1
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Eacker DR, Jakes AF, Jones PF. Spatiotemporal risk factors predict landscape‐scale survivorship for a northern ungulate. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew F. Jakes
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Missoula Montana USA
- National Wildlife Federation Missoula Montana USA
| | - Paul F. Jones
- Alberta Conservation Association Lethbridge Alberta Canada
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2
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Brunton E, Brunton A, Hohwieler K, Ogbourne S, Conroy G. Spatial genetic structure and gene flow of the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), in a rapidly urbanising landscape. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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3
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Kay AD, Hughes MT, Ammend MG, Granger MR, Hodge JJ, Mohamud J, Romfoe EA, Said H, Selden L, Welter AL, Heinen-Kay JL. College squirrels gone wild? Using Sciurus carolinensis behavior to assess the ecosystem value of urban green spaces. Urban Ecosyst 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01288-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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4
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Mansouri I, Dakki M, Squalli W, Achiban H, Mounir M, El Ghadraoui L. Wildlife‐vehicle collisions in Moroccan Atlantic Sahara: Impact on resident species and Afro‐Palearctic birds for conservation purposes. Afr J Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.13007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ismail Mansouri
- Laboratory of Functional Ecology and Genie of Environment Faculty of sciences and technology USMBA Fez Morocco
| | - Mohamed Dakki
- Laboratoire de Géo‐biodiversité et Patrimoine Naturel Scientific Institute (Mohammed V Univ.) Rabat Morocco
| | - Wafae Squalli
- Laboratory of Functional Ecology and Genie of Environment Faculty of sciences and technology USMBA Fez Morocco
| | - Hamid Achiban
- Laboratory of Geo‐environmental Analysis Planning‐Sustainable Development Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz USMBA Fez Morocco
| | - Mohamed Mounir
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Valorisation of phytogénétics Resources Faculty of Sciences and Technics Sultan Moulay Sliman University Beni mellal Morocco
| | - Lahsen El Ghadraoui
- Laboratory of Functional Ecology and Genie of Environment Faculty of sciences and technology USMBA Fez Morocco
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5
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Chard M, Foster CN, Lindenmayer DB, Cary GJ, MacGregor CI, Blanchard W. Post-fire pickings: Large herbivores alter understory vegetation communities in a coastal eucalypt forest. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8828. [PMID: 35475176 PMCID: PMC9034452 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Fire and herbivores alter vegetation structure and function. Future fire activity is predicted to increase, and quantifying changes in vegetation communities arising from post‐fire herbivory is needed to better manage natural environments. We investigated the effects of post‐fire herbivory on understory plant communities in a coastal eucalypt forest in southeastern Australia. We quantified herbivore activity, understory plant diversity, and dominant plant morphology following a wildfire in 2017 using two sizes of exclosures. Statistical analysis incorporated the effect of exclusion treatments, time since fire, and the effect of a previous prescribed burn. Exclusion treatments altered herbivore activity, but time since fire did not. Herbivory reduced plant species richness, diversity, and evenness and promoted the dominance of the most abundant plants within the understory. Increasing time since fire reduced community diversity and evenness and influenced morphological changes to the dominant understory plant species, increasing size and dead material while decreasing abundance. We found the legacy effects of a previous prescribed burn had no effect on herbivores or vegetation within our study. Foraging by large herbivores resulted in a depauperate vegetation community. As post‐fire herbivory can alter vegetation communities, we postulate that management burning practices may exacerbate herbivore impacts. Future fire management strategies to minimize herbivore‐mediated alterations to understory vegetation could include aggregating management burns into larger fire sizes or linking fire management with herbivore management. Restricting herbivore access following fire (planned or otherwise) can encourage a more diverse and species‐rich understory plant community. Future research should aim to determine how vegetation change from post‐fire herbivory contributes to future fire risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Chard
- Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Claire N Foster
- Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - David B Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Geoffrey J Cary
- Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Christopher I MacGregor
- Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia.,Threatened Species Recovery Hub National Environmental Science Program Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Wade Blanchard
- Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
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6
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Chard M, Foster CN, Lindenmayer DB, Cary GJ, MacGregor CI, Blanchard W. Time since fire influences macropod occurrence in a fire‐prone coastal ecosystem. AUSTRAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Chard
- Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2600 Australia
| | - Claire N. Foster
- Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2600 Australia
| | - David B. Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2600 Australia
| | - Geoffrey J. Cary
- Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2600 Australia
| | - Christopher I. MacGregor
- Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2600 Australia
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub National Environmental Science Program Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Wade Blanchard
- Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2600 Australia
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7
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Herbert CA, Snape MA, Wimpenny CE, Coulson G. Kangaroos in peri‐urban areas: A fool’s paradise? ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/emr.12487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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8
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Caldwell MR, Klip JMK. Mule Deer Migrations and Highway Underpass Usage in California, USA. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Molly R. Caldwell
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife 1701 Nimbus Road Gold River CA 95670 USA
| | - J. Mario K. Klip
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife 1701 Nimbus Road Gold River CA 95670 USA
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9
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Croft DB, Witte I. The Perils of Being Populous: Control and Conservation of Abundant Kangaroo Species. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11061753. [PMID: 34208227 PMCID: PMC8230889 DOI: 10.3390/ani11061753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Australia's first people managed landscapes for kangaroo species as important elements of their diet, accoutrements and ceremony. This developed and persisted for about 65,000 years. The second wave of colonists from the United Kingdom, Ireland and many subsequent countries introduced familiar domesticated livestock and they have imposed their agricultural practices on the same landscapes since 1788. This heralded an ongoing era of management of kangaroos that are perceived as competitors to livestock and unwanted consumers of crops. Even so, a kangaroo image remains the iconic identifier of Australia. Kangaroo management is shrouded in dogma and propaganda and creates a tension along a loose rural-city divide. This divide is further dissected by the promotion of the consumption of kangaroo products as an ecological good marred by valid concerns about hygiene and animal welfare. In the last decade, the fervour to suppress and micro-manage populations of some kangaroo species has mounted. This includes suppression within protected areas that have generally been considered as safe havens. This review explores these tensions between the conservation of iconic and yet abundant wildlife, and conflict with people and the various interfaces at which they meet kangaroos.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Benjamin Croft
- School of Biological Earth & Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Correspondence:
| | - Ingrid Witte
- Rooseach@Rootourism, Adelaide River, NT 0846, Australia;
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10
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Fischer M, Stillfried M, Coulson G, Sutherland DR, Kramer-Schadt S, Stefano JD. Spatial and temporal responses of swamp wallabies to roads in a human-modified landscape. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Fischer
- M. Fischer (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0541-6729) ✉ and J. Di Stefano, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, Univ. of Melbourne, Creswick, VIC, Australia. MF also at: Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Subiaco, WA, Aust
| | - Milena Stillfried
- M. Stillfried and S. Kramer-Schadt, Dept of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Inst. for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Graeme Coulson
- G. Coulson, School of BioSciences, Univ. of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Duncan R. Sutherland
- MF and D. R. Sutherland, Conservation Dept, Phillip Island Nature Parks, Summerlands, VIC, Australia. SK-S also at: Dept of Ecology, Technische Univ. Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephanie Kramer-Schadt
- M. Stillfried and S. Kramer-Schadt, Dept of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Inst. for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julian Di Stefano
- M. Fischer (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0541-6729) ✉ and J. Di Stefano, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, Univ. of Melbourne, Creswick, VIC, Australia. MF also at: Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Subiaco, WA, Aust
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11
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Brandimarti ME, Gray R, Silva FRO, Herbert CA. Kangaroos at maximum capacity: health assessment of free-ranging eastern grey kangaroos on a coastal headland. J Mammal 2021; 102:837-851. [PMID: 34385895 PMCID: PMC8355480 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sprawling urban development is fragmenting the landscape and native wildlife habitats on the Australian east coast. The impact of this rapid urbanization on wildlife health is largely unknown. This study surveyed the health of a high-density (5.4 individuals per ha) population of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) affected by urban encroachment and prolonged drought. Blood parameters (hematological and serum protein), trace element and heavy metal concentrations, and parasite counts (fecal worm egg counts, ticks, and mites) are reported for a sample of ≤ 54 kangaroos at Look at Me Now Headland, New South Wales, Australia. These parameters were compared to lower density kangaroo populations from other sites in New South Wales. We found the health and welfare of this population to be severely compromised, with nonregenerative anemia and nutritional deficiencies evident. Our results indicate that high-density kangaroo populations isolated by urban encroachment are at significant health risk. To prevent further decline in this population’s health, we discuss management strategies that could be employed, concurrent with ongoing health and disease monitoring, to mitigate the poor health outcomes in this population. We conclude that it is essential to retain habitat connectivity when altering land use in areas with resident kangaroo populations if managers are to maintain healthy populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maquel E Brandimarti
- School of Life and Environmental Science, The University of Sydney, JD Stewart Building, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Rachael Gray
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, McMaster Building, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Fabiola R O Silva
- School of Life and Environmental Science, The University of Sydney, JD Stewart Building, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Catherine A Herbert
- School of Life and Environmental Science, The University of Sydney, JD Stewart Building, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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12
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Brandimarti ME, Gray R, Hilton ZJ, Keeley T, Murray ‘KP, Herbert CA. The effect of testosterone suppression on health and parasite burden in male eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus). AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/am21017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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13
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Evaluating the Efficacy and Optimal Deployment of Thermal Infrared and True-Colour Imaging When Using Drones for Monitoring Kangaroos. DRONES 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/drones4020020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Advances in drone technology have given rise to much interest in the use of drone-mounted thermal imagery in wildlife monitoring. This research tested the feasibility of monitoring large mammals in an urban environment and investigated the influence of drone flight parameters and environmental conditions on their successful detection using thermal infrared (TIR) and true-colour (RGB) imagery. We conducted 18 drone flights at different altitudes on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. Eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) were detected from TIR (n=39) and RGB orthomosaics (n=33) using manual image interpretation. Factors that predicted the detection of kangaroos from drone images were identified using unbiased recursive partitioning. Drone-mounted imagery achieved an overall 73.2% detection success rate using TIR imagery and 67.2% using RGB imagery when compared to on-ground counts of kangaroos. We showed that the successful detection of kangaroos using TIR images was influenced by vegetation type, whereas detection using RGB images was influenced by vegetation type, time of day that the drone was deployed, and weather conditions. Kangaroo detection was highest in grasslands, and kangaroos were not successfully detected in shrublands. Drone-mounted TIR and RGB imagery are effective at detecting large mammals in urban and peri-urban environments.
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Brunton EA, Clemente CJ, Burnett SE. Not all urban landscapes are the same: interactions between urban land use and stress in a large herbivorous mammal. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e02055. [PMID: 31828865 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization significantly impacts the health and viability of wildlife populations yet it is not well understood how urban landscapes differ from non-urban landscapes with regard to their effects on wildlife. This study investigated the physiological response of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) to land use at a landscape scale. Using fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) we compared stress levels of kangaroo populations in urban and non-urban environments. We modeled FGM concentrations from 24 kangaroo populations against land use (urban or non-urban) and other anthropogenic and environmental factors, using a linear modeling approach. We found that land use was a significant predictor of FGM concentrations in eastern grey kangaroos with significant differences in concentrations between urban and non-urban populations. However, the direction of the relationship differed between northern and southern regions of Australia. In the northern study sites, kangaroos in urban areas had significantly higher FGM levels than their non-urban counterparts. In contrast, in southern sites, where kangaroos occur in high densities in many urban areas, urban kangaroos had lower FGM concentrations than non-urban kangaroos. Rainfall and temperature were also significant predictors of FGM and the direction of the relationship was consistent across both regions. These results are consistent with the contrasting abundance and persistence of kangaroo populations within the urban matrix between the two study regions. In the northern region many populations have declined over the last two decades and are fragmented, also occurring at lower densities than in southern sites. Our study indicates that it is the characteristics of urban environments, rather than the urban environment per se, which determines the extent of impacts of urbanization on kangaroos. This research provides insights into how the design of urban landscapes can influence large mammal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Brunton
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, 4556, Australia
| | - Christofer J Clemente
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, 4556, Australia
| | - Scott E Burnett
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, 4556, Australia
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Lawns in Cities: From a Globalised Urban Green Space Phenomenon to Sustainable Nature-Based Solutions. LAND 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/land9030073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This opinion paper discusses urban lawns, the most common part of open green spaces and urban green infrastructures. It highlights both the ecosystem services and also disservices provided by urban lawns based on the authors’ experience of working within interdisciplinary research projects on lawns in different cities of Europe (Germany, Sweden and Russia), New Zealand (Christchurch), USA (Syracuse, NY) and Australia (Perth). It complements this experience with a detailed literature review based on the most recent studies of different biophysical, social, planning and design aspects of lawns. We also used an international workshop as an important part of the research methodology. We argue that although lawns of Europe and the United States of America are now relatively well studied, other parts of the world still underestimate the importance of researching lawns as a complex ecological and social phenomenon. One of the core objectives of this paper is to share a paradigm of nature-based solutions in the context of lawns, which can be an important step towards finding resilient sustainable alternatives for urban green spaces in the time of growing urbanisation, increased urban land use competition, various user demands and related societal challenges of the urban environment. We hypothesise that these solutions may be found in urban ecosystems and various local native plant communities that are rich in species and able to withstand harsh conditions such as heavy trampling and droughts. To support the theoretical hypothesis of the relevance of nature-based solutions for lawns we also suggest and discuss the concept of two natures—different approaches to the vision of urban nature, including the understanding and appreciation of lawns. This will help to increase the awareness of existing local ecological approaches as well as an importance of introducing innovative landscape architecture practices. This article suggests that there is a potential for future transdisciplinary international research that might aid our understanding of lawns in different climatic and socio-cultural conditions as well as develop locally adapted (to environmental conditions, social needs and management policies) and accepted nature-based solutions.
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Matthews RW. Patterns and composition of medium and large vertebrate roadkill, based on six annual surveys along two adjoining highways in south-eastern Queensland, Australia. AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/am19044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Six annual single-pass roadkill surveys along two adjoining rural Queensland highways near Carnarvon Gorge National Park revealed 612 medium-size to large vertebrates, representing more than 18 taxa. Most were mammals (92%), particularly macropods. Losses averaged 0.26 animals km–1 year–1 (range = 0.17–0.33), with variation possibly reflecting road repair/reconstruction and record seasonal rainfalls. Annual roadkill totals for the 390-km highway were projected to be over 5000 vertebrates, with more than half being large macropods. A consistent hotspot or ecological trap was noted along a 17-km high-traffic-volume stretch north of Roma. Because the sparsely populated outback is habitat for much Australian wildlife, multiyear baseline data are vital to identify the magnitude of the problem and inform future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly R. Caldwell
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife 1701 Nimbus Road Gold River CA 95670 USA
| | - J. Mario K. Klip
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife 1701 Nimbus Road Gold River CA 95670 USA
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Abstract
: Drones are often considered an unobtrusive method of monitoring terrestrial wildlife; however research into whether drones disturb wildlife is in its early stages. This research investigated the potential impacts of drone monitoring on a large terrestrial mammal, the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), in urban and peri-urban environments. We assessed the response of kangaroos to drone monitoring by analysing kangaroo behaviour prior to and during drone deployments using a linear modelling approach. We also explored factors that influenced kangaroo responses including drone altitude, site characteristics and kangaroo population dynamics and demographics. We showed that drones elicit a vigilance response, but that kangaroos rarely fled from the drone. However, kangaroos were most likely to flee from a drone flown at an altitude of 30 m. This study suggests that drone altitude is a key consideration for minimising disturbance of large terrestrial mammals and that drone flights at an altitude of 60–100 m above ground level will minimise behavioural impacts. It also highlights the need for more research to assess the level of intrusion and other impacts that drone surveys have on the behaviour of wildlife and the accuracy of the data produced.
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