ORCID Profile
0000-0002-6369-0294
Current Organisation
University of Melbourne
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Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-06-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-12-2019
DOI: 10.1111/MAM.12142
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2001
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1071/RJ15098
Abstract: Managing established pest animals is difficult. The complexity increases significantly when the pest animal is found across the remote arid interior of a continent (Australia), the impacts (both positive and negative) are unclear, and there is a erse array of affected stakeholders. This paper describes how the generation of primary scientific evidence was critical for the development of a national policy approach (the National Feral Camel Action Plan). The combination of evidence and policy led to the development and implementation of the Australian Feral Camel Management Project. This project offered the opportunity to implement a wide range of management interventions across the affected jurisdictions. The strengths of the Australian Feral Camel Management Project included having high-level support, participation by all affected stakeholders in partnerships, strong governance and a clear project management approach, underpinned by clear policy and scientific evidence. We believe that the evidence-based policy approach used in this project can be used as a template for the management of other established pest animals that are considered to be in need of requiring national coordination.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1999
DOI: 10.1071/AM00257
Abstract: na
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2009
DOI: 10.1071/WR08115
Abstract: Feral pig populations are expanding in many regions of the world following historically recent introductions. Populations are controlled to reduce damage to agriculture and the environment, and are also a recreational hunting resource. Knowledge of the area over which feral pigs may expand in the future could be used regionally to assist biosecurity planning, control efforts and the protection of bio ersity assets. The present study sought to estimate the future distribution of a recently introduced, expanding feral pig population in the remote Kimberley region of north-western Australia. An existing survey of feral pig distributions was enhanced and remote-sensing and weather data, reflecting or correlated with factors that may affect feral pig distributions, were collated and analysed. Relationships between feral pig distributions and these data were identified by using a generalised additive modelling approach. By the use of the model, the distribution of favourable habitat was estimated across the study region (89 125 km2). The potential future distribution of feral pigs in the Kimberley was then estimated, assuming only natural dispersal of feral pigs from areas of known feral pig status (cf. hunter-assisted movements or escape of domestic pigs). The modelling suggests that feral pigs could expand their distribution by realistic natural dispersal in the future (to 61 950 km2). This expansion possibility contains several strategically important areas (such as sea ports and biologically significant wetlands). This approach has the potential to improve biosecurity planning for the containment of the feral pig in the Kimberley and may have utility for other recently introduced invasive species in other regions. These results may also be used to improve pest-management programmes and contingency planning for exotic-disease incursions.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-03-2018
DOI: 10.1111/AEC.12575
Publisher: Association of Field Ornithologists
Date: 10-2004
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-11-2014
DOI: 10.1111/AVJ.12277
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-12-2015
DOI: 10.1002/JWMG.807
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-04-2011
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2001
Abstract: We investigated whether the food quality of tree foliage for African savanna browsers varies across the feeding height range of the guild. This was to address the question of why giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) generally feed at a higher level in the canopy than is accessible to all other browsers. We defined a giraffe browse unit (GBU) as the length of twig corresponding to the average "bite" taken by giraffes from two staple browse plants: Acacia nigrescens and Boscia albitrunca. We s led at three study sites in South Africa in the late dry season, at each site clipping GBUs at three heights above ground: 0.5 m, 1.5 m and 2.5 m these representing the levels typically browsed by small, medium and large-bodied browsing ungulates respectively. For each GBU we measured leaf dry mass, total N, neutral detergent fibre and condensed tannin, using near-infrared spectroscopy calibrated by conventional laboratory analyses. We found no differences between height levels with regard to leaf chemistry concentrations, but leaf biomass per GBU was significantly higher at the 1.5-m and 2.5-m levels than at the 0.5-m level. The larger browsers thus gain a bite-size advantage by browsing above the reach of the smaller species. A likely reason for the reduced leaf biomass per GBU at the low browsing level is the tendency for small browsers to pluck in idual leaves from shoots, while large browsers prune off whole shoots. We contend that our findings are analogous to those from parallel studies on the grazing guild, and are consistent with the hypothesis that the smaller members of ungulate guilds competitively displace the larger ones from shared feeding sites when resources become restricted. A prediction of this hypothesis is that the smaller members of each guild drive the grazing succession from behind and maintain browsing height stratification from below.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1071/RJ15100
Abstract: This paper describes the application of aerial culling to the management of feral camels during the Australian Feral Camel Management Project. It covers the following: key challenges involved, guiding principles, enabling factors which facilitated the application of aerial culling, the planning and implementation of actual culling operations, feedback loops, and the key operational achievements of the aerial culling program. Animal welfare was a key consideration under the Australian Feral Camel Management Project. Accordingly, aerial culling was applied in accordance with endorsed jurisdictional Standard Operating Procedures and animal welfare outcomes were formally and independently assessed during the project. Aerial culling was undertaken over an area totalling ~685 000 km2 focusing on the environmental assets identified for the project. In total, 57 aerial culling operations were undertaken resulting in the removal of ~136 000 feral camels, which represented nearly 84% of the total number removed during the project.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-08-2017
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1997
DOI: 10.1071/WR97010
Abstract: Several indirect methods for measuring body composition in a large herbivore, the southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons), were evaluated. Body composition was determined by whole-body chemical analysis of 15 wild-caught wombats, and compared with several indices of body fat: total body water measured by isotope dilution, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), body-mass index, and a body- condition score. Total body water and total body fat (by soxhlet analysis) were highly correlated (r2 = 0.97, intercept s.e. = 1.00). Total body water measured by desiccation was highly correlated with isotope dilution space (r2 = 0.97, intercept s.e. = 0.43 for deuterium r2 = 0.95, intercept s.e. = 0.44 for H218O). Percentage body fat by soxhlet analysis was highly correlated with total body water measured as deuterium dilution space (r2 = 0.83, intercept s.e. = 2.46). Multiple linear regression models using BIA plethysmograph measurements (resistance and impedance) and total body mass, were successful in predicting body fat (r2 = 0.90, s.e. = 1.99) and total body water (r2 = 0.90, s.e. = 1.64). Isotope-dilution techniques are the most accurate means of indirectly measuring total body water and total body fat, but at considerable expense of time and money. BIA offers reduced accuracy but at less cost and may be useful for measuring changes in body composition in populations of herbivores. Body-condition indices and scores correlate poorly with body fat, suggesting that their application as a means to predict body fat is limited.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-11-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2010
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1071/WR06009
Abstract: The Judas technique was evaluated for its use as a technique to assist with the control of the common starling (Sturnus vulgaris). This technique uses the natural behaviour of a gregarious animal to betray the location of itself and its companions through radio-telemetry. Two trials were conducted to assess and develop the technique for starlings. The first trial was conducted near the western edge of the starling’s current established range in Australia, at Penong in South Australia. Nine out of ten radio-tagged birds were successfully tracked from the ground and air. Estimates of the areas utilised varied from 1.1 km2 to 96.5 km2 (100% convex polygons). Night-time roosts were found for three of the nine radio-tagged birds and control (shooting) recovered just one bird directly associated with a Judas starling, as well as the radio-tagged bird. The second trial was conducted at Munglinup near Esperance in Western Australia. Munglinup is the site of a recent infestation of starlings and is the most western-known outlier of this pest in Australia. At this site, five radio-tagged starlings tracked from the ground and air, utilised areas ranging from 0.7 km2 to 51.6 km2. Reduced fidelity to roosting trees impaired our ability to destroy starlings here. However, the real value of the Munglinup trial was to expand the geographical area known to be occupied by this population from 103 km2 to more than 225 km2 and to identify habitats and roost sites used by the starlings. We conclude that the Judas technique could be applied to starlings and other pest birds with similar social structures as a means of strategic surveillance rather than as an adjunct to control per se.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 11-06-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2023
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 05-10-2012
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1071/WR11115
Abstract: Context Worldwide, invasive fauna species present one of the most intractable problems for agriculture and natural systems. Our ability to improve control techniques to combat the global invasive species predicament is constrained within the bounds of both economic and ethical considerations. In south-eastern Australia, the common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is an established invasive avian pest that is now making incursions into areas of Western Australia (WA) that are currently free of this species. The most cost-effective and widely implemented starling control tool is trapping with live-lure birds. In recent years, the use of live-lure birds has been questioned on both economic and ethical grounds, and consequently alternative lure methods need investigating. Aims To evaluate the effectiveness of different trap and lure combinations for the capture of starlings in western South Australia (SA). Methods Modified Australian Crow (MAC) traps, used traditionally in WA to trap starlings, and Myna traps, originally designed for trapping common mynas (Sturnus tristis), were set during the peaks in starling flocking activity (Austral summer, 2007) using three different lure types: (1) live lure (live starlings) (2) moving water and (3) acoustic lures. A trapping grid consisting of a single Myna trap with live lure and three MAC traps, each with one type of lure (live, water or acoustic) was established at five sites on the Eyre Peninsula in SA and monitored twice daily for 28 days. Key results Live lures were significantly more effective at attracting starlings into traps compared with both water and sound lures. We also trapped at an additional three sites and showed that Myna traps caught ~1.5 times more starlings than MAC traps when both traps were fitted with live-lure birds. Conclusions Neither moving water nor acoustic play-back lures proved suitable replacements for the use of live-lure birds to capture starlings. The efficacy of alternative lure types may depend on several factors and may include neophobic response(s) to novel signals and also the length of time that an invasive population has been established. Implications We recommend that use of live lures is continued in ongoing starling control programs, and that MAC traps currently in use be modified to capitalise on known starling behaviour. Further research and development of traps that do not contain live lures will improve the welfare of invasive species control programs.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 21-01-2022
DOI: 10.3390/SU14031230
Abstract: Kerb is an integral part of road infrastructure and performs several important functions, including providing stability to the edges of the road and providing effective drainage. Their performance can significantly influence the behaviour and service life of a road. The design conditions, construction materials and their sustainability can be important to assess from an asset management and sustainable construction point of view even though this area has been paid limited research attention in the past. This paper reviews the available literature on the design and construction considerations for kerbs and critically analyses them with a special focus on sustainable construction practice. The different materials commonly used around the world for the construction of kerb in terms of their properties, failure and available design guidelines have been discussed along with their management practice. Special situations, such as expansive soil movement and tree root-related problems, have also been considered, and the current guidelines for designing in such situations have also been discussed. A carbon footprint and sustainability analysis has been conducted on the current practice of using natural aggregate concrete and compared against several potential alternatives. The review of the design process indicated that the current practice relies on over-simplified design procedures and identified scopes for improvement, especially with the incorporation of mechanical behaviour of the material being used in construction. The carbon footprint and sustainability analysis indicated that the use of alternative materials could result in significant savings in the kerb construction industry’s carbon footprint.
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 2023
Abstract: The objective of the proposed macroscopic quantum resonators (MAQRO) mission is to harness space for achieving long free-fall times, extreme vacuum, nano-gravity, and cryogenic temperatures to test the foundations of physics in macroscopic quantum experiments at the interface with gravity. Developing the necessary technologies, achieving the required sensitivities and providing the necessary isolation of macroscopic quantum systems from their environment will lay the path for developing novel quantum sensors. Earlier studies showed that the proposal is feasible but that several critical challenges remain, and key technologies need to be developed. Recent scientific and technological developments since the original proposal of MAQRO promise the potential for achieving additional science objectives. The proposed research c aign aims to advance the state of the art and to perform the first macroscopic quantum experiments in space. Experiments on the ground, in micro-gravity, and in space will drive the proposed research c aign during the current decade to enable the implementation of MAQRO within the subsequent decade.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2002
DOI: 10.1071/WR00050
Abstract: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to predict the nutritive value of forage species available to the critically endangered northern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii). Nutritive attributes of the forage successfully estimated included total nitrogen concentration, fibre (including neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and acid lignin), organic matter, water soluble carbohydrates and in vitro dry matter digestibility. The reported results demonstrate the seasonal variability of the forage resource available to L. krefftii in its tropical savanna habitat. Multivariate modelling of the spectra enabled the nutritive value of forage s les to be estimated with coefficients of determination (r2) of 0.770–0.995 and standard errors of the cross-validation of 0.070–2.850 using a modified partial least-squares analysis technique. The standard error of the laboratory was 0.02–1.42. This study demonstrates that broad-based NIRS predictive equations can be used to predict the nutritive value of a number of plant types available to a herbivore over time. By using NIRS the analyst can rapidly analyse large numbers of s les with limited reduction of precision, thereby enabling large-scale ecological applications that may have previously been impeded by time and costs.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-07-2004
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-04-2012
DOI: 10.1002/JWMG.381
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2023
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-2012
DOI: 10.1071/MU11050
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1071/WR05106
Abstract: Population genetic tools have the potential to answer key questions in pest management including quantifying the number of genetically distinct populations represented in an invasion, the number of in iduals present, whether populations are expanding or contracting, identifying the origin of invasive in iduals, the number of separate introduction events that have occurred and in which order, and the rate that in iduals are moving between populations. Genetic methods have only recently gained sufficient resolution to address these questions due to advances in laboratory techniques coupled with an increase in computational power. In combination, these methods may lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of invasions. The expansion of the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) into Western Australia is used as an applied ex le of how genetic methods can be integrated to provide vital information to improve pest-management strategies. Invasion events also may provide a unique opportunity to test some of these methodologies.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/AM17042
Abstract: The dingo (Canis dingo or C. familiaris, including hybrids with feral dogs) is the apex carnivore on mainland Australia. Fifteen non-native ungulate species have established wild populations in Australia. Dingoes are managed to reduce impacts on domestic ungulates, and introduced wild ungulates are managed to reduce impacts on natural ecosystems and to minimise competition with domestic ungulates. There is speculation about the extent to which (1) dingoes limit the abundances of introduced wild ungulates, and (2) introduced wild ungulates sustain dingo populations. We reviewed the literature to identify potential ecological interactions between dingoes and introduced wild ungulates, and to synthesise evidence for interactions between dingoes and each ungulate species (including the percentage frequency occurrence (%FO) of ungulates in dingo diets). Eleven of the 15 ungulate species were recorded in the diet of dingoes, with the highest %FO occurrences reported for feral goats (73%) and cattle (60%). Two studies concluded that dingoes reduced ungulate abundances (feral goat (Capra hircus) and feral donkey (Equus asinus)), and two studies concluded that dingoes did not regulate feral pig (Sus scrofa) abundances. A fifth study concluded that dingoes exhibited a Type III functional response to increasing sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) abundances. A sixth study concluded that dingoes made relatively little use of hunter-shot sambar deer carcasses. We propose that interactions between dingoes and introduced wild ungulates depend on the sex–age classes vulnerable to dingo predation, dingo pack sizes, the availability of escape terrain for ungulates and the availability of alternative foods for dingoes. The interplay between environmental conditions and the population growth rate of ungulates, and hence their ability to sustain losses from predation, could also be important. We predict that dingoes will have most impact on the abundance of smaller ungulate species and neonates.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 06-01-2016
Abstract: Mitochondria are critical for life, yet their underlying evolutionary biology is poorly understood. In particular, little is known about interaction between two levels of evolution: between in iduals and within in iduals (competition between cells, mitochondria or mitochondrial DNA molecules). Rapid evolution is suspected to occur frequently in mitochondrial DNA, whose maternal inheritance predisposes advantageous mutations to sweep rapidly though populations. Rapid evolution is also predicted in response to changed selection regimes after species invasion or removal of pathogens or competitors. Here, using empirical and simulated data from a model invasive bird species, we provide the first demonstration of rapid selection on the mitochondrial genome within in iduals in the wild. Further, we show differences in mitochondrial DNA copy number associated with competing genetic variants, which may provide a mechanism for selection. We provide evidence for three rarely documented phenomena: selection associated with mitochondrial DNA abundance, selection on the mitochondrial control region, and contemporary selection during invasion.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.VETMIC.2012.11.036
Abstract: Although wild pig populations are known to sometimes be infected by Salmonella, the situation in Australia has received little attention and few population-based, planned studies have been conducted. Understanding the distribution of Salmonella infections within wild pig populations allows the potential hazard posed to co-grazing livestock to be assessed. We s led a remote and isolated wild pig population in northwestern Australia. Faecal and mesenteric lymph node s les were collected from 651 wild pigs at 93 locations and cultured for Salmonella. The population s led was typical of wild pig populations in tropical areas of Australia, and s ling occurred approximately halfway through the population's breeding season (38% of the 229 adult females were pregnant and 35% were lactating). Overall, the prevalence of Salmonella infection based on culture of 546 freshly collected faecal s les was 36.3% (95% CI 32.1-40.7%), and based on culture of mesenteric lymph nodes was 11.9% (95% CI, 9.4-15.0%). A total of 39 serovars (139 isolates) were identified--29 in faecal s les and 24 in lymph node s les--however neither Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium nor Salmonella Cholerasuis were isolated. There was a significant (p<0.0001) disagreement between faecal and lymph node s les with respect to Salmonella isolation, with isolation more likely from faecal s les. Prevalence differed between age classes, with piglets being less likely to be faecal-positive but more likely to be lymph node positive than adults. The distribution of faecal-positive pigs was spatially structured, with spatial clusters being identified. Study results suggest that this population of wild pigs is highly endemic for Salmonella, and that Salmonella is transmitted from older to younger pigs, perhaps associated with landscape features such as water features. This might have implications for infection of co-grazing livestock within this environment.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-11-2021
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-10-2016
DOI: 10.1111/CONL.12301
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1996
DOI: 10.1071/ZO9960319
Abstract: The small dasyurid marsupial, Ningaui yvonneae, feeds opportunistically on invertebrates dominated by the orders Hymenoptera, Coleoptera and Araneae, but is capable of, and will, consume vertebrates such as skinks. When presented with a choice of prey N. yvonneae exhibited a strong preference for prey items on the basis of size. It consistently selected small prey items over large prey items. Small prey items represented the most energy-efficient prey option as the ningaui can more efficiently capture, subdue and consume them than it can larger prey. The relationship between prey size and handling time was exponential, indicating that there is an upper limit to the ability of N. yvonneae to process prey. Moreover, smaller cockroaches provided greater energy gain than larger ones, indicating that the costs of eating larger cockroaches energetically outweighed the energy return. These results are in agreement with optimal foraging theory.
Publisher: University of Technology, Sydney (UTS)
Date: 19-06-2019
Abstract: Empowering integrative, sustainable and equitable approaches to wicked socio-ecological problems requires multiple disciplines and ways of knowing. Following calls for greater attention to political economics in this transdisciplinary work, we offer a practitioner perspective on political economy and collective action and their influences on our community engagement practice and public policy. Our perspective is grounded in a pervasive wicked problem in Australia, invasive rabbits, and the emergence of the Victorian Rabbit Action Network. The network grew out of a publically funded research project to support community-led action in rabbit management. Victorian residents and workers affected by rabbits – public and private land managers, scientists, government officers and others – were invited to engage in a participatory planning process to generate sustainable strategies to address the rabbit problem. Each stage in the process, which involved interviews, a workshop and consultations, was designed to nurture the critical enquiry, listening and learning skills of participants, advance understandings of the problem from multiple perspectives, generate collective options to guide decision-making, and encourage community-led collective action. We reflect on our understanding of these processes using the language and lens of political economics and, in particular, the context of democratic professionalism. In so doing, we define terms and refer to information resources that have enabled us to bring a practical working knowledge of political economics to our professional practice. Our intent is to motivate academics, community members, government officials, and scientists alike, to draw on their knowledge and field experiences and to share practice stories through the lens of political economics and collective action. This is an opportunity to engage each other in small ‘p’ politics of how we understand and act on wicked problems, to negotiate and connect across disciplines, practical experiences and human difference, so that people may work more creatively and effectively together to address the challenging issues of our time.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2009
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2023
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2005
DOI: 10.1071/AM05069
Abstract: THERE are many techniques available to measure the abundance of animal populations (e.g., Caughley 1977 Caughley and Grigg 1981 Southwell 1989 McCallum 2000 Buckland et al. 2001). A key point emphasised by each of these authors is that when choosing the most appropriate method(s) for measuring the abundance of animal populations, the manager or researcher must consider the ecological question(s) being asked. This in turn will determine what technique(s) will be most appropriate, what data are likely to be collected for analysis, and how these data will address the ecological question being asked. For the larger macropods, particularly Macropus spp., many of the techniques used to measure the abundance, and associated issues, have been reviewed (see Southwell 1989). Despite this, the applicability of these techniques has rarely been compared, particularly with respect to the observed variability in temporal counts.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-01-2009
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2000
DOI: 10.1071/WR99053
Abstract: The northern hairy-nosed wombat, Lasiorhinus krefftii, is a critically endangered grazing herbivore, restricted to a single population of just 65 in iduals in the savanna of central Queensland. Lasiorhinus krefftii shares its habitat with another grazing herbivore of similar body size, the eastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus. This study investigated the potential for M. giganteus to compete with L. krefftii for food. Analysis of faecal residues demonstrated that both herbivores consumed grass almost exclusively, with the exception of small quantities of sedges and dicotyledons. Dietary overlap between M. giganteus and L. krefftii was high, both in the consumption of plant species (90%) and plant parts (99%), suggesting that there is potential for dietary competition. Using the distribution of faecal deposits for both herbivores, analysis of habitat usage by multiple linear regression techniques indicated that M. giganteus exhibits clear associations with some habitat features but proved inconclusive for L. krefftii because of their use of defecation in social marking. However, an examination of the population dynamics of M. giganteus suggested that the densities reported in this study, although highly seasonal, are sufficiently low that competition with L. krefftii for food is currently negligible.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-2004
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 06-2015
Abstract: Although population genetic theory is largely based on the premise that loci under study are selectively neutral, it has been acknowledged that the study of DNA sequence data under the influence of selection can be useful. In some circumstances, these loci show increased population differentiation and gene ersity. Highly polymorphic loci may be especially useful when studying populations having low levels of ersity overall, such as is often the case with threatened or newly established invasive populations. Using common starlings Sturnus vulgaris s led from invasive Australian populations, we investigated sequence data of the dopamine receptor D4 gene (DRD4), a locus suspected to be under selection for novelty-seeking behaviour in a range of taxa including humans and passerine birds. We hypothesised that such behaviour may be advantageous when species encounter novel environments, such as during invasion. In addition to analyses to detect the presence of selection, we also estimated population differentiation and gene ersity using DRD4 data and compared these estimates to those from microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA sequence data, using the same in iduals. We found little evidence for selection on DRD4 in starlings. However, we did find elevated levels of within-population gene ersity when compared to microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA sequence, as well as a greater degree of population differentiation. We suggest that sequence data from putatively nonneutral loci are a useful addition to studies of invasive populations, where low genetic variability is expected.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-2004
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 30-04-2016
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1998
DOI: 10.1071/WR98009
Abstract: The short-term effect of radio-packages on the activity of the northern hairy-nosed wombat, Lasiorhinus krefftii, was investigated using activity data-loggers. Adjustment to the radio-package occurred between 10 and 18 days following capture and fitting of the radio-package. Following the adjustment period, activity levels were some 84–97% less than that of the initial activity level after the attachment of the radio-package. We believe that the adjustment period needs to be considered in studies involving the attachment of radio- packages.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-09-1998
Abstract: Many ecological studies rely heavily on chemical analysis of plant and animal tissues. Often, there is limited time and money to perform all the required analyses and this can result in less than ideal s ling schemes and poor levels of replication. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) can relieve these constraints because it can provide quick, non-destructive and quantitative analyses of an enormous range of organic constituents of plant and animal tissues. Near infrared spectra depend on the number and type of C[Formula: see text]H, N[Formula: see text]H and O[Formula: see text]H bonds in the material being analyzed. The spectral features are then combined with reliable compositional or functional analyses of the material in a predictive statistical model. This model is then used to predict the composition of new or unknown s les. NIRS can be used to analyze some specific elements (indirectly - e.g., N as protein) or well-defined compounds (e.g., starch) or more complex, poorly defined attributes of substances (e.g., fiber, animal food intake) have also been successfully modeled with NIRS technology. The accuracy and precision of the reference values for the calibration data set in part determines the quality of the predictions made by NIRS. However, NIRS analyses are often more precise than standard laboratory assays. The use of NIRS is not restricted to the simple determination of quantities of known compounds, but can also be used to discriminate between complex mixtures and to identify important compounds affecting attributes of interest. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy is widely accepted for compositional and functional analyses in agriculture and manufacturing but its utility has not yet been recognized by the majority of ecologists conducting similar analyses. This paper aims to stimulate interest in NIRS and to illustrate some of the enormous variety of uses to which it can be put. We emphasize that care must be taken in the calibration stage to prevent propagation of poor analytical work through NIRS, but, used properly, NIRS offers ecologists enormous analytical power.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-05-2015
Publisher: Wildlife Disease Association
Date: 04-2012
DOI: 10.7589/0090-3558-48.2.435
Abstract: The Judas technique is a method used for landscape control of feral donkeys (Equus asinus) in northern Australia. Central to the success of any Judas program is the safe, efficient, and humane attachment of the telemetry device. For feral donkeys, this involves the use of field immobilization. We examine the replacement of the current chemical capture agent, succinylcholine, with contemporary immobilization agents to achieve positive animal welfare outcomes. A combination of medetomidine and ketamine delivered by remote injection from a helicopter was used to capture 14 free-ranging feral donkeys for the fitting of telemetry collars in Western Australia in November 2010. Dose rates of 0.14 mg/kg medetomidine and 4.1 mg/kg ketamine were appropriate to immobilize animals in 9 min (± SD = 3). Mean recovery time (total time in recumbency) was 21 min (± 14). All animals recovered uneventfully after being administered atipamezole, a specific antagonist of medetomidine, intramuscularly at 0.35 mg/kg. Physiologic parameters were recorded during recumbency, with environment-related hyperthermia being the only abnormality recognized. No significant complications were encountered, and this drug combination represents an efficient approach to capturing wild donkeys. This new method allows a rapid, safe, cost-effective approach to the immobilization of feral donkeys for use as Judas animals. This drug combination will replace the relatively inhumane succinylcholine for the field immobilization of feral donkeys.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1071/WR16148
Abstract: Deer are among the world’s most successful invasive mammals and can have substantial deleterious impacts on natural and agricultural ecosystems. Six species have established wild populations in Australia, and the distributions and abundances of some species are increasing. Approaches to managing wild deer in Australia are erse and complex, with some populations managed as ‘game’ and others as ‘pests’. Implementation of cost-effective management strategies that account for this complexity is hindered by a lack of knowledge of the nature, extent and severity of deer impacts. To clarify the knowledge base and identify research needs, we conducted a systematic review of the impacts and management of wild deer in Australia. Most wild deer are in south-eastern Australia, but bioclimatic analysis suggested that four species are well suited to the tropical and subtropical climates of northern Australia. Deer could potentially occupy most of the continent, including parts of the arid interior. The most significant impacts are likely to occur through direct effects of herbivory, with potentially cascading indirect effects on fauna and ecosystem processes. However, evidence of impacts in Australia is largely observational, and few studies have experimentally partitioned the impacts of deer from those of sympatric native and other introduced herbivores. Furthermore, there has been little rigorous testing of the efficacy of deer management in Australia, and our understanding of the deer ecology required to guide deer management is limited. We identified the following six priority research areas: (i) identifying long-term changes in plant communities caused by deer (ii) understanding interactions with other fauna (iii) measuring impacts on water quality (iv) assessing economic impacts on agriculture (including as disease vectors) (v) evaluating efficacy of management for mitigating deer impacts and (vi) quantifying changes in distribution and abundance. Addressing these knowledge gaps will assist the development and prioritisation of cost-effective management strategies and help increase stakeholder support for managing the impacts of deer on Australian ecosystems.
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Location: Australia
Location: Australia
No related grants have been discovered for Andrew Woolnough.