Lecture 2 - RH

Question 1

What are some examples of avoiders?

Answer 1

Brassicaceae

Fabaceae

Desert Pea

Question 2

What is mallee (eucalypts)?

Answer 2

Lots of stems grow from mass at or above ground level known as a lignotuber.

Question 3

Where does mallee grow?

Answer 3

On the fringes of arid areas in Australia

Question 4

What is the difference between forest trees and woodland trees?

Answer 4

Forest trees have only a single stem and are confined near coastlines in Australia.

Woodlands can be multi-stemmed and occupy transition zones between forests and shrublands/hummock grasslands of arid center

Question 5

How large are plants in woodlands?

Answer 5

generally 10 - 30 meters tall

Question 6

What is the canopy of woodlands like?

Answer 6

Open canopy with trees more widely spaced

Question 7

What trees dominate woodlands?

Answer 7

Eucalyptus (approx 700 species)

Question 8

How did woodland communities form?

Answer 8

Fire, Climate, and human activity

Question 9

What is the most endangered and vulnerable

of all biomes in Australia?

Answer 9

Woodlands

Question 10

What are some notable species in woodlands?

Answer 10

Casuarina/allocasuarina

Acacia (found more North)

Melaleuca

Callitris

Hakea

Question 11

Where are open forests located in Australia?

Answer 11

Occupies only 5% of the continent confined to higher rainfall areas near coasts.

Question 12

How are open forests defined?

Answer 12

Single stem with a >30% projected foliage cover (PFC)

Question 13

How is cover of open forests compared to pre-colonization?

Answer 13

only 60%

Question 14

What type of plants dominate open forests?

Answer 14

Eucalyptus

Question 15

How are open forests different to rainforests?

Answer 15

Rainforests have a >70 % Projected Foliage Cover and an understorey with water-loving plants as well as palms, ferns, and lianes

Question 16

What species can be found in open forest understories?

Answer 16

Tree Ferns - Dicksonia

Musk - Daisy (Olearia)

Blanket leaf (Bedfordia) WET

Pomaderris species WET

Grass Tree - xanthorrhoea DRY

Hakea DRY

Question 17

How are dry understory plants able to resist fires?

Answer 17

They flower in response to fire

Question 18

Where are Australian Alps located?

Answer 18

In the South East of Australia:

Bogong

Kosciuszko

Central Plateau

Question 19

What is recorded when sampling plants?

Answer 19

Species

Density

Cover/abundance: this is done either by eye or through the use of pins.

Question 20

What are some sampling methods used today?

Answer 20

Transects

Quadrats

Plotless sampling

Aerial survey

Question 21

What is the advantage of sampling plants over animals?

Answer 21

Plants are relatively static

Question 22

What must be recorded when sampling?

Answer 22

What is there at that date

Question 23

Are recordings constant?

Answer 23

No

Question 24

What aspects of structure must be recorded?

Answer 24

Show mixture of trees/shrubs/ground covers

No need to identify species to allow for site-site comparison even if species differ

The problem with this is that this method is not very informative nor is there a record of species

Question 25

What aspects of presence/abundance can be recorded?

Answer 25

Species list (record all species found)

Problems with thoroughness (due to time dependence), accuracy of identification, and some problems are caused by seasonal variation.

Question 26

How is density of a species recorded?

Answer 26

Count individuals per area

Question 27

What is the problem with counting for density?

Answer 27

What is an individual?

What area is used?

Question 28

How is cover/abundance recorded?

Answer 28

Area species covers is recorded.

Question 29

What are the advantages and disadvantages of recording area covered by a single species?

Answer 29

Advantages: Quick and good for plants + colonial animals

Disadvantages: Individuals vary in estimates. Time consuming, subjective measures. This is solved by using standardized broad scales

Question 30

What are some sampling methods?

Answer 30

Transects: Where obvious gradient exists

Quadrats

Plotless sampling

Question 31

What is used in the case of obvious clines/patterns?

Answer 31

A transect across pattern.

Systematic sampling along the transect

Question 32

What is used when there are no obvious patterns?

Answer 32

Random points

Tables or a calculator is used

Question 33

What are the most used sampling methods?

Answer 33

Quadrats (enclosed area)

Plotless sampling

Question 34

What must be determined when using quadrats?

Answer 34

Size of quadrat

Number of quadrat

It is important to try and capture all species’ importance

Question 35

What are the standard methods to determine size and number of quadrats?

Answer 35

Species-area curve

Species-number curve

Question 36

How is diversity measured using quadrat?

Answer 36

Mean no. species per quadrat/quadrat area

Question 37

What are the reasons for conducting an aerial survey and what are its limitation?

Answer 37

Good overview and can spot patterns

Limited view and so needs “ground truthing”

Question 38

How are invertebrates trapped for studying?

Answer 38

Using traps such as the Berlese funnel

Question 39

How does the Berlese funnel work?

Answer 39

Collect known area of litter and spread out on mesh and apply mild heat creating an environment that the invertebrates want to escape.