Estimating and validating koala Phascolarctos cinereus density estimates from acoustic arrays using spatial count modelling

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad Law ◽  
Leroy Gonsalves ◽  
Joanna Burgar ◽  
Traecey Brassil ◽  
Isobel Kerr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Density Estimates ◽  
Phascolarctos Cinereus ◽  
Acoustic Arrays

Studies of the oestrous cycle, oestrus and pregnancy in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)

Reproduction ◽  
2000 ◽  
pp. 49-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
SD Johnston ◽  
MR McGowan ◽  
P O'Callaghan ◽  
R Cox ◽  
V Nicolson
Keyword(s):  
Luteal Phase ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
External Genitalia ◽  
Oestrous Cycle ◽  
Phascolarctos Cinereus ◽  
Pregnant Females ◽  
Peripheral Plasma ◽  
The Mean ◽  
High Concentrations

As an integral part of the development of an artificial insemination programme in the captive koala, female reproductive physiology and behaviour were studied. The oestrous cycle in non-mated and mated koalas was characterized by means of behavioural oestrus, morphology of external genitalia and changes in the peripheral plasma concentrations of oestradiol and progestogen. The mean (+/- SEM) duration of the non-mated oestrous cycle and duration of oestrus in 12 koalas was 32.9 +/- 1.1 (n = 22) and 10.3 +/- 0.9 (n = 24) days, respectively. Although the commencement of oestrous behaviour was associated with increasing or high concentrations of oestradiol, there were no consistent changes in the morphology or appearance of the clitoris, pericloacal region, pouch or mammary teats that could be used to characterize the non-mated cycle. As progestogen concentrations remained at basal values throughout the interoestrous period, non-mated cycles were considered non-luteal and presumed anovulatory. After mating of the 12 koalas, six females gave birth with a mean (+/- SEM) gestation of 34.8 +/- 0.3 days, whereas the remaining six non-parturient females returned to oestrus 49.5 +/- 1. 0 days later. After mating, oestrous behaviour ceased and the progestogen profile showed a significant increase in both pregnant and non-parturient females, indicating that a luteal phase had been induced by the physical act of mating. Progestogen concentrations throughout the luteal phase of the pregnant females were significantly higher than those of non-parturient females. Parturition was associated with a decreasing concentration of progestogen, which was increased above that of basal concentrations until 7 days post partum.

scholarly journals The Koala Immune Response to Chlamydial Infection and Vaccine Development—Advancing Our Immunological Understanding

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 380
Author(s):  
Bonnie L Quigley ◽  
Peter Timms
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Chlamydial Infection ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Interleukin 17 ◽  
Phascolarctos Cinereus ◽  
Post Vaccination ◽  
Research Systems ◽  
Cytokine Levels ◽  
Nucleic Acid Assay ◽  
Immunological Research

Chlamydia is a significant pathogen for many species, including the much-loved Australian marsupial, the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). To combat this situation, focused research has gone into the development and refinement of a chlamydial vaccine for koalas. The foundation of this process has involved characterising the immune response of koalas to both natural chlamydial infection as well as vaccination. From parallels in human and mouse research, it is well-established that an effective anti-chlamydial response will involve a balance of cell-mediated Th1 responses involving interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), humoral Th2 responses involving systemic IgG and mucosal IgA, and inflammatory Th17 responses involving interleukin 17 (IL-17) and neutrophils. Characterisation of koalas with chlamydial disease has shown increased expression within all three of these major immunological pathways and monitoring of koalas’ post-vaccination has detected further enhancements to these key pathways. These findings offer optimism that a chlamydial vaccine for wider distribution to koalas is not far off. Recent advances in marsupial genetic knowledge and general nucleic acid assay technology have moved koala immunological research a step closer to other mammalian research systems. However, koala-specific reagents to directly assay cytokine levels and cell-surface markers are still needed to progress our understanding of koala immunology.

Proteomic analysis of koala ( Phascolarctos cinereus ) spermatozoa and prostatic bodies

PROTEOMICS ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 2100067
Author(s):  
David A. Skerrett‐Byrne ◽  
Amanda L. Anderson ◽  
Lyndal Hulse ◽  
Caillin Wass ◽  
Matthew D. Dun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Proteomic Analysis ◽  
Phascolarctos Cinereus

scholarly journals Evaluating Alternative Flight Plans in Thermal Drone Wildlife Surveys—Simulation Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1102
Author(s):  
Julia Witczuk ◽  
Stanisław Pagacz
Keyword(s):  
Computer Simulations ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Distance Sampling ◽  
Line Of Sight ◽  
Density Estimates ◽  
Accuracy And Precision ◽  
Survey Costs ◽  
Random Survey ◽  
Density Population

The rapidly developing technology of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) extends to the availability of aerial surveys for wildlife research and management. However, regulations limiting drone operations to visual line of sight (VLOS) seriously affect the design of surveys, as flight paths must be concentrated within small sampling blocks. Such a design is inferior to spatially unrestricted randomized designs available if operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) are allowed. We used computer simulations to assess whether the VLOS rule affects the accuracy and precision of wildlife density estimates derived from drone collected data. We tested two alternative flight plans (VLOS vs. BVLOS) in simulated surveys of low-, medium- and high-density populations of a hypothetical ungulate species with three levels of effort (one to three repetitions). The population density was estimated using the ratio estimate and distance sampling method. The observed differences in the accuracy and precision of estimates from the VLOS and BVLOS surveys were relatively small and negligible. Only in the case of the low-density population (2 ind./100 ha) surveyed once was the VLOS design inferior to BVLOS, delivering biased and less precise estimates. These results show that while the VLOS regulations complicate survey logistics and interfere with random survey design, the quality of derived estimates does not have to be compromised. We advise testing alternative survey variants with the aid of computer simulations to achieve reliable estimates while minimizing survey costs.

scholarly journals Foraging range and habitat use by Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres from the Msikaba colony, Eastern Cape province, South Africa

Koedoe ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Morgan B. Pfeiffer ◽  
Jan A. Venter ◽  
Colleen T. Downs
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Movement Ecology ◽  
Kernel Density ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Convex Polygons ◽  
Density Estimates ◽  
Kernel Density Estimates

Despite the extent of subsistence farmland in Africa, little is known about endangered species that persist within them. The Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres) is regionally endangered in southern Africa and at least 20% of the population breeds in the subsistence farmland area previously known as the Transkei in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. To understand their movement ecology, adult Cape Vultures (n = 9) were captured and fitted with global positioning system/global system for mobile transmitters. Minimum convex polygons (MCPs),and 99% and 50% kernel density estimates (KDEs) were calculated for the breeding and non breeding seasons of the Cape Vulture. Land use maps were constructed for each 99% KDE and vulture locations were overlaid. During the non-breeding season, ranges were slightly larger(mean [± SE] MCP = 16 887 km2 ± 366 km2) than the breeding season (MCP = 14 707 km2 ± 2155 km2). Breeding and non-breeding season MCPs overlapped by a total of 92%. Kernel density estimates showed seasonal variability. During the breeding season, Cape Vultures used subsistence farmland, natural woodland and protected areas more than expected. In the non-breeding season, vultures used natural woodland and subsistence farmland more than expected, and protected areas less than expected. In both seasons, human-altered landscapes were used less, except for subsistence farmland.Conservation implications: These results highlight the importance of subsistence farm land to the survival of the Cape Vulture. Efforts should be made to minimise potential threats to vultures in the core areas outlined, through outreach programmes and mitigation measures.The conservation buffer of 40 km around Cape Vulture breeding colonies should be increased to 50 km.

Oxalate‐degrading bacteria, includingOxalobacter formigenes,colonise the gastrointestinal tract of healthy koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) and those with oxalate nephrosis

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 166-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
KN Speight ◽  
M Houston‐Francis ◽  
M Mohammadi‐Dehcheshmeh ◽  
E Ebrahimie ◽  
S Saputra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gastrointestinal Tract ◽  
Phascolarctos Cinereus ◽  
Degrading Bacteria

Koalas continue to occupy their previous home-ranges after selective logging in Callitris - Eucalyptus forest

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodney P. Kavanagh ◽  
Matthew A. Stanton ◽  
Traecey E. Brassil
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Selective Logging ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Phascolarctos Cinereus ◽  
Eucalyptus Forest ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Callitris Glaucophylla ◽  
One Year ◽  
Cypress Pine

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is a charismatic, high-profile species whose conservation needs are commonly perceived to be incompatible with logging. However, koala biology and the results of chronosequence studies elsewhere suggest that this species may tolerate a degree of habitat alteration caused by logging. In this study, 30 koalas, five in each of six areas available for logging within a mixed white cypress pine (Callitris glaucophylla)–Eucalyptus forest in north-western New South Wales, were radio-tracked for one year during 1997–1998 to determine their movements, home-range sizes and tree preferences. Five months after the study began, three of these areas were logged selectively for sawlogs and thinnings of the white cypress pine, a tree that is important to koalas for daytime shelter. This removed about one-quarter of the stand basal area, but the eucalypt component was unaffected. The remaining three areas were left undisturbed as controls. Radio-tracking continued in all six areas for another seven months. Koalas continued to occupy all or part of their previous home-ranges after selective logging, and home-range sizes remained similar between logged and unlogged areas. Home-ranges for both sexes overlapped and were ~12 ha for males and 9 ha for females. Koala survival and the proportions of breeding females were similar in logged and unlogged areas. The principal food trees of the koala were red gums, mainly Eucalyptus blakelyi and E. chloroclada, and the pilliga box (E. pilligaensis), none of which were logged in this study. These results suggest that selective logging for white cypress pine does not appear to adversely affect koala populations and that koalas may not be as sensitive to logging as previously thought. Further work is required to determine thresholds in the level of retention of koala food trees in logging operations.

Using complementary remote detection methods for retrofitted eco-passages: a case study for monitoring individual koalas in south-east Queensland

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 369 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. E. Dexter ◽  
R. G. Appleby ◽  
J. P. Edgar ◽  
J. Scott ◽  
D. N. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Road Construction ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Correlated Data ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Monitoring Methods ◽  
Monitoring Method ◽  
Phascolarctos Cinereus ◽  
The Individual

Context Vehicle-strike has been identified as a key threatening process for koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) survival and persistence in Australia. Roads and traffic act as barriers to koala movement and can impact dispersal and metapopulation dynamics. Given the high cost of wildlife mitigation structures such as purpose-built fauna-specific underpasses or overpasses (eco-passages), road construction and management agencies are constantly seeking cost-effective strategies that facilitate safe passage for fauna across roads. Here we report on an array of detection methods trialled to verify use of retrofitted road infrastructure (existing water culverts or bridge underpasses) by individual koalas in fragmented urban landscapes in south-east Queensland. Aims The study examined whether the retrofitting of existing road structures at six sites facilitated safe passage for koalas across roads. Our primary objective was to record utilisation of retrofitted infrastructure at the level of the individual. Methods We used a combination of existing monitoring methods such as GPS/VHF collars, camera traps, sand plots, and RFID tags, along with a newly developed animal-borne wireless identification (WID) tag and datalogging system, specifically designed for this project, to realise the study aims. Key results We were able to verify 130 crossings by koalas involving a retrofitted structure or a road surface over a 30-month period by using correlated data from complementary methods. We noted that crossings were generally uncommon and mostly undertaken by only a subset of our tagged individuals at each site (21% overall). Conclusions An important element of this study was that crossing events could be accurately determined at the level of the individual. This allowed for detailed assessment of eco-passage usage, rather than the more usual approach of simply recording species’ presence. Implications This study underscores the value of identifying the constraints of each individual monitoring method in relation to site conditions. It also highlights the benefits of contingency planning to limit data loss (i.e. using more than one method to collect data). We suggest an approach that uses complementary monitoring methods has significant advantages for researchers, particularly with reference to improving understanding of whether eco-passages are meeting their prescribed conservation goals.

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