The Murray–Darling Basin spans more than 1 million square kilometres across the lower third of Queensland, most of New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, northern Victoria and the south-eastern corner of South Australia. Wildlife habitats range from the floodplains of the Basin to alpine areas, making the region of special ecological and environmental interest. This book is the first comprehensive guide to the 310 species of frogs and reptiles living in the Murray–Darling Basin. An overview of each of the 22 catchment areas introduces the unique and varied climates, topography, vegetation and fauna. Comprehensive species accounts include diagnostic features, conservation ratings, photographs and distribution maps for all frogs, freshwater turtles, lizards and snakes recorded in this important region.
Murray-Darling Basin, Australia: Its Future Management is a much-needed text for water resources managers, water, catchment, estuarine and coastal scientists, and aquatic ecologists. The book first provides a summary of the Murray-Darling River system: its hydrology, water-related ecological assets, land uses (particularly irrigation), and its rural and regional communities; and management within the Basin, including catchments and natural resources, water resources, irrigation, environment, and monitoring and evaluation. Additionally, the recent major water reforms in the Basin are discussed, with a focus particularly on the development and implementation of the Basin Plan. Murray-Darling Basin, Australia: Its Future Management then provides an analysis of the next set of policy and institutional reforms (environmental, social, cultural and economic) needed to ensure the Basin is managed as an integrated system (including its water resources, catchment and estuary) capable of adapting to future changes. Six major challenges facing the Basin are identified and discussed, particularly within the context of predicted changes to the climate leading to an increased frequency of drought and a hotter and dryer future. Finally, a 'road map' or 'blueprint' to achieve more integrated management of the Basin is provided, together with some 'key lessons' of relevance to others involved in the management of multijurisdictional river Basins. - Provides a consolidated account of the Murray-Darling Basin system; an area of global relevance to those interested in rebalancing river systems where the water resources have been over allocated - Offers a detailed analysis of the current system and its management, with a focus on water and ecosystem management - Discusses a number of key challenges, particularly those related to climate change, facing future reforms to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan - Provides a blueprint for changes needed to ensure the Basin is managed as an integrated whole (from catchment to coast)
A land of extremes, the Northern Territory’s arid deserts and monsoonal forests harbour some of Australia’s smallest and the world’s largest reptiles, as well as some of the world’s most venomous snakes. Field Guide to the Reptiles of the Northern Territory is the first regional guide to the crocodiles, turtles, lizards and snakes of this megadiverse region. It presents introductions to order, family and genus; keys to family, genus and species; and species profiles, including descriptions, photos, distribution maps and notes on natural history. It features profiles for the 390 species that occur or may occur on the land and in the sea of the Northern Territory. Extensively illustrated, this is an essential resource for wildlife enthusiasts and professional and amateur herpetologists.
A comprehensive and user-friendly photographic field guide With more than 1,000 photographs, Snakes of Australia illustrates and describes in detail all 240 of the continent’s species and subspecies—from file snakes, pythons, colubrids, and natricids to elapids, marine elapids, homalopsids, and blind snakes. Features introductions to each family, species descriptions, type locations, distribution maps, and quick-identification keys to each family and genera Covers English and scientific names, appearance, range, ecology, disposition, danger level, and IUCN Red List Category Illustrates every species and has multiple images for some species to show variation Presents information on habitat types, snakes in the environment, and snake-bite prevention and first aid Includes a checklist of all the snakes, a glossary, and a table of venom toxicity
Amphibians are among the most threatened groups of animals on earth. In part due to their highly permeable skin, amphibians are highly sensitive to environmental changes and pollution and provide an early-warning system of deteriorating environmental conditions. The more we learn about the impact of environmental changes on amphibians, the better we as humans will be able to arrest their demise, and our own. Status of Conservation and Decline of Amphibians brings together the current knowledge on the status of the unique frogs of Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. Although geographically proximate, each region presents unique challenges and opportunities in amphibian research and conservation. This book contributes to an understanding of the current conservation status of the amphibians of each region, aims to stimulate research into halting amphibian declines, and provides a better foundation for making conservation decisions. It is an invaluable reference for environmental and governmental agencies, researchers, policy-makers involved with biodiversity conservation, and the interested public.
Floodplain wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin provide critical habitat for numerous species of flora and fauna, yet the ecology of these wetlands is threatened by a range of environmental issues. This book addresses the urgent need for an improved ecohydrological understanding of the biota of Australian freshwater wetlands. It synthesises key water and habitat requirements for 35 species of plants, 48 species of waterbirds, 17 native and four introduced species of fish, 15 species of frogs, and 16 species of crustaceans and molluscs found in floodplain wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin. Each species profile includes: the influence of water regimes on the survival, health and condition of the species; key stimuli for reproduction and germination; habitat and dietary preferences; as well as major knowledge gaps for the species. Floodplain Wetland Biota in the Murray-Darling Basin also provides an overview of the likely impacts of hydrological change on wetland ecosystems and biota, in the context of climate change and variability, with implications for environmental management. This important book provides an essential baseline for further education, scientific research and management of floodplain wetland biota in the Murray-Darling Basin.
Throughout much of the world, frog populations are declining, with the survival of many species under threat. In Australia, several species have become extinct in the past 35 years. This second edition of Field Guide to the Frogs of Australia provides fully updated accounts of all the known frogs of Australia. There are 248 species within the five native frog families: Hylidae, Limnodynastidae, Microhylidae, Myobatrachidae and Ranidae. Also included are the introduced Cane Toad and nine ‘stowaway’ species that have arrived in Australia. Each species account includes details of size, status, distribution, habitat, behaviour and advertisement call. Species are beautifully illustrated with full-colour paintings and distribution maps are also included. Closely related frogs are shown in identical poses so that comparisons can be made readily. The introductory section of the book covers frog biology and habitats and includes notes on families and genera.
Place, country, and care are at the heart of this wise book, which is so astutely responsive to the diverse, active Aboriginal individuals and nations of the Murray-Darling Basin Like the Central Valley of California near where I live, where vast rivers and wetlands have been engineered to produce a precarious and poisoned breadbasket for settler empires, the Murray-Darling Basin cries out for new practices of care from all of its people. Weir's book gives me hope that these blasted places and the lives of so many species, human and not, might again be whole, in new ways and old. Donna Haraway, History of Consciousness Department, University of California at Santa Cruz Murray River Country brings a fresh narrative to Australia's water crisis - the intimate stories of love and loss of the Aboriginal people who know the inland rivers as their traditional country. The Murray River's devastation demands that something fundamental changes in our water philosophies. Weir moves readers beyond questions of how much water will be `returned' to the rivers, to understand that our economy, and our lives, are dependent on river health. She draws on western and Indigenous knowledge traditions to unsettle the boundaries of the current debates. In doing so she shows how powerfully influential yet unacknowledged assumptions continue to trap our thinking and disable us from taking effective action. By engaging with the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia's agricultural heartland, and the Murray River, Australia's greatest river, Murray River Country goes to the heart of our national understandings of how we are to live in this country.
Our understanding of the ecology of running waters has come a long way during the past few years. From being a largely descriptive subject, with a few under tones concerned with such things as fisheries, pollution or control of blackflies, it has evolved into a discipline with hypotheses, such as the River Continuum Concept (Vannote et a/. 1980), and even a book suggesting that it offers opportunity for the testing of ecological theory (Barnes & Minshall 1983). However, perusal of the literature reveals that, although some of the very early studies were concerned with large rivers (references in Hynes 1970), the great mass of the work that has been done on running water has been on streams and small rivers, and information on larger rivers is either on such limited topics as fisheries or plankton, scattered among the journals, or not available to the general limnologist. The only exceptions are a few books in this series of publications, such as those on the Nile (Rz6ska 1976), the Volga (Morduckai Boltovskoi 1979) and the Amazon {Sioli 1984), and the recent compendium by Whitton (1984) on European rivers, among which there are a few that rate as large.
Australia is home to more than 240 species of frogs, many of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The Photographic Field Guide to Australian Frogs provides readers with the tools to confidently identify 242 species and five recognised subspecies. It includes detailed information on the distribution, habitat preferences and call of each frog species, as well as fully illustrated keys to genera to assist with identification. Multiple photographs of each species show variation in colour and pattern as well as features used for identification such as thigh colouration, skin texture, belly colour and patterning, eye colour and extent of webbing between the toes. With a strong focus on illustrating variation and key diagnostic features, this guide will enable frog enthusiasts, environmental professionals and research scientists to identify Australian frog species with a high level of confidence. Certificate of Commendation, The Royal Zoological Society of NSW 2022 Whitley Awards: Zoology Field Guide
