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A book entitled 'Wattles: Australian Acacia Species Around the World' was published in November 2023. It has reviewed the 'biology, ecology, biogeography and management' of the clade of 1082 species. It examines their spread around the world both as commercial species and invasives. The book represents a very major contribution to the literature on acacias and includes 31 chapters written by 120 authors from 17 countries. The aim of this perspective paper is to provide useful introductory information to assist the management of native and plantation forests both in Australia and overseas under conditions of changing climates. It considers the following three key points that provide additional information to complement the 'Wattles' book: 1) The Atlas of Living Australia provides very detailed information on environmental conditions at native occurrence sites of acacia species, as well as powerful tools for bioclimatic analysis, 2) Australian advances in bioclimatic analysis provided not only the basis for modern species distribution modelling (SDM) but also for a 2023 SDM analysis of nearly 50 000 tree species, including most Australian Acacia species, 3) SDM analyses can help to suggest which Australian Acacia species and which occurrence areas may be most vulnerable to climate change impacts in future years. The development of a global tree trial database, which collates data from ex situ trials of Australian acacias, as well as for other woody species, is recommended. • A new book has reviewed the ecology/management of Australian Acacia species. • Modern species distribution modelling (SDM) was developed in Australia. • The Atlas of Living Australia provides occurrence data and SDM analysis tools. • Climatic requirements of most of the 1082 Acacia species have been analysed. • SDM analyses identify occurrences most vulnerable to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A timeframe of glacial and nonglacial intervals in the Carboniferous and Permian systems of eastern Australia was published by Fielding et al. (2008a). In this scheme, eight discrete intervals (four in the Carboniferous: C1-C4, and four in the Permian: P1-P4) in which indicators of glacial activity and cold climate were preserved alternated with intervals in which no such evidence is preserved. The timeframe has been widely used both to better understand the time-space distribution of glacial events in eastern Australia and as a basis for comparison with late Palaeozoic glacial events in other regions of the world. In the period since publication of that paper, a large inventory of new, radiogenic isotope ages has become available for the late Palaeozoic strata in eastern Australia, and the time ranges of the global stages of the Carboniferous and Permian have also been adjusted in the light of new age data. Accordingly, this paper presents a reappraisal of the Fielding et al. (2008a) timeframe, based on the much-improved chronostratigraphic database. Of the Carboniferous glaciations, only C1 has changed significantly, expanding in time range downward. Of the Permian glaciations, P1 and P2 remain as in the previous evaluation, whereas P3 and P4 become significantly younger in absolute time. Indeed, the close of P4, supported by a large number of high-precision ages, is now estimated to have occurred at 254.5 Ma, only 2.6 m.y. before the end-Permian biotic crisis and extinction event. Carbon isotopic records from Permian marine strata reveal that alternating glacial and nonglacial conditions in eastern Australia corresponded to changes in the global carbon cycle. Palaeoweathering proxies show that the intensity of chemical weathering during the late Palaeozoic in eastern Australia changed in response to climate swings, with nonglacial intervals likely becoming warmer and more humid through the course of the Permian. There are broad coincidences between the timing of glaciations in eastern Australia and those recorded elsewhere on Gondwana, but sufficient differences to support the conclusion that glaciations were not synchronized across the ancient landmass. The eastern Australian record persists in being the best-constrained in time anywhere in the world. • Time-space framework for late Palaeozoic glaciation in eastern Australia is revised. • C1 to C4 and P1 to P4 glaciations are retained. • P3 and P4 glaciations are younger than previously thought. • Close of P4 is at 254.5 Ma, only 2.6 m.y. before the end-Permian biotic crisis. • Despite some commonality, glaciations across Gondwana were not fully synchronized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]