Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > AN > EA05288
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 47(4)

Using invertebrate bioindicators to assess agricultural sustainability in Australia: proposals and current practices

Maurizio G. Paoletti A C , Linda J. Thomson B and Ary A. Hoffmann B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Agroecology & Ethnobiology, Department of Biology, Padova University, Padova 35100, Italy.

B Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptation Research, Zoology Department, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: paoletti@civ.bio.unipd.it

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47(4) 379-383 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA05288
Submitted: 31 October 2005  Accepted: 28 November 2006   Published: 9 March 2007

Abstract

The papers in this special issue, ‘Using Invertebrate Bioindicators to Assess Agricultural Sustainability in Australia: Proposals and Current Practices’, highlight the diversity of invertebrates in agricultural environments and associated environments, and the varied roles they play in agricultural production. The papers demonstrate the various ways that the constitution of the invertebrate fauna can change rapidly in response to environmental inputs such as chemicals and landscape management. Given these factors, invertebrates show enormous potential to be used as indicators of sustainability in agriculture. However, this potential remains to be realised.


Acknowledgements

Many people have inspired, helped and stimulated us to produce this special issue and two persons have to be specially mentioned: Ken E. Lee and Tim New. For providing taxonomical and ecological information and for their help on fieldwork, we are particularly grateful to: Geffroy Allen, Martin Baher; Patrice Bouchard, Peter Cranston, Wilhelm Foissner, Tony Friend, Beth Gott, Alison Green, Jane Gower, Alisin Green, Barrie Jamieson, Ken E. Lee, Alison Mac Gregor, Mark Harvey, David Madge, Eric Mattews, Peter Neville, Lawrence Mound, Roberto Pace, Clive Pankhurst, Sarina Pearce, Aldo Poiani, Stefano Taiti, Ken Walker and Alan York.


References


André H, Ducarme X, Anderson JM, Behan-Pelletier V, Crossley DA, Koehler HH, Paoletti MG, Walter DE, Lebrun P (2001) Skilled eyes are needed to study soil’s richness. Nature 409, 761.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Bailey PT (1997) Decline of an invading millipede, Ommatoiulus moreleti in South Australia: the need for a better understanding of the mechanism (Diplopoda, Julida: Julidae). In ‘Many-legged animals – a collection of papers on Myriapoda and Onychophora. Proceedings of the 10th International Congress’. (Ed. H Enghoff) pp. 241–244. (Entomologica Scandinavica: Sweden)

Baker GH (1999) Spatial and temporal patterns in the abundance and biomass of earthworm populations in pastures in Southern Australia. Pedobiologia 43, 487–496. open url image1

Beaulieu F, Weeks AR (2007) Free-living mesostigmatic mites in Australia: their roles in biological control and bioindication. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 460–478.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Blakemore RJ, Paoletti MG (2007) Australian earthworms as a natural agroecological resource. Annals of Arid Zone in press , open url image1

Brand Miller J, James KW, Maggiore PM (1997) ‘Tables of composition of Australian Aboriginal foods.’ (Piries Press: Canberra)

Cranston PS, Trueman JWH (1997) “Indicator” taxa in invertebrate biodiversity assessment. Memoirs of the Museum of Victoria 56, 267–274. open url image1

Doran JW (2002) Soil health and global sustainability: translating science into practice. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment 88, 119–127.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Greenslade P (2007) The potential of Collembola to act as indicators of landscape stress in Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 424–434.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Gurr GM, Wratten SD, Altieri MA (2004) ‘Ecological engineering for pest management.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)

Halliday RB, Walter DE, Lindquist EE (1998) Revision of the Australian Ascidae (Acarina : Mesostigmata). Invertebrate Taxonomy 12, 1–54.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Horne PA (2007) Carabids as potential indicators of sustainable farming systems. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 455–459.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

King KL, Hutchinson KJ (2007) Pasture and grazing land: assessment of sustainability using invertebrate bioindicators. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 392–403.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

King KL, Pankhurst CE (1996) Biotic indicators of soil health. In ‘Indicators of catchment health: a technical perspective’. (Eds J Walker, DJ Reuter) pp. 212–230. (CSIRO: Melbourne)

Kirk RL (1986) ‘Aboriginal man adapting. The human biology of Australian Aborigines.’ (Oxford University Press: Melbourne)

Latz P (1995) ‘Bushfires and bushtucker: Aboriginal plant use in central Australia.’ (IAD Press: Alice Springs)

Lawrence JF, Britton EB (1991) ‘Coleoptera. The insects of Australia. Vol. 2.’ (Melbourne University Press: Carlton, Vic.)

Lee KE (1985) ‘Earthworms.’ (Academic Press: London)

Lee KE, Wood TG (1971) ‘Termites and soils.’ (Academic Press: London)

Lee KE, Blakemore RJ, Fraser P (2000) Noke a Aotearoa – the Earthworms of NZ. In ‘The New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity: a Species 2000 Symposium Review’. (Ed. DP Gordon) (Te Papa: Wellington, New Zealand)

Matthews EG (1980–1997) ‘A guide of the genera of beetles of South Australia. Vols 1–7.’ (South Australian Museum: Adelaide)

Michaels KF (2007) Using staphylinid and tenebrionid beetles as indicators of sustainable landscape management in Australia: a review. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 435–449.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Naveth Z (1990) Fire in Mediterranean. A landscape ecological perspective. In ‘Fire in Ecosystem dynamics. Proceedings of the Third International Symposium of Fire Ecology, Freiburg’. (Eds JG Goldammer, MJ Jenkins) pp. 1–20. (SPB Academic Publishers: The Hague, The Netherlands)

Netuzhilin I, Cerda H, López-Hernández H, Torres F, Chacon P, Paoletti MG (1999) Biodiversity tools to evaluate sustainability in Savannah-forest ecotone in the Amazon (Venezuela). In ‘Management of tropical agroecosystems and the beneficial soil biota’. (Ed. MV Redd) pp. 291–353. (Science Publishers: Enfield, NH)

Neville PJ (2000) The effects of fire on ground-dwelling arthropods of the Dandenong Ranges National Park, Victoria, with particular reference to ants. Department of Zoology, PhD thesis, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia.

Neville PJ, Yen AL (2007) Standardising terrestrial invertebrate biomonitoring techniques across natural and agricultural systems. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 384–391.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

New T (2002) ‘Insects and pest management in Australian agriculture.’ (Oxford University Press: Melbourne)

New TR (2007) Are predatory arthropods useful as indicators in Australian agroecosystems? Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 450–454.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

O’Dowd DJ (1989) Leaf domatia and mites on Australian plants: ecological and evolutionary implications. Journal of the Linnean Society 37, 191–236. open url image1

Paoletti MG (Ed.) (1999) ‘Invertebrate biodiversity as bioindicators of sustainable landscapes. Practical use of invertebrates to assess sustainable landuse.’ (Elsevier: Amsterdam)

Paoletti MG, Osler GHR, Kinnear A, Black DG, Thomson LJ, Tsitsilas A, Sharley D, Judd S, Neville P, D’Inca A (2007) Detritivores as indicators of landscape stress and soil degradation. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 412–423.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Pimentel D (2002) ‘Encyclopedia of pest management.’ (Dekker: New York)

Raven RJ, Baehr BC, Harvey MS (2002) ‘Checklist of Australian Spiders.’ (CD-ROM) (CSIRO Publishing/Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS): Melbourne) Updated November 2006.

Roberts RG, Flannery TF, Ayliffe LK, Yoshida H, Olley JM , et al. (2001) New ages for the last Australian megafauna: continent-wide extinction about 46,000 years ago. Science 292, 1888–1892.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Thomson LJ, Sharley DJ, Hoffmann AA (2007) Beneficial organisms as bioindicators for environmental sustainability in the grape industry in Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 404–411.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Tyndale-Biscoe M (1990) ‘Common dung beetles in pastures of south-eastern Australia.’ (CSIRO Entomology: Canberra)

Umina PA, Hoffmann AA, Weeks AR (2004) Biology, ecology and control of the Penthaleus species complex. Experimental & Applied Acarology 33, 1–20.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Waterhouse DF, Carne PB, Naumann ID (1991) Foreword. In ‘The insects of Australia. Vol. 2’. pp. 21–22. (Melbourne University Press: Carlton, Vic.)

Yen AL (2005) Insect and other invertebrate foods of the Australian Aborigines. In ‘Ecological implications of minilivestock role of insects, rodents, frogs and snails for sustainable development’. (Ed. MG Paoletti) pp. 367–388. (Science Publishers, Inc.: Enfield, NH)

York A (2000) Long-term effects of frequent low-intensity burning on ant communities in coastal blackbutt forests of southern Australia. Austral Ecology 25, 83–98.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

York A (2003) Invertebrates and fire: think small, think big. The need to incorporate a major component of our biodiversity into adaptive management. In ‘Bushfires: managing the risk’. pp. 87–92. (Nature Conservation Council of NSW: Sydney)

York A, Tarnawski J (2004) Impacts of grazing and burning on terrestrial invertebrate assemblages in dry eucalypt forests of north-eastern New South Wales: implications for biodiversity conservation. In ‘Conservation of Australia’s Forest Fauna’. 2nd edn. (Ed. D Lunney) pp. 845–859. (Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales: Mosman, NSW)

Zola N, Gott B (1992) ‘Koorie plants, Koorie people. Traditional Aboriginal food, fibre and healing plants of Victoria.’ (Brown Prior Anderson: Melbourne)