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This paper provides new palaeogeographical reconstructions of the Spencer Gulf and Yorke Peninsula/Guuranda region of South Australia for the period ca. 20,000–6000 cal. BP. The rich complexity of traditional Aboriginal (Narungga) sea-level narratives is also explored. These narratives, which form a highly significant system of knowledge, are considered together by the Narungga and non-Narungga authors of the paper to generate a new dialogue about Aboriginal traditions and scientific data. The dialogue between the Narungga knowledge systems and palaeogeographic mapping reveals a strong concordance for events/time slices inclusive of the onset of marine transgression, the creation of northern Spencer Gulf and the formation of some islands—while also establishing that there are deeper complexities inherent within Narungga narratives that demonstrate layers of meaning at multiple scales. The palaeogeographic reconstructions are also considered in relation to the known archaeology and geomorphology of the region as well as new observations arising from this research. Targets for future underwater (and terrestrial) investigation relating to the periods of marine transgression are also outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper considers energy as a social and commercial determinant of health. Stable access to clean and sustainable energy is integral for human wellbeing yet public health rarely considers its importance. Methods: Using NVivo qualitative analysis software we analysed all Australian federal, state and territory strategic energy policies covering varying periods between 2016-2030. We defined strategic policy as including the goals, objectives and strategies of the department regarding a specific area of policy responsibility. This criterion excluded documents such as operational guidelines. 36 energy-related policies were analyzed. Results: While the nature of energy supply is crucial to determining the impact of human and environmental health, our analysis showed that health and wellbeing are only rarely considered in policy. We developed a conceptual framework to guide our work linking energy policy with health. Australia's continued reliance on fossil fuels evident in the policies poses health risks, especially as climate change threatens physical and mental health. Yet health considerations were mainly absent from the policies. However, some jurisdictions (South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory [ACT]) had policies encouraging a fast move to renewables. Energy pricing was a key focus in each jurisdiction and had become highly politicalized in the past decade. Little attention was paid to equity considerations in the policies. Conclusion: Energy policy would be more health promoting if public health perspectives were considered during its development. On the basis of our policy analysis and literature review we conclude with recommendations for healthy energy policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A growing number of studies have investigated the effect of increasing temperatures on morbidity and health service use. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the temperature-attributable cost burden., Objectives: This study examines the relationship of daily mean temperature with hospital admissions, length of hospital stay (LoS), and costs; and estimates the baseline temperature-attributable hospital admissions, and costs and in relation to warmer climate scenarios in Adelaide, South Australia., Method: A daily time series analysis using distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) was used to explore exposure-response relationships and to estimate the aggregated burden of hospital admissions for conditions associated with temperatures (i.e. renal diseases, mental health, diabetes, ischaemic heart diseases and heat-related illnesses) as well as the associated LoS and costs, for the baseline period (2010-2015) and different future climate scenarios in Adelaide, South Australia., Results: During the six-year baseline period, the overall temperature-attributable hospital admissions, LoS, and associated costs were estimated to be 3915 cases (95% empirical confidence interval (eCI): 235, 7295), 99,766 days (95% eCI: 14,484, 168,457), and AU$159 million (95% eCI: 18.8, 269.0), respectively. A climate scenario consistent with RCP8.5 emissions, and including projected demographic change, is estimated to lead to increases in heat-attributable hospital admissions, LoS, and costs of 2.2% (95% eCI: 0.5, 3.9), 8.4% (95% eCI: 1.1, 14.3), and 7.7% (95% eCI: 0.3, 13.3), respectively by mid-century., Conclusions: There is already a substantial temperature-attributable impact on hospital admissions, LoS, and costs which are estimated to increase due to climate change and an increasing aged population. Unless effective climate and public health interventions are put into action, the costs of treating temperature-related admissions will be high., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

• South Australia is leading low carbon energy transitions in Australia. • Socio-technical transitions are complex, non-linear and follow multiple adaptive pathways. • Complex adaptive systems and risk society theory can be integrated to better understand transitions. • Bold leadership and innovative policy are required to navigate transitions in a reflexive modernity. • Governance can exploit crises to justify transition policy in response to future risk and uncertainty. Renewable energy transitions are occurring across the globe in response to climate change. Such socio-technical transitions are complex and non-linear. They require bold leadership and innovative policy, both in response to environmental risk and to navigate political, technical and socio-economic conditions. This paper integrates complex adaptive systems and risk society theory to inform a discussion on regional socio-technical transitions. South Australia is forging its own adaptive pathway, and in doing so, is leading energy transitions in Australia. Utilising the complex adaptive cycle to frame the state's renewable energy transition, the path can be seen to be evolving from a simple first modernity to a multi-dimensional second modernity. Socio-technical transitions are partly a by-product of responses to risk. While there is no single map for navigating societal transitions, this paper proposes that risk, in the context of risk society theory, is an important guiding dimension for understanding transformational change in socio-technical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability is an increasing focus for local governments and communities, especially regional areas in Australia and internationally. Climate change impacts are increasingly significant and adaptation agendas are required to meet the social, economic, and environmental needs of existing and future generations without exhausting natural resources or degrading the quality of the natural environment. Sustainability hubs and centres are being advanced as one mechanism to educate the broader public about and encourage (climate) sustainability in practice that is meaningful and transformative. This paper reports on a feasibility study of a potential Sustainability Hub in South Australia's town of Clare and the Mid North region. The study found that local aspirations to establish a sustainability hub in the region are a foundation of its feasibility and makes seven recommendations to ensure the hub evolves into a place that is practical, functional and services this community's needs including defining the scope and location of the hub, a clearly articulated management structure, and ideas around how to secure ongoing community engagement. These recommendations provide a framework that will determine the sustainability hub is not only sustainable in its own right but will also strengthen the region's climate change adaptation capacity by enabling its citizens with the knowledge and skills to make sustainable choices and put sustainability into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Seasonal rainfall forecasts are an important tool for risk management across many sectors. However, significant challenges arise in the development of skilful and practically useful seasonal forecasts for regions where the temporal and spatial variability of rainfall is large and/or knowledge about what causes this variability is in its infancy. This is evident in the state of South Australia ( SA), where seasonal rainfall currently has low predictive skill. The key climate processes have yet to be fully identified in SA and therefore may not be adequately represented in forecast models. The aim of this paper is to identify and quantify relationships between large-scale ocean-atmospheric processes and seasonal rainfall variability across SA. We identify two distinct climate zones: (1) the arid northern region, where rainfall is mostly influenced by climate processes stemming from the tropical Indian and/or Pacific Oceans and (2) southern SA, which is dominated by Southern Ocean processes. The average percent of variability of SA rainfall accounted for by any single large-scale climate process (i.e. linear regression using a single predictor) is 8% in summer, 19% in autumn, 33% in winter and 24% in spring. However, when two or more processes are considered in combination (through multiple linear regression), this rises to 13, 26, 46, and 33%, respectively, highlighting the importance of capturing the interaction among multiple climate processes. Importantly, the findings from this study provide a set of metrics against which existing statistical and dynamical forecasting schemes can be tested and highlight processes that should be focused on in order to improve (or develop new) forecasting schemes. The study also recommends the need for further investigations into non-linear relationships between rainfall and large-scale ocean-atmospheric processes and the development of more objective methods for determining which climate process, or combination of processes, are most important for a certain season or location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Knowledge is an important tool for Indigenous peoples to adapt to climate change. • The Arabana people, South Australia articulate alternatives to Western climate discourses. • Historical (colonial) Indigenous knowledge is as important as millennia old knowledge. • Climate knowledge is observed at multiple scales and reflects history of colonial dispersal. • Arabana adaptation to climate change is articulated as survival, agency and healing. The role of knowledge in assisting Indigenous people adapt to climate change has been gaining increasing attention and local studies provide rich insights into how and where knowledge is used. This paper reports on the results of a qualitative cross-cultural research collaboration about climate change adaptation for the Arabana, an Indigenous people from South Australia. We find that the Arabana people have a corpus of observed historical knowledge of climate change, forged through a sustained period of colonial invasion, that offers fine level detail about likely climate impacts that is not captured by regional scientific projections. This knowledge includes actual observations about recent climate variability, as well as changes to flora, fauna, land and cultural sites. This historical knowledge about and observation of the environment is as important to the Arabana people as ancestral traditional knowledge for informing the contemporary climate change policy that affects them and their surroundings. Arabana knowledge sets about climate change and its impacts were also found to be intimately interconnected with other regional socio-economic activities (such as pastoralism and mining) which are the legacy of colonisation, and cannot be divorced from cultural perceptions and discussions about climate impacts. We conclude that in order to forge appropriate responses to the impacts of climate change, dialogues between policy makers and the Arabana needs to acknowledge the legitimacy of all Arabana knowledge, particularly historical knowledge that has been grafted through colonial dispossession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural Australian landscape sustains a mosaic of wetlands that range from permanently wet to temporary. This diversity of wetland types and habitats provides for diverse biotic communities, many of which are specific to individual wetlands. This paper explores the prospects for southern Australian wetlands under modified water regime and salinity induced by climatic changes. Extended droughts predicted as a consequence of climate change (lower rainfall and higher temperatures) combined with human-induced changes to the natural hydrological regime will lead to reductions in the amount of water available for environmental and anthropogenic uses. Reduced runoff and river flows may cause the loss of some temporary wetland types that will no longer hold water long enough to support hydric communities. Species distributions will shift and species extinctions may result particularly across fragmented or vulnerable landscapes. Accumulation of salts in wetlands shift species-rich freshwater communities to species-poor salt tolerant communities. Wetlands will differ in ecological response to these changes as the salinity and drying history of each wetland will determine its resilience: in the short term some freshwater communities may recover but they are unlikely to survive and reproduce under long term increased salinity and altered hydrology. In the long term such salinized wetlands with altered hydrology will need to be colonized by salt tolerant species adapted for the new hydrological conditions if they are to persist as functional wetlands. As the landscape becomes more developed, to accommodate the need for water in a warmer drying climate, increasing human intervention will result in a net loss of wetlands and wetland diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: This paper describes the changes in temperature-based indices used to classify viticultural climates in Australia for three warming scenarios produced by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation: Mk3.0 global climate model for the years 2030, 2050 and 2070. Methods and Results: Temperature indices that describe grapevine growing season temperature (GST), ripening period temperature, accumulated biologically effective degree days and growing season length were calculated to produce maps of Australia for each warming scenario. Summary statistics of each index's median and range are presented for each Australian wine region under each warming scenario. The greatest change in GST (above the 1971–2000 mean) was modelled to occur for the Perth Hills region, increasing by 1.0°C by 2030, 1.9°C by 2050 and 2.7°C by 2070. The least change in GST was modelled to occur for the Kangaroo Island region, increasing by 0.5°C by 2030, 0.9°C by 2050 and 1.3°C by 2070. Conclusion: Of the 61 recognised wine regions, a median GST of over 21°C (an indicator of the limit of quality wine grape production conditions) was found for three regions for the period 1971–2000, for eight regions for the 2030 scenario, 12 regions for the 2050 scenario and 21 regions for the 2070 scenario. Significance of the Study: Without appropriate adaptations, some established viticultural regions of Australia may become less suitable for quality winegrape production, whereas regions that were once considered unsuitable for quality winegrape production may become more suitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper begins to identify the relative roles of climate change, people and fire as factors in the late-Pleistocene and Holocene evolution of one of the most diverse terrestrial ecosystems in southern Australia. Our research illustrates that pollen from mediterranean-type heathlands can be recognized from sediments taken from small basins in semi-arid ecosystems. The use of pollen and carbonized particle analyses from sediment cores, in conjunction with ecological research on plant-fire relationships, establishes a role for palaeoecological techniques in the interpretation of long-term processes in semi-arid heathlands in Australia. Radiocarbon dates indicate that the treeless structure at our study site in the Little Desert of western Victoria has existed since at least the early Holocene. Pollen evidence indicates an increase in plant diversity, especially in Proteaceae and fire ephemerals, and a decrease in fire-sensitive taxa (e.g., Callitris spp., Allocasuarina muelleriana type) over the last 4000 years. This decline occurs in conjunction with increases in the frequency of carbonized particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Two tick species Aponomma hydrosauri and Amblyomma limbatum that infest large reptiles have an abrupt parapatric boundary near Mt Mary in South Australia. A previous model has suggested that the boundary is maintained at population density troughs resulting from habitat heterogeneity along a gradual environmental gradient. This paper describes the dynamics of the boundary on three transects over 17 years, 1982–98. Over the last seven years of that period there has been a significant increase in rainfall. At the same time, the boundary position has moved 1–2 km on the transects, with the more mesic adapted Ap. hydrosauri advancing into the distribution of the more xeric adapted Amb. limbatum. Also over the same time the density of ticks on lizards in regions flanking the boundary zone has increased for Ap. hydrosauri and decreased for Amb. limbatum. These results suggest that the environmental gradient has been altered, perhaps by increased rainfall, to favour Ap. hydrosauri, which has been able to colonize more successfully across the density troughs and extend its distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Blind cave spiders of the genus Troglodiplura are large, enigmatic spiders, which show a number of adaptations to an underground existence, including elongated limbs and a complete lack of eyes. They are known only from the Nullarbor Plain, Australia and prior to this study the species were only known from juveniles or fragments of dead spiders. We investigated the distribution of Troglodiplura in South Australia, providing detailed observations of the behaviour of living adult and juvenile spiders in their natural habitat and in captivity. Given the adaptations of the spiders to an underground existence, plus the barriers to above-ground dispersal posed by the arid climate of the Nullarbor Plain, we expected species to be confined to single caves. However, our molecular evidence showed that the species T. beirutpakbarai was distributed across multiple caves in South Australia, each separated by between 10–27 km, and that there had been connection between the caves in recent history. These findings provide intriguing evidence for subterranean between-cave dispersal mechanisms for these spiders. A number of threats to cave fauna and the fragile cave ecosystem are posed, and we recommend further research to better define the distribution of vulnerable cave taxa and their conservation profiles. Previously described from only fragments of exoskeleton and juvenile specimens, the cave spider genus Troglodiplura (Araneae: Anamidae), endemic to the Nullarbor Plain, is the only troglomorphic member of the infraorder Mygalomorphae recorded from Australia. We investigated the distribution of Troglodiplura in South Australia, collecting and observing the first (intact) mature specimens, widening the number of caves it has been recorded in, and documenting threats to conservation. Phylogenetic analyses support the placement of Troglodiplura as an independent lineage within the subfamily Anaminae (the 'Troglodiplura group') and provide unequivocal evidence that populations from apparently isolated cave systems are conspecifics of T. beirutpakbarai Harvey & Rix, 2020, with extremely low or negligible inter-population mitochondrial divergences. This is intriguing evidence for recent or contemporary subterranean dispersal of these large, troglomorphic spiders. Observations of adults and juvenile spiders taken in the natural cave environment, and supported by observations in captivity, revealed the use of crevices within caves as shelters, but no evidence of silk use for burrow construction, contrasting with the typical burrowing behaviours seen in other Anamidae. We identify a range of threats posed to the species and to the fragile cave ecosystem, and provide recommendations for further research to better define the distribution of vulnerable taxa within caves and identify actions needed to protect them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Majority of the investigations on rainwater harvesting focused on sizing and potential water savings including studies proposing different methods of estimating rainwater tank outcomes. Several studies used monthly rainfall data to estimate rainwater tank outcomes. However, quantification using daily rainfall data will be much more accurate compared to using monthly rainfall data. A vast majority of works using daily rainfall data used daily water balance model for analysis. Again most of the studies using daily water balance model used historical rainfall data, calculated water savings for many years and then presented an average of all the calculated years’ total outcome(s). ‘Raintank Analyser’ is a tool, which uses the same methodology and widely used; used by the South Australian policy makers for producing relevant design charts. In contrast, eTank, a daily water balance model was developed to produce potential rainwater savings, augmented townwater supply, tank overflow, reliability and payback period for three distinct climate conditions (dry, average and wet years). This paper presents comparison of eTank calculated potential water savings with those calculated by ‘Raintank Analyser’ under similar conditions for a rainfall station in central Adelaide. In general, ‘Raintank Analyser’ produced water savings are very close to the eTank calculated water savings in average year. However, through the eTank produced potential water savings in dry and wet years, it is found that significant climatic variations exist. Magnitudes of climatic variations under different scenario are presented. Again, to assess spatial variability, three more rainfall stations from different regions of Adelaide metropolitan were selected. eTank was used to calculated potential water savings in three climatic conditions (dry, average and wet years) for various combinations of roof and tank sizes. Again it is found that depending input variable conditions (tank size, roof area and climate) significant spatial variations exist within some of the regions. Also, it is found that potential water savings not only depends on total rainfall amount of a particular area, but also on other input conditions; i.e. under similar conditions an area with lower annual rainfall may provide higher water savings due to rainfall pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multiple hypotheses which exist to explain the initiation of transgressive aeolian sand sheets and dunefields, are reviewed and discussed. Direct evidence supporting many of these hypotheses is largely lacking. In South Australia, the Younghusband Peninsula coastal barrier extends ~180 km and predominantly comprises transgressive and parabolic dunefields. The 42 Mile Crossing area on the barrier is undergoing significant erosion at variable rates of 0.5 to 5.0 m/yr, and a new transgressive aeolian sand sheet has rapidly developed in ~1 year and is extending landwards at an average rate of 13 m/yr. This research provides unequivocal evidence that large‐scale shoreline and dunefield erosion does lead to the development of a new transgressive aeolian sand sheet (and eventual dunefield) phase thereby demonstrating an initiation mechanism that is likely linked to future sea level rise and climate change. We also show that the initiation process, and, in particular, the subsequent rate of sand sheet transgression occurs at an incredibly rapid rate (+100 m in 8 years). Plain Language Summary: Coastal sand dunes border many of the world's coastlines and are highly adapted to local climate and conditions. How coastal dunes transition from predominantly vegetated and stable systems to wind‐blown sand sheets and dunefields transgressing prior terrain is a research area of pressing relevance due to forecasts of sea level rise and climate change. The factors or triggers that are considered to initiate transgressive aeolian sand sheets and dunefields are reviewed. The formation and evolution of a new transgressive aeolian sand sheet phase triggered by large‐scale shoreline erosion in South Australia is presented. According to the results from historical and satellite images, local shoreline erosion began in the late 1970s and has continued at highly variable rates. We show that once the foredune was removed, the high scarp created by wave erosion of the relict, vegetated transgressive dunefield destabilized and was then eroded by wind processes leading to the rapid development of a transgressive aeolian sand sheet. The initiation and evolution of the sand sheet provides an excellent example of how dunefields might respond to future sea level rise and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel genetic accessions of Eucalyptus polybractea from a previously untested, hotter and drier part of the species' natural range were tested in a common garden trial at a semi-arid site in NSW, Australia. Eucalyptus polybractea is a mallee eucalypt cultivated for essential oils (1,8-cineole), bioenergy and carbon sequestration on dryland sites in southern Australia (sites receiving about 450 mm mean annual rainfall, MAR). A trial of six previously untested provenances from the relatively hot, dry part of the species' natural range in South Australia (SA) (250–450 mm MAR) was established alongside seven provenances from New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria within a commercial plantation in NSW. The trial was assessed at age 3.7 years for growth and oil characteristics. While survival was excellent, most of the SA sources were slower growing and of sub-standard oil concentration and quality relative to those from Victoria and NSW. However, a single SA provenance, with the highest oil concentration and 1,8-cineole percentage of all provenances tested, may have potential as a source of selected germplasm. Infusion of SA material into the breeding populations of E. polybractea, which are currently based on NSW and Victorian selections only, may provide more resilience in the face of hotter and drier temperatures expected under projected climate change scenarios, and/or allow the introduction of the species to hotter and drier climates in Australia or other parts of the world with semi-arid climates. However, high-intensity selection of infusions will be required to maintain the growth and oil characteristics in the existing breeding population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Winegrowers in the Barossa Zone geographical indication of South Australia are interested in understanding subregional terroir. A previous analysis of biophysical variation over the entire Barossa Zone was not strongly supportive of the subregionalisation favoured by local winegrowers. Here, we use an updated, contemporary climate data set and focus just on land under vineyard as a platform for better understanding the biophysical component of the Barossa terroir. Methods and Results: Clustering (k‐means) of digital map layers describing a range of climatic and topographic indices along with soil properties of viticultural importance was used to explore regional‐scale patterns of spatial variation. Marked soil, topographic and climatic variation was noted within the Barossa Zone, and the clustering suggested a useful biophysical basis for exploring the merits of dividing the geographical indication more finely than the existing Barossa and Eden Valley regions. Conclusions: Whilst there are clear differences between the Barossa and Eden Valleys in terms of temperature, rainfall, soil fertility and the plant available water capacity of soil, the clusters identified suggest that a re‐evaluation of the presently proposed subdivision of the Barossa Valley region may be warranted. Wine chemical and sensory data would need to be integrated with the biophysical data to confirm the expression of subregional terroir effects within the Barossa Valley. Significance of the Study: This data‐driven analysis provides further evidence of the desirability of terroir analysis being free of the bias that is introduced by heuristics, or by examination of historically delineated terroirs, and of focussing solely on the land which is under vine in evaluating terroir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Just as runoff primarily governs the tidally-averaged salinity at a point within a classical estuary, this paper examines the extent to which the salinity of an inverse or negative estuary (one that experiences salinities higher than the adjacent ocean) responds to loss of freshwater. The hypothesis that ’the mean salinity of an inverse estuary varies predictably from the effects of net freshwater loss, and that the mean salinity at any time reflects the integration of these effects during a constant, measurable prior period’ is tested using observations spanning 27 years from Spencer Gulf in South Australia. It is shown that, on any day, the mean salinity of the whole (∼500 km2) of northern Spencer Gulf (NSG), deduced from broad oceanographic surveys on fourteen separate occasions between 1982 and 2009, mirrors the integration of net evaporation for a prior period of approximately six months. Linear regression (with a correlation coefficient of 0.89) indicated that a sustained change of one millimetre per day of net evaporation caused the mean salinity of NSG to change by 0.23. It is also shown that the regression relationship deduced using only 1980s data, remained entirely consistent with new data collected in 2008 and 2009, despite substantial longer-term trends during the intervening decades. Since net evaporation is essentially a continuous variable (measured approximately daily) its use as a proxy measure for mean salinity permits deductions about NSG’s long-term salinity behaviour. For example, the Gulf is inferred to reach its annual maximum salinity three months after the summertime net evaporation maximum, and the annual salinity cycle is almost exactly symmetric between rising and falling phases. This behaviour is surprisingly consistent with a simple one-dimensional model of inverse estuarine salt dynamics. Assuming that desalination, as it affects the mean salinity of the whole of NSG, is equivalent to evaporation in its removal of freshwater, estimates of the changes of NSG mean salinity based on proposed desalination rates, and based on projections of local climate change effects in 2030 and 2070, are provided. Finally, each of the principal oceanographic mechanisms that contributes to the efflux of salt from northern Spencer Gulf is examined to show that anticipated perturbations (both natural and anthropogenic) are not expected to perturb the dynamics beyond the Gulf’s ability to respond in the manner described. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper explores the perceptions of drought by residents in outback South Australia and their associated responses to the drought. Behavioural Geography methodology is used with data drawn from interviews with pastoralists, business owners, and residents of small outback towns and Aboriginal communities. Although they were not resident in the region, the perceptions of tourists were also garnered. The results show that perceptions varied between the groups of people interviewed. Outback residents contrasted their own frugal water use with reports of wasteful behaviour by foreign tourists. Local inhabitants were largely 'accepting' of the drought, having survived worse droughts in the past and over many years. They were therefore of the sentiment that they would cope with future droughts. Despite the sentiments of acceptance, the dropping groundwater levels and continued lack of rainfall were leading to growing concerns for the future. The concerns point to a boundary to community resilience to drought in outback South Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Numerous studies have been published that consider the relationship between open spaces and property values. In this study, we examine the potential impact of water restrictions on the value of different types of green space. Restrictions on the use of water on outdoor areas are a popular means for governments or utilities to limit water use in urban areas. In this paper, a hedonic pricing model is used to analyse the effects that increasingly severe water restrictions might have on the perceived value of public and private green spaces in Adelaide, South Australia. A hedonic pricing model is estimated that contains housing characteristics, neighbourhood amenities, fixed effects to control for unobserved neighbourhood characteristics and temporal control variables for inflation. The findings suggest that water restrictions are not having a significant impact of the value of outdoor spaces on private properties. There are indications that substitutions may be occurring with the proximity to playgrounds, which are watered more regularly, becoming significant with increasing severity of water restrictions. However, close proximity to large public parks with trails for walking which remain in a natural state throughout the year (brown and dry in summer) is negatively correlated with the selling price regardless of water restrictions. This suggests that households in this market may be using some public green spaces for recreation in lieu of private areas but not all public open spaces are equal. This has implications for urban and landscape planners, especially given the likelihood of ongoing water restriction under climate change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • The G2 model efficiently captured the spatial and temporal variability in erosion. • High-resolution rainfall data was essential to capture erosive events. • Severe erosion events were driven by low ground cover and extreme precipitation. • Identification of high erosion risk areas and timing to support land management. Soil erosion is a major cause of land degradation globally and requires consistent and continuous monitoring methods to ensure future agricultural productivity and soil security. Therefore, tools investigating the impact and frequency of erosive events are crucial for land managers and policymakers to apply corrective measures for better erosion management in the future. Here we used the G2 erosion model to two agricultural regions of South Australia (the Eyre Peninsula and Mid-North) to predict and monitor monthly hillslope erosion. We also explored the use of a high spatio-temporal resolution rainfall product combined with other high-resolution datasets to develop a model that realistically represents the complex combination of critical drivers of erosion. The modelling outputs were used to identify the spatial and temporal variation of hillslope erosion in South Australia to support cost-effective soil and land-management strategies. The average annual hillslope erosion was relatively low, but regional erosion estimates were about three times higher for the Eyre Peninsula (0.050 t ha−1 y-1) compared to the Mid-North region (0.148 t ha−1 y-1). The Flinders Ranges and Orroroo/Carrieton Local Government Areas (LGAs) were predicted to be the most impacted by erosion between 2001 and 2017 (0.24 and 0.22 t ha−1 y-1 respectively). On the other hand, hillslope erosion estimates were very low for most of the Eyre Peninsula and the Adelaide Plains LGA. The model presented in this paper could be applied elsewhere as the input data can be downloaded through open access platforms Australia-wide, and similar datasets are available globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) determines climatic conditions across continental Australia and is known to drive a cycle of boom and bust population dynamics in Australian native fauna in the arid interior. When applying management regimes for threatened and often cryptic wildlife the true causes of population decline can be difficult to determine. We report a decline in observations of the Flinders Ranges Thick-billed Grasswren Amytornis modestus raglessi. We correlated climate data from the Bureau of Meteorology and count data from field surveys over the last decade to analyse relationships between rainfall, extreme heat and abundance. We infer that the decline may not be readily explained by normal fluctuations in ENSO but by increasing climatic extremes resulting from an intensification of ENSO associated with climate change. Other factors, such as excessive grazing pressure by overabundant macropods might have contributed. Annual rainfall appears to be the primary driver of abundance but a striking increase in the number of days exceeding 45° C during this period is thought largely responsible for the dramatic fall in numbers of grasswrens through its lethal influence. Temperatures that were above 28° C at 1500 h had a negative effect on grasswren detection. Our results show that climatic extremes can have severe impacts on populations of native fauna and put them at risk of extinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viticulture is particularly sensitive to climate change, as temperature is critical to the two key concepts of terroir and vintage. Vitis vinifera L. 'Pinot Noir' is known to not grow well in hot climates. A trial was run over two years in a commercial vineyard in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, to determine the impact of higher temperatures on the 'Pinot Noir' grape and wine colour. A factorial experiment combining two sources of variation in temperature was established: three positions on a steep vineyard slope, and two thermal treatments: unheated control and heated with passive open-top transparent chambers. Elevated temperature decoupled sugars and anthocyanins in grape berries, with the heated treatment grapes producing a lower anthocyanin concentration for the same concentration of total soluble solids. Temperature effects were less defined for small batches of wines prepared from these grapes, with the wines from heated vines having higher total phenolics, and perhaps consequently lower CIELab b* values (i.e., less blue pigmentation/ anthocyanins). The study provides a unique insight into temperature gradients on a steeply sloping site and the effects on colour development of 'Pinot Noir' grape berries and wine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Flinders Ranges in South Australia mainly comprise folded Neoproterozoic to Cambrian sedimentary rocks of the Adelaide Geosyncline, with local inliers of its Paleo–Mesoproterozoic igneous and metamorphic basement. A widely varied range of exceptional geological features is displayed in the rocks of the ranges and forms the basis of a proposal for recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Serial Property. Abundant fossil evidence is revealed of the evolution and diversification of Earth's early life forms, and these rocks showcase the increasing complexity of life with time, from single-celled life forms and stromatolites, organo-sedimentary structures resulting from microbial life-activity, through multi-cellular organisms such as the Ediacara biota and builders of giant reefs to animals with shells and burrowing, predatory and scavenging behaviour in the early Cambrian. This took place during a time span of over 300 million years of extreme climatic oscillations and fluctuations of ocean and atmospheric composition, punctuated by two global glaciations. The geological evolution of this basin was modified by its radiogenic, unstable basement and mobile salt tectonics and diapirism, which provide a unique natural laboratory for studies of these aspects and, particularly, the possible genetic and causative relationships between them. Added to this unique history are an interval of flood basalt extrusion, sedimentary ironstone deposition accompanying glaciation, a debris layer from a bolide impact and deep canyon incision. Indeed, this unique basin evolution history is likely to have influenced the progress of its biotic evolution. Further, the thermal effects of the radiogenic basement have continued until the present day, as revealed in Paleozoic magmatism, hydrothermal features and hot springs. The Ediacaran, the first geological period defined in the southern hemisphere, and the first for over 100 years, has its defining GSSP (Global Stratotype Section and Point) in the Flinders Ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The koala's Phascolarctos cinereus distribution is currently restricted to eastern and south‐eastern Australia. However, fossil records dating from 70 ± 4 ka (ka = 103 yr) from south‐western Australia and the Nullarbor Plain are evidence of subpopulation extinctions in the southwest at least after the Last Interglacial (~128–116 ka). We hypothesize that koala sub‐population extinctions resulted from the eastward retraction of the koala's main browse species in response to unsuitable climatic conditions. We further posit a general reduction in the distribution of main koala‐browse trees in the near future in response climate change. We modelled 60 koala‐browse species and constructed a set of correlative species distribution models for five time periods: Last Interglacial (~128–116 ka), Last Glacial Maximum (~23–19 ka), Mid‐Holocene (~7–5 ka), present (interpolations of observed data, representative of 1960–1990), and 2070. We based our projections on five hindcasts and one forecast of climatic variables extracted from WorldClim based on two general circulation models (considering the most pessimistic scenario of high greenhouse‐gas emissions) and topsoil clay fraction. We used 17 dates of koala fossil specimens identified as reliable from 70 (± 4) to 535 (± 49) ka, with the last appearance of koalas at 70 ka in the southwest. The main simulated koala‐browse species were at their greatest modelled extent of suitability during the Last Glacial Maximum, with the greatest loss of koala habitat occurring between the Mid‐Holocene and the present. We predict a similar habitat loss between the present and 2070. The spatial patterns of habitat change support our hypothesis that koala extinctions in the southwest, Nullarbor Plain and central South Australia resulted from the eastward retraction of the dominant koala‐browse species in response to long‐term climate changes. Future climate patterns will likely increase the extinction risk of koalas in their remaining eastern ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Striking a balance between the management of environmental risks and values is a challenge for decision-makers. If people perceive that environmental risks are increasing they may be willing to discount local values to manage those risks, so the identification of thresholds in risk perception in relation to specific behaviors could help to avoid policy failures. The complex relationships between perceptions of climate change and bushfire risks, environmental values and support for actions to mitigate local risks are presented for peri-urban regions in South Australia. The results of a household survey (N=988) suggest that a threshold of risk perception in relation to climate change and bushfire management has not been exceeded and people are broadly supportive of balanced management interventions. A minority of people still do not perceive that climate change is increasing bushfire risk, and are supportive of risk mitigation interventions even at the expense of local biodiversity. However, a larger group believe that climate change is a driver of bushfire risk, yet are still more likely to prioritize ecological values and are unwilling to discount those values for risk mitigation. Targeted communication could assist different groups to respond to gaps in knowledge and action to facilitate effective, differentiated interventions within forested landscapes on the margins of urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Findings are presented from two major research projects investigating impacts of climate change in rural South Australia. One focuses specifically on farmers' responses to periods of pronounced heat and drought on both Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas. The second looks more broadly at how rural communities across the State respond to spells of extremely high temperatures. In both cases, the primary data source is semi-structured interviews with key informants who provided information on their personal responses to changing weather patterns. Small focus groups were an additional information source, enabling participants to share their experiences, and especially for farmers and their advisors, to discuss what sources of information they use regarding climate change and the risks it poses. Attachment to place is revealed as playing an important role in how rural inhabitants respond to heat and drought. This is especially true for farmers who are frequently members of communities of practice in which information about risks from various sources, including climate change, is shared. Farmers respond to these risks, not only based on their own knowledge of land management on their farm, but also through advice generated within a community of practice. This is distinct from information supplied by formal institutions such as State Government departments. Farmers' responses to risk are essentially short-term and directed at specific farm-based practices. Implications for the nature and source of information for farmers and rural communities are discussed with a simple model of information flows (or knowledge transfer) presented that incorporates both communities of practice and formal institutions. It is argued that greater scope should be given to valuing local knowledge, through more two-way flows of ideas and information involving farmers, their advisors, rural communities, and State and Federal government agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Occupational exposure to extreme heat without sufficient protection may not only increase the risk of heat-related illnesses and injuries but also compromise economic productivity. With predictions of more frequent and intense bouts of hot weather, workplace heat exposure is presenting a growing challenge to workers' health and safety. This study aims to investigate workers' perceptions and behavioural responses towards extreme heat exposure in a warming climate.Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in 2012 in South Australia among selected outdoor industries. Workers' heat risk perceptions were measured in the following five aspects: concerns about heat exposure, attitudes towards more training, policy and guideline support, the adjustment of work habits, and degree of satisfaction of current preventive measures. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors significantly associated with workers' heat perceptions.Results: A total of 749 respondents participated in this survey, with a response rate of 50.9 %. A little more than half (51.2 %) of respondents were moderately or very much concerned about workplace heat exposure. Factors associated with workers' heat concerns included age, undertaking very physically demanding work, and the use of personal protective equipment, heat illness history, and injury experience during hot weather. Less than half (43.4 %) of the respondents had received heat-related training. Workers aged 25-54 years and those with previous heat-related illness/injury history showed more supportive attitudes towards heat-related training. The provision of cool drinking water was the most common heat prevention measure. A little more than half (51.4 %) of respondents were satisfied with the current heat prevention measures. About two-thirds (63.8 %) of respondents agreed that there should be more heat-related regulations and guidelines for working during very hot weather. More than two-thirds (68.8 %) of the respondents were willing to adjust their current work habits to adapt to the likely increasing extreme heat, especially those with previous heat illness experience.Conclusions: The findings suggest a need to strengthen workers' heat risk awareness and refine current heat prevention strategies in a warming climate. Further heat educational programmes and training should focus on those undertaking physically demanding work outdoors, in particular young workers and those over 55 years with low education levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People's views of landscape can have significant impact on their land use choices. This in turn can have climate implications. In the literature, there is significant attention paid to the effect of climate on landscape, but as well, there are more examples than one might expect of the effects of landscape change on climate. I present evidence of this from Western Australia and Africa, and some conjectured negative and positive effects in two locations in South Australia. I argue that the land use change affecting the landscape and thus affecting the climate emanates from one's view of landscape. There are also some personal reflections of perceptions of landscape from someone who started life in a climate and landscape far removed from the South Australian environment within which he has chosen to live. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian coastal areas have been identified as highly vulnerable to climate change, with major projected impacts including sea level rise, extreme weather events, increased erosion, and a change in coastal processes and wave patterns. Such impacts would cause coastal settlements and ecosystems to face increasingly uncertain conditions. In response to increased risk, effective coastal management at local and regional scales is needed, with governing bodies providing significant leadership. This research explores the challenges of applying effective adaptation responses to projected climate change in vulnerable coastal systems on the South Coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia. In particular, the option of planned retreat as a management response to coastal risk is critically examined, with the incorporation of learning from Byron Bay, NSW. A mixed methods approach was undertaken by integrating documentary interrogation with the analysis of interview responses from key coastal managers. It was determined that despite the increase in adaptation planning and development of management strategy options to manage sea level rise on the Fleurieu Peninsula, there is a lack of implementation of adaptation responses. In addition, planning seems to focus largely on the implications of sea level rise on infrastructure, often overlooking other risks and possible ecological impacts. Inconsistencies in governance are reflected at all levels, indicating a need for comprehensive improvements to ensure the incorporation of appropriate risk responses into planning decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 200 years Australia has suffered the greatest rate of mammal species extinction of any continent. This demands extensive biodiversity research, but unfortunately has been hampered by poor documentation of Australia’s native species at the time of European colonization. Late-Holocene fossil mammal assemblages preserved in caves, rockshelters and surface lag deposits from deflated sand dunes can provide a more complete understanding of pre-European ecological conditions than can be developed from our knowledge of present biodiversity. In South Australia, few regions have experienced greater landscape modification and biodiversity loss than Yorke Peninsula. We investigate the composition, richness, evenness and age of two owl accumulations from southeastern and southwestern Yorke Peninsula and contrast them with a surface lag deposit assemblage probably accumulated by humans. We then examine the pre-European biogeography of the fauna recovered. The three assemblages have similar species richness, but differ dramatically in composition and evenness. The biases imposed by differing accumulation agents can explain compositional differences between owl and human assemblages, but not the differences between the respective owl accumulations. We argue that key substrate differences – one area is dominated by sand and the other by calcrete – have favoured distinct vegetation communities that fostered distinctly different mammal assemblages from which raptors accumulated prey. The ecological requirements of the extant mammals appear to be reflected in the fossil assemblages, providing support for the application of uniformitarian principles and confidence in the relevance of late-Holocene fossil assemblages to modern conservation and natural resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study makes a thorough global assessment of the effects of climate change on hydrological regimes and their accompanying uncertainties. Meteorological data from twelve GCMs (SRES scenarios A1B and control experiment 20C3M) are used to drive the global hydrological model PCR-GLOBWB. This reveals in which regions of the world changes in hydrology can be detected that have a high likelihood and are consistent amongst the ensemble of GCMs. New compared to existing studies is: (1) the comparison of spatial patterns of regime changes and (2) the quantification of notable consistent changes calculated relative to the GCM specific natural variability. The resulting consistency maps indicate in which regions the likelihood of hydrological change is large. Projections of different GCMs diverge widely. This underscores the need of using a multi-model ensemble. Despite discrepancies amongst models, consistent results are revealed: by 2100 the GCMs project consistent decreases in discharge for southern Europe, southern Australia, parts of Africa and southwestern South-America. Discharge decreases strongly for most African rivers, the Murray and the Danube while discharge of monsoon influenced rivers slightly increases. In the Arctic regions river discharge increases and a phase-shift towards earlier peaks is observed. Results are comparable to previous global studies, with a few exceptions. Globally we calculated an ensemble mean discharge increase of more than ten percent. This increase contradicts previously estimated decreases, which is amongst others caused by the use of smaller GCM ensembles and different reference periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective response to future risk within socio-ecosystems will require the retention of local diversity, not just in more vulnerable communities on the margins but also in regions vital to industrialised countries. A case study is presented that examines agroecosystem vulnerability to climate change within an Australian multifunctional rural landscape adjacent to the city of Adelaide. The dominant neoliberal governance approach is struggling to account for the levels of risk apparent in the region, even though there is considerable evidence that changes in policy and practice are required. Land use planning mechanisms can explicitly and implicitly support adaptation to risk within vital agroecosystems by defining spaces of complexity and experimentation. A review of French land use policy suggests that appropriate classifications can facilitate support for local diversity and broaden the capacity of farming systems to adapt to risk. Such classifications of spaces valuable for socio-ecological resilience and innovation could become vital tools to integrate into neoliberal governance systems to support anticipatory adaptation to future socio-ecological risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The River Murray and the Coorong in Australia have been in a state of decline. With the prospect of extended droughts and shifts in inflows due to climate change, difficult choices loom. The options include halting the decline, triage of some assets along the River or staying with the declining river system. To support decision-making, a survey was designed to elicit willingness to pay for improvements in environmental quality. Over 3000 Australians responded to this survey. The study focuses on key River Murray environmental quality indicators: the frequency of bird breeding along the River Murray, increasing native fish populations in the River Murray, increasing the area of healthy vegetation along the River Murray, and restoring water bird habitat in the Coorong. State/Territory models were jointly estimated using a panel multinomial logit error-components model. Willingness to pay estimates for improvements in environmental quality were calculated for the River Murray and the Coorong. Respondents were found to be willing to pay most for the Coorong and to improve waterbird breeding frequency. Respondents from the Australian Capital Territory were found to have significantly higher willingness to pay whereas those in Victoria had a significantly lower willingness to pay than respondents in other states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines spatially referenced perceived landscape values and climate change risks collected through public participation geographic information systems for potential use in climate change planning. Using survey data from the Southern Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia, we present a method for identifying perceived landscape values and climate change risks to describe and quantify their spatial associations. Two spatial data models-vector and raster-and two analytical methods-Jaccard coefficients and spatial cross-correlations were used to describe the spatial associations. Results indicate that perceptions of climate change risk are driven, in part, by the values people assign or hold for places on the landscape. Biodiversity and intrinsic landscape values have strong spatial association with biodiversity loss risk while recreation values have strong spatial association with riparian flooding, sea-level rise and wave action risks. Other landscape values show weak to no spatial association with perceived climate change risks. The methodology described in this research provides a mechanism for government agencies to develop place-based adaptation strategies based on these associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold events (CEs) are an important feature of southern Australian weather. Unseasonably cold conditions can have a significant impact on Australia’s agricultural industry and other aspects of society. In this study the bottom 0.4% of maximum temperatures in Melbourne and Perth from the 1958–2006 period are defined as CEs, representing the large-scale patterns affecting most of extratropical Australia. Compiling 6-hourly progressions of the tracks of the cyclones and anticyclones that are geostrophically associated with CEs gives for the first time a detailed synoptic climatology over the area. The anticyclone tracks display a “cloud” of high density across the Indian Ocean, which is linked, in the mean, to weak but significant negative SST anomalies in the region. The cyclone tracks display much variability, with system origins ranging from subpolar to tropical. Several CEs are found to involve tropical and extratropical interaction or extratropical transition of originally tropical cyclones (hurricanes). CE-associated systems travel farther and exhibit longer life spans than similar, non-CE systems. Upper-level analyses indicate the presence of a wave train originating more than 120° west of the CE. This pattern greatly intensifies over the affected area in conjunction with a merging of the subpolar and subtropical jets. The upper-level wave train is present up to five days before the CE. The absence of large orographic features in Australia highlights the importance of wave amplification in CE occurrence. No consistent trend in CE intensity over the period is found, but a significant negative trend in event frequency is identified for both Melbourne and Perth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fires are a disturbance that can lead to short term dune destabilisation and have been suggested to be an initiation mechanism of a transgressive dune phase when paired with changing climatic conditions. Fire severity is one potential factor that could explain subsequent coastal dune destabilisations, but contemporary evidence of destabilisation following fire is lacking. In addition, the suitability of conventional satellite Earth Observation methods to detect the impacts of fire and the relative fire severity in coastal dune environments is in question. Widely applied satellite-derived burn indices (Normalised Burn Index and Normalised Difference Vegetation Index) have been suggested to underestimate the effects of fire in heterogenous landscapes or areas with sparse vegetation cover. This work assesses burn severity from high resolution aerial and Sentinel 2 satellite imagery following the 2019/2020 Black Summer fires on Kangaroo Island in South Australia, to assess the efficacy of commonly used satellite indices, and validate a new method for assessing fire severity in coastal dune systems. The results presented here show that the widely applied burn indices derived from NBR differentially assess vegetation loss and fire severity when compared in discrete soil groups across a landscape that experienced a very high severity fire. A new application of the Tasselled Cap Transformation (TCT) and Disturbance Index (DI) is presented. The differenced Disturbance Index (dDI) improves the estimation of burn severity, relative vegetation loss, and minimises the effects of differing soil conditions in the highly heterogenous landscape of Kangaroo Island. Results suggest that this new application of TCT is better suited to diverse environments like Mediterranean and semi-arid coastal regions than existing indices and can be used to better assess the effects of fire and potential remobilisation of coastal dune systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been much debate about the timing of the Late Pleistocene extinction of the Australian megafauna. Some studies postulated a rapid, continental-wide extinction at around 46 000 years ago and that the arrival of humans in Australia, rather than climatic fluctuations, was the main cause for the demise of the megafauna. We have applied electron spin resonance (ESR) dating to a series of teeth from megafauna sites in South Australia, where young ages were expected. During this study, a number of unexpected problems were encountered. These were mainly related to the fact that ESR age assessments on fossil teeth are critically dependent on a realistic reconstruction of the post-mortem uranium uptake into the dental tissues. At virtually all sites, conventional, routine ESR dating, based on the parametric early and linear U-uptake models, would have led to grossly erroneous results. Most teeth were analysed for U-series isotopes with laser ablation ICP-MS, and the results were used to calculate combined U-series ESR age estimates. Only one of the 24 teeth analysed conformed to the commonly applied early and linear U-uptake models. At one of the sites, we found for the first time clear evidence of uranium leaching from dentine. Detailed laser ablation scans revealed that, in contrast to large mammals outside Australia, marsupial tooth enamel does not seem to contain a barrier layer close to the outer surface that blocks uranium diffusion into the enamel. As a consequence, uranium migrates into the enamel layer from both the outside and the inside via the dentine, which makes marsupial teeth generally less well suited for ESR dating. It was particularly difficult to obtain age estimates for the site of Black Creek Swamp, where the sediments contained extreme U-series disequilibrium, and the teeth had unexpectedly accumulated very high U-concentrations (up to 700 ppm in dentine) within a few thousand years. Although most of the sites contained reworked teeth, none of the samples yielded age estimates that were significantly younger than the proposed extinction window of about 40 000-51 000 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fossil pollen and charcoal record from a cyperaceous swamp on the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia, was investigated to provide a history of pre- and post-European settlement vegetation change. It was found that the swamp initiated sometime before 8220 calibrated years BP. High rates of peat development and the expansion of swamp species between 7000 BP and 4500 cal. BP indicated wet conditions at that time. The swamp became drier in the late Holocene and some peat may have been lost through deflation. Macroscopic charcoal and Typha pollen suggested that Aborigines deliberately burned the upland wetlands during the mid to late Holocene. Prior to European settlement climate changes generated community shifts in the terrestrial vegetation. The record revealed a transition from an early-Holocene Eucalyptus woodland to an Allocasuarina wet-heath in the humid mid-Holocene, a community type with no modern analogue in the region. In the drier late Holocene, a Eucalyptus -dominated woodland returned. The impacts of European settlement were clearly seen in changes in sedimentation rates and in both terrestrial and wetland flora. Allocasuarina verticillata declined early in the European period and fire-tolerant species were promoted, before the almost complete removal of native vegetation through broad-scale land clearance and its replacement with nonnative pasture species. Compositional changes to the swamp flora were marked through the European phase with Acacia expanding early in settlement and later being replaced by Leptospermum, in response to changed fire and regional hydrological regimes. The impact of European land use is discussed in relation to Holocene climate-driven vegetation changes and aspects of Aboriginal land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biogeographic history of three cirrhitoid species pairs with east-west allopatric distributions across southern Australia was examined by determining levels of mitochondrial DNA sequence divergence and applying molecular clock calibrations. Similar levels of genetic divergence were observed for Aplodactylus Valenciennes and Goniistius Gill species pairs, but these were more than twice that observed for a Nemadactylus Richardson pair. Molecular clock calibrations suggested divergences occurred during the late Miocene and mid Pliocene, respectively. Given evidence of high dispersal capabilities, the habitat and climatic barriers of the Australian south coast appear too small to have facilitated speciation of the cirrhitoids examined. A mechanism is proposed by which ancestral cirrhitoids were vicariantly isolated into east and west coast populations during periods of climate change. Although Aplodactylus and Goniistius divergences occurred during the same period, separate vicariant events across the Australian north and south coasts are invoked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the Workshop for Consultants and Farm System Groups by Agricultural Institute Australia in cooperation with the Australian Association of Agricultural Consultants in Bungaree Station in Clare, South Australia on March 27, 2014. Topics discussed include changing business environment for services offered by consultants and farm systems, the change in mindset of farmers and farming practices needed to increase Australian food production, and climate change.