Office for Environmental Programs - Theses
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 10 of 11
-
Item
-
ItemA comparative study of Melbourne's freeway planting designs: implications for biodiversity conservation( 2006)Extensive planting projects have been undertaken along freeways in Melbourne, Australia. This report is a comparative study of seven of these planting designs completed over a period of forty years. The aim of this project is to assess these designs in terms of their implications for biodiversity and make recommendations for future ecological designs. The analysis explores how variability between the planting designs relates to factors including plant species richness, diversity, plant abundance, use of indigenous and/or weed species and the inclusion of aquatic and under storey planting. Drawing from the scientific literature, these areas of variability between the planting schemes are assessed in terms of the positive and negative ecological effects, particularly relating to biodiversity conservation. The florist analysis shows that there is distinct variation between the planting designs and that some designs are far more beneficial for biodiversity conservation than others. The results of this study suggest that in the future, landscape architects and ecologists should work together on the design of freeway planting with a shared aim of providing a new sustainable ecosystem that is based on the structure, composition and ecological processes of the original plant communities.
-
ItemThe uptake and longevity of three meat baits by red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in western Victorian( 2006)This study investigated the uptake and palatability for dried meat baits and fresh liver meat by foxes (Vulpes vulpes). A field trial lasting four weeks was undertaken to compare uptake of three fox baits. Two registered commercially manufactured dried meat baits used in fox control in Victoria and unpoisoned liver were laid in 50 baits stations in mixed agricultural and conservation land on a National Trust Property in Western Victoria. In total 10% Defox, 6% Foxoff and 17% liver baits of each bait type were taken by foxes over the course of the study. There was no significant difference in the rate of uptake and palatability of the three bait types at stations where one bait was taken in the first two weeks of the study, significant differences were found in bait preference by foxes in the third and fourth weeks with liver the most significantly preferred bait type. Foxoff was significantly rejected in the second and fourth weeks of the study indicating that it was the least preferred of the three baits. There was a significant difference in the degradation scores between each bait type in the last three weeks of the trial, with Defox and Foxoff baits being less degraded than liver. This study suggests that liver is the most preferentially eaten bait type however it is the most susceptible to degradation of the three.
-
ItemThe history and future of an isolated kangaroo population: Analysing management perspectives( 2006)No abstract available
-
ItemNo Preview Available
-
ItemNo Preview Available
-
ItemNo Preview Available
-
ItemManaging uncertainty and risk in climate change policy-making( 2006)This paper explores how climate change policy-making could respond more effectively to uncertainty and risk. It presents an overview of key issues in risk and sustainability policymaking and then looks at two alternative approaches: Integrated Assessment (IA), and socioecological resilience theory and adaptive management. Some key themes and proposals are then identified by which an effective risk-management approach to climate change can be assessed. The paper draws on global examples but concludes with a brief look Australia and the State of Victoria, proposing further research to assess Victorian climate change policy using the themes identified.
-
ItemA study of the vascular and biological soil crust flora of the Long Forest Nature Conservation Reserve( 2006)This study investigates temporal and spatial floristic change within a fragment of rocky chenopod woodland over a 40 year period, focussing particularly on biological soil crust species. During this time, the study area, now protected within the Long Forest Nature Conservation Reserve, was subject to a number of land management changes. Multivariate analysis of 2006 data indicated an association between site aspect and both vascular and non-vascular species distributions. There was no single environmental variable correlating strongly with species data. Combinations of environmental variables including basal area index, litter, bare ground, rock and slope yielded the highest correlations. Environmental variables relating to disturbance including distance to a disturbed edge, distance to a rabbit burrow/digging, and distance to a kangaroo run/rest yielded lower correlations. An increase in vascular species composition was recorded from 1964 to 1984, with a substantial decrease recorded in 2006. An overall slight increase in biological soil crust species composition was recorded, including the identification of three new bryophyte species for the Reserve. Observed changes may be due to short-term climatic factors, including below average rainfall prior to and during the study period.
-
ItemImproving water quality through aquifer storage recovery( 2006)Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) is a technique used to store excess water in the sub-surface during periods of low demand for recovery during periods of high demand. Often, the excess water stored is treated effluent, and a secondary benefit of ASR is water quality improvement through reduction of disinfection-by products (DBPs) in this effluent. A review of published data from a number of ASR sites has found there are two processes dominating the DBP concentration of recovered groundwater from an ASR site: biodegradation of DBPs and DBP formation. Favourable conditions for biodegradation of DBPs are a redox environment that is highly reducing as well as the availability of sufficient dissolved organic carbon for microbial consumption. DBP formation during ASR can be reduced by limiting the organic carbon concentration and chlorine residual of the injected water.