Australian Waterways and Management

Question 1

What is the biggest waterway in straya?

Answer 1

The Murry Darling Basin

Question 2

What is riparian vegetation?

Answer 2

riverbank vegetation

Question 3

Freshwater systems play a large role in the _______ and _____ systems of wildlife

Answer 3

transitory and migratory

Question 4

Where does most of the waterway runoff happen?

Answer 4

in the northern tropics

Question 5

T/F: Staya has generally predictable rainfall

Answer 5

FALSE - el nina and el nino yo

Question 6

Most waterways lie where?

Answer 6

on the coast

Question 7

List 3 of the permanent coastal rivers

Answer 7

Burnett
Mary
Tully

(BMT)

Question 8

Biological consequences of Aussie’s scarce waterways

Answer 8

• Restrictions to waterways
• generally no req. for water-related adaptations (less specialization)
• diversity
• sort of endimism

Question 9

Human impacts on waterways (2)

Answer 9

• settlement/agriculture

- modification of water flow

Question 10

List 3 of the permanent inland rivers?

Answer 10

BMD

• Burnett
• Murray
• Darling

Question 11

What does surface water refer to?

Answer 11

rivers and flood plains

Question 12

What are differences between coastal and inland rivers?

Answer 12

• highly varable flow
• slow flow (flat topography)
• turbid (muddy)
• lower oxygen
• some water adapt. required
• larger animals

Question 13

Name 2 intermittent inland rivers

Answer 13

CG

• Coopers
• Georgia

Question 14

Describe inland intermittent rivers

Answer 14

• defined riverbeds
• deeper slow pools
• cooler with low oxygen
• periodic flooding

Question 15

What is a river catchment?

Answer 15

Basin where water drains out to?

Question 16

Bio consequences of intermittent rivers

Answer 16

• genetic similarity (mix of spp during floods)
• adaptations to low oxygen
• less endimism
• regulation of reproduction
• only large trees permanent
• low human influence

Question 17

What does anastomozing mean?

Answer 17

when two water bodies rejoin after previously branching out

Question 18

Name 2 inland flood plains

Answer 18

Queensland Channel Country

Paroo

Question 19

Describe characteristics of inland flood plains

Answer 19

• anastomozing channels/rivers
• long periods of drought
• wide flooding
• hot
• shallow turbid water
• non restricted water (little structure)

Question 20

Bio consequences of intermittent rivers

Answer 20

• spp not restricted (low endimism)
• highly migratory/mobile spp
• wide adaptation ranges
• opportunistic spp
• minimal human impact

Question 21

What are salt lakes and clay plans? (examples?)

Answer 21

“end of the road” where salt/clay/sediment collect to form soils
extremes in all aspects
examples: lake Eyre (central aussie)

Question 22

What does opportunistic life history mean?

Answer 22

mass production of reproduction, fast life cycles

Question 23

Bio consequences of Salt Lakes

Answer 23

• massive extremes in population size
• tolerance to multiple extreme water conditions
• almost zero human influence

Question 24

How do organisms survive in desert waters?

Answer 24

• very flat area allows water to stay for a while

- species have dormant life stages

Question 25

What is a boi impact on species habitat and diversity by floods

Answer 25

• invasive species may transfer

- distinct species may collide

Question 26

What is one big catchment that is being commercially used

Answer 26

The Murry Darling Basin (80% of rainfall in the surrounding area)

Question 27

How do plants play a role in the salinity of catchemnts (or bodies of water in general). How might this affect human impact?

Answer 27

They increase salinity through transpiration (taking up pure water from the bodies of water). They plants may render the water too salty for humans to use thus preventing any artificial intervention.

Question 28

List the key management considerations (4)

Answer 28

environmental flows
barrier removal
habitat/veggie restoration
take down invaders