Signals of change in tropical savanna woodland vertebrate fauna 5 years after cessation of livestock grazing

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 386 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Kutt ◽  
E. P. Vanderduys ◽  
J. J. Perry ◽  
G. C. Perkins ◽  
J. E. Kemp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Management ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Management Activity ◽  
Vertebrate Fauna ◽  
Terrestrial Vertebrate ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Context There is growing evidence that vertebrates inhabiting the extensive savannas of northern Australia are undergoing a widespread decline as a result of the effects of anthropogenic land management such as the grazing of domestic stock. Despite the ubiquity of pastoral grazing in the Australian savannas, few studies have examined the changes in terrestrial vertebrate fauna following destocking. Aims The present study monitored the response of birds, mammals and reptiles to destocking of a newly acquired conservation reserve in north-eastern Australia. Methods The vertebrate fauna was sampled over a 5-year period. Standardised 1-ha survey was conducted twice a year in 2006, 2007 and 2010, at 40 sites representing six habitat types. Key results The fauna assemblage, the abundance and richness of major taxa, and the abundance of a suite of individual species were found to vary significantly with time since destocking. Although some of the observed trends were consistent with previously reported responses of vertebrates to grazing, in general species richness and abundance did not increase linearly over time since destocking, with an overall decline in the first year, and an increase in the subsequent survey. Mammals remained at very low abundance and displayed a trend contrary to that for birds and reptiles, and variation was often confounded by habitat type. Conclusions In general, where there has been a long history of pastoral land management, destocking alone may not induce short-term increases in the vertebrate fauna thought to be affected by grazing in Australian savannas. Implications Monitoring the outcomes of conservation management activity is a critical component of understanding the success, failures and adaptation needed to maximise the costs and benefits of conservation investment. The recovery of the vertebrate fauna thought to be of conservation concern in relatively intensively used, long-grazed landscapes may be lengthy and contingent on other factors, such as periods of favourable weather, or understanding the interactive effects of herbivore removal, fire pattern and feral predators. In such landscapes, it is possible that recovery of some elements of the vertebrate fauna may not occur without deliberate interventions, such as reintroductions or intense predator control.

Floodplain amphibian abundance: responses to flooding and habitat type in Barmah Forest, Murray River, Australia

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather M. McGinness ◽  
Anthony D. Arthur ◽  
Keith A. Ward ◽  
Paula A. Ward
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Environmental Flows ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Flood Frequency ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Seasonal Timing ◽  
Murray River ◽  
Frog Species ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Context Frog species are now targets for delivery of high-value managed environmental flows on floodplains. Information on the drivers of frog presence and abundance is required to support adaptive management, including analysis of the roles of flood frequency, flood timing and habitat type. Aims This paper describes frog species richness and abundance responses to flooding and habitat type in the Barmah Forest, part of the largest river red gum forest in the world. Methods Surveys were conducted at 22 sites over 6 years, to determine species presence, relative abundance, and evidence of breeding. Data were then used to examine temporal patterns within and between wet and dry years and spatial relationships with site geomorphology, vegetation form and wetting frequency. Key results Six species were common and widespread, and three were rare. The seasonal timing of peak numbers of calling males differed among species. The seasonal pattern of calling for each species did not differ between wet and dry years; however, significantly lower numbers of frogs were recorded calling in dry years. The number of frogs calling was significantly higher in well vegetated grassy wetlands. Evidence of a positive relationship between wetting frequency and numbers of calling males was found for Limnodynastes fletcheri, Crinia signifera and Limnodynastes dumerilii. The abundance of tadpoles was significantly higher in wet years. Conclusions The seasonal timing of flooding in Barmah Forest will influence the breeding success of individual species with different preferences. Flooding from September to December is required to cover most preferred breeding seasons, but longer durations may be required to maximise recruitment. This, together with regular flooding of well vegetated grassy wetland habitat, will increase the likelihood of species persistence and maximise diversity. Insufficient flooding frequency will result in reduced frog species richness and abundance. Implications Managed flooding is important for frog abundance and species richness. This study emphasises the value of key habitats such as well vegetated grassy wetlands and reinforces the need to make their preservation a priority for management. It has identified knowledge gaps to drive future data collection for improved modelling, including a need for further research on flow-regime change and frog communities.

scholarly journals Wood Pastures: A Transitional Habitat between Forests and Pastures for Dung Beetle Assemblages

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
László Somay ◽  
Viktor Szigeti ◽  
Gergely Boros ◽  
Réka Ádám ◽  
András Báldi
Keyword(s):  
Functional Group ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Assemblage Composition ◽  
Beetle Assemblages

Wood pastures are home to a variety of species, including the dung beetle. Dung beetles are an important functional group in decomposition. Specifically, in terms of livestock manure, they not only contribute to nutrient cycling but are key players in supporting human and animal health. Dung beetles, however, are declining in population, and urgent recommendations are needed to reverse this trend. Recommendations need to be based on solid evidence and specific habitats. Herein, we aimed to investigate the role of an intermediate habitat type between forests and pastures. Wood pastures are key areas for dung beetle conservation. For this reason, we compared dung beetle assemblages among forests, wood pastures, and grasslands. We complemented this with studies on the effects of dung type and season at three Hungarian locations. Pitfall traps baited with cattle, sheep, or horse dung were used in forests, wood pastures, and pasture habitats in spring, summer, and autumn. Dung beetle assemblages of wood pastures showed transient characteristics between forests and pastures regarding their abundance, species richness, Shannon diversity, assemblage composition, and indicator species. We identified a strong effect of season and a weak of dung type. Assemblage composition proved to be the most sensitive measure of differences among habitats. The conservation of dung beetles, and the decomposition services they provide, need continuous livestock grazing to provide fresh dung, as well as the maintenance of wood pastures where dung beetle assemblages typical of forests and pastures can both survive.

scholarly journals Evolutionary history and genetic connectivity across highly fragmented populations of an endangered daisy

Heredity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yael S. Rodger ◽  
Alexandra Pavlova ◽  
Steve Sinclair ◽  
Melinda Pickup ◽  
Paul Sunnucks
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Gene Flow ◽  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Genetic Connectivity ◽  
Evolutionary Divergence ◽  
Common Component ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Eastern Australia

AbstractConservation management can be aided by knowledge of genetic diversity and evolutionary history, so that ecological and evolutionary processes can be preserved. The Button Wrinklewort daisy (Rutidosis leptorrhynchoides) was a common component of grassy ecosystems in south-eastern Australia. It is now endangered due to extensive habitat loss and the impacts of livestock grazing, and is currently restricted to a few small populations in two regions >500 km apart, one in Victoria, the other in the Australian Capital Territory and nearby New South Wales (ACT/NSW). Using a genome-wide SNP dataset, we assessed patterns of genetic structure and genetic differentiation of 12 natural diploid populations. We estimated intrapopulation genetic diversity to scope sources for genetic management. Bayesian clustering and principal coordinate analyses showed strong population genetic differentiation between the two regions, and substantial substructure within ACT/NSW. A coalescent tree-building approach implemented in SNAPP indicated evolutionary divergence between the two distant regions. Among the populations screened, the last two known remaining Victorian populations had the highest genetic diversity, despite having among the lowest recent census sizes. A maximum likelihood population tree method implemented in TreeMix suggested little or no recent gene flow except potentially between very close neighbours. Populations that were more genetically distinctive had lower genetic diversity, suggesting that drift in isolation is likely driving population differentiation though loss of diversity, hence re-establishing gene flow among them is desirable. These results provide background knowledge for evidence-based conservation and support genetic rescue within and between regions to elevate genetic diversity and alleviate inbreeding.

Ecological values of intermittent rivers for terrestrial vertebrate fauna

2021 ◽  
pp. 151308
Author(s):  
María Mar Sánchez-Montoya ◽  
Rosa Gómez ◽  
Jose F. Calvo ◽  
Tomáš Bartonička ◽  
Thibault Datry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vertebrate Fauna ◽  
Terrestrial Vertebrate ◽  
Intermittent Rivers ◽  
Ecological Values

scholarly journals Land surface phenological response to decadal climate variability across Australia using satellite remote sensing

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 7685-7719 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Broich ◽  
A. Huete ◽  
M. G. Tulbure ◽  
X. Ma ◽  
Q. Xin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Decadal Climate Variability ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Phenological Cycle

Abstract. Land surface phenological cycles of vegetation greening and browning are influenced by variability in climatic forcing. Quantitative information on phenological cycles and their variability is important for agricultural applications, wildfire fuel accumulation, land management, land surface modeling, and climate change studies. Most phenology studies have focused on temperature-driven Northern Hemisphere systems, where phenology shows annually reoccurring patterns. Yet, precipitation-driven non-annual phenology of arid and semi-arid systems (i.e. drylands) received much less attention, despite the fact that they cover more than 30% of the global land surface. Here we focused on Australia, the driest inhabited continent with one of the most variable rainfall climates in the world and vast areas of dryland systems. Detailed and internally consistent studies investigating phenological cycles and their response to climate variability across the entire continent designed specifically for Australian dryland conditions are missing. To fill this knowledge gap and to advance phenological research, we used existing methods more effectively to study geographic and climate-driven variability in phenology over Australia. We linked derived phenological metrics with rainfall and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). We based our analysis on Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) data from the MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) from 2000 to 2013, which included extreme drought and wet years. We conducted a continent-wide investigation of the link between phenology and climate variability and a more detailed investigation over the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB), the primary agricultural area and largest river catchment of Australia. Results showed high inter- and intra-annual variability in phenological cycles. Phenological cycle peaks occurred not only during the austral summer but at any time of the year, and their timing varied by more than a month in the interior of the continent. The phenological cycle peak magnitude and integrated greenness were most significantly correlated with monthly SOI within the preceding 12 months. Correlation patterns occurred primarily over north-eastern Australia and within the MDB predominantly over natural land cover and particularly in floodplain and wetland areas. Integrated greenness of the phenological cycles (surrogate of productivity) showed positive anomalies of more than two standard deviations over most of eastern Australia in 2009–2010, which coincided with the transition between the El Niño induced decadal droughts to flooding caused by La Niña. The quantified spatial-temporal variability in phenology across Australia in response to climate variability presented here provides important information for land management and climate change studies and applications.

scholarly journals Olson's Extinction and the latitudinal biodiversity gradient of tetrapods in the Permian

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1852) ◽  
pp. 20170231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Brocklehurst ◽  
Michael O. Day ◽  
Bruce S. Rubidge ◽  
Jörg Fröbisch
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Mass Extinction ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Middle Permian ◽  
Lower Permian ◽  
Vertebrate Fauna ◽  
Terrestrial Vertebrate ◽  
Substantial Change

The terrestrial vertebrate fauna underwent a substantial change in composition between the lower and middle Permian. The lower Permian fauna was characterized by diverse and abundant amphibians and pelycosaurian-grade synapsids. During the middle Permian, a therapsid-dominated fauna, containing a diverse array of parareptiles and a considerably reduced richness of amphibians, replaced this. However, it is debated whether the transition is a genuine event, accompanied by a mass extinction, or whether it is merely an artefact of the shift in sampling from the palaeoequatorial latitudes to the palaeotemperate latitudes. Here we use an up-to-date biostratigraphy and incorporate recent discoveries to thoroughly review the Permian tetrapod fossil record. We suggest that the faunal transition represents a genuine event; the lower Permian temperate faunas are more similar to lower Permian equatorial faunas than middle Permian temperate faunas. The transition was not consistent across latitudes; the turnover occurred more rapidly in Russia, but was delayed in North America. The argument that the mass extinction is an artefact of a latitudinal biodiversity gradient and a shift in sampling localities is rejected: sampling correction demonstrates an inverse latitudinal biodiversity gradient was prevalent during the Permian, with peak diversity in the temperate latitudes.

The Terrestrial Vertebrate Fauna of the Dartmouth Dam Inundation Area

1976 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 189 ◽  
Author(s):  
DJ Thomas ◽  
AM Gilmore
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
River Valley ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Vertebrate Fauna ◽  
Habitat Occupancy ◽  
Anuran Species ◽  
Terrestrial Vertebrate ◽  
Inundation Area ◽  
Small Mammal Species

A survey of the terrestrial vertebrate fauna of the Dartmouth Dam inundation area has shown the presence of 24 mammal, 100 bird, 24 reptile, and 10 anuran species. Some aspects of their ecology, including habitat occupancy, are discussed, and the trapping success for eight small mammal species in different habitats is compared. A zoogeographic analysis of the fauna demonstrates its heterogeneous and transitional nature, and it is probable that the unique community will be totally lost from the Mitta Mitta River Valley.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document