Authors / CoAuthors
Gow, L.J. | Magee, J. | Lymburner, L. | Halas, L. | McIntyre, A.
Abstract
Floodplain vegetation can be degraded from both too much and too little water due to regulation. Over-regulation and increased use of groundwater in these landscapes can exacerbate the effects related to natural climate variability. Prolonged flooding of woody plants has been found to induce a number of physiological disturbances such as early stomatal closure and inhibition of photosynthesis. However drought conditions can also result in leaf biomass reduction and sapwood area decline. Depending on the species, different inundation and drought tolerances are observed. This paper focuses specifically on differing lake level management practices in order to assess associated environmental impacts. In western NSW, two Eucalyptus species, River Red Gum (E. camaldulensis) and Black Box (E. largiflorens) have well documented tolerances and both are located on the fringes of lakes in the Menindee Lakes Storage Water scheme. Flows to these lakes have been controlled since 1960 and lake levels monitored since 1979. Pre-regulation aerial photos indicate a significant change to the distribution of lake-floor and fringing vegetation in response to increased inundation frequency and duration. In addition, by coupling historic lake water-level data with a Landsat satellite imagery, spatial and temporal vegetation response to different water regimes has been observed. Two flood events specifically investigated are the 2010/11 and 1990 floods. Results from this analysis provide historic examples of vegetation response to lake regulation including whether recorded inundation duration and frequency resulted in positive or negative impacts, the time delay till affects become evident, duration of observed response and general recovery/reversal times. These findings can be used to inform ongoing water management decisions.
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nonGeographicDataset
eCat Id
73550
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Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
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- External PublicationAbstract
- ( Theme )
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- groundwater
- ( Theme )
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- vegetation
- ( Theme )
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- hydrology
- Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)
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- Earth Sciences
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- Published_Internal
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2012-02-15T00:00:00
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