Verifying bilby presence and the systematic sampling of wild populations using sign-based protocols – with notes on aerial and ground survey techniques and asserting absence

The recognition of sign such as tracks, scats, diggings or burrows is widely used to detect rare or elusive species. We describe the type of sign that can be used to confirm the presence of the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) in comparison with sign that should be used only to flag potential presence. Clear track imprints of the front and hind feet, diggings at the base of plants to extract root-dwelling larvae, and scats commonly found at diggings can be used individually, or in combination, to verify presence, whereas track gait pattern, diggings in the open, and burrows should be used to flag potential bilby activity but not to verify presence. A protocol to assess potential activity and verify bilby presence is provided. We provide advice on the application of a plot-based technique to systematically search for sign and produce data for the estimation of regional occupancy. Digging and burrow activity can be readily detected from the air but systematic ground-based assessment to determine the rate of false-presence and false-absence needs to accompany aerial survey. The approach to estimate survey effort to assert bilby absence is also described.

Influens of mole rats burrow activity to restore the soils proteolytic activity in terms of their man-made pollution

Heavy metals, especially their large concentration, is toxic for all living creatures because they are accumulating in the living things tissues. Theirs excessive levels evoke coagulation of proteins that cause immediate death of cells. Heavy metals get into the ground by different ways: directly because of using, precipitation, industrial pollution. Their impacts may be either time limited and have low toxicity or, alternatively, it may be long-termed and expressing the pollutants' ability to accumulate them in the body and supply chains. In the edaphotop block of land biogeocenosis most of the transformation processes begin with soil degradation ones. This leads to disruption of soil-forming process cycle of matter and biological productivity of systems. Optimization of a particular system or a block is possible only by acting on their biological relations, which is responsible for managing the system. Distortion or optimization of relations occurs with the animals environmental-forming, the component of which is animals burrow activity. As a result of it, water and chemicals are being reallocated in soil depths, thermal and aeration modes are changed, formed typical zoogenous micro relief with specific physical and chemical properties of the soil. This improves the living conditions of soil micro-organisms. Last ones are involved in soil enzyme activity forming. Enzymes involved in important biochemical processes: synthesis and humus decomposition, hydrolysis of organic compounds, the schedule remains of plants and microorganisms and converted them available to fixation, fix loose items, are actively involved in the cycling of essential elements for plants, in oxidation renewable reactions, etc. It is possible to determine the extent of microorganism’s activity by means of indexes of soil proteolytic activity. Conducted studies of the impact for animals burrow activity on the soils proteolytic activity for artificial forest under conditions of heavy metal pollution. Control plots were contaminated by lead with concentrations of 32; 160; 320 mg/kg of soil, which correspond to the maximum permissible concentration of 1; 5; 10 MAC. Samples were taken at 1st, 3rd and 15th months after contamination; proteolytic activity was determined by the Mishustin application method. Current proteolytic activity of soil is determined in vivo. It is the result of microorganism’s vital functions. And in turn can be an indicator of microbial activity. Contamination of lead depressing vital functions for soil microorganisms. This effect is more noticeable in the first month after contamination. The characteristic dependence of the soil proteolytic activity on metal concentration was observed also, the higher the MPC, the lower proteolytic activity level. The characteristics' dependence of soil proteolytic activity on metal concentration were also observed: the higher MPC, the lower the activity level. It was shown that on the mole rats burrows-dug with lead contaminated the medium proteolytic activity level exceeded control 1.9; 1.76 and 1.53 times respectively, at 1st; 3rd and 15th months after contamination. Based on this we can say that burrowing activity of animals inhibits inhibitory effect of heavy metals and plays an important role in the self-cleaning environment.

Interactions of variation in food supply and kleptoparasitism levels on the reproductive success of Common Puffins (Fratercula arctica)

Colonies of Common Puffins (Fratercula arctica), differing in numbers of breeding Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus) present, also differed in puffin numbers, burrow placement, and burrow activity rate. All differences indicated that puffins avoided gulls. Sites differing in gull numbers did not differ, however, in puffin fledging success or weights of fledged chicks. Chick weights and fledging success were low. The pattern of weight gain by chicks was irregular over the season, although consistent among sites for individual periods. These results imply that food usually was hard to find, although occasionally locally abundant. Pressures on puffin reproductive efforts due to variation in food supply and levels of kleptoparasitism do not appear to be additive; rather, low food availability decreases the effect of gull kleptoparasitism as well.

Monitoring respiration and activity in the spider Geolycosa domifex (Hancock) using time-lapse television and CO2 gas analysis

The activities of individual burrowing wolf spiders were continuously recorded with time-lapse television and respiration rates were simultaneously recorded. Five categories of activity and rest were differentiated and it was found that resting rates on the surface of the burrow and in the burrow were indistinguishable and similar to measures recorded in other studies. On average, in-burrow activity required 55% more energy than resting, surface activity required 220% more energy, and vertical activity (moving up the burrow) required 1780% more energy than resting. These data were analyzed with respect to the periodicity of activity patterns observed in the field and it was found that respiration rates that relate to periods of field activity are 40% higher than rates recorded for spiders assumed to be at rest.

Active respiration rates for the burrowing wolf spider Geolycosa domifex (Hancock)

The locomotion of individual burrowing wolf spiders, Geolycosa domifex (Hancock), was continuously monitored over 24-h periods and at the same lime respiration rates (microlitres CO2) were also continuously recorded. Five categories of activity and rest were identified: (1) in-burrow activity, (2) surface activity, (3) vertical activity, (4) in-burrow rest, and (5) surface rest. Respiration rates were determined for each category with respect to spider weight and temperature. The vertical activity rates were 10 times higher than resting rates, the surface activity rates were 4.5 times higher, and the in-burrow activity rates were 3.2 times higher. The activity–respiration rates were combined in a simple model which was tested against independently collected data and found to be in agreement. Scope for activity was calculated with respect to both weight and temperature, and it was found that the smallest animals at the lowest temperatures had the greatest scope for activity expressed as microlitres CO2 per gram body weight.