No country for possums: young people’s nativist views

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (01) ◽  
pp. 12-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Ram
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Analyse Data ◽  
Objective View ◽  
The Many ◽  
Interpretive Mode

AbstractThe Australian brushtail possum(Trichosurus vulpecula)is one of many animal species classified as alien under the biosecurity system in New Zealand. However, it is against the possums that a relentless campaign is perpetrated. This article attempts to explain some of the many reasons behind such intense negativity, and in doing so, show a link between the management of invasive species as a biosecurity risk and young people’s nativist views. A qualitative, interpretive mode of inquiry was used to analyse data that showed a link between the management of invasive species as a biosecurity risk and young people’s controversial views. An educational program that presents an objective view of invasive species is recommended.

scholarly journals Ecology of a brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) population at Castlepoint in the Wairarapa, New Zealand

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron Jackson ◽  
D.U. Pfeiffe ◽  
T Porphyre ◽  
C Sauter-Louis ◽  
L.A.L. Corner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula

Now that we have our pest-proof fence, are we safe or trapped?

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Parks ◽  
Kyle Clifton ◽  
Lauren Best ◽  
Bridget Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
The Other ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Free Status

PEST-PROOF (exclusion) fences are designed to prevent non-native, predatory and pest species from repopulating an area set aside to protect vulnerable native plant and animal species. Pest-proof fencing provides security from invasive species, but can isolate the native species enclosed within. On one hand, some rare native species exist on the mainland due to the pest-free status achieved through the use of exclusion fences. On the other hand, these reintroduced populations are now isolated a situation where they would not be found naturally (Jamieson et al. 2006). Exclusion fences must be constantly maintained or the sanctuary risks reinvasion. An important question for conservation biologists and managers to answer is therefore — when is exclusion fencing the best option for protecting native species from introduced pests? We have drawn our examples from New Zealand and Australia where progress has been made with regard to the design and utilization of exclusion fences.

Cholecalciferol Toxicity and Its Enhancement by Calcium Carbonate in the Common Brushtail Possum.

1995 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 579 ◽  
Author(s):  
SE Jolly ◽  
RJ Henderson ◽  
C Frampton ◽  
CT Eason
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Calcium Carbonate ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Toxic Material ◽  
Introduced Pest ◽  
The Common ◽  
Common Brushtail Possum ◽  
The Cost

The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), an introduced pest in New Zealand, is susceptible to cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), which is marketed as a rodenticide in many countries. To evaluate cholecalciferol for possum control we offered 242 caged adult possums cereal pellets containing cholecalciferol on its own or with calcium carbonate. Mortality was recorded for two weeks after presentation. For cholecalciferol on its own the LD50 was 16.8 mg kg-1 (95% confidence interval 11.6-21.9 mg kg-1), but the addition of calcium carbonate reduced this to 9.8 mg kg-1 (95% confidence interval 7.0-12.7 mg kg-1). When the sexes were analysed separately, the reduction of the LDS0 by the addition of calcium carbonate was significant only in females. The addition of calcium carbonate appeared to result in a more predictable outcome as shown by the reduced confidence intervals. For possum control, adding calcium carbonate to cholecalciferol bait would improve the bait's efficacy, decrease the amount of toxic material needed, and reduce the cost of bait production.

Serving two masters: Reconciling economic and biodiversity outcomes of brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) fur harvest in an indigenous New Zealand forest

2012 ◽  
Vol 153 ◽  
pp. 143-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Jones ◽  
Mandy Barron ◽  
Bruce Warburton ◽  
Morgan Coleman ◽  
Philip O’B. Lyver ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula

Dietary changes in response to population reduction in the possum Trichosurus vulpecula in New Zealand

2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (7) ◽  
pp. 561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Sweetapple ◽  
Wendy A. Ruscoe ◽  
Graham Nugent
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Pest Control ◽  
Population Control ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Dietary Changes ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Indigenous Forest

Context Efforts to protect or restore degraded plant communities by population control of invasive herbivores frequently fail to achieve their goals. Aims We seek to quantify changes in diet of an introduced herbivore, the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), following population control, and determine how these may contribute to variable responses in plant condition. Methods Stomach contents of possums from five areas of indigenous forest in northern New Zealand were analysed to measure diet before and after the application of possum control. Key results The contribution of fruit, and foliage of some early successional forest species, to total possum diet increased up to 27-fold following possum population control. This was accompanied by declines in consumption of the main pre-control possum foods (foliage from common canopy trees). Dietary changes were a combination of an immediate response to control (1 year) and a strengthening of these initial changes with increasing time since control. Conclusions Possums in the study areas changed diet following population control, from a diet dominated by foliage of common canopy tree species to one dominated by fruits, and foliage of uncommon early successional plants. Pest control instantaneously increased the per capita availability of all foods, and probably permitted absolute increases in some foods through plant recovery, enabling possums to substitute scarce, high-preference foods for abundant but less preferred canopy foliage. Implications Following control of a pest herbivore, dietary changes reduce benefits for the most vulnerable preferred plant foods, but enhance benefits for less favoured plants. Intense pest control can permit some recovery of highly preferred foods, despite increased per capita consumption of these foods by survivors of control.

scholarly journals De Novo Transcriptome Assembly and Annotation of Liver and Brain Tissues of Common Brushtail Possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) in New Zealand: Transcriptome Diversity after Decades of Population Control

Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arsalan Emami-Khoyi ◽  
Shilpa Pradeep Parbhu ◽  
James G. Ross ◽  
Elaine C. Murphy ◽  
Jennifer Bothwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Population Control ◽  
Transcriptome Assembly ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Genomic Diversity ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula

The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), introduced from Australia in the mid-nineteenth century, is an invasive species in New Zealand where it is widespread and forms the largest self-sustained reservoir of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) among wild populations. Conservation and agricultural authorities regularly apply a series of population control measures to suppress brushtail possum populations. The evolutionary consequence of more than half a century of intensive population control operations on the species’ genomic diversity and population structure is hindered by a paucity of available genomic resources. This study is the first to characterise the functional content and diversity of brushtail possum liver and brain cerebral cortex transcriptomes. Raw sequences from hepatic cells and cerebral cortex were assembled into 58,001 and 64,735 transcripts respectively. Functional annotation and polymorphism assignment of the assembled transcripts demonstrated a considerable level of variation in the core metabolic pathways that represent potential targets for selection pressure exerted by chemical toxicants. This study suggests that the brushtail possum population in New Zealand harbours considerable variation in metabolic pathways that could potentially promote the development of tolerance against chemical toxicants.

scholarly journals De novo Transcriptome Assembly and Annotation of Liver and Brain Tissues of New Zealand brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula): Transcriptome Diversity after Decades of Population Control

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arsalan Emami-Khoyi ◽  
Shilpa Parbhu ◽  
James Ross ◽  
Elaine Murphy ◽  
Jennifer Bothwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Population Control ◽  
Transcriptome Assembly ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Genomic Diversity ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Hepatic Cells

The New Zealand brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), introduced from Australia in the 1850s, is an invasive species that is widespread throughout New Zealand and forms the largest self-sustained reservoir of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) in the wild. Conservation and agricultural authorities regularly apply a series of population control measures to suppress brushtail possum populations. The evolutionary consequence of more than half a century of intensive population control operations on the species genomic diversity and population structure is hindered by a paucity of available genomic resources for the species. This study is the first to characterise the functional content and diversity of brushtail possum liver and brain cerebral cortex transcriptomes. Raw sequences from hepatic cells and cerebral cortex were assembled into 58,001 and 64,735 transcripts in hepatic cells and cerebral cortex, respectively. Functional annotation and polymorphism assignment of the assembled transcripts demonstrated a considerable level of variation in the core metabolic pathways that represent potential targets for selection pressure exerted by chemical toxicants. This study suggests that the brushtail possum population in New Zealand harbours considerable levels of variation in metabolic pathways that could potentially promote the development of tolerance against chemical toxicants.

scholarly journals Assessing the Effectiveness of Tuberculosis Management in Brushtail Possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), through Indirect Surveillance ofMycobacterium bovisInfection Using Released Sentinel Pigs

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Nugent ◽  
I. J. Yockney ◽  
E. J. Whitford ◽  
M. L. Cross
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Mycobacterium Bovis ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Adjacent Area ◽  
Population Recovery ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Radio Tracking ◽  
Wild Pigs ◽  
Tracking Devices

In New Zealand, wild pigs acquireMycobacterium bovisinfection by scavenging tuberculous carrion, primarily carcasses of the main disease maintenance host, the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). We investigated the utility of captive-reared, purpose-released pigs as sentinels for tuberculosis (TB) following lethal possum control and subsequent population recovery. Within 2-3 years of possum control by intensive poisoning, TB prevalence and the incidence rate ofM. bovisinfection in released sentinel pigs were lower than in an adjacent area where possums had not been poisoned. Unexpectedly, TB did not decline to near zero levels among pigs in the poisoned area, a fact which reflected an unanticipated rapid increase in the apparent abundance of possums. Monitoring infection levels among resident wild pigs confirmed that TB prevalence, while reduced due to possum control, persisted in the poisoned area at >20% among pigs born 2-3 years after poisoning, while remaining >60% among resident wild pigs in the nonpoisoned area. When fitted with radio-tracking devices, purpose-released pigs provided precise spatial TB surveillance information and facilitated effective killing of wild pigs when employed as “Judas” animals to help locate residents. Sentinel pigs offer value for monitoring disease trends in New Zealand, as TB levels in possums decline nationally due to large-scale possum control.

scholarly journals The mixed liver and heart transcriptome dataset of the New Zealand brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula

Data in Brief ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 104577
Author(s):  
Daniel J. White ◽  
Katherine Trought ◽  
Brian Hopkins
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula
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