Paluma
LOCALITY DATA: 985m asl at the
top of the Paluma Range (part of the Coastal Range system), situated 20km from
the main coastal highway on a sealed road. The township (c 20 residents) is
inserted in upland rainforest. Mt Spec National Park forms the northern
boundary and forestry-controlled rainforest the southern. The town and
surrounding forest are all within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Zone boundary.
To the west, on the road from Paluma to the township of Hidden Valley, is a
wide ecotone to dry sclerophyll forest (road part unsealed, semi-all-weather).
The major stream study site of Birthday Ck is about 10 km from Paluma.
Temperatures are typically 5-10 C cooler than the coastal plain. Evening mists
make the habitat akin to cloud forest.
The town was once the site of tin mining. The narrow access road with its stone
bridges was built by hand during the depression of the 1930s.
The Paluma field station is sited in the middle of Paluma township. It comprises the old police station, station house, and the cell block. A new dormitory block sleeps about 16. Power and water are reticulated and the station is well-furnished. Access by booking, there is a caretaker.
Research from Paluma
Zoological research at Paluma can be divided into three major areas:
freshwater associated work (Pearson group (stream processes and community
ecology), Alford group (anuran communities, reptiles), Rowe (dragonfly larval
behaviour)); terrestrial insect communities; and terrestrial vertebrate work.
Zoological researchers maintain a close liaison with the botanists and
hydrologists conducting complementary research programs in the area.
Freshwater research focusses on the Birthday Ck catchment which has been
intensively investigated and extensively gauged at an order 2 site in the
forest. A series of controlled-flow, artificial stream channels are emplaced in
the rainforest at this site for long-term work and shorter term experiments.
Other facilities are maintained at the field station. Manipulative work is
concentrated on Birthday Ck about 2 km downstream of this site, with further
comparative studies being carried out on other
streams within the watershed.
The ecotone zone inland from Paluma is notable for a large number of Eucalyptus grandis. To understand why they are grandis check the object at the arrow at the bottom of this picture - a 1.75m measure.
Recent Paluma-derived papers and theses
Paluma birds
About 120 species of birds occur in the near vicinity of Paluma. From a biologist's perspective most notable are good populations of four species of bowerbird representing all display-ground types (Satin (avenue builder), Golden (maypole builder), Green Catbird (none), Tooth-billed Catbird (cleared dancefloor area)), and one real bird of paradise (Queen Victoria's Riflebird). There are several Riflebird display areas on stumps and powerpoles, as well as Satin Bowerbird avenues, in the town. Parrots include the impressive Crimson Rosella.
Paluma reptiles & frogs
More than a dozen frog, two dozen lizard, three python (including the Amethystine python), half a dozen colubrid and a dozen elapid species make up the local herpetofauna. Research projects on autecology, community ecology, and mating systems are in progress on a range of species and habitats. Surveys associated with the 'vanishing frog' problem are also being undertaken.
Paluma insects
Paluma boasts a large insect fauna, typical of upland tropical rainforests. Along with thousands of smaller species the area has populations of Hercules moths Coscinocera hercules (the World's largest moth), Birdwing butterflies, and the giant dragonfly Petalura ingentissima. The exquisite stag beetle Phalacrognathus muelleri occasionally appears in some numbers and there are also many spectacular species of buprestid beetles, more especially in the ecotone zone on the inland side of the range.
Other beasts include a good population of dingos and crayfish.
Recent Paluma-derived papers and theses
Papers:
- Rosser, Z.C. & R.G. Pearson, 1995. Responses of rock fauna to physical disturbance in two Australian tropical rainforest streams. J. N. Am. Benth. Soc. 14: 183-196.
- Rowe, R.J. 1994. Agonistic behaviour in final-instar larvae of the damselfly Neosticta fraseri (Odonata: Isostictidae) Australian Journal of Zoology 42: 733-43.
- Theischinger, G., Watson, J.A.L., Rowe, R.J. 1993. Larvae of the Australian Synlestidae (Odonata). Journal of the Australian entomological Society 32: 113-119.
- Rowe, R.J. 1993. Agonistic behaviour in full-grown larvae of the damselfly Diphlebia euphoeoides (Odonata: Amphipterygidae). Journal of Zoology (London) 229: 1-15.
- Nolen, J.A. and R.G. Pearson, 1993. Processing of litter from an Australian tropical stream by Anisocentropus kirramus Neboiss (Trichoptera: Calamoceratidae). Freshwater Biology 29: 469-479.
Theses
PhD
Duff, G.A. 1987. Physiological ecology and vegetation dynamics of North
Queensland upland rainforest-open forest ecotones
Watt, A-M, 1991. The ecology of three species of Antechinus
(Marsupialia: Dasyuridae) in upland rainforests of north-east Queensland.
Moore, G.J. 1991 The role of animals in seed dispersal and seedling survival of
rainforest trees, with particular reference to bowerbirds and cassowaries.
Jackson, R. 1995. Insect herbivores of pioneer rainforest trees
Clayton, P.D. 1995. The ecology and significance of perennial waterfalls in
upland rainforest streams
Rosser, Z. 1998. Effects of disturbance on rainforest stream communities
Benson, L. 2000. Dynamics of organic detritus in a rainforest stream
Masters
Conroy, S.D.S. 1994. Lizard assemblage response to an abrupt vegetation
discontinuity.
Cermak, M. 1996. Population structure, population dynamics and dispersal of the
pebble-mound mouse Pseudomys patrius.
Honours
Trennary M. 1988 The ecology of tadpoles in a tropical rainforest stream;
Nolen, J. 1988 Aspects of the life history and trophic ecology of
Anisocentropus kirramus (Trichoptera: Calamoceratidae), in a tropical
rainforest stream; Charlton, L. 1989. The ecology of dragonflies (Odonata) in a
tropical Australian stream; Coughlan, J, 1990 Population and trophic ecology of
the freshwater crayfish Cherax depressus (Crustacea: Parastacidae) in a
North Queensland tropical rainforest stream. Williams, S. 1990 The interactive
relationship between vegetation and the small mammal community of the
rainforest ecotone in North Queensland; Rosser, Z. 1991 The role of physical
disturbance as a structuring force of invertebrate communities in two tropical
forest streams; Comport, S. 1993 Home range, behaviour and food tree use in a
high density tropical population of greater gliders; Gray, M. 1993 Are dung
beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) bioindicators? Bradfield, K. 1995 Do the
ecological requirements of tadpoles always determine their distributions among
habitats? Smith, W. 1996 Acoustic signalling and sexual selection in the mating
system of Litoria xanthomera; Brooke, P.N. 1996 Display dynamics in male
aggregations of the microhylid frog, Cophixalus ornatus Cheshire, K.
1997 The trophic relationships of the aquatic macroinvertebrates of a tropical
upland rainforest stream; Burdon, J. 1998 The role of predation in structuring
invertebrate communities in tropical streams; Felton, A. 1999 Determinants of
male mating success in the microhylid frog Cophixalus ornatus; Gilroy,
G.A. 1999 The influence of habitat on bird assemblage structure in tropical
forests; Wulf, P. 1999 stream communities
Current degree projects based at Paluma,
PhD:
Richards, S. Ecology, distribution and habitat requirements of rainforest frogs
Torr, G. Ecology of Boyd's forest dragon Hypsilurus boydii
Christidis, S. A cladistic analysis of Austrophlebioides and related
genera (Leptophlebiidae: Atalophlebiinae)
McKie, B. ... taxonomy of chironomid midges
Cook, S. ... aspects ecophysiology and microhabitat use in skinks
MSc:
Hons: