Wild Canid Distribution and Co-existence in a Natural–Urban Matrix of the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 325
Author(s):  
Eric G. LeFlore ◽  
Todd K. Fuller ◽  
John T. Finn ◽  
Stephen DeStefano ◽  
John F. Organ
Keyword(s):  
Wild Canid ◽  
Urban Matrix

Demographic parameters of the squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) in an urban forest remnant

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 141
Author(s):  
David J. Sharpe ◽  
Ross L. Goldingay
Keyword(s):  
Urban Forest ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
First Year ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Apparent Survival ◽  
Key Population ◽  
Forest Remnant ◽  
Squirrel Glider ◽  
Urban Matrix

The effective management of species requires detailed knowledge of key population parameters. A capture–mark–recapture study of the squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) was conducted in an urban forest remnant in Brisbane, south-east Queensland. A total of 187 adult gliders (96 females, 91 males) was captured 620 times, in 19 sessions over a 4-year period. A Cormack–Jolly–Seber model was employed to estimate adult survival and abundance. Factors that may affect survival (e.g. sex, year, season) were included in population models. The overall probability of annual apparent survival was 0.49 ± 0.08. The capture probability over the duration of the study was 0.38 ± 0.03. The size of the local population was highest in the first year of the study (70–113 individuals) but then declined and generally remained low in the last two years. Apparent survival may include an unknown component of dispersal. However, our study area was mostly surrounded by a hostile urban matrix, so the effect of dispersal may have been minimal. Further studies that assess the survival of squirrel gliders are needed to assess the extent to which this parameter varies among localities.

Using ecological studies to understand the conservation needs of the squirrel glider in Brisbane?s urban forest-remnants.

2006 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 173 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Goldingay ◽  
D. J. Sharpe ◽  
G. L. Beyer ◽  
M. Dobson
Keyword(s):  
Urban Forest ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Parameter Estimates ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Forest Remnants ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Squirrel Glider ◽  
Urban Matrix

This paper provides an overview of our current ecological research on squirrel gliders (Petaurus norfolcensis) living in forest-remnants within an urban matrix in south-east Queensland. We have conducted population censuses and behavioural observations primarily in one 60-ha remnant. The number of tagged gliders (minimum number known alive) in this remnant varied from 75 in 2002 when flowering trees were abundant, to 33 the following year when flowering was poor. Poor flowering led to a delay in breeding and a decline in the probability of glider survival. Feeding observations on gliders in the year of abundant flowering revealed that almost 50% of the diet was comprised of nectar and pollen derived from 10 tree species. A more detailed focus on flowering and its influence on population dynamics at several sites would be of considerable value in understanding the population ecology of this species. We assessed the viability of the subpopulations of P. norfolcensis distributed across the various remnants to allow identification of management actions that may improve viability. Viability analyses under various scenarios suggest that our focal metapopulation will have a high likelihood of extinction within the next 100 years. Predictions of population viability are sensitive to changes in life history parameter estimates. Thus, current field-work has been directed by the need for more precise empirical values. The remnants containing our metapopulation need to be functionally linked to larger nearby remnants to enable glider dispersal among sites. We need a better understanding of glider dispersal behaviour and how permeable the urban matrix might be for P. norfolcensis. Arterial roads and freeways sever connections between many remnants, requiring novel approaches to corridor provision. Future research should examine how habitat quality of the remnants changes over time due to tree die-back and wind-throw. We are investigating the potential role of nest boxes to facilitate glider dispersal and to supplement the availability of den trees. The findings of our studies should contribute to a greater understanding of the general conservation requirements of P. norfolcensis.

scholarly journals Environmental and spatial filtering of ladybird beetle community composition and functional traits in urban landscapes

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Liere ◽  
Monika H Egerer ◽  
Stacy M Philpott
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Beneficial Insects ◽  
Ladybird Beetles ◽  
Urban Matrix ◽  
Landscape Level

Abstract Urban community gardens provide habitat for biodiversity within urban landscapes. Beneficial insects, those that provide important ecosystem services like pollination and pest control, are among the many inhabitants of these green spaces. Garden management and the composition of the urban matrix in which they are embedded can affect not only the abundance and species richness of beneficial insects but also their community composition and functional traits. During 2014 and 2015 (June to September), we collected ladybird beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in 19 community gardens in three counties of the California Central Coast. We examined the effects of garden- and landscape-level characteristics on ladybird community composition and functional traits. Out of the 19 species collected, only 3 were non-native to California (3 were not identified to species). Similarities in ladybird species composition were not driven by geographic distance between gardens, which suggest that beetles in these landscapes are not experiencing dispersal limitation. Instead, three landscape-level environmental variables and seven garden-scale ones correlated with changes in community composition. Even though we perceive cities as highly disturbed low-quality landscapes, our results suggest that highly mobile arthropods such as ladybird beetles, may not perceive the urban matrix as a barrier to movement and that urban gardens can be inhabited by native species with different sizes, diet breadths and diets. Nevertheless, our results also suggest garden specific management practices, such as altering ground cover, can affect the taxonomic and functional composition of ladybird beetles with potential implications to their ecosystem services.

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