Cooperative Research Centre

About: Cooperative Research Centre is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Sea ice. The organization has 7633 authors who have published 8607 publications receiving 429721 citations.

Sensitivity of tropical forests to climate change in the humid tropics of north Queensland

Abstract: An analysis using an artificial neural network model suggests that the tropical forests of north Queensland are highly sensitive to climate change within the range that is likely to occur in the next 50–100 years. The distribution and extent of environments suitable for 15 structural forest types were estimated, using the model, in 10 climate scenarios that include warming up to 1°C and altered precipitation from –10% to +20%. Large changes in the distribution of forest environments are predicted with even minor climate change. Increased precipitation favours some rainforest types, whereas decreased rainfall increases the area suitable for forests dominated by sclerophyllous genera such as Eucalyptus and Allocasuarina. Rainforest environments respond differentially to increased temperature. The area of lowland mesophyll vine forest environments increases with warming, whereas upland complex notophyll vine forest environments respond either positively or negatively to temperature, depending on precipitation. Highland rainforest environments (simple notophyll and simple microphyll vine fern forests and thickets), the habitat for many of the region’s endemic vertebrates, decrease by 50% with only a 1°C warming. Estimates of the stress to present forests resulting from spatial shifts of forest environments (assuming no change in the present forest distributions) indicate that several forest types would be highly stressed by a 1°C warming and most are sensitive to any change in rainfall. Most forests will experience climates in the near future that are more appropriate to some other structural forest type. Thus, the propensity for ecological change in the region is high and, in the long term, significant shifts in the extent and spatial distribution of forests are likely. A detailed spatial analysis of the sensitivity to climate change indicates that the strongest effects of climate change will be experienced at boundaries between forest classes and in ecotonal communities between rainforest and open woodland.

Remediation of arsenic-contaminated water using agricultural wastes as biosorbents

Abstract: Arsenic (As) contamination of groundwater reservoirs is a global environmental and health issue given to its toxic and carcinogenic nature. Over 170 million people have been affected by As due to the ingestion of As-contaminated groundwater. Conventional methods such as reverse osmosis, ion exchange, and electrodialysis are commonly used for the remediation of As-contaminated water; however, the high cost and sludge production put limitations on their application to remove As from water. This review critically addresses the use of various agricultural waste materials (e.g., sugarcane bagasse, peels of various fruits, wheat straw) as biosorbents, thereby offering an eco-friendly and low-cost solution for the removal of As from contaminated water supplies. The effect of solution chemistry such as solution pH, cations, anions, organic ligands, and various other factors (e.g., temperature, contact time, sorbent dose) on As biosorption, and safe disposal methods for As-loaded biosorbents to reduce seco...

Gully initiation and road‐to‐stream linkage in a forested catchment, southeastern Australia

Abstract: This study reports the nature of sediment delivery pathways and road-to-stream linkage in a forested catchment in southeastern Australia, and evaluates the causal factors associated with this linkage. Detailed field surveying of approximately 20 per cent of the 75 km road network reveals that 18 per cent of road drains show complete channel linkage via gully development from a road outlet to a stream. An additional 11 per cent of road drains show evidence of partial channel linkage where the gully does not extend the full hillslope length. Inclusion of the full range of road-to-stream linkage categories, including direct linkage at stream crossings, road bridges and fords, results in a 6 per cent increase in drainage density since initial road construction in 1964. The majority of this linkage is associated with relief culverts draining cut-and-fill roads in mid-valley positions. These drainage structures have contributing road lengths that are on average three times longer than those draining mitre drains on ridgetop roads. Runoff from these roads is also discharged onto hillslopes that are at least twice as steep as those used on ridgetop roads. Contributing road length (m) and the gradient of the discharge hillslope (tan θ) are successfully used here in a linear discriminant analysis to separate channelled and non-channelled flow pathways within the catchment. The successful delineation of these pathways using two easily measured variables suggests that this approach has potential in the planning and rehabilitation of forest roads. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.