246 research outputs found
For the sake of science: Ludwig Leichhardt as botanist and ecologist
No full textMuch of Ludwig Leichhardt's impressive scientific legacy has come to light in a fragmented form long after his death. His botanical achievements were undermined by the need to abandon his collection on the Port Essington expedition, and because his primary connections were in Paris not Britain where taxonomy of the Australian flora was being prepared. Leichhardt's diaries from 1842-1844 reveal a diligent and highly capable botanist who was tutored by the Aboriginal people as they guided his collecting tours. From these partnerships came the first comprehensive catalogue of plants from sub-tropical rainforest, complete with the plant names from a number of Aboriginal languages. Leichhardt was also concerned with ecological questions and expounded on the factors controlling the distribution of rainforest, the role of fire in the landscape and the intense climate fluctuations that shape the Australian landscape. He was a participant in the scientific ferment leading up to Darwin's explanation for the evolution of life. While his capabilities and experience qualified him to contribute to these discoveries there is no substantial evidence that he was following such questions. If he had survived to 'ruminate and digest that which I have seen and learnt' his contribution would probably have been directed towards understanding the geography of the Australian continent rather than to grand scientific theory
Dominant tree species are at risk from exaggerated drought under climate change
No full textPredicting the consequences of climate change on forest systems is difficult because trees may display species-specific responses to exaggerated droughts that may not be reflected by the climatic envelope of their geographic range. Furthermore, few studies have examined the postdrought recovery potential of drought-susceptible tree species. This study develops a robust ranking of the drought susceptibility of 21 tree species based on their mortality after two droughts (1990s and 2000s) in the savanna of north-eastern Australia. Drought-induced mortality was positively related to species dominance, negatively related to the ratio of postdrought seedlings to adults and had no relationship to the magnitude of extreme drought within the species current geographic ranges. These results suggest that predicting the consequences of exaggerated drought on species’ geographic ranges is difficult, but that dominant species like Eucalyptus with relatively slow rates of population recovery and dispersal are the most susceptible. The implications for savanna ecosystems are lower tree densities and basal area
Polyphony and the anxiety of influence in the fiction of Henry James
No full textJames's fiction, especially in the Middle Phase, centres
on the figure of the artist and is characterized by, the two
interrelated aspects which previous criticism has largely
overlooked: the Bakhtinian 'polyphonic' -creation of
'author-thinkers'; and the conflict between ephebes and
precursors, for which Harold-Bloom's concept of 'the-anxiety of
influence' is the most illuminating model. Polyphony is the
narrative mode, and influence is the intra-artistic, theme.
These, as the Introduction to the thesis makes clear, are
rehearsed in James's inaugural novel, Roderick Hudson. Rowland
Mallet is an author-thinker, and his failure is caused by
authorial limitations. His monologism -is impaired by his
mistaking empathy for the authorial sympathy. Likewise,
Hudson's failure does not arise from a mercurial temperament,
but from a polyphonic shortcoming: not possessing the power of
fiction to contain the fiction of power in, his mentor. And the
relationships among the three artists - Gloriani, Hudson and
Singleton - perfectly exemplify the Bloomian-theme. It is these
two concepts, polyphony and influence, which are the major
preoccupation in the Middle Phase; as, the works chosen
demonstrate. These are a novella, a novel, and a number of
short stories all of which have been unjustifiably neglected.
Chapter One, on The Aspern Papers, argues that Tina Bordereau,
far from being, the artless victim seen by many critics,
actually challenges and defeats the narrator by the very form
of her narrative. Her 'realist' discourse undermines his
language of 'romance', and shows up its internal unstability.
Chapter Two is an extensive study of the critical reception of
The Tragic Muse. The most common areas of critical attention
have been its contemporary topicality, its relation to previous
novels on similar themes, and the possible genealogy of Gabriel
Nash. Those have all missed the core of the work. - Chapter Three
demonstrates how polyphony and the anxiety of influence make
the novel what it really is. Influence arises from the
juxtaposition of, and the wrestling between, artistic ephebes
and their precursors (Nick and Nash,, Miriam and Madame Carre).
The dialogic quality defined by Bakhtin is crucial to the
proper, and even-handed, characterization of all, the conflicts
in the novel. And since most of James's tales in the eighties
and nineties -are about 'masters - and acolytes, the anxiety of
influence remains central. Chapter Four is a study of 'The
Author of Beltraffiol' and 'The Lesson of the Master'. Again the
characters' manipulations are a crucial focus in a way that
G6rard Genette's terminology helps to illuminate. The fact that
the ephebe is the author-thinker emphasizes the inextricability
of the Bakhtinian and the Bloomian in James. Just as
polyphony offers a different focus for explicating the poetics
of James's fiction; so the ephebal conflict provides the basis
for a fresh perception of James's own artistic struggle
Chloris circumfontinalis (Poaceae): A recently discovered species from the saline scalds surrounding artesian springs in north-eastern Australia
No full textThe artesian springs of inland Australia are a unique habitat in what is otherwise an arid environment. They support a rich collection of endemic flora and fauna. Here, morphological and molecular data are employed to describe a new species, Chloris circumfontinalis Fahey & Fensham, endemic to artesian spring systems in central Queensland. A morphological ordination failed to distinguish this species from other Australian native flora, but the shape of the florets distinguishes it from the species with which it co-occurs. Phylogenies estimated from molecular data showed that the species represents a distinct lineage that may be sister to species of Chloris from outside Australia. Chloris circumfontinalis occurs only in the saline scalds that form around the springs, and population surveys at the two sites where it occurs indicated a threat status of Endangered under the IUCN Red List criteria
This disastrous event staggered me : reconstructing the botany of Ludwig Leichhardt on the expedition from Moreton Bay to Port Essington, 1844-45
No full textLudwig Leichhardt had to abandon a large and important collection of botanical specimens during his Expedition from Moreton Bay to Port Essington. Here we attempt to assess the significance of the lost collection by identifying the botanical references in his detailed published journal from the journey. From Leichhardt’s description of the plants and their habitats, and with our accurate knowledge of current distribution, it has been possible, in most cases, to identity his botanical references to a single species. In other cases there is lower degree of certainty. Well over one hundred of the species recorded in Leichhardt’s journal would have been new to science at the time if specimens had survived. The record does identify some potential locations for species that would represent range extensions and suggests an indigenous status for a number of plant species that where previously considered exotic. Certainly Leichhardt was a talented botanist and his significant contribution to Australian natural science should be recognised
Strictures on Lt. Col. Tarleton's History "of the campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in the southern provinces of North America". Wherein military characters and corps are vindicated from injurious aspersions, and several important transactions placed in their proper point of view. In a series of letters to a friend, by Roderick Mackenzie, late lieutenant in the 71st regiment. To which is added, a detail of the siege of ninety six, and the re-capture of the island of new-providence [electronic resource].
No full textWith a half-title.In this edition there are errata half way down p. vi, and there are blank leaves after p. vi and p. 164.Variant 1 bears the imprint: printed for the author; and sold by R. Faulder; T. and J. Egerton, R. Jameson; and T. Sewell.Variant 2 has errata printed on the leaf following p. vi.Sabin,Electronic reproduction.English Short Title Catalog,Reproduction of original from British Library
Fire after a mast year triggers mass recruitment of slender mulga (Acacia aptaneura), a desert shrub with heat-stimulated germination
No full textPREMISE OF THE STUDY: Fire typically triggers extensive regeneration of plants with heat-stimulated germination by causing short periods of intense soil heating. If plants with heat-stimulated germination are also subject to seed predation and display mast-seeding cycles, postfire recruitment may be contingent on the seedfall density of prefire masts, and on whether granivores are satiated at the time of fire
Broad landscape relations of the moss flora from inland dry rainforest in north Queensland, Australia
No full textThe moss flora of dry rainforest in north Queensland was surveyed in conjunction with a vascular plant survey. Moss species richness was strongly correlated with patch area mean annual rainfall, and vascular plant species richness. Moss species richness rises where volcanic craters within the study area increase moisture status. Geological substrate had a stronger relationship with associations within the mass flora as defined by the TWINSPAN classificatory procedure and with individual moss species than either landform category or classificatory groups of vascular plants. The association of four species with large closed canopy patches may reflect a humid microclimate and suggests that all else being equal large patches will preserve more species than many small areas of rainforest. However, a high proportion of rare species were associated with the soil surface and there was no obvious way of predicting their locality
A land management history for central Queensland, Australia as determined from land-holder questionnaire and aerial photography
No full textFeatures of the land management history over a 125,755 km2 area of central Queensland, Australia were determined from a variety of sources. A random sample of 205 site locations provided the basis for determining trends in land use. Trends in vegetation clearing were determined using sequential aerial photography for the sample sites, revealing a steady rate averaging nearly 1% of the region per annum over 41 years. This measure of sustained clearing over a large region is higher than recently published clearing rates from South America. Land types have been selectively cleared with over 90% of the Acacia on clay land type having been cleared. A land-holder questionnaire pertaining to the random sites yielded a response rate of 71% and provided information on vegetation clearing, ploughing, tree killing (ring-barking or tree poisoning), and fire frequency, season and intensity. The land-holder responses were compared with independent data sources where possible and revealed no mis-information. However, land-holders may have been marginally less likely to respond if the sample area had been cleared, although this effect was not statistically significant. Ploughing and tree killing are variable depending on land type, but the former has affected about 40% of the Acacia on clay land type, effectively eliminating options for natural regrowth. The proportion of decade-site combinations that were reported as having no fires increased from 22% in the 1950s to an average of 42% for subsequent decades, although the reporting of more than one fire per decade has been relatively constant through the study period. The reporting of at least one fire per decade varies from 46% for the Acacia on sand land type to 77% for the Eucalypt on sand land type for decade-site combinations. Fires are more intense when associated with clearing than in uncleared vegetation, but the proportion of cool and hot fires is relatively constant between land types in uncleared vegetation. Nearly all fires reported were either in spring or summer and this seasonally restricted regime is probably at variance with Aboriginal fire regimes. This study describes the rapid transformation of central Queensland. This has yielded substantially increased agricultural production but may also result in a range of negative impacts and these are discussed
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