Open Access

Elliptic flow from nuclear collisions is a hadronic observable sensitive to the early stages of system evolution. We report first results on elliptic flow of charged particles at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=130 GeV using the STAR TPC at RHIC. The elliptic flow signal, v_2, averaged over transverse momentum, reaches values of about 6% for relatively peripheral collisions and decreases for the more central collisions. This can be interpreted as the observation of a higher degree of thermalization than at lower collision energies. Pseudorapidity and transverse momentum dependence of elliptic flow are also presented.

Naree and Yantabulla stations (31,990 ha) are found 60 km south-east of Hungerford and 112 km north-west of Bourke, New South Wales (lat. 29° 55'S; long. 150°37'N). The properties occur on the Cuttaburra Creek within the Mulga Lands Bioregion. We describe the vegetation assemblages found on these properties within three hierarchical levels (Group, Alliance & Association). Vegetation levels are defined based on flexible UPGMA analysis of coverabundance scores of all vascular plant taxa. These vegetation units are mapped based on extensive ground truthing, SPOT5 imagery interpretation and substrate. Three ‘Group’ level vegetation types are described: Mulga Complex, Shrublands Complex and Floodplain Wetlands Complex. Within these Groups nine ‘Alliances’ are described: Rat’s tail Couch – Lovegrass Grasslands, Canegrass Grasslands, Lignum – Glinus Shrublands, Coolibah – Black Box Woodlands, Turpentine – Button Grass – Windmill Grass Shrublands, Turpentine – Hop Bush – Kerosene Grass shrublands and Mulga Shrublands. Sixteen ‘Associations’ are described 1) Mulga – Poplar Box Shrubland, 2) Mulga – Poplar Box – Bastard Mulga Shrubland, 3) Turpentine – Hop Bush – Senna Shrubland, 4) Turpentine – Elegant Wattle – Boobialla Shrubland, 5) Turpentine – Hop Bush – Daisy Bush Shrubland, 5) Belah – Rosewood – Turpentine Bush Shrubland, 6) Belah – Rosewood – Turpentine Bush Shrubland, 7) Ironwood – Leopardwood – Supplejack Shrubland, 8) Yapunyah – Black Box – River Cooba Woodland, 9) Coolibah – River Cooba – Yapunyah Woodland, 10) Rat’s tail Couch – Lovegrass – Fairy Grass Grassland and Herbfield, 11) Rat’s tail Couch – Lovegrass – Purslane Grassland and Herbfield, 12) Darling Pratia – Rat’s tail Couch – Spike Rush Herbfield, 13) Canegrass Grassland, 14) Glinus – Groundsel – Lignum Herbfield, 15) Poplar Box – Mulga – Coolibah Woodland and 16) Black Box Woodland. In total 355 vascular plant taxa were found of which 6% were considered exotic in origin. A population of Dentella minutissima; a species listed as threatened (endangered) under the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 was found. A summary of select structural and habitat attributes within Alliances is also presented.

A survey of the population of the parasitic herb Thesium australe R.Br. (family Santalaceae) in Booroolong Nature Reserve, northwest of Armidale, found it was restricted to an eastern facing lower slope on metasediments, within regenerating grassy woodland of Eucalyptus nova-anglica H.Deane & Maiden (New England Peppermint) and a predominantly Themeda triandra Forssk. (Kangaroo Grass) and Sorghum leiocladum (Hack.) C.E.Hubb. (Native Sorghum) understorey. The population is in two clusters over a total area approximately 260 m long by 40 m wide and was estimated to be about 800 individuals at the time of survey (May 2014). Current threats include a maintenance trail, erosion of creek bank, stray cattle and sheep, rabbits and Rubus anglocandicans A.Newton (Blackberry) invasion. It is recommended that further searches be conducted and that monitoring occur on a regular basis using the permanently marked sites and methodology used in this survey.

A brief assessment is made of the adequacy of the formal conservation reserve network within the Inverell and Yallaroi Shires, around Inverell and Warialda, northern New South Wales. The current reserve network consists of two National Parks (Kings Plains & Kwiambal) and three Nature Reserves (Arakoola, Planchonella & Severn River), sampling 2% of the area of the two shires. 62% of the known vascular plant taxa (746 native, 144 exotic) have been recorded within the five reserves, including 27 of the 48 taxa listed as rare or threatened within the shires. Of 30 vegetation communities found within the five reserves, only 13 were considered adequate in terms of extent or condition. Of 18 communities found on basalt, limestone or alluvial soils, only 12% of their area was considered to be good quality stands. 26 communities were only represented in one reserve. Nine Endangered Ecological Communities are listed for the two shires, only four of which are within the formal reserves. The capture and status of assemblages and flora within the five reserves in the Inverell and Yallaroi Shires is inadequate and many of the species and communities contained warrant additional conservation within the formal conservation network.

Across western New South Wales agricultural practices have led to significant changes in the distribution and abundance of many native plant species. These changes have occurred due to past clearing practices and the introduction of grazing and pest animals. It is likely that such changes have affected the distribution of plant species used by Aboriginal peoples, and that formerly rich plant resource areas may also have changed. Here an attempt is made to map contemporary high aboriginal plant resource areas in the Yantabulla area (lat 29° 55’S, long 150° 37’E) of far western New South Wales, using kriging interpolation. High aboriginal plant usage resource areas were not found to be correlated with any particular vegetation assemblage, although Lignum Shrublands comparatively had the lowest scores. Site species richness was correlated strongly with sites of high abundance of aboriginal resource use. It is hoped that by identifying contemporary high resource locations, new understandings of the landscape can be developed by traditional owners and conservation land managers.