scholarly journals Rainforest expansion reduces understorey plant diversity and density in open forest of eastern Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 557-571
Author(s):  
Andrew G. Baker ◽  
Claudia Catterall ◽  
Kirsten Benkendorff ◽  
Rod J. Fensham
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Open Forest ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Understorey Plant

Foraging ecology of the horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus megaphyllus (Rhinolophidae), in eastern Australia

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris R. Pavey ◽  
Chris J. Burwell
Keyword(s):  
Prey Capture ◽  
Foraging Ecology ◽  
Light Trap ◽  
Foraging Strategy ◽  
Flying Insects ◽  
Open Forest ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Horseshoe Bat ◽  
Conservation Concern

The foraging ecology of the eastern horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus megaphyllus, was examined at five sites spread along 2100 km of its Australian distribution in coastal Queensland. Foraging strategy and prey-capture behaviour of light-tagged bats were similar across sites. Bats were observed foraging during continuous flight at all sites, whereas perch hunting was observed (rarely) at only one site. Bats captured insects by aerial hawking, with a single record of gleaning. In rainforest bats spent most time close to vegetation whereas openings were favoured in open forest/woodland. Only flying insects were captured and, although a wide range of taxa was taken, Lepidoptera (all sites) and Coleoptera (all sites except one) were the primary prey. Occurrence in faeces of Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and other taxa combined, varied across sites and across seasons, but there was no three-way interaction between taxon, site and season. Comparison of insect taxa in faeces with those captured in a light-trap set at foraging grounds indicated that insects were selectively captured by R. megaphyllus. The foraging ecology of R. megaphyllus is similar to that of other horseshoe bats in its relative stability across a large geographic range. Although the species is currently not of conservation concern in Australia, aspects of its foraging ecology suggest that it may become regionally threatened in areas with high levels of vegetation clearance.

Reproduction in sympatric lizards: comparison of two species of Ctenotus (Scincidae) in south-eastern Australia

2004 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer E. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
New South ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Reproductive Characteristics ◽  
Sparse Vegetation ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Open Forest ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Testis Volume ◽  
Myall Lakes

The scincid lizards Ctenotus robustus and C. taeniolatus occur sympatrically in regenerating, sand-mined areas in the Port Stephens–Myall Lakes region, coastal New South Wales, Australia. They are absent from the unmined open forest of the area. The reproductive characteristics of these two species were compared. Males reached sexual maturity at a smaller snout–vent length (SVL) than females in C. robustus (72 mm v. 78 mm) and C. taeniolatus (49 mm v. 52 mm). Males were reproductive from August to December and maximum testis volume in both species occurred in early spring; minimum testis volume was recorded in early autumn. Females of both species contained yolking follicles or eggs from October to January (spring–summer). Clutch size in C. robustus (4–9) did not differ significantly from that in C. taeniolatus (2–7) when SVL was accounted for. Both species laid eggs in nests dug 4–5 cm deep in open sandy areas with sparse vegetation, and nesting requirements might explain their absence from open forest. At hatching, C. robustus averaged 35.9 mm SVL and C. taeniolatus averaged 29.9 mm SVL. Hatchlings of both species were at field sites from mid-January to early April. Overall, reproductive characteristics of C. robustus and C. taeniolatus were generally similar.

Population Studies on Acacia melanoxylon R. Br. I. Variation in Seed and Vegetative Characteristics

1978 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 365 ◽  
Author(s):  
TP Farrell ◽  
DH Ashton
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Clinal Variation ◽  
Acacia Melanoxylon ◽  
Open Forest ◽  
Popu Lations ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Closed Forest ◽  
Shape And Size

Considerable variation in phyllode shape and size was found between populations of Acacia melanoxylon sampled over the wide geographical range (27° of latitude) of this species in tropical and temperate eastern Australia. Communities sampled range from closed-forest to open-forest and grassy woodland. Some evidence of relationships between morphological characters of the phyllodes and environ- mental conditions of the collecting site was found, although such relationships are complex and not easily understood. The most important factors determining phyllode shape and size were the distance of the collecting site from the coast, and the seasonal distribution of the annual rainfall. Phyllodes tended to be smaller and more symmetric in the drier inland areas. Differences were found between seed characteristics of selected populations, although there was no evidence of correlation of these with selected environmental parameters. Seedlings of 17 popu- lations of A. melanoxylon grown under uniform glasshouse conditions showed some differences in leaf morphology. The age at which conversion to phyllodes begins is correlated with the mean annual rainfall at the site of origin of the seeds. The occurrence of this species in such a wide variety of habitats in eastern Australia is probably due to its clinal variation.

Effect of heat treatment of forest soil on germination of buried seed

1980 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 567 ◽  
Author(s):  
JH Warcup
Keyword(s):  
Heat Treatment ◽  
Seed Germination ◽  
Forest Soil ◽  
Forest Soils ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Untreated Soil ◽  
Open Forest ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Buried Seed ◽  
Lower Temperature

Treatment of forest soils from south-eastern Australia with aerated steam within the range 5°C (5 min) to 71°(30 min) often increased the number and variety of buried seed which germinated compared with seed germination in untreated soil. At the lower temperature (55°) prominent germination occurred in species of Juncaceae and Cyperaceae, Poranthera microphylla, Oxalis corniculata and some grasses. At higher temperatures, legumes, some epacrids and species of genera such as Pomaderris, Spyridium, Dichondra, Geranium, Opevcularia and Poranthera germinated. Artificial exposure of surface open-forest soil to the sun in summer was sufficient to cause or increase germination of several species when the soil was subsequently moistened.

scholarly journals Facilitation and biodiversity jointly drive mutualistic networks

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianalberto Losapio ◽  
Elizabeth Norton Hasday ◽  
Xavier Espadaler ◽  
Christoph Germann ◽  
Javier Ortiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Ecosystem Functioning ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
List Type ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Nurse Plants ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Pollinator Community ◽  
Mutualistic Networks ◽  
Understorey Plant

ABSTRACTFacilitation by legume nurse plants increase understorey diversity and support diverse ecological communities. In turn, biodiversity shapes ecological networks and supports ecosystem functioning. However, whether and how facilitation and increased biodiversity jointly influence community structure and ecosystem functioning remains unclear.We performed a field experiment disentangling the relative contribution of nurse plants and increasing understorey plant diversity in driving pollination interactions to quantify the direct and indirect contribution of facilitation and diversity to ecosystem functioning. This includes analysing pollinator communities in the following treatment combinations: (i) absence and presence of nurse plants, and (ii) understorey richness with none, one and three plant species.Facilitation by legume nurse plants and understorey diversity synergistically increase pollinator diversity. Our findings reflect diverse assemblages in which complementarity and cooperation among different plants result in no costs for individual species but benefits for the functioning of the community and the ecosystem. Drivers of network change are associated with increasing frequency of visits and non-additive changes in pollinator community composition and pollination niches.Synthesis Plant–plant facilitative systems, where a nurse shrub increases understorey plant diversity, positively influences mutualistic networks via both direct nurse effects and indirect plant diversity effects. Supporting such nurse systems is crucial not only for plant diversity but also for ecosystem functioning and services.

scholarly journals Relationships between mature trees and fire fuel hazard in Australian forest

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Wilson ◽  
Geoffrey J. Cary ◽  
Philip Gibbons
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Fuel Reduction ◽  
Mature Trees ◽  
Quadratic Mean ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Open Forest ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
The Mean

Increasing density of mid-storey vegetation since European settlement has been observed in forests and woodlands in several parts of the world and may result in greater fire fuel hazard. This phenomenon is often attributed to a longer interval between fires since European settlement, but may also be influenced by tree removal during the same period. We hypothesised that the number of mature trees in a stand reduces mid-storey vegetation cover and the associated fire fuel hazard through competition. To test this hypothesis, we examined associations between mid-storey cover and fire fuel hazard and the mean diameter of trees within stands of open forest and woodland in south-eastern Australia, a region prone to wildfires. We found that vegetation cover between 2 and 4 m and 4 and 6 m above the ground and two measures of fire fuel hazard were negatively associated with the quadratic mean tree diameter. Our results suggested that the removal of mature trees since European settlement may have triggered tree and shrub regeneration, resulting in higher mid-storey cover and fire fuel hazard. Thus, managing stands for the persistence and replacement of mature trees may contribute to long-term fuel reduction in Australian forests and woodlands.

Effect of a control burn on lizards and their structural environment in a eucalypt open-forest

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarinda Singh ◽  
Anita K. Smyth ◽  
Simon P. Blomberg
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Open Forest ◽  
Structural Environment ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Burnt Areas

The composition of an open-forest lizard assemblage in eastern Australia was examined before and after a low-intensity controlled fire and concurrently compared with that in an adjoining unburnt area. The effect of fire on the available structural environment and the habitat used by two focal species, Carlia vivax and Lygisaurus foliorum, was also examined. Lizard species richness was unaffected by the controlled burn as was the abundance of most species. C. vivax was the only species to display a significant reduction in abundance after fire. While the low-intensity fire resulted in significant changes to the available structural environment, there were no compensatory shifts in the habitat preferences of either C. vivax or L. foliorum. The reduction in abundance of C. vivax was congruent with this species' avoidance of burnt areas. C. vivax displayed a non-random preference for ground cover and litter cover, which were reduced in burnt areas. Changes in the availability of preferred structural habitat features are likely to contribute to changes in the abundance of some lizard species. Therefore, even low-intensity disturbances can have an impact on lizard assemblages if critical habitat features are lost or become limiting.

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