ORCID Profile
0000-0002-6002-4552
Current Organisation
University of Tasmania
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Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-03-2014
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2023
DOI: 10.1071/WR22154
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-08-2021
DOI: 10.1111/AEC.13091
Abstract: Conservation practitioners implement management interventions for the protection of threatened species, but the benefits are rarely measured. We investigated the efficacy of aerial poison baiting for feral cats, a species identified as a threat to reintroduced populations of two Australian mammals. We measured in idual survival, short‐term changes in activity and longer term population trajectories in cats and reintroduced western quolls and brushtail possums before and after annual baiting events. Between 87% and 100% of radiocollared feral cats that remained in the baited area died from poisoning in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Camera detection rates significantly declined after each event (40–77%), and the proportion of cameras occupied remained lower after baiting commenced (20–60% before vs . % after). Cat decline on cameras was significantly higher in areas with low rabbit abundance, suggesting controlling alternative prey would improve baiting success. Importantly, none of 37 radiocollared quolls died from poisoning despite pre‐baiting trials determining that they were the most common species removing baits (26%). We detected no negative impact of baiting on the quoll and possum populations but could not demonstrate a significant net benefit. Trapping data suggested no change in annual quoll survival after baiting despite a slight increase in survival of radiocollared quolls. Quoll detection rates on camera did not significantly decline after each baiting event. A decline in the last two years of monitoring was possibly due to drought conditions. Approximately 10% of radiocollared possums died from poisoning after the first baiting event, but trapping and camera detections suggested a stable or increasing population. Poison baiting successfully reduced cat abundance, and there was no measurable negative effect on populations of reintroduced species. Long‐term monitoring through a range of seasonal conditions is required to determine the net benefit of predator control for reintroduced populations where paired impact and control sites are impractical.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-10-2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 11-05-2017
DOI: 10.1017/S095927091600054X
Abstract: The Chocó-Tumbesian region of western Ecuador is one of the 25 global bio ersity hotspots harbouring high numbers of endemic species, which are heavily threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation. Moreover, ongoing climate change in the tropics drives species uphill as lower-lying areas are becoming constantly drier. Such upslope movement can pose major challenges for less mobile species, such as understorey birds which are confined to mature forests and unable to cross habitat gaps. Consequently, these species are threatened by a combination of upslope range shifts and forest fragmentation. In our study, we investigated population numbers and habitat requirements of the Ecuadorian Tapaculo Scytalopus robbinsi , which is endemic to the premontane cloud forests of south-western Ecuador. Comparing the microhabitat structure within territories with control sites revealed that Ecuadorian Tapaculos prefer old secondary forests. Moreover, connectivity between forest fragments was the strongest predictor of the presence of territories within them. We estimated the mean upslope shift of the distribution range as 100 m per decade and developed a model of habitat availability for the revised range. Extrapolating the number of territories from the study area to the distributional range of the Ecuadorian Tapaculo showed that the global population size is smaller than previously assumed. Our results suggest that the Ecuadorian Tapaculo is strongly affected by forest loss and degradation. Therefore, to prevent a continuing decline in population numbers or even extinction, conservation measures focusing on restoring connectivity between fragments and increasing habitat quality and quantity for the remaining populations need to be prioritised.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 31-10-2021
DOI: 10.3390/ANI11113125
Abstract: Movements that extend beyond the usual space use of an animal have been documented in a range of species and are particularly prevalent in arid areas. We present long-distance movement data on five feral cats (Felis catus) GPS/VHF-collared during two different research projects in arid and semi-arid Australia. We compare these movements with data from other feral cat studies. Over a study period of three months in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, 4 out of 19 collared cats moved to sites that were 31, 41, 53 and 86 km away. Three of the cats were males, one female their weight was between 2.1 and 4.1 kg. Two of the cats returned to the area of capture after three and six weeks. During the other study at Arid Recovery, one collared male cat (2.5 kg) was relocated after two years at a distance of 369 km from the area of collar deployment to the relocation area. The movements occurred following three years of record low rainfall. Our results build on the knowledge base of long-distance movements of feral cats reported at arid study sites and support the assertion that landscape-scale cat control programs in arid and semi-arid areas need to be of a sufficiently large scale to avoid rapid reinvasion and to effectively reduce cat density. Locally, cat control strategies need to be adjusted to improve coverage of areas highly used by cats to increase the efficiency of control operations.
No related grants have been discovered for Jeroen Jansen.