The vast clearance of forest and woodland for agriculture with the removal of more than 93% of the native vegetation has decimated the fauna of what is now known as the Western Australian wheatbelt. This clearing has been particularly severe on wandoo woodlands through the wheatbelt. In order to quantify the usefulness of what has been left, three native woodland types were surveyed for avian abundance and diversity, in a large heterogeneous remnant of old-growth woodland, at Dryandra. Birds were counted at 70 points along seven transects, through three woodland types: powderbark wandoo (Eucalyptus accedens), wandoo (E. wandoo) and a brown mallet (E. astringens) plantation. Greater abundance and species richness were detected in E. wandoo woodland, although this is thought to be related to the more mesic and productive low-lying contours of the landscape on which it is situated.
为了农业，森林和林地被大面积砍伐，超过93%的原生植被被砍伐，这使得现在被称为西澳大利亚小麦带的动物群大量死亡。这种清理对贯穿小麦带的wandoo林地尤其严重。为了量化剩下的有用性，对三种原生林地类型的鸟类数量和多样性进行了调查，在Dryandra的一个大型异质原始林地的遗迹中。鸟类在7个样带的70个点上被计数，通过3种林地类型:粉树皮wandoo(桉树)，wandoo (E. wandoo)和棕色木槌(E. astringens)人工林。在E. wandoo林地中发现了更大的丰度和物种丰富度，尽管这被认为与它所处的地势较低的地形更为混乱和多产有关。
{"title":"Birds respond to woodland type, soil and mesic gradients in heterogeneous woodlands at Dryandra","authors":"G. Fulton, J. Lawson","doi":"10.1071/ZO20095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO20095","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000The vast clearance of forest and woodland for agriculture with the removal of more than 93% of the native vegetation has decimated the fauna of what is now known as the Western Australian wheatbelt. This clearing has been particularly severe on wandoo woodlands through the wheatbelt. In order to quantify the usefulness of what has been left, three native woodland types were surveyed for avian abundance and diversity, in a large heterogeneous remnant of old-growth woodland, at Dryandra. Birds were counted at 70 points along seven transects, through three woodland types: powderbark wandoo (Eucalyptus accedens), wandoo (E. wandoo) and a brown mallet (E. astringens) plantation. Greater abundance and species richness were detected in E. wandoo woodland, although this is thought to be related to the more mesic and productive low-lying contours of the landscape on which it is situated.\u0000","PeriodicalId":55420,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86662003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. The iconic ‘mountain shrimps’ of the genus Anaspides Thomson, 1894, are endemic to Tasmania, inhabiting various freshwater habitats such as mountain tarns and creeks, as well as streams inside caves. They are often labelled as ‘living fossils’ because of their close resemblance to their Triassic relatives. Prior to 2015, only two species were recognised but recent studies have uncovered a total of at least seven species. The type species of Anaspides, A. tasmaniae (Thomson, 1893), was previously believed to occur throughout Tasmania, but following a review in 2016, this species was confirmed only from a small range on the east and south-east side of Mt Wellington, with Anaspides from other parts of Tasmania referable to other species. We herein provide a detailed assessment of the distribution and genetic structure of A. tasmaniae based on extensive field surveys throughout the ranges of all species of Anaspides. The distribution of A. tasmaniae is extended to include four separate localities in and around the Mt Field National Park, 50 km north-west of Mt Wellington. The recovered genetic structure of A. tasmaniae based on 48 specimens indicates that the disjunct distribution is unlikely to be the result of artificial translocation but, instead, probably reflects postglacial relictualisation of a formerly continuous range present during Pleistocene glacial maxima. Of particular interest is the record of syntopy in Anaspides, observed at the entrance of Khazad Dum cave, where both A. tasmaniae and A. swaini inhabit the inflow stream.
{"title":"Genetic structure and new occurrence records of the iconic Tasmanian mountain shrimp Anaspides tasmaniae (Thomson, 1893) (Anaspidesidae : Anaspidacea) reveal relictual distribution in southern Tasmania","authors":"Christoph G. Höpel, S. Ahyong, S. Richter","doi":"10.1071/ZO20100","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO20100","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. The iconic ‘mountain shrimps’ of the genus Anaspides Thomson, 1894, are endemic to Tasmania, inhabiting various freshwater habitats such as mountain tarns and creeks, as well as streams inside caves. They are often labelled as ‘living fossils’ because of their close resemblance to their Triassic relatives. Prior to 2015, only two species were recognised but recent studies have uncovered a total of at least seven species. The type species of Anaspides, A. tasmaniae (Thomson, 1893), was previously believed to occur throughout Tasmania, but following a review in 2016, this species was confirmed only from a small range on the east and south-east side of Mt Wellington, with Anaspides from other parts of Tasmania referable to other species. We herein provide a detailed assessment of the distribution and genetic structure of A. tasmaniae based on extensive field surveys throughout the ranges of all species of Anaspides. The distribution of A. tasmaniae is extended to include four separate localities in and around the Mt Field National Park, 50 km north-west of Mt Wellington. The recovered genetic structure of A. tasmaniae based on 48 specimens indicates that the disjunct distribution is unlikely to be the result of artificial translocation but, instead, probably reflects postglacial relictualisation of a formerly continuous range present during Pleistocene glacial maxima. Of particular interest is the record of syntopy in Anaspides, observed at the entrance of Khazad Dum cave, where both A. tasmaniae and A. swaini inhabit the inflow stream.","PeriodicalId":55420,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86803774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The eastern bent-wing bat (Miniopterus orianae oceanensis) is a small (11–20 g, mean 14 g) insectivorous bat with a distribution that extends along the eastern seaboard of mainland Australia. It is primarily a cave-dwelling species, particularly for breeding females who form large maternity colonies at just a few locations throughout its range. Seasonal population changes at one of the three large New South Wales maternity colonies (Church Cave) were studied from December to March every year for 12 years when adult females were resident at a maternity site. Five key periods were identified: (1) adult arrival, (2) adult peak, (3) juvenile independence, (4) adult–juvenile peak, and (5) autumn migration. The average duration of the adult peak period was 38 days and usually commenced around late December or early January. This is the critical period in which to estimate the female adult population. All other periods lasted ~14 days. Understanding the timing of these different periods is important in estimating various population parameters. The timing of migration is also important with respect to windfarm construction and impact assessments of turbine strike to migrating bats. Four separate variables were investigated to describe the timing of autumn migration from Church Cave; moon illumination, minimum nightly temperatures, barometric pressure, and timing of adult arrival. The timing of adult arrival was the only model that was significant in explaining the onset of migration. This generally occurs 83–87 nights after the commencement of arrival of female adult bent-wing bats at Church Cave in early to mid December.
{"title":"Summer and autumn activity patterns of the eastern bent-wing bat (Miniopterus orianae oceanensis) at a large maternity site in southern New South Wales1","authors":"D. Mills","doi":"10.1071/ZO20041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO20041","url":null,"abstract":"The eastern bent-wing bat (Miniopterus orianae oceanensis) is a small (11–20 g, mean 14 g) insectivorous bat with a distribution that extends along the eastern seaboard of mainland Australia. It is primarily a cave-dwelling species, particularly for breeding females who form large maternity colonies at just a few locations throughout its range. Seasonal population changes at one of the three large New South Wales maternity colonies (Church Cave) were studied from December to March every year for 12 years when adult females were resident at a maternity site. Five key periods were identified: (1) adult arrival, (2) adult peak, (3) juvenile independence, (4) adult–juvenile peak, and (5) autumn migration. The average duration of the adult peak period was 38 days and usually commenced around late December or early January. This is the critical period in which to estimate the female adult population. All other periods lasted ~14 days. Understanding the timing of these different periods is important in estimating various population parameters. The timing of migration is also important with respect to windfarm construction and impact assessments of turbine strike to migrating bats. Four separate variables were investigated to describe the timing of autumn migration from Church Cave; moon illumination, minimum nightly temperatures, barometric pressure, and timing of adult arrival. The timing of adult arrival was the only model that was significant in explaining the onset of migration. This generally occurs 83–87 nights after the commencement of arrival of female adult bent-wing bats at Church Cave in early to mid December.","PeriodicalId":55420,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84412181","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. Dinolestes lewini (longfin pike) is a common, but little studied, fish species endemic to temperate marine-dominated waters below ∼31°S on the east, south and west coasts of the Australian mainland and around Tasmania. Samples of longfin pike collected in Lake Macquarie, a large coastal lagoon in south-eastern Australia, were examined for age, growth and reproductive characteristics. Spawning occurred over an extended period between at least October and March (austral spring to autumn), and although spent individuals occurred in samples, spawning location could not be ascertained. Examination of otolith edge condition provided strong support that opaque and translucent zones were deposited annually and that counts of opaque zones on otoliths can be used to estimate ages. Sex-related differences in mean length at age and projected growth based on the von Bertalanffy growth function were evident. Growth trajectories diverged at ∼1.5 years of age, after which females grew faster than males for a longer period, eventually attaining greater observed maximum lengths and ages. Observed longevity was 5+ and 9+ years for males and females, respectively. The data provide an initial knowledge-platform for incorporation in species assessments and for further comparative investigations of variation in biological traits across the species’ distribution.
{"title":"First record of biological traits of the Australian endemic longfin pike (Dinolestes lewini : Dinolestidae)","authors":"C. A. Gray","doi":"10.1071/ZO21001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO21001","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Dinolestes lewini (longfin pike) is a common, but little studied, fish species endemic to temperate marine-dominated waters below ∼31°S on the east, south and west coasts of the Australian mainland and around Tasmania. Samples of longfin pike collected in Lake Macquarie, a large coastal lagoon in south-eastern Australia, were examined for age, growth and reproductive characteristics. Spawning occurred over an extended period between at least October and March (austral spring to autumn), and although spent individuals occurred in samples, spawning location could not be ascertained. Examination of otolith edge condition provided strong support that opaque and translucent zones were deposited annually and that counts of opaque zones on otoliths can be used to estimate ages. Sex-related differences in mean length at age and projected growth based on the von Bertalanffy growth function were evident. Growth trajectories diverged at ∼1.5 years of age, after which females grew faster than males for a longer period, eventually attaining greater observed maximum lengths and ages. Observed longevity was 5+ and 9+ years for males and females, respectively. The data provide an initial knowledge-platform for incorporation in species assessments and for further comparative investigations of variation in biological traits across the species’ distribution.","PeriodicalId":55420,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86883600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. O’Connor, Sanjeev Srivastava, Elizabeth Brunton, S. Burnett
Abstract. The spatial ecology of the European red fox in urban environments has not been widely studied in Australia. The spatial organisation and habitat selection of red foxes in coastal south-east Queensland was investigated using the GPS data from 17 collared foxes from seven putative fox families. Home range and core activity areas were calculated using 95% (KDE95) and 50% (KDE50) kernel density estimates respectively. Mean KDE95 home range size was 198 ha, and the mean core (KDE50) use area was 34 ha. Habitat selection, based on four broad habitat classes – Beach, Dunes, Urban and Green Space – was assessed using compositional analyses. At both 2nd order (study site) and 3rd order (home range) habitat selection, urban space was overwhelmingly the least preferred habitat in the study area despite being the most extensive habitat type. The unusual findings of this study contribute to a broader understanding of the ecology of this previously unstudied fox population.
{"title":"Urban fringe dweller: the European red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in an urban coastal ecosystem","authors":"J. O’Connor, Sanjeev Srivastava, Elizabeth Brunton, S. Burnett","doi":"10.1071/ZO20069","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO20069","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. The spatial ecology of the European red fox in urban environments has not been widely studied in Australia. The spatial organisation and habitat selection of red foxes in coastal south-east Queensland was investigated using the GPS data from 17 collared foxes from seven putative fox families. Home range and core activity areas were calculated using 95% (KDE95) and 50% (KDE50) kernel density estimates respectively. Mean KDE95 home range size was 198 ha, and the mean core (KDE50) use area was 34 ha. Habitat selection, based on four broad habitat classes – Beach, Dunes, Urban and Green Space – was assessed using compositional analyses. At both 2nd order (study site) and 3rd order (home range) habitat selection, urban space was overwhelmingly the least preferred habitat in the study area despite being the most extensive habitat type. The unusual findings of this study contribute to a broader understanding of the ecology of this previously unstudied fox population.","PeriodicalId":55420,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78512896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Libby A. Timmiss, John M. Martin, N. Murray, J. Welbergen, D. Westcott, Adam McKeown, R. Kingsford
Conservation relies upon a primary understanding of changes in a species’ population size, distribution, and habitat use. Bats represent about one in five mammal species in the world, but understanding for most species is poor. For flying-foxes, specifically the 66 Pteropus species globally, 31 are classified as threatened (Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered) on the IUCN Red List. Flying-foxes typically aggregate in colonies of thousands to hundreds of thousands of individuals at their roost sites, dispersing at sunset to forage on floral resources (pollen, nectar, and fruit) in nearby environments. However, understanding of flying-fox roosting habitat preferences is poor, hindering conservation efforts in many countries. In this study, we used a database of 654 known roost sites of the four flying-fox species that occur across mainland Australia to determine the land-use categories and vegetation types in which roost sites were found. In addition, we determined the land-use categories and vegetation types found within the surrounding 25 km radius of each roost, representing primary foraging habitat. Surprisingly, for the four species most roosts occurred in urban areas (42–59%, n = 4 species) followed by agricultural areas (21–31%). Critically, for the two nationally listed species, only 5.2% of grey-headed and 13.9% of spectacled flying-fox roosts occurred in habitat within protected areas. Roosts have previously been reported to predominantly occur in rainforest, mangrove, wetland, and dry sclerophyll vegetation types. However, we found that only 20–35% of roosts for each of the four species occurred in these habitats. This study shows that flying-fox roosts overwhelmingly occurred within human-modified landscapes across eastern Australia, and that conservation reserves inadequately protect essential habitat of roosting and foraging flying-foxes.
{"title":"Threatened but not conserved: flying-fox roosting and foraging habitat in Australia","authors":"Libby A. Timmiss, John M. Martin, N. Murray, J. Welbergen, D. Westcott, Adam McKeown, R. Kingsford","doi":"10.1071/ZO20086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO20086","url":null,"abstract":"Conservation relies upon a primary understanding of changes in a species’ population size, distribution, and habitat use. Bats represent about one in five mammal species in the world, but understanding for most species is poor. For flying-foxes, specifically the 66 Pteropus species globally, 31 are classified as threatened (Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered) on the IUCN Red List. Flying-foxes typically aggregate in colonies of thousands to hundreds of thousands of individuals at their roost sites, dispersing at sunset to forage on floral resources (pollen, nectar, and fruit) in nearby environments. However, understanding of flying-fox roosting habitat preferences is poor, hindering conservation efforts in many countries. In this study, we used a database of 654 known roost sites of the four flying-fox species that occur across mainland Australia to determine the land-use categories and vegetation types in which roost sites were found. In addition, we determined the land-use categories and vegetation types found within the surrounding 25 km radius of each roost, representing primary foraging habitat. Surprisingly, for the four species most roosts occurred in urban areas (42–59%, n = 4 species) followed by agricultural areas (21–31%). Critically, for the two nationally listed species, only 5.2% of grey-headed and 13.9% of spectacled flying-fox roosts occurred in habitat within protected areas. Roosts have previously been reported to predominantly occur in rainforest, mangrove, wetland, and dry sclerophyll vegetation types. However, we found that only 20–35% of roosts for each of the four species occurred in these habitats. This study shows that flying-fox roosts overwhelmingly occurred within human-modified landscapes across eastern Australia, and that conservation reserves inadequately protect essential habitat of roosting and foraging flying-foxes.","PeriodicalId":55420,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84218253","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. Ecotourism attempts to provide sustainable tourism with a focus on experiencing natural areas to foster environmental appreciation. However, it is often seen as a paradox, since associated infrastructure and activity can have detrimental effects on wildlife. One aspect that has been overlooked in this context is the potential impact of ecotourists on vocal behaviour, especially of birds. Many birds are susceptible to anthropogenic noise, avoiding noisy areas, or changing vocal activity within them. We used passive recording techniques to quantify vocal behaviours of a native Australian songbird, the eastern yellow robin, at an ecotourist resort to investigate how tourist presence might affect vocal behaviours. We found that during peak tourism seasonal periods, robins sang fewer songs, and these songs were shorter. However, this same pattern was observed on weekdays compared with weekends, when tourist numbers are generally lower. This seemingly contradictory pattern may be explained by the fact that maintenance of the resort grounds occurred predominantly on weekdays, with noise levels comparable to those detected during periods of high tourism. Thus, ecotourism infrastructure can have layered effects on bird vocal activity: tourist numbers as well as maintenance practices should be considered within the context of local wildlife conservation.
{"title":"Effects of ecotourism on eastern yellow robin (Eopsaltria australis) vocal behaviour","authors":"D. Potvin, Madeline Anderson, A. Levengood","doi":"10.1071/ZO20102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO20102","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Ecotourism attempts to provide sustainable tourism with a focus on experiencing natural areas to foster environmental appreciation. However, it is often seen as a paradox, since associated infrastructure and activity can have detrimental effects on wildlife. One aspect that has been overlooked in this context is the potential impact of ecotourists on vocal behaviour, especially of birds. Many birds are susceptible to anthropogenic noise, avoiding noisy areas, or changing vocal activity within them. We used passive recording techniques to quantify vocal behaviours of a native Australian songbird, the eastern yellow robin, at an ecotourist resort to investigate how tourist presence might affect vocal behaviours. We found that during peak tourism seasonal periods, robins sang fewer songs, and these songs were shorter. However, this same pattern was observed on weekdays compared with weekends, when tourist numbers are generally lower. This seemingly contradictory pattern may be explained by the fact that maintenance of the resort grounds occurred predominantly on weekdays, with noise levels comparable to those detected during periods of high tourism. Thus, ecotourism infrastructure can have layered effects on bird vocal activity: tourist numbers as well as maintenance practices should be considered within the context of local wildlife conservation.","PeriodicalId":55420,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86321679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In Australia, there are at least 50 000 derelict mines, many of which provide habitat for cave-roosting bats. Grating of derelict mines, be it horizontal (adits) or vertical (shafts) drives, is commonly undertaken to prevent human access, though longer-term responses of bats are largely unknown. We assessed the long-term (2–20 years) effects of grating on bats by documenting trends in emergence activity and bat abundance at grated and ungrated derelict mines and quantified behavioural responses of bats in autumn and winter. Emergence activity was dominated by the eastern horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus megaphyllus) with limited activity of other less manoeuvrable species. Both emergence activity and minimum colony size at horizontal adits were 8–9 times greater than at vertical shafts, with bats observed emerging from only 2 of 13 shafts. Emergence activity and minimum colony size were 7–10 times greater at adits with ‘bat friendly’ grating (horizontal bars with spacing >125 mm) than at other treatments (ungrated adits and adits with standard grating). In winter, there were 4–11 times more aborted exit attempts per bat at adits with ‘bat friendly’ grating compared with other treatments, which corresponded to greater emergence activity. Emergence activity and minimum colony size were not related to spacing between bars or time since grating, indicating rapid habituation by R. megaphyllus. However, circling at grates continued for many years and bentwing bats (Miniopterus spp.) made little use of these sites. Bat-friendly grates appear to be an effective management option for R. megaphyllus, but alternatives need to be trialled for other species.
{"title":"Long-term effects of grating derelict mines on bat emergence activity, abundance and behaviour","authors":"L. Gonsalves, T. Potter, N. Colman, B. Law","doi":"10.1071/ZO20026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO20026","url":null,"abstract":"In Australia, there are at least 50 000 derelict mines, many of which provide habitat for cave-roosting bats. Grating of derelict mines, be it horizontal (adits) or vertical (shafts) drives, is commonly undertaken to prevent human access, though longer-term responses of bats are largely unknown. We assessed the long-term (2–20 years) effects of grating on bats by documenting trends in emergence activity and bat abundance at grated and ungrated derelict mines and quantified behavioural responses of bats in autumn and winter. Emergence activity was dominated by the eastern horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus megaphyllus) with limited activity of other less manoeuvrable species. Both emergence activity and minimum colony size at horizontal adits were 8–9 times greater than at vertical shafts, with bats observed emerging from only 2 of 13 shafts. Emergence activity and minimum colony size were 7–10 times greater at adits with ‘bat friendly’ grating (horizontal bars with spacing >125 mm) than at other treatments (ungrated adits and adits with standard grating). In winter, there were 4–11 times more aborted exit attempts per bat at adits with ‘bat friendly’ grating compared with other treatments, which corresponded to greater emergence activity. Emergence activity and minimum colony size were not related to spacing between bars or time since grating, indicating rapid habituation by R. megaphyllus. However, circling at grates continued for many years and bentwing bats (Miniopterus spp.) made little use of these sites. Bat-friendly grates appear to be an effective management option for R. megaphyllus, but alternatives need to be trialled for other species.","PeriodicalId":55420,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81458202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Horseshoe (Rhinolphidae) and Old World leaf-nosed (Hipposideridae) bats are high duty cycle (HDC) echolocators sharing a suite of adaptations including long duration signals relative to their signal periods, peak energy concentrated in a narrow spectral band dominated by a constant frequency (CF) component, ‘auditory fovea’ (over-representation and sharp tuning of neurons responsible for frequencies at or around the CF) and ability to compensate for Doppler shifts in echoes. HDC bats separate signals from returning echoes in the frequency domain. Rhinolophids are more specialised neurobiologically than hipposiderids, producing longer duration signals at higher duty cycles, and have narrowly tuned auditory fovea and almost full Doppler shift compensation. Here, I examine whether these differences have produced ecological divergence between the families by testing predictions of differences in prey perception, prey capture behaviour, foraging habitat and diet. I found no discernible differences in these variables between the two families. Rhinolophids and hipposiderids both forage close to vegetation, capture prey by aerial hawking and gleaning from surfaces, and consume mostly flying insects with spiders and terrestrial, flightless arthropods taken occasionally. The data presented here show that the two families are similar in foraging ecology despite differences in echolocation and audition.
{"title":"Comparative echolocation and foraging ecology of horseshoe bats (Rhinolophidae) and Old World leaf-nosed bats (Hipposideridae)1","authors":"C. Pavey","doi":"10.1071/ZO20047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO20047","url":null,"abstract":"Horseshoe (Rhinolphidae) and Old World leaf-nosed (Hipposideridae) bats are high duty cycle (HDC) echolocators sharing a suite of adaptations including long duration signals relative to their signal periods, peak energy concentrated in a narrow spectral band dominated by a constant frequency (CF) component, ‘auditory fovea’ (over-representation and sharp tuning of neurons responsible for frequencies at or around the CF) and ability to compensate for Doppler shifts in echoes. HDC bats separate signals from returning echoes in the frequency domain. Rhinolophids are more specialised neurobiologically than hipposiderids, producing longer duration signals at higher duty cycles, and have narrowly tuned auditory fovea and almost full Doppler shift compensation. Here, I examine whether these differences have produced ecological divergence between the families by testing predictions of differences in prey perception, prey capture behaviour, foraging habitat and diet. I found no discernible differences in these variables between the two families. Rhinolophids and hipposiderids both forage close to vegetation, capture prey by aerial hawking and gleaning from surfaces, and consume mostly flying insects with spiders and terrestrial, flightless arthropods taken occasionally. The data presented here show that the two families are similar in foraging ecology despite differences in echolocation and audition.","PeriodicalId":55420,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78654750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liam J. Bolitho, J. Rowley, H. Hines, David A. Newell
Abstract. In the last several decades, habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive organisms, disease, pollution and, more recently, climate change have led to catastrophic declines in amphibian biodiversity. Montane amphibian species, particularly those with narrow distributions and specific habitat requirements are likely to be at particular risk under future climate change scenarios. Despite this, fundamental ecological data are lacking for most of these species. Philoria kundagungan is a poorly known representative of a range-restricted genus of montane amphibians from eastern Australia. Using an occupancy framework, we conducted repeated call playback surveys at 32 sites across the mountainous regions of south-east Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales, Australia, to investigate: (1) the current extent of this species’ geographic range, and (2) environmental predictors of this species’ presence. We found that P. kundagungan has a highly restricted and fragmented distribution, being limited to ∼11 km2 of potentially suitable habitat, and that its presence is strongly associated with high elevation (>800 m). Our survey protocol resulted in a high probability of detection (>70%) at occupied sites from relatively few visits. From these baseline data, future studies will have the ability to determine changes in this species’ geographic range and occupancy rate in response to the ever-increasing threats faced by P. kundagungan, thereby supporting more effective conservation strategies and policy decisions.
{"title":"Occupancy modelling reveals a highly restricted and fragmented distribution in a threatened montane frog (Philoria kundagungan) in subtropical Australian rainforests","authors":"Liam J. Bolitho, J. Rowley, H. Hines, David A. Newell","doi":"10.1071/ZO20037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO20037","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. In the last several decades, habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive organisms, disease, pollution and, more recently, climate change have led to catastrophic declines in amphibian biodiversity. Montane amphibian species, particularly those with narrow distributions and specific habitat requirements are likely to be at particular risk under future climate change scenarios. Despite this, fundamental ecological data are lacking for most of these species. Philoria kundagungan is a poorly known representative of a range-restricted genus of montane amphibians from eastern Australia. Using an occupancy framework, we conducted repeated call playback surveys at 32 sites across the mountainous regions of south-east Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales, Australia, to investigate: (1) the current extent of this species’ geographic range, and (2) environmental predictors of this species’ presence. We found that P. kundagungan has a highly restricted and fragmented distribution, being limited to ∼11 km2 of potentially suitable habitat, and that its presence is strongly associated with high elevation (>800 m). Our survey protocol resulted in a high probability of detection (>70%) at occupied sites from relatively few visits. From these baseline data, future studies will have the ability to determine changes in this species’ geographic range and occupancy rate in response to the ever-increasing threats faced by P. kundagungan, thereby supporting more effective conservation strategies and policy decisions.","PeriodicalId":55420,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79712883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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