Stream use by the large-footed myotis Myotis macropus in relation to environmental variables in northern New South Wales.

2006 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Anderson ◽  
B. Law ◽  
C. Tidemann
Keyword(s):  
Data Base ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
North Coast ◽  
Small Fish ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
North East ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Myotis Myotis

The large-footed myotis (Myotis macropus) feeds by trawling aquatic invertebrates and small fish from water surfaces, but little is known about what types of streams are used. We investigated habitat use by M. macropus in northern New South Wales (NSW) by analysing data-base records, conducting field surveys and assessing environmental variables on or near waterways. A GIS comparison of 222 data-base records of M. macropus with broad environmental patterns indicated that most records were near large and permanent waterways at low elevations, in flat or undulating terrain, usually surrounded by vegetation. Three different field surveys were carried-out. First, 25 waterways on the NSW mid-north coast were stratified into five size classes and sampled (December 1996-January 1997) using harp traps and ultrasonic detectors. Just two captures and 20 passes were recorded. No M. macropus were detected on either the smallest or largest waterways, although the latter may have been under-sampled due to their broad expanse. Records of M. macropus were significantly associated with larger, more permanent waterways (when the largest size class was omitted). Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling of sites, described by their environmental attributes, failed to separate sites on the basis of presence/absence of M. macropus. The second survey (February 1998) targeted 25 sites on waterways within 10 km of a known roost in Kerewong State Forest. Twenty-eight passes were recorded, all confined to just three sites on Upsalls Creek, a large 4th order stream. The third survey (February 2000) investigated the use of adjacent riparian vegetation in the vicinity of the Kerewong roost. At each of 12 sites, one detector was placed on the stream, one 10 m from it and a third 20 m into adjacent vegetation. An average of 11 M. macropus passes per night was recorded over streams (total passes = 273), whereas no passes were recorded in adjacent vegetation. We conclude that M. macropus is sparsely dispersed across streams in forests of north-east NSW and that they are most likely to be recorded on large streams in the lower end of catchments. Management implications for timber production forests include redirecting effort from pre-logging surveys to monitoring the changing status of M. macropus over time, especially at day roosts where local populations are concentrated.

Seed production and seedling emergence of Giant Parramatta grass on the north coast of New South Wales

1996 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 299 ◽  
Author(s):  
TS Andrews ◽  
RDB Whalley ◽  
CE Jones
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Seed Bank ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
North Coast ◽  
The North ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Seed Fall ◽  
The Impact

Inputs and losses from Giant Parramatta grass [GPG, Sporobolus indicus (L.) R. Br. var. major (Buse) Baaijens] soil seed banks were quantified on the North Coast of New South Wales. Monthly potential seed production and actual seed fall was estimated at Valla during 1991-92. Total potential production was >668 000 seeds/m2 for the season, while seed fall was >146000 seeds/m2. Seed fall >10000 seeds/m2.month was recorded from January until May, with further seed falls recorded in June and July. The impact of seed production on seed banks was assessed by estimating seed banks in the seed production quadrats before and after seed fall. Seed banks in 4 of the 6 sites decreased in year 2, although seed numbers at 1 damp site increased markedly. Defoliation from mid-December until February, April or June prevented seed production, reducing seed banks by 34% over 7 months. Seed banks in undefoliated plots increased by 3300 seeds/m2, although seed fall was estimated at >114 000 seeds/m2. Emergence of GPG seedlings from artificially established and naturally occurring, persistent seed banks was recorded for 3 years from bare and vegetated treatment plots. Sown seeds showed high levels of innate dormancy and only 4% of seeds emerged when sown immediately after collection. Longer storage of seeds after collection resulted in more seedlings emerging. Estimates of persistent seed banks ranged from 1650 to about 21260 seeds/m2. Most seedlings emerged in spring or autumn and this was correlated with rainfall but not with ambient temperatures. Rates of seed bank decline in both bare and vegetated treatment plots was estimated by fitting exponential decay curves to seed bank estimates. Assuming no further seed inputs, it was estimated that it would take about 3 and 5 years, respectively, for seed banks to decline to 150 seeds/m2 in bare and vegetated treatments.

RACE RELATIONS ON THE NORTH COAST OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Oceania ◽  
1957 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malcolm J. C. Calley
Keyword(s):  
Race Relations ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
North Coast ◽  
The North ◽  
South Wales

The Relation Between the Food of the Australian Barracouta, Thyrsites atun (Euphrasen), and Recent Fluctuations in the Fisheries

1957 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Blackburn
Keyword(s):  
Population Distribution ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Downward Trend ◽  
Small Fish ◽  
Fish Diet ◽  
Upward Trend ◽  
Independent Evidence ◽  
South Wales

The diet of surface-swimming Australian barracouta was studied from over 10,000 stomachs. The principal prey organisms in Bass Strait are the euphausiid Nyctiphanes australis Sars, the anchovy Engraulis australis (White), and young barracouta, in that order; and in eastern Tasmania Nyctiphanes, Engraulis, and the sprat Clupea bassensis McCulloch, in that order. The pilchard Sardinops neopilchardus (Steindachner) is not an important item of the diet in these regions although it is so in New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia. The jack mackerel Trachurus declivis Jenyns is a significant item in eastern Tasmania and New South Wales but not in Bass Strait. These and other features of the fish diet of the barracouta reflect actual availability of the various small fish species in the waters. Barracouta eat Nyctiphanes by herding them into dense masses (or finding them already concentrated) and swallowing them. The movements of the anchovy make it unavailable to Bass Strait and eastern Tasmanian barracouta for much of the summer and autumn period, when the barracouta are thus dependent upon Nyctiphanes for the bulk of their food. A close positive relationship between the availability of barracouta and Nyctiphanes might therefore be expected at those seasons. There is evidence of such a relationship between mean availability (catch per boat-month) of barracouta and mean percentage of barracouta stomachs containing Nyctiphanes, at those seasons, from year to year. For southern Victorian coastal waters both show a downward trend from 1948-49 to 1950-51 and then an upward trend to 1953-54; for eastern Tasmania both show a downward trend (for autumn only) from 1949-50 through 1952-53. The records of catch per boat-month furnish independent evidence that the main variations in this index were effects of availability (population distribution or behaviour) rather than abundance (population size), at least for southern Victoria. It is therefore considered that when scarcity of barracouta occurs in summer and autumn in the coastal fishing areas it may be due to scarcity of Nyctiphanes, forcing the fish to go offshore for this food which is known to be available there. This would take the fish out of range of the fishermen.

Mammal surveys in the forests of the Carrai Plateau and Richmond Range in north-east New South Wales.

1994 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
J. Barker ◽  
D. Lunney ◽  
T. Bubela
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
North East ◽  
Mammal Fauna ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Species Lists ◽  
Fauna Composition ◽  
Eucalypt Forests ◽  
Open Forests

Mammal surveys were carried out on the Carrai Plateau and Richmond Range in north-east New South Wales between March 1988 and November 1989. The emphasis was placed on rainforest mammals, following the recognition by Adam ( 1987) that the species lists of mammals in the state's rainforests were incomplete and that more research was needed. The mammals were surveyed primarily by analysis of prey remains in Dog and Fox scats, collected from roads throughout the forests, and from bat trapping. The bat fauna at both the Carrai Plateau and Richmond Range is rich (1 0 species and nine species respectively, including the rare Golden-tipped Bat, Kerivoula papuensis, in the Richmond Range). Scat analysis revealed the presence of 24 native species on the Carrai Plateau, and on the Richmond Range there were 17 species, including high numbers of two pademelon species. Feral prey species are almost completely absent, although the Fox is an established predator in both areas. A sharp division was identified between the mammal faunas of closed and open forests. Differences were found also between the mammal fauna composition of the two rainforest sites, and with those of nearby eucalypt forests. The mammal fauna of New South Wales rainforests is distinct from open forests and future mammal surveys are needed to ensure an adequate level of knowledge to identify and conserve these areas.

Models of the distribution and abundance of ground-dwelling mammals in the eucalypt forests of north-eastern New South Wales in relation to environmental variables

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 313 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. Catling ◽  
R. J. Burt ◽  
R. I. Forrester
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Variables ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Slope Position ◽  
Slope Aspect ◽  
Significant Variable ◽  
South Wales ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Eucalypt Forests ◽  
A Site

Statistical models are presented of the distribution and abundance of ground-dwelling mammals in eucalypt forests in relation to environmental variables within an area of approximately 24 000 km2 in north-eastern New South Wales. Environmental variables are defined as climatic or topographic variables that may be useful to map the distribution of fauna. The environmental variables examined were season, temperature, rainfall, elevation, lithology, steepness of slope, position on slope, aspect and landform profile. The probability of recording some species was higher in spring than autumn and many species were in highest abundance in areas of low temperature (high elevation). Although aspect was a significant variable in a number of models, no species was absent from any aspect category. Mid-slopes down to and including creeks and drainage lines were particularly important for many species, as were areas with flatter terrain. Although we have modelled environmental variables only there will no doubt be longer-term interactions between habitat and environmental variables. Fundamentally, environmental variables will determine the type of habitat present at a site, and the distribution of canopy communities, at least, can be predicted from environmental variables. However, other studies have shown for ground-dwelling mammals that environmental variables contribute little and it is the state of the habitat locally, and particularly the understorey, that determines their presence and abundance at a site. The results are discussed in relation to similar models using habitat variables and in relation to the use of such models in the management of ground-dwelling fauna in forests.

The decline and likely loss of a population of the Northern Long-nosed Potoroo Potorous tridactylus tridactylus in Tyagarah Nature Reserve on the New South Wales Far North Coast

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Milledge ◽  
Norman Graham ◽  
Jill Smith
Keyword(s):  
Nature Reserve ◽  
New South ◽  
Local Population ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Camera Trapping ◽  
North Coast ◽  
Far North ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Alectura Lathami ◽  
Potorous Tridactylus

ABSTRACT A population of the Northern Long-nosed Potoroo Potorous tridactylus tridactylus in Tyagarah Nature Reserve on the far north coast of New South Wales was first recorded in 1985. In 1992, a cage-trapping study captured 15 individuals in the central section of the reserve and the population was estimated at 80–90 individuals at that time. A subsequent cage-trapping study in 2004 captured four individuals in the southern section of the reserve, but further cage- and camera-trapping surveys in 2009 and 2012 failed to detect any individuals. Additional camera-trapping surveys between 2012 and 2015 and more intensive surveys between 2015 and 2016 also failed to detect any individuals. The lack of detections from targeted surveys over seven years between 2009 and 2016 suggests that the Tyagarah population of the subspecies has been lost. Reasons for this loss are unclear but may be due to a combination of factors including isolation of the reserve by urban development and highway upgrades, a lack of fire for 40 years, competition for food with the local population of the Australian Brush-turkey Alectura lathami, prolonged drought and possibly, predation by the Red Fox Vulpes vulpes and non-target effects of predator control programs.

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