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AbstractAustralia is unique in having two highly diverse plant genera, Eucalyptus and Acacia, that dominate the vegetation on a continent-wide scale. The recent shift in plantation forestry away from exotic Pinus radiata to native Eucalyptus species has resulted in much more extensive exchange of biota between native forest and plantation ecosystems than exchange in the past with plantations of exotic species. Growing numbers of hectares are being planted to Eucalyptus globulus across Australia, and plantations are providing resources and corridors for native biota. The present paper focuses on both the benefits and risks of having large-scale forestry plantations of native species that are closely related to dominant native taxa in local forests. At least 85 species of insects have been recorded as pests of Eucalyptus plantations around Australia; the vast majority of these have been insects using the same host species, or closely related taxa, in native forests. Plantations of native species may also benefit from closely related local forests through the presence of: (i) the diverse array of ectomycorrhizal fungi favourable for tree growth; (ii) natural enemies harboured in native habitats; and (iii) recruitment of other important mutualists, such as pollinators. Exchanges work in two directions: plantations are also likely to influence native forests through the large amount of insect biomass production that occurs in outbreak situations, or through the introduction or facilitation of movements for insects that are not native to all parts of Australia. Finally, older plantations in which trees flower may exchange genes with surrounding forest species, given the high degree of hybridization exhibited by many Eucalyptus species. This is an aspect of exchange for which few data have been recorded. In summary, because of Australia’s unique biogeography, plantation forestry using eucalypt species entails exchanges with natural habitats that are unparalleled... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn this paper it is argued that concepts developed in ecologically derived insect–plant interaction models can contribute directly to the management of insect herbivory in eucalypt plantations. Common to most species of commercially planted eucalypt is their genetic potential for early rapid growth. Several plant defence theories predict that intrinsically fast growing plants are able to tolerate relatively high levels of herbivory. The risk of this strategy failing increases when plants are exposed to external stressful factors that reduce canopy growth and vigour. Results from a young Eucalyptus camaldulensis plantation stressed by moisture deficit and two young Eucalyptus dunnii plantations, stressed by flooding and weed competition, respectively, are summarized. In all three cases, the stress-inducing agents reduced canopy growth rates and architecture so that the proportion of leaf tissue damaged by insects increased and the tree’s ability to tolerate this damage decreased. Therefore, alleviating tree stress through improved silvicultural practices or improved site selection techniques may indirectly reduce the impact of insect herbivory. In resource-limiting environments, an alternative approach may be to plant eucalypt species that although slower growing, are predicted to have better defended foliage. Manipulation of these natural antiherbivore plant strategies are not exclusive of other management approaches, such as the need for routine surveillance of key pest insects or the genetic selection of natural insect resistance and selective chemical control techniques, but should be viewed as an overarching concept for plantation health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractHerbivorous insects have the problem both of locating appropriate host plants and ensuring that the plant-feeding stages of their life cycles are synchronized with the times when those hosts provide a high-quality food resource. Because the taxonomic range of potential hosts is generally narrow, and the temporal window when those hosts are suitable is often relatively short, developmental (especially diapause) and dispersal mechanisms may be critical factors in determining whether or not a species population is successful in a particular plant community. The present paper considers the impact of diapause and dispersal mechanisms on the ability of insect herbivores to cope with two attributes of their host plants: (i) the diversity of the plant community within which the hosts are located; and (ii) the seasonal predictability of host suitability. Some common dispersal mechanisms used by insect herbivores are much more appropriate to low-diversity than to high-diversity plant communities and, similarly, some diapause cues are appropriate only to highly predictable plant phenology. Both agriculture and silviculture characteristically manipulate both these attributes of plant communities, that is, in order to make the human use of plants more efficient, cultivation strategies normally both reduce plant species diversity (often to a condition approaching monoculture) and increase the predictability of plant developmental patterns. Consequently, major pest species in managed systems may not be those that are most common in natural systems, and may be difficult to predict in advance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract It is generally accepted that high quality males are those that succeed in male-male competition: in either aggression or rivalry to attract and be selected by females. Previous studies of amphibians have suggested that the main characters influencing male mating success include variation in call characteristics (e.g. call rate, call intensity), calling behaviour, body condition, age and chorus tenure. In the present paper, several of the characters influencing female mate choice (male body size, body condition, call rate, call frequency and chorus tenure) are investigated in two closely related, explosive breeding frog species Litoria chloris and Litoria xanthomera. Smaller males of both species are shown to be more successful than larger males and this success is attributed to the increased chorus tenure of smaller males in L. xanthomera. This increased chorus tenure was attributed to the lower total energy used per call by a small male calling at a higher frequency. Whether increased chorus tenure explains female mate choice in L. chloris is uncertain but is highly probable given the strong similarity between the two species in both ecology and call characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The species saturation hypothesis in ground-dwelling ant communities was tested, the relationship between local and regional species richness was studied and the possible processes involved in this relationship were evaluated in the present paper. To describe the relationship between local and regional species richness, the ground-dwelling ant fauna of 10 forest remnants was sampled, using 10 1 m2 quadrats in each remnant. The ants were extracted from the litter by using Winkler sacs. Using regression analyses, an asymptotic pattern between local and regional species richness was detected. This saturated pattern may be related to three processes: (i) high interspecific competition; (ii) habitat species specialization; or (iii) stochastic equilibrium. It is concluded that non-interactive processes, such as stochastic equilibrium and habitat specialization may act as factors regulating species richness in this community. The predominance of locally restricted species, in all sampled remnants, seems to indicate the occurrence of a high degree of habitat specialization by the ant species. This result is evidence for the hypothesis that community saturation has been generated by non-interactive processes. Although ants are frequently described as highly interactive, it is possible that interspecific competition is not important in the structuring of ground-dwelling ant communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper documents changes in the floristic composition of Eucalyptus marginata Donn (jarrah) woodlands over 7 years of recovery from continual, intensive livestock grazing. In remnants of native woodland left after agricultural clearing, which have been subjected to livestock grazing, comparisons were made between the floristics of fenced exclosure plots and open plots that continued to be grazed. The vegetation in nearby remnants, which had not been subjected to livestock grazing, was also surveyed. An initial increase in annual exotic pasture species after grazing relief was only temporary and highly influenced by fluctuations in annual climatic patterns, particularly rainfall distribution and abundance. Subsequent years saw a decrease in exotic annuals in exclosure plots and an increase in native perennials, in a trend towards becoming more floristically similar to the ungrazed sites. Germination of overstorey species was observed in the exclosure plots, however, development of seedlings and saplings was sparse. Results indicate that for jarrah woodland in southwestern Australia, natural regeneration is possible after the removal of livestock, with the return (within 6 years) of native species richness to levels similar to those found in ungrazed vegetation. Re-establishment of cover, however, appears to take longer. The floristic dynamics are described in terms of a nonequilibrium model. Two vegetation states exist, degraded remnants with an understorey dominated by annual species, and ungrazed vegetation with an understorey dominated by perennial shrubs and herbs. The former state is maintained by continual heavy grazing by livestock. Upon relief from grazing, the vegetation undergoes a transition towards floristic similarity to ungrazed vegetation. After 6 years, vegetation change in the exclosure plots appears to be continuing and therefore it is still in transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Hypothesis-testing methods for multivariate data are needed to make rigorous probability statements about the effects of factors and their interactions in experiments. Analysis of variance is particularly powerful for the analysis of univariate data. The traditional multivariate analogues, however, are too stringent in their assumptions for most ecological multivariate data sets. Non-parametric methods, based on permutation tests, are preferable. This paper describes a new non-parametric method for multivariate analysis of variance, after McArdle and Anderson (in press). It is given here, with several applications in ecology, to provide an alternative and perhaps more intuitive formulation for ANOVA (based on sums of squared distances) to complement the description provided by McArdle and Anderson (in press) for the analysis of any linear model. It is an improvement on previous non-parametric methods because it allows a direct additive partitioning of variation for complex models. It does this while maintaining the flexibility and lack of formal assumptions of other non-parametric methods. The test-statistic is a multivariate analogue to Fisher’s F-ratio and is calculated directly from any symmetric distance or dissimilarity matrix. P-values are then obtained using permutations. Some examples of the method are given for tests involving several factors, including factorial and hierarchical (nested) designs and tests of interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Successful management of invasive weeds will require active attempts to prevent new introductions, vigilant detection of nascent populations and persistent efforts to eradicate the worst invaders. To achieve these objectives, invasion ecology offers five groups of complementary approaches. (i) Stochastic approaches allow probabilistic predictions about potential invaders based on initial population size, residence time and number of introduction attempts. (ii) Empirical taxon-specific approaches are based on previously documented invasions of particular taxa. (iii) Evaluations of the biological characters of non-invasive taxa and successful invaders give rise either to general or to habitat-specific screening procedures. (iv) Evaluation of environmental compatibility helps to predict whether a particular plant taxon can invade specific habitats. (v) Experimental approaches attempt to tease apart intrinsic and extrinsic factors underlying invasion success. An emerging theory of plant invasiveness based on biological characters has resulted in several rather robust predictions which are presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Environmental weeds are plants that invade natural ecosystems and are considered to be a serious threat to nature conservation. Australia and New Zealand, where biota with a high degree of endemism have evolved, are particularly susceptible to environmental weeds. Environmental weeds have been implicated in the extinction of several indigenous plant species, and they also threaten ecosystem stability and functional complexity. Historically, emphasis has been placed on the chemical or manual ‘control’ of weed infestations, often with little consideration of the long-term effectiveness or the ecological consequences of such an approach. As the threat from environmental weeds is becoming more fully recognized, an integrated, strategic and ecological approach to weed management is being recommended. In both countries, systems for screening new plants before allowing entry for cultivation have been developed. For already established plants, management is conducted within a legislative and policy framework such as the Regional Pest Management Strategies that operate through the Biosecurity Act 1993 in New Zealand. Noxious weed legislation in Australia has historically focused on agricultural weeds, but some Acts are (or have recently been) undergoing revision to give greater emphasis to environmental weeds and the involvement of the community in weed management. Quarantine, legislation, research and on-ground management are complemented by education programmes about the impact and control of environmental weeds. This paper provides an overview of the ‘tool-kit’ needed to manage environmental weeds in Australia and New Zealand, comparing and contrasting the approaches taken in the two countries. It also provides a broad framework for the case studies that make up this special issue on the ecology and management of environmental weeds in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractForest structure does not form an even distribution over forested landscapes; rather, it produces a mosaic or patchwork pattern. ‘Habitat complexity scores’ provide a method of describing changes in vegetation biomass and, when assessed at randomly located plots, a frequency distribution of habitat can be developed. The frequency distribution can be used to describe characteristics of the pattern of habitat complexity, such as the mean and heterogeneity of habitat over the whole forest. In the present paper, an historical sequence of habitat complexity scores collected from 99 sites over an 18-year period was used. The frequency distribution of the habitat complexity scores was fitted using a binomial distribution and the parameters of the binomial distribution were modelled to provide a relationship between the frequency of different habitat environments across the landscape and the time since wildfire. In most cases, the binomial distributions fitted the observed data significantly. The relationship between the binomial parameters and the time since fire was found to be highly significant (P < 0.01). Habitat complexity scores were predicted from the model solely as a function of time since fire, allowing both retrospective and future predictions of the distribution of habitats to be undertaken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractFire is widely used for conservation management in the savannah landscapes of northern Australia, yet there is considerable uncertainty over the ecological effects of different fire regimes. The responses of insects and other arthropods to fire are especially poorly known, despite their dominant roles in the functioning of savannah ecosystems. Fire often appears to have little long-term effect on ordinal-level abundance of arthropods in temperate woodlands and open forests of southern Australia, and this paper addresses the extent to which such ordinal-level resilience also occurs in Australia’s tropical savannahs. The data are from a multidisciplinary, landscape-scale fire experiment at Kapalga in Kakadu National Park. Arthropods were sampled in the two major savannah habitats (woodland and open forest) using pitfall traps and sweep nets, in 15–20 km2 compartments subjected to one of three fire regimes, each with three replicates: ‘early’ (annual fires lit early in the dry season), ‘late’ (annual fires lit late in the dry season), and ‘unburnt’ (fires absent during the five-year experimental period 1990–94). Floristic cover, richness and composition were also measured in each sampling plot, using point quadrats. There were substantial habitat differences in floristic composition, but fire had no measured effect on plant richness, overall composition, or cover of three of the four dominant species. Of the 11 ordinal arthropod taxa considered from pitfall traps, only four were significantly affected by fire according to repeated-measures ANOVA. There was a marked reduction in ant abundance in the absence of fire, and declines in spiders, homopterans and silverfish under late fires. Similarly, the abundances of only four of the 10 ordinal taxa from sweep catches were affected by fire, with crickets and beetles declining in the absence of fire, and caterpillars declining under late... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractOn the western Arnhem Land Plateau, Northern Territory, Australia, seedlings of the canopy tree Allosyncarpia ternata S.T. Blake typically spend many years (perhaps decades) as small (<1 m), multistemmed plants on the forest floor. In this establishment phase, long periods of apparent inactivity are interrupted by episodes of rapid growth. This paper describes a 5-year field-monitoring program to examine the pattern of seedling growth and survival in allosyncarpia forest, and field and shadehouse measurements of lignotuber size. Individual seedlings may produce, each wet season, a number of fast-growing stems, which then die back in the following dry season. As a result, mean annual above-ground growth during this life stage is negligible. With each wet season, however, the seedling extends its below ground parts – a large lignotuber and a deep root system. After a number of years, when the lignotuber has grown large enough to sustain massive shoot growth, when a suitable light gap becomes available, and presumably when roots reach reliable dry-season water supplies, the seedling grows rapidly. Thus, the shortage of saplings in allosyncarpia forest is due to the short time that individual plants spend at that particular growth-stage, rather than to any dysfunction in recruitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use fossil, sub‐fossil and contemporary records of the Broad‐toothed rat, Mastacomys fuscus, to model changes in its range over the last 21 thousand years. Mastacomys fuscus was exposed to, and flourished in, a much broader range of environmental conditions in the recent past than it occupies today. It also currently occupies a much smaller range than it did in the Late Pleistocene. Apart from a weak response to sea‐level rise in the Holocene, the decline of M. fuscus does not correlate with known climate change. Instead, the contraction of the species' distribution on mainland Australia to high‐elevation areas occurred recently and rapidly. Small changes in the 1000 year BP and present‐day projected distributions imply some contraction of the area of suitable climate to higher elevations of the mainland subspecies M. f. mordicus, up to 2200 m above sea level. However, M. f. mordicus also persists near sea level at Cape Otway (southwestern Victoria) and from sea level to 1500 m above sea level at Barrington Tops (eastern New South Wales, Australia). This suggests suitable habitat may still exist in coastal Victoria and the central Tablelands/Blue Mountains areas. This research highlights the importance and value of using sub‐fossil data to understand changes in the distribution and niche occupation of threatened species as the basis for conservation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language barriers can impede the dissemination of research findings, restrict collaboration and exclude non‐English‐speaking researchers from the global scientific community. To overcome this challenge, we explore the potential of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) text generators to assist non‐anglophone researchers in producing high‐quality academic texts for publication in scientific journals, with a focus on the field of ecological research. These tools can produce grammatically correct, coherent and contextually appropriate text, improving scientific communication quality. Improving scientific communication is vital in Ecology, where research findings can have important implications for the environment and public policy. GenAI text generators can generate summaries of research findings, abstracts and social media posts promoting research findings. Nonetheless, researchers must exercise caution and use these tools together with human review and editing to ensure accuracy and clarity. As natural language processing and machine learning continue to evolve, the use of GenAI text generators in scientific communication is poised to become increasingly important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reptiles are an understudied group in road ecology, despite evidence of their high vulnerability to road mortality. Recently, trait‐based models have been demonstrated to be valuable tools for explaining and predicting road mortality risks for birds and mammals. The present study aimed to apply such models to reptiles for the first time. We fitted eight random forest regression models, controlling for different survey design variables, to explain 782 empirical road‐kill rates for Brazilian reptiles and selected the best‐performing model to predict road mortality risks for 572 continental species. The results showed that species that are habitat generalists, omnivorous, viviparous, cathemeral, and have intermediate clutch or litter sizes are at a higher risk of being road‐killed. The relationships for other traits included in our models were uncertain, but our findings suggest that population density and species‐specific behavioural responses to roads and traffic may play an important role in road mortality risks. Geographical location and survey design variables (especially sampling speed and sampling time) were more important in explaining the variance of the empirical road‐kill rates than any of the tested ecological and functional traits. Besides adding evidence of the vulnerability of the Amazon region to vertebrate road‐kills, this study highlights some similarities between the relationships identified here and those found for birds and mammals (such as with body mass and habitat breadth). We also corroborate that trait‐based models are useful tools to aid in conservation efforts but indicate that they can be biased by the methodologies used to collect empirical data. Future road‐kill surveys should therefore use methods specifically designed for reptiles and estimate both observer efficiency and carcass removal rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic changes in habitats are one of the main threats to biodiversity. Understanding how species diversity and their functions are affected by these changes is crucial to assess environmental impacts. In this work, we aim to understand how lizard composition, taxonomic and functional diversity respond to differences in native vegetation regeneration stages (conserved vegetation and open secondary vegetation) and agricultural land use in different vegetation types (Caatinga sensu stricto, Cerrado sensu stricto and Relictual Humid Forest) in Caatinga domain, Brazil. In more degraded areas (open secondary vegetation and agricultural areas), we found a decline in species evenness, shown by greater dominance of few species. Moreover, we found a lower functional evenness in agricultural areas than in areas of conserved vegetation, which suggests that a smaller portion of functional traits present greater dominance in more anthropized areas. We did not detect any significant differences in species richness, but we did registered differences in species composition in Relictual Humid Forest. Contrary to our expectations, lizard abundance was also greater in more degraded areas, probably as a result of the increased abundance of species benefited by anthropization. In this work, we advance the knowledge of how anthropogenic changes influence lizard diversity and emphasize the importance of analysing different facets of diversity and different habitat environments to understand how anthropization affects patterns in community ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploitation of non‐timber forest products has been proposed as a sustainable way to exploit tropical forests, but such an opportunity remains to be proved. Here, we examine the impact of intensive açaí palm (Euterpe oleracea) management on the seed rain and soil seed bank in an estuarine forest landscape with a long history of forest management by locals in the Amazon region. Seed rain (100 80 cm2 collectors) and soil seed bank (100 30 cm2 samples) were monitored through a year across 20 forest stands, covering a gradient of açaí stem density (50–3575 açaí stems per ha). Seed rain and bank were dominated by açaí seeds (85.5%–85.8%) and by excluding them, seed rain and bank were low density and species poor, capturing a tiny subset from the local (17.91%–19.40%) and landscape woody flora (11.82%–14.55%). Moreover, autochthonous and vertebrated‐dispersed predominated as well as those from tree species considered useful by locals. Overall, açaí stem density positively affected açaí seed abundance in the seed rain and negatively affected seed pools in the bank in relation to abundance of seeds and vertebrated dispersed, while adult tree species richness and density and accessibility to forest stands were associated with more diversified seed pools. Thereby, forest stands are exposed to different levels of açaí management (high vs. low intensity) supported taxonomically distinct seed pools. Our results suggest that açaí intensification disturbs seed rain and soil seed bank with potential impacts on forest regeneration and the forest integrity standards required to consider açaí fruit production as sustainable according to current legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii and A. gueldenstaedtii) specimens, native to the northern hemisphere, were reported in different environments of the La Plata Basin (South America). The objectives of this study were to provide the first insights into the natal origin and habitat use of these sturgeon species in the La Plata Basin through geochemical analysis (87Sr/86Sr) of fin spines and to review historical catch reports. Spine core‐to‐edge 87Sr/86Sr ratios were measured by LA‐MC‐ICPMS. A Quadratic Discriminant Analysis model based on water 87Sr/86Sr baseline of the La Plata Basin was run to infer the natal origin. The isotopic profiles indicate a common origin, compatible with the location of the fish farms in the Uruguay Basin. The A. baerii isotopic time series suggested that the fish moved towards the Paraná Basin months before capture, while A. gueldenstaedtii would have survived a longer time (perhaps years). Seventeen reports of sturgeons were recorded and preserved in museum collections between 1998 and 2020. Sturgeons were collected from Río de la Plata Estuary, Paraná and Uruguay basins and Atlantic coastal lagoons. It is recommended to closely monitor sturgeon catches, paying special attention to the appearance of specimens of reproductive age, in order to generate management and management plans if necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In terrestrial ecosystems, the activities of semi‐fossorial animals such as Cape porcupines have important landscape effects that may manifest in the dry season when the availability of above‐ground forage becomes limiting. We investigated the effects of foraging activities of Cape porcupines on savanna landscapes. We measured the size (surface area and depth) of foraging holes of porcupines located at the base of trees in the dry season in two mesic savanna sites at Roodeplaat Farm and Bisley Valley Nature Reserve in South Africa. We also recorded plant and animal activities inside the foraging holes for 3 months. The depth of foraging holes beneath small trees (Vachellia nilotica) was greater than depths beneath old trees (V. robusta and D. rotundifolia). This resulted in the subsequent death of most (>50%) small impacted trees in the dry season at Bisley. The surface area of foraging holes for older trees was greater than that for small trees and even greater for old holes. This study showed that porcupines kill trees or expose them to secondary attacks. The physical impacts of semi‐fossorial herbivores in savannas can be significant, with contributions to direct and indirect landscape transformation and restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Austral Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the Canidae family, cases of infanticide have been recorded in populations of dingoes, wolves and red foxes. The consumption of individuals from the same species has not been recorded yet for the crab‐eating fox (Cerdocyon thous), a medium‐sized South American canid with generalist eating habits; however, in a semi‐arid region in north‐eastern Brazil, two C. thous faecal samples were found in August and October 2018 with fur and fragments of paws from young individuals of this species. Cases of offspring consumption have also been reported in other carnivore species from semi‐arid regions, and it is a phenomenon that might be related to the scarcity of resources and a mechanism for obtaining food. Competition for resources is also hypothesized to explain these natural events in nature, as the death of a pup results in greater access to resources for the parent and its offspring. Thus, infanticide can increase the chances of survival of the mother or the other pups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Austral Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Austral Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Vigilance is an important anti‐predator behaviour that can be an indicator of the predation risk faced by potential prey animals. Here, we assess the collective vigilance, or the vigilance level of an entire group, of corvids (Family: Corvidae) at experimentally placed carcasses in a desert environment in Australia. Specifically, we explore the relationship between collective vigilance levels and the habitat in which the carcass was placed, the time since a potential predator (dingo Canis dingo, wedge‐tailed eagle Aquila audax or red fox Vulpes vulpes) was present at a carcass, and the group size of corvids around the carcass. We found that corvids are more vigilant in open habitat, but that group size and the recent presence of a potential predator does not affect the collective vigilance behaviour of corvids. The results demonstrate the important link between habitat and vigilance, and that animals may adopt anti‐predator behaviours irrespective of the size of the group in which they occur or the recent presence of a potential predator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Megaherbivores play a critical role in the ecology of African savannas and grasslands. In addition, these systems are forecast to experience more frequent and severe droughts as a product of changes in the global climate. Thus, the continued conservation of megaherbivores and their associated ecosystems will require a better understanding of how megaherbivores respond to drought by shifting their movement, diet and social behaviour. We address this need by investigating the factors affecting changes in the abundance of common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius; hereafter: 'hippos') throughout the six major rivers of Kruger National Park, South Africa, during and following the severe drought of 2015/2016. Specifically, we aimed to understand the role of two environmental characteristics that have relevance to hippos and that changed in response to drought: vegetation condition and the extent of pooled surface water. In addition, we investigated the extent to which pre‐drought density affected changes in hippo abundance. Although vegetation and daytime refugia both appeared to influence pre‐drought hippo abundance, these factors were less important to the change in hippo abundance related to the drought. Instead, the response to drought was most strongly related to the pre‐drought abundance of hippos, where river segments supporting more than 50 individuals prior to the drought in 2015 decreased by more than half on average. Furthermore, we show that the degree of aggregation decreased from 2015 to 2016 because of the drought, but then began to increase again as the rains returned in 2017. Our results suggest that in addition to the large pools that support large aggregations of hippos in typical years, additional smaller pools are likely important for accommodating this drought‐induced dispersion. However, maintaining this distribution of pools will likely become more challenging as southern Africa's population and water demands increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire‐stimulated flowering has long been a subject of investigation in tropical grasslands and savannas. Still, speedy blooming (i.e. flowering in <24 h after fire) had only been recently described for a single species of Cyperaceae common in Cerrado open ecosystems. Here, we described two new species displaying this unique feature of producing flowers <24 h after fire, suggesting that this fast phenological response might be more common than previously thought. Rhynchospora confusa F.Ballard and Rhynchospora terminalis Nees ex Steud. var. terminalis are two widely distributed species in grasslands and savannas at Chapada dos Veadeiros (a World Natural Heritage by UNESCO). Yet, there is a paucity of herbarium collection for both species and no registration of the quick bloom after fire passage or other aspects of their ecology. Understanding the diversity of phenological patterns and vegetation responses to fire is key to uncovering the functioning and singularities of the tropical open ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conserving habitats crucial for threatened koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) populations requires rating habitat quality from a fine spatial scale to patches, landscapes and then regions. The koala has a specialized diet focused on the leaves of a suite of Eucalyptus species. We asked: what are the key regional influences on habitat selection by koalas in the far north coast of New South Wales? We addressed this question by investigating the multi‐scale factors, and within‐scale and cross‐scale interactions, that influence koala habitat selection and distribution across four local government areas on the far north coast of New South Wales. We assembled and analysed a large data set of tree selection, identified by the presence of scats, in a wide range of randomly selected 5 × 5 km grids across the region. This resulted in more than 9000 trees surveyed for evidence of koala use from 302 field sites, together with associated biophysical site features. The dominant factor influencing habitat use and koala occurrence was the distribution of five Eucalyptus species. Koalas were more likely to use medium‐sized trees of these species where they occurred on soils with high levels of Colwell phosphorous. We also identified new interactions among the distribution of preferred tree species and soil phosphorous, and their distribution with the amount of suitable habitat in the surrounding landscape. Our study confirmed that non‐preferred species of eucalypts and non‐eucalypts are extensively used by koalas and form important components of koala habitat. This finding lends support to restoring a mosaic of koala‐preferred tree species and other species recognized for their value as shelter. Our study has provided the ecological foundation for developing a novel regional‐scale approach to the conservation of koalas, with adaptability to other wildlife species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphidromy is a distinctive life‐history strategy of some fish species that involves spawning in fresh or brackish water followed by dispersal to sea by newly hatched larvae, where they develop for a short period. Individuals then return to freshwater as juveniles, where they feed and grow, before maturing and spawning. Six amphidromous species from the Southern Hemisphere genus Galaxias (G. truttaceus, G. fasciatus, G. argenteus, G. postvectis, G. brevipinnis, G. maculatus) are recreationally, culturally, and economically important as the juveniles are harvested. Due to ongoing population declines and a lack of critical demographic information, there is growing concern about the management of the species. Here, we used semi‐quantitative review, culturomics, and bibliometric tools to analyse peer‐reviewed research conducted on the six amphidromous species of Galaxias to: (i) understand how spatiotemporal patterns of research have shifted over the last five decades, and (ii) identify critical research gaps. Forty percent of studies (n = 295) covered a spatial extent of 10 km or less and 87% of studies lasted less than 2 years – studies were largely small and short relative to the species' ranges and their longevity. Additionally, we found important research gaps; for example, studies on the effects of climate change and the associated effects of disturbance, and the marine phase are scarce in the peer‐reviewed literature. Finally, we suggest that quantitative models have been underutilized as tools for studying amphidromous galaxiids and should be embraced to answer questions not readily addressed with field and laboratory‐based techniques. If these species are to be effectively managed, their population dynamics across spatiotemporal scales must be understood and critical and long‐standing gaps in research knowledge addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial refuges are often used to supplement habitat in areas where natural shelters have been degraded or removed. Although artificial refuges are intended to support particular species, they may be equally attractive and accessible to others, including predators. We explored the influence of snake predation risk and shelter attributes on the overnight use of different artificial refuges (timber, tiles, and iron) using the predator-prey relationship between Boulenger's skink, Morethia boulengeri and the curl snake, Suta suta. We collected adult M. boulengeri from two bioregions in south-eastern Australia: the Riverina, where the two species co-occur, and the South Western Slopes, where S. suta does not occur. Two adult S. suta were collected for use as chemical donors. We conducted four experiments on overnight refuge choice to determine: (i) predator-scent avoidance, (ii) artificial refuge preferences, (iii) a trade-off between a preferred refuge and predator-avoidance, and (iv) the effect of gap height on refuge preference. We found that skinks avoided predator-scented refuges in favour of identical, but unscented refuges. Skinks preferred timber refuges, and most skinks maintained this preference when predator-scent was added. However, when gap height was manipulated, skinks shifted to the refuge with the smallest gap. Skinks displayed complex regional variation in behaviour; skinks from both bioregions avoided predator-scent, but in the trade-off experiment, skinks from the South Western Slopes were less likely to avoid predator-scented timber refuges than those from the Riverina. Our findings suggest that protective refuge attributes, such as small gap height, can offset the risk implied by predator-scent within a refuge. This study highlights the need to consider predator-prey interactions when designing and using artificial refuges for habitat restoration or biological monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plantation forests substitute natural habitats and have rotation cycles of 7 years due to their high growth rates. This variation reflects on local and landscape changes, influencing habitat availability and affecting mammal communities. In this study, our general hypothesis was that the richness and composition of mammals varied in eucalyptus plantations in relation to native forest patches and in relation to the age of eucalyptus plantations. We predicted that (1) there would be lower mammalian richness and compositional differences in eucalyptus plantations compared to native vegetation due to monocultures having simplified environmental characteristics and (2) predicted that the richness and composition would vary according to eucalyptus age and that the highest values of richness would be found in plantations of up to middle age, considering that in these phases there are environmental characteristics that positively qualify these structures for a greater presence of fauna, such as the shrubby aspect of the plantations and the presence of undergrowth. We performed model selection to observe the effect of environmental variables on mammalian richness. We also performed a multivariate permutational analysis of variance, a non‐metric multidimensional scaling and partitioned the beta diversity to observe how the composition was influenced by environmental variables. We found greater richness in the native vegetation compared to eucalyptus plantations. The richness of the plantations varied according to the age, with higher values up to middle age. The composition varied according to the land user/cover, with the eucalyptus age and with the management unit due to the nestedness of species. We suggest that eucalyptus plantations at early ages are more used by mammals due to the shrubby aspect of the stand, generating a positive visual effect for the search of resources and shelter, in addition to the possibility of the occurrence of grasses, some understory and lower anthropogenic disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVCs) are a critical threat to biodiversity and human safety. To implement WVC mitigation measures where most needed, we need to link models predicting the probability of the presence of species, at large spatial scales, with the likelihood of occurring collisions along roads. Here, we propose a framework for the prioritization of road sections for implementing mitigation measures using ecologically based information. Within this framework, we first model the likelihood of WVC occurrence for focal species in road vicinity areas. We then use spatial prioritization tools to select road sections that entail a higher probability of WVC across the focal species using user‐defined criteria for weighting species records. We applied this framework to Mato Grosso do Sul state (Brazil), using systematic information on WVC collected over 3 years along ca. 2000 km of roads. We focused on the WVC involving three large mammals commonly road‐killed therein, which represent a threat to humans when involved in WVC: the lowland tapir Tapirus terrestris, giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla and capybara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris. We were able to identify road sections (<10% of the road network) that should be prioritized for implementing mitigation actions, which could significantly reduce the number of WVCs. However, the large extent of the road network classified as a priority for mitigation suggests the need to engage the public and private sectors in the early stages of the decision‐making process, in order to reach a consensus on the prioritization. Our framework may improve the environmental licensing process, namely by guiding where mitigation measures should be implemented first. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our recent study compared monitoring data collected using surrogate metrics during 2014–2018 inclusive with baseline data from 2007 to evaluate the trajectory of the population status of the threatened heath skink Liopholis multiscutata in Victoria. The heath skink is a secretive burrowing species that is a habitat specialist and exists in north‐western Victoria as a few small and highly disjunct populations on large dunes in semi‐arid heathland or mallee. We re‐assessed the trajectories of the Victorian populations with additional monitoring data collected in 2021 and found continuing decline across all four Victorian heath skink populations. Urgent management intervention is required to arrest this decline, likely due to predation, reduced availability of habitat and life history and demographic traits that make this species susceptible to decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this global extinction crisis, we must act urgently to prevent the loss of species. The public plays a key role in ensuring the future of our biodiversity, by impacting funding decisions, creating behaviour change, and pushing change in corporations to prevent species loss. The Threatened Species Bake Off competition is a social media initiative created by the Australian Government in 2017 to raise awareness of nationally listed threatened species. In this study, we assessed the trends of the competition by collating entries via Instagram and Twitter in its first 5 years. Representations of 356 unique species were baked, 261 of which were listed as nationally threatened species. Birds and mammals were the most popular groups represented. Frogs, reptiles, fishes, and invertebrates were reasonably well represented; however, plants were drastically underrepresented in the competition. This is evidence of taxonomic bias towards the charismatic animals, and a problematic lack of representation of other threatened species that play essential roles in our ecosystems. Although the Bake Off is an innovative conservation messaging approach, it reinforces awareness of the same groups that traditional messaging techniques encouraged (i.e., charismatic megafauna). Public engagement in this competition reflects current conservation messaging, including media and education focus on charismatic animals, demonstrating engrained biases. Future competitions should address this by highlighting less popular but equally important threatened species, especially plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predation by feral cats (Felis catus) has caused the extinction of many native species in Australia and globally. There is growing evidence that the impacts of feral cats can be amplified in post‐fire environments, as cats are drawn to hunt in or around recently burnt areas and are also more effective hunters in open habitats. In 2018–2019, we established arrays of camera traps to estimate the abundance of feral cats on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Much of the island (including five of our seven survey sites) was subsequently burnt in a severe wildfire (December 2019–February 2020). We re‐sampled the sites 3–8 months post‐fire (seven sites) and 11–12 months post‐fire (three sites). At two unburnt sites sampled post‐fire, it was possible to produce density estimates of cats using a spatially explicit capture–recapture approach. Where estimating density was not possible (due to low detections or individual cats not being distinguishable), the number of individuals and percentage of trap nights with detections was compared between the sampling periods. Some low‐level cat control occurred within 2 km of three of the seven arrays (all within the burn scar) within 3 months of the fire. Across the five burnt sites, there was a decline in cat detections post‐fire (including those without post‐fire cat control). At 3–8 months post‐fire, there was, on average, a 57% reduction in the number of individual cats, and a 65% reduction in the number of nights with cat detections, relative to pre‐fire levels. Although cat detections declined following the fire, reduced population sizes of prey species and reduced cover as a result of the fire might still mean that cat predation is a threat to some surviving prey species. Management that reduces feral cat predation pressure on wildlife following wildfire should enhance the likelihood of post‐fire wildlife persistence and recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bushfires burnt over 18 million hectares across Australia's east coast, including rainforests, over the spring and summer 2019/2020 period. Rainforest harbours a large percentage of Australia's biodiversity and does not usually burn and therefore understanding the extent and biodiversity implications was a priority. The National Indicative Aggregated Fire Extent Dataset (NIAFED) combined with detailed regional ecosystem (RE) mapping was used to estimate the perimeter and area of each of the burnt rainforest types within South East Queensland (SEQ). Previous biodiversity estimates for each rainforest regional ecosystem type combined with remnant ecosystem mapping data then enabled an assessment of the potential biodiversity impacts of the fires for SEQ rainforest. We found that 12% of the rainforest estate in SEQ was within the burn footprint (29 031 ha) including parts of the UNESCO World Heritage Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. Fifty per cent of the total remnant area of the Endangered rainforest type, semi‐evergreen vine thicket on Mesozoic to Proterozoic igneous rocks (RE: 12.12.17) was potentially burnt. This rainforest type has high diversity. Burn severity analysis found that the rainforest primarily burnt with low severity, however, there were patches of high severity. Accuracy assessment of severity mapping resulted in a weak correlation (0.57) due to the underestimation of ground fires in rainforest. As expected, we found rainforest‐suppressed fires. However, in contrast to expectations, we found the wettest rainforest types and putative past refugia burnt more than other rainforest types. These results suggest that given drought conditions any rainforest could burn, and we can expect that the area of rainforest will contract if both incidences of drought and wildfires increase due to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1951, a batch of 24 young animals of both sexes of Chilla or Grey fox Lycalopex griseus from continental Magallanes region, Chile – and perhaps also from adjacent continental Argentina – were released at Onaisin (65 km ESE Porvenir town, 53°18′S) on Tierra del Fuego Island in southernmost South America, to control a European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) irruption that was considered detrimental to sheep (Ovis aries) ranching. Up to now, no attention has been paid to the temporal course of that introduction. Here we provide a historical account of the presence of foxes on the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago, starting with Charles Darwin account of 1839 until present. We also review the regulatory framework concerning hunting of those foxes and tally their culling for export of pelts. Finally, we provide estimates of the abundance of Chilla foxes on Tierra del Fuego Island for the period 1999–2007 and for 2021, and highlight their current spread. These translocated foxes have become an abundant and functional part of both steppe and forest ecosystems on the Fuegian archipelago, even though they are killed by hunters, without spatial, temporal, or numerical limits. We conclude that interesting scientific opportunities are being missed regarding the population genetics of a species that may have left founding effects and genetic bottlenecks in Tierra del Fuego, and perhaps some peculiar continental markers among the island population. We also raise the question whether this introduced native species may be deemed invasive, calling for research to determine its impact in its new environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perhaps one of the central questions in ecology has been what limits the geographic distribution of species. The geographic distributions of the reptile‐ticks Amblyomma limbatum, Bothriocroton hydrosauri and Amblyomma albolimbatum are a classic example of this problem: where these ticks meet, narrow regions‐of‐overlap often occur. Despite studies of interactions among these ticks, and of these ticks and their environment, we still do not understand what limits their geographic distributions. Many hypotheses have been proposed and tested, but all have seemingly been rejected. Our aim was to account for the abundance and the geographic distributions of A. limbatum and B. hydrosauri at Bundey Bore Station, South Australia, where these species come in contact and have been studied for over 35 years, leading to over 55 000 records of reptiles and their ticks using a capture‐mark‐recapture approach. We constructed models which had combinations of temperature and moisture indices from different months of the year to determine the relationship between climate and tick abundance, and between climate and the shifting local geographic distribution of A. limbatum and B. hydrosauri at Bundey Bore Station. We found that climate together with the abundance of ticks in the previous year and the abundance of the lizard host, accounted for 54%–77% of the variation in the abundance of A. limbatum and B. hydrosauri among years. We also found that the climate in late autumn to winter, together with the abundance of ticks and their host, accounted for 18%–84% of the variation in the geographic distributions of these ticks among years. Climate was central to the abundance and the geographic distributions of A. limbatum and B. hydrosauri at Bundey Bore Station. We speculate that the same mechanisms account for the geographic distributions of A. limbatum, B. hydrosauri and A. albolimbatum elsewhere in Australia; so, climate may explain the three‐tick problem in Austral ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically unprecedented areas of forest habitat have been impacted by fire, as climate change and other anthropogenic disturbances drive increases in fire burned area and severity. Although 88% of Australia's [threatened] land mammals are threatened by inappropriate fire regimes, calculations of animal mortality resulting from specific events have been impeded by knowledge gaps relating to both the direct (first‐order) and long‐term (second‐order) effects of fire on different species. This study addresses the need for a quantified, mechanistic understanding of first‐order effects, presenting an extension of the Fire Research and Modelling Environment (FRaME) to allow prediction of species‐specific mortality. FRaME is demonstrated and tested here by replicating an incident in which a prescribed burn caused 77% mortality of a population of the critically endangered ngwayir (Pseudocheirus occidentalis, Pseudocheiridae). FRaME correctly predicted heavy mortality (62–79%) arising from partial and full‐thickness burns and asphyxiation due to burns in the respiratory tract. Mortality varied with animal fire‐avoidance strategies (p < 0.001) and the thickness of tree hollow walls (r = −0.95, p < 0.001). Although management guidelines specified low intensity fire, mortality had no significant relationship with Byram intensity and larger flames due to 'torching' were most frequent when fire spread was slowest. FRaME modelling predicted that individuals would be impacted by temperatures exceeding 500°C for several minutes. Fire management that is premised on discredited notions of fire behaviour and overly simple models can lead to catastrophic management outcomes such as those documented here. FRaME addresses this need by providing a platform to account for heterogeneous fire behaviour as well as animal behaviour and habitat quality, calculating fire risk to fauna and guiding management that maximizes safe habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Carpentarian Pseudantechinus (Pseudantechinus mimulus) is a poorly studied dasyurid marsupial that inhabits rocky outcrops in the Mount Isa Inlier bioregion in Queensland and the Gulf Coastal and Gulf Fall and Uplands bioregions in the Northern Territory. It is readily detected by passive infrared triggered camera traps ('camera traps'). Camera trap data can be used to develop detection probability estimates from which activity patterns can be inferred, but no effort has previously been made to determine changes in the detectability of P. mimulus throughout the year. We undertook a 13‐month baited camera trap survey across nine sampling periods at 60 locations of known historic presence or nearby suitable habitat to assess the change in detection rates and detection probabilities of P. mimulus across a year. Detection probabilities were calculated from camera trap data within a single‐species, multi‐season occupancy framework to determine optimal survey timing. Detection probability data were used to calculate the likelihood of false absences to determine optimal survey duration. We recorded 2493 detections of P. mimulus over 10 966 camera days. Detection probability ranged from 0.009 to 0.179 and was significantly higher from April to October than from November to March. The likelihood of false absences varied by sampling period and desired level of confidence. We find that camera trap surveys for P. mimulus are best conducted from April to October, but optimal survey duration is dependent upon the time of year and desired level of confidence that an observed absence from a given site reflects a true absence at that site. Attaining a minimum of 80% confidence of absence requires as few as 9 days of survey effort in May to 16 days of survey effort in October. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latin American cityscapes are growing fast, posing risks to many bird communities and ecosystem services (e.g. seed dispersal and arthropod population control), but few studies have addressed how bird functional diversity respond to urbanization in Neotropical cities. In this study, we tested which biotic (i.e. vegetation characteristics and human and pet disturbances) and abiotic variables (i.e. area size, number of vehicles, and glass panes) influence functional diversity indices of insectivores, frugivores‐nectarivores, migrants, residents, and total bird community at urban green spaces in São Paulo megacity, southeastern Brazil. A rich avian community (235 species) from 25 studied sites was recorded. Generalized linear models (GLM) analyses showed that large‐sized areas of urban green spaces and shrub cover are the main characteristics that drive high bird functional diversity. Small‐sized sites were less favourable for preserving bird functional diversity. We showed that these areas were related to some negative impacts for bird species (e.g. absence of shrub layer, heavy traffic and massive presence of glass panes, and domestic animals), thus causing declines in avian functional diversity. Off‐leash and homeless dogs and cats may cause declines in bird ecological functions (e.g. insect control, seed dispersal and pollination), which are essential to sustain biodiversity. Therefore, as management actions to improve bird diversity and better provisioning of ecosystem functions, we recommend that urban planners and managers should prioritize large‐sized areas with high shrub cover. Additionally, we highlight the need to mitigate the negative impact on birds caused by glass panes, traffic of vehicles, and off‐leash and homeless dogs and cats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ecological risk assessment, based on life‐history and behavioural attributes of 273 bird taxa, was used to identify which of those taxa are at high risk from negative interactions with offshore wind farms in Australia. The marine area of Australia was divided by state/territory boundaries perpendicular to the coast into eight regions, with Western Australia further divided into north and south, and a Bass Strait region bounded by the Victoria coast and the north coast of Tasmania. These regions were subdivided into coastal, inshore and offshore sub‐regions and a risk summary for all bird taxa occurring in each of these sub‐regions produced. In coastal and inshore sub‐regions of Bass Strait, South Australia and Tasmania, the species with the highest risk scores were Orange‐bellied Parrot Neophema chrysogaster, Furneaux White‐fronted Tern Sterna striata incerta, Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor, Shy Albatross Thalassarche cauta, Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis and Anadyr Bar‐tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica anadyrensis. In offshore sub‐regions in southern Australia, the highest risk species were all albatrosses, comprising Northern Royal Diomedea sanfordi, Eastern Antipodean D. antipodensis antipodensis, Gibson's D. antipodensis gibsoni, Wandering D. exulans, Amsterdam D. amsterdamensis and Grey‐headed Albatross T. chrysostoma. Compared to onshore installations, there are logistical challenges to quantifying the potential and realized impacts of offshore wind farms that require different approaches to data collection and analyses. The extensive development of offshore wind farms in the Northern Hemisphere provides examples of best and emerging approaches to quantify and mitigate negative impacts of offshore wind farms that can be applied in an Australian context. Despite differences in the species involved, the same approaches to identifying high‐risk species and to the monitoring and mitigation of negative impacts should be applied in a coordinated, regional‐scale approach to the development of offshore wind farms in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization is associated with numerous changes to the biotic and abiotic environments, many of which lead to a loss of biodiversity. Some studies have documented increased herbivory rates in cities, which has been hypothesized to lead to the evolution of novel defence traits in plants. Yet evidence supporting this hypothesis is contradictory and entirely absent from South American cities. To address this research gap, we evaluated herbivory rates in the native urban wildflower, Turnera subulata (Turneraceae), along an urbanization gradient in Joao Pessoa, Brazil. We predicted that higher rates of herbivory in cities would lead to the expression of cyanogenesis, a chemical defence found in a closely related Turnera species. We estimated herbivory rates and screened for cyanogenesis in 32 populations along the urbanization gradient, quantified by the Human Footprint Index and the amount of impervious surface surrounding each site. We found herbivory rates increased in T. subulata populations with increasing urbanization, but we did not find evidence of cyanogenesis in any of the populations. Our results suggest that although herbivores respond positively to urbanization, the fitness effects of leaf herbivory may be insufficient to select for the evolution of cyanogenesis in some plants. Our results provide valuable insight into the effects of urbanization on plant‐herbivore interactions in the tropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mahogany Glider (Petaurus gracilis) is one of the most endangered marsupials in Australia. Its known distribution is an approximately 120 km strip of fragmented coastal woodland in north‐east Queensland, from north of Townsville to the Tully area. Records are clustered in a number of well‐surveyed areas, with significant areas of lowland habitat unsurveyed. Around 30% of historic records fall in areas that were subsequently cleared for farmland, and ongoing clearing and fragmentation of lowland sclerophyll forest continues within the potential distribution. Resolving the distribution is an urgent requirement to guide conservation but Mahogany Gliders are difficult to detect in the field. Species distribution modelling offers a technique for estimating the fine‐scale distribution and for targeting further field survey and conservation efforts. We used known occurrence records (N = 481) to predict the distribution of Mahogany Gliders across the Wet Tropics bioregion. We used climatic, topographic and other environmental predictors to generate distribution models using Maxent and Random Forest algorithms, each with two bias correction methods. The predictions revealed that many unknown populations may exist within the currently defined distribution and in important areas beyond this (e.g. Hinchinbrook Island). There was reasonable congruence between models, and we include syntheses of the models to present the most likely current distribution. The most important predictor variables across the models were precipitation seasonality (high seasonality), elevation (generally <100 m), soil type (hydrosols) and vegetation type (including Eucalyptus and Melaleuca woodlands). Our results identify core habitat and reveal key areas that require targeted field surveys. Importantly, the predicted suitable habitat is highly fragmented and ongoing conservation efforts need to improve habitat connectivity and limit further fragmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's views related to the paper "Anomalies in grasstree fire history reconstructions for south-western Australian vegetation," by N.J. Enright, B.B. Lamont and B.P. Miller. The author in the article does not agree with several conclusions provided by the authors in the paper. Several suggestions related to the paper are presented. Several doubts related to the paper are discussed including the relevance of the application of the fire frequency.

Semimytilus patagonicus is an invasive mussel on the coast of southern Africa and has extended its range in recent years. We asked whether its distribution and abundance are consistent with the abundant‐centre hypothesis (ACH). Marginal populations were located by monitoring 33 rocky shore sites in South Africa and southern Namibia in 2021. This revealed no changes to its distributional limits since 2020. At nine of these sites, population demography was measured to allow a comparison of their densities and size structure. Four were central populations on the west coast of South Africa (including the site where the species was first detected in 2009). Four were marginal populations in South Africa: two towards the cold range edge in the north and two towards the warm range edge to the south. The ninth population was in southern Namibia, representing a recent invasion event first detected in 2014. Across the species' South African range, the distribution of its abundance was generally consistent with the ACH, with the greatest abundance at its range centre and a gradual decrease towards the range edges. However, the ultimate marginal population at both its cold and warm range edges showed moderate upticks in abundance compared to the penultimate marginal populations. Additionally, marginal populations in South Africa typically included a greater proportion of large individuals. Recruitment intensity was greater in warm range edge populations than cold range edge populations. The size structure of the population in Namibia resembled those of central populations in South Africa. Moderate increases in densities at the absolute range limits suggest that the species is currently undergoing spread into regions associated with moderately optimal environmental conditions (ultimate range edge sites) after encountering regions associated with suboptimal environmental conditions (penultimate range edge sites). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Large quantities of dead wood can be generated by disturbances such as wildfires. Dead trees created by disturbances play many critical ecological roles in forest ecosystems globally. The ability of deadwood to serve its ecological roles is contingent, in part, on the length of time trees remain standing following disturbance. Here, we briefly outline the results of a 10‐year study that aimed to quantify the rate of collapse of trees killed in a major wildfire in the wet ash forests of mainland south‐eastern Australia. We also quantified the factors associated with dead tree collapse. Our analyses revealed that 23% of 417 measured trees collapsed between 2011 and 2021. The most parsimonious model of the factors influencing tree collapse revealed a strong effect of diameter; smaller diameter trees were more likely to collapse over the 10 years of our study than larger diameter trees. In addition, trees in small and large patches were more likely to collapse than trees in contiguous forest (where there had been no logging in the surrounding area). If current rates of tree fall are maintained, then many of trees initially measured will have collapsed by 2030. Such losses of dead trees will have major negative effects on key values of ash‐type forests such as biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population dynamics are influenced by environmental variability and understanding the abundance and persistence of individuals and populations is a fundamental goal of population ecology. Thus, estimating demographic parameters to identify the factors important for population variability is required to understand temporal and spatial dynamics. The stream‐living diurnal frog Hylodes heyeri is endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil in the states of Paraná, São Paulo and Santa Catarina. Here we use capture‐mark‐recapture methods to estimate survival rates and population size of this Brazilian Torrent Frog in Pico do Marumbi State Park, Paraná. We used CJS models for an open population to estimate apparent survival, capturability and population size in two streams. The number of captures during each session was positively correlated with the minimum weekly temperature. Despite that correlation, the most parsimonious model of survival and capturability was the constant model for both parameters, resulting in a monthly survival rate of 0.38 (95% CI = 0.30–0.46). Thus, only the abundance of the frog differed in the two streams (79 vs. 36), with the population size estimate of 187 individuals. Reproduction is seasonal in the Brazilian Torrent Frog and so the low monthly survival rate suggests that animals move over time rather than die, because 38% month−1 survival should result in <1% of the population remaining after 5 months. Thus, researchers must recognize that populations are labile and individuals often move or are washed downstream during heavy rainfall, generating apparently rapid local turnover that is unlikely to reflect true mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]