Bibliography: leaves 105-121. / viii, 133, [28] leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / This thesis tests the hypothesis that plant strategies to respond to seasonal flooding can be used to predict their tolerance to variation in water regime. The studies illustrate contrasting strategies for survival in seasonally fluctuation water levels. These are tested in the field against similar species. Plants are surveyed at four stages of flooding at Bool Lagoon. The morphologically plastic species, V. reniformis and Triglochin procerum, respond to flooding with taller shoots and increased investment in photosynthetic tissue. It is concluded that the reproductive effort is much lower in the field than in the pond experiments, and changes in the population density of both species are not related to water regime. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Botany, 1997?

Bibliography: leaves 105-121. / viii, 133, [28] leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / This thesis tests the hypothesis that plant strategies to respond to seasonal flooding can be used to predict their tolerance to variation in water regime. The studies illustrate contrasting strategies for survival in seasonally fluctuation water levels. These are tested in the field against similar species. Plants are surveyed at four stages of flooding at Bool Lagoon. The morphologically plastic species, V. reniformis and Triglochin procerum, respond to flooding with taller shoots and increased investment in photosynthetic tissue. It is concluded that the reproductive effort is much lower in the field than in the pond experiments, and changes in the population density of both species are not related to water regime. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Botany, 1997?

[Truncated abstract] In the most common (hydrological) viewpoint, vegetation is a

[Truncated abstract] In southern Western Australia the replacement of deep-rooted native vegetation with annual species has resulted in rising water tables and increased salinity due to insufficient water use. The area has a Mediterranean-type climate where rainfall during summer is generally low but variable resulting in limited plant growth. However, if rainfall does occur it potentially can contribute to to the increased water excess or drainage by increasing the soil water content before the main drainage period in winter. The first study investigated factors controlling soil water content changes during the fallow (December to May) in annual farming systems. This was achieved by examining variation in available soil water storage to a depth of 1.0-1.5 m at three sites within 13 seasons. Reasons for the variation were examined using the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM). This study also investigated the relationship between soil water content at the end of the fallow period (1 May) and the amount of drainage below 2.5 m by using APSIM coupled to historical weather records at three locations. At the end of the fallow a mean of 24 mm (or 25%) of rainfall during the fallow was retained in the soil. Losses of soil water during the fallow were due to evaporation (mean of 60 mm), transpiration from plant cover (mean of 12 mm) and drainage below the root zone and run off (combined mean of 13 mm). Soil water accumulation during the fallow period had a significant impact on simulated drainage under wheat in the following growing season. Every 1 mm increase in soil wetness at the end of the fallow resulted in a 0.7-1 mm increase in simulated drainage during the growing season. ... Variation in the water excess due to variation in rainfall was greater than the reduction in water excess due to lucerne. This makes the decisions about when to grow lucerne to reduce water excess difficult if livestock enterprises are less profitable than cropping enterprises. The findings of this PhD indicate that lucerne does have a place in Mediterranean-type environments because of its greater water use than current farming practices. However, its use needs to be strategic and the strategy will vary from region to region. For example, in the low rainfall region lucerne sowings need to be matched with high soil water contents and phase length will generally be short (2-3 years). In comparison at high rainfall regions lucerne will need to be grown for longer or combined with other strategies to increase water use.