School of the Environment 2016 Research Higher Degree Conference Monday 26th September – Tuesday 27th September, 2016 Flinders University City Campus Room 10.1(Level 10), 182 Victoria Square, Adelaide “Celebrating RHD student research achievement and success”

Program – Day One Time Name Title 9.00-9.15 Professor Colin Stirling

Vice-Chancellor, Flinders University Conference Opening and Welcome

9.15-9.20 Professor Howard Fallowfield Conference Chair

Housekeeping

Session Chair: Professor Andrew Millington 9.20-9.40 Mirahmad Chabok Effective utilization of aerial images captured over a

bushfire smoke using pixel based enhancement

9.40-10.00 Sugiarto Badaruddin Watertable salinization caused by seawater intrusion

10.00-10.20 Amy Hawley Improving pathogen removal in high rate algal ponds with inclined planes

10.20-10.40 Dicky Muharawan Evaluation of the potential for the implementation of a 3D Cadastre in urban areas in Indonesia

Morning Tea - 10.40-11.00

Session Chair: Associate Professor Huade Guan

11.00-11.15 Olanrewaju Abiodun Evapotranspiration Simulation in a Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem in SWAT: A Spatial and Temporal Comparison with Modis Evapotranspiration Product

11.15-11.30 Meruyert Beknazarova Strongyloides stercoralis control in the environment

11.30-12.15 Grant Smyth Media Advisor, Office of Communications and Engagement

Dealing with media – how to stack the deck in your favour

12.15-12.30 Karina Gutierrez-Jurado Field Parameterization to Determine Trigger Mechanisms of Streamflow Generation in an Ephemeral-Intermittent System, South Australia

12.30-13.00 Poster Session Students will be available to discuss their posters

Lunch - 13.00-13.30

Session Chair: Dr Kirstin Ross

13.30-13.45 Darryl Harvey Impacts of plantation forestry on groundwater resources in the lower South East of South Australia

13.45-14.00 Andrew Knight The Potential for Fresh Submarine Groundwater to Supplement Onshore Water Demands

14.00-14.20 Lesja Soloninka Hydrologic Pathways in Two Contrasting Seasonal Streams, Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia

14.20-14.40 Megan Hawley Ammonia oxidation through the aeration of anaerobically pre-treated pig slurry on a modelled scale

14.40-15.00 Darren Cox Testing a new model for turbulent dispersion

Afternoon Tea - 15.00-15.20

15.20 -16.20 16.20 -16.50

RHD Group Presentation and Discussion Presentation and discussion

RHD Student Vision for Future Research The RHD student experience in 2016

End of Day One – Reception and Drinks 16.50 – 17.30

Program – Day Two Time Name Title

Session Chair: Professor Iain Hay

9.00-9.20 Professor Robert Saint Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Flinders University

Opening remarks

9.20-9.40 Tara Garrard Arthrobothrys oligospora has greater nematophagous efficacy in high nutrient conditions

9.40-10.00 Van Vuong Le The Biogeography of Epiphytic Lichens in the Adelaide Hills and mid-North regions of South Australia

10.00-10.20 Robert Andrew Response of NDVI and GPP to changes in GRACE TWS

10.20-10.40 Thi Thanh Trang Pham The Irrigation Systems Management Transfer in Vietnam

Morning Tea - 10.40-11.00

Session Chair: Dr Harriet Whiley

11.00-12.00 Kerrie Akkermans Australian Water Association, National Membership Strategist & SA State Manager

Industry and Students Careers Session

12.00-12.15 Amirhosein Ramazanpour Esfahani

Attenuation of Microorganisms during Transport in Porous Media

12.15-12.45

Poster Session Students will be available to answer questions about their posters

Lunch - 12.45-13.15

Session Chair: Professor Okke Batelaan

13.15-14.00 Keynote Presenter Donna Ferretti Urban and Regional Planner

Changing the trajectory of development means changing the way we think

14.00-14.15 Felix Piedade Impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on trade and technology innovation in Southeast Asia countries and its implications for Timor-Leste

14.15-14.30 David Poulsen Investigating heterogeneous aquifers using long-screened wells

14.30-14.45 Farah Jafarpisheh Effects of soil amendment with algae grown on municipal wastewater and its derived compost on soil chemical, physical and microbiological characteristics, groundwater and plant productivity

14.45-15.00 Martim Moulton Changes in morphology and vegetation cover in the Coorong transgressive dunefields

Afternoon Tea - 15.00-15.20

Session Chair: Professor Howard Fallowfield

15:20-16.00 Keynote Presenter Hon Karlene Maywald

Science, Politics and the Art of Decision Making

16.00-16.30 Hon Karlene Maywald Conference awards presentation and close

End of Day Two – Reception and Drinks 16.30 – 17.30Closing Reception and Drinks - 16.30-17.30

Poster Session Both Days

Emmanuel Chirhakarhula Chubaka

Why People are Drinking Rainwater? – A Study in Household Drinking Water Preferences

Darrell House Changes in Farmland Tenure

Ankit Kavi Salt Transport in Indian Ocean

Stacey Priestley Environmental Tracers in Groundwaters and Porewaters to Understand Groundwater Movement Through an Argillaceous Aquitard

Ingrid Tejada The Growth in Soy Exports and Soy-Pasture Dynamics in Uruguay Since the 1990s

Manh Hai Vu Seasonal Changes of Fluxes at the Groundwater-Surface Water Interface in a Tropical Catchment

Suranga Wadduwage Scenarios of Agricultural Land Loss at Urban Fringes; A Multi-Criteria Spatially-Explicit Approach

Maisarah Nasution Binti Waras Development And Evaluation Of Modified QuEChERS and GCMS Method for the Measurement of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2,4-D), 2-Methyl-4-Chlorophenoxyacetic Acid (MCPA), Chlorpyrifos (CPF) and 3,5,6-Trichloro-4-Pyridinol (TCP) in Human Urine

Paul Young Microbiology of a High Rate Algal Pond

Rahmi Yudianti Resolving Rural Land Disputes through Mediation and Land Reform: A Case Study in Jambi Province, Sumatra, Indonesia

Nachalida Yukalang Barriers to the Effective Solid Waste Management in a Rapidly Urbanizing Area of Northeast Thailand

Conference Chair: Professor Howard Fallowfield Conference enquiries: Mira Beknazarova Email: environment@flinders.edu.au Phone: 08 8201 2107

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Grant Smyth

Media Advisor Office of Communications and Engagement Flinders University

Grant Smyth is a Media Advisor in Flinders University’s Media and Communications team. He is a former senior journalist at The Belfast Telegraph newspaper and The Independent newspaper in London. He also has experience of TV news production at BBC World News, in radio news production at Smooth FM in London, and has worked as a freelance production journalist at The Sunday Times and Metro newspapers in London. In addition, he spent two years working as a Communications and then Senior Communications Advisor for the South Australian Government.

Kerrie Akkermans

National Membership Strategist & SA State Manager Australian Water Association Industry & Students Careers Session Come and hear from Industry Leaders on the opportunities available in the wider water sector, career success stories, advice in navigating the current jobs market and the benefits of having an industry mentor The Australian Water Association is the national peak water organisation, delivering information, expertise and collaboration for sustainable water management. Our membership includes professionals and practitioners working in utilities, science and research, energy and resources, manufacturing and agriculture. We have an active branch network across all Australian States and Territories and maintain extensive international links, including with the International Water Association. The Australian Water Association works to deliver programs, information, services and events that connect and communicate with members and enrich their engagement with us and the water sector as a whole. The Association is committed to building Australia's water capabilities to maintain its position as a world leader in water management.

Donna Ferretti

Donna Ferretti and Associates Pty Ltd

Donna is an urban and regional planner with over 30 years experience working in state and local government, the private sector and as an academic teaching planning at the University of South Australia. She has particular skills in strategic planning, social planning, development assessment, policy planning and community/stakeholder engagement for which she has won a number of State and National planning awards. Donna is a Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia, has served on numerous boards and committees and is committed to developing and championing the planning profession across Australia – a commitment which is underpinned by an ethic of environmental responsibility and social inclusion.

Honourable Karlene Maywald

DUniv (Flin) FTSE GAICD

Karlene Maywald is the Managing Director of Maywald Consultants providing policy, governance and general advise on water reform and management. She is currently the Strategic Advisor to the SA Government on International Water Opportunities, Chair of the International Centre of Excellence for Water Resources Management, a Board Member with SA Water and Advisory Council Member with the New Venture Institute at Flinders University. Karlene was formerly the Chair of the National Water Commission from 2012-2015 and Minister for Water Security and the River Murray from 2004-2010 during the Millennium drought.

PRIZES The School of the Environment would like to thank the following organisations for offering the prizes to the best RHD presentations in different themes. Goyder Institute for Research The Best Poster Award - $200

NCGRT The Best Groundwater Presentation - $150

Environmental Health Australia The Best Research Contribution Informing the Practice of Environmental Health - $200

Institute of Australian Geographers The Best Oral Paper or Poster in the Disciplines of Geography, Environmental Management or Population Studies - $200

SA Water The Best Poster with a Water Related Theme - $100

Acknowledgements The School of the Environment would like to thank Assoc. Prof. Udoy Saikia, Assoc. Prof. Gour Dasvarma, Rob Hunter, Karen Bourn and Mira Beknazarova, for their support in organising this conference.

RHD ABSTRACTS – Oral Presentations Effective Utilization of Aerial Images Captured over a Bushfire Smoke Using Pixel Based Enhancement Mirahmad Chabok Supervisors: Andrew Millington, Jorg Hacker Aerial images are used extensively in many applications, such as environmental monitoring, mapping, surveillance, etc. Visibility and clarity of the captured images is subject to atmospheric condition at the time of data capturing and is a critical factor among the issues for effective utilization of the aerial imagery. The presence of substantial haze, fog or gaseous smoke particles; caused, for example by an active bushfire, at the time of data capture will dramatically reduce image visibility and quality. Most of the aerial imaging applications require image mosaicking for studying large areas which is a process for determination of the appropriate mathematical model relating pixel coordinates in one image to pixel coordinates in another to align and match the overlapping images together. This will fail when image pixels are covered by smoke particles. This paper proposes a novel algorithm that significantly eliminates or reduces gaseous smoke particle effects on image pixels. This is achieved by estimating light scattering amount for gaseous smoke particles and then adding a custom optical filter to the modified DSLR camera to capture wavelengths from 480-1200nm (R, G and Near Infrared) instead of standard RGB bands (400-700nm). Resulting image will have a mixed spectrum in all three bands which will be modelled and unmixed using a reference data from hyperspectral sensor and spectroradiometric measurement. Presented results demonstrate the effective eness of proposed algorithm. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Watertable Salinization Caused by Seawater Intrusion Sugiarto Badaruddin Supervisors: Adrian Werner, Leanne Morgan Seawater intrusion (SWI) is a major threat to freshwater resources in coastal aquifers around the world. Previous studies have focused on SWI impacts involving salinization of the lower domain of coastal aquifers. However, under certain situations, SWI may cause salinization of the entire saturated zone of the aquifer, leading to watertable salinization (WTS) in unconfined aquifers, thereby posing a salinity threat to the overlying soil zone. In this study, physical experiments and numerical modelling were combined to explore WTS associated with SWI in various non-tidal, unconfined coastal aquifer settings. Laboratory experiments and corresponding numerical simulations show that major WTS can occur under active SWI (i.e., the freshwater hydraulic gradient slopes towards the land) because the cessation of freshwater discharge to the sea and the subsequent landward flow across the entire sea boundary. WTS during active SWI is larger under conditions of high hydraulic conductivity, rapid SWI, high dispersivity and for deeper aquifers. Numerical modelling of four published field cases demonstrates that rates of WTS of up to 60 m/y are plausible. Under passive SWI (i.e., the hydraulic gradient slopes towards the sea), minor WTS may arise as a result of dispersive processes under certain conditions (i.e., high dispersivity and hydraulic conductivity, and low freshwater discharge). ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Improving Pathogen Removal in High Rate Algal Ponds with Inclined Planes Amy Hawley Supervisors: Howard Fallowfield Germicidal properties of sunlight are effective for reducing pathogen numbers in wastewater. Removal of these pathogens is vital to ensure high quality effluent is achieved and disease spread minimised. The light availability in pond systems is often restricted, lost through shallow light penetration and attenuation, limiting disinfection capability. Inclusion of a paddlewheel to high rate algal ponds aids solar exposure by mixing and surfacing the deeper unexposed water. To further improve disinfection inclined planes are being considered in this research with water run down the pond wall as a thin film. Running water over an inclined plane enables a smaller volume of water to be exposed over a large surface area, increasing exposure and limiting light loss through attenuation. This is being investigated in both model and large scale high rate algal ponds with the MS2 bacteriophage used for determining microbial reduction. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Evaluation of the Potential for the Implementation of a 3D Cadastre in Urban Areas in Indonesia Dicky Muharawan Supervisors: Andrew Millington As a developing and rapidly urbanising country Indonesia has many infrastructure and building developments that extend above and below the traditional single or two floor buildings. However, at the present time, the Indonesian Land Registration System still uses a two-dimensional model, essentially a map. This present condition is inadequate for the emerging three-dimensional landscapes of towering high-rise buildings and the increasingly complex underground infrastructure. It is also becoming increasingly unmanageable in many ways; for example, problems and conflicts around land rights, registration and responsibilities. My research has (i) compared and analysed differences between surveying methods and point cloud data processing based on a complex building, and (ii) an evaluation of the potential implementation of 3D-cadastral system in through an analysis of interviews with a range of stakeholders in Bandung and Jakarta. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Evapotranspiration Simulation in a Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem in SWAT: A Spatial and Temporal Comparison with Modis Evapotranspiration Product Olanrewaju Abiodun Supervisors: Okke Batelaan In most hydrological systems, evapotranspiration (ET) together with precipitation are the largest components of the water budget, yet the most difficult to estimate, particularly over complex terrain and groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDE). In recent years, the advent of remotely-sensed data based ET algorithms (R-S ET) and distributed hydrological models has significantly improved ET estimation. However information on the inter-comparison of these methods on fine spatial and temporal resolutions in a GDE is limited in literature. This study compares the ET estimates from the MOD16 R-S ET dataset and the ET calculations from a SWAT hydrological model. The analyses are performed on monthly timescales with a 6 year period calibration (2000 – 2005) and seven year validation period (2007 – 2013). Evapotranspiration on 1km2 spatial resolution in the Sixth Creek Catchment of the Western Mount Lofty Ranges of South Australia, are evaluated in this study. The SWAT model is calibrated by fitting simulated streamflow to observed streamflow and the MOD16 ET is compared to the evapotranspiration calculated by the calibrated model. The ET results from both methods show strong correlations temporally. The highest and lowest spatial correlations were observed in the hydrological response units (HRU) with agricultural and forested land covers respectively. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Strongyloides Stercoralis Control in the Environment Meruyert Beknazarova Supervisors: Kirstin Ross, Harriet Whiley Strongyloidiasis is an underestimated disease caused by soil-transmitted helminth Strongyloides stercoralis. S. stercoralis is distributed worldwide and mainly associated with inadequate sanitary and living conditions. It has a complicated lifecycle, infecting the human through skin penetration and causing asymptomatic infection that may eventually lead to the hyperinfection and uncontrolled lethal spread of the larvae into the internal organs. Currently, clinical control relies solely on anthelminthic drug treatment; however, reliance on these drugs is dangerous as there is the risk that drug resistance will develop. In fact, a recent study looking at anthelminthic drug use in sheep reported Strongyloides resistance. Therefore, finding alternative means to control S. stercoralis is imperative; however, to date this has not been studied. This study will map S. stercoralis distribution across Australia to identify the environmental sources that may be playing a role in the spread of the strongyloidiasis. Canine faeces and wastewater are being sampled from the Northern Territory to test for Strongyloides. spp., and positive canine faeces samples have already been confirmed. The study will also explore potential environmental control measures including application of nematicide to control S. stercoralis. This would prevent the spread of strongyloidiasis and would reduce our reliance on anthelminthic drugs. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Field Parameterization to Determine Trigger Mechanisms of Streamflow Generation in an Ephemeral-Intermittent System, South Australia Karina Gutiérrez-Jurado Supervisors: Margaret Shanafield For non-perennial streams (intermittent and ephemeral) the processes that control streamflow generation remain poorly understood and represent one of the greatest challenges to better understand the dynamic behavior from one of earth’s most widespread water systems. This study examines an intermittent-ephemeral catchment in South Australia where little is scientifically known about the relative contributions of overland flow, soil saturation, and groundwater inflow to creek flow. Detailed field data were used to characterize the hydrologic links between precipitation, antecedent soil moisture, groundwater levels, and resulting streamflow to identify triggers at the threshold to flow in the creek. A previous study in the catchment documented complex interactions between the creek and the shallow aquifer outlining spatially and temporally variability between losing and gaining conditions along the creek. Monitoring sites were distributed across the catchment to capture the hydrologic processes under gaining, losing and variably loosing-gaining stream conditions. Results from this study will provide of a better understanding on the controlling mechanisms of stream flow generation on non-perennial streams under varying stream conditions. The results are expected to be used for the development of an analytical equation to predict streamflow to contribute in the development of a surface water-groundwater model of the basin. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Impacts of Plantation Forestry on Groundwater Resources in The Lower South East of South Australia Darryl Harvey Supervisors: Craig Simmons, Huade Guan Plantation forests are an extensive land use in the lower South East of South Australia, covering about 16% of the available landscape. They reduce groundwater recharge and extract groundwater where the water table is shallow. Therefore it is important there is a water accounting system that incorporates these hydrological impacts on the regional water balance. Under the recently adopted water allocation plan, plantation forests are required to account for their hydrological impacts. The existing 160,000ha forest estate accounts for an impact of 300GL, about 30% of all licensed groundwater allocations. It is impractical to measure forest hydrological impacts at a commercial scale, whether in terms of impacts on groundwater recharge, or extraction from shallow water tables. Based on biophysical principles, models with outputs expressed in annualised values have been developed. These estimate hydrological impacts based on a characterisation of plantation forests of the same type in the same groundwater management area. The deemed values ‘smooth’ the hydrologic impacts over the full forest life. This presentation discusses the principles on which the adopted forest water models are established and the research to validate the accounting models. Draft results will be presented at the conference. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Potential for Fresh Submarine Groundwater to Supplement Onshore Water Demands Andrew Knight Supervisors: Adrian Werner Increasing stresses from rising coastal populations are predicted to threaten the sustainability of many coastal aquifers. The offshore continuations of these coastal aquifers are rarely considered, despite them having the potential to host freshwater. The use of fresh submarine groundwater (FSG) has been increasingly proposed to assist in meeting onshore water demands. However, in many instances, FSG may already be unknowingly drawn upon. Currently, our understanding of FSG is poor, and as a result the longevity and reliability of these freshwater bodies is unknown. This research seeks to advance the current knowledge surrounding the distribution and extraction of FSG, allowing for the informed management of these often non-renewable resources. Initial work will investigate the effect of geological complexities such as faulting, paleo-channels, and breaks in the confining unit on FSG distribution; with subsequent work investigating the response of FSG to onshore extraction regimes. The findings from these investigations will assist in guiding the development of future offshore models, by classifying the potential impacts of common offshore simplifications. Investigating the response of FSG to onshore pumping will enable general conclusions regarding the longevity and reliability of FSG bodies to be made. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hydrologic Pathways in Two Contrasting Seasonal Streams, Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia Lesja Soloninka Supervisors: Erick Bestland Seasonal streams and their flow pathways are not well understood in particular the interaction with groundwater. This study focusses at the two seasonal streams: Macreath Creek and the unofficially named Sam’s Creek. Both streams are third-order tributaries of the Scott Creek catchment in the Mount Lofty Ranges. Being situated in a Mediterranean climate both streams flow only during the wet winter season and only after a threshold amount of precipitation is received. This study utilises environmental tracers including stable isotopes of strontium and water to characterise the interaction between surface water and groundwater. Findings indicate that Macreath Creek is a losing stream that responds directly to rainfall events with stream water generated from runoff and no connection to groundwater. Conversely, Sam’s Creek is found to be a gaining stream with influx of highly saline groundwater once the system gets saturated. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ammonia oxidation through the aeration of anaerobically pre-treated pig slurry on a modelled scale Megan Hawley Supervisors: Howard Fallowfield Anaerobic lagoons are often incorporated in Australian piggeries as part of an effluent management strategy. These ponds work by breaking down organic matter via anaerobic bacteria and the resultant liquid effluent is generally used for on farm purposes and/or irrigation. Further strategies to enhance the sustainability of this resource are being assessed. One approach is to harvest renewable energy and purified water through the growth of algae on anaerobically pre-treated pig slurry (ANPS). However, these ponds contain a number of undesirable characteristics, which could pose a risk during reuse. Of concern are the elevated concentrations of ammonia (NH3), methane, suspended solids and pathogens within this waste. NH3 and suspended solids are the focus of this research. In this study integration of common wastewater treatment strategies were assessed on a laboratory scale. ANPS was passed through a model aerobic reactor as a means of oxidising NH3 to nitrate (non-toxic). Optimum operating conditions are being investigated. NH3 removal occurred. The technology could result in enhanced water purification and lowered potential health and environmental impacts: A benefit to the pig, producer, and environment. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Testing a New Model for Turbulent Dispersion Darren Cox Supervisors: Jochen Kaempf It has long been debated that the Fickian model for molecular diffusion has been incorrectly applied to horizontal diffusion in the ocean. The underlying reason for this is the complex turbulent nature of ocean diffusion. At any one time, there exists a large number of turbulent transport processes acting on a variety of length and time scales. This means that the turbulent mixing occurs at a much faster rate than that described by Fick’s model of diffusion. Shifting focus away from the ill-defined diffusion coefficient this work looks at a new model proposed by Cushman-Roisin (2008) that uses the turbulent velocity scale as the measure of the effectiveness of turbulence. The turbulent velocity scale is a value that can be obtained from field observation and through flow statistics can be linked to dispersion rates. This work use field observations to test this new model and the validity of using turbulent velocity fluctuations to describe diffusivity with the goal of applying it to an improved horizontal turbulence scheme for use in hydrodynamic models. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Arthrobothrys Oligospora has Greater Nematophagous Efficacy in High Nutrient Conditions Tara Garrard Supervisors: Kirstin Ross Nematophagous fungi are capable of trapping and digesting nematodes as an additional nutrient source. There is little known about the behaviour of these fungi when their available nutrients are altered. These fungi use nematodes as an additional nutrient source and have energetic input to produce the trapping mechanisms for this. This study alters the nutrient environment by growing nematophagous fungi in different substrates to assess their trapping behaviour. Investigating whether the nematophagous fungi are likely to display their trapping capabilities when they are

surrounded in a high nutrient environment where they are less likely to need the additional nutrients obtained from the nematodes themselves. Strongyloides stercoralis is a gastrointestinal human parasitic nematode which has a free-living phase of its lifecycle, making biological control a viable integrated management strategy. The nematode is excreted in faeces and begins its free-living phase in a high nutrient substrate. This study explores how the fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora behaves in five different nutrient environments in the presence of the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Results of this study show that low nutrient substrates not only produce limited nematophagous capabilities but additionally minimal nematode survivability. High nutrient substrates produced high nematode survivability as well as effective nematophagous capabilities. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Biogeography of Epiphytic Lichens in the Adelaide Hills and mid-North Regions of South Australia Van Vuong Le Supervisors: Andrew Millington, Patrick Hesp, David Bass Lichens are an important component of ecosystems. In South Australia little attention has been paid to epiphytic lichens. This project addresses this gap by focussing on the biogeography of epiphytic lichens in South Australia and addresses the relationships between lichen cover, trees, local and regional climate in the Adelaide Hills and mid-North regions of South Australia. Epiphytic lichen cover was recorded on 621 trees in 37 towns of the study site. Epiphytic lichen cover is significantly higher on the southerly aspects of all trees and all sites. The Kruskal-Wallis H test showed a statistically significant difference in lichen cover between the four cardinal aspects, X2(3) = 8.310, p = 0.040 with a mean rank lichen cover of 1206.75 for the N, 1218.54 (E), 1294.48 (S) and 1250.24 (W). Frequency and cover of Xanthoria parietina, the most frequently occurred lichen is positively correlated with annual precipitation (r = 0.014, 0.018), and negatively correlated with temperature (r = -0.121, -0.060). ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Response of NDVI and GPP to Changes in GRACE TWS Robert Andrew Supervisors: Huade Guan The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) has been in operation since 2002. GRACE provides total water storage (TWS) estimates globally for cells sized roughly 100 km by 100 km. We aim to examine the dependence of vegetation on moisture changes at different temporal resolutions in Australia. Anomalous GRACE TWS data is decomposed to different temporal frequencies using a wavelet filter. The decompositions are analysed against anomalous Normalised Differential Vegetation index (NDVI) data in a stepwise regression. Results show that generally NDVI is more sensitive to intra-annual changes in water storage than shorter changes. Different types of vegetation, categorised by land use types show distinct differences in how they react to changes in water storage. More water passing through a system should produce greater productivity. To test this, we also analyse GRACE TWS amplitude against Global Primary Productivity (GPP). The annual amplitude of GRACE TWS is compared to GPP, looking at ecosystems with varying water availability globally. The results show that water limited areas, larger amplitude in GRACE TWS results in a higher rate of GPP, with varying results in areas of higher water availability ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Irrigation Systems Management Transfer in Vietnam Thi Thanh Trang Pham Supervisors: Beverley Clarke, Simon Benger, Andrew Millington The Vietnamese Government in the early 1990s adopted a transfer of Irrigation System Management (IMT) responsibilities for the operation and management of irrigation systems to groups of farmers in Water User Associations (WUAs) or Agricultural Co-operatives (ACs). Although IMT brings some crucial benefits for both government and farmers in Vietnam, there are a number of concerns to be addressed. This research is based on 15 in depth-interviews, four focus groups, and 200 farmer’s questionnaires. The findings suggest several benefits for farmers under IMT including increased agricultural productivity, increased household income, and ability to diversify household income. The functioning of irrigation systems has also been shown to have benefitted after IMT with a more reliable delivery of water. There are also reported social benefits of increased community cohesion and less conflict between farmers. However, this study has found that there are still problems to be addressed including sustainability of IMT, including the degradation of irrigation systems infrastructure as a result of the

Irrigation Service Fee Waver policy, the existence of WUAs due to the shortage of funding, lack of technical and management training programs for members of WUAs, and lack of participation of farmers in operating and managing the irrigation systems. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Attenuation of Microorganisms during Transport in Porous Media Amirhosein Ramazanpour Esfahani Supervisors: Howard Fallowfield Recently, the human demand for clean and safe drinking water resources has greatly increased. The human pathogenic viruses and their surrogate indicators (e.g F-RNA coliphage) are quite ubiquitous in the subsurface environment which may be derived from either intentional or accidental discharges (Hundesa et al., 2006). The persistence of these viruses in aquifers depends on a large number of factors such as attachment and detachment to/from solid collectors; virus inactivation is highly effective on virus interactions with solid surfaces (Pham et al., 2009; Sasidharan et al., 2016). In addition, depending on porous media physical, chemical, mineralogical and surface characteristics, virus attachment/detachment may demonstrate different behaviors (Chrysikopoulos and Aravantinou, 2012; Chrysikopoulos and Aravantinou, 2014). The carbonaceous (limestone and dolomite) aquifers provide the principal sources of potable water resources. In order to find the risk of ground water resources pollution in carbonaceous aquifers, the interaction between limestone materials and viruses, in different experimental conditions, is of great importance Therefore, the overarching aim of this research is to determine the attachment/detachment behavior of viruses onto the limestone under different experimental variables. It is proposed that column experiments be conducted to determine the transport and retention behavior of viruses in steady state saturation conditions. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on Trade and Technology Innovation in Southeast Asia Countries and its Implications for Timor-Leste Felix Piedade Supervisors: Udoy Saikia Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has played an important role in the development of many countries over the last few decades. Most of the literature shows that the more FDI a country receives, more likely it is to have a positive experience on trade, particularly in export and technology innovation. However, the impact of FDI on trade and technology innovation may be different from one country to another depending on their socio-economic and administrative characteristics. With a focus on Southeast Asian countries, the present paper has three main objectives: (1) to find out the determinants of FDI, (2) to examine the role of FDI in export and (3) to examine the role of FDI in technology innovation. This paper is based on an analysis of mostly secondary statistical data from relevant sources in the 10 countries of Southeast Asia, which are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The analysis covers 34 years from 1980 to 2014. This research will apply advance panel data approach of GMM (Generalized Method of Moments): (1) to identify and analyse administrative issues as important determinants of FDI, (2) to analyse the impact of FDI on trade and technology innovation and (3) to provide specific policy implications for Timor-Leste. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Investigating Heterogeneous Aquifers Using Long-Screened Wells David Poulsen Supervisors: Peter Cook Our ability to sustainably manage groundwater in the context of human activities depends on understanding heterogeneity (physical variability) at a relevant scale, particularly vertically in the geological profile. Groundwater studies are expensive because wells must be drilled, so there is a financial driver to make better use of existing infrastructure. Existing wells are often open to an aquifer over a long interval to maximise water yield. Using traditional methods, such wells provide data averaged over an unacceptably large interval. Whereas a depth profile of data from a long-screened well is a powerful tool to understand groundwater flow systems. This project will develop ways to obtain useful depth-specific data of hydraulic conductivity, hydraulic head and groundwater chemistry using long-screened wells in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, and locally in the Adelaide region. A new multi-depth, short-screened well installation adjacent to an existing long-screened well will enable comparison of new depth profiling approaches with samples from discrete depths. In this talk I present the project context and aims and I show preliminary results illustrating how we can ‘value-add’ to evidence obtained from existing groundwater infrastructure using carefully devised yet relatively easy to apply borehole techniques to investigate aquifer heterogeneity. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Effects of Soil Amendment with Algae Grown on Municipal Wastewater and its Derived Compost on Soil Chemical, Physical and Microbiological Characteristics, Groundwater and Plant Productivity Farah Jafarpisheh Supervisors: Howard Fallowfield, Michael Taylor High rate algal ponds (HRAPs) have been demonstrated to be a sustainable wastewater treatment technology for rural communities in South Australia and elsewhere. The study will involve the HRAP demonstration plant at Kingston on Murray (KoM), field plots at Mt Barker wastewater treatment plant and greenhouse pot experiments. The wastewater has been disposed for irrigation to land in KoM, however, Eucalyptus trees have yet to be planted. The study will compare the growth performance of alternate species. Also, soil respiration rate, nutrient leaching and composition will be compared between native soils and those in receipt of algal rich wastewater. At Mt Barker, four planter beds, configured to receive treated wastewater by spray irrigation will be used to conduct Sorghum, growth studies. Sorghum is rich in fermentable sugars and considered a potential renewable energy crop species. Also, Mt Barker WWTP has facilities to harvest wastewater grown algal biomass at high dry matter concentrations. This algal biomass will then be composted/co-composted (Australian Standard AS4454) with other green wastes and its performance evaluated via the planter beds. This project seeks to understand the effects of composted and non-composted algae on Sorghum growth physical, chemical and microbial properties of soil, groundwater. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Changes in morphology and vegetation cover in the Coorong transgressive dunefields Martim Moulton Supervisors: Patrick Hesp Studies have shown that the impact of climate change and human action on coastal dunefield vegetation can turn stabilized dunes into active mobile dunes and vice versa. Yet, the link between climate conditions, such as rainfall and wind power, and vegetation changes in these environments is still not fully understood. In the dune fields of Coorong National Park (Younghusband Peninsula, SA) aerial photographs show an increase in vegetation cover in the last 60 years, stabilizing most of the dune system. At the same time studies in Brazil, Europe and other parts of Australia show a similar pattern of recent vegetation growth and stabilization in coastal dunefields. The purpose of this study is to analyse the recent historical changes (last 60 years) in the morphology and vegetation cover of the coastal dune systems of the Coorong in order to determine the causes of these changes. These analyses will be performed via remote sensing techniques on aerial photographs, and by comparing decadal changes in wind and precipitation records. Other secondary data regarding land use and animal grazing will also be analysed in order to understand all the possible interferences related to changes in vegetation cover in the Coorong dunefields. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

RHD ABSTRACTS – Poster Presentations Why People are Drinking Rainwater? A Study in Household Drinking Water Preferences Emmanuel C Chubaka Supervisors: Kirstin Ross, John Edwards Many people in Australia are drinking rainwater even in areas where clean mains water is available. Rainwater is any water collected from building rooftops subsequent to rainfall event and stored into containers by households for later use (SA Government, 2013). Rainwater has been found to contain bacteria and trace metals (Mosley, 2005). In Australia, the Health Department advises the public to limit rainwater to outdoor purposes to avoid contamination (Australian Government, 2011). Over 12 months, samples were collected around Adelaide and tested for E. coli and total coliforms. Of 400 samples tested, more than 50% were positive to both E. coli and total coliforms. In Australia, the health guideline for E. coli is 0/100 mL for drinking water. To determine drinking water trends, a survey of household drinking water choice was run across the metropolitan area to understand drivers behind drinking rainwater. The survey found a higher proportion of households drinking rainwater in Adelaide foothills and Adelaide Hills. In Adelaide plains, there is an increasing number of household using private filtration systems to improve mains water quality. Aversion to mains water chlorination and fluoridation were central in peoples’ drinking water preferences. Once complete, this study will allow clear advice to be given to residents in areas reliant on rainwater tanks. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Changes in Farmland Tenure Darrell House Supervisors: Andrew Millington The future of Australian farming is a matter of public and political interest, much of which relates to changes in the structure of farmland ownership. One particular issue of concern is the apparent decline in family farming, in favour of corporate – often foreign - ownership. There is an ongoing debate regarding the ramifications changes in tenure may have on future food security / sovereignty, and potential environmental degradation. There are many unknowns which confound these issues. Primarily, there is a lack of definitive data as to tenure changes of Australian farmland, particularly how much land is under corporate / foreign ownership. This deficit means research into any impacts (economic, social or environmental) of changes in ownership is also lacking. My aim is to explore these knowledge gaps by using land titles information in combination with remote sensing techniques to identify land parcels which have experienced a change in tenure and to then examine how changes in ownership compare to changes in the environmental characteristics. My poster outlines some of the processes used during this research, the analysis techniques I have been employing, and how they being used to accomplish my aim. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Salt Transport in Indian Ocean Ankit Kavi Supervisors: Jochen Kaempf With a focus on the Central Indian Ocean south of the equator, data ranging from a 0.25° global ocean satellite data to in-situ ARGO and moorings data are used to simulate salinity exchanges in the Indian Ocean. These simulations show a surprisingly large persistent flow of high-salinity water from the western equatorial Indian Ocean into the eastern part during the fall and spring, called Wyrtki Jets. Salt is transported into the eastern part through a narrow gap and with higher velocity wind driven currents called Wyrtki Jets. In-situ data base which includes ARGO float network in Indian Ocean along with mooring network provide the information about subsurface flow. The subsurface high-salinity water, which originates in the Western Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, spreads eastward into the Eastern part and downward along constant density surfaces. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Environmental Tracers in Groundwaters and Porewaters to Understand Groundwater Movement Through an Argillaceous Aquitard Stacey Priestley Supervisors: Andrew Love, Vincent Post Informed management decisions regarding sustainable yields or potential exploitation require an understanding of groundwater systems [1], [2]. Regionally-extensive aquitards (low permeability layers, such as clays) confine and separate aquifers and play

an important role in the physical and chemical evolution of groundwater, and can provide water from storage to pumped aquifers [2], [3]. In most groundwater systems the quantity or location of inter-aquifer leakage, water movement through the aquitard, is unknown. Preferential pathways through an aquitard can increase the rate of fluid movement through the aquitard at that location. Not taking into account leakage rates in the analysis of large scale flow systems can lead to under or overestimation of groundwater flow rates in aquifers [4], [5]. The aim of this study was to investigate inter-aquifer leakage through a regionally extensive aquitard between the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) and the deeper Arckaringa Basin in central Australia. Environmental tracer variations within the aquitard and aquifers were investigated in order to properly characterise inter-aquifer leakage. The environmental tracers in the aquitard porewater profile showed that transport through the aquitard pore spaces is dominated by diffusion but there is at least one location with increased inter-aquifer leakage due to secondary permeability through the aquitard. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Growth in Soy Exports and Soy-Pasture Dynamics in Uruguay Since the 1990s Ingrid Tejada Supervisors: Andrew Millington, Udoy Saikia, Harpinder Sandhu, Pedro Arbeletche We provide the first analysis of soy and land-use change in Uruguay (the 10th largest producer globally) based on agricultural, economic and land-use statistics, field surveys, stakeholder interviews and farmer questionnaires. The large increase in soy in Uruguay in the late 1990s was a response to high global soy prices; Argentine investment tied to soy production flowed into Uruguay and soy replaced sunflower, and natural and artificial pastures in the eastern littoral (Colonia, Paysandú, Rio Negro and Soriano departments) and central Uruguay. This affected ranching (the internal beef market and beef exports were affected) and dairying (where affects were restricted to national food supply). The loss of natural pastures reduced biodiversity overall, though mandatory conservation tillage and woodland protection policies in cultivated areas have offset this. Decreasing soy prices during the last three years have seen a shift back from soy to artificial pasture in central Uruguay, but not in the littoral. Multinational and internal investment has replaced that from Argentina in the last 15 years through GM-seed, agrochemical and machinery imports; silo construction; and the development of Nueva Palmira port on the Rió Uruguay, which serves Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. New infrastructure and investment have maintained the land area under soy in the littoral during the period of lower prices. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Seasonal Changes of Fluxes at the Groundwater-Surface Water Interface in a Tropical Catchment Manh Hai Vu Supervisors: Margaret Shanafield, Okke Batelaan Seasonal shifts between wet and dry seasons, which are particularly apparent in tropical climates, cause marked changes in river flow regimes and exchanges with underlying aquifers. However, fluxes between surface and subsurface and their impacts on streambed dynamics are rarely investigated in tropical climates. An intermittent river in Vietnam was investigated to better understand links between seasonal hydrologic shifts, human use of water resources, and streambed dynamics. The magnitude of streambed fluxes was found to increase along the length of the river, with variable and high fluxes during the rainy season (up to 1.6 m2 h-1 upstream and 0.2 m2 h-1 downstream) and steady, low fluxes into the beginning of the dry season (1.0 m2 h-1 upstream and 0.15 m2 h-1 downstream) before flow ceased. Estimated flux direction was from the aquifer into the river at all times and all studied locations with the exception of fluxes into the streambed during the peak flow of the largest captured rain event (550 mm in 164 hours). 30 years of historical precipitation data shows an average of three rain events of this magnitude per year, suggesting that water is pushed from the stream into the streambed approximately three times per year. Groundwater withdrawal, in contrast, was found to have only a small effect on reducing the flux during dry conditions. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Scenarios of Agricultural Land Loss at Urban Fringes; A Multi-Criteria Spatially-Explicit Approach Suranga Wadduwage Supervisors: Andrew Millington, Harpinder Sandhu, Neville Crossman The loss of agricultural land at urban fringes is often monitored temporally, but rarely analysed under different scenarios of urban sprawl. This study demonstrates a multi-criteria spatially-explicit method to investigate the agricultural land vulnerability to urban sprawl under various urban development and environmental protection scenarios in Adelaide. Six indicative parameters of socio-economic and biophysical aspects of the land-use change are analysed under three scenarios - business as usual, accelerated urban development and high environmental protection - to calculate the land vulnerability. Spatial grids were used to upscale the parameters, while simultaneously defining inputs to the scenarios. Vulnerability is ultimately identified at the Local Government Area-level for the urban fringes of Adelaide. This study demonstrates significant land vulnerability in the

northern Adelaide plains and in the areas around the satellite cities like Gawler and Mount Barker, under each scenario. In the accelerated urban development scenario, land vulnerability expands beyond the eastern conservation areas displaying a leap-frog effect, which confirms the necessity of sacrificing farm land-uses to maintain the land supply for urban development. The LGA-based results enable the transfer of knowledge into practice by identifying high priority land management areas in each LGA and specifying what type of agricultural land-uses should be managed strategically in these landscapes to ensure sustainable land transitions. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Development And Evaluation Of Modified QuEChERS and GCMS Method for the Measurement of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2,4-D), 2-Methyl-4-Chlorophenoxyacetic Acid (MCPA), Chlorpyrifos (CPF) and 3,5,6-Trichloro-4-Pyridinol (TCP) in Human Urine Maisarah N. Waras Supervisors: Claire Lenehan, Kateryna Babina Pesticide exposure has been linked to significant health effects in children such as childhood cancer and neurodevelopmental deficits. Pesticide use is ubiquitous in Australia, domestically and commercially, and Australian children have been shown to have higher levels of pesticide exposure when compared to those of the USA and Europe. Parental occupational exposure is one of the predictor of higher levels of pesticides among Australian children [1]. This project aims to identify intervention strategies (at the workplace or at home) in order to reduce the exposure to pesticides amongst Australian children. The extent of pesticide exposure among the children of pesticide handler will be investigated in order to achieve this aim. This will be done by measuring pesticides level eliminated in their urine. This poster presents our preliminary work into the determination of selected pesticides method (2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA), Chlorpyrifos (CPF) and Chlorpyrifos specific metabolite (3,5,6-trichloro-4-pyridinol (TCP))) in urine. The method consists of extraction using modified QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) [2] followed by derivatisation with MTBSTFA and subsequent analysis by GCMS. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Microbiology of a High Rate Algal Pond Paul Young Supervisors: Howard Fallowfield, Michael Taylor, Ben van den Akker Water scarcity is a major challenge around the world that is predicted to increase in severity into the future. Additionally, many countries struggle to adequately treat wastewater due to financial and personnel limitations. High rate algal ponds are natural lagoon systems that offer a cost effective wastewater treatment that does not require expert personnel for operation. My research focuses on the operation these systems including nutrient removal, pathogen removal, microbial ecology and model development. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Resolving Rural Land Disputes through Mediation and Land Reform: A Case Study in Jambi Province, Sumatra, Indonesia Rahmi Yudianti Supervisors: Andrew Millilngton, Brendan Grigg The growth oil palm plantations in Jambi Province in Sumatra has led to land disputes between the oil palm plantation company (PT. Asiatic Persada) and a group of indigenous people (the Suku Anak Dalam). Local government as the third party has facilitated mediation and The National Land Agency (BPN) has undertaken land reform to improve the welfare of the indigenous people. This study analyses the background to the dispute; the processes that have led to resolving the land dispute and the benefits from the resolution for the parties involved. My findings suggest that mediation has played the biggest role in resolving the land dispute and land reform has finalized the results of the mediation. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Barriers to the Effective Solid Waste Management in a Rapidly Urbanizing Area of Northeast Thailand Nachalida Yukalang Supervisors: Kirstin Ross The increase of municipal solid waste (MSW) generation in Tha Khon Yang Sub-district in Mahasarakham province, in the northeast of Thailand presents a unique set of challenges as the primary responsibility of solid waste management. Plans for solid

waste management have been put in place by Thailand’s National Government, however, implementation has not proven successful as most local governments are still facing difficult barriers. My research examines and reviews current municipal solid waste management in Tha Khon Yang. This area has been converted from a rural to an urban environment to accommodate approximately forty-five thousand students of Mahasarakham University. There are also hundreds of businesses that produce solid waste. The barrier to appropriate waste management is not only the rapid development and migration that have outpaced the government’s ability to manage municipal solid waste. At this time there are few mechanisms to provide to provide effective infrastructure and operational capacity. Another significant barrier is a lack of direct communication to the local people about waste management. For example, there needs to be much more relevant, simple, and clear information about waste management. In addition, the organization is understaffed. Another problematic barrier is social and cultural lack of awareness about waste management. For example, there is little separation of waste into streams for recycling. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________