1
|
Evans MJ, MacGregor C, Lindenmayer D. A misleading tail: A long-term study of reptile responses to multiple disturbances undermined by a change in surveying techniques. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0305518. [PMID: 38875283 PMCID: PMC11178227 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Long-term ecological monitoring is crucial to understanding the complex dynamics of ecosystems, communities, and populations. Despite this, monitoring data are lacking or rare for the vast majority of biodiversity. Here we report the results of 19 years (2003-2022) of continuous annual monitoring of reptile species at Booderee National Park (BNP) on the east coast of south-eastern Australia. We tested the effects of time, habitat type, fire, and climate on detections of five reptile species. Our study revealed declines in detections of two skink species over time (Lampropholis delicata and Ctenotus taeniolatus), which we suspect was partly driven by weather conditions influencing activity of these species. We also identified broad vegetation type associations for two congeneric species with L. delicata being associated with forested sites, and Lampropholis guichenoti associated with more shrubby sites. Our results also demonstrated a clear association between Cryptophis nigrescens and L. delicata and fire, with the probabilities of detection of both species decreasing with time since fire in the short term. At about the midway point of our study (in 2011), we were forced to make a change in the way our data were collected. The change heavily influenced our findings, and so breached the integrity of the time series in our dataset. We acknowledge that a simple but crucial step to mitigate this breach would have been to conduct calibration that allowed subsequent analysis to control for a change in field survey methodology. Whilst improvements in the effectiveness of field survey methods might be possible through new technologies, it is crucial to maintain the integrity of long-term datasets as data collection continues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maldwyn John Evans
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Christopher MacGregor
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - David Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Chiarani E, Bettio M, Fontana CS. Temporal changes in bird communities in areas with different histories of fire disturbance in highland grasslands of Brazil. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0243070. [PMID: 33264348 PMCID: PMC7710053 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the importance and ubiquity of grasslands, the degradation and the loss of these habitats have negatively affected bird populations throughout the world. The use of fire to manage grassland areas in some regions of southern Brazil can help to maintain these areas but can also influence the bird community in different ways. We assessed temporal changes in richness, abundance, and composition of bird communities in areas with different histories of fire disturbance in highland grasslands of southern Brazil, the most extensive remnant of grassland of the Atlantic Forest domain. We censused birds during four breeding seasons (2015-2018), through point counts in areas burned only once in the last ten years (OF, n = 3), areas burned annually (AF, n = 2), and areas without fire in the last ten years (WF, n = 2). In OF the richness, abundance, and species composition changed in the year of the fire, compared to the previous year, and returned to the initial values two years later. In AF and WF we found some differences among the years, but not with an equally clear pattern. Three of the six grassland associated species assessed individually for density responded significantly to temporal habitat modification since the fire. Our results show that two years without fire were enough time for the bird community to recover after a fire, but some responses are species-specific. Therefore, fire can be used as a management tool for grasslands and may help in the conservation of birds of southern Brazil, as long as with a minimum interval between fires in an area is guaranteed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Chiarani
- Laboratório de Ornitologia, Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução da Biodiversidade, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul—PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Maurício Bettio
- Laboratório de Ornitologia, Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução da Biodiversidade, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul—PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Carla Suertegaray Fontana
- Laboratório de Ornitologia, Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução da Biodiversidade, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul—PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Gosper CR, Watson SJ, Fox E, Burbidge AH, Craig MD, Douglas TK, Fitzsimons JA, McNee S, Nicholls AO, O'Connor J, Prober SM, Watson DM, Yates CJ. Fire-mediated habitat change regulates woodland bird species and functional group occurrence. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01997. [PMID: 31483902 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In an era characterized by recurrent large wildfires in many parts of the globe, there is a critical need to understand how animal species respond to fires, the rates at which populations can recover, and the functional changes fires may cause. Using quantified changes in habitat parameters over a ~400-yr post-fire chronosequence in an obligate-seeding Australian eucalypt woodland, we build and test predictions of how birds, as individual species and aggregated into functional groups according to their use of specific habitat resources, respond to time since fire. Individual bird species exhibited four generalized response types to time since fire: incline, decline, delayed, and bell. All significant relationships between bird functional group richness or abundance and time since fire were consistent with predictions based on known time-since-fire-associated changes in habitat features putatively important for these bird groups. Consequently, we argue that the bird community is responding to post-fire successional changes in habitat as per the habitat accommodation model, rather than to time since fire per se, and that our functional framework will be of value in predicting bird responses to future disturbances in this and other obligate-seeder forest and woodland ecosystems. Most bird species and functional groups that were affected by time since fire were associated with long-unburned woodlands. In the context of recent large, stand-replacement wildfires that have affected a substantial proportion of obligate-seeder eucalypt woodlands, and the multi-century timescales over which post-fire succession occurs, it would appear preferable from a bird conservation perspective if fires initiating loss of currently long-unburned woodlands were minimized. Once long-unburned woodlands are transformed by fire into recently burned woodlands, there is limited scope for alternative management interventions to accelerate the rate of habitat development after fire, or supplement the resources formerly provided to birds by long-unburned woodlands, with the limited exception of augmenting hollow availability for key hollow-nesting species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carl R Gosper
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Bentley, Western Australia, 6983, Australia
- CSIRO Land and Water, Private Bag 5, Wembley, Western Australia, 6913, Australia
| | - Simon J Watson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
- Forest, Fire and Regions, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Fox
- BirdLife Australia, Suite 2-05, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton, Victoria, 3053, Australia
| | - Allan H Burbidge
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Bentley, Western Australia, 6983, Australia
| | - Michael D Craig
- Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Tegan K Douglas
- BirdLife Australia, Suite 2-05, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton, Victoria, 3053, Australia
| | - James A Fitzsimons
- The Nature Conservancy, Suite 2-01, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton, Victoria, 3053, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria, 3125, Australia
| | - Shapelle McNee
- BirdLife Australia, Suite 2-05, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton, Victoria, 3053, Australia
| | - A O Nicholls
- CSIRO Land and Water, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
- Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, P.O. Box 789, Albury, New South Wales, 2640, Australia
| | - James O'Connor
- BirdLife Australia, Suite 2-05, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton, Victoria, 3053, Australia
| | - Suzanne M Prober
- CSIRO Land and Water, Private Bag 5, Wembley, Western Australia, 6913, Australia
| | - David M Watson
- Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, P.O. Box 789, Albury, New South Wales, 2640, Australia
| | - Colin J Yates
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Bentley, Western Australia, 6983, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Andersen AN. Responses of ant communities to disturbance: Five principles for understanding the disturbance dynamics of a globally dominant faunal group. J Anim Ecol 2018; 88:350-362. [PMID: 30280380 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Ecological disturbance is fundamental to the dynamics of biological communities, yet a conceptual framework for understanding the responses of faunal communities to disturbance remains elusive. Here, I propose five principles for understanding the disturbance dynamics of ants-a globally dominant faunal group that is widely used as bioindicators in land management, which appear to have wide applicability to other taxa. These principles are as follows: (1) The most important effects of habitat disturbance on ants are typically indirect, through its effects on habitat structure, microclimate, resource availability and competitive interactions; (2) habitat openness is a key driver of variation in ant communities; (3) ant species responses to disturbance are to a large degree determined by their responses to habitat openness; (4) the same disturbance will have different effects on ants in different habitats, because of different impacts on habitat openness; and (5) ant community responses to the same disturbance will vary according to ant functional composition and biogeographical history in relation to habitat openness. I illustrate these principles using results primarily from studies of ant responses to fire, a dominant agent of disturbance globally, to provide a common disturbance currency for comparative analysis. I argue that many of the principles also apply to other faunal groups and so can be considered as general ecological "laws." As is the case for ants, many impacts of habitat disturbance on other faunal groups are fundamentally related to habitat openness, the effects of disturbance on it and the functional composition of species in relation to it.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alan N Andersen
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Carroll JM, Hovick TJ, Davis CA, Elmore RD, Fuhlendorf SD. Reproductive plasticity and landscape heterogeneity benefit a ground-nesting bird in a fire-prone ecosystem. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 27:2234-2244. [PMID: 28736847 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Revised: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Disturbance is critical for the conservation of rangeland ecosystems worldwide and many of these systems are fire dependent. Although it is well established that restoring fire as an ecological process can lead to increased biodiversity in grasslands and shrublands, the underlying mechanisms driving community patterns are poorly understood for fauna in fire-prone landscapes. Much of this uncertainty stems from the paucity of studies that examine the effects of fire at scales relevant to organism life histories. We assessed the response of a non-migratory ground-dwelling bird to disturbance (i.e., prescribed fire) and environmental stochasticity over the course of a 4-yr period, which spanned years of historic drought and record rainfall. Specifically, we investigated the nesting ecology of Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter Bobwhite) to illuminate possible avenues by which individuals respond to dynamic landscape patterns during a critical reproductive stage (i.e., nesting) in a mixed-grass shrubland in western Oklahoma, USA. We found that Bobwhites exhibited extreme plasticity in nest substrate use among time since fire categories (TSF) and subsequently maintained high nest survival (e.g., 57-70%). Bobwhites were opportunistic in nest substrate use among TSF categories (i.e., 72% of nest sites in shrubs in 0-12 months post fire compared to 71% in herbaceous vegetation in >36 months post fire), yet nesting decisions were first filtered by similar structural components (i.e., vertical and horizontal cover) within the vicinity of nest sites regardless of TSF category. Despite being a non-migratory and comparatively less mobile ground-nesting bird species, Bobwhites adjusted to dynamic vegetation mosaics on a fire-prone landscape under stochastic climatic conditions that culminated in stable and high nest survival. Broadly, our findings provide a unique depiction of organism response strategies to fire at scales relevant to a critical life-stage, a topic that has been previously understudied and poorly understood. We also demonstrate how doing so can better inform conservation practices aimed at restoring fire regimes on grassland and shrubland landscapes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Matthew Carroll
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078, USA
| | - Torre J Hovick
- School of Natural Resource Sciences-Range Program, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, 58108, USA
| | - Craig A Davis
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078, USA
| | - Robert Dwayne Elmore
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078, USA
| | - Samuel D Fuhlendorf
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Lindenmayer DB, Wood J, MacGregor C, Hobbs RJ, Catford JA. Non‐target impacts of weed control on birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- David B. Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- Long‐term Ecological Research Network Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | - Jeff Wood
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | - Christopher MacGregor
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- Long‐term Ecological Research Network Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | - Richard J. Hobbs
- School of Plant Biology and ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions University of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
| | - Jane A. Catford
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- Biological Sciences University of Southampton Highfield Campus Southampton SO17 1BJ UK
| |
Collapse
|