[Truncated abstract] Currently, Alcoa World Alumina Australia (Alcoa) mines and undertakes procedures to rehabilitate approximately 550 ha of jarrah forest each year at two open-cut bauxite mines in South-West Western Australia. Alcoa aims to establish a self-sustaining jarrah forest ecosystem that maintains the functions of the landscape prior to mining, including biodiversity, on areas that have been mined for bauxite. Indigenous terrestrial orchids form a significant proportion of the indigenous geophytic plant species that either fail to colonise rehabilitated areas or do so very slowly. Terrestrial orchids are considered to be particularly sensitive to competition from weeds and disturbance, which combined with the obligate nature of the orchid-mycorrhizal fungus association suggests that orchids would colonise rehabilitation areas only when both microhabitat sites and soil microflora have established. Occurrence of certain orchids may therefore be expected to be useful as indicators of ecosystem health, the success of vegetation establishment and the recovery of edaphic conditions suitable for orchid mycorrhizal fungi. Vegetation surveys were undertaken to compare orchid species richness and population size of a chrono-sequence of rehabilitation areas with adjacent unmined forest. ... Orchid taxa present in each vegetation assemblage were generally not exclusive to these assemblages, with the following broad exclusions: D. bracteata was found only in species assemblages associated with rehabilitation areas; and Eriochilus sp. and T. crinita were found only in species assemblages associated with unmined forest. No single orchid species appears to be an indicator of ecosystem recovery. However, the presence of populations of C. flava, P. sp. crinkled leaf (G.J.Keighery 13426) or P. recurva in combination with the absence of the disturbance opportunist orchid taxa D. bracteata and M. media appears to be a measure of the maturity of the rehabilitation vegetation. Orchid species richness and clonal orchid population size were correlated with changes in vegetation structure, but apart from the absence of orchids in 1 year old rehabilitation areas, these orchid population characteristics did not show any direct relationship with rehabilitation age or vegetation maturity. Only two orchid taxa appeared to have potential as indicators of vegetation characteristics: T. crinita as an indicator of undisturbed jarrah forest; and D. bracteata as an indicator of disturbed ecosystems. The results of this study suggest that most jarrah forest orchid taxa will readily colonise the post bauxite mining landscape, but that the unassisted colonisation by recalcitrant orchid taxa may be a prolonged process. It is recommended that field-based transplantation and/or seeding trials be undertaken with these recalcitrant taxa to determine if these procedures will enhance recruitment. The results of this work have applications not only in the management of post-mining landscapes but also in vegetation monitoring and conservation work in Western Australia and elsewhere.

[Truncated abstract] In an era of emerging and resurging infectious diseases, understanding the ecological processes that influence pathogen activity and the influences of anthropogenic change to those are critical. Ross River virus (RRV, Togoviridae: Alphavirus) is a mosquito-borne zoonosis occurring in Australia with a significant human disease burden. In the southwest of Western Australia (WA) RRV is principally vectored by Aedes camptorhynchus Thomson (Diptera: Culicidae), which is halophilic. The inland southwest, the Wheatbelt region, of WA is substantially affected by an anthropogenic salinisation of agricultural land called dryland salinity, which threatens to influence transmission of this arbovirus. This study assessed the ecological impacts of dryland salinity on mosquitoes, mammalian hosts and their interactions to influence the potential for RRV transmission. Many aquatic insect taxa colonise ephemeral water bodies directly as adults or by oviposition. Using a manipulative experiment and sampling from ephemeral water bodies in the Wheatbelt, I demonstrated that salinity of water bodies can modify colonisation behaviour and the distribution of some organisms across the landscape. Halosensitive fauna selected less saline mesocosms for oviposition and colonisation. In particular, Culex australicus Dobrotworksy and Drummond and Anopheles annulipes Giles (Diptera: Culicidae), potential competitors with Ae. camptorhynchus, avoided ovipostion in saline mesocosms and water bodies in the field. This finding suggests salinity influences behaviour and may reduce interspecific interactions between these taxa and Ae. camptorhynchus at higher salinities. Using extensive field surveys of ephemeral water bodies in the Wheatbelt I found mosquitoes frequently colonised ephemeral water bodies, responded positively to rainfall, and populated smaller water bodies more densely than larger water bodies. The habitat characteristics of ephemeral water bodies changed in association with salinity. Consequently there were both direct and indirect associations between salinity and colonising mosquitoes. Ultimately the structure of mosquito assemblages changed with increasing salinity, favouring an increased regional distribution and abundance of Ae. camptorhynchus. The direct implication of this result is secondary salinisation has enhanced the vectorial potential for RRV transmission in the WA Wheatbelt. ... This thesis contributes to an emerging body of research aimed at delineating important ecological processes which determine transmission of infections disease. Collectively the findings in this study suggest dryland salinity enhances the potential for RRV activity in the Wheatbelt. Currently, human RRV notifications in the Wheatbelt do not reflect the salinity-RRV transmission potential in that area, but appear to be associated with dispersal of RRV from the enzootic coastal zone of southwest WA. I speculate dryland salinity is a determinant of potential for RRV transmission, but not activity. Dryland salinity is predicted to undergo a two to four fold expansion by 2050, which will increase the regional potential for RRV activity. Preservation and restoration of freshwater ecosystems may ameliorate the potential for transmission of RRV and, possibly, human disease incidence.

The role of Christian churches in community development cannot be over-emphasised. In the past, Christian churches have played vital roles in community development, both in rural and urban areas. It is in light of this that the researcher views the current situation in Ovia South-West and seeks to determine whether or not this also applies to Ovia South-West. This study is an exploration of the role of Christian churches in community development, with particular reference to the Ovia South-West region of Nigeria. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

Rhizanthella gardneri (Rogers) is a critically endangered orchid restricted to two isolated regions of south-western Australia. Rhizanthella gardneri is an entirely subterranean mycoheterotrophic species that purportedly forms a tripartite relationship with a mycorrhizal fungus (Ceratobasidiales) that links with an autotrophic shrub of the Melaleuca uncinata complex to acquire nutrients. Whether the rarity of R. gardneri is intrinsic is overshadowed by the recent effect of extrinsic factors that means R. gardneri requires some form of conservation and may also be a viable candidate for restoration. To create an integrated conservation strategy for R. gardneri, reasons for its decline and knowledge of its biological and ecological functioning must be elucidated. This thesis focuses on three key questions; 1) what are the habitat requirements and limitations to R. gardneri survival; 2) what is the identity and specificity of the fungus R. gardneri forms mycorrhizas with; and 3) does R. gardneri form a nutrient-sharing tripartite relationship with a mycorrhizal fungus and autotrophic shrub. Key climate, soil and vegetation characteristics of known R. gardneri habitats were quantified to provide baseline data for monitoring known R. gardneri populations, to better understand how R. gardneri interacts with its habitat, and to identify possible new sites for R. gardneri introduction. Habitats of the two known R. gardneri populations differed considerably in soil chemistry, Melaleuca structure and Melaleuca productivity. Individual sites within populations were relatively similar in all attributes measured while overall Northern and Southern habitats were distinct from each other. These results suggest that R. gardneri can tolerate a range of conditions and may be more widespread than previously thought, given that there are extensive areas of Melaleuca thickets with similar habitat characteristics across south-western Australia. The fungus forming mycorrhizas with R. gardneri was identified, using nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences, as a Rhizoctonia-type fungus within the Ceratobasidiales. All fungi isolated from R. gardneri individuals representative of its currently known distribution were genetically similar, suggesting R. gardneri is highly dependent on this specific fungal species. Given that R. gardneri appears to exclusively associate with a specific fungal species, species-specific molecular primers were designed and used to analyse the fungi’s presence in known and potential R. gardneri habitats. These results 6 suggest that the fungus exists beyond the known R. gardneri habitats and gives hope to finding new populations.

Buildings energy consumption is rising continuously with massive urbanization progress, which then results in high greenhouse gas emission. A standing example is the urbanization process going on in the south-west part of China. Much has been discussed for improving building energy performance. However, to take another point of view, renewable energy source for buildings is a solution worth considering, for instance STES, which gains thermal energy from the sun, delivers it to buildings for space heating and hot tap water, also restores the solar energy in hot seasons in the storage system for the need of cold season.The aim of this paper is to couple the technology of STES with practical situation, explore the possibility of applying STES in south-west of China. This thesis work takes an estimation approach to weigh the possibility. The building project studied in this thesis is a campus project in the city of Guiyang, one of four major cities in the region of south-west China.Case study involves existing STES projects in Munich Germany and Anneberg Sweden, the performance evaluation of the Anneberg project is later to serve as an example in system gain & losses proportion, to guide the estimation work of the campus project.The estimation conclusion is drawn based on a cross-sectional analysis method, take the technology of STES, the practiced STES project and building projects in China as three loops visually, and observe how much they overlap each other. Behind the visual illustration, the overlapping is assessed with several factors, for instance possibility of storage system at location, possible STES performance and solar irradiation condition at site location etc. If most of these factors are checked to be “Ok” or “Good”, then the overlapping area is considered “large” enough, and therefore suggests a decent chance to implement STES system in the south-west China.A solar gain and sunlight simulation from a new police station energy consumption report assists in calculating the possible solar gain for the campus project, as the very close distance between these two sites (30 km) promises them the very similar solar irradiation condition. While the energy consumption of the studied campus project offers the energy demand for space heating and hot tap water in the need of 19,000 students, which is to be evaluated as the task of the STES system in the estimation work. Both building project reports are filed by GARDI (Architecture design research institution of Guizhou).Some key factors have been calculated and estimated, the heat demand of the studied campus project in Guiyang is 5,558 MWh/year, and the possible solar gain of this campus complexity is 4,900 MWh/year based on the gain & losses proportion of the Anneberg project evaluation. Due to the very different climate condition of Guiyang and Anneberg, as well as other uncertain factors such as effective roof area, solar collector efficiency, a sensitivity analysis evaluated the result with different parameters in changes of percentage. Final results in the changes of effective roof area at 80% and 85 %, borehole losses at 50% and 45%, available solar gain at 38%, STES system is shown to be capable of providing sufficient heat to buildings. If the heating demand and hot tap water, in the case of the campus project alone are all covered by STES system, there will be a reduction in CO2 emission of 5,368 tons/year.Cross-sectional analysis concludes four out of eight factors checked as “Good” and two as “Ok”, other two as “Unsure”. Other three cities (Chengdu, Kunming, and Chongqing) are brought to comparison later regarding climate condition. Besides Guiyang, two out of three are evaluated to have potential of STES implementation according to their sun hours, annual average temperature etc. STES system is estimated to be possible for implementation in south-west of China as the conclusion.

Rhizanthella gardneri (Rogers) is a critically endangered orchid restricted to two isolated regions of south-western Australia. Rhizanthella gardneri is an entirely subterranean mycoheterotrophic species that purportedly forms a tripartite relationship with a mycorrhizal fungus (Ceratobasidiales) that links with an autotrophic shrub of the Melaleuca uncinata complex to acquire nutrients. Whether the rarity of R. gardneri is intrinsic is overshadowed by the recent effect of extrinsic factors that means R. gardneri requires some form of conservation and may also be a viable candidate for restoration. To create an integrated conservation strategy for R. gardneri, reasons for its decline and knowledge of its biological and ecological functioning must be elucidated. This thesis focuses on three key questions; 1) what are the habitat requirements and limitations to R. gardneri survival; 2) what is the identity and specificity of the fungus R. gardneri forms mycorrhizas with; and 3) does R. gardneri form a nutrient-sharing tripartite relationship with a mycorrhizal fungus and autotrophic shrub. Key climate, soil and vegetation characteristics of known R. gardneri habitats were quantified to provide baseline data for monitoring known R. gardneri populations, to better understand how R. gardneri interacts with its habitat, and to identify possible new sites for R. gardneri introduction. Habitats of the two known R. gardneri populations differed considerably in soil chemistry, Melaleuca structure and Melaleuca productivity. Individual sites within populations were relatively similar in all attributes measured while overall Northern and Southern habitats were distinct from each other. These results suggest that R. gardneri can tolerate a range of conditions and may be more widespread than previously thought, given that there are extensive areas of Melaleuca thickets with similar habitat characteristics across south-western Australia. The fungus forming mycorrhizas with R. gardneri was identified, using nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences, as a Rhizoctonia-type fungus within the Ceratobasidiales. All fungi isolated from R. gardneri individuals representative of its currently known distribution were genetically similar, suggesting R. gardneri is highly dependent on this specific fungal species. Given that R. gardneri appears to exclusively associate with a specific fungal species, species-specific molecular primers were designed and used to analyse the fungi’s presence in known and potential R. gardneri habitats. These results 6 suggest that the fungus exists beyond the known R. gardneri habitats and gives hope to finding new populations.

[Truncated abstract] Indigenous Australians suffer cardiovascular disease (CVD) at a rate six times greater than the general population in Australia and while the incidence of CVD has been reduced dramatically amongst the majority of non-indigenous Australians and amongst Indigenous populations in other countries in the last 30 years, there has been little change in the figures for Aboriginal Australians, showing that heart health campaigns have little impact, for this group of people. Aims : The principal aims of this study were firstly, to determine and record the barriers to the development and delivery of CVD prevention programs amongst Indigenous Australians and secondly, to develop an alternative, effective and culturally sensitive method of delivering heart health messages. Methods and results : The study was qualitative research undertaken in three South-West towns of Western Australia where the incidence of CVD was high amongst the Aboriginal community members. The use of semi-formal interviews, informal individual consultation, observation, and focus groups were methods implemented to obtain information. The first phase of the research was to identify the barriers which affected the Aboriginal Health Workers’ ability to deliver specialist educational programs. Questionnaires and interviews with the Aboriginal Health Workers and other health professionals in the towns, and community focus groups were undertaken in this phase of the study. The second phase of the research was aimed at developing an alternative strategy for delivering heart health messages. The focus changed to adopt more traditional ways of passing on information in Indigenous communities. The idea of small gatherings of friends or family with a trusted community member presenting the health message was developed. The third phase of the research was to implement this new approach. Lay educators who had been identified within focus groups and by Aboriginal Health Workers were trained in each of the towns and a protocol involving discussions of health issues, viewing a video on CVD, produced by the National Heart Foundation, sharing in a ‘heart healthy’ lunch and partaking in a ‘heart health’ knowledge game which was developed specifically for the gatherings. Several of these gatherings were held in each of the towns and they became known as ‘HeartAware parties’.

[Truncated abstract] A functional ecosystem is increasingly being recognised as a requirement for health and well being of resident human populations. Clearing of native vegetation for agriculture has left 1.047 million hectares of south-west Western Australia affected by a severe form of environmental degradation, dryland salinity, characterised by secondary soil salinisation and waterlogging. This area may expand by a further 1.7-3.4 million hectares if current trends continue. Ecosystems in saline affected regions display many of the classic characteristics of Ecosystem Distress Syndrome (EDS). One outcome of EDS that has not yet been investigated in relation to dryland salinity is adverse human health implications. This thesis focuses on one such potential adverse health outcome: increased incidence of Ross River virus (RRV), the most common mosquito-borne disease in Australia. Spatial analysis of RRV notifications did not reveal a significant association with dryland salinity. To overcome inherent limitations with notification data, serological RRV antibody prevalence was also investigated, and again no significant association with dryland salinity was detected. However, the spatial scale imposed limited the sensitivity of both studies. ... This thesis represents the first attempt to prospectively investigate the influence of secondary soil salinity on mosquito-borne disease by combining entomological, environmental and epidemiological data. The evidence collected indicates that RRV disease incidence is not currently a significant population health priority in areas affected by dryland salinity despite the dominant presence of Ae. camptorhynchus. Potential limiting factors include; local climatic impact on the seasonal mosquito population dynamics; vertebrate host distribution and feeding behaviour of Ae. camptorhynchus; and the scarce and uneven human population distribution across the region. However, the potential for increased disease risk in dryland salinity affected areas to become apparent in the future cannot be discounted, particularly in light of the increasing extent predicted to develop over coming decades before any benefits of amelioration strategies are observed. Finally, it is important to note that both dryland salinity and salinity induced by irrigation are important forms of environmental degradation in arid and semi-arid worldwide, with a total population of over 400 million people. Potential health risks will of course vary widely across different regions depending on a range of factors specific to the local region and the complex interactions between them. It is therefore not possible to make broad generalisations. The need is highlighted for similar research in other regions and it is contended that an ecosystem health framework provides the necessary basis for such investigations.

This thesis sets out to test the hypothesis that the vegetational patterns in the forested region of south western Australia are primarily determined by the interaction of climate and landform. The region is an area of 4.25 million hectares subject to recent agreement between the Commonwealth of '4ustralia and the state of Western Australia regarding long-term protection and management of forest (Regional Forest Agreement). The climate of the South Western forest region is warm temperate and summer dry, matching Koeppen's category Cs, usually described as mediterranean. The dominant geological features of South Western Australia are crystalline and sedimentary plateaus and coastal plains. They are subject to a complex process of weathering, denudation and re-deposition, which is the key determinant of landforms and soil patterns. Deep but infertile soils are prevalent. The dominant vegetation formation of the region is open forest, which reduces to woodland in the drier north and east and increases to tall open forest in the moister south. Floristically the vegetation is very rich, comprising over 3000 vascular plant species. The richness resides in the forest and woodland understorey and in the shrublands, heathlands and sedgelands of edaphically extreme sites. By comparison, the forest overstorey is very simple, only one or two species being often dominant over extensive areas. The validation of the hypothesis that climate and landforms determine the vegetation patterns in South Western Australia is carried out in the following stages: 1) review of past studies of vegetation patterns in relation to the underlying environmental factors, relating them to one another in terms of floristics, 2) conversion of landform and climate maps for the region into vegetation maps by means of toposequences, that is gradients of topography, soils and vegetation within individual landform/climate combinations, 3) production of two sets of vegetation maps, namely six maps of vegetation complexes (1:250,000) and one map of vegetation systems (1:500,000), 4) testing the predictive capability of the resulting maps by comparing the occurrences of individual species of trees, shrubs and herbs predicted by map legends, with their records in FloraBase, the geographic information system of the Western Australian Herbarium, and 5) using the outcomes of the above studies to assess the validity of the hypothesis. Because the above hypothesis is so broad, it will be considered under seven headings: a) nature of the vegetation patterns (continuum or discrete categories), b) regional effect of climate and local effect of landform, c) effect of landforms on soil depth, texture and fertility, d) joint effect of slope, soil depth and texture on water balance, e) interactive effect of landform and climate on vegetation patterns, f) response of individual species to climate and landform, and g) effect of other factors of environment, such as fire, on vegetation patterns. The subsidiary hypotheses are defined in Chapter 5. It is concluded that the vegetation of the region forms a lumpy continuum from the wet south west to the dry north east. Within that broad continuum there are localised continua from waterlogged sites in depressions to drought-prone sites on steep stony slopes. However, the dominant vegetation of the region is open forest on plateau uplands with deep infertile soils. Although climate and landforms have a strong effect on vegetation patterns, they do not determine all vegetation patterns directly. Some tree species have ranges of occurrence that are too broad for that, and others have ranges that are too restricted. A more probable explanation is that climate and landforms, together with fire, set the stage on which the interplay of species takes place and determines the structure and composition of the vegetation. An attempt is made to predict the likely effect of climatic changes on vegetation patterns. The applicability of the methodology developed to the mapping of other regions, especially the adjacent ones, is examined. A review is made of how the products of the study, in particular the maps, are currently being used, and suggestions are made how they could be used in the future.

The aims of the studies undertaken for this thesis on the black bream Acanthopagrus butcheri, a species which is confined to estuaries, were to determine the following. (1) The age compositions, growth rates, reproductive biology and diets of the populations of this species in four different estuaries (Swan River, Moore River, NomaluplWalpole and Wellstead estuaries) and a landlocked saline lake (Lake Clifton) and (2) the seasonal and regional distributions of this species within one estuary (Swan River Estuary). Acanthopagrus butcheri were collected at regular intervals from nearshore, shallow (< 2 m) and offshore, deeper (> 2.5 m) waters of the permanently open Swan River Estuary and intermittently open Moore River Estuary on the lower west coast of Australia and from the permanently open Nomalup/Walpole Estuary and normally closed Wellstead Estuary on the southern coast of Western Australia. One hundred A. butcheri were also obtained from a landlocked, coastal saline lake (Lake Clifton), 90 km south of the Swan River Estuary. Sampling employed seine nets, composite gill nets and rod and line. In the Swan River Estuary, black bream typically occur in the saline reaches of the tributary rivers which constitute the upper estuary. However, during heavy freshwater discharge in winter, many individuals are swept downstream into the basins that constitute the middle estuary. These fish migrate back into the upper estuary in spring and the larger fish spawn in this region between the middle of spring and early summer. Although smaller fish tend to remain in the upper estuary during summer as salinities increase, the larger fish migrate further upstream where salinities are lower. The salinities in which A. butcheri spawned in the different systems ranged from as low as 5.5 - 6.8 %CJin the Moore River Estuary to as high as 40.7 - 45.2 %O in the Wellstead Estuary. The use of marginal increment analyses demonstrated that the opaque zones revealed in otoliths by sectioning are formed annually and could thus be used for ageing individual fish and that the opaque zones visible in whole otoliths prior to sectioning could be used for ageing fish up to six years old. The number of annuli on scales did not provide a reliable estimate of age. The structure of the age compositions in the four estuaries varied, presumably reflecting differences in fishing pressure and, in one case, the lack of recruitment in some years. The growth rates of A. butcheri in the four estuaries and landlocked lake differed, which is probably related to variations in one or more of the following; water temperature, density of fish, salinity and the type of food available. The monthly trends exhibited by gonadosomatic indices and the prevalence of different gonadal maturity stages and mature oocytes demonstrate that spawning typically occurs in spring and early summer. The frequent occurrence of yolk vesicle, yolk granule oocytes and post-ovulatory follicles in the ovaries of some mature fish provides strong circumstantial evidence that A. butcheri is a multiple spawner, i.e. spawns more than once during each breeding season. Estimates of the minimum total fecundity ranged between 9.07 x lo4 and 7.09 x lo6, with a mean of 1.58 x lo6. Variations amongst the lengths and ages at first maturity in three of the estuarine populations of A. butcheri could apparently be attributed to the influence of variations in growth rate. Female and male Acanthopagrus butcheri both possess an ovotestis, a feature characteristic of the Sparidae. There is strong circumstantial evidence that, once a member of this species reaches maturity, it can be considered a rudimentary hermaphrodite, i.e. it possesses either functional ovaries and far smaller and immature testes or functional testes and immature ovaries of variable size. There was no evidence that this species undergoes either a protogynous or protandrous sex change. Acanthopagrus butcheri can consume various benthic and epibenthic prey, including crustaceans, polychaetes, molluscs and teleosts, and can also ingest considerable volumes of algae. However, the dietary compositions of A. butcheri in the four estuaries and Lake Clifton differed markedly, whch, together with information on the biota in those systems, indicate that A. butcheri feeds on those prey items that are most abundant in their environment. Yet, there is also evidence that, in any given system, A. butcheri will focus on a particular prey, even when other prey, which are regularly consumed in considerable volume in other systems, are abundant. The dietary compositions of A. butcheri in each estuary underwent ontogenetic changes, which would reduce the potential for intraspecific competition for food resources.