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Emergency conservation interventions will be increasingly necessary to prevent extinctions or severe population bottlenecks as extreme events become more frequent. We detail the emergency extraction of the endangered Eastern Bristlebird (Dasyornis brachpterus) during the unprecedented 2019–2020 Australian Black Summer bushfires, an intervention that led to the rapid establishment of a temporary ex situ insurance population sourced from an area under immediate threat from bushfire (Croajingolong National Park, Victoria). The intervention was triggered, coordinated, and implemented within a 4‐week period, with re‐release to the wild within 2 months. We present this case study within a framework for emergency conservation interventions, based on the emergency management phases of preparation, response, and recovery, with the addition of an evaluation phase. The preparation phase involved compiling existing knowledge and capacity to facilitate the operation. The response phase consisted of (a) initiation and planning of the intervention (coordination) and (b) implementation, that is, the translocation of 15 birds from an area under threat of bushfire to a captive institution (>500 km). The recovery phase saw the insurance population re‐released to unburnt habitat after the bushfire had ceased. The evaluation phase incorporated lessons learnt from the other three phases as part of an adaptive management approach. We reflect on the Eastern Bristlebird emergency conservation intervention to explore how we can better prepare for, respond to, and recover from the large range of emergencies faced by biodiversity around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translocation, the human‐mediated movement of organisms from one area to another, is a popular tool in conservation management. Wild‐caught individuals are more likely to persist following release than those sourced from captive breeding. However, this benefit of obtaining individuals from wild populations must be carefully weighed against the potential harm to the viability of source populations. In this structured review, we assess the peer‐reviewed primary literature that addresses wild‐sourced translocation programs. We aim to determine what proportion of studies make a priori estimates of the impact of harvesting on source populations, what proportion provide quantitative evidence of demographic trends in source populations following harvest, and which methods are being used to assess impacts of harvesting on source populations. Of 292 articles reviewed, we identified just 32 instances (11%) where impact on the source population was estimated. The proportion of studies that assess impacts on source populations in a given year has not increased over time. However, studies that make explicit a priori comparisons of alternative harvesting strategies are becoming more frequent. We propose a standardized framework for reporting on management of translocation source populations. Published summaries of wild‐sourced translocations should include clear conservation goals, a description of the methods used to assess potential impact, an a priori justification based on evidence for the chosen harvesting strategy, an estimated timeline for recovery and a summary of postremoval population trends to assess the efficacy of a priori impact assessment. Routinely reporting impacts of harvesting on source populations will inform management when source sustainability is uncertain, improve transparency and increase the likelihood of successful conservation for many threatened species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(b) Vegetation age since major fires in Ngarkat Conservation Park with translocation release site and historic records of mallee emu-wrens S. mallee overlaid. Breeding ecology of mallee emu-wrens remains poorly known, though it is likely similar to that of other emu-wrens (e.g. [45]). EN arid ecology birds conservation mallee emu-wren management population management reintroduction Stipiturus mallee threatened species. Prior to the removal of mallee emu-wrens that made up the spring cohort, the primary harvest sites in Murray-Sunset and Nowingi were surveyed to establish baseline emu-wren density. Keywords: arid ecology; birds; conservation; mallee emu-wren; management; population management; reintroduction; Stipiturus mallee; threatened species. [Extracted from the article]

Conservation breeding management aims to reduce inbreeding and maximize the retention of genetic diversity in endangered populations. However, breeding management of wild populations is still rare, and there is a need for approaches that provide data‐driven evidence of the likelihood of success of alternative in situ strategies. Here, we provide an analytical framework that uses in silico simulations to evaluate, for real wild populations, (i) the degree of population‐level inbreeding avoidance, (ii) the genetic quality of mating pairs, and (iii) the potential genetic benefits of implementing two breeding management strategies. The proposed strategies aim to improve the genetic quality of breeding pairs by splitting detrimental pairs and allowing the members to re‐pair in different ways. We apply the framework to the wild population of the Critically Endangered helmeted honeyeater by combining genomic data and field observations to estimate the inbreeding (i.e., pair‐kinship) and genetic quality (i.e., Mate Suitability Index) of all mating pairs for seven consecutive breeding seasons. We found no evidence of population‐level inbreeding avoidance and that ~91.6% of breeding pairs were detrimental to the genetic health of the population. Furthermore, the framework revealed that neither proposed management strategy would significantly improve the genetic quality or reduce inbreeding of the mating pairs in this population. Our results demonstrate the usefulness of our analytical framework for testing the efficacy of different in situ breeding management strategies and for making evidence‐based management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restoration of degraded ecosystems is a global issue, particularly in rural regions where excessive loss of natural vegetation has occurred. We investigated, at both landscape and patch scales, the benefits to butterfly communities of restoration by revegetation (planting trees and shrubs), typical of many rural landscapes in south‐eastern Australia. We surveyed eight pairs of landscapes (200 ha each) dominated either by remnant or restored woody vegetation, along a gradient of wooded cover. In total, 1,683 individuals of 11 butterfly species were recorded by transect counts, with the fauna dominated by four generalist species. At the landscape scale, there were similar patterns of occurrence of butterflies in remnant and restored landscapes: species richness was not related to the gradient in wooded cover, but overall abundance of butterflies increased with wooded cover. At the patch scale there was a similar richness of butterflies in revegetation and remnants (greater than in pasture), with abundance greater in remnants. Individual species showed distinctive responses to patch types (i.e. remnants, revegetation, scattered trees, pasture). In all patch types, the ground layer was dominated by exotic plants and most observations (78%) of butterflies taking nectar were from exotics. Revegetation in farmland created new wooded habitat, at least for common butterfly species, despite the study being undertaken during severe drought. Benefits of revegetation will be enhanced by actions at both the landscape scale (extent, connectivity of habitat), and patch scale (habitat quality) through promoting native ground‐layer species favored for adult foraging and as larval host plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asian house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) shows the largest non-native distribution of any gekkonid and has been introduced to numerous oceanic islands around the world. Since 1990, it has been naturalised at Ashmore Reef, a small group of islands, cays and reef flats in the Timor Sea within the maritime borders of Australia. This note provides an updated assessment of its population status and distribution at Ashmore Reef based on surveys conducted in May 2019 and formulates ecological insight to factors that may be influencing the presence of geckos on the islands. In doing so, it aims to provide context relevant to informing suitable future research and management options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birds can spread microorganisms through their movement; however, it is still not fully understood how wild birds acquire and disperse antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria. We sampled wild Australian birds from three geographically distinct locations for the presence of AMR strains of two clinically important species of bacteria, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. A total of 121 birds were sampled, representing 15 different species. Thirty E. coli and 54 Enterococcus isolates were tested for resistance to 12 and 8 different antibiotics, respectively. Resistance to at least one antibiotic was common, being detected in 96% of Enterococcus and 60% of E. coli isolates. The vancomycin-resistance genes vanA and vanD were detected in 22% of enterococci (13% vanA, 9% vanD), while 9% displayed phenotypic resistance with no associated gene. Wild birds are a carrier of AMR bacteria in Australia, and are capable of harbouring a more diverse range of vancomycin-resistance genes than is typically seen among Australian clinical isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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