Sound recording of bird vocalisations in forests. II. Longitudinal profiles in vocal activity

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 209 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. B. Lindenmayer ◽  
R. B. Cunningham ◽  
B. D. Lindenmayer
Keyword(s):  
Radiata Pine ◽  
Early Morning ◽  
Sound Recording ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Eucalypt Forest ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Early Peak ◽  
Vocal Activity ◽  
Longitudinal Profiles ◽  
Linear Decline

As early morning bird vocalisation is a major feature of many bird communities, longitudinal profiles of vocal activity data, collected using sound recorders, were compared for a range of habitat types in the Tumut area of south-eastern Australia. There was a significant, and roughly linear, decline in vocal activity across the morning after an initial early peak of activity. Vocal activity persisted longer at sites located within large areas of continuous eucalypt forest than in the strip- and patch-shaped eucalypt remnants surrounded by extensive stands of radiata pine or at sites dominated by stands of radiata pine. There was evidence that the pattern of persistence of vocal activity differed among the different bird groups.

Sound recording of bird vocalisations in forests. I. Relationships between bird vocalisations and point interval counts of bird numbers - a case study in statistical modeling

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 195 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. B. Cunningham ◽  
D. B. Lindenmayer ◽  
B. D. Lindenmayer
Keyword(s):  
Sound Recording ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Point Count ◽  
Point Counts ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Vocal Activity ◽  
Fragmented Forests ◽  
Point Count Method ◽  
The Relationship

Morning vocal activity data for birds were collected using automatic sound recorders at 165 sites in fragmented forests at Tumut in south-eastern Australia. A model was developed to describe the statistical properties of the vocal activity data and study the relationship between the number of 'elements' (or notes) broadcast by birds and the number of birds recorded by human observers. We discuss the practical issues of finding a model where variance heterogeneity and skewness is a feature of the data, while the context of the problem required that multiplicative relationships be preserved. A satisfactory fit to our vocal activity data was obtained by using a Gamma distribution.For most groups of birds, the observed relationships between vocal activity and the number of birds recorded by human point counts were weak but statistically significant.Our analysis suggests that these data provide limited useful information about vocal activity per bird. Automatic sound-recording data may be informative for drawing inferences about temporal patterns in vocal activity but do not seem useful as a method for estimating the abundance of birds. A significant relationship was identified between the number of species vocalising, as measured by sound recorders, and the number of species observed by point count method. However, the relationship was far from isometric and there were many more species detected by the sound recorders than by human observers.Results from analyses of vocal activity data gathered at Tumut were confirmed by additional data obtained in a subsequent, small calibration study in the Namadgi National Park in the Australian Capital Territory.

Patch use by the greater glider (Petauroides volans) in a fragmented forest ecosystem. II. Characteristics of den trees and preliminary data on den-use patterns

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 569 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. B. Lindenmayer ◽  
M. L. Pope ◽  
R. B. Cunningham
Keyword(s):  
Radiata Pine ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Patch Use ◽  
Fragmented Forest ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Eucalypt Forest ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Core Areas ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Average Size

This paper presents the results of a study of the use of den trees by the greater glider (Petauroides volans) in five patches of remnant eucalypt forest embedded within an extensive radiata pine (Pinus radiata) plantation near Tumut in south-eastern Australia. Radio-tracking was used to identify 171 den trees occupied by 40 animals over 948 animal-tracking days between September 1997 and September 1998. All radio-tracked P. volans used multiple den trees. Males used significantly more den trees than females and a greater proportion of these were used for single visits. Males also used fewer new den trees over the study period in the smaller patches, although they still used more than females. In the larger patches, males and females used similar numbers of den trees. Commonly used den trees tended to be situated in (or close to) core areas of an individual’s home range. Den tree sharing, either concurrently or independently, was predominantly between adult males and females, or between adults and their young. Trees most likely to be used by more than one individual had the same characteristics as trees that had the highest probability of use per se – that is, they were of large ‘average size’.

Mistletoes increasing in eucalypt forest near Eden, New South Wales

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 171 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Turner ◽  
Peter Smith
Keyword(s):  
High Frequency ◽  
New South ◽  
Natural Cycle ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Eucalypt Forest ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Boom And Bust

Mistletoe proliferation has contributed to eucalypt decline in rural lands in south-eastern Australia, but has seldom been recorded within forests. We report here on mistletoes increasing deep inside extensive eucalypt forest near Eden. Mistletoes (chiefly Amyema pendula (Sieber ex Spreng.) Tiegh., some Muellerina eucalyptoides (DC.) Barlow) were counted in 180 plots in various logging and burning treatments within a long-term experimental area. In 141.4 ha, there were 516 mistletoes in 1990–1991, and 1478 mistletoes in 2004–2006. The number of trees with mistletoes increased (doubling in logged coupes and almost tripling in unlogged coupes), and the number of mistletoes per tree increased (by ~30%). However, mistletoe prevalence remained low in 2004–2006 (2.7% of trees in logged coupes and 3.7% in unlogged coupes). Intensive logging limited the increase in mistletoe-bearing trees, probably because there were fewer trees available in logged coupes, but had no significant effect on the increase in mistletoes per tree. Low-intensity prescribed burns had no significant effect on mistletoe numbers, even with a high frequency of burning, probably because of their low scorch heights. We suggest that the observed increase in mistletoes in this forest, rather than indicating an ecological imbalance, is part of a natural cycle of boom and bust, with populations crashing in severe wildfires.

The Response of Small Mammals to Clearing and Burning of Eucalypt Forest in South-eastern Australia

1979 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 151 ◽  
Author(s):  
GR Friend
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Pine Plantation ◽  
Eucalypt Forest ◽  
Population Turnover ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Antechinus Stuartii ◽  
Rattus Fuscipes

Before, during and after a clearing operation for pine plantation establishment, small mammals were trapped on ridges which were to be cleared of all vegetation, and in adjacent gullies which were to be permanently retained under native forest. Rattus fuscipes was the most abundant native species on all grids throughout the study, while R. lutreolus, Antechinus stuartii and A. swainsonii were in low abundance. Clearing in early summer, the breeding season in most of these species, resulted in an acceleration and accentuation of population turnover. Some juveniles and subadults may have moved from the ridges during clearing, while breeding adults remained and probably perished. Populations of R. fuscipes on ridge areas were drastically reduced by clearing and windrowing, but subadults recolonized the affected areas within 1-2 months. Results for the other three native species were inconclusive, due to the few individuals captured at any time during the study. The exotic species Mus musculus began to invade immediately following windrow burning.

Seasonal Production of Hypogeal Fungal Sporocarps in a Mixed-Species Eucalypt Forest Stand in South-Eastern Australia

1993 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 145 ◽  
Author(s):  
AW Claridge ◽  
AP Robinson ◽  
MT Tanton ◽  
RB Cunningham
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Forest Stand ◽  
Mixed Species ◽  
Probability Of Occurrence ◽  
Soil Variables ◽  
Eucalypt Forest ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Physical Variables ◽  
Over Time

The seasonal production of hypogeal fungal sporoearps was monitored over an 18 month period in a catchment of mixed-species euealypt forest in East Gippsland, Vietoria. During the study, sporocarps of one Ascomycete and 25 Basidiomycete species were collected from soil quadrats sampled sequentially around the bases of eucalypt trees- Sporocarps from these species varied in their dimensions and morphological characteristics. Productivity varied from 21 000 sporocarps ha-1 to 181 000 sporocarps ha-1 or 1.8 kg ha-1 to 8.3 kg ha-1 per month. The probability of occurrence of sporocarps was, on average, greater in midslope sites on a sheltered aspect than elsewhere within the catchment. The number of sporocarps produced varied over time, with a major peak in production occurring during May (late-autumn). This peak occurred mainly within gully sites, which supported on average a greater number of sporocarps than ridge or midslope sites, but a lesser weight of sporocarps. The distribution and productivity (probability of occurrence, number and weight) of sporocarps appeared to be associated with some environmental (soil) variables, but not the physical variables (host tree), that we measured. Sporocarps of some species fruited predominantly in ridge and slope habitats, some species fruited mainly in gullies, whereas others apparently showed no preference for fruiting in ridges, slopes and gullies. Thus, in forest catchments subject to land-management practices such as logging and fire, it may be important to retain undisturbed habitat throughout the topographic sequence to conserve a diversity of hypogeal species.

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