Species richness in tropical fresh waters of Australia

Shiel, Russell J.; Williams, W. D.

doi:10.1007/bf00006844

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…We have seen the rapid growth of data on the systematics and ecology of tropical zooplankton on all continents including most recently in Australia (Shiel & Williams, 1990, Timms & Morton, 1988 . Shiel & Williams (1990) found no evidence that tropical Australian zooplankton is more diverse than temperate Australian zooplankton .…”

Section: Comments and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invertebrate zooplankton predator composition and diversity in tropical lentic waters

1990

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Invertebrate zooplankton predators are generally less diverse in average species numbers in tropical than in temperate lakes and reservoirs . Predatory Copepoda which comprise the majority of limnetic predators are particularly low in species numbers in the tropics . Predatory Cladocera are confined to the North Temperate zone. Chaoborus appears to be cosmopolitan . Among Rotifera, only the cosmopolitan predator Asplanchna occurs in tropical waters while the other common limnetic carnivorous genus Ploesoma is restricted to higher latitudes . Hydracarina, and insects besides Chaoborus, are generally restricted to the littoral and appear to be more diverse in the tropics . Lakes Awasa and Zwai, Ethiopia, are almost devoid of predators in the limnetic, which is invaded by a littoral chydorid Alona diaphana . Low diversity of lake types and low production of tropical zooplankton could restrict predator diversity too . Very low diversity of invertebrate predators in the limnetic and higher diversity in the littoral may characterize tropical lakes in contrast to temperate lakes, which have more invertebrate predators in the limnetic and perhaps relatively less in the littoral . Tropical zooplankton in freshwaters, appears to be a very immature community . Hence opportunistic species can readily invade the limnetic and even dominate in isolated situations as has been shown for Alona davidi, Hydracarina and some other unconventional forms .

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Section: Comments and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invertebrate zooplankton predator composition and diversity in tropical lentic waters

1990

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“…Later studies were reviewed by Shiel & Williams (1990) . Comparable rotifer species diversity was recorded in temperate River Murray billabongs during a 1988-89 study, when > 200 species were identified from weekly plankton samples from one .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Responses of billabong rotifer communities to inundation

Tan

Shiel

1993

Hydrobiologia

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Daily plankton collections were taken from a billabong of the River Murray for two weeks prior to inundation in March 1990, and continued for ten days after flooding. Quantitative responses of the plankton community and the component species were analysed against measured environmental variables and between species . Rotifers and copepod nauplii were the predominant net plankton (> 53 µm) . Significant negative or positive responses to inundation were detected for most common taxa of 63 rotifer species recorded . A four-fold dilution from intrusion of river water masked rapid population increases . Opportunistic responses to inundation appear to be a survival strategy in the highly unpredictable billabong environment . 361 9 I 1 1 J h 1

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“…Across all taxonomic groups, more data are required before making accurate comparisons with the invertebrate fauna in other climatic zones, both in Australia and elsewhere (Shiel and Williams, 1990;Humphrey and Dostine, 1994). Nevertheless, mayfl y (Ephemeroptera) and caddisfl y (Trichoptera) data have been used in comparative global zoogeographical studies (Vinson and Hawkins, 2003), while Cranston (2000) reported high diversity of chironomid fl ies in both the wet and wet-dry tropics of Australia compared with temperate Australia.…”

Section: Aquatic Invertebratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When this recent colonisation of freshwater habitats is combined with the small area of freshwater habitats on the Australian continent it is not surprising that the species richness of the continent (302 species) is very low by global standards (Allen et al, 2002).The diversity of freshwater fi sh is higher in the tropics compared to temperate regions of Australia. Shiel and Williams (1990) suggested that periods of extreme aridity in the southern temperate areas and ease of migration of new species from marine to freshwaters as a result of greater length and low-gradient of tropical rivers were most likely to determine species richness of freshwater fi sh. However, Bishop and Forbes (1991) and more recently Unmack (2001) have suggested an evolutionary explanation arguing that freshwater fi sh diversity in Australia is a refl ection of the fi sh diversity in adjacent seas and this is greater in the tropics.…”

Section: Fishesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity of the wetlands of the Kakadu Region, northern Australia

Finlayson

Lowry²,

Bellio

et al. 2006

Aquat. Sci.

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The biodiversity values of the wetlands in the Kakadu Region of northern Australia have been recognised as being of national and international signifi cance, as demonstrated through their listing by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Analyses of the wetland biodiversity have resulted in the production of species list for many taxa, and some population and community-level analyses of biomass and abundance, and the mapping of habitats at multiple scales. Wetland habitats include inter-tidal mud-fl ats, mangroves, hyper-saline fl ats, freshwater fl ood plains and streams. The tidal infl uence on the saline wetlands is pronounced, as is the infl uence of the annual wet-dry cycle of the monsoonal climate on the fl ood plains and streams. The vegetation is diverse and highly dynamic with rapid turnover of organic material and nutrients. The fauna is abundant with endemism being high in some habitats. Most fauna analyses have focussed on vertebrates with a large amount of information on waterbirds and fi sh in particular. However, despite extensive effort over the past two decades much is still unknown about the biota. While the invertebrate fauna in the streams has received some attention, a large taxonomic classifi cation effort is required. The functional inter-relationships between habitats and species have largely not been assessed. Further, the ecology of many species is only cursorily known. At the same time there has been increased attention to pressures on the wetlands, such as weeds and feral animals, water pollution, and the potential impact of climate change and salinisation of freshwater habitats. Importantly, given the social context of the region, increased attention is being directed towards traditional use and management of the wetlands.

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Species richness in tropical fresh waters of Australia

Cited by 12 publications

References 24 publications

Invertebrate zooplankton predator composition and diversity in tropical lentic waters

Invertebrate zooplankton predator composition and diversity in tropical lentic waters

Responses of billabong rotifer communities to inundation

Biodiversity of the wetlands of the Kakadu Region, northern Australia

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