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Context: This paper introduces the special issue of Pacific Conservation Biology devoted to the natural history of Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve on the south coast of Western Australia. Methods: This paper provides the background to the special issue. Key results: Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve was gazetted in 1967 for the conservation of the native biota, including two species; the Djimaalap/noisy scrub-bird (Atrichornis clamosus) and Ngilgaitch/Gilbert's potoroo (Potorous gilbertii), both believed extinct for over 100 years before being rediscovered on the Reserve. The Reserve is 4774.7 ha in area, with wetlands, heathlands, granite outcrops, sand dunes, beaches, cliffs, and islands. Since it was established, mean annual rainfall has decreased by 16.8%, mean annual maximum temperature has increased by 0.2°C, and mean annual minimum temperature has increased by 0.7°C. Conclusions: The paper poses the question: what do the changes of drier winters, hotter summers, and more extreme weather events mean for managers of conservation areas such as Two Peoples Bay? Implications: Changing climate will pose problems for the managers of Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve in ensuring the conservation of the Djimaalap/noisy scrub-bird and Ngilgaitch/Gilbert's potoroo. Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve comprises ~5000 ha of wetlands, heathlands, granite outcrops, sand dunes, beaches, cliffs, and islands. Two species, the Djimaalap/noisy scrub-bird and Ngilgaitch/Gilbert's potoroo, were believed extinct for over 100 years before being rediscovered on the Reserve. Since the Reserve was established in 1967, rainfall has decreased, while minimum and maximum temperatures have increased. We ask what the climate change means for managers of conservation areas such as Two Peoples Bay. This article belongs to the Collection The Natural History of Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, Western Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The co-occurrence of salinisation and alkalisation is quite frequent in problematic soils and poses an immediate threat to food, feed and nutritional security. In the present study, root system architectural traits (RSAs) and ion profiling were evaluated in 21 genotypes of Avena species to understand the effect of salinity-alkalinity stress. The oat genotypes were grown on germination paper and 5-day-old seedlings were transferred to a hydroponic system for up to 30 days. These seedlingswere subjected to seven treatments: T0, treatment control (Hoagland solution); T1, moderate salinity (50 mM); T2, high salinity (100 mM); T3, moderate alkalinity (15 mM); T4, high alkalinity (30 mM); T5, combined moderate salinity-alkalinity (50 mM + 15 mM); and T6, combined high salinity-alkalinity (100 mM and 30 mM) by using NaCl + Na2SO4 (saline) and NaHCO3 + Na2CO3 (alkaline) salts equivalently. The root traits, such as total root area (TRA), total root length (TRL), total root diameter (TRD), total root volume (TRV), root tips (RT), root segments (RS), root fork (RF) and root biomass (RB) were found to be statistically significant (P < 0.01) among the different genotypes, treatments and their interactions. Na+ and K+ content analysis in root and shoot tissues revealed the ion homeostasis capacity of different Avena accessions under stress treatments. Principal component analysis (PCA) covered almost 83.0% of genetic variation and revealed that the sharing of TRA, RT, RS and RF traits was significantly high. Biplot analysis showed a highly significant correlation matrix (P < 0.01) between the pairs of RT and RS, TRL and RS, and RT and RF. Based on PCA ranking and relative value for stress tolerance, IG-20-1183, IG-20-894, IG-20-718 and IG-20-425 expressed tolerance to salinity (T2), IG-20-425 (alkalinity; T4) and IG-20-1183, IG-20-894 and IG-20-1004 were tolerant to salt-alkali treatment (T6). Multi-trait stability index (MTSI) analysis identified three stable oat genotypes (IG-20-714, IG-20-894 and IG-20-425) under multiple environments and these lines can be used in salinity-alkalinity affected areas after yield trials or as donor lines for combined stresses in future breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This perspective paper provides industry leaders, researchers and policy developers strategic approaches to ensure that the welfare of dairy cattle is protected at the same time as the industry increases its resilience to climate change. Farm systems and practices will evolve in response to the direct impacts of climate change and/or from responses to climate change, such as mitigation strategies to reduce dairy's greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. The five domains framework (nutrition, physical environment, health, behaviour, mental state) was used to assess the potential impacts on animal welfare and strategies to minimise these impacts are outlined. Given that the future climate cannot be certain these approaches can be applied under a range of emissions pathways to (1) ensure that the effects of GHG mitigations on animal welfare are considered during their development, (2) engage with end users and the public to ensure solutions to the effects of climate change and weather variability are accepted by consumers and communities, (3) identify and measure the areas where improved animal health can contribute to reducing GHG emissions from dairy production, (4) ensure those supporting farmers to develop and manage their farm systems understand what constitutes a good quality of life for dairy cattle, (5) ensure effective surveillance of animal disease and monitoring of welfare outcomes and farm-system performance in response to climate change and GHG mitigations. Overall, these strategies require a multidisciplinary co-development approach to ensure that the welfare of dairy cattle is protected at the same time as the industry increases its resilience to the wider impacts of a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Our objective was to establish a relationship between long-term variation in the climatic environment, tree canopy decline and observed effects on the population dynamics of avifauna in the Dryandra Woodlands in southwestern Australia. These geographically isolated remnant woodlands are rich in endemic species and sustain a diverse range of ecological communities, but are threatened by habitat degradation and a decline in rainfall. Methods: We used annual rainfall data, averaged from a series of weather stations within 100 km of the Dryandra Woodlands and a time series analysis to investigate long-term changes in annual rainfall. Satellite spectral observations of eight study sites at Dryandra was used to measure changes in Projected Foliage Cover (PFC) of old growth Eucalyptus wandoo at all sites. Our mist-net trapping study across three years and all eight sites, targeted two focal species; the rufous treecreeper (Climacteris rufa) and yellow-plumed honeyeater (Ptilotula ornata). We investigated the relationship between the captures of each species and variation in PFC, between sites and across years. Also in a separate demographic study, capture-mark-recapture data was used to estimate the apparent survival rate of each species, following the robust design for open and closed populations. Key results: We demonstrate a long-term and continuing decline in average annual rainfall that is accelerating. We found the rainfall trend is concomitant with a long-term decline in PFC of E. wandoo and that the previous year's annual rainfall is a predictor of average PFC across all sites. Additionally, we discovered that the PFC at each site, in each year, is a predictor of the number of yellow-plumed honeyeaters which prefer feeding on canopy insects and not a predictor of the predominantly ground-foraging rufous treecreeper. We also found a substantial difference in the apparent survival rates between the two species, with the apparent survival of yellow-plumed honeyeaters being approximately half that of rufous treecreepers. This difference was partially attributed to the likely movement outside of the study area due to decreasing habitat quality. Conclusions and implications: Overall, our results do suggest that some impacts of long-term rainfall trends can be traced to particular species through PFC variation, but the response between species to habitat change will differ and depend on species-specific habitat requirements. As increasing greenhouse emissions are associated with declining rainfall in southwestern Australia, this study shows if rainfall decline and habitat degradation continue, it will have catastrophic consequences for woodland ecosystems. In this paper, we explorehow declining rainfall in southwestern Australia is impacting old growtheucalypts and resident avifauna of the Dryandra woodlands. Using long term dataon rainfall and satellite imagery of Eucalyptuswandoo canopy cover, results show a continuing declining trend inaverage rainfall that is accelerating. Also, we found that rainfall is a predictor oftree foliage cover, which is also declining over time. Our analysis of bird mist-net trapping data and tree canopy data indicate that foliagecover is a predictor of the number of yellow-plumed honeyeaters captured, butnot a predictor of rufous treecreepers. The apparent survival rate of the yellow-plumedhoneyeater was half that of the rufous treecreeper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carnaby's cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus latirostris , is endemic to south-western Australia. It has undergone a major decline in range and abundance as a result of extensive removal of breeding and foraging habitat. It is now classified as endangered by the State of Western Australia, the Australian government, and internationally. In order to plan effective conservation management for the species it is important to assess the success of breeding populations throughout its range. In this paper we examine the efficacy of using the relationship between growth in the length of a nestling's folded left wing and body mass to assess nestling condition, and examine known breeding failure in relation to nestling condition in two breeding populations: one at Coomallo Creek (studied from 1970–2017), and the other at Manmanning (1969–76). Results demonstrated that the lighter the nestlings, the higher the rate of breeding failure. Data from the Coomallo Creek population were used to prepare a table of nestling folded left wing length and body mass as a benchmark for assessing nestling condition in 10 other breeding populations, based on data collected from 1970 to the present. Following extensive clearing that removed foraging and breeding habitat, two of the 10 populations produced nestlings that were significantly lighter than the benchmark, and both populations subsequently declined to extinction. The commencement of egg-laying each season at Coomallo Creek was strongly influenced by total rainfall in the first half of autumn. The length of the egg-laying period between 1970–76 and 2009–17 increased by 5.2 weeks (40%). This increase was related to changes in rainfall and temperature over more than four decades. Despite the lengthening of the egg-laying period, nestling condition was unaffected, suggesting that, at least in the short term, the Carnaby's cockatoo population at Coomallo Creek is coping with the effects of climate change. This paper examines the efficacy of using the relationship between growth in the length of nestling folded left wing and body mass of Carnaby's cockatoo Calyptorhynchus latirostris to assess nestling condition, and assesses nestling condition in 11 breeding populations throughout the species' range. The lighter the nestling, the higher the rate of breeding failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change adaptation can be defined as a form of risk management (i.e. assessing climate change-related risks and responding appropriately so that the risks can be pre-emptively minimised and managed as they arise). Adapting to climate change by hospital and community health services will entail responding to changing health needs of the local population, and to the likely effects of climate change on health service resources, workforce and infrastructure. In this paper we apply a model that health services can use to predict and respond to climate change risks and illustrate this with reference to Sydney's Local Health Districts (LHDs). We outline the climate change predictions for the Sydney metropolitan area, discuss the resulting vulnerabilities for LHDs and consider the potential of LHDs to respond. Three 'core business' categories are examined: (1) ambulance, emergency and acute health care; (2) routine health care; and (3) population and preventative health services. We consider the key climate change risks and vulnerabilities of the LHDs' workforce, facilities and finances, and some important transboundary issues. Many Australian health services have existing robust disaster plans and management networks. These could be expanded to incorporate local climate and health adaptation plans. What is known about the topic?: There is an inextricable relationship between climate change and human health, with important implications for the delivery of health services. Climate change will affect health service demand, and the resources, workforce and infrastructure of health services. What does this paper add?: This paper outlines how local health services can use existing data sources and models for assessing their climate change-related risks and vulnerabilities to predict, prepare for and respond to those risks. This is illustrated with reference to Sydney's LHDs. What are the implications for practitioners?: Adaptation to climate change by health services is an important component of risk management. Local health services need to prepare for the effects of climate change by assessing the risks and developing and implementing climate and health adaptation plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perennial pastures are the dominant feedbase in many regions of the world, and offer several advantages when compared with an annual pasture system. In Western Australia (WA) there has been a concerted effort over seven decades to develop new perennial pasture options and expand the adoption of suitable species. The agricultural region of WA (i.e. south-western Australia) is characterised by a Mediterranean climate where the 5–7 month summer drought has proved a considerable challenge with only a small number of the many promising species being adopted commercially. Research, development, and extension have covered a wide range of herbaceous perennial legumes, leguminous and native shrubs, herbs, and temperate and warm season grasses. This paper reviews the literature to determine whether a perennial pasture must satisfy the following criteria to be successful and widely adopted in south-western Australia: (i) sourced from a similar Mediterranean environment and adapted to the target soils; (ii) have a relative advantage over the annual-based system it replaces; (iii) a robust management package; and (iv) a viable seed supply. The findings of this review highlight that perennial pastures must indeed satisfy multiple criteria to be commercially successful. Notably, the requirement for the source of the germplasm to have a good match between climate and soils is less clear because some of the commercially successful species come from diverse environments. We conclude with some key learnings for future perennial pasture development as climate change intensifies the research challenge and the drive for producers to adapt. In Western Australia, there has been a concerted effort to develop new perennial pasture options. Research, development, and extension have covered a range of herbaceous perennial legumes, leguminous and native shrubs, herbs and temperate and warm season grasses. Overall, this search has proved to be a considerable challenge in a Mediterranean environment with many promising species having little or no commercial impact, and only a small number of species have had widespread commercial adoption. This review explores the key requirements for perennial species to become more than a niche pasture in a Mediterranean climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is currently experiencing dramatic increases in flood events impacting on natural vegetation and crops. Flooding often results in low O2 status in root tissues during waterlogging, but sometimes also in shoot tissues when plants become completely submerged. Plants possess a suite of traits enabling tissue aeration and/or adjusted metabolism during hypoxia or even in the absence of O2. This special issue of Functional Plant Biology presents key papers for plant scientists on the quest to further address and improve flood tolerance of terrestrial plants. The papers address low O2 responses in roots, shoots or whole plants in controlled laboratory conditions or in the field situation using natural wetland plants as models as well as economically important crops, such as rice, wheat and barley. The studies advance our understanding of low O2 responses in plant tissues as caused by O2 shortage during flooding. However, in most instances, submergence not only leads to hypoxic or anoxic tissues, but inundation in water also results in accumulation of CO2 and the important plant hormone ethylene. Thus, carefully designed laboratory studies are often needed to unravel the mechanistic relationships between a combined decline in O2 followed by increases in CO2 and ethylene at tissue as well as on the cellular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many montane avian communities are likely to be impacted negatively by future climate change. The ability to monitor these ecosystems effectively is therefore a priority. As species are expected to track their preferred climates by moving upwards in elevation, using indicator species of elevations has been suggested as a climate change monitoring strategy and has been explored for a variety of taxa in eastern Australia. Birds have great potential as vertebrate indicators due to their familiarity, detectability, and well known life histories. We used automated recording units (ARUs) and point counts to sample the avifauna along two elevational gradients in subtropical rainforest in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. We used the indicator value protocol to identify avian indicators of elevation suitable for long-term monitoring. Pairs of species were more reliable than single species as indicators, and searching for indicators of elevational ranges (e.g. 300–500 m) proved more effective than looking for indicators of single elevations (e.g. 300 m). Point counts and ARUs were equally effective at determining indicators of elevations and ARUs performed particularly well in spring. We present avian indicator sets of lowland and highland sites, which provide a baseline for future monitoring of the effects of climate change on the region's avifauna. The methodology employed here is broadly suitable for similar studies elsewhere. We propose that the use of ARUs to identify indicator species of elevations is an effective strategy for monitoring the effects of climate change on montane avian communities worldwide. The birds of Australia's eastern rainforests are largely confined to mountain ranges, making them vulnerable to climate-change-driven changes in these ecosystems. We identify avian indicators of elevation that are suitable for the long-term monitoring of climate change effects. The approach described in this paper may lead to more efficient climate change monitoring, and help inform conservation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After over 50 000 years of interaction between Aboriginal people and changing climates, south-western Australia's tall forests were first logged less than 200 years ago, initiating persistent conflict. Recent conservation advocacy has resulted in the protection of 49% of these tall forests in statutory reserves, providing an opportunity to implement and benefit from a growing moral consensus on the valuing of these globally significant, tall forest ecosystems. We analysed a cross-section of literature (63 papers, 118 statements) published on these forests over 187 years to identify values framing advocacy. We differentiated four resource-oriented discourses and three discourses giving primacy to social and environmental values over seven eras. Invasion sparked initial uncontrolled exploitation, with the Forests Act 1918 managing competing agricultural and timber advocacy. Following the Colonial and Country Life eras, industrial-scale exploitation of the karri forest region resulted in reaction by increasingly broad sectors of society. Warming and drying in the 21st Century emphasises the importance of intact tall forest and the Indigenous Renaissance discourse. Vesting for a more comprehensive set of values would acknowledge a new moral consensus. By analysing a cross section of 118 statements published over 187 years, we differentiate seven discourses to describe the history of forest management in the tall forests of south-western Australia. Management for a more comprehensive set of values would acknowledge a new moral consensus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present paper was to review the opportunities currently available to health service planners to advance sustainable development in their future-facing roles within health service organisation. Critical challenges and enablers to facilitate health services planners in adopting a pro-environmental lens are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Twenty years ago the Pacific's health ministers developed a 'Healthy Islands' vision to lead health development in the subregion. This paper reports on a review of health development over this period and discusses the implications for the attainment of the health related Sustainable Development Goals. Methods The review used qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative review included conducting semi-structured interviews with Pacific Island Government Ministers and officials, regional agencies, health workers and community members. A document review was also conducted. The quantitative review consisted of examining secondary data from regional and global data collections. Results The review found improvement in health indicators, but increasing health inequality between the Pacific and the rest of the world. Many of the larger island populations were unable to reach the health Millennium Development Goals. The 'Healthy Islands' vision remained an inspiration to health ministers and senior officials in the region. However, implementation of the 'Healthy Islands' approach was patchy, under-resourced and un-sustained. Communicable and Maternal and Child Health challenges persist alongside unprecedented levels of non-communicable diseases, inadequate levels of health finance and few skilled health workers as the major impediments to health development for many of the Pacific's countries. Conclusions The current trajectory for health in the Pacific will lead to increasing health inequity with the rest of the world. The challenges to health in the region include persisting communicable disease and maternal and child health threats, unprecedented levels of NCDs, climate change and instability, as well as low economic growth. In order to change the fortunes of this region in the age of the SDGs, a substantial investment in health is required, including in the health workforce, by countries and donors alike. That investment requires a nuanced response that takes into account the contextual differences between and within Pacific islands, adherence to aid effectiveness principles and interventions designed to strengthen local health systems [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Warming trends involve two agronomically relevant aspects: a gradual increase in long-term mean temperature with the primary effect of shifting phenological patterns, and an increasing incidence of heat waves. Depending on timing, intensity and duration, heat can reduce crop growth and disrupt reproduction. Agronomic and breeding adaptations to elevated temperature have been listed but there is an overall lack of frameworks for systematic analysis. This paper provides agronomic and physiological background for the quantitative assessment of spatial patterns of the thermal regimes for wheat, barley, canola, field pea and chickpea. First, we revise the notion that Australian agriculture is 'European' and ill-adapted to the local environments. By showing that Australian agriculture in the southern and western regions is rather Levantine, we advance a more accurate and relevant framework to the thermal regimes of winter crops. Second, we outline the direct and indirect effects of temperature on crop traits and highlight the limitations of different approaches to investigate crop responses to temperature. This is important to make explicit the assumptions of studies dealing with crop responses to temperature; for example, indirect effects of temperature on crops mediated by effects on weeds, pathogens or herbivores could be important. Third, we compare the cardinal temperatures (including base, optimal, and critical thresholds) of our target crops. Cardinal temperatures respond to both natural and agronomic selection and are relevant for crop adaptation. Fourth, we develop a conceptual framework to assess thermal effects on crop yield and adaptive practices and traits, based on the notions of yield being a primary function of seed number, the species-specific critical window for the determination of seed number, and two complementary perspectives involving the photothermal quotient and crop growth rate in the critical window. The framework accounts for both aspects of warming: non-stressful elevated temperature and heat stress. Testable propositions are advanced that inform future research on crop adaptation to elevated temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trapdoor spider family Migidae has a classical Gondwanan distribution and is found on all southern continents except the Indian region. The Australian fauna consists of three genera including Moggridgea O. P. Cambridge from south-western Australia and Kangaroo Island, South Australia; Moggridgea is otherwise widespread throughout Africa. The sole named species of Moggridgea from Western Australia, M. tingle Main, and its unnamed relatives are the subject of the present paper, which was stimulated by concern for the long-term persistence of populations, and the discovery of deep genetic divergences between populations. A phylogeny of the Western Australian species relative to African and South Australian Moggridgea was generated using molecular COI and ITS rDNA data, and based on both molecular and morphological criteria we conclude that the Western Australian taxa should be removed from Moggridgea and transferred to a new genus, Bertmainius. The seven species are delimited using both morphological and molecular criteria: B. tingle (Main) (the type species), and six new species, B. colonus, B. monachus, B. mysticus, B. opimus, B. pandus and B. tumidus. All seven species are considered to be threatened using IUCN criteria, with the major threatening processes being inappropriate fire regimes and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of drought, and seedling response to a recurrent pattern of drought stress is necessary to understand vegetation establishment patterns in particularly for ecological restoration and conservation projects. A controlled environment study investigated seedling physiological response of framework Mediterranean tree species to simulated successive droughts. Six-month-old seedlings were grown in 1.0 m tall pots to emulate deep soil profiles and subjected to a well watered treatment and a drought treatment consisting of an initial 60 day drought (water withholding), followed by 120 days of re-watering and a subsequent 60 day drought. Soil water access, soil water content, maximum root depth and xylem water potential were assessed through successive harvests. To assess seedling response to multiple droughts, gas-exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements were taken every 15 days after each drought, and multiple times throughout re-watering. No seedling mortality was observed during the initial drought, whereas 100% mortality of all species occurred within 48 days of the second drought. Seedling gas exchange and water potential decreased with decreasing water availability but was dependent on the isohydric or anisohydric behaviour of individual species. An absence of sustained photoprotection during the second drought phase heightened photodamage to foliar tissues resulting in a more rapid decrease of g[sub s] and leaf water potential. Therefore, biphasic drought proved detrimental to seedling establishment by reducing physiological resilience, highlighting the severity of future climate change predictions towards the regeneration capacity of Mediterranean ecosystems. Increasing drought events may further exacerbate the currently high seedling mortality patterns observed in restoration programs. This paper demonstrates a catastrophic decrease in physiological resilience of three Mediterranean tree species during the seedling establishment phase to successive droughts. An understanding of plant functional requirements through critical development stages will enable restoration practitioners to overcome high failure rates and improve biodiversity outcomes generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Mediterranean ecosystems prescribed burning is commonly employed to reduce the risk or intensity of wildfires. As a consequence, a major challenge for conservation land managers is the development of fire regimes that reduce damaging wildfires and are optimal for biodiversity. The aim of this paper was to develop guidelines for ecological fire regimes using the Banksia woodland on the Gnangara Groundwater System in Western Australia as a case study. Development of the guidelines involved the determination of maximum and minimum fire intervals of key fire response species, analyses of fire history records and estimation of ideal age class distributions at the landscape level. Recommendations included a) adoption of a minimum fire interval of 8-16 years, b) implementation of a burning regime to redress the current skewed distribution (60%: 1-7 years since last fire), c) retention of long-unburnt habitats that are significant for species such as the critically endangered Calyptorhynchus latirostris (Carnaby's black-cockatoo), and Tarsipes rostratus (honey possum), and d) protection for wetlands that can serve as fire 'refugia' for associated species, such as Isoodon obesulus fusciventer (southern brown bandicoot or quenda). The guidelines developed provide a model for the development of ecological burning regimes in other similar ecosystems. The implementation of ecological guidelines normally involves incorporation into fire management planning by fire agencies and often entails complex solutions to conflicting aims. The guidelines are thus valuable for ecologists and land managers, especially in light of an expected significant increase in global fire activity as a consequence of predicted climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has been described as the issue of our times. The World Health Organization argues that it will result in both beneficial and harmful effects for human populations and that the harms are likely to outweigh the benefits. Climate scientists can sketch an outline of the probable changes by country, and even region within a country. The effect of climate change on communities is much harder to predict. However, it can be argued with some confidence that the effects will be unequally distributed across communities and that the ways in which communities respond will make a substantial difference to their wellbeing. This paper uses the predictions for climate change in Victoria, Australia, as the background to a discussion of primary health care principles and how they might translate into coping, adaptation and mitigation activities within the primary health care sector. The major primary health care agencies are linked to one another through Primary Care Partnership structures and processes, which provide a foundation for sector-wide responses to climate change. The concept of a storyline, a brief scenario capturing the logic of changes and potential responses, is used to link evidence of climate change effects on communities and individuals to potential responses by primary health care agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The papers in this special issue were mainly derived from sessions at the International Botanical Congress in July 2011 in Melbourne, and at the ComBio meeting in Cairns, September 2011. They make contributions towards one of the most burning issues we face today: increasing sustainable crop production to provide sufficient high quality food to feed an ever increasing global human population, all in the face of climate change. Plant and crop science will have a major part in ensuring that agricultural production can meet these multiple demands. Contributions in this volume go beyond raising issues and highlighting potential effects of climate change factors, but also point out ways to better adapt to the inevitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in climate and urbanisation rapidly affecting human livelihood are particularly threatening to developing nations in tropical regions. Food production crises have focused the global development agenda on agricultural research, a proven approach for increasing crop yield. A few crops benefit from private investment, but improvement of most crops will rely on limited public funding that must be deployed strategically, pushing forward both proven approaches and new ideas. Why not invest in beans? More than 300 million people rely on this crop, considered to be the most important grain legume for human consumption. Yet the yield of beans, especially in poor regions or marginal soils, is reduced by abiotic stresses such as phosphorus deficiency, aluminum toxicity and especially drought. Is it possible to assemble resources, including genetic diversity in beans, breeding expertise, genomic information and tools, and physiological insight to generate rapid progress in developing new lines of beans more tolerant to abiotic stress? A workshop to address this question was held in November 2010 at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Colombia. The resulting 'call to action' is presented in this issue which also includes research papers focused on tolerance of beans to stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies in global warming and climate change indicate that human populations will be deleteriously affected in the future. Studies forecast that Australia will experience increasing heat waves and droughts. Heat stress caused by frequent heat waves will have a marked effect on older Australians due to physiological and pharmacological factors. In this paper we present an overview of some of the foreseeable issues which older Australians will face from a public health perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]