ORCID Profile
0000-0002-6429-9254
Current Organisation
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
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Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-06-2020
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.13881
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 19-10-2020
DOI: 10.3390/ANI10101914
Abstract: The expansion of urban areas and associated clearing of habitat can have severe consequences for native wildlife. One option for managing wildlife in these situations is to relocate them. While there is a general perception that relocation is humane, transparency of outcomes is lacking. Here, we document the outcome of 122 western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) relocated from an urban development site on the edge of Perth, Western Australia. Global Positioning System (GPS) or Very High Frequency (VHF) collars were fitted to 67 kangaroos, and their survival and movement were monitored over 12 months using telemetry, camera traps and spotlighting. Only six collared animals survived for the duration of the study with most dying within a week of the relocation, indicating stress associated with capture as the likely cause. By the completion of the study, 111 kangaroos were predicted to have died based on the proportion of in iduals known to have died. Movement patterns of surviving GPS collared kangaroos changed over time from largely exploratory forays, to more repeated movements between focus areas within home ranges. The poor outcome here raises concerns around the viability of relocating a relatively large number of kangaroos as a management option. It also highlights the need for careful planning to limit the stress associated with capture and transport if relocations are to be used for managing kangaroos in urban areas.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-2022
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.9081
Abstract: Determine seasonal, annual, and decadal patterns of abundance in reptile species and assemblages occupying central Bold Park (~338 ha), an isolated urban bushland remnant in Perth, Southwestern Australia. Fenced pitfall trapping in four s ling sites, representing different habitats and fire history, over the primary reptile activity period for 35 consecutive years with over 17,000 in iduals captured during 3300 days of s ling the trapping regime was modified for the last 28 years. S ling occurred in one of 35 global bio ersity hotspots that has a Mediterranean climate experiencing a 15% decline from the century average rainfall over the last 50 years. Twenty‐nine species were recorded, with 16 captured in 32 or more years and accounting for nearly 97% of all captures the six most common for 81%. Three taxa became locally extinct. Activity predominates in warmer and dryer months (October to April), peaking in November–December. Species richness remained relatively constant between years with around 73% of known taxa captured annually. Assemblages did not change when analyzing the presence/absence data but moved through five statistically significant assemblages analyzing relative abundance data. Over the last 28 years, relative abundance was significantly and positively correlated with annual rainfall residuals, uniquely for the 4 years preceding annual s ling, resulting in significant changes in total assemblages and significantly similar patterns in four s le sites the presence/absence data indicated only minor assemblage changes across sites. The number of species recorded annually remained relatively constant, but relative abundance illustrated significant temporal changes in assemblages over decades. The modeled relationship between relative abundance and annual rainfall residuals for 4 years preceding annual s ling is supported by known ecological responses and reptile demographics within this Mediterranean climate. Maintenance of urban bio ersity should consider impacts of a significantly drying climate exacerbating the extinction debt already inherent in isolated bushland populations experiencing limited immigration.
Location: Australia
Location: Australia
Location: Australia
Location: Australia
No related grants have been discovered for Mark Cowan.