Pub Date : 2023-11-16DOI: 10.20417/nzjecol.47.3550
Alistair Glen, Sarah Edwards, Susanna Finlay-Smits, Chris Jones, Chris Niebuhr, Grant Norbury, Araceli Samaniego
: Cats ( Felis catus ) are among the most damaging invasive predators in the world, and their impacts in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) are particularly severe. However, unlike the invasive predators that are targeted for eradication under the Predator Free NZ initiative, cats are also highly valued by people and therefore will likely remain widespread in NZ for the foreseeable future. This raises the question of how to manage the impacts of cats, which include predation, competition, and disease affecting native species, livestock, and humans. Appropriate management actions will depend on land use (e.g. urban areas vs wilderness), the values to be protected (e.g. wildlife, human health), as well as safety, humaneness, social acceptability, and cost-effectiveness. We review current knowledge on the impacts and management of cats in NZ and overseas, identify knowledge gaps preventing effective management, and suggest approaches for research to address these gaps. Our suggested research priorities include: (1) improved methods for monitoring cats and their impacts on natural, social and economic values, (2) development of humane, effective, and socially acceptable methods to manage the impacts of cats, (3) engagement with cat owners to improve outcomes for cats, people, and the environment, and (4) investigating potential indirect ecological effects of cat control, such as ecological release of prey or competitors.
{"title":"Management of cats in Aotearoa New Zealand: a review of current knowledge and research needs","authors":"Alistair Glen, Sarah Edwards, Susanna Finlay-Smits, Chris Jones, Chris Niebuhr, Grant Norbury, Araceli Samaniego","doi":"10.20417/nzjecol.47.3550","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20417/nzjecol.47.3550","url":null,"abstract":": Cats ( Felis catus ) are among the most damaging invasive predators in the world, and their impacts in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) are particularly severe. However, unlike the invasive predators that are targeted for eradication under the Predator Free NZ initiative, cats are also highly valued by people and therefore will likely remain widespread in NZ for the foreseeable future. This raises the question of how to manage the impacts of cats, which include predation, competition, and disease affecting native species, livestock, and humans. Appropriate management actions will depend on land use (e.g. urban areas vs wilderness), the values to be protected (e.g. wildlife, human health), as well as safety, humaneness, social acceptability, and cost-effectiveness. We review current knowledge on the impacts and management of cats in NZ and overseas, identify knowledge gaps preventing effective management, and suggest approaches for research to address these gaps. Our suggested research priorities include: (1) improved methods for monitoring cats and their impacts on natural, social and economic values, (2) development of humane, effective, and socially acceptable methods to manage the impacts of cats, (3) engagement with cat owners to improve outcomes for cats, people, and the environment, and (4) investigating potential indirect ecological effects of cat control, such as ecological release of prey or competitors.","PeriodicalId":49755,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136228238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-16DOI: 10.20417/nzjecol.47.3552
Giorgia Vattiato, Rachelle Binny, Sam Davidson, Andrea Byrom, Dean Anderson, Michael Plank, Joanna Carpenter, Alex James
: Management of invasive mammal pests plays an integral role in the conservation of New Zealand’s native flora and fauna. Models fitted to pest capture data can guide conservation managers by providing estimates of pest densities within a management area, or probabilities of absence for declaring local eradication. A key parameter of these models is the detectability, i
{"title":"Detectability of ten invasive mammal pests in New Zealand: a synthesis of spatial detection parameters","authors":"Giorgia Vattiato, Rachelle Binny, Sam Davidson, Andrea Byrom, Dean Anderson, Michael Plank, Joanna Carpenter, Alex James","doi":"10.20417/nzjecol.47.3552","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20417/nzjecol.47.3552","url":null,"abstract":": Management of invasive mammal pests plays an integral role in the conservation of New Zealand’s native flora and fauna. Models fitted to pest capture data can guide conservation managers by providing estimates of pest densities within a management area, or probabilities of absence for declaring local eradication. A key parameter of these models is the detectability, i","PeriodicalId":49755,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136228239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-16DOI: 10.20417/nzjecol.47.3551
Aaron Bertoia, Tara Murray, Bruce Robertson, Joanna Monks
: Understanding when a species is active in its’ environment is essential when designing inventory and monitoring protocols, especially for ectotherms whose activity depends on local weather conditions. The New Zealand alpine zone hosts a diverse native assemblage of invertebrates that are poorly understood yet likely to face an increasing number of threats, particularly associated with climate change and the range expansion of introduced pests. Large-bodied flightless invertebrates are particularily vulnerable to introduced predators, like mice and stoats, which have decimated native species at lower elevations. Using trail cameras, we aimed to understand what conditions and times of the summer field season (spring–autumn) are optimal for monitoring large-bodied alpine invertebrates in the Homer and Gertrude valleys, Fiordland, New Zealand, from late austral spring to late autumn (2020/2021). Beetles (Coleoptera), wētā (Orthoptera), and spiders (Araneae) were the three most common taxonomic groups detected at our sites. The activity of all three groups was significantly influenced by mean hourly temperature. Ninety-five per cent of beetle observations occurred when temperatures ranged from 5.9–12.6°C, while 95% of wētā observations occurred when temperatures were between 6.0–12.6°C. Spiders were active across a broader range of temperatures, with 95% of observations occurring when ground temperatures were between 5.4–13.0°C. The activity of all three groups was also influenced by the time of year. Beetles were observed more often in late spring, wētā in early summer, and spiders in mid-summer. The activity of spiders and beetles, but not wētā, was negatively correlated with precipitation. These results suggest optimal monitoring periods for wētā, beetles, and spiders differ. Still, if the objective is to monitor a range of invertebrates simultaneously, we recommend that surveys occur in spring and mid-summer during nights when temperatures are higher than 5.4°C with little to no rain.
{"title":"Time-lapse cameras improve our understanding of invertebrate activity in the alpine zone","authors":"Aaron Bertoia, Tara Murray, Bruce Robertson, Joanna Monks","doi":"10.20417/nzjecol.47.3551","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20417/nzjecol.47.3551","url":null,"abstract":": Understanding when a species is active in its’ environment is essential when designing inventory and monitoring protocols, especially for ectotherms whose activity depends on local weather conditions. The New Zealand alpine zone hosts a diverse native assemblage of invertebrates that are poorly understood yet likely to face an increasing number of threats, particularly associated with climate change and the range expansion of introduced pests. Large-bodied flightless invertebrates are particularily vulnerable to introduced predators, like mice and stoats, which have decimated native species at lower elevations. Using trail cameras, we aimed to understand what conditions and times of the summer field season (spring–autumn) are optimal for monitoring large-bodied alpine invertebrates in the Homer and Gertrude valleys, Fiordland, New Zealand, from late austral spring to late autumn (2020/2021). Beetles (Coleoptera), wētā (Orthoptera), and spiders (Araneae) were the three most common taxonomic groups detected at our sites. The activity of all three groups was significantly influenced by mean hourly temperature. Ninety-five per cent of beetle observations occurred when temperatures ranged from 5.9–12.6°C, while 95% of wētā observations occurred when temperatures were between 6.0–12.6°C. Spiders were active across a broader range of temperatures, with 95% of observations occurring when ground temperatures were between 5.4–13.0°C. The activity of all three groups was also influenced by the time of year. Beetles were observed more often in late spring, wētā in early summer, and spiders in mid-summer. The activity of spiders and beetles, but not wētā, was negatively correlated with precipitation. These results suggest optimal monitoring periods for wētā, beetles, and spiders differ. Still, if the objective is to monitor a range of invertebrates simultaneously, we recommend that surveys occur in spring and mid-summer during nights when temperatures are higher than 5.4°C with little to no rain.","PeriodicalId":49755,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136228237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-10DOI: 10.20417/nzjecol.47.3547
Susan Walker, Michael Harding, Graeme Loh
: Small patches of habitat for indigenous species that remain in developed landscapes are predicted to lose species over time as extinction debts are paid off and to become transformed by spillover from intensive land uses. In December 2020 we searched for plants of three inland South Island-endemic species of Lepidium (Brassicaceae; L. kirkii , L. sisymbrioides , and L. solandri ) at previously known locations in Central Otago, the Waitaki Valley, the Mackenzie Basin, and Kura Tāwhiti (Castle Hill, North Canterbury). We recorded whether Lepidium populations remained and identified the vascular plant flora of each location. Lepidium kirkii was found at six of 14 locations where formerly known and at one new location, but numbered over 50 individuals at only one of these locations. Lepidium sisymbrioides was found at five of six locations visited, but we found fewer than four individuals at three of these locations. L. solandri was found at five of 12 formerly known locations in Central Otago (but numbered over 50 individuals at only one), at five of five formerly known locations on public land in the Mackenzie Basin, and at the one known location at Kura Tāwhiti. Exotic vascular plant species outnumbered native species at all but one Lepidium location in Central Otago and at Kura Tāwhiti, but not in the Mackenzie Basin, where there had been the least habitat loss and land-use intensification. Our results are consistent with theoretical predictions of more local plant extinctions at Lepidium locations, and greater transformation of their habitats, in landscapes dominated by intensive land uses and non-indigenous vegetation. We conclude that intensive ex situ and in situ management is now needed to avoid global extinctions of L. kirkii and L. sisymbrioides , and local extinctions of L. solandri at remaining Central Otago locations and at Kura Tāwhiti. We do not know whether landscape-scale processes still provide for the persistence of L. solandri and other dryland species in the Mackenzie Basin or whether intensive land use has already crossed ecological thresholds.
{"title":"The pattern of declines and local extinctions of endemic inland Lepidium species in the eastern South Island","authors":"Susan Walker, Michael Harding, Graeme Loh","doi":"10.20417/nzjecol.47.3547","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20417/nzjecol.47.3547","url":null,"abstract":": Small patches of habitat for indigenous species that remain in developed landscapes are predicted to lose species over time as extinction debts are paid off and to become transformed by spillover from intensive land uses. In December 2020 we searched for plants of three inland South Island-endemic species of Lepidium (Brassicaceae; L. kirkii , L. sisymbrioides , and L. solandri ) at previously known locations in Central Otago, the Waitaki Valley, the Mackenzie Basin, and Kura Tāwhiti (Castle Hill, North Canterbury). We recorded whether Lepidium populations remained and identified the vascular plant flora of each location. Lepidium kirkii was found at six of 14 locations where formerly known and at one new location, but numbered over 50 individuals at only one of these locations. Lepidium sisymbrioides was found at five of six locations visited, but we found fewer than four individuals at three of these locations. L. solandri was found at five of 12 formerly known locations in Central Otago (but numbered over 50 individuals at only one), at five of five formerly known locations on public land in the Mackenzie Basin, and at the one known location at Kura Tāwhiti. Exotic vascular plant species outnumbered native species at all but one Lepidium location in Central Otago and at Kura Tāwhiti, but not in the Mackenzie Basin, where there had been the least habitat loss and land-use intensification. Our results are consistent with theoretical predictions of more local plant extinctions at Lepidium locations, and greater transformation of their habitats, in landscapes dominated by intensive land uses and non-indigenous vegetation. We conclude that intensive ex situ and in situ management is now needed to avoid global extinctions of L. kirkii and L. sisymbrioides , and local extinctions of L. solandri at remaining Central Otago locations and at Kura Tāwhiti. We do not know whether landscape-scale processes still provide for the persistence of L. solandri and other dryland species in the Mackenzie Basin or whether intensive land use has already crossed ecological thresholds.","PeriodicalId":49755,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135092442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
: Biodiversity offsetting and compensation proposals are routinely employed through the resource consenting process to address development-induced indigenous biodiversity losses in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Determining the quantum of demonstrable biodiversity gain required to adequately account for development induced losses is a fundamental component of designing a biodiversity offset. However, trading biodiversity is complex and must account for substantial uncertainties. Therefore, biodiversity offset models that account for losses and gains are a necessary tool for determining the adequacy of an offset proposal. Yet there is currently no accepted standard approach to loss-gain calculations. Models of insufficient ecological and mathematical robustness can perpetuate systematic biodiversity losses and distract decision-makers from discussions regarding real-world ecological consequences of development. We discuss these issues and present a case study to demonstrate how poorly designed biodiversity models that are currently in use in Aotearoa/New Zealand facilitate biodiversity loss. Model development and implementation has been hampered by a tension between competing requirements: (1) simple models that are user-friendly and not resource intensive to parameterise, and (2) models that are sufficiently complex to represent ecological values at an appropriate resolution. It is imperative that newly developed models adhere to standards employed in other ecological modelling domains to curb current and future biodiversity loss. Ecological practitioners and decision-makers are often unable to assess the quality of models and a lack of guidance and oversight of biodiversity offset modelling by the wider ecological and academic community is evident. We conclude that biodiversity offset modelling is a critical research area and that advancements within this space are urgently needed to halt ongoing biodiversity declines.
{"title":"Poorly designed biodiversity loss-gain models facilitate biodiversity loss in New Zealand","authors":"Ilse Corkery, Laurence Barea, Justyna Giejsztowt, Fleur Maseyk, Cassie Mealey","doi":"10.20417/nzjecol.47.3548","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20417/nzjecol.47.3548","url":null,"abstract":": Biodiversity offsetting and compensation proposals are routinely employed through the resource consenting process to address development-induced indigenous biodiversity losses in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Determining the quantum of demonstrable biodiversity gain required to adequately account for development induced losses is a fundamental component of designing a biodiversity offset. However, trading biodiversity is complex and must account for substantial uncertainties. Therefore, biodiversity offset models that account for losses and gains are a necessary tool for determining the adequacy of an offset proposal. Yet there is currently no accepted standard approach to loss-gain calculations. Models of insufficient ecological and mathematical robustness can perpetuate systematic biodiversity losses and distract decision-makers from discussions regarding real-world ecological consequences of development. We discuss these issues and present a case study to demonstrate how poorly designed biodiversity models that are currently in use in Aotearoa/New Zealand facilitate biodiversity loss. Model development and implementation has been hampered by a tension between competing requirements: (1) simple models that are user-friendly and not resource intensive to parameterise, and (2) models that are sufficiently complex to represent ecological values at an appropriate resolution. It is imperative that newly developed models adhere to standards employed in other ecological modelling domains to curb current and future biodiversity loss. Ecological practitioners and decision-makers are often unable to assess the quality of models and a lack of guidance and oversight of biodiversity offset modelling by the wider ecological and academic community is evident. We conclude that biodiversity offset modelling is a critical research area and that advancements within this space are urgently needed to halt ongoing biodiversity declines.","PeriodicalId":49755,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135092443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-10DOI: 10.20417/nzjecol.47.3549
Nicola Day, Barbara Barratt, Brendon Christensen, Timothy Curran, Katharine Dickinson, Sandra Lavorel, David Norton, Hannah Buckley
: Natural grasslands are among the most threatened biomes on Earth. They are under pressure from land cover change including afforestation, farming intensification, invasive species, altered fire regimes, and soil amendments, all of which impact native biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In Aotearoa New Zealand, tussock-dominated native grasslands expanded due to increased fire activity during waves of human settlement. These areas have subsequently been maintained as modified grasslands by agricultural pastoral land management practices and effects of introduced feral mammals. Despite many decades of research on biodiversity in tussock grasslands, we need greater fundamental understanding of many processes causing change in their biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in order to predict how future global change will impact this important and increasingly threatened biome. In this perspective forum article, we present five key research questions that, if answered, would greatly enhance our understanding of connections between tussock grassland biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and associated ecosystem services: (1) What are the relative impacts of domesticated and non-domesticated mammals on indigenous biodiversity in grasslands? (2) Where will invasive plants undergo range expansion? (3) Will future fires tip tussock grasslands into alternative vegetation states? (4) What are the implications of woody thickening by native or non-native species? (5) What are the impacts of global change, and vegetation change in particular, on soil processes and ecosystem functioning? We provide recommendations for research to address and integrate across these questions using both existing and new data. This work would build on our current knowledge and lead to a framework to better understand the ecological impacts of ongoing global change in tussock grasslands.
{"title":"Predicting ecological change in tussock grasslands of Aotearoa New Zealand","authors":"Nicola Day, Barbara Barratt, Brendon Christensen, Timothy Curran, Katharine Dickinson, Sandra Lavorel, David Norton, Hannah Buckley","doi":"10.20417/nzjecol.47.3549","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20417/nzjecol.47.3549","url":null,"abstract":": Natural grasslands are among the most threatened biomes on Earth. They are under pressure from land cover change including afforestation, farming intensification, invasive species, altered fire regimes, and soil amendments, all of which impact native biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In Aotearoa New Zealand, tussock-dominated native grasslands expanded due to increased fire activity during waves of human settlement. These areas have subsequently been maintained as modified grasslands by agricultural pastoral land management practices and effects of introduced feral mammals. Despite many decades of research on biodiversity in tussock grasslands, we need greater fundamental understanding of many processes causing change in their biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in order to predict how future global change will impact this important and increasingly threatened biome. In this perspective forum article, we present five key research questions that, if answered, would greatly enhance our understanding of connections between tussock grassland biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and associated ecosystem services: (1) What are the relative impacts of domesticated and non-domesticated mammals on indigenous biodiversity in grasslands? (2) Where will invasive plants undergo range expansion? (3) Will future fires tip tussock grasslands into alternative vegetation states? (4) What are the implications of woody thickening by native or non-native species? (5) What are the impacts of global change, and vegetation change in particular, on soil processes and ecosystem functioning? We provide recommendations for research to address and integrate across these questions using both existing and new data. This work would build on our current knowledge and lead to a framework to better understand the ecological impacts of ongoing global change in tussock grasslands.","PeriodicalId":49755,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135092449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-27DOI: 10.20417/nzjecol.47.3546
Kerry Borkin, Justyna Giejsztowt, Joanna McQueen-Watton, Des Smith
: Accurate surveys and monitoring are required to guide the conservation and management of threatened species. Some fauna species are cryptic or difficult to observe because they are nocturnal, mimic other species, conceal themselves, or can be incredibly hard to survey. Emergence and activity of these species may be related to complex environmental cues including weather and atmospheric conditions. The conservation status of New Zealand’s long-tailed bat ( Chalinolobus tuberculatus ) is Threatened-Nationally Critical. Occurrence and activity of long-tailed bats is commonly monitored with acoustic bat detectors. However, even in locations where long-tailed bats are known to be present, they may only be detected on a subset of nights meaning that detection with acoustic detectors is imperfect. We analysed long-tailed bat detection data collected in Kinleith Forest, central North Island, New Zealand in 2006 and 2007 using zero-inflated generalised linear (mixed) effect models. We found relationships between bat detection and several environmental variables. Results suggest that bat surveys would be most effective at detecting bats when undertaken one to four hours after sunset, on nights when the temperature at sunset is above 8°C, and preferably when the temperature stays in the 8 and 17°C range during the night. Higher humidity and a light breeze may also be a desirable condition for monitoring. A night that is similar to, or slightly warmer, than recent nights may be favourable. Caution should be taken extrapolating these results to elsewhere because bats in other regions may respond differently to temperatures out of necessity. High site-specific variation in bat counts at higher temperatures and humidity occurred with zero activity often recorded. Therefore, we caution against assuming bats are absent because they have not been detected by surveys undertaken during higher temperatures and humidity conditions unless surveys have been run for multiple nights in suitable conditions.
{"title":"Influence of weather on long-tailed bat detection in a North Island exotic forest","authors":"Kerry Borkin, Justyna Giejsztowt, Joanna McQueen-Watton, Des Smith","doi":"10.20417/nzjecol.47.3546","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20417/nzjecol.47.3546","url":null,"abstract":": Accurate surveys and monitoring are required to guide the conservation and management of threatened species. Some fauna species are cryptic or difficult to observe because they are nocturnal, mimic other species, conceal themselves, or can be incredibly hard to survey. Emergence and activity of these species may be related to complex environmental cues including weather and atmospheric conditions. The conservation status of New Zealand’s long-tailed bat ( Chalinolobus tuberculatus ) is Threatened-Nationally Critical. Occurrence and activity of long-tailed bats is commonly monitored with acoustic bat detectors. However, even in locations where long-tailed bats are known to be present, they may only be detected on a subset of nights meaning that detection with acoustic detectors is imperfect. We analysed long-tailed bat detection data collected in Kinleith Forest, central North Island, New Zealand in 2006 and 2007 using zero-inflated generalised linear (mixed) effect models. We found relationships between bat detection and several environmental variables. Results suggest that bat surveys would be most effective at detecting bats when undertaken one to four hours after sunset, on nights when the temperature at sunset is above 8°C, and preferably when the temperature stays in the 8 and 17°C range during the night. Higher humidity and a light breeze may also be a desirable condition for monitoring. A night that is similar to, or slightly warmer, than recent nights may be favourable. Caution should be taken extrapolating these results to elsewhere because bats in other regions may respond differently to temperatures out of necessity. High site-specific variation in bat counts at higher temperatures and humidity occurred with zero activity often recorded. Therefore, we caution against assuming bats are absent because they have not been detected by surveys undertaken during higher temperatures and humidity conditions unless surveys have been run for multiple nights in suitable conditions.","PeriodicalId":49755,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136234838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-24DOI: 10.20417/nzjecol.47.3544
Samantha Turner, Grant Norbury
: Predator-free sanctuaries can assist the conservation of multiple endemic species, but quantitative evidence of these benefits is often lacking, especially for herpetofauna. We measured population responses of three common lizard species (schist geckos, Woodworthia ‘ Central Otago’; McCann’s skinks, Oligosoma maccanni ; and southern grass skinks, O. aff. polychroma Clade 5) 1 year before and 5 years after mammalian predators were removed inside a mammal-proof fence in a dry grass/shrubland habitat with abundant schist rock in Central Otago, New Zealand. Gecko counts in 25 artificial retreats (ARs) along replicated, 250-m long transects inside the fence increased from 5.2 to 17.7 per transect, compared with 3.3 to 5.4 per transect outside the fence where predators were present. This indicates a doubling of counts inside the fence when changes outside the fence are accounted for. The number of skinks seen along these transects increased from 1.3 to 2.3 per transect without predators, compared with 0.6 to 0.4 with predators. Lizard tracking tunnel indices (recorded only after predators were removed) were significantly higher without predators (62% geckos, 42% skinks) than where predators were present (12% geckos, 2% skinks). Tail loss in geckos was significantly higher where predators were present (24%) than where they were absent (1%). These data suggest that common lizard species are being suppressed to a significant degree by mammalian predators and demonstrate the potential for their recovery where predators are removed.
{"title":"Population responses of common lizards inside a predator-free dryland sanctuary","authors":"Samantha Turner, Grant Norbury","doi":"10.20417/nzjecol.47.3544","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20417/nzjecol.47.3544","url":null,"abstract":": Predator-free sanctuaries can assist the conservation of multiple endemic species, but quantitative evidence of these benefits is often lacking, especially for herpetofauna. We measured population responses of three common lizard species (schist geckos, Woodworthia ‘ Central Otago’; McCann’s skinks, Oligosoma maccanni ; and southern grass skinks, O. aff. polychroma Clade 5) 1 year before and 5 years after mammalian predators were removed inside a mammal-proof fence in a dry grass/shrubland habitat with abundant schist rock in Central Otago, New Zealand. Gecko counts in 25 artificial retreats (ARs) along replicated, 250-m long transects inside the fence increased from 5.2 to 17.7 per transect, compared with 3.3 to 5.4 per transect outside the fence where predators were present. This indicates a doubling of counts inside the fence when changes outside the fence are accounted for. The number of skinks seen along these transects increased from 1.3 to 2.3 per transect without predators, compared with 0.6 to 0.4 with predators. Lizard tracking tunnel indices (recorded only after predators were removed) were significantly higher without predators (62% geckos, 42% skinks) than where predators were present (12% geckos, 2% skinks). Tail loss in geckos was significantly higher where predators were present (24%) than where they were absent (1%). These data suggest that common lizard species are being suppressed to a significant degree by mammalian predators and demonstrate the potential for their recovery where predators are removed.","PeriodicalId":49755,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135219741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-24DOI: 10.20417/nzjecol.47.3545
Marley Ford, Mahajabeen Padamsee, Luitgard Schwendenmann, Andrew Dopheide, Peter de Lange
: The widespread endemic tree Lophomyrtus bullata (ramarama; Myrtaceae) is in serious decline. Lophomyrtus bullata is now considered threatened due to the ongoing spread of Austropuccinia psidii , a rust fungus causing myrtle rust disease. Mycorrhizal communities play an important role in the survival of plant species and have a potential role in disease resistance. Thus, we examined the fungal communities of L. bullata , with special emphasis on the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, together with vegetation and site characteristics in three forest associations in Northern New Zealand. Molecular analyses demonstrated a diverse fungal community, including representatives of nine families of arbuscular mycorrhizae. The family Archaeosporaceae was particularly abundant and diverse. Other fungal phyla (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Zygomycota) were also found to associate with L. bullata . Mycorrhizal species composition across vegetation associations was similar but abundances differed. This is the first study to demonstrate the multiple fungal species associated with L. bullata , which may help in the remediation of this vulnerable plant.
{"title":"The mycorrhizal communities of Lophomyrtus bullata Burret (Myrtaceae) within three natural forest associations of New Zealand","authors":"Marley Ford, Mahajabeen Padamsee, Luitgard Schwendenmann, Andrew Dopheide, Peter de Lange","doi":"10.20417/nzjecol.47.3545","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20417/nzjecol.47.3545","url":null,"abstract":": The widespread endemic tree Lophomyrtus bullata (ramarama; Myrtaceae) is in serious decline. Lophomyrtus bullata is now considered threatened due to the ongoing spread of Austropuccinia psidii , a rust fungus causing myrtle rust disease. Mycorrhizal communities play an important role in the survival of plant species and have a potential role in disease resistance. Thus, we examined the fungal communities of L. bullata , with special emphasis on the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, together with vegetation and site characteristics in three forest associations in Northern New Zealand. Molecular analyses demonstrated a diverse fungal community, including representatives of nine families of arbuscular mycorrhizae. The family Archaeosporaceae was particularly abundant and diverse. Other fungal phyla (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Zygomycota) were also found to associate with L. bullata . Mycorrhizal species composition across vegetation associations was similar but abundances differed. This is the first study to demonstrate the multiple fungal species associated with L. bullata , which may help in the remediation of this vulnerable plant.","PeriodicalId":49755,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135219742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-06DOI: 10.20417/nzjecol.47.3543
Sarah Herbert, Carey Knox, Debbie Clarke, Trent Bell
: The main drivers of lizard population declines in Aotearoa New Zealand are habitat loss and introduced predators. Therefore, habitat enhancement could be useful for mitigating declines, but there is little information on how Aotearoa-endemic lizards respond to these interventions. We examined whether novel habitats created by ten c. 375 m 3 constructed rock piles would be used by McCann’s skinks ( Oligosoma maccani ), southern grass skinks ( O. aff. polychroma Clade 5), and kōrero geckos ( Woodworthia “Otago/Southland large”). The rock piles and their immediate edges were surveyed 22 times between four months and 2.4 years post-construction, resulting in 228 sightings of McCann’s skinks on all ten piles, 20 sightings of southern grass skinks on six piles, and two sightings of kōrero geckos on two piles. Estimated abundance of McCann’s skinks increased over time, and neonates were observed. These observations indicate that rock pile construction could create habitats for McCann’s skinks, but further inference is limited. We recommend that future mitigation programs quantify how habitat construction affects lizard populations and suggest methods for achieving this.
{"title":"Use of constructed rock piles by lizards in a grassland habitat in Otago, New Zealand","authors":"Sarah Herbert, Carey Knox, Debbie Clarke, Trent Bell","doi":"10.20417/nzjecol.47.3543","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20417/nzjecol.47.3543","url":null,"abstract":": The main drivers of lizard population declines in Aotearoa New Zealand are habitat loss and introduced predators. Therefore, habitat enhancement could be useful for mitigating declines, but there is little information on how Aotearoa-endemic lizards respond to these interventions. We examined whether novel habitats created by ten c. 375 m 3 constructed rock piles would be used by McCann’s skinks ( Oligosoma maccani ), southern grass skinks ( O. aff. polychroma Clade 5), and kōrero geckos ( Woodworthia “Otago/Southland large”). The rock piles and their immediate edges were surveyed 22 times between four months and 2.4 years post-construction, resulting in 228 sightings of McCann’s skinks on all ten piles, 20 sightings of southern grass skinks on six piles, and two sightings of kōrero geckos on two piles. Estimated abundance of McCann’s skinks increased over time, and neonates were observed. These observations indicate that rock pile construction could create habitats for McCann’s skinks, but further inference is limited. We recommend that future mitigation programs quantify how habitat construction affects lizard populations and suggest methods for achieving this.","PeriodicalId":49755,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135304242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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