Flooded Forest and Desert Creek
Flooded Forest and Desert Creek

Author: Matthew Colloff

Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING

Published: 2014-08-11

Total Pages: 436

ISBN-13: 0643109218

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The river red gum has the most widespread natural distribution of Eucalyptus in Australia, forming extensive forests and woodlands in south-eastern Australia and providing the structural and functional elements of important floodplain and wetland ecosystems. Along ephemeral creeks in the arid Centre it exists as narrow corridors, providing vital refugia for biodiversity. The tree has played a central role in the tension between economy, society and environment and has been the subject of enquiries over its conservation, use and management. Despite this, we know remarkably little about the ecology and life history of the river red gum: its longevity; how deep its roots go; what proportion of its seedlings survive to adulthood; and the diversity of organisms associated with it. More recently we have begun to move from a culture of exploitation of river red gum forests and woodlands to one of conservation and sustainable use. In Flooded Forest and Desert Creek, the author traces this shift through the rise of a collective environmental consciousness, in part articulated through the depiction of river red gums and inland floodplains in art, literature and the media.

Firestick Ecology: Fairdinkum Science in Plain English
Firestick Ecology: Fairdinkum Science in Plain English

Author: Vic Jurskis

Publisher: Connor Court Publishing Pty Limited

Published: 2015-08-01

Total Pages: 370

ISBN-13: 9781925138740

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Aborigines came to Australia and burnt out most of the trees and bushes. The megafauna starved whilst eucalypts, herbs, grasses and mesofauna flourished. The ancient culture survived an ice age, global warming and hugely rising seas, forging economies in woodlands and deserts. Europeans doused the firestick, woodlands turned to scrub, mesofauna perished, megafires and tree-eaters irrupted. Foresters rekindled the firestick and greens stole it. Megafires and declines are back with a vengeance whilst ecologists dream-up reasons not to burn. Ecological history shows that we must apply the firestick frequently, willingly and skillfully to restore a healthy, safe environment and economy.

Eucalypt Ecology
Eucalypt Ecology

Author: Jann Elizabeth Williams

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1997-11-13

Total Pages: 460

ISBN-13: 9780521497404

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The dominant trees of Australia, eucalypts make up a remarkable genus. This authoritative volume provides current reviews by active researchers of many disciplines, including evolutionary history, genetics, distribution and modelling, the relationship of eucalypts to fire and nutrients, ecophysiology, pollination and reproductive ecology, interactions between eucalypts and other co-existing biota (including fungi, invertebrates and vertebrates), and conservation and management. Together these reviews shed light on the reasons for the great success of eucalypts in Australian environments, and provide a comprehensive summary for comparison with the ecology of major woody plant genera in other continents. This volume is of particular relevance to Australian ecologists, but also provides a stimulating perspective to students of vegetation ecology in all continents.

Mistletoes of Southern Australia
Mistletoes of Southern Australia

Author: David M. Watson

Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 199

ISBN-13: 0643095934

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Mistletoes are an enigmatic group of plants. Lacking roots and depending on other plants for their livelihood, they have inspired a range of beliefs throughout the world. Some people regard them as mystical plants endowed with magical properties, others as destructive weeds that devalue native habitats, and still others as beautiful native plants that support wildlife. This book represents the first thorough treatment of mistletoes in Australia. It summarizes their evolutionary origin and global distribution, highlighting diversity patterns in Australasia, and describes the ecology and life history of mistletoes, detailing the variety of animals that depend on them for food and shelter. The book discusses the cultural significance of mistletoes, compares imported European beliefs with home-grown Indigenous lore and looks at the role of mistletoe in contemporary art, design and medicine. It also explores the management of mistletoes, noting those situations where mistletoe becomes too abundant and offering practical solutions to achieve a more balanced outcome. Finally, there is a guide to identifying mistletoes, including detailed species accounts for all 46 species found in southern Australia. With 51 specially commissioned watercolors by artist Robyn Hulley and more than 130 color photographs, "Mistletoes of Southern Australia" is the definitive authority on these intriguing native plants.

Forest Pattern and Ecological Process
Forest Pattern and Ecological Process

Author: David Lindenmayer

Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING

Published: 2009-10-29

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 0643100008

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Forest Pattern and Ecological Process is a major synthesis of 25 years of intensive research about the montane ash forests of Victoria, which support the world's tallest flowering plants and several of Australia's most high profile threatened and/or endangered species. It draws together major insights based on over 170 published scientific papers and books, offering a previously unrecognised set of perspectives of how forests function. The book combines key strands of research on wildfires, biodiversity conservation, logging, conservation management, climate change and basic forest ecology and management. It is divided into seven sections: introduction and background; forest cover and the composition of the forest; the structure of the forest; animal occurrence; disturbance regimes; forest management; and overview and future directions. Illustrated with more than 200 photographs and line drawings, Forest Pattern and Ecological Process is an essential reference for forest researchers, resource managers, conservation and wildlife biologists, ornithologists and mammalogists, policy makers, as well as general readers with interests in wildlife and forests. 2010 Whitley Certificate of Commendation for Zoological Text.

The Dry Forests and Woodlands of Africa
The Dry Forests and Woodlands of Africa

Author: Emmanuel N. Chidumayo

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2010-09-23

Total Pages: 294

ISBN-13: 1136531378

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The dry forests and woodlands of Sub-Saharan Africa are major ecosystems, with a broad range of strong economic and cultural incentives for keeping them intact. However, few people are aware of their importance, compared to tropical rainforests, despite them being home to more than half of the continent's population. This unique book brings together scientific knowledge on this topic from East, West, and Southern Africa and describes the relationships between forests, woodlands, people and their livelihoods. Dry forest is defined as vegetation dominated by woody plants, primarily trees, the canopy of which covers more than 10 per cent of the ground surface, occurring in climates with a dry season of three months or more. This broad definition - wider than those used by many authors - incorporates vegetation types commonly termed woodland, shrubland, thicket, savanna, wooded grassland, as well as dry forest in its strict sense. The book provides a comparative analysis of management experiences from the different geographic regions, emphasizing the need to balance the utilization of dry forests and woodland products between current and future human needs. Further, the book explores the techniques and strategies that can be deployed to improve the management of African dry forests and woodlands for the benefit of all, but more importantly, the communities that live off these vegetation formations. Thus, the book lays a foundation for improving the management of dry forests and woodlands for the wide range of products and services they provide.