Extensive research exists regarding invasive alien plant species including impacts to native ecosystems and efficacy of control methods on public lands and river corridors. Many studies have identified the need for more research regarding the social implications of invasive alien species management. More specifically, additional research is needed regarding the impacts of invasive alien plant management on the Colorado Plateau to river-based recreation experiences. It is important for public land management agencies like the National Park Service to understand recreation-based stakeholders’ knowledge, norms, and preferences toward managing prevalent alien plants like tamarisk. For this study, 330 river users were questioned about their knowledge of tamarisk and preferences for tamarisk management on the Green and Colorado River corridors of the Colorado Plateau. Results show that a majority of river users want tamarisk to be removed. The tamarisk control methods investigated in this thesis were also evaluated by respondents as acceptable. The methods evaluated to be the most acceptable were the cut-stump method and the use of tamarisk leaf beetle, while prescribed fire and the use of a machine to mulch tamarisk were found to be less acceptable. The use of chainsaws to perform the cut-stump method was found to be acceptable in both the Green and Colorado River corridors. This thesis concludes with a summary of findings and implications for land managers and future research.

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Bibliography: leaves 284-288.

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Previous research identified distinct genetic, life-history and reproductive differences between populations of common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) upstream and downstream of a pulp and paper mill outfall on the Tarawera River in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. This thesis sought to investigate the distribution of amphidromous and non-amphidromous common bully in the Tarawera River by examining fish collected from upstream (37 km inland) and downstream (20 km inland) locations and comparing them to fish from similar inland locations (40 km and 17 km inland, respectively) in the nearby Rangitaiki River. Otolith microchemistry revealed life-history differences between upstream and downstream populations and stable isotope analysis ensured long-term site residency. Amphidromy dominated in the downstream river populations, while the disappearance of diadromous fish generally occurred with inland distance. A mixture of diadromous and non-diadromous fish were found in the upstream Rangitaiki, while a complete absence of diadromous recruits was found in the upstream Tarawera River. A reduction in oculoscapular canal structures also coincided with loss of diadromy in fish from both rivers. Temporal reproductive divergence was investigated through track annual trends in gonadosomatic index. The Tarawera River receives significant inputs from numerous industrial, municipal and natural sources, most notably from two pulp and paper mills. In the absence physical barriers in the Tarawera, it has been hypothesised that the lack of diadromous recruits in the upstream Tarawera River may be related to aquatic discharges in the downstream river. A behavioural study was performed to examine the hypothesis that pulp and paper mill effluent may be acting as a chemical barrier to fish migration within the river. A dual-choice chamber was employed to examine the responses of common bully exposed to a range of effluent concentrations (100, 50, 25, 12.5, 0% v/v). Fish exhibited significant avoidance responses when exposed to 100 and 50% effluent concentration, while no avoidance was observed at effluent concentrations below 50% This study demonstrated that common bully show a strong preference for river water when simultaneously exposed to effluent, albeit at environmentally unrealistic concentrations (i.e. greater than 15%), implicating potential for this effluent to act as a chemical barrier in the Tarawera River. Following the establishment of reproductive timing of common bully in the Tarawera River, a wild fish health assessment was undertaken to investigate the effects of long-term effluent exposure in situ. Adult common bully were sampled downstream of the mill influence and compared to an appropriate reference population from the downstream Rangitaiki River. Male and female fish from the Tarawera River demonstrated 6- to 9-fold greater ethoxyresorufin-O¬-deethylase (EROD) activity compared to reference fish, indicating exposure to organic contaminants in this river. Tarawera females showed some minor variation in hematological variables including decreased mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) and increased total white blood cell count (WBCC) suggestive of an immune response. Slightly greater ovarian follicular steroid production in Tarawera fish potentially indicates some form of endocrine alteration. However, this response may also be related to differences in reproductive synchrony and gonadal development between the two fish populations.

There has been much interest in the last decade concerning the factors that influence diversity, especially how diversity and ecosystem processes may be linked. This study was based in small, cobble streams in South East Queensland. Its aim was to determine how the diversity and composition of consumers (the grazer guild) is influenced by both the production and composition of benthic algae, at different spatial scales. It also aimed to ascertain whether this response differs among grazer sub guilds with different dispersal capabilities. Ten sites in the Upper Brisbane and Mary catchments were sampled. The sites were selected to provide a range of productivity and composition. Grazers from these sites included snails and elmids, and larval mayflies, moths, and caddisflies. Grazer diversity and composition appeared to be structured by catchment scale influences, but environmental variables also affected which animals colonised patches and microhabitats (cobbles) within catchments. Primary productivity and algal composition could not be separated, with highly productive reaches also having a high cover of filamentous algal taxa. Grazer diversity displayed strongly positive, linear relationships with algal variables at the reach scale. It had a negative relationship with filamentous algae at the cobble scale, and a non-significant hump-shaped relationship with primary productivity. Survey data alone could not separate whether grazers were responding to habitat or food-related drivers, or to variations in productivity. Experimental manipulation of algal variables at the patch scale, using light and nutrients, also could not clearly uncouple the relationship between primary productivity and filamentous algal cover. Once reach scale variation was removed, grazer diversity displayed hump-shaped relationships with algal variables, including algal diversity. Much of this variation was due to patterns in mobile grazers, as sedentary grazers did not respond to algal variation at this scale. The density of the more mobile taxa showed similar patterns to those at the cobble scale (hump-shaped). A second field experiment was carried out in order to further investigate the responses of invertebrates to algal community composition at the cobble scale. Data from all three chapters suggested that as sites shifted to a dominance of filamentous algae, often with an associated increase in GPP, there was also a shift in the grazer community towards more sedentary grazers and away from the more mobile taxa. This also occurred at the cobble scale in the second experiment. The gut analysis and diet studies in the third chapter indicated that while many grazers consumed filamentous algae, it was not assimilated. This suggests that the preferences for sedentary taxa for cobbles and reaches dominated by filamentous algae are likely to be due to some other, possibly habitat-related, factor such as flow or predation refuge. The study provides a rare examination of relationships between primary productivity and consumer diversity in freshwater streams, and finds support for the pattern found in other systems of monotonic relationships of these two variables at large scales and hump-shaped relationships at smaller scales. It emphasises the importance of understanding other, potentially confounding, aspects of communities of producers, and investigates the possible roles of the most important of these (community composition) in structuring consumer communities in the small cobble streams of South-East Queensland.

In lowland river systems, in-channel, slow-flowing or still-water areas (still-water patches, SWPs) are considered to be important habitats for many organisms, particularly the early-life stages of fish and shrimp. However, the distribution of the early life-stages of fish and shrimp among these habitats appears to be very patchy and studies suggest that the quality and diversity of microhabitat conditions within SWPs and the accessibility of SWPs to spawning adults and dispersing young may be important determinants of their suitability as nursery habitat. The aims of this thesis were to examine the utilisation of still-water patches by fish and shrimp in a lowland river in relation to habitat suitability and accessibility, with particular emphasis on early-life stages. To determine the factors influencing habitat selection among SWPs, the environmental variability in SWP habitat, and both the distribution and the movement patterns of fish and shrimp, were examined in the Broken River, a lowland river in south-eastern Australia. SWP habitat was found to be highly spatially and temporally variable in the Broken River. SWPs differed in relation to permanence, accessibility and microhabitat variables, and all life-stages of fish and shrimp were found to be significantly spatially aggregated among SWPs. This suggests that individual SWPs may differ in their suitability as habitat, and/or in their accessibility to dispersing organisms and indicates either differential rates of retention, movement into SWPs, spawning effort or survival among SWPs for these organisms. Significant associations were found for all species and life-stages in relation to the microhabitat characteristics of SWPs. The two introduced species, carp and gambusia, were found to have fewer associations, which suggests that these species are habitat generalists. Cover and SWP morphology variables were shown to be important for all native species. Significant, positive associations were found for most species and life-stages with large, deep, SWPs containing instream cover, however, the extent of cover preferred was variable. It was hypothesised that large, deep SWPs that contain instream cover are more environmentally stable and provide better foraging efficiency and reduced competition for space, whilst also providing refuge from predators and, that they may be easier to locate than smaller patches. Specific associations with microhabitat variables differed among all species and life-stages, and this was attributed to differences in diet and predation rates. Consequently, generalised microhabitat relationships for particular life-stages or species could not be identified and the results from this thesis suggest that a diversity of microhabitat conditions are required to meet the differing requirements of various life-stages and species. Significant associations were also found for most groups in relation to the accessibility characteristics of SWPs, indicating that the ability of individuals to access SWPs is an important factor in determining their distribution among SWPs. This further suggests that movement is an important factor in the distribution pattern of fish and shrimp among SWPs. Significant associations were found for most groups in relation to patch isolation, adjacent hydraulic habitat and entrance conditions, indicating that landscape composition and configuration as well as boundary conditions may be important determinants of organisms being able to locate suitable patches. Associations with accessibility variables differed among species and life-stages, and may be attributable to differences in movement capabilities. Field manipulations of instream cover and entrance depth were conducted to further examine the habitat associations found. The results confirmed a positive relationship between instream cover and fish and shrimp abundances. No species, however, responded consistently to the manipulation of entrance depths, and this was attributed to water level rises throughout the experiment and/or the correlation of entrance depth with SWP depth. However, the results from the field manipulations suggested that deeper habitats are able to be exploited by small-bodied adults and larvae when significant levels of instream cover are also available as refuge from predation. In order to confirm the importance of movement in the selection of SWP habitat by fish and shrimp, the movement patterns of fish and shrimp into and out of SWPs were investigated. Whilst the results from this aspect of the study were inconclusive for fish, the results for shrimp confirmed that adults and larvae moved routinely into and out of SWPs. However, for all shrimp species, movement appeared to be limited to a certain period of larval development, indicating that SWP quality and stability may be more important at particular stages of development than others. The results of this thesis have demonstrated the importance of SWP quality and stability for fish and shrimp in the Broken River and have shown that habitat preferences vary among individual species and life-stages. Consequently, in order to manage for multiple species and life-stages, consideration must be given not only to the availability of SWPs, but also to their stability over time and to the availability of a diverse range of microhabitats. In addition, consideration must also be given to the accessibility of SWPs and this will require a greater knowledge of the specific spawning and dispersal requirements of the organisms which utilise these patches, in combination with a greater understanding of the impacts of flow modification on riverine landscape composition and configuration.

Rivers around the world are under increasing pressure from a variety of human activities. Effective management of riverine landscapes requires an ecosystem approach and one that recognises the complex interactions between their physical, chemical and biological components. Perceptions of pattern and process are central to our understanding of riverine landscapes. Pattern and process operate over multiple scales to produce heterogeneous mosaics of landscape patches that change over time. Hierarchical patch dynamics provides a useful approach to unravel pattern and process at multiple scales in riverine landscapes. This thesis adopts a hierarchical patch dynamics approach to investigate floodplain sediment and nutrient dynamics within the Barwon-Darling River in South Eastern Australia. The flow regime of the Barwon-Darling River is highly variable. As a result, it has a complex channel cross section featuring inset-floodplain surfaces that occur at multiple elevations within the channel trough. These surfaces formed the focus of this study. The texture of inset- floodplain surface sediments displays a patchy spatial distribution and one that did not reflect lateral or longitudinal gradients within this floodplain landscape. Rather a sediment textural patch mosaic was identified. Nutrient concentrations associated with the surface sediments of the inset-floodplains were also shown to vary significantly resulting in a nutrient patch mosaic. This spatial nutrient mosaic was enhanced by factors including the surface elevation of the floodplain surface. Sediment and nutrient exchange between the river channel and inset-floodplain surfaces was measured during several flows in 2001, 2002 and 2005. Pin and sediment trap data showed that significant quantities of sediment were exchanged between the river channel and floodplain surfaces during inundation with both cut and fill processes occurring. Patterns in sediment exchange appear to be related to local sediment supply and seasonal sediment exhaustion, rather than the top down geomorphic constraints considered. These material exchanges resulted in a change to the spatial configuration of the sediment textural patch mosaic. Distinct new sediment textural patches were created following inundation, while other patches were lost post inundation and other patches changed sediment textural character to move into pre-existing patches. Thus a truly dynamic sediment textural mosaic exists within this floodplain landscape. Nutrient concentrations associated with floodplain sediments also changed over time. While nutrient concentrations increased after the December 2001 flow event, they generally decreased after the March 2002 event, highlighting their dynamic nature over time. The spatial distribution of nutrient concentrations also varied over time, with a 40 percent change to the nutrient mosaic as a result of the March 2002 flow event. In addition to the influence of the changing physical template (sediment texture mosaic), nutrient concentrations were shown to be influenced by rainfall processes on non flooded surfaces, and also a number of top-down constraints and bottom-up influences operating over multiple spatial scales. Overall, the inset-floodplains studied in this thesis acted primarily as sediment and nutrient sinks, and were a source for dissolved nutrients. Nutrient exchange was associated with the exchange of sediments in this riverine landscape, over both inter-flow and decadal timescales. It was demonstrated that water resource development within the catchment reduced the number, magnitude and duration of flow events down the Barwon-Darling River and as a result reductions in the exchange of sediment, associated and dissolved nutrients between inset-floodplains and the main river channel were calculated. The greatest reductions were with the release of dissolved nutrients (42-25 percent) and the exchange of sediment and associated nutrients from high level surfaces (43 percent). Effective conservation and management of riverine ecosystems must occur at the correct scale. This study identified potential nutrient hotspots at several scales in the Barwon-Darling floodplain landscape that could be targeted by management. The low predictability of the location of nutrient hotspots at the inset-floodplain scale over time means that environmental flows should be targeted at high level surfaces (<25 000 MLD-1) that provide long term sources of carbon to the river channel. Conserving flows of this magnitude will also reinstate flow variability, an important facet of the Barwon-Darling River?s hydrology that has been changed by water resource development. The research presented in this thesis highlights the importance of not only considering pattern and process at multiple scales, but also the way in which these processes influence landscape patterns over time, leading to the identification of the appropriate scales that can best be targeted for the conservation of these systems.

"October 2003" / Errata inside front cover. / Bibliography: p. 289-313. / iii, 334 p. : ill., map, photo (col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / This thesis examines the influence of 'water regime', or spatial and temporal patterns in the presence of water, on the floristic composition of wetlands on the River Murray in South Australia. It explores the hypothesis that the composition of wetland vegetation is determined by components of the water regime, namely depth, duration and the rate and timing of flood and drawdown. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology and School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Discipline of Environmental Biology, 2004