Introduction to the Pilbara Biodiversity Survey, 2002–2007

McKenzie, N.L.; Leeuwen, Stephen van; Pinder, Adrian

doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.78(1).2009.003-089

Cited by 100 publications

(135 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…The area is subject to occasional tropical cyclones, usually between January and April. More detailed overviews of the study area are provided elsewhere (Burbidge et al 2006;McKenzie et al 2009). …”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As part of a wider survey to determine broadscale biogeographic patterns in the Pilbara region (McKenzie et al 2009), the study area of ca. 179,000 km 2 ( Figure 1) was divided into 24 survey areas.…”

Section: Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most quadrats were pseudo-replicated in the other survey areas to allow for the internal heterogeneity of the stratifi cation units and to minimise any analytical circularity introduced by stratifi cation (Taylor and Friend 1984;McKenzie et al 1989). Further details concerning quadrat selection, and quadrat locations, are provided in McKenzie et al (2009).…”

Section: Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The parameters used were those available from a broader biogeographic survey (McKenzie et al 2009), but some were thought to be of relevance to scorpions (e.g. Polis 1990).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial distribution patterns of scorpions (Scorpiones) in the arid Pilbara region of Western Australia

Volschenk¹,

Burbidge²,

Durrant³

et al. 2010

Rec West Aust Mus Sup

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-We sampled scorpions in a systematic survey of 294 sites representing the major landform types across the arid Pilbara region of north-western Australia, an area of ca. 179,000 km 2 . We trapped two species of Isometroides, 10 of Lychas and 10 of Urodacus. All species were undescribed except one (U. megamastigus). Patterns of occurrence were similar to those found previously in arid Western Australia, in that temperature and soil characteristics seem to infl uence scorpion distributions; however, there were only weak correlations between species richness and sandiness of the soil, water availability, and annual temperature. In a classifi cation of the sample sites based on occurrence of scorpion species, the major division in the dendrogram was associated with topographic and soil variables, while annual temperature, soil depth, ruggedness, total K and the presence of Acacia species were the fi ve variables (of the 25 available) providing the best fi t with the site matrix. Much more information about the biology and ecology of individual species will be needed in order to interpret these patterns confi dently.

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The parameters used were those available from a broader biogeographic survey (McKenzie et al 2009), but some were thought to be of relevance to scorpions (e.g. Polis 1990).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Spatial distribution patterns of scorpions (Scorpiones) in the arid Pilbara region of Western Australia

Volschenk¹,

Burbidge²,

Durrant³

et al. 2010

Rec West Aust Mus Sup

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show abstract

“…Here, we present a case study on plant species of the Pilbara region in the northwest of Western Australia, where we assess the effects of climate and soil factors on the restoration of semi-arid ecosystems. The Pilbara (22 • 03 S, 118 • 07 E to 23 • 19 S, 119 • 43 E) is a vast (179 000 km 2 ) and biodiverse (∼ 1800 plant species) semi-arid ecosystem McKenzie et al, 2009). The region is subjected to intensive mining, particularly of iron ore, and ecological restoration following mining commonly requires reintroducing plant propagules to vastly altered growth substrates .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate and soil factors influencing seedling recruitment of plant species used for dryland restoration

Muñoz‐Rojas

Erickson

Martini

et al. 2016

SOIL

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Abstract. Land degradation affects 10-20 % of drylands globally. Intensive land use and management, largescale disturbances such as extractive operations, and global climate change, have contributed to degradation of these systems worldwide. Restoring these damaged environments is critical to improving ecosystem services and functions, conserve biodiversity, and contribute to climate resilience, food security, and landscape sustainability. Here, we present a case study on plant species of the mining intensive semi-arid Pilbara region in Western Australia that examines the effects of climate and soil factors on the restoration of drylands. We analysed the effects of a range of rainfall and temperature scenarios and the use of alternative soil materials on seedling recruitment of key native plant species from this area. Experimental studies were conducted in controlled environment facilities where conditions simulated those found in the Pilbara. Soil from topsoil (T) stockpiles and waste materials (W) from an active mine site were mixed at different proportions (100 % T, 100 % W, and two mixes of topsoil and waste at 50 : 50 and 25 : 75 ratios) and used as growth media. Our results showed that seedling recruitment was highly dependent on soil moisture and emergence was generally higher in the topsoil, which had the highest available water content. In general, responses to the climate scenarios differed significantly among the native species which suggest that future climate scenarios of increasing drought might affect not only seedling recruitment but also diversity and structure of native plant communities. The use of waste materials from mining operations as growth media could be an alternative to the limited topsoil. However, in the early stages of plant establishment successful seedling recruitment can be challenging in the absence of water. These limitations could be overcome by using soil amendments but the cost associated to these solutions at large landscape scales needs to be assessed and proven to be economically feasible.

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Empirical landscape genetic comparison of single nucleotide polymorphisms and microsatellites in three arid‐zone mammals with high dispersal capacity

Skey

Ottewell

Spencer

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Landscape genetics is increasingly transitioning away from microsatellites, with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) providing increased resolution for detecting patterns of spatial‐genetic structure. This is particularly pertinent for research in arid‐zone mammals due to challenges associated with unique life history traits, such as boom‐bust population dynamics and long‐distance dispersal capacities. Here, we provide a case study comparing SNPs versus microsatellites for testing three explicit landscape genetic hypotheses (isolation‐by‐distance, isolation‐by‐barrier, and isolation‐by‐resistance) in a suite of small, arid‐zone mammals in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Using clustering algorithms, Mantel tests, and linear mixed effects models, we compare functional connectivity between genetic marker types and across species, including one marsupial, Ningaui timealeyi , and two native rodents, Pseudomys chapmani and P. hermannsburgensis . SNPs resolved subtle genetic structuring not detected by microsatellites, particularly for N. timealeyi where two genetic clusters were identified. Furthermore, stronger signatures of isolation‐by‐distance and isolation‐by‐resistance were detected when using SNPs, and model selection based on SNPs tended to identify more complex resistance surfaces (i.e., composite surfaces of multiple environmental layers) in the best‐performing models. While we found limited evidence for physical barriers to dispersal across the Pilbara for all species, we found that topography, substrate, and soil moisture were the main environmental drivers shaping functional connectivity. Our study demonstrates that new analytical and genetic tools can provide novel ecological insights into arid landscapes, with potential application to conservation management through identifying dispersal corridors to mediate the impacts of ongoing habitat fragmentation in the region.

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Introduction to the Pilbara Biodiversity Survey, 2002–2007

Cited by 100 publications

References 12 publications

Spatial distribution patterns of scorpions (Scorpiones) in the arid Pilbara region of Western Australia

Spatial distribution patterns of scorpions (Scorpiones) in the arid Pilbara region of Western Australia

Climate and soil factors influencing seedling recruitment of plant species used for dryland restoration

Empirical landscape genetic comparison of single nucleotide polymorphisms and microsatellites in three arid‐zone mammals with high dispersal capacity

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