scholarly journals A study of the biology of the wild rabbit in climatically different regions in eastern Australia. I. Patterns of distribution

1965 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Myers ◽  
B. S. Parker
1974 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
BS Parker ◽  
K Myers

Aerial surveys can be used to measure the distribution of rabbit warrens over large areas of arid and semiarid Australia. Clumped patterns of distribution of rabbit warrens found by ground surveys are also detected in aerial surveys, which further show that the highest density of warrens occurs in habitats containing shales or other fine-grained rocks overlain by recent sediments, or those closely related to drainage systems. A good picture of rabbit distribution is obtained when about 25% of the area has been overed by the aircraft. * Part IV, Aust. J. Zool., 1971, 19, 355–70.


1977 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 721 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Taylor ◽  
L Freedman ◽  
TJ Olivier ◽  
J McCluskey

Morphometric distances, based on 20 skull measurements, were determined between eight localized Australian wild rabbit populations and a sample from the British Isles. To minimize the influence of age-associated variation in the Australian series, only animals estimated to be at least 12 months old (based on epiphyseal and dry eye-lens aging techniques) were included. Sexes were pooled after univariate and multivariate testing for sexual dimorphism and eliminating bizygomatic breadth. By means of univariate statistics, Mahalanobis generalized distance and canonical analysis, the various Australian and British Isles samples were shown to differ appreciably, morphometric distance increasing clinally in eastern Australia with geographic distance from the point of introduction (Geelong, Vic.). Based on a plot of first and second canonical variates, differences between three Canberra area samples were comparable in magnitude to those between certain populations separated by much greater geographic distances. These findings are consistent with results of studies of blood protein variations in Australian wild rabbit populations.


1988 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 385 ◽  
Author(s):  
BR Maslin ◽  
L Pedley

Patterns of distribution are described for the three subgenera and nine sections that make up the Australian Acacia flora. Subgenus Phyllodineae (833 species) is widespread and contains 99% of the species; subgenus Acacia (six species) and subgenus Aculeiferum (one species) are poorly represented and virtually confined to the north of the continent. The geographic patterns of species-richness are strongly influenced by sections Phyllodineae (352 species), Juliflorae (219 species) and Plurinerves (178 species). Section Phyllodineae has centres of richness south of the Tropic of Capricorn in temperate and adjacent semiarid areas of eastern, south-eastern and south-western Australia. The section is poorly represented in the tropics. The closely related sections Juliflorae and Plurinerves predominate in the north of the continent, semiarid areas of the south-west, many rocky tablelands of the Arid Zone and along the Great Dividing Range and adjacent inland riverine lowland areas in eastern Australia. The remaining four sections contribute little to the overall patterns of species-richness. The principal speciespoor areas are sandy and fluvial lowland regions of the Arid Zone. In eastern Australia, sections Botrycephalae, Juliflorae, Phyllodineae and Plurinerves show discontinuous patterns of species-richness along the Great Dividing Range. All sections have species whose ranges terminate in the area of the McPherson-Macleay Overlap region.


1975 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Myers ◽  
BS Parker

This paper describes a dramatic fall in rabbit populations in a large area of semiarid north-western New South Wales, due to a severe drought, and the increase in numbers which followed. The reduction in numbers differed markedly in different land systems. The areas which supported rabbit populations throughout the study were limited to the proximity of swamps in sandy habitats, and close to drainage channels in stony habitats; populations became extinct over large areas of sandy habitats. In the stony habitats populations increased very rapidly in the 12 months following the breaking of the drought, whereas in the sandy habitats it took c. 3 y before a noticeable increase. The difference was probably a result of differences in survival, due mainly to the effects of predation and to the availability of open warrens. In sandy habitats drift sand buried untenanted warrens very rapidly. The environment affected not only rabbits but also their main predators, the fox and the cat. No cats and very few foxes were observed in stony habitats. The main activities of both species were confined to refuge areas in sandy habitats. The most significant correlation between indices of rabbit numbers and indices of use of rabbit warrens was the number of active burrows per unit area of habitat.


1995 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 253 ◽  
Author(s):  
CK Williams ◽  
RJ Moore

An experiment compared effectiveness, cost and cost-efficiency of factorial combinations of the four commonly used methods of rabbit control on grazing properties in the Southern Tablelands of eastern Australia. Sixteen different treatment combinations were applied to 32 sites. The treatments comprised initial control, applied over four months, followed by repeated maintenance control on half the replicates, applied after intervals of 2,6 and 12 months. Initial control comprised no treatment, or poisoning (P) with sodium monofluoroacetate (1080), or warren-ripping (R), or chloropicrin pressure fumigation (F), or combinations of these (P+R, P+F, R+F, P+R+F). Maintenance control consisted of phosphine-diffusion fumigation (M). Indices of rabbit abundance were compared one month before treatments were implemented. Treatment effects were assessed one month after completion of the initial control, and one and 5-6 months after the three maintenance controls, and additionally nine months after the second maintenance control. Control combinations that were highly effective and cost-efficient included both warren-ripping and maintenance treatment. Poisoning prior to warren-ripping, or fumigating subsequently, or both, improved effectiveness and cost-efficiency. Warren-ripping interacted positively with one or more subsequent fumigations, improving effectiveness and cost-efficiency non-additively. Control combinations that excluded warren-ripping were ineffective and cost-inefficient, and one combination interacted negatively. Single treatments of poisoning or fumigation were cost-inefficient, allowing rabbits to recolonise rapidly to densities higher than original. Only multiple combination treatments or repeated applications were highly effective and cost-efficient; single applications of any method were inefficient and costly. The most effective and cost-efficient combination comprised the maximum six applications including ripping and maintenance treatment, namely P+R+F+M. The high effort and expenditure on the initial control resulted in high effectiveness and cost-efficiency, which maintenance control sustained at low cost. Maintenance treatments sustained or achieved effective control of rabbits; the cost of maintenance treatments halved on each repetition.


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