Field studies of a high elevation population of northern Greater glider Petauroides volans minor in the Bluff State Forest, Far North Queensland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.R. Starr ◽  
R.T. Hughes ◽  
M.S. Hemmings ◽  
J.F. Coase ◽  
M. D. Jess
Keyword(s):  
Field Studies ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Radio Tracking ◽  
Field Site ◽  
Local Conservation ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Far North ◽  
Sclerophyll Forest ◽  
Blue Gum

ABSTRACT We present the results of field surveys and a radio-tracking study of the Greater glider Petauroides volans minor in the Bluff State Forest, North Queensland. Twenty-three spotlighting transects were surveyed twice in July 2018, mean abundance of P. v. minor was 0.24 ha−1 in wet sclerophyll and 0.38 ha−1 in dry sclerophyll forest. Field observations (n= 330) were collected from nine radio-collared animals across three field sites from July to October 2019. 95% kernel home range estimates varied, ranging from 1.03–11.45 ha. Observations of denning (n=66) across 22 den trees identified that the gliders utilised between 1 and 4 dens during the study. Den trees were predominantly large Blue gum Eucalyptus tereticornis, with Gum-topped box Eucalyptus moluccana, Narrow-leafed ironbark Eucalyptus drepanophylla, Tindale’s stringybark Eucalyptus tindaliae and unidentifiable tree stags were used to lesser extent in one field site. Mean availability of suitable den trees was 2.07±1.12 per ha in Site 1 and 2, and 1.57±1.24 in Site 3. Foraging observations (n=148) were collected, Pink Bloodwood Corymbia intermedia and E. moluccana were the most commonly observed feed trees utilised by the study animals during the tracking period. This study provides baseline data for P. v. minor within high elevation habitat (950 to 1000 m) at its most northern extent. Given the widespread decline of P. volans across much of its range, these data may be used for developing local conservation strategies for the species in North Queensland.

scholarly journals A methodology to conduct wind damage field surveys for high-impact weather events of convective origin

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 1513-1531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oriol Rodríguez ◽  
Joan Bech ◽  
Juan de Dios Soriano ◽  
Delia Gutiérrez ◽  
Salvador Castán
Keyword(s):  
Field Studies ◽  
High Impact ◽  
Strong Wind ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Straight Line ◽  
High Impact Weather ◽  
Strong Winds ◽  
Wind Events ◽  
The One

Abstract. Post-event damage assessments are of paramount importance to document the effects of high-impact weather-related events such as floods or strong wind events. Moreover, evaluating the damage and characterizing its extent and intensity can be essential for further analysis such as completing a diagnostic meteorological case study. This paper presents a methodology to perform field surveys of damage caused by strong winds of convective origin (i.e. tornado, downburst and straight-line winds). It is based on previous studies and also on 136 field studies performed by the authors in Spain between 2004 and 2018. The methodology includes the collection of pictures and records of damage to human-made structures and on vegetation during the in situ visit to the affected area, as well as of available automatic weather station data, witness reports and images of the phenomenon, such as funnel cloud pictures, taken by casual observers. To synthesize the gathered data, three final deliverables are proposed: (i) a standardized text report of the analysed event, (ii) a table consisting of detailed geolocated information about each damage point and other relevant data and (iii) a map or a KML (Keyhole Markup Language) file containing the previous information ready for graphical display and further analysis. This methodology has been applied by the authors in the past, sometimes only a few hours after the event occurrence and, on many occasions, when the type of convective phenomenon was uncertain. In those uncertain cases, the information resulting from this methodology contributed effectively to discern the phenomenon type thanks to the damage pattern analysis, particularly if no witness reports were available. The application of methodologies such as the one presented here is necessary in order to build homogeneous and robust databases of severe weather cases and high-impact weather events.

Field Observations on the Common Striped Possum (Dactylopsila Trivirgata) in North Queensland.

1996 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 755 ◽  
Author(s):  
KA Handasyde ◽  
RW Martin
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Home Range ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Radio Tracking ◽  
Minimum Convex Polygon ◽  
Far North ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
The Common ◽  
Primary Habitat

Habitat utilisation and foraging behaviour by the common striped possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata) was investigated by means of spotlighting and radio-tracking at Shiptons Flat, far north Queensland. Vine forest was the primary habitat of D. trivirgata; however, animals were also observed in open eucalypt (Eucalyptus tereticornis) woodland. Information collected on foraging behaviour suggests that D. trivirgata are generalist insectivores consuming some fruit and other foodstuffs, such as honey. Radio-tracking data were used to calculate the home-range areas of two subadult males. The home range of the smaller male (body weight 290 g) was 5.2 ha (by the 95% harmonic mean (HM) method) or 6.5 ha (by the minimum convex polygon (MCP) method), and that of the larger male (body weight 415 g) was 21.2 ha (95% HM) or 21.3 ha (MCP). Large trees with hollows, which are utilized for denning, appear to be an important feature of the habitat for this species. D. trivirgata exhibits a pronounced degree of sociality and may breed seasonally. Observations suggest that amethystine pythons (Morelia amethistina) may be major predators of D. trivirgata at Shiptons Flat.

scholarly journals Update of distribution, habitats, population size, and threat factors for the West African crocodile in Mauritania

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Carlos Campos ◽  
Fernando Martínez-Freiría ◽  
Fábio Vieira Sousa ◽  
Frederico Santarém ◽  
José Carlos Brito
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
West African ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Temperature Extremes ◽  
Local Conservation ◽  
The West ◽  
Water Abstraction ◽  
New Localities ◽  
Domestic Use

The West African crocodile (Crocodylus suchus) is an emblematic species from the Sahara-Sahel with scarce knowledge on distribution and conservation status. This study updated the knowledge on distribution, occupied habitats, population size, and factors that threaten C. suchus and its habitats in Mauritania. Five field expeditions to Mauritania (2011-2016), allowed the detection of 26 new localities, increasing by 27% the current number of all known locations (adding up to ). In most localities less than five individuals were observed, and in all visiting sites the number of observed individuals ranged from one to 23. Eleven threat factors were identified, being droughts and temperature extremes (100% localities affected) and water abstraction for domestic use and nomadic grazing (94%) the most frequent. These findings suggest that crocodiles are apparently vulnerable in Mauritania and that future local conservation strategies are needed to assure the continuity of its fragile populations and preserve their habitats.

scholarly journals Ground cover plants research for objects of landscape architecture

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-63
Author(s):  
I.Yu. Bochkova ◽  
◽  
Yu.A. Khokhlacheva ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Landscape Architecture ◽  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Botanical Garden ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Color Chart ◽  
Urban Gardening ◽  
Biometric Measurements ◽  
Selection Of

This article presents the results of work on the selection of groundcover plants (both light-loving and shade-tolerant) that are promising and very promising for use on landscape architecture objects. The work was carried out during 2018 on the basis of the collection Fund of the laboratory of ornamental plants of the Main Botanical garden (MBG RAS), on two experimental sites located on the main territory of the MBG RAS, in the collection-exhibition «Shadow garden» and on the exhibition area «Decorative perennials». A total of 225 plants were selected during the study. During the growing season, field surveys of experimental samples were systematically performed and phenological observations were made. Field studies included biometric measurements of the height of the Bush and peduncle, the diameter of the Bush, the diameter/length of the flower/inflorescence, as well as refinement of the color of the flowers/inflorescences (using a special color scale of the English Royal society of flower growers (RHS color Chart)). The result of this work is a list that includes 40 names. These are very promising and promising species that we recommend for use in urban gardening.

scholarly journals Can Multifunctional Landscapes Become Effective Conservation Strategies? Challenges and Opportunities From a Mexican Case Study

Land ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Ros-Cuéllar ◽  
Luciana Porter-Bolland ◽  
Martha Bonilla-Moheno
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Local Conservation ◽  
Coffee Agroforestry ◽  
Multifunctional Landscapes ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities

Protected Areas (PA) are the main strategy for nature conservation. However, PA are not always efficient for ecological conservation and social wellbeing. A possible alternative for conservation in human-dominated landscapes are Multifunctional Landscapes (ML), which allow the coexistence of multiple objectives, such as nature conservation and resource use. Using the activity system framework, we analyzed whether the ML concept was an operative alternative to PA within an area of interest for conservation in Veracruz, Mexico. Activity systems refer to the set of productive strategies that result from the mobilization of resources and which, within particular environmental governance contexts, shape the landscape. To understand the challenges and opportunities of our case study, we: (1) delimited the landscape according to local conservation interests; and (2) analyzed the role of stakeholders in shaping this landscape. The delimited landscape included areas considered wildlife reservoirs and water provisioning zones. Our results suggested that the existence of local conservation areas (private and communal), combined with shaded-coffee agroforestry practices, made this region an example of ML. Although local conservation initiatives are perceived as more legitimate than top-down approaches, agreements amongst stakeholders are essential to strengthen environmental governance. In specific socio-ecological contexts, ML can be effective strategies for conservation through agroecosystems that maintain a high-quality landscape matrix, allowing nature preservation and delivering economic benefits.

scholarly journals Pharmacoepidemiology and the Australian regional prevalence of multiple sclerosis

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (13) ◽  
pp. 1712-1716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Hollingworth ◽  
Kimitra Walker ◽  
Andrew Page ◽  
Mervyn Eadie
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Latitudinal Gradient ◽  
Public Domain ◽  
Population Estimates ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Disease Modifying Drugs ◽  
Far North ◽  
Relapsing Remitting ◽  
Disease Modifying

Background: Over some 50 years, field surveys have shown that the prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) increases with increasing distance from the equator in both the northern and the southern hemispheres. Such a latitudinal gradient has been found in field surveys of MS prevalence carried out at different times in various local regions of Australia. Objective: The objective of this paper is to use a pharmacoepidemiological approach to obtain whole of population estimates of the prevalence of MS in the various Australian states and territories from the use of MS disease-modifying drugs used to treat relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS). Methods: We analysed the dispensed use of subsidised RRMS drugs by jurisdiction. Results: In the 2005–2008 period, the calculated mean treated RRMS prevalence in Australia ranged from 7.5 per 100,000 in the far north to 53.2 per 100,000 in the extreme south and was linearly related to increasing southerly latitude. Public domain Australian data suggested that multiplying this prevalence by a factor of 2.2 (to account for untreated RRMS and other types of MS) may provide a measure of the prevalence of all varieties of the disease. Conclusion: These findings provide contemporary and more comprehensive evidence for the gradient of MS prevalence with latitude in Australia than has previously been available.

Field Studies on the Behaviour of Organic Micropollutants During Infiltration of River Water to Ground Water

1987 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 1195-1196 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Schaffner ◽  
M. Ahel ◽  
W. Giger
Keyword(s):  
Ground Water ◽  
River Water ◽  
Chlorinated Solvents ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Organic Micropollutants ◽  
Field Site ◽  
Phenolic Pollutants ◽  
One Year ◽  
Observation Wells

The fate of organic micropollutants during ground water infiltration is of great interest since many water works use bank filtration as a first step in the treatment of river water for public water supplies. Field and laboratory studies are necessary to enhance our knowledge on the behaviour of organic chemicals during infiltration of river water to ground water. In an earlier study nonpolar volatile compounds (e.g. tetrachloroethylene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene and 1,3-dimethylbenzene) were investigated in natural river-ground water infiltration systems in Switzerland (Schwarzenbach et al., 1983). In this poster we report on recent work using one of these field sites and studying pentachlorophenol (PCP), nonylphenol (NP), nonylphenol monoethoxylate (NP1EO), nonylphenol diethoxylate (NP2EO) and nitrilotriacetate (NTA), Preliminary results will also be reported for ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The field site for our investigation was in the lower Glatt Valley, Switzerland where the Glatt River infiltrates into a quarternary fluvioglacial valley fill aquifer. The Glatt River is a small, rather heavily polluted perialpine river which receives effluents from ten mechanical-biological treatment plants of municipal waste water (Ahel et al., 1984). At the field site the average discharge of the river is approximately 8 m3/sec and permanent infiltration of the river through a saturated zone can be assumed. Observation wells allowed the sampling of freshly infiltrated water at various distances (2,5 - 14 m) from the river. During one year seventeen sample series were collected at approximately monthly intervals including samples from the river and from four ground water observation wells. Pentachlorophenol was determined by a method based on the procedure by Renberg and Lindstróm (1981), Detailed descriptions of the analytical methods for NP, NP1EO, NP2EO and NTA are given elsewhere (Ahel and Giger, 1985; Schaffner and Giger, 1984). The observed averages and ranges of concentrations are given in Table 1. It was concluded that NTA is eliminated rapidly during ground water infiltration. Starting from a range of 8 to 83 mg/m3 and an average of 27 mg/m3 in the river, after 7 m of infiltration only 0.5 mg/m3 are left corresponding to an elimination of 98%. Low temperatures in winter (4 – 6 °C) and reduced oxygen contents in summer had no effect on the efficient elimination of NTA, This result is highly important in addressing the question as to what extent NTA might reach bank filtrated waters from polluted rivers. The phenolic pollutants were eliminated according to the sequence: NP1EO ≈ NP2EO > NP > PCP. This is based on the decrease of the average concentrations over the first seven meters of infiltration. In particular, PCP turned out to be rather persistent in the ground water but not to such a degree as tetrachloroethylene and other chlorinated solvents which had been studied earlier.

scholarly journals Felling Ficus: The Cultural Status of Fig Trees in a Rural Assamese Community, India

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Eden W Cottee-Jones ◽  
Robert J. Whittaker
Keyword(s):  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Conservation Strategy ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Economic Costs ◽  
Local Conservation ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
Large Size ◽  
Cultural Status ◽  
Fig Trees ◽  
The Village

Scattered fig (Ficus spp. Moraceae) trees are critically important for biodiversity conservation in tropical rural landscapes. By providing large fruit crops, they help maintain seed dispersal networks and facilitate forest restoration. The conservation of fig trees scattered across rural landscapes is therefore vital for the preservation of ecosystem services and biodiversity beyond the borders of protected areas. Given the threats to scattered fig trees, it is increasingly important to identify potentially effective local conservation strategies that accommodate existing perceptions of their value. We used ethnographic techniques to assess the attitudes of villagers towards fig trees in the village of Komargoan and its surroundings in Assam, India. As reported for other parts of South Asia, we found fig trees have significant sacred status, which included taboos against cutting them down. However, we discovered mixed and sometimes contradictory understandings of the religious attributes of fig trees, which were sometimes believed to be inhabited by gods or ancestral spirits. The benefits most commonly associated with fig trees by interviewees were their aesthetic beauty, large size, and shade during the daytime heat. When the presence of these trees incurred economic costs, their religious, aesthetic, and practical benefits were not sufficient reasons to prevent people from cutting them down, although often saplings would be planted in another place as compensation. Unexpectedly, figs were only planted by respected members of the community, usually older men, who had sufficient social status. Any conservation strategy aiming to sustain the abundance of figs in rural Assam is more likely to be successful if these cultural views are taken into account.

scholarly journals Population dynamics and orientation of the central Andean cushion Azorella compacta

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Kleier ◽  
Tim Trenary ◽  
Eric A Graham ◽  
Philip W Rundel
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Northern Chile ◽  
Shape Distribution ◽  
Cushion Plant ◽  
Strong Orientation ◽  
Andean Altiplano ◽  
Disturbed Habitats

Azorella compacta (llareta; Apiaceae), a large woody cushion plant, is a remarkable species forming dense cushions and characterizing the high elevation rocky slopes of the central Andean Altiplano. Field studies of an elevational gradient of A. compacta within Lauca National Park in northern Chile found a reverse J-shape distribution of size classes of individuals with abundant small plants at all elevations. A new elevational limit for A. compacta was found at 5250 m. A series of cushions marked 14 years earlier showed either slight shrinkage or small degrees of growth up to 2.2 cm yr-1. Despite their irregularity in growth, cushions of A. compacta show a strong orientation, centered on a north-facing aspect and angle of about 20o from horizontal. This exposure to maximize solar irradiance closely matches previous observations of a population favoring north-facing slopes at a similar angle. Populations of A. compacta appear to be stable, or even expanding, with young plants abundant and recolonization of disturbed habitats.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document