Search results for: David J. Merritt

Items from 1 to 20 out of 48 results

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Photographic monitoring of glowworm Arachnocampa luminosa (Diptera: Keroplatidae) bioluminescence in a tourist cave reveals diurnal and annual cycles

David J. Merritt

Glowworms are the bioluminescent larvae of a group of dipteran insects related to fungus gnats. They require sheltered, consistently moist conditions and are found in aggregations on the walls and ceilings of caves and near streams in wet forests where they attract flying insects as prey. The Waitomo Glowworm Cave in New Zealand receives many thousands of visitors each year to see the colony of the...

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Annual species' experimental germination responses to light and temperature do not correspond with their microhabitat associations in the field

Isis A. Silva, David J. Merritt, Todd E. Erickson, Margaret M. Mayfield, more

Journal of Vegetation Science > 35 > 2 > n/a - n/a

Questions Annual species have evolved sets of germination cues that are thought to be predictive of the post‐germination environment. In naturally patchy environments, germination microsites often vary considerably in the amount of light they receive and in the diurnal temperature fluctuations they experience. However, whether species' differential germination responses to light and temperature are...

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Putting provenance into perspective: the relative importance of restoration site conditions over seed sourcing

Jake M. Robinson, Martin F. Breed, Nicole L. Maher, Dylan Gibson, more

Restoration Ecology > 31 > 8 > n/a - n/a

Post‐mining scenarios present challenges for restoration in a wide range of environments, especially in the context of climate change. The source of seed for restoration has been an issue of intense focus, as seed provenance can impact plant fitness and restoration outcomes. However, post‐mining landscapes require substrate reconstruction prior to vegetation re‐establishment. Critically, the relative...

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Seed traits determine species' responses to fire under varying soil heating scenarios

Ryan Tangney, David J. Merritt, J. Nikolaus Callow, Joseph B. Fontaine, more

Functional Ecology > 34 > 9 > 1967 - 1978

Many plant species in fire‐prone environments maintain persistence through fire via soil seedbanks. However, seeds stored within the soil are at risk of mortality from elevated soil temperatures during fire. Seeds may be protected from fire‐temperature impacts by burial, however, those buried too deeply may germinate but fail to emerge. Thus, successful post‐fire seed regeneration is contingent...

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Bio‐priming seeds with cyanobacteria: effects on native plant growth and soil properties

Melissa Chua, Todd E. Erickson, David J. Merritt, Angela M. Chilton, more

Restoration Ecology > 28 > S2 > S168 - S176

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic bacteria that form a fundamental part of soil biocrusts, enhance soil function and structure, and can promote plant growth. We assessed the potential of cyanobacteria as a seed bio‐primer for mine‐site restoration in an arid region in Western Australia, examining its effects on native plant growth and the characteristics of mine soil substrates used in dryland restoration...

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Bait preferences of Australian dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in tropical and subtropical Queensland forests

Kathryn M Ebert, Geoff B Monteith, Rosa Menéndez, David J Merritt

Austral Entomology > 58 > 4 > 772 - 782

Dung beetles (Scarabaeinae) are mainly coprophagous. Globally, many species co‐exist with large mammalian fauna in grasslands and savannahs. However, tropical and subtropical rainforests, where large herbivorous mammals are scarce, support numerous dung beetle species. Many rainforest dung beetles have been shown to be generalist saprophages or specialists on non‐dung food resources. In Australian...

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Factoring restoration practitioner perceptions into future design of mechanical direct seeders for native seeds

Monte Masarei, Andrew L. Guzzomi, David J. Merritt, Todd E. Erickson

Restoration Ecology > 27 > 6 > 1251 - 1262

The methods used to distribute seeds influence the success of a restoration project. We surveyed 183 restoration practitioners from across the globe with the aim of identifying common limitations to the effective use of mechanical direct seeding in large‐scale restoration practice to highlight avenues for design improvement to mechanized seeding equipment. Results from this survey show that direct...

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Seed moisture content as a primary trait regulating the lethal temperature thresholds of seeds

Ryan Tangney, David J. Merritt, Joseph B. Fontaine, Ben P. Miller

Journal of Ecology > 107 > 3 > 1093 - 1105

Fire has long shaped biological responses of plants and plant communities in many ecosystems; yet, uncontrolled wildfire frequently puts people and infrastructure at risk. Fuel or hazard reduction burning outside of the historic fire season is a common and widespread practice aimed at reducing the risk of high‐severity fires, which ideally also considers biodiversity values. Within fire‐prone systems,...

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A research agenda for seed‐trait functional ecology

Arne Saatkamp, Anne Cochrane, Lucy Commander, Lydia K. Guja, more

New Phytologist > 221 > 4 > 1764 - 1775

Trait‐based approaches have improved our understanding of plant evolution, community assembly and ecosystem functioning. A major challenge for the upcoming decades is to understand the functions and evolution of early life‐history traits, across levels of organization and ecological strategies. Although a variety of seed traits are critical for dispersal, persistence, germination timing and seedling...

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Environmental influences on the bioluminescence display of the glow‐worm, Arachnocampa flava (Diptera: Keroplatidae)

David J Merritt, Rachell Patterson

Austral Entomology > 57 > 1 > 107 - 117

Glow‐worms are the larvae of fungus gnats that use bioluminescence to lure night‐flying insects to their webs. They are found in still, humid environments such as rainforest gullies, the vicinity of waterfalls or inside caves. Arachnocampa flava is endemic to south‐east Queensland where it is the focus of night‐time tourism at a number of subtropical rainforest locations. For management of tourist...

article

Seed dormancy and germination of Halophila ovalis mediated by simulated seasonal temperature changes

John Statton, Robert Sellers, Kingsley W. Dixon, Kieryn Kilminster, more

Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science > 2017 > 198 > PA > 156-162

The seagrass, Halophila ovalis plays an important ecological and sediment stability role in estuarine systems in Australia with the species in decline in many sites. Halophila ovalis is a facultative annual, relying mainly on recruitment from the sediment seed bank for the annual regeneration of meadows. Despite this, there is little understanding of seed dormancy releasing mechanisms and germination...

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Homeostatic and circadian mechanisms of bioluminescence regulation differ between a forest and a facultative cave species of glowworm, Arachnocampa

Sarah E. Berry, Joshua Gilchrist, David J. Merritt

Journal of Insect Physiology > 2017 > 103 > C > 1-9

Glowworms, members of the keroplatid fly genus, Arachnocampa, glow to attract prey. Here we describe substantial differences in the bioluminescence regulatory systems of two species; one is a troglophile with populations both in caves and outside of caves in wet forest (Arachnocampa tasmaniensis) and the other has no known cave populations (Arachnocampa flava). We find that A. tasmaniensis is ready...

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Seed germination traits of desert perennials

Lucy E. Commander, Peter J. Golos, Ben P. Miller, David J. Merritt

Plant Ecology > 2017 > 218 > 9 > 1077-1091

While understanding that seed germination is crucial for ecological restoration activities, the seed traits of desert perennials are understudied. We experimentally determined germination traits of 43 species from 14 families from Hummock grasslands in the Great Sandy Desert, Australia. We defined morphological and physiological seed traits of framework species required for restoration and investigated...

article

A framework for the practical science necessary to restore sustainable, resilient, and biodiverse ecosystems

Ben P. Miller, Elizabeth A. Sinclair, Myles H. M. Menz, Carole P. Elliott, more

Restoration Ecology > 25 > 4 > 605 - 617

Demand for restoration of resilient, self‐sustaining, and biodiverse natural ecosystems as a conservation measure is increasing globally; however, restoration efforts frequently fail to meet standards appropriate for this objective. Achieving these standards requires management underpinned by input from diverse scientific disciplines including ecology, biotechnology, engineering, soil science, ecophysiology,...

article

Seed Coating: Science or Marketing Spin?

Simone Pedrini, David J. Merritt, Jason Stevens, Kingsley Dixon

Trends in Plant Science > 2017 > 22 > 2 > 106-116

Seed coating is the practice of covering seeds with external materials to improve handling, protection, and, to a lesser extent, germination enhancement and plant establishment. With an annual value exceeding US$1 billion dollars, this technology is mostly the preserve of the private research sector, with few links to the scientific community. Here, we analyse the science and industry of seed coating...

article

Soil respiration dynamics in fire affected semi-arid ecosystems: Effects of vegetation type and environmental factors

Miriam Muñoz-Rojas, Wolfgang Lewandrowski, Todd E. Erickson, Kingsley W. Dixon, more

Science of The Total Environment > 2016 > 572 > C > 1385-1394

Soil respiration (Rs) is the second largest carbon flux in terrestrial ecosystems and therefore plays a crucial role in global carbon (C) cycling. This biogeochemical process is closely related to ecosystem productivity and soil fertility and is considered as a key indicator of soil health and quality reflecting the level of microbial activity. Wildfires can have a significant effect on Rs rates and...

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Soil physicochemical and microbiological indicators of short, medium and long term post-fire recovery in semi-arid ecosystems

Miriam Muñoz-Rojas, Todd E. Erickson, Dylan Martini, Kingsley W. Dixon, more

Ecological Indicators > 2016 > 63 > C > 14-22

Natural disturbances such as wildfires cause significant alterations to the structure and functioning of semi-arid ecosystems. After such disturbances, the recovery of the soil ecosystem as a whole, and more specifically the belowground microbial communities, is poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to (a) assess the short, medium and long term changes in soil physicochemical and microbiological...

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Seed reproductive biology of the rare aquatic carnivorous plant Aldrovanda vesiculosa (Droseraceae)

Adam T. Cross, Lubomír Adamec, Shane R. Turner, Kingsley W. Dixon, more

Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society > 180 > 4 > 515 - 529

Despite the unprecedented global decline in extant populations of Aldrovanda vesiculosa in the last century, little is known about the reproductive biology of this iconic aquatic carnivorous plant. This study aimed to investigate the role of seed‐based reproduction in the ecology of A. vesiculosa, with particular focus on the interplay between the regulation of seed dormancy by temperature cues and...

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Biodiversity responses to vegetation structure in a fragmented landscape: ant communities in a peri-urban coastal dune system

Sophie L. Cross, Adam T. Cross, David J. Merritt, Kingsley W. Dixon, more

Journal of Insect Conservation > 2016 > 20 > 3 > 485-495

Habitat fragmentation often results in significant degradation of the structure and composition of remnant natural vegetation, leading to substantial biodiversity decline. Ants are an ecologically dominant faunal group known to be sensitive to vegetation degradation following fragmentation. We examined ant diversity and composition in relation to changes in vegetation structure in remnant coastal...

article

The effects of adding microbial biomass to grow-out and maturation feeds on the reproductive performance of black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon

Jake D. Goodall, Nicholas M. Wade, David J. Merritt, Melony J. Sellars, more

Aquaculture > 2016 > 450 > C > 206-212

A 40-day reproductive performance trial was conducted to assess the effect of targeted supplementation of Penaeus monodon broodstock grow-out and maturation diets with microbial biomass (MB). Over a seven month grow-out period, shrimp were fed a typical pelleted grow-out diet with or without 10% MB. Broodstock were then transferred to a maturation facility and a subset of animals from each grow-out...

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INFONA - science communication portal

Search results for: David J. Merritt

Photographic monitoring of glowworm Arachnocampa luminosa (Diptera: Keroplatidae) bioluminescence in a tourist cave reveals diurnal and annual cycles

Annual species' experimental germination responses to light and temperature do not correspond with their microhabitat associations in the field

Putting provenance into perspective: the relative importance of restoration site conditions over seed sourcing

Seed traits determine species' responses to fire under varying soil heating scenarios

Bio‐priming seeds with cyanobacteria: effects on native plant growth and soil properties

Bait preferences of Australian dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in tropical and subtropical Queensland forests

Factoring restoration practitioner perceptions into future design of mechanical direct seeders for native seeds

Seed moisture content as a primary trait regulating the lethal temperature thresholds of seeds

A research agenda for seed‐trait functional ecology

Environmental influences on the bioluminescence display of the glow‐worm, Arachnocampa flava (Diptera: Keroplatidae)

Seed dormancy and germination of Halophila ovalis mediated by simulated seasonal temperature changes

Homeostatic and circadian mechanisms of bioluminescence regulation differ between a forest and a facultative cave species of glowworm, Arachnocampa

Seed germination traits of desert perennials

A framework for the practical science necessary to restore sustainable, resilient, and biodiverse ecosystems

Seed Coating: Science or Marketing Spin?

Soil respiration dynamics in fire affected semi-arid ecosystems: Effects of vegetation type and environmental factors

Soil physicochemical and microbiological indicators of short, medium and long term post-fire recovery in semi-arid ecosystems

Seed reproductive biology of the rare aquatic carnivorous plant Aldrovanda vesiculosa (Droseraceae)

Biodiversity responses to vegetation structure in a fragmented landscape: ant communities in a peri-urban coastal dune system

The effects of adding microbial biomass to grow-out and maturation feeds on the reproductive performance of black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon

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