Australian Biological Resources Study Biologue

 

Biologue Issue 25,
October 2001

ABRS, October 2001 ISSN 0814 B8880

Contents

• Introduction
• Update on ABRS Activities
  • ABRS Director’s Report
  • Advisory Committee meeting
• Participatory Programme
  • Research grants — Call for 2002/2003 applications
  • Article from ABRS Grantees
  • Research Scholarships — Call for 2002 applications
  • A new Regional Postgraduate Scholarship
  • Article from ABRS Scholar
  • Bursaries — Call for 2002 applications
  • Australian Botanical Liaison Officer
    • Call for 2003/2004 applications
• Publications
  • Latest products and launches
  • Forthcoming publications
• National News
  • Australia’s Virtual Herbarium
  • Biodiversity Knowledge Management Forum
• ABRS Directory On-line

Introduction

The Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) is a Program of Environment Australia. It was initiated in 1973 by the Commonwealth Government to address the lack of adequate knowledge of the flora and fauna of Australia.

ABRS promotes taxonomic and biogeographic studies of Australian biodiversity through two mechanisms:

• the Participatory Program, a unique research grants scheme which provides funds towards taxonomic and biogeographic research; and
• the Scientific and Communication Subprograms which produce major national series of flora and fauna books, electronic products and databases. ABRS also produces occasional publications on taxonomy, biogeography and closely related subjects.

In addition to the grants scheme and the publications, ABRS also offers other information services and funding schemes. Details of these programmes and services are provided in this newsletter, and are also available on-line at the new ABRS Website homepage: http://www.ea.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/

Update on ABRS Activities

ABRS Director’s Report

Finally after many years of talk about the need for more effort in taxonomy and bio-informatics the past few months has seen several major initiatives get underway nationally and internationally, and more are on the way.

On the home front we launched the Australian Virtual Herbarium on the 14^th June 2001 in Adelaide, providing a combined funding of $10M over 5 years from the Commonwealth, States, Territories and private sources. This will see all our government herbarium plant records databased and made available electronically within 5 years, with a distributed database system in place between all the major Herbaria within the first year (see page 16 for more details).

Internationally the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) continues to build momentum and a permanent Secretariat has been established in Copenhagen, Denmark. Australia will host the next meeting of the GBIF Governing Board in Sydney in March 2002, which will also include several meetings of its technical subcommittees. Dr John Curran (CSIRO) has been selected as the Chair of the prestigious science committee, and several Australians have been included in the working sub-committee.

The past few months have also been a busy time in ABRS, as we continue to find our feet in the new administrative structure, and continue to work hard on all our existing projects. Since the last issue of Biologue, the publication of two Zoological Catalogues and three volumes of the Flora of Australia, as well as WATTLE the interactive key to Acacia species on CD-ROM, have kept all our staff well and truly occupied.

July and August were busy months for meetings. In early July I was pleased to attend and to speak to the Fourth International Legume Conference in Canberra, and to meet up with both local and international legume workers.

I also attended the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Workshop to Contain Transborder Movement of Plant Pests: Diagnostics in early July, delivering a paper on ‘The Convention on Biological Diversity and environmental issues surrounding the transborder movement of potential invasive alien species’. Appreciation of the role of taxonomy in providing the fundamental underpinning to both the legal and operational endeavours of all countries in the region, and the need to fund it accordingly, was a major outcome of the meeting.

On the 19 July the Australian Museum hosted a Networks of Excellence meeting in Sydney followed by a meeting of the Combined Heads of Australian Fauna Collections on 20 July. During both these meetings great progress was made on the development of a faunal equivalent of the Australian Virtual Herbarium. Since then I am pleased to report that ABRS has secured $80,000 from Environment Australia for the development of a web portal for the faunal distributed database system, with the proviso that State and Territory Institutions match the funding in the development of the gateway. I am confident that within 6 months we will have up and running a rudimentary system on which to begin the great task of catching up with the botanists.

Finally in late July our attention turned to the first meeting in 2001 of the ABRS Advisory Committee. For the first time the expanded Advisory Committee met face to face. The meeting was productive which bodes well for the future.

A group of ABRS staff were pleased to be present at the Whitley awards at the Australian Museum on the 17^th August, which saw ABRS honoured with 2 Commendations, one for the Polychaete volume of Fauna of Australia, and one for the Lepidoptera volume of the Zoological Catalogue. My heartiest congratulations to all the authors, as well as the ABRS staff who helped to ensure these volumes were the best they could possibly be.

In August it was my great pleasure to make a presentation on ABRS to the Board of the Australian Centre for Mining Environmental Research in Canberra. I am hopeful that we will see new partnerships emerge with Industry in the coming years to assist the expansion of our taxonomic base. I can report that the doyens of the Mining Industry present were very enthusiastic about the work of ABRS. More work is needed to advance real projects between mining companies, ABRS and taxonomic institutions.

Perhaps the highlight of these last few months was the launch of the Flora of Australia Acacia volumes and interactive WATTLE CD on the 31 August at Parliament House (see page 12 for more details). It was indeed an important day for taxonomy in Australia. The following day, the lead author, Bruce Maslin, and I teamed up for a live radio broadcast from the Australian National Botanic Gardens for Wattle Day, followed by demonstrations of the CD to the public by keen ABRS staff and colleagues.

In September the 5^th International Flora Malesiana Symposium was held in Sydney, and I was pleased to attend and address the Symposium on the Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI), and to hold informal talks with many colleagues about how we might bring together an Asian regional meeting for the GTI. There is a great deal of enthusiasm to help move the GTI into providing some real support in Asia, and I hope that by the next Biologue I am able to report that indeed we have achieved more than just discussions.

Advisory Committee Meeting

The ABRS Advisory Committee met on 26–27 July 2001 in Canberra to consider new grants funding for 2001/2002, plus review the ABRS 5 year Strategic Plan and provide advice on strategic directions for the Publications Subprograms. The meeting was the first for the Committee since the appointment of new members in January 2001.

As previously advised, the Minister considered the replacement of the Chairman of the Advisory Committee following the completion of Professor Hugh Possingham’s appointment in December 2000. The Minister recently approved the appointment of Dr Ian Gould as Chairman of the Advisory Committee. Dr Gould, who holds a BSc (Hons) and PhD in Geology from University of Sydney, has had a distinguished career as Managing Director of various mining companies including CRA Group, Comalco Mineral Products, and Rio Tinto. He retired from the position of Managing Director of Normandy Mining Ltd in April 2000.

Dr Gould held the position of chairman of the Minerals Council of Australia’s Environment Committee (now Deputy Chair) and is a Councillor of the Australian Mineral Foundation. In November 2000, he was appointed Deputy Chairman of Western Metals Ltd, Chairman of the South Australian Government’s Resource Industry Development Board, and Chairman of the Australian Centre for Mining Environmental Research.

Dr Gould brings a strong industry perspective and network of contacts, and has a strong personal interest in environmental issues. Since the restructure of ABRS last year, the new Chairman’s role is to support the new directions of ABRS — especially that of electronic dissemination of taxonomic information, as well as to seek out new partnerships with industry, government agencies and non-government organisations. Dr Gould’s wider perspective has already provided valuable input to the Advisory Committee, and this combines well with the considerable combined skills and knowledge of other members.

Participatory Programme

Research Grants — Call for 2002/2003

Applications ABRS is now calling for applications for research grants for the year 2002/2003. The application forms, guidelines and other instructions are available from the new ABRS website. The address is:
http://www.ea.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/about/programs/grants.html

Priority Areas for Research Grants for 2002/2003

The aim of the ABRS Participatory Program Research Grant Scheme is to support the documentation of Australia’s biological diversity and to improve and increase the national taxonomic effort. The intent of the scheme is to support rigorous taxonomic treatment mainly at species level and research contributing to regional or continental generic or higher level reviews, including the development of identification aids to taxa.

In recent years ABRS has expanded its role to deliver taxonomic information in a range of formats to the community including interactive identification guides, web-based products, databases, CD products, books and scientific papers.

Applicants should note that the research objectives of the ABRS Participatory Program are to develop taxonomic understanding of the Australian biota in areas of national priority including those taxa needed to support ABRS publications both electronically through the World Wide Web (Australian Biodiversity Information Facility and Species Bank) and on CD-Roms, as well as our book series, which includes the Flora of Australia, Algae of Australia and Fungi of Australia.

The ABRS Advisory Committee regularly reviews the Participatory Program research priorities to take account of program funds available, results achieved, and national priorities in areas relying on information developed through the ABRS program.

Accordingly the ABRS Advisory Committee invites applications for grants in the year 2002/2003 for projects which meet one or more of the following criteria:

Taxonomic Research in Areas of National Priority on Groups which:

• contribute significantly to the understanding of Australia’s biological diversity;
• have a high conservation status;
• are of economic significance;
• support the functioning of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999;
• support the implementation of the Convention of Biological Diversity, and the National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia’s Biological Diversity;
• support ANZECC national objectives and targets for biodiversity 2001–2005; and
• support ABRS publication program priorities, in particular:

Algae & Protista

• Cyanophyta/Cyanobacteria
• Dinoflagellates
• Diatoms
• Bangiophyceae (Flora treatment)
• Preparation of regional algal
• floras (especially tropical)
• Free-living protozoa
• Radiolarian protozoa
• Parasitic and Endobiont protozoa

Fungi

• Rhytismatales
• Cercosporoid fungi
• Anamorphic Trichocomaceae
• Smut fungi (Ustilaginales)
• Myxomycota
• Plant pathogenic fungi

Lichens

• Teloschistaceae
• Thelotremataceae
• Pterobryaceae

Bryophytes

• Dicranaceae
• Ditrichaceae
• Fissidentaceae
• Ricciaceae
• Metzgeriaceae
• Aytoniaceae

Vascular Plants

• Campanulaceae — Campanuloideae
• Stylidiaceae
• Interactive key to Australian genera of Orchidaceae

Animal Groups

• Cnidaria (except hard corals)
• Platyhelminthes (marine species identification tools)
• Nematoda (free living or entomophilic, and particularly Aphelenchoididae)
• Crustacea (lower groups)
• Annelida (leeches)
• Araneae
• Coleoptera
• Diptera

Species Bank

• Fungi
• Gall Insects
• Seaweeds
• Land/Freshwater Molluscs
• Crabs, Prawns and Marine Crayfish
• Earthworms
• Flies

Note: applications are encouraged for work on large, problematic groups.

Further information regarding grant applications or the research priorities may be obtained from

Ms Liz Visher
Business Manager
ABRS
phone (02) 6250 9554
fax (02) 6250 9555
or email: liz.visher@ea.gov.au.

Deadline: Applications must be received by 10 November 2001.

Articles from ABRS grantees

In each October issue of Biologue we include articles from ABRS grantees. The articles discuss current projects and expected outcomes of the research. Other grantees are encouraged to submit an article for inclusion in forthcoming issues of Biologue. Please contact Ms Liz Visher at ABRS for more details.

Dr Laurence A. Mound and Dr David C. Morris are recipients of ABRS grant funding to study the taxonomy and biological diversity of the thrips species-swarm on Acacia trees in arid Australia. They have received $100,000 since January 2000 to research this poorly known group of insects.

Thrips on Wattles

Dr Laurence A Mound and Dr David C. Morris CSIRO
Division of Entomology
GPO Box 1700
Canberra ACT 2601

The magnificent new Flora of Australia volumes, with their accompanying CD-rom ‘Wattle’, are not the only research work on Acacia promoted by ABRS. This plant genus, comprising such a major component of Australian biodiversity, supports a wide diversity of insects. One particular group, the thrips or Thysanoptera, has radiated remarkably on Acacia species in arid areas, and an account of about 200 species in 31 genera is currently in preparation. This, however, is not solely a taxonomic account, because these thrips have evolved unique strategies to survive in Australia’s harsh inland environments.

Some induce their Acacia host to produce galls, and competition for these enclosed living spaces can be intense. One thrips genus includes only kleptoparasites, species that invade and usurp the gall of another thrips species. Some gall thrips have evolved social behaviour, with their first generation functioning as soldiers to defend their gall whilst mother produces more eggs. Many species have evolved the ability to glue together pairs of phyllodes to produce a domicile within which to rear their brood, and in a few species the glue is silk-like, and used to sew phyllodes together or even weave a tent. Again, these domiciles are a precious resource and are invaded by a further suite of kleptoparasitic thrips. Yet other thrips species are opportunists, and invade any available small space on Acacia trees, including cavities created by moth and beetle larvae.

A major component of this work on Acacia thrips has involved examining the extent to which the systematics of these insects mirrors the systematics of their Acacia hosts, as a contribution to understanding the evolution and maintenance of Australian biodiversity. These studies have required extensive collaboration, with ABRS funding the taxonomic work for two years, Australian Research Council funding six years of biological studies at Flinders University, Adelaide, and CSIRO providing research accommodation at Canberra.

Research Scholarships — Call for 2002 applications

Aim and entitlements

The ABRS awards postgraduate scholarships to foster research and training in taxonomy. Awards are offered to outstanding students wishing to pursue higher degrees within this discipline and are equivalent to the Australian Postgraduate Award given by the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs. A stipend (currently $17,606 per annum) together with a research support grant of $2,500 is provided for up to 3 years.

Eligibility

ABRS scholarships are open to Australian citizens or persons who have been granted permanent resident status and have lived in Australia continuously for the 12 months prior to November 2001. Candidates should hold a first or upper second class honours degree or equivalent in an appropriate discipline and be strongly motivated to make a professional career as a taxonomist. Applicants will be considered only if they undertake a PhD by research, and they must enrol as a full-time student. Applicants are also encouraged to move from the university at which they undertook their first degree.

Obtaining applications

Application forms can be obtained from the ABRS web site:
http://www.ea.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/about/training/postgrad.html

or from:
Liz Visher
Business Manager
ABRS
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
Ph (02) 6250 9555
Fax (02) 6250 9555
Email: liz.visher@ea.gov.au

Deadline: Applications must be received by 1 November 2001.

A new Regional Postgraduate Scholarship

At the July 2001 meeting, the ABRS Advisory Committee recommended the establishment of a new postgraduate scholarship called the Ebbe Nielsen Regional Postgraduate Scholarship. Following the death in March 2001 of Dr Ebbe Nielsen, an outstanding taxonomist from CSIRO Division of Entomology, ABRS has now set up a memorial training award, in the form of a postgraduate scholarship in his honour.

Dr Nielsen was prominent in advancing the role of taxonomy in the broader biodiversity sector, and played a fundamental part in establishing the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). He was a strong advocate for taxonomy in Australia and abroad. The objectives of the Ebbe Nielsen postgraduate scholarship are to foster research training in taxonomy in the Australasian region focused on the Australasian flora and fauna, and thereby supporting outstanding international students in pursuit of higher degrees in taxonomy.

Objectives of Award

The Ebbe Nielsen postgraduate scholarship has been developed to:

• foster research training in taxonomy in the Australasian region.
• fund research on Australasian flora and fauna; and
• attract outstanding students wishing to pursue higher degrees in taxonomy.

Benefits

Stipends are paid at a base rate of $22,000 per year. The stipend is tax exempt and is subject to indexation annually. An annual research support grant of $3,500 is also provided to assist with research costs, plus a further $3,000 as a contribution towards relocation costs. The award does not cover living allowances, cost of English language testing or tuition fees for bridging or ELICOS courses, or medical costs associated with the issue or renewal of a visa, or Overseas Student Health Cover. Institutions may, at their discretion, provide additional benefits to the ABRS award holder from their own funds.

Eligibility

ABRS scholarships are open to citizens of countries in the Australasian region (excluding Australia). Applicants must be commencing full-time study for a PhD by research in 2002 at an Australian higher education institution. Applicants must satisfy all institutional academic entry requirements for a Doctorate by research programme, including the English proficiency levels set by individual institutions for international students. Candidates should hold a first and/or upper second class honours degree or equivalent in an appropriate discipline and be strongly motivated to make a professional career as a taxonomist.

Awards will not be available to those who:

• have already completed a PhD or a higher level degree; or
• have already been enrolled for a full 12 months at 20 November 2001.

Obtaining applications

Information and application forms for this inaugural international scholarship can be obtained from the ABRS website:
http://www.ea.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/about/training/index.html

or contact:
Liz Visher
Business Manager
ABRS
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
Ph (02) 6250 9554
Fax (02) 6250 9555
Email: liz.visher@ea.gov.au

Deadline: Applications must be received by 20 November 2001.

Article from ABRS Scholar

Mr Stephen Cameron from University of Queensland was awarded the inaugural ABRS Postgraduate Research Scholarship in 1997, and completed his PhD this year. This article outlines thefindings ofhis work on protozoa which live in the guts of Australian marsupials.

Endosymbiotic ciliates occurring in herbivorous Australian marsupials

By Stephen Cameron C/- University of Queensland, ST LUCIA QLD 4072

In 1996 the ABRS announced a new section of the Participation Program “The ABRS Postgraduate Scholarship” to support PhD training in the taxonomy and systematics of poorly known groups of the Australian Biota. I was fortunate enough to win the inaugural scholarship in 1997 to support my investigations of the symbiotic protozoa that inhabit kangaroos and other herbivorous marsupials, under the supervision of Peter O’Donoghue ( University of Queensland) and Robert Adlard ( Queensland Museum). Numerous species of protozoa, particularly ciliates, have been described from herbivorous eutherian mammals but few studies have examined the Australian herbivorous marsupials. The ABRS scholarship supported both my student stipend and an annual budget to cover actual research costs such as fieldwork. The completed thesis was accepted in February this year.

Over the course of 5 field trips samples were collected from 371 Australian marsupials belonging to 33 species and 7 families. Ciliates were detected in 226 (61%) animals, in 208 (62%) of 336 macropodids, 18 (62%) of 29 vombatids, but none of 11 phalangerids, 3 pseudocherids, 2 peramelids or 1 dasyurid. The ciliates found belonged to 4 families: the Macropodinidae, Cycloposthidae, Amylovoracidae and Polycostidae. The last 2 families were new families which differed substantially from those families previously reported from herbivorous mammals. The family Macropodiniidae was revised using ultrastructural data and 2 genera recognised, Macropodinium and Megavestibulum. Macropodinium is the most diverse genus occurring within kangaroos with 12 species described in this study (8 were new) (see Fig 1). Megavestibulum, is an enigmatic new genus with only 2 species described both of which appear to be predatory on other species of ciliates which inhabit the macropodid stomach. The Cycloposthiidae were an unexpected finding as all previous records from this family are of species that occur in equids such as horses; a single species, Cycloposthium edentatum, Strelkow, 1928, was found (Fig 2).

The Amylovoracidae are a diverse family with 3 genera, Amylovorax, Bitricha and Bandia, and representatives in most host species. Amylovorax species (Fig 3) are elongate to ovoid ciliates with spiral kineties; apical vestibula and lacking specialised oral cilia, 4 species were described. Bitricha species (Fig. 4) are pyriform to ovoid ciliates with 2 fields of somatic cilia, a longitudinal dorsal field and a transverse ventral field; and ventral vestibula surrounded by a radial field of circumoral kineties; 2 species were described. Bandia species (Fig 5) showed a dimorphic developmental cycle alternating between elongate totally ciliated forms and squat partially ciliated forms; 6 species were described. The Polycostidae were the most commonly encountered taxa but a paucity of diagnostic features made describing species difficult. A single genus, Polycosta, and 4 species were described. In addition, keys to these families and genera were developed to aid future workers in identifying these ciliates.

The composition of the ciliate communities was remarkably uniform; most macropodids harboured an Amylovorax species, a Polycosta species and a Macropodinium species; the other genera were present less and may be commonly “satellite” species. The ciliate communities in macropodids are depauperate in comparison with those in eutherian mammals but have much higher levels of host specificity and endemism. Routes of transmission are not obvious. Their poor dispersal capability suggests that most Australian trichostome species are oioxenic and that the morphological similarities between ciliates from different hosts are indicative of cryptic speciation.

In addition to basic taxonomy we also wished to investigate the evolution of the group and their phylogeny. Phylogenetic relationships were determined by molecular sequencing studies and a cladistic treatment of ultrastructural characters. Ribosomal genes were sequenced for 10 species and aligned against the sequences of 41 other ciliate species representing all ciliate classes. All analyses supported a monophyletic Australian assemblage whose sister group was either Balantidium or the entire Trichostomatia. The ultrastructural characters of the Australian genera were coded along with 30 other litostome genera. Analyses suggested that the Australian genera form a monophyletic assemblage but the synapomorphies diagnostic of this assemblage are weak. Fine scale evolution was studied within Macropodinium by a phenetic analysis of morphometric data, a cladistic analysis of discrete characters and a molecular analysis. The consensus of the analyses suggested that recognisable groups exist within the genus and these can be loosely related to host group or host diet but strict coevolution is absent.

As a group, the trichostomes probably became associated with mammals in Gondwana and sister lineages have developed in both herbivorous marsupials and eutherians. The divergence of the ciliate genera was probably in response to dietary specialisation and different genera exhibited specialised feeding structures. At the species level, there is good evidence that all four parasite speciation factors (host switching, failure to colonise, sympatric speciation and cospeciation) have occurred in the Australian trichostome fauna. Comparison of the response by ciliate species to host vicariance events suggests that a range of effects from no morphological diversification to full speciation are possible. The current paradigm that parasites are more likely to speciate than their hosts in response to vicariation due to their reduced generation time does not appear to be universally true and the specifics of the vicariation are more predicative of speciation outcomes.

I would like to thank the ABRS for funding this project which has been enormously rewarding for me personally, has made a significant impact on a neglected group of Australian protozoa and has provided a practical test of several evolutionary theories. I would also like to thank my supervisors POD and Rob, the network of collaborators who fed us samples, especially Ian Beveridge, Barry Munday and Leslie Warner, and the other funding agencies which supported this project, the ARC, UQ research and the Systematics Association (UK). I was privileged to be the first ABRS postgraduate scholar and I hope that subsequent scholars will find it as rewarding as I have.

Paper arising from this project:

1. Cameron, SL, O’Donoghue, PJ & Adlard, RD, 2000. The first record of Cycloposthium edentatum Strelkow, 1928 from the black-striped wallaby, Macropus dorsalis. Parasitology Research 86: 158–162.
2. Cameron, SL, O’Donoghue, PJ & Adlard, RD, 2000. Novel endosymbiotic ciliates (Vestibulifera: Isotrichidae) from Australian macropodid marsupials (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). Systematic Parasitology 46: 45–57.
3. Cameron, SL, Adlard, RD & O’Donoghue, PJ, 2001. Molecular evidence for an independent radiation of holotrich trichostome ciliates in Australian marsupials. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 20: 302–310.
4. Cameron, SL & O’Donoghue, PJ, 2001. Stomatogenesis in the ciliate genus Macropodinium Dehority 1996 (Litostomatea: Macropodiniidae). European Journal of Protistology 37: 199–206.
5. Cameron, SL, O’Donoghue, PJ & Adlard, RD, in press. Four new species of Macropodinium (Ciliophora: Litostomatea) from wallabies and pademelons. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology.

Publications in review:

6. Hall, KA & Cameron, SL. One tail, no tail, red tail, blue tail. Partition analysis as a solution to the “inapplicable” data problem in cladistic analysis. Submitted to Cladistics May 29^th 2001.
7. Cameron, SL & O’Donoghue, PJ. The ultrastructure of Amylovorax dehorityi comb. nov. and erection of the Amylovoracidae fam. nov. (Ciliophora: Trichostomatia). Submitted to European Journal of Protistology June 14^th 2001.
8. Cameron, SL, O’Donoghue, PJ & Adlard, RD. Macropodinium: Endosymbiotic ciliates from Australian macropodid marsupials. Submitted to The Memoirs of the Queensland Museum July 19^th 2001.

Publications in preparation:

9. Cameron, SL, Wright, ADG & O’Donoghue, PJ. An expanded phylogeny of the Entodiniomorphida (Ciliophora: Litostomatea).
10. Cameron, SL, O’Donoghue, PJ & Adlard, RD. The ultrastructure of Macropodinium moiri.

Bursaries — Call for 2002 applications

ABRS Bursaries for student travel awards

Each year ABRS offers financial support to postgraduate students in Australian institutions for travel to a national or international conference relevant to both the student’s research program in systematics or taxonomy and the Aim and Objectives of the ABRS. A maximum of $1,000 is available for an international conference and $500 for travel within Australia. Up to $10,000 is available each year for these awards.

Eligibility

1. ABRS Bursaries are open to permanent residents of Australia.
2. The student must be currently enrolled in a PhD or Masters degree (including a research component) in the field of Systematics or Taxonomy.
3. The conference must be relevant to Systematics or Taxonomy.
4. The student must show that a poster or oral paper presentation has been accepted by the organisers of the conference.
5. The student must demonstrate the benefits of the travel to their research and to the Aim and Objectives of ABRS.
6. Preference may be given to applicants who receive matching funding from their home institution or other source.

To obtain an application form download it from the ABRS Website:
http://www.ea.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/about/training/bursaries.html.

or contact:
Liz Visher
Business Manager
ABRS
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
Ph (02) 6250 9554
Fax (02) 6250 9555
Email: liz.visher@ea.gov.au

Deadline: Applications must be received by 10 March 2002 or 10 September 2002.

Australian Botanical Liaison Officer

Since the 1930s, Australia has maintained a position called the Australian Botanical Liaison Officer (ABLO) at the Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England, to act as a contact for studies on the taxonomy of Australian plants. In recent years ABRS has provided support for the travel and maintenance costs of this officer, whose salary is met by his or her home institution. Appointment each year follows a period of open invitation, the applications being assessed by the Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria (CHAH). A recommendation from CHAH is passed on to the ABRS Advisory Committee for endorsement, who in turn pass their recommendation to the Minister for the Environment who makes the appointment.

All ABLOs have a major role to play in servicing enquiries from Australian botanists, through consultation of collections and literature sources in Kew and elsewhere in Europe. They also have an important liaison role to fulfil, bridging the gap between Australian and European botanists and others with an interest in Australian botany. These services, and how to access them, are set out on the ABLO web site at Kew and on the new ABRS site (see below).

The ABLO for 2001/2002 is Dr Neville Marchant from the Western Australian Herbarium (Sept 2001 to March 2002). Mr Peter Bostock will take over from Neville in March 2002 until August 2002. Dr Roberta Cowan from Murdoch University will then take up the appointment from September 2002 to August 2003

Call for 2003/2004 Applications

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK during 2003–2004

Applications are invited from experienced botanists willing to be considered for this posting in 2003–2004. Appointment is for twelve months, with the officer’s own institutioin providing a salary and the Commonwealth contributing towards travel and allowances. For more information on the ABLO position go to the ABRS website:
http://www.ea.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/about/training/ablo.html

Copies of the duty statement and selection criteria are available from the
Director
ABRS
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601

Deadline: Applications must be received by 15 October 2001.

Publications

Latest products and launches

Flora of Australia Volumes 11A & B Acacia plus the WATTLE CD

On 31 August 2001, ABRS arranged a launch of the Flora of Australia Volumes 11A and B Acacia and the WATTLE CD Rom. The event was held in the southern gardens of new Parliament House which contained numerous species of flowering wattle as a backdrop. The Federal Environment Minister Robert Hill and the Western Australian Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Kim Chance, formally launched the ABRS products. Over 40 people attended, including media, to celebrate the launch of the publications, and following the Ministers’ speeches a morning tea was held, kindly sponsored by CSIRO Publishing. Some authors were able to attend the launch including Mr Bruce Maslin, Dr Philip Kodela and Mr Arthur Court. The Acacia volumes are the result of a project spanning 20 years and several millions of dollars contributed by Federal and State governments, and are the first definitive works in 150 years that document and illustrate acacias or wattles. The publications contain information on how to identify over 1,200 species of wattle, including their distribution, ecology and biology and is richly illustrated. These products are invaluable for those involved in conservation and land management, from farmers, land managers and foresters to ecologists, horticulturalists and Bushcare Groups. WATTLE is a computer-based identification and information guide, for which each wattle species includes an exquisite diagnostic line drawing and a distribution map and other supplementary information.

ABRS would like to warmly congratulate all authors of the Acacia volumes for their efforts in contributing to these outstanding publications: Dr PA Butcher, Dr AR Chapman, Mr BJ Conn, Mr AB Court, Dr RS Cowan, Mr AS George, Dr R Hill, Mr DA Keith, Dr PG Kodela, Dr GJ Leach, Mrs MA Lewington, Mr MW McDonald, Dr MK Macphail, Mr BR Maslin, Mr L Pedley, Dr JH Ross, Mr TM Tame, Dr M Tindale and Miss AJG Wilson. Appreciation is also extended to illustrators and photographers who supplied the outstanding quality line drawings and photos for the volumes. Congratulations to the principal ABRS editors of the volumes Dr AE Orchard and Miss AJG Wilson for seeing the publications to their completion.

The publications are now available from CSIRO Publishing. Flora of Australia Volumes 11A and B, Mimosaceae, Acacia costs $200 for the set in paperback, and $245 for hardback. The Wattle: Acacia of Australia Windows CD-Rom is available for $110 (includes CD and manual). See the CSIRO Publishing Website: http://www.publish.csiro.au under New Releases to obtain your copies!

On the following day ABRS staff and colleagues gave a public demonstration of the WATTLE CD at the Australian National Botanic Gardens Wattle Day exhibition.

Flora of Australia Volume 58A (Lichens 3)

This book includes keys, descriptions, illustrations (colour, black and white photos and line drawings), synonymy, literature references, specimen citations and distribution maps of some of the more robust and luxuriant species of cool-temperate, south-eastern Australia (Lobariaceae and Sphaerophoraceae), as well as the ecologically important soil-inhabiting groups in semi-arid and arid regions (Peltulaceae, Endocarpon and Placidium). Also in this volume are the first Flora of Australia treatments of crustose lichens, including the mainly saxicolous Verrucariaceae, and the Trichotheliaceae, a family that is most diverse on the bark and leaves of trees and shrubs in subtropical and tropical forest. Complete or partial accounts of seven orders are provided, including nine families, 24 genera and 256 species and infra-specific taxa.

The Flora of Australia Volume 58A Lichens 3 Volume is now available from CSIRO Publishing and costs $70 for softback, and $85 for hardback. See the CSIRO Publishing Website:
http://www.publish.csiro.au, under New Releases.

Zoological Catalogue of Australia
Volume 17.2 Mollusca: Aplacophora, Polyplacophora, Scaphopoda, Cephalopoda

The second volume released under the Zoological Catalogue series was Volume 17.2 Mollusca. This volume deals with four marine mollusc groups. The Aplacophora is a small group of worm or slug-shaped creatures, mostly found on the continental shelf or in deep seas. Polyplacophora, or chitons as they are known, are small, flat, grazing forms with eight calcareous plates embedded dorsally. Chitons are common in intertidal and shallow coastal waters and are often found by turning a rock in a tidal pool. The third group, the Scaphopoda, are the tusk or tooth shells, all with a slender, tubular shell, open at each end. These curious molluscs live buried in sand, in littoral to abyssal waters, and may be found washed up on the strand. Lastly, the volume includes the Cephalopoda, the squids, octopods, cuttlefishes and others, many of considerable importance in the fishing industry, others such as the Giant Squid and Blue-Ringed Octopus, marvellously interesting. Each species is cited by name, and original references are given to all species known from Australian waters. Information includes synonymy, literature citation, location and status of type material and type locality for each available name, a brief summary of geographical distribution and ecological attributes, and important references on various aspects, especially biology. The Zoological Catalogue is available from CSIRO Publishing and costs $120 for hardback. See the CSIRO Publishing Website: http://www.publish.csiro.au.

Zoological Catalogue of Australia
Volume 31.6 Lepidoptera: Hesperioidea, Papilionoidea

ABRS has released two volumes of the Zoological Catalogue since June 2001. The first volume released was the Lepidoptera which provides a very detailed compendium of data on the taxonomy and nomenclature of Australian butterflies. It begins with a comprehensive historical and explanatory account of work on Australian butterflies. Details are given of all genus and species synonymies applicable to the Australian fauna. There are details of the type designations of all 507 available generic names, of type data for the 1004 available species group names, and of nomenclatural changes and changes in taxonomic status for most of the 136 valid genera, 400 species, and 371 subspecies. The butterflies have an enormous literature and this catalogue provides a guide to the significant reference for each taxon. An extensive list of larval food plants is also included, as well as succinct information on ecology and distribution and a comprehensive bibliography. The Zoological Catalogue is available from CSIRO Publishing and costs $130 for hardback. See the CSIRO Publishing Website: http://www.publish.csiro.au.

Poster: Australian fungi and the environment

The Fungi of Australia subprogram has recently published a poster about Australian fungi and their roles in the environment. The poster is aimed at lower secondary school age and above. It covers the essential ecological roles that saprotrophic, mycorrhizal and parasitic fungi play in ecosystem function. The poster is richly illustrated with colour to demonstrate some of the diversity and beauty of these poorly known organisms. This poster is free of charge. For your copy contact Cheryl Grgurinovic, ABRS, GPO Box 787, Canberra, ACT 2601, Ph (02) 6250 9446, Fax (02) 6250 9448 or email Cheryl.grgurinovic@ea.gov.au.

Forthcoming Publications

Nature’s Investigator: The Diary of Robert Brown in Australia 1801–1805

by TG Vallance, DT Moore & EW Groves

ABRS has just sent to press this prestigious and important volume which documents the Australian expeditions of one of our most influential early botanists. In 1801, at the age of twenty-nine, Robert Brown was chosen by Sir Joseph Banks as the botanist to accompany Matthew Flinders in the Investigator on the first circum-navigation of the Australian continent. The voyage was to extend over 5 years, and Brown used his time well, assembling substantial collections of plants, animals and minerals. He kept a diary of his observations on the natural history, the appearance of the country, and the peoples they met. Brown returned to England with his scientific reputation established, becoming one of the leading botanists of his time.

This book provides the first complete transcript of his diary, a key Australian historical and scientific document. The transcription is supplemented with a detailed interpretation of Brown’s notes, and supporting extracts from the journals of Flinders, Good, and other contemporaries. The book is essential reading for botanists, zoologists, geologists, anthropologists, historians, and all those who just enjoy tales of adventure and discovery. It will be launched in early December at the Investigator 200 Symposium at Albany, WA. Distribution will be handled by ABRS. See our website or write to ABRS, GPO Box 787, Canberra ACT 2601.

Verticordia. Turner of Hearts

by Elizabeth A George

ABRS, in association with University of Western Australia Press, will be publishing this important monograph on one of Australia’s most attractive groups of wildflowers, in Spring 2001. The book contains detailed descriptions of 100 species, 13 subspecies and 30 varieties, with extensive information on history, distribution, habitat, relationships, synonymy and cultivation. The book is illustrated throughout with magnificent original watercolours by Margaret Pieroni. Marketing and distribution will be managed by University of Western Australia Press. See their website at www.uwapress.uwa.edu.au for details on price and availability.

Flora of the South West: Bunbury, Augusta, Denmark

by Judy Wheeler, Neville Marchant and Margaret Lewington

Another major ABRS publication to appear this Spring will be a 2-volume Flora of the south-west of Western Australia, published in partnership with University of Western Australia Press and the Western Australian Herbarium. The flora of south-western Australia is internationally renowned as one of the richest in the world. Every year, in spring and summer, thousands of visitors, many from overseas, arrive to admire and wonder at the staggering array of wildflowers.

Flora of the South West, published in two volumes, provides a comprehensive guide to this natural treasure. Each volume features:

• illustrated identification keys using easily observed characteristics such as flower colour and shape;
• simply written descriptions;
• notes on distribution and ecology; and
• small sketches illustrating the differences between the species.

Volume 1 focuses on ferns, grasses, sedges, lilies, orchids and other monocotyledons, while volume 2 presents trees, shrubs and broad-leafed plants, the dicotyledons. Together, they form the third in a series of regional floras of Western Australia written by the staff of the Western Australian Herbarium. Other works in the series cover the Kimberley and Perth regions. Flora of the South West is a storehouse of information for anyone interested in Western Australia’s floral heritage, from dedicated botanists to the most inexperienced beginners. Marketing and distribution will be managed by University of Western Australia Press. See their website at www.uwapress.uwa.edu.au for details on price and availability.

National News

Australia’s Virtual Herbarium

The following information about Australia’s Virtual Herbarium (AVH) is reproduced from the Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria brochure on the AVH.

What is the AVH?

The AVH is an on-line botanical information resource accessible via the web. It provides immediate access to the wealth of data associated with scientific plant specimens in each Australian herbarium. Six million specimen records, of particular value in displaying geographic distribution, will be enhanced by images, descriptive text and identification tools. AVH is a collaborative project of the State, Commonwealth and Territory herbaria. It is being developed under the auspices of the Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria (CHAH), representing the major Australian collections.

Background

Australian herbaria house over 6 million specimens that date from the earliest days of European exploration and are a primary source of information on the classification and distribution of plants, algae and fungi. These specimens are the working tools of scientists who contribute to our knowledge and understanding of biodiversity and conservation through the discovery, classification and description of new species. Every specimen held in an Australian herbarium is accompanied by information on where and when it was collected, by whom, its correct botanical name, and often information on associated species and ecological preferences. This seemingly simple information has great power when organised into a single distributed database system such as the AVH. Our herbaria hold an historical record of over two hundred years of changes to our vegetation, unparalleled data for conservation and revegetation work, and a permanent reference collection to monitor changes in plant names. It is the only plant information system based on scientifically verifiable voucher specimens that are maintained by herbaria to ensure the currency of names as knowledge improves.

Since the mid 1970s Australian herbaria have been cooperatively digitising their data on plants, algae and fungi. “HISPID”, a set of specimen data interchange standards developed by Australian herbaria, has now been adopted internationally.

The AVH is accessed via the website of any participating herbarium thus linking all of their information systems. Most data will be stored by the custodial institution, and there will be shared resources, such as the scientific names database (Australian Plant Names Index, APNI) with global links.

Resources of Australian herbaria

Herbaria are research and information institutions developing botanical knowledge and providing information, underpinned by preserved collections.

Just over 40% of the specimens housed in Australian herbaria have been databased, providing a comprehensive resource for:

• Accurate depiction of geographic distribution and occurrence of plants, algae and fungi.
• Historical mapping of all plant, algal and fungal species, information valuable for understanding the threatening processes of vegetation clearance and weed invasion.
• Revising classifications of each plant, algal and fungal group to give an accurate portrayal of our biodiversity.

Accurate descriptions of over 60% of Australia’s vascular plant species have been compiled in the last 20 years, with many already available electronically and the remainder able to be readily scanned.

Each Herbarium maintains an authoritative Census of plants for its region in electronic form.

A growing resource of images (line drawings, colour photographs) is available, with only a small portion currently in digital form. Computer tools have been developed for the interactive identification of some regional floras or of Australian plant families, genera and species for CD-ROM or the Web.

Building an electronic Australian Flora

Australian botanists have produced thousands of authoritative publications on plants, algae and fungi including scientific papers and floras and other semi-popular handbooks, founded on the cooperation and extensive resources of the Australian herbaria.

The Flora of Australia, and Fungi of Australia, published by the Australian Biological Resources Study in cooperation with the Australian herbaria and botanists, are key projects in the long tradition of Australia-wide research in plant classification. These internationally recognised publications are underpinned by collection data and information outputs held by the Australian herbaria.

The ease of computer storage of data and information, and the World Wide Web, can provide sophisticated remote access to these data. It is ideally suited to projecting this important knowledge to a wider client base.

Australia’s Virtual Herbarium provides the opportunity to deliver descriptions of the flora dynamically linked to data and information from across the continent, and distributed on-line effectively as an electronic Australian Flora, a one-stop source of current information on the plants, algae and fungi of the entire Australian continent. New observations can be released with minimal delay as they are confirmed and recorded in database.

For more information on the AVH go to the CHAH website:

Flora information on-line

http://www.chah.gov.au/cgi-bin/avh.cgi

Biodiversity Knowledge Management Forum

The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney and the Australian Museum will host a stimulating set of workshops, symposia and meetings on 4–12 November 2001 on the general theme of biodiversity informatics, particularly relating to the building blocks of the ‘Catalogue of Life’: taxonomic database for species and specimens, their data standards, interoperability and availability electronically.

See http://plantnet.rbgsyd.gov.au/bioforum/ for more details on the Forum.

ABRS is pleased to associated with an international workshop called Bioinformatics and the GTI in Asia-Oceania on 8 November 2001, in association with the Biodiversity Knowledge Management Forum. The rapid globalisation of biodiversity research has brought into sharp focus the need for a comprehensive index of all known species of organisms on earth. This workshop will give a regional overview of projects in Asia-Oceania relevant to building such a Catalogue of Life and furthering the aims of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI) of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

Contact Karen Wilson from the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney for more information on how to register:
Email: Karen.wilson@rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au.

ABRS Directory On-line

The ABRS has created a public access, on-line registration and search facility now called the ABRS Directory. It can be found via the ABRS Website on:
http://www.ea.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/about/directory.html
The Directory is a database that will contain names and research interests of scientists engaged in taxonomic and biogeographic studies on Australian biodiversity. Illustrators and photographers are also included. The Directory has a comprehensive search and report facility. With support from the community, the Directory will develop into a valuable and readily accessible source of information on taxonomic expertise. Registrants receive regular information on ABRS, including the ABRS newsletter, Biologue.

Those with a general interest in the aim and objectives of ABRS are now invited to register. Instructions on how to register are provided on the Website and registrants are free to enter details they wish to make available on the database. Each registration is checked before it is made publicly available on the Website. Users may also wish to encourage others to explore the Directory. We welcome feedback on this interactive facility.