ORCID Profile
0000-0001-5397-4974
Current Organisation
University of Melbourne
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Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.1071/PC20035
Abstract: Bats are essential to the functioning of many island ecosystems. A large proportion of Pacific Island Pteropus are endemics, limited in their distribution to single paleotropical islands or close island groups. This subset is also highly threatened by hunting and habitat disturbance. Further exacerbating these threats is a dearth of scientific knowledge that makes long-term management and conservation planning difficult. We aimed to gather data on seven bat species from Nendö, Reef Islands, Tinakula, and Vanikoro (Solomon Islands), and Vanua Lava and Mota (Vanuatu). Between 1990 and 2019 we surveyed bats using walked transects, mist nets and c counts, and collected data on diets and roosting sites. Data collection targeted four limited range endemics (Nendö tube-nosed bat (Nyctimene sanctacrucis), Banks flying-fox (Pteropus fundatus), Temotu flying-fox (Pteropus nitendiensis) and Vanikoro flying-fox (Pteropus tuberculatus), and three more widespread species (Vanuatu flying-fox (Pteropus anetianus), Pacific flying-fox (Pteropus tonganus) and Fijian blossom bat (Notopteris macdonaldi). Notopteris macdonaldi, P. nitendiensis, P. tonganus and P. tuberculatus were the most common species recorded on transects and mist net surveys. Transect encounter rates were 0.1–4.5km−1 (P. nitendiensis), 0.2–20.0km−1 (P. tonganus) and 0–7.2km−1 (P. tuberculatus). Pteropus fundatus was rarer, we did not detect this species during daytime searches, and it was the least common mist net capture. We documented 65 Pteropus food plants in our study area. Nyctimene sanctacrucis was not detected on Nendö, Tinakula and Reef Islands despite considerable effort. We consider this bat is likely extinct, if in fact it is a distinct species.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2022
DOI: 10.1111/EMR.12562
Abstract: Monitoring is critical for conservation, to track the status of threatened species, assess the relative impacts of threats, inform management responses and prioritise them according to their efficacy. Globally, freshwater fish are impacted by a range of threats including deterioration in water quality, climate change, habitat loss and degradation, introduced predators and herbivores, and wildfire. Monitoring of freshwater fish can be challenging because aquatic conditions can make detecting and identifying population trends difficult for many species. Galaxiidae is the most speciose family of Gondwanan‐distributed freshwater fishes, and over 75% of species assessed by the IUCN Red List have been classified as threatened. Many Australian galaxiids are highly imperilled and monitoring effort and adequacy is low. We prepared a detailed monitoring plan for the Stocky Galaxias ( Galaxias tantangara ) that is representative of the conservation status and level of threat facing many congeneric and other similar species. Our protocol provides details of species biology, pertinent threats, and management options with s ling methods to gather these data, and options to link with management actions for maximum benefit. Improved monitoring linked with threat management should improve the conservation status of Stocky Galaxias. By providing this ex le, we have sought to improve monitoring for range‐restricted freshwater fishes more generally.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-02-2023
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.13680
Abstract: Much research has quantified species responses to human‐modified ecosystems. However, there is limited work on how human‐modified ecosystems may reshape competitive interactions between species. Using a 19‐year study across 3 million ha, we aimed to answer the question: Are levels of interference competition between bird species context dependent and influenced by habitat structure and productivity? We focussed on the hyper‐aggressive behaviour of the Noisy Miner ( Manorina melanocephala ), which is recognized as a key threatening process for other woodland bird species in Australia. Whether environmental conditions such as amount of forest cover and net primary productivity (NPP) mediate the Noisy Miners' impact remains untested at large spatiotemporal scales. Temperate woodlands of south‐eastern Australia. We gathered data on bird site occupancy from repeated surveys of field sites and assembled satellite data on tree cover and NPP. We constructed Bayesian multi‐species occupancy/detection models of bird species in woodland patches and tested the fixed and interactive effects of Noisy Miner presence, the amount of tree cover, NPP, and time. We quantified the responses of 31 species, many with known interactions with the Noisy Miner documented previously at fine spatial scales. We identified negative associations between the Noisy Miner and 18 bird species, including, unexpectedly, both small and large bodied taxa. Site occupancy in some species was influenced by interactions between Noisy Miner presence and increasing amounts of tree cover or productivity. For some species, interference competition by the Noisy Miner is context‐dependent and mitigated by increasing tree cover and/or increasing NPP. Our analyses revealed that woodland bird conservation in our study region will be promoted by protecting refugia characterized by areas of high NPP and high tree cover. Preventing vegetation clearing that reduces tree cover could reduce interference competition by the Noisy Miner on parts of the remaining woodland bird community, including species of conservation concern.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-07-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41559-018-0608-1
Abstract: Inadequate information on the geographical distribution of bio ersity h ers decision-making for conservation. Major efforts are underway to fill knowledge gaps, but there are increasing concerns that publishing the locations of species is dangerous, particularly for species at risk of exploitation. While we recognize that well-informed control of location data for highly sensitive taxa is necessary to avoid risks, such as poaching or habitat disturbance by recreational visitors, we argue that ignoring the benefits of sharing bio ersity data could unnecessarily obstruct conservation efforts for species and locations with low risks of exploitation. We provide a decision tree protocol for scientists that systematically considers both the risks of exploitation and potential benefits of increased conservation activities. Our protocol helps scientists assess the impacts of publishing bio ersity data and aims to enhance conservation opportunities, promote community engagement and reduce duplication of survey efforts.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2023
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-2016
DOI: 10.1002/RSE2.19
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2020
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 04-04-2022
DOI: 10.1071/AM21035
Abstract: Australia has suffered more modern mammal extinctions than any nation. Among the list of extinct species is the blue-grey mouse (Pseudomys glaucus), a rodent known from just three specimens (two from southern Queensland and one from northern New South Wales). We investigated circumstances of collection for the three specimens referred to this species to better illuminate optimal habitats and climatic conditions for continuing rediscovery efforts. No additional information could be found on two specimens from southern Queensland sent to the Natural History Museum, London. However, we recorded a first-hand account of how the northern New South Wales specimen was collected and have established that the collection year was 1956. We also obtained a copy of correspondence from Ellis Le G. Troughton thanking the collector for the contribution. The northern New South Wales specimen was from a pastoral property formerly dominated by woodland vegetation communities on alluvial soils. It was captured during a mouse plague following consecutive seasons of above average rainfall. Pseudomys glaucus is likely already extinct, but our results help better direct any future survey efforts. Surveys should be targeted in woodland communities on alluvial floodplains in the Darling Riverine Plains bioregion, following periods of above average rainfall conducive to the irruption of rodent populations.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2021
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 25-06-2014
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-10-2022
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.13427
Abstract: Reconnaissance surveys followed by monitoring are needed to assess the impact and response of bio ersity to wildfire. However, post‐wildfire survey and monitoring design are challenging due to the infrequency and unpredictability of wildfire, an urgency to initiate surveys and uncertainty about how species respond. In this article, we discuss key design considerations and quantitative tools available to aid post‐wildfire survey design. Our motivation was to inform the design of rapid surveys for threatened species heavily impacted by the 2019–2020 fires in Australia. Global. We discuss a set of best practice design considerations for post‐wildfire reconnaissance surveys across a range of survey objectives. We provide ex les that illustrate key design considerations from post‐fire reconnaissance surveys and monitoring programmes from around the world. We highlight how the objective of post‐fire surveys drastically influences design decisions (e.g. survey location and timing). We discuss how the unpredictability of wildfire and uncertainty in the response of bio ersity complicate survey design decisions. Surveys should be conducted immediately following wildfire to assess the impact on bio ersity, to ground truth fire severity mapping and to provide a benchmark from which to assess recovery. Where possible, surveys should be conducted at burnt and unburnt sites in regions with historical data so that state variables of interest can be compared with baseline estimates (i.e. BACI design). This highlights the need to have long‐term monitoring programmes already in place and be prepared to modify their design when wildfires occur. There is opportunity to adopt tools from statistics (i.e. power analysis) and conservation planning (i.e. spatial prioritization) to improve survey design. We must anticipate wildfires rather than respond to them reactively as they will occur more frequently due to climate change.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-11-2011
DOI: 10.1096/FJ.11-180679
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-10-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S40823-022-00079-2
Abstract: Large-scale and/or long-term monitoring has many important roles in landscape ecology and conservation biology. We explore some of these roles in this review. We also briefly discuss some of the key design issues that need to be considered when developing long-term, large-scale monitoring to ensure it is effective. Much has been written on the importance of ecological monitoring, but the record on monitoring in landscape ecology and conservation remains generally poor. For populations of many species and for many environmental management interventions, monitoring is rarely done, or done well. This review outlines some of the reasons it is critical to invest in well-designed, implemented, and maintained monitoring. New ways of using monitoring data, such as in environmental accounting and mandated environmental reporting, might provide avenues for garnering greater support for monitoring programs in the future. We discuss seven of the most important roles of monitoring in landscape ecology and conservation biology. These are (1) documenting responses to environmental change, (2) answering key ecological questions, (3) testing existing ecological theory and developing new theory, (4) quantifying the effectiveness of management interventions, (5) informing environmental prediction systems, (6) engaging citizen scientists and the general public, and (7) contributing data and other insights to environmental initiatives. We illustrate these key roles with ex les, drawn from existing large-scale, long-term work in a range of environments in Australia. We argue that some of these functions can only be realized if a monitoring program is well designed, implemented, and maintained.
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2023
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-01-2013
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.12072
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2023
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1071/WR16157
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 in iduals 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.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1071/WR19205
Abstract: Abstract ContextIntroduced predators, especially cats, are a major cause of extinction globally. Accordingly, an extensive body of literature has focussed on the ecology and management of feral cats in continental and island systems alike. However, geographic and climatic gaps remain, with few studies focusing on rainforests or tropical islands of the south-western Pacific. AimsWe aimed to estimate cat densities and elucidate activity patterns of cats and sympatric birds and mammals in tropical island rainforests. We hypothesised that cat activity would be most influenced by the activity of introduced rodents and ground-dwelling birds that are predominant prey on islands. MethodsWe used camera traps to detect feral cats, pigs, rodents and birds on four tropical islands in the south-western Pacific. We used spatial capture–recapture models to estimate the abundance and density of feral cats. Relative abundance indices, and temporal overlaps in activity were calculated for feral cats, pigs, rodents, and birds. We used a generalised linear model to test for the influence of pig, rodent, and bird abundance on feral cat abundance. Key resultsThe species most commonly detected by our camera traps was feral cat, with estimated densities between 0.31 and 2.65 in iduals km−2. Pigs and introduced rodents were the second- and third-most commonly detected fauna respectively. Cat activity was bimodal, with peaks in the hours before dawn and after dusk. Cat abundance varied with site and the abundance of rodents. ConclusionsFeral cats are abundant in the tropical rainforests of our study islands, where one bird and two mammal species are now presumed extinct. Introduced rodents possibly lify the abundance and impacts of feral cats at our sites. Peak cat activity following dusk did not clearly overlap with other species detected by our camera traps. We postulate cats may be partly focussed on hunting frogs during this period. ImplicationsCats are likely to be a major threat to the highly endemic fauna of our study region. Management of feral cats will benefit from further consideration of introduced prey such as rodents, and their role in hyperpredation. Island archipelagos offer suitable opportunities to experimentally test predator–prey dynamics involving feral cats.
Publisher: Pacific Science
Date: 02-09-2021
DOI: 10.2984/75.3.8
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-02-2019
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-08-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S10661-022-10348-6
Abstract: Monitoring is critical to gauge the effect of environmental management interventions as well as to measure the effects of human disturbances such as climate change. Recognition of the critical need for monitoring means that, at irregular intervals, recommendations are made for new government-instigated programs or to rev existing ones. Using insights from past well-intentioned (but sadly also often failed) attempts to establish and maintain government-instigated monitoring programs in Australia, we outline eight things that should never be done in environmental monitoring programs (if they aim to be useful). These are the following: (1) Never commence a new environmental management initiative without also committing to a monitoring program. (2) Never start a monitoring program without clear questions. (3) Never implement a monitoring program without first doing a proper experimental design. (4) Never ignore the importance of matching the purpose and objectives of a monitoring program to the design of that program. (5) Never change the way you monitor something without ensuring new methods can be calibrated with the old ones. (6) Never try to monitor everything. (7) Never collect data without planning to curate and report on it. (8) If possible, avoid starting a monitoring program without the necessary resources secured. To balance our “nevers”, we provide a checklist of actions that will increase the chances a monitoring program will actually measure the effectiveness of environmental management. Scientists and resource management practitioners need to be part of a stronger narrative for, and key participants in, well-designed, implemented, and maintained government-led monitoring programs. We argue that monitoring programs should be mandated in threatened species conservation programs and all new environmental management initiatives.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 03-11-2022
DOI: 10.1017/S0030605321001253
Abstract: The prehensile-tailed skink Corucia zebrata is endemic to the Solomon Islands. It is the most traded reptile from the country. During 2000–2019, CITES reported the legal export of 10,567 in iduals. Although the level of this trade is well documented, impacts on the skink's survival in its native range are comparatively unknown. During January–May 2020, we surveyed 146 people on 12 islands to collect information on the habitats preferred by the prehensile-tailed skink, to understand perceptions of the species' conservation status and identify any potential threats. Respondents reported lowland and hill forests as being favoured habitats, with low proportions of respondents identifying coastal and montane forests as suitable habitat. Habitat loss (72%), hunting (17%), and predation (6%) were identified as the main threats. People younger than 30 years of age reported killing the skinks more frequently than did people over the age of 30. Prehensile-tailed skinks have a relatively small home range, long reproductive cycle, and are vulnerable to numerous threats. We thus recommend a halt to the current practice of exporting wild-caught prehensile-tailed skinks, and replacement by a well-regulated captive breeding programme.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-06-2014
DOI: 10.1111/ZSC.12068
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 22-04-2020
DOI: 10.3897/ZOOKEYS.929.50240
Abstract: The Old World leaf-nosed bats (Hipposideridae) are aerial and gleaning insectivores that occur throughout the Paleotropics. Both their taxonomic and phylogenetic histories are confused. Until recently, the family included genera now allocated to the Rhinonycteridae and was recognized as a subfamily of Rhinolophidae. Evidence that Hipposideridae erged from both Rhinolophidae and Rhinonycteridae in the Eocene confirmed their family rank, but their intrafamilial relationships remain poorly resolved. We examined genetic variation in the Afrotropical hipposiderids Doryrhina , Hipposideros , and Macronycteris using relatively dense taxon-s ling throughout East Africa and neighboring regions. Variation in both mitochondrial (cyt-b) and four nuclear intron sequences (ACOX2, COPS, ROGDI, STAT5) were analyzed using both maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. We used intron sequences and the lineage delimitation method BPP—a multilocus, multi-species coalescent approach—on supported mitochondrial clades to identify those acting as independent evolutionary lineages. The program StarBEAST was used on the intron sequences to produce a species tree of the s led Afrotropical hipposiderids. All genetic analyses strongly support generic monophyly, with Doryrhina and Macronycteris as Afrotropical sister genera distinct from a Paleotropical Hipposideros mitochondrial analyses interpose the genera Aselliscus , Coelops , and Asellia between these clades. Mitochondrial analyses also suggest at least two separate colonizations of Africa by Asian groups of Hipposideros , but the actual number and direction of faunal interchanges will hinge on placement of the uns led African-Arabian species H. megalotis . Mitochondrial sequences further identify a large number of geographically structured clades within species of all three genera. However, in sharp contrast to this pattern, the four nuclear introns fail to distinguish many of these groups and their geographic structuring disappears. Various distinctive mitochondrial clades are consolidated in the intron-based gene trees and delimitation analyses, calling into question their evolutionary independence or else indicating their very recent ergence. At the same time, there is now compelling genetic evidence in both mitochondrial and nuclear sequences for several additional unnamed species among the Afrotropical Hipposideros . Conflicting appraisals of differentiation among the Afrotropical hipposiderids based on mitochondrial and nuclear loci must be adjudicated by large-scale integrative analyses of echolocation calls, quantitative morphology, and geometric morphometrics. Integrative analyses will also help to resolve the challenging taxonomic issues posed by the ersification of the many lineages associated with H. caffer and H. ruber .
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-12-2016
DOI: 10.1111/MAM.12057
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2018
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 20-01-2021
Abstract: Measuring, reporting, and forecasting research impact beyond academia has become increasingly important to demonstrate and understand real-world benefits. This is arguably most important in crisis disciplines such as medicine, environmental sustainability and bio ersity conservation, where application of new knowledge is urgently needed to improve health and environmental outcomes. Increasing focus on impact has prompted the development of theoretical guidance and practical tools tailored to a range of disciplines, but commensurate development of tools for conservation is still needed. In the present article, we review available tools for evaluating research impact applicable to conservation research. From these, and via a survey of conservation professionals, we compiled and ranked a list of 96 impact indicators useful for conservation science. Our indicators apply to a logic chain of inputs, processes, outputs, outcomes, and impacts. We suggest the list can act as a clear guide to realize and measure potential impacts from conservation research within and beyond academia.
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2023
Publisher: University of Queensland Library
Date: 2014
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-03-2023
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.14585
Abstract: Periodic lowering of sea levels and formation of land bridges can reshape phylogeographic patterns of insular biotas. Using archipelago‐wide s ling, we aimed to test if phylogeography of an old‐endemic bat lineage reflected Pleistocene land bridges. Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Melonycteris and Nesonycteris bats (Pteropodidae). We sequenced genome‐wide RADseq data for 49 specimens from 15 islands. We assessed phylogenetic relationships using maximum likelihood in RAxML and quartet‐based methods in SVDquartets , population structure using Structure , and admixture using maximum likelihood methods in TreeMix . We tested for genetic and geographic distance correlations using distance‐based redundancy analyses (dbRDA), identifying best‐fit models using stepwise model selection. Phylogenetic analyses identified five Nesonycteris clades corresponding to Greater Bukida, Guadalcanal, Makira, Malaita and New Georgia group. Makira s les were sister to remaining Nesonycteris . Structure identified four populations: New Ireland Melonycteris melanops and Nesonycteris from Greater Bukida (including Guadalcanal) Malaita and Makira and New Georgia group. Genetic backgrounds of Mono, Ngella and Guadalcanal separated from remaining Greater Bukida islands. Makira and Malaita separated into two populations. New Georgia group lacked structure, and genetic and geographic distances were not correlated. The best‐fit geographic distance models for Nesonycteris and a Greater Bukida subset were least shore‐to‐shore distance and Euclidean and least‐cost distances respectively. Influences of modern and Pleistocene island isolation and connectivity were evident in the overall Phylogeography of Nesonycteris . The lack of structure or geographic distance correlations within the New Georgia group indicated all islands were interconnected during the Last Glacial Maximum or contemporary oceanic ides are ineffective barriers. Conversely, genetic ergence across Greater Bukida islands reflected land‐bridge constrained dispersal. A Makira clade sister to all Nesonycteris possibly indicates an origin on Makira. Alternately it reflects Makira's long‐isolated geographic status, as similar results exist for a range of taxa.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-04-2020
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.15038
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-07-2022
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.13611
Abstract: The distribution and abundance of forest bio ersity can be shaped by multiple drivers, including disturbances like wildfires. We quantified the influence of wildfire severity and bird life history attributes on temporal patterns of bird site occupancy. Wet eucalypt forests of Victoria, Australia. We employed a Before, After, Control, Impact experimental design, gathering occupancy data on birds 5 years before, and for 10 years after, a wildfire in 2009. We quantified post‐fire decline and then recovery on sites subject to high‐severity fire, comparing these temporal patterns with those for birds at sites that were unburnt or burnt at moderate severity. We also tested the influence of life history attributes on bird responses to wildfire. Data were analysed using joint species distribution modelling, accounting for imperfect detection. We found a two‐way interaction between fire severity and time period for overall bird site occupancy. The largest change between time periods was on sites burnt at high severity where bird occupancy declined immediately after fire followed by a strong recovery. Occupancy patterns remained largely unchanged on unburnt sites. For many in idual species, interactions between fire severity and time period were similar to overall species occupancy. On sites subject to high‐severity fire, most species recovered to pre‐fire levels within 6 years. We found no evidence of a three‐way interaction between fire severity, time period, and life history attributes, with all trait groups of birds examined largely recovered to pre‐fire site occupancy levels 10 years post‐fire. The Victorian 2009 wildfires were severe, but their impacts on common bird species were relatively short‐lived, with immediate post‐fire declines mostly reversed within ~10 years. Rapid post‐fire stand regeneration appears a likely driver of these responses and may account for the relatively limited influence of life history attributes on bird species recovery. However, diet influenced bird species occupancy after fire, with nectivores recovering slower than insectivores on sites subject to high severity fire. Our findings may be relevant to other forests types globally where there can be rapid post‐fire vegetation growth and stand regeneration.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 12-10-2022
DOI: 10.1071/AM22016
Abstract: The use of correct taxonomy to describe and name the earth’s bio ersity is fundamental to conservation and management. However, there are issues that need to be overcome to ensure that the described taxa and their scientific names are both appropriate and widely adopted. Obstacles to this include the use of different species definitions, taxonomic instability due to accumulation of additional specimens in analyses and the progression of science that allows better resolution of species boundaries, and the inappropriate description and naming of new taxa without adequate scientific basis in self-published journals (known as ‘taxonomic vandalism’). In an effort to manage taxonomic instability, the Australasian Mammal Taxonomy Consortium (AMTC), an affiliated body of the Australian Mammal Society, has developed several tools that include: (1) a standardised list of Australian mammal common and scientific names (2) recommendations for information that should be included in published species descriptions and (3) support for the publication of aspidonyms (i.e. a scientifically acceptable name proposed to overwrite a pre-existing unscientific name). This review discusses these issues, reaffirms the foundations for appropriate taxonomic research, and provides guidelines for those publishing taxonomic research on Australian mammals.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 27-09-2017
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1071/PC14918
Abstract: Cane toads (Rhinella marina) were introduced to the Solomon Islands in the 1940s, and quickly spread across the archipelago. Between May 2009 and August 2012, cane toads were recorded on 11 of 13 islands surveyed, and the densities of toads were estimated by distance s ling on seven of these islands. Modified Akaike’s Information Criterion (AICc) tests were used to find the most parsimonious model for cane toad density in the Solomon Islands. The results showed that mean toad density was higher on Gatokae and Guadalcanal than on Bougainville, Choiseul, Kolombangara and Rendova. A plausible explanation for this is that Guadalcanal had an abundance of breeding sites, and that Gatokae may have been recently colonised with a typical sharp rise in toad densities. The model also showed that mean toad density was higher in coastal forests than in other forest types (e.g lowland, hill and montane forests). Coastal forests have higher disturbance levels as a result of villages and towns. Disturbance was associated with increased toad densities in the model. These findings suggest that cane toad management efforts should target coastal forests and disturbed areas along roads and tracks leading to important bio ersity reserves.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1071/ZO12043
Abstract: Located between New Guinea and Australia, Torres Strait and its islands provide an opportunity to examine the results of recent isolation on the Australo-Papuan fauna. However, records of the modern ersity of terrestrial vertebrates on the islands remained scattered and poorly documented. Analyses of terrestrial vertebrate inventories and physical island variables can provide insight into pre-existing conditions of the Sahul land bridge and useful strategies for conservation efforts. We collated all available records of terrestrial vertebrates from the 17 inhabited islands and supplemented these with our own systematic surveys. We used Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and nested analysis to determine how species richness relates to physical island variables. We also used cluster analysis to group similar islands based on their vertebrate assemblages. Vertebrate richness is not correlated with Simpson’s habitat ersity but is correlated with total number of habitat types, indicating that rare habitats may contribute disproportionately to richness. The archipelago supports a depauperate Australo-Papuan fauna and the assemblages found on smaller islands are subsets of those on larger islands. Island size is the most effective predictor of species richness, and the analysis reveals that geographically related islands support similar suites of species. The frequency with which our surveys added new records to in idual island inventories highlights the need for additional s ling in the region.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-11-2021
Publisher: Pacific Science
Date: 26-04-2023
DOI: 10.2984/76.4.6
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 13-07-2022
DOI: 10.1071/AM22002
Abstract: A population of white-footed dunnarts (Sminthopsis leucopus) occurs in the Wet Tropics bioregion of tropical north Queensland, Australia separated by about 1800 km from conspecifics in temperate New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. We conducted targeted surveys for S. leucopus in north-east Queensland and obtained new records, including the first reported capture of the species in Queensland in 18 years. We assessed the genetic and morphological ergence of the north Queensland population against New South Wales, Victorian and Tasmanian S. leucopus, in conjunction with distribution and habitat differences, to assess whether this isolate should be described as a distinct taxon. Sequencing of the mitochondrial Cytochrome b gene revealed genetic ergence estimates of 2.3–2.8% and 4.3–4.8% between the north Queensland population and S. l. ferruginifrons (Victoria) and S. l. leucopus (Tasmania) respectively. Based on genetic ergence, cranial morphology, differences in habitat, and geographical isolation, we describe the north Queensland population as a new subspecies of Sminthopsis leucopus. We suggest a conservation classification of Endangered given its small distribution, apparent low density, tropical upland location and potential threats, especially related to climate change.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 16-10-2017
DOI: 10.1017/S0030605317001004
Abstract: Globally, island bats are vulnerable to subsistence hunting, with widespread population declines, local extirpations and extinctions. Bats are important to the ecological functioning of remote oceanic islands, and thus the sustainable management of hunting of flying foxes Pteropus spp. is a conservation priority in the Pacific. In Solomon Islands people hunt flying foxes for bushmeat and their canine teeth, which are used as traditional currency. The value of teeth potentially increases hunting pressure on species of Pteropus . We interviewed 197 people on Makira Island to determine the nature of this use and how it may influence flying-fox populations. We asked questions to gather information about hunting practices, the value of canine teeth, utilization of traditional currency, and population trends of Pteropus . Flying-fox teeth remain highly valued on Makira. It is primarily the teeth of P. tonganus that are used rather than those of the smaller P. cognatus . Although flying foxes are not targeted solely for their teeth, this added value seemingly drives hunters to focus on P. tonganus . Hunting varied across five regions of Makira and high hunting pressure corresponded with perceived rarity of P. tonganus . Regions with low hunting pressure may be opportune locations to initiate flying-fox conservation on Makira.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1071/PC19037
Abstract: Basic knowledge of species ersity and distributions underpins the study of island biogeography and is fundamental for conservation planning. In Solomon Islands, new mammals continue to be described and several lineages are yet to be documented from large islands where, presumably, they should occur. On Malaita and Makira, no giant rats (Solomys or Uromys), or monkey-faced bats (Pteralopex) have been documented by scientists, but traditional knowledge suggests they exist. In East Kwaio, Malaita, we combined traditional knowledge and scientific methods to survey mammals and search for these taxa. Camera traps, mist nets, spotlight surveys, echolocation call recorders, rat traps and active searches were used to produce an inventory of the island’s mammals. No Solomys, Uromys or Pteralopex were captured. However, detailed accounts suggest that giant rats and monkey-faced bats were present as recently as 1996 and 2002 respectively. Moreover, we consider the presence of gnawed Canarium nuts an indicator that giant rats still persist. The human population of Malaita is dense, hunting pressure appears high, feral cats are common, and logging is rapidly reducing primary forests. A notable feature of this work has been the commitment towards collaboration and upskilling landowners in mammal survey techniques. This collaboration has helped fuel a growing conservation movement on Malaita and led to the designation of three large conservation areas. Gathering evidence for the existence of undescribed mammals on Malaita is paramount for reducing further extinctions in Melanesia. Continued support for skilled community members in East Kwaio will be key to collecting this evidence.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1071/AM13019
Abstract: The Solomon Islands support a erse and highly endemic rodent fauna. Most species are poorly known and rarely encountered. Solomys salamonis is one such endemic species known only from the holotype collected in 1881. The type locality for the species has been repeatedly confused in the literature, and this uncertainty has h ered attempts to evaluate the status of the species. I reassessed the type locality based on review of the published literature and records and archives of the Australian Museum, Sydney. My review indicates that the type locality is Ugi Island, not Florida Island as widely reported in the recent literature. A subsequent, preliminary survey on Ugi Island failed to confirm the presence of the species however, the occurrence of some original forest on Ugi Island encourages further detailed surveys to determine whether S. salamonis is still extant.
Start Date: 2015
End Date: 2016
Funder: Bat Conservation International
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 2013
End Date: 2015
Funder: Australia and Pacific Science Foundation
View Funded Activity