Central Australian waterbodies: The importance of permanence in a desert landscape

Climate change vulnerability and social development for remote indigenous communities of South Australia

“…Climate change projections for the region are couched in significant uncertainty, but suggest that the experienced trend in increasing daytime temperatures and longer, hotter heatwaves within the AW region is likely to continue (Suppiah et al, 2006). In most of the AW region an intensification of semiarid rainfall patterns typified by high variability and uncertainty can be expected, rather than the weakening of reliable, seasonal patterns (McInnes et al, 2003;Box et al, 2008). However, there are quite different climatic drivers from North to South across the very large region (Table 1).…”

Speculations on the application of foliar <sup>13</sup>C discrimination to reveal groundwater dependency of vegetation, provide estimates of root depth and rates of groundwater use

“…On average, central Australia receives less than 350 mm y -1 of rainfall, making water a primary limiting resource (Eamus et al, 2006). Because surface water bodies in this region are mostly ephemeral (NRETAS, 2009, although see Box et al, 2008, regarding the small number of permanent water bodies), groundwater plays an important role in maintaining ecosystem structure and function of terrestrial (especially riparian) vegetation (Eamus et al, 2006). Owing to the remoteness of much of Australia's interior, few studies have 15 investigated groundwater use by vegetation communities in these semi-arid regions.…”

The ecology of narrow-range endemic macro-invertebrates of Great Artesian Basin springs

“…Despite the pertinent threats springs face, they are rarely included in global assessments of freshwater ecology or conservation (Cantonati et al, 2012a). Springs are unique and diverse freshwater ecosystems that emerge in a diverse range of contexts, but those in arid regions are particularly important because they provide a reliable source of water in areas characterised by water scarcity and impermanence (Box et al, 2008;Davis et al, 2013;Shepard, 1993). They act as 'islands' of hospitable wetland in a 'sea' of aridity (Ponder, 1995) that are used as watering points for broadly distributed species, and provide critical wetland environments for suites of organisms endemic to springs Fensham et al, 2011;Myers & Resh, 1999).…”

“…Water in the arid landscape appears in systems with differing levels of permanence (Box et al, 2008;Davis et al, 2017), and aquatic species respond to these differences in accordance with their adaptations (Chester et al, 2015;Morán-Ordóñez et al, 2015). Ephemeral rivers, lakes and billabongs are the most spatiotemporally variable freshwater system in arid Australia and organisms that occupy these systems possess adaptations that allow them to fit this structure.…”

“…In arid areas, springs provide permanent habitat for aquatic flora and fauna in a landscape defined by water impermanence (Box et al, 2008;Fensham et al, 2011;Myers & Resh, 1999;Shepard, 1993). They are often home to high proportions of rare and endemic organisms (Unmack & Minckley 2008;Benke et al 2011;Fensham et al 2011;Hershler et al 2014) that have very small geographic distributions (<50km 2 ), many endemic to a single spring complex (Ponder &Colgan, 2002;Fensham et al 2011;Cantonati et al 2012a;Hershler et al 2014).…”