Vegetation of Australian Riverine Landscapes


Book Description

Vegetation communities in Australia's riverine landscapes are ecologically, economically and culturally significant. They are also among the most threatened ecosystems on the continent and have been dramatically altered as a result of human activities and climate change. Vegetation of Australian Riverine Landscapes brings together, for the first time, the results of the substantial amount of research that has been conducted over the last few decades into the biology, ecology and management of these important plant communities in Australia. The book is divided into four sections. The first section provides context with respect to the spatial and temporal dimensions of riverine landscapes in Australia. The second section examines key groups of riverine plants, while the third section provides an overview of riverine vegetation in five major regions of Australia, including patterns, significant threats and management. The final section explores critical issues associated with the conservation and management of riverine plants and vegetation, including water management, salinity, fire and restoration. Vegetation of Australian Riverine Landscapes highlights the incredible diversity and dynamic nature of riverine vegetation across Australia, and will be an excellent reference for researchers, academics and environmental consultants.




History of the Australian Vegetation


Book Description

The Australian vegetation is the end result of a remarkable history of climate change, latitudinal change, continental isolation, soil evolution, interaction with an evolving fauna, fire and most recently human impact. This book presents a detailed synopsis of the critical events that led to the evolution of the unique Australian flora and the wide variety of vegetational types contained within it. The first part of the book details the past continental relationships of Australia, its palaeoclimate, fauna and the evolution of its landforms since the rise to dominance of the angiosperms at the beginning of the Cretaceous period. A detailed summary of the palaeobotanical record is then presented. The palynological record gives an overview of the vegetation and the distribution of important taxa within it, while the complementary macrofossil record is used to trace the evolution of critical taxa. This book will interest graduate students and researchers interested in the evolution of the flora of this fascinating continent.




Australian Vegetation


Book Description

Australian Vegetation has been an essential reference for students and researchers in botany, ecology and natural resource management for over 35 years. Now fully updated and with a new team of authors, the third edition presents the latest insights on the patterns and processes that shaped the vegetation of Australia. The first part of the book provides a synthesis of ecological processes that influence vegetation traits throughout the continent, using a new classification of vegetation. New chapters examine the influences of climate, soils, fire regimes, herbivores and aboriginal people on vegetation, in addition to completely revised chapters on evolutionary biogeography, quaternary vegetation history and alien plants. The book's second half presents detailed ecological portraits for each major vegetation type and offers data-rich perspectives and comparative analysis presented in tables, graphs, maps and colour illustrations. This authoritative book will inspire readers to learn and explore first-hand the vegetation of Australia.




Australian Plant Communities


Book Description

For 100 million years the Gondwanan vegetation of Australia has survived and developed in the face of vast changes in climate and soils. The pressure imposed on the vegetation by European settlers during the last 200 years is in clear contrast to the minimal impact of Aborigines. Environmental managers and planners predicting the short- and long-term effects of environmental changes on ecosystems need to understand the basic principles of plant community physiology. Australian Plant Communities: The Dynamics of Structure, Growth and Biodiversity is the first synthesis of the physiological processes that shape Australian vegetation at the level of the entire plant community. It examines the basic principles of community physiology by referring to the vegetation of Australia, with its great diversity of natural plant communities, many of which are still relatively undisturbed. The principles developed are applicable to landscapes throughout the world. By revealing the fundamental determinants of vegetation structure, the book enables the effects of climate change on biodiversity, of both vegetation and its associated fauna, to be predicted. Plant Communities in Australia, lavishly illustrated with figures and graphs, is written in a clear and concise style and refers to many studies of the processes operating in Australian vegetation. It is an excellent text for undergraduate and graduate courses in environmental science, resource management, and environmental planning and impact assessment. It is also an invaluable reference for practising environmental scientists, planners, and managers.




Plant Life of Western Australia


Book Description

Dr. John S. Beard came to Western Australia in 1961 as Foundation Director of the Botanic Garden being established in Perth's King's Park. The garden, which officially opened in 1965, has become one of Perth's major attractions for visitors and the local population. It has a scientific as well as a popular function, being principally devoted to study of native plants. First published in 1990, Plant Life of Western Australia grew out of a project that was developed with the assistance of Dr. Beard. The project became known as the Vegetation Survey of Western Australia, with the aim of mapping the plant life of the entire state. Any ecologist travelling through this stretch of country is not only aware of the plant species that are present and their arrangement into communities, but of the whole structure of the landscape, its geology, its forms in mountains, hills, and plains, and the climate, both past and present. Dr. Beard acquired an unrivalled knowledge of the landscapes and their plant cover over the immense area of Western Australia. Through the project, a series of vegetation maps were produced and the project was finally completed in 1981. About 200,000 km of land were covered by vehicle over the course of 17 years. This was more than an ordinary degree of awareness, therefore the first edition of the book was published with the desire of sharing the remarkable plant life of Western Australia with others. Following the death of Dr. John S. Beard in 2011, this new edition has been revised by Alex George and Neil Gibson. Dr. Beard originally took about 2,000 color slides over the course of his extensive botanical field work, and a selection of the best color illustrations are featured prominently in the book. *** Librarians: ebook available on ProQuest and EBSCO [Subject: Botany, Ecology, Horticulture, Australian Studies]




Australian Vegetation


Book Description

This fully updated third edition provides a modern synthesis and review of the latest advances in understanding native vegetation across Australia.




The Nature of Plant Communities


Book Description

Provides a comprehensive review of the role of species interactions in the process of plant community assembly.




The Ecophysiology of Plant-Phosphorus Interactions


Book Description

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth. It is as phosphate that plants take up P from the soil solution. Since little phosphate is available to plants in most soils, plants have evolved a range of mechanisms to acquire and use P efficiently – including the development of symbiotic relationships that help them access sources of phosphorus beyond the plant’s own range. At the same time, in agricultural systems, applications of inorganic phosphate fertilizers aimed at overcoming phosphate limitation are unsustainable and can cause pollution. This latest volume in Springer’s Plant Ecophysiology series takes an in-depth look at these diverse plant-phosphorus interactions in natural and agricultural environments, presenting a series of critical reviews on the current status of research. In particular, the book presents a wealth of information on the genetic and phenotypic variation in natural plant ecosystems adapted to low P availability, which could be of particular relevance to developing new crop varieties with enhanced abilities to grow under P-limiting conditions. The book provides a valuable reference material for graduates and research scientists working in the field of plant-phosphorus interactions, as well as for those working in plant breeding and sustainable agricultural development.




Coastal Plants


Book Description

The greater Perth coast is a biodiverse and ecologically vulnerable region, with its unique native plant species threatened by clearing, invasive species, fire and climate change. This second edition of Coastal Plants has been updated and expanded to provide a definitive guide to 128 of the most common plants of the Perth coastal region. It includes the key species used in coastal restoration, along with important weeds. The description of each species is accompanied by a distribution map and diagnostic photographs of the whole plant, flowers, seeds and fruits. The book also contains introductory chapters on the biology and ecology of the coastal plants, their biogeography, and practical approaches to the restoration of coastal dune vegetation. Coastal Plants is distinctive in its focus on restoration, which makes it valuable for community groups and individuals interested or involved in coastal natural history or restoration activities.




Plant Life on the Sandplains in Southwest Australia


Book Description

"A thorough revision and expansion of Pate and Beard's Kwongan--Plant Life of the Sandplain (1984)"--Page 4 of cover.