Life Sciences Commons^™

Monitoring Western Australia's Rangelands, Ron Hacker, David Beurle, George Gardiner

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Rangelands, native pastures used for grazing domestic livestock, occupy about 100 million hectares or 40 per cent of Western Australia, extending from the tropical grasslands of the Kimberley to the arid shrub steppe of the Nullarbor Plain.

The rangelands are characterized by highly variable seasonal conditions. Carrying capacity can fluctuate dramatically from year to year. Grazing management requires a tactical approach from one season to the next because of the great variation in the capacity of the land to support stock.

Rangeland monitoring provides pastoralists with objective information on these changes to assist their management decision making. The Western Australian …

Waterlogging : How It Reduces Plant Growth And How Plants Can Overcome Its Effects, Tim Setter, Bob Belford

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Lack of oxygen is the major cause of limited plant growth in waterlogged soils. When soils become waterlogged less gas diffuses to and from the roots through the soil pores; there are changes in concentrations of mineral elements in soil solutions; and toxic products of roots and soil microorganisms begin to accumulate. These changes adversely affect germination, growth and development of plants.

Additions And Corrections To The Rust Fungus Flora Of Minnesota, John W. Mccain

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Ten taxa of rust fungi (Coleosporium campanulae, Puccinia amphigena, P. caulicola, P.longipes var. brevipes, P. mcclatchieana, P. magnusiana, P.punctata var. troglodytes, Tranzschelia arthurii, Uromyces dictyosperma, and U. plumbarius) are reported for the first time from Minnesota. Seven other rust species (Puccinia adoxae, P. distichlidis, P. interoeniens, P. pygmaea, P. typhae, Uromyces andropogonis, and U. geranit) should be removed from the state flora list. Puccinia typhaealso is excluded from the U.S. rust flora list. New Minnesota host plants are reported for fifteen rust pathogens. One host species is deleted for P. polygoniamphibii. Intrastate 200-mile range extensions are reported for four rust …

Biological Control Of Doublegee, Dane Panetta

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Doublegee (Emex australis) is one of the worst agricultural weeds in Western Australia. To date, however, biological control of this weed has proved elusive. Multiple releases of two weevils which attack doublegee have not led to insect establishment. For one of these species, further research has shown that doublegee control would probably not be achieved in the wheatbelt even if insect establishment were enhanced by growing its host during the summer months. A joint Western Australian Department of Agriculture/ CSIRO project is investigating the virulence and host specificity of an undescribed South African species o/Phomopsis fungus. Should this pathogen prove …

Sexual Dimorphism And Intersexual Differences In Resource Allocations Of A Dioecious Shrub, Lindera Melissifolia (Walt.) Blume, Dennis J. Richardson, Robert D. Wright, Shannon Walker

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Morphometric data were gathered to make intersexual comparisons on the morphology and reproductive resource allocation patterns of the rare, dioecious shrub, Lindera melissifolia. Females produced significantly fewer flowers and leaves than did males. No other significant differences could be detected in morphology. Female "clones" exhibit low area coverage and low stem density, which suggests higher costs of reproduction. If this is the case, the deficits produced in resource allocations directed toward sexual reproduction seem to result in increased mortality and/or reduced vegetative reproduction.