Rainforests Of North Queensland Research Articles

A study of logging damage in upland rainforest in north Queensland

We present the results of an experiment to assess the damage caused by logging a 19 ha plot of upland rainforest under the Queensland Selective Logging System. Logged trees were concentrated along ridges and mean removals were 6.6. stems, 4.9 m 2 basal area and 37 m 3 logs ha −1. Losses from the whole stand were highest in the smallest and largest size classes and averaged 146.7 stems ha −1 and 12 m 2 ha −1. No tree species were eliminated by logging. Twenty two percent of the canopy was lost and fish eye photography showed that the amount of light reaching the ground was even altered on areas that received no overhead canopy loss. Changes in canopy profiles were complex not just a simple reduction of the upper layers. Logging tracks occupied 5% of the area. These results are compared with a range of other studies in Queensland and overseas. The Queensland system appears to cause less incidental damage than those reported from South East Asia. Recommended improvements to the Queensland system include extracting more timber from the crowns of felled trees, increasing winching and improving erosion control from major roads. Most importantly, enhancing the skills, sensibilities and cooperation of field personnel is considered to be vital in further reducing damage.

Tourist destination images of the wet tropical rainforests of north queensland

Two hundred and four visitors to the wet tropics of Far North Queensland were surveyed to guage ideal holiday destination images together with actual destination images of this area. A comparison of actual and ideal image attributes revealed a negative divergence of images for attributes such as roads, souvenirs, public transport and climate, with actual images falling short of ideal images. This comparison also revealed some positive divergences, with actual images involving crowding, wildlife and friendliness of local residents exceeding the ideal. Processes associated with these positive divergences are explored by cross-tabulations of actual and ideal images of the friendliness of destination residents. The associations of actual images of friendliness, wildlife and crowding with destination rating and intention to revisit are also examined. A matching process is here revealed which shows high scores on actual images reflected in high scores on ideal images, destination rating and intention to revisit. This process is most noticeable for images of the friendliness of destination residents. The role of this matching process in holiday decision-making is explored, together with practical implications for local communities in tourist destinations.

Aggregating tree species to develop diameter increment equations for tropical rainforests

Pairwise F-tests provided an efficient approach for aggregating large numbers of species into a manageable number of groups for developing diameter increment functions. The first stage of the two-stage procedure identified the number of groups required and the species defining these groups; the second stage aggregated all the remaining species into the most appropriate group. Although there is no guarantee that this leads to an optimal solution, empirical results suggest that the outcome is near optimal. This approach is readily automated and computationally efficient. An analysis of diameter increments of 237 species from the rainforests of north Queensland indicated 41 species groups, each with increment functions significantly different at P < 0.01. These provided a substantially better model than the previous model based on subjectively formed groups.

Acclimation to a Change in Light Regime in Seedlings of Six Australian Rainforest Tree Species

Acclimation potential of seedlings of six non-pioneer, North Queensland rainforest tree species (Diploglottis diphyllostegia, Flindersia brayleyana, Dysoxylum schgneri, Prunus turnerana, Neisosperma poweri and Castanospora alphandii) were evaluated in three different light regimes. The seedlings were grown from seeds and raised in 37, 10 and 2.5% photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) of full sunlight in a shade house. Plants were harvested at 1, 4, and 15 months after germination. At 4 months, for each species, one-third of the seedlings in each light environment were transferred to each of the two other light environments. The remaining one-third stayed in the same light environment and formed the control. The control seedlings of all species showed a marked response to increasing PAR: relative growth rate (RGR) and total biomass were low in the 2.5% PAR level, increased in the 10% PAR level and were maximal in the 37% PAR level, except for Neisosperma. The seedlings in the 25% PAR level showed a typical shade plant morphology with a high leaf area ratio, low root-shoot ratio and low specific leaf weight. For seedlings of Dysoxylum and Prunus, a change in light regime from 37% PAR to 2.5% PAR resulted in negative relative growth rates. Eleven months after transfer, many growth characteristics still showed significant initial × final light environment interactions, an indication of incomplete adjustment. Acclimation to increasing light availability was faster than acclimation to decreasing light availability. On the basis of biomass allocation patterns (root-shoot ratio, leaf area ratio and specific leaf weight), the six species could not be differentiated under the three light regimes and their dynamics. However, using RGR as a relative measure of carbon economy, it was possible to differentiate the species in their acclimation ability to decreased but not to increased irradiance. It was concluded that, for non-pioneer species, acclimation potential may be more related to physiological than to morphological plasticity.

Evidence of late Pleistocene fires and eucalypt forest from a North Queensland humid tropical rainforest site

AbstractCharcoal fragments, some identified as Eucalyptus, with radiocarbon dates spanning the period 27 000–12 000 years bp, were found in a soil profile under moist tropical rainforest in north‐eastern Australia. The charcoal indicates that sclerophyll forest occupied a central part of the Windsor Tableland rainforest massif during the late Pleistocene. The widespread presence of identifiable and dateable charcoal under rainforest in north Queensland provides an opportunity to examine the patterns and ecological implications of fluctuations in rainforest distribution in recent history.

Structural and Floristic Attributes of Recolonizing Species in Large Rain Forest Gaps, North Queensland

This study examines whether structural and floristic attributes of plants recolonizing large gaps (50-200 m width) differ from those of plants in adjacent, mature North Queensland rain forests. Plant attributes were observed in a sequence of contiguous large gaps of increasing age abutting mature simple notophyll vine forest in Lake Eacham National Park, near Atherton, North Queensland, Australia. Certain structural attributes of species inhabiting 7 yr old recolonizing rain forest sites differ significantly from those of intermediate age (50 yr) or mature (100 yr +) forest. From the recent forest edge to older, interior sites, average leaf size increases, and leaves are more commonly sclerophyllous, upward tilting and dorsiventral. The incidence of bird-dispersed species is greatest in the 50 yr site; plants with ant- and passive-dispersal modes decrease toward the older, interior forest sites, while cassowary- and mammal-dispersed species increase. Floristic changes along the age sequence indicate a successional return toward mature forest composition. Alpha diversity is 118 species/0.1 ha for the mature forest, and beta diversity is 6.7 half-changes. Concentration of dominance decreases toward the mature site. The differences in structural features of recolonizing edge species suggest that structural attributes of species in large gaps are not a random subset of the

Disturbance regimes in North Queensland rainforests: A re‐evaluation of their relationship to species richness and diversity

Australian Journal of EcologyVolume 15, Issue 2 p. 245-246 Disturbance regimes in North Queensland rainforests: A re-evaluation of their relationship to species richness and diversity D. I. NICHOLSON, D. I. NICHOLSON 7 Maker Street, Atherton. Qld 4883. AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorN. B. HENRY, N. B. HENRY Queensland Forest Service. Box 944, Brisbane. Qld 4000, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorJ. RUDDER, J. RUDDER Queensland Forest Service. Box 944, Brisbane. Qld 4000, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this author D. I. NICHOLSON, D. I. NICHOLSON 7 Maker Street, Atherton. Qld 4883. AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorN. B. HENRY, N. B. HENRY Queensland Forest Service. Box 944, Brisbane. Qld 4000, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorJ. RUDDER, J. RUDDER Queensland Forest Service. Box 944, Brisbane. Qld 4000, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this author First published: June 1990 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.1990.tb01534.xCitations: 8AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume15, Issue2June 1990Pages 245-246 RelatedInformation

Disturbance regimes in North Queensland rainforests: A re‐evaluation of their relationship to species richness and diversity

AbstractChanges in tree species richness and diversity after logging and natural disturbance on small rainforest plots in north Queensland were studied by Nicholson et al. (1988). They found logging had enhanced richness and diversity, which declined in its absence. A re‐evaluation of their data, especially those on the predisturbance condition of these plots, indicates that their conclusions are untenable.

Field identification of sympatric Rattus (Rodentia: Muridae) in north Queensland rainforest.

Field identification of sympatric Rattus (Rodentia: Muridae) in north Queensland rainforest.

Distributional records for two &amp;apos;relict&amp;apos; dasyurid marsupials in north Queensland rainforest.

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Effects of Selection Logging on Rainforest Productivity

Abstract An analysis of data from 212 permanent sample plots provided no evidence of any decline in rainforest productivity after three cycles of selection logging in the tropical rainforests of north Queensland. Relative productivity was determined as the difference between observed diameter increments and increments predicted from a diameter increment function which incorporated tree size, stand density and site quality. Analyses of variance and regression analyses revealed no significant decline in productivity after repeated harvesting. There is evidence to support the assertion that if any permanent productivity decline exists, it does not exceed six per cent per harvest.

A growth model for north Queensland rainforests

A model to predict the growth of commercial timber in north Queensland's rainforests is described. More than 100 commercial species and several hundred other tree species are aggregated into about 20 species groups based on growth habit, volume relationships and commercial criteria. Trees are grouped according to species group and tree size into cohorts, which form the basis for simulation. Equations for predicting increment, mortality and recruitment are presented. The implications of the model on rainforest management for timber production are examined. The model has been used in setting the timber harvest from these rainforests, and should provide an objective basis for investigating the impact of rainforest management strategies. The approach should be applicable to other indigenous forests.

The biology of Tauala lepidus, a jumping spider (Araneae: Salticidae) from Queensland: display and predatory behaviour

Abstract The display and predatory behaviour of Tauala lepidus Wanless, an abundant salticid in north Queensland rainforests, was investigated in the laboratory and, to a lesser extent, in nature. T. lepidus leapt and walked into alien webs to catch spiders and insects, and was captured and fed on by other spiders. Females ate each other’s eggs. During intraspecific interactions, a complex repertoire of displays was used. Courtship versatility occurred, each individual male having a conditional strategy of different behaviours depending on whether the female is at or away from her nest, and whether she is adult or subadult. Yet other combinations of displays occurred during male-male and female-female interactions. Apparently, pheromones on nests and draglines of females released male courtship. Abdomen twitching, a behaviour common to the display repertoires of many salticids, was an especially complex and pervasive behaviour of T. lepidus. T. lepidus also twitched its abdomen when it contacted alien webs and preyed on other species of spiders. The behaviour of T. lepidus is compared to that of Jacksonoides queenslandica Wanless, a species from the same group (Astieae).

The biology ofJacksonoides queenslandica, a jumping spider (Araneae: Salticidae) from Queensland: intraspecific interactions, web-invasion, predators, and prey

Abstract The behaviour of Jacksonoides queenslandica Wanless, a very abundant salticid in north Queensland rainforests (population densities: 6.6 ± 3.23/m2), was investigated in nature and the laboratory. Marked J. queenslandica made longterm use of their nests, which had structural similarities to both the sheet-like nests of the primitive lyssomanine salticids and the tubular nests of most advanced salticids. Sometimes, leaves in webs of other spiders were used as nesting sites. J queenslandica captured prey in webs of other spiders and away from webs, and was captured and fed on by other spiders, including web-building species, other species of salticids, and conspecifics. Females ate each other’s eggs. During intraspecific interactions, a large and complex repertoire of displays was used. Courtship versatility occurred, each individual male having a conditional strategy: Type 1 (visual) displays if the female was an adult away from her nest; Type 2 (vibratory) displays if the female was an adult at her nest; and cohabitation if the female was a subadult at her nest. Other combinations of displays occurred during male-male and female-female interactions. Palpal rubbing was an especially complex display which required considerable co-ordination of the posturing and movement of the two interacting spiders. Interactions in nature and the laboratory were similar, supporting the assumption that laboratory studies provide accurate information about naturally occurring behaviour of salticids. Apparently, pheromones on nests of females released male courtship. If the nest was vacant, the male often waited and courted the female when she returned.

Tropical Rainforests of North Queensland: Their Conservation Significance

Tropical Rainforests of North Queensland: Their Conservation Significance

The effect of some soil chemical properties of the selective logging of a north Queensland rainforest

Some of the important chemical properties of a red granitic soil occuring under tropical rainforest in north Queensland, Australia, were measured immediately after the forest was selectively logged and one, two, and four years after loggin. The site was stratified into four disturbance classes encompassing the effects of snig tracks, crown litter accumulation and penetration of light through gaps in the canopy. Soil samples were taken in each disturbance class, as well as in undisturbed areas. The sampling design permited year to year changes in undisturbed areas to be monitored and used for comparison with disturbed areas. Snig track disturbance caused the greatest changes in soil chemical characteristics with losses of organic carbon and plant nutrients in the bulldozed portions and accumulation in the mounds formed at the sides. There were significant changes in properties from year to year but after four years, the contents of N, Ca, Mg, and K over the whole site had not altered significantly from initial values, whereas organic carbon declined by about 15%.

Acari and Collembola in the litter and soil of three north Queensland rainforests

AbstractThe population changes, distribution and composition of litter and soil Acari and Collembola from three north Queensland rainforests are described based on samples collected on six occasions at approximately 3‐monthly intervals. Numbers of Acari and Collembola collected from litter were lower in the north Queensland rainforests than those reported from rainforests outside Australia: however, numbers of Acari and Collembola in the soil were similar to numbers in rainforest soils elsewhere.Cryptostigmata were the most abundant group of Acari in the litter and 0–4 cm soil layer, comprising 41–55% and 42–55% of the total Acari in the litter and 0–4 cm soil layers respectively. Most of the Acari and Collembola are located in the 0–4 cm soil layer at each site (53–75%), with the litter layer containing the smallest proportion (3–20%). Most of the groups of Acari and Collembola examined show little evidence of seasonal vertical migration between the litter and soil to 8 cm. Minimum numbers of Acari and Collembola in the litter occurred in the dry season and maximum numbers occurred in the wet season. Seasonal fluctuations in numbers of Cryptostigmata appear to be influenced by the periodic saturation of the soil during the wet season.

Foraging Ecology of Birds in an Upland Tropical Rainforest in North Queensland.

Vertical distribution of herbivores, mixed feeders and insectivores in an upland tropical rainforest reflected variation of foods present in different strata. Arboreal insectivores utilized the widest range of strata because of a wider distribution of arthropod foods. Differential utilization of vertical strata was the most important factor to bring about niche differentiation, not only between the three feeding categories but between species within each of the categories. Species whose vertical ranges were similar were segregated by differential utilization of foraging sites, by foraging behaviours and/or by food resources. Seasonal migration, variation in diet and shifts in vertical foraging levels, and/or diurnal variation of foraging times, resulted in a finer partitioning of resources between those species whose niches greatly overlapped.

Drosophilidae of Australia. V.* Remaining genera and synopsis (Insecta : Diptera)

The Australian drosophilid fauna is reviewed; a synopsis of the 221 species (51 described as new in this paper) in provided. The species are referable to 31 genera (including four newly established) as follows: Acletoxenus von Frauenfeld (two species); Amiota Loew (three); Baeodrosophila Wheeler & Takada (two); Balara, gen. nov. (one); Cacoxenus Loew (one); Chymomyza Czerny (two); Collessia, gen. nov. (one); Crincosia, gen. nov. (two), Dettopsomyia Lamb (one); Drosophila Fallen (122), Eostegana Hendel (one), Gitona Meigen (one); Hypselothyrea de Meijere (two); Leucophenga Mik (21); Liodrosophila Duda (five); Lissocephala Malloch (one); Luzonimyia Malloch (one), Microdrosophila Malloch (seven); Mulgravea, gen, nov. (one), Mycodrosophila Oldenberg (21), Neotanygastrella Duda (one); Nesiodrosophila Wheeler & Takada (four); Paramycodrosophila Duda (four); Phorticella Duda (one); Scaptomyza Hardy (three), Sphaerogastrella Duda (one); Stegana Meigen (four), Styloptera Duda (two), Tambourella Wheeler (one); Zaprionus Coquillett (one); and Zygothrica Wiedemann (one). Keys to genera and species are provided. The following new synonymies are proposed: Gitonides convergens Malloch = Amiota fasciata (Kertesz); Liodrosophila australis Malloch = Lissocephala metallescens (de Meijere), and Drosophila rhipister Bock = Drosophila brunnea de Meijere. The drosophilid fauna of Australia is most closely related to that of southeast Asia and New Guinea and, with the probable exception of the few species in the genera Scaptomyza and Zygothrica, appears to have reached Australia via migrations from the north. The richest faunas in terms of both numbers of genera and numbers of species occur in the rainforests of north Queensland. The Drosophila subgenus Scaptodrosophila was probably the earliest Australian invader and is the largest single Australian group; it has undergone adaptive radiation in southern as well as northern Australia. Few other drosophiiid groups are represented in southernmost Australia and relationships with other Gondwanaland drosophilid faunas are absent.* Part lV, Aust. J. Zool., 1980, 28, 261–99.

Regeneration of a North Queensland Rain Forest Following Felling and Burning

The regeneration modes and heights of 82 tree species reappearing the felling and burning of a tropical rain forest were observed 23 months the perturbation. Of these species, 74 had coppiced, 10 had produced root suckers, and 34 had developed from seed during the post-fire period. Those trees developing mainly from seed appeared to have the highest growth rates. The results are discussed in relation to the stability of the floristics of the tree component on the site and the problem of predicting successional sequences in the tropical rain forest environment. STUDIES OF SECONDARY SUCCESSION have been seen as essential for a solution to the problems of establishing a rational system of land use in the tropics (Richards 1955). In his study of secondary plant succession in tropical montane Mindanao, Kellman (1970) stressed that the first critical question to be answered when explaining a successional sequence was autecological. Unfortunately, autecological data for the species involved in secondary successions in the tropics are often not available. The object of this paper is to illustrate the importance of an autecological characteristic, the regeneration mode of a species felling and burning, on the floristic composition of the regenerating stand. The 100 x 100 m felled and burnt plot forming the basis for this study was established as one treatment of an experiment examining the effects of various silvicultural alternatives on the growth of planted seedlings of Flindersia brayleyanal and F. pimenteliana. The study was commenced only when it was observed that many components of the original rain forest had regenerated by coppice. Although seedlings and root suckers of some tree species in the original stand were also present, they appeared to be of lesser overall significance. The only previously published quantitative study of regeneration following severe disturbance to a tropical or subtropical rain forest in Australia is that of Williams et al. (1969). They cleared their experimental area with a bulldozer, exposing mineral soil over most of the area. The observations they made were of seedling regeneration, and the few coppice shoots were ignored. Workers outside Australia also seem to have concentrated on aspects of seedling regeneration. Nevertheless, sufficient mention is made of coppice development in the literature on secondary succession in the tropics to indicate that this feature is widespread if not universal. For example, Symington (1933) in a Malayan forest observed that after felling, coppice growth, if allowed to develop, will within a few years create a stand which, except for the absence of large trees and the presence of a few typical secondary growth species, shows little indication that the rainforest had been so recently cleared. Whitmore (1975) in his review of rain forests of the Far East mentions the coppicing habit mainly in relation to rain forests with one or more limiting environmental factors, e.g., the heath, swamp, and mon-