Biogeography and Ecology in Australia PDF
Preview Biogeography and Ecology in Australia
BIOGEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY IN AUSTRALIA MONOGRAPHIAE BIOLOGICAE EDITORES F. S. BODENHEIMER W. W. WEISBACH Jerusalem Den Haag VOL. VIII Springer-Science+Business Media, B.V. 1959 BIOGEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY IN AUSTRALIA EDI1_:ED BY A. KEAST R. L. CROCKER C. S. CHRISTIAN Sydney Sydney Canberra Springer-Science+Business Media, B.V. 1959 ISBN 978-94-017-5837-6 ISBN 978-94-017-6295-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-6295-3 Copyright 1959 by Springer Science+ Business Media Dordrecht Originally published by Uitgeverij Dr. W. Junk, Den Haag in 1959. Softcover reprint of the hardcover I st edition 1959 I CONTENTS I. The uniqueness of Australia m Biology, by F. S. BODEN- HEIMER 9 II. The Australian environment, by ALLEN KEAST 15 Physiography of the Continent 15 The development of the Australian environment 26 The relationship of Australia to other land-masses 26 The palaeoclimatology of Australia 29 The present Australian flora and fauna 32 Changes in the Australian continent associated with European settlement 33 References 34 III. Ecology of primitive aboriginal man in Australia, by NORMAN B. TIN DALE 36 References 51 IV. Human ecology in Australia, by GRIFFITH TAYLOR 52 Environmental controls 52 The human response 61 1788 to 1820: First steps in exploration 62 1820 to 1840: Expansion from other centres 63 1840 to 1870: Great pastoral expanses. Gold rushes 64 1870 to 1900: End of exploration and of new pastoral occupation 66 1900 to 1956: Federation and industrial development 67 Future settlement in Australia 68 V. The marsupial fauna: its origin and radiation, by E. LEG. TROUGHTON 69 The migratory route, and Australian environment 69 The Papuan region of North Queensland 71 Origin of the monotremes and marsupials 72 Classification of the Marsupialia 73 Adaptive radiation 75 Insectivorous and carnivorous Dasyuridae 77 Marsupial anteater and pouched-mole 79 The bandicoots-Peramelidae 80 Phalangers-or Australian possums 82 The koala- and the terrestrial wombats 83 2 The kangaroo family- Macropodidae 85 Conclusion 87 References 88 VI. Australian birds: their zoogeography and adaptations to an arid continent, by ALLEN KEAST 89 Introduction 89 Zoogeography 90 The Australian avifauna, origin and relationships 90 Factors governing distribution within Australia 94 Ecological adaptations 96 Adaptive modifications to the seasonal cycle 96 Adaptations ensuring the recovery of population numbers following droughts and heat waves 108 References 113 VII. The reptiles of Australia, by ALLEN KEAST 115 The Australian fauna 115 The distribution of reptiles within Australia 118 Distribution of families 119 Distribution of species 123 Reptiles and the zoogeographic sub-region concept 129 The various faunal subdivisions that have been advanced 129 The ecological significance of the postulated sub-regions 132 References 134 VIII. The freshwater fishes of Australia, by GILBERT P. WHITLEY 136 Drought adapted, artesian bore, and hot water fishes 138 Fluvifaunulae 140 Adaptive radiation 144 Spawning 148 IX. The zoogeography of some Australian Insects, by J. W. EVANS 150 Summary 150 Introduction 150 Frog-hoppers (Cercopoidea) 152 Cicadas 152 Leafhoppers (Cicadelloidea) 153 The Leafhopper fauna of Australia 154 The Australian-Indian association 155 Australian-South African-New Zealand-South American association 155 Endemic Australian groups 155 The late Indo-Malayan invasion 156 Insects with aquatic, or, marsh-inhibiting larvae and with a southern distribution 158 References 162 X. Zoogeographical aspects of the Australian dipterofauna, by S. j. PARAMONOV 164 The main points of the zoogeography of Australian Diptera 164 3 The peculiarities of Australian families of Diptera (Distribution and systematic position) 169 Faunal division of the Australian fauna 179 The relationship of the Australian dipterofauna to that of South America (Chile, Patagonia) 187 The relationship of the Australian dipterofauna to that of Tasmania and of New Zealand 188 References 190 XI. The ecology and biogeography of Australian grasshoppers and locusts, by K. H. L. KEY 192 The Australian grasshopper fauna 192 Ecological characteristics of grasshoppers 193 The Australian environment in relation to grasshoppers 196 Grasshoppers of the major habitat categories 203 Grasshoppers and the biotic community 206 Biogeographic or faunal regions 206 References 209 XII. Aspects of the distribution and ecology of Australian termites, by J. H. CALABY and F. J. GAY 211 The Australian fauna and its relationships 211 Ecological factors in termite distribution 213 Aspects of ecology of some Australian genera 215 Remarks on general ecology 221 References 222 XIII. The land and freshwater mollusca of Australia, by DoNALD F. McMICHAEL and ToM lREDALE 224 Nature, number and distribution 225 Freshwater faunal regions 233 Terrestrial faunal regions 235 Ecology and adaptations 238 Origin and relationships 241 Melanesian 241 Newer Asian 242 New Zealand 242 South American and African 243 Older Asian 243 References 244 XIV. The Australian freshwater crustacea, by E. F. RIEK 246 Adaptations 248 Economics 250 Distribution within Australia 250 Zoogeographical regions 252 Origin of the Australian freshwater crustacean fauna 253 Crayfish 255 References 258 4 XV. La place del' Australie mediterraneenne dans !'ensemble des pays mediterraneens du Vieux Monde (Remarques sur le climat mediterraneen de l'Australie), par Lours EMBERGER 259 Remarques generales 259 Le bioclimat mediterraneen et la vegetation mediterraneenne en Australie 263 Conclusions 272 XVI. The vegetation of Western Australia, by C. A. GARDNER 274 XVII. Past climatic fluctuations and their influence upon Australian vegetation, by R. L. CROCKER 283 Introduction 283 Tertiary and Quaternary floras-The paleobotanic evidence 283 Quaternary environmental changes 286 Quaternary climatic change and the Australian vegetation 287 Summary 289 References 289 XVIII. The phytogeography of Australia (in relation to radia- tion of Eucalyptus, Acacia, etc.), by J. G. WooD 291 Introduction 291 The sclerophyllous shrub genera 293 The genus Eucalyptus 295 The genus Acacia 297 Distribution during late Tertiary- Recent 298 References 30 1 XIX. Some aspects of soil ecology, by G. A. STEWART 303 References 313 XX. Recent studies on marsupial ecology, by A. R. MAIN, J. W. SHIELD and H. WARING 315 General Introduction 315 Circumscribed self contained projects with limited objectives 316 Economic 316 Conservation 317 Trapping and marking studies and analysis of commercial shooting returns 317 Investigations based on speculations about past distribution 319 References 330 XXI. Marsupial reproduction, by G. B. SHARMAN 332 Introduction 332 The reproductive system 334 Anatomy of the female reproductive system 334 Anatomy of the male reproductive system 337 Seasonal reproductive periodicity 337 5 Reproductive periodicity in the female 337 Reproductive periodicity in the male 339 Reproductive cycles 339 The oestrous cycle 339 Pregnancy 345 Lactation controlled delayed implantation 354 Development of young in the pouch 356 Anatomy of the new-born young 356 Composition of marsupial milk 357 Growth rates of pouch young 358 Experimental studies on hormone control 359 Effects of hormones on adult and foetal gonads 359 Effects of hormones on accessory reproductive organs 360 References 363 XXII. The contribution of banding to Australian bird ecology, by RoBERT CARRICK 369 Introduction 369 Ecological significance of territory 371 Trans-equatorial migration 374 Migration and breeding of subantarctic sea-birds 374 Trans-Tasman migration 377 Movements within Australia 377 References 381 XXIII. Ecology of wild ducks m inland Australia, by H. J. FRITH 383 Introduction 383 The environment 383 Waterfowl habitat 384 Habitat utilization 386 Movements 388 Food habits 389 Breeding 391 ~=~ ~ References 395 XXIV. Ecology of Australian frogs, by A. R. MAIN, M.]. LIT- TLEJOHN and A. K. LEE 396 Introduction 396 Desert adaptations 398 Biology 398 Breeding biology 399 Adult behaviour 404 Physiology 405 Habitat selection 407 Feeding 407 Adult size 408 Discussion 409 Summary 410 References 410
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