Simple sequence repeat markers associated with three quantitative trait loci for black point resistance can be used to enrich selection populations in bread wheat

Black point in wheat has the potential to cost the Australian industry $A30.4 million a year. It is difficult and expensive to screen for resistance, so the aim of this study was to validate 3 previously identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for black point resistance on chromosomes 2B, 4A, and 3D of the wheat variety Sunco. Black point resistance data and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, linked to the resistance QTLs and suited to high-throughput assay, were analysed in the doubled haploid population, Batavia (susceptible) × Pelsart (resistant). Sunco and Pelsart both have Cook in their pedigree and both have the Triticum timopheevii translocation on 2B. SSR markers identified for the 3 genetic regions were gwm319 (2B, T. timopheevii translocation), wmc048 (4AS), and gwm341 (3DS). Gwm319 and wmc048 were associated with black point resistance in the validation population. Gwm341 may have an epistatic influence on the trait because when resistance alleles were present at both gwm319 and wmc048, the Batavia-derived allele at gwm341 was associated with a higher proportion of resistant lines. Data are presented showing the level of enrichment achieved for black point resistance, using 1, 2, or 3 of these molecular markers, and the number of associated discarded resistant lines. The level of population enrichment was found to be 1.83-fold with 6 of 17 resistant lines discarded when gwm319 and wmc048 were both used for selection. Interactions among the 3 QTLs appear complex and other genetic and epigenetic factors influence susceptibility to black point. Polymorphism was assessed for these markers within potential breeding material. This indicated that alternative markers to wmc048 may be required for some parental combinations. Based on these results, marker-assisted selection for the major black point resistance QTLs can increase the rate of genetic gain by improving the selection efficiency and may facilitate stacking of black point resistances from different sources

ForesTIM: Evaluating plantation forest land management by identifying unsustainable practices

Sustainability has become a key issue in plantation forest management and measures of such are required for both forest land management and planning. The task of developing criteria and indicators (C&I) for sustainability assessment in Australia has been started through the "Montreal Process". However, this is likely to be a long-term process and in the meantime forest land management decisions with environmental impact still have to be made. The ForesTIM method outlined in this paper is a "management-based" approach to land evaluation with the aim of aiding forest planners in strategic decision-making on land management. ForesTIM helps planners identify those land management practices that are likely to cause, and those that are likely to prevent long-term or potentially irreversible damage to the land resource. Land management recommendations and best land management practice guidelines are the end result of ForesTIM. Ultimately, ForesTIM can be used within a holistic forest sustainability assessment framework encompassing the range of scales and factors important to forest sustainability. ForesTIM is currently being developed to operate at the land unit scale, however, by identifying favourable land management regimes across the landscape, enterprise and catchment scale analyses can be performed. Therefore, ForesTIM is not intended to be a complete answer to achieving sustainable forestry, but it can play an important role in the decision-making process of forest planning. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Classification and comparison of natural and altered flow regimes to support an Australian trial of the Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration framework

The Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration (ELOHA) is a new framework designed to develop environmental flow prescriptions for many streams and rivers in a user-defined geographic region or jurisdiction. This study presents hydrologic classifications and comparisons of natural and altered flows in southeast Queensland, Australia, to support the ecological steps of a field trial of the ELOHA framework. We extended existing protocols for flow classification by assessing the stability of flow classes. Model-based clustering distinguished six Reference classes (based on modelled pre-development flow data) and five Historic classes (based on stream gauge data). The principal flow regime change was loss of some of the original (natural) flow diversity accompanied by the emergence of a perennial flow class in the Historic classification composed mostly of gauges with flow regimes influenced by dams. However, similarities between Reference and Historic classifications indicate that hydrologic changes in southeast Queensland have not totally obscured Reference (pre-development) characteristics. Duration of low flow spells has undergone the greatest absolute change from Reference values.\ud \ud Dams had substantial but variable impacts on downstream flow regimes. Each dam created a unique downstream flow signature, indicating that environmental flow guidance for each regulated river must be tailored to the particulars of flow alterations, the associated ecological impacts and the desired future ecological state of the aquatic ecosystem. Other stressors were implicated in flow regime change, highlighting the need to consider the potential influence of factors other than prominent water infrastructure on flow regime alterations and associated ecological responses

Simulation of the spatiotemporal aspects of land erodibility in the northeast Lake Eyre Basin, Australia, 1980-2006

This paper explores spatiotemporal patterns in land erodibility in the northeast portion of the Lake Eyre Basin, Australia, using the Australian Land Erodibility Model (AUSLEM) in simulations from 1980 to 2006. First, spatial patterns in land erodibility are examined. We then present an analysis of seasonal and interannual variations in land erodibility. Patterns in land erodibility change are compared to rainfall variability, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific (inter-) Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Land erodibility is found to peak in the study area between early spring (September, October, November) and late summer (January, February, March), and reach a minimum over winter (June, July, August). Weak correlations are found between modeled land erodibility, rainfall, ENSO, and the PDO. The results indicate a complex landscape response to climate variability, with land erodibility dynamics being affected by antecedent rainfall and vegetation conditions which generate lag responses in land erodibility change. The research highlights the importance of developing methods for monitoring conditions driving variations in wind erosion at the landscape scale to enhance land management policy in arid and semiarid landscapes at a time of uncertain future climate changes

Exploiting Marine Wildlife in Queensland: the Commercial Dugong and Marine Turtle Fisheries, 1847-1969

The historical exploitation of marine resources in Queensland has only been partially documented. In particular, the history of the commercial fishing of dugongs and marine turtles has received comparatively little scholarly attention. Since European settlement in Queensland, various human activities have exploited these\ud resources. We present documentary and oral history evidence of the scale of those industries. Based on extensive archival and oral history research, we argue that diverse fishing practices occurred and that the sustained exploitation of dugongs, green turtles, and hawksbill turtles led to observable declines in the numbers of these\ud animals – now species of conservation concern