Interaction between a river and its wetland: evidence from the Murray River for spatial variability in diatom and radioisotope records

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dc.contributor.authorGrundell, Ren_AU
dc.contributor.authorGell, PAen_AU
dc.contributor.authorMills, Ken_AU
dc.contributor.authorZawadzki, Aen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2013-11-19T22:42:30Zen_AU
dc.date.available2013-11-19T22:42:30Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2012-02-01en_AU
dc.date.statistics2013-11-20en_AU
dc.description.abstractSinclair Flat is small wetland, located within the gorge section of the Murray River floodplain. situated near Blanchetown, South Australia, the wetland is closely linked to the River and, since regulation, has become permanently inundated. High summer evaporation rates deplete the volume of water within the wetland. However, this is compensated by perennial inflow via a permanent inlet from the River. This site provides an opportunity to explore the relative contribution of river and wetland diatomflora to the sediment record, and the fluvial and aerial contribution of radiometric isotopes to the system. The geochronological and biostratigraphic data provide an insight into the history of the water quality of Sinclair Flat. Evidence exists for the River being a source of sediments and isotopes and of diatom species typical of the main river channel. Prior to 1950, Sinclair Flat was an oligotrophic, oligosaline, clear-water wetland. The wetland shifted gradually to an environment that favoured clear-water benthic species, most likely as a consequence of changes following river regulation in the 1920s, although the capacity to date these sediments is limited. During the 1950s, the wetland became plankton dominated. Peaks in epiphytic diatoms during the 1960s suggest increased emergent macrophyte cover. The contemporary condition is of a connected, turbid, eutrophic and mesosaline lagoon. The ecological condition of Sinclair Flat has diverged considerably from its historical range of condition. This record supports evidence from upstream of widespread state switches in the Murray-Darling Basin floodplain wetlands. This record also lends considerable weight to modern studies attesting to the degraded state of the waterways of the Murray-Darling Basin and the impact of river regulation practices on the water quality of these ecosystems.© 2012, Springer.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationGrundell, R., Gell, P., Mills, K., & Zawadzki, A. (2012). Interaction between a river and its wetland: evidence from the Murray River for spatial variability in diatom and radioisotope records. Journal of Paleolimnology, 47 (2), 205-219. doi:10.1007/s10933-011-9572-3en_AU
dc.identifier.govdoc4992en_AU
dc.identifier.issn0921-2728en_AU
dc.identifier.issue2en_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleJournal of Paleolimnologyen_AU
dc.identifier.pagination205-219en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/4977en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-011-9572-3en_AU
dc.identifier.volume47en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherSpringeren_AU
dc.subjectRiversen_AU
dc.subjectWetlandsen_AU
dc.subjectDiatomsen_AU
dc.subjectRadioisotopesen_AU
dc.subjectSedimentsen_AU
dc.titleInteraction between a river and its wetland: evidence from the Murray River for spatial variability in diatom and radioisotope recordsen_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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