Large-scale patterns in habitat structure on subtidal rocky reefs in New South Wales

2000 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 255 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. L. Andrew ◽  
A. L. O'Neill

Aerial photography was used to estimate the representation of shallow subtidal habitats in New South Wales. Sixty sites, each between 4 and 5 hectares, were mapped with Geographical Information Systems software using ortho-rectified images digitized from 1:8000-scale photographs and ‘ground truthed’ in the field by divers. Barrens habitat covered an estimated 50% (s.e. = 3.9) of nearshore reefs between Port Stephens and Disaster Bay. Coverage of barrens habitat was greatest in Disaster Bay (68%, s.e. = 6.7) and least south of Disaster Bay (1%, s.e. = 0.3). There were clear differences among localities in the area of reef within the mapped sites; those at Cape Howe, Nadgee, and Turingal were significantly smaller in area than all others. There was no clear latitudinal trend in these differences but there was evidence of sand inundation at a site at Nadgee, where the reef was small. Differences in the densities and size-structure of the sea urchin Centrostephanus rodgersiiat 27 of the mapped sites provide a basis for testing relationships between the demography of this species and the persistence of the barrens habitat. The extensive coverage of the barrens habitat in New South Wales is likely to limit the productivity of the abalone industry. The development of a sea urchin fishery may have large impacts on habitat representation on nearshore reefs.

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 313 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. Catling ◽  
R. J. Burt ◽  
R. I. Forrester

Statistical models are presented of the distribution and abundance of ground-dwelling mammals in eucalypt forests in relation to environmental variables within an area of approximately 24 000 km2 in north-eastern New South Wales. Environmental variables are defined as climatic or topographic variables that may be useful to map the distribution of fauna. The environmental variables examined were season, temperature, rainfall, elevation, lithology, steepness of slope, position on slope, aspect and landform profile. The probability of recording some species was higher in spring than autumn and many species were in highest abundance in areas of low temperature (high elevation). Although aspect was a significant variable in a number of models, no species was absent from any aspect category. Mid-slopes down to and including creeks and drainage lines were particularly important for many species, as were areas with flatter terrain. Although we have modelled environmental variables only there will no doubt be longer-term interactions between habitat and environmental variables. Fundamentally, environmental variables will determine the type of habitat present at a site, and the distribution of canopy communities, at least, can be predicted from environmental variables. However, other studies have shown for ground-dwelling mammals that environmental variables contribute little and it is the state of the habitat locally, and particularly the understorey, that determines their presence and abundance at a site. The results are discussed in relation to similar models using habitat variables and in relation to the use of such models in the management of ground-dwelling fauna in forests.


1994 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 635 ◽  
Author(s):  
MG Chapman

Within-shore and among-shore patterns of distribution, abundance and size structure of Littorina unifasciata Gray were identified on a number of shores in New South Wales. There was significant patchiness in distribution, abundance and size of L. unifasciata among patches of shore only a few metres apart, at different heights on the shore and from shore to shore. On a particular shore, the sizes of snails were strongly correlated with densities. In contrast, differences in densities at different heights from one shore to another were not correlated with mean size of snails. Density and size were each strongly correlated with the height on the shore at which snails were found. At any one height, differences in densities and size were also correlated with the distribution of particular microhabitat variables, such as the slope of the rock surface, the presence of pits and shallow pools and the presence of barnacles. Densities were also negatively correlated with densities of the large microalgae-grazing limpet Cellana tramoserica but were independent of other littorinids. A number of alternative models have been proposed to account for these patterns of distribution, abundance and size. Although processes that might account for these patterns were not investigated here, quantification of such patterns at a number of spatial scales is necessary before potential factors that might affect small-scale spatial variation in densities and sizes of L. unifasciata can be identified and investigated.


1998 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 241 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Underwood ◽  
M. G. Chapman

Data were collected in New South Wales from replicate sites on five wave-exposed shores separated by hundreds of kilometres at three-monthly intervals for four years, to examine large and small spatial and temporal patterns in low-shore algal assemblages. These data were used to test hypotheses from the models that algal assemblages show large-scale, predictable changes in structure or, alternatively, that variation from time to time is small-scale and differs from shore to shore or site to site on a shore. There was considerable variation at all scales examined — among replicate quadrats within sites, between sites on a shore and among shores. Similarly, assemblages differed from one sampling period to the next and changes in the assemblages over time periods of three months were as great as from year to year. These changes were interactive, with no two sites or shores showing similar temporal patterns. Thus, understanding diversity along a coast-line requires detailed understanding of local processes. Without adequate spatial and temporal replication in sampling designs and without explanatory models, the large and complex variability in intertidal assemblages at different scales cannot be documented and understood.


1985 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry Wright

Lake Mungo, in New South Wales, is the home of the first known people in this country. Here, the oldest known evidence of Aboriginal people in Australia has been found. Because of its importance, it is a site which everyone should know about. To give us a feeling for Lake Mungo, Billy Reid, the illustrator of The Aboriginal Health Worker and The Aboriginal Child at School, came with me on a trip. We travelled west to the Darling River (whose Aboriginal name is Calewatta), and then south-east to Lake Mungo itself. Billy made wonderful drawings to represent the deeds and everyday life of those people. This can be reconstructed from the fossil evidence found at Lake Mungo. He has also drawn some scenes of life along the banks of the Calewatta - the river which is Billy’s own home. He hails from Bourke.


1984 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 663 ◽  
Author(s):  
DG James

Data were obtained on population and general biology of three non-reproductive overwintering colonies ofthe monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus (Danaidae) during April-August in 1980,1981 and 1982 at a site near Camden in New South Wales. A mark, release and recapture study showed that the 1981 colony was largely stable and the 1982 colony was migratory. In 1980 and 1981 populations comprised less than 500 individuals but in 1982 a peak population of 3500 butterflies was recorded. Males were sexually active throughout clustering. Most females were mated but showed no ovarian development. Periods of flight and feeding activity were common. The condition of most butterflies did not deteriorate markedly during clustering. Comparisons between winter non-reproductive monarch populations in North America and Australia are discussed.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Karystianis ◽  
Armita Adily ◽  
Peter Schofield ◽  
Lee Knight ◽  
Clara Galdon ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Vast numbers of domestic violence (DV) incidents are attended by the New South Wales Police Force each year in New South Wales and recorded as both structured quantitative data and unstructured free text in the WebCOPS (Web-based interface for the Computerised Operational Policing System) database regarding the details of the incident, the victim, and person of interest (POI). Although the structured data are used for reporting purposes, the free text remains untapped for DV reporting and surveillance purposes. OBJECTIVE In this paper, we explore whether text mining can automatically identify mental health disorders from this unstructured text. METHODS We used a training set of 200 DV recorded events to design a knowledge-driven approach based on lexical patterns in text suggesting mental health disorders for POIs and victims. RESULTS The precision returned from an evaluation set of 100 DV events was 97.5% and 87.1% for mental health disorders related to POIs and victims, respectively. After applying our approach to a large-scale corpus of almost a half million DV events, we identified 77,995 events (15.83%) that mentioned mental health disorders, with 76.96% (60,032/77,995) of those linked to POIs versus 16.47% (12,852/77,995) for the victims and 6.55% (5111/77,995) for both. Depression was the most common mental health disorder mentioned in both victims (22.30%, 3258) and POIs (18.73%, 8918), followed by alcohol abuse for POIs (12.24%, 5829) and various anxiety disorders (eg, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder) for victims (11.43%, 1671). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that text mining can automatically extract targeted information from police-recorded DV events to support further public health research into the nexus between mental health disorders and DV.


2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 129
Author(s):  
NR Perkins

A large-scale outbreak of equine influenza (EI) virus in Australia in 2007 resulted in major disruption to horse activities and related industries across the nation and particularly in the two infected states (Queensland and New South Wales). In a major test of animal health response capacity, the outbreak was successfully contained and the EI virus eradicated as a result of a coordinated national response that relied heavily on the cooperation of government and industry stakeholders. Quarantine measures have been strengthened to minimise the risk of future incursions and ensure that Australia remains free of this important and highly contagious disease.


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