Fox baiting in agricultural landscapes: preliminary findings on the importance of bait-site selection

2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Carter ◽  
Gary W. Luck
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Low Complexity ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Landscape Elements ◽  
Remnant Vegetation ◽  
Roadside Vegetation ◽  
Bait Stations ◽  
Fox Control

Context Little is known about the importance of bait-site selection during lethal fox-baiting programmes. Improved bait placement may increase the efficacy of baiting and help reduce fox impacts on wildlife and livestock. Aims To determine whether bait uptake by the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) differed among five landscape elements (roadsides, fence lines, open paddocks, creek lines and remnant vegetation) and at sites with high or low habitat (ground cover) complexity. Methods We measured bait uptake at 300 bait stations distributed evenly among the landscape elements in agricultural landscapes in northern Victoria, Australia. Bait uptake was also compared between sites with low and high habitat complexity in districts subject to no fox control and annual fox control. Key results Among landscape elements, bait uptake was significantly higher in roadside vegetation and along vegetated creek lines than it was along fence lines and in open paddocks (P < 0.05 in each case). Within roadside vegetation, bait uptake was significantly (P = 0.001) lower at sites with a high habitat complexity than at sites with low complexity, particularly in areas subject to annual fox control. Conclusions Bait placement influences bait-uptake rates considerably and greater consideration should be placed on bait-site selection during fox-baiting programmes. Habitat complexity limited bait uptake, which may indicate a reduced capacity of foxes to find baits in complex habitats. Implications Our results should help improve bait-site selection in agricultural landscapes and may increase the efficacy of fox baiting to the benefit of native fauna and livestock.

Ecology of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in an agricultural landscape. 1. Den-site selection

2012 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Carter ◽  
Gary W. Luck ◽  
Ben P. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Clay Content ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Den Site Selection ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Soil Clay Content ◽  
Fox Control

Foxes concentrate their activities around den sites during the breeding period and regularly visit dens at other times of the year, meaning den location is an important consideration in efforts to control foxes and protect native prey species. We investigated factors that influence den-site selection by foxes to improve information on potential interactions with prey species, and assess the usefulness of targeting den sites for fox control. We measured 76 earthen and non-earthen fox dens on farmland in south-eastern Australia and compared these with paired random sites in relation to vegetation/land-use type, soil clay content, and proximity to landscape features (tree, water, fence and road). Most dens were earthen and primarily located in open farmland, whereas non-earthen dens were mostly found in roadsides. The proportion of non-earthen dens located by landholders (7.8% of 51 dens) was substantially lower than the proportion of non-earthen dens identified with radio-tracking (77.8% of 18 dens). The average clay content at earthen dens was significantly lower than that at non-earthen dens (t′ = –5.192, P < 0.001) and random sites (t′ = –5.196, P < 0.001). Soil texture was a key factor influencing fox den location, and this information should greatly improve fox control in agricultural landscapes for the benefit of native and non-native prey.

scholarly journals Improving Habitat Quality at the Local and Landscape Scales Increases Wild Bee Assemblages and Associated Pollination Services in Apple Orchards in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panlong Wu ◽  
Piaopiao Dai ◽  
Meina Wang ◽  
Sijie Feng ◽  
Aruhan Olhnuud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Bee Diversity ◽  
Landscape Scales

Bees provide key pollination services for a wide range of crops. Accumulating evidence shows the effect of semi-natural habitats at the landscape level and local management practices on bee diversity in fields. However, most of the evidence is derived from studies in North America and Europe. Whether this paradigm is applicable in China, which is characterized by smallholder-dominated agricultural landscapes, has rarely been studied. In this study, we aimed to investigate how bee diversity affected apple production, and how landscape and local variables affected bee diversity and species composition on the Northern China Plain. The results showed that bees significantly increased apple fruit set compared to bagged controls. Wild bee diversity was positively related to apple seed numbers. Higher seed numbers reduced the proportion of deformed apples and thus increased fruit quality. Wild bee abundance was positively correlated with flowering ground cover, and both the abundance and species richness of wild bees were positively affected by the percentage of semi-natural habitats. We conclude that apple quality can benefit from ecological intensification comprising the augmentation of wild bees by semi-natural habitats and flowering ground cover. Future pollination management should therefore reduce the intensification level of management at both the local and landscape scales.

scholarly journals How much do we really lose?—Yield losses in the proximity of natural landscape elements in agricultural landscapes

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (13) ◽  
pp. 7838-7848 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Raatz ◽  
Nina Bacchi ◽  
Karin Pirhofer Walzl ◽  
Michael Glemnitz ◽  
Marina E. H. Müller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Yield Losses ◽  
Natural Landscape ◽  
Landscape Elements

The effect of increased ground-level habitat complexity on mouse population dynamics

2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 565 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. Arthur ◽  
R. P. Pech ◽  
A. Drew ◽  
E. Gifford ◽  
S. Henry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Habitat Structure ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Low Complexity ◽  
Mouse Population ◽  
Introduced Predators ◽  
The Impact

We investigated experimentally the influence of habitat structure on the population dynamics of house mice. Three habitat types were used. In one, dense stands of regenerating cypress pine were felled and left in situ to cover at least 40% of experimental plots, providing high complexity at ground level; in another, dense stands of regenerating pine were left intact, providing low complexity at ground level; in the third, open grassland adjacent to dense stands of regenerating pine also provided low complexity at ground level. Mouse populations occurred at higher densities in felled pine plots compared with both the standing pine and grassland plots, consistent with the hypothesis that the presence of increased habitat complexity at ground level reduced the impact of predation. Even though populations responded to the felled pine, they dropped to very low densities over winter, suggesting that the habitat was still marginal for the persistence of mice, probably due to a lack of food. The results are discussed with reference to their implications for the influence that habitat structure may have on the impact of introduced predators on native species.

2006 Southern brown bandicoots Isoodon obesulus obesulus in Belair National Park.

2006 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. J. Sanderson ◽  
J. Kraehenbuehl
Keyword(s):  
Litter Size ◽  
National Park ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Water Courses ◽  
Fox Control ◽  
North Western ◽  
Black Rats

A population of southern brown bandicoots (Isoodon obesulus obesulus) in Belair National Park (NP) and neighbouring areas was studied from 1995 to 2002. From 1997 to 2002, 181 bandicoots (91 females, 89 males, one unknown) were microchipped. Many animals were captured only once or twice, but data from a few animals showed that bandicoots may live up to four years. Breeding occurred year round, with a mean litter size from 33 litters of 1.8. Bandicoots were trapped close to water courses in areas with thick ground cover. Black rats (Rattus rattus) were active nocturnally in all areas of Belair NP which were trapped, and may be in competition with bandicoots for food and shelter resources. Bandicoots have recently been seen in north-western areas of Belair NP where they have not been seen in years. This expansion of their distribution in the park may be related to a translocation to this area in 1998 and a fox control program which has been carried out since 1988.

scholarly journals Remnant vegetation, plantings and fences are beneficial for reptiles in agricultural landscapes

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1710-1719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie A. Pulsford ◽  
Don A. Driscoll ◽  
Philip S. Barton ◽  
David B. Lindenmayer
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Remnant Vegetation

scholarly journals Continent-wide tracking to determine migratory connectivity and tropical habitat associations of a declining aerial insectivore

2012 ◽  
Vol 279 (1749) ◽  
pp. 4901-4906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin C. Fraser ◽  
Bridget J. M. Stutchbury ◽  
Cassandra Silverio ◽  
Patrick M. Kramer ◽  
John Barrow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Light Level ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Migratory Connectivity ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Breeding Populations

North American birds that feed on flying insects are experiencing steep population declines, particularly long-distance migratory populations in the northern breeding range. We determine, for the first time, the level of migratory connectivity across the range of a songbird using direct tracking of individuals, and test whether declining northern populations have higher exposure to agricultural landscapes at their non-breeding grounds in South America. We used light-level geolocators to track purple martins, Progne subis , originating from North American breeding populations, coast-to-coast ( n = 95 individuals). We show that breeding populations of the eastern subspecies, P. s. subis , that are separated by ca . 2000 km, nevertheless have almost completely overlapping non-breeding ranges in Brazil. Most (76%) P. s. subis overwintered in northern Brazil near the Amazon River, not in the agricultural landscape of southern Brazil. Individual non-breeding sites had an average of 91 per cent forest and only 4 per cent agricultural ground cover within a 50 km radius, and birds originating from declining northern breeding populations were not more exposed to agricultural landscapes than stable southern breeding populations. Our results show that differences in wintering location and habitat do not explain recent trends in breeding population declines in this species, and instead northern populations may be constrained in their ability to respond to climate change.

Shelterbelts in agricultural landscapes suppress invertebrate pests

2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 1379 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Tsitsilas ◽  
S. Stuckey ◽  
A. A. Hoffmann ◽  
A. R. Weeks ◽  
L. J. Thomson
Keyword(s):  
Ground Cover ◽  
Predatory Mites ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Field Margins ◽  
Invertebrate Species ◽  
Water Tables ◽  
Pest Mite ◽  
Invertebrate Pests ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Beneficial Organisms

The homogenous nature of agricultural landscapes generally reduces biodiversity of invertebrate species, but this can be partly offset by developing refuges at field margins. In Australia, shelterbelts are widely planted to provide protection for livestock and to counter salinity problems associated with rising water tables. Shelterbelts may also play a role in acting as reservoirs for organisms that are beneficial to pastures, although this has rarely been directly evaluated. We sampled invertebrates along transects running from replicated shelterbelts into pastures, and in glasshouse trials we tested the impact of the beneficial organisms from the shelterbelts on the collected pests. Contrary to popular views, numbers of pest mites and lucerne fleas were low within shelterbelts. Moreover, numbers were typically lower adjacent to shelterbelts compared with >30 m into the pasture, an effect that was much more apparent when shelterbelts carried a groundcover of high (>30 cm) grass. Numbers of predatory mites and spiders were higher in shelterbelts and in adjacent pasture when there was taller grass and higher grass cover in the shelterbelts. Samples of potential predators collected from a shelterbelt were more effective at suppressing pest mite numbers than those collected in pasture. Shelterbelts with ground cover appear to harbour a diversity of beneficial organisms that suppress pest numbers in adjacent pastures.

Mechanisms underlying amphipod responses to zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) invasion and implications for fish-amphipod interactions

1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 679-685 ◽  
Author(s):  
María J González ◽  
Amy Downing
Keyword(s):  
Zebra Mussel ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Lepomis Macrochirus ◽  
Low Complexity ◽  
Substrate Preference ◽  
High Complexity ◽  
Bare Rock ◽  
Predator Species

We examined mechanisms underlying increased amphipod abundance after zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) invaded Lake Erie. We conducted field substrate preference experiments to test the hypotheses that amphipods prefer (i) high-complexity substrates over low-complexity substrates and (or) (ii) substrates with high mussel feces and pseudofeces deposition over substrates with low deposition. We measured amphipod preference for bare rock, live mussels, and dead mussels in spring (May 1996) and summer (July and August 1995, June and August 1996). Habitat complexity affected amphipod habitat preference, and preference varied seasonally. In spring, amphipod density was highest on dead mussels, but the response was highly variable. In midsummer (June and July), amphipods showed no substrate preference. In late summer (August), amphipods consistently preferred high-complexity mussel substrates. Amphipods never preferred low-complexity substrates. We also evaluated effects of zebra mussel presence on fish-amphipod interactions in laboratory feeding trials. We tested the hypothesis that mussel presence decreases bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) predation on amphipods. Predation by bluegill but not yellow perch was significantly lowered by mussel presence. Our results support the hypothesis that the increase in amphipods upon zebra mussel invasion is due to increased habitat complexity, possibly by reducing predation risk. However, the effects of zebra mussel on fish-amphipod interactions depended on predator species.

Utilising Airborne Multispectral Videography to Predict Habitat Complexity in Eucalypt Forests for Wildlife Management *Further information about this research can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.ffp.csiro.au/nfm/mdq/

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 691 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. C. Coops ◽  
P. C. Catling
Keyword(s):  
Forest Structure ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Mammalian Fauna ◽  
Variable Response ◽  
Local Variance ◽  
Eucalypt Forests ◽  
Difficult Terrain ◽  
The Relationship

Airborne videographic remote sensing is a relatively recent technology thatcan provide inexpensive and high-spatial-resolution imagery for forestmanagement. This paper presents a methodology that allows videographic data tobe modelled to predict habitat complexity in eucalypt forests.Within the eucalypt forests of south-eastern New South Wales, plots werelocated on the imagery, and the local variance of the videography within eachplot was computed on the assumption that changes in local variance provided anindication of forest structure, and thus the habitat complexity of the site.The near- infrared (NIR) channel demonstrated the most variation, as thatchannel provided an indication of photosynthetic activity and, as a result,the variation between canopy, understorey, ground cover, soil and shadowprovided a highly variable response in the video imagery. Habitat-complexityscores were used to record forest structure, and the relationship between theNIR variance and field habitat-complexity scores was highly significant(P < 0·001)(r2 = 0·75;n = 29). From this relationship, maps of thehabitat-complexity scores were predicted from the videography at 2-m spatialresolution. The model was extrapolated across a 1 1 km subset of the videodata and field verification showed that the predicted scores correspondedclosely with the field scores.Studies have demonstrated the relationship between habitat-complexity scoresand the distribution and abundance of different mammalian fauna. This methodallows predictions of habitat-complexity scores to be spatially extrapolatedand used to stratify the landscape into regions for both the modelling offaunal habitat and to predict the composition, distribution and abundance ofsome faunal groups across the landscape. Ultimately, the management of foresthabitats for wildlife will depend on the availability of accurate maps of thediversity and extent of habitats over large areas and/or in difficult terrain.

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