Download Camden 2002 - Australasian Wildlife Management Society

Australasian Wildlife Management
Society
15th Scientific
Meeting and AGM
Camden, New South Wales, Australia
9th-11th December 2002 . .
Hosted by:
The UniversityofSydney ·
.JI.lln"IL\.U.\
Sponsored
by:
.
WILDLlFE TRACKING SYSTEMS
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Pagel
A special thanbs to those people involved in the
organisation of this conference
Organising committee
Mike Braysher
Quentin Hart
Glen Saunders
Tony English
University of Canberra
BRS
NSW Agriculture
University of Sydney
Additional organisers
Doreen Gulliver
John White
Elaine Murphy
Darryl Jones
AVACOS
Deakin University
Department of Conservation
Griffith University
Camden, December 2002
Page 3
Table of Contents
Conference programme
4
Symposium 1.
Wildlife health
10
Symposium 2.
Integrating the environmental, social and
economic components of sustainable
resource management
19
Symposium 3.
Working with the community
28
Symposium 4.
Wildlife-human interactions in the suburbs
and beyond: conflicts and coexistence
37
Predator management issues
49
Symposium 5.
General open session (first concurrent)
58
General open session (second concurrent)
67
Poster session
76
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Page 4
AWMS Conference 2002 Programme
Sunday
sth
December
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Nepean Hall Courtyard
Conference icebreaker/BBQ and registration
Camden Campus, University of Sydney
Monday gth December
Camden Civic Centre
8:00-8:30
Registration
8:30-8:40
Opening remarks and welcome
8:40-8:50
Official opening
Symposium: Wildlife health.
8:50-8:55
8:55-9:10
9:10-9:25
9:25-9:40
9:40-9:55
9:55-10:10
10:10- 10:25
10:25 - 10:40
10:40 - 10:55
Chair: Tony English
TONY ENGLISH
Symposium Introduction
GEORGE WILSON
Valuing wildlife - A basis for improving resource allocation for disease monitoring
and management preparedness
RUPERT WOODS
Bats and beyond: where to for the Australian Wildlife Health Network?
JOHN PARKES & GRANT NORBURY
Ecological linkages between two wildlife diseases: RHO and bovine Tb in New
Zealand
MATTHEW HARTLEY
The impact of infectious diseases on native fauna - how much do we know and
what can we do?
ANDREW BREED, HUME FIELD, JOHN MOLLOY, KIM HALPIN & PETER
DASZAK
Development and investigation of an Enzyme-linked lmmunosorbent Assay
(ELISA) for the detection of serum antibodies to Hendra virus in flying-foxes
STEVE McLEOD, JOHN DRUHAN, GLEN SAUNDERS & LYNETTE McLEOD
Simulating exotic disease outbreaks and management with Gen WED (Generic
Models for Wildlife and Exotic Disease)
MUI. A., PARKER, G., DICKMAN, C.R., ENGLISH, A.W. and HARTLEY, M.
Post-release monitoring of rehabilitated wombats in NSW
CLARKE E.J., BEVERIDGE, 1., SLOCOMBE, R.F. & COULSON, G.
Fluorosis as a probable cause of chronic lameness in Eastern Grey Kangaroos
(Macropus giganteus)
10:55 - 11 :15 Morning Tea
Symposium: Integrating the environmental, social and economic components of sustainable resource management.
Chair: Mike Braysher
11:15-11:30
MIKE BRAYSHER
Scene set - the history of Ecological Sustainable Development in Australia - from
Brundtland to 2002
Camden, December 2002
11 :30 - 11 :45
11 :45 - 12:1 0
12:10-12:40
12:40-1:30
PageS
STEVE CORK
Valuing ecosystems services
BARNEY FORAN, MANFRED LENZEN & CHRISTOPHER DEY
Implementing triple bottom line accounting in Australia:- An analysis of the economic, social and environmental implications of several industries
BILLO'KANE
The CSIRO ecosystem project- a land holders perspective
Lunch
Symposium: continued
1:30-1:45
1:45-2:00
2:00-2:15
2:15-2:30
ROSALIE CHAPPLE
Feral animal management - an evolutionary process
JIM BARRETT
A Native Fish Strategy for the Murray Darling Basin
PATRICK LONGFIELD
The Natural Step Framework for integrating the social economic and environmental components of natural resource management
GEORGE WILSON
Landholder involvement in managing wildlife on the rangelands
Symposium: Working with the community
2:30-2:35
2:35-3:05
3:05-3:30
Chair: Cheryl O'Connor
CHERYL O'CONNOR
Symposium Introduction
GREG SHERLEY
Conservation and its science in traditional island communities of the Pacific
Afternoon Tea
Symposium: continued
3:30-3:45
3:45-4:00
4:00-4:15
4:15-4:30
4:30-4:45
4:45-5:00
ANTHONY GRIFFITHS
Aboriginal harvest of magpie geese: estimating customary off-take at the local
and regional scale
DEBORAH NIAS, PATRICIA ALEXANDER & MATHEW HERRING
Using water savings to increase wetland habitat in irrigation areas
BARRY KENTISH & DAVID BRENNAN
Working with land-holders: Corella management program in western Victoria
JIM SHIELDS & PAUL MEEK
Managing People and Dingoes Sustainably and Successfully
PETER FLEMING, BOB HARDEN, DAVID JENKINS & HELENCATHLES.
How to make a plan of action for managing wild dogs.
ROB HUNT
The Brindabella & Wee Jasper cooperative wild dog/fox control plan.
5:00
Close
5:30-6:30
AWMS Annual General meeting
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Page 6
Tuesday 1oth December
8:50-9:00
Camden Civic Centre
Housekeeping
Symposium: Wildlife-human interactions in the suburbs and beyond: conflicts and coexistence.
Chair: Darryl Jones and Kelly Miller
9:00-9:05
9:05-9:20
9:20-9:35
9:35-9:50
9:50-10:05
10:05 - 10:20
10:20 - 10:35
10:35 -'11 :00
DARRYL JONES
Symposium Introduction
ANDREW PICONE, KELLY MILLER & IAN TEMBY
The Victorian 'Living with Possums Policy': A Review
ROWENA WARNE
An investigation of the potential impacts of the red imported fire ant baiting program on native reptiles
KRISTEN SINDEN
Crow caws: auditory characteristics and human-wildlife conflict associated with
Torresian crow vocalisations
IANTEMBY
Roof-nesting by the Silver Gull in Australia
DROR BEN-AMI
The response of the Swamp Wallaby, Wallabia bicolor, to domestic predators
SEAN FITZGIBBON
The northern brown bandicoot (lsoodon macrourus) in a patchy suburban landscape: factors affecting distribution across southern Brisbane, Australia
Morning tea
Symposium: continued
11:00-11:15
11:15-11:30
11 :30 - 11 :45
11:45-12:00
12:00- 12:15
12:15-12:30
12:30-1:30
IAN N. DRINNAN
Thresholds for remnant size and isolation in relation to species diversity in a
Southern Sydney Suburb: Vertebrates (birds and frogs)
MONIKA RHODES
Managing roosting habitat for microchiroptera in Suburbia
RODNEY VAN DER REE
Wildlife bridges and underpasses -tunnels to nowhere or links to greener pasture?
JOHN WHITE, MARK ANTOS, GRANT PALMER AND JAMES FITZSIMONS
The influence of urbanisation on avifauna! composition in Melbourne
HOLLY PARSONS
The suburban bird community of the Greater Sydney region: Findings from the
Birds in Backyards Community Surveys
REBECCA O'LEARY
Does backyard wildlife feeding lead to dependence in suburban magpies?
Lunch
Camden, December 2002
Symposium: Predator management issues
1:30-1:35
1:35-1:50
1:50-2:05
2:05-2:20
2:20-2:40
2:40-2:55
2:55-3:15
Page 7
Chair: Elaine Murphy
ELAINE MURPHY
Symposium Introduction
TIM BLOOMFIELD & NICK MOONEY
Variations in the patterns of introduction, establishment and spread of the Red
Fox on some islands and their relevance to recent introductions of the Red Fox
in Tasmania
NICK MOONEY & TIM BLOOMFIELD
Developing a fox eradication program dangerous to foxes and safe for non-target
wildlife in Tasmania
CHRIS EMMS
Planning and operating of a 1080 fox baiting program in Tasmania
Questions and general discussion on Tasmanian fox issue
BEN GILNA.
Attitudes to fertility control in foxes
Afternoon Tea
Symposium: continued
3:15-3:30
3:30-3:45
3:45-4:00
4:00-4:15
4:15-4:30
BEN REDDIEX & GRANT NORBURY
Interactions of primary and secondary prey in New Zealand dryland ecosystems:
evidence for top-down and bottom-up processes
GRANT NORBURY, CHERYL O'CONNOR & ANDREA BYROM
Conditioned food aversion in ferrets
DANIEL RAMP
Captive trials of a synthetic predator odour as a repellent to wildlife
CRAIG GILLIES, JIM CAMPBELL, NORM MARSH & MILES GEMBITSKY
Seasonal differences in bait take by forest dwelling rats following simulated aerial
1080 possum control operations in New Zealand. Interim results
CASSIE WRIGHT & TERRY COATES
Managing foxes for Southern Brown Bandicoot conservation at the Royal Botanic
Gardens Cranbourne, Victoria
4:30
Close
7:00
Conference Dinner
Belgenny Farm, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Page 8
Wednesday 11th December Camden Campus, University of Sydney
Concurrent Sessions
Open Session.
Breakwell Lecture Theatre
9:20-9:38
BRETI PARKER
Dietary variation of the European Red Fox ( Vulpes vulpes) in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales
PHILIP SEDDON, RICHARD MALONEY & YOLANDA VAN HEEZIK
Post-release survival and release site fidelity of juvenile versus sub-adult captive
reared kaki in South Island, New Zealand
JUSTIN WILLIAMS & BRETI CANN
Home range and foraging behaviour of Brush-tailed Phascogales (Phascogale
tapoatafa) in regrowth dry sclerophyll forests on the Mid North Coast of NSW
MICHELLE WALTER
Population ecology of wild horses in the Australian Alps
9:38-9:56
9:56-10:14
10:14-10:30
10:30 -11:00
Chair: Glen Saunders
Morning Tea
Symposium: continued
11 :00 - 11 :18
11:18-11:36
11 :36 - 11 :54
11:54-12:12
12:12-12:27
YOLANDA VAN HEEZIK & PHILIP SEDDON
Teaching wildlife management: how are we doing it, and how should we be doing it?
JIM HONE
Sources, sinks and distribution: a graphical model for management
DON FLETCHER
High density kangaroo populations- how high can they go?
STEVE MCLEOD AND LAURIE TWIGG
Will imrnunocontraception work for rabbits?
ARTHUR GEORGES, F. GUARINO, I. WEBSTER, M. THOMS, & P. JOLLY
Modelling the impact of water resource development on a flag-ship species, the
pig-nosed turtle
12:30-1:30
Lunch
Open Session.
Shute Building Lecture Theatre
9:20-9:38
PETER WEST, GREG JONES, PETER WORSLEY & GLEN SAUNDERS
Multi-agency survey of pest animals in NSW - 2002
SARAH MCKENZIE & E.M. DEANE
Developing a non-invasive protocol for monitoring stress in captive marsupial
populations
JAMES ROSS & RAY HENDERSON
Micro-encapsulated zinc phosphide for control of brushtail possum ( Trichosurus
vulpecula)
DIANNE GLEESON, ANDREA BYROM & GRAHAM NUGENT
Population monitoring and census using non-invasive genetic tagging
9:38-9:56
9:56-10:14
10:14-10:30
10:30-11:00
Morning Tea
Chair: John White
Camden, December 2002
Page 9
Symposium: continued
11:00-11:18
11:18-11:36
11 :36 - 11 :54
11:54- 12:12
DANIEL LUNNEY, SHAAN GRESSER, ALISON MATTHEWS, LISA O'NEILL,
PAUL MAHON & JONATHAN RHODES
Managing koala populations in the face of bushfires: rehabilitation success and
long-term viability of a koala population at Port Stephens
ALISTAIR MELZER, DELMA CLIFTON, GAIL TUCKER & WILLIAM ELLIS
Implications of National Park gazettal for the management of koalas on St Bees
Island, Central Queensland.
SHAUN D. BARCLAY & WILLIAM B. SHERWIN
Genetic management of endangered species: does it work?
JOHN TRACEY, GLEN SAUNDERS & REMY Van De VEN
Developing improved sampling techniques for estimating bird damage in vineyards
12:12-12:27
DAVID McK. BERMAN
Drought refuge destruction to control rabbits on Bulloo Downs Station southwest
Queensland
12:30-1:30
Lunch
1:30-2:00
Presentation of student awards and concluding remarks in dining room
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Page 10
Valuing Australian Wildlife - A basis For improving resource
allocation for disease monitoring and management preparedness
George Wilson
Australian Wildlife Conservation Services,
Canberra
Australian wildlife could be at least as valuable as Australian livestock to Australian economy.
It is clearly an asset to tourism and plays an increasingly important role in development of alternative production industries. It is seminal to Australian iconography and culture. Yet current
resource allocation for research and disease management is highly skewed towards conventional livestock. If information were gathered on the value of wild animals it could inform more
equitable resource allocation to wildlife research and disease management.
The proposed methodology would collect information on the value of wild animals and collate
figures from both intangible and trading estimates. Data will cover
•
Market value of wildlife products, game meat and Bush foods
•
Pets
•
Ecotourism including birdwatching and species specific sites
•
Zoos and aquaria
•
Symbols and Iconography
The more difficult to estimate values include perceived existence value by the public and the
contribution of wild animals to ecosystem services.
An outcome of the project would be a variation to current practice that is more in keeping with
the value of wildlife to the community and the economy .
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Wildlife Health
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,
Camden, December 2002
Page II
Bats and beyond: where to for the Australian Wildlife Health
Networb?
Rupert Woods
Coordinator, Australian Wildlife Health Network
PO Box 20, Mosman, NSW 2088, Australia
Recent series of mass mortalities in wild fauna, and emerging diseases of wildlife in Australia
have demonstrated the growing importance of wildlife disease as threats to biodiversity, human health, agriculture, aquaculture and trade.
Following a national workshop in 1999 and an Australia-wide feasibility study in 2000, the establishment of a national wildlife health network was considered vital to coordinate preparedness and response to wildlife and feral disease issues, surveillance and diagnostic information
across Australia.
The network, hosted by Taronga Zoo (above) and New South Wales Agriculture {Elizabeth
Macarthur Agricultural Institute, PMB 8, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia) was launched in August 2002 after three years of funding was committed by Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia. A management committee has been appointed to represent Australia's agroeconomy, conservation and health stakeholders. The coordinator is based at Taronga Zoo
and the EliZ:abeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute.
The aim of the network is to promote and facilitate collaborative links in the investigation and
management of Australian wildlife health in support of human and animal health, biodiversity
and trade. Current priorities are in setting strategic direction for key areas in research, surveillance, emergency disease response and education as they relate to wildlife and feral animals.
Other priorities include the development of: a national database and reporting system for wildlife health surveillance; a website and list server; and a communication and marketing strategy.
The network is interested in understanding, and managing, the relationship between wildlife,
pest species, disease, human and domestic animals and the systems in which they function. It
will only be effective if it can reach, and receive, information about disease in animals at the
grass roots level. For this reason it would like to receive reports of any signs of disease or illness in wild animals. These reports will grow over time to become a significant, practical and
useful resource for managing disease issues associated with wildlife within Australia.
Wildlife Health
Page 12
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Ecologicallinbages between two wildlife diseases:
RHD and bovine Tb in New Zealand
John Parkes and Grant Norbury
Landcare Research, P.0. Box 69, Lincoln 8152, NZ
Rabbit haemorrhagic disease has persisted and reduced rabbit populations by over 90% in
many areas since it was released in New Zealand in 1997. This large reduction in their populations has provided many benefits to farmers and perhaps to biodiversity managers. However, there have been consequences of fewer rabbits that are not beneficial, with increased
risks from weeds, and increased predation on native secondary prey (at least in the short term)
from predators such as ferrets and feral cats whose primary prey was rabbits. There have
also been changes in the densities and behaviour of competing herbivores such as hares and
possums, and it is via these ecological changes that the epidemiological risks posed by bovine
Tb have also changed in areas where that disease is present.
Fewer rabbits have lead to fewer ferrets but more possums. Ferrets have a high prevalence of
Tb but are probably not maintenance hosts; so fewer ferrets should reduce the risks that Tb
will transmit to livestock. Possums have a low prevalence of Tb but are maintenance hosts
with prevalence being density-dependent, so more possums should increase the risks that Tb
will transmit to livestock. However, the prevalence of Tb in ferrets is not related to ferret density but to possum density (Caley eta/. 2001; NZ Vet. Journal49). Thus fewer rabbits are
likely to increase the risks posed by wildlife vectors of Tb as it leads to more possums and
fewer ferrets but both with higher prevalence of Tb. A control operation against Tb vectors in
the Mackenzie Basin should allow these speculations to be tested.
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Wildlife Health
Camden, December 2002
Page 13
The impact of infectious diseases on native fauna - how much do we
bnow and what can we do ?
Matt Hartley
c/o University of Sydney, 425 Werombi Road, Camden, NSW 2570
This presentation examines the impact of infectious diseases on selected nativ~ fauna of New
SoWales. We know that many contagious pathogens cause clinical and sub-clinical disease in
our wildlife but there is very little information on what effects these diseases are having on
populations. Many of these diseases remain uninvestigated despite being of agricultural and
zoonotic importance. Before we can consider managing these diseases the epidemiology of
infections must be researched.
The results of recent studies in wombats (Vombatus urisinus) will be presented as a case
study focusing on leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis and sarcoptic mange. In addition the role of
disease in koalas and platypus populations will be considered.
The knowledge we have gained from traditional research will be reviewed and the role of wildlife rehabilitation in the management of infectious diseases and their transmission will be discussed with areas of future collaboration investigated.
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Wildlife Health
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Page 14
Development and Investigation of an Enzlfme-linlled
lmmunosorbent Assalf (ELISA) for the Detection of Serum
Antibodies to Hendra virus in Fllfing Foxes
Andrew Breed
2
1
,
Hume Field 2 , John Molloy 2 , Kim Halpin 3 and Peter Daszak 4
1 Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK.
Animal Research Institute, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Queensland, Australia.
3 Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
4
The Consortium for Conservation Medicine, Palisades, New York, USA.
Hendra virus is a paramyxovirus known to infect flying foxes, horses and humans. Flying foxes
appear to be the natural host of the virus and research is currently in progress to determine the
prevalence of antibodies to Hendra virus in flying foxes throughout Australia and neighbouring
countries. The currently used serum neutralisation test (SNT) is not ideal for this purpose. This
study developed an indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to Hendra virus antibodies using flying fox specific antiserum.
SNT results were used as the gold standard for development of the ELISA. The ELISA cut-off
(positive-negative threshold) was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and inspection of frequency distribution histograms.
ELISA results were compared with SNT results of bats from three different populations; (i) a
colony of captive flying foxes (n = 46); (ii) wild flying foxes from the Brisbane area (n = 103);
(iii) wild flying foxes from the Ross River area (n = 67). Agreement between the ELISA and
SNT was excellent for the captive population (kappa= 0.76), good for the Brisbane population
·
(kappa = 0.6), and poor for the Ross River population (kappa = 0.22).
Possible reasons for variation in level of agreement of the two tests between populations are
discussed. The ELISA has potential to be a useful diagnostic tool in monitoring Hendra virus
seroprevalence in flying foxes. With further work the ELISA could also be a useful research
tool to help determine if other currently unidentified paramyxoviruses are present in flying fox
populations.
Wildlife Health
Camden, December 2002
Page 15
Simulating exotic disease outbreabs and management with CenWED
(Ceneric Models for Wildlife and Exotic Disease)
Steve Mcleod, John Druhan, Glen Saunders and Lynette Mcleod
Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Agriculture, Orange NSW 2800, Australia
In the event of an exotic disease outbreak in Australia, contingency plans would be put into action to contain, control and eradicate the disease. Management decisions are often based on
the results of epidemiological models. The importance of these models to exotic disease contingency planning is unequivocal. Unfortunately many of the models require a high degree of
expertise to understand; may be based on highly specific wildlife and disease parameters; and
may not presently be in a form that can be used by managers. We sought to address these deficiencies by placing existing epidemiological models in a context that someone with knowledge of epidemiology, but without expert knowledge of the underlying mathematics, could understand. We had two main goals; 1) make the models useful for training purposes and 2)
make the models useful for predicting the area of control and buffer zones needed to contain
disease spread, and population reduction and/or vaccination levels necessary to eradicate the
disease. To satisfy these goals we developed a computer program (GenWED) that simulates
the dynamics of an exotic disease in a wildlife population, and allows examination of alternative options for containment and management. Simulation of a disease outbreak requires information on basic biological parameters such as contact rates, population densities, rates of increase and home range, as well as the efficacy of control operations. The program includes
sensitivity analysis of the simulation results to aid identification of information deficiencies,
which parameters will have the greatest influence on the behaviour of exotic diseases in wildlife populations and the ultimate effectiveness of disease containment and/or eradication. The
program and source code are freely available, and should be available for download from the
internet early in 2003.
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f-----.........._. _________________,,_,_________,_,___,_,_____________,__________________,__,_______________, _ _ _..,_.._,.....- ....-._..,_
Wildlife Health
Page 16
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Post-release monitoring of rehabilitated juvenile common wombats
( Vombatus ursinuij in NSW
A. Mui, G. Parker, C.R. Dickman, A.W. English, and M.Hartley
14 Forsyth Street, Glebe, NSW 2037, University of Sydney,
Schoof of Biological Sciences & Faculty of Veterinary Science
As wildlife rehabilitation is becoming a more frequent practice, this project aims to determine
the success rate of one particular species, the common wombat ( Vombatus ursinus) after release back into the wild. Six juvenile common wombats were radio-collared and will be
tracked from July to December 2002. Releases took place in the southern highlands of NSW
on the property of a long term wombat rehabilitator. Tracking was conducted every night, with
an average of 3 fixes being taken each day at random times, and hourly throughout the night,
once a week. WM1 remains the most successful release to date, showing a progressive increase in weight and a strong aggression towards humans and other wombats in the area.
Another individual WF2 experienced difficulties due to the radio-tag and was re-admitted into
rehabilitation. Once recovered, a new design of collar was attached and the animal was rereleased. WF3 also shows a progressive weight gain thus far as well as a good body condition, yet interestingly she has been observed sleeping above ground throughout the night. At
present, out of six released individuals, only one WF4 has deceased possibly due to a confrontation with another wombat. WM5 and WF6 are in the early stage of reintroduction and remain
close to their release pen. The greatest distance travelled by the released individuals was
-2km in one night by WF2 who promptly returned to the area of her release the next day, and
continued this pattern sporadically. All other individuals have remained within 1km of their release pen. At present, the results appear to be encouraging and more is forthcoming.
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Wildlife Health
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Camden, December
2002
Page 17
Fluorosis as a probable cause of chronic lameness in Eastern Grey
Kangaroos, (Macropus giganleui)
Clarke, E. J., Beveridge, 1., Slocombe, R. F. and Coulson, G.
Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Hwy, Werribee Victoria 3030
A population of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) inhabits the heathland and
farmland surrounding the Portland aluminium smelter. Clinical signs of lameness, with visible
signs of restricted movement, were first observed in this kangaroo population in 1990. A clinical investigation was undertaken to determine the cause of lameness in the kangaroos. Haematology, necropsy, histopathology, faecal egg counts, total worm counts, reproductive status
and the population age range were examined and failed to reveal any additional underlying
disease state. Biomechanical measurements were made to determine specific bone parameters, and whether the lameness caused any changes in these parameters. The specific problem of lameness was addressed using bone histopathology, radiography, microradiography
and multi-element analysis of bone ash samples. The significant lesions observed were osteophytosis of the distal tibia and fibula, tarsal bones, metatarsus IV and proximal coccygeal
vertebrae, osteopenia of the femur, tibia and metatarsus IV, incisor enamel hypoplasia, staining and abnormal teeth wear, including uneven wear of the molars, abnormal bone matrix mineralisation and mottling, increased bone density and elevated bone fluoride levels. Microradiography of the tibia from affected kangaroos exhibited 'black osteons' which are a known
manifestation of fluorosis. Collectively, these lesions are consistent with fluorosis. Fluorosis
has been extensively documented in domestic and wild animals, but has never been investigated in Australian native animals. The most likely source of fluoride would be fluoridecontaining process emissions deposited on pasture down-wind of the aluminium smelter.
Therefore, these kangaroos could be used to monitor the environmental effects of fluoride
contamination in the vicinity of the aluminium smelter rather than the herd of cattle currently
maintained for this purpose.
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Wildlife Health
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Page /8
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Camden, December 2002
Page 19
Scene set - the history of Ecological Sustainable Development in
Australia - from Brundtland to 2002
Mike Braysher
Applied Ecology Research group, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2600
The development in the early 19990's of the national strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) was Australia's first major attempt at setting a national framework for integrating the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable resource use. It followed from the World Committee on Environmental Development's Report on sustainable resource use, the 1987 Brundtland Report. In Australia, ESD was:
Part policy laboratory
Part think tank; and
Part independent community inquiry.
Six core principles for ESD were established and a wide community consultation process was
used to examine nine industry-based issues about ESD.
In essence ESD aims to use, conserve and enhance the community's resources so that the
ecological processes on which life depends are maintained and the total quality of life, now
and in the future, can be increased.
ESD is a vision rather than an operating manual. It sets the framework for developing other
policies, strategies and programs aimed at achieving ESD. It has had variable success. This
paper will discuss some of the deficiencies and suggest how policy and an appropriate model
might help to better achieve ESD.
-·--·-·---------·-----·--·-------------------
·---·--··-·---·--·--·---·-··--·
-········-···-···-·-·-·-··------·-·-·---·------·-·------------------····-·--····-·------··-------·---·-·-·-··-·...··-··--·-·-··-·--
---···--···-··-···-·--···...··----·-·-··--··----········-----··---·--··---·--·
- - · - - - - - - · · - - - - · - -...·-··--·...-··-··----·--··-
Sustainable Resource Management
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Page 20
Valuing Ecosystem Services
Steven Cork
CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems (currently on secondment to Land and Water Australia), GPO Box 2182,
Canberra ACT 2601.
The concept of ecosystem services has become popular in many quarters in recent years as a
way to acknowledge the dependence of humans on their natural environment. Ecosystem services (the benefits to people from ecosystems) include social, economic and ecological values.
The concept attempts to describe the relationships between people and nature in concepts
and language related to everyday life. For these reasons, the concept of ecosystem services
offers a useful framework for engaging a wider range of society in dialogue about sustainable
land management. The concept has been embraced by policy makers, politicians, farmers,
and community based organisations. It is not, however, without its detractors. In this presentation, I will review the development of the concept,_ its strengths and weaknesses, and the past
three years of progress in applying it in major projects around Australia, with particular focus
on the Goulburn Broken catchment of Victoria. I will suggest that the concept is a useful one
because it helps us address some of the issues central to sustainable management of the environment, but that it also is a concept that challenges the links between social and biophysical
sciences and between scientists and the rest of society. In so doing, I think it suggests some
ways forward for research and its application.
____
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Sustainable Resource Management
Camden, December 2002
Page 21
Triple bottom line accounting for the Australian economy
Barney Foran 1 , Manfred Lenzen 2 and Christopher De/
1
2
CSIRO Resource Futures, Canberra.
Applied Physics, University of Sydney.
This paper describes the development of a process for triple bottom line (TBL) accounting that
is numerate, defensible, economy-wide and based on the Australian system of national accounts. It uses the basic unit of reporting of attributing requirements to one dollar of gross domestic product (GDP). It is implemented for a 135-sector version of the national input-output
tables that quantifies the inter-dependencies between Australian sectors. The concept of final
consumption basically reports the economy wide activity that is undertaken on behalf of, or attributed to, the accumulation of Australian households. The economic dimensions of the TBL
account are represented by three issues (surplus, exports and imports) that are expressed as
dollars per dollar of GDP. The social dimensions of the TBL account are represented by minutes of employment, wages and government revenue stimulated by one dollar GDP. The environmental dimensions are represented by greenhouse gas emissions (kilograms of C02 per
$),water use (litres per$) and land disturbance (square metres per dollar). Three TBL accounts are proposed initially to help underpin the requirements for TBL information by the Australian financial investment industry and their regulators. A number of graphical presentation
styles are proposed that help non-specialists understand and use the TBL accounts. Of particular note is the method's focus on both the direct and indirect (or flow-on) effects, where activity in one· sector is linked to its upstream or contributing sectors. This allows a full and consistent reporting of sectoral effects and avoids the problem of double counting that is apparent
in some parallel developments.
---------·-··-·····-·······...··-··-··-·-··---·-···--·········----·-······-···-·------------------------------·-··--·---·--··----··--···-··-
Sustainable Resource Management
Page 22
AWMS Conference Abstracts
The CSIRO ecosystem project - a land holders perspective
Bill O'Kane
Chief Executive Officer of the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority
PO Box 1752, Shepparton VIC 3632
Bill O'Kane is the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority. Prior to this he was the Executive Officer of its predecessor organisation,
the Catchment and Land Protection Board and the Salinity Program Advisory Council
Bill's paper will complement Steve Cork's paper and reflect on the
impact of the importance of the CSIRO's Eco-system Services Project on the Goulburn Broken
Catchment. Bill will also reflect on the need to ask the right
question if you want the right answers and limitation of his inability to
forecast Natural Resource Management disasters
---...·-··--·...----------····--··--·-------··-··-·---··-·-·-··-------...···---·--·-----···-·----------···-··-·----···-·-··-------·-·
Sustainable Resource Management
Camden, December 2002
Page 23
Feral animal management - an evolutionary process
Rosalie Chapple
School of Science and Technology Studies, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052
This paper describes the evolution of feral animal management in NSW,
and contends that if more success in controlling feral animal populations is to be achieved,
then a new management paradigm is needed, one which embraces the socio-historical basis
for feral animal problems, as well as the social and political processes of decision making. This
new approach would require a re-orientation and upgrading of the level of integration of social,
ecological and economic concerns.
To date, the basis for feral animal management decisions has remained narrowly focused on
protecting the two (often conflicting) imperatives of agricultural production (an economic imperative) and biodiversity conservation, with a reductionist scientific approach largely being
taken. Much confidence has been placed in scientific and technological solutions, while social,
cultural, historical and political factors have been largely overlooked in the feral animal debate.
Technological optimism largely prevails as we wait for the technological fix.
Consequent to this narrow perspective, feral animals have been treated largely as problems in
themselves rather than as symptoms of broader land mismanagement problems. There has
been an overall lack of success in controlling feral populations, and until the fundamental imbalances in the ecosystem (monoculture versus wilderness) are addressed, more success will
be very difficult to achieve. Feral animal management therefore needs to evolve from focus on
protection, to a more causal focus, where control programs are conducted only as components
of more sustainable land management practices both on and off reserve.
In addition to this, attention needs to move away from the technical detail and toward the decision-making components of feral control policies. This paper takes the position that it is how
we do things, rather than what we do, which is more significant in determining substantive outcomes.
Sustainable Resource Management
Page 24
AWMS Conference Abstracts
A native fish strategy for the Murray Darling Basin
Jim Barrett
Manager, Native Fish Strategy, Murray Darling Basin Commission
Murray Darling Basin Commission, Moore Street, Canberra 2600
Native fish species of the Murray-Darling Basin have suffered serious declines in both distribution and abundance, resulting in the threatened status of one-quarter of the thirty-five species
present. A recent snapshot of the condition of the Basin classed 95. per cent of the river length
as 'degraded', with 30 per cent modified substantially from the original condition.
The Murray-Darling Basin Commission is an intergovernmental commission providing advice
on the planning, development and management of the Basin's resources. The Commission
has drafted the Native Fish Strategy (NFS) as one of its primary responsibilities. One of the
aims of this strategy is to redress the imbalance between the needs of native fish and other legitimate demands on water resources.
The NFS focuses on six "driving actions" that are intended to provide a catalyst for investment:
rehabilitating fish habitat, protecting fish habitat, managing riverine structures, controlling alien
fish species, protecting threatening species, and managing fish translocation and stockings. It
has been developed and will be implemented within the context of the Commission's Integrated Catchment Management Policy, which emphasises the integration of economic, social
and environmental considerations, and the importance of considering solutions at the regional/
catchment scale.
One of the pervasive themes of the NFS is the need to establish demonstration reaches that
require a suite of concurrent management actions and convey to communities the positive
benefits of rehabilitation efforts. Demonstration sites on priority river reaches are important
tools to engage community support, ownership and involvement.
This paper, then, discusses the notion of demonstration reaches in the context of a holistic and
integrated approach to river rehabilitation, and integrated catchment management planning.
Sustainable Resource Management
Camden, December 2002
Page 25
The Natural Step frameworb: a systems approach to achieving
sustainability - Concern for people and nature is our core business
Patrick Longfield
163, Rainbow Street, Randwick. NSW, 2031.
It is becoming increasingly clear that existing paradigms will not deliver us sustainability. At
best they will delay what is generally deemed to be the inevitable, disaster. The Natural Step
framework (TNS) offers a radical new way of working towards sustainability.
Any framework for sustainability must satisfy a number of variables: be accessible to all, practical, ethical and future oriented. Further, it must provide means of measuring the effectiveness
of the selected processes.
TNS works with individuals, large and small organisations, through being incorporated into
their strategic plan, providing opportunity for appropriate questioning and measurements.
Our journey to sustainability will not be easy. There will be many different attempts with many
false starts and dead-ends. TNS offers a scientifically based proven framework and 'compass'
for organisations to use on this journey. It is a consensus based, non-prescriptive, and nonjudgemental process.
-···--·····----··----·--·--·--·-----·-··---·
· - - - - - - - · - - ---·-----··-----·-----···--···---··-·-
-··--·-·······-·-----·-··-·····--··--·--··-·--····----·-··-····-·-···-·········-····-·-·-----···--··--·-···--···-··---·-·-··--·-·----··-·----·-·-·-···---·------·-·--··-········-··--····----·-···--····...··-·-
r--·--·····-··----·----··---·--·---·-·······--·-·-·-····--·-··--·--·-··--·-----·-·----·-·-···-·----------·----···--··-····-...·----·-··--·-...---·····--
Sustainable Resource Management
Page 26
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Landholder involvement in managing wildlife on the rangelands
George Wilson
Australian Wildlife Conservation Services, 51 Stonehaven Cres, Deakin ACT 2600.
A trial is being proposed in which landholders will be able to derive income from a number of
sources and manage wildlife populations in a regional cooperative. Experience overseas
shows that when 'ownership' of native animals is allocated to landholders within strict rules,
habitat of wild resources is conserved and biodiversity increases. The Australian Senate in
1998 recommended a trial of the concept here.
Initially the project will focus on finding a balance between kangaroos as alternative grazing
animals and conventional agricultural activities. Produce will be marketed as leading to a net
conservation gain. Enterprises such as wildlife tourism and bushtucker production will also be
developed.
Adjacent landholders and groups who may like to take part in the project are being sought.
This paper will summarise some of the issues that could be the subject of a wildlife management agreement between potential participants in a region or subcatchment.
Sustainable Resource Management
Camden, December 2002
Page 27
WILDLIFE. TRACKING SYSTEMS
SIRTRACK was founded in 1986
and has been supporting the
annual AW MS conference for the
last 14 years
Our tracking equipment is used by
researchers in almost 70 countries
Adelie Penguins with SIRTRACK transmitters. 165km range
when tracked from a helicopter. Photo: SIRTRACK Limited
Customised tracking equipment for more than
400 species of Wildlife
Suppliers of:
• Transmitters
• Receivers
• Antennas (fixed, portable and airborne)
• Satellite transmitters
• GPS loggers
Weta fitted with a SIRTRACK transmitter.
Photo: Victoria University of Wellington
Visit our website at
http://sirtrack.landcare.cri.nz
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Page 28
Conservation and its science in traditional island
communities of the Pacific
Greg Sherley
Principal Regional Scientist, Department of Conservation,
PO Box 12416, Wellington, New Zealand
The paper will describe some of the lessons learnt from four years experience of establishing
conservation projects in the Pacific countries and territories, paying· particular attention to the
role of western science. The main lessons included - western science needs to include traditional knowledge if it is to succeed in its application in the island communities; issues of intellectual property rights must be resolved to progress western style research; much historical research is not compiled and considered in designing new research and management practices;
science and technology transfer to the "end-user'' is poor in the Pacific; many wildlife management techniques will not work in the Pacific and basic research is needed to design these. Additionally a model for designing a successful conservation programme in the Pacific will be described.
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Working with the community
Camden, December 2002
Page 29
Aboriginal harvest of magpie geese: estimating customary
off-tabe at the local and regional scale
Anthony D. Griffiths
Key Centre for Tropical Wildlife Management, Northern Territory University,
Darwin, NT 0909
The magpie goose (Anseranas semilpalmata) represents a significant resource to Aboriginal
people in the Northern Territory, who own and manage important wetland habitat for the species. Magpie geese are hunted for subsistence by Aboriginal people and contribute substantially to the customary economy of many communities. The size of the Aboriginal harvest has
previously been estimated to be 280,000 magpie geese per annum, but this has recently been
shown to be invalid. This paper attempts to estimate the current harvest of magpie geese by
Aboriginal people from the Maningrida region in central Arnhem Land using a range of innovative methods. This information is then used to estimate the Aboriginal harvest for the Top End
of the Northern Territory. The economic and social implications of the harvest are considered,
along with the implications for management of the species.
-------·-···-----------·--------·-···-----------·-··--··-·--·-·----·--·-·-·---··-·-···--······
--·---··--·---··---····-·--·····----··---··-------------·-···---··--··-···-·-···----·--·--····-··--·-·-·······--··-···---·······---········--...................
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Working with the community
Page 30
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Using water savings to increase wetland habitat in irrigation areas
Deborah Nias, Patricia Alexander, Matthew Herring
NSW Murray Wetlands Working Group Inc., PO Box 829, Albury, NSW. 2640
In late-2001, the NSW Murray Wetlands Working Group (MWWG) initiated a pilot project to increase wetland diversity within irrigation areas of western NSW. Water was delivered from the
water savings managed by the MWWG to areas that had not been inundated for periods up to
40 years. Eleven sites on private land (total area of -250 hectares) were chosen for a trial watering using approximately 600 Megalitres of water (total). These sites were all unique sites
and chosen on the basis of their existing wetland characteristics and also assessed for likely
groundwater impacts. Various methods, including photopoints, vegetation cover/abundance
and 20 minute bird surveys, were used to monitor changes in vegetation and bird communities
throughout the wetting and drying phases. Monitoring was carried out once every three weeks
whilst the sites were wet, and a final monitoring session after a period of nine weeks was done
after each individual site had dried.
There was a substantial increase in the diversity and health of wetland vegetation and in the
number and diversity of wetland birds as a result of the watering, with no significant surface
water quality concerns. This project will assist the MWWG in developing a register of wetlands
which cover a variety of vegetation and hydrology types (ie, redgum as well as black box,
canegrass wetlands, spike rush wetlands etc.) and that can be watered on a rotational basis.
For instance, some would receive water relatively often (every few years) whilst others would
·
be inundated less frequently (eg. every 5- 10 years).
·········--····---··-·--····-----·-····-············-···-·--·----··--··-···-------·····--·---······-···-·-···-----·-----·----------------I
.....·-········----··---·····----··-·····-···---···········--····-·-···········-·----··---·---··------·····--························----·-·------·------···-·······-·-·-
Working with the community
Camden, December 2002
Page 31
Worbing with land-holders: Corella management program in western
Victoria
Barry Kentish 1 and David Brennan 2
1
Centre for Environmental Management, School of Science & Engineering, University of Ballarat,
PO Box 663, Ballarat, VIC 3350
2
Cockatoo Project Co-ordinator, Natural Resources & Environment, Horsham, PO Box 487,
Horsham, VIC 3400
Long -billed Corellas and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are a pest problem for land-holders and
municipalities in western Victoria. Large populations of birds cause extensive, but localised,
damage to crops (cereals and oilseeds), grazing areas and horticultural crops. Pest birds are
increasingly causing problems for municipal councils (e.g. damage to physical structures).
The 'cockatoo' problem is regionally widespread but locally intermittent and sporadic. This
creates problems for any application of effective broadscale integrated pest control strategies.
This paper reviews the effectiveness of current 'corella' management programs in the western
Victoria region. Historically bird control has often been unco-ordinated and reliant on specific
reactions from individual land-holders. Numerous crop control measures have been used with
limited success. Since the late 1990s fluctuating wool prices and an extended dry period in
the region has extended the range of cropping in western Victoria. This has exasperating the
scale of the 'corella' problem. The effect of pest birds is causing additional financial stress for
land-holders in gloomy economic times. Of public concern, is that in desperation, land-holders
will resort to illegal techniques to control pest birds (e.g. indiscriminate poisoning).
In response to the perceived problem Natural Resources and Environment instigated a Cockatoo Management Program in 1999 as a trial, which was a strategically integrated by 2000 as a
'cockatoo' control program. This program aims to manage the problem by free feeding, trapping and gassing birds where damage has been recorded. The number of birds culled in 1999
was 5058; in 2000, 22457; in 2001, 23,311 and in 2002, 14,372 birds. Although the number of
birds culled may not be large in comparison to estimates of the overall population, the Cockatoo management program is politically and socially valuable. Active presence of trappers not
only demonstrates to land-holders government's response to the problem through a flock dispersal program, but it also liaises closely with land-holders achieving measures of success.
The future aim is for trained land holders, including local government and community groups,
to fully participate in the culling. This proposal will give the wider community greater ownership of problem resolution.
Working with the community
Page 32
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Managing people and dingoes sustainably and successfully
Jim Shields and Paul Meek
State Forests of NSW, Locked Bag 23, Pennant Hills 2120
People and dingoes in Australia have a long and mutual history. Managing this relationship successfully is a challenge in social, economic and environmental terms. This paper presents a possible pathway for scientific management procedures for dingo populations which could deliver on social, economic and environmental requirements over the next 50 years (short to medium term). A process using GIS technology to assess areas for parameters relevant to dingo management is described. By
analysing relevant parameters, and incorporating on the ground expertise and knowledge, areas of
high interest for dingo management can be defined in terms of dingo conservation genetics, risk to
stock, health concerns with regard to hydatids, effects on threatened species, and interactions with
other predators (amongst others). Operational plans can then be generated to produces the desired
effect (reduced stock loss, dingo genetics) or combinations of effects. The outcomes of these plans
can then be incorporated into the system and appropriate changes considered. In effect, the GIS tool
can be used to operationalise the principles of active, adaptive management.
·········--·-------··-..··--·-------·--·------..-----------·----·-·----·--·-----------·-"·"-·-----·---------
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Working with the community
Camden, December 2002
Page 33
How to mabe a plan of action for managing wild dogs.
Peter Fleming 1 •2 , Bob Harden3 , David Jenkins2 and Helen Cathles2
1
Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Agriculture, Orange Agricultural Institute, Forest Road, Orange 2800.
2
ACT & South-eastern NSW Wild Dog Management Project, Yass RLPB, PO Box 10, Yass 2582.
3
Vertebrate Pest Unit, NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, c/- Zoology Department,
University of New England, Armidale 2351.
The main objective of the ACT & South-eastern NSW wild dog management project was to develop a generic plan for the strategic management of wild dogs. These plans were to be instigated by local groups to collaboratively deal with the problem of predation of livestock by wild
dogs while conserving populations of dingoes. Concurrently, a process within the gazettal of
the Rural Lands Protection Act 1998 ensured that control of wild dogs on government managed lands required cooperative plans incorporating control and conservation objectives.
The successful development of specific local management plans depends on stakeholder
groups that can compromise and reach consensus on management actions while working together towards common management objectives. However, many of the groups had not previously worked closely together, and, in fact, often included protagonists in a traditional government versus landholder confrontation. The generic management plan provided a framework to
help groups work together to make action plans.
This paper outlines the derivation of the generic management plan and offers suggestions for
the successful adoption of such a plan.
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..
.._____,_..
_______ ______________.. ______ _
Working with the community
,
,
_..
....
_
............ ...............- .......
Page 34
AWMS Conference Abstracts
The Brindabella &. Wee Jasper cooperative wild dog/fox control plan.
The 'nil tenure• approach to landscape issues management in a rural
community
Rob Hunt
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, PO Box 1189, Queanbeyan, NSW. 2620
This study outlines an innovative approach to wild dog and fox management across all land
tenures at the northern extent of the Australian Alps.
A working group comprising representatives of all land managers (of both private and public
lands) within the Brindabella and Wee Jasper valleys formulated, implemented and reviewed a
trial wild dog and fox management program over the 2001/2002 financial year.
The success of the trial and the continued cooperative support of private and public land managers has led to the approval of labour and financial resources until 2005.
The nil tenure approach established by the working group highlighted the benefit of focussing
upon the 'common problem' rather than the different land tenures, agencies or personalities involved in the issue. The implementation of this simple approach has swept aside over twenty
years of negative relations between private and public land managers in the area.
The process allows local communities to cooperatively address landscape issues across all
land tenures by collectively identifying the scope of the issue, the management technique required and finally the level of resources to be pursued.
A presentation to the State Conference of Rural Lands Protection Boards in NSW has led to
the state wide adoption of the nil tenure process for pest species management across NSW.
The simplicity of the process and the future implications for effective cooperative landscape
planning has also been recognised by Federal and State politicians who have expressed interest in pushing the limits of the nil tenure approach to include land degradation and weed management issues.
The Brindabella & Wee Jasper valleys cooperative wild dog/fox control plan can be viewed at
www.npws.nsw.gov.au or for more detailed information contact Rob Hunt on
e-mail rob. hunt@ npws.gov.au or phone 02 62980356.
Working with the community
Camden, December 2002
Page 35
The 16th Australasian Wildlife
Management Society Conference
will be held in conjunction with the
3rd International Wildlife
Management Congress
Christchurch.. New Zealand..
1-5 December 2003
Remember: abstracts for papers and
posters are due on 28 February 2003
The Congress is·hosted by The Wildlife Society (USA), Manaaki Whenua/Landcare Research (New
Zealand), the Australasian Wildlife Management Society, and Ngai Tahu (Maori tribe of New Zealand's
South Island). Papers and posters should focus on topics of wildlife science, management, education,
or policy within the broad theme of "Ki te raki ki te tonga - Ki uta ki tai ... From the north to the south From mountains to sea".
Plenary speakers
Sir Tipene O'Regan,
Professor Tony Sinclair,
Emeritus Professor James G. Teer,
Chairman, Ngai Tahu
University of British Columbia, Canada
Texas A&M University, USA
Symposia
Adaptive experimental management
Reintroduction biology
Ethics and animal welfare
Fertility control for wildlife management
Global challenges in conservation
Management of marine mammals
Managing tuberculosis in wildlife
Private landowners and wildlife conservation
Use of indices to monitor wildlife populations
Overabundant populations
Wildlife management in urban areas
Genetic techniques in wildlife management
Disease at the wildlife-human interface
Experimental design
Fire and wildlife management
Sustainable conservation-hunting programmes
Management of wildlife on islands
Indigenous perspectives in wildlife management
Rabbits and RHO: GMOs and conflicting international objectives
Pesticides for wildlife management
Wildlife toxicology
Workshops
Adaptive experimental management: case studies
Information-theoretic methods in wildlife management
Modeling populations for conservation and management
Program MARK: advanced techniques for monitoring animal populations
Statistical guidelines for monitoring animal populations
Hui
There will be a two-day hui (gathering) of indigenous wildlife managers on the weekend preceding the Congress.
Details will be provided in the registration brochure.
Further information on the Congress can be found at www.conference.canterbury.ac.nz/wildlife2003 or by
em ailing wildlife@ cont.canterbury.ac.nz
Animal Control Technologies is dedicated to finding
solutions to pest animal problems through
environmentally focused research and development
Visit us on the web at www.animalcontrol.com.au
Email: [email protected]
Animal Control Technologies
. 46-50 Freight Drive
Somerton, Victoria, 3062
Australia
Telephone +61 3 9308 9688
Fax +61 3 9308 9622
Camden, December 2002
Page 37
The Victorian Lifling with Possums Policy. A Review
Andrew Picone
1
1
,
Kelly Millef and Ian Temby3
School of Social Science and Planning, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001
2
School of Ecology and Environment, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria, 3125
3
Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Parks, Flora and Fauna Division,
4/250 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne, Victoria, 3002
Possums in urban areas can cause problems for residents when they live in the roof cavity of
homes. The Victorian Living With Possums policy was implemented by the Department of
Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) in 1997 to address the ineffective, illegal and inhumane nature of possum management practices. Human-possum conflicts in urban areas
can be difficult to resolve, and it is therefore important that the Living With Possums policy is
effectively reaching the community and other stakeholders (e.g. vets, local councils).
This study represents Stage 1 of a two-part research project that aims to examine community
awareness of and compliance with the policy and relevant legislation. A pilot questionnaire
was designed and distributed to a sample of individuals who have recently hired possum traps
from local councils or private organisations within metropolitan Melbourne. Preliminary findings
indicate that although there is some level of awareness about the Living with Possums policy,
there is evidence of non-compliance and a lack of understanding about the detailed policy
guidelines. In Stage 2 of this project, questionnaires will be distributed to a larger sample of individuals who are experiencing conflicts with possums in order to examine just how widespread this lack of compliance and awareness is.
--·-····---·-. ·-··---·-·-··-·--·--·--·----·-·-----·-----........--------------·---·-----··--------·---·-··-------·-·---··-
···--··-··-····-·····-··-···..·-····--·-..·----..-----·-""""""'"-·----·-···--....
--------------·---·-..··-·-·-·-..-·--..-
,_.,,_,,_
...........-._,,_,
_____
Wildlife-human interactions in the suburbs and beyond: Conflicts and coexistence
..., .....
_ -.........___
.....
Page 38
AWMS Conference Abstracts
An investigation of the potential impacts of the red imported fire ant
baiting program on native reptiles
Rowena Warne
Department of Primary Industries Fire Ant Control Centre
81A Seventeen Mile Rocks Road Oxley Qld. 4075
The red imported fire ant ( Solenopsis invicta) was discovered in Brisbane early in 2001. This
species is believed to have been present in Brisbane for approximately 5 years after being accidentally introduced, most likely via the import of infested heavy machinery or container ship
from America. The fire ant has the potential to spread throughout most of Australia and become established in a wide variety of habitats, with the exception of portions of the arid interior
and intact closed-canopy forest. This invasive species is an economic and ecological pest in
North America, where it has been present since its accidental introduction from South America
over 70 years ago. In September 2001 the Department of Primary Industries in Brisbane implemented a baiting program in an attempt to eradicate the fire ant from Australia. All land
within the fire ant infected boundary is being treated with broadcast baits, both insect growth
regulators and metabolic growth inhibitors. However, these baits are not fire ant specific and
are taken by other ants and invertebrates. Reptiles have been identified as having the potential to be particularly vulnerable to the impacts of the baiting program due to the importance of
invertebrates in their diet. The impact of the treatment program on reptiles is being assessed
in open woodland areas, using a before/after/control/impact study. Six sites that have been
treated with an insect growth regulator, along with untreated control sites, will be sampled using pitfall traps. This work will give an indication of the impacts of the red imported fire ant
baiting program on reptiles in Brisbane.
·
--···········...··--········--··---·-········---···----·-----·--·-----·-----·--··------·······-··-------··---···---·-··-·-···-·--
Wildlife-human interactions in the suburbs and beyond: Conflicts and coexistence
Camden, December 2002
Page 39
Crow caws: auditory characteristics and human-wildlife conflict
associated with Torresian crow vocalisations
Kristen Sinden
Suburban Wildlife Research Group, Australian School of Environmental Studies,
Griffith University, Nathan Qld 4111.
Corvid populations in urban areas are increasing worldwide as a result of urbanisation. This relationship has obviously benefited corvids; humans, however, have not been so welcoming of
this move. In Brisbane, the Torresian crow Corvus orru have become extremely abundant during the past few decades and has become the only Australian corvid to form large traditional
roosts in suburban areas. Crows and ravens have always had a reputation as pests, scavengers, as carriers of disease and many tales have painted them as evil. More recently, a significant conflict has arisen from residents in relation to the 'noise' associated with suburban roosting areas. This study investigated the characteristics of crow vocalisations that may contribute
to this conflict. Calls were examined to determine whether a public perception of crows as
noisy is justifiable. Many people believe that management is required, and culling has been
suggested. Hence, this study also considers how this species could possibly be managed, if
required, to mitigate this human-wildlife conflict.
1-·-··-···-·"-·······---··-..- - - · · · - " - · - - · - - - · · · - · · " - - - - · - · -..- - - - -..- - " " " " - " " - · - · - - · - - - " - - - - · - - - · - - - · - - - - - -
Wildlife-human interactions in the suburbs and beyond: Conflicts and coexistence
Page 40
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Roof-nesting by the Silver Qull in Australia
Ian Temby
School of Ecology and Environment, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway,
Burwood, Victoria 3125
Around the world gulls of several species have increased in numbers in response to human
food subsidy. One consequence of this increase has been the adoption of the roofs of buildings as roosting and nesting sites. In most instances where roof-nesting occurs overseas the
number of birds and roofs and distance inland from the coast all increase over time. Roofnesting can cause a range of problems including: damage to roof fabric; blockage of drains
causing flooding; noise; swooping at humans; and a potential health hazard.
This study reports on one aspect of data gathered towards fulfilment of the requirements for a
Master of Science that aims to determine the economic impacts of Silver Gulls in the Greater
Melbourne area. Roof-nesting by Silver Gulls was first recorded in Australia in 1982, near
Geelong. Roof-nesting now also occurs elsewhere around Port Phillip Bay in the Port Melbourne-Goode lsland-Footscray area and Frankston in Victoria and on the roof of a shopping
plaza in Fremantle, Western Australia.
Three years of data collection in Frankston suggest that the phenomenon is following the pattern of increase reported overseas. The rate of increase at the Frankston colony suggests that
natural increase may be boosted by immigration from elsewhere. Mitigation efforts at the level
of a single roof do not address the problem, but may exacerbate it. I will discuss possible options for management of this growing problem.
···········---·-··----··--·····------·-----·---·----·-··--··-··-·------·--·-------------··-----···--·--·-·-·--·-----------
Wildlife-human interactions in the suburbs and beyond: Conflicts and coexistence
Camden, December 2002
Page 41
The response of the Swamp Wallaby, Wallabia bico/or, to domestic
predators
Dror Ben-Ami
Animal Behaviour Group, Biological School of Earth and Environmental Sciences,
University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052
The Swamp Wallaby is known to be a key dietary component of a number of urban area
predators such as foxes and domestic dogs. This study employed radio tracking and pellet surveys to examine the Swamp Wallaby's response to predation pressure, by foxes and domestic
dogs in an urban fringe reserve interlaced with fire trails, focussing on transitional effects from
the reserve edge. The density of domestic dogs was significantly higher closer to the reserve
edge, rather than deep within the reserve. Space use characteristics of the Swamp Wallaby
showed no significant difference between areas of high exposure and low exposure to predators, however densities were significantly higher in low exposure areas. This study explores
the possible ramifications of negative impacts by the urbanised predators.
·--··-···---·-····------··-·----·-··-····-··--···-----------------·---------------·---
-····-··-···-······--······-·····-·-·-··----·····-·····-··-·····---··-·--·-·-··-···---·----··----····----·-·----------·---·----·----·-·--
-·---··-·····-··-····---···-·--··-·-..······-·-·--····--··-··-·-·-··--···-----·--····-····-·---····--·-·-------··------·-·-·-·-·-··--------··-······-···-···-------·--··-···--·---
Wildlife-human interactions in the suburbs and beyond: Conflicts and coexistence
Page 42
AWMS Conference Abstracts
The northern brown bandicoot (Jsoodon maerourus) in a patchy
suburban landscape: factors aHecting distribution across southern
Brisbane, Australia.
Sean FitzGibbon
Department of Zoology & Entomology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia OLD 4072
The city of Brisbane, in south-east Queensland, is littered with patches of bushland in a predominantly developed landscape. Most of these patches are small (<1 Oha) and highly fragmented, and their value to the conservation of native mammals is largely unknown. The northern brown bandicoot (lsoodon macrourus) is a medium-sized, ground-dwelling marsupial,
known to be capable of surviving in such disturbed and fragmented environments. A survey of
70 patches across southern Brisbane during 2001 revealed that bandicoots (l.macrourus) inhabited 33 (47%) of the selected sites. Inhabited patches ranged from 1.75- 375ha. Prior to
any analysis, the occurrence of dense ground cover on sandy or loamy soils seemed important
in predicting the presence of l.macrourus. However, bandicoots were detected in two very
small patches (<2ha) that were totally isolated from the nearest neighbouring bushland, and
where ground cover was very limited. Several patches of perceived high habitat value were
uninhabited.
Habitat characteristics were recorded for each patch and combined with spatial data for use in
a multivariate analysis, to determine the best predictors of l.macrourus presence. The results
of this analysis will be presented, along with management implications stemming from this research
-··--·---···-----····-···-··---··-----·-·---------
·-·---------------·-·--··----·--··
-·-·--·····-·--·-----·-·-···----··-·-···-·-------···-------·---··---------·--·--···-···---·-··----·········----·····-·-·······-·--··--·--···-·····-·-···----·--
·········--···-·----···---·...··-------····-···----·---··-···--·-----·--·------·--·--·----···---·-··-···...·---··----·-·...-·----··-·-·---·-··-----·----··-··-
Wildlife-human interactions in the suburbs and beyond: Conflicts and coexistence
Camden, December 2002
Page 43
Thresholds for remnant size and isolation in relation to species diversity
in a Southern Sydney Suburb: Vertebrates (birds and frogs)
lan N. Drinnan
School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong
Contact: Environmental Science Unit, Sutherland Shire Council, PO Box 17, Sutherland, NSW 1499
Fragmentation of habitat is recognised as the number one threat to biodiversity ?.nd has attracted much research. While this research has identified some generalisations in relation to
minimising the impact of fragmentation, such as bigger reserves are better, minimise edges,
maintain connectivity and decrease distances between remnants, there has been little work
that aims to quantify these relationships. Where this has been, done it is usually area or species specific, and caution is urged when applying these results to other areas or species. Field
studies were conducted measuring the impact of fragmentation on birds and frog species richness and abundance, within the fragmented landscape of southern Sydney. Several fragmentation thresholds were identified in the field study that were supported by Australian and overseas research involving a range of species. A threshold in reserve size for biodiversity appears to exist at approximately 3.5 to 5 ha, with a further between 50 ha and 1OOha. Below
these sizes forest interior species are generally absent, and reserves are dominated by generalist and disturbance specialists. Several thresholds in connectivity were observed at corridor
widths of 4m, 30m, 80-1 OOm and 200m, with increasing utilisation by forest interior and rare
species as these thresholds are crossed. A linear relationship was observed for distance to
large reserves, indicating that no threshold existed for this attribute. The results also supported
a guilded species response to fragmentation, indicating that the response of a particular species to fragmentation may be predicted based on the known response of that particular guild.
--····-------·-------·-------·---·----·-----··--·----·---···-·---------··--
--·-········--·-········...··--·····-·-·········-··-········-··--·--·----·--··---····---····-·-----·-···--··-··-·······--····--·-··-·---····--·······-·-
Wildlife-human interactions in the suburbs and beyond: Conflicts and coexistence
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Page 44
Managing roosting habitat for microchiroptera in Suburbia
Monika Rhodes
Suburban Wildlife Research Group, Australian School of Environmental Studies,
Griffith University, Nathan Qld 4111
The city of Brisbane, in south-east Queensland, is littered with patches of bushland in a predominantly developed landscape. Most of these patches are small (<1 Oha) and highly fragmented, and their value to the conservation of native mammals is largely unknown. The northern brown bandicoot (lsoodon macrourus) is a medium-sized, ground-dwelling marsupial,
known to be capable of surviving in such disturbed and fragmented environments. A survey of
70 patches across southern Brisbane during 2001 revealed that bandicoots (l.macrourus) inhabited 33 (47%) of the selected sites. Inhabited patches ranged from 1.75- 375ha. Prior to
any analysis, the occurrence of dense ground cover on sandy or loamy soils seemed important
in predicting the presence of l.macrourus. However, bandicoots were detected in two very
small patches (<2ha) that were totally isolated from the nearest neighbouring bushland, and
where ground cover was very limited. Several patches of perceived high habitat value were
uninhabited.
Habitat characteristics were recorded for each patch and combined with spatial data for use in
a multivariate analysis, to determine the best predictors of l.macrourus presence. The results
of this analysis will be presented, along with management implications stemming from this research
r--·····----···-··. - -..··-·"-"""'_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Wildlife-human interactions in the suburbs and beyond: Conflicts and coexistence
Camden, December 2002
Page 45
Wildlife bridges and underpasses - tunnels to nowhere or linbs to
greener pasture?
Rodney van der Ree
Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology, Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne.
C/- School of Botany, University of Melbourne, 3010, Victoria ·
Roads are common and pervasive components of ecosystems and landscapes throughout the
world. The deleterious impacts of roads and vehicular traffic are potentially profound and may
extend for many hundreds of metres either side of a road. However, the barrier effect of
roads, railways and other linear rights-of-way (e.g. powerline easements) is increasingly being
recognised as a major threat to the viability of populations of fauna. This is primarily due to
loss of habitat, increased rates of mortality due to collision with vehicles or from a reduction in
movement rates of biota from one side of the barrier to the other. Measures to mitigate these
negative impacts include the construction of purpose-built tunnels or overpasses to assist animals to safely cross the road. In this paper, I have reviewed the scientific and 'grey' literature
to document 1) the types of fauna that use wildlife passages; 2) characteristics of those features that appear to promote or hinder the passage of fauna; and 3) research directions that
need to be addressed when testing the effectiveness of wildlife passages.
The majority of studies testing the effectiveness of overpasses and underpasses were conducted in the USA and Europe, with a relatively small but expanding contribution from Australia. Most studies assessed the effectiveness of structures by documenting the presence of
animals using the structure with remote cameras or sand tracking-pads. A wide range of species and fauna groups will use structures, including small mammals, ungulates, carnivores,
amphibians and reptiles. In many cases, the effectiveness of structures appeared to be species or group-specific, and was related to such factors as the physical dimensions of the underpass, vegetative cover, road width, or presence of humans. A major limitation in drawing
generalisations from many studies was the lack of controls and the inability to replicate studies
by structure or habitat type. Road construction authorities must take greater responsibility to
design and fund scientifically rigorous assessments of the impacts of roads and effectiveness
of wildlife crossing structures to ensure such studies stand up to peer-review and can be published in the scientific literature. Importantly, future research should address the purpose for
which structures are used (i.e. occasional crossings by dispersing individuals or regularly by
resident animals accessing different areas of their home range) and the extent to which population viability has been improved. Until we more fully understand the individual- and population-level processes that are influenced by overpasses or underpasses an assessment of their
overall effectiveness is limited.
Wildlife-human interactions in the suburbs and beyond: Conflicts and coexistence
Page 46
AWMS Conference Abstracts
The influence of urbanisation on avifaunal composition in Melbourne.
John White, Mark Antos, Grant Palmer and James Fitzsimons
School of Ecology and Environment, Deakin University, Melbourne Campus,
221 Burwood Highway, Burwood Vic 3125
There are many questions that need to be examined regarding the effect of urbanisation on
bird communities. Surprisingly little research has focused on the urban environment, and its
potential to contribute to the sustainability of biodiversity. During the Autumn of 2002 we conducted a study examining the effect of urbanisation on bird community structure and composition in the urban streetscape and park environment. In this study we compared the bird communities of urban woodland parks, streets dominated by established native trees, streets dominated by established exotic trees and new developments with limited established vegetation.
Results from this study suggested that the composition of bird communities is highly variable
and dependent on the type of site (ie: park or streetscape) and the type of vegetation present
(native versus exotic). The most significant trend was the loss of native bird species in the
transition from park to non-park habitats, and the loss of native bird species in exotic streetscapes when compared to native streetscapes. Introduced bird species showed an interesting
relationship with more species being found in the new developments and the streetscapes with
exotic vegetation. This relationship is further highlighted when the density of exotic species is
examined. The proportion of the bird density attributed for by introduced birds differed significantly between the different habitat treatments. New developments and exotic streetscapes
had significantly higher proportions of the bird density composed of introduced species when
compared to parks and sites with native streetscapes. This talk will discuss the effect of urbanisation on avifaunal composition in Melbourne and suggest possible management recommendations.
···········-·...--····-·-·-·--··---··---···-··--··--···-·---··----··-··---··-·-----·······-··--·-·····--··--···--·-··-·····-------········-·-····---··----·---··-----··-··--···-········-
Wildlife-human interactions in the suburbs and beyond: Conflicts and coexistence
Camden, December 2002
Page 47
The suburban bird community of the Greater Sydney region: Findings
from the Birds in Bachyards Community Surveys.
Holly Parsons
Institute for Conservation Biology, Department of Biological Sciences,
University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong NSW 2522.
With the objective of increasing the diversity of native birds in Australian cities, Birds Australia
embarked upon the Birds in Backyards program, a community-based program with ties to research, education and conservation. As birds are an easily recognisable and attractive part of
the city environment they are an ideal medium for promoting environmental issues and for developing a wildlife ethic among the general community. Substantial community involvement is
considered to be vital to the success of the project and the two modules being completed to
date have therefore included a community-based survey as a major part of the research.
Over 800 participants from throughout the Greater Sydney region were involved in Module
One. This study investigated the species interactions between larger, more aggressive birds
with smaller native species and also the garden preferences of this range of birds. The Common Myna was the most commonly seen bird, recorded in 80% of gardens with large and aggressive native species, the Pied Currawong and Noisy Miner also common (64% and 59% of
gardens). All seven of the small native species occurred in less than 40% of gardens. In addition, these seven small native species were less likely to be found in gardens inhabited by the
nectar-feeding Noisy Miner, whilst only the Silvereye was negatively associated with Pied Currawongs. The importance of garden structure was also highlighted for five of the small birds.
Even though the target list of species was limited and only simple garden characteristics
measured, Module I of the Birds in Backyards Program still provided data which underpin practical recommendations for encouraging native birds into gardens.
Module Two examined the nesting ecology of suburban birds and how various vegetative and
anthropogenic factors might influence nesting success. Due, in part, to the more complex nature of this survey, participation was not as substantial as for Module One, with around 250
participants involved. Still, 56 bird species were discovered nesting in urban areas. Due to a
lack of individual numbers, these species were grouped into guilds. The insectivores in particular showed a clear preference for native vegetation as well as being the most successful guild
in raising young (78%), especially where ample shrub cover was provided. Nesting requirements of honeyeaters were also detected.
The Birds in Backyards project has also been successful from the perspective of public education. Apart from the understanding gained from direct participation, the project has generated
considerable media interest, both during the survey, and in the dissemination of the results.
More research is clearly required, but the experiences to date indicate that future modules will
be well-received.
Wildlife-human interactions in the suburbs and beyond: Conflicts and coexistence
Page 48
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Do suburban Australian magpies become dependent on
supplementary food?
Rebecca O'Leary
Suburban Wildlife Research Group, Australian School of Environmental Studies,
Griffith University, Nathan Qld 4111
Wildlife feeding in the suburban environment is a common practice throughout the world including in Australia. Nonetheless, government agencies and other groups are opposed to such
practices due, in part, to a perception that animals become dependent on this supplementary
food. This study investigated whether supplementary food (e.g. meat, bread and food scraps)
provided by wildlife feeders influenced the foraging ecology and reproductive behaviour of suburban magpies in Brisbane. In particular, I focussed on the proportion of supplementary food
constituted of their diet, and whether the adults provisioned supplementary food to their chicks.
The study consisted of behavioural observations on two sample populations of magpie pairs in
the suburban environment (one group was regularly fed by humans and the second group was
not) throughout the 2001 breeding season. I found that magpies forage on both supplementary
anc;l natural food, but prefer the latter. Magpie pairs that are regularly fed by humans consumed less foraged food and spent less time foraging, but still ingested large proportions of
natural food throughout the breeding season. Chicks of both fed and unfed magpies were provisioned mainly with natural food and rarely with supplementary food, even when the chicks
were close to fledging. Although magpies in the suburban environment obtain supplementary
food from humans (intentional and incidental), they still foraged mainly for natural food, both
for themselves and their chicks. Therefore, magpies were not dependent on supplementary
food even in the difficult times when feeding the chicks .
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Wildlife-human interactions in the suburbs and beyond: Conflicts and coexistence
,
Camden, December 2002
Page 49
Variations in the patterns of introduction, establishment and spread of
the Red Fox ( Vulpes flu/pes) on some islands and their relevance to
recent introductions of the Red Fox in Tasmania
Tim Bloomfield & Nick Mooney
Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment PO Box 46
Kings Meadows Tasmania 7249
This paper discusses the.deliberate introductions and subsequent establishment of the European Red Fox on islands to enable some predictions for likely scenarios for establishment of
foxes in Tasmania. The Red Fox has been assisted in its colonisation by the deliberate activities of man on the Australian mainland, Isle of Anglesey, Isle of Man and in Tasmania. Two
phases of the invasion of foxes are looked at (1) arrival and establishment and (2) spread. The
rates of establishment and spread of foxes in a new environment are variable. The variation in
rates of establishment and spread on the Australian mainland, Isle of Anglesey, Isle of Man
are discussed with relevance to the arrival offoxes in Tasmania in the 19th, 20th and early 21st
century. Predictions are made on the potential rates of establishment and spread of the red fox
in Tasmania.
-"·-·---·--·-------------··-----------------------·-------·-·----·----·
··-···--·--·-·---·····. ·--·····---·-····--···--···········-·--··--··-··----·--·"'""'"'"''''''""-·-·--·····-·-----·--·-"---·---·---·--·------------
Predator management issues
Page 50
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Developing a fox eradication program dangerous to foxes and safe for
non-target wildlife in Tasmania
Nick Mooney and Tim Bloomfield
Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment
PO Box 46 Kings Meadows Tasmania 7249
There is overwhelming evidence that wild Red Foxes are in several regions of Tasmania; a
skin closely related to a whole carcasse (the latter containing a partly digested Tasmanian endemic) footprints and a scat. The aim is to readicate these foxes, ct control their numbers or
effects, likely still possible since numbers are apparently very low and there has been no proof
of breeding. Eradication means putting all foxes at risk so widespread strategic methods are
used that do not rely on fox-by-fox detection. The aim has been to develop a 'package of
methods dangerous to foxes but sate enough tor non target species that they could be used
almost anywhere. 1080 is the current choice tor the basic strategic method and methods of application are acceptable to foxes but minimise take by wildlife. 1080 is highly contentious in
Tasmania largely due to targetting of native animals, its effect on domestic dogs and welfare
issues. This attitude to 1080 is a problem tor the acceptability of fox eradication, as is lingering
community scepticism about foxes actually being in Tasmania. Funding to develop innovative
measures to compliment and perhaps replace more conventional methods has been very difficult to obtain. This could be partly because much of Australia's efforts have been heavily focused on controlling ct eradicating foxes and the importance of great effort to kill even one
more fox has not been appreciated. Areas of high rabbit, hare and wildlife numbers, poor
sheep management, concentrated game shooting and reduction of Tasmanian devils
(persecution, roadkills, disease) are regarded as particularly high risk tor fox establishment. Areas of high devil concentrations and 1080 poisoning of browsing animals probably represent
as lower risk of establishment.
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..................................................,_ ................
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Predator management issues
Camden, December 2002
Page 51
Planning and operating of a 1080 fox baiting program in Tasmania
Chris Emms
Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment
PO Box 46 Kings Meadows Tasmania 7249
The aim of the Tasmanian 1080 fox baiting program is to target an area large enough to ensure all foxes in the state have access to 1080 baits whilst ensuring a level of protection for
Tasmania's native species as well as members of the public. The process for achieving these
aims has resulted in extensive research being undertaken in a number of areas. These have
looked at the concentrations of 1080 in baits, appropriate type of baits to use, bait placement
methods and their density, 1080 degradation in baits over time and the legislative/procedural
requirements for the laying of 1080 fox baits in Tasmania. Many of these studies were undertaken concurrently on the mainland to ensure that any changes to standard fox baiting techniques would still be effective.
The identification of target areas for baiting is based on a combination of both physical evidence collected from around the state and consistent high quality sightings received from the
public and members of the fox taskforce. The initial baiting plan was to undertake broad scale
poisoning (several thousand square kilometres) three times a year, at whelping, during dispersal and in winter. What we have found is that the frequency of baiting is currently achievable
but the coverage is well short of our target. At present the taskforce is responsible for the planning, purchasing, laying and retrieval of 1080 fox baits. Improvements in techniques and a reduction in bait check frequency has resulted in greater efficiencies, but even at our most efficient we are still well short of our target area. This means relying on external assistance, such
as farmer involvement, to extend the baiting areas across the state as planned. This suggestion has ignited significant debate with both political and operational issues being identified.
Despite these issues, cooperation from all parties concerned is being sort so that our target
baiting area may be achieved.
-···-·-··---·-----··------···----·-··-···----
---·-----------------··----·-···----··-··-----
--··-·--····---·-······-·--·······························-···-·-····-···-···------··-----·-------·-··---····-·-------···---··---··-·-····--··-·-·-····-··-···-
-·---...··--······-···--·-··-···-·--·-·---··-...·-···---··-----·---··-...---·---··-···-·-·------·-·--·--···-·-·-·-·----·--------·-------··-··-····---···-----··-·····-
Predator management issues
Page 52
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Fox control and the community - Who is concerned about what?
Ben Gilna
Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200
This paper is a 'work-in-progress' report on research undertaken for my PhD studies. Research at the Pest Animal CRC is underway on a novel pest control method, immunocontraception, which uses a genetically engineered vaccine to specifically vaccinate a target species
against pregnancy. A fox-specific product is some years away, but research is ongoing, and
the concept has been proven in other species. Given the widespread· agreement that foxes are
indeed in need of control in Australia, and uncertainties and misgivings in the community surrounding current methods of fox control, the addition of a GM strategy provides an interesting
dimension to the question: 'What should we do about the foxes?" I am using a relatively new
technique, Multicriteria Mapping (MCM), that aims to chart the contours of community opinion
in a heuristic fashion. Various options for fox control are presented to the interviewees, including the GM proposition, to allow consideration of each option in the context of other approaches. Three separate applications of (MCM) are being undertaken in three separate regions: Tasmania, where foxes were only introduced in 2001 (interviews completed); areas with
no history of intensive/effective fox control (fieldwork pending), and; Western Shield areas
where foxes have been intensively suppressed (fieldwork to be completed December 2002).
To date, the Tasmanian data indicates widespread and strong concerns over the effectiveness, the control and the practicality of whatever control option is put into play. Careful manual
placing of 1080 baits and a non-viral delivery of a GM contraception score well amongst many
groups. Whilst there are limits on interpreting this data as truly representative of the population, MCM does provide an effective 'sampler' of opinion and values distributed throughout the
community .
...........
___ ,_.................._,___
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,
Predator management issues
,
Camden, December 2002
Page 53
Interactions of primary and secondary prey in New Zealand dryland
ecosystems: evidence for top-down and bottom-up processes
Ben Reddiex1 and Grant Norburl
1
2
Landcare Research, PO Box 69, Lincoln, New Zealand
Landcare Research, PO Box 282, Alexandra, New Zealand
Understanding the dynamics of predator-prey systems in New Zealand is fundamental to effectively managing the threats that introduced predators pose to agricultural (bovine Tb) and conservation values, and the possible benefit to agriculture by way of rabbit suppression. New
Zealand's vertebrate predator-prey systems are characterised by introduced mammalian
predators (e.g. ferrets, cats and stoats) that rely on other introduced species (e.g. rabbits and
rodents) as their primary prey. Abundance of these primary prey influence the extent to which
these predators impact on secondary prey, many of which are indigenous species. Predation
by introduced mammals is an urgent problem confronting the conservation of many of New
Zealand's indigenous wildlife.
We review the evidence for bottom-up and top-down interactions between primary prey and
predators, and between predators and secondary prey in dryland ecosystems. Predators in
dryland ecosystems are numerically and functionally driven by rabbits (i.e. bottom-up effects).
This leads to increasing rates of predation on secondary prey (e.g. skinks) as their abundance
declines (i.e. top-down effects). Predator-manipulation experiments provide little evidence for
top-down effects of predators on rabbit populations that had already been reduced by rabbit
haemorrhagic disease, as there was little change in rabbit abundance between predator treatment and non-treatment sites. These results suggest that bottom-up processes between primary prey and predators can lead to perilous top-down effects on secondary prey in dryland
ecosystems in New Zealand.
--···-·-·--·--··-··---...··--------·------····--··-----·-----··-----------··--·----·------··-----·--···-·--·-··-·----·-·--···----
--·-······-···---···-·----·-·---·-----·-·······-····----······--··-··--·-··-·-·----········-····-...··---·-··----------·--··---·-------······--·····--···--·--·
Predator management issues
Page 54
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Conditioned food aversion in ferrets
Grant Norburi, Cheryl O'Conno,.Z, Andrea Byrom 2
1
Landcare Research, PO Box 282, Alexandra, New Zealand
2
Landcare Research, PO Box 69, Lincoln, New Zealand
Many of New Zealand's native fauna are threatened by introduced mammalian predators. We
tested whether conditioned food aversion (i.e. an avoidance of particular prey items subsequent to exposure to similar foods that contain an illness-inducing compound) could reduce
consumption of birds' eggs by introduced ferrets. We used captive-reared ferrets that were unaccustomed to eating eggs, and tested a single dose of seven illness-inducing compounds
(ethynyl oestradiol, paracetamol, potassium antimony tartrate, sodium monofluoroacetate, thiabendazole, lithium chloride, levamisole). None of the compounds tested induced a consistent
aversion to eggs in ferrets. The lower 95% confidence limit of the proportion of ferrets refusing
to eat untreated eggs one week after eating treated eggs ranged from 0 B 3%. The upper limit
ranged from 46 B 64%. We suspect the upper limits are an optimistic reflection of what might
occur in the field because aversion to food attenuates with time (unless additional treatments
can be readily applied), and aversion is less likely to occur in animals that are accustomed to
eating the target foods (as would be the case for wild animals). Furthermore, predation must
be reduced to very low levels to improve the breeding success of many New Zealand native
birds. Our results did not encourage us to further investigate the utility of conditioned food
aversion for protecting birds' eggs _from ferrets in New Zealand.
·-·-····--··-·----·····------·----·------··-·--··--·---·--·-----·-·----------··---·-------·--
-
_
_-
-
-
..........................- ..............- ....... ........................... ......... ... ...... ...- - - - - · - -..·--·-----·---·-----·-·---..........
____........................_,_ __________ ___ ______ ___..___.. ___.._____...._____..
Predator management issues
.. ..
.,
..
..
.,
__ _
Camden, December 2002
Page 55
Captive trials of a synthetic predator odour as a repellent to wildlife
Daniel Ramp
University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052
Social and ecological applications of odour by mammals are generally well known, but recent
attention has been given to exploiting the behavioural responses of animals to olfactory cues
for management purposes. Odours have been used to prevent browsing on crop and forest
plantations and to repel mammalian herbivores from crops and grazing lands. The later approach uses utilises predation sensitive avoidance behaviour to reduce animal densities. Such
odour repellents provide a viable, relatively cheap and publicly acceptable method for reducing
animal use of targeted areas such as along roadsides or urban fringe areas. This study examines the ability of one synthetic product, Plant Plus, to elicit behavioural responses in two species of macropodid. Parma wallabies exhibited a strong avoidance response to Plant Plus,
while red-necked pademelons exhibited an attraction response. The efficacy of using this product to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions is explored.
---·-..- - - - - · - - - - - · - " ' " " ' " " " - " " · - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - · - - -
---·---·-·-·-·"·--·-·-""""""'""""
_________ ____
,
,_,
..
___________ _____________ ______ ________________ ___........____...
_______
,,
,
__,
,
_______ ____ ______
,
,_,
,._..........,,
,
,
_______________ ______,_ -·-·----·-·----
Predator management issues
..,
..
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Page 56
Seasonal differences in bait tabe by forest dwelling rats following
simulated aerial1080 possum control operations in New Zealand Interim results
1
Craig Gillies , Jim Campbell
2
,
2
Norm Marsh & Miles Gembitskl
Department of Conservation, Science & Research Unit, P.O. Box 112, Hamilton
Department of Conservation, Wanganui Conservancy, Private bag 3016, Wanganui
1.
2
·
Ship rats (Rattus rattus) were trapped following ten simulated possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)
control operations using aerially sown non-toxic baits laced with rhodamine B. These surveys
were carried out in different areas and at different times over three years in the Whanganui
National park, North Island, New Zealand. Preliminary examination of the data found that between 79 and 100 percent of ship rats contained traces of rhodamine B, indicating that they
had eaten, or at least handled baits. Those rats that were caught following winter and spring
operations were more likely to contain rhodamine than those caught in autumn and summer.
During these surveys mice (Mus musculus) were incidentally caught in the traps set for rats.
The proportions of mice containing rhodamine varied between 40 and 100 percent and those
caught in winter or summer were more likely to have taken baits than those caught in autumn
or spring.
---··-············-···-·-··---------·-··---·-··------ --·---------------------···---------1
·-·------········--········---·---·······-····-··----·-·--·-··----··-···---···--·------··--·····----·-·-··-----····-·--·-······----······---···-····---------···----····-·-·-····--
Predator management issues
Camden, December 2002
Page 57
Managing foxes for Southern Brown Bandicoot conservation at the
Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, Victoria
Cassie Wright and Terry Coates
Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, 1000 Ballarte Road, Cranbourne, Vic 3977
The Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne (RBGC) contains one of the last substantial stands of
indigenous heathy vegetation in the Melbourne region. Situated in one of Australia's fastest
developing regions, it is identified as a site of state significance for the conservation of biodiversity. Twenty-five fauna species identified as being at risk in Victoria in the short to medium
term have been recorded in the 370 hectare reserve. In addition, the RBGC supports one of
the region's few remaining populations of the nationally endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot (lsoodon obesu/us). At about 750 g the Southern Brown Bandicoot fits into the critical
weight range of mammals thought to be particularly susceptible to predation by European Red
Foxes ( Vulpes vulpes). Recent dietary analysis has shown that bandicoots represent a significant prey item for foxes at the site. With fox predation posing a clear threat to the bandicoot
population there is a need for continual fox management to ensure its future. However, research conducted at the site in recent years has shown traditional fox baiting techniques present a risk to bandicoots as they will excavate and consume free-feed baits. Because fox
ranges are large and extend over multiple habitat types, strategic placement of baits, outside
areas of habitat for significant species, may allow managers to achieve fox control aims while
minimizing the exposure of bandicoots and other non-target species to poisoned baits. We
tested the effect of "off-site" baiting to see if it would reduce fox activity in areas of bandicoot
habitat at the RBGC.
·----···--·--------·-·--·--···--------·····----------------·------·------
--···-········--·-·-·-----·-·········-----·-----···--··-···-···-----···········-·······---·-··-·----·-------------····----·-·--··--···--·-··-----·-·
Predator management issues
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Page 58
Dietary v~riation of the European Red Fox (flu/pes "ulpeij in the
Southern Highlands of New South Wales.
Brett Parker
School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006
Although there have been numerous studies on the diet of the European Red Fox ( Vulpes
vulpes), few data exist on the age and sex related differences in the diet. Dietary variation between demographics is currently poorly understood due to the majority of studies determining
diet solely from scat analysis. Despite this dearth of knowledge, poison baiting is becoming
the most utilised method of fox control - a technique reliant upon the assumption of equal bait
uptake between age and sex classes. This study investigated variation in the diet of red foxes
in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. Age, sex, and stomach contents were determined from foxes shot by recreational hunters between August 2001 and March 2002. Insects, sheep carrion ( Ovis aries), and rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) constituted the principal
components of the diet. Native fauna were seldom taken by foxes examined in this study.
Adult male foxes consumed significantly more of the study site's readily available sheep carrion than adult females, suggesting a preference by females for live prey over carrion. Therefore, fox control campaigns which rely solely on sporadic baiting may produce undesirable
age/sex ratio bias. Differences in bait uptake between sexes warrants investigation .
.................._,
___ __ __________·-·-----·-·---···-··-·------·-- _______________________
,,
- -............-
.......................
............_, _____....._,
.........._,_,
,,
__...
................._,.., ..., _ ,
_ ___________________
........
.........................
_______
______ ___ __________________________
...
,
,_,
Open session
,
_____,
___ _______
,,,,,
___ ..___
..................- ............. ..
,
,,_,
,,_,
..
____________ ___
,
____________
,
-
__..........
Camden, December 2002
Page 59
Post-release survival and release site fidelity of juvenile versus subadult captive reared babi in South Island, New Zealand
Philip Seddon\ Richard Malonel and Yolanda van Heezik1
1. Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
2. Department of Conservation, Private Bag, Twizel, New Zealand
The kaki (black stilt, Himantopus novaezelandiae) is an inland wading bird endemic to New
Zealand. The combined impacts of habitat degradation and introduced mammalian predators
depressed kaki numbers to less than 30 wild adults, represented by a single population in central South Island. The kaki has been intensively managed since 1981. The greatest gains in
numbers of wild kaki have been achieved in recent years through a programme of artificial incubation and the release of captive-reared birds. Available aviary space currently limits both
the number and the length of time birds can be held over the rearing period. Trial releases of
sub-adult (9-10 months of age) and juvenile (2-3 months) kaki have been undertaken to identify the age at which survival and release-site fidelity are greatest. Evidence suggests that although the release of juvenile kaki allows more birds to be moved through the limited cage
space, the release of the older sub-adult stages may more effectively achieve wild population
restoration aims. This study examines post-release survival and dispersal of juvenile versus
sub-adult kaki in order to provide kaki managers with a basis for release strategy decision
making.
·-----·--..·------..-.._.,_.
__ ______ ........._ ______
--·--·-..·-·-..--.----·---·-------....._, ____
,
,,
,
..__,
_______ __ _______ ________
_
,
____.__·-·-·--·------·-·-- _____ ___
......
,
Open session
.....,.,__, __,
,
,
_____ ____
,
..__,,
,_,,_,_,_,_
..,_,_
_______._
Page 60
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Home range and foraging behaviour of Brush-tailed Phascogales
(Phascoga/e tapoatafa) in regrowth dry sclerophyll forests on the Mid
North Coast of NSW
Justin Williams and Brett Cann
State Forests, Mid North Coast Region, PO Box 168 Wauchope NSW 2446.
We captured and radio-tracked 12 individual Brush-tailed Phascogales (Phascogale tapoatafa)
in regrowth dry sclerophyll forests at three sites on the Mid North Coast of NSW. We aimed to
identify home range size and preferences for both foraging and denning trees. Home range
estimates were calculated for seven females, identifying an average home range size of 15.1 ±
5.0 ha (1 00% MCP). This is similar to that reported in forests of Western Australia (Rhind
1998) and much less than the 41 ha reported for low quality remnant sites studied in Victoria
(Soderquist 1995). Phascogales preferred to den in large trees, greater than 50 em diameter
(65% of den trees), and favoured very large trees where these occurred. However at one site
where few large trees were available, over half of den trees were less than 50 em diameter.
Dead trees (stags) were used for dens more often than any one species and made up 20% of
den trees used. Of live trees used for den sites, 91% were of rough-barked species. Phascogales were observed attempting to forage on 184 occasions for a period in excess of 14 hours.
Most foraging observations were in trees (88%), with the remainder on the ground, on logs or
in tree heads from recent logging. Phascogales move from tree to tree as they forage and preferred to forage in rough-barked trees that were old and of larger size. Although phascogales
exhibit a strong preference for foraging in older and larger trees, most foraging bouts (83%)
observed were in trees less than 50 em diameter as these were the predominate trees in the
stand. . All study sites exhibited a long history of logging and some female phascogales occupied home-ranges containing very few large old trees, suggesting tolerance to disturbance.
Forest managers should promote conditions that maintain old, large, hollow trees for denning
and rough-barked trees including old, large individuals for foraging. The apparent low quality
of some sites supporting female phascogales suggested to the researchers that phascogales
can occupy dry sclerophyll forests with only a scattering of old trees and rough-barked eucalypts that may generally be considered as unsuitable habitat. This factor could be significant
for many proposed developments in coastal northern NSW and consideration of local information on phascogale habitat and its use should be incorporated into development planning.
Developing a non-invasive protocol for monitoring stress in captive marsupial populations.
Open session
Camden, December 2002
Page 61
Population ecology of wild horses in the Australian Alps
Michelle Walter
Applied Ecology Research Group, University of Canberra, Canberra 2446.
Wild horses in the Australian Alps national parks are feral pests in some people's eyes and
cultural heritage in others. Any management needs to be well informed. This paper presents a
summary of a three-and-a-half year study on the population ecology of wild horses in the Australian Alps national parks. The research examined the distribution, abundance, ;>opulation dynamics and factors that may be limiting the population. An estimate of abundance was made
across the Australian Alps national parks using helicopter aerial survey. This provides a baseline population estimate of 5000 horses in 2001. The technique is repeatable allowing ongoing
monitoring of population trends. Population dynamics were studied by monitoring 3 wild horse
populations across the Alps every spring and autumn for three Y-ears. The areas studied were
Currango (41km2 ), Big Boggy (35.5km2 ) and Cowombat (13km ). Densities were highest at
Cowombat (average 6.4horses/km2 ), and similar at Currango and Big Boggy (average 2.1 and
2.0 horses/km 2 respectively). Wild horses at Cowombat were in poorer condition and there
was less available food than at the other two sites, indicating that the area was closer to ecological carrying capacity. Brumby-running involves horse riders chasing and catching wild
horses with a rope. In Victoria, the activity is permitted under a contractual agreement with
Parks Victoria in parts of the Alpine National Park, and is being considered in Kosciuszko National Park as a management tool. Brumby-runners in Victoria catch approximately 200 wild
horses per year. They catch almost equal proportions of juveniles and adults. The majority of
adults caught are females. Modelling suggests that brumby-running is suppressing the wild
horse population in the Alpine National Park.
·--'-""""'"'""'""'"""""
_____________
,.
_________________________ ·---------·---------------
--·---·-·--·-..·------·---.........- ........- ....-...._____..
----------···-..·----·---··----·--....- ......-
__ ________________________________ ___________
,
,_,_,,,
......._,,
,_,,
_________
,,
______ ___ _
..._,
..
________ ----·---·--- ---·---·----------- -....
Open session
..
..
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Page 62
Teaching wildlife management: how are we doing it, and how should
we be doing it?
Yolanda van Heezik and Philip Seddon
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
In the last few decades wildlife management has evolved from a profession with an emphasis
on consumptive use and control of harvested populations, to one dealing with a bigger picture
of ecosystem management. This new focus incorporates the diverse and complex issues of
endangered species, biodiversity and international problems, and recognises the relationships
between wildlife and people. Accordingly, wildlife curricula have been· revised towards a transdisciplinary education, and a steady increase in socio-political content, with the result that the
line between wildlife and conservation biology has become difficult to distinguish. A consistent
trend in the profession has been the diversification of career paths, which has driven the
broadening of the curriculum and in some cases the dropping of the research thesis. Increased
responsibilities mean that wildlife biologists today require a wider array of skills in their repertoire to be effective. Some feel that this broadening has been at the expense of essential training in natural history, animal ecology and evolutionary ecology.
We examined curricula content in a variety of masters programme in wildlife biology or conservation biology in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and South Africa, to identify what is being
taught, what components are considered essential (compulsory courses), and how courses
are structured. We use this information to define three general models for graduate wildlife
management training: (1) prescribed programmes in which all course work is compulsory; (2)
very flexible programmes offering a wide range of options, the only compulsory component being the thesis or special project; and (3) flexible programmes offering a range of options but including a compulsory component. The range of compulsory topics is discussed .
-
..............
........................
-
__ _
.. .................- .......,_.................................................
...............................................
____ ________________ ____
..........- ....- - - · · · - - - - · - - - -
_
.............................
- .....-
-
.... .......
----...- ........................-
___ __ ___..._.....____....._...,_............____,_...............,..
......
-
..
,
,
_
.......___.. ....._..,
....................
________ _ __ ____
..... ................
Open session
....
___.........._,_..........._...__
.......................-.
-
.......................- .......... ...............
........
..,_,_,.,,_
______ __ __
..
,
.........
_____ ________ _ ____
..
... ..,
___ _ _............................._.._______ _._____......_
... ...
.....
Camden, December 2002
Page 63
Sources, sinbs and distribution: a graphical model for management
Jim Hone
Applied Ecology Research Group, University of Canberra, Canberra.
The dynamics of wildlife populations can differ between net exporters (sources) to net importers (sinks). These phenomena, the outcomes of demographic processes have been described
and illustrated in a graphical model (the compensation axis). The distribution of a species in a
landscape can have many characteristics from continuous to patchy. Population dynamics and
distribution are fundamental properties of a species that need to be defined for management in
a landscape setting. A graphic model is described that combines the concepts of sources,
sinks and distribution. The implications for wildlife management are described.
----·--·-------·--------·------------------- ---------·---·-
__
....,•..
-
---.......- -...--..- ...--.--.----·------·----··"""----·-----------------"---..---·-·-·"·
.....
--·--··-·-··-··--·····--·--····.........,_..,.._.,
_____... ___________
,,
__________
,
Open session
___________ ____________
..
,
........
--..-·--....- .........
Page 64
AWMS Conference Abstracts
High density bangaroo populations - how high can they go?
Don Fletcher
Applied Ecology Research Group, University of Canberra, ACT 2601.
Superior counting methods have revealed that unexploited populations of eastern grey kangaroos in temperate grasslands reach densities of 5-6 ha 1, which is an order of magnitude higher
than densities of kangaroos in semi-arid environments and may be the highest kangaroo densities reported. The population dynamics of eastern grey kangaroos are being studied in three
seasonal-temperate sites near Canberra where the populations are limited by natural processes. The research is intended to develop an ecological model which explains variation in
kangaroo density and which can be used to examine potential management options, such as
'damage mitigation' culling on grazing properties in the region, and alternative management
options within the conservation estate.
f--···········------·····-----···--·······----------------------····----·--··-·--··----·----··---·---···-··----------··--·-···---
Open session
Camden, December 2002
Page 65
Will immunocontraception worb for rabbits?
Steve McLeod 1 and Laurie Twigg 2
1
2
Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Agriculture, Orange NSW 2800, Australia
Vertebrate Pest Research Section, Department of Agriculture Western Australia, Bougainvillea Avenue,
Forrestfield W A 6058, Australia
Demographic changes in response to surgically imposed female sterility were monitored in 12
free-ranging rabbit populations in southern Western Australia over a 4 year period. Sterility
levels were 0%, 40%, 60%, and 80% of all females in year one, with a similar proportion of female recruits surgically sterilised in subsequent years. Based on these data we derived a new
trophic model of rabbit population dynamics. The model simulated the continuous-time dynamics of a physiologically structured population feeding on a dynamic food resource. At 0% sterility the modelled populations were characterised by frequent eruptive episodes and persistence
even in the absence of immigration. At a sterility level of 40% the modelled populations persisted but with fewer eruptive episodes. At this level of sterility the frequency of eruptions was
increased by a small number of immigrants (0.01 female rabbits/quarter). At sterility rates of 60
and 80%, and in the absence of immigration, the simulated populations did not persist. However, a small number of fertile female immigrants allowed populations at these high levels of
sterility to persist. The results indicate that immigration, even at the relatively low level, can
lead to a population persisting when it would otherwise have gone extinct. The results suggest
that fertility control may be an effective tool for reducing the likelihood of rabbit populations
erupting, but long term efficacy will depend on achieving high levels of sterility and minimising
immigration of fertile females.
c--·-·-··----·-·····-···----··-·----------····-----·---
- - - - - - - - - - - - · - · · · ---···-----·--····-
-·-·-·-·--·····--········-··---··-·····-·------....· - - - · - - - - - - - -.........-----·----..·-·-·--..---····----..- ......
Open session
_._____
Page 66
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Modelling the impact of water resource development on a flag-ship
species, the pig nosed turtle
Arthur Georges\ F. Guarino 1, I. Webstef, M. Thoms 3 , & P. Jolly4
1
Applied Ecology Research Group, University of Canberra, ACT 2601
2
CSIRO Division of Land and Water, Canberra ACT 2601
3
CRC for Freshwater Ecology, University of Canberra, ACT 2601
4
Department of Lands Planning and Environment, Darwin NT 0822
Alteration of hydrological regime is arguably the most serious and continuing threat to the sustainability of riverine ecosystems. Water resource development and ·agricultural development
in catchments can reduce connectivity with impact on migratory species, reduce overall flows
with impact on keystone flow-dependent species such as ribbon-weed, alter the timing of flow
patterns which may cause species to miscue reproductive and other behaviours, increase turbidity in what is was once a clear water system, alter water quality through nutrification, and alter water temperatures over extensive ranges with attendant consequence for primary
production and metabolism of poikilothermic animals. The Daly River catchment of the Northern Territory has been targeted for extensive agricultural development adjacent to its middle
reaches, and options for the development of dry season water resources in support of these
initiatives are being explored. We modelled the impact of potential flow reduction on dryseason river connectivity and water temperatures in the Daly river and explored the impact this
would have on the life history and viability of a flagship species, the pig-nosed turtle.
f--··········--··--········---·-·-·--·----·--····----------···-···----······--------·----··----····-·--·-····----·--
Open session
Camden, December 2002
Page 67
Multi-agency survey of pest animals in New South Wales - 2002
Peter West, Greg Jones, Peter Worsley and Glen Saunders.
Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Agriculture, Forest Rd, Orange 2800
The objective of the project was to advance preparedness for managing exotic disease (eg.
Foot and Mouth Disease) emergencies that may involve wild animal populations within NSW.
Using information gathered from staff working for the Rural Lands Protection Board, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Environment ACT, NSW State Forests, and Sydney Catchment AuthOrity, maps were generated that reflect the state-wide distribution and abundance of
10 pest animal species. These were Feral Pigs, Feral Goats, Wild Deer, Foxes, Rabbits, Wild
Dogs, Feral Cats, European Hares, Wild Horses and Feral Livestock. In addition, all Rural
Lands Protection Board Rangers completed a Questionnaire that identifies the main impacts of
pest animals in private land, when these impacts occur, the overall effectiveness and proportional use of available control techniques, and recent changes to the distribution and abundance of these species. Outcomes from the Survey and Questionnaire will be presented along
with future developments, including the assessment of risk posed by current pest animal distributions to exotic disease introduction, transmission and maintenance. NSW Agriculture, and
the Wildlife and Exotic Disease Preparedness Program (WEDPP) funded this project.
---------·---·--------..................._,_______
,,
________________ ___________________ ___
..
- - - -.......- ..........._...............- ......- ......- ......- ....____ _________..__ _______ ________ ___ _____ __ _________..____________ _______ _____....______
,
·--·-··--············---···--......_ , , ______..
_________ _____
..
..,_,
,
______ ________ _________
..,
,
,,
,
,
__________
Open session
,
,
,
,
,
________ __
...............
..........- ............................
Page 68
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Developing a non-invasive protocol for monitoring stress in captive
marsupial populations
S.McKenzie* and E.M. Deane
Division of Environmental and Life Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde NSW 2109
Effective management of captive animal populations requires a comprehensive understanding
of both their biological and psychosocial needs, as well as the tools to monitor their wellbeing.
This study has focused on the development and validation of a non-invasive protocol to measure stress in captive populations of marsupials, using the Tammar wallaby as a "model" marsupial. A significant body of biological information is available on this species, and it is relatively easy to maintain in captivity. However, little comprehensive information exists on fundamental haematological and endocrine parameters of the Tammar. Such information is essential in monitoring deviations from 'normal' ranges of values, as these can indicate compromised health and well-being in many species.
We previously undertook a substantive study of the haematology and serum biochemistry of
the Tammar wallaby, documenting variability in these factors according to age, sex and season. We have since conducted a longitudinal study of the "stress" hormone cortisol, again considering the influence of variables including age, sex and season. We found a significant seasonal variation in cortisol levels, with average serum cortisol being higher in the summer than
in the Autumn. However, age and sex were not factors affecting serum cortisol concentration.
This baseline information will be of value not only in the development of non-invasive techniques of cortisol analysis, particularly faecal cortisol analysis, but also as part of an integrated
set of measures of animal health and wellbeing.
In conjunction with behavioural parameters currently being investigated, this information will
assist wildlife managers in assessing and monitoring the health status of individuals, particularly those in captivity.
-···----·-·-··---·----·-··------------------------------·--·------------------·-·
..............
__
-
.............. ...................-···-----··..-···-·---·····-·-·-----····"·---·-··-·-····--·······-·-----···------------··-··-···-------··-··-·-·-----···-·-······---------······-·--····-·----··-·-
Open session
Camden, December 2002
Page 69
Micro-encapsulated zinc phosphide for control of brushtail possum
( Trichosurus "ulpecu/a)
James Ross 1 and Ray Henderson 2
1
AMAC Division, PO Box 84, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand
2
Branch Drain Road, Brooskide, RD 2, Leeston, New Zealand
This presentation updates the research being conducted on the development of microencapsulated zinc phosphide (MZP) bait for the control of the common brushtail possum
( Trichosurus vulpecula) in New Zealand. Thus far the research has focused on four key issues
being: i) bait toxicity; ii) field efficacy; iii) toxicant humanness; and iv) the risk of poisoning for
non-target species. At all stages we have attempted to compare the MZP results with sodium
monofluoroacetate (1 080), which is the toxin currently used for possum control in New Zealand. Sodium monofluoroacetate is a very efficacious and cost-effective toxin; however, as a
result of ongoing non-target kills (especially domestic dogs) and lack of acceptance overseas
(related to its high toxicity, lack of antidote and secondary hazards) it has become politically
very difficult to use this toxin at some locations.
The bait toxicity work (with captive possums) has demonstrated that once encapsulated, ZP in
cereal bait is highly palatable (65% 11=52; compared with non-toxic cereal RS5) and very efficacious (96% killll=52). In the field, we have trialed both cereal (92% kill17=4) and paste (97%
11=2) bait containing MZP. These kill estimates were higher, but not significantly different to the
kills achieved using 1080 paste bait (89% killll=4). The research investigating humanness indicated that appetite suppression occurs 1.3-1.6 hours after consumption (>20 mg/kg-1 11=33)
with a mean time to death of 3.5-8.1 hours (>20 mg/kg-1 11=1 08). This compares favourably
with 1080, which has a mean time to death of 7.6-15.6 hours (>2 mg/kg-1 11=1 01 ). Direct observation of lethally dosed animals suggested mild epigastric pain; however, it did not appear to
be acute and at no time were the animals severely distressed. (e.g. vocalisation, convulsions
etc.) Interference with paste bait by honeybees was minimal (0.1 g lost per/hr; Apis spp.) and
this was significantly lower than interference with the paste bait currently used with 1080 (883
8.3 g lost per/hr). Recent trials with 'free ranging' native bird species (e.g. passerines) have
also indicated that the new bait types developed to be used with MZP have a similar or significantly lower palatability than the cereal bait currently used for aerial 1080 possum control
(Wanganui No. 7).
In conclusion, we are currently assessing the risk of primary poisoning for a native invertebrate
(weta, Hemideina spp.) and the likelihood of secondary poisoning for domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) scavenging the -carcasses of possums poisoned with MZP. The next stage of the research will be an assessment of the environmental persistence of MZP bait exposed to rainfall,
buried in soil and located in water. It is anticipated that further favourable results will facilitate
the eventual registration of MZP bait for possum control in New Zealand.
Open session
Page 70
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Population monitoring and census using non-invasive genetic tagging
Dianne Gleeson 1 , Andrea Byrom 2 , and Graham Nugent
1. Ecological Genetics Laboratory Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand
2. Landcare Research, PO Box 69, Lincoln, New Zealand
Recent advances in DNA genotyping technology, most notably the development of microsatellite markers, provide many exciting opportunities for measuring a range of different population
parameters in free-ranging animals. These microsatellite markers are highly variable, and
therefore well suited to comparing genetic variation among individuals. Microsatellite analysis,
using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can be performed using relatively small DNA samples,
allowing the use of non-invasive collection techniques. Modern equipment allows the repeatable analysis of large numbers of samples, making microsatellite markers particularly useful
for consistently assigning identity to samples from unknown individuals. Match statistics can be
used to ensure that the available genetic data are able to resolve individuals, even when the
study population contains many close relatives. It is also possible to use genetic markers to
assign gender and species.
We have used a genetic approach to test the efficacy and value of non-invasive DNA-based
analysis for monitoring populations of two major pest species in New Zealand. stoats, Mustela
ermina, and possums, Trichosurus vulpecula. We have successfully developed a field-based
hair collection system for stoats, and used the system for obtaining mark-recapture estimates
of abundance based on individual genotype profiles. We have also developed DNA genotyping
technology in conjunction with trapping to determine the number of uncaught possums present
on, and adjacent to, trap lines. We used DNA extracted from possum faecal pellets to uniquely
distinguish a number of the possums present near a trap line, and then use trapping to catch a
second sample of possums, the DNA from which was used to determine how many of the
trapped possums were also present in the 'faecal' sample. From this we used mark-recapture
analysis to estimate the absolute number of possums using the trap line.
This non-invasive genotype technology has significant potential in being useful to quickly,
cheaply, and accurately monitor such cryptic species at low population densities. The flow-on
benefits that potentially derive from this will be better and more efficient monitoring pest densities, and therefore better and more cost effective management.
Open session
Camden, December 2002
Page 71
Managing boala populations in the face of bushfires: rehabilitation success and
long-term viability of a boala population at Port Stephens
Daniel Lunney\ Shaan Gresser\ Alison Matthews1, Lisa O'Nei11 1,
Paul Mahon 1 and Jonathan Rhodes 2
1
2
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, PO Box 1967, Hurstville NSW 2220
Department of Geographical Sciences and Planning, School of Geography, Planning and Architecture,
University of Queensland, Brisbane OLD 4072
The survival of 16 burnt and rehabilitated koalas from the 1994 bushfires in Port Stephens was
compared to 23 uninjured koalas living in the same area. Each koala was monitored daily by
radio-tracking for up to 18 months following release, and then up to a further 18 months at
weekly intervals. Survival rates did not differ between the two groups, demonstrating that rehabilitated koalas were not disadvantaged from either injury or absence from the wild. The extensive information collected on the direct impact of fire on koalas was used to analyse the impact of fire at a population level. The Port Stephens population was analysed using PVA
(population viability analysis) methods to model conditions corresponding to the observed and
possible future fire regimes. The sensitivity of the modelled population to changes in fertility,
mortality, immigration and variable fire frequencies and impacts was investigated as an essential part of the PVA process. The results of the PVA will be discussed in connection with management actions already implemented prior to the modelling process.
-··-·······--·--·---··-·-----------·------··-··-·-·-·----------·---·----·----...·...-----·--------··--····--------1
--··-··--···-·--·---······-·-···-····---···········---······--···-·-·-···-··--···········-··-···-·---------···-··------·-··---·-···----··--·-----·--··-··--··-----·--··-··-·-----1
-······-··--------······-···-········---···----·-·-···--···---······---·--·-··········-··-····---·····-··--·-··----·-·-----·-----·-·. .·-----·--·-····----········--.. -----------------t
Open session
Page 72
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Implications of National Parb gazettal for the management of boalas
on St Bees Island, Central Queensland
Alistair Melzer1 , Delma Clifton 1 , Gail Tucker1 and William Ellis2
1.
Koala Research Centre of Central Queensland, Centre for Environmental Management,
Central Queensland University, Rockhampton 4702.
2. Koala Study Program, School of Life Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia 4067.
For the entire 20th century, St Bees Island, Central Queensland, was subject to a pastoral
lease. During this period, land management practices resulted in the clearing of large tracts of
land and the introduction of both native and domestic animals. The area is now a National
Park but management goals for the island are as yet undefined. Koalas and at least two species of wallabies persist today but the only domestic animals that remain are goats. Wallabies
are present in low numbers while periodic culling has largely controlled the goat population.
The koala colony is now estimated to number 200. Koalas are now rare in the mainland areas
from which this population most likely arose and this has resulted in the declaration of National
Park status for the island in 2001. Unlike southern island populations, the population has not
been documented to increase to levels that cause destruction of the vegetation. Hence we
have begun a study on St Bees Island, in an effort to identify factors influencing population dynamics. As part of this study basic vegetation surveys have been conducted and initial observations include evidence of processes that need to be considered in the development of a
management plan for the island. Regrowth of areas of cleared land has resulted in a mosaic of
Eucalyptus tereticomis dominated woodland, fringed by Allocasuarina torulosa and alternating
with rainforest growth in gully regions. At the edge of these gullies, there is evidence of succession, with rainforest crowding out eucalypt forest. Meanwhile browsing by goats and
swamp wallabies is suppressing some rainforest species. In some woodland areas browsing
seems to c;:tlso be inhibiting the growth of lantana while in other regions lantana growth is extensive. Other feral plants on the island include prickly pear and garden escapees. Browsing
may also account for the fact that seedlings and saplings of the most likely predominant koala
fodder species, Eucalyptus tereticomis, are extremely rare. However, seedlings and saplings
of Corymbia spp and Allocasuarina torulosa are common. There have been no controlled
burns and the influence of fire has been minimal for 60 to 80 years. We speculate that the absence of fire allows rainforest expansion although slowed by selective browsing by goats and
swamp wallabies. In some areas where regrowth has not occurred, landslips are evident.
This preliminary work has identified a number of, sometimes conflicting, management issues:
If the island were managed for inherent biodiversity values then goats (and possibly
wallabies) would be eliminated, resulting in a release of suppressed lantana and rainforest species.
If the island were managed for its importance as a koala colony then the management
should maximise the extent and "quality" of koala habitat.
The invasion of eucalypt woodland by rainforest and the apparent failure of Eucalyptus
tereticomis to regenerate suggest a slow reduction in the extent of koala habitat and
"deterioration" in the quality of that habitat as individual Eucalyptus tereticomis trees senesce.
Removal of goats could result in the establishment of Eucalyptus tereticomis seedlings
producing a more restricted but sustainable grassy woodland.
Management could aim to limit the spread of rainforests (eg fire or retaining goats) while
protecting the koalas and preventing extensive loss of foliage (koala food and water)
Open session
Camden, December 2002
Page 73
Genetic management of endangered species: does it worb?
Shaun D. Barclay and William B. Sherwin.
School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of New South Wales,
Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
As more and more species face extinction through human-induced causes, conservation programs are using captive management to provide stock for reintroduction, but the genetic success of these programs is rarely monitored. We are conducting experiments ba~ed on the
captive breeding and successful reintroduction of the Greater stick-nest rat (Leporillus
conditor), an endangered native rodent of Australia. By taking advantage of an extensive tissue collection and documentation of breeding and reintroductions, this study provides a rare
opportunity to check on genetic changes during sampling, captivity, reintroduction, and establishment and maintenance of new populations. Using nuclear and mitochondrial markers we
show that the reintroduced populations have lost genetic variation compared to source populations, including some populations which appear to lack representation from one source, despite the presence of source animals in the reintroduction. Although gene diversity has been
reduced relative to source populations, we show gene diversity in reintroduced populations is
higher than predicted by empirical models. This has implications in the management of all endangered species, suggesting that reduction in genetic variation may not be as severe as expected.
··-·--·-··------·---- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - · · - - · - · - - - - -
----·-·-··---·--·-·---·...·-···-··-·--·-------··-·-·-----·····-·------------·---------·-····---··---·--·----·-···-------··-··-··
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Open session
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Page 74
Developing improved sampling techniques for estimating bird
damage in vineyards
John Tracey1 , Glen Saunders 1 and Remy van de Ven 2
1
2
Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Agriculture, Forest Rd. Orange NSW 2800
Current address: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue,
Swindon SN2 1 UH UK.
The viticulture industry in Australia has experienced exponential growth in the last five years,
with projected production for 2002 reaching 1.51 million tonnes and an export value of over
$1.63 billion (Spencer 2002). Birds are increasingly beihg recognised as a major pest to wine
grape production and can be responsible for total losses in some vineyards. Appropriate assessment techniques underpin any future research and management efforts to quantify or
ameliorate damage. However, few efficient and accurate techniques are currently available.
Standard sampling procedures and counting or weighing are constrained by time and cost.
Using visual assessment percent bird damage was estimated in the Orange wine growing region of New South Wales between 2000 and 2002. During the 2000 season, stratified random
sampling was used to estimate block damage on 129 sampling occasions. Using the damage
and variance estimates from 5 strata within each block we predict the sample sizes required at
different levels of accuracy. A progressive sampling strategy is discussed which significantly
improved the efficiency of obtaining accurate estimates.
·····-·······---·-..-·····-·-···-·---····-·-··--·--·--·-···-·---------··------·----------·-······--·--·--··---·-
·-····-···-······-·····...··-···----····-···--·-··-···-··------··--·-·-···-·-··------···---·-··················---·-·············-············-···-····-·····-·--·-·-·······-···--·--······-·
f-····-·····-·············-·········-·················---········-·--····----·-·-··-··-·---------·---··········-···-··-·····--·····--·---········------···--···-·...···-···--·-···-··
Open session
Camden, December 2002
Page 75
Drought refuge destruction to control rabbits on Bulloo Downs Station
south-west Queensland
David McK. Berman
Robert Wicks Pest Animal Research Centre, 203 Tor St Toowoomba Qld 4350
Rabbits are still causing considerable damage to native plants and animals and to the cattle
industry in southwest Queensland. The damage continues despite a significant reduction in
rabbit numbers due to rabbit calicivirus and myxomatosis. Warren ripping has been shown to
further reduce the damage caused by rabbits but it is expensive. The cost of ripping all warrens on Bulloo Downs Station is potentially over 6 million dollars. In an attempt to control rabbits at a reduced cost, a strategic approach has been adopted targeting areas thought to provide refuge for rabbits during drought.
1----------·-·---·-·---------..- - - - - · - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
__ ____,_.... ..... ..______
,
,
..,
,,
____ ____ __ ______ ______ _____
,
...
,
,.
,,
__
,_,
,,_
............,
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Open session
- ....--------·-·-·--------·-·--..--·--·-
Page 76
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Poster Session
Andrea Byrom, Cheryl O'Connor, and Eric Spurr
Capturing odours of natural prey as lures for stoats
lsberg, S., Thomson, P., Nicholas, F., Webb, G., Barker, S. and Moran, C.
Modelling growth of juvenile Crocodylus porosus using degree-days
Gongora J, Fleming PJS, Mason RJ, Garkavenko 0, Moran C
Phylogenetic relationships of Australian and New Zealand feral pigs
Melissa Gunn, Jyoutsna Gupta, Felicity Donaldson, Bill Sherwin.
Comparing methods of measuring variation in bottlenecked populations
Arlene McDowell, Bernie McLeod, Ian Tucker and Nigel Davies
Gastrointestinal transit of radiolabelled particles and solution in the common brushtail possum
( Trichosurus vulpecula).
S. Westcott, A. Tulloch, M. S. Crowther and C. R. Dickman
The Post-Fire Ecology of the Eastern Pygmy Possum ( Cercartetus nanus) in Royal and
Heathcote National Parks, NSW
Brett Parker
Diet of breeding Wedge-tailed Eagles (Aquila audax) near Charleville,
southwest Queensland
Rupert Woods
Bats and beyond: where to for the Australian Wildlife Health Network?
Graham Nugent, Jackie Whitford, and Nigel Young
Use of released pigs as sentinels for bovine tuberculosis
Poster session
Camden, December 2002
Page 77
Capturing odours of natural prey as lures for stoats
Andrea Byrom, Cheryl O'Connor, and Eric Spurr
Landcare Research, PO Box 69, Lincoln, New Zealand
Within the complex blend of odours given off by vertebrates, specific compounds may act as
attractants to predators. It is not clear whether these compounds act singly or in combination.
Enhancing "attractiveness" of a lure or bait by picking the right combination of chemical compounds may increase the proportion of individual pest species captured from any given population, and therefore help to mitigate predator impacts on vulnerable native species in New
Zealand and Australia. We are currently attempting to do this for stoats (Mustela erminea) in
New Zealand. Preliminary research has shown that rodent (rat and mouse) odours are attractive to captive stoats. Currently however, hen eggs are used both as a lure for traps and as
baits for poisoning stoats. Eggs are the main attractant used for stoat control throughout New
Zealand because they last much longer in the field. More effective and longer-lasting lures are
needed to attract predators such as stoats to traps and poison baits, over as great a distance
as possible. The problem with using dead natural prey (e.g., birds or rodents) as lures or baits
is that they decay rapidly. In this research we are developing methods for capturing the
odours of natural prey of stoats (such as rodents), encapsulating these odours into a long-life,
slow-release matrix, and determining whether the encapsulated odour is attractive to captive
stoats.
We have developed two methods for extracting rodent odours, and we have tested four matrices capable of containing the odours and releasing them over a 2-month period. The first
method encapsulates ground-up freeze-dried rats within the lures. All lures containing freezedried rats have been tested for attractiveness to 24 captive stoats, in conjunction with open-air
trials to determine which lure would be the most suitable as a long-life lure in the field. Video
footage of behavioural reactions of the 24 stoats shows one lure with strong attractiveness to
stoats. A close second is a lure with greater longevity in the field. Getting the right combination of "longevity" and "attractiveness" will require further work. Our second method of encapsulation involves extracting the volatile chemical compounds produced by live ship rats (Rattus
rattus) using gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy. We are currently refining techniques for incorporating these compounds into the four lures, and testing them on captive
stoats.
An attractive lure and a long-lasting matrix for the lure are both essential for improving the
cost-effectiveness of stoat control. This work could be extended to incorporating other prey
odours (either in freeze-dried form or as liquid volatiles) into a matrix, and could therefore be
useful for a range of introduced predator species in New Zealand and Australia.
Poster session
Page 78
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Modelling growth of juvenile Crocodylus porosus using degree-days
lsberg, S. 1·, Thomson, P. \ Nicholas, F.\ Webb, G. 2 , Barker, S. 3 and Moran, C. 1
1
Centre for Advanced Technologies in Animal Genetics and Reproduction (ReproGen), Bldg 819, University of
Sydney, N.S.W. 2006 Australia
2
Wildlife Management International Pty Ltd., PO Box 530, Sanderson, NT. 0812 Australia
3
Janamba Cree Farm, PO Box 496, Humpty Doo, NT. 0836 Australia
Statistical modelling of the effect of accumulated temperature in a varying environment experienced by juvenile crocodiles ( Crocodylus porosus) enables evaluation of the utility of the degree-day method for predicting growth rate. Previous studies of the effects of density, photoperiod and stress on crocodilian growth have generally been performed at constant temperature,
as studies conducted under fluctuating temperature regimes have generally been inconclusive
or difficult to interpret.
Accumulating temperature exposure, known as accumulated degree-days, have been used
extensively in the plant and entomological sciences for predicting harvesting dates and pest
status for management purposes. Degree-days are accumulated by estimating, more or less
precisely, the area under a daily temperature curve, usually with a lower, and occasionally with
an upper threshold temperature, over the period of development. It was the objective of this
study to determine the most appropriate accumulation method and to estimate the lower
threshold temperature for growth of juvenile crocodiles during their first year at a commercial
crocodile farm.
Using univariate REML and general linear model analyses, the most appropriate accumulation
method was found to be the single triangulation method using a lower threshold temperature of
23°C for three morphometric traits. The degree-day predictor accounted for more environmental variation than chronological age. For comparison, a meta-analysis of published data
estimated the lower threshold temperature to be 22.9°C.
This study forms part of a larger study to estimate various genetic parameters for implementation of breeding programs on crocodile farms. The ability to account for greater environmental
variability will allow more accurate estimation of the genetic parameters and prediction of
breeding values.
Poster session
Camden, December 2002
Page 79
Phylogenetic relationships of Australian and New Zealand feral pigs
Gongora i, Fleming PJS 2 , Mason RJ 2 , Garkavenko 0 3 , Moran C1
1
Centre for Advanced Technologies in Animal Genetics and Reproduction, University of Sydney
2
Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Agriculture,Orange
3
Virology Laboratory, Diatranz Ltd, Auckland.
European sailors and settlers introduced pigs into New Zealand and Australia in the 18th and
19th centuries with some escaping or deliberately released to establish feral populations. With
few records of these introductions, molecular phylogenetic analysis of relationships between
these pigs and others around the world will aid in the determination of their origins. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing may help distinguish between the different possible origins of
feral pig populations, because for this rapidly evolving molecule, distinct European and Asian
clades can be recognised. The D-loop mtDNA of nine Australian and four New Zealand feral
pigs was amplified, cloned, sequenced and then compared with other breeds using a phylogenetic framework of European and Asian published domestic pig and Wild Boar sequences.
Phylogenetic analyses were performed using HKY85 pairwise distances, Neighbor-Joining tree
and maximum-likelihood methods. Feral pig sequences from Auckland Island (NZ), Warrumbungle Ranges (NSW), Taralga (NSW), Dirranbandi (Qid) and Cooktown (Qid) clustered with
European domestic pig breeds, while Kune Kune (NZ) and feral sequences from Oberon
(NSW), Julia Creek (Qid) and Mount Larcom (Qid) clustered with Asian domestic pig sequences. Very surprisingly, the mitochondrial sequence of a pig from Kowanyama (Qid) clustered with Asian Wild Boar, perhaps resulting from the introduction of crossbreed (Wild Boar x
domestic pig) animals from Asia or the unrecorded introduction of Wild Boar into Australia. The
Asian mitochondrial DNA in Australian and New Zealand feral pigs may have arrived directly
with pigs imported from Asia or Pacific islands, probably the case for the Kune Kune pigs, or
via Asian introgression into European breeds in Europe in the 18th century. Although feral pigs
are generally considered an environmental nuisance and potential disease reservoir, these
preliminary studies indicate that they can be considered a potentially valuable reservoir of porcine biodiversity, showing environmental adaptation, and possibly even disease resistance,
which is of utility for commercial pig production and biomedical purposes.
Poster session
Page 80
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Comparing methods of measuring variation in
bottlenecbed populations
Melissa Gunn, Jyoutsna Gupta, Felicity Donaldson, Bill Sherwin.
School of BEES, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
Microsatellite markers are a popular method of determining the level of variation in an endangered species' genome. The assumption is made that microsatellites, which are neutral markers, behave in the same manner as quantitative traits, which often directly affect survival, and
are therefore subject to selection. If this assumption were proved incorrect, then the use of
neutral markers in conservation monitoring would have to be re-evaluated. We are conducting
bottleneck experiments using Drosophila melanogaster to test the assumption that variation in
quantitative traits under balancing selection declines at the same rate as variation in microsatellite markers, during a population bottleneck. We have completed a number of bottlenecked
populations of varying effective population size (Ne) and generation time. We are collecting
data to compare levels of variation for 8 microsatellites with variation in egg numbers and sternopleural bristle numbers. Results obtained using sternopleural bristles from 10 intense bottleneck replicates (Ne=2) and three large, non-bottlenecked populations indicate that variation is
not always lost at the same rate as predicted by neutral theory (Ne x generations). Variation in
microsatellites may not be the most appropriate measure of variation to monitor in endangered
species.
-··-···············..·--···-··-·---·--···-··-·..····-··············--..-·-----·--·-············-·····-·------··---·---·-·----·--····-····...-··-···········-······---··-···-···-·-··--·····-············--·---·······-·---·--·-·...··-··---·--··--·······-...·-····---
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Poster session
Camden, December 2002
Page 81
Gastrointestinal transit of radiolabelled particles and solution in the
common brushtail possum ( Trichosurus uu/pecu/a)
Arlene McDowell 1, Bernie McLeod2 , Ian Tucker1 andNigel Davies3
1
2
3
School of Pharmacy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
AgResearch, lnvermay Agricultural Centre, Mosgiel, New Zealand
School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Alternative and effective methods for the control of brushtail possums in New Zealand are
needed urgently. Shooting, trapping and poisoning, although effective, have limited application and the humaneness of these methods is increasingly coming under question. Fertility
control is a preferred option, however there is concern about the use of live vectors for immunocontraception and the effectiveness of an immune-mediated response in wild animal
populations. We are designing systems whereby biocontrol agents that will render the animal
sterile would be incorporated into non-toxic baits. Once eaten, the biocontrol agent (probably
a protein or peptide molecule) will need to be protected from degradation in the gastrointestinal
tract until it reaches the target site for its release and subsequent uptake. The caecum and
proximal colon have been identified as a suitable target site for the delivery of proteins and
peptides because the activity of proteolytic enzymes is lower in the hindgut compared to the
small intestine (Wen et al. 2002).
To successfully design a particulate system that will release sterility agents in the hindgut of
the brushtail possum, it is necessary to have information on transit and residence times of solutions and different-sized particles. In this study, particles are represented by inert anionic exchange resin of two size classes bS00-700 and 75-125 Dm) were labelled with the gammaemitting radioisotope technetium ( 9mTc04 -). For fluid treatment, a non-adsorbable form of
technetium (Tc-DTPA) was used. Radiolabelled particles and solution were administered to
anaesthetised brushtail possums by intubation. At pre-determined time intervals after dosing,
each animal was euthanased and the gastrointestinal tract removed. The distribution of radiolabelled particles or solution within the gastrointestinal tract was then determined by gamma
scintigraphy. Data will be presented from transit studies on 60 common brushtail possums.
The time taken for resin particles to reach the caecum is 5-6 h and at this time approximately
30% of the activity was still detected in the stomach. After 24 h, the activity has cleared from
the stomach and the majority of the activity is located in the colon. Radiolabelled solutions
move faster through the gastrointestinal tract than the particles. The length and amount of digesta in different regions of the gastrointestinal tract varies considerably between individual
animals.
Wen JY, Davies NM, Ledger R, Butt G, McLeod BJ and Tucker IG. (2002). Protein and peptide degradation in the gut of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Journal of Comparative Physiology B 172 (in press).
Poster session
Page 82
AWMS Conference Abstracts
The Post-Fire Ecology of the Eastern Pygmy Possum ( Cercartetus
nanuij in Royal and Heathcote National Parbs, NSW
S. Westcott, A. Tulloch, M. S. Crowther and C. R. Dickman
Institute of Wildlife Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006.
The Eastern Pygmy-possum, Cercartetus nanus, is a small nocturnal marsupial (15-38 g as
adults) widespread over southeastern Australia. However its distribution is patchy, and it is
rarely observed or trapped in wildlife surveys. Hence very little is known about its biology and
ecology. For these reasons, the Eastern Pygmy-possum was recently listed as a vulnerable
species on Schedule 2 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act).
Previous studies have caught relatively high numbers of C. nanus in the Royal and Heathcote
National Parks, south of Sydney, NSW. These parks experienced extensive wildfires over
Christmas 2001. This project aims to study the effects of fire on the distribution, abundance
and habitat use of the Eastern Pygmy-possum; information that will aid in the management of
the species.
A before-after control-impact (BACI)) design is being used to compare present trapping results
with those of a previous trapping study of Royal and Heathcote National Parks (Tulloch 2001 ).
A combination of pitfall and Elliot traps at 22 sites is being used in order to adequately assess
possum numbers. Although the study has not been completed, preliminary results suggest
very low post-fire possum numbers.
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Poster session
Camden, December 2002
Page 83
Diet of breeding Wedge-tailed Eagles (Aquila audax) near Charleville,
southwest Queensland
Brett Parker
School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006
Throughout Australia the Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax has been the subject of legislation
and control campaigns because of its alleged depredations upon lambs. A statewide bounty on
the Eagle only ceased in Queensland in 1974. The few detailed diet studies that exist in the literature were undertaken in states other than Queensland, and generally concluded that rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus constituted the principal prey item. It has been suggested that
breeding of Eagles is dependent on rabbit abundance and therefore rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHO) would have a detrimental impact upon breeding success. This study obtained information on the breeding diet and nesting habits of the Wedge-tailed Eagle in southwestern
Queensland, in order to determine if lamb was the principal prey item in an area of low rabbit
density. Prey remains were collected from around and within nests located on four pastoral
stations and Idalia National Park. Sites were chosen in order to investigate the role of different
land uses and land systems. Kangaroos appear to constitute the principal prey. Despite differences in lamb abundance among properties, there was no difference in the proportion of
lamb in the Eagles' diet. Rabbit played a limited role in the diet, and rabbit abundance did not
influence breeding success. Therefore rabbit and the impact of RHO, may not play as great a
role in bree<;jing success of the Wedge-tailed Eagle as has been previously considered. However, there is evidence for increased reliance upon lamb.
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Poster session
Page 84
AWMS Conference Abstracts
Bats and beyond: where to for the Australian Wildlife Health
Networh?
Rupert Woods
Coordinator, Australian Wildlife Health Network
PO Box 20, Mosman, NSW 2088, Australia
Recent series of mass mortalities in wild fauna, and emerging diseases of wildlife in Australia
have demonstrated the growing importance of wildlife disease as threats to biodiversity, hu·
man health, agriculture, aquaculture and trade.
Following a national workshop in 1999 and an Australia-wide feasibility study in 2000, the establishment of a national wildlife health network was considered vital to coordinate preparedness and response to wildlife and feral disease issues, surveillance and diagnostic information
across Australia.
The network, hosted by Taronga Zoo (above) and New South Wales Agriculture (Elizabeth
Macarthur Agricultural Institute, PMB 8, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia) was launched in August 2002 after three years of funding was committed by Agriculture, Fisheries and ForestryAustralia. A management committee has been appointed to represent Australia's agroeconomy, conservation and health stakeholders. The coordinator is based at Taronga Zoo
and the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute.
The aim of the network is to promote and facilitate collaborative links in the investigation and
management of Australian wildlife health in support of human and animal health, biodiversity
and trade. Current priorities are in setting strategic direction for key areas in research, surveillance, emergency disease response and education as they relate to wildlife and feral animals.
Other priorities include the development of: a national database and reporting system for wildlife health surveillance; a website and list server; and a communication and marketing strategy.
The network is interested in understanding, and managing, the relationship between wildlife,
pest species, disease, human and domestic animals and the systems in which they function. It
will only be effective if it can reach, and receive, information about disease in animals at the
grass roots level. For this reason it would like to receive reports of any signs of disease or illness in wild animals. These reports will grow over time to become a significant, practical and
useful resource for managing disease issues associated with wildlife within Australia.
Poster session
Camden, December 2002
Page 85
Use of released pigs as sentinels for bovine tuberculosis
Graham Nugent, Jackie Whitford, and Nigel Young
Landcare Research, PO Box 69, Lincoln 8152, New Zealand
Identifying the presence of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis; Tb) in wildlife is crucial
in guiding management aimed at eradicating the disease from New Zealand. Unfortunately,
surveys of the principal wildlife host, the introduced brushtail possum require large samples
(>95% of the population from a given area) before they can provide reasonable confidence
that the disease is absent. In this study, we tested the feasibility of using feral pigs, a wider
ranging species, as an alternative sentinel capable of indicating Tb presence.
Seventeen pigs were released into a forested area with a low density of possums in which Tb
was known to be present and radiotracked for up to 9 months. Sixteen pigs were successfully
recovered and necropsied. One killed 2 months after release had no gross lesions typical of
Tb, and the only other pig killed at that time had greatly enlarged mandibular lymph nodes.
The remainder were killed at longer intervals after release and all had gross lesions typical of
Tb. Mycobacterium bovis was isolated from all 16 pigs by mycobacterial culture. Home range
sizes of pigs varied widely and increased with the length of time the pigs were in the forest. A 6
km radius around the kill site of each pig would have encompassed 95% of all of their previous
locations at _which they could have become infected. However, one pig shifted 35 km, highlighting the main limitation of using unmarked resident pigs as sentinels. This trial indicates
use of resident and/or released free-ranging pigs is a feasible alternative to direct prevalence
surveys of possums for detecting Tb presence.
Poster session