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Crates R, von Takach B, Young CM, Stojanovic D, Neaves LE, Murphy L, Gautschi D, Hogg CJ, Heinsohn R, Bell P, Farquharson KA. Genomic insights into the critically endangered King Island scrubtit. J Hered 2024; 115:552-564. [PMID: 38814752 PMCID: PMC11334212 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esae029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Small, fragmented, or isolated populations are at risk of population decline due to fitness costs associated with inbreeding and genetic drift. The King Island scrubtit Acanthornis magna greeniana is a critically endangered subspecies of the nominate Tasmanian scrubtit A. m. magna, with an estimated population of <100 individuals persisting in three patches of swamp forest. The Tasmanian scrubtit is widespread in wet forests on mainland Tasmania. We sequenced the scrubtit genome using PacBio HiFi and undertook a population genomic study of the King Island and Tasmanian scrubtits using a double-digest restriction site-associated DNA (ddRAD) dataset of 5,239 SNP loci. The genome was 1.48 Gb long, comprising 1,518 contigs with an N50 of 7.715 Mb. King Island scrubtits formed one of four overall genetic clusters, but separated into three distinct subpopulations when analyzed independently of the Tasmanian scrubtit. Pairwise FST values were greater among the King Island scrubtit subpopulations than among most Tasmanian scrubtit subpopulations. Genetic diversity was lower and inbreeding coefficients were higher in the King Island scrubtit than all except one of the Tasmanian scrubtit subpopulations. We observed crown baldness in 8/15 King Island scrubtits, but 0/55 Tasmanian scrubtits. Six loci were significantly associated with baldness, including one within the DOCK11 gene which is linked to early feather development. Contemporary gene flow between King Island scrubtit subpopulations is unlikely, with further field monitoring required to quantify the fitness consequences of its small population size, low genetic diversity, and high inbreeding. Evidence-based conservation actions can then be implemented before the taxon goes extinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Crates
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Brenton von Takach
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth 6845, Australia
| | - Catherine M Young
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Dejan Stojanovic
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Linda E Neaves
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Liam Murphy
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Daniel Gautschi
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Carolyn J Hogg
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
| | - Robert Heinsohn
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Phil Bell
- Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7005, Australia
| | - Katherine A Farquharson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
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2
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Woinarski JCZ, Garnett ST, Zander KK. Social valuation of biodiversity relative to other types of assets at risk in wildfire. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14230. [PMID: 38111965 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Environmental crises, such as wildfires, can cause major losses of human life, infrastructure, biodiversity, and cultural values. In many such situations, incident controllers must make fateful choices about what to protect-and hence what to abandon. With an online representative survey of >2000 adult Australians, we investigated social attitudes to this dilemma. We used best-worst scaling to assess preferences across a set of 11 assets representing human life, infrastructure, biodiversity, and cultural values. Survey respondents overwhelmingly prioritized a single human life (best-worst score of 6647 out of possible score ranging from -10695 to 10695), even if that choice resulted in extinction of other species. Inanimate (replaceable) objects were accorded lowest priority (best-worst scores of -4655 for a shed and -3242 for a house). Among biodiversity assets, respondents prioritized protecting a population of the iconic koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) (best-worst score of 1913) ahead of preventing the extinction of a snail (score -329) and a plant species (-226). These results variably support current policy in that they emphasize the importance the community places on protection of human life, but results diverged from conventional practice in rating some biodiversity assets ahead of infrastructure. The preference for protecting a population of koalas ahead of action taken to prevent the extinction of an invertebrate and plant species corroborates previous research reporting biases in the way people value nature. If noncharismatic species are not to be treated as expendable, then the case for preventing their extinction needs to be better made to the community. Given the increasing global incidence of high-severity wildfires, further sampling of societal preferences among diverse asset types is needed to inform planning, policy, and practice relating to wildfire. Other preemptive targeted management actions (such as translocations) are needed to conserve biodiversity, especially noniconic species, likely to be imperiled by catastrophic events.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Z Woinarski
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Stephen T Garnett
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Kerstin K Zander
- Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
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3
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Blake K, Anderson SC, Gleave A, Veríssimo D. Impact on species' online attention when named after celebrities. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14184. [PMID: 37700661 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Celebrities can generate substantial attention and influence public interest in species. Using a large-scale examination of publicly available data, we assessed whether species across 6 taxonomic groups received more page views on Wikipedia when the species was named after a celebrity than when it was not. We conducted our analysis for 4 increasingly strict thresholds of how many average daily Wikipedia page views a celebrity had (1, 10, 100, or 1000 views). Overall, we found a high probability (0.96-0.98) that species named after celebrities had more page views than their closest relatives that were not named after celebrities, irrespective of the celebrity threshold. The multiplicative effect on species' page views was larger but more uncertain as celebrity page-view thresholds increased. The range for thresholds of 1 to 1000 was 1.08 (95% credible interval [CI] 1.00-1.18) to 1.76 (95% CI 0.96-2.80), respectively. The hierarchical estimates for the taxa tended to be positive. The strongest effects were for invertebrates, followed by amphibians, reptiles, fish, and mammals, whereas the weakest effect was for birds at lower page-view thresholds. Our results suggest that naming species after celebrities could be particularly significant for those belonging to taxonomic groups that are generally less popular than others (e.g., invertebrates). Celebrities may further influence the effectiveness of this marketing strategy, depending on their likability and connection to the species named after them. Eponyms may serve as a reminder of the disproportionate power dynamics between populations and some namesakes' untenable actions. However, they also provide an opportunity to recognize remarkable individuals and promote equity, inclusivity, and diversity in taxonomic practice. We encourage taxonomists to examine whether naming threatened species after celebrities could affect conservation support, especially for species that are otherwise typically overlooked by the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Blake
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sean C Anderson
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, Canada
- Department of Mathematics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
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4
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Marques V, Loot G, Blanchet S, Miaud C, Planes S, Peyran C, Arnal V, Calvet C, Pioch S, Manel S. Optimizing detectability of the endangered fan mussel using eDNA and ddPCR. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10807. [PMID: 38288365 PMCID: PMC10822771 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial and temporal monitoring of species threatened with extinction is of critical importance for conservation and ecosystem management. In the Mediterranean coast, the fan mussel (Pinna nobilis) is listed as critically endangered after suffering from a mass mortality event since 2016, leading to 100% mortality in most marine populations. Conventional monitoring for this macroinvertebrate is done using scuba, which is challenging in dense meadows or with low visibility. Here we developed an environmental DNA assay targeting the fan mussel and assessed the influence of several environmental parameters on the species detectability in situ. We developed and tested an eDNA molecular marker and collected 48 water samples in two sites at the Thau lagoon (France) with distinct fan mussel density, depths and during two seasons (summer and autumn). Our marker can amplify fan mussel DNA but lacks specificity since it also amplifies a conspecific species (Pinna rudis). We successfully amplified fan mussel DNA from in situ samples with 46 positive samples (out of 48) using ddPCR, although the DNA concentrations measured were low over almost all samples. Deeper sampling depth slightly increased DNA concentrations, but no seasonal effect was found. We highlight a putative spawning event on a single summer day with much higher DNA concentration compared to all other samples. We present an eDNA molecular assay able to detect the endangered fan mussel and provide guidelines to optimize the sampling protocol to maximize detectability. Effective and non-invasive monitoring tools for endangered species are promising to monitor remaining populations and have the potential of ecological restoration or habitat recolonization following a mass mortality event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie Marques
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE‐PSL University, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3MontpellierFrance
- Ecosystems and Landscape Evolution, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Department of Environmental System ScienceETH ZürichZürichSwitzerland
- Land Change ScienceSwiss Federal Research Institute WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - Géraldine Loot
- EDB, Laboratoire Ecologie et Evolution (UMR 5174)Université de Toulouse, UPS, CNRS, IRDToulouseFrance
| | - Simon Blanchet
- SETE, Station d'Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale (UAR2029), Centre National pour la Recherche ScientifiqueMoulisFrance
| | - Claude Miaud
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE‐PSL University, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3MontpellierFrance
| | - Serge Planes
- PSL Research University: EPHE – UPVD – CNRS, UAR 3278 CRIOBEPerpignanFrance
| | - Claire Peyran
- PSL Research University: EPHE – UPVD – CNRS, UAR 3278 CRIOBEPerpignanFrance
| | - Véronique Arnal
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE‐PSL University, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3MontpellierFrance
| | - Coralie Calvet
- AgroParisTechParisFrance
- Montpellier Research in Management (MRM)Univ Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Univ Perpignan Via DomitiaMontpellierFrance
| | - Sylvain Pioch
- AgroParisTechParisFrance
- Montpellier Research in Management (MRM)Univ Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Univ Perpignan Via DomitiaMontpellierFrance
| | - Stéphanie Manel
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE‐PSL University, IRDMontpellierFrance
- Institut Universitaire de FranceParisFrance
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5
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Legge S, Rumpff L, Garnett ST, Woinarski JCZ. Loss of terrestrial biodiversity in Australia: Magnitude, causation, and response. Science 2023; 381:622-631. [PMID: 37561866 DOI: 10.1126/science.adg7870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Australia's biota is species rich, with high rates of endemism. This natural legacy has rapidly diminished since European colonization. The impacts of invasive species, habitat loss, altered fire regimes, and changed water flows are now compounded by climate change, particularly through extreme drought, heat, wildfire, and flooding. Extinction rates, already far exceeding the global average for mammals, are predicted to escalate across all taxa, and ecosystems are collapsing. These losses are symptomatic of shortcomings in resourcing, law, policy, and management. Informed by examples of advances in conservation practice from invasive species control, Indigenous land management, and citizen science, we describe interventions needed to enhance future resilience. Many characteristics of Australian biodiversity loss are globally relevant, with recovery requiring society to reframe its relationship with the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Legge
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia
- Fenner School of Society and the Environment, The Australian National University, Acton, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Libby Rumpff
- School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephen T Garnett
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - John C Z Woinarski
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia
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6
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The effect of long-term climatic variability on wild mammal populations in a tropical forest hotspot: A business intelligence framework. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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7
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Kearney SG, Carwardine J, Reside AE, Adams VM, Nelson R, Coggan A, Spindler R, Watson JEM. Saving species beyond the protected area fence: Threats must be managed across multiple land tenure types to secure Australia's endangered species. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen G. Kearney
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | | | - April E. Reside
- School of Biological Science University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Vanessa M. Adams
- School of Technology, Environments and Design University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
| | - Rebecca Nelson
- University of Melbourne Law School Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | | | | | - James E. M. Watson
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
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8
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Selwood KE, Antos M, Bramwell M, Lee A, Lynch M, Magrath MJL, Maute K, Melvin F, Mott R, Perri M, Whiteford C, Clarke RH. Emergency conservation interventions during times of crisis: A case study for a threatened bird species in the Australian Black Summer bushfires. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E. Selwood
- Zoos Victoria Parkville Victoria Australia
- School of Biosciences University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Mark Antos
- Science and Management Effectiveness Parks Victoria Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Mick Bramwell
- Forest, Fire and Regions Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Bairnsdale Victoria Australia
| | - Adam Lee
- Zoos Victoria Parkville Victoria Australia
| | | | - Michael J. L. Magrath
- Zoos Victoria Parkville Victoria Australia
- School of Biosciences University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Kimberly Maute
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions University of Wollongong Wollongong New South Wales Australia
| | | | - Rowan Mott
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Victoria Australia
| | - Marc Perri
- Forest, Fire and Regions Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Orbost Victoria Australia
| | | | - Rohan H. Clarke
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Victoria Australia
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9
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IUCN captive management guidelines support ex situ conservation of the Bengal florican Houbaropsis bengalensis blandini. ORYX 2021. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605319001510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractEx situ conservation of species is risky and expensive, but it can prevent extinction when in situ conservation fails. We used the IUCN Guidelines on the Use of Ex Situ Management for Species Conservation to evaluate whether to begin ex situ conservation for the South-east Asian subspecies of Bengal florican Houbaropsis bengalensis blandini, which is predicted to be extinct in the wild within 5 years. To inform our decision, we developed a decision tree, and used a demographic model to evaluate the probability of establishing a captive population under a range of husbandry scenarios and egg harvest regimes, and compared this with the probability of the wild population persisting. The model showed that if ex situ conservation draws on international best practice in bustard husbandry there is a high probability of establishing a captive population, but the wild population is unlikely to persist. We identified and evaluated the practical risks associated with ex situ conservation, and documented our plans to mitigate them. Modelling shows that it is unlikely that birds could be released within 20–30 years, by which time genetic, morphological and behavioural changes in the captive population, combined with habitat loss and extinction of the wild population, make it unlikely that Bengal florican could be released into a situation approximating their current wild state. We considered the philosophical and practical implications through a decision tree so that our decision to begin ex situ management is not held back by our preconceived notions of what it means to be wild.
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10
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Guerrero AM, Sporne I, McKenna R, Wilson KA. Evaluating institutional fit for the conservation of threatened species. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:1437-1450. [PMID: 33543510 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Recovery and conservation of threatened species require adequate institutional responses. We tested an approach to systematically identify and measure how an institutional framework acknowledges threats and required responses for the recovery of endangered species. We measured institutional functional fit with a drivers-pressure-state-impacts-response (DPSIR) model integrated with a quantitative text mining method and qualitative analysis of statutory instruments to examine regulatory responses that support the recovery of 2 endangered species native to Australia, the bridled nailtail wallaby (Onychogalea fraenata) and the Eastern Bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus). The key components of the DPSIR model were present in the institutional framework at statutory and operational levels, but some institutional gaps remained in the protection and recovery of the Eastern Bristlebird, including feral predator control, weed control, and grazing management in some locations. However, regulatory frameworks varied in their geographic scope and the application and implementation of many instruments remained optional. Quantitative text mining can be used to quickly navigate a large volume of regulatory documents, but challenges remain in selection of terms, queries of co-occurrence, and interpretation of word frequency counts. To inform policy, we recommend that quantitative assessments of institutional fit be complemented with qualitative analysis and interpreted in light of the sociopolitical and institutional context.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Guerrero
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - I Sporne
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - R McKenna
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - K A Wilson
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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11
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Crates R, Rayner L, Stojanovic D, Scheele BC, Roff A, MacKenzie J, Heinsohn R. Poor‐quality monitoring data underestimate the impact of Australia's megafires on a critically endangered songbird. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ross Crates
- Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Laura Rayner
- Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
- Parks and Conservation Service ACT Government Coombs Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Dejan Stojanovic
- Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Ben C. Scheele
- Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Adam Roff
- New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and Environment Newcastle New South Wales Australia
| | | | - Robert Heinsohn
- Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
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12
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Bayraktarov E, Correa DF, Suarez‐Castro AF, Garnett ST, Macgregor NA, Possingham HP, Tulloch AIT. Variable effects of protected areas on long‐term multispecies trends for Australia's imperiled birds. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Bayraktarov
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science The University of Queensland St. Lucia, Queensland Australia
| | - Diego F. Correa
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science The University of Queensland St. Lucia, Queensland Australia
| | - Andrés F. Suarez‐Castro
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science The University of Queensland St. Lucia, Queensland Australia
| | - Stephen T. Garnett
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Casuarina Northern Territory Australia
| | - Nicholas A. Macgregor
- Parks Australia Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) University of Kent Canterbury UK
| | - Hugh P. Possingham
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science The University of Queensland St. Lucia, Queensland Australia
- The Nature Conservancy Arlington Virginia USA
| | - Ayesha I. T. Tulloch
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science The University of Queensland St. Lucia, Queensland Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Camperdown New South Wales Australia
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13
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Howell LG, Mawson PR, Frankham R, Rodger JC, Upton RMO, Witt RR, Calatayud NE, Clulow S, Clulow J. Integrating biobanking could produce significant cost benefits and minimise inbreeding for Australian amphibian captive breeding programs. Reprod Fertil Dev 2021; 33:573-587. [PMID: 38600658 DOI: 10.1071/rd21058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Captive breeding is an important tool for amphibian conservation despite high economic costs and deleterious genetic effects of sustained captivity and unavoidably small colony sizes. Integration of biobanking and assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) could provide solutions to these challenges, but is rarely used due to lack of recognition of the potential benefits and clear policy direction. Here we present compelling genetic and economic arguments to integrate biobanking and ARTs into captive breeding programs using modelled captive populations of two Australian threatened frogs, namely the orange-bellied frog Geocrinia vitellina and the white bellied frog Geocrinia alba . Back-crossing with frozen founder spermatozoa using ARTs every generation minimises rates of inbreeding and provides considerable reductions in colony size and program costs compared with conventional captive management. Biobanking could allow captive institutions to meet or exceed longstanding genetic retention targets (90% of source population heterozygosity over 100 years). We provide a broad policy direction that could make biobanking technology a practical reality across Australia's ex situ management of amphibians in current and future holdings. Incorporating biobanking technology widely across this network could deliver outcomes by maintaining high levels of source population genetic diversity and freeing economic resources to develop ex situ programs for a greater number of threatened amphibian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan G Howell
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; and FAUNA Research Alliance, Kahibah, NSW 2290, Australia; and Corresponding author
| | - Peter R Mawson
- Perth Zoo, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, PO Box 489, South Perth, WA 6951, Australia
| | - Richard Frankham
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2019, Australia; and Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - John C Rodger
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; and FAUNA Research Alliance, Kahibah, NSW 2290, Australia
| | - Rose M O Upton
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; and FAUNA Research Alliance, Kahibah, NSW 2290, Australia
| | - Ryan R Witt
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; and FAUNA Research Alliance, Kahibah, NSW 2290, Australia
| | - Natalie E Calatayud
- San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA 92027, USA; and Conservation Science Network, 24 Thomas Street, Mayfield, NSW 2304, Australia
| | - Simon Clulow
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia
| | - John Clulow
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; and FAUNA Research Alliance, Kahibah, NSW 2290, Australia
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14
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Wüster W, Thomson SA, O’shea M, Kaiser H. Confronting taxonomic vandalism in biology: conscientious community self-organization can preserve nomenclatural stability. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Self-published taxon descriptions, bereft of a basis of evidence, are a long-standing problem in taxonomy. The problem derives in part from the Principle of Priority in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, which forces the use of the oldest available nomen irrespective of scientific merit. This provides a route to ‘immortality’ for unscrupulous individuals through the mass-naming of taxa without scientific basis, a phenomenon referred to as taxonomic vandalism. Following a flood of unscientific taxon namings, in 2013 a group of concerned herpetologists organized a widely supported, community-based campaign to treat these nomina as lying outside the permanent scientific record, and to ignore and overwrite them as appropriate. Here, we review the impact of these proposals over the past 8 years. We identified 59 instances of unscientific names being set aside and overwritten with science-based names (here termed aspidonyms), and 1087 uses of these aspidonyms, compared to one instance of preference for the overwritten names. This shows that when there is widespread consultation and agreement across affected research communities, setting aside certain provisions of the Code can constitute an effective last resort defence against taxonomic vandalism and enhance the universality and stability of the scientific nomenclature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Wüster
- Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Scott A Thomson
- Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Divisão de Vertebrados (Herpetologia), Avenida Nazaré, 481, Ipiranga, 04263-000, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Chelonian Research Institute, 401 South Central Avenue, Oviedo, FL 32765, USA
| | - Mark O’shea
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, UK
| | - Hinrich Kaiser
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn, Germany
- Department of Biology, Victor Valley College, 18422 Bear Valley Road, Victorville, CA 92395, USA
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15
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Emery J, Mitchell NJ, Cogger H, Agius J, Andrew P, Arnall S, Detto T, Driscoll DA, Flakus S, Green P, Harlow P, McFadden M, Pink C, Retallick K, Rose K, Sleeth M, Tiernan B, Valentine LE, Woinarski JZ. The lost lizards of Christmas Island: A retrospective assessment of factors driving the collapse of a native reptile community. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jon‐Paul Emery
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Western Australia Perth Western Australia Australia
| | - Nicola J. Mitchell
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Western Australia Perth Western Australia Australia
| | - Harold Cogger
- John Evans Memorial Fellow, Australian Museum Research Institute Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Jessica Agius
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney Brownlow Hill New South Wales Australia
| | - Paul Andrew
- Taronga Conservation Society Australia Mosman New South Wales Australia
| | | | - Tanya Detto
- Christmas Island National Park Drumsite Territory of Christmas Island Australia
| | - Don A. Driscoll
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Geelong, Burwood Campus Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Samantha Flakus
- Christmas Island National Park Drumsite Territory of Christmas Island Australia
| | - Peter Green
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution La Trobe University Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Peter Harlow
- Taronga Conservation Society Australia Mosman New South Wales Australia
| | - Michael McFadden
- Taronga Conservation Society Australia Mosman New South Wales Australia
| | - Caitlyn Pink
- Christmas Island National Park Drumsite Territory of Christmas Island Australia
| | - Kent Retallick
- Christmas Island National Park Drumsite Territory of Christmas Island Australia
| | - Karrie Rose
- Australian Registry of Wildlife Health, Taronga Conservation Society Australia Mosman New South Wales Australia
| | | | - Brendan Tiernan
- Christmas Island National Park Drumsite Territory of Christmas Island Australia
| | - Leonie E. Valentine
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Western Australia Perth Western Australia Australia
| | - John Z. Woinarski
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Casuarina Northwest Territories Australia
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16
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Raposo MA, Kirwan GM, Lourenço ACC, Sobral G, Bockmann FA, Stopiglia R. On the notions of taxonomic ‘impediment’, ‘gap’, ‘inflation’ and ‘anarchy’, and their effects on the field of conservation. SYST BIODIVERS 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2020.1829157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcos A. Raposo
- Setor de Ornitologia, Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, s/n, Rio de Janeiro, 20940–040, RJ, Brazil
- UMR 8590, IHPST–Institut d'Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques, UMR 8590, Université Paris 1, Panthéon-Sorbonne & CNRS, 13 rue du Four, Paris, 75006, France
| | - Guy M. Kirwan
- Setor de Ornitologia, Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, s/n, Rio de Janeiro, 20940–040, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Calijorne Lourenço
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Campus Ubá, Av. Olegário Maciel, 1427, Ubá, 36502-000, MG, Brazil
| | - Gisela Sobral
- Departamento de Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, 05508-270, SP, Brazil
| | - Flávio Alicino Bockmann
- Laboratório de Ictiologia de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. dos Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, 14040–901, SP, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Comparada, FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. dos Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, Paris, 14040-901, SP, Brazil
| | - Renata Stopiglia
- Laboratório de Ictiologia de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. dos Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, 14040–901, SP, Brazil
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB, UMR 7205 – CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 30, Paris, F-75005, France
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17
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Miller RL, Marsh H, Benham C, Hamann M. Stakeholder engagement in the governance of marine migratory species: barriers and building blocks. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2020. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Meaningful stakeholder engagement is important to collaborative decision-making and to effective polycentric governance, particularly when managing cross-scale environmental issues like those involving marine migratory species. In this paper, we explore the barriers to, and opportunities for, stakeholder involvement in the governance of threats to marine migratory species in eastern Australia, using semi-structured qualitative interviews and a focus group, as an example of the generic problem of managing migratory species within a large range state with multiple jurisdictions. Respondents identified several barriers to, and opportunities for, improved stakeholder involvement in the governance of marine migratory species, corresponding to 4 main themes: decision-making processes, information sharing, institutional structures, and participation processes. Respondents indicated that the governance system protecting marine turtles, dugongs, humpback whales, and non-threatened migratory shorebirds in eastern Australia would benefit from the introduction of new information pathways, reformed institutional structures (including environmental legislation), and improved participatory pathways for non-government stakeholders. Such changes could help harmonise the process of managing these species, leading to more effective conservation management throughout their range.
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Affiliation(s)
- RL Miller
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - H Marsh
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - C Benham
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - M Hamann
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
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18
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Han Y, Kristensen NP, Buckley YM, Maple DJ, West J, McDonald-Madden E. Predicting the ecosystem-wide impacts of eradication with limited information using a qualitative modelling approach. Ecol Modell 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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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Selinske MJ, Garrard GE, Gregg EA, Kusmanoff AM, Kidd LR, Cullen MT, Cooper M, Geary WL, Hatty MA, Hames F, Kneebone S, McLeod EM, Ritchie EG, Squires ZE, Thomas J, Willcock MAW, Blair S, Bekessy SA. Identifying and prioritizing human behaviors that benefit biodiversity. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Selinske
- ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social StudiesRMIT University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- The Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program, Threatened Species Recovery Hub St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Georgia E. Garrard
- ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social StudiesRMIT University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- The Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program, Threatened Species Recovery Hub St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Emily A. Gregg
- ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social StudiesRMIT University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- The Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program, Threatened Species Recovery Hub St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Alexander M. Kusmanoff
- ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social StudiesRMIT University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- The Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program, Threatened Species Recovery Hub St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Lindall R. Kidd
- ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social StudiesRMIT University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- The Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program, Threatened Species Recovery Hub St Lucia Queensland Australia
- BirdLife Australia Carlton Victoria Australia
| | | | - Michelle Cooper
- Biodiversity Division, Department of EnvironmentLand, Water & Planning East Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - William L. Geary
- Biodiversity Division, Department of EnvironmentLand, Water & Planning East Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Melissa A. Hatty
- BehaviourWorks AustraliaMonash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University Clayton Victoria Australia
| | - Fern Hames
- Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental ResearchDepartment of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Heidelberg Victoria Australia
| | - Sarah Kneebone
- BehaviourWorks AustraliaMonash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University Clayton Victoria Australia
| | - Emily M. McLeod
- Department of Wildlife Conservation and ScienceZoos Victoria Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Euan G. Ritchie
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin University Geelong Victoria Australia
| | - Zoe E. Squires
- Biodiversity Division, Department of EnvironmentLand, Water & Planning East Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | | | | | - Sera Blair
- Victoria National Parks Association Carlton Victoria Australia
| | - Sarah A. Bekessy
- ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social StudiesRMIT University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- The Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program, Threatened Species Recovery Hub St Lucia Queensland Australia
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20
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Williams DR, Balmford A, Wilcove DS. The past and future role of conservation science in saving biodiversity. Conserv Lett 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- David R Williams
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of Leeds Leeds UK
- Bren School of Environmental Science and ManagementUniversity of California Santa Barbara California
| | - Andrew Balmford
- Conservation Science Group, Department of ZoologyUniversity of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - David S Wilcove
- Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton University Princeton New Jersey
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21
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Comer S, Clausen L, Cowen S, Pinder J, Thomas A, Burbidge AH, Tiller C, Algar D, Speldewinde P. Integrating feral cat (Felis catus) control into landscape-scale introduced predator management to improve conservation prospects for threatened fauna: a case study from the south coast of Western Australia. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/wr19217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
ContextFeral cat predation has had a significant impact on native Australian fauna in the past 200 years. In the early 2000s, population monitoring of the western ground parrot showed a dramatic decline from the pre-2000 range, with one of three meta-populations declining to very low levels and a second becoming locally extinct. We review 8 years of integrated introduced predator control, which trialled the incorporation of the feral cat bait Eradicat® into existing fox baiting programs.
AimsTo test the efficacy of integrating feral cat control into an existing introduced predator control program in an adaptive management framework conducted in response to the decline of native species. The objective was to protect the remaining western ground parrot populations and other threatened fauna on the south coast of Western Australia.
MethodsA landscape-scale feral cat and fox baiting program was delivered across south coast reserves that were occupied by western ground parrots in the early 2000s. Up to 500000ha of national parks and natures reserves were baited per annum. Monitoring was established to evaluate both the efficacy of landscape-scale baiting in management of feral cat populations, and the response of several native fauna species, including the western ground parrot, to an integrated introduced predator control program.
Key resultsOn average, 28% of radio-collared feral cats died from Eradicat® baiting each year, over a 5-year period. The results varied from 0% to 62% between years. Changes in site occupancy by feral cats, as measured by detection on camera traps, was also variable, with significant declines detected after baiting in some years and sites. Trends in populations of native fauna, including the western ground parrot and chuditch, showed positive responses to integrated control of foxes and cats.
ImplicationsLandscape-scale baiting of feral cats in ecosystems on the south coast of Western Australia had varying success when measured by direct knockdown of cats and site occupancy as determined by camera trapping; however, native species appeared to respond favourably to integrated predator control. For the protection of native species, we recommend ongoing baiting for both foxes and feral cats, complemented by post-bait trapping of feral cats. We advocate monitoring baiting efficacy in a well designed adaptive management framework to deliver long-term recovery of threatened species that have been impacted by cats.
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22
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Hohnen R, Berris K, Hodgens P, Mulvaney J, Florence B, Murphy BP, Legge SM, Dickman CR, Woinarski JCZ. Pre-eradication assessment of feral cat density and population size across Kangaroo Island, South Australia. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/wr19137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Context Feral cats (Felis catus) are a significant threat to wildlife in Australia and globally. In Australia, densities of feral cats vary across the continent and also between the mainland and offshore islands. Densities on small islands may be at least an order of magnitude higher than those in adjacent mainland areas. To provide cat-free havens for biodiversity, cat-control and eradication programs are increasingly occurring on Australian offshore islands. However, planning such eradications is difficult, particularly on large islands where cat densities could vary considerably.
Aims In the present study, we examined how feral cat densities vary among three habitats on Kangaroo Island, a large Australian offshore island for which feral cat eradication is planned.
Methods Densities were compared among the following three broad habitat types: forest, forest–farmland boundaries and farmland. To detect cats, three remote-camera arrays were deployed in each habitat type, and density around each array was calculated using a spatially explicit capture–recapture framework.
Key results The average feral cat density on Kangaroo Island (0.37 cats km−2) was slightly higher than that on the Australian mainland. Densities varied from 0.06 to 3.27 cats km−2 and were inconsistent within broad habitat types. Densities were highest on farms that had a high availability of macropod and sheep carcasses. The relationship between cat density and the proportion of cleared land in the surrounding area was weak. The total feral cat population of Kangaroo Island was estimated at 1629±661 (mean±s.e.) individuals.
Conclusions Cat densities on Kangaroo Island are highly variable and may be locally affected by factors such as prey and carrion availability.
Implications For cat eradication to be successful, resources must be sufficient to control at least the average cat density (0.37 cats km−2), with additional effort around areas of high carcass availability (where cats are likely to be at a higher density) potentially also being required.
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Lintermans M, Geyle HM, Beatty S, Brown C, Ebner BC, Freeman R, Hammer MP, Humphreys WF, Kennard MJ, Kern P, Martin K, Morgan DL, Raadik TA, Unmack PJ, Wager R, Woinarski JCZ, Garnett ST. Big trouble for little fish: identifying Australian freshwater fishes in imminent risk of extinction. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/pc19053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Globally, freshwater fishes are declining at an alarming rate. Despite much evidence of catastrophic declines, few Australian species are listed as threatened under national legislation. We aim to help redress this by identifying the Australian freshwater fishes that are in the most immediate risk of extinction. For 22 freshwater fishes (identified as highly threatened by experts), we used structured expert elicitation to estimate the probability of extinction in the next ~20 years, and to identify key threats and priority management needs. All but one of the 22 species are small (<150mm total length), 12 have been formally described only in the last decade, with seven awaiting description. Over 90% of these species were assessed to have a >50% probability of extinction in the next ~20 years. Collectively, the biggest factor contributing to the likelihood of extinction of the freshwater fishes considered is that they occur in small (distributions ≤44km2), geographically isolated populations, and are threatened by a mix of processes (particularly alien fishes and climate change). Nineteen of these species are unlisted on national legislation, so legislative drivers for recovery actions are largely absent. Research has provided strong direction on how to manage ~35% of known threats to the species considered, and, of these, ~36% of threats have some management underway (although virtually none are at the stage where intervention is no longer required). Increased resourcing, management intervention and social attitudinal change is urgently needed to avert the impending extinction of Australia’s most imperilled freshwater fishes.
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Díaz S, Settele J, Brondízio ES, Ngo HT, Agard J, Arneth A, Balvanera P, Brauman KA, Butchart SHM, Chan KMA, Garibaldi LA, Ichii K, Liu J, Subramanian SM, Midgley GF, Miloslavich P, Molnár Z, Obura D, Pfaff A, Polasky S, Purvis A, Razzaque J, Reyers B, Chowdhury RR, Shin YJ, Visseren-Hamakers I, Willis KJ, Zayas CN. Pervasive human-driven decline of life on Earth points to the need for transformative change. Science 2019; 366:366/6471/eaax3100. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aax3100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 691] [Impact Index Per Article: 138.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The human impact on life on Earth has increased sharply since the 1970s, driven by the demands of a growing population with rising average per capita income. Nature is currently supplying more materials than ever before, but this has come at the high cost of unprecedented global declines in the extent and integrity of ecosystems, distinctness of local ecological communities, abundance and number of wild species, and the number of local domesticated varieties. Such changes reduce vital benefits that people receive from nature and threaten the quality of life of future generations. Both the benefits of an expanding economy and the costs of reducing nature’s benefits are unequally distributed. The fabric of life on which we all depend—nature and its contributions to people—is unravelling rapidly. Despite the severity of the threats and lack of enough progress in tackling them to date, opportunities exist to change future trajectories through transformative action. Such action must begin immediately, however, and address the root economic, social, and technological causes of nature’s deterioration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Díaz
- Consejo Nacional de investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), Córdoba, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales,Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Casilla de Correo 495, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Josef Settele
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research–iDiv, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Hien T. Ngo
- Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Secretariat, United Nations Campus, Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1, D-53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - John Agard
- Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Almut Arneth
- Atmospheric Environmental Research, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - Patricia Balvanera
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CP 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Kate A. Brauman
- Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, 325 Learning and Environmental Sciences, 1954 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Stuart H. M. Butchart
- BirdLife International, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Kai M. A. Chan
- Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Lucas A. Garibaldi
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Mitre 630, CP 8400, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Kazuhito Ichii
- Center for Environmental Remote Sensing, Chiba University, 1-33,Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-852, Japan
- Center for Global Environmental Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2, Onogawa, Tsukuba, 305-0053, Japan
| | - Jianguo Liu
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, 115 Manly Miles Building, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
| | - Suneetha M. Subramanian
- United Nations University (UNU)–Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability, Tokyo, Japan
- UNU–International Institute for Global Health, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Guy F. Midgley
- Global Change Biology Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, P/Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - Patricia Miloslavich
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)–Oceans and Atmosphere, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Departamento de Estudios Ambientales, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Zsolt Molnár
- Centre for Ecological Research Institute of Ecology and Botany, Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - David Obura
- Coastal Oceans Research and Development–Indian Ocean (CORDIO) East Africa, Mombasa, Kenya
- Global Climate Institute, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Alexander Pfaff
- Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Stephen Polasky
- Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, 1994 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 1994 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Andy Purvis
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Grand Challenges in Ecosystems and the Environment, Imperial College London, Ascot SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Jona Razzaque
- Department of Law, Faculty of Business and Law, University of the West of England, Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Belinda Reyers
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Sweden
- Department of Conservation Ecology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | | | - Yunne-Jai Shin
- Marine Biodiversity, Exploitation and Conservation (MARBEC) Research Unit, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marine Research Institute, University of Cape Town, 7701 Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Ingrid Visseren-Hamakers
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
- Institute for Management Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Katherine J. Willis
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE, UK
- Long-Term Ecology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Cynthia N. Zayas
- Center for International Studies University of the Philippines, Diliman, Philippines
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Simmonds JS, Reside AE, Stone Z, Walsh JC, Ward MS, Maron M. Vulnerable species and ecosystems are falling through the cracks of environmental impact assessments. Conserv Lett 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S. Simmonds
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science The University of Queensland St Lucia Australia
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia Australia
| | - April E. Reside
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science The University of Queensland St Lucia Australia
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia Australia
| | - Zoe Stone
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science The University of Queensland St Lucia Australia
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia Australia
| | - Jessica C. Walsh
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science The University of Queensland St Lucia Australia
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia Australia
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Australia
| | - Michelle S. Ward
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science The University of Queensland St Lucia Australia
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia Australia
| | - Martine Maron
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science The University of Queensland St Lucia Australia
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia Australia
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Wintle BA, Cadenhead NC, Morgain RA, Legge SM, Bekessy SA, Cantele M, Possingham HP, Watson JE, Maron M, Keith DA, Garnett ST, Woinarski JCZ, Lindenmayer DB. Spending to save: What will it cost to halt Australia's extinction crisis? Conserv Lett 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rachel A. Morgain
- Fenner School of Environment & SocietyThe Australian National University, ACT Australia
| | - Sarah M. Legge
- Fenner School of Environment & SocietyThe Australian National University, ACT Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation ScienceUniversity of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Sarah A. Bekessy
- Interdisciplinary Conservation ScienceRMIT University Victoria Australia
| | - Matthew Cantele
- School of BiosciencesThe University of Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Hugh P. Possingham
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation ScienceUniversity of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
- The Nature Conservancy Arlington Virginia
| | - James E.M. Watson
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation ScienceUniversity of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
- Global Conservation ProgramWildlife Conservation Society Bronx New York
| | - Martine Maron
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation ScienceUniversity of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - David A. Keith
- Centre for Ecosystem ScienceUniversity of New South Wales Kensington Australia
| | - Stephen T. Garnett
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin University Northern Territory Australia
| | - John C. Z. Woinarski
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin University Northern Territory Australia
| | - David B. Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment & SocietyThe Australian National University, ACT Australia
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Hoeppner JM, Hughes L. Climate readiness of recovery plans for threatened Australian species. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2019; 33:534-542. [PMID: 30570177 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The rapidly changing climate is posing growing threats for all species, but particularly for those already considered threatened. We reviewed 100 recovery plans for Australian terrestrial threatened species (50 fauna and 50 flora plans) written from 1997 to 2017. We recorded the number of plans that acknowledged climate change as a threat and of these how many proposed specific actions to ameliorate the threat. We classified these actions along a continuum from passive or incremental to active or interventionist. Overall, just under 60% of the sampled recovery plans listed climate change as a current or potential threat to the threatened taxa, and the likelihood of this acknowledgment increased over time. A far smaller proportion of the plans, however, identified specific actions associated with ameliorating climate risk (22%) and even fewer (9%) recommended any interventionist action in response to a climate-change-associated threat. Our results point to a disconnect between the knowledge generated on climate-change-related risk and potential adaptation strategies and the extent to which this knowledge has been incorporated into an important instrument of conservation action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanne Malin Hoeppner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Lesley Hughes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
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Foster CN, O'Loughlin LS, Sato CF, Westgate MJ, Barton PS, Pierson JC, Balmer JM, Catt G, Chapman J, Detto T, Hawcroft A, Jones G, Kavanagh RP, McKay M, Marshall D, Moseby KE, Perry M, Robinson D, Seddon JA, Tuft K, Lindenmayer DB. How practitioners integrate decision triggers with existing metrics in conservation monitoring. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 230:94-101. [PMID: 30273788 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.09.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Decision triggers are defined thresholds in the status of monitored variables that indicate when to undertake management, and avoid undesirable ecosystem change. Decision triggers are frequently recommended to conservation practitioners as a tool to facilitate evidence-based management practices, but there has been limited attention paid to how practitioners are integrating decision triggers into existing monitoring programs. We sought to understand whether conservation practitioners' use of decision triggers was influenced by the type of variables in their monitoring programs. We investigated this question using a practitioner-focused workshop involving a structured discussion and review of eight monitoring programs. Among our case studies, direct measures of biodiversity (e.g. native species) were more commonly monitored, but less likely to be linked to decision triggers (10% with triggers) than measures being used as surrogates (54% with triggers) for program objectives. This was because decision triggers were associated with management of threatening processes, which were often monitored as a surrogate for a biodiversity asset of interest. By contrast, direct measures of biodiversity were more commonly associated with informal decision processes that led to activities such as management reviews or external consultation. Workshop participants were in favor of including more formalized decision triggers in their programs, but were limited by incomplete ecological knowledge, lack of appropriately skilled staff, funding constraints, and/or uncertainty regarding intervention effectiveness. We recommend that practitioners consider including decision triggers for discussion activities (such as external consultation) in their programs as more than just early warning points for future interventions, particularly for direct measures. Decision triggers for discussions should be recognized as a critical feature of monitoring programs where information and operational limitations inhibit the use of decision triggers for interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire N Foster
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - Luke S O'Loughlin
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - Chloe F Sato
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Martin J Westgate
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Philip S Barton
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Jennifer C Pierson
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia; Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, ACT Government, Tharwa, Australia
| | - Jayne M Balmer
- Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
| | - Gareth Catt
- Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa, PO Box 504, Newman, WA, 6753, Australia
| | - Jane Chapman
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia
| | - Tanya Detto
- Christmas Island National Park, Christmas Island, 6798, Australia
| | | | - Glenys Jones
- School of Land and Food - Geography & Spatial Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - Rodney P Kavanagh
- Australian Wildlife Conservancy, GPO Box 4301, Sydney, NSW, 2001, Australia
| | | | | | - Katherine E Moseby
- Arid Recovery, Olympic Dam South Australia, Australia; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | | | - Doug Robinson
- Trust For Nature, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia; Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Julian A Seddon
- ACT Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, GPO Box 158, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | | | - David B Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
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Kearney SG, Carwardine J, Reside AE, Fisher DO, Maron M, Doherty TS, Legge S, Silcock J, Woinarski JCZ, Garnett ST, Wintle BA, Watson JEM. The threats to Australia’s imperilled species and implications for a national conservation response. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1071/pc18024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Since European occupation of Australia, human activities have caused the dramatic decline and sometimes extinction of many of the continent’s unique species. Here we provide a comprehensive review of threats to species listed as threatened under Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Following accepted global categories of threat, we find that invasive species affect the largest number of listed species (1257 species, or 82% of all threatened species); ecosystem modifications (e.g. fire) (74% of listed species) and agricultural activity (57%) are also important. The ranking of threats was largely consistent across taxonomic groups and the degree of species’ endangerment. These results were significantly different (P<0.01) from recent analyses of threats to threatened species globally, which highlighted overexploitation, agriculture and urban development as major causes of decline. Australia is distinct not only in the biodiversity it contains but also in the extent and mixture of processes that threaten the survival of these species. Notably, the IUCN threat classification scheme separates the numerous threats (e.g. urban development, agriculture, mining) that cause habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation, hence further research is required to quantify the net impact of these types of habitat change. We provide feasible suggestions for a more coordinated national approach to threatened species conservation, which could provide decision makers and managers at all levels with improved resources and information on threats and management. Adequate policy, legislative support and funding are critical for ensuring that on-ground management is successful in halting the decline of Australia’s threatened species.
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Hohnen R, P. Murphy B, A. Gates J, Legge S, R. Dickman C, C. Z. Woinarski J. Detecting and protecting the threatened Kangaroo Island dunnart ( Sminthopsis fuliginosusaitkeni). CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/csp2.4] [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] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary Hohnen
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub; Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University; Darwin Northern Territory Australia
| | - Brett P. Murphy
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub; Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University; Darwin Northern Territory Australia
| | - Jody A. Gates
- South Australian Department for Environment and Water; Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - Sarah Legge
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub; Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland; St Lucia Queensland Australia
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub; Fenner School, The Australian National University; Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Chris R. Dickman
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub; Desert Ecology Research Group, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney; Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - John C. Z. Woinarski
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub; Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University; Darwin Northern Territory Australia
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Hohnen R, P. Murphy B, A. Gates J, Legge S, R. Dickman C, C. Z. Woinarski J. Detecting and protecting the threatened Kangaroo Island dunnart (
Sminthopsis fuliginosus aitkeni
). CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary Hohnen
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery HubResearch Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University Darwin Northern Territory Australia
| | - Brett P. Murphy
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery HubResearch Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University Darwin Northern Territory Australia
| | - Jody A. Gates
- South Australian Department for Environment and Water Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - Sarah Legge
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery HubCentre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery HubFenner School, The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Chris R. Dickman
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery HubDesert Ecology Research Group, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - John C. Z. Woinarski
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery HubResearch Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University Darwin Northern Territory Australia
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Scheele BC, Legge S, Armstrong DP, Copley P, Robinson N, Southwell D, Westgate MJ, Lindenmayer DB. How to improve threatened species management: An Australian perspective. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2018; 223:668-675. [PMID: 29975894 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.06.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Revised: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Targeted threatened species management is a central component of efforts to prevent species extinction. Despite the development of a range of management frameworks to improve conservation outcomes over the past decade, threatened species management is still commonly characterised as ad hoc. Although there are notable successes, many management programs are ineffective, with relatively few species experiencing improvements in their conservation status. We identify underlying factors that commonly lead to ineffective and inefficient management. Drawing attention to some of the key challenges, and suggesting ways forward, may lead to improved management effectiveness and better conservation outcomes. We highlight six key areas where improvements are needed: 1) stakeholder engagement and communication; 2) fostering strong leadership and the development of achievable long-term goals; 3) knowledge of target species' biology and threats, particularly focusing on filling knowledge gaps that impede management, while noting that in many cases there will be a need for conservation management to proceed initially despite knowledge gaps; 4) setting objectives with measurable outcomes; 5) strategic monitoring to evaluate management effectiveness; and 6) greater accountability for species declines and failure to recover species to ensure timely action and guard against complacency. We demonstrate the importance of these six key areas by providing examples of innovative approaches leading to successful species management. We also discuss overarching factors outside the realm of management influence that can help or impede conservation success. Clear recognition of factors that make species' management more straightforward - or more challenging - is important for setting realistic management objectives, outlining strategic action, and prioritising resources. We also highlight the need to more clearly demonstrate the benefit of current investment, and communicate that the risk of under-investment is species extinctions. Together, improvements in conservation practice, along with increased resource allocation and re-evaluation of the prioritisation of competing interests that threaten species, will help enhance conservation outcomes for threatened species.
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Affiliation(s)
- B C Scheele
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia; National Environmental Science Programme, Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Australia.
| | - S Legge
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia; National Environmental Science Programme, Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Australia
| | - D P Armstrong
- Wildlife Ecology Group, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - P Copley
- Parks and Regions, Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, South Australia, Australia
| | - N Robinson
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia; National Environmental Science Programme, Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Australia
| | - D Southwell
- National Environmental Science Programme, Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Australia; Quantitative and Applied Ecology Group, School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - M J Westgate
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - D B Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia; National Environmental Science Programme, Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Australia
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Robinson NM, Scheele BC, Legge S, Southwell DM, Carter O, Lintermans M, Radford JQ, Skroblin A, Dickman CR, Koleck J, Wayne AF, Kanowski J, Gillespie GR, Lindenmayer DB. How to ensure threatened species monitoring leads to threatened species conservation. ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/emr.12335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Shackelford N, Standish RJ, Ripple W, Starzomski BM. Threats to biodiversity from cumulative human impacts in one of North America's last wildlife frontiers. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2018; 32:672-684. [PMID: 29068083 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Land-use change is the largest proximate threat to biodiversity yet remains one of the most complex to manage. In British Columbia (BC), where large mammals roam extensive tracts of intact habitat, continued land-use development is of global concern. Extant mammal diversity in BC is unrivalled in North America owing, in part, to its unique position at the intersection of alpine, boreal, and temperate biomes. Despite high conservation values, understanding of cumulative ecological impacts from human development is limited. Using cumulative-effects-assessment (CEA) methods, we assessed the current human footprint over 16 regional ecosystems and 7 large mammal species. Using historical and current range estimates of the mammals, we investigated impacts of human land use on species' persistence. For ecosystems, we found that bunchgrass, coastal Douglas fir, and ponderosa pine have been subjected to over 50% land-use conversion, and over 85% of their spatial extent has undergone either direct or estimated indirect impacts. Of the mammals we considered, wolves were the least affected by land conversion, yet all species had reduced ranges compared with historical estimates. We found evidence of a hard trade-off between development and conservation, most clearly for mammals with large distributions and ecosystems with high levels of conversion. Rather than serve as a platform to monitor species decline, we strongly advocate these data be used to inform land-use planning and to assess current conservation efforts. More generally, CEAs offer a robust tool to inform wildlife and habitat conservation at scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Shackelford
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC V8P5C2, Canada
- Hakai Institute, Calvert Island, P.O. Box 309, Heriot Bay, BC V0P 1H0, Canada
- Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, P.O. Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Rachel J Standish
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - William Ripple
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Global Trophic Cascades Program, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, U.S.A
| | - Brian M Starzomski
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC V8P5C2, Canada
- Hakai Institute, Calvert Island, P.O. Box 309, Heriot Bay, BC V0P 1H0, Canada
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Abstract
AbstractProtected areas are central to global efforts to prevent species extinctions, with many countries investing heavily in their establishment. Yet the designation of protected areas alone can only abate certain threats to biodiversity. Targeted management within protected areas is often required to achieve fully effective conservation within their boundaries. It remains unclear what combination of protected area designation and management is needed to remove the suite of processes that imperil species. Here, using Australia as a case study, we use a dataset on the pressures facing threatened species to determine the role of protected areas and management in conserving imperilled species. We found that protected areas that are not resourced for threat management could remove one or more threats to 1,185 (76%) species and all threats to very few (n = 51, 3%) species. In contrast, a protected area network that is adequately resourced to manage threatening processes within their boundary could remove one or more threats to almost all species (n = 1,551; c. 100%) and all threats to almost half (n = 740, 48%). However, 815 (52%) species face one or more threats that require coordinated conservation actions that protected areas alone could not remove. This research shows that investing in the continued expansion of Australia's protected area network without providing adequate funding for threat management within and beyond the existing protected area network will benefit few threatened species. These findings highlight that as the international community expands the global protected area network in accordance with the 2020 Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, a greater emphasis on the effectiveness of threat management is needed.
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Streby HM, Kramer GR, Peterson SM, Andersen DE. Evaluating outcomes of management targeting the recovery of a migratory songbird of conservation concern. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4319. [PMID: 29404216 PMCID: PMC5793708 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Assessing outcomes of habitat management is critical for informing and adapting conservation plans. From 2013–2019, a multi-stage management initiative aims to create >26,000 ha of shrubland and early-successional vegetation to benefit Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) in managed forested landscapes of the western Great Lakes region. We studied a dense breeding population of Golden-winged Warblers at Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Minnesota, USA, where shrubs and young trees were sheared during the winter of 2014–2015 in a single treatment supported in part by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and in part by other funding source(s) to benefit Golden-winged Warblers and other species associated with young forest [e.g., American Woodcock (Scalopax minor)] and as part of maintenance of early successional forest cover on the refuge. Methods We monitored abundance of Golden-winged Warblers before (2013–2014) and after (2015–2016) management at the treatment site and a control site, and we estimated full-season productivity (i.e., young recruited into the fall population) on the treatment site from predictive, spatially explicit models, informed by nest and fledgling survival data collected at sites in the western Great Lakes region, including Rice Lake NWR, during 2011 and 2012. Then, using biologically informed models of Golden-winged Warbler response to observed and predicted vegetation succession, we estimated the cumulative change in population recruitment over various scenarios of vegetation succession and demographic response. Results We observed a 32% decline in abundance of Golden-winged Warbler breeding pairs on the treatment site and estimated a 27% decline in per-pair full-season productivity following management, compared to no change in a nearby control site. In models that ranged from highly optimistic to progressively more realistic scenarios, we estimated a net loss of 72–460 juvenile Golden-winged Warblers produced from the treatment site in the 10–20 years following management. Even if our well-informed and locally validated productivity models produced erroneous estimates and the management resulted in only a temporary reduction in abundance (i.e., no change in productivity), our forecast models still predicted a net loss of 61–260 juvenile Golden-winged Warblers from the treatment site over the same time frame. Conclusions Our study sites represent only a small portion of a large young-forest management initiative directed at Golden-winged Warblers in the western Great Lakes region; however, the brush management, or shearing of shrubs and small trees, that was applied at our study site is a common treatment applied by contractors funded by ABC and its partners on public lands across Minnesota with the expressed intent of benefiting Golden-winged Warblers and related species. Furthermore, the resulting vegetation structure at our treatment site is consistent with that of other areas managed under the initiative, and ABC documents include our study site as successful Golden-winged Warbler management based on observations of ≥1 Golden-winged Warbler at the treatment site since the management. Our assessment demonstrates that, at least for the only site for which pre- and post-management data on Golden-winged Warblers exist, the shearing of shrubs and small trees has had a substantial and likely enduring negative impact on Golden-winged Warblers. We suggest that incorporating region-specific, empirical information about Golden-winged Warbler—habitat relations into habitat management efforts would increase the likelihood of a positive response by Golden-winged Warblers and also suggest that management directed generically at young forest may not benefit Golden-winged Warblers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry M Streby
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, United States of America
| | - Gunnar R Kramer
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, United States of America
| | - Sean M Peterson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
| | - David E Andersen
- Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, United States Geological Survey, St. Paul, MN, United States of America
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Geyle HM, Woinarski JCZ, Baker GB, Dickman CR, Dutson G, Fisher DO, Ford H, Holdsworth M, Jones ME, Kutt A, Legge S, Leiper I, Loyn R, Murphy BP, Menkhorst P, Reside AE, Ritchie EG, Roberts FE, Tingley R, Garnett ST. Quantifying extinction risk and forecasting the number of impending Australian bird and mammal extinctions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/pc18006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A critical step towards reducing the incidence of extinction is to identify and rank the species at highest risk, while implementing protective measures to reduce the risk of extinction to such species. Existing global processes provide a graded categorisation of extinction risk. Here we seek to extend and complement those processes to focus more narrowly on the likelihood of extinction of the most imperilled Australian birds and mammals. We considered an extension of existing IUCN and NatureServe criteria, and used expert elicitation to rank the extinction risk to the most imperilled species, assuming current management. On the basis of these assessments, and using two additional approaches, we estimated the number of extinctions likely to occur in the next 20 years. The estimates of extinction risk derived from our tighter IUCN categorisations, NatureServe assessments and expert elicitation were poorly correlated, with little agreement among methods for which species were most in danger – highlighting the importance of integrating multiple approaches when considering extinction risk. Mapped distributions of the 20 most imperilled birds reveal that most are endemic to islands or occur in southern Australia. The 20 most imperilled mammals occur mostly in northern and central Australia. While there were some differences in the forecasted number of extinctions in the next 20 years among methods, all three approaches predict further species loss. Overall, we estimate that another seven Australian mammals and 10 Australian birds will be extinct by 2038 unless management improves.
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Hone J, Drake VA, Krebs CJ. Evaluating wildlife management by using principles of applied ecology: case studies and implications. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/wr18006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context The broad concepts and generalisations that guide conduct of applied ecology, including wildlife management, have been reviewed and synthesised recently into 22 prescriptive and three empirical principles. Aims The aim of this study was to use these principles to evaluate three on-ground wildlife management programs and assess the utility of the principles themselves. Key results Case studies of long-term management of national park biodiversity impacted by feral pigs (Sus scrofa), and of conservation and harvest of red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) and mallards (Anas platyrhnchos), were selected to provide a representative range of management objectives, spatial scales and land tenures, and to include both native and introduced species. Management documents and a considerable scientific literature were available for all three programs. The results highlight similarities and differences among management activities and demonstrate the 25 principles to differing degrees. Most of the prescriptive principles were demonstrated in both the management and the scientific literature in all three programs, but almost no use was made of the three empirical principles. We propose that use of the prescriptive principles constitutes evidence that these programs meet both societal and scientific expectations. However, the limited use of the empirical principles shows gaps in the three programs. Conclusions The results suggest that evaluating other wildlife management programs against the principles of applied ecology is worthwhile and could highlight aspects of those programs that might otherwise be overlooked. Little use was made of the empirical principles, but the the Effort–outcomes principle in particular provides a framework for evaluating management programs. Implications The effort–outcomes relationship should be a focus of future applied research, and both prescriptive and empirical principles should be integrated into wildlife management programs.
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Hobbs RJ, Valentine LE, Standish RJ, Jackson ST. Movers and Stayers: Novel Assemblages in Changing Environments. Trends Ecol Evol 2017; 33:116-128. [PMID: 29173900 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2017.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Revised: 10/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Increased attention to species movement in response to environmental change highlights the need to consider changes in species distributions and altered biological assemblages. Such changes are well known from paleoecological studies, but have accelerated with ongoing pervasive human influence. In addition to species that move, some species will stay put, leading to an array of novel interactions. Species show a variety of responses that can allow movement or persistence. Conservation and restoration actions have traditionally focused on maintaining or returning species in particular places, but increasingly also include interventions that facilitate movement. Approaches are required that incorporate the fluidity of biotic assemblages into the goals set and interventions deployed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Hobbs
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - Leonie E Valentine
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Rachel J Standish
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Stephen T Jackson
- U.S. Geological Survey, DOI Southwest Climate Science Center, 1064 E. Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Geosciences and School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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Allen BL, Behrendorff L, Willsher L, Kaluza J, Oakey J. Recent invasion of European red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes) on to Fraser Island (K'gari) and South Stradbroke Island. AUSTRAL ECOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L. Allen
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries; Robert Wicks Pest Animal Research Centre; Biosecurity Queensland; Toowoomba Queensland 4350 Australia
- University of Southern Queensland; Institute for Agriculture and the Environment; Toowoomba Queensland 4350 Australia
| | - Linda Behrendorff
- Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing; Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service; Fraser Island Queensland Australia
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences; The University of Queensland; Gatton Queensland Australia
| | - Lyn Willsher
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries; Biosecurity Queensland; Southport Queensland Australia
| | - Janina Kaluza
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences; The University of Queensland; Gatton Queensland Australia
| | - Jane Oakey
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries; Animal Biosecurity and Welfare; Biosecurity Queensland; Coopers Plains Queensland Australia
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald R. Swaisgood
- Recovery Ecology, San Diego Zoo Global; Institute for Conservation Research; San Diego CA 92027 USA
| | - Dajun Wang
- School of Life Sciences; Peking University; Beijing China
| | - Fuwen Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing China
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Hayward MW, Ripple WJ, Kerley GIH, Landman M, Plotz RD, Garnett ST. Neocolonial Conservation: Is Moving Rhinos to Australia Conservation or Intellectual Property Loss. Conserv Lett 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matt W. Hayward
- College of Natural Sciences; Bangor University; Gwynedd LL572UW UK
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology; Nelson Mandela University; Port Elizabeth South Africa
| | - William J. Ripple
- Global Trophic Cascades Program, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society; Oregon State University; Corvallis OR 97330 USA
| | - Graham I. H. Kerley
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology; Nelson Mandela University; Port Elizabeth South Africa
| | - Marietjie Landman
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology; Nelson Mandela University; Port Elizabeth South Africa
| | - Roan D. Plotz
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology; Nelson Mandela University; Port Elizabeth South Africa
- Centre for Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology, School of Biological Sciences; Victoria University of Wellington; New Zealand
| | - Stephen T. Garnett
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods; Charles Darwin University; Darwin Australia
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Waller NL, Gynther IC, Freeman AB, Lavery TH, Leung LKP. The Bramble Cay melomys Melomys rubicola (Rodentia : Muridae): a first mammalian extinction caused by human-induced climate change? WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/wr16157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Aims Sea-level rise is one of the most certain consequences of global warming and is predicted to exert significant adverse effects on wildlife in coastal habitats worldwide. Terrestrial fauna inhabiting low-lying islands are likely to suffer the greatest loss to habitat from sea-level rise and other oceanographic impacts stemming from anthropogenic climate change. Bramble Cay (Maizab Kaur), an ~4ha, low elevation sand cay located in Torres Strait, Australia, supports the only known population of the endangered Bramble Cay melomys Melomys rubicola Thomas, 1924. As a result of a decline in this population noted during previous monitoring to 2004, habitat loss due to erosion of the cay and direct mortality from storm surges were implicated as major threats to this species. This study aimed to confirm the current conservation status of the species, to seek information about the key factor or factors responsible for the population decline and to recover any remaining individuals for a captive insurance population. Methods During three survey periods (December 2011, March 2014 and August–September 2014), a total of 1170 small mammal trap-nights, 60 camera trap-nights, 5h of nocturnal searches and 5h of diurnal searches were undertaken on Bramble Cay. Key results All three survey periods failed to detect any Bramble Cay melomys. The island had experienced a recent, severe reduction in vegetation, which is the primary food resource for the Bramble Cay melomys. Herbaceous cover on the cay decreased from 2.16ha in 2004 to 0.065ha in March 2014 before recovering somewhat to 0.19ha in August–September 2014. Conclusions These results demonstrate that this rodent species has now been extirpated on Bramble Cay. The vegetation decline was probably due to ocean inundation resulting from an increased frequency and intensity of weather events producing extreme high water levels and storm surges, in turn caused by anthropogenic climate change. Implications The loss of the Bramble Cay melomys from Bramble Cay probably represents the first documented mammalian extinction due to human-induced climate change. This event highlights the immediate need to mitigate predicted impacts of sea-level rise and ocean inundation on other vulnerable species occurring on low lying islands and in susceptible coastal zones through captive breeding and reintroduction or other targeted measures.
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