Association of reduced riparian vegetation cover in agricultural landscapes with coarse detritus dynamics in lowland streams

Studies were conducted on streams flowing through agricultural floodplains in south-eastern Australia to quantify whether reductions in riparian canopy cover were associated with alterations to the input and benthic standing stocks of coarse allochthonous detritus. Comparisons were made among three farmland reaches and three reaches within reserves with intact cover of remnant overstorey trees. Detritus inputs to these reaches were measured monthly over 2 years using litter traps. Direct inputs to streams within the reserves were relatively high (550–617 g ash free dry weight (AFDW) m^–2 year^–1), but were lower at farmland reaches with the lowest canopy covers (83–117 gAFDW m^–2 year^–1). Only a minor fraction of the total allochthonous input (<10%) entered any of the study reaches laterally. The mean amounts of benthic detritus were lowest in the most open farmland reaches. Standing stocks of benthic detritus were found to be highly patchy across a large number of agricultural streams, but were consistently very low where the streamside canopy cover was below ~35%. Canopy cover should be restored along cleared agricultural streams because allochthonous detritus is a major source of food and habitat for aquatic ecosystems. Given the absence of pristine lowland streams in south-eastern Australia, those reaches with the most intact remnant overstorey canopies should be used to guide restoration.

Countryside elements and the conservation of birds in agricultural environments

Throughout the world, many native species inhabit agricultural landscapes. While natural habitats will form the cornerstone of conservation efforts in production-oriented environments, the success of these efforts will be enhanced by a greater understanding of the potential contribution of the increasingly modified countryside (‘matrix’) elements in these landscapes. Here, we investigate the relative occurrence of birds in some landscape elements (i.e. land-uses, vegetation types) common to agricultural environments around the world. Twenty-seven study mosaics (1 km × 1 km in size), selected to incorporate variation in the cover of native vegetation and the richness of different landscape elements, were sampled in Gippsland, south-eastern Australia. Birds were surveyed in five main types of elements: native vegetation, linear vegetation, plantation, scattered trees and pasture. The greatest number of species was recorded in native vegetation, the most important element for the majority of birds in Australian agricultural landscapes. Nevertheless, most countryside elements had value for many species; particularly structurally complex elements. Ordination analyses (based on presence/absence data for 81 species) showed that the composition of bird communities differed between elements. The number of mosaics in which ‘all species’ and ‘woodland species’ were recorded was positively related to the breadth of elements they used; thus species using a greater number of elements occurred more frequently in the study region. Correlation analyses identified that the richness of woodland species (those of increased conservation concern in Australia) in different elements was influenced by features of the mosaic in which they occurred. Notably, the richness of woodland bird species recorded in scattered trees and pasture increased with local native vegetation cover. Key implications for conservation in Australian agricultural environments include: (1) native vegetation is vital for the persistence of birds in these landscapes, and thus is the primary element on which conservation efforts in agricultural landscapes depend; (2) countryside elements can enhance the conservation value of agricultural landscapes by (a) increasing structural complexity in largely cleared areas and (b) increasing the heterogeneity of the entire landscape; and (3) patches of different elements cannot be managed in isolation from their surroundings, as landscape properties affect the richness of bird assemblages in different elements.

Birds in agricultural mosaics : the influence of landscape pattern and countryside heterogeneity

Agricultural environments are critical to the conservation of biota throughout the world. Efforts to identify key influences on the conservation status of fauna in such environments have taken complementary approaches. Many studies have focused on the role of remnant or seminatural vegetation and emphasized the influence on biota of spatial patterns in the landscape. Others have recognized that many species use diverse ‘‘countryside’’ elements within farmland, and emphasize the benefits of landscape heterogeneity for conservation. Here, we investigated the effect of independent measures of both the spatial pattern (extent and configuration) and heterogeneity of elements (i.e., land uses/vegetation types) on bird occurrence in farm-scale agricultural mosaics in southeastern Australia. Birds were sampled in all types of elements in 27 mosaics (each 1 3 1 km) selected to incorporate variation in cover of native vegetation and the number of different element types in the mosaic. We used an information-theoretic approach to identify the mosaic properties that most strongly influenced bird species richness. Subgroups of birds based on habitat requirements responded most strongly to the extent of preferred elements in mosaics. Woodland birds were richer in mosaics with higher cover of native vegetation while open-tolerant species responded to the extent of scattered trees. In contrast, for total species richness, mosaic heterogeneity (richness of element types) and landscape context (cover of native vegetation in surrounding area) had the greatest influence. These results showed that up to 76% of landscape-level variation in richness of bird groups is attributable to mosaic properties directly amenable to management by landowners. Key implications include (1) conservation goals for farm landscapes must be carefully defined because the richness of different faunal components is influenced by different mosaic properties; (2) the extent of native vegetation is a critical influence in agricultural environments because it drives the farmscale richness of woodland birds and has a broader context effect on total bird richness in mosaics; (3) land-use practices that enhance the heterogeneity of farmland mosaics are beneficial for native birds; and (4) the cumulative effect of even small elements in farm mosaics contribute to the structural properties of entire landscapes.

Matching training needs and opportunities : the case for training brokers in the Australian agricultural sector

Lifelong learning has been linked by policymakers to economic and social wellbeing. This paper introduces the concept of training brokerage as an efficient way of meeting the needs of learners, industry and education and training providers. It presents findings from a study of the features, processes and outcomes of training brokerage arrangements within the Australian agricultural and natural resource management sectors. The purpose of the study was to identify and promote effective brokerage arrangements and models. The study used multi-method, multi-site techniques, comprising a telephone survey, case studies of good broking practice and stakeholder participation through workshops and a reference group. Training brokers act as facilitators or intermediaries in identifying and matching training needs and opportunities. They have close links with industry, and extensive networks that include reputable training providers. Brokers work with others to identify training needs and engage participants, and to identify, negotiate and plan appropriate training. Evaluation and further training are a key part of the process. Effective broking activity is underpinned by a series of ten generic principles. Brokerage has implications for the agricultural sector in developed and developing countries, in terms of improving the match of training provision to training needs, communication, coordination and collaboration across regions and industries. It also has broader implications for facilitating participation in client-driven lifelong learning, particularly for disenfranchised learners.

Spatial patterns of a southern bell frog litoria raniformis population in an agricultural landscape

We investigated changes in the spatial organization of individuals within a population of endangered Southern Bell Frogs Litoria raniformis over an eight-month period. Our results identified strong temporal changes in both spatial organization and the apparent location of L. raniformis within the study site. Ripley's K Function analyses showed that the position of individuals relative to one another shifted from random immediately after the study site was flooded (p < 0.005), to strongly clustered at spatial scales between 0-1 500 m during the peak breeding period (p < 0.005). The majority of flooded areas were dry by April and May and individuals again became aggregated within the remaining waterbodies.

Teachers' stories of change : an interpretive study of behavioural studies teachers' experiences of change in Tasmanian schools and colleges 1984-1994

Major changes in teachers’ work in Tasmania occurred in the decade 1984-1994. Understanding of those changes has, to date, primarily come from the perspective of educational administrators. A different perspective on the changes comes from the stories told by teachers of Behavioural Studies, teaching grades 11 and 12 in government and non-government schools. Twenty teachers participated in taped interviews or videorecorded focus groups. Their stories were transcribed and analysed using an adapted form of grounded theory to explicate the meaning(s) of the changes for these teachers. Interpretation of the teachers' stories has also been framed by understandings drawn from narrative studies of teachers and their work. The core analytic category of the teachers’ stories of educational change is the conflict between the ideologies of teacher professionalism and economic rationalism. The major themes of the teachers’ stories are systemic and administrative change, control, histories of the Behavioural Studies subject, workload, students and stress.

The story of Australian agricultural economics 1900-1975

The growth of the agricultural economics profession in Australia is evaluated within the context of government policy. Particular economists and agricultural economists were instrumental in questioning the government's policy approach to agriculture. Their life work is assessed to ascertain their legacy to this country through their research, teaching and writing.

Landscape pattern, countryside heterogeneity and bird conservation in agricultural environments

This study confirms the valuable contribution that agricultural landscapes make to bird conservation in Australia. While native vegetation is critical to conservation efforts, careful management of production land-use types may provide additional benefits. Results show that productive farm enterprises can make real contributions to the success of broader conservation goals.

Use of poverty indicators and the poverty pyramid for agricultural and rural development in the smallholder sector in Sri Lanka

Based on official micro-level poverty studies for agricultural and rural development in the smallholder sector of Sri Lanka. The Poverty Pyramid was found to be a powerful tool for poverty analysis and the design of poverty alleviation strategies that are targeted at sustained poverty alleviation. Identification of the correct target groups by factors that prevent them from being more productive in their income generation activities is crucial to the formulation of rural development programs that benefit poor people first and most.

Non-linear effects of landscape properties on mistletoe parasitism in fragmented agricultural landscapes

Ecological processes such as plant–animal interactions have a critical role in shaping the structure and function of ecosystems, but little is known of how such processes are modified by changes in landscape structure. We investigated the effect of landscape change on mistletoe parasitism in fragmented agricultural environments by surveying mistletoes on eucalypt host trees in 24 landscapes, each 100 km² in size, in south-eastern Australia. Landscapes were selected to represent a gradient in extent (from 60% to 2% cover) and spatial pattern of remnant wooded vegetation. Mistletoes were surveyed at 15 sites in each landscape, stratified to sample five types of wooded elements in proportion to their relative cover. The incidence per landscape of box mistletoe (Amyema miquelii), the most common species, was best explained by the extent of wooded cover (non-linear relationship) and mean annual rainfall. Higher incidence occurred in landscapes with intermediate levels of cover (15–30%) and higher rainfall (>500 mm). Importantly, a marked non-linear decline in the incidence of A. miquelii in low-cover landscapes implies a disproportionate loss of this species in remaining wooded vegetation, greater than that attributable to decreasing forest cover. The most likely mechanism is the effect of landscape change on the mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum), the primary seed-dispersal vector for A. miquelii. Our results are consistent with observations that habitat fragmentation initially enhances mistletoe occurrence in agricultural environments; but in this region, when wooded vegetation fell below a threshold of ~15% landscape cover, the incidence of A. miquelii declined precipitously. Conservation management will benefit from greater understanding of the components of landscape structure that most influence ecological processes, such as mistletoe parasitism and other plant–animal mutualisms, and the critical stages in such relationships. This will facilitate action before critical thresholds are crossed and cascading effects extend to other aspects of ecosystem function.

Wood to water : short-term effects of the re-introduction of wood to streams in agricultural environments

Rehabilitation of streams on agricultural properties has become a priority for landholders and managers in recent years in Australia. Fencing and re-vegetation of riparian zones are first priorities to improve riparian habitat values and biodiversity, however changes to in-stream habitat complexity are unlikely to result in the short term. Little evidence exists to guide subsequent rehabilitation actions to address this issue. Artificially re-introducing wood to such streams may be a useful strategy to increase habitat complexity more rapidly, thereby improving in-stream biodiversity values. To test this hypothesis, as a part of the larger Productive Grazing, Healthy Rivers project, small pieces of wood were introduced to eight sites on beef and dairy properties across southern Victoria, monitoring aquatic macroinvertebrates, water quality, hydrology and habitat quality. Comparing macroinvertebrate communities before and after treatment, and between experimental and control sites, changes in community composition and colonisation are explored.