Download November - Australasian Wildlife Management Society

Volume 29 Issue 3
November 2015
ISSN No. 1322-9028
General Inquiries:
President
Greg Baxter
[email protected]
General Inquiries
Karen Rusten
[email protected]
Membership
Tarnya Cox
[email protected]
Newsletter editor
Jess Baumann
[email protected]
AWMS Conference enquiries
Konstanze Gebauer
[email protected]
Inside this issue:
From the President ............................................2
A rare Mighty Mouse living in a
vulnerable reality................................................3
Call for book review ..........................................4
AWMS Conference 2015 - you need
to be there ............................................................4
The fifth International Wildlife
Management Congress ....................................5
Improving wildlife management outcomes
using Behavioural Science principles..........6
Prescribed burning as a conservation tool
for management of habitat for threatened
species ....................................................................8
This newsletter reflects the opinions
of the author(s) but not necessarily
those of the AWMS Committee or
membership. AWMS makes no claim
as to the accuracy of stated claims
and any party using this information
does so at their own risk.
Newsletter of the
Australasian Wildlife Management Society
A rare Mighty Mouse living in a vulnerable reality
Nina Kaluza, University of Queensland, [email protected]
Xeromys myoides is a rare and protected species
that has only one known habitat, being tidal
wetlands along the coastal areas of Queensland
and the Northern Territory of Australia. The
nocturnal water mouse consumes a high
protein diet of estuary invertebrates that is
based on seasonal availability. They prefer not
to swim and are not great climbers, yet they
live within a dense mangrove system. As their
mud nest is reliant on the right consistency of
sediment and hydrology services, any adverse
change to this routine would cause imbalance,
vulnerability and predictable decline. The
common link between humans and this rare
water mouse is a coastal lifestyle. However,
adverse human actions toward water mouse
survival are land development, introduced
species, this impact usually occurs from the lack
of understanding on biome function as well as
gaps in species research.
My name is Nina Kaluza and I have been
researching Xeromys myoides in the southeast
region of Queensland since 2011. In association
with WetlandCare Australia, the Burnett
Mary Regional Group and the University of
Queensland, I am currently completing my
Research Higher Degree for the conservation
of this species. My research on Xeromys myoides
has allowed me to survey, monitor and discover
baseline data, trends, threats and opportunity
to assist one of few terrestrial mammals residing
in coastal wetlands. Through extensive survey
and camera monitoring, data gaps on water
mouse interaction and behaviour are now
being closely examined. This information has
been consistently distributed to both State and
Federal Threatened Specie Units at Department
of Environment and Heritage Protection,
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service,
Indigenous owners, local governments and
community groups.
My aim is to continue collaborative efforts
of community stewardship, and engage
government and non-government agencies
by promoting the uniqueness of this mighty
mouse.
The conservational goal is to make sure that this
vulnerable Muridae does not join the inventory
of extinct Rodentia by having this unique mouse
placed on the Australian Government Priority
Mammal List.
Figure 1:
X.myoides trap night at
Tandora, Nina Kaluza 2015
Maroochy River and
Pumicestone Passage
Surveys
The survey covered
765.34 hectares and
located 180 nests (of which 94% were active)
with the aim of understanding the ecological
role of this native mammal. Yet only 53 of
the water mouse nests occurred within
conservation reserves. The majority of the
nests were located along the river at Bli Bli
adjacent to agricultural land and prior to the
commencement of property development late
2012-14. These agricultural corridors were an
existing sugar cane industry with little change
to land usage over the last 80 years. But due to
this industry’s decline many owners are now
opting to sell their land parcels to property
developers or local councils. As this country
seaside town progresses already changes have
impacted upon nest distribution for water
mouse along the eastern sector of Maroochy
River (Figure 2).
Water mouse nests were not evenly distributed
throughout the suitable habitat available to
them, but were instead clumped (Figures 2 and
3), suggesting that factors other than habitat
availability per se may influence the species’
local distribution and density. A cautious
approach to land use change in this area is
warranted to protect the water mouse and
other species from local extinction (Higgins et
al. 2009; Smith 2008; Lee et al. 2006; Russell et al.
2009; Duke et al. 2005).
AWMS ... www.awms.org.au
Continued on page 3
Australasian Wildlife Management Newsletter
2
From the President
Greg Baxter
write this report with more than a
little feeling of schizophrenia. I have
been on sabbatical in South America
since early May and much of the dayto-day running of AWMS has been
taken over by the capable committee. I
want to thank them all for shouldering
the burden. Ben Allen in particular has
stepped up to the mark.
I
Since the last newsletter of course most of the activity has
been around organising this year’s conference in Perth. We
have a varied and full program booked for that conference. If
you have not yet booked there is still time www.awms.org.au/
conference
One of the things we are particularly pleased about is the
sponsorship we have received from Lotteries West in WA.
This will allow 5 people from remote WA to apply for a grant
of up to $1500 to attend this year’s conference. I urge you all
to circulate the following link widely amongst your networks
http://www.awms.org.au/announcements . Many thanks
to Lottery West and to Konnie Gerber for working her way
through the mountain of paperwork necessary to obtain the
grant.
Trish Fleming and her team have done a wonderful job
organising an interesting and entertaining conference. Many
thanks to them for their hard work and good ideas. Don’t
forget that we will be calling for expressions of interest for
holding the 2016 at the Perth AGM.
There are many environmental groups and professional
societies throughout the region. It is sometimes important
to reflect on what makes AWMS different and how we can
contribute. Two events this year have given me pause for
thought. Firstly, we lost an AWMS stalwart, David Choquenot.
David’s untimely departure was a reminder, if any were
needed, that our time here is finite. And as the Dalai Lama
says, “I don’t know why we are here, but it is certainly not
to do bad”. I can’t think of a better way to leave a mark then
to get involved with conservation and management of our
wonderful biota, right here on our own backyard and AWMS
is the perfect vehicle through which you and your colleagues
can channel this energy.
Secondly, I am writing this report from a desk in the National
Park office in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galapagos. One of
the things I have been working on is the restoration of the
extirpated fauna of Floreana, after rats and cats have been
eradicated. Floreana, of course, is inhabited. That means
people have to be managed as well as wildlife. That adds a
whole new term to the equation. The not-for-profit Island
Conservation has been working with the local community
for the past 4 years in preparation for the on-the-ground
work. And no contracts have yet been signed. This is a potent
reminder that wildlife management is by and for people.
This is again another difference between AWMS and other,
worthwhile, societies.
I look forward to giving you a full report on the year’s
activities when I see you in person in Perth.
Greg Baxter - from Puerto Ayora
AWMS 2015
Australasian Wildlife Management Society Annual Conference
SEE YOU THERE!!
24-26 November 2015
Mercure Hotel, Perth Western Australia
Wildlife Management in a Changing Environment
Volume 29, Issue 3
Australasian Wildlife Management Newsletter
3
A rare Mighty Mouse living in a vulnerable reality
Continued from Page 1
Figure 2. The area is undergoing substantial development, including
new golf courses, industrial areas, residential areas and an extension to a
local major airport (photo - Nina Kaluza)
As current knowledge regarding the distribution of the water
mouse is incomplete and the loss of one local population has
been documented in southeast Queensland (Van Dyck et al.
2006), a region where pressures from urban and industrial
development are increasing. Water mouse populations have not
been studied intensively enough to enable the primary factors
responsible for the local decline to be identified (DERM 2010).
Based on previous research (Woinarski et al. 2015) it is
known that the hardest hit Mammalia is Muridae/Rodentia
with Australia losing >8 of this species due to habitat
disturbance, fire, cats, and foxes (Figure 4). A current resurvey
of the Maroochy River site in 2015, has recorded significant
disturbance by foxes & possum on 8 of the 24 water mouse
nests adjacent to the newly established golf course. Further
investigations over the coming months will determine just
how many nests have been targeted and declined. Other areas
where fox activity has been recorded on water mouse nests
are within the Great Sandy Strait.
Figure 4. Impacts on the Xeromys myoides include habitat disturbance
from fire at Maroochy River and foxes at Tandora (photos - Nina Kaluza).
As seen in Figure 3, a coastal hotspot for the water mouse
is within mangrove forests and saltmarsh communities of
the Maroochy River system. The remaining surveyed areas
of Bells, Glass Mountain, Hussey, Coolum Creeks and Noosa
River produced lower recordings of active nests. These areas
were assessed as; possible habitat yet altered or disturbed by
human activity.
Figure 3: Each site produced significant findings and impacts for water
mouse recovery.
The Great Sandy Strait Survey
The assistance of Australian Government funds has allowed
the Burnett Mary Regional Group to focus on conservational
concerns for this region. As part of BMRG’s Keep the Strait
Great Program, the four-year water mouse research project has
already delivered new findings in our first year, which correlate
to previous theories by Dr Ian Gynther and Dr Steve Van Dyck.
The possibility of foxes predating on the water mouse has
now been observed through daytime camera monitoring,
stomach and scat collection from foxes. The current theory
I am working on is gestation predation by foxes on water
mouse nest chambers. This information may give insight into
fox behavioral patterns, learnt or otherwise and how best to
eradicate introduced species using awareness on adverse
effects for water mouse distribution and density.
In total a further 66 water mouse nests were recorded within
the coastal wetlands of the Great Sandy Strait. This entire area
covered Department of National Parks Sport & Racing Estate
(NPSR) at Burrum Heads, Kauri Creek Tinnanbar Ravens Hill,
Department of Defense at Camp Kerr, Fraser Coast Regional
Council Estates at River Heads) and Booral, O’Reagan Creek
and Snapper Creek at Tin Can Bay.
Continued on page 4
Volume 29, Issue 3
Australasian Wildlife Management Newsletter
4
A rare Mighty Mouse living in a vulnerable reality
Continued from page 3
The most significant record (N=24) was taken at Tandora, a
cattle station owned by Lindsay Titmarsh who implements
conservational strategies for wetland sites. This collaborative
project will continue for another three (3) years and I
will continue to involve Government, Non-Government,
Indigenous and volunteers to assist, learn and share in the
wonder of this mighty mouse.
In 2016 I will be extending my research efforts and include
the coastal and island wetlands of the Southern and Northern
Moreton Bay Shires. By connecting all research areas for this
mighty mouse we may be able to determine critical points in
the relationship between terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
The presence of this one mammal may be useful as an
indicator of the health of coastal wetlands.
28th AWMS Conference 2015
... you need to be there!
Your AWMS Committee have gone all out this year to provide
a great scientific Program of interest to all sectors of wildlife
management. The program theme of Wildlife Management
in a Changing Environment is scoped to ensure there is
something of interest for everyone involved in wildlife
management; a variety of stakeholders including all those
in the resources sector and those servicing the industry,
consultants, policy makers, academic institutes, natural
resource management groups and local interest groups.
References
You really should make an effort to attend this event being
held at the Mercure Hotel, Perth Western Australia. The
registration fees provide an option of a one-day registration for
those who are unable to commit to the full three- days. Check
out the website for full details - www.awms.org.au
DERM (2010) National recovery plan for the water mouse (false water
rat) Xeromys myoides. Report to Department of Sustainability,
Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Canberra.
Brisbane: Department of Environment and Resource Management.
And a big congratulations to the winners of the AWMS
LotteryWest Grant for Conference Attendance - from Western
Australia -
Duke NC, Bell AM, Pederson DK, Roelfsema CM, Nash SB (2005)
Herbicides implicated as the cause of severe mangrove dieback in
the Mackay region, north east Australia: consequences for marine
plant habitats of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Marine
Pollution Bulletin 51: 308-324.
Higgins A, Pearson L, Laredo L (2009) Modelling the financial value of
the Maroochy River to property values: an application of neural
networks. Journal of Water Resource and Protection 4: 237-248.
Lee SY, Dunn RJK, Young RA, Connolly RM, Dale PER, et al. (2006)
Impact of urbanization on coastal wetland structure and function.
Austral Ecology 31: 149-163.
Russell TL, Hale PT (2009) Conservation of the false water rat (Xeromys
myoides) depends on landscape complementation. Australian
Mammalogy 31.
Smith RJ (2008) Riparian and wetland areas on cane farms: SmartCane
best management practice booklet. Ballina, NSW: Wetland Care
Australia.
Alexandra James, AWC Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary, Derby
Jo Kuiper, Pilbara Mesquite Management Committee, Karratha
Sue Metcalf, Chittering Landcare Group, Muchea
Jodie Quinn, Warren Catchments Council, Manjimup
Sheila Howart, Bridgetown-Greenbushed Biosecurity Group
Inc., Bridgetown
We look forward to seeing you all in Perth!
CALL FOR BOOK REVIEW
We are looking for someone to review Grahame Webb’s new
book “Wildlife Conservation: In the Belly of the Beast”. The
reviewer will receive a free copy of the book for their efforts!
For more information contact [email protected]
Van Dyck S, Janetzki H, Amey A, Sherman-Hayes L, Baker A, et al. (2006)
Mangroves, mansions and mice: the demise of a population of
water mice (Xeromys myoides) adjacent to a Gold Coast canal
housing development. Australian Mammal Society Newsletter: No. 65.
Woinarski JCZ, Burbidge AA, Harrison PL (2015) Ongoing unraveling of
a continental fauna: decline and extinction of Australian mammals
since European settlement. Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences 112: 4531-4540.
REGISTER FOR THE
CONFERENCE NOW
ONLY 22 DAYS TO GO
CLICK HERE
Volume 29, Issue 3
Australasian Wildlife Management Newsletter
5
The fifth International Wildlife Management Congress (July 26-30) Sapporo, Japan
Stephen Sarre, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, ACT, Australia. [email protected]
I was fortunate enough to give a plenary presentation on
the topic of ‘Education for the Future’ at the 5th International
Wildlife Congress in Sapporo, Japan earlier this year. The
invitation came via a very kind recommendation from AWMS
and I chose to speak on the way we train PhD students and
how we might do this better.
My thesis drew heavily on my experiences as the Program
Leader for Education in the Invasive Animals CRC and as a
researcher on issues that have management relevance. It is
pretty clear that effective wildlife management must draw
on quality science but it also requires multifaceted and
interdisciplinary approaches that join researchers, managers,
community, government, and industry in creating solutions
that work. My point was that wildlife scientists of the future
must be trained to be capable of leading and participating in
the application of such multifaceted solutions, yet currently,
there is a yawning gap between training as it is practiced
at universities and the skill requirements of graduates. I
outlined the thematically based approach for PhD training
(Balanced Scientist Program) that we developed at the
Invasive Animals CRC as one possible solution. In this program,
students are drawn together from multiple institutions
around the common theme of invasive animals with the
goal of supplementing their research skills with training in
leadership, team building and research management, and
enhancing their opportunities within the invasive animals
industry through the development of networks that we hope
will continue as their careers progress. This program has run
since 2005 and the signs are that it is achieving its goals with
high completion rates, enhanced collaboration, high rates of
retention of graduates within the industry and a strong sense
of belonging to a common research community. This idea of
transferrable skills was also a common theme among other
speakers in the education symposium.
As for the rest of the congress, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Sapporo is a modestly sized city on the northern island of
Hokkaido. It is a pretty wild island with reputedly a lot of great
walks and wildlife (including bears which occasionally wander
into the city). The congress itself was at the convention
centre, a little way out of the city proper but the transport
and congress organisation in general, was exceptionally good.
There were around 1000 people at the congress and I saw
many good talks. A common theme among the plenaries was
the need for greater recognition of stakeholder engagement
and co-management in solving the “wicked” problems of
wildlife management. This was particularly well articulated in
a talk by Dan Decker (Cornell) and Rick Baydack (University
of Manitoba) on urban wildlife management and elaborated
upon, with some great local examples, using deer (Mayumi
Yokoyama, Univ Hyogo) and bear (Yoshikazu Sato; Rakuno
Gakuen University) as case studies.
The general consensus seemed to be that achieving
acceptable co-existence between wildlife and urban residents
is extremely challenging but particularly important because
it will have a major influence in shaping the attitudes of city
dwellers to wildlife and conservation more generally.
There was a preponderance of speakers from Japan and
South-East Asia and I saw a lot of excellent biology, ecology
and genetics, particularly from some of the postgrads – and
much innovative thinking as well. My particular favourite
was an analysis of the link between biodiversity and the
development of Pokémon which, for those who haven’t
had kids growing up in the last 20 years, is a game involving
several hundred species of fictional pocket monsters!
Overall, I left feeling that there was a lot of great biological/
ecological research going on in Japan and that a lot of it had
direct application to what are increasingly significant wildlife
management problems.
Congress participants helping local
volunteers (and the NPO Urahoro
Brown Bear Study Group) to scythe
the vegetation along the banks of
the Toyohira-river with the aim of
preventing brown bears moving into
downtown Sapporo
(Photo – Stephen Sarre)
The Congress banquet, held in the
Genghis Khan Hall of the historic
Sapporo Beer Garden
(Photo – Stephen Sarre)

Volume 29, Issue 3
Australasian Wildlife Management Newsletter
6
Improving wildlife management outcomes using Behavioural Science principles
Lynette McLeod, University of New England, [email protected]
The term ‘management’ relates to a series of continuing
and related activities to achieve defined goals/objectives by
working with and through people.
Thus people are an integral, but often neglected, part of
any management program. These ’people’, whether they
are government or organizational employees, private land
managers or community members, generally come from
wide ranging cultural and educational backgrounds, and have
different views, values, priorities, abilities and motivations. But
it is through their actions that management outcomes will
succeed or fail. So the key question is: “What steps can we take
to ensure people’s actions are consistent with those required
to achieve management objectives?”
‘Extension’, ‘intervention’, ‘campaign’ are all terms referring to
the process of promoting a particular management program.
The first step of my PhD research was to look at how we
approach this process for wildlife management programs,
and determine how effective we are in eliciting responsible
animal management behaviours. To investigate the ‘how’, I
conducted an audit of fifty different interventions promoting
management of cat population numbers and movement.
These interventions were targeted at either wild or pet
cats, and included programs from around the world. By far,
the most common type of intervention used across all cat
types was education (the dissemination of information to
increase awareness, understanding, and describe required
management actions), followed by persuasive interventions,
which use emotive communications to induce actions.
Coercive interventions, which use laws and rules to create
expectation of punishment or cost, and interventions, which
employ incentives and rewards, were more likely used to
influence cat-owners, whereas enablement-type interventions,
which increase the capability and opportunity of action, were
more evident with wild/ feral cat management programs.
How effective are each of these types of interventions at
influencing people’s actions and behaviours? A review of both
the published and grey literature revealed only a small number
of evaluations of the actual interventions used to promote
wildlife management programs. Very few of these measured
actual behavioural change in the target individuals, some
reported changes in awareness and knowledge, with the
majority recording outputs such as the number of pamphlets
handed out, hits on a website or field days attended.
So much time and effort goes into developing and evaluating
wildlife management strategies, yet, by comparison, little
research has been done to identify the most effective ways
of encourage homeowners and landholders to participate
actively and responsibly in wildlife management activities.
The behavioural literature affirms that the provision of
information is important to create awareness and form
attitudes, but having a positive attitude towards a particular
behaviour is no guarantee that the behaviour will actually
occur. There is considerable evidence that shows causal links
between attitudes and behaviour are often weak or nonexistent and many studies have shown that educational
interventions, when used alone, are often insufficient to bridge
the gap between attitudes and behaviour, particularly when
motivation levels are low (e.g. Costanzo et al. 1986).
Research into human behaviour is extensive, and there are
a large number of behavioural models describing factors
that promote and prevent behaviour change. McLeod et al.
(2015) provide a summary of the behavioural theories that are
relevant to wildlife management. There is also a large array of
behavioural change techniques that have been developed
by behavioural scientists, and for optimal effectiveness,
these techniques need to be matched to context and target
audience (Hine et al. 2015; McKenzie-Mohr, 2011; Michie et al.
2014).
Examples of educational information for cat management programs
So how can wildlife practitioners ensure their interventions
will initiate behavioural change? The literature agrees that
before designing an intervention practitioners need to identify
the main drivers (perceived benefits) of the target behaviour,
as well as any barriers that prevent the behaviour from
occurring. Once these drivers and barriers of behaviour are
properly understood in context, appropriate behaviour change
techniques can be identified and implemented. There are
many frameworks described in the behaviour change literature
that instruct practitioners how to design effective behavioural
change interventions, however there are none that specifically
deal with animal management and the particular issues within
this field.
Volume 29, Issue 3
Australasian Wildlife Management Newsletter
7
Improving wildlife management outcomes using Behavioural Science principles
Continued from page 5
As part of my research I have developed a specific framework
which can assist wildlife practitioners develop more effective
interventions by assisting in the identification of behaviours
to be targeted, and their drivers and barriers, along with
the selection of the most appropriate and cost-effective
techniques.
I am in the process of testing this framework, using the issue of
cat containment in Tasmania as a case study. I have developed
a novel intervention strategy, based on the drivers and barriers
identified in survey of cat owners in the area (McLeod et al.
in press), and will be evaluating its effectiveness in modifying
cat-owners behaviour compared to the more traditional
education-type interventions currently employed.
Literature cited
Costanzo, M., Archer, D., Aronson, E., & Pettigrew, T. (1986). Energy
conservation behavior: The difficult path from information to
action. American Psychologist, 41(5), 521-528. doi: 10.1037/0003066X.41.5.521
Pet cats are major predators of native wildlife (photo - Joe Sydney)
Hine, D. W., Please, P., McLeod, L., & Driver, A. (2015). Behaviourally
effective communications for invasive animals management: A
practical guide. Canberra: Invasive Animal Cooperative Research
Centre.
McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2011). Fostering sustainable behaviour: An
introduction to community-based social marketing (3rd ed.): New
Society Publishers.
On our way to the student dinner
McLeod, L., Hine, D., & Bengsen, A. (2015). Applying behavioural
science for more effective cat management interventions. In J.
Tracey, C. Lane, P. Fleming, C. Dickman, J. Quinn, T. Buckmaster &
S. McMahon (Eds.), 2015 National feral Cat Management Workshop
Proceedings, Canberra, 21-22 April 2015. Canberra, Australia:
PestSmart Toolkit publication, Invasive Animals Cooperative
Research Centre
McLeod, L. J., Hine, D. W., & Bengsen, A. B. (in press). Born to roam?
Surveying cat owners in Tasmania, Australia to identify the drivers
and barriers to cat containment. Preventive Veterinary Medicine.
McLeod, L. J., Hine, D. W., Please, P. M., & Driver, A. B. (2015). Applying
behavioral theories to invasive animal management: Towards an
integrated
Journal of Environmental Management, 161,
Delegates
areframework.
treated to a presentation
on
the Stradbroke
Island Field trip
63-71.
doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.06.048
Michie, S., Atkins, L., & West, R. (2014). The behaviour change wheel. A
guide to designing interventions. UK: Silverback Publishing.
A major barrier to cat containment is owners’ beliefs in their ability to
implement an effective strategy (photo- Bill Crisp)
Schultz, P. W. (2014). Strategies for promoting proenvironmental
behavior. Lots of tools but few instructions. European Psychologist,
19(2), 107-117. doi: 10.1027/1016-9040/a000163.
HAVE YOU ANY ITEMS OR STORIES
FOR THE AWMS NEWSLETTER?
We’d love to hear from you!
Please send items to the Newsletter editor,
[email protected]
Volume 29, Issue 3
Australasian Wildlife Management Newsletter
8
Prescribed burning as a conservation tool for management of habitat for threatened species
Karlene Bain (PhD Candidate, University of Western Australia),
Adrian Wayne (Parks and Wildlife) and Roberta Bencini (UWA); Contact Karlene at [email protected]
Active management of fire is important for the protection
and maintenance of habitat for many threatened species in
South-Western Australia. It is subsequently important that
we understand the role of fire in the ecology of threatened
species and embrace opportunities to apply fire to generate
genuine conservation outcomes. This is particularly so given
the expectations of larger, more frequent and more severe
wildfires under a drying climate scenario (Cary et al. 2012), and
the increasing political pressure to introduce prescribed fire
for the proactive protection of human life and property (e.g.
Keelty 2012).
Using the quokka as a model species, this study investigated
the current application of fire for biodiversity in the southern
forests of Western Australia, with particular emphasis on the
factors driving recolonisation of areas post fire, the spatial
arrangement and refuge value of unburnt vegetation and
identification of fire prediction parameters that may help to1
guide fire management for biodiversity conservation.
The study was carried out in the forests between Manjimup
and Denmark in South-Western Australia. Vegetation cover
in this region is relatively continuous and dense, with tall
forests interspersed with diverse ecotypes such as woodlands,
sedge lands, shrub lands, creeks, rivers, wetlands and granite
outcrops. Prescribed fire is used extensively within this
landscape to conserve and promote elements of biodiversity
and for fuel reduction to mitigate wildfires and protect human
life and private lands.
To evaluate the response of quokkas to fire, we measured post
fire habitat variables, fire predictor parameters and estimated
presence of quokkas in 14 treatment areas and in six control
areas over an aggregated area of 65,765 ha, for two years prior
2
to fire and four years following fire. The presence of quokkas
was assessed, using faecal pellets counts as described in Bain
et al. (2014). Post fire habitat variables of interest included:
the spatial arrangement of unburnt patches within treatment
areas, the proportion of area unburnt (%), the number and
average size of unburnt patches (ha), distance to unburnt
vegetation (m), the size of the closest unburnt patch (ha),
and the scorch height, defined as the height of charring on
tree trunks (m). Fire predictor variables included: surface
moisture content (Sneeuwjagt and Peet 1998), Soil Dryness
Index (Mount 1972), Fire Danger Index (Sneeuwjagt and Peet
1998), the forward rate of spread of the fire (m/hr), time since
last fire (years) and the size of the fire (ha). We used multiseason occupancy models (MacKenzie et al. 2006) to estimate
detection probability, occupancy rate and colonization
probability using Program MARK (White and Burnham 1999)
and to assess the effect of the habitat and fire predictor
variables on these parameters.
The quokka (Setonix
brachyurus) makes a
good focal species for fire
management because it is
vulnerable to inappropriate
fire regime and its habitat
requirements can help to
define minimum patch
size, inter patch distances
and define corridor
configurations for other
small-medium sized
mammals that occupy a
similar ecological niche
(photo-Karlene Bain).
3
Factors affecting recolonisation of habitat following fire
Quokkas recolonized post fire habitats within 12 months,
where scorch heights were less than ten metres and more
than 20% of the area remained unburnt, with multiple unburnt
patches larger than 36 ha. These outcomes were associated
with mild fire behaviour occurring where soil moisture
was high (>11%), soil dryness indices were low (<800) and
field rates of spread were low (<50 m/hr). Under these
conditions, midstorey and overstorey species survived and
continued to contribute to the ongoing structural diversity
of the vegetation. In addition, edaphic barriers to fire that
are created by rock, large logs, discontinuous vegetation and
moisture were most effective under these conditions, resulting
in a greater patchiness of burnt and unburnt vegetation. These
findings are consistent with known habitat requirements of
quokkas in this region, including vegetation with a complex
structure (at least three layers) and fine-scale heterogeneity
(Bain et al. 2015).
4
In contrast, intense fire behaviour resulted in scorch heights
greater than 27m that affected all vegetation layers, removed
structural complexity and resulted in all components of
the landscape burning, including riparian systems and rock
outcrops. Intense fire outcomes were associated with field
conditions where surface moisture was low (<8%), soil dryness
indices were high (>922) and field rates of spread were high
(>130 m/hr). Quokkas did not recolonise these areas within the
duration of this study.
Refuge value of unburnt vegetation
Clustered but spatially separated pockets were important for
quokkas and contributed to habitat connectivity within and
between burnt areas. The preferential selection by quokkas
for unburnt pockets greater than 36 ha and within 1km of at
least two other unburnt pockets is possibly related to predator
pressure, given the increased risk of predation for many small
and medium sized mammals following fire.
Continued on page 9
Volume 29, Issue 3
Australasian Wildlife Management Newsletter
9
Prescribed burning as a conservation tool for management of habitat for threatened species
Continued from page 8
The ability of quokkas and other species to either disperse
through the burnt landscape or use refuge patches as
‘stepping stones’ is also important in maintaining habitat
connectivity and movement patterns at a landscape scale. This
is of particular importance where adjoining areas are planned
to be burnt within a short period of time.
Prescribing for effective refuge within planned burns
Prescribed burning can create conditions conducive to the
persistence and recolonisation of habitat by quokkas, but
some fire regimes can adversely affect quokkas and may
have long term implications for habitat connectivity and
metapopulation function.
This is particularly the case where the spatial and temporal
scale of impact is such that animals can no longer safely move
between suitable habitat patches. Other threatened and
endemic small-medium sized mammals that co-occur with the
quokka are expected to benefit from a fire regime that suits
the quokka (Burrows et al. 2004). Although the exact spatial
arrangement of refugia may vary, the importance of moisture
differentials, maximizing the effectiveness of edaphic barriers
to fire, retention of unburnt vegetation associated with mesic
and rocky habitats and retention of vegetation structure are all
likely to be common requirements from a fire regime for these
species.
This study has improved our understanding of the factors
driving recolonisation of burnt areas by quokkas in the
southern forests of Western Australia, the spatial arrangement
and refuge value of unburnt vegetation and fire parameters
that best predict favourable post-burn habitats. This
information will enable land managers to incorporate these
ecological requirements into fire planning where quokkas
and similar species are present. Use of such explicit ecological
criteria during fire planning and implementation may help to
build ecosystem resilience and provide protection against the
increase in homogenising wildfires that are predicted with a
drying climate.
Acknowledgements
We thank personnel from Parks and Wildlife, Frankland District
for access to their prescribed burning program, departmental
datasets and field calculations.
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Volume 29, Issue 3