Transfer of Banksia-Spinulosa Pollen by Mammals - Implications for Pollination

1987 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 319 ◽  
Author(s):  
RL Goldingay ◽  
SM Carthew ◽  
RJ Whelan
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Pollen Loads ◽  
Antechinus Stuartii ◽  
Rattus Fuscipes ◽  
Cercartetus Nanus ◽  
Nocturnal Pollinators ◽  
Few Data ◽  
Petaurus Breviceps

Native mammals have been implicated by various authors as visitors to flowers of Australian plants in both eastern and western Australia, but few data are available to allow an estimation of their potential as pollinators. In the present study, Antechinus stuartii, Petaurus breviceps and Rattus fuscipes were regularly trapped in flowering Banksia spinulosa. A few Cercartetus nanus were also captured. Individuals of all species carried pollen on their fur. Pollen loads were greater on mammals which had been in traps for short periods, which suggests that mammals will groom pollen from their fur if left longer in traps. Therefore, pollen loads on foraging mammals have probably been dramatically underestimated by previous authors, and their potential to effect pollination may have been greatly underestimated. Furthermore, significantly more pollen was removed from flowers of B. spinulosa at night than during the day, suggesting the importance of nocturnal pollinators at this site.

The diet of a Sooty Owl from Yarrangobilly Caves, NSW

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-142
Author(s):  
Rohan J. Bilney
Keyword(s):  
Oryctolagus Cuniculus ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Plumage Colouration ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Sugar Glider ◽  
Antechinus Agilis ◽  
Rattus Fuscipes ◽  
Cercartetus Nanus ◽  
Petaurus Breviceps

ABSTRACT A total of 783 dietary items from a Sooty Owl Tyto tenebricosa tenebricosa with suspected partial xanthochromism (yellow plumage colouration) was identified from Yarrangobilly Caves, NSW. Observations of the owl at the cave and collection of feathers suggest that prey items accumulated between 2011 and 2018. A total of 12 mammal species was detected in the diet, with the Bush Rat Rattus fuscipes, Agile Antechinus Antechinus agilis, Sugar Glider Petaurus breviceps and Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus dominating. The diet also included three threatened species, the Eastern Pygmy Possum Cercartetus nanus, Smoky Mouse Pseudomys fumeus and Broad-toothed Rat Mastacomys fuscus. The diversity of prey identified in the diet contrasts markedly with that found in studies of subfossil deposits from the area, supporting evidence of extensive mammal declines since European settlement.

A Hair Sampling Tube for the Detection of Small Mammals in Trees

1978 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 249 ◽  
Author(s):  
GC Suckling
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Adhesive Tape ◽  
Sampling Tube ◽  
Hair Sampling ◽  
Antechinus Stuartii ◽  
Cercartetus Nanus ◽  
Eucalypt Forests ◽  
Petaurus Breviceps

Small baited tubes of pvc piping lined with a double-sided adhesive tape and attached to trees have been used successfully to detect the small mammals Antechinus stuartii and Petaurus breviceps in eucalypt forests of south Gippsland, Vic. The hair sampling technique has generally been more successful than trapping for the detection of A. stuartii and about as successful as spotlighting for the detection of P. breviceps. The suitability of the technique for detecting shy species such as Acrobates pygmaeus and Cercartetus nanus is at this stage uncertain.

Effects of logging and fire on small mammals in Mumbulla State Forest, near Bega, New South Wales

1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Lunney ◽  
B. Cullis ◽  
P. Eby
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
First Year ◽  
Severe Effect ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Antechinus Stuartii ◽  
Rattus Fuscipes

This study of the effects of logging on small mammals in Mumbulla State Forest on the south coast of New South Wales included the effects of a fire in November 1980 and a drought throughout the study period from June 1980 to June 1983. Rattus fuscipes was sensitive to change: logging had a significant impact on its numbers, response to ground cover, and recapture rate; fire had a more severe effect, and drought retarded the post-fire recovery of the population. The three species of dasyurid marsupials differed markedly in their response to ground cover, canopy cover, logging and fire. Antechinus stuartii was distributed evenly through all habitats and was not affected by logging, but fire had an immediate and adverse effect which was sustained by the intense drought. A. swainsonii markedly preferred the regenerating forest, and was not seen again after the fire, the failure of the population being attributed to its dependence on dense ground cover. Sminthopsis leucopus was found in low numbers, appeared to prefer forest with sparse ground cover, and showed no immediate response to logging or fire; its disappearance by the third year post-fire suggests that regenerating forest is inimical to the survival of this species. Mus musculus showed no response to logging. In the first year following the fire its numbers were still very low, but in the next year there was a short-lived plague which coincided with the only respite in the 3-year drought and, importantly, occurred in the intensely burnt parts of the forest. The options for managing this forest for the conservation of small mammals include minimising fire, retaining unlogged forest, extending the time over which alternate coupes are logged and minimising disturbance from heavy machinery.

Bird and Mammal pollen vectors in Banksia communities at Cheyne Beach, Western Australia

1980 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
SD Hopper
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Adaptive Significance ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
Pollen Loads ◽  
Pollen Vectors ◽  
Autumn Flowering

A study of several autumn-flowering plants at Cheyne Beach was undertaken to compare pollen loads of their bird and mammal vectors and to investigate hypotheses concerning adaptations for bird and mammal pollination in Banksia. New Holland honeyeaters, white-cheeked honeyeaters, western spinebills and honey possums were all found to carry pollen of species of Banksia, Adenanthos, Lambertia (Proteaceae), Beaufortia and Calothamnus (Myrtaceae), whereas southern bush rats and house mice carried virtually none. Honeyeaters carried significantly larger pollen loads of the Proteaceae species than did honey possums. The honey possums carried the largest loads of Myrtaceae pollen. The loads on honey possums and southern bush rats may have been underestimated because these mammals were live-trapped and may have preened themselves prior to sampling for pollen. It was found that the two dominant banksias had divergent floral characteristics, some of which previous authors had suggested were adaptations to either bird or mammal pollination (e.g. straight styles in B. baxteri as against hooked styles in B. occidentalis). However, birds and mammals appeared to feed without preference on, and carry the pollen of, both species. The net effect of the divergent characteristics of the two banksias was that B. occidentalis transferred more pollen to vertebrate vectors and set more seed per inflorescence than did B. baxteri. Further work is needed to clarify the functional roles and adaptive significance of floral characteristics in these and other banksias.

Records of the Mammal Survey Group of Victoria, 1966-80, on the Distribution of Terrestrial Mammals in Victoria

1982 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 177 ◽  
Author(s):  
JWF Hampton ◽  
AE Howard ◽  
JBJL Poynton
Keyword(s):  
Vulpes Vulpes ◽  
The Other ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Terrestrial Mammals ◽  
Pseudocheirus Peregrinus ◽  
Antechinus Stuartii ◽  
Rattus Fuscipes ◽  
Hydromys Chrysogaster ◽  
Eleven Species ◽  
Mammal Survey

Records collected by the Mammal Survey Group of Victoria between 1966 and 1980 have been used to map the distributions of 48 species of mammals in Victoria. Data were collected by trapping, spotlighting and chance encounters. On the basis of these records, 11 species were widespread: these are Tachyglossus aculeatus, Omithorynchus anatinus, Antechinus stuartii, Trichosurus vulpecula, Pseudocheirus peregrinus, Macropus giganteus and M. fuliginosus, Wallabia bicolor, Hydromys chrysogaster, Rattus fuscipes, Mus musculus and Vulpes vulpes. Eleven species were very restricted: these are Antechinus minimus, Perameles gunnii, Cercartetus lepidus, Gymnobelideus leadbeuteri, Macropus robustus, Pseudomys apodemoides, P. shortridgei, P. fumeus, P. novaehollandiae, Mastacomys fuscus and Notomys mitchelli. The other 26 species have distributions between these two extremes.

The Response of Small Mammals to Clearing and Burning of Eucalypt Forest in South-eastern Australia

1979 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 151 ◽  
Author(s):  
GR Friend
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Pine Plantation ◽  
Eucalypt Forest ◽  
Population Turnover ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Antechinus Stuartii ◽  
Rattus Fuscipes

Before, during and after a clearing operation for pine plantation establishment, small mammals were trapped on ridges which were to be cleared of all vegetation, and in adjacent gullies which were to be permanently retained under native forest. Rattus fuscipes was the most abundant native species on all grids throughout the study, while R. lutreolus, Antechinus stuartii and A. swainsonii were in low abundance. Clearing in early summer, the breeding season in most of these species, resulted in an acceleration and accentuation of population turnover. Some juveniles and subadults may have moved from the ridges during clearing, while breeding adults remained and probably perished. Populations of R. fuscipes on ridge areas were drastically reduced by clearing and windrowing, but subadults recolonized the affected areas within 1-2 months. Results for the other three native species were inconclusive, due to the few individuals captured at any time during the study. The exotic species Mus musculus began to invade immediately following windrow burning.

Population-Changes in Sminthopsis-Leucopus (Gray) (Marsupialia, Dasyuridae), and Other Small Mammal Species, in Forest Regenerating From Logging and Fire Near Bega, New-South-Wales

1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 275 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Lunney ◽  
E Ashby
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Management Option ◽  
Population Changes ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Disturbed Habitat ◽  
Preferred Habitat ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Antechinus Stuartii ◽  
Rattus Fuscipes ◽  
Small Mammal Species

A population of the white-footed dunnart Sminthopsis leucopus was studied from 1981 to 1983 in a forest that had been logged in 1979, burnt in 1980, and was drought-affected throughout the study. S. leucopus bred in this disturbed habitat but did not persist when the vegetation regrew and became dense. Pouch young were present in August, September and October 1981. There was no evidence of polyoestry in the field, although breeding potential may have been suppressed by a combination of the drought and habitat change. There were few brown antechinus Antechinus stuartii present at any time. The population of the bush rat Rattus fuscipes increased as its preferred habitat of dense vegetation grew. An irruption of the house mouse Mus rnusculus in autumn 1982 coincided with a brief respite from the drought. The differing responses of these species to the same set of environmental conditions illustrates that no one management option in such forests will be optimal for all species of small mammals. The conclusion drawn here for the conservation of S. leucopus in forests subject to woodchip logging and fire is to stagger the forestry operations to ensure that not all parts of the forest are covered with dense regrowth at any one time.

Populations of Four Small Mammals in Radiata Pine Plantations and Eucalypt Forests of North-Eastern Victoria.

1978 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 305 ◽  
Author(s):  
GC Suckling ◽  
A Heislers
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Radiata Pine ◽  
Pine Plantations ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Eucalypt Forest ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Antechinus Stuartii ◽  
Rattus Fuscipes ◽  
Eucalypt Forests

[See also FA 39, 2088] A 2-yr trapping study was made on (a) Rattus fuscipes, (b) Antechinus stuartii, (c) Mus musculus and (d) A. swainsonii in mature eucalypt forest, a narrow stream-side strip of eucalypt forest, and in 3 pine plantations, 8, 22 and 42 yr old. In each area (a) and (d) were largely and (c) always confined to dense native vegetation along streams, whilst (b) was more frequent along streams than on slopes. More animals were found away from streams in young pine plantations than in other forest types.

scholarly journals The evolution of stable silicon isotopes in a coastal carbonate aquifer, Rottnest Island, Western Australia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley N. Martin ◽  
Karina Meredith ◽  
Andy Baker ◽  
Marc D. Norman ◽  
Eliza Bryan
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Silicon Isotopes ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Groundwater Samples ◽  
Si Isotopes ◽  
Dissolved Silicon ◽  
Si Isotope ◽  
Few Data

Abstract. Dissolved silicon (DSi) is a key nutrient in the oceans, but there are few data available regarding Si isotopes in coastal aquifers. Here we investigate the Si isotopic composition of 12 fresh and 17 saline groundwater samples from Rottnest Island, Western Australia, which forms part of the world’s most extensive aeolianite deposit (the Tamala Limestone Formation). Two bedrock samples were also collected from Rottnest Island for Si isotope analysis. The δ30Si values of groundwaters ranged from −0.39 to +3.60 ‰ with an (average: +1.59 ‰) and the rock samples were −0.76 and −0.13 ‰. Due to the relatively low concentrations of DSi (64 to 196 μM) and clay-forming cations in fresh groundwaters, the correlation between δ30Si values and DSi concentrations (ρ = 0.59, p = 0.02) may be explained by Si adsorption onto Fe-Al (oxy)hydroxides present in the aquifer. An increase in groundwater δ30Si in association with the occurrence of water-rock interactions may explain the spatial pattern in δ30Si across the aquifer, and is consistent with the correlation between δ30Si and tritium activities when considering all groundwaters (ρ = −0.68, p = 0.0002). In the deeper aquifer, the inverse correlation between DSi and Cl concentrations (ρ = −0.79, p = 0.04) for the more saline groundwaters is attributed to groundwater mixing with local seawater that is depleted in DSi (

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