Further studies on the saline lakes of the eastern Paroo, inland New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

Continuing studies of 25 shallow lakes in the semi-desert of northwestern New South Wales during drier years revealed greater physicochemical extremes than previously recorded and wider fluctuations in salinity, even in less saline lakes. Earlier data on species composition and species richness were confirmed, with a few new species reported from either further field collections or the hatching of dried lake muds. A summer filling as against almost regular previous autumn-winter fillings made only a minor difference in faunas, though insects and phyllopods, for different reasons, were less prevalent in the drier years. The fauna of these inland saline lakes is not only biogeographically different from those in southern Australia, but is adapted to a more extreme and irregular environment.