Australian Vegetation

Front 1

1.List the six most important features of the Australian vegetation that indicate it is unique in composition and structure. (3)

Back 1

High degree of endemicity
High level of seeds dispersed by ants
Deciduous trees are rare
Dominated by myrtaceae, and Fabaceae
Unique forms such as mallee
Adaptation to fire and aridity - sceromorphy

Front 2

2.List nine reasons why vegetation classification is important.

Back 2

Communication
Comparison of composition
Deduction of generations about range of compositional variation
Correlation of vegetation with environment
Assessment of resource potential
Prediction of future changes
Critical to planning for improved management
Facilitates priority setting for invesment
Provides basis for monitoring effects of intervention

Front 3

3.What are the three most dominant Major Vegetation Groups (MVGs) in Australia?

Back 3

Hummock grassland 18%
Eucalypt Woodland 12 %
Acacia scrubland 11%

Front 4

4.What are the most restricted MVGs in Australia

Back 4

Rainforests and vine thickets
Eucalypt tall open forests
Callitris forests and woodlands
Low closed forests and tall closed scrublands
Mangroves
Heathlands
Eucalypt low open forests

Front 5

5.What are the ranges in height of the following MVGs?
• Tall Open Forest (TOF)
• Open Forest (OF)
• Low Open Forest (LOF)

Back 5

TOF >30m
EOF 10-30m
ELOF 5-10m

Front 6

6.List the three main factors that determine the understoreys of TOF. Which is the principle factor?

Back 6

Understorey depends on
- soil type
- climate
- time since fire

Front 7

7.List nine issues for management of sclerophyll forests?

Back 7

• Clearing/edge effects.
• Wildlife corridor re-establishment between remnants.
• Isolation and faunal barriers caused by roads/powerlines.
• Tourist/visitor management.
• Fire – e.g. - from surrounding land uses - from use as a tool for regenerating forests e.g. Karri,
Mountain Ash & flooded gum
- protection of life and property versus management of biological values).
• Disease management
• Weed control
• Feral animals
• Forest management for multiple values

Front 8

8.Initially after a fire in TOF there is a high density of seedlings, which results in reducing evapotranspiration. There are three reasons for this reduction in evapotranspiration. What are they?

Back 8

The high density of seedlings causes a high humidity, lowers temperatures & protects from drying winds, all of which are important as they reduce evapotranspiration.

Front 9

List four plant families that are particularly susceptible to Phytophthora cinnamomi. (2)

Back 9

Particularly susceptible families include:
Proteaceae,
Epacridaceae,
Dilleneacae
Fabaceae
Xanthorreaceae

Front 10

There are three main reasons why eucalypt seeds generally do not germinate under a
mature TOF canopy. What are they? (3)

Back 10

Require high levels of light which are not present under the canopy
Seeds require heat to stimulate germination.
-ants harvest too much of the seed
-seed buried too deeply
-no light for germination

Front 11

6. What ecosystem services do bryophytes provide? List ten.(5)

Back 11

Ecosystem services:
Soil stabilisation
Maintaining invertebrate & bird diversity
Role in hydrology
Role in nutrient dynamics
Phytoremediation/pollution monitoring
Establishment of vascular plants
Carbon sink
Decomposition
Mitigation of temperature extremes
Spiritual/aesthetics

Front 12

List the three main factors that determine the understoreys of Tall Open Forest. Which is the principal factor? (3)

Back 12

10mTall Open Forest Understorey depends on:
•soil types
•climate &
•time since fire.

Front 13

There is some evidence that mistletoe may have a symbiotic relationship with its host except if there is an environmental stress such as roadworks. Explain (5)

Back 13

Effects of mistletoe are variable It is commonly considered that the mistletoe is detrimental to the host but some argue against this.The affects of mistletoe can depend on:
Extent of population (number, size, vigour)
Species, age & health of both mistletoe & host
Environmental conditions (moisture availability, insect predation)
Effects noted on hosts
•Dieback of supporting limb or region beyond hostBy Blockage of water transport by the mistletoe.
•host abscission of the limb could occur.
•decrease in host vigour could occur.
2
7
Seed mortality –dessiccationdeposited on unsuited surfacedislodgementpredationGerminationSeedling mortality due to:Incompatible hostPredationDesiccation orStarvation prior to host penetrationEstablishment compatible environmentcompatible hosthealthy host
8
Effects of mistletoe are variableIt is commonly considered that the mistletoe is detrimental to the host but some argue against this.The affects of mistletoe can depend on:
Extent of popu

Front 14

In terms of leaf type, explain why eucalypts decrease in tree density as a forest ages. (2)

Back 14

the seedlings are tolerant of relatively low light.ie have horizontal, dorsiventral
foliage= Important as juveniles grow in dense populations.As the seedling matures,
iso-bilateral leaves develop& the light compensation point (photosynthesis =
respiration) increases sharply
>more light needed
>thinning

Front 15

What are the three core objectives of the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development? (3)

Back 15

The Core Objectives are:

to enhance individual and community well-being and welfare by following a path of economic development that safeguards the welfare of future generations
to provide for equity within and between generations
to protect biological diversity and maintain essential ecological processes and life-support systems

Front 16

Peak productivity in mallee vegetation post fire may be reached after about 15 years but a plateau may not be reached until about 35 years. In terms of fire management for plant biodiversity, why is it important to understand when a plateau is reached (3)

Back 16

Regenerating mallee (15yrs) has almost twice the productivity of mature mallee (55yrs).
eg. 5406 versus 2379 kg ha yr.
corresponding leaf area indices (LAI) = 0.57 vs 0.73.
Understorey shrubs make up only 2.3% of the total standing biomass 55 yrs after fire. Peak productivity may be reached after about 15 years but a plateau may not be reached until about 35 years post fire.
This is important for management,
as different fire regimes will promote different vegetation.
This time period to reach a plateau gives a rough guide to the length of time needed between fires to ensure maximal levels of species survival for species regenerating from underground lignotubers and rootstocks.
AS
This time interval should be sufficient to prevent depletion of lignotuber and rootstock food reserves.

Front 17

Discuss the stability of rainforest boundaries(5)

Back 17

Rainforest boundaries may be sharp or broad.
In North Queensland boundaries are sharp and stable, because low to moderate intensity fires are easily extinguished so boundary species regenerate well, coppicing. Fertile soils also help maintain boundary.
In southern Australia, both sharp and broad boundaries.
TOF with rainforest understorey produces high fuel loads, leads to intense fires, but is dominated by fire sensetive species. Eucalypts cannot regenerate seeds in poor light of the forest floor.. After fire takes 100 years for forest to regenerate.
Water stress may limit rainforest extent nso distribution dependant on rainfall , but eucalypts take up water more effectively so in dry periods eucalypts may place rainforests under stress so limit distribution.
Broad boundaries are unstable over exteneded periods and large areas because when fire occurs it is very hot due to high fuel loads so cannot be extinguished easily therefore core of rainforest is damaged.

Front 18

List eight issues for management of sclerophyll forests? (4)

Back 18

What are some issues for management of sclerophyll forests?
• Clearing/edge effects.
• Wildlife corridor re-establishment between remnants.
• Isolation and faunal barriers caused by roads/powerlines.
• Tourist/visitor management.
• Fire – e.g. - from surrounding land uses
- from use as a tool for regenerating forests e.g. Karri,
Mountain Ash & flooded gum
- protection of life and property versus management of
biological values).
• Disease management
• Weed control
• Feral animals
• Forest management for multiple values

Front 19

Foliar leaching is an important component in the recycling of nutrients within sclerophyll forests. The amounts of nutrient leached are dependent on four factors. What are they? Explain their interdependence. (5)

Back 19

weatheringLeachingis important and is the removal of organic & inorganic substances from the canopy. In eucalypt forests, foliage leaching of:Na >K > Ca > MgIn eucalypt litter leaching occurs in the order:K > (Ca, Mg) > NaAmong the anions, leaching from the litter is in order:HCO3-> SO42-> Cl-
737Amounts of material leached depends on:Mobility of elementTissue being leachedSoil contentWithdrawal of nutrients prior to leaf fallRate of nutrient withdrawal prior to leaf fall is dependant on soil nutrient statusEgIf there is a low soil concentration of Nitrogen, then higher withdrawal will occur in leaves prior to leaf drop.If there is a high soil concentration of Nitrogen then little if any withdrawal occur.Insects are also important to nutrient cyclingEgIf large insect attack, then get lot of frass & so lot of nutrients fall to ground.Frass readily decomposed so nutrients quickly available to plants so can have rapid (comparative) recoveries.
38Rate of return of less mobile elements to soil from litter determi

Front 20

What are the two approaches to restoration ecology. Explain. (4)

Back 20

2Restoration ecologists argue:Process of restoration matters as much as the product.Two approaches:
1.Compositional: community structure and components are the organising principles of the restoration effort.¡´Aim is to replace/restore species that match a historic/target community to restore a snapshot of a site¡¦s ecological past.¡´assumption is that function follows structure not vice versa.¡´places greater value on populations & communities than of ecological functions and services.ƒÌoften used when endangered, threatened or ¡¥favoured¡¦ species or groups of species are featured.i.e. restores a site or system to its former community of species.
2. Functional: emphasises functions or services the system
provides, not the species responsible for those services.
œless worried about which species are in the system but that
the species provide the intended function or service.
œused to benefit (precisely) key species or groups of species.
i.e. to restore a site or system for a specific pur

Front 21

Halopteris pseudospicata is an isomorphic, oogamous brown alga of the Sphacelariales. Three populations were examined monthly; all populations behaved in the same manner. Plants with unilocular sporangia dominated from May to August inclusive, after which plants with unilocular sporangia decreased in number. From November to April, few plants, if any, had sporangia. These plants were diploid and the population averaged shorter plants than those occurring from May to August, when plants also were diploid. Occasionally (1 in 3000 plants), a haploid plant with oogonia or antheridia would occur and the egg and sperm would fuse in the process of fertilization and a diploid plant would result.

Using a flow diagram, explain the most likely life history of this species. Provide the reasoning for your answer, and include in your answer a logical explanation for the change in size of the population from the ‘May to August’ period compared to the ‘November to April’ period.

What are two management implication

Back 21

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Front 22

List the land based sources that cause indirect degradation of marine habitats. Explain
what they do. (8)

Back 22

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Dalhousie University -study published in Nature suggested phytoplankton have declined globally by about 40 per cent since 1950 -because of rising sea surface temperatures and changing ocean conditions.
Although in some areas, blooms occur¡Vof single species (Baltic sea)
Exploitation of commercial species
Fishing ¡Vdrag net
¡Vexplosives
Harvesting seaweed
Farming seaweedDirect destruction of marine habitatsOccurs when habitats are physically alterede.g.
¡Eshoreline armouring ¡V¡¥hard¡¦ structures such as seawalls, angular rock, jetties, etc, built to protect beaches & shorelines from erosion.„±-Loss of complexity & surface area -Depletion of sediment supply to adjacent areas-Increased exposure to wave energy -Fewer species can survive
¡Edredging (excavation); wetland filled„±-Physical destruction of bottom-dwelling plants/animals -Smothering of bottom-dwelling organisms with displaced sediment
-Fewer plants can grow in reduced light
-Fish gills become clogged with sediment
¡EDyking and in-f

Front 23

Bryophytes can be said to be undergoing a battle. Explain what this means and why this would be a problem in terms of ecological sustainability. (8)

Back 23

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Front 24

Explain the process of Phytophthora infection and what leads to expression of symptoms. (8)

Back 24

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Front 25

Discuss the importance of the principles of restoration ecology to management of urban areas such as streetscapes. Use specific principles to explain your argument.
Principles of good ecological restoration practice include:
(8)

Back 25

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Front 26

Mineral concentration & plant tissue associations are considered important in understanding nutrient cycling in Australian forests. Explain why. (8)

Back 26

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Front 27

In N.S.W., more than half the dry sclerophyll forests require two or more eucalypt species to define them. This condition is referred to as what? Explain three reasons why this condition might occur. Use examples. (8)

Back 27

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Front 28

Explain . how the Goals of Victoria’s Biodiversity Strategy bring about better conservation in Victoria? (8)

Back 28

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