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This document is a compilation of research papers and case studies that explore the impact of climate change on habitat restoration in Australia. It discusses various strategies to make restoration efforts more resilient, including altering planting timing, using older/deeper-rooted individuals, and direct seeding. The papers also cover topics such as the use of non-native species in restoration projects, the impacts of climate change on native and non-native species, and the importance of considering climate change in restoration planning. The document emphasizes the need for a national model of seed collection and storage and encourages ecologists and practitioners to be innovative in their approaches. The author acknowledges the traditional owners of the land and expresses gratitude to individuals who provided feedback on the manuscript. [Extracted from the article]

Aims: Our objective was to establish a relationship between long-term variation in the climatic environment, tree canopy decline and observed effects on the population dynamics of avifauna in the Dryandra Woodlands in southwestern Australia. These geographically isolated remnant woodlands are rich in endemic species and sustain a diverse range of ecological communities, but are threatened by habitat degradation and a decline in rainfall. Methods: We used annual rainfall data, averaged from a series of weather stations within 100 km of the Dryandra Woodlands and a time series analysis to investigate long-term changes in annual rainfall. Satellite spectral observations of eight study sites at Dryandra was used to measure changes in Projected Foliage Cover (PFC) of old growth Eucalyptus wandoo at all sites. Our mist-net trapping study across three years and all eight sites, targeted two focal species; the rufous treecreeper (Climacteris rufa) and yellow-plumed honeyeater (Ptilotula ornata). We investigated the relationship between the captures of each species and variation in PFC, between sites and across years. Also in a separate demographic study, capture-mark-recapture data was used to estimate the apparent survival rate of each species, following the robust design for open and closed populations. Key results: We demonstrate a long-term and continuing decline in average annual rainfall that is accelerating. We found the rainfall trend is concomitant with a long-term decline in PFC of E. wandoo and that the previous year's annual rainfall is a predictor of average PFC across all sites. Additionally, we discovered that the PFC at each site, in each year, is a predictor of the number of yellow-plumed honeyeaters which prefer feeding on canopy insects and not a predictor of the predominantly ground-foraging rufous treecreeper. We also found a substantial difference in the apparent survival rates between the two species, with the apparent survival of yellow-plumed honeyeaters being approximately half that of rufous treecreepers. This difference was partially attributed to the likely movement outside of the study area due to decreasing habitat quality. Conclusions and implications: Overall, our results do suggest that some impacts of long-term rainfall trends can be traced to particular species through PFC variation, but the response between species to habitat change will differ and depend on species-specific habitat requirements. As increasing greenhouse emissions are associated with declining rainfall in southwestern Australia, this study shows if rainfall decline and habitat degradation continue, it will have catastrophic consequences for woodland ecosystems. In this paper, we explorehow declining rainfall in southwestern Australia is impacting old growtheucalypts and resident avifauna of the Dryandra woodlands. Using long term dataon rainfall and satellite imagery of Eucalyptuswandoo canopy cover, results show a continuing declining trend inaverage rainfall that is accelerating. Also, we found that rainfall is a predictor oftree foliage cover, which is also declining over time. Our analysis of bird mist-net trapping data and tree canopy data indicate that foliagecover is a predictor of the number of yellow-plumed honeyeaters captured, butnot a predictor of rufous treecreepers. The apparent survival rate of the yellow-plumedhoneyeater was half that of the rufous treecreeper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Larval habitats of the pest biting midge Culicoides ornatus were identified and characterised in a macrotidal mangrove creek system in Darwin Harbour in the wet‐dry tropics of northern Australia. Sampling was undertaken during the mid to late dry season using submersible emergence traps to indicate larval activity. Substantial emergence was found in two well separated and distinctly different habitats: open creekbanks covered in Avicennia marina (Grey Mangrove) pneumatophores in the upper reaches of small tidal creeks and broad relatively flat areas dominated by Sonneratia alba (Mangrove Apple) at the mouth of the creek system. Intervening areas along creeklines were lined by Camptostemon schultzii (Kapok Mangrove) and did not support emergence activity. Adults emerging from each habitat were conspecific, based on comparison of mitochondrial COI gene sequences and a range of morphological characters. Nine different haplotypes were identified from 26 adults, with four haplotypes common to both habitats. Neighbour‐joining analysis resolved all the haplotypes as a single highly supported clade with an average sequence difference of 1.6%. Features common to the two habitats included occurrence in sheltered mangrove‐lined estuaries; occurrence in soft, fine, silt mud; presence of mangrove pneumatophores; and an open vegetation structure providing partial shade. Dense vegetation appeared to be a limiting factor. The tidal creek habitat was similar to C. ornatus habitats previously described from the east coast of Australia, but neither the Sonneratia zone nor other habitats at such a low tidal elevation have been previously associated with C. ornatus. This is the first detailed account of the larval biology of this important mangrove breeding pest species. The identification of likely C. ornatus breeding sites in Darwin Harbour and other similar ria coastlines of northern Australia should be possible from aerial photographs using the habitat descriptions presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migratory shorebirds are declining in all transequatorial flyways, most rapidly in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. Population trends for shorebirds have been derived at a flyway and continental scale, but changes at the local scale are less well understood. Here we compare trends in migratory shorebird populations using natural and artificial roost sites within a tropical harbour, examine possible drivers of change, and identify appropriate conservation management responses. Counts of 19 migratory shorebird species from 2010 and 2018 showed that total abundance increased at an average annual rate of 3.3% (95% CI = 1.3–5.4%, P = 0.001) across five natural roost sites. This was driven largely by increases in great knot, with most other species declining. At an artificial site in an adjacent shorebird area, total abundance increased at an average annual rate of 14.5% (95% CI = 10.5–18.6%, P ≤ 0.000), with few species declining. These results suggest that there is a need to include both natural and artificial sites within shorebird conservation and management planning and that trends in different species can be driven by a combination of local and external drivers. Migratory shorebirds that travel the globe every year are highly threatened. Population trends are known at a global scale, but not much is known at the local scale across sites on the non-breeding grounds of Australia. Our paper examines the trends of migratory shorebird species at natural and artificial sites in a tropical harbour. We show that, overall, shorebirds are increasing at both natural and artificial sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three species of tadpole shrimp, i.e., Triops granarius (Lucas, 1864), Triops longicaudatus (LeConte, 1846) and Triops cancriformis (Bosc, 1801-1802), have been known from Japan. In this paper the author describes a fourth Triops species (= Triops strenuus Wolf, 1911) living in the rice paddies of a southern area of Honshu, the largest of the four main islands of Japan. This species was probably endemic to the Australian continent, and no habitat distribution outside Australia has been reported so far. The impact on the existing ecosystem of Japan is quite unknown, and therefore, it is necessary to announce this intrusion into Japan in order to clarify the invasion route, habitat ecology, and the future measures against this new alien species. This invasion is considered to be caused by the resting eggs brought together with silica sand (imported from Western Australia into Japan for the large-scale beach improvement). The results presented here also describe the phylogenetic relationship with all the Australian species described so far, but also all the known Triops species of the world, based on the nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial DNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subtropical reefs provide an important habitat for flora and fauna, and proper monitoring is required for conservation. Monitoring these exposed and submerged reefs is challenging and available resources are limited. Citizen science is increasing in momentum, as an applied research tool and in the variety of monitoring approaches adopted. This paper aims to demonstrate an ecological assessment and mapping approach that incorporates both top-down (volunteer marine scientists) and bottom-up (divers/community) engagement aspects of citizen science, applied at a subtropical reef at Point Lookout, Southeast Queensland, Australia. Marine scientists trained fifty citizen scientists in survey techniques that included mapping of habitat features, recording of substrate, fish and invertebrate composition, and quantifying impacts (e.g., occurrence of substrate damage, presence of litter). In 2014 these volunteers conducted four seasonal surveys along semi-permanent transects, at five sites, across three reefs. The project presented is a model on how citizen science can be conducted in a marine environment through collaboration of volunteer researchers, non-researchers and local marine authorities. Significant differences in coral and algal cover were observed among the three sites, while fluctuations in algal cover were also observed seasonally. Differences in fish assemblages were apparent among sites and seasons, with subtropical fish groups observed more commonly in colder seasons. The least physical damage occurred in the most exposed sites (Flat Rock) within the highly protected marine park zones. The broad range of data collected through this top-down/bottom-up approach to citizen science exemplifies the projects’ value and application for identifying ecosystem trends or patterns. The results of the project support natural resource and marine park management, providing a valuable contribution to existing scientific knowledge and the conservation of local reefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lake Condah (Tae Rak) in south-western Victoria, Australia, is one of the world's most ancient examples of traditional aquaculture, consisting of complex systems of traps and ponds used by Gunditjmara (Indigenous people) over millennia to collect short-finned eel ( Anguilla australis) for consumption and trade. Artificial draining of the lake during the nineteenth century reduced surface water retention in the landscape and rendered most of the eel traps inoperable. In this paper, we describe the traditional eel fishery at Lake Condah and its historical and cultural significance to the Gunditjmara people. We document the impacts of European settlement on the traditional eel fishery, and describe the processes and events leading to eventual restoration of the lake and subsequent reactivation of major parts of the traditional aquaculture system. In addition to restoring an important ecological asset to the region, the restoration project provided significant benefits to the Gunditjmara people, including enhanced connection to country and culture, opportunities for economic development and employment, and increased capacity for traditional owners to progress and negotiate outcomes within regulatory and administrative frameworks. Aspects identified as critical to the ultimate success of the Lake Condah restoration project include: open and transparent lines of communication with stakeholders; building of trust and confidence with key individuals over sustained periods; use of strategic and business planning documents to guide activities; commissioning of high quality technical information to support and justify activities; representative leadership structures, and effective use of 'two-way learning' across western scientific and indigenous knowledge systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]