Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia
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A novel method for robust marine habitat mapping using a kernelised aquatic vegetation index
No full textEfficient and timely mapping and monitoring of marine vegetation are becoming increasingly important as coastal habits have experienced significant declines in spatial extent due to climate change. Recent advances in machine learning and cloud computing, such as Google Earth Engine, have demonstrated that online analysis platforms make global-scale habitat mapping and monitoring possible. However, the mapping and monitoring of marine ecosystems with remote sensing is challenging, and we lack reliable, generalisable and scalable indices such as NDVI to assess spatiotemporal change in marine habitats. Here, we present a novel method for mapping coastal marine habitats using a kernelised aquatic vegetation index (kNDAVI) with spatially balanced in-water ground truthing and compare it to existing indices and mapping approaches. The kernelised vegetation index provides a simple, consistent, scalable and accurate method for mapping shallow marine vegetation across ~ 400 km of coastline along mid-west Australia (31.58◦S − 29.56◦S). This region has significant coastal macroalgae cover that provides critical recruitment habitat for many invertebrates, including commercially valuable fisheries, and has experienced significant loss due to climate-induced heatwaves. We extensively validate kNDAVI and satellite-derived covariates for their utility in mapping SAV using three approaches 1] cross-validation, 2] block cross-validation and 3] site validation. Habitat models that included the kernelised vegetation index achieved excellent agreement (Accuracy \u3e 0.90 and Cohen’s kappa \u3e 0.80) for classifying submerged vegetation. We demonstrate that the kNDAVI index has considerable potential for large-scale vegetation monitoring and provides an applicable metric to map spatiotemporal dynamics and more effectively manage these changing coastal habitats
Soil amendment and tillage to reduce phosphorus loss in coastal Western Australia
No full textPhosphorus (P) runoff is a major factor contributing to water quality decline in waterways and waterbodies of coastal Western Australia (WA). Soils with naturally low P retention or those with increased P saturation from P application have higher risk of P loss via leaching or runoff. Substantial research has been carried out to minimise P loss via leaching and runoff through modifications of soil P retention capacity. We review literature of P retentive soil amendments, natural clays and tillage of soil to lift clay to the surface to increase P retention and reduce P loss from poorly retentive sandy soils and P stratified soils, and which have been tested for efficacy and safety. This review includes published research, previously unpublished trial data, research in unpublished reports and published research in limited circulation with particular emphasis on the Swan Coastal Plain due to unabated P loss and limited uptake of soil amendment in the region to combat it. Key findings are that amending leaching sands with bauxite residue from alumina refining, neutralised used acid (NUA from mineral sands processing) and clay, as well as tillage or mixing of P stratified soils have been shown to be very effective at reducing P loss. Increases in plant productivity have been found, depending on conditions such as soil pH and soil test P. For the materials tested, soil amendment did not lead to undue uptake of trace elements or concerning levels of radiation. Trials of NUA have shown Mn is close to acceptable limits or slightly exceeds them and is the subject of further research to determine application rates and field conditions required to minimise Mn or other contamination. The P retentive effect of soil tillage is restricted to soils with high P levels in the soil surface and higher P retention below the surface, reachable by soil tillage equipment
Breakout - Food Waste: What more could we do?
No full textDive deep into the critical issue of food waste and explore practical solutions to maximise value-adding opportunities within the food and beverage manufacturing sector. Speakers Sam Oakden, End Food Waste Aus Phil May, DPIRD Fran Ferreira, Foodbank WA, Chief Operating Officer Janet Howieson, Curtin University Hayley Borissow, Sodexo, Sustainability & Decarbonisation Manage
Directed conservation of the world’s reef sharks and rays
No full textMany shark populations are in decline around the world, with severe ecological and economic consequences. Fisheries management and marine protected areas (MPAs) have both been heralded as solutions. However, the effectiveness of MPAs alone is questionable, particularly for globally threatened sharks and rays (‘elasmobranchs’), with little known about how fisheries management and MPAs interact to conserve these species. Here we use a dedicated global survey of coral reef elasmobranchs to assess 66 fully protected areas embedded within a range of fisheries management regimes across 36 countries. We show that conservation benefits were primarily for reef-associated sharks, which were twice as abundant in fully protected areas compared with areas open to fishing. Conservation benefits were greatest in large protected areas that incorporate distinct reefs. However, the same benefits were not evident for rays or wide-ranging sharks that are both economically and ecologically important while also threatened with extinction. We show that conservation benefits from fully protected areas are close to doubled when embedded within areas of effective fisheries management, highlighting the importance of a mixed management approach of both effective fisheries management and well-designed fully protected areas to conserve tropical elasmobranch assemblages globally
Regional Development Commissions of WA
No full textRegional Development Commission boundaries of Western Australiahttps://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/gis_maps/1042/thumbnail.jp
Consultation summary for proposed Declared Pest Rates 2024/2025
No full textBefore determining a rate, the Minister for Agriculture and Food is required to consult with owners of the land to be rated, as described in the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (Declared Pest Account) Regulations 2014 (the Regulations).
The annual process for consultation enables the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to gauge landholder perception on the proposed Declared Pest Rate (DPR) in accordance with the Regulations
An assessment of dingo ancestry in camp dogs in Western Australia
No full textHybridisation between Australian dingoes and domestic dogs is a controversial area of interest and research. An ongoing canine sterilisation programme in rural and remote Western Australia provided an opportunity to assess the dingo ancestry of camp dogs and opportunities for hybridisation. Blood samples were collected from 345 individual community dogs at 21 locations. Dogs were screened using 23 microsatellite loci and ancestry percentage assigned using an iterative Bayesian assignment algorithm. A single individual was a dingo, 96% were domestic dogs and 3.5% were hybrids. Camp dog and dingo hybridisation in these areas is of little concern in terms of conserving dingo purity
Calculating canola seeding rate and recording sheet
No full textCanola seeding rate needs to be high enough to get a good establishment to set up the crop for its potential yield and provide insurance against slugs, mites, disease, and other seeding issues. However, there is no point spending more on seed than needed.
This is the companion page for the online Canola seeding rate calculator, which enables you to calculate the seed rate you require for your target plant density
Drinking water requirements for livestock grazing saltbush
No full textLivestock grazing - saltbush and other plants that have adapted to living in highly saline habitats (known as halophytes), require more water to excrete those salts in urine. If the water they drink is also saline, the total salt intake may limit feed intake, and the animal will be less productive, and its welfare might be compromised.
This page gives a technical explanation of how livestock requirements for water quality and quantity interact with saltbush intake. The information here is a guide only, and you should consult a veterinarian or livestock adviser for specific advic