William E Boyd

A microwave digestion method for the extraction of phytoliths from herbarium specimens

Abstract The extraction of phytoliths from herbarium and/or fresh plant material to obtain a suite of comparative reference samples is an essential component of palaeobotanical studies for the accurate interpretation of fossil phytolith assemblages. A number of established methods have been employed to extract phytoliths from plant material including dry ashing and acid digestion. However, while these methods produce good results, they can be time consuming and have the potential to produce results with some cross-contamination if not monitored closely. In this study, we trial an alternative method using microwave digestion, and compare the results to those produced using a conventional dry ashing method. The results of this study indicate that the microwave digestion technique is quick, eliminates concerns of cross-contamination and produces comparable phytolith assemblages to those of the conventional dry ashing method.

The geoarchaeology of the prehistoric ditched sites of the upper Mae Nam Mun Valley, NE Thailand, III: Late Holocene vegetation history

Abstract The upper Mae Nam (River) Mun Valley of northeast Thailand has been occupied at least since the Bronze Age, but is notable for the rapid expansion of intense town-based Iron Age settlement. The area presently forms the seasonally-arid core of mainland southeast Asia, and is presently dominated by increasingly saline soils, low-productivity rice cultivation and regrowth semi-arid scrub. However, the archaeological evidence for this region indicates a highly-productive natural environment within the last two millennia. Pollen sequences from the infill of Iron Age features provide the first palynological evidence for this part of northeast Thailand, detailing Late Holocene vegetational change. The area around the sites was initially dominated by forest, which then underwent two phases of the replacement by mosaics of grassland, probable rice cultivation, arboriculture and scrub, prior to a subsequent phase of forest and woodland regeneration. Spatial patterning of the study areas palaeovegetation appears to have been complex. While a general progress of landscape change is evident, local compositional differences are also clear. Although the regions archaeological and, especially, geomorphological evidence suggests significant climatic change during this period, the pollen record, as in studies further north in the region for the same period, appears to have been dominated by human influences. Of note are the effects of intensified human settlement and thus increased land and natural resource use. At present this Late Holocene pollen sequence yields no evidence for a direct relationship with climatic change.

Phytolith analysis for a wet tropics environment: Methodological issues and implications for the archaeology of Garua island, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea

Abstract The archaeology of prehistoric occupation of the island of Garua, West New Britain, is beginning to provide a detailed picture of human adaptation to a highly volatile environment in which periodic catastrophic destruction of vegetation, soils and, presumably, human habitation, is countered, apparently, by the human ability to recolonise and adapt to changing circumstances. However, our ability to fully identify these human responses is presently limited by a lack of paleoenvironmental data. This wet tropical region presents specific problems in obtaining and analysing such data. In this case these problems are in part being overcome by the use of fossil phytolith analysis. However, to put this technique into use, several methodological issues have had to be addressed. This paper considers several of these, describing experiments testing preparation techniques, introducing key elements influencing assemblage compositions in this environment, and outlining the form of statistical analyses adapted ...

The geoarchaeology of Iron Age “moated” sites of the Upper Mae Nam Mun Valley, N.E. Thailand. I: Palaeodrainage, site–landscape relationships and the origins of the “moats”

The study focuses on the “moated” Iron Age sites of N.E. Thailand, first identified as significant prehistoric settlement sites in the 1940s from aerial photography. Two more recent photograph sets are used to map the surficial geology and prehistoric site distribution for a study area west of Phimai, N.E. Thailand, with a focus on site–landscape relationships and, in particular, relationships between site location and form and patterns of palaeodrainage. The derived record of the surficial geology reflects several phases of palaeodrainage, characterized by differing locations and types of former river channels. Of note is the differentiation between a recent period in which river channels, including those presently active, are single-string meandering channels, and an older period of broad belts of meandering multistring channels. The prehistoric site distribution correlates closely with the older drainage, and for many, the encircling channels (the “moats”) are closely associated with former river channels. These relationships provide a critical and novel model for site distribution; several implications arise, supported by emerging field evidence, and introducing issues for archaeological debate: (i) there is no need, as has been done in the past, to invoke prehistoric artificial forms of drainage associated with the sites; (ii) the definition of the encircling channels as “moats” is seriously called into question; and (iii) the inferred geomorphological evolution of the floodplain implies past changes in environmental parameters such as run-off, climate or biophysical environments. Since the sites are all located in or beside ancient meander belts, these parameters should now be introduced into archaeological discussions regarding the establishment, history, evolution, and abandonment of the Iron Age sites. Methodologically, this article illustrates the need to be aware of the complexity of aerial photograph interpretation in archaeological survey, showing that careful analysis of aerial photograph information may have a significant impact upon the modeling of prehistoric interpretations. Further stratigraphical studies will be reported subsequently, and will refine the models presented here.

Using web 2.0 technologies for collaborative learning in distance education- case studies from an Australian University

This paper explores the use of Web 2.0 technologies for collaborative learning in a higher education context. A review of the literature exploring the strengths and weaknesses of Web 2.0 technology is presented, and a conceptual model of a Web 2.0 community of inquiry is introduced. Two Australian case studies are described, with an ex-poste evaluation of the use of Web 2.0 tools. Conclusions are drawn as to the potential for the use of Web 2.0 tools for collaborative e-learning in higher education. In particular, design and integration of Web 2.0 tools should be closely related to curriculum intent and pedagogical requirements, care must be taken to provide clear guidance on both expected student activity and learning expectations, and there is a clear need to develop, support and encourage strong interaction both between teachers and students, and amongst the students themselves.

Holocene coastal stratigraphy and the sedimentary development of the Hai Phong area of the Bac Bo Plain (Red River Delta), Vietnam.

We report a study of the Holocene coastal sediments of the Hai Phong area of the Bac Bo Plain (also known as the Red River Delta) in northern Vietnam. This is the first attempt to interpret the regions coastal depositional environments in the light of a geological model of Holocene environmental change recognising the interacting roles of Holocene sea-level change, alluvial responses to sea-level fluctuation, and tidal environment sedimentation. The coastal sediments overlie a Pleistocene land surface, and represent the Holocene marine transgression and regression. Prior to c .6000 bp , the sea rose to around or above its present elevation, converting the Pleistocene terrestrial landscape to a Holocene tidal landscape of tidal flat, channel and mangrove environments. Sea-level lowering by c .4000 bp triggered a switch in dominant sedimentary processes, allowing floodplain sediments to be deposited increasingly seawards.

Volcanism and historical ecology on the Willaumez Peninsula, Papua New Guinea

Abstract: The role of natural disasters has been largely overlooked in studies of South Pacific historical ecology. To highlight the importance of rapid-onset natural hazards, we focus on the contributions of volcanism in shaping landscape histories. Results of long-term research in the Willaumez Peninsula on New Britain in Papua New Guinea illustrate the wide range and complexity of potential relationships between volcanic activity and human responses. Despite frequent severe volcanic impacts, human groups have responded creatively to these challenges and over time may have developed particular strategies that coped with the demands of repeated refuging and recolonization.

Unconventional gas development: why a regional community said no

Public concern resulting from unconventional coal seam gas (CSG) exploration and production has become a contentious planning issue in regional Australia, with public concern drawing attention to government planning obligations. To assist Lismore City Council (Northern New South Wales) in its deliberations on the topic, a referendum-style poll on the issue of CSG industry development was held in conjunction with the local government elections of September 2012. The poll question, ‘Do you support CSG exploration and production in the Lismore City Council area?’, elicited a poll response rate of 97% of eligible voters, of which 87% voted ‘no’. This paper reports the results of an exit poll survey using the Theory of Planned Behaviour to frame motivations behind the poll result, and examines the role of the poll and exit poll survey in providing a process of deliberative democracy in the context of the CSG debate. Key details highlighted by the results were that non-supporters of CSG exploration were primarily concerned about water quality, while supporters saw the primary benefit being regional employment. Emerging themes of this study are the need for more independent research on potential risks and benefits of CSG developments, increase in institutional transparency, and the development of renewable alternatives. The study concludes that the principles of deliberative democracy involved in the Lismore City Council poll and subsequent exit poll survey have provided an opportunity for a more open discussion and genuine discourse within the CSG debate.

Crowd Sourcing for Conservation: Web 2.0 a Powerful Tool for Biologists

The advent and adoption of Web 2.0 technologies offers a powerful approach to enhancing the capture of information in natural resource ecology, notably community knowledge of species distributions. Such information has previously been collected using, for example, postal surveys; these are typically inefficient, with low response rates, high costs, and requiring respondents to be spatially literate. Here we describe an example, using the Google Maps Application Programming Interface, to discuss the opportunities such tools provide to conservation biology. Toad Tracker was created as a prototype to demonstrate the utility of this technology to document the distribution of an invasive vertebrate pest species, the cane toad, within Australia. While the technological aspects of this tool are satisfactory, manager resistance towards its use raises issues around the public nature of the technology, the collaborative (non-expert) role in data collection, and data ownership. We conclude in suggesting that, for such tools to be accepted by non-innovation adopters, work is required on both the technological aspects and, importantly, a cultural change is required to create an environment of acceptance of the shifting relationship between authority, expertise and knowledge.

A GIS Atlas of the Fossil Pollen and Modern Records of Ficus and Related Species for Island South–East Asia, Australasia and the Western Pacific

Ficus has been described as a keystone genus in the tropics. This paper reviews the Quaternary palynology literature, and vegetation research literature in Island Southeast Asia, Australasia and the Western Pacific with the aim of increasing the knowledge of the distribution history for Ficus and related species within this area. Specifically, this paper describes a GIS atlas designed to aid further analysis of the history and spread of Moraceae species. This research project synthesises the knowledge of the distribution and history of Ficus and related species in the greater Australasian area through the production of a GIS atlas, and describes the project, specifically focusing on the data collation and production of the GIS.