Search

Jenny Davis was among the first small, but significant tranche of women field biologists in the Pacific Region. She was born in Tasmania and developed a fascination with freshwater systems at an early age. Despite the paucity of female role models, freshwater ecology evolved into her research career track at the University of Tasmania where she completed her Honours degree (Zoology; 1976) and PhD (Freshwater Ecology; 1981). Jenny started her first academic position as a Tutor at Murdoch University in 1985. She successfully moved through the academic hierarchy where women continue to be under-represented in the senior ranks. She recently (2021) retired from her administrative and teaching responsibilities at Charles Darwin University (CDU) and approaching 70, is currently a Professor of Freshwater Ecology at CDU. An over-arching theme of her research is to understand the factors influencing the persistence of groundwater and surface water ecosystems. She has worked on the impacts of multiple stressors on springs, wetlands and arid zone waterbodies. She serves as a compelling role model for young scientists struggling to have a satisfying work-life balance. Jenny single-parented a son while conducting field work, teaching, publishing, serving as an academic administrator and being a prolific and successful grant writer. Jenny was also an exceptional mentor to a diverse group of students and post-docs, many of whom have thriving careers in academia, government and industry across Australia. This paper is a biography of a woman who with talent and persistence successfully broke gender barriers in Australian freshwater ecology and academia. Jenny Davis was among the first small, but significant tranche of female field biologists in the Pacific Region. Jenny is one of the few women to be promoted to the academic rank of Professor in Australian sciences. Her current research involves answering two questions: (1) how much water does the environment need; and (2) how important are isolated aquatic waterbodies for the conservation of Australia's freshwater biota? This paper is a brief biography of Jenny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The taxonomic nomenclature of species can change with the discovery of a distinct species. Such nomenclatural changes occurred for the giant freshwater whipray with the discovery of a similar species in the Indo-Australian region in 2008. Aims: This paper reports a finding of the giant freshwater whipray in the Lesser Sunda region as the first confirmed record from the area. Methods: The specimen was identified as the giant freshwater whipray based on its morphological features. Morphometric measurements were taken directly in the field and also based on the scale provided in the photographs. Key results: The female specimen was recorded from the Alas Strait, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia on 20 July 2020. It was identified as Urogymnus cf. dalyensis due to its similar morphological characteristics with U. dalyensis from northern Australia but it had a shorter preoral snout and greater distance between the left and right fifth gill slits. Conclusions: The occurrence of this species in the Lesser Sunda region may confuse U. dalyensis with the close relative from south-east Asia, U. polylepis. Implications: This record may provide a link between the two species, either as a population structure of the same species or showing a clear separation between the two as distinct species. This study reports the first confirmed occurrence of a giant freshwater whipray in the Lesser Sunda region of Indonesia. The finding may confuse the species validity between Urogymnus dalyensis and its south-east Asian relative, U. polylepis. This observation suggests a possible population structure or the revelation of distinct species within the giant freshwater whipray complex, necessitating further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The decline of birds in farmland is of global concern. Aims. The aim of this paper was to provide a local-scale case study of the bird fauna of temperate inland eastern Australia's sheep-wheat belt. Methods. Relationships between species occurrence and various habitat elements in the landscape were examined in a 342 km2 area of agricultural countryside near Wagga Wagga in southern inland New South Wales, Australia. The pre-agricultural bird fauna of this area was also investigated by collating records from previous studies of nearby larger woodland remnants. Key results: The study identified a bird fauna of 115 species compared to 160 species known from nearby woodland remnants. Significant relationships were found with the presence of farm dams, extent of local woodland cover and roadside woodland at the levels of individual species, guilds and total fauna. A small ephemeral wetland also contributed substantially to waterbird diversity. Conclusion. Twenty commonly recorded species typical of the farmland matrix and 15 species considered at particular risk of local extinction were identified. At the guild level, frugivore/granivores, small insectivores and hollow-users were found to be associated with remaining woodland elements in the agricultural landscape. Implications. Ecologically sustainable management of agricultural areas is essential to avoid further local extinctions. Hollow-using species are expected to be particularly affected by the anticipated widespread loss of trees in the landscape over the next century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Migratory populations of bogong moths in Australia are in decline. Numbers decreased after European settlement in the 1800s, and were stable before declining again from about 1980. Numerous hypothesised drivers for the decline have been postulated, and Caughley’s declining population paradigm provides a systematic approach to diagnosing which of these are important, and hence the knowledge to guide recovery actions. Aims. This paper aims to assess which of the hypothesised drivers remain as candidate hypotheses for further investigation. Methods. Within the context of known bogong moth life history and the timing of observed declines, hypothesised drivers of the two decline phases were assessed with respect to their potential impact on larval recruitment and adult survival during migration and aestivation. Key results. Changes in vegetation composition and availability arising from the spread of pastoralism stand out as a likely driver of the early decline, with the herbivorous moth larva facing competition with introduced livestock, feral herbivores, and increased densities of native macropods. Many of the numerous postulated drivers of the most recent decline (e.g. changes in rainfall, rising temperatures in aestivation sites, increasing fire frequency) appear to have little support to be retained. Postulated drivers that remain as working hypotheses include increasing soil temperatures, increased cropping areas, and changed cropping practices and area. The effect of some drivers, such as artificial light pollution, is unclear and may warrant further investigation. Conclusions. Inference on the drivers of bogong moth population decline is wanting. Implications. Designed experiments are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The Murray--Darling Basin -- Australia's largest river system -- is heavily dominated by alien fish. Native fish species have suffered numerous localised extinctions and ~47% are listed on federal and/or state threatened species lists. Aims. This paper explores the hypothesis that alien fish and alien fish stockings can be the primary cause of decline and localised extinction of large-bodied native fish species, as opposed to habitat degradation and river regulation. The Lower Goodradigbee River, which is unregulated, in excellent instream health over the great majority of its course, and replete with high quality habitat, is utilised as a case study. Methods. I investigated the hypothesis by synthesising historical records with contemporary scientific research and recent field observations. The role of alien fish species, particularly alien trout species (Oncorhynchus mykiss and Salmo trutta) and constant stockings of them, were closely examined. Results. Data support the hypothesis that domination by alien trout species and their continual stocking have lead to historical declines and localised extinctions of large-bodied native fish species. Continued alien trout stockings, along with more recent invasions of alien carp (Cyprinus carpio) and alien redfin perch (Perca fluviatilis), are inhibiting native fish recovery. A suspected field sighting of the alien fish pathogen atypical Aeromonas salmonicida is reported, and the status of the declining native crayfish Murray cray (Euastacus armatus), and potential alien fish impacts upon them, are examined. Conclusions. The impacts of alien fish and alien fish stocking in Australia require major re-evaluation and dedicated research. Implications. It is strongly recommended that stocking of alien trout into the Lower Goodradigbee River for angling cease in order to conserve surviving native fish and Murray cray populations. Conservation stockings to effect a Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii) recovery in the Lower Goodradigbee River are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carnaby's cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus latirostris , is endemic to south-western Australia. It has undergone a major decline in range and abundance as a result of extensive removal of breeding and foraging habitat. It is now classified as endangered by the State of Western Australia, the Australian government, and internationally. In order to plan effective conservation management for the species it is important to assess the success of breeding populations throughout its range. In this paper we examine the efficacy of using the relationship between growth in the length of a nestling's folded left wing and body mass to assess nestling condition, and examine known breeding failure in relation to nestling condition in two breeding populations: one at Coomallo Creek (studied from 1970–2017), and the other at Manmanning (1969–76). Results demonstrated that the lighter the nestlings, the higher the rate of breeding failure. Data from the Coomallo Creek population were used to prepare a table of nestling folded left wing length and body mass as a benchmark for assessing nestling condition in 10 other breeding populations, based on data collected from 1970 to the present. Following extensive clearing that removed foraging and breeding habitat, two of the 10 populations produced nestlings that were significantly lighter than the benchmark, and both populations subsequently declined to extinction. The commencement of egg-laying each season at Coomallo Creek was strongly influenced by total rainfall in the first half of autumn. The length of the egg-laying period between 1970–76 and 2009–17 increased by 5.2 weeks (40%). This increase was related to changes in rainfall and temperature over more than four decades. Despite the lengthening of the egg-laying period, nestling condition was unaffected, suggesting that, at least in the short term, the Carnaby's cockatoo population at Coomallo Creek is coping with the effects of climate change. This paper examines the efficacy of using the relationship between growth in the length of nestling folded left wing and body mass of Carnaby's cockatoo Calyptorhynchus latirostris to assess nestling condition, and assesses nestling condition in 11 breeding populations throughout the species' range. The lighter the nestling, the higher the rate of breeding failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Our objective was to establish a relationship between long-term variation in the climatic environment, tree canopy decline and observed effects on the population dynamics of avifauna in the Dryandra Woodlands in southwestern Australia. These geographically isolated remnant woodlands are rich in endemic species and sustain a diverse range of ecological communities, but are threatened by habitat degradation and a decline in rainfall. Methods: We used annual rainfall data, averaged from a series of weather stations within 100 km of the Dryandra Woodlands and a time series analysis to investigate long-term changes in annual rainfall. Satellite spectral observations of eight study sites at Dryandra was used to measure changes in Projected Foliage Cover (PFC) of old growth Eucalyptus wandoo at all sites. Our mist-net trapping study across three years and all eight sites, targeted two focal species; the rufous treecreeper (Climacteris rufa) and yellow-plumed honeyeater (Ptilotula ornata). We investigated the relationship between the captures of each species and variation in PFC, between sites and across years. Also in a separate demographic study, capture-mark-recapture data was used to estimate the apparent survival rate of each species, following the robust design for open and closed populations. Key results: We demonstrate a long-term and continuing decline in average annual rainfall that is accelerating. We found the rainfall trend is concomitant with a long-term decline in PFC of E. wandoo and that the previous year's annual rainfall is a predictor of average PFC across all sites. Additionally, we discovered that the PFC at each site, in each year, is a predictor of the number of yellow-plumed honeyeaters which prefer feeding on canopy insects and not a predictor of the predominantly ground-foraging rufous treecreeper. We also found a substantial difference in the apparent survival rates between the two species, with the apparent survival of yellow-plumed honeyeaters being approximately half that of rufous treecreepers. This difference was partially attributed to the likely movement outside of the study area due to decreasing habitat quality. Conclusions and implications: Overall, our results do suggest that some impacts of long-term rainfall trends can be traced to particular species through PFC variation, but the response between species to habitat change will differ and depend on species-specific habitat requirements. As increasing greenhouse emissions are associated with declining rainfall in southwestern Australia, this study shows if rainfall decline and habitat degradation continue, it will have catastrophic consequences for woodland ecosystems. In this paper, we explorehow declining rainfall in southwestern Australia is impacting old growtheucalypts and resident avifauna of the Dryandra woodlands. Using long term dataon rainfall and satellite imagery of Eucalyptuswandoo canopy cover, results show a continuing declining trend inaverage rainfall that is accelerating. Also, we found that rainfall is a predictor oftree foliage cover, which is also declining over time. Our analysis of bird mist-net trapping data and tree canopy data indicate that foliagecover is a predictor of the number of yellow-plumed honeyeaters captured, butnot a predictor of rufous treecreepers. The apparent survival rate of the yellow-plumedhoneyeater was half that of the rufous treecreeper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This timely collation of case studies, written by and with Traditional Owners of diverse Australian offshore islands, offers direct insights into benefits arising from strategic and participatory action planning for biocultural island conservation and monitoring. We pay respect to the Old People and Elders whose dedicated care of their island homelands means we today can still experience their cultural and natural diversity. We extend greetings to our Pacifika neighbours, and to carers of islands around Earth. Our paper scopes socio-economic benefits arising from planning for islands, for Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders, and more generally. Global, national, state and local co-investments support place-specific planning for some islands by Traditional Owners as a starting point toward shared governance and caring for Country. Case studies describe Country planning for Mayala Country in Australia's northwest, Woppaburra experiences within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and integrated biocultural health monitoring arising from remote island Indigenous Protected Area planning in Torres Strait. New institutional initiatives are also seeking to create solid foundations for more substantive island research collaborations. Across Australia, novel relationships grounded in culturally assured, holistically integrated approaches to island governance and caring for Country involving Traditional Owners and island resource users/managers are creating equity in livelihoods and stronger wellbeing. Australia's innovative Sea Country collaborations, with priorities initiated and led by island Traditional Owners, carry real value for sustained island conservation and provide positive inspirations for global humanity in the accelerating Anthropocene. Earth's islands face grave challenges. In Australia, innovation in island knowledge sharing between Traditional Owners and other island users and managers is moving beyond the participatory action planning space to generate equity in livelihoods and wellbeing on Sea Country. The tangible benefits arising are grounded in cultural governance and authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia needs a new shared vision that the current trajectory of loss of natural heritage on its offshore islands is not acceptable and needs to change. This Special Issue brings together seven papers from leaders and practitioners with experience in offshore islands across the Australian and New Zealand context. The fundamentals for each paper are to suggest potential solutions or scenarios to move forward with island policy, and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Injured flying-foxes (Pteropus spp.) are frequently taken into care in eastern Australia. In particular, the grey-headed flying-fox (P. poliocephalus), a vulnerable species, is affected by several threats, which are partly mitigated through rescue and rehabilitation. This study examined patterns in flying-fox rescues in New South Wales (NSW) between 2011–12 and 2016–17 using annual reporting data from wildlife rehabilitation organisations. Specifically, we examined (1) species and demographic patterns in flying-foxes rescues; (2) the geographical distribution of flying-fox rescues; (3) reported causes of injury; and (4) release rates of rehabilitated flying-foxes. P. poliocephalus accounted for the largest proportion of flying-fox rescues. Most rescues occurred in coastal regions, with more than one-third of P. poliocephalus rescues occurring in the Sydney region and more than one-third of black (P. alecto) and little red (P. scapulatus) flying-fox rescues occurring on the NSW Far North Coast. A broad range of factors was involved in flying-foxes coming into care, the main ones being entanglements, heat stress, orphaned pups and electrocutions. Release rates of rehabilitated flying-foxes were high, especially in pups and juveniles. These results demonstrate the potential conservation value of flying-fox rehabilitation. High proportions of injuries caused by entanglements, heat stress and electrocutions highlight the importance of ongoing threat mitigation efforts. This paper examines patterns in flying-fox rescues in New South Wales, Australia. The vulnerable grey-headed flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) accounted for most rescues, which were mostly in coastal regions. Entanglements, heat stress, orphaned pups and electrocutions were dominant causes of flying-foxes coming into care. A high proportion of rehabilitated flying-foxes survived to release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalisation has increased the occurrence of species being introduced outside of their natural range. The African carder bee, Pseudoanthidium (Immanthidium) repetitum (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), is one such species. P. repetititum was first recorded in Australia in 2000 in Queensland (north-east Australia), and rapidly spread down the east coast of Australia, and by 2015 was reported to be a common component of bee assemblages in urban community gardens in Victoria (southern Australia). Here, I report the first occurrences of this species in Western Australia, on the other side of the continent, representing a major expansion of the distribution of the species. Thus far there are three confirmed and one unconfirmed localities where this species has been seen, all localised to the Mandurah region in residential areas of Western Australia. Female specimens were collected from a garden in Halls Head, where it was observed to be abundant. Other bees, both native and the introduced European honeybee, were foraging alongside it. The occurrence of P. repetitum represents a major expansion in its distribution. It remains rare and localised; however, given known negative impacts of introduced species on native fauna and flora, especially in Australia, vigilance is required to monitor this species. The African carder bee, Pseudoanthidium (Immanthidium) repetitum (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), is an introduced species in Australia. It was first reported in 2000 and rapidly spread across the east coast. This paper reports the first observations of P. repetitum on the other side of the continent in Western Australia, representing a major range expansion. Potential impacts on native fauna and flora of this species are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migratory shorebirds are declining in all transequatorial flyways, most rapidly in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. Population trends for shorebirds have been derived at a flyway and continental scale, but changes at the local scale are less well understood. Here we compare trends in migratory shorebird populations using natural and artificial roost sites within a tropical harbour, examine possible drivers of change, and identify appropriate conservation management responses. Counts of 19 migratory shorebird species from 2010 and 2018 showed that total abundance increased at an average annual rate of 3.3% (95% CI = 1.3–5.4%, P = 0.001) across five natural roost sites. This was driven largely by increases in great knot, with most other species declining. At an artificial site in an adjacent shorebird area, total abundance increased at an average annual rate of 14.5% (95% CI = 10.5–18.6%, P ≤ 0.000), with few species declining. These results suggest that there is a need to include both natural and artificial sites within shorebird conservation and management planning and that trends in different species can be driven by a combination of local and external drivers. Migratory shorebirds that travel the globe every year are highly threatened. Population trends are known at a global scale, but not much is known at the local scale across sites on the non-breeding grounds of Australia. Our paper examines the trends of migratory shorebird species at natural and artificial sites in a tropical harbour. We show that, overall, shorebirds are increasing at both natural and artificial sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to elucidate nesting requirements and nest success of the threatened little eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides). Nest sites (n = 12 active and 2–5 recent historical nests) near Armidale, New South Wales, were measured in 2017 at three scales: the nest tree, the nest woodland (≤25 m from the nest tree), and (using GIS) the landscape scale (within 200-m and 2-km radii of the nest). The eagles typically nested ≥14 m above ground in the canopy of emergent (>20 m tall) living eucalypts in sheltered positions (midslope, with a north-easterly to southerly aspect), in woodland patches >5 ha (mean 76 ha), <200 m (mean 78 m) from the woodland edge, though ≥11 m (mean 190 m) from an agricultural edge, ≥38 m (mean 485 m) from the nearest rural dwelling, >1 km from suburbia, and farther from sealed roads (mean 832 m) than gravel roads (mean 490 m) than minor tracks (mean 291 m). Breeding productivity in 2017–18 (n = 15 and 18 territories, respectively) was 0.91 young fledged per attempt (clutch laid) and 0.67 young fledged per occupied territory per year. Nest sites were used annually for at least 3–7 years. Nest abandonments or site shifts were associated with human disturbance (e.g. clearing, earthmoving, subdivision and construction in or beside the nest patch), death of the nest tree or nest stand ('eucalypt dieback' or rural tree decline), pindone baiting for rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), and displacement by wedge-tailed eagles (Aquila audax) and ravens (Corvus sp.). As most little eagle nests were located on private land, we recommend, inter alia , greater protection of breeding habitat, nest sites and foraging habitat, woodland regeneration (especially riparian), and a buffer around established nests of ≥1 km from major developments such as urbanisation. Historically, information on the little eagle's breeding habitat, nest-site characteristics and response to human impacts in eastern Australia has been largely anecdotal. This paper identifies baseline requirements for little eagle nesting habitat and provides some suggestions for further conservation management of this vulnerable and declining species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anadromous Geotria australis , one of only three lamprey species representing the early agnathan (jawless) stage of vertebrate evolution in Australia and New Zealand, is declining in abundance. Its adults were caught soon after they had entered rivers on their non-trophic upstream migration and maintained in laboratory tanks for 13–15 months through to spawning. As adult G. australis are susceptible to haemorrhagic septicaemia, they were treated prophylactically and maintained in 3-m3 aquaria supplied with a flow-through charcoal filtration system and UV steriliser. Air temperature and the light : dark regime were constantly adjusted to parallel those in the environment. Males developed the very large suctorial disc and gular pouch characteristic of maturity and both sexes matured at the same time as in the wild. While males frequently showed aggressive behaviour towards each other, the same male and female mated on several occasions. The male coiled around the female and, with his urogenital papilla close to the female's cloaca, twisted and vibrated, leading to egg release. These eggs formed coagulated clusters as in the wild, with many progressing through to the eight-cell stage. Remarkably, numerous G. australis were still alive 95–392 days after the end of the short spawning period, and one male after a further 119 days. Postspawning survival would be facilitated inter alia by extensive proteolysis, reflected in a shortening of the body. The data in this paper emphasise that G. australis is a highly atypical lamprey and provides invaluable information for conserving this declining species. The lamprey Geotria australis , when provided with appropriate conditions, can be maintained in laboratory tanks for many months from the commencement of the upstream migration through to spawning. Successful maintenance requires, however, the provision of conditions that overcome the potential for this species to succumb to haemorrhagic septicaemia. Spawning, which occurs at the same time as in their natural environment, is described. The prolonged period during which G. australis survive after spawning parallels that recorded for this species in its riverine environment and is unique among lampreys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expectations and patterns of publication have changed markedly with evolving online availability and associated development of new citation gathering databases. Perhaps the most vulnerable components of the scientific literature to ongoing change are books and book chapters, given their elongated publication timelines and generally more limited online availability. To test this, we applied citation analyses and assessments of library holdings to determine the use of the natural history books published by Surrey Beatty & Sons between 1987 and 2010. We (i) evaluated the relative use of book chapters and journal papers by comparing citations to chapters in the five books of the Nature Conservation series by Surrey Beatty & Sons to citations of journal chapters in four Australian journals published in the same years, (ii) determined the efficacy of four different databases in retrieving citations to book chapters by comparing their recovery of citations to the five books of the Nature Conservation series, and (iii) quantified non-citation measures related to library holdings to evaluate the use of the books on the entire Surrey Beatty & Sons list. Mean citations/chapter to the first three books in the Nature Conservation series were similar to the mean citations/ paper in four Australian journals published in the same years. However, the mean citations/chapter of the last two books declined relative to citations/paper for the journals, suggesting a fall in book use evident by early this century. Citation retrieval varied across databases; Google Scholar retrieved most citations, followed by Scopus, Web of Science (Cited Reference Search) and Web of Knowledge. Contrary to published concerns, no citations retrieved by Google Scholar were in questionable sources such as contents pages - many were from highly ranked journals. Each book in the full Surrey Beatty & Sons list was held by an average of 45.3 libraries in Australia and 36.1 in the USA, and less than five in each of the UK, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Canada, Germany and South Africa. This was a similar coverage to another Australian publisher, the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, and indicated strong markets in Australia and the USA. It was less, though, than the number of libraries with current or past subscriptions to five Australian journals publishing nature conservation content. We conclude that citation data for books and book chapters are available and that library holdings provide another measure of use. The online 'visibility' of books may be a problem, but can be improved through better marketing and improved author search techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a special focus on Australia, this paper proposes that plant diversity is fundamentally important for sustainable living at a time of unprecedented global change. The establishment of Australia as a nation is intimately linked with Botany Bay, named by Captain James Cook following the enthusiasm for novel botanical discoveries made by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander on the Endeavour's first Australian landfall in 1770. On returning to England, Banks was introduced to King George III, and they became firm friends, the King inviting Banks to become honorary Director of the Royal Gardens at Kew in west London. Today, Kew is the world's largest botanical garden, with the most diverse scientific collections of plants on Earth, leading research, and conservation projects like the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership. Plant diversity has never been more important than now to help with solutions towards sustainable livelihoods. This paper touches upon global plant diversity patterns, ongoing scientific discovery, and strategies that have helped and will help towards humans living with and sustainably using plant diversity. Such approaches are embraced in the Breathing Planet Programme, Kew's strategy with partners for inspiring and delivering science-based plant conservation worldwide, aimed at enhancing the quality of life at a time of unprecedented global change. Today's plant science and cross-cultural learning with Australia's Aboriginal people are also helping better understand the astounding place that Banks first stepped onto at Botany Bay, and demonstrating that Australia has much to teach the world about plant diversity and human enrichment on ancient landscapes. OCBIL Theory is explored briefly to exemplify this contention; OCBIL is an acronym for 'old, climatically buffered, infertile landscapes'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many montane avian communities are likely to be impacted negatively by future climate change. The ability to monitor these ecosystems effectively is therefore a priority. As species are expected to track their preferred climates by moving upwards in elevation, using indicator species of elevations has been suggested as a climate change monitoring strategy and has been explored for a variety of taxa in eastern Australia. Birds have great potential as vertebrate indicators due to their familiarity, detectability, and well known life histories. We used automated recording units (ARUs) and point counts to sample the avifauna along two elevational gradients in subtropical rainforest in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. We used the indicator value protocol to identify avian indicators of elevation suitable for long-term monitoring. Pairs of species were more reliable than single species as indicators, and searching for indicators of elevational ranges (e.g. 300–500 m) proved more effective than looking for indicators of single elevations (e.g. 300 m). Point counts and ARUs were equally effective at determining indicators of elevations and ARUs performed particularly well in spring. We present avian indicator sets of lowland and highland sites, which provide a baseline for future monitoring of the effects of climate change on the region's avifauna. The methodology employed here is broadly suitable for similar studies elsewhere. We propose that the use of ARUs to identify indicator species of elevations is an effective strategy for monitoring the effects of climate change on montane avian communities worldwide. The birds of Australia's eastern rainforests are largely confined to mountain ranges, making them vulnerable to climate-change-driven changes in these ecosystems. We identify avian indicators of elevation that are suitable for the long-term monitoring of climate change effects. The approach described in this paper may lead to more efficient climate change monitoring, and help inform conservation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shorebird populations are declining worldwide as a result o f the loss o f the intertidal habitats upon which they depend. Conservation status is particularly dire for shorebirds on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. While the flyway transects many international boundaries and involves numerous bilateral conservation agreements, management of remaining habitat at a local scale is imperative to conserving these species. Coastal habitat is affected by multiple anthropogenic stressors, including loss and degradation due to increasing demand for coastal land. In Australia, migration coincides with the summer holiday season when shorebirds are significantly impacted by human disturbance. Managers are frequently required to make trade-offs between wildlife conservation and anthropogenic land uses and when specific quantitative shorebird habitat data and mapping are absent, human interests will naturally take precedence. This paper demonstrates a method for mapping and prioritising management of shorebird non-breeding habitat using an Australian coastal site, the Richmond River estuary. Foraging habitat was surveyed and mapped using GIS with a range of attributes including habitat types, foraging values, disturbance levels and specific foraging distribution o f each species. The results highlighted several important foraging areas that were impacted by disturbance and would require intervening management actions to reduce impacts on shorebirds. The GIS data created provide local managers with an effective tool to consider shorebird habitat in the decision-making process. This method could be replicated at other important shorebird habitat sites, leading to enhanced conservation of these declining species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camera traps are being increasingly used in biological surveys. One of the most common uses of camera trap data is the generation of species inventories and estimations of species richness. Many authors have advocated for increased camera trap-nights (long deployment times or more cameras in an array) to detect rare or wide-ranging species. However, in practice, the number of traps and the duration of surveys are constrained; a survey leader must make decisions about al ocating the available cameras to sites. Here we investigate the effect of deployment time, camera array size and number of sites on detection of saxicoline mammal and varanid species obtained from surveys of discrete vegetation pockets in tropical Australia. This paper provides an analysis method for optimising decisions about how a limited number of cameras should be deployed across sites. We found that increasing the number of sites leads to larger species richness estimates in a shorter period. Increasing the number of cameras per site also leads to higher species richness estimates in a shorter time, but not to the same extent as increasing the number of sites. With fewer sites used or smaller arrays deployed at each site, a longer deployment duration is required, especially for rarer or wider-ranging species, or those not attracted to bait. Finally, we compared estimates of species richness generated by our camera trapping to those generated by live trapping at a subset of our sites, and found camera traps generated much larger estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Mediterranean ecosystems prescribed burning is commonly employed to reduce the risk or intensity of wildfires. As a consequence, a major challenge for conservation land managers is the development of fire regimes that reduce damaging wildfires and are optimal for biodiversity. The aim of this paper was to develop guidelines for ecological fire regimes using the Banksia woodland on the Gnangara Groundwater System in Western Australia as a case study. Development of the guidelines involved the determination of maximum and minimum fire intervals of key fire response species, analyses of fire history records and estimation of ideal age class distributions at the landscape level. Recommendations included a) adoption of a minimum fire interval of 8-16 years, b) implementation of a burning regime to redress the current skewed distribution (60%: 1-7 years since last fire), c) retention of long-unburnt habitats that are significant for species such as the critically endangered Calyptorhynchus latirostris (Carnaby's black-cockatoo), and Tarsipes rostratus (honey possum), and d) protection for wetlands that can serve as fire 'refugia' for associated species, such as Isoodon obesulus fusciventer (southern brown bandicoot or quenda). The guidelines developed provide a model for the development of ecological burning regimes in other similar ecosystems. The implementation of ecological guidelines normally involves incorporation into fire management planning by fire agencies and often entails complex solutions to conflicting aims. The guidelines are thus valuable for ecologists and land managers, especially in light of an expected significant increase in global fire activity as a consequence of predicted climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife roadkill is a tragic blind spot in public perception, both internationally and in Australia. Despite an increasing body of data documenting the frequency and distribution of roadkill, and its consequences for specific animal populations, scientists and engineers alone have been unable to develop solutions that challenge the prevailing indifference to the problem. This points to an urgent need to develop approaches to roadkill which engage the general public, and which draw from the insights of a range of scholarly communities. This paper contends that a broader response to the problem, and to the conceptual basis of its solution, is required if we are to effect substantial change. The author, an ecologist, has attempted to draw on the work of humanities scholars on the subject of roadkill in order to demonstrate the value of their ideas for enriching our understanding of the problem. This essay also aims to develop a deeper understanding of the significance of roadkill by exploring the different ways it is understood by specific groups, such as those interested in its consumption, its artistic portrayal, and educational potential. The diverse perspectives from the humanities, combined with the quantitative and species-specific approach of research scientists, promises to overcome the current impasse and build a more robust and wide-ranging public discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known of the breeding behaviour of the Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banks# naso (FRTBC), a large, iconic forest cockatoo, endemic to the south-west corner of Western Australia, currently listed as Vulnerable under the State Western Australian Wildlife Conservation Act and under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. In this paper, we provide details of breeding behaviour of FRTBC based on observations throughout the year over 17 years, together with observations of diet and feeding behaviour over the same period. FRTBC are monogamous hollow-nesters. Breeding was recorded in all months, with peaks in autumn-winter (April- June) and spring (August-October), with few records in January and February. Breeding also varied between years, with little breeding in 1999, 2001 and 2008, but many observations in 2006 and 2009. Breeding occurred at times of fruiting of either of the principal feed trees, Jarrah Eucalyptus marginata or Marri Corymbia calophylla, so it does not depend solely on one or the other of these species. Courtship displays were noted at all times of the day, from before dawn at roost sites to dusk. In total, 205 breeding events were recorded, of which 69 (93%) of 72 nests had breeding confirmed on a second visit. Use of particular nest hollows varied considerably, with some used only once and some up to seven times. Only one egg is laid, which the female incubates for 29 to 31 days, before a nestling hatches weighing between 27 and 32 g. The female remains in the hollow during incubation and only leaves for a short period in the evening to be fed by the male, usually at dusk. The chicks are brooded for up to 10 days, after which the female leaves the nest between dawn and dusk. Pairs of birds appear to recognise each other by calls, not responding to calls by others in the area. Chicks only respond when the parent is heard. Chicks are fully feathered at 48 days. Fledgling success was estimated at 60%. Juveniles remain dependent on the adults 18 months to 2 years. Thirty-seven chicks were banded between 1997 and 2011. Juvenile-immature birds moved on average less than 3 km from their natal tree and older birds were observed moving up to 19 km. This suggests that FRTBC are generally sedentary. Immature birds took up to three times as long as their parents to open Jarrah or Marri nuts and eat the seeds. In recent years there has been an interesting change in foraging behaviour of birds in the northern Darling Range (adjacent to the Perth metropolitan area) with the FRTBC discovering and using a new food source, the introduced Cape Lilac Melia azedarach, and this species is of growing importance as food in the Perth region. In combination, the data on breeding biology and diet highlight the importance of identifying recruitment rates and food availability in managing populations of FRTBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii naso (FRTBC) is a large, iconic forest cockatoo, endemic to the south-west corner of Western Australia. It is currently listed as Vulnerable under the State Western Australian Wildlife Conservation Act and under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. In this paper, we provide details of nest tree and nest hollow requirements based on details of hollows in 128 nest trees studied over 17 years. FRTBC are monogamous and pairs nest in tree hollows from 6.5-33 m above ground. Most nests are in very large and very old, mature Marri Corymbia calophylla, a long-lived endemic tree species, which is the most important nesting tree throughout the FRTBC range. Nest trees of all species had a mean circumference at breast height of 2.79 m, a mean estimated age of 222 years and a mean overall height of 20.24 m. Marri nest trees had an mean circumference at breast height of 2.76 m, a mean estimated age of 220 years (95% confidence limit 209-231 years) and an average overall height of 20.04 m. The rate of fall or loss of nest trees was high, c. 16.6% per decade. A wide range of hollow types, defined by position of the hollow in the tree, were found. Hollow aspects were also diverse. The mean height to a hollow was 14.49 m. Mean hollow depth was 1.44 m, mean floor space (the longest linear distance across the bottom of the hollow) was 33.2 cm and the mean hollow entrance area was 30 x 34 cm. FRTBC nests are typically, but not always, clustered in the landscape and social interactions within the flock are likely to play a part in the clustering of nests. Nest competitors, including feral European Honey Bee Apis mellifera, Carnaby's Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus latirostris, Baudin's Cockatoo C. baudinfi and the Regent Parrot Polytelis anthopeplus were recorded using nest hollows once used by FRTBC. In the past Marri was harvested commercially, especially the largest and oldest trees, for timber and woodchips. In recent times the volume of Marri logs has been reduced due to a decline in markets e.g. between 2004 and 2010 a total of 95,436 m³ was harvested (K. Whitford, pers. comm.). Given the importance of large, old trees for FRTBC breeding habitat, conservation of these trees is of prime importance. Control of exotic nest competitors, especially the European Honey Bee, is also important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author calls on the conservation readership to produce papers on introduced birds. He enumerates the reasons for research on introduced birds including their frequent occurrence in suburban habitats and because of the perception that they are less interesting biologically. The author also includes an idea for an online competition ran by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to find a new national mascot in Australia.