An arid zone awash with diversity: patterns in the distribution of aquatic invertebrates in the Pilbara region of Western Australia

Pinder, Adrian; Halse, Stuart; Shiel, Russell J.; McRae, J. M.

doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.78(1).2010.205-246

Cited by 39 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 86 publications

(91 reference statements)

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“…Geographic distance between sampling localities was included because it may be independently associated with metapopulation range and dispersal processes that isolate populations, or be correlated with unexplained environmental variation. Additional variables (Appendix 1) were assembled to describe wetland environments based on a scientifi c understanding of aquatic systems in the Pilbara region (Pinder et al 2010).…”

Section: Environmental Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The sites were positioned across the geographical extent of the region in a stratified array to sample the main climatic gradients, geological formations, landforms, river catchments, soils and vegetation types. The survey fi ndings, published as a series of papers in a dedicated Supplement of the Records of the Western Australian Museum, describe the relationship between the region's physical environment and components of its biota (Gibson andMcKenzie 2009, McKenzie et al 2009;Burbidge et al 2010;Guthrie et al 2010;Heterick et al 2010;Pinder et al 2010;Volschenk et al 2010;Doughty et al 2011). Each of these taxonspecifi c papers related biodiversity survey data to environmental attributes at the site level.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Compositional patterns in terrestrial fauna and wetland flora and fauna across the Pilbara biogeographic region of Western Australia and the representativeness of its conservation reserve system

Gibson¹,

Williams²,

Pinder³

et al. 2015

Rec West Aust Mus Sup

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-A biological survey of the Pilbara biogeographic region was undertaken between 2002 and 2007 to provide a regional perspective on biodiversity patterns as a contribution to nature conservation planning. During this survey, 304 sites were sampled for small ground-dwelling mammals, birds, reptiles, spiders, ants, beetles and scorpions. A further 98 sites were sampled for wetland invertebrates, aquatic macrophytes and fringing riparian vegetation. Data for these two groups of sites were aggregated separately (i.e. terrestrial fauna and wetland biodiversity) and models of turnover in species composition within each data set were developed using generalised dissimilarity modelling (GDM). A wide range of environmental variables was assessed as predictors of compositional turnover -biotic (vegetation cover indices), climate, landform, hydrologic, regolith (soil and geology) and geographic distance. Generally, predictors associated with regolith were the most strongly supported in both the terrestrial fauna and wetland biodiversity models, followed by combined landform/ hydrologic variables, then climate/biotic variables. Geographic distance between sites was retained in the terrestrial fauna model only. The fi nal GDM models explained 46.1% and 58.5% of the deviance in the compositional turnover of terrestrial fauna and wetland biodiversity, respectively. Spatial representation of the coverage of survey sites showed that a large proportion of the core study area was well represented for both terrestrial fauna and wetland biodiversity. However, gaps in the proportional representation of both groups within the 2011 conservation reserve system were evident, particularly in the coastal region of the Pilbara (Roebourne subregion) and the Fortescue River valley (Fortescue subregion). With the addition of proposed reserves (in 2015) within these two subregions, the representation of terrestrial fauna and wetland biodiversity was substantially improved.

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Section: Environmental Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compositional patterns in terrestrial fauna and wetland flora and fauna across the Pilbara biogeographic region of Western Australia and the representativeness of its conservation reserve system

Gibson¹,

Williams²,

Pinder³

et al. 2015

Rec West Aust Mus Sup

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“…There is little permanent surface water in the Pilbara and all rivers are ephemeral (Pinder et al 2010). Nevertheless, river systems are extensive, with fi ve drainage basins recognised: the Ashburton, Robe, Fortescue, Port Hedland Coast and De Grey (Figure 1).…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…This disparity is even greater in arid regions, such as the Pilbara of Western Australia, where there is relatively little surface water but vast amounts of fresh groundwater (Johnson and Wright 2001). Consequently, groundwater comprises by volume almost all of the aquatic habitat of the Pilbara, although surface claypans, river pools and springs are highly biodiverse (Pinder et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pilbara stygofauna: deep groundwater of an arid landscape contains globally significant radiation of biodiversity

Halse¹,

Scanlon²,

Cocking³

et al. 2014

Rec West Aust Mus Sup

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-The Pilbara region was surveyed for stygofauna between 2002 and 2005 with the aims of setting nature conservation priorities in relation to stygofauna, improving the understanding of factors affecting invertebrate stygofauna distribution and sampling yields, and providing a framework for assessing stygofauna species and community signifi cance in the environmental impact assessment process.Approximately 350 species of stygofauna were collected during the survey and extrapolation suggests that 500-550 actually occur in the Pilbara, although taxonomic resolution among some groups of stygofauna is poor and species richness is likely to have been substantially underestimated. More than 50 species were found in a single bore. Even though species richness was underestimated, it is clear that the Pilbara is a globally important region for stygofauna, supporting species densities greater than anywhere other than the Dinaric karst of Europe. This is in part because of a remarkable radiation of candonid ostracods in the Pilbara. Ostracods are the dominant stygofaunal group in terms of both species richness and animal abundance. Together, ostracods, copepods, amphipods and oligochates comprised 77% of species and 96% of animals collected.Stygofauna were found in 72% of samples collected and 81% of wells sampled. The average sample (including those without stygofauna) contained 3.2 ± 0.1 species. A feature of the Pilbara is that stygofauna occur across most of the landscape, often where the depth to groundwater is considerable, although yields were low where depth to groundwater was >30 m. Another feature is high endemicity: on the basis of current taxonomy 98% of the stygobites and 83% of the other groundwater species occur only within the region. Few factors affecting stygofauna occurrence could be identifi ed, however. Numbers of specimens and species collected were positively related to well diameter and negatively related to depth to groundwater. Numbers of species declined in inland sub-regions, although variability within sub-regions was high.While a range of freshwater chemistries occurred, 79% of water samples were weakly saline and NaCl dominated. Profi ling and purging of wells suggested that water quality measurements refl ected aquifer conditions in most situations. Water chemistry appeared to have limited infl uence on stygofauna occurrence in the Pilbara. Geology also appeared to have little effect on stygofauna occurrence but this may have been the result of non-random siting of wells; there was a bias towards wells being in transmissive locations that were not necessarily typical of the geology in which each well occurred.No potential reserves for stygofauna are recommended in this paper but nine areas of high stygofauna richness were identifi ed, including the listed Ethel Gorge stygofauna community. Theoretical analysis of species ranges suggested that half of the species found only in the vicinity of development projects will have ranges less than 680 km 2 . Consequently, projects involving ext...

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“…Such unpredictable filling, combined with difficult access to many of these wetlands after rain, constrains surveying for aquatic invertebrate fauna in the arid zone. Consequently, the aquatic fauna has been documented from only a small number of arid zone claypans during biological surveys of the southern Carnarvon Basin, Wheatbelt, Pilbara, and Goldfields regions of WA (Halse et al 2000;Pinder et al 2004;Pinder et al 2010;Quinlan et al 2016) and of the Paroo region in New South Wales and southwestern Queensland (e.g. Hancock and Timms 2002;Timms and Boulton 2001) in eastern Australia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new species of Boeckella (Copepoda: Calanoida) from arid Western Australia, an updated key, and aspects of claypan ecology

Quinlan¹,

Bayly²

2017

Rec West Aust Mus

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-Boeckella pilkililli sp. nov. is described from a single, turbid, freshwater claypan located in the arid zone of Western Australia. The type locality is currently the only known location for the species. It was collected during an opportunistic survey of wetlands in the State's arid zone following a significant summer rainfall event in 2014. The most important diagnostic feature is located on the distal segment (B2) of the 2-segmented basipodite of the male fifth right leg where the distal inner edge is grossly transformed into a large, blunt, tongue-like outgrowth. As with other Boeckella inhabiting temporary wetlands, B. pilkililli sp. nov. is a relatively large species. A minireview of claypan ecology and a discussion of ecological aspects of body size and shape in Boeckella are included. An updated key to species of Boeckella occurring in the Australasian region is also presented. This incorporates three additional species.

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An arid zone awash with diversity: patterns in the distribution of aquatic invertebrates in the Pilbara region of Western Australia

Cited by 39 publications

References 86 publications

Compositional patterns in terrestrial fauna and wetland flora and fauna across the Pilbara biogeographic region of Western Australia and the representativeness of its conservation reserve system

Compositional patterns in terrestrial fauna and wetland flora and fauna across the Pilbara biogeographic region of Western Australia and the representativeness of its conservation reserve system

Pilbara stygofauna: deep groundwater of an arid landscape contains globally significant radiation of biodiversity

A new species of Boeckella (Copepoda: Calanoida) from arid Western Australia, an updated key, and aspects of claypan ecology

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