Frequent fires reduce the nutritional quality of Sorghum stipoideum seed, a keystone food resource for the Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae)

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Weier ◽  
Ian J. Radford ◽  
Alan Manson ◽  
Lesley J. Durrans ◽  
Michael J. Lawes
Keyword(s):  
Soil Nutrients ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Seed Quality ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Tropical Savannas ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Gouldian Finch

Fire is a pervasive feature of the tropical savannas of northern Australia. Increasingly extensive and intensive fires have had an adverse effect on grass layer diversity. Reduced grass species diversity and abundance are important correlates of the decline of granivores in these tropical savannas. The Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae), an endangered species that is endemic to northern Australia, is particularly vulnerable to changes to the grass layer as its diet comprises only grass seed, and it relies mostly on Sorghum stipoideum during the breeding season. Although this annual grass species is abundant at breeding sites, the finches do not always choose to breed at these sites, raising the possibility that seed quality may vary from year to year. This study examines the effect of fire (time since last fire; fire frequency) on soil fertility and seed nutritional quality. We hypothesise that recently burnt sites produce a flush of soil nutrients and Sorghum stipoideum seed at these sites is of higher nutritional quality. Furthermore, we posit that frequently burnt sites become depleted of soil nutrients and their seeds are of lower nutritional quality. There was a significant increase in inorganic nitrogen in soils following a fire, but no notable change in other soil nutrients. Contingent on this increase in soil inorganic nitrogen, seed nutrient levels, particularly essential proteins, were greater at sites that were recently, but infrequently burnt. Fires appear to affect soil nitrogen and in turn seed nutrition, providing a plausible explanation for why Gouldian finches choose recently, but infrequently burnt breeding sites.

Comparison of the breeding sites and habitat of two hole-nesting estrildid finches, one endangered, in northern Australia

1992 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 373-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia C. Tidemann ◽  
James Boyden ◽  
Robert Elvish ◽  
Jennifer Elvish ◽  
Brian O'Gorman
Keyword(s):  
Discriminant Analysis ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Termite Mounds ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Tree Hollows ◽  
Feeding Habitat ◽  
Gouldian Finch

ABSTRACTThe endangered Gouldian Finch Erythrura gouldiae is the only Australian finch to nest exclusively in tree hollows or, more rarely, in termite mounds. It is sympatric with the abundant Long-tailed Finch Poephila aculicauda which nests frequently in tree hollows. The aim of this study was to define the characteristics of nest sites and breeding areas of Gouldian and Long-tailed Finches to determine whether nest hollows were in short supply, and where finches fed relative to their nest sites. The Gouldian Finch chose hollows with smaller, more northerly entrances than Long-tailed, or randomly chosen hollows, nested deeper down the hollow and on steeper hill-slopes. Both species preferred single to multi-trunked trees of larger diameter than trees with randomly chosen hollows. Discriminant analysis classified 22–25% of the randomly chosen hollows and 28–38% of Long-tailed nesting hollows as Gouldian hollows. Gouldian Finches were more specific in their choice of nest sites than Long-tailed Finches. The vegetation at the two sites differed floristically, but within each site there was no floristic distinction between feeding or breeding sites or sites chosen at random. Gouldian Finches chose feeding habitat where trees were more spaced, on less rocky, barer ground than around breeding sites.On the basis of the criteria measured, there was no shortage of suitable hollows available to the Gouldian Finch for nesting. The overlap between feeding and breeding sites indicates the importance of managing breeding habitat for conservation.

Correlates of grass-species composition in a savanna woodland in northern Australia

2009 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. A. Scott ◽  
S. A. Setterfield ◽  
A. N. Andersen ◽  
M. M. Douglas
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Tropical Savannas ◽  
Environmental Characteristics ◽  
Savanna Woodland ◽  
Litter Cover

Environmental features associated with the distribution of grass species are poorly known in tropical savannas, particularly at smaller spatial scales. The present study aimed to determine the relative influence of 11 environmental characteristics on grass-species composition in a savanna woodland in northern Australia. Environmental characteristics relating to woody-vegetation structure and soil, plus the long-term (14-year) fire frequency, were documented along an environmental gradient and compared with grass-species composition. Differences in grass-species composition, as well as richness and evenness, were related to differences in vegetation structure and edaphic characteristics. In particular, grass-species composition was most strongly related to plant-available moisture, the density of woody plants in the midstorey (2.0–9.99 m height), and canopy and litter cover. Grass-species richness and evenness were extremely low in areas where midstorey density, canopy cover and litter cover were high, and where soil moisture content in the root zone of grasses was low. Differences in fire frequency also influenced grass-species composition, with areas that had experienced lower fire frequency during the previous 14 years having lower density of the annual grass Sorghum intrans (F.Muell. ex Benth.) and the perennial grass Heteropogon triticeus (R.Br.) Stapf, and increased dominance of the perennial Eriachne triseta Nees ex Steud. The results of the present study demonstrate a complex interplay between bottom-up environmental factors and top-down processes such as fire, as determinants of grass-species composition in tropical savannas.

scholarly journals Causes of the decline of the Gouldian Finch Erythrura gouldiae

1996 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia C. Tidemann
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Tree Hollows ◽  
Gouldian Finch

SummaryPopulations of Gouldian Finch Erythrura gouldiae, an estrildid endemic to northern Australia, declined markedly during the last two or three decades. A survey revealed the species in two areas of Northern Territory, with an estimated 2,000 individuals, including juveniles. Recaptures were low either because of mortality or dispersal. Gouldian Finches eat predominantly Sorghum spp. seeds, but consume other seeds before Sorghum ripens. Other finches declined as cattle increased. Gouldian Finches breed in tree hollows of predominantly two species of eucalypts that grow on rocky slopes. They require water within about 4 km of the nest site. There was no shortage of nesting hollows at the known breeding sites. Fires in the early to mid-dry season allow birds access to seed without damaging trees, but later fires can destroy trees with nest hollows and remove shade. Average clutch-size is 5.2. About 72% of eggs laid, and 63% of nests, fledged young. Pairs lay up to three clutches in a season (February-August), the length of which may depend on rainfall during the preceding wet season. Air-sac mite (Sternostoma tracheacolum), found in 62% of Gouldian Finches sampled, may be preventing the species recovering to former numbers. New colonies of Gouldian Finches should be identified, populations monitored, and habitat managed by effecting patchy burns by low-intensity fires early in the dry season.

MANAGEMENT OF NEW CULTIVARS FOR DRYLAND

1983 ◽  
pp. 61-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.A. Lancashire ◽  
J.L. Brock
Keyword(s):  
Tall Fescue ◽  
Seed Quality ◽  
Technical Information ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Seasonally Dry ◽  
Prairie Grass ◽  
Management Procedures ◽  
New Cultivars

Some characteristics of seed quality, establishment rates, performance in mixtures and response to grazing management of 5 new pasture plants with potential in dryland are described. On a dry hill country site in the Wairarapa, the contribution of the sown grasses established in separate plots with clovers under rotational grazing was 'Grasslands Wana' cocksfoot 65%; 'Grasslands Maru' phalaris 23%; 'Grasslands Matua' prairie grass 22%; and 'Grasslands Roa' tall fescue 13% after 2 years. The other main grass species was resident perennial ryegrass which established from buried seed (ca. 240 plants/m*) and had a major impact on the establishment and growth of the sown grasses. On a seasonally dry Manawatu flat land soil 3 grazing managementsviz. set stocked all year (S); rotational all year (R); and combination (Cl (set stocked from lambing to drafting and rotational for the remainder of the year) were applied to mixtures of the new cultivars (except that 'Grasslands Apanui' cocksfoot replaced Wana) with ryegrass and white clover stocked at 20 sheep/ha. After 3 years the contribution of the new cultivars was negligible under S and ryegrass was dominant. The R pastures became cocksfoot dominant and Matua (in winter) and chicory (in summer) contributed more than in the S system. The C system produced the most evenly balanced species contribution with only Roa remaining at (5%. A sub-trial with cocksfoot cultivars demonstrated that Wana maintained better production and tiller density ~ll,000/m2 ) than Apanui (1000/m' ) under set stocking IS). Although some of the new cultivars will require specialised management procedures to fulfil their potential in dryland, the increasing and widespread use of Matua prairie grass in farming suggests that these techniques can be adopted in commercial agriculture provided good technical information is available in a management package when the cultivar is released. Keywords: Dryland, grazing management, mixtures, Matua prairie grass, Wana cocksfoot, Roa tall fescue, Maru phalaris, Chicory

Ecological correlates of folivore abundance in north Queensland rainforests

2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Kanowski ◽  
M. S. Hopkins ◽  
Helene Marsh ◽  
J. W. Winter
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Inverse Relationship ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Metamorphic Rocks ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Altitudinal Variation ◽  
Foliage Quality

The ecological factors controlling the distribution and abundance of the folivorous marsupials endemic to the rainforests of northern Australia are not understood. In this study, we surveyed folivore abundance at 40 sites stratified by altitude and geology in rainforests of the Atherton Tableland, north Queensland. All five species of folivore that inhabit the study area were more abundant in highland (800–1200 m) than in upland (400–800 m) forests. Allowing for the effects of altitude, four species of folivore were more abundant in forests on nutrient-rich basalts than in forests on nutrient-poor acid igneous or metamorphic rocks. The abundance of two folivore species also varied inversely with rainfall. Altitudinal variation in folivore abundance in the study area has been attributed to habitat destruction, Aboriginal hunting, the distribution of host plants and climate; however, none of these hypotheses has been tested. Variation in folivore abundance with geology is plausibly explained as a response to the nutritional quality of foliage. Foliage quality may also explain the inverse relationship between two of the folivores and rainfall. The results of this study show that only a relatively small proportion of north Queensland rainforests support abundant populations of the endemic folivorous marsupials.

scholarly journals A Landscape-Scale, Applied Fire Management Experiment Promotes Recovery of a Population of the Threatened Gouldian Finch, Erythrura gouldiae, in Australia’s Tropical Savannas

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. e0137997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Legge ◽  
Stephen Garnett ◽  
Kim Maute ◽  
Joanne Heathcote ◽  
Steve Murphy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fire Management ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Tropical Savannas ◽  
Gouldian Finch

The short-term effects of an extensive and high-intensity fire on vertebrates in the tropical savannas of the central Kimberley, northern Australia

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Legge ◽  
Stephen Murphy ◽  
Joanne Heathcote ◽  
Emma Flaxman ◽  
John Augusteyn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Tropical Savannas ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
In Fire

We report the effects of an extensive (>7000 km2), high-intensity late-dry-season fire in the central Kimberley, Western Australia, on the species richness and abundance of mammals, reptiles and birds. Five weeks after the fire we surveyed 12 sites (six burnt, six unburnt); each pair of sites was closely matched for soil type and vegetation. The species richness and abundance of mammals and reptiles was greater at unburnt sites, especially for mammals (with a 4-fold difference in abundance between burnt and unburnt sites). There was an indication that reptiles immigrated into unburnt patches, but mammals did not. There were also species-specific responses to the fire: Rattus tunneyi and Pseudomys nanus were much more abundant in unburnt sites, whereas Pseudomys delicatulus was caught in equal numbers at burnt and unburnt sites. Diurnal reptiles were more abundant at unburnt sites, but nocturnal reptiles were equally common at burnt and unburnt sites. Avian species richness and overall abundance was similar between burnt and unburnt patches, although a few species showed preferences for one state or the other. The overall high trapping success for mammals (18% across all sites; 28% in unburnt patches) contrasts with the well documented mammal collapse in parts of northern Australia and seems paradoxical given that our study area has experienced the same increase in fire frequency and extent that is often blamed for species collapse. However, our study area has fewer pressures from other sources, including grazing by large herbivores, suggesting that the effects of these pressures, and their interaction with fire, may have been underestimated in previous studies.

scholarly journals Ecological Implications of Fine-Scale Fire Patchiness and Severity in Tropical Savannas of Northern Australia

Fire Ecology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia L. J. Oliveira ◽  
Manuel L. Campagnolo ◽  
Owen F. Price ◽  
Andrew C. Edwards ◽  
Jeremy Russell-Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fine Scale ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Tropical Savannas ◽  
Ecological Implications ◽  
Fire Patchiness

Optimal Fire Regimes for Soil Carbon Storage in Tropical Savannas of Northern Australia

Ecosystems ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 503-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna E. Richards ◽  
Garry D. Cook ◽  
Brian T. Lynch
Keyword(s):  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Soil Carbon Storage ◽  
Tropical Savannas

Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Seed Vigour Potential of Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) during Ambient Storage

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ovais Hamid Peerzada ◽  
V. S. Mor ◽  
O. S. Dahiya
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Seed Quality ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Seed Vigour ◽  
Ambient Storage ◽  
Seedling Length ◽  
Vigour Index ◽  
Trigonella Foenum Graecum L

The experiment was conducted at Department of Seed Science and Technology CCS, Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar, Haryana from 2013-15 and comprised of seventeen treatment combinations of manures (viz., FYM and Vermicompost), bio-fertilizers (viz., Rhizobium and PSB) and fertilizers. The freshly harvested fenugreek seeds of all the seventeen treatment plot combinations were stored in plastic containers under ambient conditions up to a period of eighteen months. Seed quality was assessed at a regular interval of six months. A significant decline in seed quality was observed in all the nutrient combinations as the period of ageing increased. It was observed that the treatment combination of Rhizobium and PSB along with 75% Recommended Dose of Nitrogen (RDN) recorded significantly higher germination % (87.33%), seedling length (24.77 cm), dry weight (7.5 mg), vigour index-I (2163) and vigour index-II (657) followed by PSB with 100% RDN and Rhizobium with 100% RDN after eighteen months of ambient storage as compared to control. The electrical conductivity (333 µS cm-1g-1) was also recorded minimum in the treatment Rhizobium and PSB along with 75% RDN followed by PSB with 100% RDN and Rhizobium with 100% RDN after the period of ambient storage while the maximum was recorded in control. The study highlighted that the slightly reduced dose of inorganic nitrogen was best when applied in combination with bio-fertilizer (Rhizobium+PSB) for maximizing the storage potential of fenugreek seed as compared to the rest of treatments.

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