This study examined the impact of the Black Summer 2019/20 wildfires in the Northeast Forests of New South Wales for seven priority heteropteran (= true bug) species, across a range of vegetation classes and host plants. Our area of study spanned 104,000 km2, from the Queensland border to the Hunter Valley, and west towards Narrabri. We used data primarily from the Plant Bug Inventory database, inclusive of all phytophagous families of the suborder Heteroptera. We identified 122 survey sites based on their distribution in historical collection data and that of their known host plants. These sites were parsed into unburnt (69 locations) and burnt (53 locations), with the latter further categorised by fire severity. The 122 sites were surveyed in four field trips in the late summer early autumn and spring of 2021. One or more of the priority species were detected at thirty-three sites (22 unburnt and 11 burnt sites). The first three field trips (January–March) resulted in the discovery of only Woodwardiola ‘n.sp_LOMA’. The fourth field trip (November) resulted in the discovery of four additional species (Kirkaldyella rugosa, Setocoris ‘n.sp_BINA’, Epimixia vulturna and Eritingis trivirgata), as well as W. ‘n.sp_LOMA’. The two other priority species (Kirkaldyella schuhi and Myrmecoroides grossi) were not found. IUCN Red list methodology was employed to analyse the conservation status of the seven priority species. All seven priority species were found to be species of Least Concern for EEO and Data Deficient for AOO. The Data Deficient categorisation was decided based on insufficient sampling data plus expert opinion. Further sampling is required for all species but is critical for Kirkaldyella schuhi and Myrmecoroides grossi to determine whether their non-detection in this survey is due to sampling inadequacy or due to environmental factors.
{"title":"Impact of Black Summer 2019/20 Wildfires on True Bug Priority Species (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera) in the Northeast Forests of New South Wales","authors":"G. Cassis, Ryan Shofner, S. Laffan, Marina Cheng","doi":"10.7882/az.2022.032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7882/az.2022.032","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 This study examined the impact of the Black Summer 2019/20 wildfires in the Northeast Forests of New South Wales for seven priority heteropteran (= true bug) species, across a range of vegetation classes and host plants. Our area of study spanned 104,000 km2, from the Queensland border to the Hunter Valley, and west towards Narrabri.\u0000 We used data primarily from the Plant Bug Inventory database, inclusive of all phytophagous families of the suborder Heteroptera. We identified 122 survey sites based on their distribution in historical collection data and that of their known host plants. These sites were parsed into unburnt (69 locations) and burnt (53 locations), with the latter further categorised by fire severity.\u0000 The 122 sites were surveyed in four field trips in the late summer early autumn and spring of 2021. One or more of the priority species were detected at thirty-three sites (22 unburnt and 11 burnt sites). The first three field trips (January–March) resulted in the discovery of only Woodwardiola ‘n.sp_LOMA’. The fourth field trip (November) resulted in the discovery of four additional species (Kirkaldyella rugosa, Setocoris ‘n.sp_BINA’, Epimixia vulturna and Eritingis trivirgata), as well as W. ‘n.sp_LOMA’. The two other priority species (Kirkaldyella schuhi and Myrmecoroides grossi) were not found.\u0000 IUCN Red list methodology was employed to analyse the conservation status of the seven priority species. All seven priority species were found to be species of Least Concern for EEO and Data Deficient for AOO. The Data Deficient categorisation was decided based on insufficient sampling data plus expert opinion. Further sampling is required for all species but is critical for Kirkaldyella schuhi and Myrmecoroides grossi to determine whether their non-detection in this survey is due to sampling inadequacy or due to environmental factors.","PeriodicalId":35849,"journal":{"name":"Australian Zoologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44700305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emma E. Spencer, C. Dickman, G. Wardle, T. Newsome, Aaron C. Greenville
Australia’s 2019–20 mega-fires burnt 79% of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, prompting an urgent need for rapid on-ground post-fire assessments of flora and fauna to aid in post-fire recovery. This project aimed to determine spatial patterns in populations and assemblages of vertebrates, vertebrate temporal activity, and the diet of the invasive Red Fox Vulpes vulpes, across burnt and unburnt sites. Using remote camera traps we surveyed 12 unburnt and 10 burnt sites approximately 12 months after the fires. We detected 41 species (11 mammals, 28 birds and 2 reptiles), with different species composition, but similar vertebrate species richness across both unburnt and burnt sites. The relative abundance of the Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus, Common Wombat Vombatus ursinus and Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen was higher in burnt sites, while small mammals (< 500 g) had higher relative abundance at unburnt sites. There was no difference in the relative abundance of the Superb Lyrebird Menura novaehollandiae across burnt and unburnt sites, and although 11 species of bird were only detected at unburnt sites, the numbers were too low for reliable estimates of differences. Red Fox scat analysis (n=23) revealed that invertebrates and plant material were the dominant prey items in both burnt and unburnt sites, but medium-sized mammals increased in Red Fox diets in burnt sites, and reptiles were consumed disproportionately more by Red Foxes in burnt compared to unburnt sites. Although the short-term nature of this study and low scat sample size limited detailed insights, our rapid survey was an effective tool to gain preliminary data on species responses to the 2019–20 megafires in the Blue Mountains and contribute to a baseline for understanding species recovery.
{"title":"One year on: rapid assessment of fauna and red fox diet after the 2019–20 mega-fires in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales","authors":"Emma E. Spencer, C. Dickman, G. Wardle, T. Newsome, Aaron C. Greenville","doi":"10.7882/az.2022.033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7882/az.2022.033","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Australia’s 2019–20 mega-fires burnt 79% of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, prompting an urgent need for rapid on-ground post-fire assessments of flora and fauna to aid in post-fire recovery. This project aimed to determine spatial patterns in populations and assemblages of vertebrates, vertebrate temporal activity, and the diet of the invasive Red Fox Vulpes vulpes, across burnt and unburnt sites. Using remote camera traps we surveyed 12 unburnt and 10 burnt sites approximately 12 months after the fires. We detected 41 species (11 mammals, 28 birds and 2 reptiles), with different species composition, but similar vertebrate species richness across both unburnt and burnt sites. The relative abundance of the Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus, Common Wombat Vombatus ursinus and Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen was higher in burnt sites, while small mammals (< 500 g) had higher relative abundance at unburnt sites. There was no difference in the relative abundance of the Superb Lyrebird Menura novaehollandiae across burnt and unburnt sites, and although 11 species of bird were only detected at unburnt sites, the numbers were too low for reliable estimates of differences. Red Fox scat analysis (n=23) revealed that invertebrates and plant material were the dominant prey items in both burnt and unburnt sites, but medium-sized mammals increased in Red Fox diets in burnt sites, and reptiles were consumed disproportionately more by Red Foxes in burnt compared to unburnt sites. Although the short-term nature of this study and low scat sample size limited detailed insights, our rapid survey was an effective tool to gain preliminary data on species responses to the 2019–20 megafires in the Blue Mountains and contribute to a baseline for understanding species recovery.","PeriodicalId":35849,"journal":{"name":"Australian Zoologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45724255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. Reid, A. Runagall-McNaull, G. Cassis, S. Laffan
A survey of the beetles (Coleoptera) in post-2019–20 burnt and unburnt forests in northeast New South Wales is described. The survey focussed on groups that were well-represented from previous surveys, easily trapped and taxonomically well known at species level. The principal target group comprised 12 species of Scarabaeinae (dung beetles) which had been listed as potentially significantly impacted by the 2019–20 fires. The results indicate that most species are fire tolerant and no species could be considered threatened by the fires.
{"title":"The impact of the 2019–2020 wildfires on beetles (Coleoptera) in the forests of north-eastern New South Wales","authors":"C. Reid, A. Runagall-McNaull, G. Cassis, S. Laffan","doi":"10.7882/az.2022.030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7882/az.2022.030","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 A survey of the beetles (Coleoptera) in post-2019–20 burnt and unburnt forests in northeast New South Wales is described. The survey focussed on groups that were well-represented from previous surveys, easily trapped and taxonomically well known at species level. The principal target group comprised 12 species of Scarabaeinae (dung beetles) which had been listed as potentially significantly impacted by the 2019–20 fires. The results indicate that most species are fire tolerant and no species could be considered threatened by the fires.","PeriodicalId":35849,"journal":{"name":"Australian Zoologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45540686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Laidlaw, H. Hines, Rhonda I. Melzer, T. Churchill
Bushfire severity mapping and analysis for Queensland’s Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area properties following wildfires in 2019/20 was found to under-predict the ecological impact within closed-canopy rainforests, biasing against the prioritisation of rainforest-dependent threatened fauna for assessment and the allocation of recovery resources. By incorporating the fire tolerance of vegetation communities mapped within the bushfire extent, bushfire severity can be extended to predict the potential ecological impact of each severity class on ecosystems, and priority species. Prioritising threatened species based on potential ecological impact rather than fire severity alone allows post-fire survey and monitoring to be better targeted to those species likely most severely impacted. It also allows resources and recovery actions to be directed towards those areas of greatest concern, which may not have suffered the worst bushfire severity.
{"title":"Beyond bushfire severity: mapping the ecological impact of bushfires on the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area","authors":"M. Laidlaw, H. Hines, Rhonda I. Melzer, T. Churchill","doi":"10.7882/az.2022.027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7882/az.2022.027","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Bushfire severity mapping and analysis for Queensland’s Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area properties following wildfires in 2019/20 was found to under-predict the ecological impact within closed-canopy rainforests, biasing against the prioritisation of rainforest-dependent threatened fauna for assessment and the allocation of recovery resources. By incorporating the fire tolerance of vegetation communities mapped within the bushfire extent, bushfire severity can be extended to predict the potential ecological impact of each severity class on ecosystems, and priority species. Prioritising threatened species based on potential ecological impact rather than fire severity alone allows post-fire survey and monitoring to be better targeted to those species likely most severely impacted. It also allows resources and recovery actions to be directed towards those areas of greatest concern, which may not have suffered the worst bushfire severity.","PeriodicalId":35849,"journal":{"name":"Australian Zoologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46764693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The black summer fires of 2019–2020 burnt almost half of Kangaroo Island (KI), impacting large areas of high-quality native vegetation supporting many rare, endemic and/or undescribed invertebrate species. In the aftermath there was a need to survey for a range of species with few prior records and variable amounts of biological information. Therefore, a project was undertaken to perform Rapid Habitat Assessments (RHAs) for 13 priority KI invertebrate species, followed by species-specific surveys. RHAs are a method employed to quickly assess the presence/absence of key habitat features required by various taxa at a given site. Here, we used RHAs to assess the habitat of the 13 priority KI species and to prioritise a number of sites for species-specific surveys. Published data, expert knowledge and our own experience with the taxa, were used to define habitat features important to each taxon to target survey effort. Eight of the 13 priority taxa were located during surveys, within the burn scar or adjacent intact vegetation, revealing range extensions for five species. Species varied in susceptibility to fire and there is significant concern regarding the conservation status of limited-range KI endemics Moggridgea rainbowi KI micro-trapdoor spider, Zephyrarchaea austini KI assassin spider, and Psacadonotus insulanus KI robust fan-winged katydid. Given predictions of increasing climatic volatility, there is a need for methods to assess multiple species with differing life histories and limited associated data that quickly and accurately prioritise habitats for surveys.
{"title":"Assessing the impact of the black summer fires on Kangaroo Island threatened invertebrates: towards rapid habitat assessments for informing targeted post-fire surveys","authors":"J. Marsh, R. Glatz","doi":"10.7882/az.2022.029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7882/az.2022.029","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The black summer fires of 2019–2020 burnt almost half of Kangaroo Island (KI), impacting large areas of high-quality native vegetation supporting many rare, endemic and/or undescribed invertebrate species. In the aftermath there was a need to survey for a range of species with few prior records and variable amounts of biological information. Therefore, a project was undertaken to perform Rapid Habitat Assessments (RHAs) for 13 priority KI invertebrate species, followed by species-specific surveys. RHAs are a method employed to quickly assess the presence/absence of key habitat features required by various taxa at a given site. Here, we used RHAs to assess the habitat of the 13 priority KI species and to prioritise a number of sites for species-specific surveys. Published data, expert knowledge and our own experience with the taxa, were used to define habitat features important to each taxon to target survey effort. Eight of the 13 priority taxa were located during surveys, within the burn scar or adjacent intact vegetation, revealing range extensions for five species. Species varied in susceptibility to fire and there is significant concern regarding the conservation status of limited-range KI endemics Moggridgea rainbowi KI micro-trapdoor spider, Zephyrarchaea austini KI assassin spider, and Psacadonotus insulanus KI robust fan-winged katydid. Given predictions of increasing climatic volatility, there is a need for methods to assess multiple species with differing life histories and limited associated data that quickly and accurately prioritise habitats for surveys.","PeriodicalId":35849,"journal":{"name":"Australian Zoologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46409164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The diet and movements of a breeding population of the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksi escondidus was studied between spring 1974 and the end of 1981 at Nereeno Hill in the northern wheatbelt of Western Australian. The birds fed almost exclusively on the seed of Double Gee Emex australis, an introduced, prolific, agricultural weed. When incubating and raising young nestlings, parents foraged within 5 km of their breeding area. However, once their nestlings were older, they often foraged more than 20 km from their nest hollows, commuting over an hour in the early morning and again in the evening. In doing so, they passed over available food, to join large, non-breeding, foraging flocks. Once the birds finished breeding they foraged widely in large flocks of over 1000 birds, up to 200 km from their breeding area. The dependence on the seed of an agricultural weed for food has allowed the birds to increase their distribution and abundance, but is a potential threat to the cockatoos, as any control measure that severely reduces the density of Double Gee may adversely impact on the distribution of the cockatoos in the southern part of their range.
{"title":"Food and movements of the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksi escondidus in the Western Australian wheatbelt","authors":"D. Saunders","doi":"10.7882/az.2022.040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7882/az.2022.040","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The diet and movements of a breeding population of the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksi escondidus was studied between spring 1974 and the end of 1981 at Nereeno Hill in the northern wheatbelt of Western Australian. The birds fed almost exclusively on the seed of Double Gee Emex australis, an introduced, prolific, agricultural weed. When incubating and raising young nestlings, parents foraged within 5 km of their breeding area. However, once their nestlings were older, they often foraged more than 20 km from their nest hollows, commuting over an hour in the early morning and again in the evening. In doing so, they passed over available food, to join large, non-breeding, foraging flocks. Once the birds finished breeding they foraged widely in large flocks of over 1000 birds, up to 200 km from their breeding area. The dependence on the seed of an agricultural weed for food has allowed the birds to increase their distribution and abundance, but is a potential threat to the cockatoos, as any control measure that severely reduces the density of Double Gee may adversely impact on the distribution of the cockatoos in the southern part of their range.","PeriodicalId":35849,"journal":{"name":"Australian Zoologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47721420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A major fire swept through Newnes Plateau near Lithgow in 2013, burning 50,000 hectares of bushland. Long-term monitoring programs were already established, with half the sites impacted by the fire. It was then possible to record changes in fauna populations in response to the fire. Detailed surveys for a range of mammalian fauna were undertaken twice a year from 2011 to 2019. The results from the comprehensive surveys showed that even with high intensity fire over a large portion of the landscape, habitat recovery is relatively quick. Significant Before-After Control-Impact differences were observed for five microhabitat metrics. Ground cover components (forb and fern) returned to pre-fire levels quickly (within 0.5 years). Mid storey components returned to pre-fire levels within 6.0 years of the fire. Small mammal responses are species specific, but again, most return to pre-fire (or at least Control site) levels within 6.0 years. Antechinus mimetes mimetes is one exception, disappearing from Impact sites within 2.0 years of the 2013 fire. Recovery of both Rattus species was faster than Antechinus, and coincided with return of low shrub cover to unburnt site levels. Recovery to control site levels was often faster than to pre-fire levels. The arboreal mammal Petauroides volans increased (non-significantly) post-fire in Control sites, contrasting with declines seen in the species at lower elevations. Total native, non-volant mammal abundance at each site declined with fire (more so at burnt sites), yet species richness remained the same. Simpson’s Diversity Index increased post-fire in burnt sites. These three factors combine to suggest that all species in the community assemblage remain present after fire, albeit at lower levels than prior to the fire. Broad-scale, long term fauna monitoring has allowed us to analyse mammal and habitat responses to fire, though there are limitations placed on interpretations. Habitat Complexity Score is too coarse a metric to tease out differences in overall or lower habitat categories. Presence/absence data also limit our ability to fully describe site occupation for larger/introduced mammal species. The design of our analyses, however, provide a robust framework for analysing fauna responses to fire, and can be used to predict expected recovery trajectories for mammal populations after the larger, more recent Gospers Mountain fire in 2019.
{"title":"Mammalian responses to fire on Newnes Plateau: A yardstick for future recovery","authors":"Andrew J. Lothian, M. J. Denny, Nicholas W. Tong","doi":"10.7882/az.2022.025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7882/az.2022.025","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 A major fire swept through Newnes Plateau near Lithgow in 2013, burning 50,000 hectares of bushland. Long-term monitoring programs were already established, with half the sites impacted by the fire. It was then possible to record changes in fauna populations in response to the fire. Detailed surveys for a range of mammalian fauna were undertaken twice a year from 2011 to 2019. The results from the comprehensive surveys showed that even with high intensity fire over a large portion of the landscape, habitat recovery is relatively quick. Significant Before-After Control-Impact differences were observed for five microhabitat metrics. Ground cover components (forb and fern) returned to pre-fire levels quickly (within 0.5 years). Mid storey components returned to pre-fire levels within 6.0 years of the fire.\u0000 Small mammal responses are species specific, but again, most return to pre-fire (or at least Control site) levels within 6.0 years. Antechinus mimetes mimetes is one exception, disappearing from Impact sites within 2.0 years of the 2013 fire. Recovery of both Rattus species was faster than Antechinus, and coincided with return of low shrub cover to unburnt site levels. Recovery to control site levels was often faster than to pre-fire levels. The arboreal mammal Petauroides volans increased (non-significantly) post-fire in Control sites, contrasting with declines seen in the species at lower elevations.\u0000 Total native, non-volant mammal abundance at each site declined with fire (more so at burnt sites), yet species richness remained the same. Simpson’s Diversity Index increased post-fire in burnt sites. These three factors combine to suggest that all species in the community assemblage remain present after fire, albeit at lower levels than prior to the fire.\u0000 Broad-scale, long term fauna monitoring has allowed us to analyse mammal and habitat responses to fire, though there are limitations placed on interpretations. Habitat Complexity Score is too coarse a metric to tease out differences in overall or lower habitat categories. Presence/absence data also limit our ability to fully describe site occupation for larger/introduced mammal species. The design of our analyses, however, provide a robust framework for analysing fauna responses to fire, and can be used to predict expected recovery trajectories for mammal populations after the larger, more recent Gospers Mountain fire in 2019.","PeriodicalId":35849,"journal":{"name":"Australian Zoologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43061610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
I. Howard, Jenna C. H. Ridley, W. Blanchard, K. Ashman, D. Lindenmayer, M. Head, Kara N. Youngentob
Nest boxes are often deployed in an attempt to offset the loss of natural tree hollows following landscape disturbance (e.g., land clearing, logging and wildfire). However, nest boxes can experience more variable and extreme microclimates than natural hollows, which could harm animals that use them. In this study, we tested the thermal performance of candidate nest box designs prior to their deployment for greater gliders (Petauroides volans) in forests impacted by the 2019–2020 bushfires. The tests were conducted under controlled laboratory conditions to investigate the thermal response of different designs to radiant heat and changes in ambient temperature. We examined how paint type (i.e., no paint, white exterior paint, and reflective white paint), insulation thickness (0 mm, 20 mm, and 40 mm Foilboard), and insulation amount (i.e., number of sides insulated) influenced the internal temperature profiles of these nest boxes. We found that nest boxes with the reflective white paint had the lowest temperatures on the inside wall closest to the radiant heat source, but internal nest box air temperature did not differ among paint treatments. Similarly, the internal wall closest to the radiant heat source was cooler in nest boxes with thicker compared to thinner insulation, but there was no difference in internal air temperature between the two thicknesses. Both 20 mm and 40 mm Foilboard insulation resulted in significantly cooler air temperatures and internal wood panel temperatures compared to nest boxes without insulation. Fully insulated nest boxes and those with three of the four sides insulated exhibited less temperature variability and remained cooler than the less-insulated nest boxes. Temperatures inside nest boxes with more than one side insulated took longer to increase and decrease in a convective heat chamber, but importantly, never reached the heat extremes (> 40°C) of less insulated nest boxes. Fully insulated nest boxes also maintained heat longer than any other nest box type in a cold room. Understanding how different construction materials influence nest box temperature profiles and identifying designs that minimise thermoregulatory costs for animals is important for the safe implementation of nest box programs.
巢箱的部署通常是为了抵消景观干扰(如土地清理、伐木和野火)后自然树洞的损失。然而，与天然洞穴相比，巢箱可以经历更多变化和极端的小气候，这可能会伤害使用它们的动物。在这项研究中，我们在2019-2020年森林大火影响的森林中，测试了候选巢箱设计在部署大型滑翔机(peauroides volans)之前的热性能。试验是在受控的实验室条件下进行的，以研究不同设计对辐射热和环境温度变化的热响应。我们研究了涂料类型(即无涂料、白色外漆和反光白漆)、绝缘厚度(0 mm、20 mm和40 mm Foilboard)和绝缘量(即绝缘边数)如何影响这些巢箱的内部温度分布。我们发现，使用反光白漆的巢箱在最靠近辐射热源的内壁温度最低，但巢箱内部温度在不同的油漆处理之间没有差异。同样地，巢箱中最靠近辐射热源的内墙在较厚的隔热层中温度较低，但两种厚度之间的内部空气温度没有差异。与没有隔热的巢箱相比，20毫米和40毫米的箔板隔热都会导致空气温度和内部木板温度显著降低。完全绝缘的巢箱和四面中有三面绝缘的巢箱表现出较小的温度变异性，并且保持较低的温度。在对流热室中，一面以上隔热的巢箱内温度的升高和降低需要更长的时间，但重要的是，从未达到隔热程度较低的巢箱的极端温度(bbb40°C)。完全绝缘的巢箱也比任何其他类型的巢箱在寒冷的房间里保持更长时间的热量。了解不同的建筑材料如何影响巢箱温度分布，并确定最小化动物温度调节成本的设计对于巢箱计划的安全实施至关重要。
{"title":"Helping wildlife beat the heat: Testing strategies to improve the thermal performance of nest boxes","authors":"I. Howard, Jenna C. H. Ridley, W. Blanchard, K. Ashman, D. Lindenmayer, M. Head, Kara N. Youngentob","doi":"10.7882/az.2022.026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7882/az.2022.026","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Nest boxes are often deployed in an attempt to offset the loss of natural tree hollows following landscape disturbance (e.g., land clearing, logging and wildfire). However, nest boxes can experience more variable and extreme microclimates than natural hollows, which could harm animals that use them. In this study, we tested the thermal performance of candidate nest box designs prior to their deployment for greater gliders (Petauroides volans) in forests impacted by the 2019–2020 bushfires. The tests were conducted under controlled laboratory conditions to investigate the thermal response of different designs to radiant heat and changes in ambient temperature. We examined how paint type (i.e., no paint, white exterior paint, and reflective white paint), insulation thickness (0 mm, 20 mm, and 40 mm Foilboard), and insulation amount (i.e., number of sides insulated) influenced the internal temperature profiles of these nest boxes. We found that nest boxes with the reflective white paint had the lowest temperatures on the inside wall closest to the radiant heat source, but internal nest box air temperature did not differ among paint treatments. Similarly, the internal wall closest to the radiant heat source was cooler in nest boxes with thicker compared to thinner insulation, but there was no difference in internal air temperature between the two thicknesses. Both 20 mm and 40 mm Foilboard insulation resulted in significantly cooler air temperatures and internal wood panel temperatures compared to nest boxes without insulation. Fully insulated nest boxes and those with three of the four sides insulated exhibited less temperature variability and remained cooler than the less-insulated nest boxes. Temperatures inside nest boxes with more than one side insulated took longer to increase and decrease in a convective heat chamber, but importantly, never reached the heat extremes (> 40°C) of less insulated nest boxes. Fully insulated nest boxes also maintained heat longer than any other nest box type in a cold room. Understanding how different construction materials influence nest box temperature profiles and identifying designs that minimise thermoregulatory costs for animals is important for the safe implementation of nest box programs.","PeriodicalId":35849,"journal":{"name":"Australian Zoologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47183262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Mahony, J. Gould, C. Beranek, A. Callen, J. Clulow, S. Clulow, K. Klop‐Toker, S. Mahony, S. Wallace, S. Stock, J. Garnham, F. Lemckert, K. Thumm, B. Moses, E. Pickett
An increase in the frequency and intensity of catastrophic wildfires is associated with anthropogenic climate change. Wildfires are extreme environmental events that result in dramatic fluctuations in temperature and moisture, which are likely to disproportionately impact animals such as amphibians (Anura) whose distributions and ecology are strongly tied to climate. In response to the 2019/20 Australian summer wildfires, we used expert elicitation to analyse the traits of frogs that potentially influence fire sensitivity or resilience. Traits that were ranked high in terms of influencing fire sensitivity were range size, dominant adult habitat, reproductive mode, and relative abundance. While species restricted to cool, moist habitats are less exposed to the threat of wildfire, they had the highest sensitivity scores. This is due to their typically low fecundity, reliance on micro-refugia away from water for reproduction and shelter, and small, isolated distributions. The group considered least sensitive were those which occupy riparian zones as macro-refugia, which includes species with wide geographic distributions, general reproductive strategies, high fecundity, and moderate physiological capacity. Our findings suggest that it is the behavioural capacity of frogs to locate micro-refugia, a morphology that enables them to move into these safe spaces, and physiological adaptations to subsequently maintain water balance during and after wildfire that influence the probability of surviving wildfire. While many traits have evolved among amphibians to avoid climatic extremes and likely confer resistance to wildfire as “exaptations”, it remains unknown to what extent they protect populations from predicted hotter and drier climates. Our predictions should be tested by obtaining direct measures of the thermal and moisture buffering capacities of micro-refuges, along with the continued monitoring of species recovery post-fire, so that they can feedback into future trait-based analyses. We suggest that strategic management actions for mitigating the effect of climate-driven wildfires on amphibians should involve protection and enhancement of micro-refugia components of the landscape, which are used as shelter during times of heat and moisture stress, and provision of buffer zones around macro-refugia habitat, such as around streams.
{"title":"A trait-based analysis for predicting impact of wildfires on frogs","authors":"M. Mahony, J. Gould, C. Beranek, A. Callen, J. Clulow, S. Clulow, K. Klop‐Toker, S. Mahony, S. Wallace, S. Stock, J. Garnham, F. Lemckert, K. Thumm, B. Moses, E. Pickett","doi":"10.7882/az.2022.021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7882/az.2022.021","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 An increase in the frequency and intensity of catastrophic wildfires is associated with anthropogenic climate change. Wildfires are extreme environmental events that result in dramatic fluctuations in temperature and moisture, which are likely to disproportionately impact animals such as amphibians (Anura) whose distributions and ecology are strongly tied to climate. In response to the 2019/20 Australian summer wildfires, we used expert elicitation to analyse the traits of frogs that potentially influence fire sensitivity or resilience. Traits that were ranked high in terms of influencing fire sensitivity were range size, dominant adult habitat, reproductive mode, and relative abundance. While species restricted to cool, moist habitats are less exposed to the threat of wildfire, they had the highest sensitivity scores. This is due to their typically low fecundity, reliance on micro-refugia away from water for reproduction and shelter, and small, isolated distributions. The group considered least sensitive were those which occupy riparian zones as macro-refugia, which includes species with wide geographic distributions, general reproductive strategies, high fecundity, and moderate physiological capacity. Our findings suggest that it is the behavioural capacity of frogs to locate micro-refugia, a morphology that enables them to move into these safe spaces, and physiological adaptations to subsequently maintain water balance during and after wildfire that influence the probability of surviving wildfire. While many traits have evolved among amphibians to avoid climatic extremes and likely confer resistance to wildfire as “exaptations”, it remains unknown to what extent they protect populations from predicted hotter and drier climates. Our predictions should be tested by obtaining direct measures of the thermal and moisture buffering capacities of micro-refuges, along with the continued monitoring of species recovery post-fire, so that they can feedback into future trait-based analyses. We suggest that strategic management actions for mitigating the effect of climate-driven wildfires on amphibians should involve protection and enhancement of micro-refugia components of the landscape, which are used as shelter during times of heat and moisture stress, and provision of buffer zones around macro-refugia habitat, such as around streams.","PeriodicalId":35849,"journal":{"name":"Australian Zoologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45979698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Mo, Kylie Coutts-McClelland, Vanessa K. Wilson, R. Haering, L. Oliver, Linda Bell, D. Lunney
Managing the Grey-headed Flying-fox Pteropus poliocephalus as a species vulnerable to extinction in New South Wales (NSW) is complicated by contentious issues arising from flying-foxes feeding on commercial fruit and roosting in populated areas. Two decades on from their threatened species listing in 2001, there have been major developments in managing these issues. The NSW Flying-fox Consultative Committee was formed in 2001 with representation of a range of stakeholder groups. A transition towards non-lethal means of protecting horticultural crops from flying-fox damage was supported by government programs that encouraged the uptake of exclusion netting in orchards. Cull limits and restrictions on licences to shoot flying-foxes on horticultural land were steps to the phasing out of legal shooting of flying-foxes. The need to address community concerns about flying-fox camps in populated areas led to the development of the Flying-fox Camp Management Policy and funds to support land managers to implement policy actions. Dispersing camps has been largely ineffective in the long-term, placing the emphasis on managing camps in-situ. This has involved physical buffers between flying-foxes and human settlements and subsidising equipment and services for residents to self-mitigate impacts from flying-foxes. However, community sentiments continue to be influenced by the difficulties experienced by affected communities, perceived disease risks from flying-foxes, frustrations with there being no immediately effective solutions and the portrayal of flying-foxes and associated issues in the media. To address these issues, there has been considerable effort to engage communities to promote the ecological importance of flying-foxes, reduce misconceptions about disease transmission risks, and promote precautionary measures for reducing these risks; as well as research on mitigation measures for flying-fox impacts. To conserve the Grey-headed Flying-fox while addressing ongoing contentious issues impacting horticulturalists and communities, there needs to be investment into long-term solutions, such as public education, social research and conserving and restoring habitat in less populated areas. There is a need for cross-jurisdictional collaboration on managing the Grey-headed Flying-fox since this threatened species is mobile and not constrained to jurisdictional borders.
{"title":"Managing the Grey-headed Flying-fox as a threatened species in New South Wales two decades on: contentious issues for horticulturalists and communities","authors":"M. Mo, Kylie Coutts-McClelland, Vanessa K. Wilson, R. Haering, L. Oliver, Linda Bell, D. Lunney","doi":"10.7882/az.2022.014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7882/az.2022.014","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Managing the Grey-headed Flying-fox Pteropus poliocephalus as a species vulnerable to extinction in New South Wales (NSW) is complicated by contentious issues arising from flying-foxes feeding on commercial fruit and roosting in populated areas. Two decades on from their threatened species listing in 2001, there have been major developments in managing these issues. The NSW Flying-fox Consultative Committee was formed in 2001 with representation of a range of stakeholder groups. A transition towards non-lethal means of protecting horticultural crops from flying-fox damage was supported by government programs that encouraged the uptake of exclusion netting in orchards. Cull limits and restrictions on licences to shoot flying-foxes on horticultural land were steps to the phasing out of legal shooting of flying-foxes. The need to address community concerns about flying-fox camps in populated areas led to the development of the Flying-fox Camp Management Policy and funds to support land managers to implement policy actions. Dispersing camps has been largely ineffective in the long-term, placing the emphasis on managing camps in-situ. This has involved physical buffers between flying-foxes and human settlements and subsidising equipment and services for residents to self-mitigate impacts from flying-foxes. However, community sentiments continue to be influenced by the difficulties experienced by affected communities, perceived disease risks from flying-foxes, frustrations with there being no immediately effective solutions and the portrayal of flying-foxes and associated issues in the media. To address these issues, there has been considerable effort to engage communities to promote the ecological importance of flying-foxes, reduce misconceptions about disease transmission risks, and promote precautionary measures for reducing these risks; as well as research on mitigation measures for flying-fox impacts. To conserve the Grey-headed Flying-fox while addressing ongoing contentious issues impacting horticulturalists and communities, there needs to be investment into long-term solutions, such as public education, social research and conserving and restoring habitat in less populated areas. There is a need for cross-jurisdictional collaboration on managing the Grey-headed Flying-fox since this threatened species is mobile and not constrained to jurisdictional borders.","PeriodicalId":35849,"journal":{"name":"Australian Zoologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47053605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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