Mid-north Of South Australia Research Articles

Digging for answers: defining the external architecture of the southern hairy-nosed wombats’ (Lasiorhinus latifrons) subterranean excavations

The southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) is a large, nocturnal, herbivorous, burrowing marsupial, endemic to the semi-arid and arid regions of southern Australia. The active burrow of L. latifrons is used as the primary feature in population estimations. Therefore, accurate identification of an active burrow is vital, especially when other burrow-like structures exist. Entrance attributes such as width, height, the length and angle of the path leading to the entrance, and signs of wombat activity are indistinguishable between the different structures, making differentiation between them impossible without inspecting the structure beyond the entrance. Structures leading from entrances were identified in the field as possible burrows, blinds, and go-throughs. An unmanned aerial vehicle provided accurate images from immediately above 12 active wombat warren systems in the mid-north of South Australia, to support ground-truthing for mapping and verification of these structures. Active possible burrows (APB) were found to occur in proportionally lower numbers than the active non-burrow structures (ANBS) of blinds and go-throughs, varying in proportion from as high as 1:2 to as low as 1:11 (APB:ANBS). Defining an active burrow and other tunnels leading from an entrance increases accuracy in burrow identification used in population estimations, while recognising the existence of additional architectural features is vital to understanding the functional potential of L. latifrons as an ecosystem engineer.

Serpentoviruses in Free-Ranging Shingleback Skinks (Tiliqua rugosa) in Western Australia and South Australia, Australia.

Serpentoviruses are strongly associated with upper respiratory tract disease in captive and free-ranging bluetongued skinks (Tiliqua spp.). In Australia, bluetongue serpentoviruses were first reported in shingleback skinks (Tiliqua rugosa) with upper respiratory tract disease that presented to wildlife rehabilitation facilities in Perth, Western Australia. Since then, serpentoviruses have been detected commonly in captive bluetongued skinks from most areas of Australia, yet knowledge about the prevalence and distribution of these viruses in free-ranging bluetongued skinks, and other skink species, remains limited. Oral swabs were collected from 162 shingleback skinks from four areas in Western Australia and neighboring South Australia to screen for bluetongue serpentoviruses by PCR. The proportions of PCR positives were 0% (0/4) for Rottnest Island (a small island west of Perth, Western Australia), 3% (1/32) for the Shire of Kent (∼5,600 km2 in the southwest of Western Australia), 1% (1/91) from an approximately 250,000 km2 area across South Australia and Western Australia, and 0% (0/35) from Mount Mary (∼150 km2 in the mid north of South Australia). Neither of the two PCR-positive shingleback skinks had overt signs of upper respiratory tract disease. These results are consistent with serpentoviruses occurring at a relatively low crude prevalence of 1.4% (95% confidence interval, 0.2-4.9%) across these areas, although the potential bias from sampling active and apparently healthy individuals may mean that this estimate is lower than the true prevalence. This contrasts with the high proportion of PCR positives reported in captive individuals. In the absence of experimental or observational data on viral clearance and recovery, Tiliqua spp. skinks that are intended for release into the wild should be housed with strict biosecurity to prevent interactions with captive individuals and screened to ensure that they are not PCR positive before release.

Environmental and Colonial Histories: Art, Memoir and Gardens in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia

ABSTRACT This article is concerned with a pressing question of the 21st century: how do we negotiate places with complex colonial pasts? In the Mid North of South Australia, rugged mountain ranges rise up from stony plains. Adnyamathanha-speaking people have lived here and maintained connections to Country for tens of thousands of years. In the late 1920s, artist Hans Heysen travelled to the area known as the Flinders Ranges and stayed at Aroona, an outstation on a pastoral property, painting landscapes of a dry, uninhabited place. At the same time, a memoir of colonial settler J. F. Howard was printed that openly described attempts at dispossession of Aboriginal people for pastoral interests. With a focus on gardens and food in representations of Flinders Ranges landscapes, this article revisits old material with new concerns, arguing that the intersection of environmental and colonial histories offers productive territory for grappling with complex pasts.

The Hoyleton Institute Stage Door Inscriptions and the Ghosts of Forgotten Travelling Performers

ABSTRACT This article provides an archaeologist’s reflection on some forgotten cultural and historical artefacts. Since the early 1920s, performing artists and variety acts who visited the Hoyleton Institute Hall in the Mid North of South Australia inscribed their names on the inside of the stage doors as a memento of their visit. Towards the end of the 20th century, the old railway town of Hoyleton and its century-old institute became victims of change, modernisation and progress, leaving the memories of the once popular travelling performers to linger in obscurity on the stage, immortalised on the back of the likewise forgotten stage doors. In this article, I animate some of the performers whose names are inscribed on the stage door through historical documents, juxtaposing the inscriptions with other forms of spontaneous mark-making such as rock art and graffiti to contextualise a cultural phenomenon. I also reflect on the fragility of some cultural heritage and the significance of small and modest sites such as the Hoyleton Institute Hall.

Population structure of ALS-inhibiting herbicide-resistant Sonchus oleraceus in South Australia.

Annual sowthistle is a weed that is difficult to control in lentil crops in southern Australia due to a lack of herbicide options, widespread herbicide resistance and prolific production of highly mobile seed. This study investigates herbicide resistance in annual sowthistle in the Mid-North (MN) and Yorke Peninsula (YP) regions of South Australia, identifies and characterizes the mechanisms of acetolactate-synthase (ALS)-inhibitor resistance in this amphidiploid species, and combines this with analyses of population structure and gene flow. ALS-inhibitor-resistant annual sowthistle is widespread across the YP and MN of South Australia and is associated with a variety of Proline-197 mutations of the ALS gene, including leucine, alanine, arginine, serine, threonine and histidine. These mutations were found in different combinations on either of the two copies of the ALS gene. An additional 200 tissue samples were collected from across a single field on the YP and the ALS gene was sequenced for all these individuals. Different ALS-inhibitor resistance profiles were evident between mutation combinations and within mutation combinations, possibly mediated by differing subgenome assortment of the mutations, or altered gene experession of the two ALS homeologs. Population genetics analysis showed evidence of long-distance dispersal, resulting in highly mobile resistance genes, and multiple instances of resistance mutation evolution. Continuing selection of Sonchus oleraceus populations with ALS-inhibiting herbicides has resulted in the accumulation of additional mutations within the ALS gene. New practices to control herbicide-resistant S. oleraceus should be examined, and control should focus on reducing seed set and dispersal to prevent the spread of emerging cases of resistance. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

A range-wide analysis of population structure and genomic variation within the critically endangered spiny daisy (Acanthocladium dockeri)

Understanding population structure and genetic diversity is important for designing effective conservation strategies. As a critically endangered shrub, the six remaining extant populations of spiny daisy (Acanthocladium dockeri) are restricted to country roadsides in the mid-north of South Australia, where the species faces many ongoing abiotic and biotic threats to survival. Currently the spiny daisy is managed by selecting individuals from the extant populations and translocating them to establish insurance populations. However, there is little information available on the genetic differentiation between populations and diversity within source populations, which are essential components of planning translocations. To help fill this knowledge gap, we analysed population structure within and among all six of its known wild populations using 7,742 SNPs generated by a genotyping-by-sequencing approach. Results indicated that each population was strongly differentiated, had low levels of genetic diversity, and there was no evidence of inter-population gene flow. Individuals within each population were generally closely related, however, the Melrose population consisted entirely of clones. Our results suggest genetic rescue should be applied to wild spiny daisy populations to increase genetic diversity that will subsequently lead to greater intra-population fitness and adaptability. As a starting point, we suggest focussing on improving seed viability via inter-population crosses such as through hand pollination experiments to experimentally assess their sexual compatibility with the hope of increasing spiny daisy sexual reproduction and long-term reproductive fitness.

Impact of COVID-19 on music venues in regional South Australia

As spaces of social, cultural and economic production, small regional music venues are an under-explored research area that can offer insights into changing music and performance practices, place-making, and the connections between urban and regional communities. Within the context of the COVID-19 crisis, the state of precarity in which such venues operate is emphasized and exacerbated. This article will present preliminary findings from our case study of a small, regional music venue in the mid-north of South Australia that has been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated government restrictions. The pandemic has dramatically changed the way that live music is both performed and experienced, and a case study such as this offers an opportunity to discuss its impact on niche cultural and community spaces that are geographically and socially removed from the urban milieu and its policy settings. Preliminary findings suggest COVID-19 brought about both challenges (capacity restrictions and disruption of interstate travel for audiences and artists) as well as opportunities (strengthening the presence of rural voices in policy settings). The case study also highlights the need for further research on strategies for developing and sustaining regional touring pathways throughout South Australia.

Rediscovery of Synemon selene (Lepidoptera: Castniidae) in the mid-north of South Australia

ABSTRACTKlug [J.C.F.] has been rediscovered in the mid-north of South Australia. The species was thought to be locally extinct from South Australia since 1948 when it was last seen flying by F.M. Angel and N.B. Tindale near Two Wells, 20 km north of Adelaide. We compared adult males and females from the mid-north population with S. selene from the type locality, and also to the parthenogenetic populations in western Victoria. We also compare the mtDNA (COI) gene for S. selene from South Australia to the parthenogenetic populations in Victoria and several other Synemon species.

Revisiting the South Australian Environment Protection Authority 2013 Waterloo study using the Schomer principle

In 2013, the South Australian Environment Protection Authority conducted a 10 week study in relation to noise complaints at the Waterloo wind farm in the Mid North of South Australia. The study involved the use of diaries by 28 households located around the wind farm and noise loggers at 6 dwellings. In analyzing the residents' diaries, the Environment Protection Authority focussed on “noise” events and disregarded comments or observations by the residents which related to other forms of disturbance such as sensation. In the light of the Schomer principle presented in the 2017 ASA meeting in Boston, the 2013 Waterloo study data has been revisited to include an examination of the Power Output and WAV files associated with periods where residents have reported high levels of disturbance.In 2013, the South Australian Environment Protection Authority conducted a 10 week study in relation to noise complaints at the Waterloo wind farm in the Mid North of South Australia. The study involved the use of diaries by 28 households located around the wind farm and noise loggers at 6 dwellings. In analyzing the residents' diaries, the Environment Protection Authority focussed on “noise” events and disregarded comments or observations by the residents which related to other forms of disturbance such as sensation. In the light of the Schomer principle presented in the 2017 ASA meeting in Boston, the 2013 Waterloo study data has been revisited to include an examination of the Power Output and WAV files associated with periods where residents have reported high levels of disturbance.

It's more than just luck: A qualitative exploration of breastfeeding in rural Australia.

In the Mid North of South Australia, healthcare professionals were concerned that breastfeeding rates were lower than the national average and that a collaborative approach was needed to promote breastfeeding. To explore the experiences of women and health professional in the Mid North, to inform interventions to improve breastfeeding longevity. Two focus groups were conducted to examine breastfeeding experience in the region. Focus group one included nine mothers who had breastfed more than six months and focus group two consisted of ten health professionals from the Mid North. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Two overarching themes were identified; 'breastfeeding: It's more than just luck' represented the voices of the mothers and 'breastfeeding: It's everybody's business' captured the discussion between the health professionals. Women described themselves as lucky while acknowledging that their own persistence, as well as positive support was vital. Health professionals identified education and support as key foci, and a need for a holistic approach to improve breastfeeding rates. Breastfeeding should be understood as a relationship, in which broadly applied solutions do not necessarily influence longevity, particularly in rural communities. Strategies should also reflect a realistic picture of breastfeeding and safeguard against idealistic expectation of the experience. A holistic approach to improve breastfeeding rates is imperative. One of the most promising antidotes to the breastfeeding dilemma is the provision of midwifery continuity of care.

Being Irish: The Nineteenth Century South Australian Community of Baker’s Flat

This paper examines Irish social identity (‘Irishness’) in a nineteenth century, working class Irish community based at Baker’s Flat, Kapunda, in the mid-north of South Australia. The research centers on the concepts of identity and power, specifically, how the Baker’s Flat community expressed identity through material culture, and what this tells us about the community and its power relations. An existing collection of metal artifacts, as well as archaeological data resulting from a site survey, are analyzed to determine the relationships of power and Irishness.

Improving breastfeeding initiation and duration in the mid north of South Australia

Improving breastfeeding initiation and duration in the mid north of South Australia

Dynamics of a Temperate Grassland Reptile Community in the Mid-North of South Australia

Temperate native grasslands are listed as a critically endangered ecological community in South Australia, yet very little is known about the associated faunal communities. This study aims to provide information on the temporal dynamics of a native grassland reptile community in the mid-north of South Australia. During the study we made 335 reptile captures in pitfall traps, of 248 different individuals, from 13 species, representing five families. These data were used to investigate seasonal trends in trapping rate, age demographics and movement of individuals from marked recaptures. The results of the study provide baseline information on species assemblages that might be used in the recovery and management of the remaining fragments of temperate native grasslands and the endangered pygmy bluetongue lizard that relies on those fragments for its persistence.

Weight watching in burrows: variation in body condition in pygmy bluetongue lizards

The pygmy bluetongue lizard, Tiliqua adelaidensis, is an endangered scincid lizard that occurs in remnants of natural grasslands in the mid-north of South Australia. We assessed the factors affecting body condition of male and female lizards, using body size residuals as an index, over five sampling years. We included sex, phenotypic (patterned or plain morphs), temporal (sampling year and activity period within year), and climatic factors in our analyses. The results indicated that sampling year and activity period within the year were the two most important factors influencing variation in body condition of both male and female lizards over the period of the study. There were similar trends when we considered males and females separately. However, when prepartum and postpartum females were analysed separately, sampling year did not affect their body condition. None of the analyses showed any significant effect of phenotype on body condition. Winter–spring rainfall was positively correlated with body condition of females in the prepartum period, but showed no significant effect on mean body condition of any other grouping of adult lizards, nor a consistent direction of correlation among the different subsets of adult lizards that we considered. The substantial annual variations in the body condition of lizards, although of uncertain cause, provide important information for conservation managers who monitor persisting populations of this endangered species.

The deliberate introduction to Australia of the shrub genus Pentzia (Asteraceae) and its subsequent persistence and spread.

Pentzia is a predominantly southern African genus of low shrubs, many of which are important fodder plants for sheep in semi-arid and arid areas. Attempts since 1869 to introduce Pentzia incana to south-eastern Australia for sheep fodder are described. One of these, near Koonamore in north-eastern South Australia, was temporarily successful there and may have led to the only extant stands in Australia – two well-established populations at Mount Serle in the northern Flinders Ranges. These events are related to the biology of the species and to similar events concerning the deliberate introduction of the species to Arizona. These data are discussed in terms of current ideas about plant introduction, dispersal, invasion and the concept of sleeper weeds. Pentzia globosa is currently known from a single stand in Australia, at Bundaleer Forest in the Mid North of South Australia. The history of this occurrence is briefly discussed. For both species, it is concluded that regular monitoring is needed in case of rapid spread and that further data are needed on the extent to which they exhibit weedy behaviour in southern Africa.

Lovers and fighters in sleepy lizard land: where do aggressive males fit in a social network?

In this study we explored relationships between the aggressiveness of male sleepy lizards, Tiliqua rugosa, and their position in a social network. We attached activity loggers to 60 neighbouring lizards during the activity season (September–December) in 2009 at a study site in the mid-north of South Australia. The loggers continuously recorded the activity and location of lizards, allowing us to infer direct social associations. We calculated pairwise associations and integrated these into a social network and calculated node-based measures that quantified male–male and male–female interactions. Aggressiveness of males was quantified in two ways; by involvement in a fight, as indicated by the presence of fresh scale damage, and by aggression assays that scored the response of lizards to conspecific and predator cues. More aggressive lizards in these assays were more likely to be found with fresh scale damage in field surveys. Less aggressive males were more strongly connected to females in the network, and were more commonly in contact with their monogamous female partner, than more aggressive males. Our results suggest a behavioural syndrome among male lizards connecting level of aggression and association with females, with a divergence in behaviour; lovers that are strongly paired and nonaggressive, and fighters that are weakly associated with females and more aggressive.

Herbage mass thresholds rather than plant phenology are a more useful cue for grazing management decisions in the mid-north region of South Australia

Research was conducted in the mid-north of South Australia over the period 2000–05 to evaluate the effects of different grazing management cues on composition and production of a grassland. The management cues were based on calendar, plant phenology or herbage mass thresholds using grazing exclusion as a control. There were five grazing treatments: (i) regional practice (RP), where sheep grazed continuously for the period April–December; (ii) autumn rest, where sheep grazing was restricted to June–December; (iii) spring rest, where sheep grazing was restricted to April–August; (iv) high density and short duration (HDSD), where herbage mass thresholds determined when grazing occurred and for what duration; and (v) nil (NIL) grazing by domestic herbivores. Mean annual estimates of herbage mass were highest for NIL and HDSD and inclusion of the estimate of herbage consumption by sheep resulted in greatest primary plant production in HDSD. The contribution of perennial grasses to herbage mass declined with RP and seasonal grazing treatments. Frequency of perennial grasses was unaffected by grazing treatment but the number of perennial grass plants increased over time in RP and seasonal treatments. HDSD allowed maintenance of basal cover whereas bare ground increased with RP and seasonal treatments. Litter accumulated in NIL but this was associated with a decline in perennial basal cover. Seasonal grazing treatments did not provide an advantage over RP and there appeared to be no benefit from including phenology in management decisions. In contrast, HDSD resulted in a stable and productive grassland ecosystem, with stocking rate estimated at 78% greater than other treatments. These features offer a desirable mix for future industry adoption in the mid-north of South Australia.

Genetic relationships within and between populations of the endangered grass Lachnagrostis limitanea (Gramineae)

Allozyme electrophoresis was used to examine the genetic relationships within and between four naturally occurring populations of the endangered Spalding blown grass (Lachnagrostis limitanea (J.M.Black) S.W.L. Jacobs (syn. Agrostis limitanea)) from the mid north of South Australia. five polymorphic markers were detected during a screen of 34 putative allozyme loci, and used to assess population structure in the species. As karyotype analysis of seedlings derived from all populations confirmed that the species is polyploid (octoploid, with 2n = 8x = 56), allozymic interpretation and population genetic assessment were limited to the assignment of “whole genotypes” at each polymorphic marker for each plant. despite this restriction, the genetic data indicate that (1) sites displayed the low levels of allozymic divergence typical of conspecific populations, (2) each population was genetically distinct, (3) none of the three sites with small population sizes displayed any within‐site genetic variability, and (4) most of the genetic diversity present in the species resides within the largest natural population (Yakkalo). Parent/progeny comparisons demonstrated an absence of apomixis and inferred that out‐crossing was common in the Yakkalo population, suggesting that inbreeding rather than selfing perse is the most likely cause of the severe reduction in genetic variability observed at the other three sites. The implications of these results for conservation management of remnant L. limitanea populations are discussed.

A new host and disquieting distribution record for Amblyomma triguttatum triguttatum

Abstract A single female Amblyomma triguttatum triguttatum found on a sleepy lizard, Tiliqua rugosa, in the mid-north of South Australia constitutes a new host and locality record for this tick. As A. t. triguttatum is involved with the natural cycle of Coxiella burnetii in Australia, the new locality record may indicate the potential for spread of this disease.

Pharyngodon wandillahensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Pharyngodonidae) from the Endangered Pygmy Bluetongue Lizard Tiliqua adelaidensis Peters, 1863 (Sauria: Scincidae), South Australia, Australia

Pharyngodon wandillahensis n. sp. from the endangered pygmy bluetongue lizard Tiliqua adelaidensis Peters, 1863, from the midnorth of South Australia, Australia is described and illustrated. Pharyngodon wandillahensis n. sp. represents the thirty-seventh species assigned to Pharyngodon. It is distinguished from the 5 other Australian species by its smaller size, the form of the lateral alae, and in having 6 small but fleshy lips. Prevalence, distribution and intensity in the host T. adelaidensis are also reported.