Control of introduced Rattus rattus L. on Lord Howe Island. I. The response of mouse populations to warfarin bait used to control rats

2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Billing ◽  
Bob Harden
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Mouse Population ◽  
Lord Howe Island ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Second Year ◽  
One Year ◽  
The Relationship

Warfarin bait has been used since 1986 to control introduced black rats (Rattus rattus) in palm-seeding areas on Lord Howe Island, New South Wales. We examined the relationship between bait use and mouse numbers in these areas. In the first experiment, one mouse population was manipulated by removal trapping while baiting for rats was being undertaken. When mouse density was reduced by approximately 193 ha–1, bait consumption fell by 80.0%, suggesting that the mice were not susceptible to warfarin and that the rat bait may have been an important food resource for these mice. During the second experiment, the existing rat-baiting regime was maintained in one area but manipulated in another – bait was removed for one year then returned during the second year. Under the existing baiting regime, mouse numbers increased during the two-year period. The mouse population that was denied rat bait declined to near zero after one year, then increased when bait was reintroduced to the area, reaching densities after one year similar to those in the area where bait had been maintained. We conclude that the mice were resistant to warfarin, consumed most of the bait distributed to control rats, were largely dependant on the bait as a food source, and reached high densities in rat-control areas as a direct result of rat-baiting strategies.

Diet of a native carnivore, the spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus), before and after an intense wildfire

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 342 ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Dawson ◽  
Andrew W. Claridge ◽  
Barbara Triggs ◽  
David J. Paull
Keyword(s):  
Prey Availability ◽  
New South ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Survey Techniques ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Before And After ◽  
One Year ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Prey Items ◽  
Broad Scale

The relationship between the diet of the spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) and the abundance of its prey was investigated in rain-shadow woodland habitat in southern New South Wales for one year before and two years after a high-intensity, broad-scale wildfire. Scats were variously collected from quoll latrines and live-trapped animals during winter for each of the three years and analysed to determine prey items. Estimates of abundance of key ground-dwelling and arboreal medium-sized mammals were simultaneously obtained using plot-based survey techniques and spotlighting. Over the duration of the study, quoll diet was dominated by medium-sized mammals, particularly brushtail possums (Trichosurus spp.) and lagomorphs (rabbit and hare), followed by small and large-sized mammals. After the fire there was a shift in utilisation of food resources in response to significant changes in prey availability. Monitoring revealed that brushtail possums, lagomorphs and bandicoots were all significantly less abundant in the winter following the fire, and populations of lagomorphs, but not possums, then increased in the second winter after the fire. Quolls adapted to this by taking significantly more lagomorphs in each of the two years after the fire and by taking advantage of a short-term increase in the availability of carrion. The results of this study reaffirm that the spotted-tailed quoll is adaptable in its utilisation of available food, and that fires are not necessarily detrimental to the species and its prey base.

Problems in assessing insecticidal control of Amnemus species (Coleoptera. Curculionidae) in clover pastures of north coastal New South Wales

1963 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 523-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. M. Braithwaite ◽  
Annette Jane
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Residual Effect ◽  
Soil Sampling ◽  
Patchy Distribution ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Effect On Yield ◽  
One Year ◽  
Made In

Results are presented of 15 experiments made in north coastal districts of New South Wales from 1957 to 1961 with insecticides against the weevils Amnemus quadrituberculatus (Boh.) and A. superciliaris (Pasc.), the larvae of which have been reported as pests attacking the roots of clover (Trifolium repents, T. pratense and T. subterraneum) there. The adults live above ground, and single surface applications of insecticides were made to pastures in the form of dusts, granules or dilutions of emulsifiable concentrates in January, when maximum numbers of weevils were present and before significant oviposition had taken place. Insecticidal control was assessed by soil sampling for larvae in July–August, during the following winter. Pasture cuts were made in an attempt to assess the effect of treatments on the yield of clover.Dieldrin at rates of 2 and 4 lb. per acre gave near eradication of Amnemus for one year, and satisfactory control was obtained with 1 lb. per acre. Aldrin, endosulfan (Thiodan) and BHC were less effective, and limited tests with heptachlor suggested that it was inferior to dieldrin. The scanty results available suggest that dieldrin is effective against Amnemus for only one year, but it is doubtful if annual applications are warranted. Owing to the patchy distribution of clover in the pastures, only one experiment showed an increased yield of clover associated with the reduction in numbers of larvae of Amnemus brought about by the application of 1 lb. dieldrin per acre. Similarly, poor persistence of clover on all plots prevented assessment of any residual effect on yield in the second year.No method was found by which accurate estimates could be made of the density and distribution of adults of Amnemus in pastures to which insecticides were to be applied. Treatments, therefore, were replicated more frequently than was needed statistically in order to ensure that measurable levels of larval infestation were present at sufficient sites.Small plots (500–700 sq. ft.) proved of little value, and this is attributed not only to contamination of control plots but possibly also to the death of weevils that moved from untreated into treated plots. Large plots (13,000–21,000 sq. ft.) gave the most consistent results in assessment of insecticides.Control of Amnemus did not increase the productivity or persistence of clover, and it is concluded that any benefits from control are unlikely to be significant unless other factors, such as competition from grasses, drought, floods, nematodes and diseases of clover, which affected the density and persistence of clover in these experiments, are not limiting.

Pocsia Mucronata, a new Foliicolous Lichen from Lord Howe Island, Australia

1999 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. McCarthy
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Lord Howe Island ◽  
South Wales

AbstractPocsia mucronata P. M. McCarthy sp. nov. (incert. sed.) is described from Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia. This foliicolous lichen inhabits leaves of the endemic palm, Howea forsteriana.

Soil-extractable sulfur and pasture response to applied sulfur

1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 567 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. C. Anderson ◽  
R. D. B. Lefroy ◽  
G. J. Blair
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
New South ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
Acid Digestion ◽  
Extraction Techniques ◽  
Organic S ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Trifolium Repens L ◽  
Soil Sulfur ◽  
The Relationship

Summary. A glasshouse experiment was conducted to study the correlation between various soil sulfur (S) extractants and pasture response to applied S grown under controlled environmental conditions (glasshouse) as influenced by variations in levels of extractable S. Intact paired soil cores were collected at 2-month intervals from an S x P factorial experiment at 4 field sites on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales on 11 occasions. Soil samples were collected from each core and the cores placed in the glasshouse. Sulfur was applied to one core of each pair and basal nutrients applied to all cores which were then oversown with white clover (Trifolium repens L. cv. Haifa). The extractable S in the soil was analysed using the following techniques: 0.1 mol Ca(H2PO4)2/L (MCPt); 0.1 mol Ca(H2PO4)2/L, treated with activated charcoal (MCPi); water (H2O); 0.25 mol KCl/L, heated at 40°C for 3 h (KCl-40); 0.25 mol KCl/L, heated at 100°C for 4 h (KCl-100); 0.5 mol NaHCO3/L (NaHCO3); and an acid digestion of the soil (total). Dry matter yield and S content of the pasture shoots were measured for each 2-month growth period. The relationship between the various soil S extraction techniques and the response of pasture to applied S varied over time and was influenced by the level of inorganic S present in the soil and the amount of organic S extracted. When the level of MCPi-extractable S ranged between 2 and 22 µg S/g soil due to the application of fertiliser (summer 1987–88 and autumn 1988), or after a period of high mineralisation rates (spring 1988), the MCPi, MCPt, H2O and KCl-40 techniques had the highest correlation with the increase in S content of the pasture when S was applied. The higher correlation for the MCPt, H2O and KCl-40 techniques than the MCPi technique indicates that plants obtained some S from the organic S pool. In contrast, when the levels of MCPi-extractable S ranged between 2 and 10 µg S/g soil and the rate of mineralisation increased in response to an increase in soil temperature (June 1988 and June 1989) or moisture (September 1989) upon transfer of samples from the field to the glasshouse, the MCPt, H2O and KCl-40 techniques underestimated the available S pool and had lower r2 values than either the KCl-100 or NaHCO3 techniques.

Overwintering of Tranzchelia discolor in prune orchards in New South Wales

1987 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 895 ◽  
Author(s):  
PJ Ellison ◽  
L McFadyen ◽  
PF Kable
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Litter ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Cross Infection ◽  
Infected Leaf ◽  
South Wales ◽  
One Year ◽  
Tranzschelia Discolor ◽  
Better Than

There are several ways in which Tranzschelia discolor may overwinter in prune orchards in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Areas of New South Wales. The aecial state, cross-infection from peach and almond, twig cankers, and urediniospores on living leaves persisting through winter were considered, but were thought to be unlikely. The ability of urediniospores to survive on infected leaf litter, either on the ground under trees or lodged within the framework of trees, was studied over two winters. Urediniospore viability declined with time, but in both seasons a proportion were capable of germination in the spring. Spores exposed within the tree framework survived better than those exposed on the ground, with about 20% and less than 5% respectively remaining viable by spring. In both winters spores from litter which overwintered within the framework of the tree were able to infect prune leaves in the spring. The infectivity of spores exposed on the ground was tested in the spring of one year and infections resulted on inoculated plants. The implications of these findings for the control of the rust in prunes are discussed.

Contributions to the Biology of Mulga. II. Germination

1971 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
PB Preece
Keyword(s):  
Arid Zone ◽  
New South ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Concentrations ◽  
Germination Behaviour ◽  
One Year ◽  
Acacia Aneura

Investigations into the germination behaviour of seed of the widespread Australian arid zone leguminous tree Acacia aneura Benth. are described. Hardseededness has been overcome in routine laboratory studies, but attempts to understand the mechanism by which it is overcome in nature were unsuccessful. The seed germinates equally well in the dark and in the light within the temperature range 15-36°C. Temperatures between 20 and 30° are optimal for germination, and carbon dioxide concentrations up to 5 % increase the germination rate above that displayed in ambient air. A simple model has been developed which suggests that seed of this species should have been available and should have germinated in c. one year in every nine, since records began in parts of western New South Wales where mulga regeneration is absent.

A Decade of Mark-Recapture of Platypuses on The Duckmaloi River: Any New Insights into Population Dynamics?

1998 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 302
Author(s):  
D. Goldney
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
New South ◽  
First Year ◽  
Mark Recapture ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Adult Status ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Gill Netting ◽  
Population Numbers

A long-term mark-recapture program has been carried out on the Duckmaloi Weir (near Oberon, New south Wales) and associated river over the period 1986 to the present. The pipehead weir creates a long shallow ·pool' about 2.5 ha in area, ideal for gill-netting platypuses. One hundred and eighty-two (182) individual animals have been captured in excess of 500 times. The majority of animals have been captured in the weir pool. A very dynamic situation exists with new adults and juveniles being captured on a regular basis and conversely captured animals "disappearing" on a regular basis from the system. Some individuals exhibit both transience and site attachment characteristics. However, relatively few animals remain site attached for long periods of time. Sixty nine percent of individuals are captured two or fewer times. Band loss cannot account for this phenomenon. Of the captured animals, 11.3% have been caught more than 5 times. The sex ratio of the population favours females in first capture adults (1:1.72) but males in first capture juveniles (1:0.73). Females are more likely to be recaptured than males. The sex ratio of juveniles varies significantly from year to year. The period between recaptures varies greatly and can be up to 6 years. Four animals have been captured over nine years (3 females/1 male) but no animal has been captured every year of the study. Recruitment has occurred at levels able to maintain the current population numbers. Thirty percent of available adults have been found lactating, including second year females. Seventy one percent of first year capture juveniles and 89.9% of first capture adults "disappear" within two years of first capture. Forty two percent of juvenile animals reach adult status before "disappearing".

A scheme for preliminary study of soil fertility in a district

1970 ◽  
Vol 10 (43) ◽  
pp. 196
Author(s):  
WM McArthur ◽  
K Spencer
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
New South ◽  
Strong Correlations ◽  
South Wales ◽  
The Status ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Distribution Of Components ◽  
Edaphic Variables ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Field Plots

A scheme is proposed as a basis for soil fertility studies in areas where little information is available. The first stage consists of sampling the area on a grid and determining the patterns of variation in the status of those nutrient elements likely to be deficient. These patterns are then compared with intensity patterns of environmental (including edaphic) variables. Where the two sets of variables can be quantified, regression analysis may be used to estimate the closeness of the relationship ; otherwise the relationship must be assessed visually from the degree of conformity between patterns. Those environmental variables that relate, causally or otherwise, to the distribution of components of chemical fertility are identified by strong correlations. Information so gained may be used in subsequent agronomic studies, both as a guide to number and location of field plots and as a framework for studies in soil chemistry and pedology. The scheme is illustrated using data derived from studies on the Dorrigo Plateau of New South Wales. Factors relating closely to phosphorus, sulphur, molybdenum, and nitrogen distribution were identified. In no case could one factor be used to predict the adequacy of all nutrients.

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