RIPARIAN AND STREAM ECOLOGY 8.3 Distribution of large woody debris in the mid-reaches of the Murray River. Simon J. Nicol, Andrew R. Bearlin, Alan J. Robley, John D. Koehn and Jason A. Lieschke (Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, 123 Brown Street, Heidelberg, Vic. 3084, Australia. Email: Simon.Nicol@nre.vic.gov.au) Key words: aggregation, habitat, large woody debris, resnag- ging, riparian and stream ecosystems, snags. Removal of large woody debris (LWD) or snags was a common activity in many lowland rivers in southeastern Australia until recent times (Treadwell et al. 1999). Many native fish species in these waters are reliant upon snags and snag piles (aggrega- tions of snags) for habitat, including Murray Cod, Golden Perch and the critically endangered Trout Cod (Koehn & Nicol 1998). Several investigations have identified the importance of snags in forming and providing fish habitats for foraging, predator avoidance, velocity refuge, and habitat landmarks (see review by Crook & Robertson 1999). To improve the habitat available to native fish, responsible agencies are now returning snags (LWRRDC 2000) to these rivers and management guidelines have recently been published to assist resnagging operations (Treadwell 1999). While these guidelines recommend reintro- duction of snags as fish habitat, our understanding of the inter- action between fish and snag piles is lacking. Information is required on the various configurations of instream snag piles and fish responses to them so that any reconstruction efforts produce the optimal snag habitat necessary to attract and retain the desired species. Recently, an investigation commenced to evaluate snag habi- tats and the composition and abundance of the associated fish communities in the mid-reaches of the Murray River. The longer- term proposal is to use various snag-pile configurations to establish fish responses to LWD between Yarrawonga and Tocumwal. Determining how wood is naturally distributed in snag piles is the first step towards designing experimental con- figurations of LWD to be reconstructed in the river. This short note presents the results of the preliminary study of the natural distribution of LWD within snag piles with respect to the geo- graphic landscape and the implications for future resnagging works on the Murray River. 64 ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION VOL 2 NO 1 APRIL 2001 NOTES AND ABSTRACTS Notes and Abstracts NOTES AND ABSTRACTS Full titles of publications abstracted in this issue Blackmore P., ed. (1999) Tenth Biennial Noxious Weeds Conference: Conference Papers. NSW Agriculture, Armidale (Available from NSW Agri- culture, 85 Faulkner St, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia) McDonnell M. J. and Williams N. S. G., eds. (2000) Directions in Revegetation and Regenera- tion in Victoria. Proceedings of a forum, 5–6 March 1999, held at Greening Australia, Heidelberg Victoria. Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology Occa- sional Publication Number 2, Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. (Available from the Royal Botanic Gardens Shop, Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra, Vic. 3141 and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Book Store, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne, Vic. 3002, Australia) Doyle Jason, ed. (2000) National Firewood Con- ference—2000: Conference Papers. Victorian National Parks Association Inc., East Melbourne. (Available from Victorian National Parks Association Inc., 10 Parliament Place, East Melbourne, Vic. 3002, Australia) Austral Ecology (2000) 25: 5 [Thematic Issue: Envi- ronmental Weeds]