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In this guest editor's introduction to this thematic volume on the historical archaeology of Queensland, Australia, I briefly discuss some of the history and archaeology of Queensland in light of some of the major themes currently being investigated. The papers presented in this volume are also introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finkl and Cathcart have proposed a macroengineering project to deliver water from the Fly River in Papua New Guinea via an undersea pipeline into northeast Australia, routed down the Diamantina River and thence into Lake Eyre. The proposal has historical antecedents but its scientific basis is very weak. No case is made for the usefulness or demand for the water in Australia. Little consideration is given to the environmental, social, and political issues that such a scheme would involve. Scientific papers that are referenced in support of the arguments in the paper in many cases do not deal with the issues on which they are quoted. The authors appear to have little understanding of the geography of the areas they are discussing, which leads them to make many erroneous assertions about these places. The paper contains a considerable amount of irrelevant and trivial material, such as the life history of HMS Fly. The subject matter of the paper lies well outside the stated subject area of the Journal of Coastal Research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has evolved as an environmental management and sustainability tool. Despite common principles shared by EIA globally, there are considerable variations in EIA processes across countries. In this paper, we reviewed and compared EIA processes of China, Queensland State of Australia and Nepal considering five key steps (selection of consultants, report preparation, public participation, report review and approval, and monitoring and evaluations) of EIA. Our review indicated that the EIA is well recognised in legal instruments in all state and countries under consideration and there are both similarities and differences in key steps of EIA. Monitoring of EIA recommendations and the integration of feedbacks from the past and current practices are important in improving EIA processes. This study also found that there are elements for possible improvement in existing EIA processes by each state and country introducing the best practices from others' EIA system. Some of the practices that Nepal can follow from the EIA processes of Queensland and China are licensing and accreditation of individuals and firms to conduct EIA, establishment of separate monitoring unit within regulating department, development of clear guidelines for approvals and monitoring, and the use of independent third-party auditing in EIA monitoring. The findings of this paper are useful in revising and improving EIA policies, practices and processes in the selected state, countries and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death in Australia. Longitudinal record linkage studies have the potency to influence clinical decision making to improve cardiac health. This paper describes the baseline characteristics of the Queensland Cardiac Record Linkage Cohort study (QCard). Methods: International Classification of Disease, 10th Revision Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM) diagnosis codes were used to identify CVD and comorbidities. Cost and adverse health outcomes (e.g., comorbidities, hospital-acquired complications) were compared between first-time and recurrent admissions. Descriptive statistics and standard tests were used to analyse the baseline data. Results: There were 132,343 patients with hospitalisations in 2010, of which 47% were recurrent admissions, and 53% were males. There were systematic differences between characteristics of recurrent and first-time hospitalisations. Patients with recurrent episodes were nine years older (70 vs. 61; p < 0.001) and experienced a twice higher risk of multiple comorbidities (3.17 vs. 1.59; p < 0.001). CVD index hospitalisations were concentrated in large metropolitan hospitals. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that linked administrative health data provide an effective tool to investigate factors determining the progress of heart disease. Our main finding suggests that recurrent admissions were associated with higher hospital costs and a higher risk of having adverse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In common with other Australian local government systems, Queensland local councils have experienced acute financial and other problems. In a collaborative attempt to address these problems, in 2005 the Queensland state government and the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) embarked on a Size, Shape and Sustainability (SSS) program to evaluate the sustainability of local councils and provide solutions to the problems the process was designed to unearth. The SSS process was hailed as the best example of voluntary cooperation between state authorities and local councils in the history of Australian local government reform. However, after almost two years, in a shock announcement on 17 April 2007 the Queensland Government unilaterally terminated the SSS program and established a Reform Commission to recommend a forced amalgamation across the state. This paper provides a critical appraisal of this drastic policy reversal by considering the official rationale for the 'U-turn' and the formal response of the LGAQ to the turnaround in the light of broader trends in Australian local government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the effect of soil/cement column diameter and spacing on bearing capacity beneath a road embankment situated on normally consolidated estuarine deposits in the South East Queensland region. The modelling was undertaken using the Finite Element method and the results are discussed with respect to the variation in parameters as described. A site investigation was undertaken during the planning stages for construction of the embankment to establish the soil profile on the site. A range of laboratory tests were performed on the undisturbed sample obtained during the investigation. The results of the laboratory tests and several alternative established methods were utilised to establish the Plaxis input parameters as discussed in this paper. The results of the analysis reveal a direct relationship between the ultimate bearing capacity and the area replacement ratio, providing a practical tool for estimating soil cement column spacings to achieve a required bearing capacity in South East Queensland conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The koala, Phascolarctos cinereus, is an iconic Australian wildlife species facing a rapid decline in South‐East Queensland (SEQLD). For conservation planning, the ability to estimate the size of koala populations is crucial. Systematic surveys are the most common approach to estimate koala populations but because of their cost they are often restricted to small geographic areas and are conducted infrequently. Public interest and participation in the collection of koala sighting data is increasing in popularity, but such data are generally not used for population estimation. We modeled monthly sightings of koalas reported by members of the public from 1997 to 2013 in SEQLD by developing a self‐exciting spatio‐temporal point process model. This allowed us to account for characteristics that are associated with koala presence (which vary over both space and time) while accounting for detection bias in the koala sighting process and addressing spatial clustering of observations. The density of koalas varied spatially due to the heterogeneous nature of koala habitat in SEQLD, with a mean density of 0.0019 koalas per km2 over the study period. The percentage of land areas with very low densities (0–0.0005 koalas per km2) remained similar throughout the study period representing, on average, 66% of the total study area. The approach described in this paper provides a useful starting point to allow greater use to be made of incidental koala sighting data. We propose that the model presented here could be used to combine systematic koala survey data (which is spatially restricted, but more precise) with koala sighting data (which is incidental and often biased by nature, but often collected over large geographical areas). Our approach could also be adopted for modeling the density of other wildlife species where data is collected in the same manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Cancer screening programmes for cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer have successfully reduced mortality rates among target groups. However, a large proportion of women and men are unscreened. Aim. This review aims to provide an overview of the literature regarding the determinants of cancer screening participation among target groups in Queensland. Methods. Electronic databases were searched for studies on determinants of cancer screening participation in Queensland. Retrieved studies were screened, and eligible articles were selected for data extraction. Both peer-reviewed and grey literature studies were included. The determinants of cancer screening participation were classified according to the I-Change model. Results. Sixteen out of 75 articles were selected and analysed. Information factors, such as the lack of tailored strategies, determined cancer screening participation. Age, gender, cultural beliefs, fear and past experiences were the most reported predisposing factors to cancer screening participation. Lack of knowledge, misconceptions, low awareness, timely access to service, privacy and confidentiality were mainly reported awareness and motivation factors. Encouragement from health professionals, providing more information and interactions with communities would result in different effects on cancer screening participation among the target groups. Discussion. The I-Change model is a valuable tool in mapping the current determinants of cancer screening participation programs. Further research may be needed to fully understand the barriers and facilitators of cancer screening programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Unconventional natural gas development (UNGD) is expanding globally, with Australia expanding development in the form of coal seam gas (CSG). Residents and other interest groups have voiced concerns about the potential environmental and health impacts related to CSG. This paper compares objective health outcomes from three study areas in Queensland, Australia to examine potential environmentally-related health impacts.Methods: Three study areas were selected in an ecologic study design: a CSG area, a coal mining area, and a rural/agricultural area. Admitted patient data, as well as population data and additional factors, were obtained for each calendar year from 1995 through 2011 to calculate all-age hospitalization rates and age-standardized rates in each of these areas. The three areas were compared using negative binomial regression analyses (unadjusted and adjusted models) to examine increases over time of hospitalization rates grouped by primary diagnosis (19 ICD chapters), with rate ratios serving to compare the within-area regression slopes between the areas.Results: The CSG area did not have significant increases in all-cause hospitalization rates over time for all-ages compared to the coal and rural study areas in adjusted models (RR: 1.02, 95 % CI: 1.00-1.04 as compared to the coal mining area; RR: 1.01, 95 % CI: 0.99-1.04 as compared to the rural area). While the CSG area did not show significant increases in specific hospitalization rates compared to both the coal mining and rural areas for any ICD chapters in the adjusted models, the CSG area showed increases in hospitalization rates compared only to the rural area for neoplasms (RR: 1.09, 95 % CI: 1.02-1.16) and blood/immune diseases (RR: 1.14, 95 % CI: 1.02-1.27).Conclusions: This exploratory study of all-age hospitalization rates for three study areas in Queensland suggests that certain hospital admissions rates increased more quickly in the CSG study area than in other study areas, particularly the rural area, after adjusting for key sociodemographic factors. These findings are an important first step in identifying potential health impacts of CSG in the Australian context and serve to generate hypotheses for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the numbers of tropical cyclones in the Coral Sea and the landfalling cyclones that have impacted the east coast of Queensland since 1969, with particular emphasis on those of Category 4 strength and above since 2011. It suggests that an apparent trend of increasing strength may be emerging that is consistent with climate modelling based on numerical weather models, and with other more recent studies. Some proposed revisions to the Australian Standard for Wind Actions, AS/NZS 1170.2, resulting from this are also discussed; this includes for the first time in the Standard, a 'climate change multiplier'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an historical archaeological examination of the socioeconomic relations of the Chinese and European communities of Cooktown in north Queensland during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It looks at the social landscape and production, exchange and consumption of material culture to show that the Chinese were not a disengaged group, as depicted in conventional understandings of colonial life, but integral to the town's socioeconomic fabric. This close relationship arose out of a process of negotiation between Chinese and Europeans which responded to the strengths, weaknesses and resources of their individual business networks, and the particular conditions of Cooktown's frontier environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mount Shamrock township was one of the earliest gold mining towns in the Upper Burnett district of Queensland, Australia. A study of the township and associated industrial area demonstrates the integration of town and mine in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This paper examines the relative permanence of the mining settlement and reveals a multifaceted landscape influenced not only by miners but by the women, children and other non-mining residents operating within distinct social and administrative frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes some features of public cyclone shelter design for tropical North Queensland Australia. These buildings are required to resist very high wind and windborne-debris speeds, in the context of apparently increasing numbers of very severe tropical cyclones affecting the Queensland coastline. An interesting aspect of the standard shelter design is the corner shaping and venting of the roof and walls, which are shown to significantly reduce the local wind pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant level of convective storm activity occurred in southeast Queensland during the period 16 to 20 November 2008. The various storm systems caused widespread damage to housing in many parts of Brisbane, although the peak gust wind speeds were estimated to be less than the current design wind speed for the city. Surveys of damage indicated that housing built post-1980 performed better than older housing, when building regulations were less stringent. Detailed inspections of damage showed that failures could be attributed to inadequate construction details, either built poorly or, for contemporary housing, not built in accordance with current requirements. The paper summarises some anomalies, and recommends improvement in design standards, codes and procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Police officers are amongst the strongest believers in the lunar hypothesis—the belief that the full moon affects human behaviour, yet most research fails to support this proposition. This paper examined eight years of calls for service data from a large metropolitan policing district in Brisbane, Australia. Between 2004 and 2011 data from more than 908,000 service calls were examined to determine if police received more requests for service during the full moon. The study found no support for the lunar hypothesis. It concluded that there was no statistically significant relationship between calls for service and the full moon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizens' attitudes towards and their perceptions of climate change are widely believed to influence citizens' actions related to climate change. Knowledge of these attitudes and willingness to pay (WTP) for environmental improvement can be useful in designing an environmental policy. Although citizens' attitudes and perceptions are likely to affect their WTP, they are rarely included in the non-market valuation. Furthermore, over time, attitudes and perceptions of environmental issues are likely to change. An understanding of temporal stability of attitudes towards climate change could shed the light on changes in citizens' WTP for environmental quality over time. This study examined changes in perceptions, attitudes, and actions towards climate change using two surveys in Queensland, Australia. The surveys were administered 10 years apart (2009 and 2018). The effect of attitudes over time on WTP was analysed using a contingent valuation (CV) method. The results confirmed that attitudes and perceptions of climate change were important factors affecting actions of respondents. Furthermore, over time, some attitudes and perceptions changed significantly. However, only some attitudes and perceptions were significant predictors of consumers' WTP for a change in environmental quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, establishing a judicial commission in response to allegations of police corruption has been a regular method used by Australian governments. In Queensland alone, no less than five major inquiries with a remit to examine police corruption took place during the 27 years between 1963 and 1989. By using historical criminology, it is possible to unpack the cyclical need for such commissions as well as the reasons that most were unable to realise their goal to stamp out corruption in the public service and, more specifically, the police. This research reveals several key areas of weakness in the temporary inquiry system, including narrow terms of reference and the potential for obstruction in the investigatory process. Based on this, this article identifies several viable policy proposals centred on a renewed commitment to standing anti-corruption bodies, separate from politics and with a broad remit to investigate police misconduct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aboriginal peoples have occupied the island continent of Australia for millennia. Over 500 different clan groups or nations with distinctive cultures, beliefs, and languages have learnt to live sustainably and harmoniously with nature. They have developed an intimate and profound relationship with the environment, and their use of native plants in food and medicine is largely determined by the environment they lived in. Over 1511 plant species have been recorded as having been used medicinally in Australia. Most of these medicinal plants were recorded from the Aboriginal communities in Northern Territory, New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia. Not much has yet been reported on Aboriginal medicinal plants of Queensland. Therefore, the main aim of this review is to collect the literature on the medicinal plants used by Aboriginal peoples of Queensland and critically assess their ethnopharmacological uses. Methods: The information used in this review was collected from archival material and uploaded into the Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre (TIEC) database. Archival material included botanist's journals/books and old hard copy books. Scientific names of the medicinal plant species were matched against the 'World Flora Online Plant List', and 'Australian Plant Census' for currently accepted species names to avoid repetition. An oral traditional medical knowledge obtained through interviewing traditional knowledge holders (entered in the TIEC database) has not been captured in this review to protect their knowledge. Results: This review identified 135 species of Queensland Aboriginal medicinal plants, which belong to 103 genera from 53 families, with Myrtaceae being the highest represented plant family. While trees represented the biggest habit, leaves were the most commonly used plant parts. Of 62 different diseases treated by the medicinal plants, highest number of plants are used for treating skin sores and infections. Few plants identified through this review can be found in other tropical countries but many of these medicinal plants are native to Australia. Many of these medicinal plants are also used as bush food by Aboriginal peoples. Conclusion: Through extensive literature review, we found that 135 medicinal plants native to Queensland are used for treating 62 different diseases, especially skin infections. Since these medicinal plants are also used as bush food and are rarely studied using the Western scientific protocols, there is a huge potential for bioprospecting and bush food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of historical archaeology to make a significant contribution to our understanding of Queensland's recent past is hindered by factors including few practitioners, limited publications about historical archaeological research and a need to establish its relevance beyond the archaeological community. There exists great opportunities in Queensland for researchers to explore a diverse range of research topics of which only some are beginning to be investigated through historical archaeological enquiry. This paper investigates the current state of the discipline in Queensland, the challenges practitioners face today and into the future, and the avenues down which historical archaeologists may make significant contributions to our understanding of Queensland's recent past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper details the distribution of Cu, Pb and Zn in aquatic systems draining Mount Isa Ag-Cu-Pb-Zn Mine in arid northern Queensland, Australia. Sediment-metal concentrations in the <2mm grain-size fraction adjacent to and downstream of the mine significantly exceed background concentrations (Cu, 159; Pb, 36; Zn, 86ppm) as well as Australian government sediment quality low trigger guidelines (Cu, 65; Pb, 50; Zn, 200ppm). Overbank sediments are more contaminated than channel sediments with mean values of Cu, 480; Pb, 540; Zn, 750ppm. Mean concentrations in cut riverbank samples from the <2mm fraction were Cu, 195; Pb, 724; Zn, 807ppm. Corresponding <180μm samples returned concentrations of Cu, 321; Pb, 995; Zn, 1110ppm. Delivery of contaminants during wet seasons from Mount Isa Mine and historically contaminated riverbanks remains an ongoing issue. The ease of dust entrainment in arid zones means that sediments enriched in toxic concentrations of metals may be widely dispersed and ultimately ingested and absorbed by biota. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Jakeman et al. (Jakeman, A.J., Letcher, R.A., Norton, J.P., 2006. Ten iterative steps in development and evaluation of environmental models. Environmental Modelling & Software 21, 602–614) outline ten steps in the pursuit of good practice in model development and application to increase the credibility and impact of results from environmental models. This paper shows how the ten steps of model development are relevant to numerical groundwater modelling, using a model of a data-rich coastal groundwater system near Bowen in Queensland, Australia as an example. The model is Geographic Information System-based and estimates the dynamical water balance using Darcy''s Law. The method, which is generally applicable to data-rich aquifers, proved cost and time effective and provided important insights to the groundwater dynamics of the area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In catchments adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area in Queensland, Australia, there is a growing concern that sediments and nutrients being exported from the land are having a detrimental effect on coral reef communities. There is a need to determine the processes and rates of erosion from the major land use types, so that management intervention can be initiated to reduce sediment yields where required. This paper presents a sediment budget for Weany Creek, a 13.5 km2 grazed semi-arid sub-catchment of the Burdekin River catchment, Australia. A range of field methods was used to measure erosion from hillslopes, gullies and stream banks, as well as identify the amount of sediment being deposited and remobilised on the bed of gullies and the stream network. The data suggests that at least during drought conditions, the primary erosion source in this catchment is gully erosion. However, the largest source of sediment in the budget is actually associated with the remobilisation of in-channel sediment stores. Overall, the sediment budget is comprised of ∼81% coarse material and 19% fine sediment and an agreement between the fine sediment yield estimated in the sediment budget and the yield measured at the catchment outlet is within 10%. The total sediment yield estimated for this catchment is ∼4205 t yr−1 and is much lower than expected for a catchment of this size. This may reflect the drought conditions during the measurement period; however, there is also the possibility that the primary erosion sources have been exhausted, and the rates of sediment loss may be much lower now than they may have been in the past. Nonetheless, the results show that stored sediment, which may have been deposited in the channel many decades ago, is an important contributor to end of catchment sediment yields and warrants further investigation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In order for policy makers to plan effectively for sustainable development, there is a need for measures of welfare that consider changes in the natural capital stock. Current measures based on conventional national accounting are flawed because they are based solely on flow measures and do not account for environmental effects. In this paper, we use an expanded measure of wealth to estimate the value of natural capital for Queensland. The state''s stock of natural capital is valued at A$355.6 billion, of which non-timber forest resources account for 45.3%, ecosystem services 20.0%, and mineral resources 17.6%. This figure is a conservative estimate of the true value since some significant components such as the ecological and life-support functions of the environment are excluded. The estimates highlight the relative importance of different forms of natural capital and can be used to draw the attention of policymakers to the need to give adequate weight to the value of such services in decision-making processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Thomson et al. (1997) proposed that the extant Elseya from the Nicholson-Gregory drainages in northwestern Queensland was conspecific with the holotype of Elseya lavarackorum, which comprised a fossil carapace and associated plastron excavated from the late Pleistocene Terrace Site at Riversleigh. Analysis of additional fossil material, and examination of a suite of 16 scute characters (eight for each of the carapace and plastron) by Joseph-Ouni et al. (2020) concluded that the two species were distinct and represented separate Elseya lineages and proposed the new name Elseya oneiros for the extant lineage. Recently, the Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (TTWG) in their 9th edition Checklist of Turtles of the World (TTWG 2021) questioned the status of E. oneiros and placed it in the synonymy of E. lavarackorum, making the claim, amongst others, that the skeletal characters of Thomson et al. (1997) were not addressed. Here we fully address the claims made and evaluate those skeletal characters. We also assess an additional nine thoracic skeletal characters of the pertinent Elseya species, including E. dentata sensu stricto. The results again do not support the conclusions of Thomson et al. (1997) of the holotype of Elseya lavarackorum being conspecific with the extant Elseya from the Nicholson-Gregory Rivers, reaffirms the proposal offered by Joseph-Ouni et al. (2020) for the placement of E. lavarackorum in the subgenus Elseya, and the status of E. oneiros in the Nicholson-Gregory drainages as a distinct species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas are often thought of as a key conservation strategy for avoiding deforestation and retaining biodiversity; therefore, it is crucial to know how effective they are at achieving this purpose. Using a case study from Queensland, Australia, we identified and controlled for bias in allocating strictly protected areas (IUCN Class I and II) and evaluated their impact (in terms of avoiding deforestation) using statistical matching methods. Over the 30 years between 1988 and 2018, approximately 70,481 km2 of native forest was cleared in the study region. Using statistical matching, we estimated that 10.5% (1,447 km2) of Category I and II (strict) protected areas would have been cleared in the absence of protection. Put differently, 89.5% of strictly protected areas are unlikely to have been cleared, even if they were never protected. While previous studies have used statistical matching at a country or state level, we conducted an analysis that allows regional comparison across a single State. Our research indicates that strictly protected areas are marginally effective at preventing deforestation, and this likely due to biases in establishing protected areas on unproductive land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) is a life-threatening infection of dogs with a global distribution. Information on the prevalence of D. immitis and associated risk factors for canine heartworm antigen positivity—and thus disease—in Australia is scarce or outdated. The current reference method for D. immitis diagnosis in dogs is via the detection of heartworm antigen in blood using commercially available microwell-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Heat treatment of canine plasma prior to testing has been suggested to increase test sensitivity. The aim of the current study was to estimate the prevalence of D. immitis in dogs confined to shelters in Queensland, Australia. The impact of heat treatment on antigen test results was also assessed. Methods: Blood samples (n = 166) were collected directly from dogs in seven shelters across Queensland (latitudinal span of approx. 1700 km) into EDTA blood collection tubes. A commercially available ELISA (DiroCHEK®) was used to detect canine heartworm antigen in untreated and heat-treated plasma. Whole blood was concurrently tested for the presence of microfilariae and D. immitis DNA using a modified Knott's test and real-time PCR, respectively. Risk factors (age, gender, source, location) associated with the odds of positivity for canine heartworm were assessed using binary logistic regression models. Results: A total of 16 dogs (9.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.9–15.2%) were positive for canine heartworm based on combined test results. Heat treatment did not impact on the positivity of D. immitis antigen within samples (Cohen's kappa = 0.98), but the optical density was significantly increased in paired plasma samples for D. immitis antigen-positive samples (Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test, two-tailed P < 0.01). Location of the dog in a shelter in northern Queensland was the only risk factor significantly associated with the odds of a dog being more likely to be D. immitis antigen positive (odds ratio: 4.39; 95% CI: 1.26–13.51). All samples positive for the modified Knott's test were also positive for D. immitis DNA by PCR. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the presence of heartworm-positive dogs in shelters in Queensland, with positive animals significantly more likely to occur in northern Queensland than southern Queensland. Sustained testing for the presence of D. immitis microfilariae and antigen remain important diagnostic tools in areas with known and re-emerging canine heartworm activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Three peak organisations in Queensland, Australia partnered with consumers and other health and social sector partners to co-design and pilot the first known integrated, health navigation model to improve outcomes for children and young people in care in Australia. Description: An Organisational Learning theoretical lens has been used to present a narrative case study of findings structured as key learnings from the Navigate Your Health pilot to inform quality improvement, scalability and program sustainability. A developmental evaluation was completed whereby semi-structured interviews, focus groups, surveys, chart reviews, database excerpts and economic modelling was completed alongside project documentation analyses to create an evaluation framework. Discussion: Findings highlighted the agency partners' drive to foster a more integrated and person-centred approach to care. The pilot's aim of improving health outcomes for a vulnerable population were achieved through a co-designed process which provided additional insights regarding partnerships, improvement, scalability and sustainability. Conclusion: Inter-agency responses to system fragmentation provide significant organisational learning opportunities. System integration is achievable through strengthened partnerships that can be sustained beyond a pilot phase to improve health outcomes for vulnerable/priority populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confronted by rapidly growing infection rates, hospitalizations and deaths, governments around the world have introduced stringent containment measures to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. This public health response has had an unprecedented impact on people's daily lives which, unsurprisingly, has also had widely observed implications in terms of crime and public safety. Drawing upon theories from environmental criminology, this study examines officially recorded property crime rates between March and June 2020 as reported for the state of Queensland, Australia. We use ARIMA modeling techniques to compute 6-month-ahead forecasts of property damage, shop theft, residential burglary, fraud, and motor vehicle theft rates and then compare these forecasts (and their 95% confidence intervals) with the observed data for March through to June. We conclude that, with the exception of fraud, all property offence categories declined significantly. For some offence types (shop stealing, other theft offences, and residential burglary), the decrease commenced as early as March. For other offence types, the decline was lagged and did not occur until April or May. Non-residential burglary was the only offence type to significantly increase, which it did in March, only to then decline significantly thereafter. These trends, while broadly consistent across the state's 77 local government areas still varied in meaningful ways and we discuss possible explanations and implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the Callide Valley closer settlement scheme was opened in central Queensland in 1927 its design was based on a gendered rural ideal. A farming man was to be hard-working, stoic and tough, able to withstand the unpredictable climate and environmental conditions to tame the land, build the new nation and provide for his family; acts by which he could construct and demonstrate his settler masculinity, while cultivating the land. Through an analysis of settler correspondence to a Queensland government enquiry in 1934, this article problematises the myths of masculinity in this rural community to explore the emotional and mental strain on male settlers when the environment posed limits to settler economic and agricultural success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crocodylian fossil record from the Cenozoic of Australasia is notable for its rich taxonomic diversity, and is primarily represented by members of the clade Mekosuchinae. Reports of crocodylian fossils from Australia date back to the late nineteenth century. In 1886, Charles Walter de Vis proposed the name Pallimnarchus pollens for crocodylian fossils from southeast Queensland--the first binomen given to an extinct crocodylian taxon from Australia. Pallimnarchus has come to be regarded as a large, broad-snouted crocodylian from Australia's Plio-Pleistocene, and numerous specimens, few of which are sufficiently complete, have been assigned to it by several authors throughout the twentieth century. In the late 1990s, the genus was expanded to include a second species, Pallimnarchus gracilis. Unfortunately, the original syntype series described as Pallimnarchus pollens is very fragmentary and derives from more than one taxon, while a large part of the subsequently selected lectotype specimen is missing. Because descriptions and illustrations of the complete lectotype do not reveal any autapomorphic features, we propose that Pallimnarchus pollens should be regarded as a nomen dubium. Following this decision, the fossil material previously referred to Pallimnarchus is of uncertain taxonomic placement. A partial skull, formerly assigned to Pallimnarchus pollens and known as 'Geoff Vincent's specimen', possesses many features of diagnostic value and is therefore used as basis to erect a new genus and species--Paludirex vincenti gen. et sp. nov. A comprehensive description is given for the osteology of 'Geoff Vincent's specimen' as well as aspects of its palaeoneurology, the latter being a first for an extinct Australian crocodyliform. The newly named genus is characterized by a unique combination of premaxillary features such as a distinctive arching of the anterior alveolar processes of the premaxillae, a peculiar arrangement of the first two premaxillary alveoli and a large size disparity between the 3rd and 4th premaxillary alveoli. These features presently allow formal recognition of two species within the genus, Paludirex vincenti and Paludirex gracilis comb. nov., with the former having comparatively more robust rostral proportions than the latter. The Paludirex vincenti holotype comes from the Pliocene Chinchilla Sand of the Darling Downs, south-eastern Queensland, whereas the material assigned to Paludirex gracilis is from the Pleistocene of Terrace Site Local Fauna, Riversleigh, northwest Queensland. Phylogenetic analyses recover Paludirex vincenti as a mekosuchine, although further cladistic assessments are needed to better understand the relationships within the clade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ross River virus (RRV) is responsible for the most common vector-borne disease of humans reported in Australia. The virus circulates in enzootic cycles between multiple species of mosquitoes, wildlife reservoir hosts and humans. Public health concern about RRV is increasing due to rising incidence rates in Australian urban centres, along with increased circulation in Pacific Island countries. Australia experienced its largest recorded outbreak of 9544 cases in 2015, with the majority reported from south east Queensland (SEQ). This study examined potential links between disease patterns and transmission pathways of RRV.Methods: The spatial and temporal distribution of notified RRV cases, and associated epidemiological features in SEQ, were analysed for the period 2001-2016. This included fine-scale analysis of disease patterns across the suburbs of the capital city of Brisbane, and those of 8 adjacent Local Government Areas, and host spot analyses to identify locations with significantly high incidence.Results: The mean annual incidence rate for the region was 41/100,000 with a consistent seasonal peak in cases between February and May. The highest RRV incidence was in adults aged from 30 to 64 years (mean incidence rate: 59/100,000), and females had higher incidence rates than males (mean incidence rates: 44/100,000 and 34/100,000, respectively). Spatial patterns of disease were heterogeneous between years, and there was a wide distribution of disease across both urban and rural areas of SEQ. Overall, the highest incidence rates were reported from predominantly rural suburbs to the north of Brisbane City, with significant hot spots located in peri-urban suburbs where residential, agricultural and conserved natural land use types intersect.Conclusions: Although RRV is endemic across all of SEQ, transmission is most concentrated in areas where urban and peri-urban environments intersect. The drivers of RRV transmission across rural-urban landscapes should be prioritised for further investigation, including identification of specific vectors and hosts that mediate human spillover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Renal biopsy is often required to obtain information for diagnosis, management and prognosis of kidney disease that can be broadly classified into acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The most common conditions identified on renal biopsy are glomerulonephritis and tubulo-interstitial disorders. There is a paucity of information on management strategies and therapeutic outcomes in AKI and CKD patients. A renal biopsy registry will provide information on biopsy-proven kidney disorders to improve disease understanding and tracking, healthcare planning, patient care and outcomes.Methods: A registry of patients, that includes biopsy-proven kidney disease, was established through the collaboration of nephrologists from Queensland Hospital and Health Services and pathologists from Pathology Queensland services. The registry is in keeping with directions of the Advancing Kidney Care 2026 Collaborative, established in September 2018 as a Queensland Health initiative. Phase 1 of the registry entailed retrospective acquisition of data from all adult native kidney biopsies performed in Queensland, Australia, from 2002 to 2018. Data were also linked with the existing CKD.QLD patient registry. From 2019 onwards, phase 2 of the registry involves prospective collection of all incident consenting patients referred to Queensland public hospitals and having a renal biopsy. Annual reports on patient outcomes will be generated and disseminated.Discussion: Establishment of the Queensland Renal Biopsy Registry (QRBR) aims to provide a profile of patients with biopsy-proven kidney disease that will lead to better understanding of clinico-pathological association and facilitate future research. It is expected to improve patient care and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite exponential increases in the coverage of protected areas (PAs) over recent decades, global biodiversity continues to decline. One explanation for this lack of success is that the efficacy of conservation prioritization strategies is rarely measured in terms of conservation "impact," which requires comparing proposed PA networks to a counterfactual scenario in which no intervention is applied. This approach contrasts with measuring efficacy using surrogates for conservation impact, such as the extent, total biodiversity value, or representativeness of a proposed PA network. However, implementing an experimental counterfactual scenario is difficult because of time, funding, and ethical constraints. Here, we use an alternative and complementary approach: an ex‐post analysis with counterfactual outcomes measured using historical empirical data on changes in biodiversity in unprotected landscapes. This approach allows for the comparison of different retrospectively implemented prioritization strategies to a real counterfactual outcome. In our analysis, we predict the impact of several alternative PA prioritization strategies in Queensland, Australia, using high‐resolution datasets of vegetation clearing, habitat type, and land acquisition cost. Our results show that achieving conventional conservation targets does not equate to achieving impact, and that alternative, and relatively simple, prioritization strategies can achieve far greater impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge on the pygmy grasshoppers of Australia is, despite the numerous endemics being described from this unique continent, still scarce. Of interest is the Vingselina genus group, including genera Anaselina Storozhenko, 2019, Paraselina Storozhenko, 2019, Selivinga Storozhenko, 2019 and Vingselina Sjöstedt, 1921. The systematic position of this group, currently assigned to Batrachideinae (Bufonidini), is probably not correct. In this study new records are presented of Anaselina minor (Sjöstedt, 1921), Paraselina brunneri (Bolívar, 1887), P. trituberculata (Sjöstedt, 1932), and Selivinga tribulata Storozhenko, 2019, all except A. minor the first records of the species since their original descriptions. The first photographs of living specimens of A. minor, P. brunneri, P. trituberculata and S. tribulata are provided and their habitats described. All the records were compiled by citizen scientists who use online social media, such as iNaturalist. Lastly, P. multifora (Rehn, 1952) syn. nov. represents a junior synonym of P. brunneri. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health systems in Australia and worldwide are increasingly expected to conduct research and quality improvement activities in addition to delivering clinical care and training health professionals. This study aims to inform a research impact evaluation at a regional Australian Hospital and Health Service by developing a programme theory showing how research investment is expected to have impact.Methods: This qualitative study, representing the first phase of a larger mixed methods research impact evaluation at the Townsville Hospital and Health Service (THHS), adopts a realist-informed design involving the development of a programme theory. Data were obtained between February and May 2019 from strategic documentation and interviews with six current and former health service executives and senior employees. Inductive themes were integrated into a conceptual framework to visually represent the programme theory.Results: Research at THHS has developed organically as the service has matured into a regional tertiary referral service serving a diverse rural and remote population across northern Queensland. Throughout this journey, individual THHS leaders often adopted a research development mantle despite disincentives arising from a performance-driven reporting and activity-based funding service context. Impact expectations from research investment at THHS were identified in the categories of enhanced research activity and capacity among clinicians, and improved clinical practice, health workforce capability and stability, and patient and population health. Seven contextual factors were identified as potential enablers or obstacles to these impact expectations and ambitions.Conclusions: By identifying both relevant impact types and key contextual factors, this study offers programme theory to inform a planned research impact evaluation at THHS. The conceptual framework may be useful in other regionally based health service settings. More broadly, there are opportunities for future research to test and refine hybrid versions of linear and realist research impact evaluation models that combine resource-intensive, theory-driven approaches with policy practicality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of carnivorous sponge, Lycopodina coralseaensis sp. nov., family Cladorhizidae, is described from the Louisiade Plateau, Coral Sea, off the east coast of Australia at bathyal depths of ~2000 m, collected during the RV Investigator 2019 voyage. The new species differs from other Lycopodina with stipitate morphology by lacking forceps microscleres, similar to L. nikitawimandi Ekins et al., 2020a but differing in having only a very small single size class of palmate anisochelae, and most importantly by having a third category of mycalostyle echinating the stem and basal holdfast. This new species is the sixth Lycopodina recently described as new from the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone (L. nikitawimandi, L. helios, L. cassida, L. brochidodroma and L. hystrix), bringing the total number of carnivorous sponges known so far from Australia to 26. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphology of the adaxial structures of cones belonging to Palissya Endlicher 1847 emend. nov. are reinterpreted based on exquisitely preserved permineralised material from the Lower Cretaceous of Queensland. Although the material was not found in situ, it likely derives from the Orallo Formation, which is Valanginian in age. The cones have dual vascular bundles in each bract/scale complex, and the different tissue types in the bract and ovule/scale complex support interpretation of the cone as a compound structure. Since the early twentieth century it has been widely accepted that each ovule is surrounded by a cup-shaped structure, but the detailed morphology of the "cup" has hitherto been unclear. These new three-dimensionally preserved specimens with in situ ovules are described as Palissya tillackiorum sp. nov. This study demonstrates that the "cup" is formed from a pair of thin scales that subtend but are not fused to each ovule; each pair of scales comprises a thicker outer and thinner inner scale. The organographic relationships among ovules and scales in Palissya show a high degree of synorganisation. The adaxial surface of the bract/scale complex has 2–6 pairs of erect (orthotropous) ovules. The ovule/scale units are arranged symmetrically in two parallel rows on either side of the midline of the bract/scale. Individual ovule/scale units are comparable to those seen in extant Podocarpaceae and Taxaceae. The ovules are thin-walled and are interpreted to have a single integument and a non-thickened (non-lignified) micropyle. These new insights allow reinterpretation of material previously referred to Palissya. A new species is described from Yorkshire, England, as P. harrisii C.R. Hill ex Pattemore & Rozefelds sp. nov. All species based on well preserved cones are reconsidered herein: P. sphenolepis (Braun 1843) Nathorst 1908 emend. Florin 1958, P. elegans Parris, Drinnan & Cantrill 1995 emend. nov., P. bartrumii Edwards 1934 emend. nov., P. antarctica Cantrill 2000 and P. hunanensis Wang 2012. Palissya ovalis Parris et al. 1995 differs structurally from Palissya and is transferred to Knezourocarpon Pattemore 2000 emend. nov. Representatives of this genus may superficially resemble those of Palissya in compressions and impressions, and their congeneric status has been previously suggested; hence its inclusion in this study. Knezourocarpon has adaxial processes that are positioned in two parallel rows but it lacks ovules and paired lateral scales that formed a cup-shape, and its processes attach directly to a central vascular trace. The improved understanding of Palissya's morphology allows for definite separation of these genera, although the higher-order affiliation of Knezourocarpon remains unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eastern Australian millipede genus Cladethosoma Chamberlin, 1920 is represented in Queensland by C. monticola sp. nov., C. musgravei sp. nov., C. toowoomba sp. nov., and C. uncinatum Jeekel, 1987. The three new species all occur in the southeast of the State and are likely to be small-range endemics. C. toowoomba sp. nov. was first recorded in 2017 as a digital image on BowerBird, an Australian citizen science website. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent field surveys have collected more information on the poorly known species, Lerista rochfordensis. Previously known only from one dry rainforest patch of around 2 000 hectares in northern Queensland, the species was discovered in a neighbouring patch, 8 km distant, itself about 1 600 hectares in extent. The two populations are separated by cleared grazing land and the Kirk River, an ephemeral tributary of the Burdekin River. Statistically significant but comparatively small genetic and morphological divergence was observed between the two populations, suggesting they should still be considered conspecific under the Evolutionary Species Concept but are undergoing allopatric speciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal seam gas (CSG) production requires the extraction of large volumes of water. Discharges of the extracted water into the environment occur via authorised temporary permits or through accidental releases. The purpose of this study is to assess the risk to shallow groundwater aquifers from potential CSG water releases in Queensland, Australia. A GIS based methodology was used to identify vulnerable shallow aquifers by overlaying a series of risk factors, which increase the likelihood of flow from the ground surface into aquifers below. We identified where the vulnerable aquifers are located and estimate that about 10,000 people live in these areas. The GIS based exposure mapping approach applied here provides a useful „first-pass. assessment of areas with CSG activity. Areas identified as potentially high risk should be prioritised for further detailed investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of the five known incursions of the highly invasive Red Imported Fire Ant in Australia, two are regarded to have been eradicated. As treatment efforts continue, and the programme evolves and new tools become available, eradication is still considered to be feasible for the remaining Red Imported Fire Ant populations with long-term commitment and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Veterinary infection control for the management of Hendra virus (HeV), an emerging zoonosis in Australia, remained suboptimal until 2010 despite 71.4% (5/7) of humans infected with HeV being veterinary personnel or assisting a veterinarian, three of whom died before 2009. The aim of this study was to identify the perceived barriers to veterinary infection control and HeV management in private veterinary practice in Queensland, where the majority of HeV outbreaks have occurred in Australia. Results Most participants agreed that a number of key factors had contributed to the slow uptake of adequate infection control measures for the management of HeV amongst private veterinarians: a work culture characterised by suboptimal infection control standards and misconceptions about zoonotic risks; a lack of leadership and support from government authorities; the difficulties of managing biosecurity and public health issues from a private workforce perspective; and the slow pattern of emergence of HeV. By 2010, some infection control and HeV management changes had been implemented. Participants interviewed agreed that further improvements remained necessary; but also cautioned that this was a complex process which would require time. Conclusion Private veterinarians and government authorities prior to 2009 were unprepared to handle new slowly emerging zoonoses, which may explain their mismanagement of HeV. Slowly emerging zoonoses may be of low public health significance but of high significance for specialised groups such as veterinarians. Private veterinarians, who are expected to fulfil an active biosecurity and public health role in the frontline management of such emerging zoonoses, need government agencies to better recognise their contribution, to consult with the veterinary profession when devising guidelines for the management of zoonoses and to provide them with greater leadership and support. We propose that specific infection control guidelines for the management of slowly emerging zoonoses in private veterinary settings need to be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence of fatal and non-fatal Low Speed Vehicle Run Over (LSVRO) events among children aged 0-15 years in Queensland, Australia, at a population level. Methods: Fatal and non-fatal LSVRO events that occurred in children resident in Queensland over eleven calendar years (1999-2009) were identified using ICD codes, text description, word searches and medical notes clarification, obtained from five health related data bases across the continuum of care (pre-hospital to fatality). Data were manually linked. Population data provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics were used to calculate crude incidence rates for fatal and non-fatal LSVRO events. Results: There were 1611 LSVROs between 1999-2009 (IR = 16.87/100,000/annum). Incidence of non-fatal events (IR = 16.60/100,000/annum) was 61.5 times higher than fatal events (IR = 0.27/100,000/annum). LSVRO events were more common in boys (IR = 20.97/100,000/annum) than girls (IR = 12.55/100,000/annum), and among younger children aged 0-4 years (IR = 21.45/100000/annum; 39% or all events) than older children (5-9 years: IR = 16.47/ 100,000/annum; 10-15 years IR = 13.59/100,000/annum). A total of 896 (56.8%) children were admitted to hospital for 24 hours of more following an LSVRO event (IR = 9.38/100,000/annum). Total LSVROs increased from 1999 (IR = 14.79/100,000) to 2009 (IR = 18.56/100,000), but not significantly. Over the 11 year period, there was a slight (non -significant) increase in fatalities (IR = 0.37-0.42/100,000/annum); a significant decrease in admissions (IR = 12.39-5.36/100,000/annum), and significant increase in non-admissions (IR = 2.02-12.77/100,000/annum). Trends over time differed by age, gender and severity. Conclusion: This is the most comprehensive, population-based epidemiological study on fatal and non-fatal LSVRO events to date. Results from this study indicate that LSVROs incur a substantial burden. Further research is required on the characteristics and risk factors associated with these events, in order to adequately inform injury prevention. Strategies are urgently required in order to prevent these events, especially among young children aged 0-4 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preliminary historical archaeological research on Lizard Island in far north Queensland is enabling the Queensland Government to develop more effective management strategies for on-site interpretation of the historical precinct of Watsons Bay. Although popularly associated with the north Queensland colonial heroine Mary Watson, the Bay can now be understood as a large multilayered cultural landscape with meaning to a wide variety of groups. The common aspects of the three known beche-de-mer operations that occupied the Bay between 1860 and 1881 and the nature of the emerging archaeological record afford many opportunities for scaled archaeological research. It further highlights aspects of historical archaeological theory and the relationship between the discipline and the historical record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten bird species were quantified as nonresidents in tropical wet sclerophyll forest, northeast Queensland, Australia: the banded honeyeaterCerthionyx pectoralis(Gould, 1841), leaden flycatcherMyiagra rubecula(Latham, 1801), white-throated needletailHirundapus caudacutus(Latham, 1802), black-faced monarchMonarcha melanopsis(Vieillot, 1818), shining bronze-cuckooChrysococcyx lucidus(Gmelin, 1788), satin flycatcherMyiagra cyanoleuca(Vieillot, 1818), spangled drongoDicrurus bracteatus(Gould, 1842), slender-billed cicadabirdCoracina tenuirostris(Jardine, 1831), satin bowerbirdPtilonorhynchus violaceus(Vieillot, 1816), and mistletoebirdDicaeum hirundinaceum(Shaw & Nodder, 1792). These nonresident species comprised 23% of the abundant and common bird species (n = 44) in the tropical wet sclerophyll forest during our study period (September 1995–October 1997). The greatest density of nonresident birds (0.674 individuals/ha) was during January–February (mid–late summer, wet season) when nine of the species were present. In contrast, the lowest density of nonresident birds (0.058 individuals/ha) was during July–August (mid–late winter, dry season) when only three of the species were present. As climate change continues, we expect that the arrival and departure times, the lengths of stay, and the elevational distributions of the nonresident birds in the tropical wet sclerophyll forest will shift. Our study contributes to the baseline against which future studies of the 10 nonresident bird species can be compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst extensive clearance of forests in the eastern Australian Brigalow Belt Bioregion (BBB) has occurred since European settlement, appropriate management of those that are regenerating can facilitate restoration of biomass (carbon) and biodiversity to levels typical of relatively undisturbed or remnant formations. However, maps of forests are different stages of regeneration are needed to facilitate restoration planning, including prevention of further re-clearing. Focusing on the Tara Downs subregion of the BBB and on forests with brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) as a component, this research establishes a method for differentiating and mapping early, intermediate and remnant growth stages from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) Phased-Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) Fine Beam Dual (FBD) L-band HH- and HV-polarisation backscatter and Landsat-derived Foliage Projective Cover (FPC). Using inventory data collected from 74 plots, located in the Tara Downs subregion, forests were assigned to one of three regrowth stages based on their height and cover relative to that of undisturbed stands. The image data were then segmented into objects with each assigned to a growth stage by comparing the distributions of L-band HV and HH polarisation backscatter and FPC to that of reference distributions using a z-test. Comparison with independent assessments of growth stage, based on time-series analysis of aerial photography and SPOT images, established an overall accuracy of >70%, with this increasing to 90% when intermediate regrowth was excluded and only early-stage regrowth and remnant classes were considered. The proposed method can be adapted to respond to amendments to user-definitions of growth stage and, as regional mosaics of ALOS PALSAR and Landsat FPC are available for Queensland, has application across the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prosopodesmus crater sp. n., P. kirrama sp. n. and P. monteithi sp. n. are described from the Wet Tropics of north Queensland. The hothouse species P. panporus Blower & Rundle, 1980 is recorded from rainforest on Queensland's Cape York Peninsula, where it is likely to be native. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model of the mosquito-mangrove basin ecosystem is presented detailing the habitat of the saltwater mosquito Aedes vigilax utilizing mangrove basin forests in Australia. The modeling included a synthesis of empirical observations and published descriptions including the insect's relevant life-stages, mangrove basin topography and hydrodynamics. Shallow mangrove basins periodically connected by only the highest 10% of high tides with a hummocky substrate micro-topography characterize the main mangrove form conducive to Ae. vigilax breeding. Other essential features include the synchronization of the mosquito's lifecycle to basin hydrodynamics and thus an intricate relationship between hydrodynamics and basin structure. Very small decreases in basin water level (~1 cm/day) lead to significant decreases in extent of standing water (for example, 60% over 6 days) across the basin. This results in corresponding increases in the extent of exposed substrate. Also, the modeling demonstrated sensitivity of the mosquito-mangrove basin ecosystem to sea level changes. A hydrologic model of the basin was used to predict mosquito breeding episodes which were tested against a mosquito management larviciding program. The model predicted 75% of all 29 larviciding treatments undertaken. Comparing the model against the two triggers used by mosquito control, tides and rainfall, the model predicted 92% of tidally instigated treatments and 60% of rainfall instigated treatments. Application of the model enables consideration of environment-based minimal habitat modification for mosquito control in mangroves, not previously possible. The model will be applicable to similar species, such as Ae. taeniorhynchus, found in Florida's (USA) mangroves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To enhance our understanding of the evolutionary interactions between seed-dispersal syndromes, life-forms, seed size, and habitat characteristics by studying their association with the regional-scale distributions of subtropical rain-forest plants in the context of climatic gradients. Location South-east Queensland, subtropical eastern Australia (152° E, 26° S). Methods We classified 250 rain-forest sites into six floristic site-groups based on their woody plant composition. The resulting classification was strongly associated with variation in rainfall. The distribution of species across the floristic site-groups was used to assign 568 species to seven habitat classes (one class for ‘widespread’ species, with all other species classified according to the site-group within which they were most frequent). Species were also classified for three other categorical life-history factors: three dispersal syndromes based on diaspore morphology (fleshy, wind-assisted, and unadorned); four life-forms (trees, shrubs and small trees, tall climbers, and short and shrubby climbers); and four seed-diameter classes (< 3 mm, ≥ 3 and < 4.5 mm, ≥ 4.5 and < 7 mm, and ≥ 7 mm). We used a basic comparative approach augmented by simple phylogenetically constrained comparisons to assess association between dispersal syndrome, seed size, life-form, and habitat class. Results Across the rain forests of south-east Queensland, the proportion of species with fleshy diaspores or of large stature increases with rainfall. High-rainfall sites also have larger average seed sizes, but the difference in average seed size between high- and low-rainfall sites is small compared with variation within sites. Among species, those with fleshy fruit tend to have larger seeds and to favour high-rainfall sites. Very few small trees produce diaspores adapted for wind-assisted dispersal. On average, species with unadorned diaspores have smaller seeds than those with fleshy diaspores. However, within sites, species with unadorned and fleshy diaspores have similar average seed sizes, and some species with unadorned diaspores from high-rainfall habitats have extremely large seeds. Main conclusions Commonly observed associations between fleshy fruit, larger plants, larger seeds, and productive habitats are apparent within the rain-forest flora of south-east Queensland. However, these associations are generally weak and involve complex interactions. For example, the strong tendency for species with fleshy fruit to have larger seeds than those with unadorned diaspores concealed a significant group of species from wetter forests that produce extremely large seeds and unadorned diaspores. The most widespread species in this study tend to be large plants (particularly robust lianes) and to produce fleshy fruit, but they tend not to have relatively large seeds. The association between large seeds, large plants, fleshy fruit and productive habitats is discussed as part of an evolutionary strategy favouring fitness in populations close to carrying capacity. We review some problems with focusing on establishment chances per seed as the driver towards association between large seeds, large plants and productive rain-forest habitats (the difficult-establishment hypothesis). Instead we suggest that production of large, short-lived seeds by long-lived plants in temporally stable, closed habitats may reflect the limited evolutionary potential for strategies enhancing colonization (e.g. producing large numbers of dormant seeds), thus allowing the establishment benefits of large seeds greater selective influence (the slow-replacement hypothesis). The association of fleshy fruit with large seeds probably reflects the difficulty of dispersing large seeds by other means (the difficult-dispersal hypothesis). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on a qualitative research conducted by the authors in an attempt to explore the historical context of the deterioration of the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. The authors have presented evidence of extensive mining activity in the Great Barrier Reef over a period ranging from 1844 to 1940. They have focused on four kinds of industries including phosphatic sandstone, guano, rock phosphate and coral mining. Findings of research suggest that historical mining in the Great Barrier Reef has their impacts left over the landscape of several islands and cays.