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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

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Life Sciences

University of Wollongong

2010

Australian

Articles 1 - 6 of 6

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Population And Breeding Trends Of An Urban Coloniser: The Australian White Ibis, John Martin, Kris French, Richard Major Jan 2010

Population And Breeding Trends Of An Urban Coloniser: The Australian White Ibis, John Martin, Kris French, Richard Major

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Context. In the Sydney region, the population of Australian white ibis has dramatically increased from rare observations in the 1950s to a breeding season peak of 8900 in 2008, resulting with human -wildlife conflicts. Within natural habitats across the eastern states, the ibis population has declined, yet within urban environments ibis have been lethally managed for over 30 years. However, limited ecological and no regional population data are available for the Sydney region. Aims. The present study of ibis in the Sydney region aims to (1) establish the abundance of the population during the breeding and non-breeding seasons, (2) determine …


Effects Of Soil Temperature Regimes After Fire On Seed Dormancy And Germination In Six Australian Fabaceae Species, Victor Santana, Ross A. Bradstock, Mark Ooi, Andrew J. Denham, Tony D. Auld, M Baeza Jan 2010

Effects Of Soil Temperature Regimes After Fire On Seed Dormancy And Germination In Six Australian Fabaceae Species, Victor Santana, Ross A. Bradstock, Mark Ooi, Andrew J. Denham, Tony D. Auld, M Baeza

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

In addition to direct fire cues such as heat, smoke and charred wood, the passage of fire leads indirectly to changes in environmental conditions which may be able to break physical dormancy in hard-coated seeds. After a fire, the open canopy and the burnt material lying on the surface alter the thermal properties of the soil, resulting in elevated soil temperatures for long periods of time. We simulated daily temperature regimes experienced at different depths of soil profile after a summer fire. Our aim was to determine whether these temperature regimes and the duration of exposure (5, 15 and 30 …


An Australian Feeling For Snow Towards Understanding Cultural And Emotional Dimensions Of Climate Change, Andrew W. Gorman-Murray Jan 2010

An Australian Feeling For Snow Towards Understanding Cultural And Emotional Dimensions Of Climate Change, Andrew W. Gorman-Murray

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

In Australia, snow is associated with alpine and subalpine regions in rural areas; snow is a component of ‘natural’ rather than urban environments. But the range, depth and duration of Australia’s regional snow cover is imperilled by climate change. While researchers have considered the impacts of snow retreat on the natural environment and responses from the mainland ski industry, this paper explores associated cultural and emotional dimensions of climate change. This responds to calls to account for local meanings of climate, and thus localised perceptions of and responses to climate change. Accordingly, this paper presents a case study of reactions …


The Use Of Cattle Ear-Tags As Patagial Markers For Large Birds-A Field Assessment On Adult And Nestling Australian White Ibis, John M. Martin, Richard E. Major Jan 2010

The Use Of Cattle Ear-Tags As Patagial Markers For Large Birds-A Field Assessment On Adult And Nestling Australian White Ibis, John M. Martin, Richard E. Major

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

To test the effectiveness of patagial marking with cattle ear-tags for Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca), 105 adults and 58 nestlings were fitted with tags on each wing. Resighting frequency of adults, survival of nestlings, breeding behavior and foraging movements were monitored. The resighting frequency of wing-tagged adults was compared with resightings of 160 adults marked with colored leg-bands. Survival rates of wing-tagged nestlings were compared with an equal sample of 58 nestlings fitted with colored leg-bands. Over six months, 96% of tagged adults were resighted and there was no indication of impaired flight, with foraging movements ranging up to …


Genetic Structure And Dispersal Patterns Of The Invasive Psocid Liposcelis Decolor (Pearman) In Australian Grain Storage Systems, Katarina Maryann Mikac, N N. Fitzsimmons Jan 2010

Genetic Structure And Dispersal Patterns Of The Invasive Psocid Liposcelis Decolor (Pearman) In Australian Grain Storage Systems, Katarina Maryann Mikac, N N. Fitzsimmons

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Microsatellite markers were used to investigate the genetic structure among invasive L. decolor populations from Australia and a single international population from Kansas, USA to determine patterns of dispersal. Six variable microsatellites displayed an average of 2.5-4.2 alleles per locus per population. Observed (H-O) heterozygosity ranged from 0.12-0.65 per locus within populations; but, in 13 of 36 tests, H-O was less than expected. Despite low levels of allelic diversity, genetic structure estimated as theta was significant for all pairwise comparisons between populations (theta = 0.05-0.23). Due to suspected null alleles at four loci, ENA (excluding null alleles) corrected F-ST estimates …


Restored Nature, Familiar Culture: Contesting Visions For Preferred Environments In Australian Cities, D. Trigger, Lesley M. Head Jan 2010

Restored Nature, Familiar Culture: Contesting Visions For Preferred Environments In Australian Cities, D. Trigger, Lesley M. Head

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

How are preferences for “native” and “introduced” species of plants and animals given expression in Australian cities? Given the nation's predominantly European cultural heritage, how do urban Australians articulate multiple desires for living environments encountered in everyday life? In examining the cases of inner city parks, backyards, and more general views about flora and fauna appropriate for the city, the paper considers a range of deeply enculturated attachments to familiar landscapes. While residents have considerable interest in the possibilities of urban ecological restoration, our interviews, ethnographic observation, and textual analysis also reveal cultural preferences for introduced species and emplaced attachments …