Farm ponds in New South Wales, Australia: relationship between macrophyte and phytoplankton abundances

1997 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle T. Casanova ◽  
Annabel Douglas-Hill ◽  
Margaret A. Brock ◽  
Monika Muschal ◽  
Michael Bales

The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of 65 farm ponds in the Northern Tablelands and Central Western Slopes regions of New South Wales, Australia, were similar to those recorded for Australian ponds in other studies. The strongest single relationship between physico-chemical characteristics and biological characteristics was for high abundance of phytoplankton, low abundance of macrophytes, high turbidity, and high nutrient concentrations in ponds on granitic soil. Variation among the ponds was such that no other relationship was significant. Five groups of ponds were discerned on the basis of their biological and physico-chemical characteristics. One group could be classed as reasonably ‘pristine’, with high water clarity and high abundance of macrophytes; another group presented highly eutrophic, phytoplankton-dominated conditions. Ponds in these two groups can be described as being in ‘alternative stable states’. A third group had been modified with the intention of improving the appearance or utility of the ponds. The last two groups identified in this analysis had no specific parallels in the literature. Abundance of macrophytes was related to good water quality, and encouragement of increased abundance of submerged plants in farm ponds could result in improved water quality.


1994 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 737 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Bowling

Although smaller cyanobacterial blooms had occurred in Lake Cargelligo in previous summers, a severe bloom of Anabaena circinalis occurred in the lake in November 1990. Cell numbers exceeded 100 000 cells m L -1 , and toxicity tests revealed the bloom to be highly hepatotoxic. This resulted in the first known closure of a town water supply due to cyanobacteria in New South Wales. Blooms of Microcystis aeruginosa, Aphanizomenon issatschenkoi, Oscillatoria rnougeotii and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii also occurred in the lake at similar very high cell numbers during the summer and autumn of 1990-91. All five species persisted until May 1991, although there was no detectable toxicity from January onwards. Severe flooding in the Lachlan River valley upstream of Lake Cargelligo during the winter of 1990 led to nutrient enrlched inflows to the lake. These elevated nutrient concentrations would have been a major factor contributing to the bloom. However, other physico-chemical factors were also suitable for cyanobacterial growth.



Soil Research ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael G. Jones ◽  
R. Willem Vervoort ◽  
Julie Cattle

Understanding the process by which nutrients and solids enter waterways from pastures in the Great Lakes district, New South Wales, Australia, may assist in maintaining water quality to ensure ongoing environmental and economic sustainability of the region. Rainfall simulations, using a 100-year return storm event, were conducted to determine nutrient and suspended solid concentrations in the runoff of 8 pasture sites in 3 of the catchments in the district. On 5 of the 8 sites, considerable concentrations of N or P were mobilised during the simulated rainfall event, but average nutrient concentrations and total loads across all sites were relatively low and similar to other studies of nutrient runoff from pastures. In addition, low runoff coefficients indicated that runoff is probably not the major pathway for nutrient losses from pasture in this area. Overall, rainfall runoff responses at the sites were similar in the 3 catchments. In contrast, the results suggest that, despite generating more runoff, the sites in the Wang Wauk catchment generated less nutrients in runoff than the sites in the Wallamba and Myall catchments. There was no difference in total suspended solids loads for the sites analysed by catchment. Relationships between soil physical and chemical characteristics and total nutrients loads or cumulative runoff were not strong.



2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fidelis Godfrey Jaravani ◽  
Michelle Butler ◽  
Paul Byleveld ◽  
David N. Durrheim ◽  
Peter. D. Massey ◽  
...  


1974 ◽  
Vol 14 (66) ◽  
pp. 112 ◽  
Author(s):  
DW Turner ◽  
B Barkus

At Alstonville, New South Wales, leaf position had a greater effect than season on the nutrient concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, Mn, Cu, and Zn in the laminae of Williams bananas growing on a krasnozem soil and sampled over a 4-year period. However, season was more important for Mg. The effect of stage of plant growth was significant but much smaller than the other influences. When sampling for leaf analysis, leaf position and plant age can be standardised, but a major problem in this investigation was unpredictable, significant changes in nutrient composition from one sampling date to another. If these results are true for other soils. the data do not allow critical levels to be applied.



1979 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 325 ◽  
Author(s):  
GL Muir ◽  
WD Johnson

Studies of the chemical characteristics of the Cudgegong River, N.S.W., were made in December 1974, November and December 1975 and January and June 1976. The concentrations of the major ions showed correlation with the geology of the catchment and the river's discharge. The order of dominance for ions in most of the river was found to be Mg2+ > Na+ > Ca2+ and HCO3- > Cl- > SO42-, but in the uppermost reaches of the river the order was Na+ > Mg2+ > Ca2+ and Cl- > HCO3- > SO42-. The origin and variation of ions, mineral weathering and ion-ion associations are discussed.



1977 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 683 ◽  
Author(s):  
WD Johnson ◽  
GL Muir

Preliminary studies of the chemical characteristics of the Castlereagh River were made in 1973. The concentrations of the major ions vary considerably with distance from the head of the river and this variation shows a marked correlation with the geology of the catchment area. The order of dominance for ions within the system was found to be Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ and HCO3- > Cl- > SO42- for the main river, and creeks in the eastern catchment gave Mg2+ > Ca2+ > Na+ > K+ and Cl- > HCO3- > SO42-. The relative amounts of the dominant chemical species are discussed and suggestions are made for the possible origins of specific components.



1989 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-145
Author(s):  
A. G. Bernard

The increasing popularity in the use of spa pools during the 1970's and 1980's and the accompanying incidents of folliculitis and ear infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa associated with spa-pool use has necessitated the development of bacteriological and chemical guidelines for spa-pool water quality. The New South Wales (N.S.W.) Department of Health introduced a bacteriological standard for swimming pools and spa-pools in 1981 based on the findings of a series of surveys aimed at identifying the principal factors influencing the bacteriological quality of spa waters. Four surveys are summarised in this paper. The major findings described are the tenfold higher recovery of P. aeruginosa from spa-pools than from outdoor pools; the need for at least 2.0 milligrams per litre (mg/L) free chlorine residual in order to achieve reliable satisfactory water quality in spas compared with a requirement of 1.0mg/L to achieve the same quality in outdoor pools; the need to maintain pH below 8.0 in order to ensure efficient chlorine disinfection; the apparent inability of bromochlorodimethylhydantoin to adequately disinfect spas during heavy bather load periods; and the success of the Health Department's spa-pool operator education program which resulted in a 30% reduction in the incidence of bacteriologically unsatisfactory spa-pool waters in N.S.W. between 1980 and 1986.



Harmful Algae ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 134-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gurjeet S. Kohli ◽  
Shauna A. Murray ◽  
Brett A. Neilan ◽  
Lesley L. Rhodes ◽  
D. Tim Harwood ◽  
...  


2008 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 137 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Glen

The spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) is an endangered marsupial carnivore endemic to eastern Australia. A paucity of information on the dynamics of wild populations has hindered conservation of the species. The population dynamics of spotted-tailed quolls were investigated in an area of unusually high abundance in north-eastern New South Wales, where density is conservatively estimated at 0.3 km−2. Sixty individual quolls were captured on 331 occasions over 22 months. Apparent survival, timing and rate of reproduction, and morphometric data were compared with those of quolls from other areas. Population models were employed to investigate patterns in the behaviour and apparent survival of quolls in the study area. The high abundance of D. maculatus identifies the study area as vital to the conservation of quolls on mainland Australia, and to the future study of the species.



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