Environmental Award Finalists
Heritage Protection For Our Early Colonial History
Plan To Protect NSW From Pest Plants And Animals
$3 Million In Grants Now Available For Commuity Recycling Centres
Regulator To Examine NSW Generators To Ensure Consumers Get A Fair Deal
TOBACCO BUSH - Using Exotics As Restoration Nurse Crops.
NPWS Firefighters Home From Canada
Abbotsford to Prince George transport for NPWS firefighters - photo courtesy NSW OEH
Abbotsford to Prince George transport for NPWS firefighters - photo courtesy NSW OEH
Tiny Fighters In Sediments Determine Success Of Invasive Marine Plants
September 14, 2017: University of New South Wales
Armies of microbes that are invisible to the naked eye battle it out to determine whether exotic marine plants successfully invade new territory and replace native species, UNSW Sydney-led research shows.
The genetic study, which compared microbial communities in sediments associated with an invasive alga and a native seagrass in Sydney, is the first to test the idea that marine microbes play a critical role in the establishment of invasive marine species.
"We found that microbes associated with native species provide resistance to invasion, and microbes associated with invaders break down this resistance and may poison native plants," says study first author and UNSW scientist Associate Professor Paul Gribben.
"A battle is being waged below ground that can affect the outcome in this competition between exotic and native species. This has never been shown before in marine ecosystems and will transform how we think about, and manage, marine invasive species."
The study, by researchers from UNSW, the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, and UTS, Sydney, is published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Microbial communities in marine sediments control ecological processes, affecting the availability of nutrients and the chemistry of the soil.
For the new study, the researchers compared microbial communities living in sediments in a Sydney estuary. They tested sediments associated with a native seagrass, Zostera capricorni, and an alga, Caulerpa taxifolia, which is one of the 100 most invasive species in the world.
The alga Caulerpa taxifolia (bright green) takes over a seagrass bed. Credit: Paul Gribben/UNSW
The microbial communities differed between the two samples, with the algal sediments having a higher proportion of microbes that produce sulphides, which can be extremely toxic to seagrasses, under low oxygen conditions.
The researchers also tested the effects of the different sediments on the growth of the algae. They found the sediments associated with the seagrass reduced algal growth, while the sediments associated with the algae had a positive effect on its growth.
"Our results shed light on why intact, dense beds of seagrass are resistant to colonisation by this alga," says Associate Professor Gribben.
"However, the balance of the microbes in the soil can be disturbed when seagrass beds start to decline due to other pressures, helping the alga invade new areas."
C. taxifolia is a fast-growing marine alga that is native to tropical Australia and the South Pacific, but which has colonised various areas outside its natural range.
It was first found in the state of NSW in 2000 and has spread to at last 14 NSW estuaries or lakes, from Lake Macquarie in the north to Wallagoot Lake in the south.
In the same way that gardeners add worms to soils to make them more productive, the researchers are exploring ways to restore the marine sediments and reduce the risk of invasion. This includes adding burrowing organisms to oxygenate sediments and restore healthy, functioning microbial communities.
Paul E. Gribben, Shaun Nielsen, Justin R. Seymour, Daniel J. Bradley, Matthew N. West, Torsten Thomas. Microbial communities in marine sediments modify success of an invasive macrophyte. Scientific Reports, 2017; 7 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10231-2
September 14, 2017: University of New South Wales
Armies of microbes that are invisible to the naked eye battle it out to determine whether exotic marine plants successfully invade new territory and replace native species, UNSW Sydney-led research shows.
The genetic study, which compared microbial communities in sediments associated with an invasive alga and a native seagrass in Sydney, is the first to test the idea that marine microbes play a critical role in the establishment of invasive marine species.
"We found that microbes associated with native species provide resistance to invasion, and microbes associated with invaders break down this resistance and may poison native plants," says study first author and UNSW scientist Associate Professor Paul Gribben.
"A battle is being waged below ground that can affect the outcome in this competition between exotic and native species. This has never been shown before in marine ecosystems and will transform how we think about, and manage, marine invasive species."
The study, by researchers from UNSW, the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, and UTS, Sydney, is published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Microbial communities in marine sediments control ecological processes, affecting the availability of nutrients and the chemistry of the soil.
For the new study, the researchers compared microbial communities living in sediments in a Sydney estuary. They tested sediments associated with a native seagrass, Zostera capricorni, and an alga, Caulerpa taxifolia, which is one of the 100 most invasive species in the world.
The alga Caulerpa taxifolia (bright green) takes over a seagrass bed. Credit: Paul Gribben/UNSW
The microbial communities differed between the two samples, with the algal sediments having a higher proportion of microbes that produce sulphides, which can be extremely toxic to seagrasses, under low oxygen conditions.
The researchers also tested the effects of the different sediments on the growth of the algae. They found the sediments associated with the seagrass reduced algal growth, while the sediments associated with the algae had a positive effect on its growth.
"Our results shed light on why intact, dense beds of seagrass are resistant to colonisation by this alga," says Associate Professor Gribben.
"However, the balance of the microbes in the soil can be disturbed when seagrass beds start to decline due to other pressures, helping the alga invade new areas."
C. taxifolia is a fast-growing marine alga that is native to tropical Australia and the South Pacific, but which has colonised various areas outside its natural range.
It was first found in the state of NSW in 2000 and has spread to at last 14 NSW estuaries or lakes, from Lake Macquarie in the north to Wallagoot Lake in the south.
In the same way that gardeners add worms to soils to make them more productive, the researchers are exploring ways to restore the marine sediments and reduce the risk of invasion. This includes adding burrowing organisms to oxygenate sediments and restore healthy, functioning microbial communities.
Paul E. Gribben, Shaun Nielsen, Justin R. Seymour, Daniel J. Bradley, Matthew N. West, Torsten Thomas. Microbial communities in marine sediments modify success of an invasive macrophyte. Scientific Reports, 2017; 7 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10231-2
Old Fish Few And Far Between Under Fishing Pressure
September 14, 2017: University of Washington
This is the face of an adult halibut fish. This is an example of an older, larger fish. Credit: Andrea PokrzywinskiLike old-growth trees in a forest, old fish in the ocean play important roles in the diversity and stability of marine ecosystems. Critically, the longer a fish is allowed to live, the more likely it is to successfully reproduce over the course of its lifetime, which is particularly important in variable environmental conditions.
A new study by University of Washington scientists has found that, for dozens of fish populations around the globe, old fish are greatly depleted -- mainly because of fishing pressure. The paper, published online Sept. 14 in Current Biology, is the first to report that old fish are missing in many populations around the world.
"From our perspective, having a broad age structure provides more chances at getting that right combination of when and where to reproduce," said lead author Lewis Barnett, a UW postdoctoral researcher at the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean.
In forestry, a tree farm with only 20-year-old trees may be healthy and productive, but the loss of old-growth trees should not go unnoticed. The giant trees have unique traits that support a number of animal and plant species and make for a diverse, robust ecosystem. In a similar sense, the same is true for old fish.
"More age complexity among species can contribute to the overall stability of a community," Barnett said. "If you trim away that diversity, you're probably reducing the marine food web's ability to buffer against change."
The designation of an "old fish" varies from species to species, depending on life history. Some types of rockfish might live to 200 years, while few herring live past age 10.
After female fish release eggs, many factors must align for a healthy brood to hatch and grow to adult size. Because the marine environment is so variable, species might go a whole decade between successful broods. Older fish in a population have more years to produce eggs, increasing the chance for success over time.
"In the marine world, the success rate of producing new baby fish is extremely variable," said co-author Trevor Branch, a UW associate professor of aquatic and fishery sciences. "I think of old fish as an insurance policy -- they get you through those periods of bad reproduction by consistently producing eggs."
In addition to having more opportunities to reproduce, older fish also behave differently than younger fish. As they age, some fish change what they eat and where they live in the ocean. They also take on different roles in the marine food web, sometimes becoming a more dominant predator as they get older, and bigger.
When you take old fish out of the mix, the diversity and stability of an ecosystem can suffer, the authors explain.
"Big fish are in a lot of ways different from smaller fish," said co-author Tim Essington, a UW professor of aquatic and fishery sciences. "Having that diversity acts as a hedge against risk and helps stabilize the system a bit."
The researchers looked at model output gathered from commercial and recreational fisheries and scientific observations that describe the status of fish populations over the years. In their analysis of 63 populations living in five ocean regions worldwide, they found that the proportion of fish in the oldest age classes has declined significantly in 79 to 97 percent of populations, compared with historical fishing trends or unfished figures, respectively. The magnitude of decline was greater than 90 percent in 32 to 41 percent of the groups.
This is mainly due to fishing pressure, the researchers say. In general, the longer a fish lives, the more encounters it has with fishing gear, and the greater the likelihood it will be caught. However, some environmental factors like disease and pollution might also contribute to the loss of old fish.
These findings could inform fisheries management, which often sets limitations based on the total weight of fish caught over a season without considering factors such as the size or age of a fish. The authors suggest fishing methods to protect young and old fish by prohibiting the harvest of fish below and above a specific size range. Other solutions include closing certain areas to fishing permanently, or rotating areas where fishing can take place each year to let fish grow older and bigger -- similar to agricultural crop rotations that allow the soil to recover between planting cycles.
Lewis A.K. Barnett, Trevor A. Branch, R. Anthony Ranasinghe, Timothy E. Essington. Old-Growth Fishes Become Scarce under Fishing. Current Biology, 2017; DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.07.069
September 14, 2017: University of Washington
This is the face of an adult halibut fish. This is an example of an older, larger fish. Credit: Andrea Pokrzywinski
Like old-growth trees in a forest, old fish in the ocean play important roles in the diversity and stability of marine ecosystems. Critically, the longer a fish is allowed to live, the more likely it is to successfully reproduce over the course of its lifetime, which is particularly important in variable environmental conditions.
A new study by University of Washington scientists has found that, for dozens of fish populations around the globe, old fish are greatly depleted -- mainly because of fishing pressure. The paper, published online Sept. 14 in Current Biology, is the first to report that old fish are missing in many populations around the world.
"From our perspective, having a broad age structure provides more chances at getting that right combination of when and where to reproduce," said lead author Lewis Barnett, a UW postdoctoral researcher at the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean.
In forestry, a tree farm with only 20-year-old trees may be healthy and productive, but the loss of old-growth trees should not go unnoticed. The giant trees have unique traits that support a number of animal and plant species and make for a diverse, robust ecosystem. In a similar sense, the same is true for old fish.
"More age complexity among species can contribute to the overall stability of a community," Barnett said. "If you trim away that diversity, you're probably reducing the marine food web's ability to buffer against change."
The designation of an "old fish" varies from species to species, depending on life history. Some types of rockfish might live to 200 years, while few herring live past age 10.
After female fish release eggs, many factors must align for a healthy brood to hatch and grow to adult size. Because the marine environment is so variable, species might go a whole decade between successful broods. Older fish in a population have more years to produce eggs, increasing the chance for success over time.
"In the marine world, the success rate of producing new baby fish is extremely variable," said co-author Trevor Branch, a UW associate professor of aquatic and fishery sciences. "I think of old fish as an insurance policy -- they get you through those periods of bad reproduction by consistently producing eggs."
In addition to having more opportunities to reproduce, older fish also behave differently than younger fish. As they age, some fish change what they eat and where they live in the ocean. They also take on different roles in the marine food web, sometimes becoming a more dominant predator as they get older, and bigger.
When you take old fish out of the mix, the diversity and stability of an ecosystem can suffer, the authors explain.
"Big fish are in a lot of ways different from smaller fish," said co-author Tim Essington, a UW professor of aquatic and fishery sciences. "Having that diversity acts as a hedge against risk and helps stabilize the system a bit."
The researchers looked at model output gathered from commercial and recreational fisheries and scientific observations that describe the status of fish populations over the years. In their analysis of 63 populations living in five ocean regions worldwide, they found that the proportion of fish in the oldest age classes has declined significantly in 79 to 97 percent of populations, compared with historical fishing trends or unfished figures, respectively. The magnitude of decline was greater than 90 percent in 32 to 41 percent of the groups.
This is mainly due to fishing pressure, the researchers say. In general, the longer a fish lives, the more encounters it has with fishing gear, and the greater the likelihood it will be caught. However, some environmental factors like disease and pollution might also contribute to the loss of old fish.
These findings could inform fisheries management, which often sets limitations based on the total weight of fish caught over a season without considering factors such as the size or age of a fish. The authors suggest fishing methods to protect young and old fish by prohibiting the harvest of fish below and above a specific size range. Other solutions include closing certain areas to fishing permanently, or rotating areas where fishing can take place each year to let fish grow older and bigger -- similar to agricultural crop rotations that allow the soil to recover between planting cycles.
Lewis A.K. Barnett, Trevor A. Branch, R. Anthony Ranasinghe, Timothy E. Essington. Old-Growth Fishes Become Scarce under Fishing. Current Biology, 2017; DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.07.069
Light At The End Of The Tunnel: Restored Forest Now Shelters Dozens Of Endangered Species
September 14, 2017: Pensoft Publishers
This is a red-bellied monkey with her baby in Drabo, Benin. Credit: Peter Neuenschwander CC-BY 4.0During the last twenty years, scientists worked hard to protect and restore the scattered patches of a dilapidated forest and its surroundings of agricultural and fallow vegetation in southern Benin.
With the help of their locally recruited assistants, Peter Neuenschwander, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Benin, and Aristide Adomou, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin, successfully thinned out the alien timber growing there and introduced 253 species, whose seeds and plantlets they had managed to collect from the last remnants of the original forest. Their research article is published in the open access journal Nature Conservation.
Today, the rehabilitated forest in Drabo harbours about 600 species of plants and constitutes a sanctuary for many animals, including the critically endangered and endemic red-bellied monkey.
Over the course of the last two decades, pantropical weedy species declined, while West-African forest species increased in numbers. Of the former, fifty-two species, mostly trees, shrubs and lianas, are listed as threatened -- more than those in any other existing forest in Benin. Furthermore, some of the critically endangered species amongst them can be found exclusively in the last small, often sacred forests in Benin, which while covering merely 0.02% of the national territory, harbour 64% of all critically endangered plant species.
"The biodiversity richness of the rehabilitated forests of Drabo now rivals that of natural rainforest remnants of the region," note the authors.
The newly restored forest in Drabo is relatively easy to access due to its proximity to large towns. It is intended to become an educational and research centre maintained by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. In fact, it already serves as an exemplary forest in the region.
With their initiative, the scientists and their followers demonstrate that by involving local communities and taking their customs into consideration, the safety of exposed precious ecosystems, even if located in a densely populated area, can be effectively assured.
Peter Neuenschwander, Aristide C. Adomou. Reconstituting a rainforest patch in southern Benin for the protection of threatened plants.Nature Conservation, 2017; 21: 57 DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.21.13906
September 14, 2017: Pensoft Publishers
This is a red-bellied monkey with her baby in Drabo, Benin. Credit: Peter Neuenschwander CC-BY 4.0
During the last twenty years, scientists worked hard to protect and restore the scattered patches of a dilapidated forest and its surroundings of agricultural and fallow vegetation in southern Benin.
With the help of their locally recruited assistants, Peter Neuenschwander, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Benin, and Aristide Adomou, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin, successfully thinned out the alien timber growing there and introduced 253 species, whose seeds and plantlets they had managed to collect from the last remnants of the original forest. Their research article is published in the open access journal Nature Conservation.
Today, the rehabilitated forest in Drabo harbours about 600 species of plants and constitutes a sanctuary for many animals, including the critically endangered and endemic red-bellied monkey.
Over the course of the last two decades, pantropical weedy species declined, while West-African forest species increased in numbers. Of the former, fifty-two species, mostly trees, shrubs and lianas, are listed as threatened -- more than those in any other existing forest in Benin. Furthermore, some of the critically endangered species amongst them can be found exclusively in the last small, often sacred forests in Benin, which while covering merely 0.02% of the national territory, harbour 64% of all critically endangered plant species.
"The biodiversity richness of the rehabilitated forests of Drabo now rivals that of natural rainforest remnants of the region," note the authors.
The newly restored forest in Drabo is relatively easy to access due to its proximity to large towns. It is intended to become an educational and research centre maintained by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. In fact, it already serves as an exemplary forest in the region.
With their initiative, the scientists and their followers demonstrate that by involving local communities and taking their customs into consideration, the safety of exposed precious ecosystems, even if located in a densely populated area, can be effectively assured.
Peter Neuenschwander, Aristide C. Adomou. Reconstituting a rainforest patch in southern Benin for the protection of threatened plants.Nature Conservation, 2017; 21: 57 DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.21.13906
Retirement Village Inquiry
6,000 Extra High Need Home Care Packages And $20 Million My Aged Care Revamp
Dishing Up Extra Support For Older Australians At Home
Licence Changes For New Drivers
Forster Ranges, Barrow Creek Region, NT
New Zoo For Western Sydney
September 14, 2017: NSW Government
Sydney Zoo has been approved to be built on a 16.5-hectare facility at Bungarribee Park in Western Sydney Parklands.
The new zoo will feature 30 exotic and native animal exhibits that will be assessable through safari-like enclosures and elevated boardwalks.
It will also feature an integrated Aboriginal and natural heritage program that will focus on the local Darug people of Western Sydney.
Educational resources available at the zoo will include an amphitheatre, a native fish aquarium, insectarium and nocturnal houses.
Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said Sydney Zoo is set to be Australia’s most technologically advanced and innovative zoo.
“Sydney Zoo will set a new standard in visitor experience and have people coming back time and time again,” Mr Ayres said.
Construction of Sydney Zoo will start later this year, creating 160 full-time jobs and a further 120 full-time jobs once it's operational.
The facility is set to open before the 2018 summer school holidays.
September 14, 2017: NSW Government
Sydney Zoo has been approved to be built on a 16.5-hectare facility at Bungarribee Park in Western Sydney Parklands.
The new zoo will feature 30 exotic and native animal exhibits that will be assessable through safari-like enclosures and elevated boardwalks.
It will also feature an integrated Aboriginal and natural heritage program that will focus on the local Darug people of Western Sydney.
Educational resources available at the zoo will include an amphitheatre, a native fish aquarium, insectarium and nocturnal houses.
Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said Sydney Zoo is set to be Australia’s most technologically advanced and innovative zoo.
“Sydney Zoo will set a new standard in visitor experience and have people coming back time and time again,” Mr Ayres said.
Construction of Sydney Zoo will start later this year, creating 160 full-time jobs and a further 120 full-time jobs once it's operational.
The facility is set to open before the 2018 summer school holidays.
Western Sydney Parklands Zoo Flyover
Sub-Antarctic Orchid Shows True Colours Far From Home
14th September 2017: Department of the Environment and Energy, Australian Antarctic DivisionIn a world first, a critically endangered orchid has flowered for the first time away from its native home of Macquarie Island.
The grooved helmet orchid (Corybas sulcatus) was collected from the sub-Antarctic island earlier this year and returned to Australia on the Aurora Australis. It was transplanted in its new home at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens (RTBG) in March.
Listed as being critically endangered, the small orchid that reaches just 1–2 cm in height has never flowered away from Macquarie Island.
Australian Antarctic Division Principal Research Scientist, Dr Dana Bergstrom, said helmet orchids have exceptionally large flowers compared to the rest of the plant.
“There are just over 100 species of helmet orchids worldwide, stretching from the Himalayas to Australia, New Zealand and some Pacific and sub-Antarctic islands,” Dr Bergstrom said.
“The grooved helmet orchid is only found on Macquarie Island, making it one of the rarest species on Earth.
“The population is very small, so it’s important to secure the species with seed collections in case of threatening events such as drought.”
Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens sub-Antarctic Collections Curator, Lorraine Perrins, said the grooved helmet orchid was the first collected by the gardens.
“The RTBG has never held a collection of this diminutive orchid until our botanist was able to collect some specimens on Macquarie Island last summer,” Ms Perrins said.
“To see the grooved helmet orchid flower would be a once-in-a-lifetime event for most scientists on Macquarie Island, so to have it on display in Hobart is incredibly exciting.”
The grooved helmet orchid will be used by the RTBG’s Native Orchid Conservation and Research Program to understand the conditions in which it can survive and flourish.
Botanist Natalie Tapson, who spent three months on Macquarie Island collecting seeds for the RTBG’s Tasmanian Seed Conservation Centre, was also able to harvest 12 other plant species including the critically endangered Macquarie Island cushion plant (Azorella macquariensis).
“With the support of the Australian Antarctic Program, we are working towards ensuring that we can secure the plant diversity of the entire island’s flora,” Ms Perrins said.
More information
Corybas sulcatus (Grooved helmet-orchid) is one of two endemic orchids which occur on Macquarie Island (Photo: Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens)
14th September 2017: Department of the Environment and Energy, Australian Antarctic Division
In a world first, a critically endangered orchid has flowered for the first time away from its native home of Macquarie Island.
The grooved helmet orchid (Corybas sulcatus) was collected from the sub-Antarctic island earlier this year and returned to Australia on the Aurora Australis. It was transplanted in its new home at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens (RTBG) in March.
Listed as being critically endangered, the small orchid that reaches just 1–2 cm in height has never flowered away from Macquarie Island.
Australian Antarctic Division Principal Research Scientist, Dr Dana Bergstrom, said helmet orchids have exceptionally large flowers compared to the rest of the plant.
“There are just over 100 species of helmet orchids worldwide, stretching from the Himalayas to Australia, New Zealand and some Pacific and sub-Antarctic islands,” Dr Bergstrom said.
“The grooved helmet orchid is only found on Macquarie Island, making it one of the rarest species on Earth.
“The population is very small, so it’s important to secure the species with seed collections in case of threatening events such as drought.”
Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens sub-Antarctic Collections Curator, Lorraine Perrins, said the grooved helmet orchid was the first collected by the gardens.
“The RTBG has never held a collection of this diminutive orchid until our botanist was able to collect some specimens on Macquarie Island last summer,” Ms Perrins said.
“To see the grooved helmet orchid flower would be a once-in-a-lifetime event for most scientists on Macquarie Island, so to have it on display in Hobart is incredibly exciting.”
The grooved helmet orchid will be used by the RTBG’s Native Orchid Conservation and Research Program to understand the conditions in which it can survive and flourish.
Botanist Natalie Tapson, who spent three months on Macquarie Island collecting seeds for the RTBG’s Tasmanian Seed Conservation Centre, was also able to harvest 12 other plant species including the critically endangered Macquarie Island cushion plant (Azorella macquariensis).
“With the support of the Australian Antarctic Program, we are working towards ensuring that we can secure the plant diversity of the entire island’s flora,” Ms Perrins said.
More information
Corybas sulcatus (Grooved helmet-orchid) is one of two endemic orchids which occur on Macquarie Island (Photo: Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens)
Shorter Wait Times For Elective Surgery
Barry Mann Appointed UrbanGrowth CEO
Immune System Linked To Alcohol Drinking Behavior
Carbohydrates May Be The Key To A Better Malaria Vaccine
New Zoo For Western Sydney
September 14, 2017: NSW Government
Sydney Zoo has been approved to be built on a 16.5-hectare facility at Bungarribee Park in Western Sydney Parklands.
The new zoo will feature 30 exotic and native animal exhibits that will be assessable through safari-like enclosures and elevated boardwalks.
It will also feature an integrated Aboriginal and natural heritage program that will focus on the local Darug people of Western Sydney.
Educational resources available at the zoo will include an amphitheatre, a native fish aquarium, insectarium and nocturnal houses.
Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said Sydney Zoo is set to be Australia’s most technologically advanced and innovative zoo.
“Sydney Zoo will set a new standard in visitor experience and have people coming back time and time again,” Mr Ayres said.
Construction of Sydney Zoo will start later this year, creating 160 full-time jobs and a further 120 full-time jobs once it's operational.
The facility is set to open before the 2018 summer school holidays.
Ancient Wetlands Offer Window Into Climate Change
September 11, 2017: University of Adelaide
Researchers taking core samples from Fern Gully Lagoon, North Stradbroke Island, Australia. Credit: University of Adelaide
Environmental researchers have uncovered a wealth of information about a unique part of Australia that offers never-before-seen insights into climate change since the last ice age.
The work -- led by the University of Adelaide, and involving scientists from the Queensland Government, and members of the local community -- has uncovered what the researchers describe as a "treasure trove" of ancient wetlands on Queensland's North Stradbroke Island (known to Indigenous communities as Minjerribah), some dating as old as 200,000 years ago.
Now published in the Journal of Quaternary Science, the research details the development of wetlands on the island, at a time when water across Australia was scarce.
"There are more wetlands on North Stradbroke Island dating to the last ice age than anywhere else in Australia," says project leader Dr John Tibby, Acting Head of the Department of Geography, Environment and Population at the University of Adelaide.
"Australia was much drier during the last ice age than it is today, as most of the water was held in large ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere. Right across Australia there were few wetlands during this time, which raises the question: where and how did plants and animals survive that needed permanent water?
"The island, and possibly even the region itself, may have been a refuge from dry climates," Dr Tibby says.
Dr Jonathan Marshall, Principal Scientist with the Queensland Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation, says their work has demonstrated that North Stradbroke Island "is an Australian exception."
"We cored and dated 16 wetlands on the island and found six dating to the ice age or earlier, with one being more than 200,000 years old," Dr Marshall says.
"Some of these wetlands on North Stradbroke were around before humans arrived in Australia. Analysis of the sediments laid down in the wetlands provides us with a better understanding of their natural variation to climate change. This allows us to make better recommendations about sustainable environmental management," he says.
Dr Tibby says a range of indicators in the wetlands offer researchers a window into past climate and environments.
"We're using the chemicals in leaves to determine past rainfall, and fossil algae to tell us how the water in the wetlands has changed," Dr Tibby says.
"Using this information, we can glean insights into whether climate changed at the same time Australian megafauna went extinct. This is important, since scientists are often forced to rely on records as far away as Antarctica to tell them about Australian climate change.
"The persistence of these wetlands suggests that for much of the past 40,000 years, and for perhaps much longer, the local environment has remained relatively moist. This may partly be due to links between these wetlands and the island's groundwater systems, which act as water reservoirs during periods of rainfall deficit.
"This unique and remarkably long and uninterrupted record of climatic conditions in south-east Queensland will greatly improve our understanding about the drivers of both local and regional climate variability," he says.
Darren Burns, Traditional Owner, and Land and Sea Manager, Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation, says: "This evidence represents and confirms the resources that no doubt the Quandamooka People would have had to enable them to live continually on the Island. Coupled with the existence of the Pleistocene sites, this study demonstrates the long and extensive connection Quandamooka People have to our ancient land."
J. Tibby, C. Barr, J. C. Marshall, G. B. McGregor, P. T. Moss, L. J. Arnold, T. J. Page, D. Questiaux, J. Olley, J. Kemp, N. Spooner, L. Petherick, D. Penny, S. Mooney, E. Moss. Persistence of wetlands on North Stradbroke Island (south-east Queensland, Australia) during the last glacial cycle: implications for Quaternary science and biogeography. Journal of Quaternary Science, 2017; 32 (6): 770 DOI:10.1002/jqs.2981