Salinization, a widespread threat to the structure and ecological functioning of inland coastal wetlands, is currently occurring at an unprecedented rate geographic scale. The causes salinization are diverse include alterations freshwater flows, land‐clearance, irrigation, disposal wastewater effluent, sea level rise, storm surges, applications de‐icing salts. Climate change anthropogenic modifications hydrologic cycle expected further increase extent severity wetland salinization....

This paper reviews research on fluxes of carbon in Australian floodplain rivers. Except where cover is absent, and in-stream gross primary production >1 gC m–2 day–1 ratios to respiration are >1, riparian sources dominate pools catchment streams. On floodplains, by river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) forests ~600 year–1. Total aquatic macrophytes biofilms wetlands >2500 year–1 >620 year–1, respectively. Large particulate organic (POC) exist floodplains as litter (>500...

Summary 1. In most cases, the important determinant of wetland vegetation is water regime. Although regime usually described and managed at scale whole wetlands, patterning likely to be determined by regimes that are experienced much finer spatial scales. this study, we assess significance internal heterogeneity in role plays patterning. 2. The effects on plant species richness structure were studied Dowd Morass, a 1500 ha, Ramsar‐listed south‐eastern Australia topographically heterogeneous....

Abstract Seasonality in tourism is a regular and predictable cycle of visitation across year. Although seasonality extremely common known, principle, often to be driven by temporal changes range natural institutional factors, the relative importance different individual pressures has yet quantified for any large-scale geographical areas. To assess versus factors driving seasonality, data on patterns were collated from 23 protected areas six Koppen climate zones eastern Australia. Analyses...

An Australia-wide assessment of ~1000 estuaries and embayments undertaken by the National Land Water Resources Audit 1997–2002 indicated that ~30% were modified to some degree. The most highly degraded in New South Wales, where ~40% classified as ‘extensively modified’ <10% ‘near pristine’. Since review, urban populations have continued grow rapidly, increasing pressures for industrial agricultural development coastal zone resulted ongoing degradation Australia's embayments. This has had...

Abstract Different methods for measuring the rates of processes mediated by bacteria in sediments and bacterial cell production have been compared. In addition, net seagrass Zostera capricorni compared some interrelationships with nitrogen cycle discussed. Seagrass productivity was estimated plastochrone interval using a leaf stapling technique. The average over four seasons 1.28 ± 0.28 gCm−2 day−1 (mean standard deviation, n = 4). Bacterial measured five times throughout year rate tritiated...

The incidence of resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, nalidixic acid, neomycin and streptomycin was significantly greater (P < 0·001) in native heterotrophic bacteria than Escherichia coli isolated from a range sites along the Yarra River south-eastern Australia. There no significant difference between faecal tetracycline. Both groups were almost totally resistant penicillin. Multivariate analyses indicated little clear spatial pattern upstream vs downstream River. In...

Sediment oxygen demands and water-atmosphere methane emissions of a highly productive, freshwater wetland on the floodplain River Murray in south-eastern Australia were quantified over 14 month period 1993–1994. Total sediment ranged from 1.3 to 3.3 mmol m−2 h−1, which < 3 90% was due chemical demand. Methane 0.01 h−1 winter 2.75 summer. Methanogenesis accounted for at least 60% combined aerobic methanogenic carbon flux sediments Eleocharis sphacelata beds, 30% 40% Myriophyllum sp. beds...

SUMMARY 1. We examined the temporal (seasonal and diel) spatial variation in methane flux from sediments of a billabong south‐eastern Australia, related it to variations rate organic matter decay, concentration interstitial metabolites, sediment redox. 2. Total gas ebullition ranged &lt;2 &gt;59mlm −2 h −1 , was highest summer months when water temperatures were &gt;25°C. These rates are equivalent carbon fluxes about 16–30gC—CH 4 m yr . Ebullition greater unvegetated than colonized by...

Abstract The effective management and conservation of coastal wetlands requires an appropriate typology to underpin classification mapping, adequate inventory information, a robust assessment ecological condition threats. Extensive floristically diverse occur along much the coast Victoria (south‐eastern Australia), but there are serious deficiencies in all these information requirements. Previously unanalysed data from Victorian Biodiversity Atlas were used revise currently applied saltmarsh...

Litterfall (fine and coarse) due to Hurricane Hugo subsequent fine annual litterfall inputs (1, 2 5 yr after Hugo) were determined for two sites (El Verde Bisley) in the Luquillo Experimental Forest Puerto Rico. Litter transfers into streams, riparian upslope areas within each catchment. The recovery rate of aboveground (leaf, wood <1 cm diameter, other miscellaneous inputs) predisturbance levels 1, 2, Hugo. amount total litter their individual components varied significantly by catchments...

SUMMARY. We examined the effects of an emergent macrophyte ( Eleocharis sphacelata R. Br., Cyperaceae) and a submerged Vallisneria gigantea Graeb., Hydrocharitaceae) on biogeochemistry sediments billabong in south‐eastern Australia. Sediments from E. bed had significantly lower concentrations exchangeable phosphorus than did nearby bare area or V. bed, but neither measureable effect their sediment's ammonium content. The redox potential upper 10cm was about 100 mV higher that sediments,...

The theory of alternative stable states predicts that high nutrient concentrations increase the probability shallow lakes switching from a state dominated by vascular macrophytes to one phytoplankton and/or other algae. In first paper this series it was demonstrated chronic, low-level loading did not affect switch across vegetation states. To test possibility higher loadings result in changes, replicated mesocosms (~3000 L) were placed an urban lake densely colonized Vallisneria americana...