent to which this trend is driven by new-settlers in rural areas. Research will draw on census data, property sales, existing landholder surveys and district-level case studies in two Victorian Catchment Management Authority areas. Email: emendham@csu.edu.au.

Lizards and logs: Determinants of reptile diversity in a fragmented landscape Steven Sass (Honours Student), CSU Steven is examining how quality of small woodland patches might influence reptile diversity in southern NSW. His work is exploring relationships between resources such as logs and leaf litter, across patches of different area and edge ratios to determine which factors might drive reptile populations in a fragmented landscape. Results will enable land managers to maintain and potentially enhance habitat quality for reptiles in small woodland patches. Steven is currently working as an ecologist for ngh environmental and enjoys the challenges that come with study, full-time employment and family. steven@nghenvironmental.com.au.

Conserving curlews Elisa Tack (PhD Candidate), CSU Elisa is researching habitat requirements of the Bush Stone-curlew on private agricultural land across northeast Victoria and southern New South Wales. Information on the habitat use of curlews at different spatial scales will

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be used to develop habitat management guidelines to assist landholders with on-ground curlew conservation programs. Email: etack@csu.edu.au.

Ecology and conservation of waterbirds on temporary wetlands Iain R. Taylor (Senior Lecturer), CSU Iain is continuing his long-term research into waterbirds on temporary wetlands with a focus on shorebirds and wading birds. Key questions include: what determines the suitability of temporary wetlands for waterbirds? What are the mechanisms that determine when a particular species moves into and out of a wetland as it floods and dries? What are the roles of food supply, water depths and vegetation in these processes, and what is the role of social behaviour? Email: itaylor@csu.edu.au. Historical vegetation changes and the influence of disturbance Robyn Whipp (PhD Candidate), CSU Robyn is using a combination of fieldwork and archival forestry records to investigate changes in forest structure in the Pilliga State Forests of NSW. Robyn is trying to determine how structure has changed over the last half-century and what might have influenced these changes. Her findings confirm local observations of increased density of several tree species, including Callitris glaucophylla. Both fire and silvicultural activities seem to have played minor roles, but stand structure at the beginning of this period is the strongest predictor of current density patterns. Email: rwhipp@csu.edu.au. Macquarie University Robyn Sinclair, local contact Lesley Hughes’s lab is called PICCEL (Plant-Insect Climate-Change Ecology Lab). It’s going to be a busy year for us all. We have two new honours students starting. Robert McDougall is examining the potential impacts of climate change on alpine ants in the Kosciuszko National Park, and Jessica O’Donnell will be looking at the potential impacts on climate change on plants and invertebrates in the Myall Lakes area using bioclimatic modelling. There are three

continuing and two new PhDs. Nathalia Velez is currently analysing the data she’s collected during her fieldtrips assessing the known impacts of climate change on insects of Lord Howe Island. She is comparing her recent collections to historic records.

Linda Beaumont continues her research incorporating new advances in climate modelling into projects of species distributions. Linda travels to France in March to set up a collaboration with Wilfred Thuiller of the Laboratory of Alpine Ecology at the University Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France.

Andres Roubicek is working to improve the linkages between current climate models and bioclimatic models. He is co-supervised by Andy Pitman from the Department of Physical Geography at Macquarie University.

Katherine McClellan and Karinne Harvey have both recently joined the lab and are starting projects relating to climate change impacts on insects.

Robyn Sinclair has completed her masters and is working on a project in association with the Australian Greenhouse Office looking at the historical range expansions of birds and butterflies in Australia.

Post-doc Dave Nipperess and research assistant Tracey Adams are continuing their ARC funded project relating insect community composition and phylogenetic relatedness of the host plants.

Finally, Lesley Hughes, Linda Beaumont, Rachael Gallagher, Michelle Leishman (also of Macquarie University) and Paul Downey (DEC) are assessing the impacts of climate change on Australian weeds of national significance. Department of Medical Entomology, ICPMR, Westmead Hospital Cameron Webb, local contact This summer and autumn are shaping up to be as busy as usual for the Entomological Investigations unit of Medical Entomology, despite the lack of substantial rainfall keeping mosquito numbers across the state well below average. As well as mosquito and arbovirus surveillance programs undertaken for local

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 42

councils and wetland management authorities, a number of research projects are currently underway. An investigation of the mosquito populations and arbovirus activity along the George's River is being undertaken in response to a small cluster of locally acquired Ross River virus human notifications in 2006 - the first known local transmission of the disease causing pathogen in the area. The department has maintained a strong research interest in mosquito populations associated with constructed wetlands and is currently in the second year of a study assessing the mosquito productivity of one constructed and three 'natural' estuarine wetlands on the NSW south coast. The department has also commenced a research project in conjunction with Ku-ring-gai Council's Backyard Buddies program investigating the potential mosquito production from frog ponds designed for local tree frogs. Concern about nuisance-biting mosquitoes often deters residents from installing ponds and it is hoped that this study will identify the actual mosquito risk and frog-friendly options for mosquito control. Australian Catholic University Jennifer Taylor, local contact ACU National (Australian Catholic University) North Sydney campus has a small band of ecologists working as part of the Centre for Environmental Restoration and Stewardship on mammals, birds, frogs, invertebrates and plants in terrestrial and aquatic environments.

Jennifer Spencer is completing a PhD on migratory shorebirds in the Hunter estuary, New South Wales. Her study is part of a collaborative project with the University of Newcastle, and focuses on the links between migratory shorebird habitat requirements and the hydrological characteristics of their roosting and feeding sites. The Hunter River estuary has undergone significant hydrological changes, which has resulted in the loss of shorebird habitat. To date, this research has highlighted the importance of coastal saltmarsh as feeding and roosting habitat for one species in particular, the sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata), and as night roosting habitat for many shorebird species. One of the main threats to remaining

shorebird habitat at this site is the encroachment of mangrove into roosting habitat. During this study, she also investigated the effect of mangrove removal on the quality of shorebird habitat. Her project is supported by the Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation Project. Email: j.spencer@mackillop.acu.edu.au.

Recent research into the southern bell frog (Litoria raniformis) in the Colleambally irrigation area has revealed trends related to the crop types. Dr Scott Wilson and colleagues at NSW DEC, Australian Museum, University of Sydney and UTS have found that in the southern region where bell frogs are more common, rice is the predominant crop. In the north where corn and other row crops are more prolific the bell frog is not as abundant. The associated use of pesticides and herbicides also differs with crop type. The investigation is determining residue levels in the water and frogs from these areas to determine any links with these small-scale geographic trends. Toxicity testing is also being carried out with selected pesticides to determine the affects they may be having on survival and reproduction in the local frog species. Scott is also supervising, in conjunction with staff from NSW DEC, Laurence Mounier who is undertaking her Honours on the role of nitrates on the growth of the introduced macrophyte Egeria densa.

Vaughan Monamy’s research has focussed on the ecology of small mammals. Vaughan is currently supervising Nicola Moody doing an Honours project on behaviour of the Australian brush turkey (Alectura lathami).

In 2006 Neil Saintilan left ACU to take up a position in NSW Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) in the Waters and Catchments Science Section. Neil is continuing to do collaborative work with other researchers at ACU and to co-supervise students.

In September 2006 Jennifer Taylor (email: jennifer.taylor@acu.edu.au) came from DEC to take up a lectureship at ACU. Jennifer is continuing her collaborative research on woodland birds with Michael Bedward and Murray Ellis at DEC (see Sept 2006 ESA bulletin). Emilie Lesseguince is

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 43

doing an honours project examining the spatial ecology of the mistletoe Korthalsella

rubra (Viscaceae) co-supervised by Jennifer and Michael Bedward.

Rather than empty space, I have included a few photos of conservation … Africa style

All pictures MalolotjaConservation Park, Swaziland.

Checking blue swallownests: blue swallows areAfrica’s most endangeredspecies, and like to nest inhoney badger burrows. Sodo cobras, I am told!

Vulture traps: nets are fired whenvultures come to feed on a carcassprovided as bait. The vultures arethen fitted with radio collars.Unfortunately vultures, which haveexcellent eyesight, get very good atspotting the equipment.

Obtaining bait for vulturetagging project: locals referto impala as ‘MacDonalds’ -they are easy to get,plentiful, and the pattern onthe rump makes a white‘M’-shape.

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 44

NEWS FROM OVERSEAS SOCIETIES Bernie Masters

Taking ecology outside of the classroom, an initiative of the British Ecological Society, is reported on in its August 2006 newsletter. The BES Education Officer worked with Year 9 students and their teachers in six schools, delivering professional development for teachers to put together interesting fieldwork lessons that could be conducted on school grounds or in local accessible areas. Teachers were involved in the planning, preparation and delivery of the lesson plans, with an opportunity for them to provide feedback after they had observed the BES deliver a day’s ecology teaching.

James Lovelock, the inventor of the Gaia theory, was recently awarded honorary membership of the BES. Three subsequent articles by BES members made some telling points. The most important was that, while Gaia could cause confusion if flawed mechanisms are promoted without criticism, the baby should not be thrown out with the bathwater as Gaia encourages people to look at the big picture, the state of the planet and the long term.

A report from Ruth Mitchell from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Banchory, describes revegetation success after fire in southern Portugal. The order of resilience in a series of plots was pine > heathland > rock >native woodland > eucalyptus > rhododendron. The rarer habitats – native woodland, rhododendron and rocky outcrops – were least resilient to fire. While there was no evidence that fire was altering the balance of habitats within the region, fire was nonetheless altering community composition. An increase in fire frequency was likely to cause long-term decline in conservation values.

In order to bridge the gap between science and policy, the BES has run an online request for answers to the top 100 ecological questions. More than 600 environmental policy makers and academics addressed questions such as which habitats and species might be lost due to climate change, and what are the ecological impacts of newly emerging

types of renewable energy? A similar exercise might be useful here in Australia.

The December 2006 BES Bulletin opens with a call from ecologists for renewed efforts to restore the Iraq marshes. Speaking at the BES’s annual meeting in September, Prof. Curtis Richardson of Duke University presented the findings of the first detailed ecological analysis of the restoration status of the marshes. Field surveys found a remarkable rate of native species reestablishment but future water availability is in question because of increasing urban and agricultural demands. This pressure from competing users is coming not just from Iraq but from Turkey, Syria and Iran.

Otters killed on UK roads provide information on the ecology of this secretive species and on the success of the ban on lead in petrol. Bone analyses show that lead levels in otters in 2004 were less than a quarter of those in 1992.

The importance of long-term ecological experiments (LTEs) is discussed in an article that announced a new initiative named the Ecological Continuity Trust. Of 44 terrestrial LTEs in Britain, only six have survived for more than 20 years, suggesting that there is a paucity of data and on-ground experimentation that can manipulate drivers of change in ecosystems. LTEs are vital for understanding mechanisms and processes that underlie change in a way that cannot be understood by long-term monitoring alone. Drivers such as nitrogen input, soil acidification, climate change and grazing are slow to have measurable impacts, yet over time these impacts can be profound and fundamental

The Marsh Ecology Book of the Year Award went to ‘The Biology of Soils: A Community and Ecosystem Approach’ by Richard Bardgett. Oxford University Press, 2005.

A new website has been launched by the International Society of Environmental Botanists – http://Isebindia.com – free of ads and with a searchable author and subject index.

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 45

A new society – the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution – has come into existence. More details at www.ecoevo.com.

The October Newsletter of the American Ecological Society, available at www.esa.org/publications/, contains sizeable articles of possible interest to Australian ecologists. A Commentary article on ‘Adding Ecological Considerations to “Environmental” Accounting’ is provocative and challenges the reader to better understand an organization’s environmental performance.

A 15 page article on ‘A History of the Ecological Sciences, Part 22: Early European Naturalists in Eastern North America’ highlights the importance of naturalists who, not content with collecting plant and animal specimens for European collections, also published books on their own observations. Many similarities are likely to exist with the work of early naturalists on the Australian continent. Other interesting articles include: • Rachel Carson and Mid-Twentieth

Century Ecology (her famous book was Silent Spring)

• Ecological Effects of Gulf Coast Hurricanes: Short-Term Impacts and Long-Term Consequences

• Urban Food Webs: Predators, Prey, and the People who Feed Them

Books recommended by BES reviewers include: Fundamental Processes in Ecology: An Earth Systems Approach. D.M. Wilkinson (2006). Oxford University Press, Oxford. About A$120 hardback. The Biology of Temporary Waters. D.D. Williams (2006). Oxford University Press, Oxford. About A$90 paperback. Insect Evolutionary Ecology. Edited by M.D.E. Fellowes et al. (2006). CABI Publishing, Wallingford. About A$220 hardback. Sustainability in Agriculture. Edited by R.E. Hester & R.M. Harrison (2005). Royal

Society of Chemistry, Cambridge. About A$120 hardback but chapters can be downloaded free of charge from the RSC website. Southeast Asian Biodiversity in Crisis. N.S. Sodhi & B.W. Brook (2006). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. About A$170 hardback. Phylogeny and Conservation. Edited by A. Purvis et al. (2005). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. About A$90 paperback. Discovering Evolutionary Ecology. Bringing Together Ecology and Evolution. P.J. Mayhew (2006). Oxford University Press, Oxford. About A$65 paperback. Disease Ecology. Edited by S.K. Collinge & C. Ray (2006). Oxford University Press, Oxford. About A$80 paperback. Long-term monitoring: Why, What, Where, When and How? Edited by J. Solbe (2005). Sherkin Island Marine Station, Eire. About A$75 paperback. Wildlife Ecology, Conservation and Management (2nd ed.). A.R.E. Sinclair et al. (2006). Blackwell Publishing, Oxford. About A$85 paperback. The Biology of Freshwater Wetlands. A.G. van der Valk (2006). Oxford University, Press, Oxford. About A$65 paperback. Plant-Pollinator Interactions: From Specialization to Generalization. Edited by N.M. Waser & J. Ollerton (2006). University of Chicago Press, Chicago. About A$75 paperback. Plant Identification: Creating User-Friendly Field Guides for Biodiversity Management. A. Lawrence & W. Hawthorne (2006). Earthscan, London. About A$90 paperback.

Bernie Masters Capel, Western Australia bmasters@iinet.net.au

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 46

ABSTRACTS OF HIGHER DEGREE THESES

Ecology and conservation of ground-dwelling beetles in managed wet eucalypt forest: edge and riparian effects Susan C Baker, PhD Thesis. School of Zoology, University of Tasmania Limited understanding of the ecology of ground-dwelling invertebrates in Tasmania has hampered our ability to assess the adequacy of forest management. This thesis documents the distributions of ground-dwelling beetle assemblages in managed, wet eucalypt forests of southern Tasmania, and explores the response of beetles to ecological gradients caused by riparian influences near small streams (since retained riparian corridors are a major conservation tool), and edge effects from recently clearfelled logging coupes. Extensive pitfall trapping using replicated transects at four sites was employed to compare the beetle fauna between five habitats: young logging regeneration, the interior of upslope mature forest, the riparian-upslope transition in mature forest interior, and across coupe edges (both into upslope mature forest and into streamside reserves). Data screening ensured that the primary transect design, which employed traps positioned at unequal distances within transects, was unlikely to produce patterning in beetle distributions attributable to spatial autocorrelation or pitfall trap depletion.

Beetles responded to riparian influences, showing subtle shifts in assemblage composition, and generally reduced abundance or species richness nearer to streams; however, site differences outweighed riparian effects. Beetles assemblage composition differed substantially between young logging regeneration and mature forest: several species were identified as indicators of each habitat. Beetles responded more strongly to edge effects than to riparian influences. Depth of edge influence extended ~ 22 m into unlogged non-riparian forest, but further into streamside reserve edges (up to ~ 65 m). Four beetle species, Choleva TFIC sp 01 (Leiodidae), Decilaus nigronotatus, D. lateralis and D. striatus (all Curculionidae), were indicators of mature forest interior.

A second survey compared beetles between logging regeneration, upslope mature forest interior, mature forest interior riparian areas, and streamside reserves that had been

logged on both sides, in five stands of each of the four habitats. Streamside reserves (average width 40 ± 6 m (± 95% CI) from reserve edge to stream) supported different beetle assemblages to unlogged areas, and were probably entirely edge-effected.

These results suggest that current corridor provisions, which rely heavily on riparian reserves, may be inadequate to conserve beetles dependent on mature forest interior. Reserve corridors may need to be wider, and should more often be positioned upslope away from riparian areas. Alternatively, a mix of different types of reservation strategies (e.g. conserving some contiguous blocks of mature forest in lieu of widened corridors) needs to be developed to increase the probability that edge-sensitive and mature forest specialist taxa will be conserved. Seed dormancy patterns and germination requirements of two nationally threatened Compositae species, Brachyscome mulleri Sond. and Senecio megaglossus F. Muell., in semi-arid South Australia. Todd Erickson, Honours thesis. School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia. (Principal supervisor, J. Gibbs, UniSA; Associate supervisor, P. Ainsley, Plant Biodiversity Centre) This project investigated the dormancy patterns and germination requirements of two nationally threatened Compositae species, Brachyscome muelleri and Senecio megaglossus, under field and laboratory conditions. The four experimental components of the project were: seed burial, seed stratification, light/gibberellic acid application, and fire treatments (S. megaglossus only). Germination tests were conducted in incubator conditions simulating three natural, seasonal regimes of South Australia: summer, winter, and spring/autumn. Seeds of B. muelleri were dormant, and seeds of S. megaglossus were conditionally dormant at dispersal. Physiological dormancy was alleviated in both species by after-ripening during the warm summer months, and maximum germination coincided with the cooling habitat temperatures during autumn and winter. Brachyscome muelleri exhibited a distinctive winter annual cycle, demonstrating a Type 1 germination response, whereas no defined

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germination type was evident for S. megalossus. Seed viability rapidly declined during the burial period because of fungal attack and insect predation. Maximum germination was observed after exposure to ambient room stratification (22 ºC) after two months for B. muelleri and six months for S. megaglossus. Gibberellic acid stimulated germination in light conditions, in both species, which indicates they require light to germinate. Fire treatment combinations affected seeds of S. megalgossus: buried seeds of S. megaglossus germinated highest after exposure to the heat plus smoked water treatment; although, similar germination levels were observed in the buried control treatment indicating that fire does not directly induce germination. Seeds tested from the controlled environment room did not respond to any combination of fire treatments. Overall, germination was greatest in the winter incubator for B. muelleri and the spring/autumn incubator for S. megaglossus, reflecting a proclivity for germination in the cool and moist seasons. The two nationally threatened Compositae species will require management to protect seeds during the summer dormant period, then to protect germinating seeds in the autumn and winter seasons.

Measures of urbanisation and the ecology of remnant woodlands along an urban-rural gradient Amy K. Hahs, PhD Thesis. Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology, School of Botany, The University of Melbourne Urbanisation represents a complex gradient of changes to the physical, chemical and biological environment. The influence of these changes on the ecological patterns and processes within remnant patches of vegetation is largely unstudied. Quantitative spatial metrics can be used to describe the gradient of urbanisation, so that changes in the landscape can be represented as a continuous rather than categorical variable. I investigated how urbanisation has been represented in previous studies, and used a factor analysis to determine the major trends within these measures of landscape change associated with urbanisation. Two distinct components of landscape patterns were identified by the factor analysis, i) demographic aspects of urbanisation and ii) landscape spatial metrics. The two demographic measures that best capture changes in the landscape were the proportion of urban land-cover, and the density of people per unit urban land-cover. Changes in the spatial arrangement of the landscape elements were captured by three main variables, landscape shape

index, dominant land-cover, and land-cover richness. These five variables were used to represent different levels of urbanisation within northern Melbourne.

These five measures of urbanisation were used to quantify the landscape context for twelve remnant patches of Eucalyptus camaldulensis grassy woodland along a 35 km urban-rural gradient in northern Melbourne. The influence of landscape context on the composition of the existing plant community, the soil seed bank and on patterns of leaf litter decomposition was investigated, and compared to the influence of average annual rainfall, soil nutrient levels and the size of the remnant patches. The composition of the existing vegetation and the soil seed bank showed very little difference between the remnant patches. Average annual rainfall was often a better predictor of differences between remnant patches, particularly for total species diversity and indigenous species diversity in both the existing plant community and the soil seed bank. Although the number and abundance of non-indigenous species was quite high, these remnant patches still support populations of at least 123 indigenous plant species. Thus, these remnant patches play an important role in enhancing the overall diversity of northern Melbourne.

Leaf litter decomposition is an important step in the process of nutrient cycling within ecological systems. Patterns of leaf litter decomposition recorded in this study showed very little difference between remnant patches, although there was some indication that the rates of decomposition may vary between patches surrounded by different amounts of urban land-cover. However, this trend was relatively subtle, and needs to be investigated in greater detail before any firm conclusions can be reached.

The relatively small difference between remnant patches at the urban and rural ends of the gradient provides a reason for optimism. The plant communities in these remnant patches continue to persist, even when surrounded by urban land-cover and subjected to new forms of disturbance associated with urbanisation. This study suggests that small remnant patches of E. camaldulensis woodlands can make a valuable contribution to the natural biodiversity of Melbourne, and are sustainable in urbanising landscapes.

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The taxonomy and ecology of wood decay fungi in Eucalyptus obliqua trees and logs in the wet sclerophyll forests of southern Tasmania Anna J. M. Hopkins, PhD Thesis. School of Agricultural Science, Uni. Tasmania and Cooperative Research Centre for Forestry The wet sclerophyll forests in southern Tasmania are dominated by Eucalyptus obliqua and are managed on a notional silvicultural rotation length of 80 to 100 years. Over time, this will lead to a simplified stand structure with a truncated forest age and thus reduce the proportion of coarse woody debris (CWD), such as old living trees and large diameter logs, within the production forest landscape. CWD is regarded as a critical habitat for biodiversity management in forest ecosystems. Fungi, as one of the most important wood decay agents, are key to understanding and managing biodiversity associated with decaying wood. In Australia, wood-inhabiting fungi are poorly known and the biodiversity associated with CWD has not been well studied.

This thesis describes two studies that were undertaken to examine the importance of CWD as habitat for wood-inhabiting fungi in the wet sclerophyll forests of Tasmania.

Study one examined the effect of changing tree age on the fungal species richness, fungal community composition and rotten wood associations within the tree. Six living E. obliqua trees in each of three age-classes (69, 105 and >150 years old) were felled. Each tree was cross-cut at nine standard sampling points and the decay profile was mapped. Fungi were isolated from rotten wood at each sampling point, and from control samples of clear heartwood and sapwood. Samples of each rotten wood type were collected and classified, based on their colour and texture.

Wood-inhabiting fungi in Australia are not well known, making the identification of fungal cultures problematic. In study one, cultures of wood-inhabiting fungi were grouped into putative species groups and identified using both morphological techniques and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA.

Ninety-one species of wood-inhabiting fungi were isolated from the 18 trees examined in study one. Eight different rotten wood types were identified and studied. The community composition of wood-inhabiting fungi in trees greater than 150 years old (the oldest age-class examined) was very different compared with those found in the younger two age-classes; more than half of all species were only found in these older trees. In addition, trees in the oldest age-

class contained greater volumes and proportions of rotten wood habitat.

The second study examined the wood-inhabiting fungi that had been isolated in a previous study by Z-Q Yuan (University of Tasmania) from large (>85 cm) and small (30-60 cm) diameter E. obliqua logs in mature, unlogged forests and 20-30 year-old logged forests that were regenerating after clearfelling. The previously described morphospecies were tested using PCR-sequencing of the ITS region of ribosomal DNA and a consensus final species groupings was obtained.

This study determined that a total of 60 species of wood-decay fungi had been commonly isolated from the 36 logs examined. Significant differences in fungal community structure were found between mature forests and regenerating forests. Some differences in fungal species richness and community composition were also found between logs of different sizes.

These studies are among the first to examine wood-inhabiting fungi in mature E. obliqua trees and logs in Tasmania. The ecological information obtained from this research will assist in the development and deployment of strategies for the management of mature living trees and logs in wet eucalypt forests in Tasmania. This research suggests there is a need for forest managers to consider instigating measures that allow for some trees in the production forest landscape to live long enough to develop decayed wood habitat. This will provide important habitat for fungi as both trees and large diameter logs, sustaining an important component of forest biodiversity.

The effects of temperature and moisture on decomposition rates of Eucalyptus oleosa leaf litter in mallee-plain habitats at Danggali Conservation Park, South Australia. Michael Angus Jervois, Honours thesis. School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia (Principal supervisor: J. Gibbs) Decomposition is the ecological process that breaks down plant litter and recycles nutrients and carbon. Temperature and rainfall are two measurable environmental variables that control rates of decomposition, but little is known about decomposition processes in mallee ecosystems. The aim of this project was to measure the environmental control of litter decomposition by temperature and rainfall. A factorial design was used to test the effects of three rainfall treatments (2 mm, 10 mm, and 20 mm) and three temperature treatments (5ºC, 16ºC, and 37ºC) on mass loss of leaf litter in microcosm experiments for 63 days.

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Eucalyptus oleosa leaf litter was sourced from four study sites in mallee-plain habitats at Danggali Conservation Park, South Australia. Carbon dioxide (CO2) release from decomposing litter is a measure of respiration and was measured in microcosms by alkali (NaOH) traps. I found that temperature and rainfall significantly affected mass loss of leaf litter (p<0.001 and p=0.021, respectively). An interaction between temperature and rainfall affecting mass approached significance (p=0.051). Individual microcosms had erratic respiration responses to simulated rainfall; however, litter from the four study sites demonstrated similar patterns of CO2 release in response to rainfall. Low rainfall resulted in lower CO2 release than did medium and high rainfall; microcosms had similar patterns of CO2 release in response to medium and high rainfall. Microcosms were useful mini-ecosystems for confining litter to measure decomposition in simulated mallee environments, and for investigating the effects of rainfall and temperature on decomposition in litter of mallee species. This research has important applications for land managers and ecology by adding to knowledge of ecosystem functions, decomposition processes, carbon cycling and carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, invertebrate habitats, and food webs.

The Pollination Ecology and Reproductive Success of the Australian shrub Grevillea macleayana. Samantha M. Lloyd, PhD Thesis. School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Theory predicts that plants that are more attractive to pollinators (via greater floral rewards) should have greater reproductive success, produce higher quality seed, and hence have greater fitness. Within a species, we assume that competition for effective pollinators is more intense because plants look the same, and thus, attracting pollinators may be more difficult. Moreover, plant-pollinator systems are highly variable and, in Australia, they have been subject to disruption by habitat fragmentation and the introduction of the European Honeybee. Ultimately, some individuals within a population will be more fit than others, however, there is little empirical evidence on the relationships between floral traits and plant fitness. This study examines the links between floral rewards, pollinator foraging behaviour, reproductive success, plant mating system parameters, and some non-reproductive plant traits and environmental variables, in an Australian woody shrub.

Variation may be evident in five primary components of plant-pollinator systems: (1) floral traits (e.g. flower, nectar, and pollen production); (2) pollinator foraging behaviour (e.g. insects, honeyeaters, and mammals); (3) reproductive success (e.g. pollen transfer, seed production and viability); (4) plant mating system and genetics (e.g. self-compatible species with low outcrossing rates) and (5) non-reproductive plant traits and environmental variables (e.g. plant size and density, climatic conditions). Our current understanding of the extent of intraspecific variation within these variables and how these variables interact within pollination systems is poor. This study quantifies intraspecific variation among Grevillea macleayana plants in each of these five components of the plant-pollination system, using three sites studied over three years. The broad aims are to: (1) quantify variation among plants in characteristics conferring attractiveness to pollinators (floral traits), pollinator foraging behaviour, reproductive success, and mating system variables; and (2) determine how these components are related, and identify the interactions most important in explaining variation among plants.

Grevillea macleayana is a rare, hermaphroditic, bird-pollinated, medium to large shrub, with a large floral display. It has a fragmented distribution on the south-east coast of NSW, Australia. Grevillea macleayana is self-compatible and has low genetic diversity. It is visited by a suite of potential pollinators including honeybees, honeyeaters, and the eastern pygmy possum; however, evidence suggests that honeybees do not facilitate pollen transfer.

I quantified variation among G. macleayana plants in three floral traits: monthly inflorescence number; nectar production (i.e. volume per inflorescence and sugar concentration); and pollen production. I found substantial variation among plants in inflorescence production at every site. At each site, a small number of plants (three to five) produced over half the inflorescences for the study plants (19 in total), over the survey period. I also found significant variation among plants in nectar volume, but less variation in nectar sugar concentration. I did not detect significant variation among plants in pollen production. These results were consistent with previous studies on other Proteaceae species and provide evidence that floral display and nectar production are the most important floral rewards.

I quantified variation among plants in four aspects of honeybee and honeyeater foraging behaviour: the number of honeybees and

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honeyeaters; the number of inflorescences visited per plant; the foraging time per inflorescence; and the foraging time per plant. I found significant variation among plants in at least one feature of honeybee and honeyeater foraging behaviour, for one or two survey seasons per site. Contrary to the expectation that all pollinators will respond positively to similar floral traits, there were very few similarities between honeybees and honeyeaters in how they responded to variation in floral characteristics. These results provide some evidence that honeybees and honeyeaters may be responding differently to variation in floral cues and rewards.

I quantified variation among plants in two aspects of female reproductive success: monthly seed number, and nocturnal and diurnal pollen deposition. Plants varied substantially in seed numbers over the study period. Moreover, at each site, a small number of plants contributed to more than half the seed production of the survey population. I detected very low seed-to-inflorescence ratios, and these varied substantially among plants. However, plants with greater inflorescence numbers also had greater reproductive success (maternal seed numbers). Interestingly, there were no significant differences in pollen deposition between diurnal and nocturnal surveys, at two of the three sites. This result indicates that nocturnal pollinators may have an important role in pollinating G. macleayana plants.

I quantified variation among plants in two aspects of the G. macleayana plant mating system, using six microsatellite loci: family outcrossing rates (i.e. calculated for individual adults and their seed); and levels of biparental inbreeding for outcrossed seed. I found very low outcrossing rates across all families, and some plants were significantly different from zero and from each other. I also found very low biparental inbreeding rates across all families. The very low family outcrossing rates detected in this study indicates that whilst this is a mixed mating system, individuals are predominantly selfed.

I quantified variation among G. macleayana plants in six other non-reproductive plant traits and environmental variables that are likely to be related to plant vigour and hence, reproductive success: plant height, plant area, distance to nearest conspecific, canopy cover, leaf moisture content, and leaf photosynthetic yield. I found substantial variation among plants in height, area, and distance to nearest conspecific. I also found significant variation among plants in mean canopy cover, and slight, but significant

variation among plants in leaf photosynthetic yield and leaf moisture.

Having detected significant variation among plants (in three populations) in the previously described five key components of pollination ecology, I then explored the strongest relationships among these variables. I used correlation and regression analyses to test for significant or consistent trends between dependent and independent variables. The most important trends in this system were: • Significant positive regressions between

inflorescence production (size) and nectar production (volume) and (non-significant) positive trends between inflorescence production and nectar production, suggesting no immediate trade-offs between resource allocation for inflorescence and nectar production.

• Numerous significant regressions between floral rewards (inflorescence and/or nectar production) and both honeybee and honeyeater foraging behaviour. These results support previous studies that have found greater numbers of pollinators or greater foraging activity associated with greater floral rewards.

• Significant positive correlations between seed production and both inflorescence and nectar production, suggesting: (1) no immediate trade-offs between resource allocation for floral traits and seed production; and (2) plants with greater floral rewards have greater reproductive success.

• Significant negative relationship between outcrossing rates and inflorescence numbers per plant. Plants with more inflorescences may be receiving more honeyeater visits (and within-plant activity), resulting in increased geitonogamous pollen movement and decreased outcrossing rates.

• Significant positive relationships between plant size (area or height) and both inflorescence and seed number, suggesting that larger plants may have greater carbon stores and resource availability.

• Significant negative regressions and (non-significant) negative trends between both inflorescence and seed number and canopy cover, suggesting that increased shade may reduce photosynthetic yield and resource availability for inflorescence and seed production.

The holistic approach used in this study has contributed to our understanding of intraspecific variation in plant-pollination systems

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and how this variation is related to plant reproductive success. Furthermore, my study has challenged some of the widely held beliefs about plant attraction to pollinators and added to our limited knowledge of some important plant processes (e.g. outcrossing rates) and their role in this pollination system. In trying to determine the most important relationships among the numerous components of the G. macleayana system, I have revealed a very complex plant-pollinator system. Whilst some of the relationships I found were as predicted, trends were not always consistent and it is clear that patterns of floral attraction, pollinator behaviour and reproductive success are not always intuitive. The ecology and functional importance of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) in Australian freshwater habitats Tanya McLachlan-Troup (nee Rankin), PhD Thesis. School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney In this study, I investigated the population attributes, diet, movements, and functional importance of platypuses (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) in streams in Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales, Australia. I also investigated the impact of platypuses on benthic prey and associated lacustrine parameters in Lake Lea in north-western Tasmania.

From capture data obtained from two streams in Kangaroo Valley, Brogers Creek and Kangaroo River, I found that platypuses were in relatively large numbers throughout those parts of the stream system that were studied. The sex ratio was not significantly biased. The platypus populations were dynamic, with some individuals remaining in the system for many months and others captured once only; breeding was indicated both by the presence of lactating females and numbers of juvenile and sub-adult animals. The platypuses were sexually dimorphic, with males being considerably larger than females. This dimorphism allowed the possibility that each sex could take different amounts or types of prey, with potential follow-on effects on prey community structure.

As a preclude to evaluating the functional importance of platypus in freshwater aquatic communities, I studied the diet through an examination of cheek pouch material in Kangaroo Valley to determine the variety of invertebrate prey consumed and the stream habitats from which prey were collected. I found that platypuses consumed a wide range of almost exclusively benthic invertebrate prey. Platypuses foraged in all habitats, pool, riffle and stream edge, but not

equally so, suggesting that some degree of habitat selection was occurring. The invertebrates in the diet were most similar to those found in stream edge and pool habitats compared with the faster flowing riffles, suggesting that platypuses focused their foraging activities in these deeper water habitats. Although there was no seasonality in invertebrate community structure, there was significant variation in platypus diet between seasons, notably between winter and summer, but not between the sexes. Some dietary selection was apparent as the invertebrate fauna represented in the diet differed in proportional composition from the invertebrates that were available in the streams. I could not, however, determine whether selection occurred at the micro-habitat or macro-habitat scale.

A radio-tracking study in Brogers Creek indicated that platypuses ranged widely within the study site. Shifts in the radio-signal, used to infer diving activity for food, showed that most foraging occurred at night. Over half of the nocturnal fixes (56.7%) indicated diving activity in deep pool or possibly stream edge habitats. Although I did not have a large enough sample size for a formal statistical comparison, lactating platypuses appeared to have similar sized home ranges to males, whereas non-lactating females had smaller home ranges. Platypuses also did not show much burrow site fidelity, using burrows mainly on a single occasion during this study, although some burrows were used multiple times. These data demonstrated that platypuses used the full extent of the waterway during foraging, but probably obtained most food from deeper parts of the stream such as pools.

As platypuses are almost exclusively dependent on benthic invertebrates it was expected that they would have great potential to be important drivers in food webs and trophic cascades. To investigate this expectation, I conducted experiments on the trophic impacts of foraging by platypus through the use of manipulative exclosure experiments. The first such experiment was carried out in Brogers Creek.

In the Brogers Creek exclosure study I found that platypuses had a strong impact on invertebrate abundance, and differing impacts on the various functional feeding groups of invertebrates. The strongest foraging effect occurred on detritivorous invertebrates. I also examined cascading impacts on the biomass of epilithic algae, but found no effect of predation on these lower trophic levels. Platypuses are vigorous foragers, turning rocks and disturbing sediments whilst fossicking for invertebrates, so I also explored the possibility of foraging impacts from

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platypus on sediment. However, no effect of platypuses on sediment deposition was found.

Given the clear impact of platypus predation on components of benthic invertebrate communities in Brogers Creek, I next carried out a similar exclosure experiment in Lake Lea in north-western Tasmania which has a well-studied population of platypuses. In this system platypuses also had an impact on invertebrate abundance, but this was expressed in a different way through the invertebrate functional feeding groups. The strongest negative influence was on predatory invertebrates, perhaps leading to flow-on effects on other aquatic invertebrates. As in the Brogers Creek study, I also found no effect of platypus exclusion on algal biomass or sediment deposition.

The differential effects on functional feeding groups in the two freshwater systems seemed to indicate that platypuses had a preference for different invertebrate groups in the different systems under study. I suggest that functional feeding groups in the different systems, lentic and lotic, may have traits or attributes that alter their susceptibility to predation by platypuses. This would indicate that the predatory effect of platypus on macroinvertebrates is not just specific to one system and may have wider generality in the aquatic ecosystems within which the species occurs. Flow-on effects from platypus predation may occur at the ecosystem level within many rivers and lakes in eastern Australia.

I conclude that platypuses are important predators within the aquatic systems in which they occur. Although predation by platypuses may not have a cascading effect at lower trophic levels, platypuses are likely to have powerful influences at the ecosystem level within aquatic systems due to their predatory impacts on macroinvertebrate communities. Future research is suggested to identify the processes by which invertebrates are selected. The ecology and behaviour of Varanus mertensi (Reptilia: Varanidae) Phillip James Mayes, PhD thesis. Centre for Ecosystem Management, Edith Cowan University, Perth WA phil.mayes@adelaide.edu.au. This study examines numerous aspects of the ecology and behaviour of Merten’s water monitor, Varanus mertensi (Reptilia: Varanidae) including; daily behaviour, diet, foraging behaviour, reproductive seasonality and daily and long-term movements. Findings from over two years of field study of V. mertensi found in waterbodies of both the Ord River Irrigation Scheme and surrounding East Kimberley/Victoria River Downs bioregion

of Western Australia are presented. This study simultaneously broadens our understanding of the family Varanidae and provides insight into the life of a semi-aquatic faunal species found in waterbodies of the Ord River Irrigation Scheme.

Like other semi-aquatic varanids the daily behaviour of V. mertensi incorporates aquatic activity and like other Australian varanids it also varies seasonally. Daily core body temperatures are lower during the dry season when water temperature is low compared to the wet season when water temperature is higher. Seasonal differences in water temperature are also reflected in the daily behaviour of V. mertensi that spend more time basking during the dry season. In support of these field observations, laboratory trials showed V. mertensi rapidly cool in cold water.

Varanus mertensi is an active wide-ranging opportunistic predator of aquatic and riparian areas with a catholic diet including many relatively small prey items. It moves and searches for prey based on olfactory and visual cues in a similar way to other active foraging varanids. It is equally capable of locating and capturing prey in the terrestrial and aquatic environments and can draw on previous prey capture experience to maximise its foraging efficiency.

Females, like some other tropical Australian varanids lay their eggs during the early dry season. Dry season egg deposition combined with an incubation time of 9-10 months culminates in hatchlings emerging during the following wet season. Female V. mertensi, like most varanids, display a synchronous breeding tactic undergoing vitellogenesis just prior to the wet season mating period. However, males are asynchronous undergoing pre-emptive spermatogenesis during the late dry season prior to the mating period.

Adults move between multiple core activity areas within their large long-term activity areas and often do so on a seasonal basis. Daily and long-term activity areas closely resemble the shape of waterbodies in which individuals are found. Some V. mertensi, like other Australian varanids, burrow and remain inactive during the late dry season.

This study shows that numerous aspects of the ecology and behaviour of V. mertensi are similar to those of other similar-sized varanids just focused around aquatic areas. Varanus mertensi occupy a similar ecological niche to other semi-aquatic varanids, that of a wide ranging, active foraging, opportunistic predator of aquatic and riparian areas within their northern Australia distribution.

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Testing and modifying an Index of Riparian Spring Condition in the Central Flinders Ranges, South Australia. Kimberley A. Treglown, Honours thesis. School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia. (Principal supervisor: I.. Clark, UniSA). Riparian habitats, the zone between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, are vital for ecological function. This is especially so in the semi-arid Central Flinders Ranges, South Australia, where water sources are critical for both local ecology and pastoralists. Until recently, the assessment of the region’s vital groundwater and associated ecosystems has been overlooked. In 2005, an Index of Riparian Spring Condition (IRSC) was developed to assist protected area managers and pastoralists evaluate and monitor the condition of spring riparian habitats. The IRSC was developed by Walton (2005) as a multimetric index incorporating water quality, soil/bank condition and vegetation condition indicators. This study assessed the validity of the IRSC and modified the index to improve its precision, accuracy and reliability. Issues validated included the reliability of indicators, influence of natural temporal variability, influence of observer and the overall performance of the IRSC. The power of the index to assess riparian condition was good, although, a number of inherent issues were apparent. In particular, the validity of water quality indicators proved to be problematic when with issues concerning poor reliability and high variation over time. The validity of the vegetation condition indicators was also questionable with issues of low reliability, high variance over time and inter-observer variability/accuracy. Conversely, the soil/bank condition indicator was shown to be reliable with low variation over time; however, as the indicator is qualitative, high inter-observer variability/inaccuracies were apparent. Recommended modifications to the IRSC are presented which are shown to improve the utility of the index. Given both Walton (2005) and this study have validated the worth of the IRSC in assessing spring riparian condition in the CFR it may now be reasonable to consider the use of the IRSC as a practical tool for protected area managers and pastoralists to evaluate and monitor these habitats.

Hosts, density, and human perception of the exotic ornate kangaroo tick, Amblyomma triguttatum triguttatum Koch, at Innes National Park, and its distribution on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. Helen P. Waudby, Honours thesis. School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia. (Principal supervisor, S. Petit; Associate supervisor, R. Andrews - UniSA) The ornate kangaroo tick, Amblyomma triguttatum triguttatum, colonised areas of southern Yorke Peninsula in the last 30 years. In Queensland, A. t. triguttatum is implicated in the epidemiology of Q fever. This study examined A. t. triguttatum’s hosts on Yorke Peninsula, the peak activity periods for the different life stages, its distribution on the peninsula, and Yorke Peninsula residents’ and visitors’ awareness of ticks. Pitfall, Elliott, and cage traps were used to trap potential hosts of A. t. triguttatum; reptiles were captured opportunistically. Monthly sampling at Innes National Park using CO2 in-situ traps and drag transects to capture ticks enabled assessment of the monthly density of the life stages. The tick’s distribution on Yorke Peninsula was assessed with CO2 trapping and drag transects at various locations. To examine how Yorke Peninsula residents and visitors perceived ticks, and to identify potential invasion sites, we conducted a mail-out survey of 1000 Yorke Peninsula residents, as well as 66 face-to-face surveys of visitors and residents on lower Yorke Peninsula.

Black rats (Rattus rattus) and feral rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were identified as hosts of A. t. triguttatum at Innes National Park; these species have not previously been recorded as hosts of the tick in the wild. Western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) and tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii eugenii) were also hosts. At Innes National Park, adult A. t. triguttatum were present from August to October, and in January and February, with peak density in October. Larval A. t. triguttatum were present from February to June, and during August, with peak density in March. Nymphal A. t. triguttatum were present from August to October, and from January to April, peaking in September. Tick numbers for all stages were highest at the Casuarina campground monitoring site for all monitoring months, except October. Amblyomma triguttatum triguttatum was detected at several new locations on Yorke Peninsula, including Leven Beach Conservation Park, Point Davenport Conservation Park, and Point Turton. The mail-out survey response rate was 32% and the face-to-face survey 89%. Most (63.6%) respondents had not seen ticks on Yorke Peninsula. Of those who

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had, 48.2% had seen them on animals, in particular on lizards (30.6%) and on kangaroos (22.4%). Of the respondents who believed places on Yorke Peninsula had many ticks, 59.1% stated that these places were at Innes National Park. Respondents tended to agree that ticks are spread by livestock, and feral animals, but in general, all

respondent groups neither agreed nor disagreed as to whether domestic animals spread ticks. High potential exists for the dispersal of A. t. triguttatum by humans, and possibly by rats and rabbits. Monthly variations in A. t. triguttatum’s density suggest that control strategies should target peak activity periods.

NOTICEBOARD & ADVERTISEMENTS Please help to keep the notice board current and informative. Items to be listed in detail as below, information should be sent to the Bulletin Editor as electronic copy (preferably e.mail) and in a similar format as those below - see details for copy deadlines in the front of the Bulletin. Please give details rather than just a web address, it can take ages to access even basic information from some sites.

FORTHCOMING MEETINGS

2007 March 11-16, 2007. 8th Int. Marine Biotechnology Conf. Eilat, Israel. www.IMBC2007.ocean.org.il March 27-April 9 and April 10-23, 2007. Royal Geographical Soc. of Queensland: Scientific Study to Cravens Peak, South-West Queensland. www.rgsq.org.au/research.htm April 1-4, 2007. 10th Int. Symp. on Wetland Biogeochemistry: Frontiers in Wetland Biogeochemistry. Annapolis, Maryland, USA. www.serc.si.edu/conference/ April 2-4, 2007. 4th Marine Biological Assoc. Annual Postgraduate Workshop. Liverpool, England. http://pcwww.liv.ac.uk/~HeidiT April 3, 2007. Seminar: Addressing the Challenges of Climate Change through Green Productivity. Adelaide, SA. www.sapo.org.au/event/event6243.html April 12-14, 2007. Joint Royal Zoological Society of NSW and Australasian Bat Society Symp. on the Biology and Conservation of Australasian Bats. Sydney, NSW. Queries to Lindy Lumsden: lindy.lumsden@dse.vic.gov.au April 16-20, 2007. International Coastal Symp. Gold Coast, Qld. www.griffith.edu.au/school/eng/ics2007/home.html

April 17-19, 2007. Aust. Network for Plant Conservation forum: What lies beneath? The role of soil biota in the health and rehabilitation of native vegetation. Canberra, ACT. www.anpc.asn.au/conferences.html April 18-21, 2007. Assoc. Southeastern Biologists Ann. Meeting. Columbia, South Carolina, USA. www.asb.appstate.edu/meeting.php April 18-22, 2007. Coast to Coast 2007. Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. www.shadesofcountry.com/ezp/index.php/soc/conventions/coast_to_coast_2007 April 22-27, 2007. 2nd Nat. Conf. on Ecosystem Restoration. Kansas, Missouri. http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2007 May 21-24, 2007. 5th Int. Conf. on Marine Bioinvasions. Int. Symp. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Massachusetts. http://web.mit.edu/seagrant/bioinvasion2007/ May 21-26, 2007. Soc. Preservation of Natural History Collections 22nd Ann. Meet. St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. www.spnhc.org/announcements/annual_meetings.html

May 22-25, 2007. 5th Australian Stream Management Conference: Australian rivers: Making a difference. Albury, NSW. www.csu.edu.au/research/ilws/news/conference.html

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May 22-27, 2007. Eco Summit 2007: Ecological Complexity and Sustainability. Beijing, PR China. www.ecosummit2007.elsevier.com, May 28 - June 1, 2007, 4th Int. Zooplankton Production Symposium (co-sponsored by PICES, GLOBEC and ICES). Hiroshima, Japan. www.pices.int/meetings/international_symposia/2007_symposia/4th_Zooplankton/4th_Zoopl.aspx May 30 - June 2, 2007. Ann. Meeting Int. Soc. Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER). International Biobanking Standards. Singapore. www.isber.org/mtgs/2007/index.html June 11-14, 2007. Integrated Coastal Zone Management. Arendal, Norway. www.imr.no/iczm/home June 18-22, 2007. 6th North American Forest Ecology Workshop. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. www.nafew2007.org/

June 24-28, 2007. 9th Int. Pollination Symp. on Plant-Pollinator Relationships - Diversity in Action. Ames, Iowa, USA. www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/plantbee/home.html June 26-28, 2007. Biodiversity: Balancing Conservation and Production – case studies from the real world. Tamar NRM and Centre for Environment, Uni of Tasmania. amanda.bruce@launceston.tas.gov.au July 1-5, 2007. Soc. Conservation Biology, 21st Ann. Meeting: One World, One Conservation, One Partnership. Port Elizabeth, South Africa. www.nmmu.ac.za/scb/ July 2-5, 2007. Australian Mammal Soc. Armidale, NSW. www.australianmammals.org.au/ July 4-7, 2007. Conserv-vision. Int. Conservation conference. Hamilton, New Zealand. www.waikato.ac.nz/wfass/Conserv-Vision/ July 6-8, 2007. Australasian Shorebird Conf. Migratory Shorebirds in a Threatened Flyway. Newcastle, NSW. www.shorebirdnetwork.org/conferences_threatenedflyway.html July 6-12, 2007. Int. Congress of Entomology. Durban, South Africa. www.ice2008.org.za/

July 8-11, 2007. Zoological Soc. of Southern Africa Ann. Meeting. Potchefstroom, South Africa. www.natural-events.com/ZSSA/ July 8-10, 2007. Soc. South African Geographers, Biennial Conf. Port Elizabeth, South Africa. www.nmmu.ac.za/default.asp?id=2659&bhcp=1 July 9-13, 2007. Aust. Marine Sciences Assoc. Ann. Meeting. Melbourne, Vic. https://amsa.asn.au/conference/conf2007/ July 10-13, 2007. Soc. for Conservation Biology (Inaugural Meeting, Australasia Section). Biodiversity Extinction Crisis Conference - A Pacific Response. Sydney, NSW. www.biodiversity2007.com/ July 11-16, 2007. Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. www.dce.k-state.edu/jointmeeting/ July 25-7, 2007. Global Measurement - The Metrology Jigsaw. 7th Biennial Conf. Metrology Soc. of Aust. Adelaide, SA. www.metrology.asn.au/nationalevents.htm Aug 5-7, 2007. Asian Pacific Aquaculture. Hanoi, Vietnam. www.was.org August 5-8, 2007. Ecological Soc. of America and Soc. for Ecological Restoration Joint Meeting. Ecological Restoration in a Changing World. San Jose, California, USA. www.esa.org/sanjose/ August 19-23, 2007. 37th Int. Bat Research Conf. Merida, Mexico. http://batconference.confhost.net/ Aug 27-31, 2007. 42nd European Marine Biology Symp. (in conjunction with Inter-Research Symposium - Effects of Climate Change on Marine Ecosystems). Kiel, Germany. www.ir-symposia.com/Conf_home.asp?ConferenceCode=EMBS%202007 Sept 2-5, 2007. 11th Int. Mediterranean Ecosystems Conf. (MEDECOS XI). Perth, WA. www.medecosxi2007.com.au Sept 2-6, 2007. American Fisheries Soc. 137th Ann. Conf. Thinking Downstream and Downcurrent: Addressing Uncertainty and Unintended Consequences in Fish and Fisheries, San Francisco, California, USA. www.fisheries.org/afs2007/

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Sept 3-6, 2007. 3rd Int. Conf. on Climate and Water. Helsinki, Finland. www.environment.fi/default.asp?contentid=220921&lan=EN Sept 9-13, 2007. Int. Soc. for Seed Science Meeting: Seed Ecology II. Perth, WA. (www.seedecology2007.com.au). Sept 25-27, 2007. 14th Biennial NSW Weeds Conference. Wollongong, NSW. www.weeds2007.com.au Oct 1-3, 2007. Reproductive and recruitment processes in exploited marine fish stocks. Int. Symp. Lisbon, Portugal. www.pices.int/meetings/international_symposia/2007_symposia/poster%20as%20of%20Nov%2023-06.pdf Oct 26 - Nov 5, 2007. 16th Ann. Meeting on The changing North Pacific: Previous patterns, future projections, and ecosystem impacts. PICES. Victoria, BC, Canada. www.pices.int/meetings/annual/PICES16/background.aspx Nov 25-30, 2007. Ecological Society of Australia. Perth WA. www.ecolsoc.org.au/ESA2007Conference.htm Dec 2-3, 2007. Environment Research Event (ERE) 2007, 11th Ann. Environmental Conf. Global Problems, Local Solutions. Cairns, Qld. www.ere.org.au Dec 2-5, 2007. 4th Biennial Australasian Ornithological Conf. Perth, WA. www.birdswa.com.au/aoc2007/index.htm Dec 3-7, 2007. 8th Invertebrate Biodiversity & Conservation Conf. “Pacific Priorities”. Brisbane, Qld. www.ibcc2007.org/ 2008 January, 2008. 8th Int. Temperate Reefs Symp. Adelaide, SA. Sean Connell, organiser (sean.connell@adelaide.edu.au) May 19-23, 2008. International Symposium on effects of climate change on the world's oceans. Gijón, Spain. Coast to Coast 2008. Darwin, NT.

Oct 23 - Nov 2, 2008. Ann. Meeting, PICES. Dalian, China 20th Int. Congress on Irrigation and Drainage. Lahore, Pakistan. Inq. Mr. I.B. Sheikh, ph +92 51 920 1705; Fax +92 51 922 1806. 2009 Aug 1-30, 2009. INTECOL. 10th Int. Congress of Ecology. Brisbane, Qld. Combined with ESA09. www.intecol.net/ Sept 29-Oct 4, 2009. Raptor Research Foundation 2009 Ann. Conf. Pitlochry, Scotland. www.rrfconferencescotland2009.org Useful Websites Bureau of Rural Sciences BRS provides information of much wider application than just rural sciences. Some of the resources on their website include the following – each of these is an active link with lots of good stuff: Climate (Drought, Exceptional circumstances, Rainfall reliability, Climate change and risk to agriculture, Water 2010); Information and Risk Sciences (Bioenergy atlas, Plantation Information Network, Online maps, Australian Natural Resource Data Library); Fisheries and the Marine Environment (Australia's fisheries, Data, Fishery status reports, Marine atlas); Forests and Vegetation (Regional forest agreement, National Forest Inventory (NFI), National Plantation Inventory (NPI), Plantation Information Network, State of Australia's forests, Integrated Vegetation Online); Water and Salinity (Great Artesian Basin, Managing connected water resources, Groundwater, Salinity); Land Management (Feral animals, Weeds, Biotechnology, Land Use and Management); and Social Sciences (Country matters social atlas, Wine atlas, Community perceptions publications, Online social atlas). www.affa.gov.au/brs EnviroNews This quarterly newsletter of the International Society of Environmental Botanists (ISEB) carries highly informative scientific/popular articles, 'News & Views', 'News Flash', 'Letters', Conference announcements and latest publications. Hard copies of the newsletter are being mailed to all members of ISEB, electronic version of the current as well as past issues can be accessed and downloaded from their website: http://isebindia.com

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 57

FungiBank: information about Australia's resource bank of native fungi The FungiBank website provides information about Australia's rich resource bank of native fungi. The main focus is to provide information on incorporating native fungi into revegetation and advice on sourcing and propagating native fungi. Through the website, CSIRO aims to encourage and enable people to find and recognise fungi and to use the fungi efficiently and responsibly in management and restoration of landscapes. A prominent focus of FungiBank is fungi of Australia's remnant temperate woodlands as revegetation and restoration in these regions is an urgent national issue. FungiBank also supports work in other woody ecosystems in other parts of Australia including eucalypt forests, urban bushlands and rehabilitating mine sites. www.fungibank.csiro.au/ FloraBank: native seed information and web tool resource Australia's native seed resource FloraBank will be relaunched in 2006 thanks to new funding from the Australian Government's Natural Heritage Trust. Over the next two years a partnership between Greening Australia and ENSIS (The Joint Forces of CSIRO and SCION) will build on existing FloraBank resources and revitalise FloraBank's role in the native seed industry. FloraBank resources are relevant to those who collect, store or sell native seed, or are involved in propagating, planting or the direct seeding of native plants. Visit the FloraBank website for more information. www.florabank.org.au/ The Effects of Climate Change on Coral Bleaching This website has been designed for middle year kids. Kids are used to sitting back and being entertained by highly sophisticated media. For many kids, reading is not on their priority list. So rather than presenting a list of gimmicks, this website has been designed for the many reluctant readers. Appropriate literacy strategies and design make reading and finding information less difficult. The menu system is simple and very visual, so kids know how the information relates to the topic. There is also a comprehensive unit of work for teachers. In the downloadable PDF file you should find everything you need to satisfy the latest curriculum changes. The topic brings together the science of coral reefs, rising sea temperatures, impact of

climate change, reduction of greenhouse gases and local action. As students develop understandings about the topic they will be able to use more complicated and detailed websites. The unit of work includes personal, family and school actions to reduce the impact of climate change. This is the first of several web topics being developed by AUSMEPA (Australian Marine Environment Protection Association). You will find the materials and how to get the poster on www.ausmepa.org.au Other United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Awards 2007 ‘A National Awards Program – ‘Think Global, Act Local’ The Awards aim to recognise businesses, community groups, individuals, local governments, schools and the media whose work serves to protect, manage or restore the environment.

The Major Award Categories are:

• Sustainability Victoria Meeting the Greenhouse Challenge Award: Excellence in the implementation of innovative strategies for greenhouse gas reduction • Lincolne Scott Triple Bottom Line Award: Award for leadership in environmental, social and commercial best practice program. • DSE Excellence in Marine and Coastal Management Award: Best company, organisation, individual or community group that has demonstrated excellence in the conservation and management of marine, coastal or estuarine environments. • Excellence in Water Management: Best company, organisation, individual or community group that has demonstrated excellence in the conservation, recycling and use of water, in either urban or rural areas. • Business Enterprise Awards: Best specific environmental initiative; Environmental best practice program. • Local Government Awards: Excellence in overall environmental management; Best specific environmental initiative.

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 58

• Szencorp Green Building Award: Best non-industrial building project that has demonstrated innovation and initiative in implementing green building practices. • Signode Education/School Award: Best school based project exploring environmental themes or issues. • Media Award: Excellence in environmental reporting. • Community Award: Best community based environmental project or initiative.

• Individual Award: Outstanding service to the environment.

Nominations: Close 5pm, Wednesday 9 May For nomination forms and entry criteria please visit the United Nations Association of Australia (Victoria) website: www.unaavictoria.org.au or Ph: (03) 9670 7878 Fax: (03) 9670 9993 email: info@unaavictoria.org.au

Electronic list All messages intended for the ESA e.mail list should be sent to: esa_news@ecolsoc.org.au Administrative commands for the esa_news list

For help and a description of available commands, send a message to: esa_news-help@ecolsoc.org.au To subscribe to the list, send a message to: esa_news-subscribe@ecolsoc.org.au To remove your address from the list, just send a message to the address in the ``List-Unsubscribe'' header of any list message. If you haven't changed addresses since subscribing, you can also send a message to: esa_news-unsubscribe@ecolsoc.org.au

For addition or removal of addresses, a confirmation message will be sent to that address. When you receive it, simply reply to it to complete the transaction.

ESA Fora

To save overloading all our in-boxes, ESA have moved to a series of on-line fora for discussion. These are worth keeping in mind. Go to the website (www.ecolsoc.org.au/), log in to the member’s area and follow the prompts.

The fora are:

• Ecology in Practice - the discussion site for all ecologists in the work force • Ecology Views - share your opinions on a wide range of ecology issues • Environment and Conservation discussion site • Students and Post-graduates - discussion on student issues with your peers

The fora represent a good chance to circulate notification of publications, post docs, information and discussion, but they will only work if people get into the habit of logging on and adding to them.

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 59

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

The Ecological Society of Australia is a professional organisation established to promote ecological research and communication. The Society's constitutional objectives are: • to promote the scientific study of all organisms in relation to their environment • to promote the application of ecological principles in the development, use and conservation of

Australia's natural resources • to advise governmental and other agencies in matters where the application of ecological

principles may be of assistance • to foster the reservation of natural areas for scientific and recreational purposes and seek to

ensure that such areas are soundly managed

The Ecological Society provides the following membership benefits: • Austral Ecology, a journal of international standing – 8 issues per year • the quarterly ESA Bulletin, a newsletter for members • an electronic mail discussion list for rapid communications, exchange of views, and advertising

jobs or grant application deadlines • online membership database @ www.ecolsoc.org.au • annual symposia and open forums, workshops and meetings • links with international ecological bodies, including INTECOL • reduced subscription rate to Ecological Management and Restoration journal • opportunities to apply for grants and scholarships

Category Australian (incl. GST) International (excl GST plus $10 post)

Standard $82.50 $85.00

*Concession (income under $25 000 p.a) $38.50 $45.00

Family (2 members at same address) $110.00 $120.00

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Bulletin subscriber only (no membership) $27.50 $35.00

Ecological Management & Restoration journal (ESA Member subscription rate) $59.40 $64.00

*Please contact ESA if you feel that you are entitled to a reduced membership for reasons other than income Membership is for the calendar year, and includes Austral Ecology (8 issues/yr), the Bulletin (4 issues/yr) and reduced Conference registrations. Membership applications must be supported by a Proposer and Seconder who are current members of the Society. Contact the Membership Manager if you need help identifying suitable nominators. Payments can be made for 1, 2, or 3 years in advance.

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 37: 1 (March 2007) 60

ESA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM (Prof/A/Prof/Dr/Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms): __________________________________ _______________________________ first name(s) last name Postal address:____________________________________________________________________________________ State: __________ Postcode: ___________ Country: _______________________________________________ Telephone: (W) (______)____________________________ (H) (______)______________________________ Fax: (______)_____________________________ email: __________________________________________________________________________________________ Institutional affiliation: ____________________________________________________________________________ (indicate affiliation here. It will be used in the Annual Directory. Not for posting unless part of the postal address above) Formal qualification: ___________________________ Current occupation: _________________________________ Proposer: ____________________________________ Seconder: ________________________________________ (PLEASE PRINT) (PLEASE PRINT) Applicant Signature: ____________________________________________ Date: ____________________________

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Concessional rates apply to retirees and members whose income is less than $25,000 per annum. 3.1 Concession (low income)

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3.3 Concession (student)

$38.50 $45.00

EMR subscription is additional to ESA Membership. Please add this amount fo your membership. Ecological Management & Restoration $59 .40 $64.00

To apply for Sustaining Association or Bulletin subscription only, contact the ESA office.

Paying for: □ 1 □ 2 or □ 3 years $_________________

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Send completed form with payment to: ESA Membership Manager, PO Box 8250, Alice Springs, NT, 0871, Australia

Ph: 08 8953 7544, Fax: 08 8953 7566, email: membership@ecolsoc.org.au