Habitat Requirements of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot, Perameles gunnii, on Agricultural Land in Tasmania

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 237 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Mallick ◽  
G. J. Hocking ◽  
M. M. Driessen
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Land ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Habitat Requirements ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
North West ◽  
Nesting Sites

In the Midlands and on the east coast of Tasmania, the eastern barred bandicoot, Perameles gunnii, is restricted to a small number of isolated populations around townships. Comparable sites with similar habitat, rainfall, geology, soil type and topography were observed not to support P. gunnii. We examined four such paired sites around Tasmania, one site in each pair supporting P. gunnii, the other without P. gunnii. Using orthophotos and aerial photographs (scale 1: 5000), various features of the habitat were quantified for all site pairs, which were then compared. In the Midlands and north-west, sites with P. gunnii had significantly greater areas of ground cover, suitable as nests for P. gunnii and as refuges from predators, than did areas without P. gunnii. This association was not observed for the paired sites on the east coast. It is hypothesised that the remnant populations of P. gunnii found in the Midlands reflect the availability of pockets of suitable habitat, in particular the presence of significant ground cover for nesting sites and refugia. This has implications for management of P. gunnii in cleared agricultural land, where weed species may provide the principal cover for bandicoots.

scholarly journals Habitat requirements of the endangered red-tailed phascogale, Phascogale calura

2011 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Short ◽  
Andrew Hide ◽  
Megan Stone
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Habitat Requirements ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Canopy Density ◽  
Remnant Vegetation ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Eucalyptus Wandoo

Context The red-tailed phascogale once occurred widely across semiarid and arid Australia, but is now confined to the southern wheatbelt of Western Australia. Its apparently extensive former range suggests a broad habitat tolerance, yet it is now reported primarily from remnant vegetation within farmland containing wandoo Eucalyptus wandoo and rock sheoak Allocasuarina huegeliana associations. Aims To establish the habitat requirements of phascogales with a view to understanding their current and likely future distribution and status. Methods We established presence or absence of phascogales at a number of sites within their current range, primarily by trapping, and then compared habitat attributes between the two classes of sites to establish those of apparent significance to species persistence. Key results Phascogales are widespread in suitable upland (wandoo–rock sheoak) and lowland habitat (riverine fringing vegetation of swamp sheoak Casuarina obesa, York gum E. loxophleba and wandoo). They occupy areas of remnant vegetation of varying sizes from very small to very large, many on private agricultural land. Large connected areas, such as riverine corridors and clusters of upland remnants appear important to their long-term persistence. Sites isolated by increasing distance from another occupied site tended to be unoccupied. Habitats occupied by phascogales typically had a greater canopy density and greater abundance of hollows than unoccupied sites. The presence of plants of the genus Gastrolobium, often cited as a key factor in the persistence of phascogales, did not appear to influence the presence or absence of phascogales. Conclusions Red-tailed phascogales currently occupy a broader range of habitats than identified in the literature and the role of some key aspects of habitat in protecting them from further decline may have been overstated. The presence of suitable hollows for nesting and shelter and a dense mid-storey canopy, perhaps to protect from predation by owls, are key features of suitable phascogale habitat. Implications Suitable habitat for phascogales appears widespread in the surveyed portion of the remaining range of the species, but is under threat over the longer term. Increasing salinity in lowland areas (which transforms woodland to samphire with a consequent long-term loss of nesting hollows), lack of fire in upland areas to maintain dense stands of rock sheoak and the increasing loss of corridors of vegetation along roadsides due to the widening of roads by local councils are all contributing to loss of habitat and habitat connectivity.

scholarly journals Spatial Distribution and Evaluation of Arsenic and Zinc Content in the Soil of a Karst Landscape

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6976
Author(s):  
Dimitrios E. Alexakis ◽  
George D. Bathrellos ◽  
Hariklia D. Skilodimou ◽  
Dimitra E. Gamvroula
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Urban Soil ◽  
Agricultural Soil ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Land Evaluation ◽  
Agricultural Activity ◽  
North West ◽  
Total Study Area

Karst features such as polje are highly vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic pollution. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the soil quality in the Ioannina polje (north-west Greece) concerning arsenic (As) and zinc (Zn), and delineate their origin as well as compare the As and Zn content in soil with criteria recorded in the literature. For this purpose, the geomorphological settings, the land use, and the soil physicochemical properties were mapped and evaluated, including soil texture and concentrations of aqua-regia extractable As and Zn. The concentration of elements was spatially correlated with the land use and the geology of the study area, while screening values were applied to assess land suitability. The results reveal that 72% of the total study area has a very gentle slope. This relief favors urban and agricultural activity. Thus, the urban and agricultural land used cover 92% of the total area. The spatial distribution for As and Zn in the soil of the study area is located on very gentle slopes and is strongly correlated with the geological parent materials and human-induced contamination sources. Arsenic and Zn can be considered enriched in the soil of the area studied. The median topsoil contents (in mg kg−1) for As (agricultural soil 16.0; urban soil 17.8) and Zn (agricultural soil 92.0; urban soil 95.0) are higher compared to the corresponding median values of European topsoils. Land evaluation suitability concerning criteria given from the literature is discussed. The proposed work may be helpful in the project of land use planning and the protection of the natural environment.

scholarly journals Relief influence on the spatial distribution of the Atlantic Forest cover on the Ibiúna Plateau, SP

2007 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
WG. Silva ◽  
JP. Metzger ◽  
S. Simões ◽  
C Simonetti
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
General Distribution ◽  
Successional Stage ◽  
Slope Orientation

Several studies suggest that, on a large scale, relief conditions influence the Atlantic Forest cover. The aim of this work was to explore these relationships on a local scale, in Caucaia do Alto, on the Ibiúna Plateau. Within an area of about 78 km², the distribution of forest cover, divided into two successional stages, was associated with relief attribute data (slope, slope orientation and altitude). The mapping of the vegetation was based on the interpretation of stereoscopic pairs of aerial photographs, from April 2000, on a scale of 1:10,000, while the relief attributes were obtained by geoprocessing from digitalized topographic maps on a scale of 1:10,000. Statistical analyses, based on qui-square tests, revealed that there was a more extensive forest cover, irrespective of the successional stage, in steeper areas (>10 degrees) located at higher altitudes (>923 m), but no influence of the slope orientation. There was no sign of direct influence of relief on the forest cover through environmental gradients that might have contributed to the forest regeneration. Likewise, there was no evidence that these results could have been influenced by the distance from roads or urban areas or with respect to permanent preservation areas. Relief seems to influence the forest cover indirectly, since agricultural land use is preferably made in flatter and lower areas. These results suggest a general distribution pattern of the forest remnants, independent of the scale of study, on which relief indirectly has a strong influence, since it determines human occupation.

Land Cover/Use Analysis of Prespa National Park, Greece

1986 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 319-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Karteris ◽  
Myrto Pyrovetsi
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
National Park ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Wet Meadows ◽  
Waterbird Species ◽  
Irrigation Drainage

Prespa National Park in Greece is an important breeding-area for rare and endangered waterbird species, but people living within the Park and using its resources create serious conservation problems. An environmental management plan which will regulate mainly the human activities within the Park is therefore necessary. Such a plan should be based on a land cover/use analysis of the area, for which much of the necessary information, in the form of a thematic map, has been collected by interpreting blackand-white aerial photographs. The procedure involved the development of a classification system, transferring the interpreted data onto a base-map, field-checking the results, and tabulating the area measurements with the pertinent errors.Of the total Park area (25,690 ha), 66.5% is classified as terrestrial (forestland, rangeland, agricultural land whether irrigated, non-irrigated, or abandoned, wet meadows/marshland, barren and eroded land, and urban areas), and the remainder as aquatic (water, reedbeds). The most extensive category in the Park is forestland, much of which is seriously degraded. Rangeland provides forage for sheep and goats, being also degraded owing to uncontrolled grazing. Wet meadows/marshland are invaluable as waterbird breeding and feeding habitats, but the present use of this category as grazing fields, and its proximity to agricultural land and to the existing irrigation/drainage system, have all had negative impacts on the resource. Irrigated land is almost half of the cultivated area.The abandoned agricultural land is interspersed within the forestland and is a result of the human population decline in the area, while barren and eroded land has resulted from prolonged land misuse. Twelve old villages are distributed over the Park, being visually unobtrusive. Lake Mikri Prespa is the main water-body and covers almost the entire nucleus of the Park. Extensive reedbeds are found along the lakeshores, which are the main breeding habitats of certain waterbirds. As land cover/use analysis of the Park has shown much serious environmental degradation, conservation measures should be undertaken urgently.

Glacier changes since the Little Ice Age maximum in the western Qilian Shan, northwest China, and consequences of glacier runoff for water supply

2003 ◽  
Vol 49 (164) ◽  
pp. 117-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liu Shiyin ◽  
Sun Wenxin ◽  
Shen Yongping ◽  
Li Gang
Keyword(s):  
Little Ice Age ◽  
Image Data ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽  
North West ◽  
Glacier Changes ◽  
Glacier Runoff ◽  
Topographical Maps

AbstractBased on aerial photographs, topographical maps and the Landsat-5 image data, we have analyzed fluctuations of glaciers in the western Qilian Shan, north-west China, from the Little Ice Age (LIA) to 1990. The areas and volumes of glaciers in the whole considered region decreased 15% and 18%, respectively, from the LIA maximum to 1956. This trend of glacier shrinkage continued and accelerated between 1956 and 1990. These latest decreases in area and volume were about 10% in 34 years. The recent shrinkage may be due either to a combination of higher temperatures and lower precipitation during the period 1956–66, or to continuous warming in the high glacierized mountains from 1956 to 1990. As a consequence, glacier runoff from ice wastage between 1956 and 1990 has increased river runoff by 6.2 km3 in the four river basins under consideration. Besides, the equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) rise estimated from the mean terminus retreat of small glaciers <1 km long is 46 m, which corresponds to a 0.3°C increase of mean temperatures in warm seasons from the LIA to the 1950s.

Movement patterns by Egernia napoleonis following reintroduction into restored jarrah forest

2011 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberley Christie ◽  
Michael D. Craig ◽  
Vicki L. Stokes ◽  
Richard J. Hobbs
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Habitat Requirements ◽  
Management Technique ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Management Option ◽  
Jarrah Forest ◽  
Habitat Specialists ◽  
Almost All

Context The value of animal reintroduction as a conservation tool is debated. This is largely because the limited quantity of research that has been conducted on animal reintroductions has shown varying degrees of success in establishing new populations. The reasons why some reintroductions are successful, whereas others are not, are often not clear. Aims The present research aims to determine whether reptile reintroduction into restored mine pits is a potential management technique for managing and conserving reptile populations within a mined landscape. Methods Twelve Napoleon’s skinks were trapped then fitted with 0.9-g transmitters. Half were reintroduced into 5-year-old restored mine pits and the other half into unmined forest. Bodyweights, movement patterns and macro-habitat selection were recorded weekly during November and then monthly until March. Key results Skinks reintroduced into restored sites quickly moved into unmined forest. Both groups of skinks moved large distances, but those reintroduced into restored sites travelled further than did control skinks and took longer to reduce their distances travelled, showing possible stress as a result of release into unsuitable habitat. Eventually, almost all skinks found suitable habitat in unmined forest and settled into these areas while continuing to gain weight. Conclusions Reintroduction was an ineffective technique for facilitating colonisation of restored minesites by Napoleon’s skink. Lack of suitable micro-habitats within restoration areas, such as ground logs and coarse, woody debris piles, is likely limiting the use of these areas by Napoleon’s skinks and is likely to be the cause of their failure to remain or settle in restored sites after reintroduction. Implications Determining the habitat requirements of skinks and replicating this in restoration sites would seem the more appropriate management option than is reintroduction, and this may be the case for other reptiles and habitat specialists.

Production and development across Australia 2016

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 363
Author(s):  
Frankie Cullen
Keyword(s):  
Coalbed Methane ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Price Volatility ◽  
Volatile Oil ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Reduction Strategies ◽  
Gas Supply

In 2016, sustained depressed and volatile oil prices led companies to continue cost reduction strategies. Proposed developments have seen delays and reductions in scope as a result. Australian oil production declined by around 10%. However, new and continued liquefied natural gas (LNG) production bolstered both Australian and global gas supply. Australia was the strongest contributor to global LNG growth in 2016, showing the biggest year-on-year increase. In the first half of 2016, 20% of global LNG came from Australia, second only to Qatar with 29% of the market share. Australia remains on track to become the world’s largest LNG producer in the next 3–5 years. 2016 saw the start-up of Gorgon LNG in March, the first of Chevron’s two North West Shelf LNG projects and the third of several producing, developing and proposed LNG projects within the North Carnarvon Basin – already Australia’s most prolific producing basin. On the east coast, development of the coalbed methane (CBM) to LNG projects continued with an additional train brought onstream at each of the Origin/ConocoPhillips-operated APLNG Project and Santos’ GLNG Project. This further increased production in the Bowen–Surat Basins and drove discussions around the ability of east coast gas to meet both the demands of the LNG projects and ensure continued domestic gas reliability. Additional gas may be required for both, opening opportunities for production from other basins. Gas production continues to drive the Australian industry, with substantial inputs from LNG and unconventional operations. The next phase, in all sectors, will be key to Australia’s future in the global energy market. Will it be able to overcome the expected challenges of global oversupply, continued price volatility and domestic reliability concerns to fulfil its potential?

The Rediscovery and Distribution of Rumex drummondii (Polygonaceae) in South-Western Australia

1995 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 397 ◽  
Author(s):  
JK Scott ◽  
PB Yeoh
Keyword(s):  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Search Theory ◽  
Biological Control Agents ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
North West ◽  
River Region ◽  
Weedy Species ◽  
Road Verges ◽  
Western Australian

Rumex drummondii Meisn., a south-western Australian endemic vascular plant species recorded from widely separated localities, had not been collected for 46 years and was considered possibly extinct. The methods developed from search theory, which has been used for finding lost people or objects, were applied to finding R. drummondii, starting from previous records. Eleven populations of the species were discovered within a 50 km radius in the Kalgan River and Manypeaks region. A disjunct population of six plants was found in 1992 in a parking area at a crossing of the Moore River, 480 km north north west of the others, but had disappeared by 1994. Surveys in the Gingin Brook and Moore River region and between Kalannie and Kulja, another disjunct record, failed to find further plants. The species occupies temporarily wet depressions, lake edges and roadside excavations and dam edges protected from grazing by sheep; habitats also occupied by congeneric weedy species. The species occurs on road verges and farmland and is known from one nature reserve. The rediscovery of R. drummondii enables it to be included in the assessment of potential biological control agents for related weed species in the genera Emex and Rumex.

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