Obscure oases: natural, cultural and historical geography of western Queensland's Tertiary sandstone springs

Silcock, Jennifer; MacDermott, Harry J.; Laffineur, Boris; Fensham, R. J.

doi:10.1111/1745-5871.12175

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Unfortunately, such stories are not uncommon in springs in Australia [15,84,88] or elsewhere [1][2][3][4][5][6]89]. Many species endemic to springs systems remain, to this day, at severe risk of extinction [7,80].…”

Section: Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Different Species Requirements within a Heterogeneous Spring Complex Affects Patch Occupancy of Threatened Snails in Australian Desert Springs

Rossini

Fensham

Walter

2020

Water

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(1) The distribution of organisms that inhabit patchy systems is dictated by their ability to move between patches, and the suitability of environmental conditions at patches to which they disperse. Understanding whether the species involved are identical to one another in their environmental requirements and their responses to variance in their environment is essential to understanding ecological processes in these systems, and to the management of species whose patchy and limited distributions present conservation risks. (2) Artesian springs in Australia’s arid interior are “islands” of hospitable wetland in uninhabitable “oceans” of dry land and are home to diverse and threatened assemblages of endemic species with severely restricted distributions. Many have strict environmental requirements, but the role of environmental heterogeneity amongst springs has rarely been considered alongside conventional patch characteristics (isolation and patch geometry). (3) We quantified environmental heterogeneity across springs, and the relationship between spring size, isolation (distances to neighbours) and environmental quality (depth, water chemistry), and patterns of occupancy and population persistence of six endemic spring snail species, all from different families, and with all restricted to a single <8000 ha system of springs in Australia. To do so, a survey was conducted for comparison against survey results of almost a decade before, and environmental variables of the springs were measured. Many of the snail species occupied few sites, and environmental variables strongly covaried, so an ordination-based approach was adopted to assess the relationship between environmental measures and the distribution of each species, and also whether springs that held a higher diversity of snails had specific characteristics. (4) Each snail species occupied a subset of springs (between 5% and 36% of the 85 sampled) and was associated with a particular set of conditions. Of the six species considered in further detail, most were restricted to the few springs that were large and deep. Species in family Tateidae were distinct in having colonised highly isolated springs (with >300 m to nearest neighbour). Springs with highest diversity were significantly larger, deeper and had more numerous neighbours within 300 m than those devoid of endemic snails, or those with low diversity. (5) Although spring size and isolation affect patterns of occupancy, the six snail species had significantly different environmental requirements from one another and these correlated with the distribution pattern of each. Approaches that ignore the role of environmental quality—and particularly depth in springs—are overlooking important processes outside of patch geometry that influence diversity. These organisms are highly susceptible to extinction, as most occupy less than 3 ha of habitat spread across few springs, and habitat degradation continues to compromise what little wetland area is needed for their persistence.

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Section: Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Different Species Requirements within a Heterogeneous Spring Complex Affects Patch Occupancy of Threatened Snails in Australian Desert Springs

Rossini

Fensham

Walter

2020

Water

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“…The first basin-wide database of GAB spring locations has been available for only two years (DSITIA, 2015). Surveys are still documenting the locations of springs (Powell et al, 2015;Silcock et al, 2020). Ecologists are describing new species found only in GAB springs at a rate of two per year (Rossini et al, 2018), a rate highly contingent on research funding.…”

Section: Complexities In Applications Of the Epbc Act To Gab Springsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Legal Mechanisms to Protect Great Artesian Basin Springs: Successes and Shortfalls

Pointon¹,

Rossini²

2020

The Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland

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The community of native species dependent on natural discharge of groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) has been listed as a threatened ecological community under Australia's main environmental law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act) since 2001. This paper introduces the ecological, cultural and legal context of spring management in Australia under the EPBC Act, and presents three ways that the community listing has advanced the conservation of GAB springs. First, listing provides heightened recognition and protection of the values of GAB spring communities. Second, it enables the protection of many species (the entire community) quickly. Third, it offers protection to a large, fragmented ecological community that would be difficult to protect solely by elements of the Australian protected area network, such as national parks and other types of national estate. The paper then highlights four complexities associated with the application of the EPBC Act to the management and conservation of GAB springs: the high level of discretion in decision making; data deficiencies that make it difficult to determine whether impacts are sufficiently "significant" to trigger assessment via an environmental impact statement (EIS); the flaws in offset management and mitigation measures; and the fact that community listings may not adequately protect individual species. A recent case study of the Doongmabulla Springs (central Queensland) illustrates how these legislative complexities were addressed under the requirements of the EPBC Act in relation to development of a major coal mine in their vicinity. The paper concludes with recommendations to enhance the capacity of the regulatory framework to conserve GAB spring species, communities and ecosystems.

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“…who have a strong connection with their land and the associated resources, especially spring watering points in desert areas (Badman, 2000;Hercus & Sutton, 1985;Moggridge, 2020;Silcock et al, 2020). Many GAB springs, essentially natural surface discharge points of the basin's aquifers, have developed associated groundwater-dependent ecosystems, and support populations of unique and threatened fauna and flora Fensham et al, 2010Fensham et al, , 2016Gotch, 2006Gotch, , 2013Noble et al, 1998;Ponder, 1986;Rossini et al, 2018).…”

Section: A (Rien) Habermehlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrogeological Overview of Springs in the Great Artesian Basin

Habermehl¹

2020

The Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland

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The Great Artesian Basin (GAB) is a regional groundwater system consisting of aquifers and confining beds within the sedimentary Eromanga, Surat and Carpentaria Basins. They underlie arid to semi-arid regions across 1.7 million km?, or one-fifth of the Australian continent. Artesian springs of the GAB are naturally occurring outlets of groundwater from the confined aquifers. Springs predominantly occur near the eastern recharge margins and the south-western and western discharge margins of the GAB. These zones of natural groundwater discharge represent areas of permanent water, with widely recognised cultural, spiritual and subsistence importance to Indigenous people for tens of thousands of years. The unique hydrogeological environments -discharge, hydrochemistry and substrate -support a range of endemic flora and fauna protected under the EPBC Act (1999). Springs have formed in many areas across the GAB; however, the largest concentrations occur near the south-western margins of the basin. Supporting these flowing artesian springs is a multi-layered aquifer system, comprising Jurassicto Cretaceous-age sandstones and siltstone, and confining beds of mudstones. Hydrogeological, hydrochemical and isotope hydrology studies show that most artesian springs and flowing water bores in the GAB derive their water from the main Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous Cadna-owie Formation -Hooray Sandstone aquifer and its equivalents. Focusing on springs in South Australia, this paper provides a summary of the hydrogeology of the GAB, including zones of recharge and regional groundwater flow directions, with a major focus on summarising understanding of the occurrence and formation of springs.

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Obscure oases: natural, cultural and historical geography of western Queensland's Tertiary sandstone springs

Cited by 5 publications

References 16 publications

Different Species Requirements within a Heterogeneous Spring Complex Affects Patch Occupancy of Threatened Snails in Australian Desert Springs

Different Species Requirements within a Heterogeneous Spring Complex Affects Patch Occupancy of Threatened Snails in Australian Desert Springs

Legal Mechanisms to Protect Great Artesian Basin Springs: Successes and Shortfalls

Hydrogeological Overview of Springs in the Great Artesian Basin

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