Seasonal Variation of Abundance and Foraging of Three Species of Australian Honeyeaters.

1982 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 557 ◽  
Author(s):  
BG Collins ◽  
P Briffa

At Wongamine Reserve, Western Australia, in 1977-81, honeyeaters (Lichmera indistincta, Phylidonyris nigra and Melithreptus brevirostris) were observed. The birds made movements that were related to the abundance of flowers and associated nectar. No species relied on a single plant species for nectar in any season. The birds ate also arthropods picked from bark and leaves. They did not take coleopherans.

Oikos ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 121 (5) ◽  
pp. 743-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce A. Kimball ◽  
John H. Russell ◽  
Peter K. Ott

1998 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 321 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. L. Shearer ◽  
C. E. Crane ◽  
R. G. Fairman ◽  
M. J. Grant

Estimates of the susceptibility of plant species of coastal dune vegetation tokilling by Armillaria luteobubalina Watling & Kilewere obtained from the occurrence of mycelial sheaths of the pathogen beneaththe bark of the root collars of dead plants in 62 disease centres.Dicotyledons (Magnoliopsida) outnumbered monocotyledons (Liliopsida), being81% of the 330 plant species found in disease centres in coastalvegetation. Fifty-one percent of the species were from five Magnoliopsidafamilies with the largest number of species from the Myrtaceae and Proteaceae.Eleven percent of the species were from three Liliopsida families with thelargest number of species from the Cyperaceae. Thirty-four percent of speciesoccurred in three or more disease centres. Thirty-eight percent, or a total of125 of all species, were killed by A. luteobubalina incoastal vegetation. Hosts on which the pathogen did not reach the root collarwould not have been detected. The largest number of species killed were fromthe Proteaceae (26% of species killed) followed by Myrtaceae,Epacridaceae, Papilionaceae and Mimosaceae. Only 6% of species killedwere from the Liliopsida. The distribution of species frequency and thosekilled by infection is positively skewed, with 40% of species notkilled in any centre and 8% killed in greater than 75% of thecentres in which they occurred. The percentage of disease centres in which aspecies occurred and was killed by A. luteobubalina issignificantly linearly correlated with mortality rating and relativeimportance. Cross-tabulation of species by disease centres in which plantswere killed provided the opportunity to classify the relative susceptibilityof plant species to killing by A. luteobubalina.


1996 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 433 ◽  
Author(s):  
BL Shearer ◽  
M Dillon

Estimates of the susceptibility of plant species in Banksia woodland to Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands were obtained by determining the incidence of plant death and frequency of isolation of the pathogen, among species occurring in 46 disease centres on the Swan Coastal Plain south of Perth, Western Australia. In the disease centres, dicotyledons outnumbered monocotyledons. About half of all species occurring in the disease centres were from four families of dicotyledons, with the largest number of species from the Myrtaceae, Proteaceae and Papilionaceae. The greatest number of species of monocotyledons were from the Anthericaceae and Cyperaceae. No deaths were recorded for 47% of species found in three or more disease centres. These species were mainly from the Cyperaceae, Haemodoraceae, Myrtaceae and Papilionaceae. The species that tended to die frequently in disease centres were mainly from the Papilionaceae, Proteaceae, Epacridaceae, Xanthorrhoeaceae and the Zamiaceae. Phytophthora cinnamomi was isolated from 26 of the 95 species occurring in three or more disease centres. For most species, the frequency of isolation of P. cinnamomi from recently dead plants was much less than the frequency of dead plants sampled. Isolation from plants was less frequent than from adjacent soil. The pathogen was isolated from recently dead plants or soil mainly for species of the Proteaceae, Myrtaceae, Papilionaceae, Dasypogonaceae, Iridaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae. Cross-tabulation of species by incidence of plant death and isolation of P. cinnamomi from plant and soil, provided the opportunity to classify the response of plant species to infection by P. cinnamomi.


1986 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
HG Gardiner

The dynamics of populations of six plant species and their responses to environmental factors were examined at Yeelirrie station in the Mulga Zone rangelands of Western Australia. Populations of plants were sampled using sequential maps drawn from low level aerial photographs of areas from which livestock had been removed and which were fenced either to exclude or permit grazing by kangaroos (Macropus rufus Desmarest and Macropus robustus Gould). All six plant species were favoured by the combination of wet years (1973-76) and the removal of livestock from these arid rangelands. Increases ranged from about 20 plants/ha/yr (Eremophila leucophylla, Benth.) to more than 700 plants/ha/yr (Eremophila spectabilis, C.A. Gardn.) during this period. Drought (1977-1979) resulted in significant declines that ranged from about 10 plants/ha/yr (Eremophila leucophylla) to nearly 600 plants/ha/yr (Eremophila spectabilis) while three species (Eremophila leucophylla, Maireana glomerifolia, (F. Muell. et Tate) P.G. Wilson and Ptilotus obovatus, Gaud.) either did not change or increased by only 30 to 60 plants/ha/yr during this period. Responses to kangaroo grazing were strongest during 'normal', post-drought years (1980-82) when Eragrostis xerophila, Domin. decreased by 178 plants/ha/yr on grazed areas while on protected areas there was an increase of 299 plants/ha/yr. This response was due to effects on both recruitment and, as discussed by Gardiner (1986), survival. Maireana glomerifolia, another important plant for livestock was suppressed by kangaroo grazing via reduced recruitment during the 'normal' period. Other species (Frankenia paucifora, DC. and Eremophila spectabilis) responded positively to kangaroo grazing activity during the same period.


Our Nature ◽  
1970 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-163
Author(s):  
T.N. Mandal ◽  
K.K.C. Poudel ◽  
T.P. Gautam

The plant species composition of the Chimdi lake area showed seasonal variation. Altogether 54 plant species under 21 families, 41 plant species under 19 families and 29 plants species under 14 families have been recorded in summer, rainy and winter seasons respectively. Dominant families were Poaceae 22.2%, Cyperaceae 24.4% and again Poaceae 31% in the above respective seasons. The dicot and monocot members were maximum in the summer and minimum in the winter.DOI: 10.3126/on.v8i1.4323


2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 667 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Lymbery ◽  
R. G. Doupé ◽  
N. E. Pettit

Although the salinisation of streams has long been recognised as one of Western Australia's most serious environmental and resource problems, there is very little published information on the effects of salinisation on riparian flora and fauna. We studied riparian vegetation in three experimental catchments on the Collie River in Western Australia. The catchments are situated within a 5-km area of state forest and are geologically and botanically similar, but differ in the extent of clearing, groundwater levels and stream salinity. In each catchment, transects were taken perpendicular to the direction of streamflow, and 4-m2 quadrats taken along each transect. Within each quadrat, soil salinity was measured, all plants were identified to species level and percentage cover estimated. The catchments differed significantly in soil salinity, with salinity being greatest in the most extensively cleared catchment and increasing towards the floor of the valley. Plant-species richness, species diversity and species composition were significantly related to soil salinity, both among catchments and among quadrats within the most extensively cleared catchment. Plant-species richness and diversity decreased with increasing soil salinity, an effect that may be partly due to a decline in perennial herb and shrub species. This may have an impact on other components of the riparian ecosystem.


2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 225 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. L. Shearer ◽  
C. E. Crane ◽  
S. Barrett ◽  
A. Cochrane

The invasive soilborne plant pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands is a major threatening process in the South-west Botanical Province of Western Australia, an internationally recognised biodiversity hotspot. Comparatively recent introduction of P. cinnamomi into native plant communities of the South-west Botanical Province of Western Australia since the early 1900s has caused great irreversible damage and altered successional change to a wide range of unique, diverse and mainly susceptible plant communities. The cost of P. cinnamomi infestation to community values is illustrated by examination of direct (mortality curves, changes in vegetation cover) and indirect impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics, the proportion of Threatened Ecological Communities infested, Declared Rare Flora either directly or indirectly threatened by infestation and estimates of the proportion of the native flora of the South-west Botanical Province susceptible to the pathogen. While direct impacts of P. cinnamomi have been poorly documented in the South-west Botanical Province, even less attention has been given to indirect impact where destruction of the habitat by the pathogen affects taxa not directly affected by infection. Current poor understanding and quantification of indirect impacts of P. cinnamomi through habitat destruction results in an underestimation of the true impact of the pathogen on the flora of the South-west Botanical Province. Considerable variation of susceptibility to P. cinnamomi among and within families of threatened flora and responses of taxa within the genus Lambertia show how classification within family and genus are poor predictors of species susceptibility. Within apparently susceptible plant species, individuals are resistant to P. cinnamomi infection. Intra-specific variation in susceptibility can be utilised in the long-term management of threatened flora populations and needs to be a high research priority. Current control strategies for conservation of flora threatened by P. cinnamomi integrate hygiene and ex situ conservation with disease control using fungicide. Application of the fungicide phosphite has proven effective in slowing progress of P. cinnamomi in infested, threatened communities. However, variation in plant species responses to phosphite application is a major factor influencing effective control of P. cinnamomi in native communities. A greater understanding of the mechanisms of action of phosphite in plant species showing different responses to the fungicide may provide options for prescription modification to increase phosphite effectiveness in a range of plant species. The range of responses to P. cinnamomi infection and phosphite application described for Lambertia taxa suggests that the genus would make an ideal model system to elucidate the mechanisms of resistance to P. cinnamomi and the effectiveness of phosphite against the pathogen.


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