scholarly journals On the Biodiversity Hotspot of Large Branchiopods (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) in the Central Paroo in Semi-Arid Australia

Zoodiversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 439-450
Author(s):  
B. V. Timms ◽  
M. Schwentner ◽  
D. C. Rogers

Biodiversity is central to the structure and functioning of communities including those of temporary water bodies. Worldwide the large branchiopod component commonly consists up to about six species instantaneously per site and twice that number across the surrounding district. Where these figures reach eight to ten species per site and about twice that number per district, the term diversity hotspot is sometimes used. In eastern Australia, biogeographical factors have facilitated a rich large branchiopod fauna ca 80 species and locally within 500 km2 of the central Paroo in northwestern New South Wales where a rarely diverse and abundant array of habitats supports at least 38 species, though the maximum per site syntopically is still near 10 species — we suggest it be termed a super hotspot.

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4413 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. EWART

Moulds (2012) established the genus Mugadina for two small cicadas, M. marshalli (Distant) and M. emma (Goding and Froggatt), both grass inhabiting species known from Queensland and New South Wales. Both species are notable for their relatively simple 'ticking' songs. Moulds further noted that there were at least two superficially similar genera of cicadas, but each with different genitalia. This paper describes two new genera of small (9–15 mm body lengths) and distinctive grass cicadas with genitalia that are very similar to those of Mugadina, but possess clear morphological, colour and calling song differences. The new genera are: Heremusina n. gen. with two known species namely H. udeoecetes n. sp. and H. pipatio n. sp.; the second new genus is Xeropsalta n. gen., containing four known species, X. thomsoni n. sp., X. aridula n. sp., X. rattrayi n. sp., and X. festiva n. comb. Heremusina n. gen. species are described from the Alice Springs area of Northern Territory and the Cloncurry area of northwest Queensland, from arid to semi arid habitats. The Xeropsalta n. gen. species are described from western, southwest and central Queensland, and from the Simpson and Strzelecki Deserts in northeastern South Australia and northwestern New South Wales, respectively, all locations in very arid to arid habitats, but close to seasonal (often irregular) rivers and lakes. X. festiva n. comb. occurs in semi arid habitats in southern and southeastern Australia.        Detailed taxonomic descriptions are provided of the new species, together with distributions, habitats, and the calling songs. The Heremusina species emit songs with short repetitive buzzing echemes, the echeme durations differing between each species. The Xeropsalta songs are notable for their complexity, containing multiple elements with rapid changes of amplitudes and temporal structures, rather atypical of the songs of most small grass dwelling cicadas. Detailed song structures distinguishing each of the species are illustrated and interpreted in each case in light of their respective taxonomic status. 


1993 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 331 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Southwell ◽  
K Weaver ◽  
N Sheppard ◽  
P Morris

An aerial survey of 966,000 km2 of the arid/semi-arid rangelands of Queensland and New South Wales in the winter of 1992 indicated a minimum feral goat population of almost 1 million animals (density 0.97�0.12/km2). Observed density (f standard error) was higher in New South Wales (1.51�0.23/km2) than in Queensland (0.47�0.09/km2).


1996 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 581 ◽  
Author(s):  
DJ Eldridge

This paper examines the distribution of terricolous lichens at a regional scale across seven landscape types over 60 000 km2 in western New South Wales. Data are also presented on the distribution of lichens within a geomorphic sequence of runoff and runon zones on a red earth soil near Cobar. On a regional scale, 48 taxa from 23 genera were collected from 282 sites in semi-arid and arid eastern Australia, Of these, 74% were crustose or squamulose, and the remainder (26%) were foliose. Six genera (Acarospora, Endocarpon, Catapyrenium, Diploschistes, Peltula and Xanthoparmelia) accounted for 57% of species. Landscape type was a poor predictor of lichen floristics or crust cover. Instead, a core group of species comprising Collema coccophorum, Heppia despreauxii, Endocarpon rogersii, E. simplicatum var. bisporum, E. pallidum, Psora decipiens, Peltula patellata ssp. australiensis, Catapyrenium squamulosum and Synalissa symphorea, occurred in all landscape types. Plains with red earths had the greatest mean number of species per site (11.2) and the greatest mean crust cover (27.7%). Plains of calcareous earths yielded the greatest number of species (38). Across all sites, crust cover was a poor predictor of lichen species richness. However, on landscape types with non-calcareous soils, mean crust cover explained 88% of the variation in mean number of species. Whilst there was no difference in total number of species across a sequence of geomorphic zones, crust cover was significantly greater in the interception zones (79.0%) compared with either the run-on (6.6%) or run-off (24.0%) zones. These distributional data are compared with other published and unpublished studies from similar areas in Australia. The role of terricolous crusts as indicators of ecosystem health, and the influence of land management on crust cover and subsequent landscape stability are discussed.


1999 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 71 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Freudenberger ◽  
J Barber

The movement patterns of ten feral goats fitted with radio transmitters were examined over a 20 month period in a semi-arid woodland of western New South Wales. The mean distance between locations (fixes) was 3.1 km at 42 day intervals. The mean interfix distance for male goats was 1.1 km greater than for females. The mean home range for the five males was 29.4 km2 and 10.9 km2 for the five females (95% convex polygon). The movement patterns of feral goats in this woodland system were predictable. Goats usually moved small distances and remained close to intermittent lakes and creeks with abundant tree and shrub cover. Goats commercially harvested in this area were likely to have come from local populations living in an area of 15-35 km2, an area encompassed by 1-2 paddocks on a single property.


1985 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Pickett ◽  
C. H. Thompson ◽  
R. A. Kelley ◽  
D. Roman

Thirty-nine species of scleractinian corals have been recovered from under a high dune on the western (mainland) side of North Stradbroke Island, eastern Australia. The corals are associated with thin intertidal sediments and their good condition implies burial in situ and preservation in a saturated zone. Most likely this occurred as the coast prograded and a large dune advanced into the littoral zone, burying intertidal sediments and coral. The species assemblage indicates a sheltered environment but one open to the ocean without wide fluctuations in salinity. Three species yielded a mean 230Th/234U age of 105,000 yr B.P. which is significantly younger than the nearest Pleistocene corals at Evans Head, New South Wales. The corals provide evidence of a sea stand near present sea level during isotope Stage 5c, which is considerably higher than previously suggested for this period. Their good condition implies that the overlying parabolic dune is of comparable age and formed during that high stand of sea level. Also, the isotope age provides a maximum period for the development of giant podzols in the podzol chronosequences on coastal dunes in southern Queensland.


1986 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 213 ◽  
Author(s):  
LW Braithwaite ◽  
M Maher ◽  
SV Briggs ◽  
BS Parker

Populations of waterfowl of three game species, the Pacific black duck Anus superciliosa, grey teal A. gibberifrons, and maned duck Chenonetta jubata, were assessed by aerial survey in October 1983 within a survey region of 2 697 000 km2 of eastern Australia. The numbers of each species were assessed on all surface waters of over 1 ha, and on a sample of smaller surface waters within 10 survey bands each 30 km wide and spaced at intervals of 2� latitude from 20�30' to 38�30'S. The area within the survey bands was 324 120 km2, which gave a sampling intensity of 12.0% of the land surface area. The area of features shown as wetlands or water impoundments within the survey bands on 1 : 2 500 000 topographic maps was 19 200 km2 or 11.2% of the total area of these features in the survey region. The area of surface waters surveyed was assessed at 465 300 ha. Assessments of populations of each species were tallied for wetlands by grid cells of 6 min of 1� longitude along the survey bands (258-309 km2 depending on latitude). Distributions were then mapped, with log*10 indices of populations in each cell. Distributions of the black duck and grey teal showed a pattern of intense aggregation in limited numbers of cells, that of the maned duck was more evenly distributed. The major concentrations of the Pacific black duck were recorded in northern New South Wales and the south-eastern, western, central eastern and central coastal regions of Queensland; those of the grey teal were in south-western, western and northern New South Wales and central-eastern Queensland; the maned duck was broadly distributed over inland New South Wales with the exception of the far west, inland southern Queensland, and central northern Victoria.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 102-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vitaly A. Stolbov ◽  
Victoria V. Popova ◽  
Sergei D. Sheikin ◽  
Sergei S. Tupitsyn

Water mites (Acariformes, Hydrachnidia, Halacaroidea) were studied in 8 different bogs and fens of Western Siberia. 28 species of Hydrachnidia and 5 species of Halacaridae were found in them. The species composition in the bogs was very different. In the fens the abundance and species diversity were higher than in sphagnum bogs and the fauna were based on spring species. The representatives of the halacarid mites dominated in sphagnum bogs, which were not found in the fens. The specific similarity of the studied bogs was low. At the same time, the peculiarities of seasonal dynamics in bogs and fens were similar and resembled temporary water bodies: high numbers in the spring and an abruptly decline in the summer, with a slight increase in autumn.


2002 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. L. Sutherland ◽  
I. T. Graham ◽  
R. E. Pogson ◽  
D. Schwarz ◽  
G. B. Webb ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 207 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Raoult ◽  
V. Peddemors ◽  
J. E. Williamson

Two species of angel shark (Squatina australis, S. albipunctata) and two species of sawshark (Pristiophorus nudipinnis, P. cirratus) are frequently caught in south-eastern Australia. Little is known of the biology of these elasmobranchs, despite being caught as secondary target species in large numbers. The present study collected morphometric and reproductive data from sharks caught in shark-control nets, commercial fishing trawlers and research trawlers in south-eastern Australia. All four species had female-biased sexual size dimorphism, but growth curves between sexes did not differ. Male S. australis individuals were fully mature at ~800-mm total length, male P. nudipinnis at ~900mm, and male P. cirratus at ~800mm. Anterior pectoral margins could be used to determine total length in all species. No morphometric measurement could reliably separate Squatina spp. or Pristiophorus spp., although S. albipunctata over 1000-mm total length had larger eyes than did S. australis.


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