ANNUAL RESEARCH ACTIVITY REPORT Science Division
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AANNNNUUAALL RREESSEEAARRCCHH AACCTTIIVVIITTYY RREEPPOORRTT JJuullyy 22000033 –– JJuunnee 22000044 SScciieennccee DDiivviissiioonn Discovering the nature of WA http://www.naturebase.net/science/science.html FOREWORD This report provides a concise summary of the research activities of Science Division of the Department of Conservation and Land Management for the fiscal year 2003 / 2004. During this period, 21 staff were transferred from the Science Division to Natural Resources Branch (CALM) (12) and the Forest Products Commission (9). Over this period staff produced more than 173 publications, were active on 159 research projects, assisted or supervised 68 mostly PhD students and developed some 77 significant partnerships with external agencies. In addition, they provided advice, gave presentations and assisted with numerous enquiries from other departmental staff, colleagues and the broader community. Progress achieved in the performance of core functions is also documented. Our research activities included all nine administrative regions of the State as recognized by the Department. CALM Region No. Projects South West 48 Warren 48 Swan 42 South Coast 35 Wheatbelt 34 Midwest 29 Pilbara 19 Goldfields 19 Kimberley 11 In terms of the 26 bioregions included in Western Australia, staff were involved actively in research projects in each one. The distribution of effort was as follows: No. Projects Bioregions 61-70 Jarrah Forest 41-50 Warren 31-40 Avon Wheatbelt, Swan Coastal Plain 21-30 Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Mallee 11-20 Pilbara, Murchison, Gascoyne, Carnarvon, Coolgardie If more information is required on any of the topics listed, I encourage you to contact the relevant project team leader or refer to the Division’s Business Plan and Operations Plan accessible at http://www.naturebase.net/science/science.html Users of this document should contact me at [email protected] if they have any suggestions for improving the presentation of subsequent reports. Dr Neil Burrows Director, Science Division 5 July 2004 2 CONTENTS VISION .............................................................................................................................................................. 7 FOCUS AND PURPOSE........................................................................................................................................ 7 ROLE .............................................................................................................................................................. 7 SERVICE DELIVERY STRUCTURE......................................................................................................................... 8 PUBLICATIONS .......................................................................................................................................... 9 Astronomical Component................................................................................................................ 17 CURRENT COLLABORATION WITH ACADEMIA (Student Projects) ...................................................................... 18 Astronomical Component................................................................................................................ 22 EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS............................................................................................................................... 23 Astronomical Component................................................................................................................ 27 STRATEGIC PLANNING STATEMENT .................................................................................................................. 28 RESEARCH ACTIVITY........................................................................................................................................ 34 WESTERN AUSTRALIAN HERBARIUM ................................................................................................................ 34 Collections Management..................................................................................................................... 34 Biosystematics of the WA Flora ......................................................................................................... 35 Native Plant taxonomy .................................................................................................................... 36 Weed taxonomy, biosecurity assessment and incursion monitoring .............................................. 37 Managing the Herbarium’s taxonomic journal, Nutysia .................................................................. 38 Biological Information Systems FloraBase........................................................................................................................................ 38 WACensus ...................................................................................................................................... 39 WAHerb........................................................................................................................................... 40 Australia’s Virtual Herbarium (AVH)................................................................................................ 41 DELIA (Delta database engine) ...................................................................................................... 41 NatureMap ...................................................................................................................................... 42 Max ................................................................................................................................................. 43 Biodiversity analyses....................................................................................................................... 43 Science Division LAN Management................................................................................................ 44 BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION GROUP ............................................................................................................. 46 Animal ethics........................................................................................................................................ 46 Biological survey and reserve system Biological survey of the Pilbara Region (terrestrial component)..................................................... 46 Floristic survey of the coastal communities of the Warren botanical subdistrict............................. 47 Floristic survey of the Goldfields ranges......................................................................................... 48 Biological survey of the Barlee Range Nature Reserve.................................................................. 48 Botanical survey of Hamersley Range uplands .............................................................................. 49 Floristic survey of the remnant heaths and woodlands of the Swan Coastal Plain ........................ 50 3 Re-survey and analysis of F. Podger’s dieback sites after 30 years .............................................. 51 Taxonomy and zoogeography of aquatic oligochaetes of Western Australia................................. 51 Salinity Action Plan - Biological survey of the agricultural zone ..................................................... 52 Botanical survey of Hamersley Range tussock grasslands............................................................ 53 Biological survey of the south-western Little Sandy Desert............................................................ 53 Demography of Australian Boab (Adansonia gregorii) stands in relation to fire and grazing......... 54 Directory of important wetlands in Australia: revised editions ........................................................ 55 Identification and monitoring of benthic invertebrate communities of tropical intertidal mudflats... 56 Floristic survey of the Darling Scarp ............................................................................................... 57 Fauna of unflooded saline lake beds .............................................................................................. 57 Biological survey of the Pilbara region (stygofaunal component)................................................... 58 The status of critical weight range mammals in the Kimberley – a reassessment ......................... 59 Disturbance ecology and management Biodiversity Audit............................................................................................................................. 59 The long-term effect of various fire regimes on floristics of Jarrah forest understorey species ..... 60 Project Desert Dreaming: Developing sustainable management systems for the conservation of biodiversity at the landscape scale in the Gibson Desert and Gascoyne bioregions.......... 60 Fire effects on desert vertebrates ................................................................................................... 61 Fire-Mulga study: post burn monitoring .......................................................................................... 62 Monitoring of Carnac and Penguin Island Silver gull populations .................................................. 63 State Salinity Strategy wetland monitoring .................................................................................... 64 Impacts of Dawesville Channel on Peel-Harvey Estuary waterbirds.............................................. 65 Management of the Vasse – Wonnerup