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Gardiner R, Proft K, Comte S, Jones M, Johnson CN. Home range size scales to habitat amount and increasing fragmentation in a mobile woodland specialist. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:14005-14014. [PMID: 31938498 PMCID: PMC6953562 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies of impacts of fragmentation have focused heavily on measures of species presence or absence in fragments, or species richness in relation to fragmentation, but have often not considered the effects of fragmentation on ranging behavior of individual species. Effective management will benefit from knowledge of the effects of fragmentation on space use by species.We investigated how a woodland specialist, the eastern bettong (Bettongia gaimardi), responded to fragmentation in an agricultural landscape, the Midlands region of Tasmania, Australia. We tested whether individual bettongs could adjust home range size to maintain access to essential habitat across three sites differing in degree of fragmentation.We used GPS tracking to measure the home ranges of individual bettongs. Our models tested the effects of habitat aggregation and habitat amount measured at two radii comparable to a typical core range (250 m) and a typical home range (750 m), and habitat quality and sex on individual home range. We also tested the relationship between fragmentation on woodland used to determine whether individuals could compensate for fragmentation.Depending on the spatial scale of fragmentation measured, bettongs altered their movement to meet their habitat requirements. Our top model suggested that at the core range scale, individuals had smaller ranges when habitat is more aggregated. The second model showed support for habitat amount at the core range, suggesting individuals can occupy larger areas when there is a higher amount of habitat, regardless of configuration.Species that are relatively mobile may be able to compensate for the effects of habitat fragmentation by altering their movement. We highlight that any patch size is of value within a home range and management efforts should focus on maintaining sufficient habitat especially at the core range scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riana Gardiner
- School of Natural SciencesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTASAustralia
| | - Kirstin Proft
- School of Natural SciencesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTASAustralia
| | - Sebastien Comte
- School of Natural SciencesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTASAustralia
- Vertebrate Pest Research UnitNSW Department of Primary IndustriesOrangeNSWAustralia
| | - Menna Jones
- School of Natural SciencesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTASAustralia
| | - Chris N. Johnson
- School of Natural SciencesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTASAustralia
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Ross CE, Munro NT, Barton PS, Evans MJ, Gillen J, Macdonald BCT, McIntyre S, Cunningham SA, Manning AD. Effects of digging by a native and introduced ecosystem engineer on soil physical and chemical properties in temperate grassy woodland. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7506. [PMID: 31497393 PMCID: PMC6710926 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Temperate grasslands and woodlands are the focus of extensive restoration efforts worldwide. Reintroduction of locally extinct soil-foraging and burrowing animals has been suggested as a means to restore soil function in these ecosystems. Yet little is known about the physical and chemical effects of digging on soil over time and how these effects differ between species of digging animal, vegetation types or ecosystems. We compared foraging pits of a native reintroduced marsupial, the eastern bettong (Bettongia gaimardi) and that of the exotic European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). We simulated pits of these animals and measured pit dimensions and soil chemical properties over a period of 2 years. We showed that bettong and rabbit pits differed in their morphology and longevity, and that pits had a strong moderating effect on soil surface temperatures. Over 75% of the simulated pits were still visible after 2 years, and bettong pits infilled faster than rabbit pits. Bettong pits reduced diurnal temperature range by up to 25 °C compared to the soil surface. We did not find any effects of digging on soil chemistry that were consistent across vegetation types, between bettong and rabbit pits, and with time since digging, which is contrary to studies conducted in arid biomes. Our findings show that animal foraging pits in temperate ecosystems cause physical alteration of the soil surface and microclimatic conditions rather than nutrient changes often observed in arid areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E Ross
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - Nicola T Munro
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - Philip S Barton
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - Maldwyn J Evans
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - John Gillen
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | | | - Sue McIntyre
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia.,CSIRO, Black Mountain, ACT, Australia
| | - Saul A Cunningham
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - Adrian D Manning
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
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Gardiner R, Hamer R, Leos‐Barajas V, Peñaherrera‐Palma C, Jones ME, Johnson C. State-space modeling reveals habitat perception of a small terrestrial mammal in a fragmented landscape. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:9804-9814. [PMID: 31534695 PMCID: PMC6745662 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat loss is a major cause of species loss and is expected to increase. Loss of habitat is often associated with fragmentation of remaining habitat. Whether species can persist in fragmented landscapes may depend on their movement behavior, which determines their capability to respond flexibility to changes in habitat structure and spatial distribution of patches.Movement is frequently generalized to describe a total area used, or segmented to highlight resource use, often overlooking finer-scale individual behaviors. We applied hidden Markov models (HMM) to movement data from 26 eastern bettongs (Bettongia gaimardi) in fragmented landscapes. HMMs are able to identify distinct behavior states associated with different movement patterns and discover how these behaviors are associated with habitat features.Three distinct behavior states were identified and interpreted as denning, foraging, and fast-traveling. The probability of occurrence of each state, and of transitions between them, was predicted by variation in tree-canopy cover and understorey vegetation density. Denning was associated with woodland with low canopy cover but high vegetation density, foraging with high canopy cover but low vegetation density, and fast-traveling with low canopy cover and low vegetation density.Bettongs did move outside woodland patches, often fast-traveling through pasture and using smaller stands of trees as stepping stones between neighboring patches. Males were more likely to fast-travel and venture outside woodlands patches, while females concentrated their movement within woodland patches. Synthesis and applications: Our work demonstrates the value of using animal movement to understand how animals respond to variation in habitat structure, including fragmentation. Analysis using HMMs was able to characterize distinct habitat types needed for foraging and denning, and identify landscape features that facilitate movement between patches. Future work should extend the use of individual movement analyses to guide management of fragmented habitat in ways that support persistence of species potentially threatened by habitat loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riana Gardiner
- School of Natural SciencesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTASAustralia
| | - Rowena Hamer
- School of Natural SciencesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTASAustralia
| | - Vianey Leos‐Barajas
- Department of StatisticsIowa State UniversityAmesIAUSA
- Department of Business Administration and EconomicsBielefeld UniversityBielefeldGermany
| | | | - Menna E. Jones
- School of Natural SciencesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTASAustralia
| | - Chris Johnson
- School of Natural SciencesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTASAustralia
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Munro NT, McIntyre S, Macdonald B, Cunningham SA, Gordon IJ, Cunningham RB, Manning AD. Returning a lost process by reintroducing a locally extinct digging marsupial. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6622. [PMID: 31179166 PMCID: PMC6542348 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The eastern bettong (Bettongia gaimardi), a medium-sized digging marsupial, was reintroduced to a predator-free reserve after 100 years of absence from the Australian mainland. The bettong may have the potential to restore temperate woodlands degraded by a history of livestock grazing, by creating numerous small disturbances by digging. We investigated the digging capacity of the bettong and compared this to extant fauna, to answer the first key question of whether this species could be considered an ecosystem engineer, and ultimately if it has the capacity to restore lost ecological processes. We found that eastern bettongs were frequent diggers and, at a density of 0.3–0.4 animals ha−1, accounted for over half the total foraging pits observed (55%), with echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), birds and feral rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) accounting for the rest. We estimated that the population of bettongs present dug 985 kg of soil per ha per year in our study area. Bettongs dug more where available phosphorus was higher, where there was greater basal area of Acacia spp. and where kangaroo grazing was less. There was no effect on digging of eucalypt stem density or volume of logs on the ground. While bettong digging activity was more frequent under trees, digging also occurred in open grassland, and bettongs were the only species observed to dig in scalds (areas where topsoil has eroded to the B Horizon). These results highlight the potential for bettongs to enhance soil processes in a way not demonstrated by the existing fauna (native birds and echidna), and introduced rabbit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola T Munro
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Sue McIntyre
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Ben Macdonald
- Land and Water, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Saul A Cunningham
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Iain J Gordon
- Division of Tropical Environments and Societies, James Cook University of North Queensland, Townsville, QLD, Australia.,James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Ross B Cunningham
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Adrian D Manning
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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Davies GTO, Kirkpatrick JB, Cameron EZ, Carver S, Johnson CN. Ecosystem engineering by digging mammals: effects on soil fertility and condition in Tasmanian temperate woodland. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:180621. [PMID: 30800338 PMCID: PMC6366199 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.180621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Many small- and medium-sized mammals dig for their food. This activity potentially affects soil condition and fertility. Digging is well developed especially in Australian mammals, many of which have recently become rare or extinct. We measured the effects of digging by mammals on soil in a Tasmanian temperate dry sclerophyll forest with an intact mammal community. The density of diggings was 5812 ha-1, affecting 11% of the forest floor. Diggings were created at a rate of around 3113 diggings ha-1 yr-1, disturbing 6.5% of the forest floor and displacing 7.1 m3 ha-1 of soil annually. Most diggings were made by eastern bettongs (Bettongia gaimardi) and short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus). Many (approx. 30%) fresh diggings consisted of re-excavations of old diggings. Novel diggings displaced 5 m3 ha yr-1 of soil. Diggings acted as traps for organic matter and sites for the formation of new soil, which had higher fertility and moisture content and lower hardness than undisturbed topsoil. These effects on soil fertility and structure were strongest in habitats with dry and poor soil. Creation of fine-scaled heterogeneity by mammals, and amelioration of dry and infertile soil, is a valuable ecosystem service that could be restored by reintroduction of digging mammals to habitats from which they have declined or gone extinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. T. O. Davies
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - J. B. Kirkpatrick
- Discipline of Geography and Spatial Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 78, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - E. Z. Cameron
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - S. Carver
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - C. N. Johnson
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
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Flynn EM, Jones SM, Jones ME, Jordan GJ, Munks SA. Characteristics of mammal communities in Tasmanian forests: exploring the influence of forest type and disturbance history. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2011. [DOI: 10.1071/wr10025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
With increasing pressure worldwide on forest habitat, it is crucial to understand faunal ecology to effectively manage and minimise impacts of anthropogenic habitat disturbance.
Aims
This study assessed whether differences in forest type and disturbance history were reflected in small to medium mammal communities found in Tasmania’s production forests.
Methods
Trapping was conducted in spring and summer, and autumn and winter during 2007–08 at four dry Eucalyptus forest sites (two regenerating after harvest and two in relatively undisturbed forest) in south-east Tasmania, and four wet Eucalyptus forest sites (two regenerating after harvest and two in relatively undisturbed forest) in north-east Tasmania. All sites were embedded within a matrix of mature or older aged regenerating forest.
Key results
Thirteen mammal species were recorded across all sites. There was no difference in species diversity or richness between forest type or disturbance regime, but species composition differed. Total number of individual animals and captures was influenced strongly by forest type and disturbance history, with most animals captured in the dry disturbed forest sites. Abundance of some species (e.g. bettongs and potoroos) was higher in disturbed sites than undisturbed sites. Brushtail possum numbers (adults and offspring), however, were lower in disturbed sites and populations displayed a male biased adult sex ratio and lower breeding frequency. Habitat structural complexity and vegetation diversity within core sites, and age structure of the forest in the surrounding landscape did not vary significantly, indicating that broad resource (food and refuge) availability was equivalent across sites.
Conclusions
In general, the small to medium mammals in this study did not appear to be significantly affected by forest harvesting in the medium term.
Implications
Although past harvesting altered the abundance of some habitat features (e.g. canopy cover, basal area of trees, and tree hollow availability), we suggest that the availability of such features in the surrounding landscape may mitigate the potential effects of disturbance on the species for which such habitat features are important.
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Eldridge DJ, James AI. Soil-disturbance by native animals plays a critical role in maintaining healthy Australian landscapes. ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-8903.2009.00452.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Eldridge DJ, Kwok ABC. Soil disturbance by animals at varying spatial scales in a semi-arid Australian woodland. RANGELAND JOURNAL 2008. [DOI: 10.1071/rj08008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
We studied soil disturbance by rabbits, echidnas, goannas, ants and termites at three different spatial scales across four vegetation communities (dense woodland, open woodland, shrubland, grassland) in semi-arid rangeland in western NSW. For analyses, bare and litter-covered surfaces (micro-scale) were nested within canopy and open patches (intermediate scale), which were nested within vegetation communities (landscape scale). Landscape-scale disturbances (rabbit warrens) were six and three times more abundant in open woodlands and shrublands, respectively, than in dense woodlands. Although individual warrens had a similar mass of excavated soil across all vegetation communities, in total, more soil was excavated in the grasslands than in the dense woodlands or shrublands. There were four times as many intermediate-sized disturbances (foraging pits and resting sites) under canopies than out in the open, and this was consistent across all vegetation communities. Echidna foraging pits and kangaroo resting sites dominated the canopy patches. Intermediate-sized disturbances scaled up to the landscape scale were marginally more abundant in the dense and open woodlands than in grasslands and shrublands. However, total mass of soil moved by all species did not differ among vegetation communities. The density of small-scale disturbances (ant nests, termite foraging galleries) did not differ at the landscape-, intermediate- or micro-scales. Our study documents the extent of animal activity in the semi-arid woodlands, and reinforces the notion that, as soil disturbance is scale-dependent, differences among species, habitats and communities will depend on the scale at which disturbances are examined.
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Pizzuto TA, Finlayson GR, Crowther MS, Dickman CR. Microhabitat use by the brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia penicillata) and burrowing bettong (B. lesueur) in semiarid New South Wales: implications for reintroduction programs. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2007. [DOI: 10.1071/wr06127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Detailed studies of how endangered species use their environments at varied habitat scales are crucial if they are to be conserved and managed effectively. In this study, we used spool-and-line tracking to investigate the microhabitats used by the brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia penicillata) and the burrowing bettong (B. lesueur), two species with geographical ranges that have been dramatically reduced since European settlement in Australia. The study was carried out at Scotia Sanctuary, in semiarid western New South Wales, where both species have been recently reintroduced. The nocturnal movements and foraging of bettongs were associated with sites containing more canopy cover (mean 10–25%) than was available on average (0–10%). Models generated to predict the probability of bettong movements or activity points showed positive correlations with ground vegetation cover and ground vegetation height. Other microhabitat components of varying importance, including sand cover, litter cover, litter depth, crust cover, and distance to shrub/tree, were incorporated into these models. Species comparisons indicated that, although slight differences occurred in the way each species moved through the habitat, both species foraged in areas with similar microhabitat characteristics. While the models should have broad utility for the selection of favourable habitat for future release sites for B. penicillata and B. lesueur, further studies of diet and food availability are recommended to refine them further.
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CLARIDGE ANDREWW, BARRY SIMONC. Factors influencing the distribution of medium-sized ground-dwelling mammals in southeastern mainland Australia. AUSTRAL ECOL 2000. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2000.tb00074.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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JOHNSON CN. Fire and habitat management for a mycophagous marsupial, the Tasmanian bettong Bettongia gaimardi. AUSTRAL ECOL 1997. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1997.tb00645.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Interactions between fire, mycophagous mammals, and dispersal of ectromycorrhizal fungi in Eucalyptus forests. Oecologia 1995; 104:467-475. [DOI: 10.1007/bf00341344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/1995] [Accepted: 06/19/1995] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Johnson C. Fruiting of hypogeous fungi in dry sclerophyll forest in Tasmania, Australia: seasonal variation and annual production. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1994. [DOI: 10.1016/s0953-7562(09)80201-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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