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Rainfall-driven Episodic Flood Events: are they a major factor in moulding New South Wales arid land vegetation patterns?
- Source :
- Australian Geographer. 36:171-181
- Publication Year :
- 2005
- Publisher :
- Informa UK Limited, 2005.
-
Abstract
- Episodic high rainfall has been proposed as an important factor in perennial species recruitment but flooding based on rainfall at a distance from the site has received little attention. Although such flood events in arid Australia are rare, studies of the ephemeral Olary Creek indicate that occasional floods can also have a high impact on the vegetation and landscape. During February 1997, a high-rainfall event caused flooding in the Olary Creek. One branch of the creek created a terminal lake within mallee vegetation on Nagaela Station in far-western New South Wales. The flood path of Olary Creek and this terminal lake allow study of the importance of rainfall-driven flood events in shaping vegetation in arid environments. This paper reports (i) the response of arid land plant species to high-rainfall-driven episodic flood events and (ii) how grazing pressure from native and introduced herbivores can impact on native species response. A systematic study was conducted to understand the botanical...
Details
- ISSN :
- 14653311 and 00049182
- Volume :
- 36
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Australian Geographer
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........0aa8309de2cd4a1d4509528f6d41d130