A LACUSTRINE ECOLIBRIUM: URBAN SOLUTIONS IN BIODIVERSITY SITE: University of Queensland, South East Saint Lucia Campus, Australia Creator: Miah Thorpe A1768506 Dynamic Modelling, Representation III SketchFab Model: https://skfb.ly/on6Dz
INTRODUCTION
N
01 Casestudy in Relation to Site Location
My case study considers the University of Queensland, South East Saint Lucia Campus with a focus on biome health post construction of the Advanced Engineering Building and the associated maintenance
and wetland management schemes that accompanied the landscape scape update. The work contained demonstrates topographic changes, vegetation palette alterations, fractional wetness ranges, and in-
-creased wildlife presence coinciding with buffer area management between 2009 and 2014 as the AEB mediates the threshold conditions of urban versus landscape at a palatable scale.
Fractional Wetness of Site Average Monthly Rainfall From 2009 to 2014 500
millimetres
400 300 200
Dec
Oct
Nov
Sep
Jul
Aug
Jun
Apr
May
Mar
Jan
0
Feb
100
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Summary Statistics For Rainfall From 2009 to 2014 Statistic
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Annual
Mean Lowest 5th %ile 10th %ile Median 90th %ile 95th %ile Highest
Despite the decline in average rainfall between 2009 and 2014, the fractional wetness trend on site observed a smoothing off post 2013, implying the topography became less vulnerable to water wastage and fractional covers employed better drainage systems over runoff after the AEB was constructed.
02 Site Plan as of 2014, NTS 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
Bare soil Dry vegetation Green vegetation Wet Open water 2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Percentage of site dominated by wetness, fractional cover
2014
Water Inputs Surface water inflow from local watershed Groundwater discharge (including hyporheic flow) Rainfall Water Outputs Groundwater recharge Surface water outflow Evaporation Transpiration
Non-Flood Plain Hydrology
CONDITIONS OF CONSTRUCTION
The invisible changes between 2009 to 2014:
- Removal of flora that alters soil and water pH, the addition of plants that do not affect soil pH, or water pH via runoff, and decreased sediment and nutrient inputs 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Acidic Nuetral Alkaline
- Buffer area management via
03
weed and feral/non-native animal
PointCloud model conducted using the ‘Cloud Sections’ tool on Cloud Compare and recoloured in QGIS using LAS.Colour (LAS Tools algorithm), depicting the South East of Queensland University St Lucia Campus, coloured to aerial data dated June 2009, prior to the erection of the Advanced Engineering Building
Buffer area
Lake
Vegetative corridor
control, and expansion of habitat
- Substitution of sprinkler irrigation to micro irrigation, programmed to varying vegetation requirements to reduce water output
- Natural sandy loam soils constitute the landscape, however areas of heavy alluvial patches exist
04 PointCloud model conducted using the ‘Cloud Sections’ tool on Cloud Compare and recoloured in QGIS using LAS.Colour (LAS Tools algorithm), depicting the South East of Queensland University St Lucia Campus, coloured to aerial data dated September 2014, prior to the erection of the Advanced Engineering Building
Foliage material Humus + minerals
making drainage hard for native deep rooted plants. Sand was
Sandy loam soil
combined with the heavy alluvial
Alluvium + sand
patches to for better drainage,
Clay, soil, minerals
Paret material
sodium build up reduction and reduces bacterial growth
Visible Changes of Site in 2009 [05] and 2014 [06]
05 The demolishion of the preceeding buildings, and removal of selected local trees and shrubbery is the visually evident changes from 2009 to 2014 in terms of dissapearance. However, more seemingly invisible changes were made to better maintain, regulate and improve the health of the landscape and lakes.
06 The construction of the AEB in 2013 reduced heat island affect as thermal pollution was minimised through the thermal labyrinth system of the building. Decreased dissolved oxygen was a significant contributer to the lacustrine biome’s disbalance as warm water holds less oxygen, promoting algae blooms and threatening the health of aquatic flora and fauna.
Remaining and undisturbed, no changes Removed/dissapeared between 2009 to 2014
Remaining and undisturbed, no changes New/introduced between 2009 to 2014 Growth present from pre-existing features between 2009 to 2014
BIOME COMPARISON: 2009 Wildlife sightings 2009 categoriesed by habitat type
Upland Species
Riparian Species
Burhinus grallarius (Bush stone-curlew) Anas Superciliosa (Pacific black duck) Eolophus roseicapilla (Galah) Nycticorac Caledonicus (Nankeen white heron)
Lacustrine Species
Cacatua Sanguinea (Little corella)
Merops Ornatus (Rainbow bee-eater)
Hydromys Chrysogaster (Rakali water rat) Litoria Caeulea (Australian green tree frog)
Emergent Species
Arhinga Novaehollandiae (Australiasian darter) Corvus Orru (Australian crow)
Rhinella marina (Cane toad) Ardea Pacifica (White-necked heron)
Limnodynastes Peronii (Striped marsh frog) Litoria Fallaz (Eastern drawf tree frog) Scylla serrata (Mud crab) Neoarius Graeffei (Blue salmon catfish)
Gerres Oyena (Common silver-biddy) Anguilla Dieffenbachii (Longfin eel)
A
07 Section Perspective A
Ecologicalm Topological, and Structural Components of Site in 2009
CAMPUS BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURE VEGETATIVE CORRIDOR FOR FAUNA (NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE): UPPER CANOPY VEGETATIVE CORRIDOR FOR FAUNA (NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE): UPPER CANOPY LACUSTRINE FLORA: EMERGING ONLY SHALLOW ROOTED VEGETATION FOR SANDY LOAM SOIL STABILISATION BUFFALOW GRASS FOR PEDESTRIAN USE
LOW LYING ANNUALS
FRESH WATER LAKES
08 Exploded axonometric
BIOME COMPARISON: 2014 Wildlife sightings 2014 categoriesed by habitat type Bold font: New prescence of species
Upland Species
Riparian Species
Fulica atra (Eurasian coot) Burhinus grallarius (Bush stone-curlew) Aythya australis (Hardhead) Litoria Wilcoxii (Stony creek frog) Hydromys Chrysogaster (Rakali water rat) Intellagama lesueurii (Eastern water dragon) Litoria Caeulea (Australian green tree frog)
Emergent Species
Lacustrine Species
Limnodynastes Peronii (Striped marsh frog) Ardea Pacifica (White-necked heron) Scylla serrata (Mud crab)
Cisticola Exilis (Golden-headed warbler) Arhinga Novaehollandiae (Australiasian darter) Anas Superciliosa (Pacific black duck)
Corvus Orru (Australian crow) Cacatua Sanguinea (Little corella) Eolophus roseicapilla (Galah)
Nycticorac Caledonicus (Nankeen white heron) Merops Ornatus (Rainbow bee-eater) Gallinula tenebrosa (Dusky moorhen)
Isoodon macrourus (Northern brown bandicoot)
Litoria Fallaz (Eastern drawf tree frog) Rhinella marina (Cane toad) Emydura macquarii (Murray turtle)
Chelodina Expansa (Broad shelled river turtle) Opisthodon (Ornate burrowing frog)
Neoarius Graeffei (Blue salmon catfish) Gerres Oyena (Common silver-biddy) Anguilla Dieffenbachii (Longfin eel)
A
09 Section Perspective A
Ecologicalm Topological, and Structural Components of Site in 2009 ADVANCED ENGINEERING BUILDING VEGETATIVE CORRIDOR SPECIALISED PALETTE FOR ENDANGERED FAUNA: UPPER CANOPY VEGETATIVE CORRIDOR SPECIALISED PALETTE FOR ENDANGERED FAUNA: LOWER CANOPY
PALUSTRINE FLORA: FRINGING SUBSOIL (MAINLY SANDY) FOR DRAINAGE AND POLLUTANT FILTERING LACUSTRINE FLORA: EMERGENT LACUSTRINE FLORA: EMERGING
LOW LYING ANNUALS BUFFALOW GRASS FOR PEDESTRIAN USE
FRESH WATER LAKES
10 Exploded axonometric