Latitudinal patterns in reef fish assemblages reflect the influence of long-term environmental conditions, evolutionary processes and the recent, short-term influence of fishing. Long-term processes generate the typically common latitudinal patterns in reef fish assemblages, such as decreases in diversity and herbivory towards higher latitudes. These patterns reflect the global gradient in water temperature and the isolation of temperate regions from the tropics. Fishing also influences reef fish assemblages in that it decreases the abundance of large-bodied carnivore species on reefs, often leading to over-exploitation, depletion and in some cases the extirpation of populations. Indirectly, the removal of these large-bodied carnivores can influence the abundance of their prey, leading to an increase in non-target species. This study examines the latitudinal patterns in reef fish assemblages across a unique biogeographic region, the temperate Western Australian coast, and incorporates an investigation of the influence of fishing on the structure of these assemblages. Seven regions across seven degrees of latitude and seven degrees of longitude covering approximately 1500 km of coastline were sampled. Fish assemblages were characterised at each region using diver operated stereo-video transects. At each region, four locations, and within each location, four reefs were surveyed totalling 1344 transects. A significant gradient in water temperature exists with latitude and longitude. Along the Western Australian coast, and in contrast to other regions species diversity of reef fish increased towards higher latitudes and there was no evidence for a decrease in the biomass and abundance of herbivorous reef fish. The presence of the poleward flowing warm water Leeuwin current combined with the absence of major extinction events means the temperate Western Australian coast contrasts with global latitudinal trends in reef fish assemblage structure. The unique biogeographic history of temperate Western Australia has also generated a high degree of endemism among reef fish. Nearly 30 % of the species found along the west coast in this study are endemic to Western Australia, with the narrow range of these species playing an important role in the large scale patterns and spatial vi heterogeneity in reef fish assemblage structure. Furthermore, many of these endemic species are large-bodied carnivores and targeted by fishers. The impact of fishing on the abundance of large-bodied carnivores throughout the Western Australian temperate region is clear both spatially and temporally. The distribution of fishing effort is greatest along the west coast and decreases towards the south following the gradient in SST. Along the west coast, high levels of fishing effort have reduced the biomass and abundance of target carnivores to well below the standing biomass of the south coast where a low level of fishing effort occurs. This reduction in biomass is related to the historical declines in catch per unit effort (CPUE) of many key target species. These target species include endemic species such as Choerodon rubescens, Glaucosoma herbraicum, Epinephilides armatus Nemadactylus valenciennesi and Achoerodus gouldii.

In an attempt to address the seeming imbalance within studies of rural communities in Australia linked to primary industries, this study examines the broader aspects of policy changes and bio-economic imperatives in the Western Rock Lobster Fishery and the effects of the restructuring of the fishery on communities that host the rock lobster fleet. It is an innovative study in that it is one of the first comprehensive studies of industry restructuring in the fisheries sector; a study of the linkages and implications of restructuring on the social, economic and cultural facets of coastal communities in Western Australia. Globalisation in the fishery sector, aided by technological advances, has resulted in a greater exploitation of high-value fisheries for export. Intensified globalisation has also brought about environmental and social standards that ensure the survival of by-catch species and promote responsible codes of fishing practice. In Australia, the active support of the government for globalisation, led to the adoption of export-oriented policies emphasising competitiveness and efficiency. Consideration of market principles thus govern fisheries regulators when deciding on the management arrangements to adopt for a particular fishery. In considering a number of policy instruments and management measures, government regulators also consider the conservation of marine resources alongside the production of significant economic and social benefits. The Western Rock Lobster Fishery is the most valuable single species fishery in Western Australia with a sizeable financial and employment contribution to coastal communities along the Western Australian coast. Any management scheme adopted for this fishery, as such, not only has to take into account biological and environmental imperatives but also economic and social objectives. The analysis of the fishery undertaken in this thesis underlines the need for a holistic view of fishery management that takes into consideration not only biological sustainability, but also promotes an understanding of fishers' behaviours and fishing patterns and the consequent effects on specific communities. The demographic and social changes that affect rural communities further complicate the economic restructuring at the fishery level, with fishers' responses differing based on their circumstances and preferences. This thesis presents a snapshot of a fishery deliberating changes in management arrangements and its effects on coastal communities whose socio-demographic and economic development historically has depended, and to a great extent is still dependent, upon rock lobster fishing. It provides empirical evidence that lends support to the view that the pro-market policies promoting competition and entrepreneurialism have resulted in a spatially uneven development in regional Australia. Specific localities can deal with the changes brought about by globalisation and policy change. However, the manner in which these communities deal and cope with these changes depends on a number of factors, among others, the level of diversification of the local economy, demographic and social structures, and other factors such as the level of resilience and the social capital base within the community.

A field-based project was undertaken to develop and test a mechanism which would allow for the correlation of the health of vegetation surrounding playa lakes in south-west Australia with the natural variation in salinity and waterlogging that occurs spatially and temporally in natural systems. The study was designed to determine threshold ranges of vegetation communities using moderately extensive data over short temporal periods which will guide the design of potential engineering solutions that manipulate hydrological regimes to ultimately conserve and protect native vegetation. A pair of playa lake ecosystems, surrounded by primary production land, was modelled with hydro-geological data collected from March 2006 to March 2007. The data was used to determine the hydroperiods of vegetation communities fringing playa lakes and provide insight into the areas and species that are most affected by extreme rainfall events which are hypothesised to have a significant, rapid deleterious effect on the ecosystems. The methodology was multi-faceted and included; a detailed topographical survey; vegetation surveys; hydrological and hydro-geological monitoring over a 12 month period. 4 The hydro-geological data and vegetation data was linked with the topographical survey at a high resolution for spatial analysis in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to determine the degree of waterlogging experienced by vegetation communities over the monitoring period. The study has found that the spatial and temporal variability of hydroperiods has been reduced by rising groundwater levels, a result of extensive clearing of native vegetation. Consequently populations are becoming extinct locally resulting in a shift in community composition. Extreme summer rainfall events also have a significant impact on the health of vegetation communities by increasing the duration of waterlogging over an annual cycle and in some areas expanding the littoral zone. Vegetation is most degraded at lower positions in the landscape where communities are becoming less diverse and dominated by salt tolerant halophytic species as a result of altered hydrological regimes. Some species appear to be able to tolerate groundwater depths of less than 2.0 m from the surface, however there are thresholds related to the duration at which groundwater is maintained at this depth. Potential engineering solutions include groundwater pumping and diverting water through drains to maintain sustainable hydroperiods for vegetation in areas with conservation value. The effectiveness and efficiency of the engineering solutions can be maximised by quantifying thresholds for vegetation that include sustainable durations of waterlogging. The study has quantified tolerance ranges to salinity and waterlogging with data collected over 12 months but species may be experiencing a transition period where they have 5 sustained irreversible damage that will result in their eventual mortality. With long-term monitoring, the methodology developed and tested in the study can be used to quantify the long-term tolerance ranges that are important for the application of conservation approaches that include engineering solutions.

[Truncated abstract] In southern Australian farming systems the replacement of deep-rooted perennial native vegetation with shallow-rooted annual crops and pastures has resulted in rising groundwater tables and an increased incidence of dryland salinity. It has been suggested that to address this issue by restoring hydrological balance, large areas of agricultural land need to be vegetated with perennial plants. One of the most agriculturally productive ways to do this is to introduce perennial pastures, both into upslope groundwater

In this research, I explore my belief that one the reasons for the continuing poor outcomes for Indigenous people was that State-wide and national programs ignored unique local Indigenous culture and did not actively involve local Indigenous people in the development of programs for their area. I chose to examine this perception through investigation of the tension between Indigenous culture and worldview and the dominant White values of the child welfare system (broadly defined), through description of Martu child rearing practices and beliefs in the remote Western Australian town of Wiluna. The Martu live in a remote environment of material poverty, high levels of unemployment, low levels of educational achievement and poor health outcomes. The research sponsored by the Ngangganawili Aboriginal Health Service and located in its Early Childhood Centre, uses an Indigenous research approach based on Brayboy's (2005) TribalCrit to explore Martu child rearing practices, beliefs and values. It uses the stories told by the Martu in Wiluna about the way they and their families were brought up and observations of Martu families to answer research questions around Martu definitions of children and families, their concerns for their children, ways of ensuring the well being of their children, and whether there is a Martu child welfare approach. The research then considers the implications of these Martu practices for the broadly defined child welfare system. The stories told by the Martu show that they have a unique way of bringing up their children that is different to those in the dominant White culture. This uniqueness is derived from a combination of the recent colonisation of the Martu, their culture and their post colonisation experiences. The implications of Martu child rearing for the child welfare system are based on the assumption that Martu are wholly dependent on poorly designed and targeted government provided or funded services, and the current ways of delivering these services is failing the Martu. The research concludes that the key to improving outcomes for Martu children and their families is for the agencies delivering these services to form close working relationships with the Martu; operate within, understand, appreciate, and respect Martu Law and culture; understand their (personal and agency) and Martu post colonisation histories; and allow for Martu control, definition of priorities and development of strategies to address the problems.

Australia and many other developed communities are ageing rapidly, placing a strain on the delivery of health services. This thesis examines the use of innovative health services management coupled with information and communication technology (ICT) to more efficiently deliver services to disabled older people in the hospital, community and residential care. The hypothesis explored is that ICT can provide clinical services to older people in poorly serviced communities and groups, thus extending the influence and capabilities of specialist health care professionals. The relevance of these studies is predominantly for those people who live outside the metropolitan regions, particularly in remote and rural communities, and also for those frail older people, who because of disability, are unable to travel to specialist health services. There are a series of studies presented in this thesis which have all been published. They have demonstrated that in a community and rural setting, ICT use in the assessment and management of geriatric syndromes such as dementia is valid and practical. This included the validation of commonly used assessment tools via Telehealth. A Telehealth protocol for assessment of Alzheimer's Dementia (AD) was developed and published. The use of ICT to link health services clinical and administrative data for determining stroke outcomes and disability has been evaluated and a resource utilization prediction model developed. Finally, in residential care a survey and a qualitative study of poor uptake of ICT services in hostels and nursing homes revealed insights into ICT perception by the older people in care facilities and their professional staff. The implications and future development of these studies have been discussed, especially barriers to increased uptake of ICT, cost comparisons and the potential of future technologies such as video conferencing mobile phones.

Bauxite mining is a major activity in the jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata Donn ex Sm.) forest of south-western Australia. After mining, poor tree growth can occur in some areas. This thesis aimed to determine whether soil constraints, including reduced depth and compaction, were responsible for poor tree growth at low-quality restored bauxite mines. In particular, this study determined the response of jarrah root morphology, leaf-scale physiology and growth/development to soil constraints at two contrasting (low-quality and high-quality) restored bauxite-mine sites. Jarrah root excavations at a low-quality restored site revealed that deep-ripping equipment failed to penetrate the cemented lateritic subsoil, causing coarse roots to be restricted to the top 0.5 m of the soil profile, resulting in fewer and smaller jarrah trees. An adjacent area within the same mine pit (high-quality site) had a kaolinitic clay subsoil, which coarse roots were able to penetrate to the average ripping depth of 1.5 m. Impenetrable subsoil prevented development of taproots at the low-quality site, with trees instead producing multiple lateral and sinker roots. Trees in riplines, made by deep-ripping, at the high-quality site accessed the subsoil via a major taproot, while those on crests developed large lateral and sinker roots. Bauxite mining is a major activity in the jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata Donn ex Sm.) forest of south-western Australia. After mining, poor tree growth can occur in some areas. This thesis aimed to determine whether soil constraints, including reduced depth and compaction, were responsible for poor tree growth at low-quality restored bauxite mines. In particular, this study determined the response of jarrah root morphology, leaf-scale physiology and growth/development to soil constraints at two contrasting (low-quality and high-quality) restored bauxite-mine sites. Jarrah root excavations at a low-quality restored site revealed that deep-ripping equipment failed to penetrate the cemented lateritic subsoil, causing coarse roots to be restricted to the top 0.5 m of the soil profile, resulting in fewer and smaller jarrah trees. An adjacent area within the same mine pit (high-quality site) had a kaolinitic clay subsoil, which coarse roots were able to penetrate to the average ripping depth of 1.5 m. Impenetrable subsoil prevented development of taproots at the low-quality site, with trees instead producing multiple lateral and sinker roots. Trees in riplines, made by deep-ripping, at the high-quality site accessed the subsoil via a major taproot, while those on crests developed large lateral and sinker roots.

Alternative grazing systems and pasture types for wool production in the south west of Western Australia were analysed using bio-economic modelling techniques in order to determine their relative productivity and profitability. After reviewing the experimental and modelling literature on perennial pastures and grazing systems, seven case studies of farmers were conducted in order to investigate the practical application of innovative grazing systems and use of perennial pastures. Together these case studies provided information for identifying relevant variables and for calibrating the modelling work which followed. The core of the work lies in a bio-economic model for investigating the comparative value of the three grazing systems and two pasture families mentioned above. A baseline scenario using currently available and reliable scientific data provides baseline results, after which a number of sensitivity analyses provide further insights using variations of four key parameters: persistence, heterogeneity, water soluble carbohydrates, and increased losses. Results show that perennial pastures are in the studied region more profitable than annual pastures. Under current baseline conditions, continuous grazing with perennial pastures is the most profitable enterprise, but this superiority is not robust under parameter variations defined by other scenarios. The more robust solution in terms of enterprise profitability is cell grazing with perennial pastures. The results indicate that intensive grazing systems such as cell grazing have the potential to substantially increase the profitability of grazing operations on perennial pasture. This result is an encouraging one in light of its implications for water uptake and salinity control. It means that economics and land care can go hand in hand, rather than be competitive. It is to be noted that it is the choice of the grazing system in combination with the pasture species, rather then the pasture species itself, that allows for such complementarity between economics and sustainable land use. This research shows that if farmers adopt practices such as cell grazing they may be able to increase the area that they can profitably plant to perennial pasture thus reducing the impacts of dryland salinity. This finding is consistent with the findings of the case studies where the farmers perceived that, provided grazing was planned, increasing the intensity of their grazing management and the perenniallity of their pastures would result in an increase in the profitability of their grazing operation. As a result this research helps to bridge a gap which has existed in this area of research, between the results of scientific research and those reported in practice.

[Truncated abstract] Land clearing is known to increase runoff, and in many dryland landscapes is also associated with rising saline watertables, causing increased stream salinity and degrading riparian vegetation. The limited understanding of how river morphology responds to these changes and the potential for vegetation-based strategies to offer river management options under these conditions, has prompted this research. In southwestern Australia the severity of salinity and recent nature of land clearing provides an appropriate setting to investigate river response. A data-based, multidisciplinary methodology was applied to determine how land clearing and landscape salinisation has altered landscape sensitivity through changes in erosive potential, system connectivity and material threshold mechanisms, and how these affect patterns of river response. The study investigated the responses of morphologically similar reaches across fifty two study sites in the Kent River and Dalyup River catchments, in the south coastal rivers region of Western Australia. Land clearing was found to have significantly altered the hydrologic regime and erosive potential in both frequency and magnitude, with flow becoming more perennial, and increased annual discharge, flood peaks and bankfull flow frequency. While sediment transport rates have also increased since land clearing, they remain low on a global scale. Human response to a reduced rainfall regime and related water security pressures has caused large hillslope areas to be decoupled from the main channels by bank and farm dam construction, and have reduced downstream transmission of change. ... By contrast, steeper-sloped mid-catchment areas with minimal vegetation degradation caused by salinity are associated with higher erosive potential. A more erosive response is observed in these reaches where floodplains have been cleared for agricultural purposes. A conceptual model of vegetation growth across the salinity gradient observed in the study catchments was developed, and applied to selected river styles to assess the potential that vegetation-based strategies offer for river management. This work identifies the unsuitability of river restoration strategies, but the potential for river restoration or remediation in a saline landscape. Hydraulic modelling demonstrated that river rehabilitation strategies such as improving the vegetation condition of the riparian buffer using native or commercial species on areas elevated above saline flow can stabilise reaches. For river styles in wide and flat valleys, there is limited potential for vegetation-based river rehabilitation under the current salinity gradient. Field observation and modelling suggest that river remediation may offer geomorphic management options in salt-affected reaches through channelisation to lower watertables, and further research on this is warranted. This work found a consistent response for river styles across the two study catchments. Based on the understanding of river response and the potential for vegetation-based river management for each style, this research offers a regional-scale tool for river management in a saline landscape.

[Truncated abstract] Spatial structuring of genetic variation is commonly observed in plant species due to limited dispersal and local adaptation. Intraspecific genetic variation has significant implications for ecological restoration because the source of seed or plants influences patterns of gene flow, and may affect performance if there is adaptive divergence among source populations. This study assessed quantitative trait variation, local adaptation and molecular variation within three common, widespread, long-lived forest tree species from south-western Australia to understand the distribution of intraspecific genetic variation and predict the consequences of seed transfer for restoration. The geographic distribution of quantitative trait variation of jarrah Eucalyptus marginata was assessed through measurement of 15-year-old trees grown in a provenance trial. Survival of trees from the northern jarrah forest was significantly higher than that of trees from southern jarrah forest provenances, where mean annual rainfall is much higher, but stem diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) of southern jarrah forest trees was greater, implying faster growth. D.b.h. of trees from within the northern jarrah forest also exhibited a positive relationship with mean annual rainfall, with maximum d.b.h. observed in trees from provenances in the high rainfall zone. These patterns may reflect selection for faster growth under high rainfall conditions or environmentally-induced parental effects. The percentage of trees bearing buds and flowers varied among latitudinal divisions. ... Neither genetic variation within nor among populations of any species could explain variation of emergence and establishment in reciprocal transplant trials. Collectively, the findings of this study suggest structuring of genetic variation in these species at a broad, rather than a very local, scale. This is expected for widespread, long-lived species, where extensive gene flow and temporal variation are likely to favour high within, relative to among, population genetic variation. However, there is evidence that the source of seed may have a significant influence on the success of restoration of these species, whether as a result of genetic variation among populations or due to other factors affecting seed quality. These results highlight the importance of integrating studies of molecular and adaptive trait variation when seeking to understand the causes and consequences of genetic variation within plant species and contribute to the development of seed sourcing practices for improved restoration success.