Suchergebnisse

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.

Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. ; Despite their high diversity and importance for humankind, invertebrates are often neglected in biodiversity conservation policies. We identify seven impediments to their effective protection: (1) invertebrates and their ecological services are mostly unknown to the general public (the public dilemma); (2) policymakers and stakeholders are mostly unaware of invertebrate conservation problems (the political dilemma); (3) basic science on invertebrates is scarce and underfunded (the scientific dilemma); (4) most species are undescribed (the Linnean shortfall); (5) the distribution of described species is mostly unknown (the Wallacean shortfall); (6) the abundance of species and their changes in space and time are unknown (the Prestonian shortfall); (7) species ways of life and sensitivities to habitat change are largely unknown (the Hutchinsonian shortfall). Numerous recent developments in taxonomy, inventorying, monitoring, data compilation, statistical analysis and science communication facilitate overcoming these impediments in both policy and practice. We suggest as possible solutions for the public dilemma: better public information and marketing. For the political dilemma: red-listing, legal priority listing and inclusion in environmental impact assessment studies. For the scientific dilemma: parataxonomy, citizen science programs and biodiversity informatics. For the Linnean shortfall: biodiversity surrogacy, increased support for taxonomy and advances in taxonomic publications. For the Wallacean shortfall: funding of inventories, compilation of data in public repositories and species distribution modeling. For the Prestonian shortfall: standardized protocols for inventorying and monitoring, widespread use of analogous protocols and increased support for natural history collections. For the Hutchinsonian shortfall: identifying good indicator taxa and studying extinction rates by indirect evidence.

Despite progress in recent decades, the conservation management of insects and allied invertebrates in Australia is challenging and remains a formidable task against a background of poor taxonomic and biological knowledge, limited resources (funds and scientific expertise) and a relatively low level of community engagement, education and awareness. In this review, we propose a new, strategic national approach for the conservation of insects and allied invertebrates in Australia to complement and build on existing actions and increase awareness with the general public and government. A review of all species listed under relevant State and Territory Acts, national legislation (EPBC Act) and on international lists (IUCN Red List) indicated that of the 285 species currently listed under these conservation schedules, 10 (3%) are considered extinct, 204 (72%) threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable) and 71 (25%) are classified as other (Threatened, Near Threatened, Rare or Least Concern). Comparison of the geographic ranges of listed species in relation to bioregions (IBRA regions) shows a striking discordance in spatial representation across the Australian landscape, reflecting an ad hoc approach to threatened species conservation and the concentration of invertebrate biologists in urban centres of temperate coastal Australia. There is a positive relationship between the number of threatened species and extent of protection according to the National Reserve System within each IBRA region, exemplifying the anomaly in spatial representativeness of listed species. To overcome these shortfalls, we propose a novel educational, regional approach based on selecting, for each of the 89 IBRA regions, a relatively small set of 'flagship taxa' (threatened species and/or 'iconic' species of high scientific/social value), which are then promoted and/or nominated for listing by the scientific community. Such species could be adopted by local community groups whereby a community‐based regional approach would ensure spatial representativeness of insect conservation across the entire Australian continent. This novel approach may ultimately provide a better strategy for the conservation management of habitats and threatened ecological communities, reducing extinction risk of threatened species and addressing key threatening processes. Members of the Australian entomological community are strongly encouraged to nominate candidate taxa as flagship species for wider promotion and/or listing nationally under the EPBC Act. ; The authors, as members of the Australian Entomological Society Conservation Committee, gratefully acknowledge the Australian Entomological Society for financial support towards the preparation of this paper.