Insect Conservation and Australia's Inland Waters

ISBN-13: 9783030570101 / Angielski / Miękka / 2021

Tim R. New

Opis

The first broad overview of conservation needs of Australia’s largely endemic freshwater insects, drawing on examples and information from many parts of the world to illustrate and develop needs and practical prospects for conservation in inland water environments. The wide variety of those environments in Australia and their diverse insect inhabitants – many of them highly localised and ecologically specialised and vulnerable - and threats to them is illustrated.  Case histories demonstrate the different aspects of practical conservation management that may be possible in different contexts, and numerous references facilitate understanding by non-specialist readers and non-entomologist conservation managers and practitioners. 

Spis treści

1. Introduction: aquatic insects in Australia’s environments.- 1.1. The background to concern.- References.- 2. Major habitats.- 2.1. Introduction.- 2.2. Ponds and lakes.- 2.3. Streams and rivers.- References.- 3. Australian inland waters.- 3.1. Introduction.- 3.2. Waterfalls.- 3.3. Subterranean aquifers.- 3.4. Rock pools.- 3.5. Mound springs.- 3.6. Lakes.- 3.7. Billabongs.- 3.8. Streams and rivers.- 3.9. Exposed riverine sediments.- References.- 4. Monitoring freshwater macroinvertebrates.- 4.1. Scope and needs for assessments.- References.- 5. Threats: the background variations in condition.- 5.1. Introduction.- 5.2. Drought.- 5.3. Flood.- References.- 6. Major imposed threats.- 6.1. Introduction.- 6.2. Water temperature.- 6.3. Sedimentation.- 6.3.1. Mining.- 6.4. Pollution.- 6.5. Salinisation.- 6.6. Exploitation.- 6.7. Electrofishing.- 6.8. Changes to riparian vegetation.- 6.8.1. Emergent vegetation.- 6.9. Alien species.- 6.9.1. Plants.- 6.9.2. Fish.- 6.9.3. Mammals.- 6.10. River regulation.- 6.11. Fire.- 6.12. Urbanisation.- 6.13. Recreation.- 6.14. Ecological traps.- 6.15. Climate change.- References.- 7. Macroinvertebrates of inland waters.- 7.1. Introduction.- 7.2. The variety of aquatic insects.- 7.3. Other macroinvertebrates.- 7.3.1. Crustaceans.- 7.3.2. Molluscs.- References.- 8. Insects of Australia’s inland waters.- 8.1. Introduction.- 8.2. Ephemeroptera.- 8.3. Odonata.- 8.4. Plecoptera.- 8.5. Hemiptera.- 8.6. Coleoptera.- 8.7. Mecoptera.- 8.8. Megaloptera.- 8.9. Neuroptera.- 8.10. Lepidoptera.- 8.11. Trichoptera.- 8.12. Diptera.- 8.12.1. Control of aquatic pest flies.- References.- 9. Australia’s flagship freshwater insects.- 9.1. Introduction.- 9.2. Selected flagship taxa.- References.- 10. Ecology and management.- 10.1. Introduction.- 10.2. Dispersal.- 10.2.1. Impacts of urban lighting.- 10.2.2. Pond colonization.- References.- 11. Conservation.- 11.1. Introduction.- 11.2. Protected areas.-    11.3. Management and restoration.- 11.4. Fish conservation.- 11.5. Education and involvement.- 11.6. Artificial water bodies.- 11.7. Temporary ponds.- 11.8. Intermittent streams.- 11.9. Stormwater retention ponds.- 11.10. Refuges.- 11.11. Woody debris.- 11.12. Riparian zones.- 11.13. Perspective and prospects.- References.- Appendix 1.- Index.

O autorze

Emeritus Professor Tim New is an entomologist with broad interests in insect systematics, ecology and conservation. For long based at LaTrobe University, Melbourne, he has traveled widely to collect and study insects in many parts of the world, and his extensive publications on these topics include about 45 books. He is recognized globally as one of the leading advocates for insect conservation.

Blurb

The inland waters of Australia, and their largely endemic insect inhabitants, are subject to a wide and increasing variety of threats that continue to change those environments and lead to losses of insect habitats and localised taxa. Many of those changes result from human needs for water and measures to assure supply in naturally varied flood/drought regimes on which anthropogenic changes are imposed, and to which aquatic biota are increasingly susceptible. This book is a broad overview of Australian aquatic insects, the problems they face as changes to key habitats occur, and measures by which their survival may be enhanced through practical conservation. As well as summarising the current conservation interest in aquatic insects in Australia, the text draws on information and case histories  from many parts of the world to augment the generally more limited information from Australian taxa and their needs, to facilitate use and perspective on  conservation practice by non-specialist conservation managers, whilst also being of value to entomologists interested more directly in aquatic insect ecology and conservation .The numerous references to many taxa, regions and ecological contexts provide examples for possible emulation in Australia, and summarises many practical lessons relevant to honing effective conservation across the range from individual threatened species to the more complex  protection or restoration of aquatic communities in which insects play significant functional roles.