... The need to present scientific research to a popular audience is becoming increasingly apparent. Presenting arid zone research in the media, particularly on television, raises a number of difficulties that are best solved through planning and preparation. Awareness of the logistical problems...

... the effects of a typical road in an arid ecosystem on kangaroo populations and communities, threatened small mammal species ( Sminthopsis macroura and Leggadina forresti ), and small mammal and lizard communities over two years. We determined which vertebrate populations and communities were negatively...

... Important freshwater systems found in arid areas range from springs to waterholes and rivers. Periods of extreme aridity in the Pleistocene, especially during the last glacial period, resulted in the drying of most freshwater systems apart from a few permanent water holes and artesian springs...

... The present composition of the arid-zone terrestrial mollusc fauna reflects the post Pliocene aridity with a mix of highly adapted and relictual taxa. A database of 8,200 pulmonate gastropod records derived from museum collections was compiled for continental Australia and interrogated...

... The Australian arid zone is a large complex area. In order to maintain its biodiversity, it is essential that landscape-wide and long-term analyses form the backdrop to the development of management strategies. From the current knowledge of the biodiversity and ecology of the arid zone...

... Since European settlement there have been profound changes to the fauna of semi-arid and arid Australia. Some species have gone extinct, others have become rare or restricted in range and some have increased their range and abundance. Many, but not all, of these changes in species range...

... Arid zone landscapes are characterised by a high spatial and temporal variability, particularly seasonal variability, observable on a range of scales. This variability is an important factor influencing the distribution and dynamics of wildlife populations in the arid zone. However, progress...

... Over more than a century there has been debate about the interactions of kangaroos and introduced domestic stock, especially sheep, in the semi-arid and arid rangelands. The potential for competition between the species is still controversial, with pastoralists generally assuming...

... Water and its management has become one of the key environmental issues in Australia. Many of our arid zone rivers, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin are severely affected by overextraction, impacting on floodplains and their biodiversity. The interaction between policy and science...

... the depth of comprehension of, or confusion about, the ecology and management of Australia's arid lands that existed in the theatre on the day of the forum (Chris Dickman, Daniel Lunney and Shelley Burgin eds). ...

... In this paper we draw together a number of themes that have emerged in recent research on fauna and land use in arid environments. We also draw attention to the worldwide concern about desertification — the process that drives loss of biodiversity and productivity and the simplification...

.... This two-year study monitored the responses of a semi-arid terrestrial arthropod community to predator (wolf spiders and ants) and nutrient manipulations. Preliminary results from the first year of the experiment indicate variation in abiotic factors, and intraguild and non-consumptive interactions may...