Digital Commons Network^™

High Muscle Mitochondrial Volume And Aerobic Capacity In A Small Marsupial (Sminthopsis Crassicaudata) Reveals Flexible Links Between Energy-Use Levels In Mammals, Terence Dawson, Koa Webster, Enhua Lee, William A. Buttemer

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

We investigated the muscle structure–function relationships that underlie the aerobic capacity of an insectivorous, small (~15 g) marsupial, Sminthopsis crassicaudata (Family: Dasyuridae), to obtain further insight into energy use patterns in marsupials relative to those in placentals, their sister clade within the Theria (advanced mammals). Disparate hopping marsupials (Suborder Macropodiformes), a kangaroo (Macropus rufus) and a rat-kangaroo (Bettongia penicillata), show aerobic capabilities as high as those of ‘athletic’ placentals. Equivalent muscle mitochondrial volumes and cardiovascular features support these capabilities. We examined S. crassicaudata to determine whether highly developed aerobic capabilities occur elsewhere in marsupials, rather than being restricted to the …

The Ethical Implications Of Intervening In Bodyweight, Stacy M. Carter, Ian Kerridge, Lucie Rychetnik, Lesley King

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This chapter is about the ethical implications of health sector actions intended to change individuals' or communities' weight. We consider these implications using two hypothetical cases. The first is Megan, a 15-year-old girl whose BMI is in the range defined as obese. She has been unable to lose weight and her parents are considering seeking clinical help. The second case is the population of the state where Megan lives, in which 35% of adults and 15% of children are reportedly overweight, and 17% of adults and 5% of children obese. The minister for health, prompted by these statistics, is determined …

Fine-Resolution (25 M) Topoclimatic Grids Of Near-Surface (5 Cm) Extreme Temperatures And Humidities Across Various Habitats In A Large (200 X 300 Km) And Diverse Region, Michael B. Ashcroft, John R. Gollan

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The development of fine-resolution climate grids is an important priority in explaining species' distributions at the regional scale and predicting how species may respond to variable and changing climates. Recent studies have demonstrated advantages of producing these grids using large networks of inexpensive climate loggers, as the resulting grids can capture local climatic variations over a range of environments. In this study we extend these methods to develop innovative fine-resolution (25 m) climate grids for a large region (∼200 x 300 km) of New South Wales, Australia. The key aspects of these grids is that they: (1) are based on …

Behavioural Adaptation Of A Bird From Transient Wetland Specialist To An Urban Resident, John Martin, Kristine O. French, Richard Major

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Dramatic population increases of the native white ibis in urban areas have resulted in their classification as a nuisance species. In response to community and industry complaints, land managers have attempted to deter the growing population by destroying ibis nests and eggs over the last twenty years. However, our understanding of ibis ecology is poor and a question of particular importance for management is whether ibis show sufficient site fidelity to justify site-level management of nuisance populations. Ibis in non-urban areas have been observed to be highly transient and capable of moving hundreds of kilometres. In urban areas the population …

Spatial Modelling Of Benthic Cover Using Remote Sensing Data In The Aldabra Lagoon, Western Indian Ocean, Sarah Hamylton, Tom Spencer, A Hagan

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Spatially explicit ecological modelling was used to predict the distribution of 4 benthic components (live coral, carbonate sand, macroalgae and dead coral) inside the Aldabra lagoon, southern Seychelles, western Indian Ocean. Both classic ordinary least-squares and spatial autoregression techniques were carried out on a field data set of 774 spatially referenced records and 3 satellite remote sensing images to define an empirical relationship between local environmental conditions (water depth and water level variation) and benthic cover. This relationship was then used to generate a synoptic model of the spatial cover and distribution of each benthic component at the landscape (i.e. …

Are Competitive Effects Of Native Species On An Invader Mediated By Water Availability?, Tanya J. Mason, Kristine French, Ken Russell

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Question: Climate change processes could influence the dynamics of biotic interactions such as plant competition, especially in response to disturbance phenomena such as invasional processes. Are competitive effects of native species on an invadermediated bywater availability?

Location: Glasshouse facility, New SouthWales, Australia.

Methods: We constructed competitive hierarchies for a representative suite of species from coastal dune communities that have been invaded by the Asteraceae shrub, bitou (Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. rotundata). We used a comparative phytometer approach, where the invader species was grown with or without a suite of native species in glasshouse trials. This was used to construct competition hierarchies …

Science, Biodiversity And Australian Management Of Marine Ecosystems, Richard Kenchington, Pat Hutchings

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

The United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) (United Nations 1982) came into effect in 1994. Signatory nations have substantial management obligations for conservation of marine natural resource and ecosystems. In this paper we discuss the challenges of defining and monitoring biodiversity at scales required for management of marine ecosystems. Australia's area of immediate responsibility under UNCLOS covers an area of 11 million sq km with further linked responsibilities for an estimated area of 5.1 million sq km of continental shelf. This presents substantial data challenges for development and implementation of management. Acoustic seabed mapping is providing substantial …