Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Performance Simulation And Evaluation Of Net Zero Energy Buildings In An Australian Coastal Climate, Joel Anderson, Duane A. Robinson, Zhenjun Ma

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Net zero energy buildings (NZEB) are becoming more common, and as new energy saving designs and technologies become available, the ability to estimate overall energy use and understand the impact on operation of building appliances will become important. This paper outlines simulation results of performance improvements achieved by modifying various components (glazing, lighting, thermal comfort settings) of two tertiary education NZEBs and a typical modern commercial building. The DesignBuilder models' thermal performance and energy consumption were validated using real data from case study buildings. The work shows validating models of smaller, less conven-tional, buildings is more difficult than for larger …

Assessing The Vulnerability Of Pumping Stations To Trash Blockage In Coastal Mega-Cities Of Developing Nations, Robert Ighodaro Ogie, Sarah Dunn, Tomas Holderness, Etienne Turpin

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Pumping stations are important flood mitigation infrastructure used in coastal cities to remove accumulating floodwater from low-lying areas, where drainage is naturally poor due to very low slope gradient. In coastal mega-cities situated in developing nations, these pumping stations are often vulnerable to trash blockage as a result of frequent dumping of solid waste in water bodies. Given that blocked pumps are common causes of drainage infrastructure failure, the inability to identify the most vulnerable pumping stations can lead to inefficient allocation of limited resources for preventative maintenance of the drainage system. This study proposes an approach for measuring and …

Vulnerability Analysis Of Hydrological Infrastructure To Flooding In Coastal Cities - A Graph Theory Approach, Robert Ighodaro Ogie, Tomas Holderness, Sarah Dunn, Etienne Turpin

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Hydrological infrastructure such as pumps and floodgates are invaluable assets for mitigating flooding in coastal cities. These infrastructure components are often vulnerable to damage or failure due to the impact of flood waters, thus exacerbating the flood hazards and causing significant loss of life and destruction to property worth billions of dollars. Hence, there is a growing need worldwide to enhance the understanding of flood vulnerability and to develop key metrics for assessing it. This study proposes an approach for measuring the vulnerability of hydrological infrastructure to flood damage in coastal cities. In this approach, a hydrological infrastructure flood vulnerability …

The Use Of Coastal Reservoirs And Spp Strategy To Provide Sufficient High Quality Water To Coastal Communities, Shu-Qing Yang, Samuel Kelly

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Water quality-induced water shortage is emerging as one of the main threats for the growth of the world's population and economic development, especially for coastal cities in developing nations. This paper discusses how to supply enough sufficiently clean water to such cities using the technologies of coastal reservoirs and wetland pre-treatments, as well as employing the SPP strategy. The so-called coastal reservoir is defined as a freshwater reservoir situated in seawater which sources its water from river runoff; to improve its water quality, a wetland is used to pre-treat the runoff that is potentially polluted by domestic, agricultural and industrial …

A Coastal Groundwater Management Model With Indian Case Study, Sudip Basack, Amartya Kumar Bhattacharya, Prabir Maity

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The complexity of the hydrogeological setup in coastal areas calls for the adoption of scientific groundwater management techniques. Excessive withdrawal of groundwater in coastal zones will lead to depression of the water table, with associated hazards such as putting the well out of use, rendering abstraction uneconomic with increased lift. A sustained regional groundwater drawdown below sea level runs the risk of saline water intrusion, even for confined coastal aquifers. Uncontrolled groundwater development may lead to reversal of the freshwater gradient, thereby resulting in saline water ingress into coastal aquifers. There are, however, several established methodologies to control and minimise …

Coastal Evolution On Volcanic Oceanic Islands: A Complex Interplay Between Volcanism, Erosion, Sedimentation, Sea-Level Change And Biogenic Production, Ricardo S. Ramalho, Rui Quartau, Alan S. Trenhaile, Neil C. Mitchell, Colin D. Woodroffe, Sergio P. Avila

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

The growth and decay of oceanic hotspot volcanoes are intrinsically related to a competition between volcanic construction and erosive destruction, and coastlines are at the forefront of such confrontation. In this paper, we review the several mechanisms that interact and contribute to the development of coastlines on oceanic island volcanoes, and how these processes evolve throughout the islands' lifetime. Volcanic constructional processes dominate during the emergent island and subaerial shield-building stages. During the emergent island stage, surtseyan activity prevails and hydroclastic and pyroclastic structures form; these structures are generally ephemeral because they can be rapidly obliterated by marine erosion. With …

Coastal Reservoir Strategy And Its Applications, Shu-Qing Yang, Jianli Liu, Pengzhi Lin, Changbo Jiang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

While the world's population tripled in the 20th century, the use of renewable water resources has grown six-fold [1]. It is estimated that the world population will enlarge by another 40 to 50 % in the following fifty years. The demand for water will be increasing resulted by the population growth combined with industrialization and urbanization, which will have serious consequences on the environment. According to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) (2012 Update), 780 million people lack access to an improved water source; approximately one in nine people [2]. Water stress causes deterioration of fresh water resources in terms of …

Allochthonous And Autochthonous Contributions To Carbon Accumulation And Carbon Store In Southeastern Australian Coastal Wetlands, N Saintilan, K Rogers, D Mazumder, C Woodroffe

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

Estimates of carbon store and carbon accumulation rate in mangrove and saltmarsh are beset by issues of scale and provenance. Estimates at a site do not allow scaling to regional estimates if the drivers of variability are not known. Also, carbon accumulation within soils provides a net offset only if carbon is derived in-situ, or would not otherwise be sequestered. We use a network of observation sites extending across 2000 km of southeastern Australian coastline to determine the influence of geomorphic setting and coastal wetland vegetation type on rates of carbon accumulation, carbon store and probable sources. Carbon accumulation above …

Phytoplankton Assemblages Of Two Intermittently Open And Closed Coastal Lakes In Se Australia, Dongyan Liu, R John Morrison, Ronald J. West

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

Species composition and biomass of phytoplankton assemblages of a heavily impacted lake (Lake Illawarra) and a less impacted lake (Burrill Lake) in the South-Eastern region of Australia were compared based on bimonthly samples from three sites in each lake collected between April 2005 and April 2007. Lake Illawarra was generally characterized by higher nutrient concentrations and lower salinity than Burrill Lake. Phytoplankton assemblages displayed significant differences between the two lakes in terms of the dominant species composition and patterns of seasonal change rather than biomass. Diatoms were the dominant species in Lake Illawarra on most sampling occasions. In contrast, dinoflagellates …

Coastal Reservoirs Strategy For Water Resource Development-A Review Of Future Trend, Jianli Liu, Shu-Qing Yang, Changbo Jiang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Water use and access become a more and more important determinant of environmental equity and human development according to the view held by the UN [1]. Water scarcity is one of the major crises which has overarching implications for other world problems especially poverty, hunger, ecosystem degradation, desertification, climate change, threatening world peace and security [2]. In the decades to come, freshwater consumed by human will get to a tipping point. Many projects and concepts have been proposed and implemented for several years to improve the effectiveness of us-ing water. These research activities can be grouped as: desalination plants; water …

Competition Strength Of Two Significant Invasive Species In Coastal Dunes, K French

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

To investigate the effect of increased nutrient availability on competition amongst invasive and native plants, I measured changes in above and below ground biomass of Chrysanthemoides monilifera spp. rotundata (bitou bush) and Asparagus aethiopicus (asparagus fern) competing with two native species, Banksia integrifolia and Ficinia nodosa, under highand low-nutrient regimes. Bitou bush, as a primary invader, was competitive under all conditions lowering the growth of native species in both high and low nutrients. Asparagus fern as a secondary invader, did not influence growth of native species but responded, like bitou bush, to high nutrients. Native species were generally negatively …

Development Of A Spatial Data Infrastructure For Coastal Management In The Amirante Islands, Seychelles, Sarah M. Hamylton, Justin Prosper

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Spatial data infrastructures play a key role in coastal management decision making in the Seychelles. This paper describes four components of a web-based spatial data infrastructure that were developed to facilitate coastal management of the Amirante Islands in the Seychelles. The four components include: (i) the institutional arrangement for using spatial data effectively to address local management challenges, (ii) the production of island habitat maps from remotely sensed data, (iii) the tasks undertaken for promoting access to and use of this spatial data, and (iv) an example of how this data is used for a specific coastal management application in …

Recruitment Limitation Of Native Species In Invaded Coastal Dune Communities, Kristine O. French, Natalie A. Sullivan, Tanya J. Mason

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

"Recruitment limitation may limit the ability of sites to regenerate after disturbances such as weed invasion and weed management. We investigated seed bank constraints and dispersal limitation in coastal dune communities on the east coast of Australia. The ability of sites to regenerate naturally following weed removal was assessed in coastal dune communities invaded by the invasive alien, bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. rotundata). To investigate recruitment limitation, seed banks and vegetation of invaded, native, intensively managed (selective application of herbicide and some re-vegetation) and extensively managed (large-scale, non-selective herbicide application) sites were compared. We investigated the dispersal mechanisms of …

Integrated Coastal Zone Management Research In Australia And China, X H. Wang, X Xu, S G. Pearson, G Xue, Robert J. Morrison, D Liu, P Shi

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

This paper reviews the current Integrated and Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) research in coastal zone science and policy for Australia and China. It seeks to make a coherent contribution to understanding the Chinese and Australian research and management through a brief description of the similarities and differences in an integrated way. The paper draws together the research needs for the ICZM in both countries with the aim of justifying the research investments needed in the future. Based on this review, we recommend five research programs: Coastal Ocean Observing and Forecasting System and its Socio-economic Impact; Review and Utilization of Space-borne …

A Study On Saline Water Intrusion And Fresh Water Recharge Relevant To Coastal Environment, Sudip Basack, Amartya Kumar Bhattacharya, Chitta Sahana, Prabir Maity

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The paper is based on experimental laboratory model study with relevant mathematical analysis followed by field investigation so as to understand the characteristics and flow pattern of saline water intrusion into natural porous medium followed by subsequent fresh water recharge.

Coastal Reservoirs Can Harness Stormwater, Shu-Qing Yang, Scott Ferguson

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Coastal Dams Are An Alternative To Desalination, Shu-Qing Yang

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Genetic Tests Of The Isolation Of Rare Coastal Dwarf Populations Of Banksia Spinulosa, Eleanor K. O'Brien, Lucia A. Aguilar, David J. Ayre, Robert J. Whelan

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

In southern New South Wales, a suite of widespread plant species exhibit short-statured 'dwarf' growth forms on coastal headlands. It is unclear whether such populations are genetically distinct or whether dwarfism is a plastic response to the environment. We used four microsatellite markers to assess genetic differentiation among populations from coastal and inland sites for Banksia spinulosa var. spinulosa. We sampled plants from six locations, including from three 'dwarf' and three 'normal' populations. Mean levels of genetic diversity were slightly higher in the forest (Na≤7. 07±0.25; He≤0.80±0.09) than on the coast (N a≤5.92±0.70; He≤0.72±0.10). In general, populations displayed genotypic diversity …

Coastal Reservoir In Murray-Darling River And Its Useful Experience For Yellow River, Shu-Qing Yang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

this paper deals with the similarities between the Yellow River Basin and Murray - Darling River Basin. It is found that two of them are facing similar problems, such as water shortage, poor quality for water supply and decreasing runoff etc. Two basins suffer the sharp temporal and spatial variation in water resources, which results in flood threat and water stress alternatively. Consequently these two rivers have attracted global attention due to their significant impacts on their local economical development and ecological system. To alleviate the water stress conditions, this paper investigates the feasibility of coastal reservoirs at the river …

Predicting The Response Of Coastal Wetlands Of Southeastern Australia To Sea-Level Rise, Kerrylee Rogers, Neil Saintilan

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

Coastal saltmarsh is an endangered ecological community in New South Wales and sea-level rise has been listed as a key threatening process. Over the previous five decades moderate rates of sea-level rise have coincided with the invasion of saltmarsh by mangrove. Surface elevation tables (SETs) were installed in 12 coastal wetlands in Southeastern Australia to establish elevation and accretion trajectories for comparisons with mangrove encroachment of saltmarsh and sea-level rise. SETs confirmed that the elevational response of wetlands is more complex than accretion alone and elevation changes may also be attributed to below-ground processes that alter the soil volume such …

Coastal Saltmarsh Vulnerability To Climate Change In Se Australia, Neil Saintilan, Kerrylee Rogers

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

Coastal saltmarsh has been listed as an Endangered Ecological Community in New South Wales. Recent research has highlighted the importance of coastal saltmarsh as a source of nutrition for fish, a nocturnal feeding habitat for microbats, and a roosting habitat for several species of migratory shorebirds. Since European colonisation, coastal saltmarsh has been reclaimed for agricultural, residential and industrial use, and the past five decades has seen a consistent replacement of saltmarsh by mangrove throughout SE Australia. Analysis of data from the network of Surface Elevation Tables in NSW and Victoria has demonstrated a link between the replacement of saltmarsh …

Climate Change Impacts On Coastal Biodiversity, V R. Burkett, Robert J. Nicholls, Leandro Fernandez, Colin D. Woodroffe

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Community Valuations Of Environmental Quality In Coastal Lakes: Lake Illawarra Case Study, Ann T. Hodgkinson, Abbas Valadkhani

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This study illustrates how the hedonic pricing method can measure the value of environmental assets in an urban setting. A HPM valuation, utilising relatively easily accessible secondary data, and a semi-logarithmic regression form, is used. The value achieved was substantially greater than either expenditures to date or the actuarial valuation of Lake Illawarra. The study demonstrates the applicability of the technique and recommends its further development and use for this type of public decision-making. A range of other data was also generated that adds to the usefulness of this approach for general planning purposes.

Sampling Patchily Distributed Taxa: A Case Study Using Cost-Benefit Analyses For Sponges And Ascidians In Coastal Lakes Of New South Wales, Australia, P. B. Barnes, A. R. Davis, D. E. Roberts

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Estuaries worldwide are under increasing threat from human impacts. Because much of their fauna remains unstudied and in many cases undescribed, these systems present real challenges for effective management. In eastern Australia the study of estuarine fauna is often further complicated by its patchy distributions. This is particularly the case for assemblages of sessile invertebrates in coastal saline lakes. This study quantified distributions of sponges and ascidians at a hierarchy of spatial scales in the seagrass meadows of 2 coastal saline lakes in New South Wales, Australia. Nine species of sponge, many of which were undescribed, and 3 species of …

Cyclicity In The Nearshore Marine To Coastal, Lower Permian, Pebbley Beach Formation, Southern Sydney Basin, Australia: A Record Of Relative Sea-Level Fluctuations At The Close Of The Late Palaeozoic Gondwanan Ice Age, Brian G. Jones, Stuart C. Tye, James A. Maceachern, Kerrie L. Bann, Christopher R. Fielding

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The Lower Permian (Artinskian to Sakmarian) Pebbley Beach Formation of the southernmost Sydney Basin in New South Wales, Australia, records sediment accumulation in shallow marine to coastal environments at the close of the Late Palaeozoic Gondwanan ice age. This paper presents a sequence stratigraphic re-evaluation of the upper half of the unit based on the integration of sedimentology and ichnology. Ten facies are recognized, separated into two facies associations. Facies Association A (7 facies) comprises variably bioturbated siltstones and sandstones with marine body fossils, interpreted to record sediment accumulation in open marine environments ranging from lower offshore to middle shoreface …

Slag, Steel And Swamp: Perceptions Of Restoration Of An Urban Coastal Saltmarsh, Nicholas J. Gill

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

A community group, in conjunction with local government and industry, has been working on aquatic and terrestrial restoration at a Wollongong saltmarsh, previously diminished in size and degraded by harbour reclamation and an urban rubbish tip. Students evaluate restoration progress to date and devise some interesting potential directions.

Development Of Watershed Management In New South Wales, Australia: A Coastal Perspective, Pedro I. J Fidelman, Robert John Morrison, Ron J. West

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Watershed management has become a prominent approach to natural resource management (NRM) in Australia and elsewhere. In the Australian State ofNew South Wales (NSW), catchment management - the NSW watershed management initiative - has been in place both in coastal and non-coastal areas for nearly two decades. In coastal areas, it is suggested that catchment management could play an important role in coastal and marine issues (NSW Coastcare et aI., 2004; Zann, 1996), as the Australia's coastal and marine environments have, in general, been affected by watershed-based activities (see e.g., Zann, 1996). Such a role would, however, require institutional changes, …

Disturbance-Mediated Competition And The Spread Of Phragmites Australis In A Coastal Marsh, Todd Minchinton, Mark D. Bertness

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

In recent decades the grass Phragmites australis has been aggressively invading coastal, tidal marshes of North America, and in many areas it is now considered a nuisance species. While P. australis has historically been restricted to the relatively benign upper border of brackish and salt marshes, it has been expanding seaward into more physiologically stressful regions. Here we test a leading hypothesis that the spread of P. australis is due to anthropogenic modification of coastal marshes. We did a field experiment along natural borders between stands of P. australis and the other dominant grasses and rushes (i.e., matrix vegetation) in …

Applications Of Airborne Laser Scanning To Manage Coastal Acid Sulfate Soils Within The Broughton Creek Floodplain, Marcus Morgan, Warwick Papworth, Peter Aney, John Perry, Buddhima Indraratna

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) Was first used in 1993 by Geodan Geodesie B. V. as a cheaper alternative in the collection of spatial information than traditional survey methods and photogrammetry. ALS has become important in creating Digital Terrain Models (DTM) with high precision at a far lower cost to other methods. Shoalhaven City Council employed ALS in May 200 I for the purpose of obtaining detailed survey information within budgetary constraints. The aim Was to determine the effectiveness of using ALS for coastal and environmental management by testing the accuracy of ground level points against traditionally surveyed points.

Coastal Acid …

Precipitation During El Nino Correlates With Increasing Spread Of Phragmites Australis In New England, Usa, Coastal Marshes, Todd Minchinton

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

The grass Phragmites australis has historically been restricted to the relatively benign upper border of coastal marshes, but over the past century, and particularly in recent decades, it has been spreading aggressively in New England throughout brackish and salt marshes with high soil salinities that are physiologically stressful to the plant. Here I tested the hypothesis that variations in climatic conditions, particularly increased precipitation during the 1997-98 El Niño event, buffer harsh abiotic conditions and enhance the performance of this nuisance species. I monitored the growth and reproductive output of P. australis in the year before, during, and after …