South-western Queensland Research Articles

Outreach Echocardiography in South-Western Queensland—17 Years of Providing Quality Service to Rural and Remote and Indigenous Communities

Outreach Echocardiography in South-Western Queensland—17 Years of Providing Quality Service to Rural and Remote and Indigenous Communities

Ula Thirra: a case study in the geomagnetic detection of combustion features in Channel Country of far south-western Queensland

Ula Thirra: a case study in the geomagnetic detection of combustion features in Channel Country of far south-western Queensland

Historical record shows broad habitat use and rapid decline of the greater bilby Macrotis lagotis in eastern Australia

Context Understanding historical distributions of species informs their ecology and response to threats, which can support management of surviving and translocated populations. Like many critical weight-range mammals in Australia, the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) has experienced major declines since European colonisation. The past distribution of bilbies in eastern Australia remains uncertain owing to the rapidity of their decline, their cryptic and nocturnal nature, and the paucity of specimen records. Aims We aimed to systematically collate, geo-reference and attribute bilby records from eastern Australia to better inform their historical distribution, habitat preferences, patterns of decline and response to threats. Methods We searched explorer and early settler journals, the digitised newspaper archive, interviews with long-term residents, Aboriginal language resources and ethnographies, place and property names, unpublished datasets, and documented locations of now-inactive bilby burrows. Records were geo-referenced and attributed with date, record type, source, location precision, bioregion, habitat and local abundance. The former distribution of bilby habitat in Queensland was modelled using Maxent, and the likely former occupancy of bilbies was identified using vegetation mapping. Key results More than 250 bilby records were found, only 34 of which appear in the Atlas of Living Australia. Sixty-five per cent of the records were attributed either ‘certain’ or ‘good’ reliability. Bilbies formerly occurred over most of inland New South Wales and the southern half of Queensland in areas receiving <600 mm average annual rainfall, in a wide variety of habitats. By the 1930s, bilbies were largely restricted to their current core range in south-western Queensland. This contraction in range coincided with the northward spread of rabbits and foxes. Conclusions Bilbies had a more contiguous distribution and occupied a wider range of habitats than was previously recognised. The species persisted in apparently isolated patches to the south-east, west and north of its present distribution until the 1970s, suggesting recent declines around the peripheries of its current range. By the 1990s, bilbies occupied <3% of their pre-1900 range in eastern Australia. Implications This work details changes in bilby distribution and provides key context for interpreting contemporary survey results. It also identifies areas where further surveys are required and may assist in selecting habitat for future translocations.

Untangling two complementary camera trapping data sets to identify patterns in feral cat activity around a known night parrot population in western Queensland

Feral cats (Felis catus) are a significant predator of native birds in Australia, and a recognised predator for the endangered night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis). We examined camera trapping data from 2014 to 2020 collected at the Pullen Pullen (night parrot) reserve in south-western Queensland to investigate the spatial and temporal patterns of feral cat activity. These data were collected from two discrete periods, with slightly different foci, and we undertook careful data exploration and refinement to identify a consistent data set. We modelled the relationship between the camera detections and a range of environmental, spatial, and temporal parameters, using logistic regression and two selection criteria (Akaike’s and Bayesian). The final parsimonious model identified that feral cat detection probability decreased with increasing ruggedness and increased as distance to creek lines decreased. Feral cat detection probability also declined over time from camera deployment. In each model the variance component estimates suggested that some influences on cat detection probability remain unexplained. Regardless, our results provide further data on feral cat activity, and therefore information to focus and improve the management of this threat to the night parrot and other significant species on this conservation reserve.

Cheryl Buchanan: Activist, Mentor, Publisher

Cheryl Buchanan is a traditional owner from the Guwamu Nation and Nyurin Clan in south-western Queensland. For over 40 years she played a critical role in Indigenous research, political advocacy, editing, and publishing. Currently she is Secretary of the Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations (NBAN), which advocates for First Nations water rights and interests, First Nations people’s access to water and their inclusion in water management decision-making at a federal and state level.

Some soil factors constraining buffel grass (

Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.) has passionate grazing industry advocates and biodiversity conservation detractors around the world due to its ability to readily establish and spread on certain soil types. A more detailed understanding of what soil factors influence the success of seedling establishment will offer guidance to anyone wishing to either encourage or discourage buffel grass establishment in a particular area. Twenty soils from land types where buffel grass had a varied history of successful establishment and persistence in south western Queensland, Australia were assessed in a pot trial for their influence on early seedling growth rate of buffel grass. Some currently had buffel grass growing there. Aspects of the chemistry of each soil were compared against the rate of seedling growth of buffel grass cv. Biloela that was sown with or without a phosphate coating on the seed. Available soil phosphorus had a major influence on seedling growth in the absence of a phosphate fertiliser coating, but levels of other factors such as exchangeable aluminium and calcium were also critical. Several multiple regression equations with differing soil parameters included proved equally good at predicting buffel seedling growth but they did not greatly improve on the strong correlation with available soil phosphorus. This seemed due to the interchangeability amongst soil pH, cation exchange capacity and degree of clay as controlling factors, over and above available phosphorus. Thus, where available soil phosphorus is marginal for rapid buffel seedling growth, soil pH, exchangeable aluminium and total exchangeable cation levels could have similar importance in determining whether buffel grass colonised or failed to gain a foothold in that area.

Opportunities to build resilience of beef cattle properties in the mulga lands of south-western Queensland, Australia

Beef producers in the mulga lands of south-western Queensland and north-western New South Wales, Australia, face the challenges of inherently low productivity and profitability, exacerbated by widespread pasture degradation and high climate and market variability. Our objective was to use the farm-management economics framework to assess the ability of management strategies and investment options to improve profitability and build the overall resilience of beef cattle properties in the mulga lands. Options were assessed for a hypothetical, representative beef cattle property in south-western Queensland (20 000 ha; initial stocking rate 600 adult equivalents). Firstly, strategies were assessed for their ability to improve profitability when operated as a beef business. Secondly, two alternative investment options were assessed: (1) conversion to rangeland meat goat production; and (2) conversion to carbon farming through carbon sequestration. Herd and economic modelling software were used to conduct property-level, partial discounted cash-flow budgets to assess each strategy over a 30-year investment period. Results indicated very limited potential to improve the profitability and resilience of an existing beef cattle enterprise in the mulga lands. However, full or partial conversion to rangeland meat goat production or carbon farming improved property-level returns and viability.

More than just Night Parrots: A baseline bird survey of Pullen Pullen Reserve, south-western Queensland

The birds of arid environments often exhibit nomadism, seasonal breeding and population fluctuations that respond to highly variable weather patterns. In this study we present data from a baseline bird survey in Bush Heritage Australia’s Pullen Pullen Reserve in south-western Queensland. We conducted seasonal surveys (October–November 2018, May 2019) in 40 sites representing Spinifex (Triodia spp.) grasslands, a complex of Mitchell Astrebla spp./chenopod grasslands and Georgina Gidgee Acacia georginae riparian woodlands, using a standardised 2-ha census. A total of 85 species was recorded in the standardised sites, as well as an additional 16 species recorded opportunistically. Twenty-six species (31%), many of which were nomadic, were recorded from only one of the surveys. Bird abundance and species richness were highest in the post-wet-season survey (May 2018), and there was strong variation in the composition of the bird species between the three habitats surveyed. These data provide a baseline to continue monitoring and to understand the resident and more peripatetic elements of this arid bird community, which should be surveyed regularly to investigate the role of changing management and the long-term influence of global environmental change.

Native pastures and beef cattle show a spatially variable response to a changing climate in Queensland, Australia

Abstract Queensland’s rangelands are an important source for Australia’s pastoral food production. However, they are subject to significant climate variability and will be under increasing pressure as the climate changes, potentially leading to loss of productivity. Pasture growth fluctuates greatly due to rainfall variability, which unfortunately is the climate variable with the largest uncertainties in future projections for northern and eastern Australia. This sensitivity study examines the effect of climate change and its interaction with soil fertility and trees on pasture and livestock production in Queensland. Nine climate change sensitivities were tested in various combinations; an increase in air temperatures by a median projected value of +3 °C, rainfall changes of -20 %, -10 % and +10 % and an increase of carbon dioxide concentrations to 700 ppm. The GRASP model was used to assess the responses of pasture growth, pasture quality and cattle liveweight change per head. The most arid areas in western and south-western Queensland were the most sensitive to changes in rainfall. In contrast, the tropical north was the most resilient region. Southern and south-eastern Queensland benefitted from higher air temperatures producing greater pasture growth, quality and liveweight gain per head by extending the growing season and reducing frost during the winter months. The presence of trees competing for water and nitrogen increased the sensitivity of pasture to climate change, especially at higher carbon dioxide levels and lower rainfall. Increased carbon dioxide enhanced pasture growth and mitigated rainfall reductions by improving the water use efficiency of the plants. Thus, a warmer climate may create new opportunities in the south and south-east, but a warmer and drier climate in the western regions of Queensland is likely to reduce pasture and livestock production.

Lobelia fenshamii N.G.Walsh & Albr. and L. fontana Albr. & N.G.Walsh (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae), two new species endemic to artesian springs in central and south-western Queensland

Lobelia fenshamii N.G.Walsh & Albr. and L. fontana Albr. & N.G.Walsh (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae), two new species endemic to artesian springs in central and south-western Queensland

Does aridity affect spatial ecology? Scaling of home range size in small carnivorous marsupials.

The aim of our study was to determine how body mass affects home range size in carnivorous marsupials (dasyurids) and whether those species living in desert environments require relatively larger areas than their mesic counterparts. The movement patterns of two sympatric species of desert dasyurids (body mass 16 and 105g) were investigated via radio-telemetry in southwestern Queensland and compared with published records for other Australian dasyurids. Both species monitored occupied stable home ranges. For all dasyurids, home range size scaled with body mass with a coefficient of > 1.2, almost twice that for metabolic rate. Generally, males occupied larger home ranges than females, even after accounting for the size dimorphism common in dasyurids. Of the three environmental variables tested, primary productivity and habitat, a categorical variable based on the 500mm rainfall isopleth, further improved model performance demonstrating that arid species generally occupy larger home ranges. Similar patterns were still present in the dataset after correcting for phylogeny. Consequently, the trend towards relatively larger home ranges with decreasing habitat productivity can be attributed to environmental factors and was not a result of taxonomic affiliation. We therefore conclude that alternative avenues to reduce energy requirements on an individual and population level (i.e. torpor, basking and population density) do not fully compensate for the low resource availability of deserts demanding an increase in home range size.

Enablers and Barriers of Tourism as a Driver of Economic and Social‐cultural Growth in Remote Queensland

Regional and remote tourism in Australia is characterised by micro‐, small‐ and medium‐sized businesses, spatially dispersed and fragmented. Characteristics which present unique challenges for these communities attempting to develop tourism as a way of diversifying their economy. This study explored the views and experiences from residents and businesses in six remote local government areas in South Western Queensland to identify the barriers and enablers for remote communities to using tourism as a driver of economic and social‐cultural growth. We found a lack of understanding of the structure and behaviour of the tourism industry; a lack of business acumen; a lack of financial and human resources; and a reluctance to collaborate by tourism businesses to be barriers to tourism‐led economic growth. Enablers to tourism led growth included: local government support for tourism development; a sound understanding of the mechanics and structure of the tourism industry; and the capacity to engage in marketing that captured and narrated the visitor experience in digital channels.

Changes in small native animal populations following control of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) by warren ripping in the Australian arid zone

Context European rabbits have a great impact on native vegetation and small vertebrates in Australia. Rabbits consume vegetation and promote invasive plants and invasive predators, and compete directly and indirectly with native animals suppressing those populations. Aims We explored the changes in small native vertebrates and invertebrates following the removal of rabbits. Methods Warren ripping was undertaken on a property in south-western Queensland at four sites and the results of pitfall trapping were compared with four nearby paired control sites. Invertebrates and small mammals were counted in pitfall traps, and bird surveys were conducted in all treatment and control sites. Key results Following a rabbit-control program, we observed a four-fold increase in the number of dunnarts trapped in treatment plots, whereas no change was observed in control plots. The spring following the rabbit-control program also saw an increase in some lizards in treatment plots. Conclusions The presence of rabbits in arid-zone Australia can suppress native animal populations. Implications Many species of small native mammals and lizards rely on food sources that fluctuate greatly with environmental conditions. The presence of rabbits altering the landscape, supporting introduced predators, reducing vegetation and, therefore, insects, adds increased pressure for insectivorous species. Rabbit control through warren ripping in arid-zone Australia is an effective method to reduce rabbit numbers, and allowed for an increase in small vertebrates in treated areas.

Increasing prospectivity in a covered terrain – the southern Thomson Orogen, northwestern NSW

The Southern Thomson Project aims to advance understanding of tectonic history and mineral prospectivity of basement rocks of the southern Thomson Orogen beneath extensive Mesozoic and Cenozoic cover. The project area in northwestern New South Wales (NSW) and western Queensland is considered underexplored, with poor definition of structural corridors and mineral systems in the Palaeozoic rocks. This collaborative project between Geoscience Australia, the Geological Survey of New South Wales (GSNSW) and the Geological Survey of Queensland is acquiring and interpreting new geoscience data, including geophysical, geochemical, and isotopic investigations. Geophysical data interpretations and models have been tested through a program of stratigraphic drilling to provide basement cores for studies of petrology, geochronology, geochemistry, petrophysics and mineral systems. Downhole geophysical logging of the drillholes also aims to characterise the cover sequences and define depth to basement.Interpretation of regional aeromagnetic and gravity data and synthesis of existing mineral, water-bore and petroleum drillholes created a geological map of basement lithologies and structures. Stratigraphic drilling has targeted areas with no data to constrain lithologies or their ages, with four key areas selected for drilling in far northwestern NSW. Information on the thickness of cover sequences over resistive basement interpreted from AEM inversion models has proven useful during the selection of drilling locations.Seven stratigraphic drillholes were completed within NSW using a combination of mud rotary and diamond drilling. All holes penetrated surface regolith, as well as sedimentary rocks of the Eromanga Basin, to achieve approximately 50 metres of basement core for analyses. Resulting improvements to geological understanding and development of exploration techniques will be a keystone to progress future investigations in the southern Thomson Orogen.

A comparison of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and manned helicopters for monitoring macropod populations

Context Developments in the use of remote aircraft, or unmanned aerial systems (UAS), for ecological study have been rapid. Helicopter surveys have proven to be a reliable, repeatable method for broad-scale monitoring of harvested kangaroo populations in Australia’s rangelands, but the recent availability of long-range UAS may offer improvements in detectability and cost efficiency. Aims We aimed to test the ability of a long-range UAS (Spylite, Bluebird Aero Systems Ltd, Kadima, Israel) to survey macropod populations at a landscape scale, and validate the results against those from the current best-practice helicopter surveys. Methods Four 80-km transects in south-western Queensland were surveyed using a helicopter and UAS. Two observers, occupying the rear seats of the helicopter, recorded animals observed in distance classes perpendicular to either side of the aircraft. Continuous electro-optical (EO) or infrared (IR) video from the UAS were recorded for later processing. Animal densities were calculated using line-transect methods for both techniques. The efficiency and cost effectiveness of each survey technique were also assessed using the flight and data processing times. Key results The encounter rate for macropods during the UAS was significantly lower compared with the helicopter survey, resulting in low estimates of macropod density (3.2 versus 53.8 animals km–2 respectively). The UAS technique recorded between 2.9 and 12.7% of the macropod density observed on each transect during the helicopter survey. The helicopter surveys were less expensive and more efficient and cost effective, requiring less flight and data processing time than the UAS surveys. Conclusions Utilising long-range UAS to detect and count groups of wild animals for landscape-scale wildlife monitoring has potential, but improvements in detection and identification technology are needed to match or exceed the accuracy of the conventional aerial survey technique for kangaroos. Implications Recent advances in camera technology and methodological refinements are encouraging for aerial survey of wildlife using UAS. However, significant improvements are required to survey for kangaroos and new technology should again be tested against current benchmarks.

Understanding and managing the threats to Night Parrots in south-western Queensland

ABSTRACTSouth-western Queensland supports a suite of threatened native species, including Night Parrots. We investigated why this species has persisted in the region and discovered low prevalence of the typical factors that are thought to explain fauna attrition elsewhere in central Australia. Foxes appear to be completely absent. Feral cats were recorded relatively infrequently and showed a significant preference for habitats less commonly used by Night Parrots, a partition that may be driven by the presence of dogs that were detected twice as frequently as cats. Our study area has had a long history of moderate grazing pressure, which is concentrated mostly in productive alluvial habitats. We detected very few herbivores, and dog scat analyses suggest that macropod populations are regulated by predation. Archival imagery shows that large fires are not a feature of this landscape, resulting in the long-term, stable availability of patchy Triodia habitats separated by natural no-fuel areas. Based on these empirical data, we postulate that low non-native predator pressure, long-term stable availability of Triodia cover and a productive landscape that has had only moderate grazing pressure are the interacting factors that may explain why Night Parrots have persisted in south-western Queensland. We present practical management actions that could enhance the suitability of this landscape for Night Parrots.

Quantification of Organic richness through wireline logs: a case study of Roseneath shale formation, Cooper basin, Australia

The late Carboniferous-Middle Triassic, intracratonic Cooper basin in northeastern South Australia and southwestern Queensland is Australia's foremost onshore hydrocarbon producing region. The basin compromises Permian carbonaceous shale like lacustrine Roseneath and Murteree shale formation which is acting as source and reservoir rock.The source rock can be distinguished from non-source intervals by lower density, higher transit time, higher gamma ray values, higher porosity and resistivity with increasing organic content. In current dissertation we have attempted to compare the different empirical approaches based on density relation and Δ LogR method through three overlays of sonic/resistivity, neutron/resistivity and density/resistivity to quantify Total organic content (TOC) of Permian lacustrine Roseneath shale formation using open hole wireline log data (DEN, GR, CNL, LLD) of Encounter 1 well. The TOC calculated from fourteen density relations at depth interval between 3174.5–3369 meters is averaged 0.56% while TOC from sonic/resistivity, neutron/resistivity and density/resistivity yielded an average value of 3.84%, 3.68%, 4.40%. The TOC from average of three overlay method is yielded to 3.98%.According to geochemical report in PIRSA the Roseneath shale formation has TOC from 1 – 5 wt %.There is unpromising correlations observed for calculated TOC from fourteen density relations and measured TOC on samples. The TOC from average value of three overlays using Δ LogR method showed good correlation with measured TOC on samples.

Aboriginal stone huts along the Georgina River, southwest Queensland

This paper reports on the recording of previously unpublished Aboriginal stone hut structures in southwestern Queensland. Located along the Georgina River, these 15 structures are typical of the region, being generally circular in plan view, with an average diameter of 5m and a 1m-wide opening consistently positioned to afford protection from prevailing winds. Evidence suggests these structures were roofed with vegetation and, while they pre-date the contact period, appear also to have been used into at least the late 1800s. Artefacts associated with them include stone flakes, cores and edge-ground axe fragments, freshwater mussel shells, rifle cartridge cases, fragments of glass, and metal objects. A comparison of these stone hut structures is made with similar features from elsewhere in Australia, demonstrating that there was a widespread but consistent use of stone for construction. This short report contributes to an increasing awareness of, and literature about, built structures in traditional Aboriginal societies.

Integrating gravity, seismic, AEM and MT data to investigate crustal architecture and cover thickness: modelling new geophysical data from the Southern Thomson region

New geophysical data, including gravity, airborne electromagnetic (AEM), and both audio frequency and broadband magnetotelluric (AMT, BBMT) were collected along a series of traverses in the southern Thomson Orogen region of north-western New South Wales and southwestern Queensland in 2014 as part of the Southern Thomson Project. Comparing and integrating these data over the same spatial extents aimed to provide a better understanding of the crustal architecture of this region, and help estimate cover thicknesses above basement rocks. When comparing all available datasets, AEM cannot be reliably used when cover thickness is > ~150 m because of limitations in Depth of Investigation (DOI), and BBMT tends to overestimate cover thickness where it is less than 50 m. AMT likely provides the best resolution for estimating cover thicknesses of 0–1000 m on this regional scale. Forward modelling of the gravity data along selected traverses tested the interpreted crustal architecture and cover thicknesses inferred from available seismic images and the new AEM and MT conductivity models. The variable cover thicknesses interpreted from this combined approach produces a closer match with the observed gravity response when compared to a uniform, average cover thickness. The most accurate crustal-scale forward model is a thickened crust north of the Olepoloko Fault (the proposed southern boundary of the southern Thomson), split into simplified lower, middle and upper layers with basement lithologies immediately beneath cover based on the most recent basement interpretation map. Resistive bodies shown in the MT models were included in the gravity modelling, producing a good match between the observed and calculated gravity responses. These results demonstrate the utility in using a combination of different geophysical techniques to understand crustal architecture and estimations of basement depths in regions of Australia with little surface outcrop and thick cover sequences.

A new subspecies of the Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius) from the Upper Cooper Creek Drainage, Lake Eyre Basin, central Australia

A new, apparently isolated subspecies of the Australian Ringneck Parrot (Barnardius zonarius) is described from the Upper Cooper Creek drainage in far north-eastern South Australia and neighbouring extreme south-western Queensland. If two species are recognised in Barnardius, this form would be a subspecies of B. barnardi.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A2083683-6FAE-4D3F-9B2A-BAA0C47AC8FF