Floodplain wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin provide critical habitat for numerous species of flora and fauna, yet the ecology of these wetlands is threatened by a range of environmental issues. This book addresses the urgent need for an improved ecohydrological understanding of the biota of Australian freshwater wetlands. It synthesises key water and habitat requirements for 35 species of plants, 48 species of waterbirds, 17 native and four introduced species of fish, 15 species of frogs, and 16 species of crustaceans and molluscs found in floodplain wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin. Each species profile includes: the influence of water regimes on the survival, health and condition of the species; key stimuli for reproduction and germination; habitat and dietary preferences; as well as major knowledge gaps for the species. Floodplain Wetland Biota in the Murray-Darling Basin also provides an overview of the likely impacts of hydrological change on wetland ecosystems and biota, in the context of climate change and variability, with implications for environmental management. This important book provides an essential baseline for further education, scientific research and management of floodplain wetland biota in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Floodplain wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin provide critical habitat for numerous species of flora and fauna; unfortunately, the ecology of these wetlands is threatened by a range of environmental issues. This book addresses the urgent need for an improved ecohydrological understanding of the biota of Australian freshwater wetlands. It synthesizes key water and habitat requirements for 35 species of plants, 48 species of waterbirds, 17 native and four introduced species of fish, 15 species of frogs, and 16 species of crustaceans and mollusks found in floodplain wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin. Each species profile includes: the influence of water regimes on the survival, health and condition of the species; key stimuli for reproduction and germination; habitat and dietary preferences; as well as major knowledge gaps for the species. Floodplain Wetland Biota in the Murray-Darling Basinalso provides an overview of the likely impacts of hydrological change on wetland ecosystems and biota, in the context of climate change and variability, with implications for environmental management. This important book provides an essential baseline for further education, scientific research and management of floodplain wetland biota in the Murray-Darling Basin. KEY FEATURES * Provides an overview of floodplain wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin and their key freshwater biota (flora and fauna) * Includes information on water and habitat requirements in the form of succinct species profiles * Focuses on the influence of water regimes on the survival, health and condition of species

Ecosystem Response Modelling in the Murray-Darling Basin provides an overview of the status of science in support of water management in Australia's largest and most economically important river catchment, and brings together the leading ecologists working in the rivers and wetlands of the Basin. It introduces the issues in ecosystem response modelling and how this area of science can support environmental watering decisions. The declining ecological condition of the internationally significant wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin has been a prominent issue in Australia for many years. Several high profile government programs have sought to restore the flow conditions required to sustain healthy wetlands, and this book documents the scientific effort that is underpinning this task. In the Southern Murray-Darling Basin, the River Murray, the Murrumbidgee River and their associated wetlands and floodplains have been the focus of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority's 'The Living Murray' program, and the NSW Rivers Environmental Restoration Program. The book documents research aimed at informing environmental water use in a number of iconic wetlands including those along the Murray - the Barmah-Millewa Forest; the Chowilla Floodplain and Lindsay-Wallpolla Islands; the Coorong and Murray mouth; and the Murrumbidgee - the Lowbidgee Floodplain. Within the Northern Murray-Darling Basin, research conducted in support of the Wetland Recovery Plan and the NSW Rivers Environmental Restoration Program has improved our knowledge of the Gwydir Wetlands and the Macquarie Marshes, and the water regimes required to sustain their ecology.

Floods in the Murray-Darling Basin are crucial sources of water for people, animals and plants in this often dry region of inland eastern Australia. Even so, floods have often been experienced as natural disasters, which have led to major engineering schemes. Flood Country explores the contested and complex history of this region, examining the different ways in which floods have been understood and managed and some of the long-term consequences for people, rivers and ecologies. The book examines many tensions, ranging from early exchanges between Aboriginal people and settlers about the dangers of floods, through to long running disputes between graziers and irrigators over damming floodwater, and conflicts between residents and colonial governments over whose responsibility it was to protect townships from floods. Flood Country brings the Murray-Darling Basin's flood history into conversation with contemporary national debates about climate change and competing access to water for livelihoods, industries and ecosystems. It provides an important new historical perspective on this significant region of Australia, exploring how people, rivers and floods have re-made each other.