Biogeography and Ecology in Tasmania

501 Pages·1974·22.463 MB·English

by  W. D. Williams (auth.), W. D. Williams (eds.)

BIOGEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY IN TASMANIA
MONOGRAPHIAE BIOLOGICAE
Editor
J.ILLIES
Schlitz
VOLUME 25
DR. W. JUNK b.v., PUBLISHERS, THE HAGUE 1974
BIOGEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY
IN TASMANIA
Edited by
W. D. WILLIAMS
DR. W. JUNK b.v., PUBLISHERS, THE HAGUE 1974
ISBN -13: 978-94-010-2339-9 e-ISBN -13: 978-94-010-2337-5
DOl: 10.1007/978-94-010-2337-5
© Dr. W. Junk b.v., Publishers, The Hague 1974
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1974
Cover Design Max Velthuijs, The Hague
Zuid-Nederlandsche Drukkerij N.V., 's-Hertogenbosch
CONTENTS
Chapters' contents. VII
Preface. . . . . . 1
I. Introduction . . . 3
II. Geomorphology and Quaternary Environments 17
III. Limnological Studies. . 29
IV. Freshwater Crustacea . . . 63
V. Native Freshwater Fish. . . 113
VI. Introduced Freshwater Fish. 141
VII. Littoral Biogeography . . . 171
VIII. The Zoogeography and Evolution of Tasmanian Oligochaeta 195
IX. Oniscoidea (Terrestrial Isopoda). . . . . . . . . . . . 229
X. The Amphibia of Tasmania. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
XI. Biogeography and Ecology of the Reptiles of Tasmania and
Bass Strait Area. . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
XII. Some Problems Associated with the Avifauna . . . . . . 339
XIII. Mammals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
XIV. The Biogeography of the Mammals of the Islands of Bass
Strait . . . 397
XV. Aborigines . . 417
XVI. Conservation . 435
General Index 471
CHAPTERS' CONTENTS
I. Introduction by W. D. WILLIAMS 3
Position and Political Status. . . 5
Climate .......... . 7
Structure and Geological History 7
Vegetation . 11
Man ... 14
Bibliography 15
II. Geomorphology and Q.uaternary Environments by
J. L. DAVIES 17
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . 26
III. Limnological Studies by P. A. TYLER. 29
Introduction . . . . . . . 29
Temperature ...... . 31
Chemistry of Surface Waters 33
Thermal Stratification . . . 39
Chemistry of Thermal Stratification 48
Freshwater Biota . . . . . . . . 52
Plankton Populations and Productivity. 54
Conclusions. . . . 57
Acknowledgements 58
Bibliography . . . 59
IV. Freshwater Crustacea by W. D. WILLIAMS. 63
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Composition, Distribution and Ecology . 63
Zoogeographical Relationships 97
Acknowledgements 105
Bibliography . . . . . . . . 106
V. Native Freshwater Fish by R. FRANKENBERG. 113
Introduction . . . . . . . . 113
Distribution and Life History 116
Ecology and Adaptations . 127
Origin and Evolution 133
Bibliography . . . . . . 139
VI. Introduced Freshwater Fish by A. H. WEATHERLEY 141
Introduction . . . . . . . . 141
Distribution and Range . . . 142
The Tasmanian Trout Fishery 153
Population Dynamics of Tench 163
Conservation Notes 167
Bibliography . . . . . . . . 168
VII. Littoral Biogeography by A. J. DARTNALL 171
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
The Maugean Marine Province. . . . . . 175
Distribution Patterns of some Tasmanian Marine Animals 178
Conclusions. . . . 190
Acknowledgements 191
Bibliography . . . 191
VIII. The Zoogeography and Evolution of Tasmanian
Oligochaeta by B. G. M. JAMIESON. . 195
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
The Australian Region: A World Perspective 198
Earthworms and Continental Drift. . . . . 206
Tasmanian Earthworms - Relationships with the Australian
Fauna. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Tasmanian Megasco1ecid Species and Aspects of their
Evolution . 218
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . 226
IX. Oniscoidea (Terrestrial Isopoda) by ALISON J. A.
GREEN . . . . . . . 229
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Ecological Distribution. . . . . . . 229
Comments on Ecological Distribution 235
Geographical Distribution of Species Recorded from Tas-
mania. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Geographical Distribution of Genera Recorded from Tas-
mama. . . . . . 239
Acknowledgements 247
Bibliography . . . 247
X. The Amphibia of Tasmania by M. J. LITTLEJOHN and
A. A. MARTIN 251
Introduction 251
Taxonomy. 251
Distribution 265
Biology . . 268
Zoogeography . . 272
Evolution . . . . 277
Acknowledgements 282
Bibliography . . . 282
Key 1: Key to Frogs (Adults) . 286
Key 2: Key to Male Mating Calls . 287
Key 3: Key to Eggs. . 288
Key 4: Key to Tadpoles . . . . . 289
XI. Biogeography and Ecology oft he Reptiles of Tasmania
and the Bass Strait Area by P. A. RAWLINSON. 291
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Cainozoic Climates and Pleistocene Sea Levels. 292
Present Climate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Ecological Requirements of Reptiles. . . . . 299
The Reptile Fauna of Tasmania and the Bass Strait Area -
Composition, Ecology and Distribution. . . . 301
Zoogeography ofthe Tasmanian Reptile Fauna. 326
Acknowledgements 334
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
XII. Some Problems Associated with the Avifauna by
D. G. THOMAS . . . . 339
Introduction . . . . . 339
Difficulties of Dispersal. 340
Species - Area Effects . 341
Immigration and Extinction 346
Reasons for Failure to Colonize 348
Introduced Species . . . . . 349
Changes Following Colonization. 350
Breeding Adaptations 356
Conclusion. . . . 362
Acknowledgements 363
Bibliography . . . 363
XIII. Mammals by R. H. GREEN 367
Introduction . . . . 367
Major Habitat Types 368
Indigenous Mammals 370
Introduced Mammals 392
Conclusion. . . . 394
Acknowledgement . 395
Bibliography . . . 395
XIV. The Biogeography of the Mammals of the Islands of
Bass Strait by J. H. HOPE. 397
The Islands of Bass Strait. . . . . 397
The Mammalian Fauna . . . . . 400
Distribution Patterns in Bass Strait. 407
Bibliography . . . . . . . 414
XV. Aborigines by W. BRYDEN 417
Introduction 417
Origin. . . 418
Appearance 419
Shelter. . . 423
Food . . . 425
Implements. 425
Movement . 426
Culture . . 426
Bibliography 432
XVI. Conservation by P. S. LAKE. 435
Introduction . . . . 435
An Historical Survey. 435
Recent Events . . . 436
The Present Situation 440
The Biota . . . . . 446
Threats to Biological Conservation. 458
Acknowledgements 463
Bibliography . 464
General Index 471
PREFACE
As all editors know, and perhaps most readers surmise, the editing of a
multi-authored book is not a task lightly undertaken. And nor was it!
There are, nevertheless, many cogent reasons why such books - now
more than ever - should be produced irrespective of editorial burdens
thereby imposed.
One of the more obvious reasons involves the question of scientific
authority. Today, few scientists can hope to write authoritatively on
all - or even most - branches of their field; the normal situation is that a
scientist is extremely expert in one or a few special branches and has a
working knowledge of the rest. Typically therefore, books dealing with
general topics, as does the present, if tackled by one or a few authors
cannot be other than somewhat less than authoritative in many areas.
This situation acts of course as a deterrent to would-be authors of general
texts; the predictable result is that general topics are frequently given
wider berths than they deserve. The comment scarcely requires making
that multi-authored texts skirt these problems.
A second reason, by no means considered unimportant by this editor,
and perhaps especially significant in the present book, is that multi
authored books frequently highlight differences between authors in
philosophical approaches to problems, interpretations offa ctual evidence,
opinions, and so on. Dissension of this sort between authors, and above
all between authorities in a given field, is of course the very stuff of science.
By personal propoundment the attention of the reader is focussed on such
dissension, and more firmly so I believe than would have been the case
had it been buried in a bland declaration of 'the various schools of
thought'.
A third reason is that outlets are provided and stimulation is given for
specialists to publish reviews of their particular areas of interest - reviews
that would otherwise often be difficult of placement, or, indeed, never
written. The advantage of reviews to both specialists in related areas and
to readers at large needs no embroidery. I think it can fairly be claimed
that the present volume has stimulated the writing of several ofthe review
chapters contained herein (that certainly applies to my own chapter);
and it assuredly does provide a suitable avenue of publication for them.
No further reasons need, I hope, be elaborated here in order to justify
in a general way, then, the production of this book. For the particular
reasons, readers are referred to chapter I.
Lest readers think that in the chapters which follow will be found a
I