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1
Hughes, Julian M., John Stewart, Jeremy M. Lyle, Jaime McAllister, Jerom R. Stocks, and Iain M. Suthers. "Latitudinal, ontogenetic, and historical shifts in the diet of a carnivorous teleost, Arripis trutta, in a coastal pelagic ecosystem altered by climate change." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 70, no. 8 (2013): 1209–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2013-0083.
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Changes to the global climate are driving alterations to boundary current-influenced marine ecosystems. The diet of a pelagic teleost, Arripis trutta, was examined in the East Australian Current (EAC)-dominated coastal waters of southeastern (SE) Australia. The diet of A. trutta was dominated by pelagic baitfish, primarily Australian sardine (Sardinops sagax) and scads (Trachurus spp.). Diet varied substantially with both latitude and season linked to variability in the distribution and abundance of key prey species. An ontogenetic diet shift occurred, with crustaceans and polychaetes making up a large proportion of the diet of small fish compared with the dominance of baitfish at larger sizes. The diet of A. trutta has undergone a dramatic shift from one dominated by krill (Nyctiphanes australis) historically to baitfish today. This change is consistent with a well-documented regime shift caused by the increasing intensity of the EAC on coastal SE Australian waters. Understanding the temporal dynamics of this ecosystem is crucial for management of coastal fisheries and also for understanding the impacts of climate change on boundary current-dominated marine ecosystems worldwide.
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Hure, Alexis, Anne Young, Roger Smith, and Clare Collins. "Diet and pregnancy status in Australian women." Public Health Nutrition 12, no. 6 (2009): 853–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1368980008003212.
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AbstractObjectiveTo investigate and report the diet quality of young Australian women by pregnancy status.DesignPregnancy status was defined as pregnant (n 606), trying to conceive (n 454), had a baby in the last 12 months (n 829) and other (n 5597). The Dietary Questionnaire for Epidemiological Studies was used to calculate diet quality using the Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS) methodology. Nutrient intakes were compared with the Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand.SettingA population-based cohort participating in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH).SubjectsA nationally representative sample of Australian women, aged 25 to 30 years, who completed Survey 3 of the ALSWH. The 7486 women with biologically plausible energy intake estimates, defined as >4·5 but <20·0 MJ/d, were included in the analyses.ResultsPregnancy status was not significantly predictive of diet quality, before or after adjusting for area of residence and socio-economic status. Pregnant women and those who had given birth in the previous 12 months had marginally higher ARFS (mean (se): 30·2 (0·4) and 30·2 (0·3), respectively) than ‘other’ women (29·1 (0·1)). No single food group accounted for this small difference. Across all pregnancy categories there were important nutrients that did not meet the current nationally recommended levels of intake, including dietary folate and fibre.ConclusionWomen do not appear to consume a wider variety of nutritious foods when planning to become pregnant or during pregnancy. Many young Australian women are failing to meet key nutrient targets as nationally recommended.
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Woinarski, J. C. Z., B. P. Murphy, R. Palmer, et al. "How many reptiles are killed by cats in Australia?" Wildlife Research 45, no. 3 (2018): 247. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr17160.
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Context Feral cats (Felis catus) are a threat to biodiversity globally, but their impacts upon continental reptile faunas have been poorly resolved. Aims To estimate the number of reptiles killed annually in Australia by cats and to list Australian reptile species known to be killed by cats. Methods We used (1) data from >80 Australian studies of cat diet (collectively >10 000 samples), and (2) estimates of the feral cat population size, to model and map the number of reptiles killed by feral cats. Key results Feral cats in Australia’s natural environments kill 466 million reptiles yr–1 (95% CI; 271–1006 million). The tally varies substantially among years, depending on changes in the cat population driven by rainfall in inland Australia. The number of reptiles killed by cats is highest in arid regions. On average, feral cats kill 61 reptiles km–2 year–1, and an individual feral cat kills 225 reptiles year–1. The take of reptiles per cat is higher than reported for other continents. Reptiles occur at a higher incidence in cat diet than in the diet of Australia’s other main introduced predator, the European red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Based on a smaller sample size, we estimate 130 million reptiles year–1 are killed by feral cats in highly modified landscapes, and 53 million reptiles year–1 by pet cats, summing to 649 million reptiles year–1 killed by all cats. Predation by cats is reported for 258 Australian reptile species (about one-quarter of described species), including 11 threatened species. Conclusions Cat predation exerts a considerable ongoing toll on Australian reptiles. However, it remains challenging to interpret the impact of this predation in terms of population viability or conservation concern for Australian reptiles, because population size is unknown for most Australian reptile species, mortality rates due to cats will vary across reptile species and because there is likely to be marked variation among reptile species in their capability to sustain any particular predation rate. Implications This study provides a well grounded estimate of the numbers of reptiles killed by cats, but intensive studies of individual reptile species are required to contextualise the conservation consequences of such predation.
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Santos, Joseph Alvin, Jacqui Webster, Mary-Anne Land, et al. "Dietary salt intake in the Australian population." Public Health Nutrition 20, no. 11 (2017): 1887–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1368980017000799.
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AbstractObjectiveTo update the estimate of mean salt intake for the Australian population made by the Australian Health Survey (AHS).DesignA secondary analysis of the data collected in a cross-sectional survey was conducted. Estimates of salt intake were made in Lithgow using the 24 h diet recall methodology employed by the AHS as well as using 24 h urine collections. The data from the Lithgow sample were age- and sex-weighted, to provide estimates of daily salt intake for the Australian population based upon (i) the diet recall data and (ii) the 24 h urine samples.SettingLithgow, New South Wales, Australia.SubjectsIndividuals aged ≥20 years residing in Lithgow and listed on the 2009 federal electoral roll.ResultsMean (95 % CI) salt intake estimated from the 24 h diet recalls was 6·4 (6·2, 6·7) g/d for the Lithgow population compared with a corresponding figure of 6·2 g/d for the Australian population derived from the AHS. The corresponding estimate of salt intake for Lithgow adults based upon the 24 h urine collections was 9·0 (8·6, 9·4) g/d. When the age- and sex-specific estimates of salt intake obtained from the 24 h urine collections in the Lithgow sample were weighted using Australian census data, estimated salt intake for the Australian population was 9·0 (8·6, 9·5) g/d. Further adjustment for non-urinary Na excretion made the best estimate of daily salt intake for both Lithgow and Australia about 9·9 g/d.ConclusionsThe dietary recall method used by the AHS likely substantially underestimated mean population salt consumption in Australia.
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Penck, M., and L. F. Queale. "The diet of Southern Boobooks in South Australia." Emu - Austral Ornithology 102, no. 4 (2002): 355–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mu00075.
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Miller, G. H., J. W. Magee, M. L. Fogel, and M. K. Gagan. "Detecting human impacts on the flora, fauna, and summer monsoon of Pleistocene Australia." Climate of the Past 3, no. 3 (2007): 463–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/cp-3-463-2007.
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Abstract. The moisture balance across northern and central Australia is dominated by changes in the strength of the Australian Summer Monsoon. Lake-level records that record changes in monsoon strength on orbital timescales are most consistent with a Northern Hemisphere insolation control on monsoon strength, a result consistent with recent modeling studies. A weak Holocene monsoon relative to monsoon strength 65–60 ka, despite stronger forcing, suggests a changed monsoon regime after 60 ka. Shortly after 60 ka humans colonized Australia and all of Australia's largest mammals became extinct. Between 60 and 40 ka Australian climate was similar to present and not changing rapidly. Consequently, attention has turned toward plausible human mechanisms for the extinction, with proponents for over-hunting, ecosystem change, and introduced disease. To differentiate between these options we utilize isotopic tracers of diet preserved in eggshells of two large, flightless birds to track the status of ecosystems before and after human colonization. More than 800 dated eggshells of the Australian emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), an opportunistic, dominantly herbivorous feeder, provide a 140-kyr dietary reconstruction that reveals unprecedented reduction in the bird's food resources about 50 ka, coeval in three distant regions. These data suggest a tree/shrub savannah with occasionally rich grasslands was converted abruptly to the modern desert scrub. The diet of the heavier, extinct Genyornis newtoni, derived from >550 dated eggshells, was more restricted than in co-existing Dromaius, implying a more specialized feeding strategy. We suggest that generalist feeders, such as Dromaius, were able to adapt to a changed vegetation regime, whereas more specialized feeders, such as Genyornis, became extinct. We speculate that ecosystem collapse across arid and semi-arid zones was a consequence of systematic burning by early humans. We also suggest that altered climate feedbacks linked to changes in vegetation may have weakened the penetration of monsoon moisture into the continental interior, explaining the failure of the Holocene monsoon. Climate modeling suggests a vegetation shift may reduce monsoon rain in the interior by as much as 50%.
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Pascoe, Jack H., Robert C. Mulley, Ricky Spencer, and Rosalie Chapple. "Diet analysis of mammals, raptors and reptiles in a complex predator assemblage in the Blue Mountains, eastern Australia." Australian Journal of Zoology 59, no. 5 (2011): 295. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo11082.
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South-east Australia has a complex predator assemblage which has historically been vulnerable to introduced species. This is the first Australian field study to analyse samples from members of the families Canidae, Dasyuridae, Strigidae, and Varanidae to describe the diet and diet overlap between these predators. Samples were collected opportunistically and hair and bone analysis was used to identify the content of samples. Wild dogs (Canis lupus) and lace monitors (Varanus varius) predominantly consumed large mammalian prey, which contributed to the high level of diet overlap (Ojk = 0.79) between these two species. Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and spotted-tailed quolls (Dasyurus maculatus) also had a high level of diet overlap (Ojk = 0.76), a result of their diets containing a high proportion of medium-sized mammals. The diet of wild dogs and foxes showed moderate overlap (Ojk = 0.59), and foxes were more likely to prey on species within the critical weight range than on macropods, which made up a high proportion of the diet of wild dogs. These data confirm that significant diet overlap can occur between predators from different taxonomic classes and further investigation of potential competition will be important to ongoing management.
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Jacobsen, I. P., J. W. Johnson, and M. B. Bennett. "Diet and reproduction in the Australian butterfly rayGymnura australisfrom northern and north-eastern Australia." Journal of Fish Biology 75, no. 10 (2009): 2475–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02432.x.
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Bulman, CM, and SJM Blaber. "Feeding ecology of Macruronus novaezelandiae (Hector) (Teleostei : Merlucciidae) in south-eastern Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 37, no. 5 (1986): 621. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf9860621.
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The diet and feeding ecology of the demersal merlucciid M. novaezelandiae from three areas of the upper continental slope (420-550 m) of south-eastern Australia are described. The food consists almost entirely of mesopelagic fauna. The major prey are myctophid fish Lampanyctodes hectoris, other fishes, natant decapods, euphausiids and squid. Energy values of major prey items were determined by bomb calorimetry. Although euphausiids occur frequently in the diet, fish make up 90% of the energy intake. There is little regional variation. M. novaezelandiae undertakes diel vertical migrations that are similar to those of its prey, bringing it within 50 m of the surface at night. There is a seasonal trend towards cannibalism by adults on juveniles.
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Mantzioris, Evangeline, and Anthony Villani. "Translation of a Mediterranean-Style Diet into the Australian Dietary Guidelines: A Nutritional, Ecological and Environmental Perspective." Nutrients 11, no. 10 (2019): 2507. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu11102507.
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A Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) has been widely investigated and promoted as one of the ‘healthiest’ dietary patterns with respect to reductions in chronic disease risk and longevity. Moreover, it also emphasizes a plant-based dietary pattern consistent with an environmentally sustainable healthy reference diet conveyed by the EAT-Lancet Commission report. Nevertheless, the MedDiet does not exclude, but rather moderates consumption of animal-based foods, and therefore has emerged as a dietary pattern that could address both health and environmental concerns. However, whether non-Mediterranean countries such as Australia can adhere to such dietary principles is less clear. In this narrative review, we present evidence from eight randomized control trials conducted in Australia which demonstrates impressive and sustained adherence to a MedDiet intervention. However, we also report heterogeneity in the dietary protocols and prescriptive interpretation of a MedDiet across all studies presented in this review, making interpretations of the efficacy and adherence challenging. Based on the observable health benefits, translating key dietary elements of a Mediterranean-style diet within the Australian population remains attractive. However, adapting or modernizing traditional dietary patterns to satisfy the population’s nutritional requirements and/or acceptability warrants further exploration.
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McDowell, Matthew C., and Graham C. Medlin. "The effects of drought on prey selection of the barn owl (Tyto alba) in the Strzelecki Regional Reserve, north-eastern South Australia." Australian Mammalogy 31, no. 1 (2009): 47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am08115.
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Changes in the diet of the barn owl (Tyto alba) were determined by analysing 619 egested pellets collected in eight samples over 12 months from a roost in the Strzelecki Regional Reserve, north-eastern South Australia. These data were used to examine the occurrence and change in frequency of small vertebrates in the region. In January 2003, at the end of a prolonged dry period, reptiles (predominantly geckos) dominated the diet of the barn owl, forming over 74% of Prey Units (PU%). This is the first Australian study to report reptiles as the primary prey of the barn owl. After substantial rain in February 2003, mammalian prey became much more common, and eventually accounted for almost 80 PU%. At least nine species of small mammal, at least four reptiles, nine birds and a frog were identified from the pellets. Mammalian prey included Leggadina forresti, Mus musculus, Notomys fuscus (endangered), Pseudomys desertor (not previously recorded in the reserve), P. hermannsburgensis, Planigale gilesi, Sminthopsis crassicaudata, S. macroura and Tadarida australis. This research showed that barn owls are capable of switching to alternative prey when mammals become rare, but that they return to preferred prey as soon as it becomes available.
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Lewis, Meron, and Amanda Lee. "Costing ‘healthy’ food baskets in Australia – a systematic review of food price and affordability monitoring tools, protocols and methods." Public Health Nutrition 19, no. 16 (2016): 2872–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1368980016002160.
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AbstractObjectiveTo undertake a systematic review to determine similarities and differences in metrics and results between recently and/or currently used tools, protocols and methods for monitoring Australian healthy food prices and affordability.DesignElectronic databases of peer-reviewed literature and online grey literature were systematically searched using the PRISMA approach for articles and reports relating to healthy food and diet price assessment tools, protocols, methods and results that utilised retail pricing.SettingNational, state, regional and local areas of Australia from 1995 to 2015.SubjectsAssessment tools, protocols and methods to measure the price of ‘healthy’ foods and diets.ResultsThe search identified fifty-nine discrete surveys of ‘healthy’ food pricing incorporating six major food pricing tools (those used in multiple areas and time periods) and five minor food pricing tools (those used in a single survey area or time period). Analysis demonstrated methodological differences regarding: included foods; reference households; use of availability and/or quality measures; household income sources; store sampling methods; data collection protocols; analysis methods; and results.Conclusions‘Healthy’ food price assessment methods used in Australia lack comparability across all metrics and most do not fully align with a ‘healthy’ diet as recommended by the current Australian Dietary Guidelines. None have been applied nationally. Assessment of the price, price differential and affordability of healthy (recommended) and current (unhealthy) diets would provide more robust and meaningful data to inform health and fiscal policy in Australia. The INFORMAS ‘optimal’ approach provides a potential framework for development of these methods.
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Pullen, Rebekah, Katherine Kent, Matthew J. Sharman, Tracy L. Schumacher, and Leanne J. Brown. "A Comparison of Diet Quality in a Sample of Rural and Urban Australian Adults." Nutrients 13, no. 11 (2021): 4130. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu13114130.
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The diet quality of rural Australians is under researched. Characterising disparities in diet quality between rural and urban populations may inform targeted interventions in at- risk groups. A cross-sectional study aimed to determine the relationship between diet quality, rurality and sociodemographic characteristics in a sample of Australian adults. Participants were recruited at rural and regional events between 2017 and 2020, in New South Wales, Australia. Diet quality was measured using the Healthy Eating Quiz or Australian Eating Survey to generate an Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS). ARFS was compared by rurality and sociodemographic characteristics using multivariate regression. Participants (n = 247; 53% female) had a mean ± SD ARFS of 34.5 ± 9.0. There was no significant effect of rurality on ARFS (β-coefficient = −0.4; 95%CI −3.0, 2.3). Compared to participants aged 18–30 years, higher ARFS was evident for those aged 31–50 (β = 5.4; 95%CI 0.3, 10.4), 51–70 (β = 4.4; 95%CI 0.3, 8.5) and >71 years (β = 6.5; 95% CI 1.6–11.4). Compared to those living alone, participants living with a partner (β = 5.2; 95%CI 2.0, 8.4) and families with children (β = 5.6; 95%CI 1.4, 9.8) had significantly higher ARFS. ARFS was significantly lower with each additional self-reported chronic health condition (β = −1.4; 95%CI −2.3, −0.4). Our results indicate that diet quality as defined by the ARFS was classified as ‘getting there’ and that age, living arrangements and chronic health conditions, but not rurality, influenced diet quality in a sample of Australian adults.
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Callaghan, M. J., N. W. Tomkins, I. Benu, and A. J. Parker. "How feasible is it to replace urea with nitrates to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from extensively managed beef cattle?" Animal Production Science 54, no. 9 (2014): 1300. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an14270.
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Reducing methane emissions from cattle in Australia will be dependent upon finding a strategy that can be readily adopted by its northern beef industry. The majority of the herd are located in this region and they graze low-quality tropical (C4) pastures, resulting in high methane output. There are few mitigation options that can be readily applied to extensively grazed cattle. The addition of nitrate to the diet of cattle has been shown to reduce methane production and may be an applicable strategy in northern Australia. Nitrogen is often the primary limiting nutrient in low-quality tropical pastures and it is common practice by industry to supplement with urea. Supplying an equivalent dose of nitrogen using nitrate as an alternative to urea has been demonstrated in cattle without adverse impacts upon animal productivity or health. These findings may not be directly applicable to grazing cattle in northern Australian because the diets and feeding management are not representative of the region. Nitrite toxicity can result from feeding nitrates to livestock and there is evidence that the composition of the total diet and feeding pattern influences the risk of toxicity. If nitrate supplementation in grazing beef cattle in northern Australia can be demonstrated to reduce methane and be applied safely, adoption rates will still depend on carbon market pricing. Current modelling suggests that the cost of supplementing beef cows with nitrate in northern Australia would be at least double the cost of urea supplementation.
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Thomson, PC, K. Rose, and NE Kok. "Dingoes in North-Western Australia." Wildlife Research 19, no. 5 (1992): 509. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9920509.
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This issue comprises 8 papers by P. C. Thomson (some in collaboration with K. Rose and N. E. Kok) on the dingo in North Western Australia. They cover the behavioural ecology including activity patterns, diet, hunting behaviour, social organization, population dynamics, dispersal, age determination and immobilization using darts fired from an aircraft.
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SHEPHERD, Sue, and Peter R. GIBSON. "Understanding the gluten-free diet for teaching in Australia." Nutrition Dietetics 63, no. 3 (2006): 155–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-0080.2006.00090.x.
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Adriano, S., and M. C. Calver. "Diet of Breeding Willie WagtailsRhipidura leucophrysin Suburban Western Australia." Emu - Austral Ornithology 95, no. 2 (1995): 138–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mu9950138.
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Blaber, Stephen J. M., David T. Brewer, and John P. Salini. "Diet and dentition in tropical ariid catfishes from Australia." Environmental Biology of Fishes 40, no. 2 (1994): 159–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf00002543.
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McCrabb, G. J., and R. A. Hunter. "Prediction of methane emissions from beef cattle in tropical production systems." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 50, no. 8 (1999): 1335. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar99009.
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The northern beef cattle herd accounts for more than half of Australia’s beef cattle population, and is a major source of anthropogenic methane emissions for Australia. National Greenhouse Gas Inventory predictions of methane output from Australian beef cattle are based on a predictive equation developed for British breeds of sheep and cattle offered temperate forage-based diets. However, tropical forage diets offered to cattle in northern Australia differ markedly from temperate forage-based diets used in the United Kingdom to develop the predictive equations. In this paper we review recent respiration chamber measurements of daily methane production for Brahman cattle offered a tropical forage or high grain diet, and compare them with values predicted using methodologies of the Australian National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Committee and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. We conclude that a reliable inventory of methane emissions for cattle in northern Australia can only be achieved after a wider range of tropical forage species has been investigated. Some opportunities for reducing methane emissions of beef cattle by dietary manipulation are discussed.
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Ridoutt, Bradley, Danielle Baird, and Gilly A. Hendrie. "Diets with Higher Vegetable Intake and Lower Environmental Impact: Evidence from a Large Australian Population Health Survey." Nutrients 14, no. 7 (2022): 1517. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu14071517.
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Increasing the consumption of vegetables is a public health nutrition priority in Australia. This must be achieved in the context of lowering dietary environmental impacts. In this study, a subgroup of 1700 Australian adult daily diets having a higher diet-quality score and a lower environmental impact score was isolated from Australian Health Survey data. These diets were primarily distinguished by their lower content of energy-dense/nutrient-poor discretionary foods. Among these diets, those with higher levels of vegetable intake were characterized by greater variety of vegetables eaten, lower intake of bread and cereal foods, and higher intake of red meat. These diets also had a greater likelihood of achieving recommended intakes for a range of vitamins and minerals. These findings highlighted the importance of considering the total diet in developing strategies to promote healthy and sustainable food consumption, as well as the need to understand the interrelationships between foods that exist in a local cultural context. As vegetables are usually eaten with other foods, higher vegetable consumption in Australia could be supported by encouraging more regular consumption of the types of meals that include larger quantities of vegetables. Our results showed that this was possible while also substantially lowering total dietary environmental impacts.
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Kearney, Stephen. "Diet of an Eastern Grass Owl Tyto longimembris in northern New South Wales." Australian Field Ornithology 38 (2021): 44–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo38044048.
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A single Eastern Grass Owl Tyto longimembris was observed in Bundjalung National Park, New South Wales, in September 2019. Pellets (n = 17) collected from its roost contained the remains of House Mouse Mus musculus, Grassland Melomys Melomys burtoni, Black Rat Rattus rattus, Swamp Rat R. lutreolus, Fawn-footed Melomys Melomys cervinipes, Common Planigale Planigale maculata, Eastern Blossom Bat Syconycteris australis and honeyeater Phylidonyris sp. The most interesting findings were the Eastern Blossom Bat (the first published record of a bat in the diet of an Eastern Grass Owl in Australia) and that one of the Grassland Melomys specimens had pink bones.
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Gröcke, Darren R. "Distribution of C3 and C4 Plants in the Late Pleistocene of South Australia Recorded by Isotope Biogeochemistry of Collagen in Megafauna." Australian Journal of Botany 45, no. 3 (1997): 607. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt96040.
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Stable carbon-isotope analyses (expressed as a 13C:12C ratio relative to that of a standard: δ13C) on fossilised collagenic material in megafaunal bones can provide information regarding the palaeodiet (e.g. C3 and/or C4 plants) of these animals. Isotope analyses were performed on collagenic material extracted from bones of Sthenurus spp., Diprotodon spp. and Macropus spp. from Cooper Creek, Henschke Cave, Baldina Creek, Dempsey’s Lake and Rocky River in South Australia. The percentage of trees and shrubs estimated from palaeofloral records in south-eastern Australia and the dietary preferences of megafauna were found to be positively correlated. The dietary preferences of megafauna analysed from South Australian localities indicate that megafauna were opportunistic and changed their diet in response to environmental change. This suggests that megafauna diet can not be founded on dental morphology alone. Fossilised collagenic material in vertebrate remains can provide an insight into the broadscale nature of the vegetation. This approach is a good compliment for other palaeoecological data (e.g. sedimentology, spore–pollen, diatoms) by providing evidence for past climates in relation to the proportion of C3 and C4 plants.
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Wang, Wei C., Anthony Worsley, Everarda G. Cunningham, and Wendy Hunter. "Investigation of population heterogeneity of diet use among middle-aged Australians." British Journal of Nutrition 105, no. 7 (2010): 1091–99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007114510004745.
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The purpose of the study was to determine patterns of diet use among middle-aged Australian men and women and the relationships between these different usage patterns and demographic characteristics, health status and health habits. A cross-sectional mail survey was conducted among a random sample of 2975 people aged 40–71 years in Victoria, Australia. A total of 1031 usable questionnaires were obtained which included information about the use of diets (e.g. low-fat and low-salt) during the past 3 months along with demographic information, health status and health habits. Based on the responses about the use of thirteen diets for both sexes, latent class analysis was employed to identify the optimal number of use of diets and the assignment of participants to particular groups. Three types of diet uses were identified and provisionally named: diet use, selected diet use and non-diet use. This classification was associated with demographics, health status and health habits, and these associations differed between men and women. The findings suggest that nutrition education programmes should be tailored to the different needs of the diet use groups.
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Speight, K. N., M. J. Kokkinn, and W. G. Breed. "The gastrointestinal tract of the Australian water rat (Hydromys chrysogaster) – its morphological adaptations to a carnivorous diet." Australian Mammalogy 38, no. 1 (2016): 52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am15028.
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The Australian water rat (Hydromys chrysogaster), unlike most murine rodents, has a carnivorous diet. In the present study the morphology of its gastrointestinal tract is described and compared with that of other muroid rodents with more typical diets. It was found that the stomach of the water rat is relatively small and has a greater proportion of glandular epithelium than that of other species so far investigated. Comparisons of relative intestinal lengths showed that in the Australian water rat there is a comparatively long small intestine that constitutes ~90% of the total intestinal length, a short large intestine, and a small caecum. This divergent morphology of the gastrointestinal tract of the Australian water rat probably relates to the animal’s protein-rich diet, with the differences from those of other hydromyine rodents indicating considerable plasticity in the evolution of the gastrointestinal tract in this group of mammals. It suggests that, whilst the morphological adaptations of the water rat’s gastrointestinal tract probably evolved before the colonisation of Australia, its highly derived morphology has enabled this species to exploit the Australian environment as an aquatic carnivore.
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Miller, G. H., J. W. Magee, M. L. Fogel, and M. K. Gagan. "Detecting human impacts on the flora, fauna, and summer monsoon of Pleistocene Australia." Climate of the Past Discussions 2, no. 4 (2006): 535–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/cpd-2-535-2006.
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Abstract. All of Australia's largest mammalian vertebrates became extinct 50 to 45 ka (thousand years ago), shortly after human colonization. Between 60 and 40 ka Australian climate was similar to present and not changing rapidly. Consequently, attention has turned toward plausible human mechanisms for the extinction, with proponents for over-hunting, ecosystem change, and introduced disease. To differentiate between these options we utilize isotopic tracers of diet preserved in eggshells of two large, flightless birds to track the status of ecosystems before and after human colonization. δ13C preserved in their eggshells monitor a bird's dietary intake in the weeks to months before egg-laying. More than 500 dated eggshells from central Australia of the Australian emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), an opportunistic, dominantly herbivorous feeder, provide a continuous 140 kyr dietary δ 13C reconstruction. More than 350 dated eggshells from the same region of the heavier, extinct, giant bird Genyornis newtoni define its dietary intake from 140 ka until its extinction about 50 ka. Additional dietary records for both species were developed from two distant regions. Dromaius eggshell dietary δ13C reveals an unprecedented reduction in the bird's food resources about 50 ka, coeval in all three regions, suggesting conversion at that time of a tree/shrub savannah with occasionally rich grasslands to the modern desert scrub. We speculate that ecosystem collapse across the arid and semi-arid zones is a consequence of systematic burning by early humans. Genyornis diet everywhere is more restricted than in co-existing Dromaius, implying a more specialized feeding strategy. These data suggest that generalist feeders, such as Dromaius, were able to adapt to a changed vegetation regime, whereas more specialized feeders, such as Genyornis, became extinct. The altered vegetation may have also impacted Australian climate. Changes in the strength of climate feedbacks linked to vegetation and soil type (moisture recycling, surface roughness, albedo) may have weakened the penetration of monsoon moisture into the continental interior under the new ecosystem. Climate modeling suggests such a shift may have reduced monsoon rain in the interior by as much as 50%.
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Yiu, B. A., D. J. Booth, A. M. Fowler, and D. A. Feary. "Macroalgal resource use differences across age and size classes in the dominant temperate herbivorous fish Aplodactylus lophodon (Aplodactylidae)." Marine and Freshwater Research 70, no. 4 (2019): 531. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf18086.
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Herbivorous fishes comprise a substantial proportion of temperate fish communities, although there is little understanding of their trophic resource use and whether this changes throughout post-settlement ontogeny. With increasing loss of macroalgal forests, understanding how temperate fishes use macroalgae will be vital in predicting future effects on temperate fish biodiversity. The Australian rock cale (Aplodactylus lophodon) is one of the most abundant herbivorous fish inhabiting shallow temperate south-eastern Australian reefs. We examined gastrointestinal contents throughout ontogeny and demonstrated that this species maintains a herbivorous diet through all life stages. Differences in algal taxa consumed were apparent through ontogeny, with the juvenile diet dominated by filamentous red and green algae and the adult diet dominated by brown and calcareous red algae. Relative gut length increased through ontogeny, potentially facilitating dietary transition to less digestible algae, but no concurrent increase in jaw power was observed. The results highlight the diversity of trophic resource use in a temperate marine herbivore, but the near-complete dominance of dietary algae throughout ontogeny indicates the reliance on primary producers across all life stages. Given the importance of fucoid resources in the adult diet, any loss of macroalgal forests within south-eastern Australia may affect foraging success and persistence.
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Jackson, Jacklyn K., Lesley K. MacDonald-Wicks, Mark A. McEvoy, et al. "Better diet quality scores are associated with a lower risk of hypertension and non-fatal CVD in middle-aged Australian women over 15 years of follow-up." Public Health Nutrition 23, no. 5 (2019): 882–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1368980019002842.
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AbstractObjective:To explore if better diet quality scores as a measure of adherence to the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG) and the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) are associated with a lower incidence of hypertension and non-fatal CVD.Design:Prospective analysis of the 1946–1951 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH). The Australian Recommended Foods Score (ARFS) was calculated as an indicator of adherence to the ADG; the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) measured adherence to the MedDiet. Outcomes included hypertension and non-fatal CVD. Generalised estimating equations estimated OR and 95 % CI across quartiles of diet quality scores.Setting:Australia, 2001–2016.Participants:1946–1951 cohort of the ALSWH (n 5324), without CVD, hypertension and diabetes at baseline (2001), with complete FFQ data.Results:There were 1342 new cases of hypertension and 629 new cases of non-fatal CVD over 15 years of follow-up. Multivariate analysis indicated that women reporting better adherence to the ARFS (≥38/74) had 15 % (95 % CI 1, 28 %; P = 0·05) lower odds of hypertension and 46 % (95 % CI 6, 66 %; P = 0·1) lower odds of non-fatal CVD. Women reporting better adherence to the MDS (≥8/17) had 27 % (95 % CI 15, 47 %; P = 0·0006) lower odds of hypertension and 30 % (95 % CI 2, 50 %; P = 0·03) lower odds of non-fatal CVD.Conclusions:Better adherence to diet quality scores is associated with lower risk of hypertension and non-fatal CVD. These results support the need for updated evidenced based on the ADG as well as public health nutrition policies in Australia.
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PANDELIOS, Georgia, Rachel LAWS, Lisa MORAN, and Karen CAMPBELL. "Diet, Fertility and the Australian Primary Health Care Setting — A Review." Fertility & Reproduction 04, no. 03n04 (2022): 203. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s2661318222741145.
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Background: The relationship between diet and fertility continues to emerge, yet interventions underutilise this evidence within Australian primary health care (PHC). Infertility affects approximately 9% of the world’s population and 16% of Australian couples trying to conceive naturally. Current PHC practices do not address nor encourage improved diet for sperm and oocyte quality, ovulation and sperm production. Due to a lack of resources and training, general practitioners typically refer these individuals to fertility clinics for medical management. As a result, Australia ranks as the 6th highest global utiliser of assisted reproductive technology, with annual costs to treat infertility exceeding $46,000,000. Aim: To synthesise current evidence for the diet-fertility relationship and identify suitable PHC interventions for improving fertility related lifestyle risk factors. Method: A database search for published peer reviewed articles using MEDLINE, Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed and Global Health was carried out, and narratively synthesised. Results: Poor diet, central adiposity and unhealthy weight are modifiable risk factors impacting fertility, and common amongst the Australian adult population. There are opportunities to address these risk factors by modifying existing lifestyle modification programs to improve the overall fertility profile of this demographic within PHC. Conclusion: It is possible to optimise fertility through lifestyle interventions that encompass dietary modification. Health and fertility treatment costs can potentially be improved if changes to diet and lifestyle are consistently addressed as first line management for infertility within PHC for appropriate individuals. Understanding evidence for interventions have importuning implications for policy and practice. Further work needs to describe how fertility lifestyle interventions can successfully translate into PHC practice.
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Wright, Andr�-Denis G., Andrew J. Williams, Barbara Winder, Claus T. Christophersen, Sharon L. Rodgers, and Kellie D. Smith. "Molecular Diversity of Rumen Methanogens from Sheep in Western Australia." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 70, no. 3 (2004): 1263–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.70.3.1263-1270.2004.
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ABSTRACT The molecular diversity of rumen methanogens in sheep in Australia was investigated by using individual 16S rRNA gene libraries prepared from the rumen contents obtained from six merino sheep grazing pasture (326 clones), six sheep fed an oaten hay-based diet (275 clones), and five sheep fed a lucerne hay-based diet (132 clones). A total of 733 clones were examined, and the analysis revealed 65 phylotypes whose sequences (1,260 bp) were similar to those of cultivated methanogens belonging to the order Methanobacteriales. Pasture-grazed sheep had more methanogen diversity than sheep fed either the oaten hay or lucerne hay diet. Methanobrevibacter strains SM9, M6, and NT7 accounted for over 90% of the total number of clones identified. M6 was more prevalent in grazing sheep, and SM9, despite being found in 16 of the 17 sheep, was more prevalent in sheep fed the lucerne-based diet. Five new species were identified. Two of these species exhibited very little sequence similarity to any cultivated methanogens and were found eight times in two of the six sheep that were grazing pasture. These unique sequences appear to represent a novel group of rumen archaea that are atypical for the rumen environment.
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Doherty, Tim S., Robert A. Davis, Eddie J. B. van Etten, et al. "A continental-scale analysis of feral cat diet in Australia." Journal of Biogeography 42, no. 5 (2015): 964–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12469.
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Paltridge, Rachel, David Gibson, and Glenn Edwards. "Diet of the Feral Cat (Felis catus) in Central Australia." Wildlife Research 24, no. 1 (1997): 67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr96023.
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Feral cats (Felis catus) occur throughout central Australia. In this study, we analysed the stomach contents of 390 feral cats collected between 1990 and 1994 from the southern half of the Northern Territory. Cats fed on a wide variety of invertebrates, reptiles, birds and mammals, including animals up to their own body mass in size. Mammals were the most important prey but reptiles were regularly eaten in summer and birds were important in winter. Invertebrates were present in the diet in all seasons. Carrion appeared in stomach samples during dry winters only and this has implications for future control of feral cats.
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Gibbs, Susan E., Robert G. Harcourt, and Catherine M. Kemper. "Niche differentiation of bottlenose dolphin species in South Australia revealed by stable isotopes and stomach contents." Wildlife Research 38, no. 4 (2011): 261. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr10108.
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Context Animal species with overlapping ranges are common worldwide, but how these species coexist is less obvious. Dolphins are protected in Australia and yet little information is available on their resource use which is essential for successful management and conservation. Aim The aim of this study was to determine the degree of overlap in diet and feeding ecology of the two Tursiops spp. that have overlapping ranges in South Australia. Methods Stomach content (91 Tursiops sp. and 14 T. truncatus) and stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) analyses (39 Tursiops sp. and 14 T. truncatus) were conducted. Carcasses of dolphins were opportunistically collected between 1974 and 2005. Diet was quantified by frequency of occurrence (FOO) and numerical abundance (NA) of prey. Key results Delta13C from teeth revealed distinct differences in primary source of carbon, corresponding to coastal (Tursiops sp. n = 39, = –12.24, s.d. = 1.32) and offshore habitats (T. truncatus n = 14, = –14.21, s.d. = 0.55). Differences in δ15N revealed Tursiops sp. ( = 11.66, s.d. = 0.58) feeds at a lower trophic level than T. truncatus ( = 14.29, s.d. = 0.88). Stomach content analyses for Tursiops sp. corroborated stable isotope results. There was a significant difference between the diets of Tursiops sp. from north Spencer Gulf and south Spencer Gulf (ANOSIM R = 0.249, P = 0.001). Prey were generally demersal in habit with the most important from the cephalopod families Octopodidae, Sepiidae and Loliginidae and fish families Carangidae, Clupeidae, Terapontidae and Apogonidae. For T. truncatus there were insufficient stomach contents for assessment. Conclusions South Australian bottlenose dolphin species exhibit distinct niche differentiation with clear evidence of regional variation in the diet of Tursiops sp. Implications The between and within species diet differentiation demonstrated, highlights the importance of regional management. Such results are internationally significant as coastal and offshore forms of Tursiops spp. occur worldwide.
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Arteaga Claramunt, Alba M., Nicole E. White, Michael Bunce, Morgan O'Connell, Robert D. Bullen, and Peter R. Mawson. "Determination of the diet of the ghost bat (Macroderma gigas) in the Pilbara region of Western Australia from dried prey remains and DNA metabarcoding." Australian Journal of Zoology 66, no. 3 (2018): 195. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo18040.
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The ghost bat (Macroderma gigas) is listed as Vulnerable in Australia, and is a difficult species to study in the wild. The published literature available on even the most basic aspects of its ecology is limited. This study describes an investigation into the diet of ghost bats occupying the Pilbara region of Western Australia, using identification of dried food remains recovered from beneath roosts in the 1980s and 1990s, and DNA metabarcoding of faecal pellets collected from roost sites during 2011–12. Ghost bat diet in the Pilbara region consists primarily of small mammal and bird species, with a lesser contribution from reptiles (geckoes and skinks) and amphibians. In total, 46 vertebrate taxa were identified, with 32 taxa identified from the dried food remains, and 21 taxa by DNA metabarcoding analysis of the faecal pellets. Only seven of the taxa identified were common to both collection methods, and 32 of those taxa identified represent new prey records for ghost bats in Western Australia, and 19 prey species that had not previously been reported from any other part of Australia. Knowledge of the diet of the ghost bat will provide land managers with important information necessary to ensure the continued survival of this species across its range.
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Li, Pui Fung, Mark A. McEvoy, Sharmaine McKiernan, Peter W. Schofield, Lesley K. MacDonald-Wicks, and Amanda J. Patterson. "Diet Quality and Cognitive Performance in Australian Adults Aged 55–85 Years: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Hunter Community Study Cohort." Nutrients 13, no. 3 (2021): 909. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu13030909.
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There is a lack of evidence to determine if diet quality is associated with cognitive performance in older adults. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine whether diet quality is associated with cognitive performance among older adults. A cross-sectional, secondary analysis of baseline data from the Hunter Community Study (HCS), comparing diet quality, measured using the Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS), along with validated cognitive performance instruments the Audio Recorded Cognitive Screen (ARCS) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were undertaken in adults aged 55–85 years, living in Newcastle, NSW, Australia. Adjusted linear regression analyses showed that, compared with the lowest ARFS quintile, those in the highest quintile had an ARCS score 5.883 units greater (p < 0.001; R2 = 0.0098). Furthermore, when quintiles of ARFS score were tested against each ARCS sub-scale score, statistically significant associations were observed with the greatest effect for the Memory (β = 4.055; p = 0.001; R2 = 0.0065) and Attention (β = 4.136; p = 0.002; R2 = 0.0047) domains. No statistically significant associations were observed between quintiles of ARFS and MMSE score in the adjusted linear regression analyses. In conclusion, a positive association was observed between diet quality and cognitive performance within this sample of older Australian adults. Further investigation of the above association over time, when follow-up data becomes available, in longitudinal analysis is recommended.
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Whatnall, Megan, Erin D. Clarke, Marc T. P. Adam, et al. "Diet Quality of Adolescents and Adults Who Completed the Australian Healthy Eating Quiz: An Analysis of Data over Six Years (2016–2022)." Nutrients 14, no. 19 (2022): 4072. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu14194072.
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Diet quality is influenced by demographics and can change over time. This study aimed to (1) compare diet quality among adolescents/adults who completed the online Healthy Eating Quiz (HEQ) by demographic characteristics, and (2) to evaluate change in score over time for repeat completers. HEQ data collected between July 2016 and May 2022 were analysed, including demographics (age, gender, vegetarian status, socio-economic status, number of people main meals are shared with, country), and diet quality calculated using the Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS) (range 0–73) for respondents aged ≥ 16 years. Differences in ARFS by demographic characteristics and change in score over time, adjusted for age, gender and vegetarian status, were tested by linear regression. The participants (n = 176,075) were predominantly female (70.4%), Australian (62.8%), and aged 18–24 years (27.7%), with 4.0% (n = 7087) repeat completers. Mean ± SD ARFS was 33.9 ± 9.4/73. Results indicate that ARFS was significantly lower among males and significantly higher with increasing age group, higher socio-economic status, in vegetarians, those who shared main meals with others, and those living in Australia (p-values < 0.001). Mean change in ARFS over time (2.3 ± 6.9) was significantly higher for those with lower baseline scores (p < 0.001). Publicly available, brief dietary assessment tools have the potential to improve diet quality at the population level.
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Fewings, Abbie, Corneel Vandelanotte, Christopher Irwin, Corine Ting, Edwina Williams, and Saman Khalesi. "The use and acceptability of diet-related apps and websites in Australia: Cross-sectional study." DIGITAL HEALTH 8 (January 2022): 205520762211390. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/20552076221139091.
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Objective Diet-related apps and websites are developed to help improve dietary intake. The aim of this study is to explore the use and acceptability of diet-related apps and websites in Australia. Methods In a cross-sectional study, 241 participants (mean age = 40.6 years) completed an online survey about demographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviours and health concerns, experience and confidence in technology use, and preferences, attitudes and perception of diet app and website use. Descriptive analysis and unadjusted multiple logistic regression were used to explore data. Results Overall, 63.5% of participants were current or previous app users. App users were more confident in using technology, more concerned about diet and weight, and more trusting of information provided in diet-related apps compared to non-app users (p ≤ .05). Features such as food tracking, nutrient check and barcode scanning were preferred by both users and non-users. The likelihood of using diet-related apps was higher for those who trust the app information (OR 5.51, 95%CI: 2.40–12.66), often count calories (OR 2.28, 95%CI: 1.01–5.24) and are often on diet (OR 4.16, 95% CI: 1.21–14.21) compared to their counterparts. Conclusions More than half of the Australians that participated in this study used diet-related apps and websites. App features that allow the user to accurately record and monitor food intake and scan barcodes may motivate app use. Future public health strategies may take advantage of diet-related apps and websites to improve dietary behaviour at the population level and reduce the burden of obesity and non-communicable diseases.
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Law, B., and CA Urquhart. "Diet of the Large-footed Myotis Myotis Mcropus at A Forest Stream Roost in Northern New South Wales." Australian Mammalogy 22, no. 2 (2000): 121. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am00121.
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RECENT evidence indicates that the large-footed myotis Myotis macropus (previously Myotis adversus) is the sole representative of its genus in Australia (Cooper et al. in press). These are small bats that forage over pools of water in small streams, rivers and lakes, using large feet to trawl for prey along water surfaces (Dwyer 1970; Thompson and Fenton 1982). Little is known about their diet. Fish have been confirmed in the diet of M. macropus at a population that forages over a large lake, near Brisbane (Robson 1984). Unidentified insect material formed the bulk of the species? diet in Robson?s study. A small number of scats were also examined from M. macropus caught on the Murray River in South Australia (Jansen 1987). These contained fish remains and insects, particularly Chironominae (midges) and Culicidae (mosquitoes). We studied the diet of M. macropus at a forest stream to determine the importance of aquatic prey and thus to help guide management strategies for the species.
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How, R. A., and S. J. Hillcox. "Brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula, populations in south-western Australia: demography, diet and conservation status." Wildlife Research 27, no. 1 (2000): 81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr98064.
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The common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula, has suffered a marked reduction in its geographic range from the arid areas of Western Australia and now is abundant only in the more mesic forests and woodlands of the south-west. A mark–recapture and dietary study of a population in the tuart/peppermint forests near Busselton found that the species occurred at a density of 2–3 individuals per hectare, fed principally on peppermint, Agonis flexuosa, but occurred in all treed habitats in the area, including Pinus radiata plantations. Females matured in their third year and produced a single young annually between April and September that was weaned about seven months later. Comparisons between the demographic parameters of this population and that of a study from semiarid south-western Australia showed marked differences, which were comparable to variation shown by population studies of T. vulpecula in eastern Australia and New Zealand. Predation and habitat alteration have probably had a marked effect on determining the present distribution and abundance of the species in south-western Australia.
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Baylis, A. M. M., D. J. Hamer, and P. D. Nichols. "Assessing the use of milk fatty acids to infer the diet of the Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea)." Wildlife Research 36, no. 2 (2009): 169. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr08046.
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Information on the diet of threatened species is important in devising appropriate management plans to ensure their conservation. The Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) is Australia’s only endemic and globally one of the least numerous pinniped species. However, dietary information is currently limited because of the difficulty in using traditional methods (identification of prey hard parts from scats, regurgitates and stomach samples) to reliably provide dietary information. The present study assessed the use of fatty acid (FA) analysis to infer diet using milk samples collected from 11 satellite tracked Australian sea lions from Olive Island, South Australia. Satellite tracking revealed that females foraged in two distinct regions; ‘inshore’ regions characterised by shallow bathymetry (10.7 ± 4.8 m) and ‘offshore’ regions characterised by comparatively deep bathymetry (60.5 ± 13.4 m). Milk FA analysis indicated significant differences in the FA composition between females that foraged inshore compared with those that foraged offshore. The greatest differences in relative levels of individual FAs between the inshore and offshore groups were for 22 : 6n-3 (6.5 ± 1.2% compared with 16.5 ± 1.9% respectively), 20 : 4n-6 (6.1 ± 0.7 compared with 2.5 ± 0.7 respectively) and 22 : 4n-6 (2.4 ± 0.2% compared with 0.8 ± 0.2% respectively). Using discriminant scores, crustacean, cephalopod, fish and shark-dominated diets were differentiated. The discriminant scores from Australian sea lions that foraged inshore indicated a mixed fish and shark diet, whereas discriminant scores from Australian sea lions that foraged offshore indicated a fish-dominated diet, although results must be interpreted with caution due to the assumptions associated with the prey FA dataset. FA analysis in combination with satellite tracking proved to be a powerful tool for assessing broad-scale spatial dietary patterns.
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Woolley, Leigh-Ann, Brett P. Murphy, Hayley M. Geyle, et al. "Introduced cats eating a continental fauna: invertebrate consumption by feral cats (Felis catus) in Australia." Wildlife Research 47, no. 8 (2020): 610. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr19197.
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Abstract ContextRecent global concern over invertebrate declines has drawn attention to the causes and consequences of this loss of biodiversity. Feral cats, Felis catus, pose a major threat to many vertebrate species in Australia, but their effect on invertebrates has not previously been assessed. AimsThe objectives of our study were to (1) assess the frequency of occurrence (FOO) of invertebrates in feral cat diets across Australia and the environmental and geographic factors associated with this variation, (2) estimate the number of invertebrates consumed by feral cats annually and the spatial variation of this consumption, and (3) interpret the conservation implications of these results. MethodsFrom 87 Australian cat-diet studies, we modelled the factors associated with variation in invertebrate FOO in feral cat-diet samples. We used these modelled relationships to predict the number of invertebrates consumed by feral cats in largely natural and highly modified environments. Key resultsIn largely natural environments, the mean invertebrate FOO in feral cat dietary samples was 39% (95% CI: 31–43.5%), with Orthoptera being the most frequently recorded order, at 30.3% (95% CI: 21.2–38.3%). The highest invertebrate FOO occurred in lower-rainfall areas with a lower mean annual temperature, and in areas of greater tree cover. Mean annual invertebrate consumption by feral cats in largely natural environments was estimated to be 769 million individuals (95% CI: 422–1763 million) and in modified environments (with mean FOO of 27.8%) 317 million invertebrates year−1, giving a total estimate of 1086 million invertebrates year−1 consumed by feral cats across the continent. ConclusionsThe number of invertebrates consumed by feral cats in Australia is greater than estimates for vertebrate taxa, although the biomass (and, hence, importance for cat diet) of invertebrates taken would be appreciably less. The impact of predation by cats on invertebrates is difficult to assess because of the lack of invertebrate population and distribution estimates, but cats may pose a threat to some large-bodied narrowly restricted invertebrate species. ImplicationsFurther empirical studies of local and continental invertebrate diversity, distribution and population trends are required to adequately contextualise the conservation threat posed by feral cats to invertebrates across Australia.
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Szewczyk, Zoe, Natasha Weaver, Megan Rollo, et al. "Maternal Diet Quality, Body Mass Index and Resource Use in the Perinatal Period: An Observational Study." Nutrients 12, no. 11 (2020): 3532. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu12113532.
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The impact of pre-pregnancy obesity and maternal diet quality on the use of healthcare resources during the perinatal period is underexplored. We assessed the effects of body mass index (BMI) and diet quality on the use of healthcare resources, to identify whether maternal diet quality may be effectively targeted to reduce antenatal heath care resource use, independent of women’s BMI. Cross-sectional data and inpatient medical records were gathered from pregnant women attending publicly funded antenatal outpatient clinics in Newcastle, Australia. Dietary intake was self-reported, using the Australian Eating Survey (AES) food frequency questionnaire, and diet quality was quantified from the AES subscale, the Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS). Mean pre-pregnancy BMI was 28.8 kg/m2 (range: 14.7 kg/m2–64 kg/m2). Mean ARFS was 28.8 (SD = 13.1). Higher BMI was associated with increased odds of caesarean delivery; women in obese class II (35.0–39.9 kg/m2) had significantly higher odds of caesarean delivery compared to women of normal weight, (OR = 2.13, 95% CI 1.03 to 4.39; p = 0.04). Using Australian Refined Diagnosis Related Group categories for birth admission, the average cost of the birth admission was $1348 more for women in the obese class II, and $1952 more for women in the obese class III, compared to women in a normal BMI weight class. Higher ARFS was associated with a small statistically significant reduction in maternal length of stay (RR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.00, 1.54; p = 0.05). There was no evidence of an association between ARFS and mode of delivery or “midwifery-in-the-home-visits”.
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Scambler, Elinor, Timothy Nevard, and John Grant. "New records and a review of animal foods in the diets of the Brolga Antigone rubicunda and Australian Sarus Crane A. antigone gillae." Australian Field Ornithology 40 (2023): 34–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo40034045.
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Cranes are opportunistic omnivores, sometimes considered to be primarily vegetarian. However, there is limited knowledge in Australia of their animal prey and its importance in their diets. From field records in 2006–2021, we report novel foods including fish and crabs taken by adult Australian Sarus Cranes Antigone antigone gillae and the first records of the foods of their dependent young (crabs and grasshoppers). For Brolgas A. rubicunda, we report the first records of ducklings as prey, and of crabs, beetles and grasshoppers fed to dependent young. Both species have learnt to prey on rodents displaced or killed by sugar cane harvesting machinery in northern Queensland. A review of diet records since 1810 also reveals some overlooked foods and food-handling methods but, despite a sighting of a Brolga ingesting a whole Cane Toad Rhinella marina, there is no evidence of immunity to the toad’s toxin in either species of crane. The plant and animal components of the diet of the dependent young of both species remain almost unknown and there are also significant knowledge gaps for the animal prey of adult Australian Sarus Cranes; the vertebrate prey of adult Brolgas; and the balance of prey types for both species in the breeding and non-breeding seasons. To advance knowledge of crane diets and nutritional ecology in Australia and New Guinea, direct field techniques including faecal sampling, collection of shed feathers and camera trapping could be undertaken, supported by remote electronic technologies in relatively inaccessible breeding wetlands. Meanwhile – in anticipation of the forthcoming revision of the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds – we urge fieldworkers, birdwatchers and others to examine their field notes for unpublished information on crane foraging and food items, especially for the dependent young of Brolgas and Australian Sarus Cranes.
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Russell, Joanna, Victoria Flood, Elena Rochtchina, et al. "Adherence to dietary guidelines and 15-year risk of all-cause mortality." British Journal of Nutrition 109, no. 3 (2012): 547–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007114512001377.
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Past investigation of diet in relation to disease or mortality has tended to focus on individual nutrients. However, there has been a recent shift to now focus on overall patterns of food intake. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between diet quality reflecting adherence to dietary guidelines and mortality in a sample of older Australians, and to report on the relationship between core food groups and diet quality. This was a population-based cohort study of persons aged 49 years or older at baseline, living in two postcode areas west of Sydney, Australia. Baseline dietary data were collected during 1992–4, from 2897 people using a 145-item Willett-derived FFQ. A modified version of the Healthy Eating Index for Australians was developed to determine diet quality scores. The Australian National Death Index provided 15-year mortality data using multiple data linkage steps. Hazard risk (HR) ratios and 95 % CI for mortality were assessed for diet quality. Subjects in quintile 5 (highest) of the Total Diet Score had a 21 % reduced risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0·79, 95 % CI 0·63, 0·98, Ptrend= 0·04) compared with those in quintile 1 (lowest) after multivariate adjustment. The present study provides longitudinal support for a reduced risk of all-cause mortality in an older population who have greater compliance with published dietary guidelines.
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Watter, Kurt, Greg Baxter, Michael Brennan, Tony Pople, and Peter Murray. "Seasonal diet preferences of chital deer in the northern Queensland dry tropics, Australia." Rangeland Journal 42, no. 3 (2020): 211. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj20015.
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Chital deer (Axis axis) were introduced to the Burdekin dry tropics of north Queensland, Australia, in the late 1800s. Here rainfall and plant growth are highly seasonal and a nutritional bottleneck for grazing animals occurs annually before the wet season. This study describes the seasonal changes in diet and diet preference of chital in this seasonally-variable environment. Rumen samples were taken from 162 deer from two sites over the wet and dry seasons of two consecutive years and sorted macroscopically for identification. Relative seasonal availability of plant groups was estimated using step point sampling of areas grazed by chital. Chital alter their diet seasonally according to availability and plant phenology. Chital utilised 42 plant genera including grasses, forbs, subshrubs, shrubs, trees and litter. Grass consumption ranged from 53% of biomass intake during the dry season to 95% during the wet season. The predominance of grass in the wet season diet exceeded relative availability, indicating a strong preference. Although grass contributed more than half of the dry season diet it was the least preferred plant group, given availability, and the least actively growing. Shrubs were the preferred plant type in the dry season, and least subject to seasonal senescence. Composition and quantity of seasonal pastures vary markedly in north Queensland, and chital alter their diet by consuming those plants most actively growing. The increased dry season intake of non-grass forage appears to be a strategy to limit the detriment resulting from the progressive deterioration in the quality of grass.
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Franklin, Adrian. "Human-Nonhuman Animal Relationships in Australia: An Overview of Results from the First National Survey and Follow-up Case Studies 2000-2004." Society & Animals 15, no. 1 (2007): 7–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156853007x169315.
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AbstractThis paper provides an overview of results from an Australian Research Council-funded project "Sentiments and Risks: The Changing Nature of Human-Animal Relations in Australia." The data discussed come from a survey of 2000 representative Australians at the capital city, state, and rural regional level. It provides both a snapshot of the state of involvement of Australians with nonhuman animals and their views on critical issues: ethics, rights, animals as food, risk from animals, native versus introduced animals, hunting, fishing, and companionate relations with animals. Its data point to key trends and change. The changing position of animals in Australian society is critical to understand, given its historic export markets in meat and livestock, emerging tourism industry with its strong wildlife focus, native animals' place in discourses of nation, and the centrality of animal foods in the national diet. New anxieties about risk from animal-sourced foods and the endangerment of native animals from development and introduced species, together with tensions between animals' rights and the privileging of native species, contribute to the growth of a strongly contested animal politics in Australia.
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Griffiths, Shane P., Petra M. Kuhnert, Gary F. Fry, and Fiona J. Manson. "Temporal and size-related variation in the diet, consumption rate, and daily ration of mackerel tuna (Euthynnus affinis) in neritic waters of eastern Australia." ICES Journal of Marine Science 66, no. 4 (2009): 720–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsp065.
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Abstract Griffiths, S. P., Kuhnert, P. M., Fry, G. F., and Manson, F. J. 2009. Temporal and size-related variation in the diet, consumption rate, and daily ration of mackerel tuna (Euthynnus affinis) in neritic waters of eastern Australia. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 720–733. The diet, food consumption, and ration of mackerel tuna (Euthynnus affinis) were studied in Australian neritic waters. Overall, 43 prey taxa were identified from 271 stomachs. The diet was primarily pelagic clupeoids (78% by wet weight, WW; 71% by frequency of occurrence, FO) and demersal fish (19% WW; 32% FO). Multivariate regression tree analysis revealed that temporal differences, followed by fish size, explained most of the variation in the diet composition. Autumn diets differed from those in other seasons because tuna ate virtually only engraulids then. During other seasons, engraulids were still the dominant taxon in the diet, but fish also consumed a greater variety of other prey. Small tuna seemed to target small pelagic crustaceans and teleosts, and medium and large tuna to consume larger pelagic and demersal teleosts. Prey consumption increased with tuna size from 26.42 to 108.03 g d−1 for small and large tuna, respectively. Conversely, daily ration decreased with increasing tuna size from 4.10 to 1.95% body weight per day for medium and large tuna, respectively. Mackerel tuna consumed an estimated 25 036 t year−1 in the study region (170 990 km2). Diet studies are becoming increasingly important in informing ecosystem models, and this study confirmed the need for sampling regimes to capture temporal and size-related variation in diet composition, to maximize the utility of data for use in such models.
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Pedrick-Case, Rebecca, Rowena Bailey, Ben Beck, et al. "Built Environments And Child Health in WalEs and AuStralia (BEACHES): a study protocol." BMJ Open 12, no. 10 (2022): e061978. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061978.
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IntroductionChildhood obesity and physical inactivity are two of the most significant modifiable risk factors for the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Yet, a third of children in Wales and Australia are overweight or obese, and only 20% of UK and Australian children are sufficiently active. The purpose of the Built Environments And Child Health in WalEs and AuStralia (BEACHES) study is to identify and understand how complex and interacting factors in the built environment influence modifiable risk factors for NCDs across childhood.Methods and analysisThis is an observational study using data from five established cohorts from Wales and Australia: (1) Wales Electronic Cohort for Children; (2) Millennium Cohort Study; (3) PLAY Spaces and Environments for Children’s Physical Activity study; (4) The ORIGINS Project; and (5) Growing Up in Australia: the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. The study will incorporate a comprehensive suite of longitudinal quantitative data (surveys, anthropometry, accelerometry, and Geographic Information Systems data) to understand how the built environment influences children’s modifiable risk factors for NCDs (body mass index, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and diet).Ethics and disseminationThis study has received the following approvals: University of Western Australia Human Research Ethics Committee (2020/ET000353), Ramsay Human Research Ethics Committee (under review) and Swansea University Information Governance Review Panel (Project ID: 1001). Findings will be reported to the following: (1) funding bodies, research institutes and hospitals supporting the BEACHES project; (2) parents and children; (3) school management teams; (4) existing and new industry partner networks; (5) federal, state and local governments to inform policy; as well as (6) presented at local, national and international conferences; and (7) disseminated by peer-reviewed publications.
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Gidley, Michael J. "Food quality, safety, and functionality – relevance to nutrition security." IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1024, no. 1 (2022): 012002. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1024/1/012002.
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Abstract Achieving nutrition security through diet quality is a major challenge globally, as reflected in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. To aid in this, there is a global consensus that diet quality is a result of overall dietary patterns rather than individual nutrients. This puts the emphasis on food quality and availability and is causing a major re-think in the science of nutrition. Recently, the Australian Academy of Science produced a Decadal Plan for the Science of Nutrition (https://www.science.org.au/supporting-science/science-policy-and-analysis/decadal-plans-science/nourishing-australia-decadal-plan) that identified three areas of focus: Social Determinants, Nutrition Mechanisms and Precision Nutrition as well as the Enabling Platforms that should result in greater opportunities to achieve nutrition security. This presentation will discuss these three areas and platforms in the context of targets for agriculture and food processing.
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Kouris-Blazos, Antigone, Charalambos Gnardellis, Mark L. Wahlqvist, Dimitrios Trichopoulos, Widjaja Lukito, and Antonia Trichopoulou. "Are the advantages of the Mediterranean diet transferable to other populations? A cohort study in Melbourne, Australia." British Journal of Nutrition 82, no. 1 (1999): 57–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007114599001129.
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A prospective cohort study, involving 141 Anglo-Celts and 189 Greek-Australians of both sexes aged 70 years or more, was undertaken in Melbourne, Australia. The objective was to evaluate whether adherence to the principles of the Mediterranean diet affects survival of elderly people in developed non-Mediterranean countries. Diet was assessed using an extensive validated questionnaire on food intake. A one unit increase in a diet score, devised a priori on the basis of eight key features of the traditional common diet in the Mediterranean region, was associated with a 17 % reduction in overall mortality (two-tailed P value 0·07). Mortality reduction with increasing diet score was at least as evident among Anglo-Celts as among Greek-Australians. We conclude that a diet that adheres to the principles of the traditional Mediterranean diet is associated with longer survival among Australians of either Greek or Anglo-Celtic origin.
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Evans, M. C. "Diet of the Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae) in central Australia." Australian Mammalogy 15, no. 1 (1992): 25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am92003.
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The diet of the Common Brushtail Possum, Trichosurus vulpecula, in central Australia was investigated by faecal analysis. Trichosaurus vulpecula ate 34 plant species from the herb, shrub and tree strata. Dicotyledonous species comprised 99 % of epidermis in faecal pellets. Preferred species were Amyema maidenii (a mistletoe), Acacia coriacea, A. estrophiolata, Rhagodia spinescens and Solanum centrale. Grass or eucalypts were rarely eaten. Plant reproductive parts (flowers, buds, seed and fruit) contributed 39 % of epidermis in faecal pellets. Many of the species eaten by T. vulpecula are also browsed by cattle, and this may have contributed to the decline of T. vulpecula in central Australia.