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Developing dual purpose land management strategies that conserve ecological function and maintain native biodiversity while providing adequate agricultural production, is the challenge for the 21st century. This will require a scientifically based knowledge of the ecological processes that determine population viability in agricultural landscapes. In central NSW clearing for wheat production has generated landscapes consisting of narrow (<20m) linear strips of native vegetation with only occasional larger remnant vegetation patches.
This study focuses on a plant species common in this landscape. Eremophila glabra is a bird pollinated, widespread understory shrub. We use it as a case study for investigating ecological and genetic functions of a plant in such a fragmented landscape. The study consists of comparative analysis of the reproductive and genetic performance of replicates of five landscape elements ranging from interior patch populations to isolated linear strip populations. This includes measurement of flower production; pollinator community composition; pollinator behaviour; stigmatic pollen load; fertilisation; fruit and seed set; genetic diversity; level of inbreeding and fitness of progeny. Results so far imply that isolation from remnant patches might reduce the fecundity of Eremophila glabra populations.
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