JournalTOCs School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK Email: journaltocs@hw.ac.uk Tel: +00 44 (0)131 4513762  Your IP address: 3.236.6.6 |
JournalTOCs School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK Email: journaltocs@hw.ac.uk Tel: +00 44 (0)131 4513762 Your IP address: 3.236.6.6 |
Hybrid journal (It can contain Open Access articles)
Determining the most efficient detection method for a target species is key for successful wildlife monitoring and management. This study compared driven transects, sign surveys and camera trapping for detecting numbats (Myrmecobius fasciatus) in the Upper Warren region, Western Australia. Sign surveys were more successful and had the lowest cost per detection. We recommend sign surveys with occupancy modelling for long-term monitoring of numbats in the Upper Warren. Photograph by Anke Seidlitz.
Capture of shorebirds on their nests is standard practice used by research and conservation organisations across the world. We aimed to assess if the capture of adult masked lapwings on the nest and associated techniques (ringing, flagging and blood sampling) adversely affects hatching success. Trapping incubating lapwings using our current protocols does not compromise the hatching success of eggs, at least where foxes are absent. We urge that studies involving the capture of adult shorebirds on the nest to frequently analyse any potential adverse effects of their methods, especially where foxes are present. Photograph by Daniel Lees.
The American red squirrel and northern flying squirrel disappear when clearcut harvesting leaves essentially no forested habitat. We tested the hypothesis that abundance, reproduction and body mass of these tree squirrel populations would be greater in large than small patches of retention forest on new clearcuts. Our results were short-term but habitat quality, although variable, was apparently sufficient to maintain the occurrence of both species across patch sizes ranging from 0.3 to 20.0 ha. Photograph by Druscilla Sullivan.
Avian predators play a key role in rodent pest ecology but are limited by the availability of nesting resources. This study aimed to design a suitable pole-mounted nesting box for eastern barn owls on remote, house mouse-affected crops in southern Australia, and found that the prototype was successful for barn owl reproduction and observation. This design promotes barn owl welfare and breeding while maximising minimally invasive monitoring techniques for future research. Photograph by Kelly Meaney (Scoutguard Trail Camera).
Our results indicate that the negative impact of domestic dog generates changes in the composition and local distribution of the species. Management action in this protected area must initiate control of domestic dogs to minimise their impact. Photograph by Atilla Ferreguetti.
Voracious pesticide consumption is a serious threat to the rich biodiversity of the Brazilian Cerrado, the country’s main frontier for large-scale agriculture and livestock production. This study aimed to assess the exposure of the lowland tapir – a threatened, large herbivorous mammal – to these chemicals in this area. This is the first dataset of synthetic pesticide and metal concentrations in wild lowland tapirs, with some reported values raising concern over potential adverse health effects. Photograph by Emília P. Medici.
Determining species presence and distribution is crucial for effective population management, particularly in the assessment of environmental impacts of proposed actions on threatened species. In Australia, environmental referral guidelines require evaluation of new survey methods (e.g. wildlife detection dogs) before their inclusion. Evaluation of new methods is also important for advancing population monitoring, particularly for threatened species. This study determined quoll detection dogs were an accurate and effective survey method, and a beneficial complimentary method for detecting quoll population presence. Photograph by Ivell Whyte.
The impact of aerial baiting for wild dogs on female spotted-tailed quolls and their young was examined at two field sites in New South Wales. More than half of the adult quolls that were collared interacted with 1080 baits, but none was killed. There were also no obvious adverse effects on young. These findings parallel those of previous experimental studies that have shown negligible population-level impacts of aerial baiting on the species. Photograph provided by Gerhard Körtner and taken by a Reconyx PC800 camera trap from within the Byadbo Wilderness study site in southern New South Wales, Australia.
The ranges of many small, at-risk felid species occur almost entirely in unprotected areas, where research efforts are minimal; hence, data on their density and activity patterns are scare. Our study aimed to fill this gap by estimating the population density and the activity pattern of Pallas’s cats on unprotected land in Mongolia by using camera-trapping: Pallas’s cat density was estimated at approximately 15 individuals per 100 km2 and activity pattern varied with the seasons. We make recommendations for implementing future surveys on this small cat. Photograph by Claudio Augugliaro.
Helicopter darting is a useful capture technique for large mammals but presents considerable animal welfare risks. This study assessed helicopter darting for chital deer in Australia and demonstrated that the technique caused considerable adverse animal welfare events including mortalities. We make recommendations for how to monitor and refine helicopter darting for chital deer. Photograph by Jordan Hampton.
The diet of a species is key for gaining an understanding of its ecology. We compared microscopic analysis and DNA barcoding of scats of the greater bilby, and show that the methods are best used in concert. Researchers and land managers should use both approaches to gain a robust understanding of the bilby diet, and manage landscapes accordingly. Photograph by Stuart Dawson.
Exclusion fences are increasingly used to prevent interactions between predators and assets of interest. We aimed to quantify the interaction among factors that affect fencing efficiency. Our results demonstrated that exclusion fences can be a very effective and should be used either as a preventive measure, or when the initial predator density is very low. Photograph by DPIRD (camera trap).
We evaluated the influence of fire regimes and vegetation type on species richness and detection rate of small mammals in the north Kimberley. Low fire frequency and, to a lesser extent, presence of rainforests were associated with more diverse and abundant small mammal assemblages. These findings support the theory that disturbance regimes might contribute to small-mammal decline. Photograph by Stefania Ondei (camera trap).
The Asian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is an introduced herbivore of the savannas and floodplains of northern Australia. Using animal telemetry and remote sensing data, we show that buffalo clans exhibit different late dry season ecological strategies depending on whether they inhabit lowland floodplain or upland savanna. This causes different scales and types of environmental damage and should be considered when managing buffalo population densities. Photograph by Jessie Northfield.
Ungulates must optimally balance vigilance and feeding. This study assessed red deer vigilance patterns in response to human hunters and wolves in the Białowieża Forest, Poland, via camera trapping. Red deer showed increased vigilance during the hunting season and were more vigilant at night within reserves, when wolf activity is highest, and more vigilant during the day outside of reserves, when human risk is highest. Understanding the interplay between risk effects from humans and predators is vital for forest management. Photograph by Adam Wajrak.
Understanding the relationships between land use and amphibian habitat selection would help make conservation-management and habitat-restoration decisions. The present study aimed to assess the associations between different land-use types and individual anuran species in a traditional agricultural area of Taiwan. We also tested the hypothesis that connectivity and land-use heterogeneity are important in determining species richness. Our data suggested that land-use heterogeneity should be a primary consideration for increasing amphibian species richness. Photograph by Chau-Ren Jung.
Management of saltwater crocodiles in the Northern Territory is shifting from restoring depleted population to managing an abundant population through controlled harvests for commercial purposes and public safety. Simulations suggested that harvesting since protection has had no adverse impact and survival of adults has a much larger impact than egg harvest, which should be accounted for in future harvest scenarios. Photograph by Yusuke Fukuda.
The Asian house gecko continues to spread into new areas, globally, including natural habitats. We assessed calling behaviour as a means for detection. The conspicuous ‘chik, chik, chik…’ call is only uttered by males, primarily as adults, and more when paired with a female than another male. There are clear peaks in calling just before sunrise and at sunset. These results can be used to guide optimal call surveys. Photograph by Jaimie Hopkins.
Marine turtle eggs are vulnerable to flooding throughout incubation. We evaluated the interactive effects of flooding duration and incubation stage on the hatching success of loggerhead turtle eggs and found that eggs in the middle portion of incubation can tolerate some flooding, whereas eggs within 1 week of laying or hatching are less tolerant to flooding. Our results inform management practices of marine turtles in the face of climate change. Photograph by Colin J. Limpus.
Biologists accumulate large quantities of images from remote cameras. We estimated bighorn sheep abundance by using counts from the days cameras were deployed at water sources. We obtained precise abundance estimates with 12 days of sampling and could have avoided analysing >80% of images, saving time and money. Our findings can help researchers reduce cost of setting and analysing photographs for ungulate population monitoring. Photograph by Jace Taylor.
Historically, illegal harvesting and by-catch by fishermen have caused dramatic declines in green turtle (Chelonia mydas) populations in Southeast Asian waters, and, alarmingly, these activities continue today. We obtained confiscated green turtles from Hainan Island, China, and used a genetic approach to determine that the Paracel Islands and the Sulu Sea rookeries are the most heavily affected areas by Hainan fishermen. We suggest that more work by the Chinese government needs to be undertaken to deter collection, and to increase the protection of turtles, at nesting rookeries in the Paracel Islands. Photograph by Liu Lin.
Breaks in silo-bag linings alter the internal atmosphere causing losses of stored harvest. We described the incidence and intensity of breaks in silo bag by mammals and recorded damage in 49% of 306 silo bags sampled. Our results showed that farmer’s decision on the location of silo bags has significant implications in mitigating human–wildlife conflicts. Photograph by Agustín M. Abba.
Cats are critical in the lifecycle of five pathogens that affect people or livestock in Australia. We estimate the annual cost of four of these pathogens at AU$6.07 billion (range AU$2.12–10.7 billion). Reducing cat populations and securely containing pet cats could provide substantial benefits to human health and livestock production. Photograph by Community Eye Health CC BY-NC 2.0 FLICKR.
This paper summarises a landscape-scale feral cat and fox baiting program that was delivered across reserves on the south coast of Western Australia that were occupied by the critically endangered western ground parrot (Pezoporus flaviventris) in the early 2000s. Up to 500 000 ha of national parks and natures reserves were baited with Eradicat®. Monitoring was established to evaluate both the efficacy of landscape-scale baiting in managing feral cat populations, and the response of several native fauna species, including the western ground parrot, to an integrated introduced predator control program. Photograph by IFRP Team, DBCA South Coast Region.
