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Inadequate information on the geographical distribution of biodiversity hampers decision-making for conservation. Major efforts are underway to fill knowledge gaps, but there are increasing concerns that publishing the locations of species is dangerous, particularly for species at risk of exploitation. While we recognize that well-informed control of location data for highly sensitive taxa is necessary to avoid risks, such as poaching or habitat disturbance by recreational visitors, we argue that ignoring the benefits of sharing biodiversity data could unnecessarily obstruct conservation efforts for species and locations with low risks of exploitation. We provide a decision tree protocol for scientists that systematically considers both the risks of exploitation and potential benefits of increased conservation activities. Our protocol helps scientists assess the impacts of publishing biodiversity data and aims to enhance conservation opportunities, promote community engagement and reduce duplication of survey efforts.

Land alteration for intensive agriculture has been a major cause of species decline and extinction globally. In marginal grazing regions of southern Australia, native perennial shrubs are increasingly being planted to supplement pasture feeding of stock. Such revegetation has the benefits of reducing erosion and salinity, and importantly, the potential provision of habitat for native fauna. We explored the use of revegetated native saltbush by the sleepy lizard (Tiliqua rugosa) an endemic Australian species common in the region. We repeatedly sampled revegetated saltbush throughout 2010 and 2011 for adults (n = 55) and juveniles (n = 26). Using genotypes from eight microsatellite loci, parents were assigned to half of all juveniles with high statistical confidence. Parents were sampled in the same patch of revegetated saltbush as their offspring, thus supporting the observation that juvenile sleepy lizards remain within the home range of their parents before dispersal. Most importantly, our findings indicate that revegetated saltbush provides important habitat for T. rugosa at significant life stages - before and during breeding for adults, and before dispersal for juveniles. We conclude that revegetation using simple, monoculture plantations provides beneficial habitat for T. rugosa and may also be beneficial habitat for other native species in human-altered agricultural landscapes. We explored the use of revegetated native saltbush by the sleepy lizard, Tiliqua rugosa, a common endemic Australian species in southern Australia. Our findings indicate that revegetated saltbush provides important habitat for T. rugosa at significant life stages - prior to/during breeding for adults, and post-birth but before dispersal for juveniles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored the key issues that are most likely to influence any set of guiding principles for developing biodiversity monitoring programmes in Australia's rangelands. We defined the Australian rangelands and came up with an overview of their climate extremes, land-use pressures and biodiversity loss, and then focussed on issues underpinning the design phase of any monitoring programme. Using Noss's 1990 framework of compositional, structural and functional attributes of biodiversity and its new revisions by others, we showed how the elusive, abstract concept of biodiversity can be used to identify many measurable attributes that can form a minimum and necessary set of indicators for any biodiversity monitoring task. We then described the steps in the monitoring process, with a particular focus on the reasons for monitoring biodiversity as they strongly influence the selection of indicators. We concluded by compiling a table of key issues as background information for developing guiding principles (Table 4). The list is by no means an exhaustive list for the design phase but it does indicate that considerable attention needs to be given to this phase when developing monitoring programmes. We have intentionally not addressed the equally important issues associated with the planning and delivery phases of developing a monitoring programme, as Wallace et al. and Watson and Novelly cover these in their papers in the present issue of Austral Ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the impact of single-tree selective logging and fuel reduction burns on the abundance of hollow-nesting bird species at a regional scale in southeastern Queensland, Australia. Data were collected on species abundance and habitat structure of dry sclerophyll production forest at 36 sites with known logging and fire histories. Sixteen bird species were recorded with most being resident, territorial, obligate hollow nesters that used hollows that were either small (<10 cm diameter) or very large (>18 cm diameter). Species densities were typically low, but combinations of two forest management and three habitat structural variables influenced the abundances of eight bird species in different and sometimes conflicting ways. The results suggest that habitat tree management for biodiversity in production forests cannot depend upon habitat structural characteristics alone. Management histories appear to have independent influence (on some bird species) that are distinguishable from their impacts on habitat structure per se. Rather than managing to maximize species abundances to maintain biodiversity, we may be better off managing to avoid extinctions of populations by identifying thresholds of acceptable fluctuations in populations of not only hollow-nesting birds but other forest dependent wildlife relative to scientifically valid forest management and habitat structural surrogates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses an approach to biodiversity monitoring and reporting in the rangelands of Australia. Identification of indicators presented in an analytical framework; List of pressures affecting the conservation status of biodiversity; Resolution to planning issues concerning the implementation of a monitoring program for rangelands biodiversity.