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ESA10: 2010 Annual Conference Sustaining biodiversity —the next 50 years Contents Welcome .....................................................................................................................3 Conference Committee.........................................................................................3 Program Committee...............................................................................................3 Notice of AGM..........................................................................................................5 Speakers .......................................................................................................................7 Program information........................................................................................... 11 Social program....................................................................................................... 15 Program at a glance............................................................................................ 17 Concurrent sessions............................................................................................. 20 General information ............................................................................................ 39 Instructions for oral presenters........................................................................ 41 Instructions for poster presenters................................................................... 41 Instructions for session chairs .......................................................................... 42 Sponsors.................................................................................................................... 43 Exhibition floor plan............................................................................................. 49 List of exhibitors ..................................................................................................... 50 Abstracts—Plenary sessions ............................................................................... 53 Abstracts—Concurrent sessions ...................................................................... 59 Abstracts—Posters................................................................................................303 Index of presenting authors...........................................................................358 Intecol UK ad on reverse of contents page (received) 2 Welcome On behalf of the Ecological Society of Australia, and the Conference Local Organising Committee, welcome to Canberra. The 2010 Annual Conference marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Ecological Society of Australia, and provides a timely platform for retrospective and prospective considerations of ecology in Australia. The theme of this Conference, ‘Sustaining biodiversity—the next 50 years’, aims to set the achievements of the past 50 years of ecology in Australia against the biodiversity challenges that still face us. We trust you will take the opportunity to share ideas with colleagues from around the country and around the world, and develop innovative ways of bringing biodiversity science closer to where solutions can be applied on the ground and in shaping biodiversity policy. We are delighted with the record number of submitted abstracts for this year’s Conference, and as a result, the quality of presented work is very high. We hope you all take the opportunity to attend a variety of presentations, and to perhaps find inspiration to develop your own areas of research. Each day of the Conference will begin with thought-provoking and inspiring keynote presentations. There are over 400 oral presentations on offer, over 100 posters plus an afternoon of ‘speed sessions’ where you will be introduced to interesting research highlights, or opinions on ecological topics. Workshops and field trips are scheduled for Wednesday 8 December, which we hope you will find worthwhile and beneficial, in addition to a refreshing break away from the lecture theatre! There are various social functions available, many of which are complimentary, or included as part of your registration fee, and we look forward to welcoming you to the more relaxed elements of this very comprehensive program. Once again, welcome to Canberra, and we hope you enjoy ESA10: the 2010 Annual Conference. Mark Lonsdale Conference Committee Chair Conference Committee Mark Lonsdale (Chair) Jason Cummings Geoff Baker Sue Briggs Don Driscoll Frances FitzGibbon Jim Hone Rosemary Lott Nicola Munro Peter Neville Debbie Saunders Gail Spina Tricia Hopkins Gina Shaw Program Committee Jason Cummings (Chair) Geoff Baker Rosemary Lott Nicola Munro Sue Briggs Jim Hone Don Driscoll Conference Secretariat Conference Logistics* *acting as agent for the Ecological Society of Australia PO Box 6150 Kingston ACT 2604 Tel: +61 2 6281 6624 Fax: +61 2 6285 1336 Email: [email protected] Web: www.esa2010.org.au 3 page for TERN ad (received) 4 Notice of AGM The ESA invites you to attend their Annual General Meeting on Thursday during the lunch break. Notice of Meeting 35th Annual General Meeting To be held at Theatre T3, Australian National University, Canberra 1230–1330 Thursday, 9 December 2010 Agenda 1. 2. 3. 3. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Apologies Declaration of Proxies Minutes of the 34th Annual General Meeting Matters arising from the minutes Reports from Office bearers 5.1 President 5.2 VPs 5.3 Secretary 5.4 Treasurer 5.4.1 Presentation of accounts 2009/10 5.4.2 Presentation of Jill Landsberg Trust Fund accounts 2009/10 5.4.3 Election of auditors 2010/11 5.5 Membership Manager 5.6 Executive Officer 5.7 Austral Ecology 5.8 Ecological Management & Restoration 5.9 ESA Bulletin Election of Office Bearers for 2011 Other Business 7.1 Constitutional amendment Cl 8 b (i) – Remove requirement for proposer/seconder Proposed Motion: “That Clause 8 (b) Ordinary Members in the document “The Ecological Society of Australia Incorporated Constitution (1976)” be amended as follows: “8. Ordinary Members (b) no persons shall be admitted to membership of the Society unless: i) their application is made in writing [deleting ‘and is signed by themselves and supported by two (2) members of the Society recommending membership of the Society’]; ii) their application is approved by the Executive [adding ‘or delegate on the basis that their activities or qualifications are consistent with the objects of the Society’]; and iii) they have paid their first annual subscription to the Society. (c) the Executive may reject an application for membership and the decision of the Executive, which will be explained in writing to the applicant, shall be final.” Next AGM Meeting Close Please note: If you would like to assign a proxy for voting purposes, please see Gail at the ESA booth. 5 page for student awards ad (received) 6 Speakers Keynote speakers update significant elements of his 2008 Garnaut Climate Change Review Professor Ross Garnaut, AO Professor Charles Krebs Professor Ross Garnaut (AO) is a Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow and a Professorial Fellow in Economics at the University of Melbourne as well as a Distinguished Professor of the Australian National University. In 2009, Professor Garnaut was awarded the degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, from the Australian National University and was made a Distinguished Fellow of the Economic Society of Australia. Professor Charles Krebs is a population ecologist who divides his time into writing textbooks in ecology and studying population and community dynamics of the boreal forest and tundra regions of western Canada. He is retired from the University of British Columbia and lives in Canberra during the northern winter. Dr Peter Bridgewater Professor Garnaut is currently Chairman of the Papua New Guinea Sustainable Development Program Limited (Singapore), and its nominee Director on the Board of Ok Tedi Mining Limited (Papua New Guinea). In addition to his distinguished academic career, Professor Garnaut has also had longstanding and successful roles as policy advisor, diplomat and businessman. He was the Senior Economic Adviser to Australian Prime Minister R.J.L. Hawke from 1983 to 1985 and subsequently served as the Australian Ambassador to China (1985 to 1988). In September 2008, Professor Garnaut presented the Garnaut Climate Change Review to the Australian Prime Minister. This review, commissioned by the Australian government, examines the impact of climate change on the Australian economy and provides potential medium to long-term policies to ameliorate these. Dr Peter Bridgewater became Chair of the UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee in 2007. Previous posts include Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention and Chief Executive of the Australian Nature Conservation Agency. His current research interests include linkages between cultural and biological diversity and linking science and policy especially in sustainable development. Professor Garnaut was appointed as an independent expert advisor to the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee in September 2010. The Committee will explore options for the implementation of a carbon price and will help to build consensus on how Australia will tackle the challenge of climate change. In November 2010 the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency commissioned Professor Garnaut to 7 Dr Lorrae van Kerkoff Dr Lorrae van Kerkoff is a lecturer in the Fenner School of Environment and Society at The Australian National University. Ecology and Conservation, which has volumes on birds, education, sustainable use, forests, habitat management and invasives with insects and remote sensing in press. He set up the Gratis book scheme that has given away over five thousand books to developing countries. He is currently heavily involved in exploring a range of ways of integrating conservation science and policy including the development of evidence-based conservation through the website ConservationEvidence.com. Professor Hal Mooney Lorrae van Kerkhoff holds a PhD from ANU in Human Ecology. She was a post-doctoral fellow at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health from 2003–2008, and spent 2004–05 with Harvard’s Center for International Development, supported by a Fulbright Post-doctoral Fellowship and a Land and Water Australia Travelling Fellowship. Lorrae’s research examines the role of science in governance, decision-and policy-making as it relates to sustainability; north-south research collaborations; and institutional influences on the governance of knowledge. Lorrae lectures in qualitative and integrative research methods, and is currently a contributing Editor to Environment journal. Professor William Sutherland Professor William Sutherland holds the Miriam Rothschild chair of Conservation Biology in the Department of Zoology at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. His research interests largely involve predicting the consequences of environmental change. He wrote The Conservation Handbook and From Individual Behaviour to Population Biology. He edited Managing Habitats for Conservation, Ecological Census Techniques, Behaviour and Conservation, Conservation Science and Action and Bird Ecology and Conservation: a Handbook of Techniques. He is an Editor in Chief for Conservation Letters and Conservation Evidence and an editor for Oryx and Behavioral Ecology. He edits the Series Techniques in 8 Professor Hal Mooney is the Paul S Achilles Professor of Environmental Biology at Stanford University in the USA. He received his PhD from Duke University. He served as President of the Ecological Society of America, President of the American Institute of Biological Science, and Secretary General of the International Council for Science. He was Scientific Panel Co-Chair of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment from 2000 to 2005 and is now Chair of DIVERSITAS, an international program on biodiversity science. Hal Mooney is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. He has received numerous awards, including the Tyler Prize, the Blue Planet Prize, the Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology and Environmental Sciences and the BBVA Foundation Award for Scientific Research in Ecology and Conservation Biology. He is currently engaged in research on the impacts of global change on terrestrial ecosystems, especially on productivity and biodiversity; the invasion of nonindigenous plant species; and the environmental and social consequences of industrialised animal production systems Julian Cribb Julian Cribb is an author, journalist, editor and science communicator and principal of Julian Cribb & Associates who provide specialist consultancy in the communication of science, agriculture, food, mining, energy and the environment. His career includes appointments as newspaper editor, scientific editor for The Australian newspaper, director of national awareness for CSIRO, member of numerous scientific boards and advisory panels, and president of national professional bodies for agricultural journalism and science communication. His published work includes over 8000 articles, 3000 media releases and eight books. He has received 32 awards for journalism. His latest book, The Coming Famine explores the question of whether we can feed humanity through the mid-century peak in numbers and food demand. 2010 AERA Lecture Professor Corey Bradshaw The ESA is pleased to announce that Professor Corey Bradshaw has been selected to deliver the 2010 Australian Ecology Research Award (AERA) Lecture. The AERA Lecture recognises excellence in research in Australian ecology, for a specific body of recent work by a mid-career researcher, and is delivered annually as a Plenary at the Conference of the Ecological Society of Australia. The AERA winner is selected by an independent panel of expert ecologists from around Australia, chaired by the ESA’s Vice President—Research, Glenda Wardle. Corey joins the ranks of previous distinguished winners of the AERA lecture. 2010 Gold Medal Recipient Professor Richard Hobbs Congratulations to Professor Richard Hobbs, University of Western Australia, who has been selected to receive the 2010 Ecological Society of Australia Gold Medal. The Gold Medal recognises Richard’s significant contribution to ecology in Australia, through his research in both theoretical and applied aspects of restoration ecology, and his role in improving communications amongst scientists and with practitioners in ecosystem management. The ESA awards a Gold Medal in recognition of an ecologist who has made a substantial contribution to the study of ecology in Australia over the course of their career. The Medal can also be awarded to ESA members who have made a significant contribution to the operations of the Society. The 2010 AERA recognises Corey Bradshaw’s quantitative research in wildlife population management and climate change impacts on biodiversity. The work has revolutionised how ecologists can combine demographic, genetic, landscape and economic data within advanced mathematical models to design the most cost-effective and efficient invasive species control, to determine threats to biodiversity, and to estimate the impact of human activities on biodiversity on a global scale. 9 page for minerals council ad (received) 10 Program information Pre-conference postgraduate course Date: Time: Venue: Inclusions: Sunday, 5 December 2010 0900–1700 Haydon-Allen Lecture Theatre, ANU Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea The 8th One-Day Postgraduate Course on Current Ecology and Evolution will be held at the Haydon-Allen Lecture Theatre (‘the Tank’) in Canberra on Sunday, 5 December 2010, the day before the ESA2010 Conference begins at ANU. The one-day course is suitable for postgraduate research students or for people considering a research degree. Honours students are welcome. Speakers and discussion topics are different each year, so repeat participation can be recommended. The day’s program will include speakers on recent advances in many areas of ecology and evolution and on the nexus between science and politics. There will be focus groups for students to exchange views. If you attend 2–3 of these one-day courses during your PhD, you’ll encounter a broader range of ideas compared to your training within a single research group. Indigenous Engagement Forum Date: Tuesday, 7 December 2010 Time: 1230–1330 Venue: Room T4, Manning Clark Centre, ANU The Ecological Society of Australia (ESA) and the Australian National University invite you to participate in the Indigenous Engagement Forum during the 50th anniversary conference of the ESA. The forum will be held at lunchtime and form part of the symposium titled ‘Combining Indigenous and Western ecological knowledge for future land management solutions’. This conference will also celebrate the inaugural year of the ESA Remote Indigenous Participation Award through which 7 Indigenous land and sea managers/ecologists from remote Australia will attend the conference, present their work and participate in the forum. You are invited to join us to help progress the engagement of Indigenous Australians in national ecological debate, activities and land and sea management discussions. Topics to be discussed include: • What opportunities already exist that engage in Indigenous ecologists in national ecology/land management debates? • How can we create better relationships and knowledge exchange between Indigenous and non-Indigenous ecologists in Australia? • What are the obstacles to greater engagement and participation? • The establishment of an ESA steering committee to facilitate greater engagement and participation of Indigenous people in the ESA 11 Workshops The design and analysis of ecological field studies Date: Time: Venue: Cost: Inclusions: Wednesday, 8 December 2010 0900–1700 Room G007, Manning Clark Centre, ANU Conference delegates—$90 Non-conference delegates—$145 Lunch This workshop will begin by contrasting classical experiments with observational studies. The crucial features of classical experimental designs (controls, randomisation, replication, blocking) are presented. More advanced topics like analysis of covariance, split plot designs and repeated measures designs are briefly mentioned. However, there are serious problems one faces with running experiments in ecological field studies. These include difficulties with spatial scale of the study, randomisation of treatments, and replication of treatments. Pseudo replication is illustrated and discussed followed by a description of quasi experimental approaches like the BACI design and other weaker designs that suffer from serious confounding of effects. The presentation presents core concepts which are illustrated by many real examples from the ecological literature. The Atlas of Living Australia: share your biodiversity knowledge with the world online Date: Time: Venue: Cost: Inclusions: Wednesday, 8 December 2010 0900–1200 Room T6, Manning Clark Centre, ANU Conference delegates—nil Non-conference delegates—$55 Morning tea The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) is a five-year project funded under the Australia Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). Its mission is to develop a biodiversity data management system which will link Australia’s biological knowledge with its scientific and agricultural reference collections and other custodians of biological information. The ALA project aims: • to integrate information on all Australian species, including data on specimens held by Australia’s natural history collection and data from field observations of living organisms • to support the management and integration of biological data from all areas of research (molecular to ecological) Writing scientific research articles • Date: Time: Venue: Cost: to develop search interfaces and web services to facilitate discovery of biological information resources and to support the use of biological data in scientific research, policy-making and education • to ensure that data relating to Australian organisms is well-managed for present needs and organised to meet future information requirements. Inclusions: Wednesday, 8 December 2010 0900–1700 Room G008, Manning Clark Centre, ANU Conference delegates—$195 Non-conference delegates—$250 Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea Presented by Margaret Cargill, this workshop is designed to raise participants’ awareness of the highly strategic nature of international science publishing. Participants will develop skills and strategies for planning, writing and submitting articles likely to meet target journal standards. Participants will be asked to bring an example article from the journal to which they intend to submit, plus an early draft manuscript or a set of analysed results ready to write as a paper. 12 This workshop aims to inspire and motivate delegates to join the growing ALA community, as: • contributors of data (data for sharing and linking with others) • contributors of ideas (ideas for moulding the shape of the ALA to ensure that it meets your needs) • users of the online tools currently on offer (tools for exploring your own particular are of interest). Field trips water reuse and wastewater recycling, water treatment and minimising the urban ecological footprint on river ecosystems. Natural grasslands in the bush capital— conservation of threatened grassland fauna in the face of increasing urbanisation Greening Australia: Boorowa River recovery Time: Cost: Time: Cost: 0930–1630 Conference delegates—$40 Non-conference delegates—$95 Inclusions: Picnic lunch Departing: Manning Clark Centre, ANU The aim of this day-long local field trip will be to visit important remnant native grasslands in and near Canberra. The focus will be on threatened fauna—their occurrence, habitats and management. We will consider recent and current research that addresses these issues. The focus will be on reptiles and insects as well as herbivore grazing and drought. Some of the species in the Canberra region that together comprise an assemblage of threatened faunal species in these very important grasslands include golden sun moths, pergunga grasshoppers, Canberra raspy cricket, pinktailed worm lizards, striped legless lizards and grassland earless dragons. Some of these species are the subject of ongoing research and monitoring and we will visit a range of sites to consider approaches to survey and monitoring, research techniques and habitat requirements for these species. You will have an opportunity to discuss the research and management issues with people involved in these projects and with reserve management. ACT catchment tour: minimising the urban ecological footprint Time: Cost: 0900–1600 Conference delegates—$30 Non-conference delegates—$85 Inclusions: Picnic lunch Departing: Manning Clark Centre, ANU This field trip is a one-day tour of key sites in and around Canberra, which will focus on aspects of ACT’s water distribution and supply network. The tour will highlight management approaches that aim to protect and enhance river ecosystem health while securing water supply for the nation’s capital. The sites visited will include elements of the ACT’s water distribution network and discussion will revolve around issues associated with both centralised (reservoirs) and decentralised water sources (storm water reuse and wastewater recycling). Field trip participants will learn about water security issues associated with ACT’s water supply dams and inter-basin water transfers, storm 0845–1630 Conference delegates—$130 Non-conference delegates—$185 Inclusions: Picnic lunch Departing: Manning Clark Centre, ANU Converting seed funding of $50,000 into a $2 million multi award-winning partnership project encompassing a range on ground works to improve water quality and biodiversity, Boorowa River Recovery (BRR) is a large scale sub-catchment riparian restoration partnership managed by Greening Australia Capital Region in partnership with Lachlan Catchment Management Authority and Boorowa Landcare, supported by TransGrid, Australian Government, NSW Environmental Trust, Alcoa, and the community. Today, BRR boasts 640 ha of riparian restoration along 80 kms of river, the involvement of more than 70 landmanagers, 5 Corporate partners, 8 community groups, local schools and 2 Councils. The BRR field trip showcases a range of riparian rehabilitation and catchment scale on ground works including erosion control, protection of vegetation and whole of paddock scale rehabilitation works in a framework of sustainable farming. Regional rocks and wine tour Time: Cost: 0800–1800 Conference delegates—$150 Non-conference delegates—$205 Inclusions: Morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea Departing: Manning Clark Centre, ANU You probably know that wines come from grapes and grapes come from vines, but did you know that the soil these vines ‘feed’ on influences the character of the wine. Soil is the weathered, friable product of a rock and the character of the soil therefore depends on its parent rock. The geological record of the Canberra region goes back more than 400 million years. A lot has happened during this time, including the break-up of the former super continent Gondwana. The rocks and abundant fossils tell of a time when the region was submerged under the sea and of subsequent volcanic activity and massive earth movements. Stop 1—Mount Ainslie: a short introduction to the regional geological history. 13 Stop 2—Corner of Mountain Creek and Wee Jasper Road, your first introduction to some local fossils. Then marvel at the spectacularly folded rocks as we drive to Wee Jasper. Stop 3—Morning tea at Carey’s Caves, Wee Jasper. Cave tour of this hidden gem of a cave. Understand cave formation and karst landforms. Stop 4—Lunch at ‘The Stables’, Wee Jasper. Stop 5—Shearsby’s Wallpaper: a spectacular outcrop of Devonian Brachiopods that includes also nautiloids, corals and even fish. This is a geological monument and for protection it has been enclosed by a wire cage. It has been named after AJ Shearsby, a former Yass resident and keen amateur geologist. It was discovered during the building of the old Tumut Road. Stop 6—Wine tasting and return to Canberra. Canberra highlights hop-on/hop-off bus Location: Visit the registration desk for bus timetable and pick up/drop off locations Cost: $40 Inclusions: Dedicated bus service for conference delegates only. Does not include entry fees into attractions. This hop-on/hop-off tour visits some of Canberra’s main attractions including the Australian War Memorial, National Portrait Gallery, Parliament House, Old Parliament House and the National Museum of Australia. This bus service allows you to spend as much or as little time as you like visiting the above attractions. A bus schedule will be provided to delegates choosing this tour. 14 Grassy Woodlands: Mulligans Flat– Goorooyarroo Woodland Time: Cost: 0900–1200 Conference delegates—$35.00 Non-conference delegates—$85 This field trip complements the symposium ‘Grassy woodlands: managing processes to restore ecosystem function’. We will visit the Mulligans Flat–Goorooyarroo Woodland Experiment site, on the outskirts of Canberra, and hear from researchers and the park manager about the different aspects of this collaborative research project. The parkmanager will also explain the vision ofr the feral-animal proof sanctuary at Mulligans Flat. Reintroduction of locally extinct species to the sanctuary will become a major focus of future woodland research at the site. Social program Welcome Reception and Exhibition Opening Date: Time: Venue: Dress: Cost: Sunday, 5 December 2010 1730–1900 Foyer, Manning Clark Centre, ANU Smart casual Conference delegates—included in full registration fee Additional ticket—$50 This ‘kick-off’ event is your first opportunity to meet up with friends and colleagues and presents a great networking opportunity. A fun way to start the Conference. Wine and Cheese Mixer (networking and supplementary poster session) Date: Time: Venue: Dress: Cost: Tuesday, 7 December 2010 1730–1900 Melville Hall, ANU Smart casual Complimentary (cash bar available) This supplementary poster session will include the announcement of the winner of the Photographic Competition and the Memorabilia Exhibition as well as further viewing of the posters. Please note this is a non-catered event and a cash bar will be operating. Public lecture Barbara Rice memorial poster session Date: Time: Venue: Dress: Cost: Monday, 6 December 2010 1730–1900 Melville Hall, ANU Smart casual Conference delegates—included in full registration fee Non-conference delegates—$35 The Barbara Rice memorial poster session will be held on Monday, 6 December 2010. The session operates on the ESA’s famous ‘sticky dot reward system’. You are provided with a drinks card at registration and poster presenters will provide ‘sticky dots’ to add to your card after you have had a constructive discussion with them. You can then redeem these dots for a drink (2 dots per drink) at the bar during the poster session compliments of the estate of Barbara Rice and the Ecological Society of Australia. Barbara Louise Rice (1944–2009) was a key member of the Macquarie University Ecology Group for nearly 35 years and an elder sister and field mentor to several dozen research students and postdocs. At least 50 publications and dissertations express thanks for her help in the field and with identifications. Barb participated consistently in research conferences of the Ecological Society of Australia from 1975 to 2008. She was especially fond of the poster sessions, since she did not enjoy giving talks herself. (open to members of the public in addition to conference delegates) Date: Tuesday, 7 December 2010 Time: 1900–2100 Venue: CSIRO Discovery Centre, North Science Road, off Clunies Ross Street (behind ANU) Dress: Smart casual Cost: Complimentary The Ecological Society of Australia together with the Council of Australian Museum Directors are happy to invite you to attend the ‘Biodiversity and you’ public lecture. You will be entertained and informed by international ecologists: • Dr Peter Bridgewater, Chair of the UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee Who moved my magic pudding? Seven steps to sustainability • Professor Charles Krebs, Retired Fellow, University of British Columbia What ecologists know that now underpins sustainability • Dr Lorrae van Kerkhoff, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Australian National University Science in the age of democracy, or democracy in the age of science The evening will be facilitated by Mr Tony Peacock, CEO, CRC Association Inc and following on from the 15 presentations you will be engaged with a facilitated discussion, during which audience participation is encouraged. • for new ESA members and students to engage with established researchers in their field • to develop vibrant collaborations Industry professionals and the general public are all invited to attend and enjoy this evening. • This is an initiative of the Council of Australian Museum Directors, and is funded with assistance from the Science Connections Program within the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. to be part of a group of engaged experts within ESA who can contribute to policy debates on their theme • to host regular thematic events as part of the ESA. Come along to the drinks gathering and find out more or contact [email protected]. Conference Dinner Date: Wednesday, 8 December 2010 Time: 1900 for 1930–2300 Venue: Old Parliament House King Georges Terrace, Parkes Dress: Smart casual Cost: Conference delegates—$95 Non-conference delegates—$110 This year the Conference Dinner will be held at Old Parliament House—one of the most significant heritage buildings in Australia. As the home of the Commonwealth Parliament from 1927 to 1988, it was the setting for many major decisions and events that shaped modern Australia and therefore symbolises and reflects the development of Australia as a nation. Research Chapter Mixer Date: Time: Venue: Dress: Cost: Thursday, 9 December 2010 1730–1930 Melville Hall Smart casual Complimentary (refreshments available for purchase) ESA is launching the Research Chapter Network, with the inaugural Arid Ecology Research Chapter. This mixer is an evening social gathering to gather ideas and plan Research Chapter activities and directions. Interest in developing Research Chapters around other themes are very welcome. What can a Research Chapter offer? A Research Chapter provides opportunities: • 16 to engage with people who share similar intellectual passions ESA Film Evening: ‘Ecological restoration, hope for the future’ Date: Time: Venue: Dress: Cost: Thursday, 9 December 2010 1800–1930 Manning Clark Centre, Theatre T1 Smart casual Complimentary (refreshments available for purchase) This evening will be an exciting opportunity to view a screening of several engaging films showcasing successful ecological restorations from around the world. Following this will be a Q&A session. The films have all been specifically chosen to demonstrate how much can be achieved in ecological restoration projects across a diverse range of regions, with the third film using an example of woodland restoration being undertaken in the Australian Capital Territory. The Q&A session, which will include an expert panel of three ecologists all specialising in ecological restoration, will give the audience the opportunity to ask questions and participate in an open discussion between industry experts, professionals and the general public. Conference attendees and the general public are all welcome to attend what is sure to be both an educational and entertaining evening. Light refreshments and finger food will be served. This evening is funded by The Fenner School of Environment and Society. Program at a glance Sunday 5 December 2010 0900–1700 Postgraduate course 1500–1900 Registration open Foyer 1730–1900 WELCOME RECEPTION Foyer Haydon-Allen Lecture Theatre Monday 6 December 2010 0730–0830 Registration 0830–1030 Plenary session1 Chair: Mark Lonsdale Foyer Room T1, MCC 0830 Welcome to country 0835 Official opening—Mark Lonsdale, Professor Ian Chubb 0850 ESA welcome and housekeeping—Carla Catterall 0900 Keynote presentation: 50 years of ecological science—Professor Charles Krebs 0940 Keynote presentation: How can ecology be used to conserve biodiversity?—Professor William Sutherland 1020 Questions 1030–1100 MORNING TEA 1100–1230 Concurrent session 1 (see page 20 for details) 1230–1330 LUNCH 1330–1500 Concurrent session 2 (see page 22 for details) 1500–1530 AFTERNOON TEA 1530–1620 Speed talk sessions (see page 24 for details) 1630–1900 Plenary session 2 Chair: Carla Catterall 1630 Keynote presentation: AERA lecture: Heads in the desert sand—why Australians should wake up to the biodiversity crisis—Professor Corey Bradshaw 1730 Barbara Rice memorial poster session Foyer and Melville Hall Foyer and Melville Hall Foyer and Melville Hall Room T1, MCC Melville Hall, ANU 17 Tuesday 7 December 2010 0730–0900 Registration 0900–1030 Plenary session 3 Chair: Jim Hone 0900 Keynote presentation: Economics, climate change and biodiversity —Professor Ross Garnaut, 0940 Keynote presentation: Global biodiversity science—recurrent challenges and new opportunities —Professor Hal Mooney 1020 Questions 1030–1100 MORNING TEA 1100–1230 Concurrent session 3 (see page 26 for details) 1230–1330 LUNCH 1230–1330 Indigenous Engagement Forum All welcome to attend (see page 11 for details) 1330–1500 Concurrent session 4 (see page 28 for details) 1500–1530 AFTERNOON TEA 1530–1700 Concurrent session 5 (see page 30 for details) 1700–1900 WINE AND CHEESE MIXER 1900–2100 Public lecture—Biodiversity and you Room T1, MCC Foyer and Melville Hall Foyer and Melville Hall Room T4, MCC Foyer and Melville Hall Melville Hall, ANU CSIRO Discovery Centre Wednesday 8 December 2010 Field trips 0930–1630 Natural grasslands in the bush capital—conservation of threatened grassland fauna in the face of increasing urbanisation 0900–1700 ACT catchment tour: minimising the urban ecological footprint 0900–1200 Greening Australia: Boorowa River recovery 0800–1800 Regional rocks and wine 0900–1200 Grassy Woodlands: Mulligans Flat–Goorooyarroo Woodland Canberra highlights hop-on/hop-off bus Workshops 0900–1700 The design and analysis of ecological field studies 0900–1200 The Atlas of Living Australia: share your biodiversity knowledge with the world online 0900–1700 Writing scientific research articles 1900–2300 CONFERENCE DINNER 18 Old Parliament House Thursday 9 December 2010 0730–0900 Registration 0900–1030 Plenary session 4 Chair: Sue Briggs Room T1, MCC 0900 Keynote presentation: Seeing REDD: science, policy and politics in biodiversity and climate change —Professor Peter Bridgewater 0940 Keynote presentation: Beyond the golden age of rationality: what lies ahead for ecological sciences? —Dr Lorrae van Kerkhoff 1020 Questions 1030–1100 MORNING TEA 1100–1230 Concurrent session 6 (see page 32 for details) 1230–1330 LUNCH 1230–1330 ESA Annual General Meeting 1330–1500 Concurrent session 7 (see page 34 for details) 1500–1530 AFTERNOON TEA 1530–1700 Concurrent session 8 (see page 36 for details) 1730–1830 RESEARCH CHAPTER MIXER 1800–1930 Film evening: ‘Ecological restoration, hope for the future’ Foyer and Melville Hall Foyer and Melville Hall Theatre T3 Foyer and Melville Hall Melville Hall, ANU Theatre T1, MCC Friday 10 December 2010 0730–0900 Registration 0900–1030 Plenary session 5 Chair: Geoff Baker 0900 Keynote presentation: The coming famine: risks and solutions for global food and ecological security—Julian Cribb 0940 Keynote presentation: Gold Medal citation and presentation—Carla Catterall 0950 Keynote presentation: ESA Gold Medal 2010—Professor Richard Hobbs 1030–1100 MORNING TEA 1100–1230 Concurrent session 9 (see page 38 for details) 1230–1330 LUNCH 1330–1530 Plenary session 6 Chair: 1330 Landsberg Award and presentation—Amy Davidson 1350 TNC Award and presentation—Vanessa Adams 1420 President’s address—Carla Catterall 1440 ESA Members service prize 1445 Student prizes 1500 Announcement for 2011 and 2012 ESA conferences 1510 Conference close—Mark Lonsdale Room T1, MCC Foyer and Melville Hall Foyer and Melville Hall Room T1, MCC 19 20 Building on a distinguished heritage Paul Adam 50 years of Australian marine ecology—a personal perspective Alan Butler Conservation of arid overstorey perennials— determining the age threshold for effective recruitment Andrew Denham Habitat loss in Melbourne and plant extinction debt Mark McDonnell 1100 1115 1130 Intensive monitoring sites: relevance, integration and effectiveness in natural resource management Mike Liddell New innovations for remote sensing revolutionise longterm monitoring Alex Held A unique, plotbased approach to monitoring Australian tropical rainforests Matt Bradford Room T4, MCC Room T1, MCC On the shoulders of giants … but grasping for what? Roger Kitching 1c Symposium Long-term, trans-scale, integrated monitoring of Australian landscapes 1b Symposium Ecology in Australia over the last 50 years: from the past to the future Room T3, MCC 1a Conservation Concurrent session 1 Assessing the comparative risks of acidification and salinisation of Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Kerri Muller 1100–1230 Monday 6 December 2010 Concurrent sessions Can secondary metabolism pathway genes reveal signs of interactions with ecosystem? Suat Hui Yeoh The terreArray: a new microarray technology for quantifying ecosystem molecular functions within complex microbial communities Ross Chapman Above and belowground specialisation in Australian orchids: novel insights from integrated ecological and genetic analysis Rod Peakall Moran G007, MCC 1d Symposium From genes to ecosystems Invasive primates in Brazil Helena Bergallo Woven plastic weed mat succeeds in largescale restoration where conventional weed control methods failed Peter Grose Invader impact thresholds on native plant communities Ben Gooden Moran G008, MCC 1e Invasive species Time-since-fire and inter-fire-interval influence hollow availability in semiarid mallee vegetation, southeastern Australia Angie Haslem Climate change impacts on bushfires and ecosystem distribution in eastern Australia Jeremy Little Assessing the impact of fire regimes and topography on hollow occurrence in trees and logs Luke Collins Room T2, MCC 1f Fire Plant silicon and herbivory: strategies and soil types Julia Cooke The ecological implications of herbivore responses to plant chemical defence Natasha Wiggins Foraging patterns and behavioural responses to plant toxins: swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor) and cineole Miguel Angel Bedoya Perez Room T5, MCC 1g Foraging and herbivory The use of electromagnetic induction surveys for ecological research and sustainable holistic management activities in heterogeneous upland environments Glen Bann Generating finer resolution species distribution data using an expert system Andrew Skidmore Communal oviposition, oviposition site density, and egg supply to lotic caddisfly populations William Bovill Room T6, MCC Evolution of breeding systems in Tibetan poppies (Meconopsis Vig., Papaveraceae) Hongyan Xie Prediction of bird habitat resources in Great Western woodlands using multiple satelliteborne datasets Peter Lee 1i Open forum Moran G009, MCC 1h Distributions and tools 21 OzFlux: the Australian flux and ecosystem research network Helen Cleugh Publishing Australian ecological research over fifty years Michael Bull 1215 Measuring the contribution of CAR reserves to mature forest biodiversity in production forest landscapes Simon Grove Key questions in ecology in the 1960s: have we answered them yet? Mark Westoby Relocation of the grey-headed flying-fox camp from the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney: history, approval process and relocation monitoring and methods John Martin 1200 Long-term, transscale, integrated monitoring of Brazilian landscapes: lessons for Australia William Magnusson Freshwater ecology in Australia— directions, threads and gaps Sam Lake Long-term community variation as a baseline for biodiversity conservation: discerning signal from noise Amy Macken 1145 1c Symposium Long-term, trans-scale, integrated monitoring of Australian landscapes 1b Symposium Ecology in Australia over the last 50 years: from the past to the future Concurrent session 1 1a Conservation 1100–1230 The genetic basis of chemotype variation in mosaic Eucalyptus Amanda Padovan Genes in the landscape Alison Shapcott Assessing ecological characteristics using highthroughput sequencing and DNA microarrays Christopher Hardy 1d Symposium From genes to ecosystems Testing the generality of limiting similarity in plant communities Jodi Price populations in Mexico Habacuc FloresMoreno Cactoblastis cactorum on native Opuntia Potential demographic impact of Approximate Bayesian computation for the estimation of invasion dynamics Grant Hamilton 1e Invasive species Frequent colonisation of ephemeral habitats reduces large-scale genetic structure Jennifer Pierson Insights into postfire recolonisation of reptiles using a novel application of population genetics Annabel Smith Management of ecosystem threats in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area Rosalie Chapple 1f Fire Habitat use and behaviour of cattle in a heterogeneous ‘patchy resources in matrix’ environment in arid Australia Anke Frank Assessing the evidence for latitudinal gradients in plant defence and herbivory Stephen Bonser Adjustments in foraging behaviour by female eastern grey kangaroos during lactation Jemma Cripps 1g Foraging and herbivory Agent-based modelling of marine mammals and maritime traffic to inform management and policy decisions in marine protected areas Lael Parrott Biodiversity and ecosystem resilience: a GISbased adaptive management framework Nancy Auerbach Bayes Nets as a method for analysing return for investment in fire management planning Trent Penman 1h Distributions and tools The effect of pitfall drift fences on capture rate of vertebrates on the Swan Coastal Plain Wesley Bancroft Habitat specialisation in four sympatric macropod species Sarah Garnick 1i Open forum 22 2b Savanna and desert Moran G008, MCC Are Australian arid lands really degraded? Rod Fensham Leaf ‘heat avoidance’ traits in Australian arid plants Ellen Curtis Using weatherbased models of species distribution to predict refugia in Australia’s tropical savannas Genevieve Perkins Room T3, MCC The interplay of history, ecology and dispersal in the evolution of Australasia’s spectacular parrot fauna Leo Joseph Rabbits and foxes—Australia’s ultimate mammalian invaders Steve McLeod Emigrant Australian trees: why are they seldom invasive? Trevor Booth 1330 1345 1400 Concurrent session 2 2a Symposium When continents collide: biological invasions and ecosystem theory 1330–1500 Monday 6 December 2010 Trophic energy links population community and ecosystem indicators of ecological stress and rehabilitation success across multiple scales Sandy Gilmore Biodiversity benchmarks in the Australian rangelands Jeff Foulkes Twenty years and two transects: spatial and temporal variation in local patterns of biodiversity Michael Bamford Room T4, MCC 2c Symposium Long-term, trans-scale, integrated monitoring of Australian landscapes Landscape models and genetics test the importance of structural connectivity for nine woodland birds Nevil Amos Cryptic diversity and rapid evolution in a stream crustacean Jane Hughes Integrating population demography, genetics and selfincompatibility Susan Hoebee Moran G007, MCC 2d Symposium From genes to ecosystems Can subjective historical datasets be used to monitor vegetation change? Christopher Jones Forests of east Australia: the 35th global biodiversity hotspot Kristen Williams Metacommunity ‘putty’: filling gaps in our knowledge of biodiversity Karel Mokany Room T5, MCC 2e Biodiversity status, trends, national and international targets Fire frequency and season influence soil respiration in tropical savannas Anna Richards How important is fire history in determining plant species richness? Jennifer Taylor Fire regime analysis of the semi-arid Mallee region Rebecca Gibson Room T2, MCC 2f Fire Determining species composition for restoration plantings using climate change scenarios Tina Lawson Revegetating agricultural landscapes: is it useful for reptiles and beetles? Sacha Jellinek Moreton Bay Oil Spill Environmental Restoration Program: environmental recovery and community engagement Samantha Lloyd Room T1, MCC 2g Ecosystem restoration Variation in the demography of Banksia ornata across its range in south-eastern Australia Emily Willocks produce extraordinarily large seeds and woody fruit? Philip Groom Seasonal changes in plant–plant interactions affect tree establishment in grasslands Megan Good Wide enough? The relationship between riparian corridor width and ant and plant diversity in northern Sydney Christopher Ives Why does Hakea platysperma (Proteaceae) Spot the difference! Structural versus visual function of eggshell maculation Golo Maurer Room T6, MCC 2i Open forum Mate density and sex ratio as determinants of pollen receipt and neighbourhood size Saul Cunningham Moran G009, MCC 2h Life history strategies 23 2b Savanna and desert Spatial and temporal pattern in potential refugia for Australia’s tropical savanna birds Alex Kutt Using species distribution modelling to examine spatiotemporal variation in fire pattern Justin Perry When resources boom: learning from the story of dingoes in the Tanami Desert Thomas Newsome Similar yet different: ecological similarity and invasion success in grassy woodlands Erika Cross How do the ecological processes associated with plant invasions reshape native communities? Paul Downey When continents collide: biological invasions and ecosystem theory Herbert Prins 1415 1430 1445 Concurrent session 2 2a Symposium When continents collide: biological invasions and ecosystem theory 1330–1500 Panel discussion Reconstructing historical transformations of Australia’s vegetated landscapes Richard Thackway Vegetation type modelling and mapping: optimal application of old data and new techniques Ian Oliver 2c Symposium Long-term, trans-scale, integrated monitoring of Australian landscapes Finding foxes in Tasmania: faecal DNA analysis reveals the widespread distribution of foxes in Tasmania Stephen Sarre Chromosomes in the study of biological and ecological systems Tariq Ezaz Comparing the phylogenetic diversity of ecological communities: correcting for sampling effort by rarefaction David Nipperess 2d Symposium From genes to ecosystems Landscape approaches and threatened species: making sure we don’t miss the targets Clare Hawkins The use and utility of targets for conservation policy Suzi Heaton Priority threat management to protect Kimberley wildlife Josie Carwardine 2e Biodiversity status, trends, national and international targets Triodia scariosa Does soil seedbank diversity limit post-fire regeneration in small remnants of long-unburnt Mallee vegetation? Richard Davies Fire and log density: influence on beetle biodiversity in mountain ash forests of Victoria Nicole Sweaney succession in the Murray-Mallee, south-eastern Australia Sally Kenny The influence of time-since-fire on 2f Fire Nutrient cycling in grazed, fenced and ungrazed salmon gum woodlands in the Western Australian wheatbelt Amy Robinson Saving biological assets from altered hydrology in the Western Australian agricultural zone Gavan Mullan The effectiveness of mine rehabilitation and impact of mulch harvesting on a fauna assemblage Natalia Huang 2g Ecosystem restoration Pinus radiata James Bevan Unravelling the invasion knot: a spatial investigation of serotiny and cone production in How do plants and insects shape the spatial patchiness of pollinator networks? Tony Popic Hiding in the bushes: the role of mimicry in a mistletoe community Ray Blick 2h Life history strategies Birds of a feather: using species assemblages to assess the vulnerability to extinction of native birds Dean Paini Maximising fauna return post bauxite mining—using science to influence restoration practice Vicki Stokes Individual decision makers drive the diversity of cultivated plants in gardens Dave Kendal 2i Open forum 24 Bed size after the flames: postfire litter accumulation in a mallee community in southwestern NSW Samantha Travers The consequences of interactions between scales of movement and fragmentation for dispersal success Lorenzo Cattarino Looking for a phylogenetic signal in the climate niche of European mammals Bernd Gruber Adaptation to climate change in SE Australia: an ecological or a socio-ecological issue? Ian Mansergh The vulnerability of natural values on Tasmania’s coastline to sea level rise Clarissa Murphy Responses of native and invasive exotic grasses to elevated carbon dioxide and fire Ifeanna Tooth Subterranean termites eavesdrop on predatory ants and other termite species to secure a distant feed Glen Bann Bat species show vegetation type preferences in the northern jarrah forest, Western Australia Wesley Bancroft Key biodiversity area prioritisation in the New Guinea wilderness Kristen Williams Incorporating invasive species biology into management Ben Hoffmann Breeding diet of grey falcons (Falco hypoleucos) in Sturt National Park, NSW, Australia Immy Janse Gaining insight into the impacts of severe tropical cyclones on vegetation in northern Australia using time series remote sensing Leo Lymburner Is goat management enough to ensure ecosystem recovery of the rangelands? Richard Harris Splitting vs lumping: the complexities of vegetation mapping for assessing conservation values Richard Harris 1530 1535 1540 1545 1550 1555 Sustaining vegetation and bird communities along roads and hiking trails in semi-arid gorges Isabelle Wolf Trends in the abundance of hollow-dependent birds and guilds 1970–2010: what can they tell us about hollow dynamics? Matt White Major conservation policy issues for biodiversity in Oceania Richard Kingsford Using remote cameras as a survey and landholder engagement tool in fragmented agricultural landscapes Michael Davis Room T3, MCC Room T2, MCC Room T1, MCC 3 2 Speed talks 1 1530–1630 Monday 6 December 2010 Putting the bite back into biodiversity conservation and rangeland management: what role(s) for dingoes? Euan Ritchie The interaction of spatial autocorrelation and positional uncertainty of species occurrences in environmental niche modelling Andrew Skidmore Ten thousand years of human population increase in Australia Chris Johnson What’s actually there? A comparison between systematic searching and pitfall trapping for reptiles Amanda Bamford How to make the most of expert judgement Mark Burgman Edge shapes (convex vs concave) can increase or decrease animal dispersal Vilis Nams Room T4, MCC 4 A demographic framework for the active adaptive management of the endangered arid zone tree species, Acacia peuce S Raghu Evidence for invader competitive release under a projected drier climate in coastal NSW Tanya Mason Australia’s forests and climate change: from impact assessment to adaptation Sarah Boulter Past the point of no return: climate change impacts on the world’s most exceptional ecoregions Linda Beaumont Broad scale conservation planning in a changing climate: a koala case study Christine Adams-Hosking Floristic value—a useful indicator of presence of the threatened pink-tailed worm lizard? David Wong Room T5, MCC 5 Regeneration dynamics of four semi-arid woodland tree species Tricia Wevill Automated bioacoustic monitoring for rare, cryptic fauna: a case study using the eastern ground parrot Elizabeth Tasker Variation in habitat quality influences fine-scale resource use by a low-density koala population Eleanor Stalenberg The mobility of unmanaged insect pollinators attending a mass flowering crop: implications for gene flow Romina Rader Conservation of temperate grasslands in Tasmania: acting locally and thinking globally Louise Gilfedder Are direct seeded revegetation sites selfsustaining? An analysis of structure, composition and regeneration processes Ian Rayner Room T6, MCC 6 25 2 Living geodiversity = life rocks! A new and innovative holistic eco-geo science education program for schools, universities, tourists and community groups Glen Bann Reformation of vegetation information management in NSW Ron Avery Traditional owner knowledge recording on Moreton Island in response to the Moreton Bay oil spill Samantha Lloyd Cost-effective tree-planting to reforest the tropical landscape Noel Preece Nutritional composition of the forage and seed of Australian native grasses Jodie Reseigh Shifting mine rehabilitation to ecological restoration Andrew Wright Mount Klabat in north Sulawesi, Indonesia: a proposed reservation site for some Sulawesi biodiversity of endemic birds and mammals Saroyo Sumarto More to the point—spinifex seed is required to drive a desert boom Glenda M Wardle 1600 1605 1610 1615 Speed talks 1 1530–1630 Conquering Brazil: the invasion by the exotic gekkonid lizard Hemidactylus mabouia in Brazilian natural environments Carlos Frederico Rocha Restoration of koala habitat in Gunnedah, NSW: movement of koalas across a patchy rural landscape Mathew Crowther Exploring drivers of change in stand structure from preEuropean to present day woodlands using a stand simulation model Karen Ross The capacity of Echium plantagineum (Paterson’s curse) to evolve and respond to predicted drought conditions Tara Konarzewski The National Conservation Lands Database Project— capturing conservation agreements on private land in Australia Eleanor Sobey By night and by day: web site selection by orb-weaving spiders Luke Tilly 4 Competition or innovation: what makes Indian mynahs such successful invaders? Kathryn Haythorpe Nights, camera, action: partitioning of activity time by sympatric carnivores Aaron Greenville 3 It is about access to and benefit sharing from the utilisation of plant genetic resources Abeba Gebreselassie Interactions between encroaching woody plants and existing canopy trees in a semi-arid woodland Janet Cohn Invasion of alien rodents into Australian coastal forests and potential of natives to competitively resist invasion Vicki Stokes Using time series remote sensing to understand the response of vegetation to different drivers Leo Lymburner 5 Developing priorities for exotic plant species management in a changing climate: alpine ski resorts Mellesa Schroder Impacts of landscape complexity and early predation on the suppression of horticultural pests Nancy Schellhorn 6 26 Managing country combining Indigenous and western ecological knowledge— Dhimurru’s experience in northeast Arnhem Land Daryl Lacey, Benjamin Hoffmann Resource selection of common wombats in the subalpine zone of the Snowy Mountains Alison Matthews Australian alpine seed germination strategies: a ‘movealong’ investigation of 24 species Adrienne Nicotra 1115 1130 Native pastures may have a limited contribution to plant species diversity in agricultural landscapes Nicholas Schultz Bradshaw land and resource company … working on our land our way Daniel Jones Forty years in the wilderness—is there a promised land? David Goldney Later bogong moth arrival despite earlier snowmelt results in mismatches across three trophic levels Ken Green 1100 Success factors for two-way land management in the Tanami Karissa Preuss, Madeline Dixon Room T4, MCC Room T2, MCC Room T3, MCC 3c Symposium Combining Indigenous and western ecological knowledge for future land management 3b Symposium Biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes: is it really worth the effort? Concurrent session 3 3a Symposium Sustaining biodiversity in the Australian alps 1100–1230 Tuesday 7 December 2010 Different landscape factors explain establishment and persistence of river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) in agricultural landscapes of southeast Queensland Jarrod Kath Riparian woodland dysfunction is driven by groundwater decline in a northern Murray–Darling intensive production landscape Kate Reardon-Smith Biodiversity conservation in the ultimate consumer landscape: protecting species in urban ecosystems Gary Luck Room T5, MCC 3d Balancing biodiversity and resource consumption Species sorting or patch dynamics? A test of two models using stream invertebrate communities Barbara Downes Assisted migration of a threatened tortoise—integrating ecoenergetics with hydrology to select future habitats Nicola Mitchell Lasting effects of maternal behaviour on the distribution of an allegedly quintessential disperser Jill Lancaster Moran G008, MCC 3e Migration and dispersal Functional redundancy in biotic assemblages: how do ecosystem states translate to ecological processes in practice? Peter Fairweather Toxoplasma gondii: a threat to Australian wildlife? Shuting Pan, Andrew Thompson Novel acoustic monitoring to examine animal communication: koala bellows and impacts on spatial dynamics Sean FitzGibbon community change associated with the invasion and senescence of a range-expanding species Luke Geddes Leptospermum laevigatum: plant The rise and fall of Moran G007, MCC 3g Novel systems and novel ecological philosophy Who’s biting the woylie and what are they transmitting? Craig Thompson Trypanosomes and woylie declines—is there a link? Andrew Thompson Room T6, MCC 3f Symposium Conservation and the ecology of wildlife parasites and diseases When, what, where, why and how should we assist migration as climate changes? Stephen Garnett Future ready biodiversity values: a critical foundation for biodiversity conservation and research Michael Dunlop Managing ecosystems in a rapidly changing world requires new ways of thinking Richard Hobbs Room T1, MCC 3h Symposium Conserving biodiversity in a changing climate: a forum for scientists, managers and policy makers 27 The Warru Reintroduction Project Eric Abbott Conservation of fauna in agricultural landscapes: what does the future hold? Andrew Bennett Arthropod assemblages in agricultural landscapes: patterns, process and conservation in the matrix Simon Attwood Does increased environmental stress equate to decreased seed production and viability in the snowgum Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. niphophila? Shannon LeBel Marching up the mountain? Mechanisms of high altitude woodland expansion into the Australian alpine zone Susanna Venn 1200 1215 Saltwater people addressing the problem of ghost nets and marine debris in northern Australia Grace Heathcote Djelk Rangers working on, and caring for, country in the Djelk IPA, Arnhem Land Feline Campion, Selma Campion, Jodie Kelly The benefits—and limits—of woody perennial farming systems for the conservation of native biodiversity in Australia: a resources perspective Patrick Smith The effect of altitude on reproductive and vegetative characteristics in Australian alpine flora Deborah Segal 1145 3c Symposium Combining Indigenous and western ecological knowledge for future land management 3b Symposium Biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes: is it really worth the effort? Concurrent session 3 3a Symposium Sustaining biodiversity in the Australian alps 1100–1230 Four years of sheep exclusion shows no changes in understorey composition in grazed woodlands of southern Queensland Andy Le Brocque Ecosystem service provision by native vegetation and tradeoffs with grazing Rhiannon Smith Balancing biodiversity and agriculture in Coleambally District— a success story Arun Tiwari 3d Balancing biodiversity and resource consumption Do amphibians preferentially use streamlines as terrestrial habitat? Martin Westgate Responding to climate change: flight capacity and behavioural buffering of the common brown butterfly (Heteronympha merope) Madeleine Barton Do dragons fly: ecological and evolutionary movement patterns of Komodo dragons within and among islands Tim Jessop 3e Migration and dispersal Exchange of gastrointestinal helminth species among species of kangaroos and wallabies in the Grampians area of western Victoria Ian Beveridge Succession of small mammal species and their helminth parasites following wildfire Dave Spratt Moving mammals and their hangers-on: the ecology of translocated animals and parasites Judy Dunlop 3f Symposium Conservation and the ecology of wildlife parasites and diseases Can rapid assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem function in urban remnants reveal ecological integrity in novel ecosystems? Dieter Hochuli Symbiosis as an incomplete solution to the nutritional problems of phloem sap feeding aphids Nigel Andrew 3g Novel systems and novel ecological philosophy Projecting future, ecologically scaled environmental change and novel environments for all of Australia David Hilbert Mainstreaming biodiversity conservation in a climate-challenged Australia: can we redefine national ‘success’? Edwina Barton Improving research uptake: experiences from the natural ecosystems theme Trevor Booth 3h Symposium Conserving biodiversity in a changing climate: a forum for scientists, managers and policy makers 28 4b Symposium Biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes: is it really worth the effort? Room T2, MCC Leopard cats and rats in Borneo: forest fragments and biodiversity conservation in an agricultural landscape Rajanathan Rajaratnam Brigalow regrowth: a conservation bargain Clive McAlpine The influence of agricultural land use on susceptibility of fragmented ecosystems to invasion by exotic pastures Sarah Butler Room T3, MCC Baldur Byles: a forester above the tree line Deirdre Slattery Climate change, fire and conservation management in the Victorian Alps Richard Williams Remote sensing of Australia’s alpine bioregions: the spatial and temporal dynamics of snow and vegetation Jeff Thompson 1330 1345 1400 Concurrent session 4 4a Symposium Sustaining biodiversity in the Australian alps 1330–1500 Tuesday 7 December 2010 Use-and-occupancy mapping in the Murray–Darling Basin: articulating contemporary connection to country Neil Ward Kuku Nyungkal working on country in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area Marilyn Wallace Return to homelands: after more than 80 years’ absence, the Wuthathi people prepare to return to their traditional homelands on the north-east coast of Cape York Peninsula by planning cultural and natural resource management strategies Andrew Picone, Ray Wallis Room T4, MCC 4c Symposium Combining Indigenous and western ecological knowledge for future land management Biological surrogates in benthic tropical marine systems—a community analysis based approach Patricia Sutcliffe Identifying coral species in underwater images for quantitative assessment of reef health and biodiversity Jacques-Andre Landry Larval release and supply of meroplankton in response to environmental cycles in temperate saltmarsh and mangrove habitats Gerard Ricardo Moran G008, MCC 4d Marine Long-term variations in the abundance of Helicoverpa spp. (Noctuidae). What’s driving them? Geoff Baker Effects of landscape compositions and habitat arrangements on two mirid species in Japanese rice paddies Mika Yasuda Trans-equatorial migration of shorttailed shearwaters— testing old theories with new technology Mark Carey Room T5, MCC 4e Migration and dispersal Quantifying the effects of parasites: a medication experiment in crested terns (Thalasseus bergii) Maggie Watson In-nest video monitoring of parasite impacts Jody O’Connor Remote monitoring of artificial nesting box use by microbats Stephen Griffiths Room T6, MCC 4f Symposium Conservation and the ecology of wildlife parasites and diseases Biodiversity and climate change: prioritising adaptation and conservation Stephen Williams Conservation planning in a complex, dynamic world incorporating multiple objectives, multiple criteria and dynamic data Jeremy VanDerWal Lessons learned: prerelocation monitoring project on greyheaded flying-foxes at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Anja Divljan, Kerryn Parry-Jones A process-based concept of refugia for identifying and understanding safe havens from climate change Gunnar Keppel Room T1, MCC 4h Symposium Conserving biodiversity in a changing climate: a forum for scientists, managers and policy makers Monitoring flyingfoxes—how stressful can it get? Kerryn Parry-Jones New insights into the ecology of the threatened dusky hopping mouse (Notomys fuscus) Ulrike Kloecker Moran G007, MCC 4g Threatened species—mammals 29 4b Symposium Biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes: is it really worth the effort? Chalk ‘n’ cheese or something inbetween: Brigalow regrowth is not the same as remnant in production landscapes of southern Queensland Peter Wagner Efficient delivery of conservation: making payments in the right places Kristen Williams Where should we start? Identifying priorities for conservation in the agricultural landscapes of South Australia Daniel Rogers The effect of de-icing salts on alpine bogs and associated fens in Kosciuszko National Park, NSW Richard Hocking The status and condition of the Australian alps catchments in the context of predicted climate change Graeme Worboys Climate change and the Australian alpine environment— adapting to the 21st century challenge: land use and management and socio-ecological research Ian Mansergh 1415 1430 1445 Concurrent session 4 4a Symposium Sustaining biodiversity in the Australian alps 1330–1500 Black hands on the steering wheel Wayne Barbour Looking back to move forward: twoway land management in Arnhem Land Emilie-Jane Ens Managing waru (fire): traditional and contemporary burning of country for ecological and cultural outcomes Gail Carnes 4c Symposium Combining Indigenous and western ecological knowledge for future land management Forecasting responses of estuarine benthic fauna to changes in the delivery of detrital subsidies Mirella Verhoeven Quantifying seasonal variability in the response of macrofaunal assemblages to beach morphodynamic types Rebecca Langley Can one species of seagrass act as a surrogate for providing habitat for other taxa? Ben Hamilton 4d Marine Seedling regeneration depends on seed availability and ecological filters Kadri Koorem Dispersal differences facilitate reef fish coexistence Michael Bode Plant height is more important than seed mass for seed dispersal distance Fiona Thomson 4e Migration and dispersal Network models and management of wildlife disease, with applications to Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease Hamish McCallum A novel emerging wildlife disease in a transition zone: epidemiology, impact and immunological responses of Tasmanian devils to facial tumour disease Menna Jones Host specificity and reservoirs of infection: the epidemiological characteristics of an emerging pathogen David Gordon 4f Symposium Conservation and the ecology of wildlife parasites and diseases Understanding refuge use of Australia’s desert rodents: an extreme conservation challenge Chris Pavey The effect of habitat clearing on the spectacled flying-fox Adam McKeown 4g Threatened species—mammals Future conservation of Tasmanian saltmarshes and associated biodiversity in view of climate change and sea level rise. Vishnu Prahalad Conserving biodiversity in a changing climate: creating workable solutions at the junction of politics, science and practice David Parkes Understanding species interactions with microclimate: can it improve estimates of a species vulnerability to threat? Collin Storlie 4h Symposium Conserving biodiversity in a changing climate: a forum for scientists, managers and policy makers 30 5b Symposium Biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes: is it really worth the effort? Room T2, MCC Using species’ historical distributions to prioritise ecological restoration Richard Fuller How to engage stakeholders in multidisciplinary research projects in agricultural landscapes Kerry Bridle Yaraguia: a Balardong Nyungar family-based association preserving biodiversity in the Avon Valley, Western Australia Virginie Bernard Room T3, MCC Long-distance human dispersal of weed seed in the Australian alps Catherine Pickering Using structured decision making to develop a strategy for managing willow invasion in alpine Victoria Joslin Moore Wild horse population growth in the Australian alps Michelle Dawson 1530 1545 1600 Concurrent session 5 5a Symposium Sustaining biodiversity in the Australian alps 1530–1700 Tuesday 7 December 2010 Inventorying the animals and plants of the Great Victoria Desert, WA Karl Brennan Working together for country: a new partnership in western Arnhem Land Alys Stevens Incorporating Aboriginal perceptions of introduced animals in resource management: insights from the feral camel project Patronella VaarzonMorel Room T4, MCC 5c Symposium Combining Indigenous and western ecological knowledge for future land management Does the river continuum concept apply in the Onkaparinga River, South Australia? Courtney Cummings Carbon flow through the food web of a neotropical stream involves non-trophic pathways (bioturbation) and indirect effects (trophic cascades) and is based primarily on microalgae Tim Moulton Subtropical tadpoles: complex trophic guilds in freshwater food webs Jennifer Francis Moran G008, MCC 5d Aquatic Brazilian Atlantic rainforest Carlos Frederico Rocha Brachycephalus didactylus in the Ecology of the smallest world’s tetrapod, the flea-frog Improving estimates of above-ground biomass in tropical forest using modified transect methods for better returns Noel Preece A broad approach to abrupt boundaries: soil attributes within and across tropical vegetation types Laura Warman Room T5, MCC 5e Rainforest guild of parasitic trematodes Emily Williams Velacumantus australis and their Zombie snails: the ecology of Networks and parasite transmission in the sleepy lizard, Tiliqua rugosa: the importance of transmission mode Stephanie Godfrey Parasite infection patterns in a network of endangered lizards: a role for dispersers? Aaron Fenner Room T6, MCC 5f Symposium Conservation and the ecology of wildlife parasites and diseases Ecology and conservation of threatened species red panda in the kingdom of Bhutan Sangay Dorji Factors influencing the persistence of the New Holland mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae) at the landscape scale Jason Mumbulla Truffles and swamp wallaby mycophagy in eucalypt forests: patterns in diversity and composition Melissa Danks Moran G007, MCC 5g Threatened species—mammals Maximising representation of faunal assemblages under climate change Gilad Bino Investigating current and future climatic hotspots for Australia’s weeds of national significance Jessica O’Donnell Habitat heterogeneity increases the resilience of plant populations to extreme drought and climate change Robert Godfree Room T1, MCC 5h Symposium Conserving biodiversity in a changing climate: a forum for scientists, managers and policy makers 31 Research on predicted climate change impacts and the restoration of alpine bogs and fens Roger Good reveal the impact of declining snow cover Matthew Brookhouse Symposium summary and synthesis Denis Saunders 30 years’ experience of ecological restoration: 10 principles for success David Carr Snow change: 1630 1645 Interdisciplinary devotion: revisiting Lubchenko’s call for social contracts for science: lessons from sustainable farms research in southern New South Wales Richard Price Disturbance and dynamics: 25 years of feral pig research in the Australian alps Jim Hone 1615 Podocarpus lawrencei tree rings 5b Symposium Biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes: is it really worth the effort? Concurrent session 5 5a Symposium Sustaining biodiversity in the Australian alps 1530–1700 Implications of the governments’ ad hoc approach to Indigenous cultural and intellectual property rights and benefit sharing in natural resource management. Sarah Holcombe Working together to manage a threatened ecological community in the Kimberley: Dampier Peninsula monsoon vine thickets, Western Australia. Louise Beames 5c Symposium Combining Indigenous and western ecological knowledge for future land management Regime creation challenges for policy modelling on freshwater wetlands in Bangladesh Nazrul Islam Application of stable isotope analysis for the effective management of aquatic ecosystems Debashish Mazumder 5d Aquatic Influence of tree ferns on forest biodiversity and dynamics in New Zealand Bruce Burns Nomad trees in rainforests: do solar elevation angles restrict them to low latitudes? Chris Lusk Modelling climate change impacts on endemic montane carabids with limited dispersal within the Wet Tropics Kyran Staunton 5e Rainforest Resource tracking in marine parasites: going with the flow? Ross Thompson 5f Symposium Conservation and the ecology of wildlife parasites and diseases Home range dynamics and habitat selection of Macaca nigra at Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, Indonesia Trina Tallei Comparing koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) detection methods: implications for the conservation of low-density populations Alexa Mossaz 5g Threatened species—mammals When, if ever, to move species in the face of climate change Tara Martin Exploring thermal constraints in the germination niche Anne Cochrane Ecologically relevant information is required to improve climate change forecasts for small mammals Nerissa Haby 5h Symposium Conserving biodiversity in a changing climate: a forum for scientists, managers and policy makers 32 6b Symposium Monitoring for a purpose: optimal monitoring and management of cryptic or declining populations Room T4, MCC Rules of thumb for managing or surveying networks of pests, diseases and endangered species Iadine Chades Monitoring for surprise: is it a legitimate purpose for monitoring? Brendan Wintle Optimal monitoring of indicators: why sensibly incorporating costs will help managers select the right species Ayesha Tulloch Room T3, MCC Testing the accuracy of species distribution models: range shifts of Australian butterflies Katherine McClellan Effects of climate change and fire regimes on the structure and viability of three Banksia metapopulations David Keith Functional diversity and climate change Rachael Gallagher 1100 1115 1130 Concurrent session 6 6a Climate change 1100–1230 Thursday 9 December 2010 The effect of species range estimation methods on richness and phylogenetic diversity estimates Mayra Amboni Three ways that theory fails conservation biologists and what we can do about it Don Driscoll Correlations among plants, animals, and people in Australia: causes and/or effects Michael Huston Room T5, MCC 6c Symposium Dissecting Australian diversity: the key to understanding global biodiversity Habitat utilisation of lantana-invaded vegetation by small mammals in an urban bushland Noni Dowsett Finding simple rules of thumb for the optimal containment of invasive species with complex lifecycles Jean-Baptiste Pichancourt Australia’s susceptibility to establishment by non-indigenous reptile species: a predictive modelling approach Dustin Welbourne Moran G008, MCC 6d Invasive species Responses of floral visitor networks of a tropical rainforest tree, Acronychia acidula, to habitat fragmentation Tobias Smith Ecology of southern scrub-robins (Drymodes brunneopygia) in the north Murray Mallee, South Australia Andrew Barker Influence of the yellow-throated miner (Manorina flavigula) on bird communities and tree health in a fragmented Mallee landscape Thea Shell Moran G007, MCC 6e Impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation Partnerships and pragmatism pave the road to conservation Nicola Markus Caring for country together: Indigenous and non-Indigenous conservation in north Australia Joe Morrison Creating ecologycommunity-policy partnerships Judy Lambert Room T6, MCC 6f Symposium Taking action together: the role of ecology in conservation partnerships Monitoring the impacts of extreme weather events: climate change and the lemuroid ringtail possum Stephen Williams Confirmation of globally consistent responses of ant communities to grazing impacts Ben Hoffmann Biodiversity under climate change: monitoring for structure and function Roger Kitching Room T2, MCC 6g Symposium Biodiversity indicators for measuring and monitoring ecosystem condition and climate change adaptation Managing vertebrate grazing can benefit insect diversity at site and microhabitat scales Philip Barton Prospects for restoring function and diversity in grassy woodlands Sue McIntyre The Mulligans Flat – Goorooyarroo Woodland Experiment— integrating research and restoration Adrian Manning Room T1, MCC 6h Symposium Grassy woodlands: managing processes to restore ecosystem function 33 6b Symposium Monitoring for a purpose: optimal monitoring and management of cryptic or declining populations Monitoring a cryptic invasive species: fallow deer on Kangaroo Island Pip Masters Western Shield fauna recovery program—a learning experience in monitoring and evaluation of fauna populations Juanita Renwick Optimising fauna surveys for predicting species distributions for bioregional assessment Gilad Bino Adaptive management for climate change adaptation: when the law comes in handy Alexander Gold The relative impacts of climate change versus management on ecological condition: which is bigger? Rebecca Lester Observed responses of Australasian species and communities to recent climate trends Lesley Hughes 1145 1200 1215 Concurrent session 6 6a Climate change 1100–1230 Patterns of arthropod diversity in a shrubencroached landscape: the effect of shrub species and resource concentration Alan Kwok Effects of climate on wildlife population dynamics Maria Boyle Biodiverse—a tool for the spatial dissection of diversity Shawn Laffan 6c Symposium Dissecting Australian diversity: the key to understanding global biodiversity Is there evidence for shifts in growth, reproduction and fitness between the native and novel ranges of introduced Acacias? Carla Harris Responses to environmental adversity in range edge and central population of an invasive species Jennah Bakker 6d Invasive species Understanding the drivers of connectivity in human-modified landscapes Jonathan Rhodes Response of fauna and flora to habitat loss and fragmentation in tropical savanna agricultural landscapes Alistair Stewart Investigating avian response to landscape change using informative Bayesian prior estimates of dispersal distance Georgia Garrard 6e Impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation The costs and benefits of organisational partnerships in biodiversity conservation Samantha Vine Making sure partnerships produce better conservation outcomes Sarah Legge Partnerships in practice: adapting conservation planning to an Indigenous context Emma Ignjic, Heather Moorcroft 6f Symposium Taking action together: the role of ecology in conservation partnerships Moths as indicators of climate change— investigating species with restricted altitudinal distributions Louise Ashton Biodiversity indicators for measuring and monitoring ecosystem condition and climate change adaptation in Brazil William Magnusson The relative merits of indicators and surrogates versus direct measures David Lindenmayer 6g Symposium Biodiversity indicators for measuring and monitoring ecosystem condition and climate change adaptation Ecological function and woodland trees: size matters Chris McElhinny The impact of kangaroo grazing on fauna within grassy woodlands Brett Howland Debris or not debris: microclimatic benefits of large woody debris Sarah Raphael Goldin 6h Symposium Grassy woodlands: managing processes to restore ecosystem function 34 7b Symposium Monitoring for a purpose: optimal monitoring and management of cryptic or declining populations Room T4, MCC The influence of abundance on detectability Michael McCarthy Estimating biodiversity metrics in cleared areas, accounting for varied detectability between species Michelle Ensbey Monitoring impacts of bauxite mining on threatened species using species specific monitoring programs Vicki Stokes Room T3, MCC EcoFire—restoring biodiversity values of the Kimberley Sarah Legge Biodiversity conservation, vegetation condition and management intervention David Lindenmayer Transformative restoration: the challenges of working at multiple scales David Freudenberger 1330 1345 1400 Concurrent session 7 7a Symposium Ecological restoration science and practice: current and future directions 1330–1500 Thursday 9 December 2010 Not enough niches to explain a remarkable cooccurrence of congeneric ant species Alan Andersen Age and growth of an old-growth stand of Eucalyptus regnans: the world’s tallest angiosperm Sam Wood Competition for light promotes plant-trait and species diversity via niche partitioning and neutral dynamics Daniel Falster Room T5, MCC 7c Symposium Dissecting Australian diversity: the key to understanding global biodiversity Is a vulnerable native marsupial naive to the predation threat of domestic cats and dogs? Alexandra Carthey Using TOPS to identify host hot spots for rust incursion management John Weiss Mammal extirpation on Australia’s islands Emily Hanna Moran G008, MCC 7d Invasive species Impact of urbanisation on frog communities in streams along an urban–rural gradient in Melbourne, Victoria Stefano Canessa Roost tree selection by insectivorous bats: can urban remnants sustain populations of hollow dependent fauna? Caragh Threlfall Modelling spatial patterns of wildlife mortality in periurban landscapes Harriet Preece Moran G007, MCC 7e Urban landscapes Implementing Naturelinks—the WildEyre experience Emma Coates Ecological drivers in landscape planning in the Gondwana Link area of Western Australia Jim Radford Continental scale connectivity conservation in Australia and North America: science in partnership Carina Wyborn Room T6, MCC 7f Symposium Taking action together: the role of ecology in conservation partnerships Vulnerability of aquatic macroinvertebrates to climate change in eastern New South Wales Alex Bush A new approach to biodiverse ecosystem indicator measurement for change adaptation Judy Fisher Warming UK climate increases avian species richness and homogenisation as generalists spread Cath Davey Room T2, MCC 7g Symposium Biodiversity indicators for measuring and monitoring ecosystem condition and climate change adaptation Restoring ecological resistance to invasion by exotic annual plants in degraded woodlands Ian Lunt Ameliorating grassy woodland soils by enhancing truffle production and establishing populations of mycophagous marsupials Jacqui Stol Return of the fauna: brown treecreeper reintroductions in Eucalypt woodland Victoria Sheean Room T1, MCC 7h Symposium Grassy woodlands: managing processes to restore ecosystem function 35 Monitoring threatened savanna finches using health indices Kimberly Maute Restoring forests for biodiversity and carbon John Kanowski 1445 The effect of contrasting edaphic conditions on birds in mulga woodland in central Australia Adam Leavesley How many waterbirds are there in Australia—chasing the impossible? Richard Kingsford Phylogenetic and taxonomic structure of plant communities across the south-west Australian biodiversity hotspot Marcel Cardillo Endangered species reintroduction success in protected areas: monitoring for conservation Kerryn Herman Monitoring protocols to assess the recovery of native plants following the control of widespread weeds Paul Downey 7c Symposium Dissecting Australian diversity: the key to understanding global biodiversity 7b Symposium Monitoring for a purpose: optimal monitoring and management of cryptic or declining populations Intervention ecology: managing altered ecosystems to sustain and restore function Mike Perring 7a Symposium Ecological restoration science and practice: current and future directions Concurrent session 7 1430 1415 1330–1500 The influence of landscape and localscale attributes on invasive predator activity patterns in agricultural landscapes Cameron Graham Assessing rapid morphological change in the invasive common starling (Stunus vulgaris) in Australia Ellen Couchman Role of nitrogen fixing bacteria in the invasion success of weedy Australian Acacias Christina Birnbaum 7d Invasive species Boorowa River recovery—a case study demonstrating the importance of partnerships in landscape scale rehabilitation Lori Gould The primacy of ecology in NGO conservation planning Stephen Garnett Urban wildlife across the divide: the unlikely costs and benefits of urbanised landscapes Nelika Hughes Sustaining mammals in urban landscapes: the importance of maintaining functional connectivity and understanding behavioural ecology Sean FitzGibbon Strange bedfellows? Partnerships between environmental NGOs and resource extraction companies Robert Lambeck 7f Symposium Taking action together: the role of ecology in conservation partnerships Urban edges: bird responses at the interface between suburbs and reserves Karen Stagoll 7e Urban landscapes ClimateWatch: community monitoring of ecological change Lynda Chambers Effectiveness of vegetation condition attributes for predicting vertebrate assemblages in inland Queensland Victor Neldner Towards meaningful quantitative indices for monitoring degradation and restoration of biological communities Carla Catterall 7g Symposium Biodiversity indicators for measuring and monitoring ecosystem condition and climate change adaptation Landscape restoration and spatial planning for biodiversity Peter Vesk Temperate woodlands, vegetation condition, vegetation restoration and biodiversity conservation: insights from a decade of field-based empirical research David Lindenmayer Influence of a parasitic shrub on diversity in eucalypt forests: a resourcebased approach David Watson 7h Symposium Grassy woodlands: managing processes to restore ecosystem function 36 Room T6, MCC Coins to conservation: how do the values of avifauna to Australian society affect conservation outcomes? Gill Ainsworth Resource limitation and interspecific competition constrain reproduction in an endangered finch James Brazill-Boast Ten little dicky birds up against the wall: social behaviour of an endangered population of chats Richard Major Room T4, MCC Evaluating riparian restoration in the Murray–Darling Basin: lessons and implications Paul Reich Improving biodiversity outcomes from restoration actions using a landscape assessment framework and recovery group Nigel Willoughby Fish for the future— what difference is the Native Fish Strategy making? Terry Korodaj 1545 1600 8b Threatened species—birds 8a Symposium Ecological restoration science and practice: current and future directions Concurrent session 8 1530 1530–1700 Thursday 9 December 2010 Developing an integrated approach to climate change refugia in old stable landscapes Grant WardellJohnson Modelling bottom-up trophic dynamics in estuarine habitats: food-chain responses to nutrient enrichment Paul York Importance of location and habitat structure in determining nearshore faunal assemblages within Botany Bay, Australia Judy Upston Room T5, MCC 8c Symposium Dissecting Australian diversity: the key to understanding global biodiversity Distribution and impacts of the invasive ant Pheidole megacephala on Great Barrier Reef coral cays Chris Burwell Australian family ties: does a lack of local relatives help invasive plants succeed? Kerinne Harvey Factors that effect the detection of the northern Pacific seastar Kimberley Millers Moran G008, MCC 8d Invasive species Habitat usage of parrots in an urban landscape Adrian Davis On the snail trail! Mitchell’s rainforest snail (Thersites mitchellae) and microhabitat use Mark Robinson Threatened species in the path of progress: major infrastructure projects acting responsibly Wendy Jeffery Moran G007, MCC 8e Urban landscapes Allocasuarina emuina (Casuarinaceae) Robert Lamont Genetic effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on the endangered tetraploid shrub, Linking plant– pollinator interactions to gene flow in fragmented plant populations Carole Elliott Back to the brink— population decline of the endangered grassland earless dragon following its rediscovery Wendy Dimond Room T3, MCC 8f Impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation Where’s the seed going to come from? Florabank tools to enable restoration of grassy woodlands Penny Atkinson State-and-transition modelling for adaptive management of grassy woodlands in south-eastern Australia Libby Rumpff Incorporating fire frequency in species distribution models enhances climate change predictions for tropical savanna birds April Reside Presenting an experimental, fieldscale project focused on reconstructing grass and herb components of open woodland Paul Gibson-Roy Room T1, MCC 8h Symposium Grassy woodlands: managing processes to restore ecosystem function The influence of climate on the numerical response of a top order mammalian predator Berlinda Bowler Alpine soil as a methane sink: predicting the effects of climate change and fire Kerryn McTaggart Room T2, MCC 8g Climate change and other disturbances— impacts on species assemblages 37 How are our birds doing? Red List indices calculated from 20 years of bird statuses and trends in Australia Judit Szabo Habitat use by hooded robins When environmental filters become too fine: multiple, interacting stressors drive regeneration failure in semi-arid floodplain forests Gillis Horner A genetic assessment of ecological restoration success Siegy Krauss Restoration of threatened plants recipes for success Alison Shapcott 1615 1630 1645 Resource allocation between multiple management actions: how to costeffectively conserve the malleefowl Jessica Walsh (Petroicidae) Phillip Northeast Melanodryas cucullata 8b Threatened species—birds Concurrent session 8 8a Symposium Ecological restoration science and practice: current and future directions 1530–1700 Panel discussion/ Q&A session Catherine Nano peuce Bottom-up versus top-down limits on recruitment in the threatened long-lived arid tree, Acacia Using weather events, not climate means, to model the distribution and competitive outcomes of marsupials Jeremy VanDerWal 8c Symposium Dissecting Australian diversity: the key to understanding global biodiversity The impacts of urban growth on Brisbane’s biodiversity Jessica Sushinsky Esther Levy Ctenophorus ornatus Land clearing reduces gene flow in the granite outcrop dwelling lizard, Bat activity in forests in south-east NSW as revealed by Anabat call detection and radiotracking Dan Lunney Local turnover in amphibian communities in an urbanised landscape Andrew Hamer How far does pollen and seed of the invasive willow, Salix cinerea, move? Tara Hopley Brushtail possums in New Zealand: a nutritional study Hannah Windley Not drowning, waving—the effect of flooding and fallen timber availability on floodplain ant assemblages Greg Horrocks 8f Impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation Pattern, process and prediction: developing a stochastic patch occupancy model for an endangered Australian amphibian Geoffrey Heard 8e Urban landscapes From individual damage to population level consequences: the biocontrol program against the invasive weed groundsel bush Yvonne Buckely 8d Invasive species Vulnerability of Australian forests to climate change: contrasting bioclimatic and ecophysiological approaches Belinda Medlyn Which species are most responsive to rising CO2 under resource limited conditions? A model analysis Ashehad Ali Response of eucalypt arthropods to climate change factors: predicting future community changes Tara Murray 8g Climate change and other disturbances— impacts on species assemblages Woodland conservation through environmental stewardship— applying research to policy and practice Emma Burns Connect the people, connect the landscape, restore the system Toni McLeish Beyond remnants and single properties: landscape scale improvement in box gum grassy woodlands Peter Ampt 8h Symposium Grassy woodlands: managing processes to restore ecosystem function 38 9b Invasive species Room T5, MCC Understanding the ecological drivers of invasion to structure management Cameron Fletcher Threats to woodlands posed by invasive grasses: the case of Coolatai grass (Hyparrhenia hirta) Chris Nadolny Habitat specificity of biocontrol agents of Mimosa pigra: implications for evaluating effectiveness of biocontrol Louis Elliott Australian Acacias behaving badly: correlates of invasiveness in novel ranges Michelle Leishman Managing feral olives and restoring endangered bushland—how can we maximise restoration success? Peter Cuneo Room T4, MCC Can Reverend Bayes redeem categorical vegetation assessments to help monitor change over time? David Duncan ‘Jack-and-Master’ species: when adaptive phenotypic plasticity maximises geographic ranges and their transformations Jean-Baptiste Pichancourt How does habitat complexity affect ant foraging success? A test using functional measures on three continents Heloise Gibb How well do small urban remnants sustain forest bird communities over time? Jarrad Cousin A new workshop called ‘Bioscapes—an introduction to biodiversity in grazing landscapes’ Clare Edwards Adaptive management through research-directed monitoring of the operational roll-out of variable retention silviculture in Tasmania Steve Read 1100 1115 1130 1145 1200 1215 Concurrent session 9 9a Open forum 1100–1230 Friday 10 December 2010 Supporting native fauna recolonisation following catastrophic fires: using SDMs and ‘zonation’ to prioritise predator control activities Graeme Newell Comprehensive ‘Red List’ assessments of flora at the municipal scale Graeme Lorimer Conservation management frameworks for protected areas in South Africa and Australia: comparing resource use approaches Kelly Scheepers Translocation of Eremophila resinosa, is it working and Plant translocations and the consequences for dependent insect assemblages Melinda Moir have we improved our cultural practices Bob Dixon Continuing loss of tropical forests on agricultural land could be reversed by carbon credit trading Noel Preece Does recovery planning improve the status of threatened species? Madeleine Bottrill Specialised symbioses and their role in rarity in hammer orchids (Drakaea) Ryan Phillips Green roofs: delivering urban ecosystem services using a novel experimental platform Nicholas Williams Using competitive native plants to achieve grassland restoration goals Kris Hulvey Breeding birds and farm revegetation Suzi Bond Assessing consequences of assemblage change for ecological processes: a case study using frugivorous birds Catherine Moran Restoration in a current and changed climate—should we source seeds locally, or not? Ann Smithson Room T1, MCC 9e Ecosystem restoration Cats or quolls? Feasibility and conservation impact of keeping native mammals as pets Rosie Cooney Long-term monitoring of endangered plant populations in the ACT: values and limitations Emma Cook The usefulness of resilience thinking in conservation policy and planning Kate de Smeth Room T3, MCC 9d Ecological science and policy making National vegetation attributes for linking vegetation type and condition to the delivery of ecosystem services Richard Thackway Room T6, MCC 9c Threatened species— plants Altitudinal variability of flower visitor assemblages of subtropical rainforest plants— predicting climate change impacts Sarah Boulter Bird community disarray in eastern Australia: the relative roles of landscape properties and interspecific competition Martine Maron Assessing the habitat specificity of Hall’s babbler (Pomatostomus halli) at multiple spatial scales Dean Portelli Niche separation in herb-rich woodlands: evidence from novel use of species cooccurrence tests John Morgan Evolution of crown architecture and its role in the coexistence of trees Peter Vermeulen Historical grazing management (1976–1998) in travelling stock reserves in southern NSW: influence on woodland conditions Peter Spooner Room T2, MCC 9f Woodlands General information Conference venue Australian National University (Manning Clark Centre, Haydon-Allen Rooms, Melville Hall) Canberra City ACT Conference registration desk The registration desk will be located in the foyer of the Manning Clark Centre and will be open as follows: Sunday 5 December Monday 6 December Tuesday 7 December Wednesday 8 December Thursday 9 December Friday 10 December 1500–1900 0730–1730 0730–1730 0730–0930 0730–1730 0730–1530 The registration desk can be contacted during these hours on 0448 576 105. Accommodation For those registrants who have booked accommodation through the Conference Secretariat, please ensure that accounts are settled in full prior to your departure and that the appropriate deposit has been deducted from your account. ATM locations ATMs are located in the following spots around the ANU campus: • University Union Building (located outside the Post Office Shop) • Concessions and Student Facilities Building • Arts Centre • University House (Inside UniHouse Reception) Conference carbon neutral statement The carbon footprint for the Canberra Conference has been estimated as 700 tonnes of CO2 equivalents, based on the detailed calculations undertaken for the Sydney ESA Conference in 2008, and the anticipated similarity of the events. Given the variability of other drivers that determine the magnitude of offset requirements (e.g. the price of carbon), this was considered a valid assumption by the Local Organising Committee. As a leading broker of scientific knowledge on ecological issues, ESA is keen to carry out its business in a more ecologically sustainable manner. The Organising Committee encourages delegates to voluntarily contribute funds equivalent to your share of this carbon footprint. To date, over $6000 in offset funds has been received, which will support restoration efforts that provide both biodiversity and carbon sequestration benefits. They will be used for re-establishment of native forest in the Cotter catchment following the wildfires of 2003, which destroyed pine plantations in that area. Dress The dress for all sessions and social functions is smart casual. Exhibition hours The exhibition will be open as follows: Sunday 5 December Monday 6 December Tuesday 7 December Thursday 9 December Friday 10 December 1730–1900 0830–1730 0830–1730 0900–1730 0900–1500 Catering Lost or found property Morning and afternoon teas and lunches will be served each day in the foyer of the Manning Clark Centre and in Mellville Hall, and are included in your registration fee. We have arranged for special meals to be prepared for those delegates who have pre-registered their special requirements. These meals will be available from the designated buffet stations in the Manning Clark Centre foyer during meal breaks. Please visit the registration desk if you require assistance. Please report any lost or found property to the registration desk. 39 Mobile phones and pagers Program information As a courtesy to other delegates and speakers, please ensure all mobile telephones and pagers are turned off or in ‘silent’ mode during all sessions and social functions. A full program can be found on page 17. Name badges Your name badge is your entry to all sessions, exhibition, social functions, lunches, morning and afternoon teas. Please wear it at all times. Online evaluation survey Delegates are encouraged to complete the Conference evaluation survey as it assists us to plan future Conferences. An email will be sent to all delegates next week providing a link to the online evaluation. Parking The Conference organisers cannot be held responsible for any program changes due to external or unforeseen circumstances. Please check the noticeboard located near the registration desk for any changes to sessions. Smoking Smoking is not permitted in any of the Conference venues. Useful contact numbers Taxis Canberra Elite Cabxpress 13 22 27 6260 6011 Parking at ANU is very limited. Pay parking is available at the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Clunies Ross Street, in a safe and secure location, just a short walk away from ANU. Parking is $8 per day and can be arranged by visiting the staff at the registration desk. Airlines Participant list Accommodation A participant list has been provided to delegates at registration. Anyone who indicated on their registration form that they did not want their name and organisation to appear on the participant list has not been included. Posters Posters are located in Melville Hall, ANU and will be available for viewing from morning tea on Monday 6 December to lunch on Friday 10 December. Qantas VirginBlue Jetstar 13 13 13 13 67 89 13 15 38 University House The Australian National University Corner Balmain Crescent and Liversidge Street Acton 02 6125 5275 On campus Novotel Canberra 66 Northbourne Avenue Canberra City 02 6245 5000 5–10 minutes walk to ANU The Barbara Rice Memorial Poster Session will be held on Monday 6 December from 5.30 pm. A supplementary networking poster session will be held on Tuesday 7 December from 5.30 pm, which will also include the announcement of the Photo Competition winner and the Memorabilia Exhibition. Rydges Lakeside Canberra 1 London Circuit Canberra City 02 6247 6244 5–10 minutes walk to ANU Delegates are encouraged to view the posters, which have been grouped according to the Conference themes. Poster presenters have been asked to stand beside their poster during the sessions. Medina Executive James Court 74 Northbourne Avenue Canberra City 02 6240 1234 5–10 minutes walk to ANU 40 Instructions for oral presenters Instructions for poster presenters Speakers’ preparation room Poster presenters are requested to have their posters up for display from 1100 on Monday 6 December through to 1100 on Friday 10 December. Posters are being displayed according to themes, in numerical order, in the Melville Hall, a short walk from the Manning Clark Centre. The speakers’ preparation room is located in the foyer of the Manning Clark Centre. Upon arrival at the conference, all speakers who have not previously emailed their presentation, should take it as soon as possible to the speakers’ preparation room. Presentations will then be pre-loaded for the appropriate session room. Speakers may run through their presentations in the speakers’ preparation room at their leisure. All speakers are requested to report to their allocated room 20 minutes prior to the start of the session to meet with the session chair and to check that their presentation has been correctly loaded. Instructions to presenters of oral papers Time slots for oral presentations are 15 minutes. This is based on a 12 minute talk, and 3 minutes for question time/changeover. Session chairs are instructed to ensure that ALL presenters adhere strictly to these times. Speakers will be gently warned when the talk reaches the 10 minute mark, and courteously but firmly invited to cease at the 12 minute mark. Instructions to presenters of speed session oral papers In addition, poster presenters are requested to be at their poster display during the following times: • Barbara Rice Memorial poster session on the evening of Monday 6 December (1730–1900). This time will provide authors time to discuss and describe their work. You are also encouraged to be close to your poster during morning and afternoon tea breaks, and lunches, to enable anyone who wishes to discuss your particular poster topic to be able to find you and do so! We hope that this will allow you several hours of opportunity and exposure that will give you the widest possible audience. Poster abstracts, in numerical order, start on page 303 of this handbook. Staff at the registration desk will be available to help you find the correct location for mounting your poster. Please ensure that you have your own velcro spots. Please ensure that you collect your poster at the end of the conference. Any posters not collected by Friday afternoon will be discarded. Time slots for speed session oral papers are 5 minutes. There is no question time. Please prepare for 4 minutes, allowing up to 1 minute for changeover. Session chairs are instructed to ensure that ALL presenters adhere strictly to these times. Speakers will be gently warned when the talk reaches the 3 minute mark, and courteously but firmly invited to cease at the 4 minute mark. 41 Instructions for session chairs Please be available in your allocated room at least 20 minutes before your session starts. Ensure you are acquainted with the AV and general room set up, and that all speakers are also familiar with the equipment that will be used. A technician is available to assist you if required. All presentations will be uploaded prior to the commencement of each session in the speakers’ preparation room. Please start sessions on time, even if people are still arriving. You are welcome and encouraged to introduce the session, but please keep this brief! It is essential that sessions run to the indicated schedule, as there are up to 8 parallel sessions at a time. It is your job to ensure that speakers start and finish on time. For oral papers, please give speakers a warning shortly before their time is up (at 10 minutes) and then tell them when their time is up (at 12 minutes). This will allow 3 minutes for questions and changeover. This will give time for the audience to move between rooms after each presentation, if they desire. For speed sessions, please give speakers a warning shortly before their time is up (at 3 minutes) and then tell them when their time is up (at 4 minutes). There is no time for questions between speakers, and this will allow 1 minute for changeover. If a speaker shows no indication of stopping at the required time, please ask them to stop immediately, even if their talk is not completed. Ensure that question time does not extend beyond the allocated time, even if there are still outstanding questions. There are opportunities during the breaks for additional questions to be directed to the presenter. Please remind all participants that their mobile phones need to be silent, or off. Please do not start presentations early. If a speaker finishes early, or in the event that a talk is cancelled, please use this time by inviting questions from the previous presentation. A volunteer will be available to assist you, and will contact the AV technician if required. Alternatively, please contact the registration desk on 0488 576 105. Remember, you are in charge of your session. The audience will appreciate good chairing, which will keep proceedings on time, and speakers and audience under control. 42 Sponsors Platinum sponsors CSIRO Minerals Council of Australia CSIRO is Australia’s national science agency and one of the largest in the world. The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) represents Australia’s exploration, mining and minerals processing industry, nationally and internationally, in its contribution to sustainable development and society. MCA member companies produce more than 85 per cent of Australia’s annual mineral output. CSIRO research delivers solutions for agribusiness, energy and transport, environment and natural resources, health, information technology, telecommunications, manufacturing and mineral resources. Our work delivers improvements to every aspect of life from oceans to energy, metals to medicine, and sustainability to food. CSIRO also works at the forefront of emerging sectors, such as information and communication technologies, gene technology and nanotechnology. CSIRO’s success is based upon 80 years of excellence in research. Working from sites across the nation and around the globe, our staff are focused on providing new ways to improve quality of life and the economic and social performance of our industries. The MCA’s strategic objective is to advocate public policy and operational practice for a world-class industry that is safe, profitable, innovative, environmentally and socially responsible, attuned to community needs and expectations. Ben Mitchell Director—Public Affairs PO Box 4497 Kingston ACT 2604 E: [email protected] We are committed to Australia’s National Research Priorities and have developed nine National Research Flagships to lead our research into the 21st century. These are: • • • • • • • • • Climate Adaptation Flagship Energy Transformed Flagship Food Futures Flagship Future Manufacturing Flagship Light Metals Flagship Minerals Down Under Flagship Preventative Health Flagship Water for a Healthy Country Flagship Wealth from Oceans Flagship. PO Box 1139 Collingwood, Victoria 3066 W: www.publish.csiro.au 43 Gold sponsor Silver sponsors Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network Australian National University The Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) is Australia’s leading ecosystem science network. Taking a collaborative approach to terrestrial ecosystem research, TERN is focused on helping ecosystem science groups and government agencies to work together in a nationally coordinated way. TERN oversees six facilities whose locations span Australia, including the Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS). ACEAS fosters the development of teams of scientists and resource managers to address critical natural resource management issues that require new insights into ecosystem dynamics. Established in July 2009, TERN is supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy and the SuperScience initiative. Professor Stuart Phinn TERN Director 07 3346 7020 [email protected] www.tern.org.au 44 The Australian National University is host to two internationally recognised centres of ecological research and training. The Fenner School of Environment and Society is unique in Australia as a place where ecologists work with economists, hydrologists, historians, foresters, geographers and climatologists towards a common objective of ecologically sustainable land management. The School is host to one of the world’s most productive ecological research groups, lead by Professor David Lindenmayer. The Ecology, Evolution and Genetics division of the Research School of Biology has a research program that spans the field of ecology, including behavioural, evolutionary, physiological, population and macro ecology and population genetics. The ANU is pleased to support ESA 2010 for its focus on one of this university’s major research strengths Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200 P: 02 6125 2579 F: 02 6125 0746 E: [email protected] Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities Bronze sponsor Gaia Resources Parks Australia supports the Director of National Parks, a federal statutory officeholder, to conserve Australia’s biodiversity and cultural heritage. Our responsibilities range from management of the Commonwealth's protected areas, including six national parks (three jointly managed with their traditional owners) and two botanic gardens, to implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Gaia Resources is a consultancy that responsibly delivers sustainable technology solutions to companies that work with the environment. We deliver solutions in field data capture, data management and Geographical Information Systems to our clients across Australia. Find out more about what we do on our web site at www.gaiaresources.com.au. At our Australian National Botanic Gardens, visitors enjoy the world's largest collection of Australian native plants. Also at the Gardens is the Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, a unique partnership between Parks Australia and CSIRO, researching plant classification and conservation biology. Our national parks range from tiny Pulu-Keeling, a pristine atoll far out in the Indian Ocean, to the iconic World-Heritage–listed Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta and the award-winning Booderee National Park. We also help build the National Reserve System, Australia’s great environmental partnership, and support Indigenous landholders declare Indigenous Protected Areas in some of the most remote and fragile parts of the country. Parks Australia is part of the Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. www.environment.gov.au/parks 45 Satchel sponsors NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water of emerging sectors, such as information and communication technologies, gene technology and nanotechnology. CSIRO’s success is based upon 80 years of excellence in research. The NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW) is responsible for the management and conservation of biodiversity in NSW. DECCW has a key role in planning mitigation and adaptation responses to climate change and manages more than seven million hectares of national parks and marine reserves. Its diverse environmental charter also includes the protection of cultural heritage and the sustainable management of air and water quality. DECCW employs more than 100 scientists in its Scientific Services Division alone, and many others elsewhere in the Department. DECCW has a longstanding commitment to high-quality applied research, and the need for scientifically-based planning and management for biodiversity conservation. As part of its approach to research, DECCW supports a wide range of collaborative projects with universities, consultants, NGOs and other government agencies, and is always keen to foster new links. Climate change magnifies the challenges posed by existing threats to biodiversity, and the Department continues to expand its research effort and forge new partnerships to meet these rapidly changing needs. CSIRO Working from sites across the nation and around the globe, our staff are focused on providing new ways to improve quality of life and the economic and social performance of our industries. We are committed to Australia’s National Research Priorities and have developed nine National Research Flagships to lead our research into the 21st century. Greening Australia Greening Australia is passionate about protecting and restoring the health, diversity and productivity of our unique Australian landscapes. With over 28 years of experience in creating sustainable environmental outcomes, Greening Australia is a solutions-driven organisation that is committed to doing something practical about Australia's environmental problems. We do much more than simply plant trees. With a network of over 350 staff in locations across the continent, Greening Australia lives and works with people from remote, regional and metropolitan communities. CSIRO is Australia’s national science agency and one of the largest in the world. CSIRO research delivers solutions for agribusiness, energy and transport, environment and natural resources, health, information technology, telecommunications, manufacturing and mineral resources. Our work delivers improvements to every aspect of life from oceans to energy, metals to medicine, and sustainability to food. CSIRO also works at the forefront 46 Notepad and pen sponsor Ecological solutions for a healthy environment The Institute for Applied Ecology provides ecological solutions for a healthy environment through highquality research and teaching. State and Associates of the Institute work to address specific problems and to push the boundaries of knowledge. Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra ACT 2601 Australia. P: +61 (2) 6201 5893 W: www.appliedecology.edu.au E: [email protected] Conference Dinner entertainment sponsor 47 page for Parks Australia (DECCW) ad (received) 48 Exhibition floor plan Exhibitors Booth 5 Ecological Society of Australia Booth 6 Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network Tables 7, 8 Wiley Blackwell Table 9 CSIRO Publishing Table 11 Cambridge University Press Table 12 NCCARF—Adaptation Research Networks Table 13 Cotton Catchment Communities Cooperative Research Centre Table 18 The Atlas of Living Australia Table 19 Titley Scientific Table 20 John Morris Scientific Pty Ltd 49 List of exhibitors Ecological Society of Australia Incorporated The Ecological Society of Australia Incorporated (ESA) is the peak group of ecologists in Australia, with over 1500 members from all states and territories. We aim to create a community of knowledge and understanding amongst ecologists, and reach out to those working in related fields. We invite you to join us in our efforts to promote the scientific study of all organisms in relation to their environment, and encourage the application of ecological principles in the development, use and conservation of Australia's natural resources. Gail Spina Executive Officer PO Box 2187 Windsor QLD 4030 CSIRO Publishing CSIRO Publishing operates as an independent science and technology publisher with a global reputation for quality products. Our internationally recognised publishing program covers a wide range of disciplines, including agriculture, the plant and animal sciences, and environmental management. PO Box 1139 Collingwood, Victoria 3066 Australia W: www.publish.csiro.au P: 03 9662 7500 Invasive Animals CRC P: 07 3162 0901 E: [email protected] W: www.ecolsoc.org.au Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network The Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) is Australia’s leading ecosystem science network. Taking a collaborative approach to terrestrial ecosystem research, TERN is focused on helping ecosystem science groups and government agencies to work together in a nationally coordinated way. The Invasive Animals CRC creates new technologies and integrated strategies to reduce the impact of invasive animals on Australia’s economy, environment, and people. We concentrate on developing smarter tools to prevent and detect new invasions, advanced and tactical tools to strengthen integrated management strategies of carp and other pest fish, and new tools and integrated management strategies for major pests including foxes, wild dogs, feral pigs, rats and mice, cane toads, feral cats and rabbits. CEO: Andreas Glanznig Post: 3D1 University of Canberra, ACT 2601 P: 02 6201 2887 F: 02 6201 2532 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] W: www.tern.org.au Cambridge University Press Wiley-Blackwell The 27 Wiley-Blackwell published journals in the Ecology category* contributed 3,700+ articles and received 187,000+ citations last year—more than any other publisher. We are proud to publish the Ecological Society of Australia’s journals Austral Ecology and Ecological Management & Restoration. *Thomson Reuters 2009 Journal Citation Reports ® W: www.wileyonlinelibrary.com/subject/ecology 50 Cambridge University Press has a long-established, dynamic, and broad-based publishing program in the biological sciences. Titles range from multi-volume works such as European Garden Flora, to high-profile series such as Ecological Reviews and Conservation Biology, as well as textbooks for students at all levels. For more information please contact: E: [email protected] P: 03 8671 1400 NCCARF—Adaptation Research Networks The NCCARF—Adaptation Research Networks for Terrestrial Biodiversity, and Freshwater Resources and Freshwater Biodiversity primary goals are to synthesis relevant knowledge for climate change adaptation and facilitate collaborative and cross-disciplinary research in these areas at a national scale. These networks strive to ensure that terrestrial and freshwater systems have the greatest resilience and best outcomes for adaptation to climate change now and in the future. To find out more about the networks or join please visit this display table. Titley Scientific Titley Scientific creates and customises innovative products that benefit the environment and ecological scientific community worldwide. We understand the importance of quality product and advice. Titley Scientific has a purpose-built team of RF, systems, design, firmware, software and acoustic engineers, biologists, manufacturing and customer service specialists. Customers can be confident in receiving reliable products in the shortest delivery time. 1/905 Stanley Street East East Brisbane QLD 4169 P: 07 3881 5577 F: 07 3205 8355 Cotton Catchment Communities Cooperative Research Centre The Cotton Catchment Communities Cooperative Research Centre, along with its 11 core participants, enhances the Australian cotton industry, the catchments and communities in which it is grown through proactive research and adoption of the world’s best practice in production, environmental and catchment management. Cotton Catchment Communities Cooperative Research Centre 21888 Kamilaroi Hwy Narrabri 2390 Australia Locked Bag 1001 Narrabri 2390 Australia P: 02 67991500 F: 02 67931171 W: www.cottoncrc.org.au W: www.titley.com.au John Morris Scientific Pty Ltd John Morris Scientific is a family-owned supplier of environmental monitoring equipment, with offices across Australia and New Zealand. Products include; portable photosynthesis systems, light sensors, soil and atmospheric CO2 analysers, greenhouse gas analysers, automatic water samplers; grab samplers; open channel and magnetic flowmeters; handheld and multiparameter water quality instruments. 63 Victoria Avenue Chatswood NSW 2067 T: 02 9496 4200 F: 02 9417 8855 E: [email protected] W: www.johnmorris.com.au The Atlas of Living Australia The Atlas of Living Australia project was developed in response to the need for more comprehensive and accessible information on Australia’s biodiversity. The Atlas website, a key part of the Atlas project, includes species names lists, distribution maps, photos, identification keys, species pages, occurrence records, literature and more. Members of the public can help researchers build a better picture of Australia’’s biodiversity by contributing photos and information about Australian species to the Atlas site. 51 PLENARY ABSTRACTS Abstracts—Plenary sessions Monday 6 December 2010 0900, Room T1, MCC 0940, Room T1, MCC 50 years of ecological science How can ecology be used to conserve biodiversity? Charles J Krebs1 1 University of British Columbia William Sutherland1 1 I will review in this talk the major achievements of ecological science during the last 50 years, with a focus in particular on Australian ecology. We must be clear about what ecologists wish to achieve because there are three ecological worlds that operate almost independently. Population ecologists have developed a detailed understanding of single species systems, but putting this understanding into the world of community and ecosystem dynamics has been less successful. I will review 3–4 key examples of progress in understanding populations, communities, landscapes and ecosystems to illustrate the advances that have been achieved. Until about 1980 the prevailing paradigm in ecology was to understand species interactions in natural communities and ecosystems, and to use that information as a template to understand what goes wrong in human disturbed systems. This paradigm is now obsolete because we do not have a good inventory of biodiversity at a time when most of the earth’s ecosystems are affected by human activities and introduced species. The major problem now is that we face rapid change in ecological communities at a time when person-power is in short supply. We try for shortcuts but most shortcuts to ecological knowledge have been a disaster, and we should be cautious in what we predict for future ecological changes. Indirect interactions within food webs can invalidate simple single-species models, and modelling communities and ecosystems while necessary in the long-term is in its infancy. Complex models that cannot be validated or evaluated are not a substitute for the predictive reliability that society demands. Economics for all its sophisticated models and Nobel Prizes has been a recent global failure that should give us caution to demand adequate experimental tests of our guiding principles. Many of the recommendations ecologists have made for changes in society are basic to sustainability but the devil is always in the details. Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, UK There have been some spectacular conservation successes but overall we are presiding over a global loss of biodiversity. Part of the reason for this is the failure to comprehensively integrate science and practice. I suggest that we need to fundamentally change how we work. This involves horizon scanning for novel issues, determining the policy options available, identifying the gaps in knowledge and especially by ensuring that evidence-based conservation underpins policy and practice. I suggest this approach is best achieved by collaborating with policy makers at all stages of the process and will give example to show that this is practical. I will suggest that the current emphasis on determining whether projects are a success is misguided and we should place our emphasis on studying the consequences of interventions. I will describe the process of solution scanning to generate a list of the wide range of possible options. I suggest that collating the effectiveness of interventions is a far more cost effective means of operating. The ‘bee synopsis’ describes the global evidence for the effectiveness of the 59 interventions that we are aware of that can retain or restore wild bee populations (downloadable from the website www.conservationevidence.com). We plan such synopses for all taxa and habitats. Finally, I will suggest that the same approach could be applied to almost any area of policy including education, social interventions or road safety, where, at least in the UK, there is little attempt to explore the range of options and take advantage of the global experience. 53 PLENARY ABSTRACTS 1630, Room T1, MCC Tuesday 7 December 2010 AERA Lecture Heads in the desert sand—why Australians should wake up to the biodiversity crisis 0900, Room T1, MCC Corey Bradshaw1 Professor Ross Garnaut AO1 1 University of Adelaide The ESA is pleased to announce that Professor Corey Bradshaw has been selected to deliver the 2010 Australian Ecology Research Award (AERA) Lecture. The 2010 AERA recognises Corey Bradshaw’s quantitative research in wildlife population management and climate change impacts on biodiversity. The work has revolutionised how ecologists can combine demographic, genetic, landscape and economic data within advanced mathematical models to design the most cost-effective and efficient invasive species control, to determine threats to biodiversity, and to estimate the impact of human activities on biodiversity on a global scale. The AERA Lecture recognises excellence in research in Australian ecology, for a specific body of recent work by a mid-career researcher, and is delivered annually as a Plenary at the conference of the Ecological Society of Australia. The AERA winner is selected by an independent panel of expert ecologists from around Australia, chaired by the ESA’s Vice President—Research, Glenda Wardle. Economics, climate change and biodiversity 1 University of Melbourne Australia’s biodiversity is in decline for a variety of reasons. Aspects of the observed changes in Australia’s natural systems have already been linked to climate change. In addition to climate change pressures, Australian Governments have failed to appropriately correct for the market’s failure to value biodiversity. The risks from climate change, and policies to address them, have been subject to extensive analysis and discussion in Australia, most prominently through the 2008 Garnaut Climate Change Review. I was recently commissioned by the Government to update the Review. The 2008 Review posed one central question. ‘What extent of mitigation, with Australia playing a proportionate part, provides the greatest excess of gains from reduced risks of climate change over costs of mitigation?’ In answering this question, I proposed a decisionmaking framework that identified four types of benefits or gains from the reduced risks of climate change. One of these types of benefits related to non-market benefits. These are benefits not reflected in the usual measures of economic value and include the benefits of biodiversity and preserving the natural estate. The Review found that there is considerable potential for biosequestration to contribute to national mitigation efforts. The update to the Review will include a discussion of abatement opportunities in the land sector. Adopting a carbon price will correct the negative carbon externality associated with greenhouse gas externalities. It will provide incentives for increased bio-sequestration activities. This will generally be helpful to biodiversity directly, as well as through its indirect effect on the global effort on climate change. However, a carbon price does not incorporate the value of biodiversity. The expansion of other mechanisms for supporting biodiversity can overlay incentives for carbon sequestration, and maximise the value of the co-product. This will require careful design of incentives. The likelihood that future generations will value nonmarket benefits such as biodiversity ever more than today’s, further motivates the need for us to develop policies that not only correct the world’s greatest market failure of carbon pollution but also the related great failure to appropriately value the natural estate and biodiversity. 54 PLENARY ABSTRACTS 0940, Room T1, MCC Global biodiversity science—recurrent challenges and new opportunities 1 Harold Mooney Thursday 9 December 2010 0900, Room T1, MCC Seeing REDD: science, policy and politics in biodiversity and climate change 1 Department of Biology, Stanford University, USA 2010, the UN year of biodiversity has provided an impetus for summing up the current global status of biological diversity. The picture is not pretty; we are still suffering losses at the genetic, species, populations and ecosystem levels, examples of tipping points in ecosystem status are increasing driven by climate change, land use practices and invasive species. Participating nations to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan this past month made new commitments to reverse these unfavorable trends. The intent is important; the path to attain these new goals by the target date of 2020 is problematic given the enormity of the challenge of meeting the increasing resource demands of a growing population with higher consumption expectations. The science community has a crucial role to play in the path to a more sustainable future that need not depend on a continuing depletion of our natural resources. We must continue to forge new understanding of the origins, distribution, structure and functioning of all levels of biological diversity and how these respond to the large number of the drivers of change. We must continue to unify our science and to reach out beyond our immediate peer group with the relevance of our work and to devise new ways of communicating with the general public. For example the ecosystem service paradigm has reached a new and larger public audience on the significance of biological diversity to their everyday lives and to their businesses. It has also brought new directions to research and development agencies. We need more ways of connecting with the public on the significance the losses we are incurring by the continuing assault on our biological life support system and what it means to their future wellbeing. We also can all play a role in engaging the policy community. We have new opportunities to do this through the developing Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, modeled after the IPCC, where many of us will be called upon to provide a synthesis and analysis of the data we have gathered. Also, we will have an opportunity to aid in the development of a much needed biodiversity observation network (GEO-BON) where at last we will have a solid baseline on which we can gauge the progress we are making in attaining a sustainable future. Peter Bridgewater1 1 Chair, JNCC In late October 2010 the Convention on Biological Diversity held its tenth meeting, regarded as successfully achieving a new target for 2020, having missed the target set for 2010. As this abstract is being written, preparations are in hand for the 16th meeting of the Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Cancun, December 2010. As I write the prospects do not look that good for an agreement on the way forward. But a key issue for both conventions is that of Reducing Emissions (of carbon) from Deforestation and (forest) degradation (REDD). This has morphed to REDD+ in recent discussions, where the plus includes conservation measures for forests. This has led to discussions about where the discussions and decisions about forest, carbon and biodiversity should be conducted within the UN Morass. And it ignores the inconvenient truth that while forests are a significant carbon moderator there are other ecosystems on earth (the word morass is used in a very deliberate sense!)…. More interesting is the way that climate change is now featuring on the agenda of Biodiversity related conventions, especially the CBD itself, and biodiversity is featuring on the agenda of the Climate change convention. And both are being discussed by the most ineffectual of the 3 ‘Rio’ conventions, the Convention to combat desertification. To be relevant in these increasingly important political and policy discussions ecological science should explore the links between biodiversity and climate change, and the impact those links have on the key and important global environmental issue of the availability of fresh water. Doing and making biodiversity science accessible and available for more focused national and international policy discussions in the future is the only way the world can achieve viable policy outcomes for sustainability in the coming decades. 55 PLENARY ABSTRACTS 0940, Room T1, MCC Friday 10 December 2010 Beyond the golden age of rationality: what lies ahead for ecological sciences? 0900, Room T1, MCC Lorrae van Kerkhoff1 1 Australian National University Much of science is premised on the notion of rationality: a single logic of knowledge and action in which science itself is the ultimate source of rigorous, robust knowledge decision-makers need to manage our earth and its ecosystems sustainably and well. Yet in recent years we have seen this idea take a battering on many fronts. Challenges from policy-makers, lay-people, affected communities and, of course, controversy within scientific ranks themselves all undermine scientific claims to rationality and superior reasoning. While the limits of this caricature of science are no doubt apparent to many of us, the ramifications for practice are often less clear. In other words, while we typically acknowledged the complex and dynamic socio-political world in which ecological sciences now operate, we are not very well equipped to do our research or teaching in ways that accommodate, let alone embrace, these complexities. I will present some recent work and thinking in sustainability research that can help people working in the ecological sciences to understand how the best and most valuable features of science fit in this age beyond simple concepts of rationality; and offer some insights into how we can rethink scientific practice to embrace the dynamics and complexities of the next age—that is already upon us. 56 The coming famine: risks and solutions for global food and ecological security Julian Cribb1 1 Julian Cribb & Associates In coming decades the world faces the risk of major regional food crises leading to conflicts and mass refugee movements. This is driven primarily by emerging scarcities of all the primary resources required to produce food—water, land, energy, nutrients, science, fish and stable climates. The paper outlines key factors in emerging global food insecurity and their ecological consequences, and the challenges facing farmers, consumers, NR managers and policymakers. It proposes a number of solutions. PLENARY ABSTRACTS 0950, Room T1, MCC 1330, Room T1, MCC Gold Medal of the Ecological Society of Australia Aussie battlers vs Spanish conquistadores: plasticity and adaption in populations of Erodium cicutarium. Richard Hobbs1 1 University of Western Australia Professor Richard Hobbs, University of Western Australia, has been selected to receive the 2010 Ecological Society of Australia Gold Medal. The Gold Medal recognises Richard’s significant contribution to ecology in Australia, through his research in both theoretical and applied aspects of restoration ecology, and his role in improving communications amongst scientists and with practitioners in ecosystem management. The ESA awards a Gold Medal in recognition of an ecologist who has made a substantial contribution to the study of ecology in Australia over the course of their career. The Medal can also be awarded to ESA members who have made a significant contribution to the operations of the Society. Amy Davidson1, Oscary Godoy1, Andy Sheppard1, 1 Adrienne Nicotra 1 Australian National University Phenotypic plasticity is frequently referred to as playing an important role in plant invasions and in coping with environmental heterogeneity. It is also increasingly mentioned as one means by which plants, in particular, may cope with climate change. We present some preliminary work from greenhouse experiments in Spain comparing populations of Erodium cicutarium from both the invaded range (Australia) and the native range (Spain). The species grows along a natural rainfall gradient in both countries and seed was collected from drier and wetter sites in each. An herbivory treatment was applied to half the plants in which 50% of the aboveground biomass was removed on two occasions. Plants were grown in 60cm custom built rhizotrons to enable measurement of both root and leaf morphology. The plasticity of allometric relationships between leaves and roots to herbivory for the four populations was analysed. As expected, plants tended to increase their allocation of resources towards leaves at the expense of roots following herbivory; however this response was not always adaptive. Populations from drier areas and from the invaded region were more responsive to the herbivory treatment than populations from the native region or wetter sites. 57 PLENARY ABSTRACTS 1350, Room T1, MCC Applying choice modelling to design payment programs for off-reserve conservation in the Northern Territory, Australia Vanessa Adams1 1 James Cook University The need to integrate social and economic factors into conservation planning has become a focus of academic discussions and has important practical implications for the implementation of conservation areas. However, to date the focus has been only on selection of areas for strict reservation. With limited resources, progressive degradation of habitats, and rising expectations about the necessary extent of conservation management, it is increasingly apparent that other conservation actions such as stewardship agreements or conservation covenants on private land will be necessary to achieve conservation objectives. We surveyed landholders in the Daly Catchment, Northern Territory, to estimate their current land management costs associated with conservation actions and threats. The Daly Catchment is a national priority for biodiversity conservation but also highly suitable for intensified extractive uses. We used choice modelling to assess the probability of success of three conservation actions by land parcel: acquisition for reservation, payments to support a Conservation Management Agreement, and payments to support a Conservation Covenant. Additionally, we assessed the current costs of conservation for the catchment and used regression to estimate the budget required to support the various conservation actions under consideration. We incorporated these results into conservation planning software, Marxan with Zones, to select areas for the three conservation actions under different budgets for stewardship programs. 58 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Abstracts—Concurrent sessions Concurrent session 1a—Conservation 1100, Room T3, MCC 1115, Room T3, MCC Assessing the comparative risks of acidification and salinisation of Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Conservation of arid overstorey perennials— determining the age threshold for effective recruitment Kerri Muller1 1 Kerri Muller NRM Andrew Denham1, Tony Auld1 1 Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, NSW Lakes Alexandrina and Albert, together with the Coorong, form a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance at the terminus of the Murray–Darling Basin. Sustained low River Murray inflows, from a combination of drought and over-allocation, saw the lakes drop to unprecedented low levels with consequent exposure of large areas of acid sulfate soils. Modelling indicated that mobilisation of oxidation products from these soils could lead to widespread acidification and/or metal toxicity if lake levels drop below critical thresholds. One option proposed was to selectively open the barrages that separate the freshwater lakes from the estuary to allow sufficient seawater in to keep lake levels above these thresholds. Sixteen ecological experts, representing six biotic groups, semi-quantitatively assessed the ecological risks associated with using sea water to maintain target water levels compared to alternative options: drawdown of lake levels below thresholds, bioremediation of exposed soils or delivering River Murray water to maintain target levels. Novel methods used for screening exposure to stressors (e.g. salinity, pH) and scoring risks to Ecological Character are presented. A brief history of the site will also be presented to aid understanding of the complexities of managing the extant Matters of National Environmental Significance in this highly altered landscape. In arid systems infrequent recruitment or elimination of recruits by herbivores threatens many keystone overstorey species. Typical management responses to this are to reduce grazing pressure through fencing or herbivore population control. Both these types of action often lead to rapid establishment of new individuals, but the difficulties of maintaining reductions in grazing pressure beg the question—when can we stop? Clearly plants need to attain grazing resistant size for effective recruitment. In a long term study of recruitment and survival at Kinchega NP, we examined growth rates of several species with contrasting regeneration modes— those that primarily produce suckers and exclusive seedling producers. We found that growth toward grazing resistant size varied with location, recruit type and with species. Seedlings generally grew rapidly and some reached a grazing resistant size within a decade. This growth pattern was also apparent in some species of sucker producers. However, some suckering species such as Acacia carneorum appeared to slow their growth rates after the initial establishment. For these species, several decades may be required before it would be safe to expose them to grazing. We discuss the possible mechanisms behind this variation and the conservation management implications. Dr Kerri Muller is a freshwater ecologist who specialises in assessing ecological risks and determining environmental water needs. She has worked in the Murray–Darling Basin since 1992 and is a Fellow of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation. Andrew Denham’s research interest is in plant conservation biology. His current work is looking at combining plant demographics with genetic studies to overcome impediments to recruitment in keystone arid species. 59 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T3, MCC 1145, Room T3, MCC Habitat loss in Melbourne and plant extinction debt Long-term community variation as a baseline for biodiversity conservation: discerning signal from noise Mark J McDonnell1, Amy K Hahs1, Cynnamon Dobbs1,2 1 Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, 2School of Botany, University of Melbourne Amy Macken1 1 Hahs et al. (2009) examined the extinction debt of 22 cities around the world and reported debts as high as 55% of the flora for young cities (i.e., ~200 years old) such as Melbourne, Australia. To explore the nature of Melbourne’s extinction debt in more detail, we examined the extinction debt of the major vegetation communities based on broad Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs) using a variety of data including herbarium records and the Victorian Flora Information System records. Today, native vegetation communities (i.e., EVCs) in Melbourne occupy between 4 and 20% of their original distribution. All EVCs exhibited an extinction debt. The Plains Grasslands had the highest debt with 21% of the species predicted to be lost in the future which equates to a loss of some 184 species. Riparian and Swampy Scrub had the lowest extinction debt with 7% of the species predicted to be lost in the future which equates to a loss of some 71 species. The Plains Woodlands broad vegetation class actually contained fewer species than would be explained by a species area relationship suggesting other factors are negatively impacting on the vegetation. Mark McDonnell has conducted research and published research papers and books on the ecology of cities and towns over the last 25 years. Flinders University of South Australia Concern about the impacts of future climate change on biodiversity has led to increased recognition by the conservation community of the need for long term perspectives of ecosystems and their variability through time. This is because ecosystems are not temporally static but express natural variation in response to short and long term disturbances, including climate change. Examining patterns of ecological variation over the Quaternary provides a means of determining whether or not variation expressed by an ecosystem, community or species is within the ‘normal’ range for the system. The vertebrate fossil deposits of the Naracoorte Caves World Heritage Area in south-eastern South Australia contain long term records of ecosystem response to multiple climate fluctuations at one location and provide an opportunity to examine the variation expressed by the local fauna through time. Despite the recognised significance of the fossil deposits, no studies have attempted to direct palaeontological investigation towards providing information that may be used by conservation biologists. Here, I present preliminary results of my PhD research into late Pleistocene variation in community and species dynamics and examine how these records can provide a basis for distinguishing ‘natural’ variation (noise) from responses to extrinsic factors such as climate change (signal). Amy Macken is a PhD student at Flinders University. She completed a BSc in Ecology/Botany from the University of Adelaide, achieving an Honours degree from Flinders in 2009. 60 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T3, MCC Relocation of the grey-headed flying-fox camp from the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney: history, approval process and relocation monitoring and methods John Martin1, Billie Roberts2, Rodney van der Ree3, Peggy Eby4 1 Botanic Gardens Trust, 2Griffith University, 3Melbourne University, Peggy Eby Consulting 4 The Botanic Gardens Trust (BGT) has received approval from DECCW (NSW) and DEWHA (Commonwealth) to relocate the Grey-headed Flying-fox (GHFF) camp located within the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney (RBGS). The GHFF camp within the RBGS has been steadily increasing since their recolonisation of the site in 1989, with a peak of 35 000 GHFF counted in 2007. Since 1998 GHFF have been continually present within the RBGS. As a result the heritage listed Gardens continue to be degraded through mechanical damage (knocking off leaf buds) caused by roosting GHFF. To date 26 trees and 20 palms have died and the condition of 40 others is considered critical. The BGT application process commenced in 2007 and received a conditional approval in 2009 from DECCW and in 2010 from DEWHA. Both applications were advertised for public comment and over 300 submissions were received and addressed. The method proposed to relocate the GHFF is based on the successful Melbourne Botanic Gardens relocation conducted in 2003 which used industrial noise to deter roosting GHFF. To monitor the behavioural response of the GHFF during and after the relocation the BGT is required to conduct the most detailed monitoring program of a relocation to date. In this presentation, we will outline the approval process, the proposed methods to relocate and monitor, and progress to date. John Martin is the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens Flying-fox Relocation Project Officer. ‘Troublesome’ urban species are a research and management interest of John’s. In previous roles at the Australian Museum and Centennial Park he has worked with native and introduced flora and fauna. Study species include rabbits, foxes, carp, possums and ibis. Urban ibis continue to be a research interest of John’s, extending upon his PhD studies through the University of Wollongong. 61 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 1b—Symposium: Ecology in Australia over the last 50 years: from the past to the future 1100, Room T1, MCC 1115, Room T1, MCC On the shoulders of giants … but grasping for what? Building on a distinguished heritage Roger Kitching 1 1 Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University In 1971 when I arrived in Australia as a newly minted ecologist, the animal ecology profession dominated by population ecologists. Nicholson, Andrewartha and Birch had constructed the profession in Australia and their students, appointees or protégés were the stars: Clark, Geier, Hughes, Readshaw, Browning—all names to be reckoned with at the time, and all concerned with population ‘regulation’ and pest management. Systems analysis and modelling were the ‘tools de jour’ and a young Robert May and a slightly less young Neil Gilbert went through the Australian ecological community like an unexpected laxative. Nicholson, Andrewartha, Birch and May were all seeking ecological ‘universals’ reflecting the well known physics-envy of the day! Others denied the existence or utility of such universals proposing that differences were more important than similarities. In the ensuing 40 years the focus has moved so that ecology sees itself more as serving conservation rather than population management (although these aren’t always different). The pursuit of generalities has become perhaps less fashionable here although elsewhere it remains de rigour. And animal ecologists have returned to their roots and included community studies in their ambits—concerns with diversity, food webs and biogeography re-emerging as of special interest. Professor Roger Kitching holds the Chair of Ecology at Griffith University. He is a rainforest ecologist interested in the beta diversity of animals, particularly arthropods. 62 1 Paul Adam 1 School of Biological Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales The Ecological Society of Australia is 50 years young, but it did not suddenly rise out of nowhere. There is a long history of pioneering ecological study in Australia and a strong intellectual heritage of rigorous and innovative research in what is now regarded as ecology. On this foundation the Society was built and many of the early activities and publications of the Society reflect this history. Much of the early ecological work in Australia was involved with the exploration and assessment of the potential, of natural resources, particularly for forestry or agriculture. A number of examples of these studies will be discussed. One topic of these early studies, the ecology of rainforests became a topic of public and political concern in the early years of the Society, and the Society engaged in debate over the definition of rainforest and its conservation, which was an important precursor to the subsequent development of position statements on a number of issues. In contrast to rainforest, I will briefly consider coastal saltmarsh, a habitat which played a key role in the development of ecology in the northern hemisphere, but which despite a few notable early studies, has only become a subject for intensive study in Australia in recent years. Paul Adam is a plant ecologist at UNSW, with interests in threatened species conservation, saltmarsh and rainforest ecology and conservation. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T1, MCC 1145, Room T1, MCC 50 years of Australian marine ecology—a personal perspective Freshwater ecology in Australia—directions, threads and gaps Alan Butler1 PS (Sam) Lake1 1 CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research When the ESA was founded, much of Australian marine ecology was derided as merely descriptive. But it moved into a period of very active experimental work, testing hypotheses about the dynamics of ecological systems, mainly in habitats that were easy to access. This phase was successful and enlightening, but the challenge remains to scale up, and to do applied ecology on systems not amenable to controlled experiments. Australia has been a leader in this area as well. Approaches to the management of fisheries and other uses are officially ‘ecosystem based’—and we’re busy figuring out how to do that! We think in terms of a meta-ecosystem view of the linked social-ecological system; we no longer think of the environment as statistically stationary, even as a convenient simplification; in particular we are trying to anticipate the effects of climate change. The interface between ecological theory, social science, and field marine ecology is a challenging place to be right now. Despite all this, much of marine ecology is still descriptive because the deep sea has continued to be really difficult to get at—we are still struggling to establish the ‘natural history’ basis that underpins good ecology everywhere. New technologies are rapidly changing that. Alan Butler studied and taught marine ecology at the University of Adelaide, Zoology Department, for 24 years before joining CSIRO and moving into deeper waters. He has recently retired, which gives him slightly longer weekends. 1 School of Biological Sciences, Monash University Up till 1961, taxonomy, distribution and the natural history of the aquatic biota were major activities in freshwater science. Starting in the early 60s, the major ecological effort focused on the limnology of lakes— especially salt lakes. Studies on the chemistry and adaptations of salt lake biota served to stimulate salt lake studies world-wide. Before the mid 70s the ecology, but not the use, of flowing waters had been neglected. The River Continuum Concept (1980) stimulated efforts to apply it to Australian streams. These were unsuccessful, largely due to the high flow variability of Australian streams. This variability led to studies of temporary streams, inland rivers and their floodplain wetlands. In relation to disturbance (floods, drought) research has focused on assemblage and trophic structure, production and use of refugia by biota. Inputs of plant litter into low-order streams are held to drive their production, though in arid and tropical systems, algae may be the major trophic input. Periodic flooding is critical to maintaining and restoring the ecological integrity of floodplain rivers. Flow variability and connectivity are critical requirements for environmental flow schedules, which combined with rapid ecological assessment and freshwater ecosystem restoration, are all key areas currently addressing management problems. Sam Lake BSc (ANU), PhD (So’ton) has mainly researched in freshwater ecology for the past 45 years. He has focused on the effects in aquatic ecosystems of natural and human-created disturbances and on the remediation of the latter in recent times. 63 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T1, MCC 1215, Room T1, MCC Key questions in ecology in the 1960s: have we answered them yet? Publishing Australian ecological research over fifty years Mark Westoby1 Michael Bull1 1 Macquarie University What were seen as the key questions in ecology in the 1960s? In the fifty years since then, have we solved them, dodged them or reformulated them? Mark Westoby has taught ecology and evolution at Macquarie University since 1975. 1 Flinders University Early publications in ecology from Australia emphasised unique aspects of the natural history of our biota. Australian ecology started to have an impact on the rest of the world after the publication of Andrewartha and Birch: The Distribution and Abundance of Animals in 1954. Soon after its foundation, the Ecological Society of Australia started publishing a series of Proceedings in 1966, and then its journal The Australian Journal of Ecology, in 1976. Now we publish two journals Austral ecology and Ecological Management and Restoration. This talk will reflect on the evolution of these publications over the years, and the scientific and financial impact they have had. It will reflect on possible directions in the next 50 years, indulging in speculative behaviour that would not be allowed by any sensible journal editor or conference scientific program director. Michael Bull is Managing Editor of Austral Ecology and Co-Convenor of the Symposium. 64 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 1c—Symposium: Long-term, trans-scale, integrated monitoring of Australian landscapes 1100, Room T4, MCC 1115, Room T4, MCC A unique, plot-based approach to monitoring Australian tropical rainforests New innovations for remote sensing revolutionise long-term monitoring Matt Bradford1, Daniel Metcalfe1 Alex Held1, Stuart Phinn2 1 CSIRO Tropical rainforests are highly variable ecosystems and exhibit this variability in both space and time. This poses a logistic challenge when attempting to monitor and interpret system dynamics. Should limited resources be focused at a single large site or distributed over multiple small sites? To examine the relative benefits of these two approaches we compare 40 years of data from twenty 0.5Ha plots distributed across Queensland’s Wet Tropics with data from a newly established 25Ha plot. The multiple smaller plots have allowed us to study diversity, growth rates, mortality and recruitment in different forest types, while documenting the occurrence of, and recovery from, natural phenomena such as cyclones, Phytophthera and erosion. The larger plot allows us to collect similar data in one location but at a larger spatial scale and in combination with associated faunal, hydrological, meteorological and atmospheric data. This enables improved consideration of population and community processes and drivers of change. The two plot systems provide distinct windows into understanding rainforest systems with the 0.5Ha plots allowing biome level insights while the 25Ha plot allowing a detailed process insight into populations and a community. Furthermore, the 25ha plot will allow comparison with similar plots on other continents. Matt Bradford has been a Research Technician at CSIRO, Atherton since 1992. His work centres on tropical forest dynamics and current interests include fruiting phenology, seed dispersal and plant invasion. 1 CSIRO Division of Marine and Atmospheric Research, 2TERN, University of Queensland Since the inception of satellite imagery in the early 1980s, remote sensing has beckoned the ecosystem scientist with its promise of spatial and temporal integrative power and insights into the health and nature of vegetation cover in Australia. This potential has not been realised by the community, remote sensing too often being used as just another means of generating ‘pictures’. There have been several problems with the effective use of remote sensing technologies in the ecosystem science community: (i) the consistency and quality of the images available, (ii) their high cost and sophisticated technical requirements, and (iii) the changing technology and understanding in the field. This presentation will discuss a range of new systematic and innovative provision of remote sensing products which will revolutionise its use. These products include: • derivation of key variables: LAI, %Cover, PV-NPV-Soil fractions • measurement of the diversity and composition of biological materials visible in the imagery • spatial distribution and heterogeneity of biological and inert materials • monitoring changes over time: e.g. phenology or ground cover dynamics • identify chemical nature of terrestrial surface materials and their temporal dynamics (vegetation, soils, water bodies, etc). Dr Alex Held is Facility Leader for TERN-AusCover and Team leader of the Terrestrial Remote Sensing Group in CSIRO Division of Marine and Atmospheric Research 65 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T4, MCC 1145, Room T4, MCC Intensive monitoring sites: relevance, integration and effectiveness in natural resource management Long-term, trans-scale, integrated monitoring of Brazilian landscapes: lessons for Australia Mike Liddell1, Peter Grace2, Andy Steven2 William Magnusson1, Jean-Marc Hero2, Flavia Costa1, Ben Lawson2, Rodrigo Koblitz3, Guy Castley2, Elizabeth Franklin1, 1 Albertina Lima 1 2 James Cook University, Queensland University of Technology, CSIRO 3 1 There have been many instances of intensive monitoring plots and transects in the history of Australia’s ecosystem science, mostly modelled on international practice. Integral to these is the combination of soil, gas exchange and biotic information at one place and their alignment with thematic issues in natural resource management. Such sites have delivered much useful product for the better understanding of the function of our ecosystems, but have tended to be abandoned once the initiator retires or loses enthusiasm or funding is terminated. It is important to consider their value to national ecosystem science and management. The great advantage of these sites is the integration of the various levels of ecosystem function and process in one location and the multidisciplinarity provided for problem solving and model development and testing. The TERN Supersite network is a national ecosystem research construct providing data essential for informed natural resource management and the global ecosystem science community. Each of the Supersites undertakes a set of core activities addressing aspects of biodiversity, carbon management and water availability within the landscape: an Ozflux system; soil, plant, atmosphere interactions ranging from basic plant physiology to soil carbon, water and nutrient dynamics and long term vegetation/faunal monitoring. The latter activity will provide an integration point with the extensive LTER systems also being developed through TERN. Mike Liddell has expertise in monitoring carbon dioxide, water vapour and energy fluxes in the field. He is program leader for the rainforest Supersite facility of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network. 66 Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, 2Environmental Futures Centre, Griffith University, 3Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis Most research proposals mention long-term interdisciplinary research that has relevance to stakeholders whose interests cover a wide range of scales. However, results are usually specific to one location or scale, and the ecological synthesis does not materialise. One of the reasons for this is that planning is for specific results, and no thought is given to common infrastructure that is useful to researchers from a wide range of disciplines. The lack of planning for integration results in mindless megaprojects that involve many local management-oriented studies that are related only through a common funding source. The Brazilian PPBio and CENBAM programs were designed integrate researchers from a number of disciplines, and part of that integration involves the construction of common field infra-structure, that complements pre-existing intensive or extensive research. The results from these programs show that integrated research is feasible, and that it returns results that are useful to a far wider range of stakeholders than conventional science. Specific examples include integration of environmental variables 2 and biodiversity, integration of scales from 25 km to > 1 2 million km , and even transcontinental comparisons with Australia. Dr William Magnusson did his PhD at Sydney University and went into the Amazon to work on Manatees in the 1970s. He has published widely in many fields of ecology and currently leads the Program for Biodiversity Studies (PPBio) of the Ministry of Science and Technology in Brasil. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T4, MCC 1215, Room T4, MCC Measuring the contribution of CAR reserves to mature forest biodiversity in production forest landscapes OzFlux: the Australian flux and ecosystem research network Simon Grove1,2, Tim Wardlaw1,2, Steve Read1 1 1 2 Forestry Tasmania, CRC for Forestry Regional Forest Agreements in Australia provide for biodiversity conservation in production forests through a network of reserves complemented by management prescriptions in harvesting zones. The effectiveness of this strategy remains largely untested, despite its importance for a social licence for ongoing commercial forestry in native forests. The 55,000 ha Southern Forests Experimental Forest Landscape (SFEFL) in southern Tasmania, anchored on the Warra Long-Term Ecological Research Site, provides a continuous gradient of modification from wilderness to heavily modified plantation and agricultural areas, within a relatively uniform biophysical environment, and has been established for the study of forestry management at the range of scales. An initial project uses a ‘replicated patch/landscape with controls’ design to test responses in focal taxa (birds, vascular plants and saproxylic beetles), and investigates possible changes across the gradient of modification in whether mature forest remains viable as habitat, and whether harvested areas close to mature forest are richer in mature-forest biodiversity than those more distant. We have already found that historical patterns of disturbance, both natural (from wildfire) and anthropogenic (from forest harvesting), give strong signals in coarse woody debris levels across the SFEFL. The effect of this finding on saproxylic beetles is being explicitly tested. Ray Leuning1, Helen Cleugh1, Mike Liddell2 CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, 2James Cook University, QLD This presentation describes OzFlux, a network of flux sites across Australia supported by TERN, the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network. OzFlux provides a consistent set of observations at time scales from hours to decades. Each site has micro-meteorological instrumentation to measure fluxes of water vapour and CO2, sensors for radiation, soil moisture, soil temperature, wind speed and direction, air temperature and humidity plus electrical power and telecommunications equipment. Stocks of carbon, water and nutrients and remote-sensing of vegetation structure are measured at ‘super sites’. Data from OzFlux are used by the land-surface and ecosystem modelling communities in Australia and globally to: 1) evaluate uncertainties in the performance of ecosystem and land surface models, 2) provide parameter values for models, 3) aid the incorporation of better process representations in these models, 4) develop detailed understanding of biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nutrients from local to regional scales, 5) provide evaporation data to develop local and regional water balances thereby enhancing our ability to manage landscapes for sustainable water yields. Quantitative extrapolation of knowledge gained at flux station sites to regional and continental scale is achieved by combining models, remote sensing and climate data. 67 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 1d—Symposium: From genes to ecosystems 1100, Moran G007, MCC 1115, Moran G007, MCC Above and below-ground specialisation in Australian orchids: novel insights from integrated ecological and genetic analysis The terreArray: a new microarray technology for quantifying ecosystem molecular functions within complex microbial communities Rod Peakall1, Michael Whitehead1, Kate Griffiths1, Celeste 1 2 2 Linde , Jacqueline Poldy , Russell Barrow Ross Chapman1 1 EcoGeonomix 1 Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 2 Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University Flowering plants are inextricably linked with other organisms. Above ground, orchids are well known for their diverse animal-pollination mechanisms. Below ground, orchids depend on mycorrhizal associations for seed germination. These interactions are often specialised and have likely played major roles in driving the astonishing diversification of the Orchidaceae. One serious research impediment is our inability to identify species by morphology alone, in all three groups. Therefore, we are employing chemical, ecological and genetic tools to better understand these interactions. In sexually deceptive Chiloglottis orchids this work has revealed the novel chemistry used by cryptic orchid species to lure their male pollinators to the flower. Pollinator choice experiments have further confirmed the primacy of chemistry in controlling pollinator specificity. We have also uncovered multiple cryptic species of pollinators. Contrary to expectations, multiple species of orchid are associated with a monophyletic group of fungal lineages. Thus, pollinator, rather than fungal specialisation may have been the major driver of speciation in Chiloglottis. These specific pollinator interactions may increase the conservation risk for some orchid species. Our integration of ecology and genetics is offering novel insights that would not be possible from either field alone. Rod Peakall’s research interests include plant reproduction, molecular ecology, conservation biology, chemical ecology and the statistics of population genetic analysis. While his study species include insects, plants, mammals and birds, he has a special interest in the evolution and speciation of orchids. 68 Microbial communities are responsible for driving critical ecosystem processes, including the cycling of energy, nutrients and methane, and the degradation of toxins. Productive and sustainable management of ecosystems therefore requires a sound understanding of molecular microbial processes that occur. However, gaining an ecosystem wide perspective of the multiple molecular processes undertaken by a myriad of microbial organisms has presented a major challenge to microbial ecologists. The terreArray is a new microarray technology that enables the quantitative study of multiple microbial molecular processes within complex microbial communities by assessing the abundance of key genes associated with those processes. Processes represented on the terreArray include the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, and phosphorous; methane oxidation; heavy metal resistance; and the biodegradation of organic toxins. Data is presented demonstrating the ability of the terreArray to detect functional differences between soil microbial populations from contrasting soil samples. The terreArray can be a valuable tool both for environmental auditing, for example to assess the impact of environmental stress and restoration practices on microbial function, and as a research tool to provide a more complete understanding of the impact of experimental treatments or environmental stimuli on microbial function. Ross Chapman has a PhD in Grassland Ecology from Aberdeen University, Postdoc Restoration Ecology, Newcastle University. He is a seed bank ecologist, CSIRO Plant Industry Bioinformatician, School of Botany, Melbourne University Group Leader, Victorian Microarray Technology Consortium, DPI, Victoria. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Moran G007, MCC 1145, Moran G007, MCC Can secondary metabolism pathway genes reveal signs of interactions with ecosystem? Assessing ecological characteristics using highthroughput sequencing and DNA microarrays Suat Hui Yeoh1, William Foley1, Gavin Moran1 Christopher Hardy1, Leon Court1, Diana Hartley1, Matthew Morgan1, Matthew Colloff1, Anthony Chariton2 1 The Australian National University 1 Evolutionary processes can leave distinct signatures in the genetic material of an organism. In order to understand the evolutionary history, interactions and roles of an organism in its ecosystem, the relative magnitude of these processes must be distinguished. Eucalyptus dominates the forest ecosystems of Australia. Past research has highlighted the significance of the response of eucalypts to herbivores and to stress. We used a comprehensive set of neutral genetic markers to investigate the genetic structure of Eucalyptus globulus across its entire geographic range. We then compared the genetic variance of these markers with key upstream genes in the terpene biosynthesis pathway which is important in the response to both stress and herbivores. We discuss whether these gene polymorphisms are under random genetic drift or display local adaptation. Understanding the basis of the polymorphisms in the key genes in an important pathway of secondary metabolism will enable us to determine how chemical diversity is maintained in natural forests and how it in turn, promotes biological diversity. Suat Hui Yeoh is a PhD candidate from the Division of evolution, ecology and genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University. She received her BSc (Hons.) in Genetics and Molecular Biology from University of Malaya, Malaysia before accepting an academic fellowship from the University of Malaya Academic Training Scheme to pursue her PhD. She is now working on the population genetics of Eucalyptus globulus with the aim of using neutral markers and the genes involved in terpene biosynthesis pathwayto understand more about the population structure of this species. CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, 2CSIRO Land and Water Ecosystem health is commonly assessed using small subsets of species that are tractable for identification, typically invertebrates and plants; an approach requiring large numbers of replicates, long sorting times and the need for specialist taxonomic expertise. Recent advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing, as well as highdensity DNA microarrays, offer exciting new opportunities to improve our understanding of ecosystem characteristics and provide a more complete picture of biodiversity. Both approaches provide considerable benefits over existing monitoring tools through their ability to detect previously ignored or cryptic biota. We have recently used one technique, 454 pyrosequencing, to identify eukaryotic sedimentdwelling species assemblages from locations with varying concentrations of contaminants in Sydney 1 Harbour . This study highlighted a number of key gaps in our current understanding of both the powers and limitations of the new sequencing-based platforms as well as the need for greatly improved bioinformatics capability to facilitate the processing of increasingly massive datasets. A second technique, screening samples against a custom designed Affymetrix DNA microarray chip (ecosystem array) containing over 480,000 gene sequence targets grouped into 50,000 probe sets encompassing species representing all major kingdoms of biota (metazoa, fungi, plants and micro-organisms) has also been developed and tested by our team. The genetic information included on the chip is derived from two sources: 1) Small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) sequences for eukaryotic organisms in Sydney Harbour sediments; and 2) Eukaryotic and bacterial SSU rDNA as well as bacterial N and S cycle genes retrieved from GenBank. DNA extracted from Sydney Harbour sediments were hybridised against targets on the ecosystem array and the outputs validated against 454 data from the same samples, thus providing equivalent information on the identity and differences in biota between locations. The ability of high density ecosystem DNA microarrays to provide large amounts of data rapidly and at a cost comparable to standard chemical approaches makes them an attractive and far cheaper alternative to sequencing for routine ecological monitoring. Dr Chris Hardy is a molecular geneticist and team leader for Functional and Environmental Genomics at CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences based in Canberra. His primary interest is in applying gene technologies for understanding ecosystem function. 69 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Moran G007, MCC 1215, Moran G007, MCC Genes in the landscape The genetic basis of chemotype variation in mosaic Alison Shapcott1 1 University Sunshine Coast Geneticists have long tried to explain landscape level genetic patterns as well as local community scale genetic structure. Early studies found relationships between genetic diversity of species populations was correlated with community level species diversity in Carpentaria acuminata from the Northern Territory showing landscape scale patterns from the macro to the micro were taking place. More recently niche modelling of species has enabled better explanation and predictions of landscape level geneflow when matched with genetic patterns in Macadamia. Genetic studies have identified metapopulation structure is maintained by pollen flow in some species and genetic studies are becoming useful tools to our understanding of seed dispersal and have enabled confirmation that some species distributions are dispersal limited. This talk will use case studies to highlight examples of where the integration of ecology and genetics has lead to greater insights and new approaches that will enable further integration. The understanding of the impacts of climate change and how species may adapt or persist offers an ideal setting for integration at a variety of scales which will be discussed. Alison Shapcott has been attempting to integrate ecology and genetics since the mid 80s and has worked on a variety of systems and is actively engaged in innovtive approaches. Eucalyptus Amanda Padovan1, Andras Keszei1, Tobias Kollner2, Jorg Degenhardt2, William Foley1 1 Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 2Institut für Pharmazie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Germany Mosaic Eucalyptus trees provide unparalleled natural experiments to understand how plants control the synthesis of chemical defences against herbivorous insects and mammals. In natural eucalypt mosaics, different branches on a single tree show vastly different leaf terpene and FPC profiles and thus vastly different responses to herbivores. Terpenes are responsible for the aroma and biological activity of many plant products, including Eucalyptus oil. They also play an important ecological role, particularly in defence against herbivores and pathogens. Formylated phloroglucinol compounds (FPCs) are unique to Eucalyptus and have strong antifeeding properties against marsupials and some insect herbivores. We collected leaf samples from mosaic trees of three species of Eucalyptus and analysed the foliar terpene and FPC variation. We identified 68 unique foliar terpenes and just seven foliar FPCs. The patterns of terpene variation suggest that a limited number of terpene synthases are responsible for chemotypic variation. We are using genomic and transcriptomic approaches to identify these terpene synthases and other genes that may synthesise the FPCs in order to explain chemotypic variation in mosaic Eucalyptus. Amanda Padovan completed a Bachelor of Science with honours at the Australian National University in 2009. Her thesis was ‘The molecular basis of terpene variation in Melaleuca quinquenervia’. Amanda started a PhD this year, also at the ANU, investigating the molecular mechanisms of terpene variation in mosaic Eucalyptus melliodora and E. sideroxylon. These trees are heavily defoliated during insect outbreaks, leaving very little of the canopy. However there is a single branch supporting healthy foliage, the insects don’t eat these leaves. Amanda is looking at this interaction from the trees’ perspective to determine what differs between the ‘resistant’ and ‘susceptible’ leaves and how this is controlled at the molecular level. 70 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 1e—Invasive species 1100, Moran G008, MCC 1115, Moran G008, MCC Invader impact thresholds on native plant communities Woven plastic weed mat succeeds in large-scale restoration where conventional weed control methods failed Ben Gooden1, Kris French1, Peter J Turner2, Paul O Downey2 1 Institute for Conservation Biology and Environmental Management, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, 2Pest Management Unit, Parks and Wildlife Group, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, NSW Adverse effects of alien plant invaders on native communities are well documented, yet it remains poorly understood whether invasion causes a linear or nonlinear loss of native species diversity. Invader impact thresholds may occur where low levels of invasion have little effect on native diversity, above which native species rapidly decline. We used a multi-site comparison approach to assess non-linear impact thresholds of a prolific alien shrub, Lantana camara L. (lantana), on vascular plant assemblages in wet sclerophyll forest of south eastern New South Wales. The number (richness) of native species declined significantly with increasing lantana foliage cover; however, non-linear models better explained species decline, suggesting invader thresholds exist. Native species richness declined only where lantana cover exceeded 75% in the forest understorey indicating that only with extensive invasion is species richness affected. Above this level species richness declined rapidly (about two species disappeared with every percentage increase in lantana cover). Lantana impacts were pervasive among life-forms although herbs and vines showed relatively greater species losses than ferns, shrubs and trees. Lantana invasion above 75% cover changed community composition and shifted vegetation structure from tall open forest to low, dense lantana-dominated shrubland. A possible broad scale biodiversity conservation strategy could be to restrict invader cover to a level below the 75% cover threshold at sites comprising regionally common species, which would then allow more of the limited management resources for invader eradication to be used in areas of high conservation priority, such as those containing uncommon, rare or endangered species. Peter Grose1 1 School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia Sustained conventional weed control efforts using fire, herbicides and cultivation over five years failed to permit the restoration of 6.5 ha of fertile Vertosol soil farmland to its pre-existing natural state using seedling planting and direct seeding. Apart from a few large remnant trees, weeds completely dominated the site, primarily seven species that cover the full year in times of germination. All seven grow profusely in spring, the most critical time for establishment of native species, which were unable to compete adequately to overcome the threshold created by the weeds, despite the assistance of conventional weed control. Small-scale trials of jute mat, mulch and woven black plastic weed mat in 2006 showed the latter to be most cost-effective for weed control, and it is now proving successful on a much larger scale for expansion of the adjacent important wetland reserve and bird habitat as an offset for freeway construction. Nowadays there is some resistance to the use of herbicides for weed control, and in some instances conventional herbicide usage can be ineffective. In some situations woven black plastic weed mat can be a viable and cost-effective alternative on a large-scale basis, particularly where there is a significant threshold to overcome. Peter Grose is Managing Director of Tranen Revegetation Systems in Perth and part-time PhD student researching soil stabilisation with mulch and native plants and weed control systems. Ben Gooden is a first year PhD candidate working in conservation and invasive plant biology at the University of Wollongong. 71 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Moran G008, MCC 1145, Moran G008, MCC Invasive primates in Brazil Approximate Bayesian computation for the estimation of invasion dynamics Helena Godoy Bergallo1, Daniel Gomes Pereira1, Nathalia 1 1 Detogne , Wagner Silva Souza 1 Rio de Janeiro State University, Brazil Brazil has about 110 primate species; of which most are endemic to the Amazon and Atlantic Forests. Four species of native primates are considered invasive in other Brazilian regions: Callithrix jacchus, C. penicillata, Saimiri sciureus and Leontopithecus chrysomelas. Except for the last species, the others have been introduced into new areas, being captured and sold along Brazilian roads or in illegal markets as pets. However, as they tend to be aggressive, the owners end up releasing them into the wild and urban areas. Nowadays, C. jacchus and C. penicillata can be found in many areas in south and south-eastern Brazil. These species present considerable negative impact on birds, and in a lower scale in lizards, tree frogs and infant mammals. Another major impact is the hybridisation with congeneric species. We estimated the population size of three different populations of these species in Rio de Janeiro State: in an island (0.29+0.12 ind/ha), in an Urban Park (2.80+ 1.20 ind/ha) and in a National Park where some hybrids (0.005+ 0.003 ind/ha) between C. penicillata with the native and threatened species, C. aurita can be found. The population sizes tend to be higher in urban areas, where the human population feeds the marmosets. Helena Bergallo works with research and teaching of ecology at Rio de Janeiro State University. Her research is in the area of mammal ecology, currently focusing on invasive alien species. Grant Hamilton1, Rune Rasmussen1 1 Queensland University of Technology Understanding the dynamics of species invasions allows better management, and is therefore a high priority challenge. Currently we lack many of the tools that are needed to understand and predict the critical range expansion component of invasions. Range expansions dynamics are complex, with interplay between the site of invasion, the time until the invasion is discovered, dispersal (localised and long distance), population growth, and the landscape across which the range expansion occurs. Because the invasion process and the landscape across which invasions occur are both complex, however, it has been difficult to develop generic methods to understand range expansions. Typically estimating the parameters of range expansions has meant either unduly simplifying the ecology of the invasion process, and ignoring (or greatly simplifying) features of the landscape across which the invasion occurs. We demonstrate a newly developed method for the estimation of range expansion parameters across a heterogeneous landscape using Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC). Using this method, it is possible to preserve the essential components of the ecological process that we need to understand for better management, and the landscape that will make each invasion unique. We demonstrate the utility of this approach using both simulations and data. Grant Hamilton is a lecturer in Ecology. He uses statistical and computational methods for the modelling and management of pest species and is particularly interested in the range expansion process. 72 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Moran G008, MCC 1215, Moran G008, MCC Potential demographic impact of Cactoblastis cactorum on native Opuntia populations in Mexico Testing the generality of limiting similarity in plant communities Habacuc Flores-Moreno1, Maria del Carmen Mandujano Sánchez2, Jordan Golubov3, Francisco Mandujano2 Jodi Price1, Meelis Partel1 1 2 1 University of Tartu 3 University of New South Wales, UNAM, Mexico, UAM, Mexico Cactus moths (Cactoblastis cactorum) have been used worldwide as biological control agents of prickly pear (Opuntia spp). Native to South America, cactus moths were introduced to the Caribbean and reached southeastern Mexico in 2006. The presence of Cactoblastis in Mexico is of great concern because most native Opuntia species have both biological and social importance. Using herbarium data and bioclimatic models we projected the distribution of susceptible Opuntia species and of their morphologically related species. We also projected the demographic effects of an invasion by C. cactorum on a wild Opuntia population using population models. Based on demographic data from one wild Opuntia species, we projected the damage by the cactus moth with matrix population models. Reductions in demographic processes were then applied to the model, based on reported damage by the cactus moth in South Africa. We found Opuntia species susceptible to Cactoblastis are mainly distributed in northern and central Mexico. Demographically unperturbed Opuntia populations showed numerical equilibrium, but a 10% reduction in plant growth considerably decreased the rate of population increase. Our results suggest that many wild Opuntia species could be seriously affected throughout Mexico by the cactus moth, with serious biological and social consequences. Habacuc Flores-Moreno conducted undergrad and masters studies at National Autonomous University of Mexico. His main interest is invasive species evolution. Now he is conducting PhD studies with Dr Angela Moles at UNSW. Limiting similarity is a proposed assembly rule based on the idea that species must be functionally different to coexist. There has been controversy over the applicability of this ‘rule’ for plant communities with some studies finding evidence for limiting similarity and others not. One approach to testing this has been to examine the ‘invasion’ success of species into communities in which the functional diversity and composition has been manipulated. Using a meta-analysis approach, we examine the generality of this principle for plant communities based on published experimental studies. We asked—is establishment of an invading species less successful if it belongs to a functional group that is already present in the community compared to a community in which that functional group is absent? We found that communities containing functionally similar species to the invader could reduce the invaders biomass, cover or growth, but only for forb invaders. There was no support for limiting similarity when studies used a measure of invader colonisation (i.e. germination, establishment or survival). Hence, provided sufficient propagule supply, functionally similar invaders can establish, but biotic interactions may limit their abundance post-establishment. This finding has important implications for understanding community assembly processes, invasion ecology, and restoration. Jodi Price is a plant ecologist currently working on aspects of community assembly in herbaceous communities from a macroecological perspective. Previous work includes species invasions, disturbance impacts and land-use. 73 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 1f—Fire 1100, Room T2, MCC 1115, Room T2, MCC Assessing the impact of fire regimes and topography on hollow occurrence in trees and logs Climate change impacts on bushfires and ecosystem distribution in eastern Australia 1 1,2 2 Luke Collins , Ross Bradstock , Liz Tasker 1 University of Wollongong, 2Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water Hollows are a vital habitat resource for many animals. Fire has the potential to alter hollow dynamics through both creation and destruction, though impacts may vary spatially due to the influence of topography on fire behaviour. This study in dry sclerophyll forests near Nowra examined the effect of fire frequency, severity and topography on the presence of hollows in fallen logs and standing trees. A total of 684 logs and 585 trees were randomly selected across 30 sites, stratified by fire frequency and topography (gully/ridge). Fire frequency was categorised as ≤2 (low) or ≥4 (high) fires over a 26 year period. Generalised linear mixed models were used for analysis. Hollow occurrence in logs was typically greater in the low fire frequency treatment, although log diameter and decomposition determined the degree of influence. Fire severity had no impact on hollow occurrence in logs. Fire frequency and severity had no effect on hollow occurrence in trees. Logs in gullies and trees on ridges were more likely to contain hollows, with no interaction being observed between fire frequency and topography. Frequent fire may reduce hollow availability in logs, although underlying topographic effects on hollow occurrence may maintain this resource across topographically heterogeneous landscapes. Luke Collins is a PhD candidate conducting research that assesses how fire and the landscape interact to shape habitat characteristics and thus determine the abundance of small and medium sized mammals. 74 Jeremy Little1, Steve Williams1, David Bowman2, Jeremy VanDerWal1, Will Edwards1, Chris Johnson1 1 James Cook University, 2University of Tasmania Predicted increases in bushfire frequency and intensity are likely to be one of the most significant influences of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems globally. Ecosystems found in cool moist climates, as well as ecosystems that are fire sensitive are those most likely to be at risk. In Australia, cool moist and fire sensitive ecosystems, which include rainforests and tall eucalypt forests, are currently restricted to uplands and slopes associated with the great eastern ranges. These ecosystems also host Australia’s highest biodiversity, so the consequences from adverse impacts are potentially catastrophic. The extent to which a change in climate and fire regime could affect these ecosystems has been studied in the Wet Tropics region of north-east Australia. This includes a detailed field-based study of climatic conditions and Fire Danger across an ecosystem gradient consisting of rainforest, ecotonal tall eucalypt forest and savanna woodlands. A complex of field, vegetation, biogeographic and other regional data has then been used in conjunction with cutting-edge spatially explicit models to predict how these ecosystems will respond to changes in climate and fire regime. This research has implications for bushfire managers aiming to mitigate potential impacts to biodiversity and ecosystems most at risk from climate change. Prior to starting a PhD, Jeremy Little worked for NSW and Qld National Parks in bushfire and wildlife research, and as an area manager in the Wet Tropics. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T2, MCC 1145, Room T2, MCC Time-since-fire and inter-fire-interval influence hollow availability in semi-arid mallee vegetation, south-eastern Australia Management of ecosystem threats in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area Angie Haslem1,2, Simon J Watson2, Rick S Taylor1, Lisa M 1 2 3 2 Spence-Bailey , Dale G Nimmo , Sally A Kenny , Luke T Kelly , 1 1 2 Kate E Callister , Sarah C Avitabile , Andrew F Bennett , Michael F Clarke1 1 Department of Zoology, La Trobe University, 2School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 3Department of Botany, La Trobe University Tree-hollows provide an important habitat resource for many animals. Fire affects hollow availability by both destroying and creating hollows. We investigate the influence of time-since-fire and inter-fire-interval on hollow occurrence in semi-arid mallee vegetation. Characteristics of hollow-bearing eucalypt stems were recorded at 545 sites in the Murray Mallee, south-eastern Australia. For each site, the number of years a) since the last fire and b) between the two most recent fires was determined from fire-history mapping and predictive models of fire-year. Fire-year models were based treeage/live stem DBH relationships at sites of known fireage, and applied to data on dead stem DBH to estimate the age at which stems were killed by fire (thus indicating inter-fire-interval). The influence of time-sincefire and inter-fire-interval on hollow-bearing stem characteristics was examined using mixed models. Timesince-fire affected the proportion and size of live stems with hollows; inter-fire-interval had a greater influence on these characteristics in dead hollow-bearing stems. Hollows take ≥40 years to develop in live stems, while the proportion and size of dead hollow-bearing stems increases steadily with inter-fire-interval. Results highlight the complex way in which fire affects the availability of faunal habitat resources, and demonstrate that such influence operates over extended time-periods. Rosalie Chapple1, Daniel Ramp2, Richard Kingsford2, John Merson2, Ross Bradstock3, Tony Auld4, Peter Fleming5, Robert 6 Mulley 1 Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute, 2University of NSW, University of Wollongong, 4NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, 5NSW Department of Industry and Investment, 6University of Western Sydney 3 Effective management of large protected conservation areas is challenged by political, institutional and environmental complexity and inconsistency. We examine how these challenges impact upon management of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (GBMWHA), which covers a million hectares west of Sydney and incorporates eight protected reserves. Multiple government agencies and other stakeholders are involved in its management, and decision-making is confounded by numerous plans of management and competing values and goals, reflecting the different objectives and responsibilities of stakeholders. We argue for more transparent links between science, policy and management within an adaptive learning by doing framework for more effective conservation of biodiversity in the GBMWHA. We highlight the complexities of the decision-making process for this large network of reserves by focusing on the management of fire and pest animals (particularly wild dogs) and consider how existing knowledge is integrated into management. We conclude that the major barrier to improved policy and management is not lack of knowledge but lack of a decision-making framework that can effectively integrate knowledge that influences on-ground management. Rosalie Chapple is Executive Director of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute. She also teaches part time in environmental studies at UNSW. Her primary research interests are in the broader socio-political aspects of wildlife conservation. 75 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T2, MCC 1215, Room T2, MCC Insights into post-fire recolonisation of reptiles using a novel application of population genetics Frequent colonisation of ephemeral habitats reduces large-scale genetic structure Annabel L Smith1, Michael G Gardner2, C Michael Bull2, Don A Driscoll1 Jennifer Pierson1 1 CSIRO 1 The Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, 2School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University Uninformed fire management could threaten animal species that specialise on a post-fire seral stage. Complete fire suppression may harm early successional species while wide spread burning may harm late successional species. Reptiles show differing responses to fire: some species increase with time since fire, some decrease, and others show a non-linear response. It is therefore assumed that a fire mosaic will benefit the reptile community. However, the spatial scale at which a mosaic should be implemented is not known because the capacity for species to recolonise is uncertain. Although dispersal might strongly influence post-fire recolonisation, it has not previously been considered in animal fire response models. This study used population genetic analyses to examine the relationship between fire and dispersal in three fire-sensitive lizard species. Sixteen polymorphic microsatellite markers for each species were used to study gene flow within and between sites burnt at different times. Specifically we asked: 1) do dispersal rates change with time since fire? and 2) do species recolonise from survivors within a burnt habitat, or by migration from surrounding unburnt habitats? The results from all three species will be presented with a discussion of how spatial scales of fire mosaics will influence recolonisation in reptiles. Annabel Smith is a PhD student at the ANU. Her project on fire ecology in reptiles has a focus on using population genetics to examine post-fire recolonisation. 76 The genetic characteristics of classical metapopulations, where extinction and colonisation of subpopulations occurs in static habitat patches, have been studied extensively. However, genetic characteristics of a habitattracking metapopulation, where a species tracks early successional habitat patches that vary through space and time, are virtually unknown. In this study, I used life history and dispersal parameters similar to a rare firespecialist and a common generalist to estimate patterns of large-scale genetic structure in a habitat-tracking metapopulation. This led to two basic models of dispersal being simulated: frequent colonisation of new patches and stable migration among static patches. I then compared simulation results to empirical patterns of genetic structure of black-backed woodpeckers, a firespecialist, and hairy woodpeckers, a generalist, to understand the mechanisms that create the observed patterns of genetic structure. Simulation results suggest that a combination of frequent colonisation of new habitat patches combined with an intermediate dispersal distance can result in low genetic differentiation without spatial structure at large scales, the pattern observed in a fire-specialist, the black-backed woodpecker. Blackbacked woodpeckers show no spatial structure across a vast spatial scale (3500 km) whereas hairy woodpeckers, a common generalist, show a strong pattern of isolation by distance. Jennifer Pierson has a BS from Oregon State University, a MS from the University of Montana, and a PhD from the University of Montana. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 1g—Foraging and herbivory 1100, Room T5, MCC 1115, Room T5, MCC Foraging patterns and behavioural responses to plant toxins: swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor) and cineole The ecological implications of herbivore responses to plant chemical defence 1 1 2 Miguel Angel Bedoya-Pérez , Daniel D Issa , Peter B Banks , 1 Clare McArthur School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, 2School of Biological, Earth, Environmental Science, The University of New South Wales Natasha Wiggins1, Clare McArthur2 1 School of Zoology and School of Plant Science, University of Tasmania, 2School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney 1 Herbivores encounter plants secondary metabolites (PSMs) that can act as toxins or as digestibility-reducers, diminishing food profitability. Foragers are selective in where and what they eat, in part to reduce costs of consuming PSMs. Swamp wallabies are mammalian browsers that eat range of plants (such as Eucalyptus seedlings, shrubs and bracken fern) containing a variety of toxic PSMs. Our aim was to determine how the concentration of a toxin influences foraging behaviour. We used the Giving-Up Density (GUD) framework and cameras to quantify behavioural responses during feeding bouts. We ran two experiments: (1) small-scale Latin square and (2) large-scale repeated measures, both with the terpene cineole at five concentrations. We found a direct positive relationship between cineole concentration and GUD. Food with no cineole, however, had a higher GUD than food with low cineole concentration. We hypothesise that cineole may act as an olfactory cue, decreasing search time, partly counteracting its physiological cost. Our results demonstrate the ecological importance of PSMs concentration as a modifier of the foraging of freeranging herbivores. This has important implications for the potential selective pressure that herbivores exert on plants and plant defences. Miguel Bedoya-Pérez is a PhD student at Sydney University. He has an Honours degree on sexual selection by females Capybaras at Universidad Simon Bolivar, Venezuela in 2007, and was a Research Assistant for NaGISA Project Venezuela in 2008. Plants and herbivores have coexisted for millions of years, resulting in a complex array of plant-herbivore interactions. Plants are continually challenged by the herbivores that consume them and herbivores are continually challenged by the plants that they consume. This co-evolutionary relationship sees both entities adapting to the others’ strategies: plants are laden with physical and chemical defences while herbivores use physiological and behavioural strategies to mitigate these defence. With more than 1,000 mammalian herbivores across the globe, 99% have adapted a generalist feeding strategy. Generalist herbivores consume a variety of different plants to meet their nutritional requirements and reduce the toxic load ingested, but if they choose the wrong plant species or over-indulge in the next, the consequences could be deleterious. A smorgasbord of essential nutrients may very well be accompanied by a plethora of harmful toxins, making diet selection a very arduous task but one essential for survival. The behavioural ecology of foraging herbivores can have important individual, population, community and ecosystem level implications. This presentation will focus on a well studied system of possum-eucalypt interactions at the individual and population-based levels for both plant and herbivore, and explore ecosystem level responses to chemically-driven interactions. Natasha Wiggins is presenting a summary of research she had been involved with at the University of Tasmania, focusing on the behavioural responses of generalist mammalian herbivores to plant defensive chemistry. 77 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T5, MCC 1145, Room T5, MCC Plant silicon and herbivory: strategies and soil types Adjustments in foraging behaviour by female eastern grey kangaroos during lactation Julia Cooke1, Michelle Leishman1 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University Jemma Cripps1, Mark Elgar1, Graeme Coulson1 1 Silicon is ubiquitous in plants and can constitute up to 10% of plant dry mass. The amount of silicon that a plant accumulates is related to phylogeny and the amount of plant available silicon. One function of plant silicon is as a herbivore defence by reducing the palatability and digestibility of plants as well as damaging the mouthparts of herbivores. Silicon is considered an alternative to other chemical or carbon-based herbivore defences, and has been best studied in the Poaceae (a high silicon-accumulating family) with the majority of studies carried out on agricultural species. We investigated the abundance and role of plant silicon at a community level by comparing leaf silicon concentration with herbivory rates, defence chemicals and carbon compound concentrations in plant communities from two different soil types with contrasting levels of plant available silicon. We investigated how leaf silicon concentration varies between and within taxa across soil types, with herbivore damage and with other plant herbivore defences including phenols and tannins or lignin and cellulose. Julia Cooke is a plant ecologist interested in the functional roles of plant silicon in natural ecosystems. She is currently completing her PhD thesis on this topic. Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne Lactation is one of the most energetically expensive components of reproduction in mammals. Consequently, reproducing females often alter their behaviour to compensate for increased energy demands during this period. Previous investigations into differences in the behaviour of reproducing and nonreproducing female mammals are largely correlative and the results are typically confounded by intrinsic differences among individuals. We avoided these confounding factors by experimentally controlling reproduction using a fertility control agent, then compared the activity patterns and fine-scale foraging behaviour of reproducing and non-reproducing adult female eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus). Using focal and scan sampling, we calculated three key foraging variables: total feeding time (a measure of an individual’s trade-off between its energetic requirements, vigilance and maternal care), bite rate (a measure of resource intake rate) and step rate (an indication of selection for higher quality forage). Late in lactation, reproducing female kangaroos spent longer periods of time foraging during the day and less time resting than non-reproducing females. During this period, reproducing females also had significantly higher bite rates (91.7 bites/min) compared to non-reproducing females (76.5 bites/min). These behavioural adjustments allow females to increase their food intake during late lactation when energetic demands are high. Jemma Cripps completed BSc(Hons) in 2008 and is presenting her results from her Honours project at ESA 2010. She has just started a PhD at Melbourne University, examining the fitness effects of gastrointestinal parasitism on kangaroos. 78 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T5, MCC 1215, Room T5, MCC Assessing the evidence for latitudinal gradients in plant defence and herbivory Habitat use and behaviour of cattle in a heterogeneous ‘patchy resources in matrix’ environment in arid Australia Stephen Bonser1, Angela Moles1, Ian Wallis2, Alistair Poore1, William Foley2 1 University of New South Wales, 2Australian National University The idea that biotic interactions are more are more intense in the tropics is widely accepted at underpins several dominant theories on the latitudinal gradient in biodiversity. Current theory also predicts that since biotic interactions are more intense in tropical systems, plants will also be better defended in these systems. We surveyed the literature on latitudinal gradients of herbivory and plant defence and conducted metaanalyses on these studies to test for latitudinal gradients in herbivory and defence. We found 16 studies examining latitudinal gradients of herbivory. Of these studies, only 6 showed significantly higher herbivory at lower latitudes, while 4 showed significantly higher herbivory at higher latitudes. We found 48 studies examining latitudinal gradients of physical and chemical defence. 15 of these studies showed greater defence at lower latitudes, while 14 showed greater defence at high latitudes. The available data to not support the widespread view that herbivory is generally more intense toward the tropics, or that plants from low latitudes are better defended than those from high latitudes. These results suggest it is time to generate new hypotheses on global patterns of herbivory and defence. Stephen Bonser is an evolutionary ecologist at the Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, UNSW. His research focuses on the evolution of ecological strategies in plants. Anke Frank1, Glenda Wardle1, Chris Dickman1 1 The University of Sydney Areas more than 10 km from water in arid Australia are considered to be relatively free from the impacts of cattle grazing, as livestock seldom move further away to drink. However, there is concern about the adequacy of such water-remote areas as few now remain. In the typically heterogeneous environments of arid Australia, grazing impacts also are difficult to predict as cattle activity is unlikely to decrease uniformly, as radial piospheres, with distance from water. By using sightings and dung transects in the parallel dune system of the Simpson Desert, central Australia, we show that patchily distributed gidgee woodland, comprising only 16% of the available habitat, is the most important habitat for cattle away from watering points providing critical food and shade resources. Dunes swales and sides, which comprise 70% of the available habitat, are hardly used. These results suggest that habitat use by cattle is influenced strongly by the dispersion of gidgee patches in a matrix of shade- and food-deficient spinifex grassland. We use our findings to build a new conceptual model, compare this with the original piosphere model of Lange (1969), and discuss the consequences for wildlife in environments where the model applies. Anke Frank finished her PhD on the ecological impacts of cattle grazing on flora and fauna in the Simpson Desert, which included the study of habitat use and behaviour of cattle under the supervision of Chris Dickman and Glenda Wardle, in March 2010 and has just started a post-doc as an ARC Research Assistant with Prof Chris Johnson to investigate the effects of cattle grazing, feral predators and fire on mammals in the tropical savannas of northern Australia. 79 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 1h—Distribution and tools 1100, Moran G009, MCC 1115, Moran G009, MCC Prediction of bird habitat resources in Great Western Woodlands using multiple satellite-borne datasets Generating finer resolution species distribution data using an expert system 1 1 1 Peter Lee , Brendan Mackey , Chris McElhinny , Sandra Berry 1 1 Australian National University Great Western Woodlands (GWW, around 16 million ha), is a critical habitat supporting approximately 200 bird species in semi-arid south-western Australia. However, the abundance of the birds is decreasing due to the decline in woodland habitats. This study aims at (a) investigating the relationship between vegetation structure and woodland bird habitat resources and (b) predicting potential bird habitat resources using satelliteborne data. Based on vegetation structure-related habitat resources collected from published literature, bird habitat functional groups are classified. Datasets from four satellite-borne sensors including MODIS, ASTER, PALSAR and GLAS are used in mapping four structural variables: (a) foliage density using MODIS imagery; (b) understorey vertical layering using ASTER imagery; (c) vegetation volume using PALSAR imagery; and (d) vegetation height using GLAS data. The thematic layers are combined to generate a comprehensive system to predict potential bird habitat resources of GWW bird species. Spatial variations of foliage density and understorey layering showed strong relationships with MODIS and ASTER data, and models developed for estimating vegetation volume and height were highly correlated with PALSAR and GLAS data. A combined final model was considered to be useful in predicting bird habitat resources and then managing habitat resources-based functional groups in the GWW region. Peter Lee is doing a PhD at ANU developing a method for applying remote sensing techniques to vegetation structure analysis and generating a 3D model. 80 1 1 1 Aidin Niamir , Andrew Skidmore , Bert Toxopeus , Antonio2 3 Román Munoz Gallego , Raimundo Real 1 University of Twente, Netherlands, 2Fundacion Migres, Spain, University of Malaga, Spain 3 Noticeable amount of knowledge, either in the form of literature or expert’s opinion, are often available in local scales, whereas it have not been addressed adequately in species distribution modelling (SDM). In this presentation, incorporation of existing knowledge into the SDM is outlined by enhancing the sampling scheme from coarse resolution atlas to yield more accurate predication in a finer resolution. Coarse-resolution distribution map Aquila faciata in southern Spain, was obtained from the Atlas of breeding birds. Bayesian Theorem was used to generate an ‘expert-enhanced’ sampling scheme based on existing knowledge in the literature. Maximum entropy approach was employed to predict distribution maps using two treatments: control, where models were calibrated with conventional random sampling species data from the atlas, and expert, where species sampling data were enhanced by the expert system. Four categories of environmental explanatory variables, topographic, bioclimatic, biologic, and anthropogenic were served into Maxent. Independent breeding territories were used to evaluate the predictive performance of models. Serving expertenhanced sampling scheme into SDM, prediction accuracy improved significantly. Existing knowledge may prove useful to enhance classical random sampling into more reliable sampling scheme in downscaling from coarse resolution species distribution atlases to finer suitability prediction maps, however, the usefulness of this approach may be limited to well-known species. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Moran G009, MCC 1145, Moran G009, MCC The use of electromagnetic induction surveys for ecological research and sustainable holistic management activities in heterogeneous upland environments Bayes Nets as a method for analysing return for investment in fire management planning Glen Bann1, John Field1 1 Australian National University Electromagnetic induction (EM) techniques that measure apparent bulk (soil) profile electrical conductivity (ECa) have been increasingly utilised for environmental objectives, however, very few studies have investigated associated biological attributes. The possible advantages of utilising EM for ecological applications, including conservation activities, are considerable, as the EM measurements are accurate, rigorous and efficient, with a capability to survey large areas quickly and non-invasively, by carrying the instruments on foot, or vehicles such as quad bikes. This research investigates the applicability of these instruments for ecological objectives, namely the Geonics EM38 and EM31, (EM38 measures to approximately 0.75m and 1.5m and EM31 to 3m/6m in horizontal/vertical dipoles respectively). Biotic (floral/faunal) and abiotic metrics were collected along transects on grassy woodland sites on the Southern Tablelands of NSW. Results indicate that the EM38 ECa yielded strong correlations (p<0.001) with many of the biotic and most abiotic metrics, including those associated with ecological processes (e.g. pH, compaction). However, correlations with faunal attributes were generally absent. Correlations with the EM31 were weaker, with all surface attributes showing an inverse relationship with depth (no strong correlations with biotic metrics and the deeper EM31). Results confirm that the EM38 can provide valuable abiotic and biotic information, hence, it should be further investigated. Trent Penman1, Owen Price2, Ross Bradstock2 1 Industry and Investment NSW, 2University of Wollongong Wildfire can result in significant economic costs to land managers and adjacent property owners. Inquiries following such events often recommend an increase in management effort to reduce the risk of future losses. Currently, there are no objective frameworks in which to assess the relative merits of management actions or the synergistic way in which the various combinations may act. Bayes Nets are a method for examining complex environmental relationships that have not been tested on fire management scenarios. We examine the value of Bayes Nets as a method for assessing return for investment in fire management using a case study from a forested landscape managed primarily for conservation. The Bayes Net was developed using existing datasets, a process model and expert opinion taken from two fire management agencies. The model successfully duplicated recorded fire data for an 11 year period from 1997–2007. Initial attack and suppression effort had the greatest impact on the distribution of the fire sizes for a season. Bayes Nets provide a holistic model for considering the impact of multiple fire management methods on the risk of wildfires. The methods could be further advanced by including the economic and environmental costs of management. Trent Penman is a fire ecologist in the Forests and Rangeland Ecosystems group with Industry and Investment NSW. His work has focused on the effect of forest management practices on ecological attributes of forest systems. Glen Bann has a background in geology and ecology, and has worked in both fields, including natural resource management. Glen is presently finalising a PhD at the ANU investigating dryland salinity, biodiversity and geodiversity in south-eastern Australia. In his spare time Glen works on a science education program, called Living GeoDiversity, which he’s hoping to have included in the new national secondary schools science syllabus due for rollout in 2011. 81 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Moran G009, MCC 1215, Moran G009, MCC Biodiversity and ecosystem resilience: a GIS-based adaptive management framework Agent-based modelling of marine mammals and maritime traffic to inform management and policy decisions in marine protected areas Nancy Auerbach1, Roslyn Taplin1 1 Bond University This paper proposes a GIS (geographic information system)-based adaptive management approach for biodiversity management. Addressing the worldwide decline in biodiversity requires effective and testable environmental management actions at the local level. An adaptive management perspective which can incorporate natural variance and non-linearity in management outcomes and emerging threats is needed to respond to the dynamic nature of challenges to biodiversity. The proposed adaptive management framework guides actions to sustain the synergism of healthy, functioning ecosystems, based upon a systematic, justifiable, and repeatable methodology. It is a flexible action framework that allows for adjustment based upon formative assessment of management action effectiveness. GIS provides the infrastructure to store, analyse, communicate, and update scientific and community-based biodiversity information, management actions and outcomes. A spatially-based structural component to support visualisation and science-based decision-making synthesises biodiversity, resilience, and adaptive management research into a practically applied framework. As a trial case study, application to the multispecies recovery plan for the Burnett-Mary Natural Resource Management Region of Queensland, Australia is examined. Outcomes are focused on restoring and maintaining healthy, functioning ecosystems with high resilience to ongoing environmental and human induced challenges. Nancy Auerbach is a PhD student and teaches GIS at Bond University. Her interest is in applying theory and spatial analysis to inform management practices for restoring and sustaining biodiversity. 82 Lael Parrott1, Jacques Andre Landry2, Clement Chion1,2, 2 1 Philippe Lamontagne , Samuel Turgeon , Cristiane CCA 1 Martins 1 University of Montreal, 2University of Quebec (ETS) The agent-based model, 3MTSim, has been developed as a decision support tool for the management of marine protected areas where the regulation of whalewatching and other types of tourist excursions is a key priority. The current version of the model simulates the spatiotemporal movement of marine mammals and maritime traffic in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada and is being used to inform policy and adaptive management in the region. The approach may also be applied to informing management of tourism activities such as whale shark and marine mammal observation in Australia’s coastal waters. 3MTSim currently includes an individual-based model of the movement patterns of fin, blue, humpback, minke and beluga whales. Different types of vessels, including cargo ships, commercial whale-watching and tour boats, pleasure craft, and ferries are also modelled individually. The model allows users to test different zoning scenarios for maritime traffic (e.g., area closures, speed limits, regulations concerning the observation of marine mammals) in order to assess their effects both on navigation dynamics and on marine mammal exposure to vessels. In this presentation, an overview of the system is presented, and the effectiveness of the approach for decision support in marine protected area management is discussed. Lael Parrott is Director of the Complex Systems Laboratory in the Department of Geography at the University of Montreal. She applies the theory and methods of complex systems studies to better understand ecosystem structure and dynamics. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 1i—Open forum 1100, Room T6, MCC 1115, Room T6, MCC Evolution of breeding systems in Tibetan poppies (Meconopsis Vig., Papaveraceae) Communal oviposition, oviposition site density, and egg supply to lotic caddisfly populations Hongyan Xie1, Adrienne Nicotra1, Julian Ash1, Saul Cunningham2 William Bovill1, Barbara Downes1, Jill Lancaster2 1 The University of Melbourne, 2Monash University 1 Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 2Entomology Division, CSIRO Viguier (1814) removed poppies with a style from Papaver to Meconopsis. Recent DNA-based phylogenies suggest styles are present and vary in both genera, and that Meconopsis is a clade of 45 polyploid Tibetan species. Self-incompatability (SI) is well understood in diploid Papaver (2n=14), however some polyploid Papaver are self-compatible (SC). Breeding systems in eight Meconopsis species were tested: species with 2n=56 were SI but those with 2n=76 or 84 were partially SC. Some SC species show additional changes: petals enclosing anthers and stigma; a short style; and a shift from blue-violet to yellow or red petals. The SI species, e.g. M. racemosa, are buzz pollinated by Bombus or by large Diptera: well suited to outcross pollination. In contrast, enclosed SC species had abundant small Diptera (e.g. Agromyzids) that feed and remain within flowers, facilitating self-pollination. We speculate that (1) creation of 2n=76–84 species (from 2n=56 + 28 ancestors) was associated with a breakdown in SI, enabling (2) a shift from dependence on large outcross vectors to smaller Dipterans that could live and selfpollinate within flowers, and (3) this lead to selection for changes in colour and morphology of flowers that favoured the small Dipterans. Hongyan Xie is a PhD candidate in ANU and current studying ecology, evolution and conservation of Meconopsis in the Eastern Tibetan region. Supply of new individuals is an important determinant of population size and persistence. In stream insects, egg supply remains virtually unstudied despite its role in setting the initial abundance and distribution of neonates. Females of many aquatic taxa have specialised oviposition behaviour. Several deposit all of their eggs in a single mass on emergent rocks, and communal oviposition is common. We tested the hypothesis that egg supply increases with the density of oviposition sites. Alternatively, communal oviposition could generate egg mass aggregations such that egg supply is unrelated to substrate density. Egg supply was compared for two caddisfly species (Hydrobiosidae) with different oviposition strategies. Apsilochorema sp. over disperse their eggs laying very few egg masses per emergent rock, whereas Ulmerochorema sp. cluster their egg masses in large aggregations leaving many rocks unexploited. Apsilochorema sp. egg mass supply increased with the density of oviposition sites, but supply of aggregated Ulmerochorema sp. eggs showed no association with emergent rock density. Communal egg-laying behaviour decouples egg supply from the density of oviposition sites, bringing other factors (e.g. distribution of adults) to the fore. But for species that disperse their eggs across oviposition sites, source and sink locations of larval supply may be well described by the density of emergent rocks. William Bovill is a PhD candidate at The University of Melbourne with a fascination for aquatic insects, and the population dynamics of species with complex life histories. 83 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1145, Room T6, MCC 1200, Room T6, MCC Habitat specialisation in four sympatric macropod species The effect of pitfall drift fences on capture rate of vertebrates on the Swan Coastal Plain Sarah Garnick1, Graeme Coulson1, Mark Elgar1 Wesley Bancroft1, Michael Bamford1, Natalia Huang1, Nick Sibbel2 1 University of Melbourne 1 How species coexist is a key ecological question; one significant answer involves resource partitioning, where species specialise on resources along habitat, diet and temporal gradients. Habitat specialisation is commonest form of specialisation. The scale of habitat selection is crucial, with microhabitat, aspects of habitat that operate on a small scale, featuring prominently. Our study assesses habitat specialisation in a complex macropod community, Macropus giganteus (EG: eastern grey), M. fuliginosus (WG: western grey), M. rufogriseus (RN: red-necked wallaby) and Wallabia bicolor (SW: swamp wallaby), in the Victoria Valley, Grampians National Park, Victoria, Australia. We fitted macropods with two-stage radiotransmitters and radiotracked individuals throughout the diel period. At all radio fixes we recorded ecological vegetation class (EVC) and measured microhabitat components including lateral/overhead cover and species composition of plant functional groups. We found habitat partitioning at EVC and microhabitat scales. For example, SWs selected EVCs with high lateral cover, whereas foraging fixes for RNs and WGs were concentrated in microhabitats with low lateral cover and high grass abundance. Much of the literature on specialisation focuses on twospecies systems. This study contributes a fuller perspective on specialisation by demonstrating a spectrum from specialists to generalists along multiple resource dimensions. Sarah Garnick completed her honours on faecal aversion in eastern grey kangaroos 2007. She is now doing her PhD at the University of Melbourne on ecological specialisation in macropods. 84 MJ & AR Bamford Consulting Ecologists, 2Tiwest Pty Ltd Pitfall trapping is widely used to survey terrestrial fauna, and drift fences are regularly employed to ‘assist’ (i.e. improve) pitfall capture rates. Drift fence methodology is highly variable between studies. Here we report on two field experiments that investigated the effects of three fence materials (flywire, ‘panel’ and dampcourse), two fence lengths (1.2 m and 2.4 m) and the number of fences (0, 2 or 3) on the capture rates of vertebrates in pitfall traps on the northern Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia. The presence of a fence significantly increased the capture rate of vertebrates (on average, by 93%), and pitfalls with three fences captured significantly more animals than those with two fences (on average, by 39%). Neither fence material or fence length significantly affected the capture rate of vertebrates. The number of species captured (i.e. species richness) was not significantly affected by fence presence, material or length. We advocate the use of three pitfall fences (of any material or length tested) for studies that require maximum capture rates, however, fences provide no advantage in studies that simply aim to produce an inventory of species. Dr Wesley J Bancroft completed a Bachelor of Science degree at The University of Western Australia in 1999, with a double major in Zoology and Microbiology and honours in Zoology (a neurobiology project run through the Zoology Department). His PhD on the ecosystem ecology of shearwater colonies on Rottnest Island, also at UWA, was completed in 2004 and he has worked as a zoological consultant since that time. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 2a—Symposium: When continents collide: biological invasions and ecosystem theory 1330, Room T3, MCC 1345, Room T3, MCC The interplay of history, ecology and dispersal in the evolution of Australasia’s spectacular parrot fauna Rabbits and foxes—Australia’s ultimate mammalian invaders 1 2 3 Steve McLeod1, G Saunders1 3 Leo Joseph , Alicia Toon , Erin Schirtzinger , Timothy Wright 1 2 3 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Griffith University, New Mexico State University The parrots have been a most successful group in the Australasian region, having evolved such familiar groups as cockatoos, lorikeets and rosellas to name a few. From likely origins in Gondwanaland, they appear superbly adapted to most environments in Australia and of course beyond Australia. We review recent phylogenetic analyses of parrots and focus on tests of alternative hypotheses concerning the systematic placement of enigmatic groups such as the New Guinean tigerparrots Psittacella spp. We use that historical approach to examine which species’ histories may have involved dispersal to or from Australia and when. We also address questions such as whether parrots may have been ‘preadapted’ to extra-Australian environments or represent independent radiations ‘just’ filling niches that other groups of birds species could have filled. Leo Joseph has long been interested in the evolution of parrots as well as how the interplay between phylogeny and ecology has shaped present-day diversity of bird faunas generally. 1 Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, Industry and Investment NSW, Orange Agricultural Institute The European rabbit was introduced to Australia with the First Fleet in 1788 as a source of food. But it was not until 1859, when wild caught rabbits imported from England were released for sport hunting near Geelong (Victoria) that they became a pest. Their rate of spread, by natural means and assisted by hunters, was so rapid that within 30 years they had reached the Queensland/New South Wales border. Once established in an area, rabbits had an immediate impact on primary production, consuming pasture to such an extent that farmers feared for their livelihoods. They now occur across 70% of the continent. Foxes were introduced for the sole purpose of providing sport for hunters. This pursuit was well established in Victoria by the mid-1860s and within 25 years fox numbers had grown to such an extent that they were declared vermin in parts of this state. Their rapid and successful colonisation was in large part thought to be due to the high numbers of rabbits that preceded them, providing a reliable, familiar and abundant food source. With the exception of the wet tropics of Australia, foxes have successfully colonised all bio-climatic regions. Although they are predators of lambs and other livestock their greatest impact has been, and continues to be, on critical weight range mammals vulnerable to predation. These pests have been a major factor in Australia’s unenviable record of having nearly half the known mammalian extinctions worldwide in the past 200 years. Conservative cost estimates for the collective damage caused by these pests are in excess of AUS$300 million p.a. In this paper we describe their arrival and establishment, their rate of spread and geographic distribution, the likely reasons for their successful establishment, their ecological impacts on species and processes, and the implications for the future, particularly in Tasmania where foxes have only recently been introduced. Dr Steve McLeod is a research scientist in the Vertebrate Pest Research Unit of Industry and Investment NSW—Primary Industries. He has an interest in the management of pest animals and has published papers on the management of a range of Australian native and introduced animals, including kangaroos, foxes and camels. He is currently researching ways of improving the management of commercially harvested kangaroos. 85 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T3, MCC 1415, Room T3, MCC Emigrant Australian trees: why are they seldom invasive? Similar yet different: ecological similarity and invasion success in grassy woodlands Trevor Booth1 Erika Cross1, Peter Green1, John Morgan1 1 CSIRO, ACT Hundreds of species of Australian trees, particularly eucalypts, acacias and casuarinas have been evaluated in overseas trials. There are now more than 20 million hectares of eucalypt plantations around the world. This presentation briefly reviews the introduction of Australian tree species overseas. It focuses particularly on why many Australian trees pose no serious threat as invasive species, but also considers the characteristics of some of the Australian species that are weeds. Trevor Booth leads the ‘Managing Species and Natural Ecosystems’ Theme in CSIRO’s Climate Adaptation Flagship (CAF). He joined CSIRO in 1976 and helped to develop and apply new bioclimatic analysis methods, particularly for forestry applications. He wrote his first paper on climate change in 1987 and contributed to the early work (AR2) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He was a member of the CSIRO-Department of Climate Change’s National Carbon Accounting Team before taking up his role in CAF. He is a former Honorary Secretary of ESA and helped to organise the 1982 symposium in Canberra on ‘Mountain Ecology in the Australian Region’ 1 La Trobe University How the recipient community affects invasion success has long been debated in ecology. Here, we examine how well one theory, limiting similarity, explains plant invasion in grassy woodland ecosystems. Limiting similarity postulates that there is a limit to the ecological similarity of coexisting species due to competition for limiting resources. We examined differences in individual plant traits and trait amalgamations (Grimes’ CSR functional types) of native and alien species, and for 10 sites in Western Victoria, categorised these species as either increasers, decreasers or static based on records of change in abundance over three decades. Permutation and multivariate tests were used to determine whether there is a limit to the functional similarity of resident species and those immigrating or increasing in abundance over time. There was a trend for increaser species to have similar ecological strategies to those experiencing decreases in abundance, in addition to those experiencing no changes in abundance. Rather than limiting similarity, there was more evidence for limiting dissimilarity, i.e. the environmental and competitive filters in grassy woodlands lead to a suite of species with similar traits that enables their coexistence. Erika Cross completed honours in plant ecology in the Department of Botany La Trobe in 2009. She is currently employed by the Department of Sustainability and Environment working on post-fire weed management in North East Victoria. 86 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T3, MCC 1445, Room T3, MCC How do the ecological processes associated with plant invasions reshape native communities? When continents collide: biological invasions and ecosystem theory Paul Downey1 Herbert Prins1, Iain Gordon 1 Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra Many of the ecological processes that drive and define ecological communities encompass the actions, effects and consequences of biological invasions. For example in Australia introduced predators like foxes have had profound effects on native animal populations, and many introduced plants have transformed or modified native plant communities through competition and altering disturbance regimes (e.g. exotic grasses and fire). Whilst we have an intrinsic understanding of how these ecological processes drive invasion success, our scientific understanding of how they lead to native species declines is patchy and often species specific, and with respect to reshaping native communities very limited. Here I explore how some of the ecological processes associated with plant invasions alter native plant communities and the likely consequences, based on a combination of recent published studies and field observations primarily for three introduced shrubs— Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius), lantana (Lantana camara) and bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera). These insights provide the basis of future ecological investigations into understanding how the ecological processes associated with biological invasions influence plant communities and their management in Australia and globally. Such insights also provide guidance on how plant invaders succeed (or fail) and how we build resilience or manage communities to maintain their integrity. Paul Downey has a PhD in weed ecology. He worked for NSW National Parks as a weed ecologist for 8 years and recently took up an assistant professor position at the University of Canberra. 1 Wageningen University, The Netherlands, 2CSIRO, ACT Biological invasion is rated as one of the most important threats to the world as we know it; for example, it is perceived to threaten the conservation of native plants and animals and jeopardise the delivery of ecosystem services through changing ecosystem structure and composition. The exponential increase of world-wide flow of goods and people is leading to a global homogenisation of ecosystem diversity and poses a major challenge for agriculture or health. The central issue of this symposium focuses on how invading plants and animals find their place in native ecosystems, or why they fail to find a niche for themselves. The participants in this symposium will present case studies of invasions to and from the Australian continent; our presentation will provide a critical appraisal of hypotheses presented in these case studies. We will conclude by outlining a new predictive ecosystem theory based upon the invasion and invadability of species and communities. Herbert Prins is full professor in Resource Ecology, Wageningen University, the Netherlands, and is also Chairman of the Graduate School ‘Production Ecology and Resource Conservation’. He has represented The Netherlands and the European Union at meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and has or had board memberships of the (European) Tropical Biology Association, Executive Board member of ‘Natuurmonumenten’ (Netherlands Nature Conservancy, 960,000 members), Van Tienhoven Foundation, Netherlands Committee for International Nature Conservation, Nature Conservation Foundation (India) and others. Herbert is member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, Netherlands Committee IUCN, Member IUCN Committee on Ecosystem Management, IUCN Asian Cattle specialist group, and the Machakos Wildlife Forum, Kenya. He is Officer in the Order of the Golden Ark (bestowed by HRH Prince Bernhard) and Officer in the Order of Oranje Nassau (bestowed by HM the Queen). In 2010 he received the Aldo Leopold Award of the American Association of Mammalogists. 87 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 2b—Savanna and desert 1330, Moran G008, MCC 1345, Moran G008, MCC Are Australian arid lands really degraded? Leaf ‘heat avoidance’ traits in Australian arid plants Rod Fensham1 Ellen Curtis1, Scott Rayburg, Andrea Leigh1 1 Queensland Herbarium The dune swales of the northern Simpson Desert provide an opportunity to examine the early impacts of livestock grazing in arid Australia because they include fairly monotonous habitat, have not been affected by rabbits, and include areas that are rarely grazed. Data on herbaceous species was collected along transects up to 14 km from artificial water-points between 4 and 33 years old. A cumulative grazing index was constructed utilising both the spatial occupation patterns of cattle and the length of exposure. Despite restricting sampling to a narrow habitat soil floristic patterns were influenced by the soil. After 20 years of exposure to managed grazing with domestic stock in Australian dune-swales, patterns in species richness have not emerged in response to grazing pressure, the ecosystem has not been transformed to another degradation ‘state’ and there is no evidence of grazing relief refuges providing havens for species highly sensitive to grazing. These findings will be discussed in the broader context of grazing pressure in Australian arid lands. Rod Fensham does research related to the ecology and conservation of native vegetation at the Queensland Herbarium. He tries to disseminate his finding not only by publishing but also through conservation planning, policy and practice. 1 University of Technology Sydney For plants, temperatures outside the optimum may lead to a decrease in growth, fecundity and ultimately survival. For arid species, this means maintaining temperatures between ~ 35–45°C, in places where ambient temperatures can exceed this. As the photosynthetic engine-houses of plants, leaves are particularly vulnerable. How then do leaves avoid overheating? Numerous leaf traits are accepted as conferring heat avoidance benefits yet not all arid plants possess all of these traits. Do certain traits replace others? Do certain traits group together? Is there an association with plant habit or growth environment? Understanding how a plant functions, and if broad-scale patterns for leaf traits exist, requires that we look at a wide range of traits and arid species. We measured 11 leaf ‘heat avoidance’ traits, including: size, leaf mass per area (LMA), relative water content (%RWC), thickness and spectral reflectance for 95 plant species native to arid New South Wales, Australia. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were used to investigate how leaf traits are associated with one another, plant habit, life history and habitat. Results suggest that different groups of arid plants have evolved distinct suites of leaf traits associated with plant habit and growth environment. Ellen Curtis holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology with Honours from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). Further, she is currently a member of the Centre for Environmental Sustainability (CEnS) within the Department of Environmental Sciences at UTS. Ellen is interested in plant ecology, structure and function, and enjoys fieldwork. Recently, she investigated leaf heat avoidance traits of Australian arid species and hopes to take this research further by examining a range of physiological and anatomical plant/leaf aspects. 88 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Moran G008, MCC 1415, Moran G008, MCC Using weather-based models of species distribution to predict refugia in Australia’s tropical savannas Spatial and temporal pattern in potential refugia for Australia’s tropical savanna birds Genevieve C Perkins1, Jeremy VanDerWal2, Alex S Kutt1, Justin J Perry1 Alex Kutt1, Jeremy VanDerWal2, Genevieve Perkins1, Justin Perry1 1 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Tropical and Arid Systems, 2Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, 2Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University Species distribution models used to predict species response to climate change are largely based on longterm averages. This method fails to capture variation in potential or realised distribution of species over time, as it oversimplifies spatial and temporal variability in weather patterns. In Australia’s tropical savanna, intra and inter annual weather seasonality is one of the primary determinants of resource availability, and therefore species distribution and abundance. Detecting weatherdriven resource nadirs could assist to identify potential climate refugia. To test this idea, maximum entropy modelling was used to predict the potential distribution of 254 Australian tropical savanna bird species (and subspecies) for each month from 1950 to 2009. The likelihood of a species occurring at a certain location and time was based on suitability of weather conditions (minimum and maximum temperature and precipitation of the preceding 3 6 and 12 month period). Models were informed by over 6 million bird occurrence records and corresponding weather records collected from1950–2009. Refugia were identified as locations of high probability of occurrence through time. We investigated temporal and spatial shift in these refugia and variation in refugia across species and functional groups. Mapping refugia using this technique is a significant advance in identifying past refugia and developing effective targeted conservation plans under changing climate futures. Species distribution models are moving beyond the use of average or static biophysical surfaces to predict responses to global change. In dynamic systems, such as the Australian tropical savannas (ATS), distribution and abundance of species is determined by intra- and interannual resource fluctuations which are in turn largely driven by weather patterns. Species move, pattern and change in response to these variations. In an earlier paper, we demonstrated that the use of weather patterns provides a novel means to examine the more subtle spatial and temporal variation in potential distribution of species. Refugia were identified as locations of high probability of occurrence through time using the monthly distribution of 254 ATS bird species from 1950 to 2009 and the likelihood of occurrence based on the suitability of weather conditions. We take this one step further and investigate the application of this data via spatial statistics (SDMT tools in R, VanDerWal 2010). We examine the size, shape, connectivity and stability of these refugia, their biophysical and weather features, and variation between species. We examine the relationship between current and future refugia, and coincidence with the conservation reserve network. This information coupled with knowledge of land use change is a powerful tool for effective conservation and adaptation planning. Gen Perkins works for the CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences Biodiversity Team in Townsville. Her research investigates the local and landscape scale determinants of biodiversity pattern in rangelands. She has a combined BA/BSc(Hons) from Monash University. 1 Alex Kutt is the Research Leader of the CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences Biodiversity Team in Townsville. His research investigates tropical savanna fauna and flora ecology and pattern, and he has worked in northern Australia for over 15 years. 89 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Moran G008, MCC 1445, Moran G008, MCC Using species distribution modelling to examine spatio-temporal variation in fire pattern When resources boom: learning from the story of dingoes in the Tanami Desert Justin Perry1, Jeremy VanDerWal2, Alex Kutt1, Genevieve Perkins1 Thomas Newsome1,2,3, Guy Ballard4, Peter Fleming4, Chris Dickman2 1 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, 2Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University Fire is a significant ecological driver in tropical savanna ecosystems; however it has not been included in species distribution models when projecting onto future climate scenarios. The reason for this is a lack of understanding of the spatial and temporal patterns of fire beyond the available fire histories. We present a novel approach to modelling potential fire distribution on a monthly basis between 1950 and 2010, building on techniques that are used to identify bird refugia using weather patterns. Remotely sensed fire histories provide a consistent temporal data set comprising millions of geocoded sampling points that can be compared against monthly weather data using maximum-entropy species distribution modelling (Maxent). The consistency of the fire data produced accurate models (AUC >79%) using minimum and maximum temperature and precipitation of the preceding three, six and 12 month periods. Predicted values were projected onto historical climate data to produce a monthly representation of potential fire distribution based on these aspects of weather. Our method accounts for spatiotemporal dynamism of fire within broader climatic gradients. This means species distribution models for flora or fauna are no longer constrained by the available fire histories providing an opportunity for the inclusion of this important ecological variable. Justin Perry works for the CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences Biodiversity Team in Townsville. His research investigates fire ecology, biodiversity pattern and Indigenous land management. He has a B. Nat Res and A Masters of Tropical Environment Management. 90 1 Invasive Animals CRC, 2University of Sydney, 3Low Ecological Services, 4Industry and Investment NSW In the Tanami Desert, the provision of supplementary food and water resources (from mining and pastoral operations) has resulted in relatively high localised dingo populations. Managing these dingoes can be problematic, not only because their presence may be a human welfare risk but because access to these supplementary resources could significantly impact upon their ecology and behaviour. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence the day-to-day choices of dingoes is critical when seeking to determine appropriate management strategies and when attempting to understand their impacts on native biodiversity and ecosystem processes. In this paper we present results from a three year study that support the need for a shift in how we manage our domestic and commercial wastes in the arid zone. We show that in the case of the Tanami Desert, the provision of food and water resulted in changes in density, body size, diet, activity, movement and resource selection by dingoes. This in turn created challenges for stakeholders and we attempt to provide some insight into how we can manage this complex predator and reduce negative interactions between dingoes and humans in the future. Thomas Newsome is PhD student with the University of Sydney NSW and Invasive Animal CRC. His supervisors are Chris Dickman and Peter Fleming and his research is looking at the provision of artificial resources in the Tanami Desert and the impacts on the ecology and behaviour of dingoes. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 2c—Symposium: Long-term, trans-scale, integrated monitoring of Australian landscapes 1330, Room T4, MCC 1345, Room T4, MCC Twenty years and two transects: spatial and temporal variation in local patterns of biodiversity Biodiversity benchmarks in the Australian rangelands Michael Bamford1, Wesley Bancroft1, Nick Sibbel2 Jeff Foulkes1, Andrew White2, Andrew Lowe3 1 2 MJ & AR Bamford Consulting Ecologists, Tiwest Pty Ltd In Western Australia, two transects of pitfall traps were established in 1990 and have been sampled for frogs, reptiles and small mammals twice a year in most years subsequently. The transects are ca. 1.3 km long, are parallel and 400 m apart and have pitfall traps at 25 m spacing. They pass across a gently undulating sand plain supporting banksia low woodland with some variation in the density of trees and shrubs. Parts of both transects were burnt in 1994 and 2003. Therefore, the sampling was continuous across a landscape that varied in vegetation structure and changed in fire age and pattern over time. The distribution of captures of frogs, reptiles and small mammals was compared between and within transects. Of the 42 species recorded, only 31 were recorded on both transects and 14 species were represented by <5 specimens. There was a 26% difference in the fauna assemblage documented by transects 400 m apart, and one species, the gecko Diplodactylus alboguttatus, increased in abundance over the study. Individual species were not evenly distributed along the transects. These patterns were often due to subtle differences in landscape and/or vegetation structure. Fire and time since fire affected the abundance of only some species. Mike Bamford is a graduate of Murdoch University in Western Australia, and he completed his PhD on the impact of fire upon small vertebrates in Banksia woodland in 1986. Shortly after he became a freelance scientist, working as a scientific illustrator, an environmental consultant and a five year stint as a science columnist with the West Australian newspaper. With his wife Mandy, he is a regular on ABC radio in WA. The environmental consulting developed into a business (Bamford Consulting Ecologists) that specialises in wildlife research associated with development projects. Studies range from short-term investigations for environmental impact assessment to long-term monitoring projects to detect impacts and study fauna during minesite recolonisation. Consulting provides some surprising opportunities for pure ecological research. Mike also lectures occasionally at Murdoch and Curtin Universities in Perth on topics including fauna sampling techniques, the role of fire in Australian ecosystems and biogeography. 1 Department of Environment and Heritage, 2RRSN/TERN, University of Adelaide 3 The Rangelands Reference Site Network (RRSN) has the goal of establishing a network of reference sites in the Australian rangelands to initially determine biodiversity benchmarks and for ongoing research. Historically, monitoring of condition in rangeland states has been extensive, but generally inconsistent and restricted to a limited number of long-term sites. The contribution to understanding biodiversity in the Australian rangelands has been limited. Fundamental to the success of establishing biodiversity benchmarks in the expansive and variable Australian rangelands is to determine: where; what; and how to undertake the measurements, with scale being an ever-present issue and ongoing involvement of current participants. A stratification process is proposed to decide the location of reference sites. RRSN sites will be positioned to incorporate other proposed or historic monitoring activities. The sites will represent the ‘best on offer’ condition and be characteristic of larger, significant areas of both widely distributed and restricted ecosystems. In deciding site locations, hierarchical levels will include IBRA bioregions, land type and disturbance regimes. To benchmark biodiversity in a subset of rangelands bioregions, 3,000 permanent reference sites are suggested. Data collection will be plot based, repeatable and consistent across the rangelands, including photographic descriptions and point based measurements of substrate, perennial vegetation species and vertical structure to describe plant phenology and cover (to calibrate remote sensing). Soil and leaf samples from each plant species will be collected for further analyses, including DNA bar-coding of perennial plants and soil cryptogams and mid infrared spectrometry of soils to determine carbon, nutrients and cation exchange capacity. Fauna may be included on a subset of sites. To value-add to the permanent sites by expanding inventories of flora and fauna, monitoring by other groups will be encouraged. 91 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T4, MCC 1415, Room T4, MCC Trophic energy links population community and ecosystem indicators of ecological stress and rehabilitation success across multiple scales Vegetation type modelling and mapping: optimal application of old data and new techniques Sandy Gilmore1 1 Bush Heritage Australia Efficient sampling of biodiversity is illustrated using birds from a series of biomes over Australia. Samples at species specific scales, were distributed over gradsects and enabled population responses to season or management to be assessed. Population variance versus mean plots over space and time, help suggest causes of deviations from theoretical distributions such as ideal and free. Estimation of energy consumption by populations enabled the comparison of various thermodynamic indices between species and guilds or communities. Guild and community indicators such as density as a function of body weight plots were more informative than simple diversity indices and rank abundance curves. Ecosystem indices including NDVI and derived rain use efficiency were found to be useful indices of carrying capacity for higher trophic levels. Population, community and ecosystem indices can all be combined to examine patterns of trophic energy flow within and between species, guilds and habitats, across reserves and across regions. Using ecologically and evolutionarily appropriate indicators allows us to link population changes to fitness constraints, and consequently derive understanding of inter-specific compensation and community dynamics in a metacommunity context. This then enables monitoring to further our understanding not just quantify change. Sandy Gilmore has had a varied career in government consultancy academic and NGO positions. His interests include elaborating the processes that lead to integrated communities and ecosystems and the development of simulation models to aid applied conservation. 92 Ian Oliver1, Liz Broese1, Megan McNellie1, Martin Dillon1, Glenn Manion1, Simon Ferrier2 1 NSW Department Of Environment, Climate Change And Water, Ecosystem Sciences, CSIRO 2 Vegetation maps are a fundamental resource for natural resource management and conservation assessment and planning. Conventional approaches based on aerial photograph interpretation (API) are notoriously difficult, slow and expensive, and are constrained to mapping the contemporary landscape. Vegetation type distribution modelling has the benefit of recreating preclearing landscapes but has been criticised for poor accuracy and ‘unfriendly’ products. Here we present optimised (efficient and effective) approaches for modelling and mapping vegetation type distributions at regional scales. The approach draws upon existing plotbased floristic data and an existing vegetation type classification for NSW. A quantitative assessment of the floristic goodness-of-fit of objectively identified dendrogram groups with a priori vegetation types is efficiently managed using purpose built software. Generalised dissimilarity modelling is used to construct probabilistic maps of pre-clearing distributions of a priori vegetation types based on the locations of the floristic plots contained within each associated dendrogram group. New techniques are then used to construct ‘user friendly flat maps’ of pre-clearing vegetation type distributions. Importantly, these products look familiar to end-users, maintain the strengths of probabilistic distributions, provide pre-clearing distribution maps, can be produced efficiently, and reach levels of accuracy which are comparable to more traditional API mapping. Dr Ian Oliver is Head of the Native Vegetation Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Unit within the Scientific Services Division of the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T4, MCC Reconstructing historical transformations of Australia’s vegetated landscapes Richard Thackway1, Rob Lesslie1 1 Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics– Bureau of Rural Sciences Over the last decade considerable progress has been made in describing and mapping Australia’s vegetation types, extent, condition, use and management. Australia’s vegetation condition has been mapped at a national scale relative to a pre-European unmodified state for each major vegetation type for 2008. As yet little work has been done nationally on accounting for the way land management has transformed Australia’s vegetated landscapes over time. We present a method for linking historic descriptions of changes in land use and land management and vegetation condition. Credible published sources of information describing where, when and what changes were observed are critical. Information is translated using agreed national frameworks for land use, land management practices and vegetation type, extent and condition. Ratings are assigned to translate descriptions of historic land management changes into a database of vegetation structure, composition and regenerative capacity. Locality information is used to build maps of these changes in vegetation condition. Results of selected transformations of Australia’s vegetated landscapes over time are illustrated using state and transition models. Richard Thackway is a landscape ecologist. He has compiled several national vegetation and landcover datasets, including native vegetation type, extent and condition, which support national NRM polices and programs. 93 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 2d—Symposium: From genes to ecosystems 1330, Moran G007, MCC 1345, Moran G007, MCC Integrating population demography, genetics and self-incompatibility Cryptic diversity and rapid evolution in a stream crustacean Susan Hoebee1 Jane Hughes1, Ben Cook1 1 Department of Botany, La Trobe University Self-incompatibility (SI) is a gene system in angiosperms that directly links genetic diversity with reproduction through its influence on fertilisation success. Despite the potential importance of SI allele diversity for demographical function, there are few direct measures of S-allele numbers in multiple populations, and fewer still that simultaneously measure reproductive output, mate availability and S-allele diversity. I will draw on empirical and simulation-based examples from my own research that demonstrate the importance of this system to plant conservation and management of weeds. Susan Hoebee has a PhD on conservation genetics of Grevillea iaspicula (2002, ANU/CSIRO). Post-doc’d in Switzerland for three years, then moved to The University of Melbourne. Susan is now a lecturer at La Trobe University. 1 Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University Recent molecular work on freshwater fauna has revealed very high levels of cryptic diversity, especially in insects, molluscs and crustaceans. While it could be argued that this diversity is only at the molecular level and therefore of little significance, it is clear that the more closely new cryptic lineages are examined, the more often important ecological differences are identified between them. The reason for these high levels of cryptic diversity are unknown, although may well reflect differences in the characters used by taxonomists to distinguish species and those used by the animals to identify potential mates. In this talk, I will examine one particular case of cryptic diversity. Paratya australiensis is described as a single widespread and variable species of the family Atyidae. Molecular analysis reveals that it is probably a complex of more than nine closely related species, each with slightly different habitat preferences and different geographic distributions. In this talk, I use population genetic analysis and an experimental approach to examine processes that maintain the distributions of two of these species. I provide evidence of asymmetrical hybridisation and rapid changes in reproductive behaviour when the distributions of the two species overlap. It is hypothesised that these processes contribute significantly to maintaining species boundaries. Jane Hughes is a Professor in the Griffith School of Environment and a member of the Australian Rivers Institute. She runs the Molecular Ecology Lab which uses molecular approaches to answer ecological questions, mainly in birds and animals that live in freshwater. 94 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Moran G007, MCC 1415, Moran G007, MCC Landscape models and genetics test the importance of structural connectivity for nine woodland birds Comparing the phylogenetic diversity of ecological communities: correcting for sampling effort by rarefaction Nevil Amos1, Matt White3, Graeme Newell3, James Thomson1, 2 1 1 Jim Radford , Alexandra Pavlova , Ralph Mac Nally , Paul 1 Sunnucks David Nipperess1 1 Australian Centre for Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, Landscape Ecology Research Group, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 3Arthur Rylah Institute, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne 2 Structural connectivity is often used as a proxy for functional connectivity in conservation planning and assessment, but the relationship between structural and functional connectivity is typically unknown. Prior models predicting landscape-scale connectivity, based on remnant land cover, for nine species of woodland dependant birds of the Victorian box-ironbark region were developed. The birds varied in their mobility and included species that were ‘decliners’—exhibiting disproportionately large population decreases with increasing habitat loss or ‘tolerant’—species decreasing in proportion to habitat loss. Local and regional scale population and individual based genetic distances were estimated from microsatellite genotypes of over 3000 individuals from populations at 62 sites. These distances provide an estimate of recent functional connectivity (dispersal and gene flow). Functional connectivity was maintained for some ‘decliners’ even where structural connectivity was negligible. It was constrained for some other species by recent declines in structural connectivity. These findings suggest a range of responses to fragmentation even among the more mobile fauna in this fragmented ecosystem. Caution must be exercised in use of structural models to inform restoration planning as land management strategies must accommodate species with varying responses. 1 Macquarie University Phylogenetic diversity (PD) is an increasingly popular measure of biodiversity that takes into account the degree of evolutionary divergence between species, effectively employing genetic information to inform our understanding of ecological communities and beyond. Similarly to species richness, PD will however inevitably increase with greater sampling effort, making direct comparison of ecological communities problematic. For species richness, the common approach to this problem is to use rarefaction to calculate expected biodiversity for a given amount of sampling effort—whether measured as number of individuals or number of sites. Exact analytical solutions are available for calculating expected species richness but that has not been the case for PD. I show how existing rarefaction formulae can be generalised to accommodate PD. Further, the concept of sampling effort can now be extended to calculate expected biodiversity for a given number of species, as well as individuals and sites. Using example data, I show that: 1) standardisation of PD by rarefaction leads to different conclusions about biodiversity hotspots; and 2) rarefaction of PD can be used as the basis of a number of useful metrics for studies in phylogenetic community ecology. David Nipperess is a Lecturer in Biology based at Macquarie University. His interests are primarily in ecology, biodiversity and conservation at the scale of ecological communities and beyond. Nevil Amos has a long standing interest in Conservation, having spent many years working in conservation policy he has returned to research work on a project aimed at improving management outcomes. 95 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Moran G007, MCC 1445, Moran G007, MCC Chromosomes in the study of biological and ecological systems Finding foxes in Tasmania: faecal DNA analysis reveals the widespread distribution of foxes in Tasmania Tariq Ezaz1, Stephen Sarre1, Arthur Georges1 1 Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra A comparison of chromosomes between individuals over 100 years ago was one of the first studies to describe genetic variation in natural populations. Given this auspicious start, it is perhaps surprising that in recent years, very little emphasis has been given to understanding chromosomal variation in ecological studies. For example, heterozygosity in chromosomes between mating individuals often causes sterility and there are many examples where unsuccessful breeding programs can be attributable to the existence of chromosomal variability between populations, from plants to mammals. An understanding of chromosomal variation and its contribution to variation in life history traits is of significance not only in conservation genetics but also in understanding the fundamentals of evolution and speciation as well as species interactions within ecosystems. In recent years, advances in high-resolution molecular cytogenetic techniques have enabled us to pinpoint minute chromosomal rearrangements, affecting various traits, from behaviour to diseases. Of particular significance is the role of sex chromosomes in the process of sex determination and its contribution to primary sex ratios in natural populations. This is particularly so in reptiles which can vary substantially in their mode of sex determination. I will describe how we have used advanced cytogenetic techniques to study the variation in sex chromosomes and their implications on the evolution of vertebrate sex determination. Stephen Sarre1, Anna MacDonald1, Candida Barclay2, David 3 Ramsey 1 Institute for Applied Ecology and Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, 2Tasmanian Department of Primary Industry, Parks, Water and the Environment, 3Arthur Rylah Institute The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has wreaked havoc on mainland Australia’s environment and agricultural production since its introduction in the 1870s. Over the same period Tasmania has remained fox-free. Recently, an unknown number of foxes were deliberately and/or accidentally introduced to Tasmania. Some of those animals and possibly their progeny now live in the wild in Tasmania. Finding foxes in an island the size of 2 Tasmania (~60,000km ) presents special challenges but is essential to prevent their establishment in this stronghold for Australian marsupials. We combined principles of detection probability through systematic survey and quantification of research effort with the development of DNA detection approaches specifically for foxes to provide a rigorous basis for determining the scope of the problem and identifying strategic solutions. We have identified a widespread distribution in Tasmania for foxes, a finding that has precipitated a broad, precautionary baiting strategy for their elimination. We report on the efficiency of this approach and the necessity of marrying ecological and genetic data to achieve an efficient outcome. We are now expanding our approach to include other invasive mammals of interest in Tasmania as well as the endangered Tasmanian devil and other native marsupials. Stephen Sarre has been a Professor in Wildlife Genetics at the University of Canberra since 2001. His focus is on the application of genetic approaches to the problems of ecology. 96 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 2e—Biodiversity status, trends, national and international targets 1330, Room T5, MCC 1345, Room T5, MCC Metacommunity ‘putty’: filling gaps in our knowledge of biodiversity Forests of east Australia: the 35th global biodiversity hotspot Karel Mokany 1 1 CSIRO Entomology Information on spatial patterns of biodiversity is vital for a variety of important ecological questions, such as predicting the impacts of climate change on biodiversity. Despite the importance of information on biodiversity patterns, reliable data on community composition is generally only available for a small number of ecological survey sites. One common approach to overcoming this shortfall in our knowledge is to predict the spatial distribution of individual species over a region, however, the applicability of this approach is limited to a small number of well studied taxa. In contrast, communitylevel modelling has the capacity to predict spatial patterns in biodiversity for highly diverse, poorly studied taxa. Here I present a new approach to extend the utility of community-level models of species richness and compositional dissimilarity (α- and β-diversity). My novel optimisation approach constructs species lists for each community in a region, essentially predicting the presence/absence of all species in all locations. I describe this novel approach and demonstrate some of its practical applications, including: predicting gammadiversity for a region; identifying target areas for future ecological surveys, and; predicting the spatial distribution of many species simultaneously. Karel Mokany is currently developing novel ‘community-level’ approaches to predicting the effects of climate change on biodiversity. 1 1 3 Kristen J Williams , Andrew Ford , Daniel Rosauer , Naamal De 2 2 1 2 Silva , Russell Mittermeier , Caroline Bruce , Frank W Larsen , 3 4 Chris Margules , Tania Laity 1 CSIRO, 2Conservation International, USA, 3Conservation International, QLD, 4Australian Government The newly identified ‘Forests of East Australia’ Global Biodiversity Hotspot consists of a discontinuous coastal stretch along the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales, extending inland beyond the New England Tablelands and the Great Dividing Range. Its boundaries correspond to a combination of two World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Ecoregions: the Eastern Australian Temperate Forests and Queensland’s Tropical Rainforests. The region contains more than 1500 endemic vascular plants, triggering criteria for global biodiversity significance, and more than 70% of natural areas have been cleared or degraded. The hotspot, although covering a large latitudinal range (15.5° to 35.6° South), has a predominantly summer rainfall pattern with increasing rainfall seasonality northwards into the tropical areas of north Queensland. Temperatures are also variable, with annual winter snowfalls at high elevations in the south and a tropical climate in the far north. The hotspot covers large tracts of elevated tablelands and drier inland slopes, particularly in New South Wales. Varied soils result in a mosaic pattern of vegetation. Sclerophyllous communities dominated by Australia’s iconic plant, the gum-tree (Eucalyptus species), are the most prevalent vegetation type. Significant areas of rainforest exist throughout the region, much of which has persisted continuously since Gondwanan times, providing a rich living record of evolution over more than 100 million years. The human population of the hotspot as of 2006 was over 9 million, with a population density of 36 people per square kilometre, mainly concentrated along the coast supported by extensive inland production regions. About 18% of the land area is under some form of formal protection for its natural values. Gaps in the protected area network include some centres of plant endemicity and some areas of critical habitat for threatened species. Here we present an overview of the data and methods used to define the hotspot and its characteristics, that will be published in the New Year. Dr Kristen Williams is a research scientist with CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, specialising in biodiversity analysis and modelling of climate and land use changes for policy, planning and research. 97 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T5, MCC 1415, Room T5, MCC Can subjective historical datasets be used to monitor vegetation change? Priority threat management to protect Kimberley wildlife Christopher Jones1, Peter Vesk1, David Duncan2 Josie Carwardine1,5, Trudy O’Conner2, Sarah Legge3, Brendan Mackey4, Hugh Possingham5, Tara Martin1 1 2 The University of Melbourne, Department of Sustainability and Environment (Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research), VIC Vegetation condition survey methods must satisfy the competing objectives of information richness and cost effectiveness. To keep time and resource costs down sensitive monitoring programs are avoided, while vegetation condition survey protocols that use subjective and categorical estimation of measured variables are very common. Such assessments have limited application for vegetation monitoring. Categorical variables can be insensitive to change in condition and there is often large observer-driven variation. However, categorical assessments’ utility may be increased by evaluating change using data calibration. Benefits of this approach include increasing the value of previous investment and expanding the monitoring time period captured. We investigated the calibration of categorical surveys for monitoring vegetation change after repeated surveys. We resurveyed sites of remnant riparian vegetation in northern Victoria that had also been surveyed 15 years earlier. For the resurveys we used the same subjective categories used in the original surveys and an additional set of more objective and continuous measures. By comparing both methods used in the resurveys we approximated continuous estimates and associated uncertainties for the original surveys. We examine the potential to derive data capable of assessing vegetation change over time using this calibration. Christopher Jones has completed his Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne doing Honours in plant morphology before doing his current PhD in plant ecology. 1 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, 2The Wilderness Society, 3Australian Wildlife Conservancy, 4Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, 5The Ecology Centre, University of Queensland Alarming native wildlife declines are occurring in northern Australia, including relatively intact regions like the Kimberley. We demonstrate a quantitative approach for prioritising threat management actions to protect the wildlife of the Kimberley. Experts identified key feasible management actions: (i) combined fire and introduced herbivore management, (ii) weed management, (iii) introduced predator (cat) control. Vertebrate wildlife species (n=637) were allocated to ecological groups with similar ecosystem preferences and expected responses to threats and management actions. Experts estimated costs, benefits to wildlife (improvements in ecological group persistence), and likelihood of success of each action for each bioregion and land tenure type. Predator control was ranked most cost-effective, followed by management of fire and introduced herbivores. Without conservation management some 39 species are at risk of extinction, particularly hollow dependant species, graminivores, and small-medium sized mammals. It will cost approximately $40 million per year to ensure the persistence of these species by implementing key actions. For maximum benefits and success, implementation should incorporate adaptive management and monitoring, Indigenous priorities, carbon abatement and other synergistic initiatives. Our approach combines expert derived and formal ecological data to prioritise threat management, and is applicable to other regions that are similarly data poor and ecologically invaluable. Josie Carwardine completed a PhD in 2009 on incorporating economic information into conservation planning. She now works as a post doc at CSIRO on decision making for cost-effective biodiversity outcomes. 98 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T5, MCC 1445, Room T5, MCC The use and utility of targets for conservation policy Landscape approaches and threatened species: making sure we don’t miss the targets Suzi Heaton1, Charlie Zammit1 1 Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities Clare Hawkins1,2, Richard Schahinger1, Dydee Mann3, Liana Joseph4, Richard Maloney5, Jodie Davis5, Hugh Possingham4 1 The use of targets in conservation policy is becoming more popular as policy makers strive to be more accountable and systematic in their approach. In Australia, governments are increasingly using targets—for example, the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country initiative sets targets for investment in natural resource management and South Australia’s Nature Conservation Strategy and Australia’s Strategy for the National Reserve System both contain targets which set strategic direction. Internationally, in October, the post2010 targets for biodiversity will be considered at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. In this paper, we examine the use and utility of targets for conservation policy as well as some of the challenges faced by policy makers in developing targets. In particular, we explore how science is used in setting targets and baselines. Recent experiences of developing targets are drawn upon to illustrate some of these challenges. Suzi Heaton works in the Conservation Policy Section of the Biodiversity Conservation Branch within the Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, 3private consultant, TAS, 4The Ecology Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, 5Research and Development, Department of Conservation, New Zealand 2 Biodiversity conservation is increasingly addressed by a landscape approach: broad-scale threat management, often focusing on biodiversity-rich hotspots, threatened habitats and ecological communities. This approach is intuitively the most cost-effective, but may not be in terms of conserving species diversity. To investigate this, we applied the Project Prioritisation Protocol (Joseph et al. 2009) to the objective of minimising extinctions in Tasmania. This approach has been developed to prioritise conservation projects for New Zealand’s Department of Conservation. For each of 171 threatened species, a project was designed to maintain secure populations over 50 years. Projects were prioritised by their cost-efficiency: (benefit x likelihood of success)/cost. Each species’ project typically comprised actions mitigating threats significantly affecting those populations most cost-efficient to secure. The significance of each threat varies across the landscape, and actions required to minimise extinctions were scattered widely throughout Tasmania. Only 57 species’ projects could share any costs, where more than one species required the same action in the same place. The above-described landscape approach may invest in areas where threat mitigation cannot significantly improve a species’ long-term viability, or in insufficient threat mitigation actions to secure it. The targeted, species-oriented approach was more cost-efficient in minimising extinctions and surprisingly inexpensive. Clare Hawkins specialised for the past twenty years in mammalian carnivore conservation, but has more recently widened her focus to the needs of Tasmania’s 190 threatened fauna species. 99 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 2f—Fire 1330, Room T2, MCC 1345, Room T2, MCC Fire regime analysis of the semi-arid Mallee region How important is fire history in determining plant species richness? Rebecca Gibson1, Ross Bradstock1 1 Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, University of Wollongong Semi-arid mallee is a fire-prone system that occurs in a water limited environment, spanning a rainfall gradient of 200–500mm/annum. The mallee region is transitional between two contrasting fuel systems. It is hypothesised that fire regimes towards the north of the rainfall gradient (arid/semi-arid environments) where fuels are largely discontinuous, are primarily driven by increased moisture availability that causes ephemeral fuels to bridge the gaps; while fire regimes towards the south of the rainfall gradient (more mesic environments) are primarily driven by the drying out of perennial fuels (following drought). Spatial analysis of the probability of fire occurring at a point in the landscape as a function of fuel age (PBP) can be used to test how the degree of influence of alternative fuel systems may change across mallee communities in response to rainfall. We also use PBP analysis to determine the influence of the flammable hummock grass (Triodia scariosa) on fire regimes. Triodia scariosa density varies in response to rainfall and other factors within mallee. We develop PBP functions to examine these influences on fire regimes across a wide range of landscapes in Mediterranean south-eastern Australia. This provides a basis for predicting management and climate change effects on fire regimes. Rebecca Gibson studied the mountain pygmy possum for Honours at ANU in 2007. After taking a graduate ecologist position at ERM in Canberra, she commenced her PhD at the University of Wollongong in June 2009. 100 Jennifer E Taylor1, Marilyn D Fox2, Barry J Fox2 1 School of Arts and Sciences, Australian Catholic University, 2School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Many studies have shown that fire history plays an important part in determining plant species richness at any given location. However, the question as to which are the most important components of fire regime are not easy to answer. When a substantial area of open forest in Myall Lakes National Park burnt in one fire, it provided an opportunity to study effects of the components of fire regime with all sites having the same time since the last fire, thus removing age since fire as a variable. Fire history of the area was well known with sites having had fire frequencies of two to seven fires over a 20 year period. Areas of the forest with the same fire frequency had different fire histories with different intervals between fires over that period. Multiple regression analyses indicated that geographic variables related to distance from the sea were the most significant in explaining plant species richness, with fire frequency contributing a minor amount to the variance. The geographic variables reflected the overall fire history of the area and illustrate quadratic rather than linear relationships with plant species richness. Similar relationships were observed when sites were sampled again two years later. Jennifer Taylor is undertaking a long-term study of effects of variation in fire regime on plant community composition, work initiated by the late Marilyn Fox 30 years ago. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T2, MCC 1415, Room T2, MCC Fire frequency and season influence soil respiration in tropical savannas The influence of time-since-fire on Triodia scariosa succession in the Murray-Mallee, south-eastern Australia Anna Richards1, Josefine Dathe2, Garry Cook1 1 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, 2Eberswald University Soil respiration is the major source of CO2 flux to the atmosphere in terrestrial systems. The predicted increase in soil respiration with increasing global temperatures in temperate regions is an important and poorly understood climate feedback in global carbon models. However, in tropical ecosystems, the impact of other factors, such as changes to rainfall patterns and fire regimes, on soil CO2 fluxes, may be more important than temperature. In this study we measured soil respiration in annually burnt and unburnt plots at a long-term fire experiment established in savanna woodlands of northern Australia. We separated soil respiration fluxes into root and microbial components using root exclusion plots and tested the influence of patch type (grass vs. litter), soil temperature and moisture on soil respiration across dry and wet seasons. There was a significant interaction between season and fire frequency, with -2 -1 highest fluxes (6.5μmol CO2 m s ) observed in the wet season on unburnt plots. The 70% increase in fluxes on unburnt plots in the wet season was due to an equal increase in both root and microbial respiration. Soil respiration decreased with increasing soil temperature on burnt plots only, where large changes in daily soil temperature were observed (± 10°C) due to the absence of extensive litter cover. We conclude that changes to fire regimes in tropical savannas, could have a greater impact on soil CO2 fluxes, than changes to soil temperature. Anna Richards is a post-doctoral fellow based at the CSIRO tropical ecosystem research centre in Darwin. She specialises in understanding the impact of fire on carbon and nutrient cycling. Sally A Kenny1, John W Morgan1, Andrew F Bennett2, Michael 3 F Clarke 1 Department of Botany, La Trobe University, 2School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 3Department of Zoology, La Trobe University Triodia scariosa (spinifex) is a key component of the Murray-Mallee shrub lands of south-eastern Australia. These shrub lands burn regularly as a result of fuel buildup, ignition sources and seasonal drought. The generally understood relationship between T. scariosa and timesince-fire is one of a building to mature to degenerate succession, with a change in growth form in the mature phase (hummock to ring). Whilst ‘times’ have been suggested for peak T. scariosa abundance, the point at which individuals drop out of communities is more open-ended. The influence of time-since-fire on a number of T. scariosa characteristics (per cent frequency and average dimensions) was examined using mixed models. Time-since-fire was the primary driver of change in these characteristics, although climatic variables (rainfall and evaporation) were also of importance. A clear progression from the building through to the mature phase was seen; however, the degenerate phase (sensu Watt 1947) was not as clear, in T. scariosa across the time-since-fire gradient of the Murray-Mallee. Understanding this relationship is important in terms of structural recovery of plant communities after fire, fauna habitat requirements, and fire management. Sally Kenny is a PhD student in the Botany Department of La Trobe University, studying the relative influences of time-since-fire and environmental variables on mallee vegetation. 101 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T2, MCC 1445, Room T2, MCC Fire and log density: influence on beetle biodiversity in mountain ash forests of Victoria Does soil seedbank diversity limit post-fire regeneration in small remnants of long-unburnt Mallee vegetation? Nicole Sweaney1, Don Driscoll1, David Lindenmayer1 1 Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University Richard Davies1, Molly Whalen1, Duncan Mackay1 To date, there has been limited research on the interactions between fire, large log density and beetle biodiversity. Evaluating the impacts of these interactions is essential for the conservation of beetle biodiversity and development of ecologically sustainable forestry practices. The Kangaroo Island Eastern Plains Fire Trial is a project run by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources which is investigating regeneration by burning of Eucalyptus cneorifolia dominated mallee on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. Thirty-eight small (<5ha) highly-senescent remnants are being partially burnt, all of which have not been burnt for 20–80 years. As part of this project, we sampled soil from each of these sites prior to burning, for a glasshouse experiment. Soil from each site was subjected ex situ to both smoke aerosol and heat treatment to simulate burning. One hundred and thirteen indigenous plant species germinated, fifty of which were absent in the aboveground herbage, including six rare or threatened species, and three new records for Kangaroo Island. Twenty-one indigenous species and seven exotic species germinated in heat/smoke treated soil but not in untreated control trays also set up for 29 of the sites, indicating the importance of fire in regenerating these areas. However, burning was also found to increase the frequency of a number of weed species indicating that weed competition is likely to be a problem when regenerating small remnants. However, results indicated that this is more likely to be problem in previously grazed sites. While indigenous soil seedbanks were found to be significantly more diverse than the aboveground herbage in never-grazed sites, this was not the case in previously grazed sites. Our research in the Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forests of south-eastern Australia addressed whether: 1) beetle abundance and species richness were effected by recent fire, log density, and their interaction, and 2) if beetle species traits (wing presence, trophic group and body length) were related to fire and log density. Flightless herbivorous beetles were the main colonisers of severely burnt sites, which is contrary to the general understanding of dispersal traits of colonisers. Increased beetle abundance on unburnt, sites with high log density suggests that large logs that persist through past disturbance events have an important influence on the beetle community. Larger beetle species were also associated with higher log densities regardless of burn treatment. Total beetle abundance and species richness declined in the most severely burnt sites in this study. These findings have implications for the successful management of forests for biodiversity conservation in both Australia and other similar forests worldwide. Nicole Sweaney has recently graduated with First Class Honours from the Fenner School of Environment and Society, ANU. She plans to commence her phD this September in the field of conservation biology, which she is most passionate about. 102 1 Flinders University of South Australia Dr Richard Davies has worked as a consultant botanist for 30 years specialising in threatened species and communities. He previously researched arid-zone soil seedbanks while working as a post-doc with CSIRO, and during his PhD at Flinders University. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 2g—Ecosystem restoration 1330, Room T1, MCC 1345, Room T1, MCC Moreton Bay Oil Spill Environmental Restoration Program: environmental recovery and community engagement Revegetating agricultural landscapes: is it useful for reptiles and beetles? 1 1 Samantha Lloyd , Sean Galvin 1 SEQ Catchments On 11 March 2009, the Pacific Adventurer, caught in Cyclone Hamish, suffered hull damage and spilt 270 tonnes of oil into Moreton Bay Marine Park, off the coast of Moreton Island. The resultant oil slick damaged beaches, rocky reefs and two coastal wetlands on Moreton Island; and beaches and mangrove wetlands between Bribie Island and Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast. This oil spill is now considered Queensland’s worst environmental disaster. Following the emergency clean up, the Australian Government allocated $2million to South East Queensland Catchments (SEQ Catchments), to implement a community-based environmental restoration program. SEQ Catchments is the regional natural resource management body for South East Queensland and devolved this funding through an Expression of Interest process. Eight projects with six partners (local government, Traditional Owners and community groups) were approved, with in-kind contributions pushing the total program value to over $4million. Successful projects included revegetation, erosion control, pest management, fauna monitoring and traditional knowledge recording. Outcomes included 21,570 plants propagated/planted; 145hectares of vegetation rehabilitation, 2600meters protective dunal fencing, over 20,000 birds identified and 1430 people involved. Information from projects will be used to inform coastal management planning, which will help provide greater understanding and conservation of coastal ecosystems. 1 2 Sacha Jellinek , Don Driscoll , Kirsten Parris 1 1 University of Melbourne, School of Botany, AEDA, 2Australian National University A large-scale loss of biodiversity is currently occurring globally, and it has been argued that extensive restoration of the landscape is necessary to reduce species extinctions. Our project assessed the benefits of replanting linear strips and enlarging existing remnant areas for native animals in agricultural areas of southeastern Australia. The aim of the study was to assess the abundance and species richness of reptiles and beetles in two natural experiments that compared: (1) remnant, cleared and revegetated linear strips; and (2) blocks of remnant vegetation with connected revegetation. Reptiles and beetles were surveyed using pitfall traps from January to March in 2008 and 2009. Overall, reptile and beetle species richness and abundance showed no substantial preference for revegetated, cleared or remnant linear strips or blocks of habitat, however ground cover attributes such as tussock and litter cover were found to have an effect on reptile community composition. The results also show that many reptile species present prior to intensive agriculture are no longer found in these landscapes, leaving behind a more resilient, generalist reptile community, with specialist reptile species restricted to remnant areas. Beetle species were mostly made up of herbivores or omnivores, adapted for dry open habitats and able to survive in agricultural landscapes. Sacha Jellinek is a PhD student at the University of Melbourne. Prior to study he worked in Australia and south-east Asia on conservation initiatives. He is interested in community involvement in conservation. Dr Sam Lloyd graduated from Wollongong University with a PhD in pollination ecology in 2006. Sam has worked in pest control, biodiversity and environmental management and is now coordinator of the SEQ Fire and Biodiversity Consortium. 103 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T1, MCC 1415, Room T1, MCC Determining species composition for restoration plantings using climate change scenarios The effectiveness of mine rehabilitation and impact of mulch harvesting on a fauna assemblage Tina Lawson1, Dan Metcalfe1 Natalia YL Huang1, Michael J Bamford1, Wesley J Bancroft1, Nick Sibbel2 1 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences 1 Habitat restoration can increase landscape resilience through buffering fragile habitat, protecting ecosystem services or increasing landscape linkage. However, restoration implies an attempt to bring back a former habitat. As temperature and rainfall intensity, duration and seasonality change, so too will the distribution of vegetation types. We aimed to quantify the impacts of climate change by to riparian systems in a lowland floodplain in Queensland’s Wet Tropics Bioregion. We assess the differences in target communities if restoration were aimed at pre-clearance vegetation (c. 1880) or at the most-likely community in 2080 based on models of current climatic correlates with extant vegetation. Lowland rainforest contribution to riparian vegetation increases in the 2080 scenario. This increase is achieved by significant declines in almost all other vegetation types. Targeting restoration activities at pre-clearance communities would result in planting schemes representing the major vegetation types present today, including swamp woodland communities. Climate change scenarios suggest that by 2080 the warmer, drier climate is likely to make swamp woodland unsupportable and lowland rainforest the dominant community type across the lowlands. Areas in rain shadows are likely to see a greater preponderance of woodlands dominated by Acacia spp. and Eucalyptus spp. Consequently a restoration aimed at pre-clearance vegetation is likely to target a community unlikely to be favoured by prevailing climate in much of the catchment if all currently cleared riparian strips were planted. This would result in the waste of valuable resources, and fail to meet key restoration targets. We suggest that similar scenario planning is undertaken in other regions were extensive restoration plantings are planned. Tina Lawson has been a spatial analyst for CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences since 2007. She works on projects within the Wet Tropics Region, with projects involving fish, weeds and ferals as well as predicting species distribution shifts under climate change scenarios. 104 MJ & AR Bamford Consulting Ecologists, WA, 2Tiwest Pty Ltd, WA At a mineral sands mine in Western Australia, disturbed areas are rehabilitated with native vegetation by seeding and spreading mulch that is harvested from the understorey of adjacent banksia woodland. The effectiveness of rehabilitation and the impact of mulching on the vertebrate fauna assemblage were examined. Fauna has been sampled in a rehabilitated site and a mulched site biannually since 2004, and in an undisturbed control site since 2006. The results suggested successful recolonisation of frogs, reptiles and small mammals with the abundance of some species varying between sites. The ground fauna assemblage appeared to reflect a progression from the rehabilitation site to the mulched and control sites. However, birds were consistently less abundant in both the rehabilitated and mulched sites than in the control site. Impacts on some species were clearly based on their biology and the vegetation structure or diet they require. Rehabilitated areas may not provide sufficient cover or food supply for species reliant on the canopy of trees or ground cover, e.g. Honey Possum, while mulching may impact species which utilise the understorey, e.g. Western Thornbill. It may be beneficial to maintain remnants of undisturbed woodland within harvested areas to enable sensitive species to persist within the disturbed areas. Natalia Huang has been studying Western Australian fauna and ecology for over 5 years. She has experience in the state conservation department and now works as an ecologist with Bamford Consulting Ecologists. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T1, MCC 1445, Room T1, MCC Saving biological assets from altered hydrology in the Western Australian agricultural zone Nutrient cycling in grazed, fenced and ungrazed salmon gum woodlands in the Western Australian wheatbelt Gavan Mullan1 1 WA Department of Environment and Conservation The Buntine-Marchagee Natural Diversity Recovery Catchment project is one of six in south west WA. Project personnel aim to protect, and where possible, restore representative samples of regionally significant biodiversity assets, particularly wetlands, that are threatened by altered hydrology within this agricultural landscape. Sub-catchment scale water management works, including surface water engineering, revegetation, and remnant vegetation protection has addressed issues of salt, nutrient, and sediment export from the landscape. However, monitoring at assets indicates continued decline from an elevated and saline watertable. In response to this, conceptual modelling will be used to guide dewatering intervention at one of the assets. This will be supported with ‘recovery criteria monitoring’ and adaptive management. We face four main challenges: these are a) a lack of knowledge about the complex interactions between natural biodiversity assets and the ecosystem processes that will determine management success; b) assets declining beyond repair before management intervention; and c) requirement for commitment, over decades, to active management. We seek to meet the challenges with three key measures. These are: a) ‘multiple partnerships’—with researchers and others; b) where possible, intervention based on conceptual models with consensus from ‘expert panels’; and c) ‘values based planning’—to ensure stakeholders agree with the planning and implementation approach. Amy Robinson1, Pauline Grierson1, Suzanne Prober2, 1 Richard Hobbs 1 School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, 2CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, WA Land use change from native vegetation to agriculture or with restoration of degraded agricultural landscapes back to forest or woodland can induce major changes in the carbon (C), phosphorus (P), and nitrogen (N) cycles. We examined land use change and its effects on vegetation composition, as well as the quantity and quality of C, N, and P in soils, litter, and foliage using chemical and optical analyses. To test this, soil, litter, and foliage was collected from remnant salmon gum woodlands with varying livestock grazing management (ungrazed, fenced (for at least 5–20 years) and currently grazed). Prolonged livestock grazing in salmon gum woodlands has resulted in excess nitrogen and a decrease in vegetal litter input, and the carbon to nitrogen ratio has decreased. Mineralisation processes increase the amount of nitrate in the soil and decrease the amount of carbon sequestration. Fenced remnants show restoration of nutrient cycling processes relative to degraded remnants. We conclude that livestock management in native woodlands has altered nutrient cycling, and that fencing and conservation of native remnant woodlands in agricultural regions should be encouraged, especially for carbon sequestration in light of future climate change predictions. Amy Robinson is an Honours student at the University of Western Australia majoring in Botany. The ESA10 Conference is a stop on a two-month round-the-world trip prior to starting in the graduate program at Rio Tinto Iron Ore as an Environmental Advisor. Amy loves playing ultimate frisbee. Gavan Mullan has been working on biodiversity conservation projects in the Western Australian agricultural zone for the last 10 years, and has a particular interest in achieving conservation outcomes within an agricultural setting. 105 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 2h—Life history strategies 1330, Moran G009, MCC Mate density and sex ratio as determinants of pollen receipt and neighbourhood size Saul Cunningham1, Felix Bianchi2 1 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, 2CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Brisbane Mate density and sex ratio are commonly used concepts in pollination biology, but are not always clearly distinguished. Mate density should only capture the number of male-phase flowers in a defined area and ignore female-phase flowers, whereas sex ratio is the ratio of male and female-phase flowers in a defined area and captures female-female competition. We use a spatially explicit simulation model to quantify the effect of mate density and sex ratio variation for plant-pollinator systems characterised by combinations of high or low rates of pollen deposition and loss, and then assess the size of pollination neighbourhoods. In efficient systems with little pollen loss, female-female competition is of overriding importance and mate density only plays a minor role. In contrast, in wasteful systems with high pollen loss rates, mate density becomes the dominant factor and sex ratio is no longer important. Systems with low deposition and low pollen loss rates are associated with large pollination neighbourhoods, which decline with increasing deposition and pollen loss rates. These results show important differences between mate density and sex ratio effects, and highlight the complex way in which pollen loss interacts with donation. Saul Cunningham’s research has focused pollination biology, both as it is relevant to crop pollination, but also in the conservation of biodiversity. 106 1345, Moran G009, MCC Why does Hakea platysperma (Proteaceae) produce extraordinarily large seeds and woody fruit? Philip Groom1 1 Curtin University of Technology, WA An endemic to the nutrient-impoverished sandy soils of mediterranean south-west Australia, Hakea platysperma has uncharacteristically large seeds and woody fruits for the genus. Individual fruit are ~8 cm in diameter and spherical in shape and contain two winged seeds each weighing ~500 mg. Experiments have shown that the cotyledons become an exclusive source of nutrients during the early stages of seedling growth (on nutrientimpoverished soils), enabling seedlings to quickly grow and establish a root system deep enough to access soil stored moisture. This is critical for H. platysperma if the seedlings are to survive the annual dry summers in their naturally nutrient-impoverished landscape. A downside of being large-seeded is their seedlings are more prone to shoot herbivory due to their relatively high leaf nitrogen content. H. platysperma’s large woody fruit are designed to provide the mature seeds with ample predispersal protection from the heat of a passing fire and strong-billed avian granivores (e.g. black cockatoos). However individual H. platysperma fruit take up to 3 years to mature, making the developing seeds more prone to granivory. This may explain why the fruits have evolved to become extraordinarily large. Philip Groom has spent several years studying the ecology of south-western Australian Hakeas. Philip’s research has focused on understanding the ecology significance of leaf morphology, winged seeds and serotinous woody fruit as it relates to fire, nutrients and water availability. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Moran G009, MCC 1415, Moran G009, MCC Variation in the demography of Banksia ornata across its range in south-eastern Australia Hiding in the bushes: the role of mimicry in a mistletoe community Emily Willocks1, John Morgan1, Michael McCarthy2 Ray Blick1, Angela Moles2, Kevin Burns3 Department of Botany, La Trobe University, School of Botany, University of Melbourne 1 3 Demographic data is routinely used in mathematical models which describe population dynamics through time and can be used to guide species management. Often this data is compiled from a limited spatial area such that the demographic understanding of a species is based on one (or few) populations. We explore how the demography of Banksia ornata (Desert Banksia), a widely-distributed obligate-seeding species of deep sands in south-eastern Australia, varies across its range. Previous single-site demographic study on this species has been used to model ‘optimal’ fire intervals for Banksia ornata. Australian mistletoes are recognised for their contribution to ecosystem productivity; however their morphological and distribution patterns remain largely unresolved. While Australian mistletoes have long been admired for their similarity to host trees and restricted host range, their community-level patterns have not been investigated. We tested if the mistletoes mimic their hosts in the entire community or just a single species, therefore maximising herbivore avoidance. To do this we assessed mistletoe-host interactions and quantified trait similarities in a semi-arid environment in New South Wales, Australia. First, we tested whether mistletoe leaf dimensions and leaf reflectance were similar to their hosts, and second, we tested whether host resemblance could predict mistletoe-host interactions. We found variation in host resemblance of four mistletoe species providing partial support for the cryptic mimicry hypothesis. Host resemblance did not predict observed mistletoe-host interactions; nevertheless, a high degree of organisation was found for this mistletoe community. This shows that some mistletoe species were similar in appearance to each other, but despite their similarity they were found in different host species. We hypothesise that similarities found among mistletoes are due to the ‘ghost of herbivory past’, while mistletoe-host differences have arisen from more recent host switching events. 1 2 We extend this previous work to study six populations which encompass the temperature, rainfall and soil gradients across the species distribution. In each population of Banksia ornata, rates of survival and seed production with time-since-fire were examined. Perhaps surprisingly, we found little evidence for stark differences in the vital rates of B. ornata across its range. The minor differences observed in vital rates of B. ornata had little effect on the outcome of modelled ‘optimal’ fire interval for each population. The results of this study suggest for species like Banksia ornata models created from a small set of demographic data may be applicable across the species distribution. Emily Willocks completed B. Conservation and Ecology with Honours at La Trobe University 2010. University of New South Wales, 2University of New South Wales, Victoria University of Wellington Ray Blick started his research career at Victoria University of Wellington studying plant-plant interactions. He is currently working on plant-climate/plant-animal interactions out of the University of New South Wales. 107 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Moran G009, MCC 1445, Moran G009, MCC How do plants and insects shape the spatial patchiness of pollinator networks? Unravelling the invasion knot: a spatial investigation of serotiny and cone production in Pinus radiata Tony Popic1, Glenda Wardle1, Yvonne Davila2 James Bevan1, Glenda Wardle1, Charles Warren1 1 2 Sydney University, University of Calgary Networks are becoming widely used in ecological studies to investigate community assembly, indirect interactions and the resilience of an ecosystem to species loss. Pollination ecologists have utilised networks to study all interactions between co-flowering plants and the flower-visiting animals they share, which include positive and negative interactions. Studies suggest that such networks are dynamic but the level of spatio-temporal variation is unknown. To determine the pattern of spatial variation in plant-visitor networks in a spinifex-dominated arid zone grassland, the network of interactions among assemblages of plants and visitors was sampled. A spatially nested sampling design and strict sampling protocol over three sites were employed, enabling direct comparisons. Sites were 50km apart, with two sampling locations 1 km apart at each site, and dune and swale habitats were sampled at each location. Sites were sampled consecutively, each for three days with a total of 144 hours of sampling. We observed over 900 plantvisitor interactions between 35 plant species and around 70 insect visitor species. Species richness and composition varied among sites, whereas network structural parameters (high nestedness, low connectance) remained relatively constant. Spatial variation of flowering plants on small scales led to differences in the composition of the floral visitor network. Tony Popic is a PhD student, studying plant-pollinator interaction networks in the Simpson Desert with the Desert Ecology Research Group based at Sydney University. 108 1 University of Sydney Pinus radiata has invaded native bushland surrounding plantations in NSW and throughout Australia. Pine wildlings can detrimentally alter the ecology of native bushland. Despite widespread invasion, accurate predictors of the extent of invasion have proven elusive. P. radiata is a serotinous species, retaining mature seed in the canopy for long periods of time. Release of seed from serotinous species has traditionally been associated with fire. The timing of P. radiata invasion events has not been quantified. Attempts to understand P. radiata invasion have yet to quantify serotiny. This study quantified cone production and the degree of serotiny in P. radiata. The invasive potential of P. radiata is partly determined by the number of cones each tree produces and the timing of seed release. Cone production was quantified and serotiny was assessed by their status (open or closed) in plantation and invaded wildling trees at three of the most highly invaded sites in NSW. For a supposedly serotinous species, the proportion of closed cones in both the plantation and the wildling trees was low. This indicates that in a NSW invasive context, P. radiata is partially serotinous, releasing seed in the absence of fire. Variation in serotiny and cone production was also spatially complex; thus effective allocation of management resources is likely to be difficult. Longer term studies quantifying yearly changes in serotiny and cone numbers are necessary to inform long-term invasion management. James Bevan completed his honours research on the ecology of Radiata Pine invasion at Sydney University. He currently works as an Ecologist in Sydney. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 2i—Open forum 1330, Room T6, MCC 1345, Room T6, MCC Spot the difference! Structural versus visual function of eggshell maculation Wide enough? The relationship between riparian corridor width and ant and plant diversity in northern Sydney 1 1 Golo Maurer , Steven J Portugal , Phillip Cassey 1 1 Centre for Ornithology, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, UK Christopher Ives1, Grant Hose1, David Nipperess1, Mark Taylor1 Pigmentation and patterning of eggshells clearly distinguishes birds from their reptile ancestors with white shells. Yet surprisingly, it has proven difficult to identify a single function of eggshell maculation, to explain its widespread occurrence and diversity across species. Here, we investigate the divergent expectations for the make-up of eggshell speckles according to their different putative functions: a structural but not a visual function implies that speckled areas of the shell differ in their calcite matrix composition from neighbouring plain areas. Using heavily speckled, apparently camouflaged eggs of black-headed gulls, Larus ridibundus, we show that the thickness and vapour permeability of shell regions do not vary with maculation. Likewise, stable isotope composition is identical for speckled and plain fragments throughout embryonic development, ruling out a role of maculation in the embryo’s calcium metabolism. A comparison of museum eggs of c. 200 European species using scanning electron microscopy and transmission spectrophotometry suggests instead two novel, alternative functions of shell pigmentation and speckling; (1) a filter of UV light harmful to the embryo, and (2) a screen admitting only light of wavelengths that speed up embryonic development. Both of these functions could have large implications for parental and nestling behaviour. Riparian corridors are commonly the last remaining areas of natural habitat within urban landscapes. With increasing development pressure minimum riparian widths are commonly legislated, however little empirical evidence exists as to the efficacy of these policies for biodiversity conservation. In this study, we investigated the response of ant and vascular plant assemblages to riparian corridor width and a range of other landscape environmental factors. Eighteen corridors were selected from within the Ku-ring-gai Local Government Area, Sydney Australia. Ants were sampled using pitfall traps positioned within rectangular vegetation transects (30 m x 10 m). Both plant and ant species richness was found to be unrelated to riparian corridor width, however significant compositional differences were observed. The dominance of opportunistic species contributed greatly to differences in ant assemblages and higher proportions of invasive plants were observed in narrow corridors. Our findings suggest that >50 m of bushland from the top of bank should be retained to mitigate edge effects. However, the high degree of variability observed between sites is a cautionary note against relying on minimum corridor widths for the protection of urban riparian ecosystems. Maximum ecological outcomes will only be achieved through implementation of policies that consider catchment-wide processes and impacts. Golo Maurer has just completed a postdoc in the UK on the ecological adaptations of avian eggshells to their environment. 1 Macquarie University Christopher Ives is a PhD student at Macquarie University. His thesis assesses biodiversity patterns within urban riparian systems, and explores interactions between conservation science and urban planning policy. 109 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T6, MCC 1415, Room T6, MCC Seasonal changes in plant–plant interactions affect tree establishment in grasslands Individual decision makers drive the diversity of cultivated plants in gardens Megan Good1, Jodi Price2, Peter Clarke3, Nick Reid1 Dave Kendal1, Kathryn Williams1, Nicholas Williams1 Ecosystem Management, University of New England, Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia, 3Department of Botany, University of New England Melbourne School of Land and Environment, University of Melbourne 1 2 There is widespread support in the literature for the ‘stress gradient hypothesis’ (SGH)—predicting an increase in the frequency of positive interactions in stressful environments and a switch to competitive interactions in more benign environments. This may vary in different systems, depending on (amongst other things) the species involved and the stress gradient studied. We investigated the nature of plant-plant interactions for tree seedling recruitment in semi-arid grasslands, along a heat stress gradient. Temperature is a non-resource based stress, that can fluctuate widely from cool winters to very hot summers and extremes can reduce photosynthetic activity and cause cell damage. Using glasshouse and field experiments, we measured survival and growth of tree seedlings grown with different densities of grasses in summer and winter conditions. In cool conditions, competition reduced seedling growth but did not affect survival, whereas in hot conditions facilitation increased survival of seedlings. These results support the SGH, since positive interactions increase seedling survival under high heat stress but competition was more important in cooler conditions. The implications of these findings for tree-grass dynamics in semi-arid savannas will be discussed. Megan Good is in the final year of her PhD candidature. She is studying the population dynamics of Coolibah woodlands in the semi-arid floodplains of northern New South Wales. 110 1 Cultivated ornamental vegetation in gardens, parks and streetscapes dominates urban landscapes, yet have been largely unexplored in ecology. Ornamental vegetation contributes greatly to the biological diversity of urban areas, provides food and habitat for other species and improves human health and wellbeing. This study explores patterns of plant diversity across 128 randomly selected front gardens in Ballarat, using linear regressions of garden area, housing age and social variables against taxa richness, plant density and taxa turnover. Taxa richness within gardens ( =13.9) was lower than surrounding native vegetation ( =17.0) yet diversity across gardens was significantly higher due to the dissimilarity of the gardens (Bray Curtis=0.92 vs 0.46). Taxa richness was most strongly related to the proportion of garden beds (R2=0.24) and unrelated to socioeconomic status, in contrast with findings from the USA. Plant density was negatively related to garden area (R2=0.15). While there was some evidence of spatial autocorrelation, measured physical and social variables were unable to explain overall patterns of taxa turnover. Instead, we argue that household level factors such as gardener personality, gender and age drive peoples’ gardening behaviour, and that the observed patterns of diversity are the combined result of many individual decision makers. Dave Kendal is completing his PhD at the University of Melbourne exploring the relationship between ecological patterns of diversity and psychological preferences and decision making in the cultivated landscapes of Ballarat CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T6, MCC 1445, Room T6, MCC Maximising fauna return post bauxite mining— using science to influence restoration practice Birds of a feather: using species assemblages to assess the vulnerability to extinction of native birds Vicki Stokes1, Mike Craig2, Richard Hobbs3, Giles Hardy2 Dean Paini1, Simon Ferrier1 1 2 3 Alcoa of Australia, Murdoch University, University of Western Australia Alcoa of Australia has been mining bauxite in the northern jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest of Western Australia since 1963. Around 600 ha are mined and restored annually. Science is an important component of the restoration process for re-establishing a selfsustaining forest ecosystem of conservation value. We aim to understand the successional return of fauna, how this corresponds with plant successional processes, and the habitat requirements of late successional species. Research has shown that some faunal groups, particularly reptiles are slow or fail to recolonise, suggesting that the common premise that fauna will naturally follow vegetation establishment does not always hold true. Over-dense stands of eucalypts in rehabilitation potentially interfere with the capacity of some reptile species to thermo-regulate. Current research is focused on the role of forest management practices such as thinning and burning rehabilitation, and log return in meeting the habitat requirements and thus maximising the successful return of these species. Thinning and burning rehabilitation provides suitable habitat for mammals such as the western pygmy possum. Reptiles such as Morethia obscura and Menetia greyii are encouraged into rehabilitation by thinning and burning, resulting in reptile communities more similar to those in unmined forest. Dr Vicki Stokes is a research scientist with Alcoa of Australia, researching ecosystem restoration, particularly pertaining to fauna in a production landscape. Other research interests include invasive species and threatened species ecology. 1 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences One of the many challenges to biodiversity researchers is the question of which species are most vulnerable to extinction. This is particularly pertinent to policy makers who must allocate and prioritise scarce resources, and the question of species vulnerability is one that is often considered. We present a method to answer this question using species-assemblage analysis. By assessing patterns of species association, the strength of affiliation of a species to the assemblage in which it is found can be used to rank its vulnerability to extinction. For example, if species A is found with an assemblage in 20 locations and species B is found with this same assemblage in only 2 locations, it can be inferred that species B has a lower strength of affiliation and therefore more vulnerable to extinction in these two locations. We present an analysis of bird censusing data for one degree grids over most of Australia, to rank all species in all grid-cells by vulnerability to local extinction. These rankings for each cell can then be combined over a species’ range to determine its overall vulnerability to extinction. We also discuss ways in which climate change can be incorporated to predict future vulnerabilities. Dean Paini completed his PhD in 2004 at UWA investigating the impact of the European honeybee on Australian native bees. He then moved to the University of Florida where he researched the ecology of thrips species. In 2007, he returned to Australia to take up a postdoctoral fellow using machine learning to predict invasive species. He is currently a research scientist in CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, where he researches ecological questions regarding invasive and native species. 111 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Speed talks 1 1530, Room T1, MCC 1535, Room T1, MCC Key biodiversity area prioritisation in the New Guinea wilderness Incorporating invasive species biology into management 1 2 3 Kristen J Williams , Randal JL Storey , David K Mitchell , Naamal 4 5 De Silva , Daniel P Faith CSIRO, 2Canberra, 3Conservation International, PNG, 4 Conservation International, USA, 5Australian Museum 1 Ben Hoffmann 1 CSIRO 1 Key biodiversity areas (KBAs) are sites of global significance for biodiversity conservation. They provide geographic targets for expanding and strengthening protected area networks, and other conservation actions. However, it is not possible to invest in all significant areas simultaneously. A method for prioritising KBAs was outlined in Langhammer et al. (2007)— Identification and Gap Analysis of Key Biodiversity Areas. Vulnerability, irreplaceability and costs of conservation action are key considerations in deciding on which areas to invest in. We applied this prioritisation approach to 128 KBAs in the New Guinea wilderness region, which provide habitat for 214 species of critical interest. Indices of species irreplaceability were based on how often a species was represented within the set of KBAs and the proportion of the contributing species’ total habitat captured. Nine measures of site-based vulnerability reflected land uses that threaten biodiversity. In addition, an index of conservation cost was developed based on the premise that increasing complexity among social and political jurisdictions will increase the overall difficulty of successfully implementing conservation. We successfully prioritised the priority areas for maintaining globally significant species in the New Guinea wilderness. For example, nineteen KBAs were identified with ‘extreme’ species-level irreplaceability and vulnerability and are therefore among the highest priority for conservation action. Twelve of these occur in PNG and seven in Indonesia. It is important to note however that all KBAs are priorities and have been identified primarily because they support habitat for species that are vulnerable to extinction over relatively short time frames. We aimed to classify these areas using a number of indices, to facilitate selection of areas for more detailed assessment. While making the best use of available data, we also identify a number of areas in which information about species, ecosystems and the processes that threaten could be improved, or methods of prioritisation refined. Dr Kristen Williams is a research scientist with CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, specialising in biodiversity analysis and modelling with climate and land use changes for policy, planning and research. 112 Despite over a century of invasive species management, eradications remain relatively uncommon, and there are great differences of management success among taxa. Ants are particularly noteworthy as invasive species, and we have a very poor management history attempting to deal with them. However, recently there have been numerous successful eradications within Australia, with the successes predominantly attributed to protocols that are based on ant biology. Importantly, these successful projects incorporated an active adaptive approach, whereby research was embedded within the management program to resolve issues as well as to improve knowledge of the target species and invasions in general. Here I use these projects as case studies to demonstrate how knowledge of a target species’ biology provides the best basis of project protocols, how these multi-agency collaborative projects were designed to provide an adaptive management framework, and discuss how they overcame (and continue to overcome) the political pressures actively attempting to prevent such an adaptive approach. Ben Hoffmann is an ecologist specialising in ants. He has spent the past 15 years researching and managing invasive ants. His adaptive management approach is the basis for his projects achieving twice as many localised eradications over five times the area reported in the literature for all invasive ant management globally combined for the past 100 years. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1540, Room T1, MCC 1545, Room T1, MCC Breeding diet of grey falcons (Falco hypoleucos) in Sturt National Park, NSW, Australia Gaining insight into the impacts of severe tropical cyclones on vegetation in northern Australia using time series remote sensing Immy Janse1, Ulrike Kloecker 1 Van Hall-Larenstein Leeuwarden, University of Applied Science Little is known about the diet of the rare grey falcon. In this project the diet of a family of grey falcons was investigated using pellets collected at the nesting site. The pellets were dissected and dietary remains identified using a reference collection (birds), the program Hair ID (small mammals) and comparison to information on potential prey species in the literature. Results were then compared to data from various sources, mainly casual observations. Immy Janse is a student at the Van Hall-Laterenstein; University of Applied Science in the northernly town of Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. I’m currently doing my bachelor internship for DECCW National Parks and Wildlife Society during which I analysed pellets collected at a grey falcon nesting site in 2003. Leo Lymburner1, Garry Cook2, Peter Tan1, Norman Mueller1, 3 1 1 Richard Thackway , Adam Lewis , Medhavy Thankappan 1 Geoscience Australia, 2CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, 3Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics-Bureau of Rural Sciences Severe tropical cyclones occur frequently across Australia’s tropical north, and those that make landfall typically have a catastrophic impact on the vegetation in the immediate path of the cyclone. Previous studies have demonstrated a ‘before and after’ characterisation of the impact, however time series information is required to fully characterise the longer term response and recovery trajectories of vegetation communities. This study illustrates how the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Dynamic Land Cover Map (DLCM) in combination with EVI time series can provide insight into the impact of three recent severe tropical cyclones, Monica, Ingrid and Larry on vegetation communities including tropical rainforest, savannah woodlands and mangroves. The characteristics of the impacts are assessed within the context of terrain effects, storm surges and antecedent (pre-event) vegetation structure. Vegetation on the windward slope and ridges show significantly greater impact than those on the lee slope. The post event time series characteristics are consistent with an event-disturbance-recovery model, however the recovery trajectories of different vegetation types provide valuable insight into their immediate and short-term resilience. Given the flexibility of the DCLM data products it can be readily applied to numerous other resource management issues. Leo Lymburner has worked in the field of vegetation remote sensing since 1998 and is keenly interested in how remote sensing can be used to provide insight into the impact of extreme events. 113 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1550, Room T1, MCC 1555, Room T1, MCC Is goat management enough to ensure ecosystem recovery of the rangelands? Splitting vs lumping: the complexities of vegetation mapping for assessing conservation values Richard Harris1, Renee Hartley2 Richard Harris1, Hana McDonald1 1 Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, School of Environmental Science, Murdoch University 2 Feral goats have a major impact on rangeland ecosystems through overgrazing and destruction of the soil biotic crust. Control of feral goats is a complex issue because while acknowledged as a major environmental pest, they currently have a relatively high commercial value. Also impacting the rangeland, and on the increase in the Midwest and Murchison regions of Western Australia, is iron ore mining, in particular targeting banded iron stone formations (BIF). As some areas of BIF are mined, the protection of unmined areas from other impacts, such as grazing by goats, is critical. Mining companies are being encouraged to manage goats as part of environmental offset packages but a key question is how responsive the vegetation is to goat removal, and if they are managed, do other herbivores (such as kangaroos and rabbits) maintain the rangeland in its degraded state? A collaborative project has been initiated to quantify ecosystem recovery within paired plots (goat exclosure and open) spread across the Midwest. These include ex-pastoral leases that the Department of Environment and Conservation has destocked, and pastoral leases maintaining high grazing pressure. Initial comparisons of herbivore densities and vegetation condition are presented. Richard Harris is a community ecologist with broad research interests generally focused on the impacts of human induced disturbances on native ecosystems. 114 1 Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University Vegetation mapping is common practice for conservation and mining approvals. Selection of visually distinct vegetation, with or without quantitative analysis, is used to produce detailed vegetation maps. Bias and limitations of techniques are rarely acknowledged and community groupings justified. Two case studies: a vegetation survey of a nature reserve and a region to be mined, highlight the need for greater scientific rigor in vegetation mapping. Richard Harris is a community ecologist with broad research interests generally focused on the impacts of human induced disturbances on native ecosystems. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T1, MCC 1605, Room T1, MCC Nutritional composition of the forage and seed of Australian native grasses Shifting mine rehabilitation to ecological restoration Jodie Reseigh1, Paul Foster2, Robert (Bob) Myers3 1 2 Andrew Wright1 1 Whitehaven Coal 3 Rural Solutions SA, SA Health, Aussie Roots Whilst many species of Australian native grasses are identified, their nutritional composition is mostly unknown. Aboriginal and animal feeding behaviour indicates dietary value. This study provides reference information concerning nutritional and toxicological composition of selected native perennial C3 and C4 grass forage and/or seed. Native grasses if consumed, supply a variety of macro and micronutrients. Native grass and seed is of immense value to future livestock dietary planning, native animal conservation and potentially, human food. Jodie Reseigh is a senior environmental consultant with Rural Solutions SA. She has an ongoing interest in Australian native grasses for both biodiversity and production. NSW Coal Mining Industry is currently in a transition phase away from the previous practice of post mining rehabilitation that had focused only on re-establishing agricultural land uses. This presentation will discuss the challenges facing the industry both from internal and external forces that are driving the increased expectations of ecological community rehabilitation within post mining landforms. The speaker will outline examples of negotiating the fine line between obtaining mining approvals, undertaking rehabilitation programs and maintaining business continuity while attempting to achieve improved biodiversity outcomes in post mining landscapes. Internal pressures that need to balanced with ecological restoration include both management, employee and community education and awareness; working within budgets and justifying cost effective programs to obtain expenditure approval, and challenging ‘old school’ thinking. External pressures include working with agricultural based communities, government regulatory hurdle jumping and the continually moving expectations of government and community stakeholders. Learning from and adapting other practices from the broad field of ecological restoration, there are examples now in the NSW coal and other mining industries that can demonstrate how quickly ecological restoration initiatives can be adopted into onsite mining rehabilitation practices to improve biodiversity outcomes. Andrew Wright has 10 years experience in the coal mining industry. However recent years undertaking rehabilitation programs moved from an occupational hazard to a passionate pursuit towards ecological restoration. 115 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1610, Room T1, MCC 1615, Room T1, MCC Mount Klabat in north Sulawesi, Indonesia: a proposed reservation site for some Sulawesi biodiversity of endemic birds and mammals More to the point—spinifex seed is required to drive a desert boom Saroyo Sumarto1, Farha Dapas1, Trina Tallei1 Glenda M Wardle1, Chris R Dickman1, Aaron Greenville1, Bobby Tamayo1 Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Sam Ratulangi University, Indonesia 1 Desert Ecology Research Group and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney Sulawesi is the biggest island in Wallacea region that represents most of Wallacean biodiversity. Nowadays, Sulawesi biodiversity is facing some serious threats, mainly are habitat destruction and hunting for consumption especially in the North Sulawesi Province. One way for their conservation efforts is conservation areas formation even. These, however, still cannot stop destructive practices. Besides some conservation areas, North Sulawesi has several sites that can act as a reserve for some Sulawesi birds and mammals. Mount Klabat located in the province still carries many island-endemic species. A survey has been conducted at the site to determine the bird and mammal abundance and biodiversity indexes from January to December 2009. Method used was line transect crossing both primary and secondary rainforest. For bat survey, mist-netting with 3–6.6 m height was used. From the survey, we found 3 Sulawesi mammals, Sulawesi black macaques (Macaca nigra), spectral tarsier (Tarsius spectrum) and bear cuscus (Ailurops ursinus); and 41 bird species with 24 endemic species, such as Knobbed Hornbill (Rhyticeros cassidix), Sulawesi Hawk-eagle (Spizaetus lanceolatus) and Sulawesi Woodpecker (Dendrocopos temminckii). Mammal’s diversity was low, whereas bird’s was high. Mount Klabat can be used as reservation site for Sulawesi endemic birds and mammals. The 2010 drought-breaking summer rains have stimulated plant productivity but not the eruptions of rodents observed in the boom periods following similar events in 1990, 2000, and 2007. We explore the idea that this is due to lack of seed production of spinifex, Triodia basedowii, a hummock grass that dominates the vegetation in the dune fields of the Simpson Desert. Why the numerous flowering stalks are produced without seeds remains a mystery worth pursuing. 1 Dr Saroyo Sumarto is a primatologist. He has been conducting research on Macaca nigra at Tangkoko-Batuangus Nature Reserve North Sulawesi for almost 8 years. He is now the head of Conservation Laboratory at University of Sam Ratulangi Manado. 116 Glenda Wardle of the Desert Ecology Research Group at the University of Sydney currently works on species interactions in arid communities in the hummock grasslands of the Simpson Desert. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Speed talks 2 1530, Room T2, MCC 1535, Room T2, MCC Looking for a phylogenetic signal in the climate niche of European mammals Adaptation to climate change in SE Australia: an ecological or a socio-ecological issue? 1 2 3 Bernd Gruber , Carsten Dormann , Marten Winter , Dirk 2 Hermann Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, 2Department for Computational Landscape Ecology, UFZ—Centre for Environmental Research, Germany, 3Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolution Unit, University of Fribourg, Switzerland 1 Ian Mansergh 1 Department of Sustainability and Environment, VIC 1 Our ability to predict consequences of climate change is severely impaired by the lack of knowledge on the ability of species to adapt to changing environmental conditions. We used distribution data for 140 mammal species in Europe, together with data on climate, land cover and topography, to derive a statistical description of their realised climate niche. We then compared climate niche overlap of pairs of species, selected on the basis of phylogenetic information. In contrast to expectations, related species were not similar in their climate niche. Rather, even species pairs that had a common ancestor less than 1 Ma already display very high climate niche distances. We interpret our finding as a strong interspecific competitive constraint on the realised niche, rather than a rapid evolution of the fundamental niche. If correct, our results imply a very limited usefulness of climate niche models for the prediction of future mammal distributions. Bernd Gruber started his scientific career working on the feeding ecology of the Yellow-footed rockwallaby (Diploma thesis), followed by a study on the population dynamics of an arboreal gecko commuting between Australia and Germany to finally find a way to settle permanently in Australia working on Spatial Analysis and Ecological Modelling of animal populations as an Assistant Professor at the University of Canberra. Causes and consequences of global climate change will produce large-scale, all pervasive biophysical modifications to landscapes. A warmer, drier, more extreme weather (e.g. fire) event prone future will increase the complexity of cascading effects on ecosystems of se Australia. Natural systems will ‘self adjust’ to altering environmental conditions within constraints of genetic plasticity, re-colonisation, availability of source populations and space) thus changing the spatial distribution of biota and potential, consequential ecosystem services. In contrast, major societal responses to climate change (mitigation of CO2 e emissions and adaptation) are chosen, purposeful and affected by, and will affect, landscape trajectories. Landscapes reflect past and projected human meaning and populating terra nullius through agriculture, supported by science (agronomy), transformed se Australia, however, many of these landscapes are now transitioning away from ‘traditional’ agriculture (amenity). The ecological study of natural systems (patterns, processes, populations and trajectories) has provided insights into Australia’s unique biota and processes which will become a key component of reimagining future landscapes and societal choices involved. The relativities of the societal value of ecosystem services and risks (biodiversity, amenity, fire) will be altered by perceptions of future ecosystem changes and what the community values from landscapes (e.g. food, carbon sequestration, water). This paper examines emerging and converging developments (e.g. land-use policies) in this socioecological ‘space’ of adaptation of landscapes for the 21st century. Ian Mansergh has worked in ecology and land use management and policy for 30 years. Early work on climate change and co-invented bilink concept. 117 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1540, Room T2, MCC 1545, Room T2, MCC The vulnerability of natural values on Tasmania’s coastline to sea level rise Responses of native and invasive exotic grasses to elevated carbon dioxide and fire Louise Gilfedder1, Clarissa Murphy1, Felicity Faulkner1, Jill Pearson2 Ifeanna Tooth1, Michelle Leishman1 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University 1 Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, 2 NRM South Sea level rise increasingly presents a major challenge for both coastal zone management and biodiversity conservation planning. The vulnerability of natural values to sea level rise along Tasmania’s coastline has been investigated using coastal landform sensitivity (Sharples 2006) as the basis of the assessment. A small number of native vegetation communities have much of their extent within 500 m distance of the coast. A similar trend was found with the flora—11 species have 100% of their populations and range in the zone defined by 5m elevation. The fauna most at risk was coastal shorebirds as they are entirely dependent upon the shoreline of Tasmania (with 12 migratory species covered by international conventions and 50% of their habitat on the coast). The potential impact on Ramsar sites (nine out of the ten that exist in Tasmania are coastal), wetlands and saltmarshes was also considered. This project aimed to identify key vulnerabilities to sea level rise in order to develop adaptive management approaches. It is a component of the Tasmanian Government’s Natural Systems Resilient to Climate Change Project which aims to facilitate the adaptations that may maintain, enhance and recover the resilience of natural values. 118 Climate change is expected to result in an increase in the frequency and intensity of fires in many regions of Australia and therefore the interaction of fire and resprouting response of vegetation under elevated CO2 conditions is an important issue. Mesocosms containing three exotic and three native grass species (both C4 and C3) were grown as mixtures in natural soil in glasshouses in elevated (700 ppm) and ambient (385 ppm) CO2, burnt and assessed for resprouting response. Two out of the three exotic species significantly increased in biomass whereas only one of the native species significantly increased in biomass by the end of the experiment, and in aboveground biomass only. The total biomass of grass plants grown in elevated atmospheric CO2 was greater than that of grass plants grown in ambient atmospheric CO2. The total biomass of the three native grass species reduced marginally in elevated CO2 whereas the total biomass of the three exotic grasses increased marginally in elevated CO2. Burning reduced the biomass of plants. There was no interaction between elevated CO2 and burning. Our results support the hypothesis that invasive plants can benefit more from elevated CO2 than native plants, irrespective of whether they are C3 or C4. Ifeanna Tooth is a Masters (MPhil) student working in the Plant Invasion and Restoration Lab at Macquarie University. Ifeanna also works at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1550, Room T2, MCC 1555, Room T2, MCC Subterranean termites eavesdrop on predatory ants and other termite species to secure a distant feed Bat species show vegetation type preferences in the northern jarrah forest, Western Australia Glen Bann1, Theo Evans2, Joseph Lai3, John Field1 Wesley Bancroft1, Brenden Metcalf1, Michael Bamford1, Stephen Vlahos2 1 2 3 Australian National University, CSIRO Entomology, ADFA (UNSW) Recent work on drywood termites has identified the fact that they communicate and eavesdrop using vibrations (Evans et al. 2005, 2009). However, applications of this ability and the mechanisms that enable it have not been fully investigated. This paper describes observations made in box/gum grassy woodlands of the STNSW and results from subsequent laboratory experiments. Despite a negative association found between termites and ants beneath the discs, subterranean termites were detected inhabiting the same nest site as aggressive predatory ants to obtain feed in the form of a log disc placed on the ground (surrogate habitat/feed). Additionally, two different termite species were observed inhabiting the same location, where one species (dominant?) were feeding on a buried toilet roll and the other on the log disc at the surface (within 30cm of each other). These observations demonstrate the ability of subterranean termites to eavesdrop on other soil dwellers, be they of the same genus or family, or a formidable predator. It also confirms the fact that the termites can detect and assess wood (food) through the soil, without actually being in contact with the wood. Implications from these results suggest further work is warranted on these and other termite species (and from other regions) to determine whether this ability is widespread. 1 MJ & AR Bamford Consulting Ecologists, 2BHP Billiton Worsley Alumina Pty Ltd Bat echolocation calls were recorded passively, using the Anabat system, at 50 sites (one night per site) in the northern jarrah forest region of Western Australia. There was a significant difference in the habitat use (as categorised by dominant tree species) by bats, with Sheoak (Allocasuarina) spp. sites yielding the most recordings, and jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata)—Marri (Corymbia calophylla) forest the least. Each bat species showed a different preference for habitat type. Dr Wesley J Bancroft completed a Bachelor of Science degree at The University of Western Australia in 1999, with a double major in Zoology and Microbiology and honours in Zoology (a neurobiology project run through the Zoology Department). His PhD on the ecosystem ecology of shearwater colonies on Rottnest Island, also at UWA, was completed in 2004 and he has worked as a zoological consultant since that time. Glen Bann has a background in geology and ecology, and has worked in both fields, including natural resource management. Glen is presently finalising a PhD at the ANU investigating dryland salinity, biodiversity and geodiversity in south-eastern Australia. In his spare time Glen works on a science education program, called Living GeoDiversity, which he’s hoping to have included in the new national secondary schools science syllabus due for rollout in 2011. 119 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T2, MCC 1605, Room T2, MCC Living geodiversity = life rocks! A new and innovative holistic eco-geo science education program for schools, universities, tourists and community groups Reformation of vegetation information management in NSW 1 1 NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water 2 Glen Bann , John Rowntree 1 Australian National University, 2Hunter Minerals Pty Ltd Living Geodiversity = Life Rocks! (LG) is a unique, innovative, holistic and comprehensive science education program covering Australia’s geodiversity, ecodiversity and associated sustainability issues. We construct user-friendly generalised (simplified) regional geology and geomorphology maps (called geodiversity maps) with similar overlay generalised fauna and flora habitat maps (called ecodiversity maps) thence develop eco-geo-enviro-sustaino tours based on the maps. Interesting and relevant environmental and sustainability issues are also addressed. All material will be accessed through various multimedia, including an interactive website, Smart Phones, iPod, iPad, Digital television etc. Google Earth is utilised and forms a platform for the tours and maps. The tours can thus be taken virtually or actually, or indeed, simultaneously (doing the actual tour whilst accessing it electronically). The program material has been developed in consultation with a number of experts and head science teachers from a number of prominent secondary schools. It is envisaged that the complete template material will be trialled in the partner schools early next year, before further expansion into other populated areas nationally, with subsequent inclusion into the new national science curriculum being introduced in 2011. Teachers especially can employ LG, however, other markets include universities and ecotourism. Glen Bann has a background in geology and ecology, and has worked in both fields, including natural resource management. Glen is presently finalising a PhD at the ANU investigating dryland salinity, biodiversity and geodiversity in south-eastern Australia. In his spare time Glen works on a science education program, called Living GeoDiversity, which he’s hoping to have included in the new national secondary schools science syllabus due for rollout in 2011. 120 Ron Avery1 NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water is undertaking a 5 year program of reforms designed to improve the quality, interoprability and accessibility of vegetation information in NSW. Recently published vegetation standards are now available and are underpinned by the first phase in the development of the NSW Vegetation Information System including development of the following online applications: • VIS Map: A catalogue of over 270 NSW vegetation type maps has been established to support discovery and access to vegetation maps and associated technical reports, delivered through metadata discovery, web map services, browser map viewer and data download site. • VIS Plot (YETI): Researchers and agencies can now access over 50,000 existing vegetation plots in NSW, and may submit and manage their own plot datasets on-line, hence establishing a valuable repository for systematic site data. • VIS Classification (NSWVCA 2.0): An online database of NSW Plant Community Types, their ecological characteristics and conservation values is being implemented. This system and associated operational standards, are designed promote progressive alignment with mapping products, planning and regulation tools, and the National Vegetation Information System. For further information regarding access to these applications, go to: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/research/Vegetati onInformationSystem.htm Ron Avery is currently overseeing the development of the NSW Vegetation Information System. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1610, Room T2, MCC 1615, Room T2, MCC Traditional owner knowledge recording on Moreton Island in response to the Moreton Bay oil spill Cost-effective tree-planting to reforest the tropical landscape Samantha Lloyd1 1 SEQ Catchments The South East Queensland Traditional Owners Alliance manage this project, as part of the Moreton Bay Oil Spill Environmental Restoration Program, aimed at (1) engaging Elders and young people from the Quandamooka cultural group in traditional knowledge recording on Moreton Island, and (2) providing ethnobotanical information to Queensland Government scientists involved in restoration works as a result of the oil spill (with Elder approval). Elders were taken to familiar sites (both oil spill affected and reference sites) and asked to recall earlier environmental conditions and how they think the oil spill may have impacted the site. Traditional and historical knowledge, in particular information on how the Quandamooka people were driven from Moreton to Stradbroke Island, was also recorded. The project also supported a group of Quandamooka trainees in Certificate II—Conservation and Land Management. The trainees worked with Queensland Government scientists on the rehabilitation of Spitfire Creek wetland as part of the Quandamooka Lands Council project. Key outcomes include the development of a protocol for the collection and storage of Traditional Owner knowledge and the protection of intellectual property rights; traditional knowledge recording with over 20 Quandamooka Elders at seven sites and development of a 45 minute DVD from the recordings. Samantha Lloyd graduated from Wollongong University with a PhD in pollination ecology in 2006. Sam has worked in pest control, biodiversity and natural resource management for six years and is now coordinator of the SEQ Fire and Biodiversity Consortium. Noel Preece1,2,3, Penny van Oosterzee2,4, Margie Mayfield5, Peter Erskine5 1 Biome5 Pty Ltd, 2Charles Darwin University, 3James Cook University, 4Biocarbon Pty Ltd, 5University of Queensland Forest restoration efforts in Australia’s Wet Tropics establish <100 ha/yr, compared to 20-year average clearing rates of 1770 ha/yr. Reforestation costs in the region rise above $25,000/ha for restoration plantings, whereas timber companies reforest for less than $8,000/ha. Some of this difference stems from methods used to plant trees. Augered holes are used commonly in environmental plantings, whereas planting spades and pottiputki tube planters are used mostly in forestry plantings. We present early results from planting experiments of local rainforest species, comparing these methods for digging tree seedling holes at Thiaki Creek on the Atherton Tablelands. Planting techniques were compared in two experiments, designed to test survival and growth of seedlings planted in different seedling holes. We compared seedling growth with and without fertiliser for those planted with shovels and pottiputki. Results to date show that survival rates are equivalent. In a second experiment we tested the survival of seedlings planted using augered holes versus planting spades. Speed of planting with a spade is four times quicker than with an auger. Survival rates in the first year are ~96% for all plantings with no significant difference between the two methods (N=10, F=0.097, sig.=0.763). Using planting spades and omitting fertiliser could reduce the high costs of restoration. Noel Preece is an ecologist and environmental consultant with over 30 years’ experience in five Australian biomes—alpine, temperate coastal, arid, monsoon tropics and wet tropics. 121 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Speed talks 3 1530, Room T3, MCC 1535, Room T3, MCC Using remote cameras as a survey and landholder engagement tool in fragmented agricultural landscapes Bed size after the flames: post-fire litter accumulation in a mallee community in southwestern NSW Michael Davis1, Sophie Moller1 Samantha Travers1, David Eldridge1,2 1 Department of Environment and Conservation How do you get landowners more interested in biodiversity conservation on their land? Triggers for changing landowner attitudes towards conservation have long been sought by State and Federal governments alike. This pilot project confirmed that providing photographic evidence of the presence of both feral and high value native species creates an impetus for changes in management practices. Remote cameras are able to detect and photograph animals in bushland without the need for licenses, specific skills or traps. Using remote cameras as a survey tool to determine conservation values on private land engaged landowners in a cost-effective way with good management outcomes. The result of this process was that several landholders entered into negotiations for legally binding Conservation Covenants and implemented conservation management activities on their land, as part of a Caring for our Country project aimed at increasing the National Reserve System in poorly reserved areas of the Western Australian wheatbelt. Michael (Mick) Davis is a keen field ecologist who has worked across WA’s southwest ecoregion for the last 10 years, promoting practical conservation management to private landholders. 122 1 University of New South Wales, 2NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water Fire is an important ecological process in Australia’s arid and semi-arid woodlands. Fire has significant effects on ecosystem function and is a crucial consideration for land managers, particularly in mallee regions. While the relationships between eucalypt litter fuel loads and fire intensity have been well researched, basic information on fuel re-accumulation after fire is lacking. We examined relationships between litter bed size beneath mallee trees and tree size across a short spectrum (3, 13 and >30 years) of time since fire. All tree and litter dimensions increased significantly with time since fire -3 with the exception of litter mass. Litter mass (kg m ) was significantly greater 13 years after fire than 30 years after fire. This is likely due to changes in litter composition with increasing time since fire. Crown area was the best predictor of litter bed area (R2=0.73) and volume (R2 = 0.81). Our data confirm that crown area is still the best predictor of litter bed size irrespective of fire history. These relationships will be useful for assisting managers to predict total fuel loads in mallee communities. Samantha Travers is a PhD candidate investigating the importance of litter dynamics in semi-arid mallee dune communities. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1540, Room T3, MCC 1545, Room T3, MCC The consequences of interactions between scales of movement and fragmentation for dispersal success Major conservation policy issues for biodiversity in Oceania Lorenzo Cattarino1, Jonathan Rhodes1, Clive McAlpine1 1 University of Queensland Understanding the impact of habitat loss and fragmentation on animal movements is extremely important for conserving species in fragmented landscapes. For example, movements play a key role in shaping the structure and dynamics of wildlife populations, thus affecting species’ distributions and persistence. There is empirical evidence that the impact of fragmentation on movement is influenced by the distance an individual is able to move in a single step (i.e., the scale of movement) and by the resolution of habitat fragmentation (i.e., the scale of fragmentation). However, there is currently a poor understanding of how these two processes interact to affect dispersal success. We addressed this issue by using a novel spatially explicit simulation approach in which we were able to control for the scales of fragmentation and movement in hierarchical landscapes and to examine the consequences for dispersal success. We show that dispersal success depends critically on the scale of fragmentation relative to the scale of movement. However, the extent to which this is true also depends on the level of fragmentation and the amount of habitat remaining in the landscape. This has important implications for how we should manage species with different life-history characteristics in hierarchically structured landscapes. After completing a master in Environmental Management at the University of Queensland, Lorenzo Cattarino started his PhD in April 2009. His interests include conservation biology, ecological modelling and spatial analysis. Richard T Kingsford1,2, James EM Watson3, Carolyn J Lundquist4, Oscar Venter3, Lesley Hughes5, Emma L Johnston1, 6 7 8 9 James Atherton , Mike Gawel , David A Keith , BG Mackey , C 10 3 2 11 Morley , HP Possingham , B Raynor , HF Recher , KA Wilson12 1 School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, 2The Nature Conservancy—Micronesia Program, Federated States of Micronesia, 3Centre for Applied Environmental Decision Analysis, The Ecology Centre, The University of Queensland, 4National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand, 5Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, 6Conservation International Pacific Islands Program, Samoa, 7Guam Environmental Protection Agency, Guam, 8Department of Environment and Climate Change, NSW, 9 The Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, 10Department of Conservation, Kauri Coast Area Office, New Zealand, 11School of Natural Sciences, Edith Cowan University, 12School of Integrative Biology, University of Queensland Oceania (Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, New Zealand and Polynesia), with six of the world’s 39 hot spots of diversity has a poor record for extinctions, particularly for birds on islands and mammals in Australia. Major causes include habitat loss and degradation, invasive species and overexploitation. We identified six major threatening processes (habitat loss and degradation, invasive species, climate change, overexploitation, pollution and disease), on a review of the literature and developed conservation policies. Many policies reflect the urgent need to deal with burgeoning human populations on biodiversity. There is considerable difference in resources for conservation, including people and available scientific information, which are heavily biased towards more developed countries in Oceania. Most scientific publications analysed for four threats (habitat loss, invasive species, overexploitation and pollution) are from developed countries: 88.6% of Web of Science publications were from Australia (53.7%), New Zealand (24.3%) and Hawaiian Islands (10.5%). Many island states have limited resources or expertise. Even countries that do (e.g. Australia, New Zealand) have ongoing and emerging significant challenges, particularly with the interactive effects of climate change. Oceania will require the implementation of effective policies for conservation if the region’s poor record on extinctions is not to continue. Richard Kingsford is Director of the Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre at the University of NSW and has spent too much time in the plane counting waterbirds. 123 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1550, Room T3, MCC 1555, Room T3, MCC Trends in the abundance of hollow-dependent birds and guilds 1970–2010: what can they tell us about hollow dynamics? Sustaining vegetation and bird communities along roads and hiking trails in semi-arid gorges Matt White1 1 Isabelle Wolf1, Gerald Hagenloh2, David Croft2 Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW, The University of New South Wales 1 2 A large spatial and temporal analysis is presented of trends in the abundance of hollow-dependant bird species in south-eastern Australia. This reveals that the relative abundance of many species runs counter to common assumptions concerning the decline of rural tree cover and availability of hollows. Observed increases in hollow-dependent native birds, compared with other birds, may be related to a range of variables including climate change, forest fragmentation and nest predation. Vegetation and bird communities along recreational tracks may be impacted on by edge-effects accrue from modified environmental conditions, direct disturbance by tourists and the increased competition with species that benefit from disturbance. This study investigated the effects of roads vs. hiking trails on vegetation and bird communities in the gorges of the Flinders Ranges, a popular South Australian tourism destination. Department of Sustainability and Environment Matt White is currently an ecologist with the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment based at the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research. He has more than 20 years’ experience in field survey, management and research across south-eastern and central Australia. High compared to low usage recreational tracks significantly altered species community composition, decreased total plant cover, increased non-native plant cover, increased or decreased plant diversity depending on the distance to the track and decreased bird numbers and species richness. Impacts of roads were greater, and some self-propagated to disjointed sites with a predisposition to disturbance (neighbouring creek beds), which increased their spatial extent from 10 up to 50 m. However, vegetation moderated the impacts of high usage on birds along roads so that they were entirely mitigated at sites with the best developed shrub and tree layer. To protect vegetation and bird communities along recreational tracks in semi-arid gorges, we recommend (1) the closure of some gorges or sections for vehicle or any access and (2) the minimisation of open space created for tourism usage particularly for wild camping. Dr Isabelle Wolf is a disturbance ecologist who focuses on the interface between people and their environment. For her PhD in Biology from UNSW she researched the effects of tourism activities and infrastructure. 124 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T3, MCC 1605, Room T3, MCC Nights, camera, action: partitioning of activity time by sympatric carnivores Competition or innovation: what makes Indian mynahs such successful invaders? Aaron Greenville1, Chris Dickman1, Bobby Tamayo1, Glenda Wardle1 Kathryn Haythorpe1, Marie Diquelou1,2, Andrea Griffin1 1 University of Newcastle, 2University of Paris XIII 1 Desert Ecology Research Group, University of Sydney Dingoes, foxes and cats occur in low densities in arid Australia, making them difficult to reliably survey. Camera traps provide a non-invasive means of surveying these carnivores and allow for detection probabilities to be calculated for different time periods. Here we present pilot results from a camera trap study in the Simpson Desert, suggesting that these sympatric carnivores partition their activity times and thus reduce competition or direct predation with one another. Aaron Greenville has been working in arid environments for the past 10 years and is currently a Research Assistant for the Desert Ecology Research Group at the University of Sydney. Indian mynahs, Acridotheres tristis, were introduced to Australia in the late XIX century. Today they are present in the eastern states and are predicted to expand their range towards the south and west coasts in the next decade. The aim of this study was to explore what characteristics of this bird enable it to spread so fast in an environment to which it is not pre-adapted. In our first study we explore whether Indian mynahs succeed by outcompeting native species for food resources. Our results show that they are not the most aggressive species and that competition is probably not the key to their success. We do however find some early indications of a competitive pattern between Indian mynahs and noisy miners. In our second study we compare the ability of Indian mynahs to solve new problems in order to access food, with the ability of other common Australian species. Indian mynahs stand out of the ranking predicted by their taxonomic position. This is well in line with the metaecological literature that suggests correlation between innovation and invasiveness. Our findings suggest that the success of Indian mynahs relies more heavily on their ability to exploit new food sources, than on their exclusion of other species. Kathryn Haythorpe is a PhD student studying bird behaviour. MC Diquelou is a Masters student visiting Newcastle from the University of Paris XIII. Supervisor: Dr Andrea Griffin 125 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1610, Room T3, MCC 1615, Room T3, MCC The capacity of Echium plantagineum (Paterson’s curse) to evolve and respond to predicted drought conditions Conquering Brazil: the invasion by the exotic gekkonid lizard Hemidactylus mabouia in Brazilian natural environments Tara Konarzewski1, Robert Godfree2, Brad Murray3 Carlos Frederico D Rocha1, Helena G Bergallo1, Luciano Alves 2 Anjos 1 University of Technology Sydney and CSIRO Plant Industry, 2CSIRO Division of Plant Industry, 3Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Technology Sydney The exotic plant species Echium plantagineum (Paterson’s curse) is responsible for substantial ecological and economic damage across Australia. The key objective of our research project is to quantify experimentally geographic variation in traits of E. plantagineum associated with drought tolerance. Our project seeks to link these data with the evolutionary potential of E. plantagineum under future climatic changes. Seed samples were collected from 50 plants at each of 34 sites spanning six bioregions spread across an east-west transect from the eastern coast of NSW to its western border. We first investigated variation in seed weight, seed size and viability across the climatic gradients of temperature and rainfall distribution. A large glasshouse-based growth experiment was conducted during the 2010 growing season where seedlings were measured for geographic variation in morphological, physiological and drought tolerance traits across and within populations. Future work will focus on both integrating glasshouse-based trait data with evolutionary potential under modified climates and determining the ecological impacts of E. plantagineum on native plant communities under current and predicted future field conditions. 1 Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Brazil In order to assess the present status of the exotic gekkonid lizard Hemidactylus mabouia as an exotic or invasive species in Brazil, we surveyed the available records of its occurrence in natural conditions in Brazil. We considered existing secondary data obtained from scientific literature, supplemented with original field records of the authors. We mapped records by environments, habitats and microhabitat types for each Brazilian State. We found a total of 36 records in different localities registering the occurrence of H. mabouia in natural habitats along 13 Brazilian States. The States presenting higher instances of cases were Rio de Janeiro (seven different areas), Bahia, São Paulo (both with six), and Espírito Santo (five). The first record of H. mabouia in natural habitats was 1948. Based on the set of data obtained, we showed that the invasion of Brazilian natural habitats by H. mabouia has already taken place for some decades and nowadays, we have consistent records of its invasion in nature for nearly half of Brazilian States. At this point, it is important to start monitoring this species in order to measure the rate and effectiveness of the progress of its colonisation of natural habitats in Brazil and also, its potential negative effects eventually imposed to sympatric species. Fred Rocha has a PhD in Ecology and works with herpetology in Brazil mainly on population and community ecology. Presently, he coordinates the Graduation Program in Ecology and Evolution of Rio de Janeiro State University, Brazil. 126 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Speed talks 4 1530, Room T4, MCC 1535, Room T4, MCC Edge shapes (convex vs concave) can increase or decrease animal dispersal How to make the most of expert judgement 1 Vilis Nams 1 Nova Scotia Agricultural College and James Cook University Animal movement from one patch to another has a large effect on metapopulation dynamics. One factor that affects emigration is permeability of patch edges. This study looks at the effects of edge shape (convex, concave and straight) on edge permeability using both simulations and field experiments. Simulations showed that effects of edge shapes on animal behaviour can arise as emergent properties solely due to reactions to edges in general, without the animals reacting to the shapes of the edges. When animals were attracted to edges, then they tended to collect in convexities and disperse from concavities, and the opposite happened when animals avoided edges. Field experiments using meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) tested 4 specific hypotheses about mechanisms of responses to edge shape. Voles crossed edges at concave treatments twice as much as compared to convex and straight. Voles also tended to travel parallel to edges, except at the base of the concave shape, where they travelled perpendicularly to the edge. Comparing these results to the predictions of the simulations showed that voles recognised and responded to the actual edge shape. Mark Burgman1, Andrew Speirs-Bridge1, Louisa Flander1, Marissa McBride1, Fiona Fidler1 1 University of Melbourne Expert judgement is pervasive in environmental science, ecology and conservation biology. Decisions are imminent and data and understanding are inadequate. We turn to experts to fill the gaps. Unfortunately, experts are prey to a host of psychological and contextual biases that colour the accuracy and reliability of their judgements about facts. We present a procedure that anticipates and mitigates against the most common and influential of these biases. The results indicate that a simple, structured procedure for eliciting judgements about facts from experts will substantially improve the quality of these judgements, for little or no additional effort. Mark Burgman is the Adrienne Clarke Chair of Botany at the University of Melbourne and the Managing Director of the Australian Centre of Excellence for Risk Analysis Vilis Nams has studied how animals change their movement patterns in response to spatial scale. He is currently on sabbatical leave from Canada, at James Cook University. 127 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1540, Room T4, MCC 1545, Room T4, MCC What’s actually there? A comparison between systematic searching and pitfall trapping for reptiles Ten thousand years of human population increase in Australia Amanda R Bamford1, Michael J Bamford1, Nicholas Sibbel2 Chris Johnson1, Barry Brook2 1 2 MJ & AR Bamford Consulting Ecologists, Tiwest Pty Ltd When sampling for reptiles, it is often assumed that a simple relationship exists between the absolute abundance of a species and the index of abundance obtained by sampling. Previous studies have compared the effectiveness of different trapping techniques, and concluded that biases exist with all techniques. Without information on absolute abundance, however, the bias in a trapping technique can only be determined relative to other, biased techniques. To investigate this issue, measures of the absolute abundance of reptiles were obtained by intensively searching measured quadrats, usually 5m by 5m, and comparing the results with those obtained from pitfall trapping in the same area. It was found that the results from pitfall trapping were highly biased towards large, surface active lizards, while the ‘absolute’ reptile assemblage was numerically dominated by very small, fossorial species. Biases in trapping data appear to be influenced by the morphology and life history of reptile species. The results of searching may provide a baseline for the interpretation of abundance data from trapping techniques. Amanda (Mandy) Bamford (BSc Hons, University of Western Australia 1983) is a partner in Bamford Consulting Ecologists, with experience in the rehabilitation and management of wetland ecosystems. Mandy has a keen interest in environmental education, as a presenter and as a writer of printed and webbased interpretative material. 128 1 University of Tasmania, 2University of Adelaide For the last 10 000 years Australia’s climate has been quite stable, so it is often assumed that Australian ecosystems were in equilibrium before the arrival of Europeans. However, there is archaeological evidence that the human population had been growing through the Holocene, especially within the last 4000 years or so. This suggests increasing human impact on Australian environments. The evidence for population growth is controversial, because it is based largely on an increase in the number of known archaeological sites. This pattern could be due to population growth, but could also be caused by poor preservation of older archaeological sites. We developed a model to test the effects of both processes on the age-distribution of known archaeological sites. This shows that preservation bias alone cannot account for the observed agedistribution of sites, but population growth can. We conclude that the archaeological record provides strong evidence for major increase in the human population through the Holocene. Chris Johnson is a wildlife ecologist and conservation biologist, with an interest in the prehistoric background to contemporary problems in environmental management. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1550, Room T4, MCC 1555, Room T4, MCC The interaction of spatial autocorrelation and positional uncertainty of species occurrences in environmental niche modelling Putting the bite back into biodiversity conservation and rangeland management: what role(s) for dingoes? Babak Naimi1,2, Andrew Skidmore1, Thomas Groen1, Nicholas 1 Hamm Euan Ritchie1,3, Chris Johnson2,3 1 Deakin University, 2University of Tasmania, 3James Cook University 1 Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, 2Graduate School of the Environment and Energy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran In this study, the impact of positional uncertainty in species occurrences on the prediction of seven commonly used species distribution models (SDMs) has been investigated. A hypothesis that the negative effects of positional uncertainty in species occurrence on the accuracy of species distribution models diminished by the degree of spatial autocorrelation in environmental predictors has been tested. A series of artificial datasets covering 155 scenarios including different combination of five positional uncertainty scenarios and 31 spatial autocorrelation scenarios were simulated. Each dataset included two environmental gradients (predictor variables) and one species occurrence sample points (response variable). A probabilistic approach was employed to model and simulate 5 levels of error in the species locations. To analyse the propagation of positional uncertainty, Monte Carlo simulation was applied to each scenario for each SDM. The models were evaluated for performance using simulated independent test data and two statistics of Cohen’s Kappa and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). This was summarised in graphs and tables to compare. The results show that spatial autocorrelation in environmental variables decreases the impact of positional errors of species observations in SDMs. Our analyses suggest that the potential impact of positional uncertainty in species occurrences on predictions of SDMs can be understood by examining the spatial autocorrelation range in predictor variables. There is growing recognition worldwide of the important roles played by predators in regulating ecosystems and sustaining biodiversity. In Australia, we have suffered substantial biodiversity and economic losses through the effects of predators, most notably cats (Felis cattus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and to a lesser extent, the dingo (Canis lupus dingo). We argue that the impacts of the first two species could be reduced significantly by a new management philosophy with respect to the dingo. Recent studies show clear and consistent evidence that the ongoing persecution of the dingo, Australia’s sole remaining terrestrial top-predator, is linked with outbreaks of cat and fox populations (‘mesopredator release’), as well as overabundant herbivore populations and increased attacks on stock by dingoes. With reference to these studies, and our own, we outline the functional role of the dingo and how this species could be better managed to maximise biodiversity and economic benefits. With the recent introduction of the red fox and concurrent decline of the devil in Tasmania, and evidence for increasing rabbit and cat populations and declining native mammals in northern Australia, there is clearly an urgent need to reassess predator management in Australia. Dr Euan Ritchie is an ecologist with over 15 years’ experience working in Australia’s tropical savannas and arid rangelands. He is passionate about the ecology and conservation of our native fauna. 129 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T4, MCC 1605, Room T4, MCC By night and by day: web site selection by orbweaving spiders The National Conservation Lands Database Project—capturing conservation agreements on private land in Australia Luke Tilly1, Dieter Hochuli1 1 School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney Eleanor Sobey1, Kate Sanford-Readhead1, Charlie Zammit1 1 Web-building spiders face a dilemma when selecting foraging sites since they cannot predict the outcome of foraging at a location without first choosing a location. Spiders might instead use surrogate qualities, such as habitat complexity and vegetation structure when determining a location for their intercept traps. We surveyed the locations chosen by orb-weaving spiders during the night and the day in north-western Sydney. Habitat complexity, structure of attachments and web position were recorded for individual webs. Different genera of spider were associated with certain vegetation structures and heights, and some genera were associated with particular habitat complexities. Nocturnal genera preferred to position their webs higher than most diurnal genera, and in vegetation that offered protection during the day. We also used ‘sticky’ traps to investigate whether selections of height or vegetation structure correlated with the level of prey and debris encountered. We found that while spider genera do select specific web locations, these are neither based on expected prey capture success nor debris at the location. We therefore postulate that other factors such as predator avoidance or apparency to mates may provide a better explanation for selection of web sites. Luke Tilly is an Honours student from the University of Sydney with a passion for arachnids. 130 Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Conservation on private land is critical to the achievement of long-term biodiversity outcomes. A fundamental component of this is the need for comprehensive and nationally consistent information on conservation agreements on private land to inform policy, planning and investment decisions. The ‘National Conservation Lands Database Project’ was developed by the Australian Government in recognition of this need, and is managed in collaboration with state/territory governments and non-government conservation organisations. The project collates and manages data relating to the spectrum of private land conservation agreement ‘types’—from the most secure perpetual conservation covenants through to short-term land management agreements. Agreements are mapped spatially in ArcGIS, and are linked to a set of descriptive fields, including details on agreement type and security, governance, management, and site significance. Over the first year of the project, 4900 conservation agreements covering 3.6 million hectares were mapped. The presentation will summarise the findings of the first phase, outline application scenarios for conservation planning and investment at different scales and proposed further project development. Eleanor Sobey has worked in research, planning and program delivery roles. Her current position involves provision of strategic analysis and advice on landscape scale biodiversity conservation, with a focus on protection of private land using MBIs. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1610, Room T4, MCC 1615, Room T4, MCC Exploring drivers of change in stand structure from pre-European to present day woodlands using a stand simulation model Restoration of koala habitat in Gunnedah, NSW: movement of koalas across a patchy rural landscape Karen Ross1,2, Ian Lunt1, Ross Bradstock3, Michael Bedward2, 2 Murray Ellis Mathew Crowther1, Dan Lunney2, John Lemon2, Rob 2 3 Wheeler , George Madani 1 Charles Sturt University, 2NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, 3University of Wollongong 1 University of Sydney, 2Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, 3private consultant Attempts to isolate causes of woody plant encroachment are often hampered by synchronous changes to multiple disturbance regimes. We use a process-driven stand simulation model to investigate causes of widespread encroachment by Callitris glaucophylla in Eucalyptus-Callitris woodlands in eastern Australia. We orthogonally manipulated two processes— historical removal of canopy trees and subsequent thinning of regrowth—to identify drivers of structural change over 120-years. Modelling illustrated that both disturbances independently contributed to historical shifts from Eucalyptus to Callitris dominance. At European settlement, stands were not sufficiently dense to impede regeneration, and dense Callitris (>1000 trees/ha) established under all scenarios. However, only in the undisturbed scenario did stands remain Eucalyptus-dominated in terms of basal area (BA). Eucalyptus density remained low in thinned scenarios due to direct destruction, while BA remained low in unthinned scenarios due to competition from dense Callitris regrowth. Thinning promoted Callitris BA to a much greater extent than removal of competing presettlement trees, by enhancing growth of retained trees, whereas strong competition in unthinned scenarios retarded Callitris BA growth. Modelling results are consistent with historical and ecological data and enabled the complementary, long-term impacts of both disturbances to be isolated in ways not previously possible. From the early 1990s, a Landcare project saw thousands of trees planted to address salinity problems around Gunnedah in north-western NSW. A by-product of this land rehabilitation was an increase in koala habitat, which appears to have translated to an increase in koala abundance. Hence we studied the movements of 33 koalas using GPS collars to test if the apparently increasing population was a result of tree-plantings on farmland, and what type of trees and tree configuration koalas use. Koalas used the tree-plantings and existing remnant paddock trees, and moved frequently. The koalas were mostly restricted to relatively small patches of trees during each data collection period. This pattern of movement may present a problem as many treeplantings are concentrated along roads and railway tracks, areas of koala mortality. The study also found that koala mortality appears high when there is a sequence of abnormally hot dry days. The concentration of movement within these small patches may not allow for adequate nutrition and water for koalas at all times of the year. Hence land managers need to carefully consider tree planting configuration, as well as species, in order to maintain sustainable koala populations in the future. Dr Mathew Crowther is a lecturer in Wildlife Management at the University of Sydney, with research interests in the ecology, evolution and management of the Australian terrestrial fauna. Karen Ross works on disturbance ecology in eucalypt forests/woodlands, and here looks at how historical disturbances have shaped woodland structures—an understanding of which contributes to making informed current management decisions. 131 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Speed talks 5 1530, Room T5, MCC 1535, Room T5, MCC Floristic value—a useful indicator of presence of the threatened pink-tailed worm lizard? Broad scale conservation planning in a changing climate: a koala case study 1 David Wong 1 Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra 1 2 Christine Adams-Hosking , Hedley Grantham , 1,2 1,2 1 Jonathan Rhodes , Clive McAlpine , Patrick Moss 1 The pink-tailed worm lizard (Aprasia parapulchella) is a listed threatened species in the ACT, NSW, Victoria and nationally. Much of its geographic range has been severely restricted due to intensive agricultural activities, particularly in NSW and Victoria. In the ACT, although displaying a considerably reduced distribution, the population has historically been subject to lower levels of agricultural intensification. Past research has shown a tendency for the species to be associated with sites containing kangaroo grass (Themeda australis), an indicator of low levels of disturbance. Sites containing A. parapulchella may also contain a diverse suite of reptiles. The aim of this study was to determine whether measures of floristic value and disturbance are associated with the presence and abundance of A. parapulchella. The results show a significant correlation between relative abundance of A. parapulchella and the native floristic value of sites. However, sites with relatively low floristic value scores may also support the species, highlighting the importance of considering more than floristic value in assessing the significance of a site. The most highly disturbed sites did not contain the species. Farming landscapes, in good condition, have the potential to play an important complementary role in biodiversity and threatened species conservation. David Wong is a Masters student at the Institute for Applied Ecology and previously worked with the Research and Planning unit of ACT Parks Conservation and Lands. Landscape Ecology and Conservation Group, School of Geography, Planning, and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland, 2The Ecology Centre, The University of Queensland Planning for wildlife conservation and biodiversity requires a systematic approach to identify optimal management strategies. The synergistic effects of habitat loss and climate change threaten many species. Therefore, assessing how their distributions may shift and what habitats are suitable in the future is essential for planning conservation strategies. The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is a wide-ranging specialist arboreal folivore threatened by land clearing and urbanisation, with a hotter and more variable climate threatening western Queensland populations. For koala conservation planning, we aimed to firstly model their distribution under future climate change, incorporating climatic and other environmental variables. Secondly, using zonation, we aimed to produce a hierarchical prioritisation of koala conservation habitats based on the biological values of sites, accounting for complementarity. We identified a significant eastward contraction in the koala’s western range limit in Queensland under a projected hotter and drier climate and priority conservation areas. Koala conservation planning policies must develop integrated strategies that help reduce contemporary land use pressures on extant koala populations and buffer against future climate change. Priority habitats such as those identified in this study require protection from these synergistic threats through management approaches such as land acquisition, habitat restoration, assisted colonisation and incentives to private landholders. Christine Adams-Hosking’s PhD research involves using a range of systematic conservation planning tools to model the distribution of a wide ranging specialist species under future climate change. She aims to identify ‘climate change priority habitats’, using koalas in Queensland as a case study species. Christine hopes that this information will be useful to decision-makers, planners and landholders to make land-use decisions that incorporate effective koala protection in a rapidly developing region and a changing climate. 132 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1540, Room T5, MCC 1545, Room T5, MCC Past the point of no return: climate change impacts on the world’s most exceptional ecoregions Australia’s forests and climate change: from impact assessment to adaptation Linda Beaumont1, Andrew Pitman3, Sarah Perkins3, Niklaus Zimmerman4, Nigel Yoccoz5, Wilfried Thuiller2 Sarah Boulter1 1 2 Macquarie University, Laboratorie d’Ecologie Alpine, CNRA, Grenoble, France, 3Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW, 4 Land Use Dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute, Switzerland, 5 Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, Norway One of the aims of the Copenhagen Accord was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a level that prevents global warming from exceeding 2°C. However, non-agreement at Copenhagen and several recent studies suggest it is likely that this limit will be exceeded within this century. In our study, we demonstrate that the world’s most iconic terrestrial and freshwater habitats (the ‘Global200’) will, over the course of this century, experience mean monthly climatic conditions that are ‘extreme’ compared with the 1961–1990 baseline period. These regions have immense value to global conservation efforts, and comprise areas that are exceptionally diverse, have high taxonomic or ecological uniqueness, or are very rare. We define climate as being ‘extreme’ if it lies beyond at least two standard deviations of the baseline period, making it highly unlikely that the ecoregions have previously been exposed to these temperature and precipitation regimes. Furthermore, our calculations of ‘extreme’ conditions are based on hundreds of climate model simulations across multiple emissions scenarios, providing the most comprehensive coverage of variability across projections of future climate, of any ecological study to date. We show that warming of less than 2°C will expose nearly half of these ecoregions to ‘extreme’ mean monthly temperature, with some critically endangered ecoregions facing ‘extreme’ conditions with as little as 1°C of warming. Tropical areas will be exposed to ‘extreme’ conditions earliest, with many of these found within developing countries. In contrast, only a few ecoregions within Boreal Forests and Tundra biomes will experience such ‘extremes’ this century. Precipitation regimes exceeding 2σ of the baseline period are projected for at least one month a year across sections of 28% of ecoregions by 2070. We conclude that, when combined with other pressures that affect their resilience, many of these ecoregions will be severely affected by global change. 1 National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Griffith University Australia’s forests represent a significant proportion of Australia’s terrestrial biodiversity with high levels of endemism and unique species. They are also a significant source of timber and related products in both harvested native forests and production plantations and play an increasingly important role in the capture and storage of carbon. The capacity of forest management in Australia to adapt to climate change depends on the vulnerability (exposure and sensitivity) of the forests and the adaptive capacity. In a national assessment of the vulnerability of Australia’s forests to climate change, the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility with its partner universities determined the impacts of climate change on biophysical and socio-economic aspects of Australia’s forests, options for adaptation, knowledge gaps and future research gaps. Sarah Boulter is currently a Research Fellow with the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility. She completed a PhD on the impact of climate change on pollination earlier this year. Prior to this she worked on biodiversity and plant-animal interactions with Griffith University and the Rainforest CRC. Linda Beaumont is an Australian Post-doctoral Fellow. Her primary area of research is on the biological impacts of climate change. She has an ARC Discovery Grant to improve methods of projecting future potential species distributions. 133 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1550, Room T5, MCC 1555, Room T5, MCC Evidence for invader competitive release under a projected drier climate in coastal NSW A demographic framework for the active adaptive management of the endangered arid zone tree species, Acacia peuce Tanya Mason1, Kristine French1, Ken Russell2 1 School of Biological Sciences, 2Department of Mathematics and Applied Statistics Catherine Nano1, Chris Pavey1, S Raghu1 A dual challenge in contemporary ecology is understanding both the effect of competitively dominant plant invaders on the structure of invaded communities and the effects of changing climatic conditions on competitive structures. We investigated the effect of drying trends predicted to affect coastal New South Wales under projected climate change on the competitive structure of native coastal dune communities invaded by bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. rotundata). We found that bitou bush may experience competitive release under droughted conditions. Native shrub species were better competitors with bitou bush than grass or herb species, but competitive effects were generally restricted to non droughted conditions. Native species positions in competitive hierarchies were broadly invariant to water resource availability. Ultimately, bitou bush was a superior competitor under both droughted and non droughted conditions, but future drying trends may result in further weakening of competitive interactions between bitou bush and native species. This may improve the capacity of bitou bush to adapt to climate change in invaded dune communities. Acacia peuce F.Muell. (Mimosaceae) is a threatened arid zone tree species that is only known from three populations (two in Queensland and one in the Northern Territory) on the edge of the Simpson Desert in Central Australia. The smallest of these three populations is in the southern NT, ca. 200 km south-east of Alice Springs. This population has been negatively impacted by cattle and fire effects, and has been the focus of considerable monitoring and conservation efforts. Using data collected over the past three decades in the NT we developed a demographic model to investigate the population dynamics of this species and analyse its vulnerability to perturbations of its vital rates. Based on these analyses we prioritised the life-history stages and transitions that need to be managed to ensure the conservation of the NT population. We identify important knowledge gaps that need to be filled by continued monitoring and experimentation, and outline how the demographic model we present can be utilised in the active adaptive management of this species. Tanya Mason is a research fellow at the University of Wollongong. Her work focuses on weed and restoration ecology—particularly in coastal dune communities of New South Wales. 134 1 Arid Zone Research Institute, NT Government S Raghu’s interest is in understanding the processes that influence the distribution and abundance of plants, and in identifying their potential roles in management. He investigates these processes by working on threatened species, and invasive species. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T5, MCC 1605, Room T5, MCC Using time series remote sensing to understand the response of vegetation to different drivers Invasion of alien rodents into Australian coastal forests and potential of natives to competitively resist invasion Leo Lymburner1, Peter Tan1, Richard Thackway2, Norman Mueller1, Adam Lewis1, Medhavy Thankappan1 1 Geoscience Australia, 2Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics, Bureau of Rural Sciences Time series remote sensing has the capacity to provide insight into the changes in land cover, ground cover and land management practices at a specific location. When viewed through the context of a land cover map, time series remotely sensed data can provide valuable information about the response of vegetation to drivers at local, regional and landscape scales. The Dynamic Land Cover Map (DLCM) of Australia was generated from 250 metre resolution remotely sensed data and has been extensively validated using field data from over 25,000 sites across Australia. This study illustrates how the DLCM can be combined with a range of time series remote sensing data to gain an understanding of the response of native vegetation to severe tropical cyclones, severe bushfires, differences in grazing pressure and drought. Being able to visualise the spatial distribution of vegetation changes is critical to understanding and characterising the response of different vegetation types to a wide range of natural and anthropogenic drivers. This study also illustrates how the DLCM can be used to provide new insight into wetlands and alpine areas where changes in the greenness dynamics are dramatic, and thereby prompt further investigation to determine the cause of the change. Leo Lymburner works in the National Earth Observation Group at Geoscience Australia and has spent the last 2 years developing a National Dynamic Land Cover Map Vicki Stokes1, Peter Banks2, Roger Pech3 1 Research Department, Alcoa of Australia, WA, 2University of NSW, Landcare Research, New Zealand 3 The black rat, Rattus rattus is well established across coastal regions of Australia. It is largely considered a disturbance specialist confined to urban areas and modified landscapes, but it does successfully colonise native coastal forests to the detriment of local native fauna. We experimentally reduced populations of the invasive rodent with the aim of testing its impact on populations of the native bush rat, Rattus fuscipes. Their removal resulted in significant and sustained increases in populations of the native rodent due to immigration, juvenile recruitment, and increases in residency of females. Field and enclosure trials revealed symmetrical competition between these two species mediated by residency—so residents had the competitive edge and outcomes of invasive removal were permanent. Initial invasion of the forests under study by invasive rodents was attributed to forest disturbance and human facilitated colonisation of the invasive species. These findings have implications for the invasion success of introduced rodents into native forests, where native rodents may play an important role in maintaining invasion resistance and in preventing re-invasion subsequent to pest control and restoration efforts. Dr Vicki Stokes is a research scientist with Alcoa of Australia in the field of restoration ecolgy. This research is part of her PhD research conducted at CSIRO in Canberra. 135 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1610, Room T5, MCC 1615, Room T5, MCC Interactions between encroaching woody plants and existing canopy trees in a semi-arid woodland It is about access to and benefit sharing from the utilisation of plant genetic resources Janet Cohn1, Ian Lunt1, Ross Bradstock2 Abeba Gebreselassie1 1 2 Charles Sturt University, Wollongong University Little attention has been given to the influence of canopy tree competition on the encroachment of woody species in semi-arid woodlands of SE Australia. We examined how canopies of Eucalyptus species and Callitris glaucophylla influenced the survival, growth and reproduction of C. glaucophylla saplings and how saplings in turn influenced the survival of the canopy trees along a rainfall gradient during severe drought conditions. We sampled saplings under canopies of Eucalyptus and Callitris and in adjacent gaps in six forests along a rainfall gradient (400–600 mm). Canopy tree survival was assessed along two transects in each forest, one with and one without regeneration. Canopies did not exclude but rather moderated Callitris sapling densities. Canopies also reduced growth rates, and the probability of seeding of Callitris saplings compared with those in gaps. In turn, Callitris saplings increased mortality and stress levels of Callitris and Eucalyptus canopy trees, respectively during drought. Eucalyptus canopy tree stress levels were higher at lower rainfall. As drought severity increases under climate change and ageing Eucalyptus canopy trees die and are not replaced, the system may shift further away from the mixed Eucalyptus and Callitris system characteristic of pre-European management, toward Callitris dominance. Janet Cohn has researched the population dynamics of plants in relation to climate and disturbance regimes (fire, grazing) from temperate to arid zones in SE Australia. 136 1 ASB, Aarhus University Plant genetic resources were freely accessible without subject to any access regulation before the coming into existence of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992 and the Bonn Guidelines in 2002. Genetic resource rich countries are mainly developing countries, with the exception to Australia—which is developed and rich in genetic resources. Benefit sharing is thus important for poor countries as a source of finance and incentive to invest in the sustainable protection of plant genetic resources. In 2002, the World Summit on Sustainable Development called for the negotiation of a new regime on access and benefit sharing. The purpose of this article is to give a general overview on the purpose of the New International Regime on Access to and benefit sharing from Genetic resources (which is expected to be approved in October 2010, Japan) and to point out the difference with the CBD, Bonn Guidelines and the FAO Treaty as a policy instrument to foster conservation of biodiversity. Abeba Gebreselassie has an LLB,LLM in Intellectual Property and Competition Law, Max Planck Institute, MIPLC, Germany, PhD Candidate, Aarhus University. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Speed talks 6 1530, Room T6, MCC 1535, Room T6, MCC Are direct seeded revegetation sites self-sustaining? An analysis of structure, composition and regeneration processes Conservation of temperate grasslands in Tasmania: acting locally and thinking globally 1,2 Ian Rayner , Chris McElhinny 1 1 Australian National University, 2Greening Australia We investigated the composition, structure, regeneration and soil seed store in direct seeded revegetation sites aged two to 19 years on the Southern Tablelands of NSW. Our results indicate that species richness and plant density were extremely variable and unrelated to site age. Regeneration was only present at sites ten years and older, with more than 95% of this attributable to two Acacia species suckering from root plates. Germination trials indicated very low levels of germinable seed present under mature Acacia plants compared with other studies (10.4 germinable seeds/m2). The quantity of viable soil stored seed did not increase with site age. We conclude that many of the species used in direct seeding operations do not establish or persist, and practitioners should reconsider the use of these species given time and financial constraints. Our findings also cast doubt on whether direct seeded sites are self-sustaining. Acacia species were the most common genus at the sites, and were only regenerating through vegetative sprouting. Since there is little soil seed store, it is unlikely most Acacia species will persist in the medium term. The consequences of these future changes will depend on the goals landholders and ecologists prioritise for direct seeded revegetation. Ian Rayner has recently finished his BSc(Resource and Environmental Management) with first class honours. He works for Greening Australia as a project officer for an on-ground catchment revegetation project. 1 2 3 Louise Gilfedder , Fred Duncan , Robert Onfray , Oberon 1 Carter 1 Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Forest Practices Authority, 3Gunns Limited 2 Temperate grasslands are one of the world’s most imperilled biomes, and have a high priority for conservation in Australia. Native temperate grasslands cover about 30,000 ha in Tasmania and include some of Australia’s most diverse grasslands. Vegetation surveys in the 1980s identified Tasmanian grasslands with a high priority for conservation. Although there has been an increase in formal reservation since then, some of the most important grasslands occur outside formal reserves, including extensive areas of montane grasslands in NW Tasmania which are managed by forestry companies; and lowland grasslands in the Tasmanian Midlands, which occur primarily on private land managed for wool production. Partnerships between researchers, government agencies and forest managers and farmers have greatly improved the conservation of grassland communities and species in these areas. The paper describes the development of these partnerships; the evolution of multi-faceted management practices at local and landscape scales; and other incentives which have encouraged conservation-oriented grassland management—including legislation to protect threatened species and communities; education programs; and forest industry and farm certification programs. The Tasmanian case studies resonate with current global strategies to conserve temperate grasslands, and emphasise the importance of mutual trust and respect to achieve conservation objectives. Louise Gilfedder has worked on conservation issues (particularly grasslands and grassy woodlands) in production landscapes at as a researcher the University of Tasmania and subsequently in policy and planning in the Tasmania’s nature conservation organisation. Results take a long time! 137 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1540, Room T6, MCC 1545, Room T6, MCC The mobility of unmanaged insect pollinators attending a mass flowering crop: implications for gene flow Variation in habitat quality influences fine-scale resource use by a low-density koala population Romina Rader1, Bradley Howlett2, Saul Cunningham3, David 4 1 Westcott , Will Edwards 1 2 James Cook University, The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research, 3CSIRO Entomology, 4CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems Determining pollen transport distances is critical in defining the contribution of insects to landscape-wide pollen movement and in understanding the mechanisms by which gene flow occurs in natural and agricultural systems. In this study, the contribution of insects to long distance pollen flow was quantified by examining the distance pollen-carrying insects travel outside of a model mass flowering agricultural crop, Brassica rapa. In the Canterbury region of New Zealand, insects were captured using flight intercept traps at five distances (0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 m) from the pollen source and pollen loads and pollen viability were examined. A total of 5453 insects were collected, 717 individuals from 26 insect taxa overall were positively identified as moving away from the pollen source over distance. These taxa consisted of four species from two bee families (Hymenoptera: Apidae and Halictidae), and eight species from four fly families (Diptera: Bibiondae, Stratiomyidae, Syrphidae and Tachinidae). Pollen viability varied between insect families and declined with distance from the pollen source. Our results show that a diverse array of flower visitors can transport viable pollen from a mass flowering crop to at least 400m. Knowledge of the dispersal distances of generalist pollinators in human modified environments is crucial in order to fully understand the potential extent to which pollen transport can facilitate gene flow. This will assist in evaluating the ecosystem services provided by insect pollinators as well as highlight their potential role in vectoring pollen between crops and related weeds that may lead to unwanted hybridisation. Romina Rader recently completed her PhD on the pollination services provided by wild unmanaged pollinators in natural and agricultural systems 138 Eleanor Stalenberg1, Ian Wallis1, Ross Cunningham2, William Foley1 1 Research School of Biology, Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, The Australian National University, 2Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University Koalas have declined across mainland eastern Australia. They now occur largely in scattered, small and lowdensity populations, often located in forests on nutrientpoor soils. Difficulties in surveying and monitoring freeliving koalas, particularly in low density populations, has resulted in gaps in our knowledge of their dietary and habitat requirements. Addressing these gaps will help to effectively manage the conservation of koalas. At the foundation of this study was a broad-scale distribution survey of koalas at Bermagui, NSW, a joint government and community initiative. Using the presence of koala scats as a proxy for visitation, we examined how eucalypt leaf chemistry influenced the koalas’ use of the landscape. Koalas chose between neighbouring trees strategically and were influenced by both interspecific and intraspecific variations in foliar chemistry. They preferred trees that had higher concentrations of foliar in vitro available nitrogen, higher in vitro digestible energy and lower concentrations of the mammalian antifeedant—sideroxylonal, when compared with the foliage of neighbouring trees of the same species. Koalas also visited a high diversity of eucalypt species. This feeding pattern allowed them to balance their protein intake against the potential costs of ingesting toxins. Eleanor Stalenberg completed her honours on koala nutrition at the Australian National University in May 2010 supervised by Prof William Foley and Dr Ian Wallis. She is now working as a researcher for the university. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1550, Room T6, MCC 1555, Room T6, MCC Automated bioacoustic monitoring for rare, cryptic fauna: a case study using the eastern ground parrot Regeneration dynamics of four semi-arid woodland tree species Elizabeth Tasker1 1 Tricia Wevill1 School of Biological Sciences, Monash University 1 NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water Effective management of a threatened species depends on having a reasonable idea of its abundance and distribution, and whether component populations are stable or changing. Despite the simplicity of the idea of measuring population size, it can be surprisingly difficult to do, particularly for rare or ‘cryptic’ fauna, i.e. species that are hard to see or catch, live in remote or inaccessible areas or require specialist knowledge to identify. We trialled the use of automated bioacoustic monitoring for the cryptic and threatened Eastern Ground Parrot Pezoporus wallicus. We used commercially available automated digital recorders (‘Song Meters’) and custom-built voice-recognition software at a range of sites in coastal NSW. We tested the performance of both the recorders and voicerecognition software by carrying out simultaneous pointcount listening surveys (the usual survey method for the species) and found that a standard Song Meter recorded approx. 70% of calls that we heard. Using a custom-built microphone considerably improved performance. The voice-recognition software identified almost all calls correctly. Recording continuously at sites for many weeks also showed that daily calling activity varied enormously for no obvious reason. This has implications for the standard listening survey method, which typically involves visiting sites just once or twice. Liz Tasker is a Research Scientist and Manager of the Fire Ecology Unit with DECCW NSW in Hurstville, Sydney. Opportunities for seedling recruitment may be infrequent in semi-arid regions due to fluctuating resource availability and highly variable climatic conditions. This study investigated reproductive allocation, mode of regeneration after fire, seedling emergence from broadcast seed and seedling survival of Eucalyptus largiflorens, E. incrassata, Callitris preissii and C. verrucosa on semi-arid dune systems in north-western Victoria. The aim was to determine whether differences in reproductive traits or regeneration strategy contribute to observed distribution patterns and how changes in climatic or disturbance regimes may alter regeneration dynamics. Callitris species produced more seeds per fruit than Eucalyptus species, but Eucalyptus species had a higher seed load per tree and invested significantly more in seed protective structures. E. incrassata did not recruit from seed after fire, whereas C.verrucosa seedlings were recorded, but in lower densities than previous cohorts. Recruitment from broadcast seed was highest for Callitris species and higher in soil depression microsites. Transplanted seedlings of all species did not survive beyond the first summer. A change in either climatic or disturbance regime (fire or flood) may favour recruitment by Callitris compared to Eucalyptus species because Callitris seedlings germinate under a broader range of conditions, explaining, in part, their persistence in a semi-arid landscape. Tricia Wevill has recently completed her PhD, researching the distribution and regeneration of four semi-arid tree species in north-western Victoria. 139 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T6, MCC 1605, Room T6, MCC Impacts of landscape complexity and early predation on the suppression of horticultural pests Developing priorities for exotic plant species management in a changing climate: alpine ski resorts Alejandro Costamagna1, Nancy Schellhorn1 1 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences Mellesa Schroder1 1 Landscape complexity has been shown to increase the ecosystem service of pest suppression, although the mechanisms responsible remain elusive. Ecological theory predicts that early predation by a few predators can result in higher pest suppression than late predation by many predators. Therefore, we tested the effects of earliness of predator impacts on the suppression of Aphis gossypii in 14 horticultural landscapes in the Lockyer Valley that differed in complexity. Predator impacts were manipulated using exclusion cages on sentinel aphid populations in a factorial design: 1) early predation (only during week 1), 2) late predation (only during week 2), 3) continuous predation (during both weeks), and 4) predator exclusion control. Landscape context was quantified by mapping all habitats in a 2 km radius from focal fields. The role of habitats around focal fields as sources for natural enemies was assessed by sampling with sticky traps and vegetation clippings. We tested the expectations of lower aphid densities 1) when exposed to early predation, and 2) in landscapes with larger sources of predators and higher complexity. Our results will provide guidelines on landscape features that maximise pest suppression through early impacts of predators. Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW In recent decades the invasion of mountain ecosystems by exotic plant species on a worldwide scale has increased as these landscapes become more accessible through increased human-induced activities and climate change weakening biotic resistance. As a result of land use changes in the last century the diversity of exotic plant species in the Australian alps has increased from six species in 1954 to 175 in 2005. The infrastructure associated with ski resort development has removed the barrier for exotic species to reach higher altitudes and provided conditions more suitable for their establishment. There is potential for some species to expand from current localities into surrounding natural ecosystems. Future climate change predictions may provide conditions even more conducive for weed establishment highlighting the need to have a greater understanding of their distribution and abundance. Identifying the location of known environmental weeds using a geographic information system in ski resorts has provided baseline information to define priorities and implement management programs. Using this baseline information the effectiveness of weed management programs can be evaluated and changes in exotic species diversity and/or abundance can be monitored. Mellessa Schroder has worked on ecological restoration projects for over 18 years, 15 with the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (formerly NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service). Thirteen years as a senior ranger (Pest Management) in the Hunter Region and now as an environmental management officer in Kosciuszko National Park. Mellessa’s current work is focused on developing and implementing ecological monitoring and restoration programs to improve natural area management in areas of high recreation focus, such as snow skiing and downhill mountain bike riding. She is also completing a research Master’s degree through Charles Sturt University investigating the mechanisms that facilitate exotic plant species invasions in mountain ecosystems 140 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Tuesday 7 December Concurrent session 3a—Symposium: Sustaining biodiversity in the Australian alps 1100, Room T3, MCC 1115, Room T3, MCC Later bogong moth arrival despite earlier snowmelt results in mismatches across three trophic levels Resource selection of common wombats in the subalpine zone of the Snowy Mountains Ken Green1 Alison Matthews1 1 National Parks and Wildlife Service Bogong moths (Agrotis infusa) are an important food for vertebrates in the Snowy Mountains. Whereas the date of snowmelt in the Snowy Mountains has advanced 2.7 days per decade since 1954, the date of arrival of bogong moths is later. Moths arrived on average 54 days before snowmelt in 1979–1996 but 29 days through 1997–2009. This gave less time for moth numbers to build up to an exploitable food source when this was most needed. Mammals dependent upon this source of food in spring, at a time of high energy demand, include red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), bush rats (Rattus fuscipes), dusky antechinus (Antechinus swainsonii) and the mountain pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus). With the late arrival of moths, fox diet in spring fell from 62% to 20–32% moth over three years. The shortfall in moths was compensated for by increased predation on small mammals. Populations of small mammals that are both prey of foxes and insectivorous decreased in this period, whereas populations of the omnivorous R. fuscipes increased. It appears that a situation of matching phenologies between migrating moths and insectivorous mammals has been replaced by a mismatch, that appears to be exacerbated by acting across three interacting trophic levels: moth-possum-fox. Ken Green has specialised in cold-climate biology, working in the Antarctic, the Himalayas and the Snowy Mountains where he is the alpine ecologist with the national parks service. 1 Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University The aims of this study were to develop estimates of habitat selection of individual wombats in the subalpine zone of the Snowy Mountains, and identify common selection strategies in order to map selection over the landscape. Resource selection was examined at the scale of individual movements, with locations of animals identified from global positioning system (GPS) tracking of 11 wombats (5 females, 6 males) during 2008 and 2009. Animal location information was combined with habitat data to generate predictive models of resource selection using resource selection functions (RSF). These analyses found that topographic, vegetation, fire and distance variables were important predictors of selection within the home range of individual wombats. A global model showed that wombats selected locations with mid-elevations and mid-slopes, closer to water courses and roads, on drier soils, and with a lower proportion of grassland. Mapping of this resource selection function over the landscape showed that the majority of the alpine area has a low relative probability of use. Thus, it appears that the alpine area will be unsuitable for occupation by wombats even if the snow cover declines as predicted with climate change. Alison Matthews is a PhD candidate studying the distribution, movements and resource selection of common wombats in the Snowy Mountains of Australia. 141 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T3, MCC 1145, Room T3, MCC Australian alpine seed germination strategies: a ‘move-along’ investigation of 24 species The effect of altitude on reproductive and vegetative characteristics in Australian alpine flora Adrienne Nicotra1, Gemma Hoyle1, Kathryn Steadman2, Roger Good3, Emma McIntosh4 Deborah Segal1, Gemma Hoyle1, Adrienne Nicotra1, Roger Good2 1 Australian National University, 2University of Queensland, Australian National Botanic Gardens, 4University of Sydney 3 Successful plant reproduction via seed is closely associated with the seasonal timing of germination, influenced most significantly by temperature, soil moisture and light. Timing of germination dictates a seedling’s seasonal experience and thus has strong fitness consequences. Physiological dormancy mechanisms are one way seeds control the timing of germination, often postponing germination until a time when the emerging seedling has optimum chances of survival, despite dispersal into pseudo-favourable conditions. We investigated the germination strategies of 24 Australian tall alpine herb field species, spanning 11 families. We examined their germination phenology, the role of dormancy and the importance of light in germination. Imbibed seeds were moved through a ‘move-along’ experiment designed to mimic the progression of seasonal temperature regimes alpine seeds experience in situ, post-dispersal. Here we present the evident range of germination phenologies throughout Australian alpine flora, in relation to plant and seed traits, and the potential consequences of a warmer, drier future climate on the optimisation of seedling establishment in the Alps. Determining when seeds will germinate in the field contributes to our understanding of fundamental processes of population establishment, range expansion and geographic spread in order to estimate the resilience of plant and plant communities to future climate scenarios. Adrienne Nicotra is senior lecturer in the Research School of Biology, Division of Evolution Ecology and Genetics at ANU where her lab group works on plant ecophysiology with a focus on reproductive ecology and phenotypic plasticity. 142 1 Australian National University, 2Australian National Botanic Gardens Predicted effects of climate change include increased temperatures that will force species to migrate to cooler, higher altitudes. Alpine plants are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they already inhabit high altitudes in confined areas. I have examined how plant reproductive and vegetative traits of eight alpine plant species vary along an altitudinal gradient. These changes provide insight in to how a warmer climate might affect alpine plant and seed traits. Species chosen are from the Apiaceae, Campanulaceae, Droseraceae, Epacridaceae, Gentianaceae and Ranunculaceae familes. The observed relationships between vegetative traits, seed production, germination and seedling establishment characteristics over an altitudinal gradient may have significant implications for species’ survival in light of a changing climate scenario. Deborah Segal has long had an interest in alpine ecology, and so has been delighted to have spent 2010 studying Australian alpine plant species for her Honours year at the ANU. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T3, MCC 1215, Room T3, MCC Does increased environmental stress equate to decreased seed production and viability in the snowgum Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. niphophila? Marching up the mountain? Mechanisms of high altitude woodland expansion into the Australian alpine zone Shannon LeBel1, Pete Green1 Susanna Venn1, Ken Green1 1 La Trobe University Alpine ecosystems are amongst those anticipated to be under greatest threat from predicted global warming. In the Australian alps, the treeline species Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. niphophila (snowgum) is predicted to migrate upwards altitudinally under moderate increases in temperature. Seed recruitment leading to upwards altitudinal migration is likely to come from individuals at the treeline. However, increasing environmental stress at higher altitudes is associated with a gradation in snowgum morphology, with trees of reduced stature and smaller fruits occurring at the treeline. Both could potentially hinder recruitment, as stature is associated with dispersal distance, and fruit volume associated with seed abundance. This study aims to assess potential differences in viability over a 200m altitudinal gradient by measuring changes in fruit morphology and seed production, as well as examining potential differences in seed stratification requirements from three altitudinal provenances. Although a high degree of variation was exhibited between sites, the overriding pattern observed was one of equal reproductive effort by percentage mass across an altitudinal gradient. Treeline provenance seed responded best to differing stratification regimes, and produced the most germinants. Additionally, seed viability was highest at the treeline. These results support modelled predictions of upward altitudinal treeline migration under scenarios of future temperature increases. Shannon LeBel is a PhD candidate from the Plant Ecology lab at La Trobe University. He is an alpine enthusiast on his first visit to Canberra, and possibly his last. 1 National Parks and Wildlife Service The high altitude treeline is a transition zone between sub-alpine woodland and alpine tundra and is strongly temperature dependent. Warmer summers predicted for the alpine zone in coming decades are expected to facilitate upslope movement of the treeline, as low temperature limits on trees are diminished. However, the treeline species in the Snowy Mountains, Snowgum (Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. niphophila), shows great tenacity; it cannot spread vegetatively, has limited seed dispersal mechanisms and very low seedling recruitment rates, is highly vulnerable to frost, does not readily germinate from the soil seed bank and there are few examples of upslope regeneration after fire. Treeline movement appears limited. However, recent observations of recruitment processes operating at linear stripes of trees established above the contiguous woodland may reveal mechanisms by which the treeline can ‘move’ uphill. These landscape features are dominated by trees that are several hundred years old, but there appears to have been more recent tree regeneration downwind, which is also downslope of the stripes of mature trees, essentially backfilling to the existing treeline. We investigate the mechanisms which have maintained these features in the past and how snow, wind and fire may be interacting to facilitate expansion of the sub-alpine woodland. Susanna Venn has tackled ecological questions related to the Australian alps for the last 10 years. More recently she has concentrated her research to the Snowy Mountains and works on topics from treeline dymanics to the functional diversity of snowpatch vegetation. 143 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 3b—Symposium: Biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes: is it really worth the effort? 1100, Room T2, MCC 1130, Room T2, MCC Forty years in the wilderness—is there a promised land? Native pastures may have a limited contribution to plant species diversity in agricultural landscapes David Goldney1,2,3 Nicholas Schultz1, Nick Reid1, Greg Lodge2, John Hunter3 1 2 Cenwest Environmental Services, Charles Sturt University, University of Sydney 3 This is the story of European settlement in the Central West of New South Wales and the ongoing conflict between the needs of nature conservation and agricultural production. The Central West is approximately a quarter of the land area of New South Wales, and contains Australia’s oldest inland agricultural lands. In this address I will briefly describe my observations over the past forty years about: • key biophysical characteristics • significant adverse impacts resulting from nearly two hundred years of agriculture and other land uses and the current status of biodiversity • ecological thresholds that have been exceeded • the loss of system resilience • the inability of technological agriculture to achieve sustainable landscapes. In the ‘Age of Restoration’ landholders, government agencies, resource scientists and NGOs have a mixed track record of achievement. The signs of hope that are emerging are coming from a growing core of landholders that are embracing ecology-based farming systems. A sustainable promised land is achievable but even so, it will likely continue to be a human-dominated landscape where not all of the key components of the pre-European landscape can successfully be conserved. Optimal outcomes are only likely when all landholders are funded by realistic stewardship payments for agreed conservation outcomes. From my perspective the journey is and was worth the effort. David Goldney is semi-retired and passionate about better integration of nature conservation and production agriculture. He consults across Australia mainly working with mining companies on a range of biodiversity issues. Together with his family he is restoring a small degraded grazing bushland property south of Mudgee. 144 1 School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, 2Department of Industry and Investment, Primary Industries, 3School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences, University of New England Effective plant conservation in fragmented landscapes will require knowledge of the contribution of the agricultural matrix to landscape diversity—the contribution of native pastures, in particular, is not well known. On a typical sheep farm in northern NSW, we analysed plant diversity of various land-uses (native pastures, road verges, grazed and ungrazed woodlands, crops and dry creeks) at four grain sizes (quadrat, patch, land-use and whole-farm). Whole-farm species richness was 181 (112 native, 69 introduced). Average withinpatch diversity of native species was highest in woodlands and native pastures. Pastures had significantly lower between-patch diversity than woodlands, and contained only three native species not found in other land-uses. Woodlands, road verges and dry creeks comprised only a small proportion of the land area, but contained 57 native species not found in the pastures. Native pastures appear to contain only a subset of native species that occur in surrounding woodlands. Hence, we concluded that while these pastures presumably contribute to diversity in landscapes with few woodland patches, the main focus of conservation efforts should be on protection, restoration and regeneration of patches of woodlands in the landscape. However, the influence of these pastures on metapopulation viability of native species is unknown. Nick Schultz is a PhD student at the University of New England, studying the conservation of plant diversity in agricultural landscapes in northern New South Wales. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1145, Room T2, MCC 1200, Room T2, MCC The benefits—and limits—of woody perennial farming systems for the conservation of native biodiversity in Australia: a resources perspective Conservation of fauna in agricultural landscapes: what does the future hold? Patrick Smith1, Andrew Fisher2, Stuart Collard3 1 1 Andrew Bennett1 School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University 2 CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, WA, Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation SA, 3Rural Solutions SA Native biodiversity in Australian agricultural landscapes continues to decline in response to a range of threatening processes. The historic widespread clearance of native vegetation for arable agriculture, directly destroying both flora and fauna, has also reduced the availability of habitat resources both in terms of total amount (area and quality of remnant habitat) and its accessibility (fragmentation of habitat). Farming systems based on perennial plants are increasingly being adopted across southern Australia to improve sustainability. Many of these systems utilise native woody plants. Substantial areas of cleared farmland are being replanted to native woody vegetation, albeit in monocultures or simple polycultures, which provide resources for native biota. While these systems would rarely meet all the habitat resource requirements of a species, they may provide appreciable quantities of some limiting resources as well as supplementing existing resources at critical times. We present an analysis of: a) the resource requirements of native fauna in agricultural landscapes in southern Australia, and b) the resources provided by a range of woody perennial farming systems. We find that woody perennial farming systems could significantly improve the persistence of a range of native fauna species in agricultural landscapes. However our analysis also indicates that many species will derive little or no benefit from these farming systems. Although not a substitute for ecosystem restoration, if adopted widely and strategically, woody perennial farming systems could play a limited but nonetheless significant role in conserving native biodiversity in Australian agricultural landscapes. The future of biodiversity conservation in Australia, and globally, depends increasingly on the capacity for species to persist in human-dominated landscapes, particularly those used for agriculture. In Australia, faunal surveys in agricultural regions often record substantial numbers of species, but typically: 1) there is disproportionate loss of particular components of the fauna, and 2) only a minor subset of the original fauna lives in purely production components (e.g. pasture, crops). Faunal diversity fundamentally depends on (semi) natural habitats within, among, and complementary to, farms. The amount and composition of such habitats at the landscape scale are critical influences on the present fauna, and a likely predictor of the extinction debt yet to be realised in many landscapes. More attention is urgently required for temporal aspects of fauna conservation, particularly trends and future trajectories of different taxa in relation to land-uses. Likewise, ecological processes that link species’ persistence (or decline) to landscape patterns and land use are an important issue. Planning for fauna conservation in agricultural landscapes must better integrate and balance coarsescale (regional) measures with fine scale (within property) measures. Effective wildlife conservation in agricultural environments is an imperative—with aesthetic, social and cultural benefits for Australians. Andrew Bennett has broad interests in wildlife ecology, nature conservation and landscape ecology, and is based at Deakin University. Finding solutions for wildlife conservation in agricultural environments has been a long-standing theme of his work. Dr Patrick Smith is an agricultural landscape ecologist with a focus on finding opportunities to integrate conservation of native biodiversity into production landscapes. His research interests centre on the conservation of native flora and fauna in the agricultural landscapes of southern Australia, with particular interests in the conservation value of revegetation and perennial farming systems, and the social dimensions of land management and land-use change. 145 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1215, Room T2, MCC Arthropod assemblages in agricultural landscapes: patterns, process and conservation in the matrix Simon Attwood1, Martine Maron2, Alan House3, Charlie Zammit1 1 Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, 2University of Queensland, 3CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems The case for increased conservation research, policy and practice in agricultural systems is compelling—the area of agricultural land globally is increasing, with management in many regions intensifying, there is increasing understanding of the ecological influence of the agricultural matrix, and high spatial coincidence between habitats and species of conservation concern and productive land. Consequently, there is mounting realisation that agricultural land presents a major opportunity for biodiversity conservation. My research examined various aspects of biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes, focusing on an important functional group, arthropods. I found that at both global and local scales arthropod richness declined along an agricultural intensification gradient. At global scales, predators and decomposers declined with increased intensification. At local scales, ant assemblage composition differed among different land uses and more small beetles and spiders occurred in highly disturbed land uses. Finally, predation rates were found to be greater at crop edges than in crop interiors, with adjacent habitat type influencing assemblage composition, but not predation rates. The findings are discussed in the context of regional land-use history, ecosystem services and the need for increased emphasis on conservation research and policy responses in agricultural systems, and more explicit integration of conservation and sustainable agriculture. Simon Attwood has a colourful history of developing and applying biodiversity conservation approaches in production landscapes in UK and Australia. Presently helping to develop and deliver the Environmental Stewardship Program for DEWHA. 146 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 3c—Symposium: Combining Indigenous and western ecological knowledge for future land management 1100, Room T4, MCC 1115, Room T4, MCC Success factors for two way land management in the Tanami Bradshaw land and resource company … working on our land our way Karissa Preuss1, Madeline Dixon1 Daniel Jones1 1 Central Land Council Warlpiri people, from the Tanami Desert in Central Australia, are ‘looking after’ country based on a combination of western and Indigenous ecological knowledge systems. Through the proposed Southern Tanami Indigenous Protected Area (IPA), yapa (Warlpiri people) are working with kardiya (non-Aboriginal people) for natural and cultural resource management on approximately 12 million hectares of desert country, including areas of national and international biodiversity significance. This presentation is a case study of two-way land management in the southern Tanami, provided by the senior Warlpiri ranger and IPA Development Officer. We share experiences of using both western and Warlpiri knowledge in looking after bilbies and other threatened species, fire management and participatory planning for country. Critical success factors for effective management of Aboriginal lands are drawn from our experiences in the southern Tanami. Karissa Preuss has been working with Warlpiri people for nine years in a number of capacities focused on livelihood and land management issues. She is currently employed as an Indigenous Protected Area Development Officer, with Central Land Council. Karissa is also undertaking part-time postgraduate research through the Australian National University, examining critical success factors for Aboriginal land management to promote both livelihoods and environmental outcomes in the Warlpiri region. 1 Bradshaw land and resource co Bradshaw land and resource company (BLRC) was established to act as a resource tool between the defence forces of Australia and traditional owners of the bradshaw area to ensure minimum changes would occur in the transition from a cattle station to defence facility. This meant managing 8000 sqkm without the traditional cattle numbers, which when eliminated would keep the facility ecologically sustainable whilst being used for entirely different purposes. The main outcome would be that without cattle numbers, the flora would become a fire hazard if not controlled. Burning has to be carried out in sequences that fit with climate and seasons, as Indigenous burning has been carried out in the past. Work has to be conducted in accordance with defence needs and also with workable land management principles. BLRC has ha to train staff to industry standards, carry out work to acceptable standard, yet maintain the country to be of a reasonable ecological standard. This presentation presents an Aboriginal perspective of the traditional owners and the application of this to suit defence force needs and good land management principles. Madeline Dixon is a respected Warlpiri woman, who grew up in Yuendumu and surrounding outstations, in the Tanami desert. She is a fluent Warlpiri speaker and has worked in numerous roles, such as teacher, linguist and research assistant. Madeline is currently employed by Central Land Council as the Senior Warlpiri Ranger and is completing Certificate III in conservation and land management. In addition to her work, Madeline represents Warlpiri interests on a variety of local committees, including the local advisory board for Central Desert Shire. 147 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T4, MCC 1145, Room T4, MCC Managing country combining Indigenous and western ecological knowledge—Dhimurru’s experience in north-east Arnhem Land Djelk Rangers working on, and caring for, country in the Djelk IPA, Arnhem Land Daryl Lacey1, Balupalu Yunupingu2, Benjamin Hoffmann3, 4 5 Samantha Muller , Phil Wise 1 1 Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation, 2Gumatj elder, 3CSIRO, Flinders University, 5Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment 4 Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation, one of Australia’s premier Indigenous land management organisations, has had a long and successful history of engaging western scientists and pioneering the two-ways approach to environmental management. These partnerships have largely been highly successful and resulted in some world-class and national award winning environmental outcomes, including the eradication of exotic invasive ants and sea turtle management. Dhimurru’s success at such engagements has even been the focus of a PhD investigating the social, institutional and political challenges of undertaking such an approach. Here we detail the experience of Dhimurru and key partner organisations in combining Indigenous and western ecological knowledge within projects, particularly focusing on lessons learnt on both sides about how best to create these successful partnerships. Daryl Lacey is a Senior Ranger working for the Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation in North East Arnhemland. He is a Yolngu Indigenous leader and supervises Dhimurru’s Yellow Crazy Ant Program. The program won the NAIDOC Caring for Country Award this year. Ben Hoffmann is an ecologist specialising in ants. Much of his work over the past decade has investigated the use of ants as indicators of sustainable land use. 148 Feline Campion1, Selma Campion1, Jodie Kelly1 Djelk Rangers The Djelk Rangers care for country in the Djelk IPA, which covers more than 673,200 hectares of land and sea country, from the central Arnhem Land plateau to the Arafura Sea. The area is all Aboriginal-owned land and includes about 100 clans, the central town of Maningrida, and 32 outstations. The rangers do lots of different work like going out on country burning, weed spraying, buffalo shooting and also research on mammals, reptiles, plants and billabongs. We also do fee-for-service work for AQIS, collecting fruit flies, mosquitos, weed samples, and ant trapping. On sea country we do crab research, collect marine debris and fisheries patrols. We have also recently started recording cultural sites. To do our work we use both Aboriginal knowledge and ways of doing things and balanda (nonAboriginal) ways like Cybertracker, mammal tracks and photographing. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T4, MCC 1215, Room T4, MCC The Warru Reintroduction Project Saltwater people addressing the problem of ghost nets and marine debris in northern Australia Eric Abbott1 1 Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara The black-footed rock wallaby (Petrogale lateralis), or ‘warru’, used to live all over the rocky hills of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands in north-west South Australia but now there are only about 100 left. Since 2007, twenty-two ‘iti-warru’ (warru-joeys) were taken to Monarto Zoo as part of the Warru Reintroduction Program. These ‘zoo-warru’ are now old enough to breed at the zoo and will help increase the number of warru living in South Australia. The Warru Reintroduction Program combines modern science and the traditional ecological knowledge of Anangu, the Indigenous people of the Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands. The recent construction of a predator-proof fence on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands will allow the ‘zoo-warru’ to be brought back and adjust to the environment and to learn the survival skills of their ancestors before they are released in the bush. Grace Heathcote1 1 Ghost Nets Australia GhostNets Australia (formerly the Carpentaria Ghost Nets Programme) is an alliance of Indigenous communities stretching across northern Australia from the Torres Strait and the Gulf of Carpentaria to the Kimberleys. These communities are working to address the widespread problems of marine debris and abandoned and lost fishing nets, known as ‘ghost nets.’ Ghost nets drift with the currents and tides for many years, continuing to catch and kill turtles, dolphins, dugong, sharks, fish and other marine wildlife. Since being established in 2004, the project has achieved the removal of almost 7,000 ghost nets of varying sizes from approximately 1500 km of coastline. This has resulted in the recovery of a proportion of the trapped wildlife, particularly marine turtles, and the prevention of the ghost nets from returning to the sea. This presentation will allow the work that the rangers are conducting to be highlighted, including the coordinated co-use of traditional and ‘western’ knowledge. Research being undertaken in conjunction with CSIRO to study ocean circulation patterns and find the source of the nets will also be discussed. Finally, the aims GNA has for the future and some of the problems the program is facing will be outlined. Grace Heathcote is the NT and Kimberley Project Officer for GhostNets Australia and is based in Darwin. 149 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 3d—Balancing biodiversity and resource consumption 1100, Room T5, MCC 1115, Room T5, MCC Biodiversity conservation in the ultimate consumer landscape: protecting species in urban ecosystems Riparian woodland dysfunction is driven by groundwater decline in a northern Murray–Darling intensive production landscape 1 1 Gary Luck , Lisa Smallbone 1 Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University Kate Reardon-Smith1, Andy Le Brocque1, Alan House2 1 From 2010 to 2050, the proportion of people living in urban areas will increase from 50% to 70%. Urbanisation is one of the most pervasive land-use trends of this century. Conserving biodiversity as landscapes are consumed by urban development is an important challenge for the next 50 years. We conducted a 3-year study examining the relationships between urban development, vegetation cover and the diversity of bird, bat and amphibian species in 72 neighbourhoods across 18 towns and cities. Neighbourhood vegetation cover was strongly related to the socio-economic profile of residential neighbourhoods. Neighbourhoods with wealthier, tertiary-educated residents had greater total vegetation cover and more native plant species. These neighbourhoods supported more birds, bats and amphibians. Bird species richness was positively related to site-specific characteristics such as the density of nectar-producing plants. Conversely, amphibian species richness was related more to broader-scale factors; decreasing with increasing isolation among wetland habitats and lower vegetation cover within 1000 m of survey sites. Native bird density and bat activity levels increased with increasing native tree density, while the density of exotic birds declined. Our study suggests that neighbourhood socio-economics, urban design, sitespecific characteristics (e.g. household gardens) and broader-scale factors interact in complex ways to influence urban biodiversity. Gary Luck is a Research Fellow in the Institute for Land, Water and Society at Charles Sturt University with interests in biodiversity conservation in human-dominated landscapes and the protection and management of ecosystem services. 150 University of Southern Queensland, 2CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences Altered hydrological regimes are significant drivers of ecosystem change in riverine, riparian and floodplain ecosystems. This study has found that declining condition in Eucalyptus camaldulensis/E. tereticornis riparian woodlands of the highly-modified Upper Condamine floodplain, southern Queensland, is predominantly linked to falling groundwater levels associated with extraction for irrigation. Evidence of dieback in this species complex increases with groundwater depth falling below 13–16m, and community composition (functional group diversity) is strongly associated with both groundwater depth and tree condition. These findings contrast with studies in Murray River floodplain woodlands where poor tree health is associated with soil salinisation associated with rising water tables and/or altered flood regimes. Results from this study are summarised in a semiquantitative resilience-based State-and-Transition model, identifying critical thresholds for the persistence of this essentially groundwater-dependent ecosystem. Such systems, currently existing close to ecological thresholds, contribute significantly to our understanding of how ecological systems respond to change, and of how major disturbances such as climate change may play out across landscapes. Kate Reardon-Smith is currently completing her PhD on ecological responses in riparian woodland vegetation to altered land and water use in the highly-modified production landscape of the Darling Downs, southern Queensland. She is a member of the Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments, a trans-disciplinary research centre at Toowoomba campus of the University of Southern Queensland. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T5, MCC 1145, Room T5, MCC Different landscape factors explain establishment and persistence of river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) in agricultural landscapes of southeast Queensland Balancing biodiversity and agriculture in Coleambally District—a success story 1 1 2 3 Jarrod Kath , Andy Le Brocque , Craig Miller , Ilona Leyer , Eva 4 Mosner 1 Faculty of Sciences/Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments, University of Southern Queensland, 2CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, 3 Phillips-University of Marburg, Faculty of Biology, Conservation Biology, Germany, 4Federal Institute of Hydrology, Department of Ecological Interactions, Germany Riparian and floodplain ecosystems in production landscapes are considerably degraded and under continued pressure from surrounding land use. However, little is known about how remnant ecosystems respond to land use and hydrological factors in small non-riverine wetlands. River red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) is a dominant tree species within these scattered remnants, which provides critical ecological functions for the remaining biodiversity. In this study, we investigated how different life stages of E. camaldulensis responded to land use and hydrological variables in the Condamine catchment of south east Queensland. We used logistic regression to develop models for different life stages of E. camaldulensis in two regions with differing land use intensity histories. Broad regional differences and land use practices at smaller scales best explained differences in E. camaldulensis occurrence for younger life stages, while hydrology (groundwater and connectivity to rivers) and land use practices (dryland agriculture and grazing) best explained differences in older life stages. The results indicate that different factors are important in determining the establishment and persistence of E. camaldulensis and that land use practices at the regional scale are key factors in determining the establishment and potential future persistence of E. camaldulensis in floodplain wetlands. Jarrod Kath is a PhD candidate at the University of Southern Queensland examining the function and resilience of wetland systems throughout the upper Murray–Darling. He has also previously been working as a Research Officer for the Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments, University of Southern Queensland under A./Prof Armando Apan on projects examining the potential of remote sensing technology use for fine scale habitat mapping of threatened reptiles in the Brigalow Belt Bioregion using remote sensing and for use in assessing the health of remnant vegetation throughout the Condamine catchment, SEQ. Previous too this, during his honours candidature, he was conducting research on determinants of bird distribution throughout the Crows Nest Shire, SEQ. Arun Tiwari1, Mark Robb1 1 Coleambally Irrigation Cooperative Limited The Coleambally community developed Land and Water Management Plan aimed to ensure the sustainability of the area. The plan addressed three major environmental issues namely groundwater/high water table, water quality of drainage water and biodiversity within the district. The Plan aimed to maintain and wherever possible enhance the biodiversity. Over the last 10 years Coleambally Irrigation, as implementing authority of the Plan, pursued a strategy which resulted in conserving over 2,000ha of land within the district. This included setting up of a Reserve for managing 1,600ha of land for environmental conservation purposes and providing financial incentives to the shareholders of the Cooperative to enter into a 10 year conservation agreement on their own property (Property Vegetation Plan). In 1998 Coleambally Irrigation became the first Irrigation Corporation to map its entire vegetation and develop a benchmark for flora, fauna and invertebrate species within the district with the Australian Museum. Since then the Australian Museum has repeated these surveys in 2004 and 2009. The surveys are conducted during autumn and spring at 37 sites for flora and invertebrate fauna, 8 for vertebrate fauna, 11 for birds and 2 sites for Southern Bellfrog. One of the major findings of these surveys was the recording of ‘Southern Bellfrog’, a threatened species in significant numbers and the most easterly recording of ‘Planigale’ (a small marsupial). Also the Surveys recorded significantly larger populations than previously known of other threatened species like Superb Parrot and Painted Honeyeater. Over the last 10 years CICL developed and presented several educational modules and field days to the local growers, town residents and agency staff raising the awareness of biodiversity issues within the district. In the future CICL is looking to further consolidate the gains of biodiversity achieved in the last 10 years through developing vegetation/wildlife corridors within the area and continuing to help both land owners and the Government agencies in implementing biodiversity related policies within the district. So ‘Biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes: is it really worth the effort?’ The Coleambally community says YES. Arun Tiwari is working as manager of Natural Resources and Environment for Coleambally Irrigation Cooperative Limited (CICL) for the last 12 years. He has postgraduate qualifications in Management and Soil and Water Conservation. 151 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T5, MCC 1215, Room T5, MCC Ecosystem service provision by native vegetation and trade-offs with grazing Four years of sheep exclusion shows no changes in understorey composition in grazed woodlands of southern Queensland Rhiannon Smith1,2, Nick Reid1,2 1 University of New England, 2Cotton Catchment Communities CRC Andy Le Brocque1, Charlie Zammit2 1 Little quantitative information is available on ecosystem service provision by native vegetation or trade-offs with land uses such as grazing. Carbon storage, erosion mitigation and biodiversity conservation services were measured in five vegetation types on the lower Namoi floodplain (7100 km2) in northern NSW. Mean C storage ranged from 40.0 t C ha–1 in grasslands to 216 t C ha–1 in river red gum sites and was driven by woody biomass abundance. Erosion mitigation value was determined by soil macroaggregate stability and groundcover. Macroaggregate stability was greatest in soils with a high C:N ratio, which was related to litter abundance. Conservation value was measured for plants and birds based on species richness and rarity. Sites valuable for plant conservation were not necessarily valuable for bird conservation. No vegetation type was significantly better than others for bird or plant conservation. All services were positively correlated with each other, except bird and plant conservation where no significant relationship was found. Grazing reduced provision of all services, particularly plant and bird conservation, and C storage through removal of rare, grazing-sensitive species and biomass. Few studies have compared multiple ecosystem service provision by multiple vegetation types across such a large region. Rhiannon Smith has recently completed her PhD titled ‘Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Associated with Remnant Vegetation in an Agricultural Landscape’. Faculty of Sciences/Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments, University of Southern Queensland, 2Biodiversity Conservation Branch, Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Retaining trees in low-input, low-productivity grazing systems in southern Queensland can provide biodiversity benefits without adversely impacting upon production. Although previous research conducted during period of extended drought, may have failed to determine the overall biodiversity potential in relation to management practices. We describe a grazing exclusion trial designed to monitor biodiversity changes following the removal of grazing in the Traprock wool producing region of southern Queensland. Eighteen sites across 10 properties were sampled across two vegetation types (grassy box woodland and ironbark/gum woodland), three overstorey tree densities (<6 trees/ha; 6–20 trees/ha; >20 trees/ha), and three exclosure types (full exclosure; partial exclosure and control (open). Exclosures were established in 2005 and sampled over a four year period for understorey composition and above-ground biomass. No differences were apparent in composition between exclosure treatments (ANOSIM, p > 0.05), although patterns were observed in overstorey tree density treatments within vegetation types. There were no differences (p > 0.05) in biomass between exclosures, although significantly higher plant biomass was observed in low density treatments. Exclusion of grazing has not significantly altered composition after 4 years. However, above-ground biomass has responded to the removal of grazing in open paddock areas. A longer period of exclusion may be necessary to detect changes (if any) in plant species composition. Andy Le Brocque has taught ecology and sustainability at the University of Southern Queensland for over 14 years and has been researching biodiversity in the agriculturally productive region of the Darling Downs. 152 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 3e—Migration and dispersal 1100, Moran G008, MCC 1115, Moran G008, MCC Lasting effects of maternal behaviour on the distribution of an allegedly quintessential disperser Assisted migration of a threatened tortoise— integrating ecoenergetics with hydrology to select future habitats 1,3 2 Jill Lancaster , Barbara Downes , Amanda Arnold 1 2 3 3 Monash University, University of Melbourne, University of Edinburgh Dispersal of long-lived aquatic species by water movement is considered paramount to understanding the population dynamics of these species. Rivers are model advective systems, and the larvae of baetid mayflies are considered the quintessential long-distance disperser. Egg-laying occurs exclusively on emergent rocks, resulting in a patchy distribution of eggs along channels. After egg hatch, larvae are assumed to move easily between riffles, thereby obscuring patterns created by maternal behaviours. Tests using field surveys of larval benthic densities and drift rates, however, revealed a different picture. Patchy distribution patterns established at oviposition persisted, with neonate and mid-stage larvae remaining close to the natal riffle. Many larvae drifted and riffles were net exporters of neonate and mid-stage larvae, but drift rates were unrelated to benthic densities and few larvae drifted as far as the next riffle. In contrast, riffles were sinks for large larvae, suggesting an ontogenetic shift in habitat use, i.e. they moved into between-riffle areas to grow and re-entered riffles before emergence. The persistence of maternal effects on distribution patterns well into the juvenile stage is exciting and suggests that existing models of how dispersal influences the population dynamics of allegedly iconic dispersers may warrant re-evaluation. Nicola Mitchell1, Mathew Hipsey1, Michael Kearney2, Sophie 1 1 3 3 Arnall , Hasnien bin Tareque , Gerald Kuchling , Ryan Vogwill , 4 Helen Robertson 1 The University of Western Australia, 2The University of Melbourne, The Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation, 4The Perth Zoo 3 Assisted migration (the deliberate movement of species to climatically suitable regions) is an emerging management tool that aims to prevent the extinction of populations that are unable to migrate in response to climate change. If this strategy is deemed acceptable, how should suitable translocation sites be selected? Correlative climate-envelope models, which are based on occurrence data, are of limited use for species that have restricted distributions. In this project we are integrating ecoenergetic and hydrological models to identify future habitats for Australia’s most endangered reptile, the Western Swamp Tortoise (Psuedemydura umbrina)—a species currently restricted to a single breeding population in marginal habitat. We are collecting physiological data from a captive population to build an ecoenergetic model, which is then integrated with independent simulations of the wetland habitat, and validated by hind casting against fifty years of historical data. The models can be run under a range of future climates and should be a powerful tool for identifying new habitats where tortoises could persist in south-western Australia. Here we present preliminary findings and demonstrate our mechanistic approach that could serve as a template for guiding the assisted migration of other threatened wetland species. Nicki Mitchell is an ecophysiologist from the University of Western Australia working on the impacts of environmental change on amphibians and reptiles. She also lectures in Conservation Biology. 153 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Moran G008, MCC 1145, Moran G008, MCC Species sorting or patch dynamics? A test of two models using stream invertebrate communities Do dragons fly: ecological and evolutionary movement patterns of Komodo dragons within and among islands Barbara Downes1, Jill Lancaster2, Alena Glaister1, William Bovill1 1 University of Melbourne, 2Monash University Tim Jessop1 1 We tested the applicability of two general, metacommunity paradigms to stream invertebrate communities. Stream assemblages typically differ between upland and lowland areas, because of differences in abiotic factors, resource availability, etc along channels. Under Species Sorting, we expect strong differences between communities with little dispersal between these extremes. Under Patch Dynamics, we expect weaker differences between communities, with strong dispersal along channels and marked differences in species-specific dispersal ability. We conducted surveys of benthic densities of invertebrates at eight sites along the upland–lowland gradient of two creeks. We also measured drift and trapped adults at upland and lowland sites. Few species were confined to headwaters or lowland areas. Dispersal ability varied between species, with some species trapped far from locations where they were common in the benthos. Our results suggest that dispersal and patch dynamics play a stronger role in stream community dynamics than traditional views suggest, and this has general implications for other ecosystems. Our findings also have important implications for predicting the rates and identities of taxa recolonising restored sections of lowland streams. Barbara Downes, Department of Resource Management and Geography, University of Melbourne University of Melbourne Movement of individuals and their genes across archipelagos represents a complex interplay between ecological and evolutionary processes. The Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard persists on 5 closely adjacent islands in Eastern Indonesia. Intuitively, a large body size and predatory nature might necessitate large spatial requirements and hence frequent movement of individuals or their genes within and among islands. Alternatively, like many island taxa, strong selection against dispersal might induce strong site fidelity causing limited demographic and genetic connectivity within or among island populations. We used three sources of data to assess the movement capacity for Komodo dragons to move within and among islands over both ecological and evolutionary time including: GPS telemetry to detail movement patterns of adult male komodo dragons; multistrata capture recapture models incorporating putative dispersal covariates to estimate demographic movement and site fidelity parameters from 991 marked dragons (with 1772 recaptures) captured at 10 sites on four islands between 2002– 2009, and genetic based isolation by distance patterns to infer the influence of terrain and geographic proximity on patterns of population genetic subdivision among and within islands. Our results indicate that in ecological time that Komodo dragons exhibit extraordinary site fidelity which persists through evolutionary time to leads to demographic and genetic closure among populations. Tim Jessop is an integrative ecologist who use different methods to measure response of animal to ecological and evolutionary processes. 154 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Moran G008, MCC 1215, Moran G008, MCC Responding to climate change: flight capacity and behavioural buffering of the common brown butterfly (Heteronympha merope) Do amphibians preferentially use streamlines as terrestrial habitat? Madeleine Barton1, Melanie Norgate2, Paul Sunnucks2, Michael 1 Kearney 1 1 The University of Melbourne, 2Monash University Studies have shown that climate change is impacting on many ecosystems throughout the world, however the extent to which species will be able to track environmental stress remains largely unknown. Understanding the mechanisms through which climate constrains the survival of an organism will allow us to predict how it is likely to respond to future changes in climate. Flight capacity in butterflies is an important fitness component as it’s required for feeding, mating and oviposition. Flight, however, is only possible within a specific thermal range, and may consequently be directly affected by changes in climate. Butterflies may be able to behaviourally buffer the impacts of thermal stress to optimise flight capacity by altering basking posture or by selecting specific locations within their habitat. This study focuses on the adult phase of the common brown butterfly (Heteronympha merope). Measurements of its themal limits for flight, and data showing how behavioural thermoregulation affects core body temperature, and flight capacity, will be presented. Incorporating these measurements with spatially explicit data-sets of climate and terrain into process-based models will enable us to predict the available time for flight, and general fitness of the common brown under current and future climate scenarios. Madeleine Barton gained a bachelor of Science degree at The University of Melbourne in 2006, majoring in Genetics and Zoology She then completed Honours at CESAR with Ary Hoffmann in which she measured the flight capacity of Drosophila melanogaster with respect to body size traits and candidate loci. She is now in the third year of a PhD under the supervision of Michael Kearney. As part of a multi-university project, she is focusing on the ecophysiology of the common brown butterfly. Martin Westgate1, Don Driscoll1, David Lindenmayer1 Australian National University Many amphibians require both aquatic and terrestrial habitats at different times during their life cycles, and terrestrial buffer zones around breeding sites are a simple means of providing both. However, buffers which protect a fixed area around ponds (measured by distance to water) are based on the unrealistic assumption that amphibian dispersal is directionally random. We hypothesised that streamlines would be preferentially selected terrestrial habitat for amphibians, since they provide lower slopes and more favourable microclimates than the majority of habitat surrounding breeding ponds. If topography was shown to influence the terrestrial distribution of amphibians, contour-based buffers could be designed which would make more efficient use of space than distance-based equivalents. We tested our hypothesis using a replicated trapping design, and found that adults of three amphibian species were more abundant in transects which followed streamlines than in high-slope transects. Streamlines were also used continuously throughout the breeding season, by individuals moving both towards and away from water, suggesting that streamlines are used during diurnal movements as well as during seasonal migrations. Our results suggest that accounting for slope or elevation in buffer design may result in more efficient use of space than distance-based buffer zones. Martin Westgate is currently writing his PhD on amphibian conservation, following fieldwork in Jervis Bay, NSW. His research focuses on optimal monitoring, fire management and terrestrial habitat use. 155 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 3f—Symposium: Conservation and the ecology of wildlife parasites and diseases 1100, Room T6, MCC 1115, Room T6, MCC Trypanosomes and woylie declines—is there a link? Who’s biting the woylie and what are they transmitting? 1 1,2 1 Andrew Thompson , Andrew Smith , Alan Lymbery , Adrian 2 2 Wayne , Keith Morris 1 2 Murdoch University, Department of Environment and Conservation, Western Australia Woylie or brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia pencillata) populations are undergoing a major decline in southwest Western Australia. Through collaboration with the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) it has been possible to examine the parasite fauna of the declining population since the decline commenced in 2006. Only two potential pathogens have been identified, Trypanosoma and Toxoplasma, which, when compared with healthy woylie populations, are associated with the decline. Although it appears unlikely that the parasites are solely responsible for the decline in woylie population size, they may predispose woylies to increased mortality. Molecular characterisation has revealed how little we know about the phylogenetic relationships and ecology of both Trypanosoma and Toxoplasma in Australian native wildlife raising questions about transmission and control. The parasitological investigation of woylies has demonstrated the value of undertaking longitudinal surveillance in natural systems using non-invasive sampling and molecular tools to characterise infectious agents in terms of wildlife health, parasite biodiversity and ecology. Andrew Thompson is Professor of Parasitology in the School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at Murdoch University and in collaboration with DEC, have a comprehensive research program looking at the impact of parasitic infections on native wildlife. Craig Thompson1, Andrew Smith1, Adrian Wayne2, Andrew Thompson1 1 Murdoch University, 2Science Division, Department of Environment and Conservation Prior to European settlement, the Woylie (or brush-tailed bettong) Bettongia penicillata, had a distribution over much of Australia. Over the next 180 years, the woylie distribution was reduced and became restricted to three principal areas in south-west Australia, namely Upper Warren, Tatanning and Dryandra. As part of the recovery plan, fox control and woylie relocations were initiated and by 1996 the woylie became the first Australian mammal to have its conservation status downgraded. However, since 2001 the number of woylies has declined rapidly, with capture rates indicating a 70–80% reduction in population sizes over a 5 year period. During the investigation into the recent decline, a distinct species of Trypanosoma was identified at high prevalence and studies have shown a correlation between parasite prevalence, high parasitaemia and woylie decline. In efforts to further understand this vector-borne parasite, sampling of haematophagic arthropods has focused on Tabanids, Sandflies, Fleas, Ticks and Midges in the Upper Warren and Karakamia regions. It is hoped that this understanding of the vector and its distribution will provide baseline data for future woylie relocation programs, safe-guarding against the inadvertent introduction of disease into naive populations or naive animals into infected populations, thus increasing the chances for success. Craig Thompson is in his first year of his PhD at Murdoch University, WA and is concentrating on the transmission of Trypanosomes between woylies in the wild and within enclosures. 156 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T6, MCC 1145, Room T6, MCC Toxoplasma gondii: a threat to Australian wildlife? Moving mammals and their hangers-on: the ecology of translocated animals and parasites Shuting Pan1, Andrew Thompson1, Andrew Smith1,2, Michael 3 1 Grigg , Alan Lymbery 1 2 Murdoch University, Department of Environment and Conservation, Western Australia, 3National Institutes of Allergy and infectious Diseases, USA Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous protozoan parasite of vertebrates. Infection can lead to a wide spectrum of disease states, ranging from altered behaviour to severe, often fatal illness. Virulence depends, in part, upon the genetotype of the parasite. Although T. gondii has been identified in Australian marsupials, there have been few studies of the prevalence of the parasite or its genetic characteristics in natural populations. We obtained tissue samples from five different organs of 16 adult kangaroos from arid rangeland in Western Australia. Samples were screened for T. gondii by DNA extraction and direct sequencing. There were three very surprising results. First, all 16 kangaroos were infected, which indicates either heavy environmental contamination or substantial verical transmission of the parasite. Second, multiple infections with different genotypes of T. gondii were found in all of the kangaroos, which suggests that sexual reproduction occurs regularly in the life cycle of the parasite in Australia. Finally, 88% of the genotypes of T. gondii that were detected were different to the three common strains found in domestic transmission cycles in other parts of the world, which suggests that T. gondii in Australian wildlife may exhibit a wide range of virulence states. Shuting Pan is a PhD student in the School of Veterinary and Biomedical sciences, Murdoch University, whose program of research is concerned with the molecular and phylogenetic characterisation of Toxoplasma in Australian native mammals Andrew Thompson is Professor of Parasitology in the School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at Murdoch University and in collaboration with DEC, have a comprehensive research program looking at the impact of parasitic infections on native wildlife. Judy Dunlop1,2, Keith Morris2, Andrew Smith1,2, Andrew Thompson1 1 Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, WA, 2Department of Environment and Conservation, WA One of the largest mammal translocations in Australia took place earlier this year, providing a unique opportunity for an in depth investigation into the population ecology, parasitology and survival of relocated animals. 183 golden bandicoots (Isoodon auratus) from Barrow Island and 144 boodies (Bettongia lesueur) were translocated from 2 different source populations (Barrow Island and Dryandra captive breeding centre) and released in central Western Australia, at Lorna Glen. This study aims to assess important factors in determining the translocation success at an individual and population level, and understand the population ecology of parasites and stressed hosts. The animals were closely monitored for parasitological, reproductive and condition status before and after the relocation at six-week intervals. Half of the population were treated with a topical antiparasitic treatment in order to experimentally manipulate the transmission of blood parasites and reduce overall parasite load. We expect to see an effect on survival, fecundity and condition of the animals according to their treatment groups and population origin. This project addresses the need for more quantitative science and experimentation in translocations in order to promote greater successes. Judy Dunlop works for DEC in fauna research, primarily translocations, and is currently working through a PhD at Murdoch. 157 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T6, MCC 1215, Room T6, MCC Succession of small mammal species and their helminth parasites following wildfire Exchange of gastro-intestinal helminth species among species of kangaroos and wallabies in the Grampians area of western Victoria Dave Spratt1 1 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences Small mammal species and their helminth parasites were monitored for 3 years pre-and 11 years post-wildfire in six habitats in south-eastern coastal New South Wales. Population fluctuations were assessed in two species of antechinus, two native rat species and the house mouse. The four habitats devastated by wildfire had the largest and most persistent populations of house mice, the two habitats least affected by fire had the smallest populations, reflecting the proximity of unburnt refuges nearby and facilitating re-colonisation by native species. There was a succession of small mammal species postwildfire and an associated time frame for each species, and similarly for their helminths. Succession of helminths and their associated time frames were dictated by helminth life histories, direct life history species first, species with a single aerial intermediate host second, those with a single terrestrial intermediate host third and species requiring two intermediate hosts were last. Succcessional differences occurred even among similar helminth types e.g. nematode lungworms, trematodes, implying both dietary differences between congeneric host species and/or differences in the speed of recolonisation of gastropod intermediate hosts. Dave Spratt has been involved in studies of taxonomy, life history, pathology and ecology of parasites of Australian wildlife for 43 years. Manon Aussavy1, Elise Bernardin1, Jasmin Hufschmid2, 3 2 A Corrigan , Ian Beveridge 1 Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire, France, 2Veterinary Clinical Centre, University of Melbourne, 3Parks Victoria Exchange of gastrointestinal parasites among grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus and M. giganteus), red-necked wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus) and swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor) was examined in an area of western Victoria, Australia, in which the four species are sympatric. Fifty-two macropods were examined, comprising 18 M.giganteus, 10 M. fuliginosus, 14 M. rufogriseus and 10 W. bicolor. Five species of anoplocephalid cestodes, 56 species of strongylid nematodes and two species of oxyurid nematodes were recovered. Of the 25 species found in grey kangaroos, 22 (88%) were shared between the two species. By comparison, of the 22 species found in red-necked wallabies, only 3 (14%) were shared and these were with swamp wallabies. Likewise, of the 20 species found in swamp wallabies, 3 (15%) were shared with rednecked wallabies. Of the commonly shared species, only one, Globocephaloides trifidospicularis, has been identified as a primary pathogen. The results are discussed against the current reintroduction of the brush-tailed rock wallaby, Petrogale penicillata, to the area and the possibilities of transmission of parasites to a newly re-introduced host. Ian Beveridge has a primary interest in the parasites of marsupials, particularly those of macropods and has been involved in studies of their taxonomy, ecology, life-history and relationship to disease. 158 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 3g—Novel systems and novel ecological philosophy 1100, Moran G007, MCC 1115, Moran G007, MCC The rise and fall of Leptospermum laevigatum: plant community change associated with the invasion and senescence of a range-expanding species Novel acoustic monitoring to examine animal communication: koala bellows and impacts on spatial dynamics 1 1 1 Luke Geddes , Peter Green , John Morgan 1 La Trobe University Many studies of shrub invasion show evidence of negative impacts on groundlayer vegetation, but do affected communities recover to their former state when invading species decline? This chronosequence study documented changes in plant species richness and composition associated with invasion and senescence of Leptospermum laevigatum, a native coastal species with an expanding range in south-eastern Australia. This serotinous species forms dense, even aged stands following fire, but in the long absence of fire, individuals senesce and form treefall gaps. Invasion by Leptopsermum in grassy dunes at Wilsons Promontory was associated with decreased light, soil nitrate and moisture which surprisingly, did not result in declines in species richness regardless of the spatial scale of sampling. However, there was a significant shift in composition way from the uninvaded state. The creation of treefall gaps resulted in a return of light and soil properties to levels more similar to the uninvaded state. Species composition within young gaps was highly varied but significantly dissimilar to that immediately prior to gap creation, but in older gaps became less varied and more similar to the uninvaded state. Therefore, community composition was positively influenced by tree-fall gaps in an otherwise uniform landscape. Luke Geddes has completed a B. Conservation Biology and Eology (Hons) and has since worked in varied field research assistant positions including the ITEX experiement on the Bogong High Plans, Rainforest work on the Atherton Tablelands and Shrub regeneration in central Victoria. William Ellis1, Sean FitzGibbon2, Robbie Wilson2, Alastair 3 1 Melzer , Fred Bercovich 1 Centre for Research on Endangered Species, 2Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, 3Central Queensland Koala Research Group Acoustic communication mediates sociality in a variety of animals. One of the more ubiquitous vocal signals to have evolved is the sexual advertisement call of males. Males koalas emit a sonorous bellow during the breeding season, but detailed studies of calling context are absent. We used a novel acoustic sound network to monitor koala bellowing, whilst simultaneously collecting koala behavioural data using GPS collars. Our approach enabled us to examine fine scale temporal variation in vocalisation and spatial movements of free-ranging koalas without behavioural observations. Bellow occurrence was susceptible to environmental conditions, with fewer calls occurring when temperatures were low and wind speed was high. The number of bellow vocalisations recorded during an annual period mirrored breeding activity, with nearly all male bellows recorded during peak mating season. The distance travelled by koalas and the occurrence of koala bellows both peaked around midnight, but only female travel distance during the breeding season was temporally correlated with bellow occurrence. We conclude that environmental factors might trigger male bellowing to launch the breeding season, and that these male vocal signals function to attract females, rather than repel males. Female mate selection could be an important component of male reproductive success in koalas. 159 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Moran G007, MCC 1145, Moran G007, MCC Functional redundancy in biotic assemblages: how do ecosystem states translate to ecological processes in practice? Symbiosis as an incomplete solution to the nutritional problems of phloem sap feeding aphids Peter Fairweather1, Rebecca Lester1 1 School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University Ecological response models are a useful tool for predicting future ecological condition and objectively assessing competing options for managers in aquatic ecosystems, particularly at large scales. However, it can often be difficult to determine how biotic assemblages described in these models relate to ecological functions and behaviour observed in the field. That is, what does the model actually describe in practice? We address this question for an ecological response model built for the Coorong, the estuary of the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia. Our ecosystem states approach, as it is known, is a state-and-transition model that identified cooccurring assemblages of macrophytes, macroinvertebrates, birds and fish in the Coorong. Here, we explore each assemblage and identify the degree of structural redundancy within each. We assess each assemblage based on the known food-web interactions among the species present and interpret changes in assemblage based on the ecological functions that are likely to occur within each. Then, we formulate testable hypotheses for what our model actually represents, in an effort to better link predictive modelling to basic ecological knowledge of the Coorong, and to identify areas where either need to be strengthened for this case in particular but also more generally between these approaches. Peter Fairweather is an aquatic ecologist with 30 years’ experience studying ecological processes, diverse assemblages and human impacts across marine, estuarine and freshwater systems. 160 Nigel Andrew1, Angela Douglas2 1 Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology, University of New England, 2Sarkaria Institute of Insect Physiology and Toxicology, Department of Entomology, Cornell University, USA Various insects bear symbiotic microorganisms that provide nutrients, enabling them to subsist on otherwise nutritionally-inadequate diets. Notably, aphids derive essential amino acids from their bacterial symbiont Buchnera, supplementing the short supply of these nutrients in their diet of plant phloem sap. In some aphid genotypes, however, the Buchnera-derived supply of one or more essential amino acids is inadequate to meet total aphid demand. Here, we quantify the shortfall in the essential amino acid methionine from Buchnera, and the impact of methionine-free diet on the nutrition of the aphid and symbiosis function. We also address the ecological significance of the intraspecific variation in nutritional requirements of aphids as a result of variation in function of the symbiosis. Nigel Andrew is an insect ecologist with an interest in how climate change will impact the ecology, physiology, behaviour and nutrition of insect communities. He is treasurer of Ecological Society of Australia. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Moran G007, MCC Can rapid assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem function in urban remnants reveal ecological integrity in novel ecosystems? Dieter Hochuli1, Robert Blackburn1 1 School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney Strong links between biodiversity and ecosystem function offer insights into the quality of remnant vegetation in urban landscapes, novel ecosystems that often support depauperate assemblages dominated by disturbance specialists. We showed how simple field surveys of ants using baited traps could be coupled with measures of seeds removal to offer insights on the state of remnant vegetation and into the effectiveness of restoration efforts. These results offer significant opportunities for community engagement through citizen scientists applying our techniques to enhance their understanding of these ecosystems. Dr Dieter Hochuli is a senior lecturer in ecology at the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Sydney. Work in his research group focuses on terrestrial invertebrates and their ecology, particularly with respect to insect-plant interactions. 161 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 3h—Symposium: Conserving biodiversity in a changing climate: a forum for scientists, managers and policy makers 1100, Room T1, MCC 1115, Room T1, MCC Managing ecosystems in a rapidly changing world requires new ways of thinking Future ready biodiversity values: a critical foundation for biodiversity conservation and research Richard Hobbs1 1 University of Western Australia Changes in climate and other environmental conditions are combining with changes in species distributions and combinations to create entirely new environmental domains and ecological communities. Hence we are increasingly experiencing climatic and disturbance events outwith the historic range and observing increasing evidence of novel biotic assemblages and interactions which behave in unpredictable ways. We are only just becoming aware of the implications of this for ecosystem management and policy. I discuss these phenomena, drawing on examples from Australia and elsewhere, and explore the need for radically different approaches to management and policy in the future. Richard Hobbs is currently Australian Laureate Fellow in the School of Plant Biology at UWA, with research interests in restoration ecology and conservation biology. Michael Dunlop1, Simon Ferrier1, Kristen Williams1, Mark 1 Howden 1 CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship As we strive to adapt existing conservation programs and develop new strategies for managing biodiversity we are confronted with some harsh realities about the future. Primarily: climate change will lead to many different types of changes to species and ecosystems; and there is considerable uncertainty about these changes and how they will combine to affect net biodiversity outcomes. Furthermore, our assessment of rational responses to these changes highlights significant weaknesses in current approaches to conservation that will be amplified by climate change. One of the most significant of these is our great difficulty in consistently and clearly articulating the values associated with biodiversity that we should focus on through guidelines, programs, strategies and legislation, and of course in research. Without such clarity, valuations, targets, indicators, ‘optimal’ solutions, vulnerable species, priority regions, refugia and other contemporary constructs may contribute little to effective biodiversity outcomes. This presentation will discuss the importance of articulating the aspects of biodiversity that society wishes to conserve, and propose some examples of ‘future ready’ biodiversity values, to help stimulate debate on the topic. We suggest this is a decade-long mission that must involve conversations between scientists, the general community, conservation practitioners, land managers and policy makers. Michael Dunlop has had along running interest in helping Government and NGO biodiversity managers understand and respond to climate change. 162 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T1, MCC 1145, Room T1, MCC When, what, where, why and how should we assist migration as climate changes? Improving research uptake: experiences from the natural ecosystems theme Stephen Garnett1, Nicki Mitchell2 Trevor Booth1 1 2 Charles Darwin University, University of Western Australia One of the last resorts in the face of climate change will be moving biodiversity as a response to climate change. We know this will almost certainly be necessary but there are some critical questions we must answer before we do. For instance should we move species, ecosystems or services? How do we decide which taxa/ecosystems are indisputably in need of translocation and will not persist without this extreme, risky and expensive intervention? When should we act? In what sequence? Are there actions we can take now? Where should we move entities and how far into the future should we try to predict the climatic suitability of their new home? How do we do it—what are the mechanics of assisted migration? What about the cost? How do we maximise the efficiency of our decision making? Finally the most difficult question of all: can it be justified at all? On what moral basis do we risk the lives of those individuals we choose to move? These and related questions are being considered by leading ecologists, philosophers, economists and some of the policy makers who will need to develop translocation policies for governments around the country at a National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility workshop on Western Australia in November. This talk will present the results of those deliberations. Stephen Garnett is a conservation biologist who has spent much of his working life in tropical Australia. He has a particular interest in threatened birds. Nicki Mitchell is a conservation biologist from south-western Australia specialising in the developmental ecology of reptiles, including where to move them in the face of cliamte change 1 CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship The aim of the ‘Managing Species and Natural Ecosystems’ theme in CSIRO’s Climate Adaptation Flagship is to deliver adaptation options to protect Australia’s marine and terrestrial species, ecosystems and the services they provide, from the impacts of climate change. In its first two and a half years of operation the theme has carried out some large and many small studies of climate change impacts in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems and identified appropriate adaptation options. For example, a major study of the National Reserve System involved analyses of terrestrial ecosystems across the country. A Marine Climate Change Report Card was developed with input from 70 researchers from more than 35 universities and organisations identifying ‘what is happening’, ‘what is likely to happen this century’, ‘knowledge gaps’ and adaptation options across Australia’s whole marine environment. The theme has also provided information to the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. This presentation will concentrate on describing the challenges and successes of the theme in delivering to managers and policy-makers, as well as identifying obstacles and suggesting possible improvements. Trevor Booth presented his first paper on climate change in 1987 and led the Natural Ecosystems theme in CSIRO’s Climate Adaptation Flagship for its first two and a half years. 163 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T1, MCC 1215, Room T1, MCC Mainstreaming biodiversity conservation in a climate-challenged Australia: can we redefine national ‘success’? Projecting future, ecologically scaled environmental change and novel environments for all of Australia Edwina Barton1 1 David Hilbert1, Cameron Fletcher1 CSIRO Ecosystem Science 1 Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities The 2009 report, Australia’s Biodiversity and Climate Change identifies significant challenges for scientists, policy-makers and the wider community in responding to the threat to biodiversity from climate change. Meeting these challenges will include more effectively addressing the underlying causes of biodiversity loss and mainstreaming biodiversity across all sectors of Australian society. But how ready is Australia to do that? In the two decades following WWII, William J Lines’ home state cleared seven million hectares of bushland. In False Economy, he sets out to chronicle and understand the destruction—why, and with what goals in mind, have Australians systematically transformed the continent? As Lines’ research demonstrates, Australia has in the past defined its ‘success’ as a nation in a way that largely devalues our continent’s biodiversity and instead values its replacement or conversion. These attitudes are changing, but are they changing fast enough? Informed by both publications, I explore whether and how we can bring the national psyche to a point where mainstreaming biodiversity—and a biodiversity-centric sustainability paradigm—can succeed. Edwina Barton works in the Conservation Policy Section of the Biodiversity Conservation Branch within the Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. 164 Climate change projections for Australia, especially if there is little mitigation, indicate very large changes that will challenge the country’s ability to conserve its unique biodiversity. A general scientific challenge is how to translate maps of projected climate change into maps of ecological impacts that are useful for conservation managers and planners. We present an approach that transforms climate change into a biotically scaled index of stress that identifies where ecosystems will be most and least in disequilibrium with the environments that favour them. This is done through nonlinear classification of environments (using artificial neural networks) based on maps of pre-European vegetation classes and many fine grained maps of soil, terrain and today’s climate and then applying climate change scenarios. The results are fine-grained (4 km2 pixels) maps of ecological stress for all of Australia. The results identify the vegetation classes and regions that are likely to be most affected in the medium-term (decades) without any major changes in the extent or distribution of vegetation classes. This is the information that is needed critically now to guide conservationists and land managers who need to monitor change and develop strategies to cope with rapid modification of climate. David Hilbert has been a researcher with CSIRO for the past 15 years. He previously worked as a professor and researcher in universities in Canada and the United States. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 4a—Symposium: Sustaining biodiversity in the Australian alps 1330, Room T3, MCC 1345, Room T3, MCC Baldur Byles: a forester above the tree line Climate change, fire and conservation management in the Victorian Alps Deirdre Slattery1 1 La Trobe University The paper reviews the neglected role of scientific understanding in debates over natural resource management. It does this through exploring the changing views of forester Byles (1904–75), an important but little known protagonist in nature conservation in NSW. Byles was active in both the science and the administration of the snow country from 1932 to 1967. He began by believing that the purpose of a forest is to produce saleable timber, and supported grazing in the mountains; and ended supporting an explicitly conservation ethic. His years of service to Kosciusko State Park changed his consciousness about nature conservation and resources use. He even argued for part of the mountains above the tree line to be ‘sacred places’ that could exclude all human activity and allow ecological processes to proceed unimpeded. This paper looks at the formation and growth of Byles’ understanding and attitudes to ecology and at how this forceful person made others pay attention to his developing concerns. Deirdre Slattery has written and taught extensively about the Australian alps over the last twenty years. She is currently working in a research role at La Trobe University Bendigo. The paper she is presenting here is an outcome of a 2008 Fellowship to Manning Clark House, Canberra, where she researched aspects of the Primitive Area Dispute in KNP in the 1950s. 1 2 3 Richard Williams , Ary Hoffmann , James Camac , Carl-Henrik 4 4 5 6 Wahren , Warwick Papst , John Morgan , Ian Mansergh , 7 Keith McDougall 1 CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Darwin, 2Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptation Research, University of Melbourne, 3School of Botany, University of Melbourne, 4Research Centre for Applied Alpine Ecology, La Trobe University, 5Department of Botany, La Trobe University, 6Department of Sustainability and Environment, VIC, 7Department of Environment and Climate Change, NSW Global warming threatens alpine ecosystems worldwide. Australia’s alpine landscapes face the twin stressors of a warming and drying climate and altered fire regimes. Most of Australia’s alpine landscapes are within protected areas, and here we draw on long-term monitoring and a fire x warming experiment on the Bogong High Plains to explore what climate change might mean for the conservation management of Victoria’s alpine vegetation. Warming interacts with fire in complex ways, with many species-specific effects on phenology, growth and adaptive potential. Common native plant species in grasslands and open heathlands have shown genetically-based and/or plastic responses to warming, and may show compensatory responses to warming to different extents. These findings indicate a significant, but varied, capacity of alpine plants to adapt to climate change. This potential resilience to warming suggests that the diversity of the flora may not decline rapidly in the face of warming. However, alpine vegetation may be sensitive to a shortening of inter-fire intervals, one consequence of climate change in SE Australia. Monitoring of long-term trends in vegetation structure and composition in relation to disturbance regime is therefore a critical component of the management of alpine biodiversity in the face of unpredictable change. Dick Williams is a plant ecologist who works on climate change, fire and vegetation dynamics in the tropical savannas of northern Australia, and the alpine landscapes of Victoria. 165 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T3, MCC 1415, Room T3, MCC Remote sensing of Australia’s alpine bioregions: the spatial and temporal dynamics of snow and vegetation The effect of de-icing salts on alpine bogs and associated fens in Kosciuszko National Park, NSW Jeff Thompson1 1 University of New South Wales @ ADFA Although Australia’s alpine bioregions represent a relatively small portion of the broader landscape, their scientific significance has long been established. Globally, high altitude and alpine regions are believed to be amongst the most sensitive to climate change and increasingly, time-series data obtained through remote sensing are seen as a valuable tool for monitoring these impacts. Surprisingly, few studies have explored the spatial and temporal dynamics of either snow or vegetation cover within these Bioregions using such data. This presentation seeks to help fill this gap. It highlights a research program that is investigating these dynamics using a decade of observations obtained by NASA’s MODderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS). When compared with products from older satellite platforms, MODIS provides a significantly improved ability to monitor temporal dynamics of the landscape at a higher spatial resolution. The characteristics of MODIS products are briefly discussed within the context of a case study focusing on the landscape phenological characteristics of the alpine bioregions. A time-series of standard MODIS vegetation indices (VI) are used to highlight vegetation dynamics. The confounding influences of snow cover are also explored and possible methods for overcoming difficulties are discussed. Jeff Thompson is a PhD candidate at UNSW@ADFA with an interest in remote sensing and GIS. His project involves using remotely sensed, time series data to understand the dynamics of vegetation and snow with Australia’s Alpine Bioregions. Richard Hocking1, Cath Hughes2, Richard Greene1, Stuart Johnston3, Samantha Grover4, John Field1, Melissa Schroder5 1 Fenner School of the Environment and Society, ANU, 2Isotope Tracing and Hydrology, Institute for Environmental Research, ANSTO, 3Transgrid, 4School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Charles Darwin University, 5Resorts Division, Kosciuszko National Park, National Parks and Wildlife Service Several roads in Kosciuszko National Park (KNP), NSW, are kept open each winter with snow ploughs and deicing salts (NaCl and CaCl2) to allow passage across the Australian alps and access to ski resorts. Alpine bogs and fens (endangered ecological communities) adjacent to the road receive saline run–off from de-iced roads in KNP. The overseas literature demonstrates the negative impact of chloride salts which damage roadside vegetation by increasing soil water osmotic potential and through toxicity effects arising from the sodium and chloride ions. However, the potential impact of de-icing salts on vegetation has only received limited study in Australia. This study is investigating the impacts of de-icing salts on alpine bogs by monitoring soil water electrical conductivity throughout the winter with a network of 88 Piezometers; this will allow us to determine maximum salinity and salt residence time. Also, a treatment of deicing salts and a tritum (H-3) tracer are being applied to establish how a known amount of salt affects bog hydrology. In addition a pot trial will be carried out using Sphagnum cristatum to determine the effect of different salt concentrations on plant growth and vigour. Preliminary results are consistent with Grover’s (2006) model of bog hydrology and have indicated a peak salinity of 1500 μS/cm in areas which receive de-icing salt run-off. Grover, SPP 2006. ‘Carbon and water dynamics of peat soils in the Australian Alps’ Unpublished PhD thesis. La Trobe University, Bundoora. Richard Hocking is primary research interests are pedology and landscape processes. He has completed two previous unpublished studies on the impact of de-icing salts in Kosciuszko National Park. 166 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T3, MCC 1445, Room T3, MCC The status and condition of the Australian alps catchments in the context of predicted climate change Climate change and the Australian alpine environment—adapting to the 21st century challenge: land use and management and socioecological research Graeme Worboys1, Roger Good2, Andy Spate3 1 Jagumba Consulting Pty Ltd, 2Good Environmental Systems, Optimal Karst Management 3 The catchments of the Australian alps are a reliable source of water and deliver about 10,000 gigalitres (GL) to the Murray–Darling Basin. This is about 40% of the Basin’s 23,400 GL average annual flow. The water supports the Murray–Darling Basin irrigation industry worth an estimated $3.5 billion annually; directly contributes to a $350 million Hydro-electricity industry, an Alps tourism industry of approximately $300 million, regional tourism of $200 million, and a potable water supply for thousands of people in down-river towns and cities such as Canberra, Albury, Wagga, Echuca, Mildura and Adelaide. The Alps catchments are actively managed to maintain their natural condition and integrity but many significant threats are still currently, impacting these high mountain areas; their magnitude exceeding the available resources to effectively respond to their impacts. An assessment of the Alps catchment within the Alps national parks was recently completed. The overall status and condition of the catchments, the trend in condition, the nature and location of key threats, (including predicted climate change impacts) and the management responses needed to ensure stability under these threats, were assessed and identified. Six priority actions are identified in the report that will invest in the maintenance of the natural condition of the catchments and the precautionary adaptation responses to climate change. Graeme Worboys is a Research Associate at the Australian National Botanic Gardens/Australian National University. He retired in 2004 from NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. Ian Mansergh1, Brian Doolan2 1 Department of Sustainability and Environment, 2Parks Victoria Cold climate environments (polar, tundra and alpine) are globally vulnerable under a warming climate and the Australian alps, low altitude ‘soil’ mountains are recognised, continentally, as a highly vulnerable ecosystem. They are significant as major catchments for the Murray–Darling Basin (supporting Australia’s food bowl), central to the Bassian bio-climatic zone of mainland Australia and support large national parks. A drier, warmer future punctuated with increased frequency of extreme weather events (drought, fire) will affect alpine landscapes and ‘natural’ patterns, processes and populations. Distributions and abundances of endemic, rare and restricted species and communities are expected to decline, as will snow availability at resorts. Ecological research has the capacity to provide empirical evidence as to the potential bio-physical changes and their inter-dependencies (e.g. climate, soil, biota, fire). This complex mix will have altered capacity to produce ecosystem services which themselves will be ‘valued’ differently by society. Alpine ecology, land-uses and management are evolved from a colonial past (e.g. grazing), to including production (hydro electric) and more at-site consumptive pursuits (e.g. ski resort). Within this landscape legacy climate change will alter bio-physical conditions and societal valuation of ecosystem services (and risks) provided by the alps and surrounding landscape (e.g. carbon, water,). The later may modify the primary drivers of landscape management. Changing trajectories of climate, biota/landscape (internal– external), value of ecosystem services and neighbouring land-use will affect the socio-ecology of Australian alps and basic research questions over the next decades. Ecological research that illuminates the interconnections of landscape elements will be of critical importance in the societal debate. Whole-of-landscape adjustment is essential to cope with the climate challenge. This will inevitably bring ecological research into closer contact with the social and economic values and management of the private landscape as well as the socio-economic values. This contribution examines the ‘re-dreaming’ of the alpine region in the context of the myriad of these emerging environmental and societal trajectories that adaptation to altered climates may initiate. Dr Ian Mnasergh has a long history of biological research, particulalry in the alps (mountain pygmy-possum). More recently he has been developing science policy for climate change response (e.g. biolinks) 167 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 4b—Symposium: Biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes: is it really worth the effort? 1330, Room T2, MCC 1345, Room T2, MCC Leopard cats and rats in Borneo: forest fragments and biodiversity conservation in an agricultural landscape Brigalow regrowth: a conservation bargain Rajanathan Rajaratnam1, Karl Vernes2, Marc Ancrenaz3 1 2 Geography and Planning, University of New England, Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, 3Kinabatangan Orang Utan Conservation Project, Malaysia Extensive commercial oil palm plantations in eastern Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, have caused the loss of biodiversity in wildlife-rich lowland rainforest. An ecological study on leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis borneoensis) in an agricultural landscape in Sabah revealed that leopard cats significantly preferred oil palm over other forest types. Leopard cats preyed exclusively on Whitehead’s rat (Maxomys whiteheadi), the dominant rodent species in oil palm. A diverse array of avian, reptilian and mammalian predators were also observed foraging in oil palm. Overall rodent abundance was much lower in oil palm than in adjacent forest, possibly due to high natural predation pressure. Although least selected, secondary forest fragments in oil palm were crucial to leopard cats as resting sites. Retaining forest fragments in land-use planning for oil palm cultivation could benefit both the oil palm industry and biodiversity conservation through natural control of rodent crop pests without the need for expensive and toxic rodenticides, and provision of forested habitat as refuging sites for small vertebrate carnivores. Forest retention strategies can utilise steep terrain, marginal agricultural land and the sharing of fragments on common boundaries. This pragmatic approach promotes private biodiversity conservation in controversial oil palm plantations that are now a prominent landscape in Borneo. Rajanathan Rajaratnam, formerly a wildlife ecologist for WWF Malaysia, is a biogeographer at the University of New England with research experience on primates and small carnivores in Borneo. 168 1,2 1 1 Clive McAlpine , Martine Maron , Michiala Bowen , 3 Geoffrey Smith 1 Landscape Ecology and Conservation Group, School of Geography, Planning, and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland, 2The Ecology Centre, The University of Queensland, 3Queensland Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Sciences In southern Australia, the restoration of habitat in highly modified agricultural landscapes typically requires replanting, which can be labour-intensive and expensive. But in fragmented Brigalow landscapes, woody vegetation will simply regrow on cleared land if it is not constantly cultivated. Although this woody regrowth is the bane of many farmers’ existence, it also represents an important opportunity for passive landscape restoration. Although the floristic diversity of regrowth vegetation is less than that of remnant, and the structure is often denser, over time the habitat value of regrowth for birds and reptile converges with that of remnant vegetation. The older and taller the regrowth, the better it is for woodland birds and reptiles. Regrowth is particularly important where the area of remnant habitat may be insufficient to support viable populations without some form of restoration. The amount of remnant and old (> 30 years) regrowth in these landscapes has an important positive influence on the number of reptile and bird species and species’ abundance, suggesting that regrowth is making an important contribution to biodiversity recovery. In Brigalow landscapes with low levels of vegetation cover, all vegetation even small linear patches, is disproportionately important and its retention is critical. A/Prof Clive McAlpine is an internationally recognised researcher in the field of biodiversity conservation, landscape ecology and global change. He is the leader of the Landscape Ecology and Conservation Group within the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T2, MCC 1415, Room T2, MCC The influence of agricultural land use on susceptibility of fragmented ecosystems to invasion by exotic pastures Chalk ‘n’ cheese or something in-between: Brigalow regrowth is not the same as remnant in production landscapes of southern Queensland Sarah Butler1, Clive McAline1, RodFensham2,1, Alan House3 Peter Wagner1, Andrew Le Brocque1 1 The University of Queensland, 2Queensland Herbarium, 3CSIRO Agricultural land use continues to threaten biodiversity, and yet impacts on the susceptibility of remaining fragmented ecosystems to invasion are unknown and the potential interactive effects of climate change are less clear. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by quantifying the multi-scale effects of agricultural land use on the susceptibility of Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) to exotic pasture invasion along regional climate gradients in the Southern Brigalow Bioregion in Queensland. Patches along roadsides across the region (140 sites) and within 3 agricultural properties (approx 15 by 15 km) in a sub set of the region (30 sites/landscape) were surveyed for exotic grass cover, with sites stratified by current adjacent land use (crops/pasture). Explanatory attributes included adjacent land clearance history, years of grazing and current use, and area of landscape converted to exotic pasture, patch canopy closure, tree density, soil condition, patch size and shape, and mean annual maximum and minimum temperature and rainfall at a landscape scale. Mixed effect modelling and model averaging were used to quantify these effects on exotic grass invasions. We found higher invasions when adjacent to exotic pastures and within landscapes primarily converted to exotic pasture, although canopy condition had the most important effects. The climate effects show that a projected hotter regional climate may also increase invasibility, although rainfall will differentiate invasion risk by the major invasive pasture grasses. These models will assist with prioritising management actions to conserve the remaining biodiversity within agricultural landscapes under projected changes in climate. 1 Faculty of Sciences/Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments, University of Southern Queensland Endangered Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) dominated ecosystems have been extensively cleared and modified for agricultural production throughout the Brigalow Belt Bioregion. Intensification of agricultural land uses in the region has resulted in significant fragmentation and disturbance of remnants. Rehabilitating regrowth is an important conservation alternative to preservation that can effectively ensure the persistence of Brigalow communities throughout highly modified landscapes. While legislation is now in place to restrict clearing of remnant and Brigalow regrowth, little is known on the resilience of the range of regrowth types. This research investigates patterns in floristic composition, stand structure and condition of Brigalow remnants and a range of regrowth communities in relation to surrounding land-use factors and past disturbance practices. Thirty-eight sites in the Darling Downs region, southern Queensland, were sampled encompassing both remnant and different aged regrowth (< 20y; 20– 30y; 30–40y; > 40y). Multivariate analysis of composition data showed a broad gradient from recent regrowth through older stages of regrowth to remnant. Compositionally remnant sites were significantly different to regrowth; while within regrowth communities, recent regrowth (< 20y) was different to older stages (ANOSIM). The later stages of regrowth may represent an alternate stable state in these landscapes. The implications for broader landscape management are discussed. Peter Wagner is a Master of Science student at USQ, hoping to graduate in early 2011. Sarah Butler is from the Tweed Valley and is interested in the capacity of fragmented landscapes to sustain biodiversity and the impact of historic and current land use on ecosystem resilience. 169 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T2, MCC 1445, Room T2, MCC Efficient delivery of conservation: making payments in the right places Where should we start? Identifying priorities for conservation in the agricultural landscapes of South Australia Kristen Williams1, Andrew Reeson1, Michael Drielsma2, Jamie Love2 1 CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, 2NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water Market-based instruments are increasingly being used by administrators to deliver conservation service payments on private lands where habitat fragmentation is high. Landscape goals such as increased connectivity are often mentioned as objectives of conservation stewardship programs, but are difficult to deliver. An ecological metric that assesses landscape values such as connectivity requires a whole of system approach to evaluation. When alternate ways to connect the landscape are considered, a multitude of configurations must be analysed to determine which tender combinations offer the best solution within a budget making the evaluation process computationally challenging. Furthermore, solutions need to consider the dynamics of vegetation state changes to account for the relative value (incorporating natural variation in dynamics) and marginal gains (i.e. growth in temporal benefits) achieved by different conservation actions including, for example, replanting with native species, managing areas of natural regrowth and protection of existing good condition habitat. We investigated practical aspects of metric design to achieve the desired spatial configurations for cassowary habitat and tested our approach in a simulated auction using property boundaries near Mission Beach, Australia. The simulated auction setting involved members of the local community sketching hypothetical management proposals into their farm plans and submitted bids that we evaluated spatially to determine the best overall package after 10 years of appropriate management. Computation short-cuts which limited the combinations of proposals to be considered, and specialised heuristics such as simulated annealing were able to solve the problem within a reasonable time. Dr Kristen Williams is a research scientist with CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, specialising in biodiversity analysis and modelling of climate and land use changes for policy and planning. 170 Daniel Rogers1, Allen McIlwee1, Jody Gates1, Nigel 1 Willoughby 1 Department of Environment and Natural Resources, South Australian Government Landscape conservation requires targets and activities that are directly linked to explicit, clearly articulated goals. These goals, in turn, must reflect the conservation requirements of the particular landscape context for which they are being defined. Many coarse-filter approaches for identifying conservation priorities rely on a presumption that surrogate measures of biodiversity (e.g. species richness, area, per cent cover) will provide for the conservation requirements of the components of biodiversity that are most at risk within a landscape. Alternatively, if we could identify those components that are most at risk, we could design our conservation goals, targets and activities to meet the requirements of these directly. Here we describe a process—‘Landscape Assessment’—for identifying priority landscape components for conservation, that combines analyses of species’ ecological requirements, with analyses of historic trajectories of species and land-use patterns, to identify those components that are both functional, but at risk of deleterious, irreversible change. Dr Daniel Rogers’ research focuses on understanding ecosystems for improved decision making. He has a particular interest in bird conservation. He currently works in the Conservation Planning Team of DENR. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 4c—Symposium: Combining Indigenous and western ecological knowledge for future land management 1330, Room T4, MCC 1345, Room T4, MCC Return to homelands: after more than 80 years’ absence, the Wuthathi people prepare to return to their traditional homelands on the north-east coast of Cape York Peninsula by planning cultural and natural resource management strategies Kuku Nyungkal working on country in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area Andrew Picone1, Ray Wallis2 1 2 Australian Conservation Foundation, Wuthathi Land Trust The Wuthathi peoples from the Shelburne Bay area on the north east coast of Cape York Peninsula have been displaced from their traditional homelands since the late 1930s. Through both Native Title and the Queensland Government’s land tenure reform process, much of the Wuthathi homelands will be returned to them as either Aboriginal freehold land or as Aboriginal owned national park. Currently part of Wuthathi’s Sea Estates which includes 10 Island’s off Cape Grenville have been handed back to Wuthathi as Aboriginal Freehold. Resolution of land tenure and ownership is fundamental before any management of cultural and natural values can take place. This will allow management to return to a landscape from which it has been absent for nearly 100 years. In preparation for their return to country the Wuthathi developed an integrated culture and conservation program that reflects cultural traditional knowledge and addresses traditional and contemporary conservation imperatives. The conceptual framework of their land and sea management framework was developed eight years ago. Wuthathi are now moving into the implementation phase and will be well placed to engage government and private organisations in partnerships that strengthen capacity and capability in developing a culturally and ecologically appropriate economy for their homelands. Bruce White1, Marilyn Wallace1, Peter Wallace1 1 Nyungkal Ranger Service The Kuku Nyungkal are an Aboriginal Australian group of more than 900 people who all share in common a rich biocultural heritage that stretches back well before the 4000 years since world heritage listed rainforests first expanded into their lands (the Upper Annan valley). This paper is a report by one of the few full speakers of the now critically endangered Kuku Nyungkal language telling of her own considerable efforts, and the efforts of the Nyungkal Ranger Service she now manages, to recruit and engage Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, local government, CSIRO, and a range of others in more genuinely restoring Aboriginal lore to country. Marilyn Wallace is a Kuku Nyungkal woman, grand-daughter of a key Kuku Nyungkal boss or king, fully educated in Kuku Nyungkal lore for Kuku Nyungkal country, with extensive work experience in community health, community justice, native title, and cross cultural education. She is currently the manager of a newly established Nyungkal Ranger Service consisting of nine Certificate IV ‘rangers’ working on country. Andrew Picone has over 15 years’ experience in the environmental field which includes advocacy, natural resource management, ecological research and environmental planning. He has tertiary qualifications in social science, research and ecology. He is currently ACF’s Northern Australia Program Officer. 171 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T4, MCC 1415, Room T4, MCC Use-and-occupancy mapping in the Murray– Darling Basin: articulating contemporary connection to country Managing waru (fire): traditional and contemporary burning of country for ecological and cultural outcomes Neil Ward1, Jane Roots3, Terry Tobias2 Joe Stelmann1, Gail Carnes2 1 Murray–Darling Basin Authority, 2Tobias and Assoicates, Canada, 3 Charles Sturt University 1 Alinytjara Wilurara Natural Resources Management Board, Kellogg Brown & Root 2 For Indigneous people to effectively participate in the current land and water decision making processes, their leaders require communication tools that capture Indigenous knowledge in a scientifically credible and compelling way. One such a tool is ‘use-and-occupancy mapping’, currently being introduced in the Murray– Darling Basin by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority in partnership with the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations and the Northern Murray–Darling Basin Aboriginal Nations. Use-and-occupancy mapping is a social science survey methodology that records the tangible and contemporary interactions between Indigenous people and the land and water resources of their traditional country. The survey data, collected from individuals, enables the spatial representation of Indigenous knowledge, creating the much-needed scientifically-based dialogue between Indigenous people and natural resource managers. This presentation will describe use-and-occupancy mapping as an Indigenous engagement approach for natural resource management planning processes in the Murray–Darling Basin, outline the progress made so far and the lessons learned. The Alinytjara Wilurara Natural Resource Management Board’s region covers 250,000 square kilometres in the west and north-west of South Australia. The Board has made burning a high priority in its Australian Government funded ‘Caring for our Country’ community and science programs. It has identified that supporting traditional fire management blended with contemporary fire science is a fundamental process required to improve the biodiversity and decrease the ecological damage caused by the cessation of traditional burning since European contact. Fire is one major influencing environmental factor over which some control can be exercised. The regions biodiversity is influenced by the frequency, timing and intensity of fires providing the potential to manage the maintenance of ecological diversity at a landscape scale (Good 1981). Currently, there is limited scientific knowledge or appropriate land management regimes in place, however, significant unrecorded and undocumented traditional ecological fire knowledge that informs the practices of many senior Anangu from the region still exists. Neil Ward has over twenty-five years’ experience working in land management agencies in south-eastern Australia and the Northern Territory. His current role with the MDBA is to help improve the dialogue between professional land managers and Indigenous people. This program seeks to combine traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary information and technology to determine appropriate fire regimes aimed at conserving biodiversity whilst respecting and achieving Anangu land management aspirations and cultural needs. Gail Carnes has more than 25 years’ experience as an environmental scientist and is currently a principal environmental consultant with Kellogg Brown & Root Pty Ltd in Adelaide, South Australia where she is responsible for environmental management, planning and approvals on government, infrastructure and mining projects. 172 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T4, MCC 1445, Room T4, MCC Looking back to move forward: two-way land management in Arnhem Land Black hands on the steering wheel 1 Emilie-Jane Ens 1 Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, ANU Prior to the European colonisation of Australia, Indigenous Australians managed country to promote ease of travel and food procurement to enable their hunting and gathering lifestyles. Fire was the primary ‘management’ tool which had evolutionary effects on the landscape and its components. Following European colonisation of Australia a slow but dramatic wave of change to Indigenous lifestyles and activities swept across the country which resulted in altered large scale fire regimes and reduced Indigenous harvest of native flora and fauna. Furthermore, the European colonialists brought with them a host of exotic flora, fauna and microbes which have also had lasting and in some cases cumulative effects on the environment coupled with intentional landscape alterations fundamental to agriculture, urbanisation, modernisation and globalisation. It is obvious that the Australian landscape is now dramatically different to pre-European colonisation. In 2010 with increasing political, economic and social pressure to protect the environment it appears we are fighting a losing battle as the ‘new’ threats to country— which include changed fire regimes, pollution, altered water flows, feral animals, invasive plants and microbes and climate change, are increasingly changing landscapes and threatening the health of the ecosystems on which the survival of all living things depend. We need to look at new solutions to land management for our vast and variable country of which currently 20% is legally recognised as Aboriginal Land. Or perhaps we should look to a blend of new and old solutions which include and value past land management approaches as well as new ideas and technologies. This is the approach that many growing Indigenous land and sea management corporations are taking. By combining Indigenous and Western ways of knowing and managing country they are hoping to tackle environmental issues as well as offering cultural preservation and socio-economic development opportunities for Indigenous Australians—many of whom live in poverty in both remote and urban settings. This paper will outline some of the projects several Indigenous Land and Sea Management groups in Arnhem Land are employing using a ‘two-way’ approach to land management. Wayne Barbour1, Christine Schlesinger1 1 Charles Darwin University Indigenous people have always studied the natural world. That’s why we have survived for so long. Research and science may not be as foreign to Indigenous land owners or managers of country as many people think. The issue is ‘we feel like spectators’ rather than participants. People often say ‘what do you know about that?’ Then they leave with their papers not to be seen again. Indigenous country sits next to our history, ideas and identity but these elements are often left out by the science. For us to participate we need to know the value of the research for us. Before true collaborative research can occur important cultural components need to be considered. For example a hill or water hole may have high biodiversity value but that place may also be where our dreaming or totems are. If we exclude this we have just become spectators and are disempowered. The challenge is to build clearer lines of communication, by valuing holistic knowledge of country, and how people are connected to it. The science will then find a place to sit with us and work alongside us. The ecology can never sit on its own, as it is our family and identity. Wayne Barbour is of eastern Arranda descent. He has over 20yrs experience working with Indigenous people in the NT in conservation and land management. Much of Emilie-Jane Ens’s earlier research focused on invasive plants but more recently she has included feral animals and Indigenous knowledge into her work. Over the last 2 years she has been working in Arnhem Land with 5 Aboriginal Ranger groups. She has established many collaborative research projects with the Rangers to facilitate greater understanding of the ecological and cultural assets and threats in Arnhem Land. 173 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 4d—Marine 1330, Moran G008, MCC 1345, Moran G008, MCC Larval release and supply of meroplankton in response to environmental cycles in temperate saltmarsh and mangrove habitats Identifying coral species in underwater images for quantitative assessment of reef health and biodiversity Gerard Ricardo1, Todd Minchinton1, Andrew Davis1, 2 Nathan Knott Jacques-Andre Landry1, Jonathan Bouchard1, Lael Parrott2 1 1 University of Quebec (ETS), 2University of Montreal 2 School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Jervis Bay Marine Park, NSW Marine Park Authority Larval densities in estuarine intertidal habitats were determined to find if environmental cycles (light/dark, tidal amplitude, tidal or lunar) influence the larval processes of meroplankton. A small plankton net was towed through temperate Australian saltmarsh and mangrove habitats during diurnal, nocturnal, flood, ebb, new moon and full moon tides that were greater than 1.7 mAHD. Nocturnal ebb tides yielded the highest densities of meroplankton larvae in the water column, mostly comprised of first-stage crab zoeae. Nocturnal flood tides were a suitable time for supply of crab megalopae and stomatopod larvae. Diurnal tides had low densities of larvae on both the flood and ebb tides. Tidal amplitude during spring tides and lunar cycles appeared to have not influenced larval densities in the water column. The light/dark cycle is a dominant cue for most crustacean larvae while the tidal cycle appears to be important during the nocturnal phase of this cycle. By understanding when larval release and supply occur, the likely times for larvae as potential prey for estuarine fish or for recruitment into adult populations can be ascertained. Gerard Ricardo has been blessed to grow up on the beautiful south coast of NSW where his research was conducted. 174 Our research aims at providing automated artificial vision tools to classify large datasets of images of natural systems, more specifically images of coral reefs, to assist in the identification of species and other indicators for monitoring ecosystem health and integrity. Our approach is twofold: first we developed a hybrid method for the unsupervised segmentation of homogenous clusters in the image based on texture using evolutionary algorithms; and secondly we evolved various traditional and evolutionary classifiers to identify these clusters based on knowledge acquired through training using classified samples. Several thousand underwater images have been organised into a database of more than 200 species of corals from the Sulu Sea (Philippines) and the Coral Sea (Australia) which was used for training, testing and validation. The performance on a portion of this dataset, composed of images each containing a single species, is promising (R2 > 0.8) and we are now applying this method to a large dataset of more complex coral reef images (several species) to asses its applicability to obtain, from large spatiotemporal datasets of field images, information such as: area occupied by each coral species, presence of other entities, concurrent species, and potentially quantify temporal variations. Dr Jacques-Andre Landry conducts research on applications of the artificial intelligence paradigm to agro-environmental systems, with current projects on; artificial vision applied to biological/irregular objects, data mining and evolutionary algorithms, and modelling of ecosystems. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Moran G008, MCC 1415, Moran G008, MCC Biological surrogates in benthic tropical marine systems—a community analysis based approach Can one species of seagrass act as a surrogate for providing habitat for other taxa? Patricia Sutcliffe1, C Roland Pitcher2, M Julian Caley3, Hugh Possingham1 Ben Hamilton1, Peter Fairweather1,2, Bryan McDonald2 1 2 University of Queensland, Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, 3Australian Institute of Marine Science The limited availability of comprehensive datasets results in dependence upon the use of biological surrogates. The ability of one taxon to adequately represent another has not previously been thoroughly tested in tropical seabed systems. To adequately conserve and manage marine systems, knowledge of the extent to which this representation is effective is imperative. Here, we compare the similarity of community patterns between taxa from 11 phyla spanning 1189 sites across the Great Barrier Reef seabed, to identify the effectiveness of biological surrogates. We find that (1) Grouping taxa at a class level or finer is necessary to avoid compounding classes of the same phylum with differing patterns; (2) The removal of rare species from the analysis reflects an agreement of where common species are absent. Community patterns between taxa remain dissimilar; (3) An increase in spatial scale increases similarity between community patterns of taxa but there was no scale at which effectiveness dramatically improved; (4) No effective surrogates were identified at small spatial scales; (5) Large scale community patterns were similar between urchins (Echinoidea), gastropods (Gastropoda), bryozoans (Bryozoa) and sea stars (Asteroidea). Our results demonstrate the utility of biological surrogates to predict large-scale patterns in this system, however, more comprehensive datasets would be required for effective representation at finer scales. Patricia Sutcliffe is a student from the University of Queensland who specialises in tropical marine systems. She has a broad interest in community ecology and is currently investigating the use of surrogates in marine systems. 1 School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, 2Coast and Marine Conservation Branch, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Organisms living as epibiota upon seagrasses provide an important source of primary and secondary production in seagrass habitats. In marine park planning, the use of surrogates, such as broad-scale habitats, has been proposed as effective for selecting marine park boundaries and zones. To test an assumption of surrogacy that in effect treats all seagrass species as equal, the epibiotic assemblages found upon pairs of seagrass species, including the regionally rare Posidonia coriacea, were sampled from homogeneous or mixed patches at three separate locations. The three seagrass species, each with distinct morphological characteristics, had distinguishable epifaunal assemblages. Free-living epifauna showed clear habitat selection with movement likely over small scales within mixed patches but no observed preference when seagrass species pairs were separated rather than intermingled. Sessile epiphytic species showed less well-defined specificity between seagrass species pairs but there were significant differences in epiphytic species richness. Thus, if marine parks are to adequately represent the biodiversity associated with seagrass beds, planning should treat seagrass habitat on a species-by-species basis, and consider how species are arranged within localised patches, to include more of the biodiversity within zoning plans. Ben Hamilton completed his Honours in 2009 and has since worked as a Research Assistant in the Marine Ecology lab at Flinders University. 175 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Moran G008, MCC 1445, Moran G008, MCC Quantifying seasonal variability in the response of macrofaunal assemblages to beach morphodynamic types Forecasting responses of estuarine benthic fauna to changes in the delivery of detrital subsidies Rebecca Langley1, Robyn Morcom2, Peter Fairweather1,2 1 1 Macquarie University 2 School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Coast and Marine Conservation Branch, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Macrofaunal assemblages on sandy beaches are largely controlled by the physical environment of those beaches. Numerous studies have investigated assemblage structure in relation to abiotic factors such as sediment particle size, wave climate and tidal regime, and interactions between these variables define a continuum of morphodynamic types. Subsequent theoretical predictions of beach biodiversity have been based on a global model of how species diversity, abundance or biomass vary across this morphodynamic continuum. However, studies to test these predictions have often been based on a snapshot of assemblage structure, with only a single visit used to represent a beach. Here, we investigate seasonal variability in macroinvertebrate assemblage composition on beaches within the Encounter Marine Park in South Australia. Environmental and biological variables were measured at 12 beaches with different morphodynamic types around Encounter Bay and the Fleurieu Peninsula across three seasons during 2006 and 2007. The study was thus a local test of the global model for sandy-beach patterns but also aimed to determine whether temporal variation in macroinvertebrate assemblages was important. The predictability of responses by macrofaunal assemblage to beach types has implications for the management and conservation of biodiversity on sandy beaches, particularly when planning and monitoring marine parks. Rebecca Langley completed her Honours in 2006 and has since been working as a Research Assistant in the Marine Ecology lab at Flinders University. 176 Mirella Verhoeven1 Sediment productivity in estuarine ecosystems is largely fuelled by detritus. Delivery of detrital resources often occurs in pulses from neighbouring habitats, driven by the production of donor species and local transport processes. Coastal development and climate change are altering the timing, frequency and composition of detrital pulses arriving on estuarine mudflats. These changes to the arrival of cross-boundary subsidies may shift soft sediment communities and their important ecological functions which include provision of food to higher trophic levels, bioturbation of the sediment and nutrient cycling. Sampling in Brisbane Water determined the primary drivers of spatial and temporal variation in the delivery of detritus to the intertidal soft sediment community. A field experiment assessed the response of the benthic infauna community to manipulation of the frequency, volume and order of detrital inputs to the intertidal zone. Cumulatively these two components will be used to forecast future impacts of altered detrital subsidies on coastal productivity. Mirella Verhoeven worked as a consultant aquatic ecologist for three years before starting her PhD in coastal ecology in October 2009. Her interest lies in spatial subsidies in the aquatic environment. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 4e—Migration and dispersal 1330, Room T5, MCC 1345, Room T5, MCC Trans-equatorial migration of short-tailed shearwaters—testing old theories with new technology Effects of landscape compositions and habitat arrangements on two mirid species in Japanese rice paddies Mark Carey1, Richard Phillips2, Janet Silk2 Mika Yasuda1, Takayuki Mitsunaga1, Ai Takeda2, Ken Tabuchi1, 1 1 1 Keiko Oku , Tetsuya Yasuda , Tomonari Watanabe 1 Department of Environmental Management and Ecology, La Trobe University, 2British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, United Kingdom Although short-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus tenuirostris) have been studied extensively during their breeding season, our understanding of their movements outside this period remains largely unknown. Early results from banding studies and museum collections implied a broad ‘figure-of-eight’ movement across the Pacific Ocean. Recent oceanic transects suggested birds migrated in broad fronts in the western and central Pacific. Here, we present the first tracks of the transequatorial migration of Short-tailed Shearwaters from a colony on Great Dog Island, Tasmania, Australia. Data were obtained from global location sensors (GLS loggers), which enable the estimation of bird location twice per day based on ambient light levels. We deployed 27 GLS devices in 2007 and retrieved 20 in December 2008. Tracks revealed that after breeding, shearwaters fly south to the Antarctic convergence for a brief period before flying rapidly north through the western Pacific to the coastal waters off Japan. Shorttailed shearwaters spent the bulk of the winter either in this region or further north in the Bering Sea, before returning south through the central Pacific to their breeding grounds in Australia. Birds used local waters around the colony before the commencement of egg laying. For the first time, our results show the complete migration of this long-lived seabird and reveal individual variation in their wintering distribution. Our results, in part, confirm previous assumptions as well as present new knowledge of their movements in the Pacific Ocean. 1 National Agricultural Research Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organisation, Japan, 2Chiba Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry Research Center, Japan Two rice bug species, Stenotus rubrovittatus and Trigonotylus caelestialium (Hemiptera: Miridae) are major pests of rice in Japan. The population of these insects are maintained by widely distributed host plants, poaceous weeds, and the high mobility of adults. The effects of surrounding landscape and weed infested field boundary on the abundance of the two rice bug species in rice paddies were compared. Field abundances of the two species were sampled by sweeping technique. The number of weed infested field boundaries was also counted within a 100 m radius around 36 study paddies in three regions of Japan. Effect of surrounding land-use was the best predicted at a spatial scale radius of 300 m for S. rubrovittatus, and 200–300 m for T. caelestialium. The abundances of the both species were positively related with the area of weed infested area and reclaimed land. The size and physical arrangement of the habitat patches on the landscape also effect the two rice bug species. The results emphasise that adequate weeding of field boundaries can reduce the risk of getting high abundance in the fields even with an extensive weed infested area exists in a region. Mika Yasuda is a Post-doc at the National Agricultural Research Center in Japan. Her task is to apply landscape ecology theory to rice pests management. Mark Carey is at the end of his PhD research where he was working on Short-tailed Shearwater in the Furneaux Group, Tasmania. 177 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T5, MCC 1415, Room T5, MCC Long-term variations in the abundance of Helicoverpa spp. (Noctuidae). What’s driving them? Plant height is more important than seed mass for seed dispersal distance Geoff Baker1, Colin Tann1 Fiona Thomson1, Angela Moles1, Tony Auld2, Richard Kingsford1 1 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences 1 The noctuid moths, Helicoverpa armigera and H. punctigera are major pests of several agricultural crops in eastern Australia, in particular cotton. The seasonal dynamics of H. armigera and H. punctigera are thought to be well understood. In spring, the abundance of both species increases in the cropping regions. In particular, H. punctigera is believed to migrate there following autumn-winter rains in source areas in central Australia. In contrast, spring populations of H. armigera are believed to be derived more from local emergence. In 1996, transgenic, single gene Bt cotton (Ingard®) was introduced in Australia to control these pests. Two gene Bt cotton (Bollgard II®) followed in 2004. Most cotton now grown in Australia is transgenic. The advent of Bt cotton drove a significant reduction in insecticide use in cotton production systems. We have operated a grid of pheromone traps for Helicoverpa spp. in the heart of the cotton industry (near Narrabri) since the early 1990s. We have also operated light traps for much of this time too. We will present data from these long-term monitoring programs and question if: 1) the dynamics of H. armigera and H. punctigera have changed during the deployment of Bt cotton, and 2) some of our accepted understandings of the seasonal movements of the moths and their environmental drivers need closer scrutiny. Geoff Baker is a Program Leader for Functional Ecology and Systematics in CSIRO. Geoff’s research includes the ecology and management of invertebrate pests in cropping systems and ecosystem services provided by soil fauna. 178 University of New South Wales, 2Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water There is a perception that small-seeded species should disperse further than large-seeded species, and taller species should disperse further than shorter species. However as there are few large compilations of dispersal distances across species, the global relationships between dispersal distances and plant traits are poorly known. We provide the first large-scale quantification of the cross-species relationship between seed mass, plant height and dispersal distance across and within seed dispersal syndromes. Seed mass was positively related to mean dispersal distance. However plant height had substantially stronger explanatory power than did seed mass, with tall plant species having greater mean dispersal distances than did short plant species. Once plant height was accounted for, we found that smallseeded species disperse further than large-seeded species. Within dispersal syndromes, once we controlled for plant height, seed mass had no influence on dispersal distances, except for maximum dispersal distance for ballistic and wind-dispersed species. Our findings indicate that plant height is more important for species’ seed dispersal distances than seed mass, both across and within dispersal syndromes. Plant traits play an important role in understanding how far species can disperse. Fiona Thomson’s career in ecology started in NZ with decomposing leaves, weka and vegetation surveys. She then ‘crossed the ditch’ to chase seeds in NSW (PhD in plant dispersal). CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T5, MCC 1445, Room T5, MCC Dispersal differences facilitate reef fish coexistence Seedling regeneration depends on seed availability and ecological filters Michael Bode1, Lance Bode2, Paul Armsworth3 1 AEDA Group, University of Melbourne, 2Sohar University, Oman, University of Tennessee 3 The coexistence of multiple species on a smaller number of limiting resources is an enduring ecological paradox. The mechanisms that maintain biodiversity are of central importance to both ecology and conservation. We describe a novel yet intuitive mechanism for coexistence: species that differ only in their dispersal abilities can coexist if habitat patches are heterogeneously distributed. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is noted for its diversity of reef fish species, and its complex arrangement of reef habitat. We demonstrate that this coexistence mechanism can enable numerous fish species to persist in the same region, despite a lack of competitive differences. Further, coexisting species on the GBR have been observed to dominate different geographic subregions, defined primarily by cross-shelf position. Using a high-resolution model of biophysical reef fish dispersal, we show that the GBR’s complex and time-varying ocean currents can interact with species’ dispersal differences to generate similar coexistence patterns. Ecosystems that are characterised by patchy habitat distributions often contain coexisting species with different dispersal abilities. This coexistence mechanism is therefore likely to have ecological relevance beyond coral reef fish. Michael Bode is an ARC Research Fellow at the AEDA Group in Melbourne. He works on marine community ecology. Kadri Koorem1, Jodi Price1, Mari Moora1 1 University of Tartu, Estonia It is widely accepted that both propagule availability and local environmental conditions affect seedling establishment. The relative importance of dispersal and abiotic and biotic filters on community assembly has been disputed. We tested this by examining the effects of seed addition on seedling establishment under different ecological conditions (i.e. the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and resource availability) in a boreonemoral forest ecosystem in Estonia, North-East Europe. We asked—(i) are these communities seed limited? and, (ii) do ecological conditions influence this relationship between seed availability and seedling establishment? We found that addition of seed significantly increased seedling emergence. This relationship did not change along a manipulated fertility gradient. Seed addition also increased the number of seedlings in microsites with natural AMF activity but not when AMF was suppressed. Our results support the general principle that communities are seed limited. However, not only the lack of propagules but also the local environmental conditions determine germination success by seeds in natural communities. This finding has important implications for understanding community assembly, invasion ecology and community restoration. Kadri Koorem is a PhD candidate at the University of Tartu, Estonia. Her thesis focuses on regeneration success of herbaceous plants in heterogeneous environment. 179 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 4f—Symposium: Conservation and the ecology of wildlife parasites and diseases 1330, Room T6, MCC 1345, Room T6, MCC Remote monitoring of artificial nesting box use by microbats In-nest video monitoring of parasite impacts 1 2 1 Lisa Evans , Stephen Griffiths , Ian Beverage , Graeme Coulson2, Lindy Lumsden3, Graeme Pendock4 1 The Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Department of Zoology, The University of Melbourne, 3Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Sustainability and the Environment, VIC, 4Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Melbourne 2 For many native Australian species, including microbats, tree hollows provide shelter, protection from predators and a stable microclimate for rearing young. We are investigating the roosting habits of forest-dwelling microbats using nest boxes, which will move between multiple roosting sites as frequently as everyday. Why roost-shifting behaviour occurs is unknown, but it is possible that reduced roost availability could influence social structure, parasitism and reproductive success. Our lack of understanding is largely due to the difficulty of simultaneously monitoring many bats in more than one roost without excessive disturbance of roosting sites. To overcome this problem we are using implantable Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags and a network of tag readers to remotely monitor the movement of individual bats using nest boxes. Using this technology we have been able to continuously monitor roosting behaviour in a population of approximately 350 Gould’s wattled bats (Chalinolobus gouldii) over the past 18 months. From this data we have found evidence of a female-centred social structure and some evidence for resourceguarding by males during the breeding season. We are currently investigating the influence of roost box microclimate on microbat energetics, water turnover and patterns of torpor, the implications of which are likely to inform the use of artificial nesting boxes as management tools. Stephen Griffiths completed Honours in environmental biology and entomology at the University of Adelaide. He is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Zoology, the University of Melbourne. 180 1 1 1 Jody O’Connor , Jeremy Robertson , Sonia Kleindorfer 1 Flinders University The introduction of a new parasite places enormous selection pressures on its naïve hosts, which prompts the development of physiological and behavioural responses to reduce the impact. We used miniature surveillance cameras in nests to examine the costs of an introduced fly larva parasite, Philornis downsi, on Darwin’s finches in the Galápagos Islands. This enabled us to test whether high parasite loads in finch nests are associated with smaller nestlings, increased sibling competition for parental care, increased mortality and altered feeding rates. Cameras were placed in nests that were either naturally infested with 22–46 fly larvae, or pyrethrin-treated to virtually eliminate the parasites. Nestling weight and growth rates were greatest under conditions of low/non-existent parasite loads and high parental care. In infested nests, larger nestlings with fewer signs of parasitism exhibited stronger begging behaviour and survived a few days longer in the nest than smaller, badly affected siblings. All parasitised nestlings ultimately died within 6 days, whereas in treated nests all the nestlings survived to fledging. Parents with parasitised nests did not provide more food to nestlings to compensate for the effects of parasitism. Our results show that Darwin’s finches currently lack sufficient behavioural defences to counteract the negative effects of an introduced fly larva parasite which consequently continues to cause high nestling mortality in its new host. Jody O’Connor worked on conservation issues for Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos Archipelago. Her PhD covers studies of avian behaviour, population genetics, and monitoring the effects of invasive parasites/predators on island birds. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T6, MCC 1415, Room T6, MCC Quantifying the effects of parasites: a medication experiment in crested terns (Thalasseus bergii) Host specificity and reservoirs of infection: the epidemiological characteristics of an emerging pathogen Maggie Watson1 1 School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University David Gordon1 1 Parasites are often assumed to be detrimental to their hosts, but by definition, their effects must be sub-lethal. Efforts to quantify the effects of parasites have resulted in several medication experiments; only an experimental manipulation of natural parasite loads uncovers the effects of the parasites on the hosts. Most medication experiments have been performed on passerines. Seabirds are often heavily parasitised with ectoparasites such as fleas, ticks and lice due to their coloniality. In this field experiment, the numbers of parasites on crested tern (Thalasseus bergii) chicks were reduced through medication, and the sub-lethal but detrimental effects of natural levels of parasites were demonstrated on growth, condition and metabolic function. These detrimental effects indicate the costs incurred by the chicks. Medicated individuals may be able to devote more energy to growth and maintenance, but might not be more successful than their non-parasitised counterparts due to their immune system not being primed while a chick. This work adds support to theoretical work relating to the costs and benefits of parasitism and may assist in conservation efforts on related species. Maggie Watson is an American ex-pat living in Australia. BA University of Missouri; MSc University of Massachusetts Boston. Long time ethologist working with tern, moving into experimental work now with PhD. The Australian National University Few diseases are restricted to a single host species. Most human and livestock pathogens infect multiple hosts. Identifying the host species or host community responsible for maintaining an infection (i.e. the reservoir) may be crucial if effective control measures are to be undertaken, and an incomplete understanding of such reservoirs has previously hampered the control of many diseases. Not only is it critical to understand the structure and composition of the reservoir ‘population’, but it is essential to understand how the pathogen population is structured and the interactions occurring between pathogen and reservoir. It has been recently shown that the emerging diarrheal pathogen of humans, Escherichia albertii, has not only caused the death of captive birds and poultry, but has been the cause of mass mortality events in native bird populations in the northern hemisphere. This pathogen occurs in Australian birds and is prevalent in some species. However, the primary reservoirs for this pathogen are unknown, as is the extent to which different strains of the species might exhibit different host specificities. Our current understanding of the reservoirs for E. albertii and the extent to which the species is structured will be presented. David Gordon has worked on a variety of host parasite systems in his career. Prior to and during his BSc studies at King’s College London David worked largely with parasitic helminths. His PhD studies at McGill University concerned the population dynamics of insect parasites and their hosts. Since then his research has largely concerned host associated bacteria. 181 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T6, MCC 1445, Room T6, MCC A novel emerging wildlife disease in a transition zone: epidemiology, impact and immunological responses of Tasmanian devils to facial tumour disease Network models and management of wildlife disease, with applications to Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease 1 1 1 Rodrigo Hamede , Hamish McCallum , Menna Jones 1 University of Tasmania The global increase in emerging infectious diseases of wildlife during the last decade has resulted in the study of wildlife diseases being integrated into mainstream conservation biology. Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) are currently affected by Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), an emerging infectious cancer that is causing ongoing, severe population declines with extinction of the species as a possible endpoint. The major effects of DFTD short after disease arrival are characterised by a rapid increase in prevalence in sexually mature devils, declines in population growth rate and abundance, changes in age structure shifted towards young individuals and severe declines in adult survival rates. In addition, devils usually succumb 6–8 months after detection of early clinical symptoms of DTFD. Here we present the results of a 4 years longitudinal study in a disease population at the transition zone between two sub genetic provenances. Disease prevalence in all age classes is significantly lower than other diseased populations for which similar data is available. Population growth rate and abundance have not being affected by DFTD and all age classes are present in the same ratio of a healthy population. Preliminary results based on field observations suggest that some individuals are having immunological responses to DFTD. This range from devils surviving for 12–16 months after detection of clinical signs, regression of tumours. Menna Jones graduated from the School of Zoology of UTas and is currently doing a PhD on disease ecology. 182 Hamish McCallum1, Rodrigo Hamede2, Menna Jones2, Jim 2 Bashford 1 Griffith University, 2University of Tasmania Network theory is currently receiving a great deal of attention, both from a mathematical viewpoint and from its potential applications in ecology. Networks consist of nodes connected by edges, and disease transmission can only occur when a contact connects an infected and a susceptible individual. Most models of wildlife disease do not explicitly include network structure and assume that contacts are random, in which case the mean contact rate is sufficient to understand the system. This is important for management: eliminating disease requires driving the basic reproductive number R0 to below one. Network structure can cause R0 to be very different from predictions based on mean contact rates. Specifically, very aggregated network structure can cause large increases in R0, and closed triangles or loops can reduce R0. We used proximity-sensing radio collars to describe contact networks in a wild Tasmanian devil population. The contact networks were significantly different from random networks. Models simulating progression of Tasmanian Devil facial tumour disease across these networks suggest that extinction of the devil population occurs more rapidly and R0 is higher than would be predicted for a randomly connected network. Both these conclusions suggest that controlling the disease will be more difficult than is predicted by conventional wildlife disease models. Hamish McCallum has been Head of the School of Environment at Griffith University for one year. Prior th this, he spent three years as Professor of Wildlife Research at the University of Tasmania and Senior Scientist of the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program. He has a long-standing interest in the ecology of wildlife diseases. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 4g—Threatened species: mammals 1330, Moran G007, MCC 1345, Moran G007, MCC New insights into the ecology of the threatened dusky hopping mouse (Notomys fuscus) Monitoring flying-foxes—how stressful can it get? 1,2 1 Ulrike Kloecker , David Croft 1 University of New South Wales, 2DECCW, Parks and Wildlife Group A detailed knowledge of a species` ecology provides a framework for its conservation. Without this we cannot confidently determine its conservation status, make a threat assessment and develop appropriate conservation actions. Such is the case for the dusky hopping mouse, a charismatic native Australian rodent which has been little studied and whose ecology remains poorly known from few sites. Like most Australian desert rodents, its populations fluctuate greatly with environmental conditions, making long-term scientific study difficult. Thus I took advantage of a peak in the hopping mouse population following good rainfall over much of the range of the species, and investigated aspects of the behaviour and ecology of the species in Sturt National Park in far western NSW. Key results were an extension of the range of the species and the identification of the seeds of the sandhill wattle (Acacia ligulata) as a major food resource. The availability of this resource significantly influenced the movements, habitat use, distribution and density of the mice. This new information provides a more accurate assessment of threats, the identification of critical habitat and refuge areas, and ultimately a better framework for conservation of this species. Ulrike Kloecker is a recent PhD graduate from the University of New South Wales; employed with DECCW-Parks and Wildlife Group in Sturt National Park; presenting results from PhD research. Kerryn Parry-Jones1, Koa Webster2, Anja Divljan1, Mandi Griffith3, Glenda Wardle1 1 Institute of Wildlife Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, 2Marsupial Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, 3Sydney Metropolitan Wildlife Carers The grey-headed flying-fox Pteropus poliocephalus is listed as vulnerable under state and Commonwealth legislation and its conservation is important both for the continuing survival of the species and for the continuance of its ecological roles of seed dispersal and pollination within the forest ecosystem. This study investigates glucocorticoid (GC) metabolites in the faeces of flying-foxes with the aim of providing a method of monitoring the animals’ stress levels without the need to catch and handle them. Faecal samples were collected from both captive and wild flying-foxes under varying conditions of stress while the samples from wild flyingfoxes were collected from under the colony, and during the catching and handling of that colony’s flying-foxes. Very high levels of GC were found in stressed animals compared with unstressed animals while faecal samples collected from under the colony showed a similar range of values to those produced when the flying-foxes were handled and caught. The faecal level of GC was an accurate reflection of the animal’s physical condition, supporting the contention that faecal stress hormone levels are indicative of the overall stress level of the animal. Hence faecal GC analysis can remotely assess the level of stress suffered by groups of wild-living flyingfoxes. Kerryn Parry-Jones has worked on flying-foxes for 25 years. Over the last few years her interest has been focused on their population biology and problems in managing the vulnerable grey-headed flying-fox. 183 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Moran G007, MCC 1415, Moran G007, MCC Lessons learned: pre-relocation monitoring project on grey-headed flying-foxes at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney The effect of habitat clearing on the spectacled flying-fox Anja Divljan1, Kerryn Parry-Jones1 1 Adam McKeown1 CSIRO 1 Institute of Wildlife Research, The University of Sydney The grey-headed flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus, GHFF) is a large, nomadic Australian bat capable of long-distance movements largely controlled by the ephemeral availability of food resources. Increasingly flying-foxes are moving into urban environments with all-year-round food supply where they form camps with altered, permanent occupancy. Here we present the results of a flying-fox monitoring project at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney in winter 2010 prior to that colony’s proposed relocation. During a three-week period we captured 643 flying-foxes. The majority of the flying-foxes caught (80%) were GHFFs. Others were Black Flying-foxes (P. alecto), a species first recorded here in 2006. Recapture rates were low (1.4%) and we discuss the patterns and success of high intensity trapping in six close locations. Juveniles made up 17% of the captured sample, and the sex ratio was heavily skewed towards males (66%). We processed 566 bats of which 533 individuals were banded and 51 individuals were additionally fitted with radio collars. GHFFs were in poor condition with low weight to forearm ratios, and the proposed relocation was postponed. Considering the vulnerable status of this species further studies should investigate the long term effects of food scarcity on the population. Anja Divljan has completed her PhD at the University of Sydney in 2008 (population ecology of the grey-headed flying-foxes). Currently she works in the Australian Museum. Kerryn Parry-Jones has worked on flying-foxes for 25 years. Over the last few years her interest has been focused on their population biology and problems in managing the vulnerable grey-headed flying-fox. 184 The spectacled flying-fox, Pteropus conspicillatus, is a large Pteropodid associated with tropical rainforest in the Wet tropics of Australia. It is listed as vulnerable and is thought to be under pressure from clearing of foraging habitat for agriculture and urbanisation. While observational and dietary studies have been conducted previously, there is little information on the species’ patterns of habitat use and the influence on these of anthropogenic modification of habitats. We used radio tracking, satellite PTTs and GPS units to document both foraging and inter-camp movements of the species. Individuals foraged up to 50km from their roost camp and most moved between different camps on a regular basis. Pteropus conspicillatus foraged in a wide range of natural habitats but also fed extensively in urban and agricultural parts of the landscape. Our results suggest that P. conspicillatus is a habitat generalist and that its habitat requirements are broader than previously thought, a fact that is not recognised in conservation planning for the species. Adam McKeown has been working for CSIRO in Atherton on rainforest ecology for the past 8 years. As well as flying-foxes he is also involved in work looking at the basic ecology of Cassowaries, modelling seed and weed dispersal in the rainforest assessing the impact of avian malaria. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Moran G007, MCC Understanding refuge use of Australia’s desert rodents: an extreme conservation challenge Chris Pavey1, Catherine Nano1, Jeff Cole1, Peter McDonald1 1 Biodiversity Conservation Division, NT Government Australia’s desert rodents are well known for their irruptive population dynamics in response to pulses of primary productivity. In the face of ongoing population declines and increased prevalence of threats, continued persistence of several species will require effective management of populations and habitat during the non-outbreak phase of population cycles. Here we deal with the dual challenges of a) locating populations during non-outbreak periods and b) delimiting refuge areas. Our data on Pseudomys australis in gibber and cracking clay environments in the western Simpson Desert demonstrate that the location of refuge areas changes within non-outbreak periods. The proportion of sites occupied and the estimated density at each site varied dramatically over a 3 year sampling period. Because population density remains relatively high in refuge areas and these occupy a small part of the landscape, refuge areas are particularly vulnerable to predation by the house cat (Felis catus) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Cattle grazing, especially where stock congregate in resource-rich areas, is also a threat. In the MacDonnell Ranges, refuge areas of Zyzomys pedunculatus are threatened not by predation or cattle but by uncontrolled wildfires. Our findings show that conservation management of threatened boom-bust desert rodents is extremely challenging. Chris Pavey is an ecologist who currently works on the ecology and conservation of desert wildlife and ecosystems in central Australia. He is a former Treasurer of the ESA. 185 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 4h—Symposium: Conserving biodiversity in a changing climate: a forum for scientists, managers and policy makers 1330, Room T1, MCC 1345, Room T1, MCC A process-based concept of refugia for identifying and understanding safe havens from climate change Biodiversity and climate change: prioritising adaptation and conservation 1 1 Gunnar Keppel , Grant Wardell-Johnson , Kimberly P Van 2 1 3 3 Niel , Ladislav Mucina , Margaret Byrne , Colin J Yates , 1 AG Tom Schut 1 Institute for Biodiversity and Climate, Curtin University, 2School of Earth and Geographical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 3Science Division, Department of Environment and Conservation, WA Refugia can provide environmental stability under adverse climatic conditions. Therefore, under projected climate change, the identification and protection of refugia is amongst the most pressing of conservation priorities. However, current knowledge of refugia is largely based on phylogenetic studies on plants and mammals in North America and Europe, resulting in profound gaps of understanding. We therefore develop a globally applicable concept of refugia based on ecological and evolutionary processes. This framework facilitates the description of refugia by defining habitat along spatial and temporal dimensions. We illustrate how different types of refugia are accommodated within this framework. Based on an extensive literature review since 1991, species distribution modelling, increasingly broad multidisciplinarity, and the identification of likely future refugia under projected anthropogenic climate change are identified as emerging fields of research. We evaluate and propose methods for identifying refugia. Various disciplines provide important contributions but each is limited in scope; urging a more unified approach to define, delineate and conserve refugia. We demonstrate the requirement for multidisciplinary approaches to enable integrated conservation approaches to identify refugia, and lead to a more focused prioritisation of management actions, offering the best chance for refugia to continue to act as safe havens for biota. Gunnar Keppel is a research fellow at the Curtin Institute for Climate and Biodiversity, working on ARC funded project titled Protecting the safe havens: will granite outcrop environments serve as refuges for flora threatened by anthropogenic climate change? 186 Stephen E Williams1, Jeremy VanDerWal1, Luke Shoo1, Brooke Bateman1, Scott Parsons1, Yvette Williams1 1 James Cook University Anthropogenic climate change poses an unprecedented threat to global biodiversity and the continued healthy functioning of the Earths ecosystems. Understanding, and predicting, the future impacts of climate change is a vitally important part of responding, adapting, mitigating and minimising impacts. Assessing vulnerability and predicting impacts requires an understanding of the degree of exposure to environmental changes, the sensitivity and resilience of an organism, habitat or process and the capacity to adapt via existing ecological plasticity or evolution. Here we present a comprehensive assessment of relative vulnerability utilising the latest ensemble spatio-temporal modelling techniques of the potential impacts of global climate change across an entire bioregional fauna. We present a quantitative assessment of vulnerability that for the first time considers all of the factors mentioned above including: detailed analysis of exposure to future climatic change with associated levels of uncertainty based on multiple GCMs and scenarios, buffering from extreme weather by both landscape and microhabitat refugia, resilience based on species ecological characteristics such as life history characteristics and ecological specialisation, historical persistence, evolutionary potential and the interactions with other species and ecosystem processes such as primary productivity and nutrient cycling. Professor Stephen Williams completed his PhD in rainforest ecology at James Cook University in 1998 and has continued his work on the tropical rainforests of the region to this day. He completed post-doctoral fellowships with the Rainforest-CRC and ARC. He has maintained a significant involvement in collaborative research in the region over the years within both the RainforestCRC and the Marine & Terrestrial Science Research Centre. In 2006, he accepted a Queensland Government Senior Research Fellowship and created the Centre for Tropical Biodiversity & Climate Change research (CTBCC). CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T1, MCC 1415, Room T1, MCC Conservation planning in a complex, dynamic world incorporating multiple objectives, multiple criteria and dynamic data Understanding species interactions with microclimate: can it improve estimates of a species vulnerability to threat? Jeremy VanDerWal1, Luke Shoo1, Bob Pressey2, 1 Stephen Williams Collin Storlie1, Stephen Williams1, Luke Shoo1, 1 1 Jeremy VanDerWal , Andres Merino-Viteri 1 Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, James Cook University, 2Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University Application of systematic conservation planning exercises are growing; the analytical tools that guide efficient use of resources are yielding some great successes in conservation biology. However, increasingly complex problems (e.g., incorporating multi-criteria, multi-objective assessments, allowing transparent assessments of trade-offs associated with optimising for multiple objectives, or incorporating stochastic/temporally dynamic data) continue to drive demand for improvements to existing tools or development of novel approaches. Here we overview the application of a new open-source conservation planning tool to a well studied regional system. The tool, ConsPlan, is an R package that implements a flexible, multi-criteria, multi-objective simulated annealing optimisation algorithm with additional functionality for assessing trade-offs associated with optimising for multiple objectives. Using ConsPlan, we developed a conservation plan for the wet tropics region in Queensland incorporating a range of multiple objectives (e.g., protection of current species diversity, future species diversity, and climate change refugia, and landscape connectivity and fragmentation) given different management options (eg., spatial priorities for land acquisition or conservation covenants). The tradeoffs between different objectives and management options varied but tended to present a consistent suite of priority planning units. The greatest variability was associated with temporally dynamic data and assessments of uncertainty (e.g., uncertainty in climate change and future patterns of species diversity). Jeremy VanDerWal is a spatial ecologist examining the impacts of past, present and future climate change on spatial patterns of species distribution and abundance. 1 Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, James Cook University Species distribution modelling (SDM) is a powerful tool for ecological analyses which is based on statistical relationships between a species’ distribution in space and a set of predictor variables. Commonly, these predictor variables are macroclimatic spatial surfaces of broad climate variables such as mean annual temperature or mean annual precipitation. Species interactions with macroclimate are mediated by multiple factors (canopy coverage, cloud cover, aspect, etc…) that ensure these macroenvironmental surfaces rarely reflect conditions experienced by species in-situ. The implementation of spatial surfaces of microclimate as predictor variables in SDM has the potential to increase their accuracy and usefulness in ecological analyses. A surface of ambient (under rainforest canopy) temperature and under log temperature have been created using temperature data from an array of ~25 data loggers deployed throughout the rainforests of the Wet Tropics. These layers are used to demonstrate that microclimate buffering is heterogeneous in space, depends upon a number of habitat factors, and that prevailing microclimate can be markedly different from predicted macroclimate. Patterns of regional diversity, species distribution, and species abundance will be examined with respect to the microclimate buffering surface. Standard measures of model accuracy (AUC, AIC, maxKappa) will be used to compare outputs from microclimate based SDMs to macroclimate based SDMs. By gaining a better understanding of how species interact with climate, we position ourselves to better estimate their vulnerability to processes such as climate change and habitat loss. Ultimately, this analysis will highlight areas of the Wet Tropics, which are most likely to preserve rainforest skink diversity under present and future climate scenarios. Collin Storlie is a PhD candidate, investigating the ecological assocations of skinks with microclimate in the rainforests of the Australian Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. 187 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T1, MCC 1445, Room T1, MCC Conserving biodiversity in a changing climate: creating workable solutions at the junction of politics, science and practice Future conservation of Tasmanian saltmarshes and associated biodiversity in view of climate change and sea level rise. David Parkes1, James Todd1, Graeme Newell2, Matt White2, 1 Adrian Moorrees Vishnu Prahalad1 1 2 Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, DSE Biodiversity conservation, like all complex issues in our society, exists at the junction of: • political processes that organise beliefs and opinions in order to set directions; • technical disciplines that provide ideas, information and tools to inform views and decisions; and, • practices and behaviours that determine actions. The challenge for biodiversity conservation policies and programs is both to actively engage each of these contributions, and to create solutions that are workable. Key characteristics of workable solutions are: genuine connection to broadly-shared aspirations; a robust mix of core strength and flexibility; a sound balance of effectiveness and efficiency; and, sustainable delivery. We are actively improving the likelihood of workable solutions by: • • building the capacity for adaptive spatial planning, where models of species or habitat distribution and landscape-scale factors (e.g. connectivity, risks to ecological function, socio-economic constraints) drive optimisation analyses of conservation needs. This dynamic arrangement will facilitate use of increasingly sophisticated techniques, allow for progressive refinement of inputs and analyses over time, but will also deliver accessible and reasonably stable products for regulatory and investment purposes. expanding the use of conceptual models of system function (Bayesian networks) for estimating the type and amount of changes likely from management interventions. This approach will facilitate opportunities for adaptive management and is also being structured to contribute to performance reporting. David Parkes is a Principal Policy Analyst with DSE Victoria, with a particular interest in native vegetation and strategic decision making for biodiversity. He played a key role in the development of Victoria’s Native Vegetation policy and the new tools and approaches that were required. This has included vegetation assessment (Ecological Vegetation Classes, Habitat Hectares), market-based incentives (BushTender) and reporting (Net Gain Accounting). 188 1 School of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania Tasmanian saltmarshes and the associated intertidal wetlands form a crucial ‘link’ between terrestrial and marine systems providing critical ecological functions that support a range of biodiversity values. A large portion of this important coastal ecosystem has already been lost to human development and mismanagement. Recently, climate change and sea level rise have emerged as major threats to the extent and function of the remaining saltmarshes as they mostly occupy shores within 1 m of high water. Loss of saltmarshes would have detrimental effects on the larger coastal complex they are a part of and these effects will reduce the biodiversity values they support. While it is clear that saltmarshes need ‘accommodation space’ to move inland as they respond to climate change and sea level rise, not all saltmarshes can move inland due to numerous practical constraints. Hence, coastal managers need to be advised about ideal locations to direct their management actions to be able to get the best biodiversity conservation outcome. This talk will identify a process for developing ‘planning overlays’ identifying areas of ‘high conservation value’ for saltmarsh refugia in Tasmania so that saltmarsh function and biodiversity is maintained or improved locally, regionally and across the State. Vishnu Prahalad has a HRA at the School of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania and has been working on projects related to Tasmanian saltmarsh ecology and management for the past two years. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 5a—Symposium: Sustaining biodiversity in the Australian alps 1530, Room T3, MCC 1545, Room T3, MCC Long-distance human dispersal of weed seed in the Australian alps Using structured decision making to develop a strategy for managing willow invasion in alpine Victoria Catherine Pickering 1 1 International Centre for Ecotourism, Griffith University In the Australian alps and many other alpine areas European plants have been deliberately or accidentally introduced into gardens, ski slopes and for rehabilitating sites. Weed seed has also been dispersed accidentally on vehicles and tourist’s footwear and clothing. Experimental research indicates that what people wear, where and when they go all influence the number and diversity of seeds they unintentionally disperse. Tourists can transport large amounts of seed over long distances (>5km) when undertaking walks within the Australian alps, but do not appear to introduce many new weeds into the region. The rate of attachment and the distance dispersed varies dramatically among weeds indicating that it is a highly selective mechanism that will profoundly affect invasive process. Based on seed attachment and dispersal rates and the numbers and activities of tourists, the total amount of seed that may be introduced to main alpine area around Mt Kosciuszko by tourists has been modelled. Projected climatic changes including reduced snow cover, and warmer and dryer summers will benefit many of these invasive species, as will associated changes in tourism as ski resorts diversify into year round destination. Catherine Pickering has undertaking ecological research in the Australian alps for over 20 years in plant and animal ecology, reproductive ecology, recreation ecology, invasive process and the impacts of climate change. Joslin Moore1, Michael Runge2 1 Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology, 2Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, United States Geological Survey One of the major threats to the alpine bogs and fens on the Bogong High Plains (BHP) is invasion of grey sallow willow (Salix cinerea). While the main mitigation strategy is to control willow it is unclear whether current levels of control are sufficient and how control effort should be directed. We have used structured decision making to assist managers identify an effective management strategy. We convened a workshop with representatives from key management agencies where participants identified the objectives of management, performance measures and possible management actions. We then developed a model that predicts the long-term performance of management on willows on the BHP for different scenarios. We used value of information analysis to examine how uncertainty about the system affected the optimal management strategy. We find that for current budget levels the optimal management strategy is to focus all control effort in bogs on the BHP. This strategy is unaffected by uncertainty regarding how willows grow or respond to management unless the budget is large (at least four times more than current investment). In contrast, the effectiveness of this strategy is difficult to predict reflecting our uncertainty about fire frequency, post-fire bog recovery rates and seed dispersal distances. Joslin Moore is a senior ecologist at the Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology. Her research is focused on using decision theory and other quantitative tools to assist in the management of invasive species. 189 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T3, MCC 1615, Room T3, MCC Wild horse population growth in the Australian alps Disturbance and dynamics: 25 years of feral pig research in the Australian alps Michelle Dawson1 Jim Hone1 1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Wild horses are a feral animal that have inhabited the Australian alps for over 150 years. They are now more widespread and numerous than ever before in history. The population in the Australian alps national parks has been monitored using helicopter aerial survey in 2001, 2003 and most recently in 2009 using standardised methods to enable comparison of populations over time. The method involves counting horses along east-west transects 2 kilometres apart across the known distribution of horses and analysing the data using line transect techniques. The estimated size of the population from the 2009 survey is 7679 horses(coefficient of variation 25.4%). This represents an annual increase of 21.65% per annum since the previous estimate in 2003, which is close to the maximum intrinsic rate of increase for horses. In ecological terms, it is possible to keep wild horse numbers contained because they are are slow to reproduce, long-lived and conspicuous, however human perceptions are an important consideration for the management of this species. Michelle Dawson’s research interests are in the population ecology of native an invasive animals. She has been studying wild horses since 1999. 190 1 Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra Feral pigs occur in Namadgi National Park, ACT in the Australian alps. Poisoning has been used for decades to try to reduce pig density and potential effects on biodiversity. Over more than 20 years there was no longterm trend in pig density (r = 0.07 per year +/- 0.08 SE) and no trend (R2 = 0.03, df =22) in frequency of ground rooting by pigs. The ecological processes generating observed patterns have been derived and evaluated for (i) damage/density relationship, (ii) trends in pigs alive after start of poisoning, (iii) short-term effect of ground rooting by feral pigs on plant species richness, (iv) effects on density of natural (non-toxic) and toxic (poison) food eaten, and (v) effects of poisoning on non-target species (birds). The derivations of the ecological processes will be described and compared to observed data. The management implications are described. Jim Hone has conducted wildlife research, including on feral pigs in the Alps, for many years focusing on key ecological relationships relating to wildlife management. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1630, Room T3, MCC 1645, Room T3, MCC Snow change: Podocarpus lawrencei tree rings reveal the impact of declining snow cover Research on predicted climate change impacts and the restoration of alpine bogs and fens Matthew Brookhouse1 Roger Good1, Jennie Whinam2, Geoff Hope3, Genevieve Wright4 1 The Australian National University 1 Tree rings are an important source of spatially-replicated, long-term environmental data. Such data is critical in climate change studies. Although long-lived, Podocarpus lawrencei—the Australian mainland’s only alpine conifer—has been overlooked as a source of dendrochronological data. This history owes to species stem eccentricities that prevent accurate dating of increment cores. However, an opportunity to using stem cross-sections from fire-killed plants arose after wildfire swept through the Australian alps in 2003. These cross sections offer the first opportunity to examine the climate sensitivity of P. lawrencei. A 115-year (1888–2003) chronology was developed using sample material from locations on the Kosciuszko plateau. Correlation analyses reveal that growing season temperature positively affects growth. However, this response appears to be moderated by snow cover. A shift from a spring- to summer/autumn-dominated sensitivity to maximum temperature, for example, coincides with a loss of sensitivity to snow cover during spring. These variations in sensitivity to spring conditions follow a decline in seasonally-integrated snow cover. Development of a network of P. lawrencei chronologies is under way throughout the Australian alps to further examination of the species as well as explore its potential for establishing a regional fire chronology and multi-centennial temperature reconstruction for south-east Australia. Dr Matthew Brookhouse completed a PhD in 2008 in dendroclimatology. Current research focuses on using tree rings to develop reconstructions of river flow and temperature in the Australian alps. Australian National Botanic Gardens, 2Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, TAS, 3Australian National University, 4Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, NSW The wetland mires (bogs and fens) of the Australian alps were listed in 2009 as a nationally threatened ecological community (Alpine Sphagnum Bogs and Associated Fens) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The bogs and fens occur across the Alps with the majority of them being within the Alps National Parks. Within the parks the area of bog and fen has declined from approximately 8500 ha pre-European settlement, to currently about 5000 ha. Many bogs and fens in the parks had slowly recovered over 30 to 50 years, following the removal of grazing, but the high intensity wildfires of 2003 and 2009 were a significant adverse impact on these communities. Some 70 significant bog and fen areas required restoration works after the 2003 wildfires to ensure they recovered to a stable, resilient and functional ecosystems. Climate change is now the greatest threat to the survival of the bogs and fens. Already experiencing changes in precipitation regimes, increased summer temperatures, lower total cloud cover and elevated ultraviolet light levels, the Alps ecosystems have been identified in the National Climate Change Adaptation Framework (COAG 2006) as being critically vulnerable to the detrimental impacts of climate change. Restoration techniques have been developed and implemented over the past decade, which now provide a capacity (resilience) for the mire ecosystems to adapt to and survive the predicted impacts of climate change. Roger Good is a botanist World Heritage Area 191 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 5b—Symposium: Biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes: is it really worth the effort? 1530, Room T2, MCC 1545, Room T2, MCC Using species’ historical distributions to prioritise ecological restoration How to engage stakeholders in multidisciplinary research projects in agricultural landscapes Richard Fuller1,2, Jessica Sushinsky1, James Watson1, Robert Taylor3, Lucy Robinson1, Hugh Possingham1 Kerry Bridle1, Ted Lefroy2 1 The Ecology Centre, University of Queensland, CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship and CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, 3 Department of Environment and Climate Change, NSW Landscapes are becoming increasingly cleared and fragmented, most notably by conversion for agriculture. Many nations are beginning to turn to restoration as a means of stemming biodiversity loss from heavily exploited agricultural landscapes, but there is little guidance on how to prioritise ecological restoration efforts. We develop a novel approach to this problem that allocates restoration effort across a landscape to (i) restore vegetation most likely to form suitable habitat for a suite of species of conservation concern, and (ii) ensure the spatial arrangement of the restoration activity maximises landscape structural connectivity. As a case study we apply our approach to the heavily fragmented sheep-wheat belt of northern New South Wales, Australia. In this landscape, 92% of original vegetation has been cleared, predominantly for agriculture. We used models of the distributions of vegetation types in 1750, prior to European colonisation, to estimate the pre-clearance historical distributions of 40 woodlanddependent vertebrate species of conservation concern. Using an optimisation procedure, we discover that a relatively modest network of revegetation sites across the landscape could increase current areas of occupancy of species of conservation concern by an average of 40% by restoring only 15% of the landscape, and significantly enhancing landscape connectivity. We conclude that prioritising restoration activity according to species’ historical distributions represents an efficient way to allocate conservation funds in heavily cleared landscapes. Richard Fuller holds a joint lectureship at the University of Queensland and CSIRO. He works on pure and applied questions in biodiversity and conservation, with an emphasis on humandominated landscapes. 192 1 TIAR/CSE UTAS, 2Centre for Environment UTAS 2 Traditionally biodiversity conservation has focused on ‘top-down’ approaches with an emphasis on creating protected areas on public land. While some individuals have focused on enhancing biodiversity outcomes on private land for many years, it was not until the 1990s that private land conservation really began to feature in the national programs. Large scale research programs provided an opportunity for industry and government funders, researchers and land managers to work together to identify ‘win-win’ solutions for conservation in agricultural landscapes. These programs attempted to achieve multiple outcomes to satisfy their different stakeholders, were multidisciplinary in nature, featured ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ approaches, and not surprisingly experienced varying degrees of success. The challenge has been to develop a meaningful research and development program that can satisfactorily identify, deliver and evaluate conservation goals shared by all stakeholders. This talk reflects on several of these large RD&E programs in Australia and identifies two potential characteristics of success; 1) investment in social processes that enable early engagement of all parties in goal setting, and 2) the degree to which disturbance regimes characteristic of the production systems can be manipulated towards ones which support the diversity and abundance of the target endemic species and communities. Kerry Bridle is a plant ecologist based in Tasmania. She was the national biodiversity coordinator for the Grain and Graze program, which won a national Banskia award in 2008. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T2, MCC 1615, Room T2, MCC Yaraguia: a Balardong Nyungar family-based association preserving biodiversity in the Avon Valley, Western Australia Interdisciplinary devotion: revisiting Lubchenko’s call for social contracts for science: lessons from sustainable farms research in southern New South Wales Virginie Bernard1 1 School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences and Centre for Research and Documentation on Oceania Richard Price1,2, Joern Fischer2 The Avon Valley, situated east of Perth is part of the Wheat Belt, the main agricultural region of Western Australia, and as such has been extensively cleared and farmed. Within the framework of my PhD thesis, I am working with Yaraguia Enterprises Incorporated, a Balardong Nyungar family based association, who is developing a property (Avondale Park) in the Avon Valley. Yaraguia acquired the property in 2006 under the environmental stream of the Land Acquisition Program of ILC (Indigenous Land Corporation). In partnership with Greening Australia Western Australia and the Avon Catchment Council, Yaraguia is focusing on ‘healing the country’ by developing a fully structured re-vegetation and conservation program as a process of regenerating the property back to its more natural state and restoring part of its original biodiversity. Yaraguia combines contemporary and culturally appropriate processes to fight against salinity and soil erosion and to contribute to the reduction of the greenhouse effects. Yaraguia incorporates European traditional farming practices such as crop growing and grazing sheep, as part of its lease-back agreements, and farm forestry while developing ‘non-traditional’ farming options such as native rehabilitation and revegetation with the aims of producing bush foods, bush medicines and carbon sequestration as key outcomes for securing environmentally, culturally and economically sustainable land management practices. In her Presidential Address at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of the Advancement of Science, 15 February 1997, Jane Lubchenko suggested ‘urgent and unprecedented environmental and social changes challenge scientists to define a new social contract to devote their energies and talents to the most pressing problems of the day’. This call is reminiscent of Socrates, who nearly 2,500 years earlier maintained that public discussion of the great issues of life and virtue is a necessary part of any valuable human life. ‘The unexamined life is not worth living’, says Socrates through Plato. The question should not be whether biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes is really worth the effort or not, but whether we define our work in agricultural landscapes as devotion to fulfilling any form of social contract, and if we do then whether we think the terms of the contract are being met. In other words, have we even made an effort? As the question can only be made objectively from a personal perspective (there’s a twist!), the author examines the nature of social contracts from his experience in a multidisciplinary project investigating the plight of paddock trees in the context of sustainable farms research in southern New South Wales. 1 Kiri-Ganai Research, 2Australian National University Richard Price is Managing Director of Kiri-ganai Research, Adjunct Professor at University of Southern Queensland and a Fellow of the ANU Fenner School. At Fenner he participates in Sustainable Farms research. Virginie Bernard has been studying for a PhD at the EHESS and CREDO, France, since September 2007, the thesis project being: ‘From Savage to Farmer? Aboriginal attitudes to agriculture in the Avon Valley, Western Australia’. From August 2008 to February 2009 Virginie undertook PhD field work in the south-west of Western Australia. 193 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1630, Room T2, MCC 1645, Room T2, MCC 30 years’ experience of ecological restoration: 10 principles for success Symposium summary and synthesis 1,2 2 2 David Carr , David Freudenberger , Jim Robinson 1 Denis Saunders1 1 retired 2 Stringybark Ecological, Greening Australia Restoration must consider multiple spatial and temporal scales and processes, but at the end of the day, restoration activities take place at the scale of metres and hectares. Greening Australia has been in this space of patch scale restoration of native vegetation in agricultural landscapes for nearly 30 years. Our experience can be distilled to 10 revegetation principles: 1. Build soil moisture before planting 2. Eliminate weed competition for at least two years after planting 3. Only use high quality seed if natural regeneration is insufficient 4. Select the right plant species and provenance 5. Plant in the correct season to minimise heat stress and water deficit 6. When necessary, use healthy seedlings that meet clear specifications 7. Do not plant if ground preparation is inadequate 8. Protect seedlings from browsing and grazing until they are tall enough to resist damage 9. Deplete soil nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorous, before planting to resist re-invasion by exotic weeds This presentation will provide a summary and synthesis of the symposium presentations; Forty years in the wilderness—is there a promised land?; Native pastures may have a limited contribution to plant species diversity in agricultural landscapes; The benefits—and limits—of woody perennial farming systems for the conservation of native biodiversity in Australia: a resources perspective; Conservation of fauna in agricultural landscapes: what does the future hold?; Arthropod assemblages in agricultural landscapes: Patterns, process and conservation in the matrix; Leopard cats and rats in Borneo: forest fragments and biodiversity conservation in an agricultural landscape; Brigalow regrowth: a conservation bargain; The influence of agricultural land use on susceptibility of fragmented ecosystems to invasion by exotic pastures; Chalk ‘n cheese or something in-between: Brigalow regrowth is not the same as remnant in production landscapes of southern Queensland; Efficient delivery of conservation: making payments in the right places; Where should we start? Identifying priorities for conservation in the agricultural landscapes of South Australia; Using species’ historical distributions to prioritise ecological restoration; How to engage all stakeholders in multidisciplinary research projects in agricultural landscapes; Yaraguia: a Balardong Nyungar family-based association preserving biodiversity in the Avon Valley, Western Australia; Interdisciplinary devotion: revisiting Lubchenko’s call for social contracts for science: lessons from sustainable farms research in southern New South Wales; From 30 years experience of ecological restoration, Greening Australia distills the 10 key principles for success. 10. Integrate ongoing site monitoring within an adaptive management framework. But the rigorous application of these principles is no guarantee of successful restoration of a diversity of plant functions, structures and species. There is much more to be learned about the ‘agronomy’ of quality restoration. David Carr has worked for 20 years on wilderness conservation, farm forestry, rural extension, restoration ecology, direct seeding and incorporating art and environment. After 15 years with Greening Australia, he now runs a consultancy and works for Landcare in Armidale, NSW 194 Dr Denis A Saunders AM is President of WWF-Australia and a Research Fellow of CSIRO. He is a former Chief Research Scientist of CSIRO Wildlife and Ecology. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 5c—Symposium: Combining Indigenous and western ecological knowledge for future land management 1530, Room T4, MCC 1545, Room T4, MCC Incorporating Aboriginal perceptions of introduced animals in resource management: insights from the feral camel project Working together for country: a new partnership in western Arnhem Land 1 2 Alys Stevens1, Djelk Rangers, Warddeken Rangers 1 Desert Knowledge CRC, Biodiversity Conservation, Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts And Sport, Northern Territory Government, 2Djelk Indigenous Protected Area, 3Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area Recently, increased appreciation of the profound knowledge that Indigenous people have developed of their environment over millennia has led to the growing recognition worldwide of the need to incorporate Indigenous approaches in natural resource management. What then is the situation regarding recently introduced species and Aboriginal people? Is it the case, as sometimes reported, that the latter do not distinguish between indigenous and non-indigenous plants and animals and do not have a concept of feral? What are the implications for conservation strategies given that Aboriginal-owned land constitutes 20 per cent of Australia and is home to many feral animals? This paper argues that it is important to take account of Aboriginal understandings of inter-species and environmental relationships as well as approaches based on traditional ecological knowledge if a more participatory and sustainable approach to natural resource management is to occur across Australia. The paper uses a case study involving research conducted for the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre on Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal perceptions of feral camels in central Australia. It discusses the need to incorporate both Aboriginal and western understandings concerning feral animals in developing strategies to manage the negative impacts of the animals. Management of Australian country has been undertaken in a scientific manner by Indigenous peoples for millennia and the removal of such processes continues to reverberate across the continent. There is a growing recognition that for contemporary land management to achieve social, cultural and environmental outcomes a strong and complimentary partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous ecological knowledge systems is required. In western Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory the Indigenous Rangers of the Djelk and Warddeken Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) are established land managers. Building on the success of other programs of integrated research the IPAs have partnered with the Northern Territory Government (NTG) who has provided an ecologist to be embedded within the IPA management structures, working closely with the Rangers. Together, with a two-toolbox approach this partnership aims to devise an appropriate system to support and inform IPA management in regard to ecological outcomes. Activities to date have been preparatory and team building, focusing on using and finessing standard fauna survey methods for birds, reptiles and small mammals. This is a unique and exciting project, and although in its infancy, if successful could provide a transferable framework for the marrying of Indigenous and western science for the management of other contemporary landscapes. Petronella Vaarzon-Morel , Glenn Edwards 1 2 Petronella Vaarzon-Morel is an anthropologist who has worked extensively with Aboriginal people in central Australia. Her publications include monographs and journal articles on contemporary Indigenous land, livelihood and environmental issues. Alys Stevens is a new import to the Northern Territory, having worked there for just 9 months now as an ecologist living at Maningrida embedded with two Indigenous Ranger groups in Arnhem Land. Her passion for people, science and big sky propelled her from Adelaide to the Top End. Educated at Adelaide University, Alys then worked in the non-government sector for a number of years as a project officer of a recovery program for a nationally listed species and ecological community, learning valuable skills of innovation and negotiation (!) She was lucky enough to stow away on a good friends’ forays to the deserts of South Australia working on ecological projects, which in time solidified her desire to work with community in remote situations. Alys hopes to be a useful and integral component in Australia moving towards a land management regime that is diversely beneficial (via intersection with other key components of our society such as health, education and employment), culturally balanced and ecologically sound. 195 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T4, MCC 1615, Room T4, MCC Inventorying the animals and plants of the Great Victoria Desert, WA Working together to manage a threatened ecological community in the Kimberley: Dampier Peninsula monsoon vine thickets, Western Australia Karl Brennan1, Neville Hague1 1 Department of Environment and Conservation Louise Beames1, Jason Roe1, Judith Fisher2 1 The Great Victoria Desert (GVD) contains some of Western Australia’s largest conservation reserves with many threatened species. While the plants and animals inhabiting the GVD are well known to traditional owners, within the scientific literature there is a lack of hard data on the occurrences of individual taxa. That is, which species are present in individual reserves and other areas where there is an interest in developing more intensive on-ground conservation actions. Since 2008, the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation, in partnership with the Spinifex People (Pila Nguru) and other agencies, has been undertaking systematic surveys to better document the spatial patterning of animals and plants within the GVD. It has allowed the collection of ethno-zoological and botanical information. For fauna, survey methods have included day and night observations, remote cameras, trapping (pitfalls, funnels and Elliotts), searching for tracks, hair analysis from scats of dingos, foxes and cats, plus trenching for the backfilled tunnels of marsupial moles. Plant collections have been made via quadrat-based surveys. Survey highlights have included threatened species such as marsupial moles, brushtailed mulgaras, Margaret’s blind-snake, malleefowl, and striated grasswren, and the first record of an adult desert taipan. These cooperative surveys have led to more intensive on-ground management actions. Karl Brennan has been Regional Ecologist for the Goldfields Region with the Dept Environment and Conservation since 2006. 196 Environs Kimberley, 2University of Western Australia/Fisher Research Dampier Peninsula monsoon vine thickets are an older, dryer rainforest-type ecosystem found in scattered patches behind coastal dunes, often near groundwater. Vine thickets are culturally significant containing traditional sites, food and medicine plants. Ecologically, patches remain connected by mobile frugivores. The West Kimberley Nature Project, managed by Environs Kimberley and funded through Rangelands NRM WA, works with Indigenous Ranger groups—Bardi Jawi, Djarindjin Bardi Oorany, Nyul Nyul, Wuungurr and Karajarri Rangers—to manage wildfires and weeds threatening monsoon vine thickets and wetlands, control WoNS and other weeds in the Dampierland bioregion. The project has partnerships with the Kimberley Land Council, which facilitates ranger groups, Kimberley TAFE, SKIPA, Shires, pastoralists, Departments and communities. The WKNP is collaborating with Fisher Research, with support from Kings Park, UWA and DEC, to identify biological indicators and design monitoring protocols to assess vine thicket health. The protocols are simple to use, allow cost-effective statistical analysis, and produce data to inform management planning. They will be useful to groups managing vine thickets beyond the WKNP. This project component is funded by the WA State NRM office and includes research into the impacts of fire on monsoon vine thickets on the Dampier Peninsula. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1630, Room T4, MCC Implications of the governments’ ad hoc approach to Indigenous cultural and intellectual property rights and benefit sharing in natural resource management. Sarah Holcombe1 1 National Centre for Indigenous Studies, Australian National University The Australian Government’s 2009 endorsement of the ‘Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples’ brings a renewed recognition and focus on Indigenous knowledge ownership in the area of cultural and intellectual property. However, embedding this rights discourse into the action and language of natural resource management (NRM) has not been taken up by the Australian government, as yet. Indeed, Australia’s federal system, under the Environmental Protection and Biological Resources Act 1999 Cwth (EPBC Act) is ad-hoc with several states and territories creating their own biological resources acts and regional groups their own management processes. A recent Inquiry into the EPBC Act found that ‘each jurisdiction has different rules and requirements for accessing biological resources’ and that the ‘Nationally Consistent Approach’ policy developed in 2000 ‘should be reinvigorated’ (Hawke Inquiry 2009:236). This paper will explore the implications of this ad hoc approach for working with Aboriginal knowledge in NRM across remote Australia. A range of local and regional initiatives that have been and are being developed, to ethically and equitably manage Aboriginal knowledge in NRM, will be canvassed to situate a rights based approach. Consideration will also turn to the Convention on Biological Diversity Act 1992, which led to the development of the EPBC Act, and the developing international regime for access and benefit sharing. Sarah Holcombe is a social anthropologist with more than 20 years’ experience. 197 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 5d—Aquatic 1530, Moran G008, MCC 1545, Moran G008, MCC Subtropical tadpoles: complex trophic guilds in freshwater food webs Carbon flow through the food web of a neotropical stream involves non-trophic pathways (bioturbation) and indirect effects (trophic cascades) and is based primarily on microalgae 1 1 Jennifer Francis , Dale Roberts 1 School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia Tadpoles are important components of freshwater food webs as they are seasonally abundant, consume large quantities of food, transfer energy from aquatic to terrestrial environments and are important resources for many predators. However, little is known about tadpole diets. Most discussions of tadpole diet are speculative and based on indirect inference. For instance, a long gut indicates herbivory, or, they do not distinguish between ingested and assimilated material. We documented anuran habitat use and resulting tadpole assemblages in the East Kimberley region of Northern Australia where freshwater habitats are under threat from invasion by toxic cane toads and alteration from agricultural expansion. Using natural isotope abundance studies and gut-content analysis of tadpoles (nine Hylids and three Myobatrachids) from six temporary wetlands, we tested the null hypotheses: i) tadpoles are strict herbivores; ii) they are non-selective consumers and therefore feed across different carbon food chains (phytoplankton, algae, detritus) and iii) they are non-selective consumers and therefore show no feeding niche differentiation. Tadpoles displayed selective assimilation and speciesspecific feeding niche differentiation, consuming at multiple trophic levels: herbivory, omnivory and predatory. These results revealed complex trophic guilds in subtropical tadpoles and reinforce the need to evaluate their ecological roles. Jennifer Francis conducted her Bachelor of Science at La Trobe University, Victoria. After working for a few years in conservation she began her PhD in ecology at The University of Western Australia. 198 Tim Moulton1 1 Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Stream ecological research tends to be done at small scale with intensive experiments that seek to explain specific phenomena. Scaling up this information to the level of stream ecosystem and integration of the different parts is a great challenge. In 2–3 order streams in Atlantic forest south-eastern Brazil a series of exclusion experiments show fauna deplete periphyton—atyid shrimps (Potimirim) are active under certain conditions and baetid mayflies graze in shallower exposed sites. Strong trophic cascades act at different sites— Macrobrachium shrimps interact strongly with baetids and characine fish act on atyids. Although classic macroinvertebrate shredders are present (caddisflies Triplectides and Phylloicus) they appear not to process substantial quantities of leaf litter, whereas macroconsumers (shrimps, fish and tadpoles) do. Stable isotope analysis using delta13C and delta15N indicates that the food web derives predominantly from microalgae. This implies that fauna ‘process’ litter and non-algal parts of the periphyton without assimilating the carbon. We measured ‘non-trophic loss’ by atyid shrimps and baetid mayflies as approximately 90% of the material that they process. We are assembling this evidence into models of carbon flow in the stream ecosystem. Tim Moulton has been researching and teaching in Brazil since 1986, primarily in ecosystem functioning of rainforest streams, including questions of conservation and restoration. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Moran G008, MCC 1615, Moran G008, MCC Does the river continuum concept apply in the Onkaparinga River, South Australia? Application of stable isotope analysis for the effective management of aquatic ecosystems Courtney Cummings1, Rebecca Lester1, Peter Fairweather1 Debashish Mazumder1, Neil Saintilan2, Jordan Iles2, Tsuyoshi Kobayash2, Matthew Johansen1 1 School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University 1 The River Continuum Concept (RCC) is a global ecological theory which predicts that the physical variables, energy inputs and biota reflect particular longitudinal patterns down a river. Its applicability worldwide is still widely debated. This concept has rarely been tested on an entire river system nor in semi-arid settings. This study tested the applicability of the RCC to the Onkaparinga River in South Australia, by assessing physical variables, environmental conditions, energy inputs and biotic assemblages found along its length for concordance with the RCC predictions. The RCC was generally not supported in this study. Most of the physical variables conformed to the RCC hypotheses but both the environmental variables and energy inputs did not. For the biota, few macroinvertebrate functional feeding groups (FFGs) conformed to the patterns predicted by the RCC, with the exception of the predator FFG. Furthermore, the proportion of FFGs did not reflect the patterns observed in their main energy sources along the river. Small-scale spatial variability among sites was strongly evident for every variable measured in this study, highlighting the importance of the various microhabitats present at the within-site scale and the need to differentiate site-to-site variation from reach variation to adequately assess such patterns. Courtney Cummings completed her Honours in 2010 and has since worked as a Research Assistant in the Marine Ecology lab at Flinders University. Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, 2NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water Natural systems are complex and thereby present a range of challenges for their effective management. We present two case studies where stable isotope analysis has been used to guide environmental management in aquatic ecosystems. (i) In the semi-arid Lowbidgee wetlands we compared isotopic values of consumer species and their diet sources following a managed environmental flow, with values measured some months later under lower water levels. The study indicated that a contraction in the trophic position of a native fish (Hypseleotris spp.) occurred that possibly induced greater competition, particularly between endemic Hypseleotris spp. and exotic Cyprinus carpio. This has important implications for the conservation of native fish species in Murray–Darling Basin wetlands. (ii) Isotopic analyses of food webs in coastal saline wetlands identified that saltmarsh grazers (crabs and snail) feed on locally available autotrophic material and their larvae provide an important source of nutrition to higher order consumers which visit the saltmarsh. This demonstrates an important energy link between the intertidal wetlands and the adjacent estuarine ecosystem. Outcomes of this research are currently being incorporated into ecological response models and decision support systems under development for ecosystem managers. Debashish Mazumder is a research scientist in the Institute for Environmental Research, ANSTO, and conducting research on nutrient and energy flow pathways in food webs applying isotopic techniques to better understand function of ecosystems. 199 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1630, Moran G008, MCC Regime creation challenges for policy modelling on freshwater wetlands in Bangladesh Md Nazrul Islam1,2, Daisuke Kitazawa3 1 Department of Systems Innovation, Institute of Industrial Sciences, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Japan, 2 Department of Geography and Environment, Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh, 3Institute of Industrial Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan The study integrates environmental system analysis (ESA) tools, image interpretation and DPSIR model to seek the regime creation challenges of multi-stakeholder policy (MSP) modelling for a better appreciation of freshwater wetlands in Bangladesh. The spatial boundary was considered to be the Chalan Beel and the time horizon for 40 years (1973–2013) and 10 years time steps are a part of this study. In this paper three ESA tools comprising the stakeholder, function and scenarios analyses were employed. A comprehensive functional analysis illustrates different functions fulfilled by the Beel and their ecosystems services. Based on the interests of the stakeholders and their priorities, two alternatives resulting in four scenarios are identified and ranked against four selected criteria and predicted several challenges and uncertainties. The result shows that aquatic plants, fish, flora and fauna are lost and endangered. The local and national policy has failed to raise an effectiveness regime creation to conserve the wetlands ecosystem in Bangladesh. In the scope of this paper, multi-stakeholder policy (MSP) model is to determine which of various alternative policies would be most achieving a given set of goals in light of the relations between the policies and the goals of wetlands ecosystem conservation in Bangladesh. Note: Beel (Bengali word) is the lowest part of the floodplain landscape, usually saucer shaped wetland. Chalan Beel is the best known freshwater wetland in Bangladesh. It is an inland depression, marshy in character, with rich flora and fauna. Nazrul Islam is an Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Environment, Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh, doing PhD study in Marine Ecosystem Engineering Lab, The University of Tokyo, Japan. Research interest is numerical simulation on lake ecosystem and policy modeling. 200 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 5e—Rainforest 1530, Room T5, MCC 1545, Room T5, MCC A broad approach to abrupt boundaries: soil attributes within and across tropical vegetation types Improving estimates of above-ground biomass in tropical forest using modified transect methods for better returns Laura Warman1, Angela Moles1, Matt Bradford2 Noel Preece1,2,3, Penny van Oosterzee1,2 1 Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, 2CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems 1 Much of the research on abrupt vegetation boundaries emphasises the contrasts and similarities between conditions on either side of a boundary, but does not compare boundary to non-boundary vegetation. While valuable, this approach may overlook underlying aspects of landscape variability at a regional scale and underestimate the effects that the vegetation itself has on the soil. We compared soil parameters in rainforest, open forest, across rainforest-open forest boundaries and in wet sclerophyll forests with increasing degrees of rainforest invasion. Our results show high variability in soils across all vegetation types and that patterns and values for soil parameters across boundaries do not necessarily reflect those found either in rainforest or open forest. Furthermore, we found that as rainforest invades wet sclerophyll forest, the soil beneath the latter becomes increasingly similar to the former. Considering soil-vegetation feedbacks and the differences between soil at boundaries and in non boundary sites may hold clues to some of the processes that occur in both vegetation types and during the transitions between them. Biodiversity conservation on private lands can benefit from carbon trading, through selling credits for the carbon held in private forests. The Australian Department of Climate Change has developed the National Carbon Accounting Toolbox (NCAT), which is likely to form the basis for calculating carbon in stands of forest across Australia. The precision of the modelling which drives NCAT is relatively coarse, and at the scale of single hectares is imprecise and frequently inaccurate. We have established a number of plots in small private forests in the Wet Tropics, using a modified transect method. The results demonstrate the differences between the modelled and measured carbon estimates, and with more data can inform the NCAT model. The transect method overcomes some of the inherent problems in measuring rainforest trees, including sources of error such as incorrect estimation of plot area; trees missed; trees measured twice; accounting for multistemmed trees; and excluding trees of less than 10 cm in diameter—the latter alone can add up to a significant proportion (mean=0.17; n=55; s.e.=0.14) of aboveground biomass, resulting in potential lost revenue to the forest owners, and reducing the attractiveness of the sale of carbon credits as an alternative land use. Laura Warman got lost in a Costa Rican rainforest when she was 12. She has been keen on them ever since and has improved her orienteering skills too. Biome5 Pty Ltd, QLD, 2Charles Darwin University, 3James Cook University Noel Preece is an ecologist and environmental scientist who has worked in northern Australia for over 25 years. He is a partner in Degree Celsius which is aggregating carbon across the landscape. 201 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T5, MCC 1615, Room T5, MCC Ecology of the smallest world’s tetrapod, the fleafrog Brachycephalus didactylus in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest Modelling climate change impacts on endemic montane carabids with limited dispersal within the Wet Tropics Marlon Almeida dos Santos1, Carla da Costa Siqueira1, 1 1 Monique Van Sluys , Carlos Frederico D Rocha Kyran Staunton1 1 James Cook University 1 Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil In some remnants of the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest lives the smallest tetrapod in the world, the flea-frog Brachycephalus didactylus, endemic to evergreen forests at Rio de Janeiro State. We present the first data on body size and mass, sexual dimorphism, diet, and reproductive aspects for two populations (in Reserva Ecológica Rio das Pedras-RERP and Parque Estadual Três Picos-PETP), also including population density and biomass data. Frogs from both populations did not differ in mean size (RERP:8.4±1.6mm; PETP:8.8±1.1mm; F1,36=1.1,P=0.30) nor in mass (RERP: 0.05±0.02g; PETP:0.07±0.02g; F1,36=0.5,P=0.50). However, females from PETP were significantly larger than males (F1,23=53.15;P<0.001). Diet was composed by small arthropods, the most representative by number being Acari (RERP:61.1%; PETP:43.6%) and by volume Collembola (RERP:27.0%; PETP:23.3%). Mean volume of the largest prey consumed differed between areas (PETP:0.24±0.05; N=25; RERP: 0.08±0.02; N=11; F1,34=6.38;R²=0.40;P<0.05). Oocytes mean diameter did not differ between populations (PETP=1.6±0.5mm;RERP=1.4±0.5mm;F1,13=2.94;P=0.17). Larger females produced larger oocytes (F1,10=8.13;R=0.67;P<0.05), which may be of survival value for developing froglets. Population density was of 4.0ind/100m² forest-floor at PETP and of 1.2ind/100m² at RERP, whereas biomass was of 0.250g/100m² at PETP and of 0.093g/100m² at RERP. These differences reflected structural differences in the leaf-litter and food resources in each area. Fred Rocha, PhD in Ecology, works with herpetology in Brazil mainly on population and community ecology. Presently, he coordinates the Graduation Program in Ecology and Evolution of Rio de Janeiro State University, Brazil. 202 The impacts of climate change within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area are predicted to result in extinctions of up to 58% of vertebrate species this century. Approximately 74% of birds are thought to be threatened by 2100. Most of the research and modelling concerning biodiversity within the Wet Tropics has focused on vertebrates. Only recently have the distributions of insects been considered within the Wet Tropics with the only study thus far, concerning schizophoran flies, predicting extinctions of 40–50% with a 5°C increase. However, the organisms considered most vulnerable are those endemics which belong to fragmented populations, have low vagility and display specific ecological requirements such as being restricted to high elevation rainforest habitats. Pterostichines dominate the ground beetle fauna of the Wet Tropics. They are generally restricted to high elevations (>600m.a.s.l), often display species distributions limited to single mountain ranges and are flightless. Maxent was used to design current and predict future distributions of ground beetles based on the latest BIOCLIM data and point localities obtained from the CTBCC, Queensland Museum and ANIC. These distributions were further compared with abundance and ecophysiology data. Kyran Staunton completed first class honours at Griffith University under the supervision of Roger Kitching as part of the IBISCA project and now is a PhD candidate at the CTBCC. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1630, Room T5, MCC 1645, Room T5, MCC Nomad trees in rainforests: do solar elevation angles restrict them to low latitudes? Influence of tree ferns on forest biodiversity and dynamics in New Zealand Chris Lusk1, Kerrie Sendall1, Robert Kooyman1 Bruce Burns1 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University Do tropical rainforest assemblages comprise more niches than other forest biomes? Mid-latitude rainforests lack one tree functional type that is common in the tropics/subtropics: tall light-demanding trees with fast foliage turnover and growth. Although commonly called ‘pioneers’, these might be better described as ‘nomads’, as they are not confined to early succession, also recruiting directly to the canopy in old-growth stands by fast growth in tree-fall gaps. We explored the influence of latitude on gap light environments as a possible constraint on the geographic distribution of this functional type, using YPLANT to simulate light interception and potential carbon gain by the nomad tree Polyscias murrayi beneath idealised gaps at tropical, subtropical and temperate latitudes. Simulated light interception and carbon gain were strongly influenced by latitude, and by its interaction with position within an idealised 100m2 gap. Net daily carbon gain of P. murrayi was strongly positive beneath gap centres at latitude 17, and beneath poleward gap margins at latitude 29, but negative beneath both gap centres and margins at latitude 42. Simulations thus supported the hypothesis that sun angles could prevent nomads from invading old-growth temperate rainforests. Geographic variation in forest light environments therefore probably influences the range of viable functional types at different latitudes. 1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland Tree ferns are a characteristic feature of northern New Zealand forests in which they are abundant in subcanopies and understoreys, yet their ecological roles are poorly understood. As well as being a substantial component of developed forest and casting deep shade, they often establish in tree fall gaps and after disturbance events, so are important in succession. Tree fern trunks are formed from woody rhizomes encased by a thick layer of adventitious rootlets, making them suitable as surfaces for establishment of woody seedlings and other epiphytes. This potential habitat can offer an additional 6–20% surface area per ha of forest area for such establishment and some species use tree fern boles as preferred habitat. Large dead tree fern fronds are an important component of forest floor litter covering up to 1/3 of the forest floor on average, and their distribution and abundance influence the composition of woody seedlings. Tree ferns therefore have the potential to markedly influence the biodiversity of northern forests and the trajectory and rate of forest development. I present recent research examining the mechanisms whereby different species of tree fern inhibit or facilitate the success of different plant species in northern New Zealand. Bruce Burns is a forest ecologist based at the University of Auckland. Chris Lusk is interested in how the processes structuring forest tree assemblages vary across environmental gradients. 203 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 5f—Symposium: Conservation and the ecology of wildlife parasites and diseases 1530, Room T6, MCC 1545, Room T6, MCC Parasite infection patterns in a network of endangered lizards: a role for dispersers? Networks and parasite transmission in the sleepy lizard, Tiliqua rugosa: the importance of transmission mode Aaron Fenner1, Stephanie Godfrey1, Michael Bull1 1 School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University Stephanie Godfrey1, Caroline Wohlfeil1, Mike Bull1 1 Parasites are a potential threat for many endangered species, so understanding how they are transmitted through a population is important for conservation management. Early models of parasite dynamics assumed homogeneous host populations with all individuals equally likely to become infected. More recent studies suggest individual variation in susceptibility, plus behaviour and social structuring within the host population, can influence parasite transmission. We constructed transmission networks from adjacent home ranges in a solitary scincid, the pygmy bluetongue lizard, and examined the associated infection patterns of two indirectly transmitted parasites (a tick and a nematode). We explored the role of these networks for the movement of each parasite around the lizard population. For ticks, we found infected individuals were significantly more strongly connected in the network than non-infected lizards. For nematodes, we found no significant difference in network connectivity between infected and uninfected individuals. However, infected lizards were more strongly connected to drifters than were uninfected lizards, suggesting a strong role for non-established individuals moving through the population, in nematode transmission. Aaron Fenner completed his PhD in 2009 on the social organisation of pygmy bluetongue lizards. Since then, he have been working as a researcher for Prof Mike Bull, investigating parasite transmission in lizards through social networks and, understanding how the social organisation of endangered species can be of benefit to conservation ecologists. Flinders University Understanding how different parasites are transmitted through wildlife populations is essential to conservation management. Contact networks have been used to understand how host behaviour influences the transmission of contagious pathogens. However, the role of networks in the transmission of indirectly transmitted parasites is less understood. We explored the role of networks in predicting infection patterns in a number of indirectly transmitted parasites in the sleepy lizard, Tiliqua rugosa. We attached Global Positioning System (GPS) loggers to 60 lizards during their activity season (September–December) in 2008 and 2009, in the mid-north of South Australia. The loggers continuously recorded the activity and location of lizards. From the GPS locations, we constructed networks to model the transmission of each of the parasites through the population, and compared the derived networks with empirical measures of parasite load. More strongly positioned individuals in a refuge-sharing network had higher tick burdens. Similarly, in a space-sharing network, individuals infected with a cestode (Oochoristica sp.) were more strongly positioned in the network than uninfected individuals. However, we found the opposite relationship for nematode infection (Thelandros sp.). Our findings suggest that networks are useful in understanding parasite transmission for parasites in wildlife populations, depending on their transmission mode. Stephanie Godfrey is a recently completed PhD student, whose interest is in understanding the transmission of parasites in wildlife populations; particularly in context of host social behaviour. 204 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T6, MCC 1615, Room T6, MCC Zombie snails: the ecology of Velacumantus australis and their guild of parasitic trematodes Resource tracking in marine parasites: going with the flow? Emily R Williams1 Ross Thompson1 1 University of Sydney Up until quite recently, the role of parasites within ecosystems has been severely underestimated and quite often ignored. We are, however, beginning to understand that, far from being an oddity on the sideline, parasites are potentially the single most important factor shaping the evolution of animal species. Despite our new-found appreciation of the central role of parasites, many key host-parasite relationships remain unclear, especially their influence on the ecology of their hosts. The marine snails Velacumantus australis are incredibly common in estuaries and lagoons in NSW— their presence is vital to these habitats. The snails are also host to several different species of parasitic trematode, which castrate and use the snails as first intermediate hosts before completing their lifecycles in various crustaceans, fishes, and eventually birds. It appears that there are size-classes of snails within the same habitats, which are parasitised by different species of trematodes depending on size. Here I discuss the prevalence of larval trematodes in these snails, including previously unreported species, and the relationship between infection and a variety of host characteristics. By understanding how the larval stages of trematodes are distributed, we can focus on how this influences the fitness of intermediate and final hosts. Emily Williams (BSc (Marine Science, Hons I), University of Sydney, 2008) is currently enrolled in a full-time PhD at the University of Sydney. Her supervisors at the university are Ross Coleman, Fleur Ponton, and Ashley Ward. Emily’s research is focused on the effects of marine parasitic trematodes on their snail hosts. These include morphological changes, such as differences in shell-size, and how storage of energetic reserves changes with infection status. Emily is originally from Chicago and has been living in Sydney for almost six years. 1 Australian Centre for Biodiversity, Monash University Understanding how ecological patterns (such as diversity) influence ecological processes (such as productivity) is of broad ecological interest. Most studies to date have investigated patterns within trophic levels, reflecting a lack of food webs which include information on energy flow. We added parasites to a published marine energy-flow food web, to explore whether parasite diversity tracks energy flow to host taxa. Parasite diversity was high with 36 parasite taxa affecting 40 of the 51 animal taxa. Adding parasites increased number of trophic links per species, trophic link strength, connectance, and food chain lengths. There was evidence of an asymptotic relationship between parasite diversity and energy flowing through a food chain, although there were clear outliers. High parasite diversity was associated with taxa which were highly connected within the food web. It is likely that flows of energy do have a role in promoting parasite diversity, although a wealth of other processes are also likely to come into play. Ross Thompson is a community and ecosystem ecologist working on a range of systems, from terrestrial to marine, although the majority of his work is in freshwaters. Currently the Deputy Director of the Australian Centre for Biodiversity at Monash University, Ross’s work concerns the forces that determine patterns of biodiversity, with a strong emphasis on the ways in which human activities impact the drivers of diversity at scales from patches to landscapes. 205 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 5g—Threatened species: mammals 1530, Moran G007, MCC 1545, Moran G007, MCC Truffles and swamp wallaby mycophagy in eucalypt forests: patterns in diversity and composition Factors influencing the persistence of the New Holland mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae) at the landscape scale Melissa Danks1, Karl Vernes1, Nigel Andrew2, Teresa Lebel3 Jason Mumbulla1 1 2 Ecosystem Management, University of New England, Zoology, University of New England, 3National Herbarium of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne Truffle-like fungi are critical components of forested landscapes; their below-ground sporocarps are an important food resource for mycophagous (funguseating) mammals, which are, in turn, important spore dispersers. We sampled truffle-like sporocarps and swamp wallaby faecal pellets in three eucalyptdominated vegetation types over summer and winter to test whether swamp wallabies consumed sporocarps in relation to their availability in the soil. Grassy woodland and wet forest sites were more species rich than dry forest sites. Richness was greater in winter than in summer. At landscape-scale, fewer species were detected in the swamp wallaby diet than the sporocarp community, but at a local scale, diet richness did not differ significantly from community richness. Diet and community composition were significantly different at landscape-scale, while at local-scale this varied by vegetation type and season. Swamp wallabies consumed only ~30% of the taxa detected in sporocarp surveys but half of their diet consisted of taxa not detected in surveys. Our results suggest that diet data from a generalist mycophagist can complement sporocarp surveys in assessing truffle sporocarp diversity. Better understanding of truffle diversity and mammalfungal interactions will inform management of forest biodiversity and ecological processes. Melissa Danks is nearing completion of her PhD research on truffle diversity and the fungus-feeding habit of the swamp wallaby, one of Australia’s common yet poorly understood mammals. 206 1 UNSW Honours student Twenty-seven mammal species have become extinct in Australia since European colonisation, including nine species of rodent from the Pseudomys Group of old endemic rodents. Many Pseudomys rodent species have experienced distributional reductions over the last 220 years and now occur as disjunct populations. One method of conservation is the reintroduction of species into formally occupied areas, for which identification of sites most likely to support successful reintroduction is critical. For species with a formerly large geographic range, extensive onsite assessment may be cost prohibitive or logistically impossible. In this study, a species distribution model using presence-only data and the Maxent algorithm was constructed to assess the persistence of the New Holland mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae) throughout its former range in south east Australia for the period 1995–2006. Two temporally dynamic and five static ecologically derived landscape level predictors were used to make a fast and costeffective assessment from which more detailed surveys can be developed. Tested variables included climate, fire history, vegetation type and productivity, soil type and geographical characteristics. Jason Mumbulla is completing a Bachelor of Science with Honours at the University of NSW. He is also undertaking a cadetship in ecology with CSIRO. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Moran G007, MCC 1615, Moran G007, MCC Ecology and conservation of threatened species red panda in the kingdom of Bhutan Comparing koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) detection methods: implications for the conservation of low-density populations Sangay Dorji1,2, Rajanathan Rajaratnam3, Karl Vernes2 1 Jigme Dorji National Park, Department of Forests and Park Services, Bhutan, 2Ecosystem Management, University of New England, 3Geography and Planning, University of New England Bhutan is a global biodiversity hotspot located at the juncture of two biogeographical realms (Palearctic and Indo-Malayan) in the Eastern Himalayas. It is home to the nocturnal red panda (Ailurus fulgens), a poorly known flagship species found in subtropical and temperate forest at altitudes between 1500–4800 m asl. Red panda habitat plots (n=132) were established and seasonally monitored in the temperate forest zone of Jigme Dorji and Thrumshingla National Parks, Bhutan. Based on pellets and sightings, we documented 61 records of red pandas at altitudes between 2000–4200 m asl, with the majority of records (n=49) occurring at altitudes between 2200–3700 m asl. Red pandas preferred fir (Abies densa) forest and were significantly associated with bamboo cover, water sources and canopy cover. However, seasonal, foraging movements were subject to the availability of fruiting trees, young bamboo shoots and flowering bamboo. Primary threats to red pandas were anthropogenic activities namely road construction, livestock grazing, subsistence agriculture, and collection of timber, firewood and bamboo. Due to their specialised habitat requirements and cryptic nature, we advocate the monitoring of key habitat variables in temperate forest as a strategy towards conserving red pandas living in sympatry with humans in the kingdom of Bhutan. Sangay Dorji is a Masters student in University of New England and works for the Department of Forests and Park Services in Bhutan. He has done the study on Distribution and Conservation of the Red Panda in Bhutan as part of his Master in Resource Science. Alexa Mossaz1, James Guy Castley1,2, Jean-Marc Hero1 1 Environmental Futures Centre, Griffith School of Environment, International Centre for Ecotourism Research, Griffith School of Environment 2 The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is a cryptic species, difficult to detect through direct census methods based on visual observations. However, current population assessments rely primarily on direct methods such as distance sampling, thereby biasing the detection of koala, particularly in low density populations. Indirect methods relying on presence-absence of faecal pellets can improve the detection of koala activity. This project compared direct and indirect koala survey methods within an urban Queensland remnant, where a lowdensity koala population was expected. Fieldwork was conducted by applying distance sampling, spotlighting and presence-absence of scats on 33 permanent plots using a systematic approach (PPBio LTER plots). Results demonstrated that the presence-absence SAT technique was more efficient than direct observations in detecting the presence of koala. Scats were found on more than 60% of plots providing a measure of the relative koala activity across the landscape. Furthermore, the systematic scat sampling allowed the analysis of the spatial distribution and tree species preferences of koala within the remnant. However, only two koalas were detected during distance sampling surveys. This survey confirms the inaccuracy of visual observation methods in detecting koala, and highlights the implications this has for the conservation of small isolated koala populations. Alexa Mossaz has recently completed her Honours at Griffith University where she investigated survey methods for koala in urban landscapes. She has in interest in terrestrial ecology and applied conservation biology. 207 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1630, Moran G007, MCC Home range dynamics and habitat selection of Macaca nigra at Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, Indonesia Trina Tallei1, Saroyo Sumarto1 1 Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Sam Ratulangi University Macaca nigra (Desmarest, 1822), a crested black macaque, is a critically endangered species inhabiting rainforest of Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve. There is a group called Rambo with its population estimated to be 97 individuals with the home range of 406 km2 in 1994. There have been other groups also with smaller size in number. Ten years later, this Rambo group was divided into two smaller groups (Rambo I and Rambo II) with roughly 50 to 60 individuals per group. Home range of Rambo I was 119 km2 while Rambo II was 232 km2. The size of individuals in both groups were stable until 2008 (and presumably in 2010), but their home range has become wider. This is caused by habitat fragmentation as well as biodiversity loss in this area. There are relationships amongst habitat quality and the width of home range, the length of day range, and the proportion of their daily activities. Habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss are shown to affect home range dynamics and habitat selection. Trina Tallei is a molecular geneticists, involved actively in biodiversity and wildlife conservation in North Sulawesi, presented papers in international conference including Unesco Word Conference in Education for Sustainable Development in Bonn 2009. 208 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 5h—Symposium: Conserving biodiversity in a changing climate: a forum for scientists, managers and policy makers 1530, Room T1, MCC 1545, Room T1, MCC Habitat heterogeneity increases the resilience of plant populations to extreme drought and climate change Investigating current and future climatic hotspots for Australia’s weeds of national significance 1 2 3 4 Robert Godfree , Brendan Lepschi , April Reside , Terry Bolger , 1 1 5 Bruce Robertson , David Marshall , Malcolm Carnegie 1 2 Jessica O’Donnell1, Peter Wilson1, Michelle Leishman1, Lesley Hughes1, Paul Downey1, Rachael Gallagher1 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University 3 CSIRO Plant Industry, Australian National Herbarium, CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship, 4EcoLao Consultants, 5The Lake Cowal Foundation It has been hypothesised that the inclusion of large-scale topographic variability within conservation reserves may be an effective strategy for protecting plant biodiversity under climate change. However, the spatial scale required to capture sufficient variation in the resilience of plant populations to extreme climatic events remains largely unknown for most species. Here we report the results of a three year investigation into the response of the dominant temperate grass species Austrostipa aristiglumis to an exceptionally severe drought in central NSW. Analysis of habitat-specific matrix-based population models show that as little as 0.2 to 3 m of topographic variation generates significant variation in the resilience and resistance of A. aristiglumis populations to drought, with intrinsic population growth rates being highest in mesic low-lying drought refugia. Continental-scale predictive species distribution models show that similar riverine habitats significantly extend the realised niche of A. aristiglumis in drier parts of its range. Our data suggest that while the distribution and abundance of semi-arid plant species in Australia could rapidly shift under climate change, the protection of mesic refugia could be a useful strategy for enhancing the spatial resilience of atrisk plant populations at both small and large spatial scales. Robert Godfree is a Senior Research Scientist as CSIRO whose main areas of research include plant population dynamics, invasion ecology and the role of extreme climatic events Assessments of weed risk are based on numerous traits including current and potential distribution, however potential distribution under climate change is not yet officially incorporated into weed risk management systems. We used the bioclimatic model Maxent to determine climatic suitability across Australia for each of the 71 Australian Weeds of National Significance (WoNS), based on their global distribution. The resulting climate envelopes were projected onto predicted climate surfaces for 2020 and 2050. We combined all 71 climate suitability maps to construct maps of overall climate suitability for the WoNS species for each time period. Currently regions within south east Australia from Rockhampton to Adelaide have the highest overall climatic suitability (climate hotspots). By 2050 however these hotspots are primarily restricted to Victoria and Tasmania. The majority of WoNS are distributed in southern regions exposed to greater levels of climate warming, and showed the greatest overall projected reductions in both bioclimatic range and intensity by 2050. In contrast, the few northern distributed WoNS increased or maintained both their projected bioclimatic range and intensity. Our results suggest that exotic plants adapted to tropical climates are likely to be favoured, or at least unhindered by climate change, and this information should be factored into assessments of future weed threat. Jessica O’Donnell is currently working at Macquarie University in collaboration with NSW DECCW, investigating the effects of climate change on invasive plants, as part of an ARC linkage grant. 209 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T1, MCC 1615, Room T1, MCC Maximising representation of faunal assemblages under climate change Ecologically relevant information is required to improve climate change forecasts for small mammals Gilad Bino1, Daniel Ramp1, Richard Kingsford1 1 Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Climate change is predicted to produce both expansion and contraction of species ranges. Problematically, predicted changes typically focus on single species, disregarding biotic interactions and community associations. To overcome this, incorporation of multispecies fauna information in environmental decision making is crucial for robust regional-scale conservation. We quantified mammal clusters from predicted distributions and examined the effectiveness of the NSW reserve system in representing those clusters. To do this, we modelled the distribution of 60 terrestrial mammal species across NSW. We then grouped species using an unsupervised clustering procedure and depicted mammal-oriented ecological regions within NSW, examining their agreement with existing bioregions. Several mammal clusters were poorly represented, mainly in mid-west NSW. We then examined the resilience of the clusters to anticipated climatic changes. Using IPCC projections we identified stable and unstable clusters residing within the NSW reserve system. Significant reductions in representation were observed in the north-west and north-east of NSW. Our technique provides a valuable basis for devising strategies for increasing mammal representation within reserve systems. More importantly, we provide a method for identifying climate resilient communities, enabling the prioritisation of management efforts in favour of stable areas. Gilad Bino completed his BSc and MSc at the Hebrew university of Jerusalem. Currently is a PhD candidate at the Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre in the University of New South Wales. Nerissa Haby1, Steven Delean1, Jeff Foulkes2, Barry Brook1 1 The Environment Institute and School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, 2Department of Environment and Natural Resources, SA Climate change impacts on species’ range extent and distribution are often predicted at coarse scales that simplify the configuration of important environmental features across the landscape, and rarely include population dynamics. As a consequence, speculated range shifts, contractions or expansions may be left unrealised. The conservation of some vertebrate species is already threatened by local extinctions and the subsequent failure to recolonise remnant habitat. This suggests the founding of new populations in more suitable climatic areas via landscape-scale dispersal may be naturally impossible, leaving populations to persist, decline or disappear across a species’ range. To more accurately identify populations whose persistence is potentially at increased risk in a changing climate, we predicted the future range and distribution of four small mammals using multiple scale environmental data. Species distribution models were generated at contrasting scales, and combined with population demographic models in RAMAS GIS to predict species metapopulation structure. The potential influence of climate change on species range extent and distribution, was then assessed using three climate change scenarios, from 2000 to 2040. Incorporating ecologically relevant environmental and demographic information into climate change impact models, may improve our capacity to make informed decisions regarding the conservation of Australia’s small ground-dwelling mammals. With 8 years experience in threatened species monitoring and survey projects, Nerissa Haby returned to the University of Adelaide to work on the potential impacts of climate change on small mammals. 210 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1630, Room T1, MCC 1645, Room T1, MCC Exploring thermal constraints in the germination niche When, if ever, to move species in the face of climate change Anne Cochrane1, Matthew Daws2, Fiona Hay3 Tara Martin1, Eve McDonald-Madden1,3, Mike Runge2, Hugh Possingham3 1 Science Division, Department of Environment and Conservation, WA, 2Royal Botanic Gardens, UK and Energy Resources of Australia, NT, 3TT Chang Genetic Resources Center, International Rice Research Institute, Philippines Niche characteristics can be powerful indicators of species sensitivities to climate change. By measuring one dimension of the niche (for example, germination) and studying the rate of change in that feature over time (vis. a vis. projected climate scenarios) we can gain insight into the effects of a warming climate on plant species persistence. In obligate seeding species, the germination niche is influenced by demographic processes such as seedling recruitment and seed bank dynamics, crucial for colonisation and population survival. Seeds germinate over a range of temperatures within which there is an optimum temperature, with thresholds above and below which no germination occurs. Germination is a high risk phase in a plant’s life-cycle, and is directly regulated by temperature. We suggest that abrupt changes in temperature associated with a warming climate may cause a disconnect between temperatures seeds experience and temperatures over which germination is able to occur. Such a mis-match in the germination niche of obligate seeding species could render them vulnerable to decline and extinction. Using a temperature gradient system we have identified thermal constraints on the germination niche for a number of endemic species from southern Western Australia. 1 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, 2USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 3The Ecology Centre, University of Queensland Predicted impacts of climate change on our natural world are leading many to consider drastic management interventions. One controversial option is assisted migration, the movement of species to new areas that may be more suitable as the climate changes. While discussion continues about the wisdom of assisted migration, no one has asked when we should move a species if we decide assisted migration is warranted. By placing assisted migration into a clear decision-making framework we show that several key factors influence when or if species should be moved in the face of climate change. We demonstrate that active learning, to reduce critical uncertainty about climate change impacts, strongly affects the optimal timing of assisted migration. Our framework not only enables decisions about assisted migration but also provides a platform for advancing decision-making given uncertainties associated with climate change. Tara Martin is a research scientist with CSIRO and adjunct Professor with University of British Columbia and University of Queensland. She is a pioneer in the field of optimal conservation resource allocation, using decision theory to develop frameworks for making more efficient and effective decisions in face of global change Anne Cochrane is a seed scientist, manages the WA State seedbank and has recently commenced a PhD at ANU investigating population variation in seed/seedling traits along a climate gradient. 211 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Thursday 9 December Concurrent session 6a—Climate change 1100, Room T3, MCC 1115, Room T3, MCC Testing the accuracy of species distribution models: range shifts of Australian butterflies Effects of climate change and fire regimes on the structure and viability of three Banksia metapopulations Katherine McClellan1, Lesley Hughes1 1 Macquarie University David Keith1, John Morgan2, Colin Yates3, Jane Elith4 1 Species distribution models (SDMs) are popular tools for projecting potential distributions of species in the future. The accuracy of these projections have rarely been validated with field data. In this study, butterflies were used to test the accuracy and utility of an SDM. Two experiments were conducted. In the first, the model was parameterised using past climatic data and projected onto the current climate. In the second, the model was parameterised using the current climate and projected on to the past. The current climate models were validated with field surveys to determine if butterflies were present at (i) locations identified as suitable habitat but where they had not been detected before and (ii) locations where the butterflies had previously been collected but were now identified as unsuitable. We found that the accuracy of models (i.e. how well models represented known butterfly locations) depended on: (1) time-period from which the combination of ‘best’ variables were selected; (2) whether the model was original or projected; and (3) the combination of variables selected. This research provides a method to test and quantify the level of confidence that we can place on future projections of species distributions. Katherine McClellan is a PhD student studying the impacts of climate change on Australian butterflies and how realistic projections of species distribution models are. NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, La Trobe University, 3WA Department of Environment and Conservation, 4Melbourne University 2 Responses of biodiversity to climate change are difficult to predict. Various mechanisms have been proposed for responses at the individual and population level, including metabolic and thermo-regulatory responses, changes in vital rates and habitat carrying capacity, increased frequencies of drought and fire, changes to phenology, etc. Despite, the accumulation of some empirical data on these mechanisms, predictions about the fates of species are still largely correlative, with an emphasis on bioclimatic modelling approaches. On their own, these approaches cannot account for processes related to life-history, demography, dispersal, landscape dynamics and disturbance regimes, any of which could produce qualitatively different responses to those predicted by shifts in bioclimatic habitat alone. To examine these effects, we applied a new approach that couples metapopulation models with bioclimatic habitat models to three Banksia species from different bioregions of southern Australia. The species have structurally similar life histories and all occur in fire-prone sclerophyllous habitats, but differ in demographic parameters as well as distribution. A comparative wealth of demographic studies and survey data provide a strong basis for development of detailed models of habitat suitability and metapopulation dynamics. We use the models to explore the effects of different scenarios of climate change and fire management on the viability and structure of the metapopulations. David Keith’s interests include empirical and modelling studies of plant populations and communities, and their application to biodiversity conservation. 212 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T3, MCC 1145, Room T3, MCC Functional diversity and climate change Adaptive management for climate change adaptation: when the law comes in handy Rachael Gallagher1, Lesley Hughes1, Michelle Leishman1 1 Macquarie University Alexander Gold1 1 Will community reassembly as a result of climate change lead to changes in functional diversity? Although species are expected to shift their ranges to track optimal conditions as climate changes we know little about how their differing responses may affect the structure of communities. In particular, we lack an understanding of how community reassembly may affect the distribution of functional traits that underpin ecosystem processes. The need to ‘scale-up’ from species to community level responses and predict the loss or gain of function is an essential step for planning adaptation and restoration approaches in coming decades. To address this question we combined the output of ecological niche models under future climate scenarios for 160 climbing plants with data on their functional traits and illustrate how projected changes in species diversity in an endangered ecological community—littoral rainforests—may affect the functional composition of these communities in 2020, 2050 and 2080. Using data on seed mass, leaf mass per area, leaf size and dispersal mode we demonstrate a new approach for understanding the threat posed by climate change at the community level. Rachael Gallagher is a PhD candidate until June next year. She is widely interested in vegetation responses to global change. Institute of Environmental Studies, UNSW Designing strategies to allow for successful adaptation of natural resources and landscapes to the impacts of climate change is of high importance to decision-makers. At the same time, the predicted impacts of climate change at local and regional scales relevant to decisionmakers are often accompanied with uncertainty. Research suggests that decisions of high socio-ecological importance plagued with high levels of uncertainty deserve an adaptive management approach. However, global attempts to apply adaptive management have met with limited success. In collaboration with Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Management Authority (HNCMA) in New South Wales, adaptive management was used as a framework for HNCMA climate change adaptation strategy. NSW CMAs are legally required to apply the Standard for Quality Natural Resource Management, which promotes the achievement of catchment goals through adaptive management. Inflexible laws and regulations are often cited as barriers to adaptive approaches. However, the Standard’s mandate for adaptive management has fostered awareness within HNCMA of the importance of collective knowledge generation, explicit recognition of uncertainty, and flexible planning for climate change. Importantly, adaptive management is seen as an overarching framework for the entirety of climate change adaptation strategy rather than as an afterthought to business-as-usual approaches. Alexander Gold is a PhD candidate at UNSW. After Honours and Master’s research in the biological sciences, Alexander is now interested in how science is applied to environmental decisionmaking. 213 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T3, MCC 1215, Room T3, MCC The relative impacts of climate change versus management on ecological condition: which is bigger? Observed responses of Australasian species and communities to recent climate trends Rebecca Lester1, Peter Fairweather1 1 Lesley Hughes1 Macquarie University 1 School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University Recent public debate on the future of aquatic ecosystems in Australia assumes that climate change will pose the biggest single challenge to ecological condition. However, the relative magnitude of effects of climate change has not been compared to those associated with current management practices in many instances. Furthermore, any interaction between the two or effects of changes in management are often poorly understood. Here, we present a case study decoupling the effects of climate change and management actions on the ecological condition of the Coorong, the estuary for the Murray–Darling Basin. We use a series of coupled models, including the outputs of hydrologic, hydrodynamic and ecological response models, to predict the biotic assemblages of the Coorong under a range of scenarios. By assessing this series of scenarios, we are able to untangle the effects of climate change from those due to management and can illustrate that the relativities of current and future management are at least as large as climate change in determining likely future ecological condition in the Coorong. This information is critical for the formulation of management responses to climate change for the Murray–Darling Basin and lessons drawn from this case study are relevant for aquatic systems worldwide. Rebecca Lester is an aquatic ecologist. Her research includes largescale ecological processes, finding methods to better combine human use with better ecological outcomes and ecological response modelling. 214 There is now clear evidence that changes in temperature, rainfall, and extreme events over the past century have already had significant impacts on the abundance, distribution, phenology and physiology of a wide range of species. A number of reviews published over the past decade have documented trends such as shifts in species distributions toward the poles or upward in elevation, and progressively earlier life cycle events such as flowering, reproduction and migration. The vast majority of examples included in these reviews are from the Northern Hemisphere, reflecting both the greater availability of long-term datasets in North America and Europe, and the number of scientists. This talk presents a recently compiled synthesis of published trends in natural systems, both terrestrial and marine, from the Australasian region. The magnitude and direction of these trends are compared to those found globally. Those species and communities displaying the most sensitivity to recent climate trends are identified with a view to identifying priorities for conservation and risk management. Lesley Hughes is lead author on the IPCC 4th Assessment Report, co-convenor of the NCCARF Terrestrial Biodiversity Adaptation Research Network, interested in climate change impacts on species for about 20 years. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 6b—Symposium: Monitoring for a purpose: optimal monitoring and management of cryptic or declining populations 1100, Room T4, MCC 1115, Room T4, MCC Rules of thumb for managing or surveying networks of pests, diseases and endangered species Monitoring for surprise: is it a legitimate purpose for monitoring? 1 1 2 Brendan Wintle1, Mike Runge2, Sarah Bekessy3 3 Iadine Chades , Tara Martin , Sam Nicol , Mark Burgman , 2 1,2 Hugh Possingham , Yvonne Buckley 1 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, 2The University of Queensland, 3The University of Melbourne We present general solutions for the management of connected sub-populations of pests, diseases and endangered species arranged in a network. The efficient management of diseases, pests or endangered species is important in a world constrained by limited resources where agencies are expected to do more with less. The challenge of managing new incursions is even greater when the species or diseases are cryptic and impossible to detect perfectly. We ask how long and where we should manage or survey in priority? We discovered simple and robust rules of thumb for managing network motifs that hold when motifs are combined in larger formations. The same solutions hold for both the eradication of pests and the conservation of endangered species; the best location to manage or survey for a pest or a disease on a network is also the best location to protect or survey for an endangered species. Our results provide a practical basis to manage networks, relevant to many significant environmental, biosecurity and human health issues. Iadine Chades initially trained as a researcher in artificial intelligence and optimisation, and then turned towards ecology to solve complex conservation problems. In particular Dr Chades is interested in providing management guidance over time and space when species are difficult to detect and spatially connected. 1 School of Botany, University of Melbourne, 2USGS Patuxent Research Center, 3School of Global Studies, Social Science and Planning, RMIT There is a growing view that to make efficient use of resources, ecological monitoring should be hypothesisdriven and targeted to address specific management questions. ‘Targeted’ monitoring has been contrasted with other approaches in which a range of quantities are monitored in case they exhibit an alarming trend or provide ad hoc ecological insights. The second form of monitoring, described as surveillance, has been criticised because it doesn’t usually aim to discern between competing hypotheses, and its benefits are harder to identify a priori. The alternative view is that the existence of surveillance data may enable rapid corroboration of emerging hypotheses or help to detect important ‘unknown unknowns’ that, if undetected, could lead to catastrophic outcomes or missed opportunities. We derive a model to evaluate and compare the efficiency of investments in surveillance and targeted monitoring. We find that a decision to invest in surveillance monitoring may be defensible if (i) the surveillance design is more likely to discover or corroborate previously unknown phenomena than a targeted design, AND (ii) the expected benefits (or avoided costs) arising from discovery are substantially higher than the those arising from a well-planned targeted design. Our examination highlights the importance of being explicit about the objectives, costs and expected benefits of monitoring in a decision analytic framework. Brendan Wintle is a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne, theme leader in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, and Deputy Director of DEWHA’s Applied Environmental Decision Analysis Research Hub. 215 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T4, MCC 1145, Room T4, MCC Optimal monitoring of indicators: why sensibly incorporating costs will help managers select the right species Monitoring a cryptic invasive species: fallow deer on Kangaroo Island Ayesha Tulloch1, Hugh Possingham1, Kerrie Wilson1 1 Pip Masters1, Richard Southgate2 Kangaroo Island NRM Board, 2Envisage Environmental Services 1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland Objective approaches are needed to select species for monitoring management effectiveness and to justify conservation investments. Prioritisation methods that incorporate uncertainty and likelihood of success are crucial to avoid costly mistakes. We developed and applied two approaches for selecting the most costeffective and informative indicator species with a case study of monitoring investments in invasive predator control in south-western Australia. We compared species selected by a qualitative approach involving experts scoring 17 criteria for 12 potential indicators, to a quantitative metric based on empirical data for a subset of criteria. Both approaches accounted for the monitoring cost, leverage, data uncertainty and the risk of choosing an un-representative or un-informative indicator, albeit in different ways. The indicator species selected by the quantitative metric was the western brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula. When costs were explicitly considered in the scoring approach, the top-ranked species was again T. vulpecula, whereas when costs were not sensibly incorporated, indicator rankings changed considerably. Despite being based on qualitative information, a scoring approach that accounts for monitoring costs has the potential to prioritise the same species as a quantitative metric based on empirical data. However, the quantitative metric was more robust than the qualitative approach, and allowed evaluation of data uncertainty in a transparent way, presenting a more objective approach that enables explicit selection of the most informative indicator for monitoring management actions. Ayesha Tulloch undertook management-focused ecological research in national parks of NSW then managed environmental restoration projects for a non-government organisation before beginning a PhD evaluating investments in conservation with the Spatial Ecology Lab at the University of Qld. 216 The Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board embarked on an eradication program for fallow deer in 2005 following an escape from a deer farm in 1999. The number of escapees is unknown but by the start of the program there were in excess of 250 deer distributed over an area of around 920 km2. Fallow deer are a cryptic species making them hard to detect at low densities and therefore the assessment of the success (or failure) of management is difficult. This talk will focus on three methods which have been used to identify the success of management techniques: • annual monitoring of changes in distribution and occupancy by searching for signs on dams • hunting effort, or the number shot per hour of hunting • population characteristics of culled deer. Pip Masters has worked on feral animal control on Kangaroo Island for over 12 years. Prior to this Pip worked in arid Australia on fire ecology and an endangered mammal species called the mulgara. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T4, MCC 1215, Room T4, MCC Western Shield fauna recovery program—a learning experience in monitoring and evaluation of fauna populations Optimising fauna surveys for predicting species distributions for bioregional assessment Juanita Renwick1, Peter Orell1, Nisha Powell1, John Asher1 1 1 Department of Environment and Conservation The Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) launched the Western Shield program in 1996 to bring native fauna species back from the brink of extinction by controlling foxes and cats with 1080 poison. The program operates over more than 3.9million hectares of conservation reserves and State forest and has 35 monitoring sites spread across DECs South West, Wheatbelt, Goldfields and Midwest management regions. An important part of the Western Shield program has been monitoring the response of native fauna to broadscale predator control. Given early successes in facilitating fauna recovery, monitoring was only designed to measure relative changes in populations to show recovery. When declines and collapses in various fauna populations occurred in the early 2000s it became clear that the monitoring was inadequate to provide evidence of possible causes to facilitate an adaptive management approach to conserving fauna and promoting recovery. So how can the monitoring program be improved to provide the necessary information to support adaptive management and reflect the objectives of Western Shield? A recent review investigated the critical information gaps between what is desired from a Western Shield monitoring program and what is currently being achieved. The outcomes of the review are presented here. Gilad Bino1, Daniel Ramp1, Richard Kingsford1 Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Monitoring is often conducted at local scales, driven by specific targets, available logistics, and funding. In contrast, conservation planning is mostly driven by regional patterns in biodiversity. Improving the utility of monitoring databases for decision making requires regionally-appropriate monitoring strategies. A key facet is those survey methods employed. Methods used to detect species vary greatly: hence there is considerable benefit in optimising survey strategies to provide better species coverage at regional scales. Here we quantified the contribution of species’ location points collected from different survey methods to species distributions of 53 mammal species across NSW. We quantified spatiallyoptimised survey combinations across NSW and within 18 bioregions. Survey methods varied in their utility in contributing to multi-species inventories at regional scales. We identified the minimum set of survey methods capable of efficiently predicting the distribution of all mammals across NSW and for each bioregion. Not all fauna survey methods conducted at local scales are useful for regional biodiversity assessment. We demonstrate how to identify spatially-optimised combinations of survey methods for predicting multiple species distributions. Given survey costs and limited budgets, our framework can be used to guide managers in allocating scarce resources by identifying effective combinations of survey methods. Gilad Bino completed his BSc and MSc at the Hebrew university of Jerusalem. Currently is a PhD candidate at the Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre in the University of New South Wales. Juanita Renwick works for the Department of Environment and Conservation in Western Australia. Her current role is Zoologist for the Western Shield program involved with monitoring critical weight range mammals. 217 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 6c—Symposium: Dissecting Australian diversity: the key to understanding global biodiversity 1100, Room T5, MCC 1115, Room T5, MCC Correlations among plants, animals, and people in Australia: causes and/or effects Three ways that theory fails conservation biologists and what we can do about it Michael Huston1 Don Driscoll1, David Lindenmayer1 1 Texas State University The patterns of the natural world, from subatomic particles through biomes to galaxies, are the input that drives scientific creativity, as well as the data against which all hypotheses must be tested. The search for general laws or explanations seems to have made much more progress at the atomic and galactic scales than at the intermediate scales of biology, ecology, and evolution. Fortuitously, the environmental conditions found across the lands and seas of Australia represent much of the range of environmental conditions on Earth, and so may provide most of the information we need to understand the ecology of the entire planet. Recent continental-scale analyses of Australian plant diversity and endemism reveal striking patterns that are correlated with environmental conditions and animal responses in a manner that contradicts major ecological and evolutionary hypotheses about the regulation of biodiversity. Globally, biodiversity is thought to increase with productivity to a maximum in highly productive tropical rain forests. Australia has high diversity rainforests, but also very high plant diversity in arid shrub lands on nutrient-poor soils. The ecological properties of animals, including humans and marine organisms, reveal strong patterns that may help clarify the processes that regulate biodiversity. A careful examination of ecological patterns across Australia may provide the key to major questions that have remained unanswered since the time of Darwin and Wallace. Professor Michael Huston’s work is focused on understanding the causes of observed patterns in ecological properties at special scales ranging from a field or forest to the entire globe. Although his research has been primarily on spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of plant communities, he is extending his theories and analysis to explore patterns related to animals in the oceans and on land, including humans. His work over the past 35 years has involved elements of hydrology, geology, soil science, plant physiology, and forest dynamics, as well as ecological theory and modelling. Most recently he has been exploring the common factors that influence both natural ecosystems and human societies, particularly human health, wealth, and poverty. Over the past several years he has been increasingly active in efforts to apply ecological principles to issues of land management and sustainable development. 218 1 Fenner School of Environment and Society The sub-discipline of conservation biology has a strong theoretical pedigree and commonly encompasses theories of island biogeography, demography, metapopulations and fragmentation. These ecological theories should form a strong platform for prediction and application, research planning and communication. That’s in theory. In practice, ecological theory usually fails to meet these expectations, through their naive application, ad-hoc development and continuing pressure to publish new and novel ideas. In this talk we will present evidence showing that theory fails to have useful predictive value, that the heuristic value of theory is over-stated and easily replaced, and that, rather than supporting communication, current use of theory can undermine effective communication among conservation biologists. Nevertheless, theoretical concepts continue to be applied, so there is substantial urgency for ecologists to develop and use theory in a more effective manner. We present a (new and novel) framework aimed at resolving the major limitations of current applications of theory. We think such an approach has the potential to accelerate the capacity of ecologists to solve problems in conservation biology. Don Driscoll is a Fellow in the Fenner School of Environment and Society at the Australian National University. His research interests include the role of dispersal in conservation and fire ecology. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T5, MCC 1145, Room T5, MCC The effect of species range estimation methods on richness and phylogenetic diversity estimates Biodiverse—a tool for the spatial dissection of diversity Mayra Amboni1, Shawn Laffan1 Shawn Laffan1, Dan Rosauer1,2, Eugene Lubarsky2 1 University of New South Wales Biodiversity assessments has been shown to be an useful tool for conservation planning and for biogeographical or macroecological analyses. Nevertheless, the method used to define species ranges will affect the resulting species distributions. To assess this effect, we estimated richness and phylogenetic diversity (PD) across Australia using species distributions derived from four range estimation methods. (1) ‘Range-wide occurrences’ (RW) are related to museum records, with the geographic records representing presence points; (2) ‘Marginal occurrences’ (MO) are generally expert drawn distributional maps; (3) ‘Statistical modelling’ (SDM) combines geographic records and environmental data to predict species occurrence; and (4) a ‘combined’ (Co) approach that combines both SDM and MO by constraining the SDM predictions by the MO ranges. The RW approach underestimated the presence of species, and therefore had low richness and PD scores. Conversely, the SDM overestimated it. The MO and Co approaches had intermediate richness and PD scores. Co showed a finer level of detail than MO, and making it potentially useful for regional and smaller scale studies. MO should be considered when data is not available, for example when research is done at continental or global scales. 1 School of BEES, UNSW, 2Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, CSIRO Plant Industry Analysis tools are essential for biodiversity research. Biodiverse is a tool that has been developed for the spatial analysis of diversity. It provides a visualisation environment through which users can visualise the spatial distribution of species, from micro- to macroscales, linking dynamically with additional data such as from phylogenies and matrices of genetic dissimilarity. It provides a platform for both moving window and cluster analyses, with more than 200 indices currently implemented to enable researchers to address questions related to diversity of species, taxonomies, phylogenies, environment and temporal variations. Finally, it provides a randomisation framework to enable hypothesis testing of the analysis results. Results can be exported to spreadsheet and GIS compatible formats for further analysis and combination. Biodiverse is free and open source software. It can be downloaded from http://www.purl.org/biodiverse. Shawn Laffan is a senior lecturer in GIS at UNSW. His research interests are in Geographic Information Systems and spatial data analysis. Mayra Amboni studied diet and food availability for maned-wolf during her masters. She commenced a PhD in 2008, under supervision of Shawn Laffan, working on spatial analysis of Australian marsupials diversity. 219 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T5, MCC 1215, Room T5, MCC Effects of climate on wildlife population dynamics Patterns of arthropod diversity in a shrubencroached landscape: the effect of shrub species and resource concentration Maria Boyle1, Jim Hone1 1 Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra The population dynamics of wildlife species can be associated with large-scale climate indices such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the El NinoSouthern Oscillation (SOI). Here we report on the effects of climate on population dynamics, as annual r, of the grey heron (Ardea cinerea) and barn owl (Tyto alba) in Britain, and the western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) and red kangaroo (M. rufus) in South Australia. Linear, non-linear, additive, and interactive relationships between population dynamics, climate, density, and food were developed and analysed using multiple working hypotheses. For herons, NAO and density were most influential on r. For owls, density and food, not the NAO were most influential. For western grey kangaroos, SOI and harvesting or rainfall and density were most influential, and for red kangaroos the SOI had most influence. Best models varied in their ability to predict annual r. The NAO had the strongest effects on herons, intermediate (positive and negative) effects on kangaroos, and the weakest effect on owls. In conclusion climate had a variable effect on wildlife population dynamics. Maria Boyle completed Honours at the University of Canberra in 2009, and is now studying for a PhD. The paper is from her Honours project. Alan Kwok1, David Eldridge2 1 University of New South Wales, 2NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water Though shrub-encroached landscapes are viewed by some as ‘ecological deserts’, we know little about the biodiversity that they support. Shrublands vary markedly in both species composition and plant density. At the patch scale over a few tens of metres, plants can be found either growing as isolated individuals or a few individuals (low density), or in dense patches of shrubs (high density). Using two shrub species, we investigated how this variation in resource concentration affects the shrub-resident arthropod community in a turpentine (Eremophila sturtii)-silver cassia (Senna artemisioides) shrubland in semi-arid eastern Australia. Eremophila supported six-times more arthropods (Hemiptera, Psocoptera and Collembola) than Senna, and a distinct species assemblage of Hemipterans. The effect of resource concentration varied, with only Hemiptera showing clear trends. We found a greater number and species richness of Hemipterans on shrubs growing in low density, and this was consistent for Eremophila and Senna. Furthermore, for Senna this translated into greater species diversity on low density shrubs. Our study illustrates that shrub-encroached landscapes support healthy and diverse arthropod communities, and that multiple shrub species will maintain higher levels of biodiversity. The work also demonstrates that arthropod composition is driven by shrub species composition as well as resource concentration across multiple spatial scales. Alan Kwok is currently attempting to complete his PhD in how resource concentration structures the distribution of arthropod communities in semi-arid landscapes 220 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 6d—Invasive species 1100, Moran G008, MCC 1115, Moran G008, MCC Australia’s susceptibility to establishment by nonindigenous reptile species: a predictive modelling approach Finding simple rules of thumb for the optimal containment of invasive species with complex lifecycles Dustin Welbourne1 Jean-Baptiste Pichancourt1, Iadine Chades1, Rieks van Klinken1, 1 Tara Martin 1 UNSW 1 Invasive species pose significant social, economic, and environmental impacts; and as global anthropic ubiquity increases non-indigenous flora and fauna are reaching lands that hitherto were geographically isolated. Recent research into invasive species and climate change relationships has emphasised this concern and stressed the urgency to pre-emptively recognise species that have a higher potentiality of establishment. Although legislation prohibits the keeping of non-indigenous reptile species (NIRS) in Australia, many NIRS are confiscated yearly from private collectors and thus pose a significant establishment threat. Despite this, little research has been conducted to assess Australia’s susceptibility to establishment by NIRS. Such predictive modelling is crucial to achieve maximum resource efficacy when combating invading organisms. This study is applying predictive spatial modelling techniques to ten NIRS to produce suitability maps based on climate, vegetation, and regolith. An additional predictive map is being produced for each species based on climate change scenarios to account for future habitat suitability. This study will ascertain Australia’s suitability to ten NIRS under current conditions and future climate. A final objective is to identify the most likely areas of initial establishment, which will be critical information for implementing future management procedures. Dustin Welbourne is the Director of the Canberra Reptile Sanctuary in the Gold Creek Village, promoting science education, biodiversity, and conservation; and is currently conducting a study with UNSW@ADFA. CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences Optimal containment of invasive species poses significant challenges for decision-makers when they have complex life-cycles. One important consideration is how to cope with conflicting strategies of control, especially related to their intensity and frequency, when species have different life-stages that contribute differently to the overall invasion process. We solve this problem for a population of mesquite Prosopis glandulosa. To do so, we first used matrix population models to integrate the complexity of the lifecycle and to project the population dynamic between successive control decisions. We then used a bioeconomic framework to integrate the population dynamic, the costs of the different control actions and the financial penalties for the contamination. Finally we used stochastic dynamic programming to estimate the optimal control strategy for every life-stage (saplings, juveniles, and adult trees) to contain the contamination at a local scale (below 1% canopy cover) and at a regional scale (due to seed source pressure). We show that simple rules of thumb can be drawn, such that managers do not need to know the demography at every life-stage or the exact level of source pressure to predict which control action to use. The modelling framework is applicable to any type of species to control. Jean-Baptiste Pichancourt undertook a PhD in mathematical ecology (Uni. Rennes & Lyon, France: with Dr Francoise Burel & Pr Pierre Auger) from 2004–2007; Post-Doc CSIRO Ento. (Dr Rieks van Klinken) 2007–2010; Post-Doc CSIRO Eco. Sc. (Dr Tara Martin), 2010–2012. 221 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Moran G008, MCC 1145, Moran G008, MCC Habitat utilisation of lantana-invaded vegetation by small mammals in an urban bushland Responses to environmental adversity in range edge and central population of an invasive species Noni Dowsett1 Jennah Bakker1, Stephen Bonser1 1 University of Technology, Sydney Biological invasions are currently one of the most pressing environmental issues. The introduction of a non-native species into a new environment has the potential to affect the resident biota, both native and other introduced species. These effects can range from the level of an individual organism, through to the entire ecosystem. The aim of this research was to examine the abundance and distribution of native and introduced mammals, focusing on small ground dwelling mammals, in relation to the invasive plant lantana, Lantana camara L., within an urban bushland. Mammal surveys were done using live-capture Elliott traps within vegetation invaded by lantana and vegetation where lantana was absent. Trapping was done over three trapping sessions, with each trapping session consisting of three consecutive nights. Observational data of larger and arboreal mammals were also collected via scat and spotlight surveys at each of the sites. Seven species of mammal were observed in total by trapping, scat and spotlight survey. Differences in the mammals surveyed were observed between native vegetation and the lantana invaded vegetation. One native species, Antechinus stuartii, showed stronger differences in abundance and size between native and lantana invaded vegetation, particularly in the trapping session closest to the breeding season. Noni Dowsett is an environmental science student at UTS. Her research interests include vertebrate ecology, habitat management and ecosystem services, in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Research being presented comes from her honours research project. 222 1 Evolution and Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences Many invasive species have rapidly expanding ranges. Populations at the edge of a species range experience new environments with novel environmental stresses, limited genetic variability and an influx of maladapted individuals from the centre of its range. We examine whether range edge populations of the invasive species Senecio madagascariensis (fireweed) have a reduced capacity to respond to multiple environmental stresses than central populations. S. madagascariensis invaded the Central Coast of NSW about 100 years ago and has rapidly expanded south to the Victoria boarder and north into Queensland. We collected seeds from range edge and central populations. Plants from these populations were grown in a glasshouse experiment under high and low light and nutrient treatments in a full factorial experiment. Plants from range edge populations, particularly the southern range edge, were generally larger and had higher fruit production than those from central populations. Plants from range edge populations also expressed higher adaptive plasticity to environmental stresses than those from central populations. Our results show that adaptation to environmental stresses increases at the range edge. Increased adaptation to environmental stress could facilitate further expansion of this species. Our results could assist in predicting the future distribution of fireweed in Australia. Jennah Bakker a student at The University of New South Wales will be presenting the finding of her honours project, about Senecio madagascariensis (Fireweed). CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Moran G008, MCC Is there evidence for shifts in growth, reproduction and fitness between the native and novel ranges of introduced Acacias? Carla Harris1, Michelle Leishman1 1 Macquarie University The successful establishment of plants in a novel range may be due to freedom from enemies and resultant shifts in allocation to growth and reproduction. To explore this hypothesis, we examined seed predation, reproductive output, germination success and growth for five closely-related Fabaceae species in their native and introduced ranges in Australia. Data were collected for species native to the east coast of Australia (Acacia longifolia, Acacia melanoxylon) that have become naturalised on the west coast, and species native to the west coast (Acacia cyclops, Acacia saligna, Paraserianthes lophantha) that have become naturalised on the east. A range of species-specific responses were found. Reduced seed predation was identified in the introduced range for only one species (P. lophantha), while P. lophantha and A. longifolia both had increased reproductive output in introduced ranges. Per cent germination was significantly higher in introduced ranges for three species. Acacia saligna, although invasive in its introduced range, showed no differences between native and introduced ranges for any of the measured traits. Reduced seed predation and/or increased growth and reproductive output likely contributes to invasion success in some of these introduced Acacia species, however the results were not consistent in this multi-species comparison. Carla Harris is dedicated to solving the question—why do some introduced plants become invasive while others do not, by conducting large scale, comparative studies across Australia. 223 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 6e—Impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation 1100, Moran G007, MCC 1115, Moran G007, MCC Influence of the yellow-throated miner (Manorina flavigula) on bird communities and tree health in a fragmented Mallee landscape Ecology of southern scrub-robins (Drymodes brunneopygia) in the north Murray Mallee, South Thea Shell1, Michael F Clarke1 Andrew Barker1, David Paton1, Nigel Willoughby2 1 Department of Zoology, LaTrobe University The yellow-throated miner (Manorina flavigula) is a large, aggressive, native honeyeater that is common and widespread across Australia. Close relatives of the yellowthroated miner, the bell miner (M. melanophrys) and noisy miner (M. melanocephala) have been shown to negatively affect bird communities and increase phytophagous insect (psyllid) abundances through interspecific aggressive behaviour. This study was undertaken to determine if yellow-throated miners demonstrated similar effects in the fragmented landscape of the Victorian Mallee. Linear road verges surrounded by the agricultural matrix north of Walpeup, Victoria were studied. Sites containing colonies of yellow-throated miners were compared with areas without miners. Sites with miners displayed significantly lower bird species richness and abundance and held a significantly different composition of species, than sites without miners. In particular, yellowthroated miners had a greater effect on bird species smaller than the miners. Poorer tree health and higher psyllid abundances were found in sites occupied by miners compared to sites that lacked miners. Furthermore, small, psyllid gleaning, insectivorous birds were less abundant in sites with miners. This study suggests that yellow-throated miners exclude other bird species from sites, in particular small insectivorous birds, leading to higher psyllid abundance and poorer tree health. Thea Shell completed a degree in Conservation Biology and Ecology with Honours at LaTrobe University. Thea been working as a research assistant and biology demonstrator since her studies finished. 224 Australia 1 University of Adelaide, 2Department of Environment and Natural Resources, SA The southern scrub-robin (Drymodes brunneopygia) is declining across the North Murray Mallee region of South Australia. This has been attributed to wide scale habitat loss and fragmentation. In a region of 650,000 hectares, about 10% of which was likely to support suitable habitat, only 80 individuals persist on one property 2000 ha in size. These birds were mist-netted, colour-banded and tracked to determine habitat selection, home range size, productivity, survival and dispersal. Scrub-robins principally occupied open Eucalyptus spp. woodland with either Leptospermum coriaceum (old growth habitat) or Acacia sclerophylla (35 year old regrowth) understoreys. More birds occupied the A. sclerophylla habitat, remained longer on home ranges, occurred more frequently in pairs (in contrast to home ranges with lone birds), and produced more offspring that successfully dispersed to other home ranges. Birds using L. coriaceum had more fragmented distributions at the home range, patch and landscape scales. Increasing the extent and density of key understorey vegetation in and around existing occupied habitat could lessen further declines of the southern scrub-robin in the North Murray Mallee. Andrew Barker completed BSc(Hons) at the University of Adelaide in 2007. He is currently completing his PhD thesis at the same institution entitled: ‘Ecology and management of Southern Scrubrobins in the North Murray Mallee’. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Moran G007, MCC 1145, Moran G007, MCC Responses of floral visitor networks of a tropical rainforest tree, Acronychia acidula, to habitat fragmentation Investigating avian response to landscape change using informative Bayesian prior estimates of dispersal distance Tobias Smith1, Margie Mayfield1 Georgia Garrard1, Michael McCarthy1, Peter Vesk1, James 2 3 Radford , Andrew Bennett 1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland 1 Habitat fragmentation threatens terrestrial ecosystems across the planet, with negative implications for populations and communities, and for ecosystem processes. The breakdown of mutualism-based ecological processes such as seed dispersal and pollination in fragmented landscapes can greatly contribute to the degradation of human-altered ecosystems. Biotic pollination is a key ecological process, yet little is known about pollinator communities, or the effects of habitat fragmentation on them, particularly in Australia’s tropics. In this study I ask how habitat fragmentation impacts on the bee and fly visitation networks associated with Acronychia acidula, Rutaceae, a common rainforest tree in parts of the Australian wet tropics, north Queensland. To answer this question I sampled bee and fly floral visitors to A. acidula individuals growing along edges of both small and large remnant rainforest fragments in a highly fragmented landscape on the Atherton Tablelands. Here I report findings on how bee and fly assemblages visiting flowers of A. acidula change depending on the size of the rainforest fragment in which these trees are found. Results suggest that bee visitor abundances are lower in small forest fragments than in large fragments, and that differences in bee species composition between the two sizes may be associated with bee life history traits. Tobias Smith is currently a PhD student in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, studying pollinator communities and plant-pollinator interactions in the Australian wet tropics. University of Melbourne, 2Bush Heritage Australia, 3Deakin University Informative Bayesian priors may be used to improve the precision of estimates in ecological studies or to develop a priori estimates of parameters for which existing information is unavailable. However, while Bayesian analyses are becoming more popular in ecology, the use of strongly informative priors remains rare—perhaps because examples of informative priors are not common in the published literature. Avian dispersal distance is an important ecological parameter for understanding impacts of landscape change, but it is difficult to measure and estimates are not readily available. General models that provide informative prior estimates of dispersal distance will therefore be valuable. In this study, we develop a simple predictive model of avian median natal dispersal distance from a world-wide dataset. We use this model to determine a priori estimates of dispersal distance for 57 woodland bird species in northeastern Victoria, and investigate the relationship between the dispersal ability of these species and their vulnerability to landscape-scale changes in habitat cover and fragmentation. There is some evidence to suggest that tree-dependent bird species with poor predicted dispersal ability are more vulnerable to loss and fragmentation of habitat than those species with longer predicted dispersal distances. Georgia Garrard works in the School of Botany at Melbourne University, investigating the role of Bayesian priors in ecology. She is also interested in issues of detectability and urban biodiversity planning. 225 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Moran G007, MCC 1215, Moran G007, MCC Response of fauna and flora to habitat loss and fragmentation in tropical savanna agricultural landscapes Understanding the drivers of connectivity in human-modified landscapes Alistair Stewart1, Tony Griffiths1 1 Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport Compared to most other Australian jurisdictions, the landscapes of Northern Territory are largely intact and retain a rich fauna and flora. Knowledge of the impact of land clearing on biodiversity is limited yet there is a pressing need to develop evidence-based policy to ensure the conservation of the natural resources while allowing the continued development of industries that depend on clearing native vegetation. To investigate the relationship between fragmentation, habitat loss and terrestrial biodiversity we conducted extensive surveys in the Douglas Daly region of the Top End of the Northern Territory, a region that has been the focus of agricultural development. We sampled terrestrial biodiversity at replicate landscapes along a gradient of habitat loss, sampling each landscape as a ‘mosaic’ of different landscape elements. A range of a priori statistical models were compared to determine the effect of habitat extent, configuration and environmental variables on species richness and occupancy. This study shows that the impacts of land clearing to biodiversity are substantial at the scale of individual properties (represented as ‘landscapes’ in this study), even if they retain some areas of native vegetation. Alistair Stewart is a birdo and a frogger, with interests in landscape ecology, technology and sound recording. He has been working for the NT Department of NRETAS since 2008. 226 Kristen Lee1, Jessica Worthington Wilmer2, Frank Carrick1, Clive McAlpine1, Jonathan Rhodes1 1 The University of Queensland, 2Queensland Museum Human-modification of landscapes, through processes such as urbanisation and agricultural expansion, is a primary driver of the loss of biodiversity. One reason for this is that these processes reduce connectivity, both through habitat fragmentation (i.e., the breaking apart of habitat) and through the construction of barriers, such as roads. Therefore, to develop effective conservation strategies to improve connectivity we need to know the relative impacts of habitat fragmentation versus barriers on connectivity. We addressed this issue by quantifying the key drivers of genetic differentiation for a koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) population in South East Queensland, Australia; an area that has been highly modified by humans. We genotyped 1031 koalas at 6 microsatellite loci and used a regression approach to quantify the drivers of genetic differentiation in the population (and by inference gene flow/connectivity). We show that barriers, such as roads and rivers, are more important drivers of genetic differentiation than habitat fragmentation and the distance between habitat patches. This has important implications for developing conservation strategies to improve connectivity. For a mobile species such as the koala, a focus on reducing the impact of barriers may be more important than reducing habitat fragmentation if we want to enhance connectivity. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 6f—Symposium: Taking action together: the role of ecology in conservation partnerships 1100, Room T6, MCC 1115, Room T6, MCC Creating ecology-community-policy partnerships Caring for country together: Indigenous and nonIndigenous conservation in north Australia 1 Judy Lambert 1 Community Solutions Joe Morrison1 1 Increasingly, government and other funding bodies expect that conservation initiatives will be undertaken by multi-stakeholder teams. Partnerships are at the core of successful support for much that is done in ecology in Australia. However, successful partnerships, whether for conservation outcomes, or in business, political or personal lives, rarely form and endure without mutual understanding and respect, shared commitment and trust. Frequently the development of these underpinnings to successful partnership require different ways of working from those traditionally expected by scientists, government agency staff or community members. Respect for different ways of knowing, shared understanding of the needs of the ecologists and of each of the other key players within the conservation partnership and shared commitment to what might well be differing, but potentially complementary goals, must have time and opportunity to develop. Using experiences from projects as diverse as threatened ecological community conservation on production farms, large-scale landscape restoration projects, weed management at the landscape scale and urban biodiversity conservation, this paper will examine ways in which the role of the ecologist, as a critical contributor to conservation partnerships, can be enhanced. Judy Lambert’s training in medical, social and environmental sciences and in business, her experience in research, government and the community sector and as a consultant, equip her well to bring together partnerships for ecology. North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance Indigenous Australians have been present in Australia for many thousands of years. Through this long association, a society based on close connections between the environment and people remains in most parts, intact. In recent times, the colonisation of Australia has left Indigenous people marginalised and often subject to entrenched poverty. The impacts that this colonial process has had on people are well known, but what is lesser known is the impact on the environment and ecology of Australia. Across north Australia, a vast area of over 2 million square kilometres, people have gained some of their country back and are now the majority resident population, although still subject to exist largely on welfare handouts and other benefits. Important for the future management and development of an important region of relatively intact ecology, is the creation and operation of conservation partnerships. The North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance views the management and development of north Australia through the lens of a ‘culture-based economy’. This approach is focused on reinvigorating Indigenous people as primary managers of the north, but in partnership. The role of common interest in managing ecology is examined in detail in this paper. Joe Morrison is the Chief Executive Officer of NAILSMA. Over the last 15 years, Joe has worked with Indigenous communities across north Australia supporting Indigenous people through local action to care for country. He holds a BA in Natural Resource Management from the University of Sydney. 227 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T6, MCC 1145, Room T6, MCC Partnerships and pragmatism pave the road to conservation Partnerships in practice: adapting conservation planning to an Indigenous context Nicola Markus1 Emma Ignjic1, Heather Moorcroft2 1 Bush Heritage Australia The scale of environmental challenges across Australia’s landscapes makes effective collaborations between conservation organisations and landholders essential. Ecological communities and species in need of careful management occur across all land tenures; people with the skills, resources, impetus, ecological knowledge and social capacity to protect them are often widely dispersed. Achieving Bush Heritage Australia’s vision of protecting 1% of Australia (7m ha) relies to a large extent on bringing these factors together. Ecological knowledge is needed to determine which species and ecosystems to focus on, select appropriate management actions, and to monitor and demonstrate progress over time. All other factors are necessary to ensure that this knowledge translates into appropriate action. Bush Heritage’s on-ground partnerships concentrate on three types of partners: traditional owner groups (‘Indigenous Partnerships’), large commercial landholders (‘Pastoral Partnerships’), and other, similar interest groups collectively focused on protecting a particular geographic region (‘Landscape Partnerships’). Sound ecological knowledge underpins the practical guidance Bush Heritage provides in all cases, but the value of the outcome depends on a pragmatic tailoring of activities, expectations and timeframes to reflect the capacity and needs of the partners. Nicola Markus has been a passionate naturalist since childhood, Nicola’s early career and science degree took her from zookeeping and research positions to roles in community-based conservation, environmental consulting and advocacy. Following the completion of a PhD in Zoology in 2000, her focus grew to a concern for environmental decline more broadly and she was appointed as a senior program manager by WWF-Australia. In 2006, collaboration with internationally renowned nature photographer Theo Allofs led to the publication of her first book, Wild Australia, a celebration of Australia’s environmental diversity and uniqueness. Her current book, On our Watch: the Race to save Australia’s Environment (Melbourne University Press, 2009), provides a perspective on the inadvertent impacts of our daily lives on Australia’s species and landscapes and reveals the cultural, economic and political impediments that continue to hamper their protection. Nicola currently works as Chief Conservation Officer for Bush Heritage Australia in Melbourne. 228 1 Bush Heritage Australia, 2University of Wollongong The Australian continent is a complex of cultural land and seascapes overlain by a mosaic of different tenures. The conservation estate, comprising over 10% of the Australian land mass, is growing with additions from both the state and the non-government conservation sector. The Indigenous estate equates to approximately 20% of Australia, and includes areas widely recognised as having high conservation value. It is in some of these areas that Indigenous Australians and environmental non-government organisations (NGOs) are collaborating on Country. A new ‘conservation space’ has emerged in Australia where robust partnerships are developing through on the ground action. In this paper we introduce a collaborative partnership between the Wunambal and Gaambera peoples of the north-west Kimberley and an environmental NGO, Bush Heritage Australia. We discuss the use of an ecological based planning process (Conservation Action Planning) in this cross cultural collaboration and explore some of the issues that the process presented. We examine the approaches adopted to address these issues and how the amended process resulted in supporting Indigenous peoples’ responsibilities and aspirations of Caring for Country, and encompassing both Indigenous traditional knowledge and Western ecological science. Finally we consider the challenges that the partners face in this new conservation space as they move into the next phase of their partnership and the role that ecology will play. In her current role as Bush Heritage Australia’s Indigenous Programs Officer (North Australia) Emma Ignjic supports and facilitates partnerships between Indigenous people and conservation NGOs. She also has experience working to support Indigenous governance and participation in conservation management with community-based resource management programs (Aurukun Land and Sea Management program), peak regional Indigenous organisations (Balkanu and NAILSMA), and the tertiary education sector (James Cook University). Heather Moorcroft is currently undertaking postgraduate studies at the University of Wollongong, exploring engagements between Indigenous Australians and environmental NGOs. Heather has over twenty years professional experience in conservation management and has worked in the jointly managed parks of Kakadu, Uluru-Kata Tjuta and Booderee, with indigenous communities and with the non-government sector. She was recently the planning manager for the Wunambal Gaambera Healthy Country Project in the Kimberley. Heather is a member of the World Commission on Protected Areas. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T6, MCC 1215, Room T6, MCC Making sure partnerships produce better conservation outcomes The costs and benefits of organisational partnerships in biodiversity conservation Sarah Legge1, Atticus Fleming1 James O’Connor1, Samantha Vine1 1 Australian Wildlife Conservancy Partnerships potentially offer a variety of positive synergies for conservation. However, partnerships also present potential risks, mainly associated with the loss of clear purpose and decision-making, loss of flexibility, reduced effectiveness, and higher transaction costs. The formation of partnerships should not be seen as an end in itself; partnerships are only of value if they contribute to better outcomes. In order to achieve better outcomes, partnerships need to be carefully structured, with a clear focus on effectiveness and efficiency, and on ecological objectives. Australian Wildlife Conservancy is a non-profit conservation organisation dedicated to the protection of Australia’s wildlife and their habitats. It owns and manages 21 properties across Australia, covering over 2.6 million hectares, on which it delivers active programs of applied conservation science and management. AWC works with a large number of partners, including government and non-government agencies, universities, Indigenous communities, pastoralists and other neighbours. In each case, we aim to develop genuine collaborations that produce more effective and efficient conservation outcomes. We will illustrate this approach with examples covering a range of initiatives. Sarah Legge oversees the conservation and science program of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Australia’s largest private conservation organisation, with 21 properties across the continent, covering over 2.6 million hectares. 1 Birds Australia Decision making based on robust research and analysis is critical for the success and credibility of conservation projects. Research, including ecological monitoring, can suffer from lower priority, for example when the demands of managing complex institutional relationships consume project resources, or when institutional structures impose restrictions on operations. Communications issues especially may arise where institutions have very different corporate cultures. However, when partnerships evolve through mutual interests and concerns, and identification of opportunities through complementary skills and strengths, partnerships have a good starting point for success, and may generate new opportunities for collaboration. Here we present two case studies which illustrate some of the complex issues involved in partnership conservation work at the interface of science, community and the institutional and regulatory environment. The Woodland Birds for Biodiversity project involves a partnership between Birds Australia (a NGCO) and statutory and semi-statutory bodies across several jurisdictions, including Trust for Nature, the Tasmanian Land Conservancy and the NSW Nature Conservation Trust. The Beach-nesting Birds Project is run by Birds Australia and interests with a diverse group of stakeholders including friends and community groups, Parks Victoria, Local Councils, Catchment Management Authorities and state departments. Samantha Vine has a wealth of experience building partnerships in the conservation sector, having led development and delivery of many joint projects between Indigenous groups, private business, land managers, community groups, governments and nongovernment organisations. In her current role as conservation manager for Birds Australia, Samantha advocates the use of birds as flagships for biodiversity conservation. 229 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 6g—Symposium: Biodiversity indicators for measuring and monitoring ecosystem condition and climate change adaptation 1100, Room T2, MCC 1115, Room T2, MCC Biodiversity under climate change: monitoring for structure and function Confirmation of globally consistent responses of ant communities to grazing impacts Roger Kitching1, Chris Burwell1,2, Melinda Laidlaw3, Sarah Maunsell1, Louise Ashton1, Sarah Boulter1, David Putland1 Ben Hoffmann1 1 2 Griffith University, Queensland Museum, Queensland Herbarium As climate change bites so the composition and, potentially, the functioning of whole assemblages of organisms will change. To measure and, where possible, respond to this the changes need to be monitored. The construction of monitoring tools needs a baseline and a set of sensitivity analyses to determining which subset (the ‘predictor set’) can act as a reasonable surrogate for the entire biological community. Identifying such a subset for subtropical rainforest has been the task of the IBISCA Queensland Project over the last four years. Forty scientists from 17 countries with legions of volunteers and students came together to compare the fauna and flora of 20 permanent sites at five adjacent altitudes. Clear discrimination across altitudes (that is: adjacent climates) was obtained for more or less every taxon examined. We present the results on plants, ants, moths and Collembola by way of examples. Selecting a ‘predictor set’ then becomes a matter of pragmatics in which ease of sampling, trophic role and identification are paramount. We will discuss the spatial generality of our results and the ways in which one intensive study can be expanded to be of more universal use. Professor Roger Kitching holds the Chair of Ecology at Griffith University. He studies rainforest biodiversity, particularly insects. 230 1 CSIRO 3 The application of ants as a bioindicator group has been particularly widespread in Australia, and a recent comprehensive review of their responses to environmental disturbance identified a range of consistent and predictable patterns. Here I review the responses of ants to grazing globally, and specifically test whether the four key patterns identified in the review of ant responses to disturbance in Australia apply globally. The answer was yes, ants globally consistently respond to grazing following four predictable patterns. This is the first such formulation of global patterns for any terrestrial invertebrate group for their use in bioindication, and provides valuable support to the use of ants as indicators of ecological disturbance. The challenge now is to provide a predictive understanding of the context dependency (variation) seen in many responses, as well as to improve the precision of the predictive responses. The confirmation of global patterns to grazing presented here represents a first step in developing the valuable contribution that ants can provide to rangeland monitoring systems. Ben Hoffmann is an ecologist specialising in ants. Much of his work over the past decade has investigated the use of ants as indicators of sustainable land use. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T2, MCC 1145, Room T2, MCC Monitoring the impacts of extreme weather events: climate change and the lemuroid ringtail possum The relative merits of indicators and surrogates versus direct measures Stephen Williams1, Jeremy VanDerWal1, Luke Shoo1, Andrew Krockenberger1, Martin Cohen1 David B Lindenmayer1, Gene E Likens2 1 James Cook University One of the greatest unknowns in climate change science is how changes in extreme events will impact on the natural world. Emerging evidence strongly suggests that changes in the frequency, duration and intensity of climatic extremes (e.g., heat waves, droughts, fire) will be even more important than gradual increases in climatic means in driving ecological responses to climatic change. Here we will describe the impacts of a changing climate on the regionally-endemic lemuroid ringtail possum (Hemibelideus lemuroides) with particular emphasis on the interactions between physiology, thermal refugia and extreme weather events. Ongoing monitoring over the last 20 years has observed severe declines in the northern population and upslope shifts in population in the south. We will present both spatial and statistical models predicting future impacts and evaluate the options for managing refugia and maximising the chances of persistence for this iconic rainforest species. Professor Stephen Williams completed his PhD in rainforest ecology at James Cook University in 1998 and has continued his work on the tropical rainforests of the region to this day. He completed post-doctoral fellowships with the Rainforest-CRC and ARC. He has maintained a significant involvement in collaborative research in the region over the years within both the RainforestCRC and the Marine & Terrestrial Science Research Centre. In 2006, he accepted a Queensland Government Senior Research Fellowship and created the Centre for Tropical Biodiversity & Climate Change research (CTBCC). 1 Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, 2Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, USA Environmental degradation and biodiversity loss are major global problems, but tackling them is difficult because of the impossibility of knowing how to protect every environment and every species in those environments. The enormity and complexity of these problems have led to the development of surrogate or indicator approaches to track changes in environments and/or in biodiversity rather than to measure them directly. In this talk we present a broad philosophical discussion of the relative merits for enhanced environmental management and biodiversity conservation of a surrogate or indicator approach compared to a direct measurement approach where the focus is on a single entity or a highly targeted subset of entities in a given ecosystem. A goal of a direct measurement approach is to demonstrate causality between the entities selected for measurement and system targeted for management. The key steps in the approach are based on the fundamental scientific principles of question setting and associated direct measurement that drive research activities, management activities and monitoring programs. It is based on the critical assumptions that the ‘right’ entities to measure have been selected, the entities are well known, there is sufficient understanding about key ecological processes, and that the entities selected can be accurately measured. However, the direct measurement approach is reductionist and many elements of the biota, many biotic processes and environmental factors must, by the necessity of practicality, be ignored. The sequence of steps in applying the surrogate or indicator approach is broadly similar to the direct measurement approach, except for one important additional step— quantifying surrogacy relationships. This entails both: (1) establishing the underlying causal relationships between an indicator and the entities or relationships for which is it purported to be indicative, and, (2) determining the taxonomic, spatial and temporal bounds for which a surrogacy relationship does and does not hold. Very few studies have rigorously addressed these tasks, despite the extremely widespread use of surrogates and indicators in virtually all fields of environmental, resource and conservation management. We argue that this deficiency in establishing these surrogancy relationships has led to potentially significant, inter-related problems such as a failure to establish causal (as opposed to correlative) surrogacy relationships and a lack of transferability of a given surrogate such as an indicator species to other groups, between landscapes, ecosystems, environmental circumstances, or over time in the same location. Hence, indicator applications have typically been highly idiosyncratic— organism-, landscape- or ecosystem-specific. David Lindenmayer is a Professor of Ecology and Conservation Biology at The Australian National University. He runs six largescale, long-term landscape programs that focus on the response of biodiversity to such key drivers as fire, logging, plantation establishment, and agriculture and grazing. 231 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T2, MCC 1215, Room T2, MCC Biodiversity indicators for measuring and monitoring ecosystem condition and climate change adaptation in Brazil Moths as indicators of climate change— investigating species with restricted altitudinal distributions William Magnusson1, Jean-Marc Hero2, Flavia Costa1 Louise Ashton1, Roger Kitching1, Sarah Maunsell1, Chris 2 Burwell 1 Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, 2Environmental Futures Centre, Griffith University The only thing that is constant is change! Therefore, monitoring only to detect change is not useful for management. Planning and mitigation require that we know the scale and probable causes of change. Climate change will undoubtedly result in the redistribution of organisms within the landscape as happened in the past, and as continues to happen today. However, costly interventions are only justifiable if such processes are likely to lead to extinction of species, or if essential ecosystem processes are compromised. Frequently, it is more economical to evaluate ecosystem processes directly than to use biological surrogates. However, in some cases, changes in biological communities, the population dynamics of individual species, or individual condition can indicate potential problems long before the magnitude of the ecosystem change is recognised as critical to the biological systems of which we are part. The RAPELD system used by the PPBio and CENBAM programs in Brazil has proved useful to provide integrated data on ecosystem change and biodiversity indicators that are more sensitive, and more economical to obtain, than direct measurements of physical-chemical processes, and these data are obtained on scales that are of interest to a wide range of stakeholders. William Magnusson has been a research scientist with the National Institute for Amazonian Research since 1979. He is the coordinator of the Brazilian Program for Biodiversity Research (PPBio) for western Amazonia. 1 Griffith University, 2Queensland Museum Moth assemblages have been widely used to examine patterns of beta-diversity in forest ecosystems. This study aims to expand and test the generality of results obtained in a previous project, which examined patterns of diversity of moths along an altitudinal gradient in subtropical rainforest. These results showed a number of altitudinally restricted moths in Lamington National Park, which have been proposed as part of an indicator set for monitoring altitudinal shifts in that area. In order to expand on these results, a network of analogous altitudinal transects have been established at different latitudes. Predictive relationships between biodiversity and climate within Australasian rainforests can now be underpinned by an understanding of the ecosystemlevel mechanisms involved in producing patterns of moth assemblages across altitudes. The preliminary results presented here are from sampling moth assemblages along altitudinal gradients at Mt Lewis National Park, QLD, and Border Ranges National Park, NSW. The moth assemblage turnover at different taxonomic resolutions across altitude is investigated. Species are identified which are most sensitive to altitude and which may be useful as indicator species for climate change monitoring. The Australiawide distributions of these individual species are also investigated using museum records, in order to identity those species which are most at risk of local extinctions. Louise Ashton is half way through a PhD candidature and areas of interest include rainforest biodiversity and species loss and insect community ecology. 232 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 6h—Symposium: Grassy woodlands: managing processes to restore ecosystem function 1100, Room T1, MCC 1115, Room T1, MCC The Mulligans Flat – Goorooyarroo Woodland Experiment—integrating research and restoration Prospects for restoring function and diversity in grassy woodlands Adrian Manning1 Sue McIntyre1 1 The Australian National University 1 CSIRO The Mulligans Flat – Goorooyarroo Woodland Experiment is a research partnership between the ACT Government, The Australian National University and CSIRO. The aim of the project is to find ways of improving critically-endangered box-gum grassy woodlands for biodiversity through manipulating ecological processes. Treatments include the addition of 2000 tonnes of coarse woody debris, prescribed burning, and exclusion of kangaroos. Response variables include: plants, fungi, birds, small mammals, reptiles and invertebrates. In addition, a newly constructed feral animal-proof fence surrounding half the experiment, will allow reintroduction of locally-extinct species, including ecosystem engineers, and will provide additional opportunities to research the woodland restoration process. The experiment provides a strong inferential framework for tracking the effects of restoration treatments on woodland biodiversity over coming years. This will inform adaptive management of similar woodlands in the region. It also provides a research framework for a range of collaborators working towards a ‘whole-ecosystem’ understanding of these grassy woodlands. The broader aim is for the experiment to become a long-term ecological research site and ‘outdoor laboratory’ for ecological restoration research, and community and student learning. While the self-restoring nature of vegetation can be generally relied on in conservation reserves, Mulligan’s Flat and Goorooyaroo Reserves demonstrate some obstacles that are typical for temperate grassy woodlands with a pastoral history. They will require active management, at least initially, to open up pathways to restoration. 1) Ongoing intense grazing pressure due to the absence of predators can inhibit the restoration of plant/soil/water processes by limiting biomass, improvements in soil conditions and potential productivity. 2) Prolific tree regeneration can result in dense forest, rather than woodland structure. 3) Selfperpetuation of exotic annual weeds through annual release of nitrates inhibits the recovery of native perennial species. 4) Loss of grazing-sensitive and nutrient-intolerant species over large scales can prevent recovery of plant diversity either permanently, or over very long time-frames. Obstacles to recovery of vegetation function and structure (1 and 2) are likely to affect habitat quality as well, so it is important that vegetation and faunal recovery be managed in concert. Restoration will require actions such as management of fauna populations, tree thinning and assisted colonisation, which are not conventionally used in conservation reserves and require a new dimension of ecological awareness and acceptance. Adrian Manning is a Fellow at the Fenner School of Environment and Society at The Australian National University. His research interests are in conservation biology, landscape ecology and restoration ecology. He is currently undertaking a large research project investigating ways of improving grassy eucalypt woodlands for biodiversity. Sue McIntyre is a Senior Principle Research Scientist at CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems in Canberra, she has worked on the ecology and conservation of grassy woodlands for most of two decades, and over much of eastern Australia. 233 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T1, MCC 1145, Room T1, MCC Managing vertebrate grazing can benefit insect diversity at site and microhabitat scales Debris or not debris: microclimatic benefits of large woody debris Philip Barton1,2, Adrian Manning1, Heloise Gibb3, Jeff Wood1,4, David Lindenmayer1, Saul Cunningham2 Sarah Raphael Goldin1, Michael Hutchinson1 1 The Australian National University 1 Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, 2CSIRO Entomology, 3Department of Zoology, La Trobe University, 4Statistical Consulting Unit, The Australian National University The overabundance of vertebrate herbivores can be a significant barrier to ecological restoration due to their impact on grass structure and biomass. Management of vertebrate herbivores is often achieved by exclusion fences, but few studies have examined the potential of small-scale structural refugia to mitigate grazing impacts. We examined the beetle assemblage response over a period of 18 months in an experiment that manipulated kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) grazing levels using exclosure fences and addition of coarse woody debris. We detected significant negative effects of grazing and positive effects of coarse woody debris volume on beetle abundance and species richness at the site scale. At the microhabitat scale, beetles sampled adjacent to the experimental logs had a positive change in abundance and species richness, whereas beetles from open ground had a decline in abundance and species richness in the high grazing treatment. Management of kangaroo grazing levels can be achieved through the combined use of exclosure fences and coarse woody debris. For ecological restoration, exclosure fences and coarse woody debris can be used to manage the impacts of overabundant vertebrate herbivores at both site and microhabitat scales, with benefits for insect diversity. Philip Barton is a PhD student at the Fenner School of Environment and Society at ANU. His doctoral studies have focused on the ecology of beetle assemblages in grassy woodlands. 234 Direct deposition of woody debris is gaining momentum as a restoration treatment. Of particular interest is its use as a restoration treatment in temperate woodlands of south-eastern Australia. Woodland vegetation and large woody debris (LWD) have been removed from these ecosystems to make way for agriculture. While the capacity of woody debris to create structural complexity is well recognised, little is known about its effects on the soil microclimate. In landscapes where vegetation and woody debris has been removed, debris could improve microclimatic conditions, thus allowing organisms to persist in otherwise unsuitable environments. In this study, soil temperature and moisture surrounding LWD were sampled in remnant eucalypt woodland in the Australian Capital Territory. Diurnal temperatures were logged during winter and summer, and gravimetric soil moisture was sampled for several days after a significant rain event (>100mm). Results indicate that LWD may reduce thermal stress and desiccation in the surrounding soils. Soil closest to LWD remained significantly (P<0.001) cooler during summer peak heat, while in the winter, temperatures were significantly (P<0.001) warmer near LWD. During the sampling period, soil moisture was significantly (P=0.0004) higher near LWD than the control. These results support the use of woody debris in creating microclimatic refugia within temperate woodlands. Sarah Raphael Goldin is in the final stages of her PhD on the ecological benefits of large woody debris. Previous experiences include a masters degree (UNSW) and related working experience in the private and public sector. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T1, MCC 1215, Room T1, MCC The impact of kangaroo grazing on fauna within grassy woodlands Ecological function and woodland trees: size matters Brett Howland1 Chris McElhinny1, Paul Killey1, Daniela Carnovale1, Bart Schneemann1, Ian Rayner1, Charles Lowson1, 1 1 Carlos Pachon , Jeff Woods 1 Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University 1 Large herbivores can have a major influence on the structure and composition of vegetation communities. While some level of herbivory is required to maintain diverse vegetation communities, high levels can lead to declines in vegetation condition, and subsequent declines in faunal diversity. With reduction in predation (dingo and man), and increased water availability, kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) numbers have increased in recent years, leading to changes in vegetation condition. Currently little is known about what impact these changes are having on faunal diversity, and what level of herbivory is optimal for biodiversity conservation. An investigation into the impact of kangaroo grazing on fauna is being undertaken at 21 grassy woodlands, spanning areas with high through to low levels of grazing. Three fauna groups, spiders, birds, reptiles, were chosen as response variables. As part of this research, optimal methods for accurately quantifying kangaroo grazing pressure, and the development of a native pasture growth model are also being undertaken. Initial results indicate a strong influence of kangaroo grazing on the presence of Menetia greyii, with individuals only present in sites with greater than 250kg.DM/ha. Results from this study will offer insights into optimal management of kangaroo grazing for fauna conservation within grassy woodlands ecosystems. Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University In a coordinated set of undergraduate research projects we quantified nutrient enrichment and litter and coarse woody debris inputs associated with trees in a Eucalyptus melliodora—E. blakelyi woodland Long Term Ecological Research Site (LTER). Our results indicate that large trees have a disproportionate and positive contribution to these functions compared with smaller trees and supports the keystone role mature trees provide in woodland ecosystems. Our research has important management implications, including the need to use mature trees as restoration foci, the ecological thinning of regrowth patches to facilitate the growth of replacement large trees, the setting of benchmark levels for coarse woody debris, and the addition of coarse woody debris to augment depleted stocks. To conclude we discuss the important opportunity LTER sites provide for engaging bright young minds in cutting edge research. Chris McElhinny is a full-time lecturer at the Fenner School of Environment and Society, ANU. His research concerns the role of vegetation structure in ecosystem function and the development and application of stand and landscape scale biometrics to improve the management of native vegetation. His teaching mirrors my research interests, and he convenes and contributes to undergraduate and postgraduate courses concerned with forest and woodland ecology, restoration and sustainable management. Brett Howland graduated from the Australia National University in 2007. He completed his honours the following year, with his research focused on methods to estimate kangaroo numbers. His honours work landed him a position with Environment ACT, where he was employed to design and implement a kangaroo monitoring program. Brett has a keen interest in the role grazing has in ecological restoration and biodiversity conservation. 235 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 7a—Symposium: Ecological restoration science and practice: current and future directions 1330, Room T3, MCC 1345, Room T3, MCC EcoFire—restoring biodiversity values of the Kimberley Biodiversity conservation, vegetation condition and management intervention Sarah Legge1, Steve Murphy1, Richard Kingswood1, Daniel Swan1, Butch Maher1 David Lindenmayer1, Damian Michael1, Mason Crane1, Rebecca Montague-Drake1, Jeff Wood1, Chris MacGregor1, 1 2 Geoff Kay , Emmo Willinck 1 Australian Wildlife Conservancy 1 Mismanaged fire threatens the conservation values of northern Australia. The contemporary regime of regular, extensive and intense mid-to-late dry season fires homogenises woodland structure and floristics, damages riparian vegetation and other refugial habitats, and is contributing to widespread and potentially catastrophic declines of key faunal guilds such as seedeating birds, riparian specialists, and small-to-medium sized mammals. In an effort to reverse this landscapescale degradation, pastoralists, Indigenous communities, government and non-government agencies have collaborated on a regional fire management program called EcoFire, funded by Rangelands NRM through Caring For Our Country, and managed by Australian Wildlife Conservancy. Since 2007, EcoFire has coordinated a prescribed burning program across 5 million hectares of mixed tenure in the central-north Kimberley. The project has markedly changed fire patterns (revealed by remote sensing and ground-truthing) towards a regime of less extensive and intense fires, with an increase in the availability of unburnt habitat and pasture. A monitoring program of appropriate indicators (eg. riparian specialists, grass-dependent birds and mammals, and ground cover characteristics) at focal sites suggests a positive biodiversity response. By integrating science with practical delivery, and maintaining a clear focus on outcomes, EcoFire has encouraged the support of a diverse regional community. Sarah Legge runs the conservation and science program for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Australia’s largest nongovernment conservation organisation, which owns 21 properties across Australia, covering over 2.6 million hectares. 236 Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, 2Murray Catchment Management Authority, NSW Are there relationships between biodiversity conservation, vegetation condition, and management intervention? We sought to answer this critically important question as part of a major large-scale study encompassing many sites on a range of farms in the western Murray Catchment of New South Wales. Our monitoring program spanned four major types of temperate woodland in four intervention classes: (1) travelling stock reserves, (2) agricultural production sites, (3) recent (< 3 year) biodiversity conversion sites*, and, (4) long-term (7–10+) biodiversity conversion sites*. We outline the findings of extensive analyses of vegetation condition in relation to intervention, bird and reptile responses to vegetation condition, and bird and reptile responses to intervention category. Some of our key findings have substantial implications for how intervention practices might be best managed under incentive schemes designed to promote biodiversity conservation in agricultural areas and they are touched on in this presentation. *Biodiversity conversion sites: remnant native vegetation fenced, with or without enhancement planting/direct seeding. David Lindenmayer is a Professor of Ecology and Conservation Biology at The Australian National University. He runs six largescale, long-term landscape programs that focus on the response of biodiversity to such key drivers as fire, logging, plantation establishment, and agriculture and grazing. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T3, MCC 1430, Room T3, MCC Transformative restoration: the challenges of working at multiple scales Intervention ecology: managing altered ecosystems to sustain and restore function David Freudenberger1 Mike Perring1, Rachel Standish1, Richard Hobbs1, Lori Lach1, Kris 1 Hulvey 1 Greening Australia 1 Greening Australia is involved in a number of ‘mega’ conservation corridor initiatives (biolinks) including Gondwana Link and Habitat 1410. We are involved in the planning, marketing, implementation and evaluation components of these audacious initiatives. Conservation and restoration across such vast distances (100s km) requires us to integrate issues and processes at multiple scales. We work within a global context of climate change, emerging carbon markets, and biodiversity hotspots. At the regional scale we and our partners have differentiated mega-corridors into functional landscape zones. Within zones, we develop conservation action plans based on a collective understanding of key conservation assets, their viability and their threats that provide the basis for setting quantitative objectives and cost-effective strategies. However, restoration occurs at the operational scale of paddocks, creeklines and shelter belts. Effective restoration requires agronomic understanding of soil constraints to plant establishment and growth. Ecologically resilient and diverse restoration requires knowledge of plant genetics, floristic community structure, and soil and seed biology. The challenge is to embed adaptive management research and researchers into our operational scale restoration works in order to continuously improve floristic diversity and structure, at the same time reduce the cost of our restoration activities through innovative technologies and agronomic practices. Dr David Freudenberger is Greening Australia’s Chief Scientist who assists the organisation in planning, implementing and evaluating landscape scale restoration projects based on the best available science and within an adaptive management framework. School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia Our paper presents initial work surrounding the future direction we see restoration ecology moving towards: intervention ecology. We aim to provoke discussion and debate, and would appreciate comment on the rationale and thrust of our research. Restoration ecology, over the last 50 years, has moved from a nascent discipline to one that informs ecological theory and practice. However, we live in an era of multiple and rapid environmental changes, many induced by unprecedented human activity. Restoration ecology needs to take account of these ongoing and future changes in order to sustain and restore ecosystem functions. We present experimental and observational approaches being conducted by our group at broad scales—common garden experiments, multi-factor experiments, trait-based work—that will increase our knowledge of ecosystem responses to environmental change. We highlight a recently established experiment designed to investigate ecosystem multi-functionality as a function of plant functional groups and restoration effort. Assessing multiple functions, such as resilience to disturbance, pollination provision, and carbon storage, is an under-researched but fruitful direction for restoration ecology in the 21st Century. Understanding responses will allow us to intervene in and manage ecosystems to ensure their capacity for ongoing function and service provision in the Anthropocene. Mike Perring is an ecosystem ecologist who has previously modelled environmental change impacts upon pasture processes. He wants to apply this knowledge to practical restoration questions. 237 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1445, Room T3, MCC Restoring forests for biodiversity and carbon John Kanowski1, Carla P Catterall2 1 Australian Wildlife Conservancy, 2School of Environment, Griffith University To what extent does the restoration of forest ecosystems help sequester greenhouse gases? We examine potential synergies and conflicts between these objectives for three types of restoration project in northern Australia. Rainforest plantings in north-east Queensland. In a detailed study, we found that diverse restoration plantings can provide habitat for rainforest fauna and accumulate large amounts of carbon per ha. However, the potential for sequestration in rainforest plantings is limited, because plantings only cover a few thousand hectares. The unit cost of sequestration is very high. Savanna burning. Projects such as ‘Ecofire’ which seek to re-establish patchy, early dry season fire regimes address a major threat to biodiversity in northern Australia and have the potential to sequester carbon. Sequestration is low per unit area, but the vast scale of these projects (millions of hectares) means that the overall amount of sequestration can be very high. The unit cost of sequestration is low. Restoration of wet sclerophyll forests invaded by rainforest plants. Restoration of these forests and their fauna requires destruction of the rainforest understorey, with large per unit area reductions in carbon stocks. In this case, restoration and sequestration are in conflict. Does it matter? Since 2008, John Kanowski has worked as Regional Ecologist with Australian Wildlife Conservancy in north-east Australia. Previously, John worked with Carla Catterall on the biodiversity values of rainforest plantations. 238 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 7b—Symposium: Monitoring for a purpose: optimal monitoring and management of cryptic or declining populations 1330, Room T4, MCC 1345, Room T4, MCC The influence of abundance on detectability Estimating biodiversity metrics in cleared areas, accounting for varied detectability between species Michael McCarthy 1 1 The University of Melbourne The rate of detection of plants and animals during ecological survey is important for environmental impact assessment, surveillance of invasive species, and modelling the distribution of species. Abundance is likely to have a large influence on the rate of detection. Finding invasive or threatened species can be difficult when they are rare, but there is little information for how the probability of detection is likely to vary with abundance. We develop a novel model of detectability in which the rate of detection is predicted to be proportional to a power function of abundance in which the scaling exponent is between 0 and 1. We estimated the parameters of this model using data from two case studies: an experimental study of surveys for chenopod shrubs and placed objects; and frog surveys at multiple sites in sub-tropical forest of eastern Australia. Analyses based on models of failure time suggest that the rate of detection tends to increase with abundance as predicted by the model. Michael McCarthy has a PhD in stochastic population ecology, conduct research in the area of quantitative ecology, with an emphasis on applied aspects and environmental decision theory. Michelle (Miki) Ensbey1,2, Anthony Griffiths1, Mick McCarthy2, Brendan Wintle2 1 NRETAS, 2University of Melbourne Monitoring and demonstrating the success of actions to sustain biodiversity are difficult. One of the simplest and most intuitive biodiversity metrics on which conservation performance can be gauged is changes to species richness where investments are made. However, one of the biggest hurdles for accurately monitoring and describing species richness is lower detection rates of cryptic species. Accounting for variation in detectability in communities reduces the chance of false inference, and therefore inefficient conservation decisions. We developed a Bayesian model based on Royle’s N-mixture model to estimate species richness from standard biodiversity surveys in permitted clearing areas in the Daly region, NT. This model accounts for variation in detectability across species by assuming it’s drawn from the beta-binomial distribution. This is important when all species are not expected to be detected equally, which is likely. This is a novel model and may be used in a large range of studies where marking species is difficult or detrimental. We find that the ‘true’ number of species is overestimated if we do not explicitly model variation in detectability. We demonstrate extensions to the model with categorical and linear covariates. This example shows how relevant this work is to managing and sustaining biodiversity. Miki Ensbey studied ecology at the university of Queensland and University of Melbourne. Miki specialises in detectability models to assist decision making. She is currently working for Biodiversity, NRETAS, NT monitoring biodiversity around vegetation clearing in the Daly Region for Adaptive Management, policy and guidelines. 239 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T4, MCC 1415, Room T4, MCC Monitoring impacts of bauxite mining on threatened species using species specific monitoring programs Endangered species reintroduction success in protected areas: monitoring for conservation Vicki Stokes1 1 Kerryn Herman1, Matt Hayward1, Sarah Legge1 Australian Wildlife Conservancy 1 Research Department, Alcoa of Australia, WA Monitoring is vital for identifying and tracking impacts of land use practices such as mining on wildlife. While standard survey methods are appropriate for monitoring many species, rare or threatened species are often not captured and are under-estimated using these techniques. In the northern jarrah forest of Western Australia, Alcoa of Australia is designing species-specific monitoring programs in attempts to reliably track changes in populations of threatened species due to bauxite mining and identify impacts on habitat values required by species for persistence. For example, standard site-based trapping transects are underestimating the density and extent of occurrence of the western quoll, Dasyurus geoffroii and the quokka, Setonix brachyurus compared with spatially appropriate monitoring programs and use of motion sensitive cameras. Standard site-based bird surveys provide little meaningful data on the Forest Red-tailed black cockatoo and Baudin’s cockatoo because of the scale at which these birds utilise the landscape. Surveys that target roost and nest sites will identify high quality habitat for protection within the mine lease. Wildlife surveyors and researchers need to adopt species appropriate and novel approaches to monitoring to ensure that species are not over-looked. Dr Vicki Stokes is a research scientist with Alcoa of Australia, researching ecosystem restoration, particularly pertaining to fauna in production landscapes. Other research interests include invasive species and threatened species ecology. Increasingly the conservation of mammals in semi-arid Australia is becoming dependent on protected areas, with methods such as intensive baiting, shooting and large scale feral animal proof fencing being employed to protect these mammals. Scotia Sanctuary has the largest fenced feral animal proof area in Australia, which has enabled the reintroduction of 6 mammal species, otherwise extinct in NSW. We analyse long term population data for two species of bettong: Bettongia penicillata and Bettongia lesueur. Both species naturally occurred in the region prior to European settlement and were considered prime candidates for successful reintroductions into Scotia Sanctuary. Release into the sanctuary was staged over four separate occasions at intervals of three months. Results of population monitoring show pronounced differences in the populations of these species. B. lesueur populations have reached 400 animals, compared to 30 animals in the B. penicillata population. The population growth for the species show differences, with a constant increase in the B. lesueur population compared to a peak in the B. penicillata population 3 months after the final release, followed by a constant decline which has seen the species stabilise at the current level. Questions of appropriate founder population size, species selection, future population control and what constitutes a ‘successful reintroduction’ are being revisited in light of these findings and are helping to frame the ongoing management of the sanctuary. Until coming to work for AWC in 2008, Kerryn Herman’s area of interest had been in woodland birds, with a PhD on a Tasmanian endemic honeyeater. Since being at Scotia work has progressively become more mammal oriented with focus on reintroductions and endangered species management. 240 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T4, MCC 1445, Room T4, MCC Monitoring protocols to assess the recovery of native plants following the control of widespread weeds Monitoring threatened savanna finches using health indices Paul O Downey1, Nelika K Hughes2 1 Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, 2Australian Wildlife Conservancy Despite wide acknowledgement that monitoring is essential, few data exist on the effectiveness of weed management programs. Of the available datasets, few contain information on the response of native species, with the main focus being on the decline of the weed species. In addition, nearly every monitoring program is different making broader comparisons virtually impossible. This situation is largely attributed to a general lack of: (i) expertise within weed managers, (ii) guidance on which methods to use given the endless options available, and (iii) what to do with the data, as well as inadequate resourcing of monitoring programs. To address this, monitoring protocols have been developed to assess the response of native plant species following weed control. This monitoring manual contains 3 tiers of complexity (Standard, Advanced and Research Tiers), with techniques ranging from simple qualitative assessments to robust research studies, with site managers adopting the tier most suitable to their desired outcomes, skills and resources. In addition, the manual contains standardised datasheets and information on simple data analysis. The benefits of this approach is that (i) it provides all site managers with guidance on monitoring and, (ii) the results from each site can be compiled and assessed collectively. Paul Downey has a PhD in weed ecology. He worked for NSW National Parks as a weed ecologist for 8 years and recently took up an assistant professor position at UC. Kimberly Maute1, Kris French1, Sarah Legge2, Lee Astheimer3, William Buttemer3 1 University of Wollongong, 2Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Deakin University 3 Over a quarter of Australia’s granivorous birds have declined in abundance or experienced range contractions over the last 50 years. It is widely assumed that cattle grazing and changed fire regimes have lowered the quality of savanna habitats for some grassseed eating species, but the relative impacts of changed land use on declining and common finches remains poorly defined because of difficulties in monitoring the abundance of these semi-nomadic birds. We have instead compared health measures of declining and non-declining finch species to determine if the timing and severity of changes in health indicators coincide with differing land management. All finches displayed signs of poorer health during non-breeding compared to breeding seasons, but the extent of this was greatest in declining species. Threatened Gouldian, Star and Black-throated finch populations more often had elevated stress hormone and haematocrit levels and lower body condition measures than non-declining Long-tailed, Masked and Black-throated finch populations. Declining finch species also showed more variation in health measures between sites with differing land management. These results reveal the utility of using health indices to determine the sensitivity of birds to environmental perturbations and their potential to monitor the effects of intensified grazing and fire on savanna biodiversity. Kimberly Maute is a PhD candidate at the University of Wollongong who has worked on finch related research in Northern Australia since 2004 and has a life-long interest in biodiversity conservation. 241 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 7c—Symposium: Dissecting Australian diversity: the key to understanding global biodiversity 1330, Room T5, MCC 1345, Room T5, MCC Competition for light promotes plant-trait and species diversity via niche partitioning and neutral dynamics Age and growth of an old-growth stand of Eucalyptus regnans: the world’s tallest angiosperm 1 2,3 1 Daniel Falster , Åke Brännström , Mark Westoby , Ulf 3 Dieckmann Macquarie University, Australia, 2Umeaa University, Sweden, IIASA, Austria Sam Wood1, Quan Hua2, Kathy Allen1, David Bowman1 1 School of Plant Science, University of Tasmania, 2Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation 1 3 The long-term evolutionary effects of competitive shading on species diversity and stand structure remain controversial. The failure of niche theory to account for observed patterns of diversity has led some researchers to seek alternative explanations, founded on notions of neutral drift. However, existing niche models have not previously incorporated realistic ecology; therefore, the evolutionary consequences of competitive interactions remain largely unexplored. Using a detailed mechanistic model, we show that the combination of three generic features of plant communities—competition for light, disturbance, and growth-related trade-offs—inescapably lead to the formation of stable, functionally diverse communities. Further, our model shows how natural selection under different environmental conditions intrinsically favours different trait combinations. In addition to trait values, the model predicts other commonly observed features of plant communities, including the segregation of species into different successional types and the development of idealised canopy layers. While the number of strategies supported by niche-based mechanisms is still limited, inspection of fitness landscapes in our evolved communities reveals regions of near-neutrality within which multiple, functionally equivalent species can coexist. This leads us to suggest that stand structure, trait diversity, and neutral dynamics are all outcomes of a niche-based theory of diversity. Daniel Falster is presenting work from his PhD thesis, completed in early 2010. His goal is to develop a new evolutionarily-inspired theory of plant-trait diversity and vegetation dynamics. 242 Temperate old-growth forests contain some of the highest above-ground stores of carbon. The ecology of many temperate forests is dominated by episodic disturbance, such as high intensity fire. Eucalyptus regnans forests are particularly carbon dense and are adapted to infrequent catastrophic fires. Understanding the growth and longevity of old-growth trees is crucial to understanding the carbon balance and fire regimes of these forests. In an old-growth E. regnans stand in Tasmania we used dendrochronological techniques and radiocarbon dating to determine the age and stem growth of E. regnans and Phyllocladus aspleniifolius, an understorey rainforest conifer. Our analysis revealed that an even-aged cohort of E. regnans and P. aspleniifolius established in 1490–1510AD, apparently after a stand replacing fire. Growth rates of E. regnans were rapid compared to P. aspleniifolius. That the longevity of E. regnans is > 500 years challenges the 350–450 year timeframe proposed by the traditional model of succession from eucalypt to rainforest. These forests not only store vast amounts of carbon, but also maintain high carbon densities for a long period of time. Estimates of the capacity of temperate forests to store carbon should consider past fire regimes and increased fire frequencies associated with climate change. Sam Wood is a landscape ecologist that is currently working towards a better understanding of the relationships between vegetation, fire and soils in the vegetation mosaics of south-west Tasmania. He is also interested in the use of dendro-ecological techniques for investigating the temporal dynamics of forest ecosystems and has experience in measuring and modelling carbon storage in eucalypt forests. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T5, MCC 1415, Room T5, MCC Not enough niches to explain a remarkable cooccurrence of congeneric ant species Phylogenetic and taxonomic structure of plant communities across the south-west Australian biodiversity hotspot Alan Andersen1, Xavi Arnan2, Kate Sparks3 1 CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, 2Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain, 3University of Adelaide Marcel Cardillo1 The control of species co-existence and therefore local diversity remains one of the most enduring and contentious issues in community ecology. The traditional view is that local species richness is limited by the number of available niches, and that few closely related species are able to co-occur because of competitive exclusion. An alternative view is that different species are competitively neutral, and that species co-occurrence is determined by stochastic processes, with the number of closely related species co-occurring being limited only by the available species pool. Here we describe a remarkable co-occurrence of congeneric ant species, with more than 20 (mostly undescribed) species of Monomorium occurring within 0.2 km2 of relatively uniform savanna habitat near Darwin. Sixteen of these species display similarly generalised morphology and biology; we validate our species differentiation with genetic data, and provide information on their diets, foraging times, foraging distances and recruitment behaviour. Despite some clear examples of niche differentiation, there is overwhelming ecological similarity among the species. The assemblage represents virtually the entire pool of common, generalised Monomorium species in the broader Darwin region (ca. 50,000 km2). This points to the importance of neutral processes in the control of local diversity and suggests that competitive exclusion plays a limited role. The extraordinary botanical diversity of Australia’s southwest corner is one of the major features of Australian biodiversity, yet remains poorly explained. Using a database of botanical surveys of nearly 600 sites across the southwest, I explore patterns in the taxonomic and phylogenetic structure of the region’s plant communities. The results reveal a prevalent pattern of phylogenetic clustering, where species within communities tend to be more closely-related than expected under null models. This may reflect a diversification history of highly endemic local radiations, as well as processes of ecological sorting and mechanisms of coexistence among closely-related species. 1 Australian National University Marcel Cardillo is an ARC QEII Fellow in the Research School of Biology, ANU. His interests are in macroecology, macroevolution, conservation biology, and the use of phylogenetics in biodiversity science. Dr Alan Andersen leads CSIRO’s Tropical Savannas Group in Darwin, where he has been for 25 years. He has a particular research interest in the biogeography and community ecology of ants. 243 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T5, MCC 1445, Room T5, MCC How many waterbirds are there in Australia— chasing the impossible? The effect of contrasting edaphic conditions on birds in mulga woodland in central Australia Richard Kingsford1, John Porter1, Stuart Halse2 Adam Leavesley1, Jennie Mallela2, Matthew Brookhouse1 Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of NSW, 2Wembley WA Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, 2Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University 1 The collection of data on the distribution and abundance of organisms is fundamental to ecology, wildlife management and conservation biology. There are few rigorous measures of population sizes of species that are distributed widely across different landscapes. Key questions of habitat use, conservation of species or their management and measurement of anthropogenic impacts require well established and repeatable methods for data collection. In 2008, we surveyed the continent’s wetlands to determine the distribution and abundance of waterbirds. We adopted a stratified approach, identifying all major sites used by waterbirds and then randomly sampling other wetlands. The survey took two months with nearly 5,000 wetlands surveyed across the continent. This has enabled the first reasonable population estimates for more than 100 species of waterbirds, providing a relative measure of population size among species. As well, distributions of all these species were estimated. In addition, we identified the relative importance of wetlands in terms of abundance of waterbirds and species richness. Such information will be valuable for identification of Ramsar sites, protected areas and managing and guarding against impacts of water resource development, drainage, urbanisation and effects of water quality on waterbirds and their wetlands. Richard Kingsford is Director of the Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre at the University of NSW and has spent too much time in the plane counting waterbirds. 244 1 In the ecological framework for arid Australia it is postulated that the distribution of some fauna is affected by spatial patterning related to water availability and soil nutrients. We investigated the question by comparing the bird communities in mulga woodland in two landscapes with contrasting hydrology and substrate in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in arid central Australia. One landscape was a sheetwash system and the other was a reticulated dune-swale system. We counted the birds in 76 patches of mulga woodland (43 in the sheetwash and 34 in the dune-swale) of two times-sincefire (recently burnt and long unburnt). Bird community composition varied between landscape in both timesince-fire classes with larger insectivores and granivores more common in the sheetwash landscape and smaller insectivores more common in the dune-swale. Univariate analysis showed that in recently burnt mulga woodland all common species were more abundant in the sheetwash landscape but in the long-unburnt mulga woodland small insectivores were more common in the dune-swale landscape. The total biomass of the most common species was greater in the sheetwash landscape in both times-since-fire. We concluded that edaphic conditions interacted with recent rain and fire to affect the distribution of mulga birds at the study site. Adam Leavesley is a fire ecologist with a particular interest in arid ecosystems and birds. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 7d—Invasive species 1330, Moran G008, MCC 1345, Moran G008, MCC Mammal extirpation on Australia’s islands Using TOPS to identify host hot spots for rust incursion management Emily Hanna1, Marcel Cardillo1 1 Australian National University 1,2,3 John Weiss 1 In the last two centuries, over one quarter of terrestrial mammal extinctions have occurred in Australia. Many other Australian mammal species have suffered serious declines in both population size and geographic range. Native mammal decline is not simply a mainland Australia problem: numerous native mammal extirpations have occurred on Australia’s offshore islands. However, some islands remain free from introduced predators, such as cats (Felis catus), allowing certain remnant populations of native species to survive without this threat. Islands therefore provide a good opportunity to test the impact of introduced predators on the erosion of mammal diversity. This talk will discuss the patterns of native mammal extinction risk on Australia’s islands, emphasising the effects of introduced species. The differences in factors influencing mammal extinction risk on Australia’s mainland and islands will also be discussed. Emily Hanna is a first year PhD student under the supervision of Dr Marcel Cardillo at the Centre for Macroevolution and Macroecology, ANU. She is interested in native mammal decline. 2,3 , Jane Moran , Michael McCarthy 1 2 School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity, 3Department of Primary Industries, VIC Rust fungi are important parasites of plants, causing environmental and economic impacts. In addition to the current distribution of rusts, knowing likely sources and potential changes in distribution is important for managing rust incursions. By using NASA’s Terrestrial Observation Prediction System—Gross Primary Production model (TOPS GPP) to model daily photosynthetic rates, we hope to gauge the suitability or susceptibility to rusts in vegetation types for South Eastern Australia. Using TOPS one can use weekly composite data of GPP at a 1 km spatial resolution to indicate susceptibility of vegetation to rust infection. Combining these data with meteorological climate data and a rust sporulation model, we predicted areas susceptible to rust infection, areas suitable for sporulation, and the direction that the spores may disperse. The change in vegetation suitability may be used to aid the location of traps for monitoring for presence of rusts. Simulations can be used to forecast pest outbreaks and potentially identify feasible and effective containment or management options. John Weiss is a PhD student with the Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity and the Victorian Department of Primary Industries. He has been working on and researching invasive species for nearly 20 years. He investigated the biological control and integrated management of the invasive weed, Horehound for 9 years and more recently worked on weed risk analysis and predictive modelling of potential weed impacts. At present he is enjoying working with NASA to see if we can use dynamic environmental layers to improve predictions for pest incursions. 245 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Moran G008, MCC 1415, Moran G008, MCC Is a vulnerable native marsupial naive to the predation threat of domestic cats and dogs? Role of nitrogen fixing bacteria in the invasion success of weedy Australian Acacias Alexandra Carthey1, Peter Banks1 Christina Birnbaum1, Peter H Thrall2, Michelle R Leishman1 1 University of New South Wales Alien predators are more dangerous to native prey populations than native predators, a fact generally attributed to prey naiveté, or a failure to respond effectively to novel predators due to a lack of experience. Evolutionary theory predicts that this novelty should diminish over time as local species gain predatorwariness. Here we use a novel approach to test whether free-living long-nosed bandicoots (Perameles nasuta)— vulnerable, native, critical weight range mammals that forage in urban back yards adjacent to bushland in Sydney—recognise and respond to the presence of two key introduced predators, dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and cats (Felis catus). We predict that a long coexistence history with Australia’s wild dog, the dingo (C. lupus dingo, ~5000 years) compared to feral cats (<200 years) would mean that bandicoots recognise and respond to the threat of domestic dogs but not to cats. Signs of bandicoot activity were less likely to appear at all in yards with dogs, and appeared less frequently and in smaller quantities than in yards with no pets; but were unaffected by the presence of cats. The bandicoots’ apparent response to dogs suggests that C. lupus may no longer be a novel predator to them. Alexandra Carthey is a second year PhD student, interested in the novel ecological interactions that result from the introduction of species into new areas. 1 Macquarie University, 2CSIRO Plant Industry Several Australian Acacias have become invasive when introduced into new areas within Australia. These invasive Acacias may have a detrimental effect on native flora and induce changes to below-ground microbial composition. Previous studies have shown that the invasive success of Acacias can be at least partly attributed to their ability to associate with N-fixing rhizobial bacteria. This study assessed the role of rhizobia in the invasion success of four Acacia species (A. cyclops, A. longifolia, A. melanoxylon, A. saligna) and closely related species Paraserianthes lophantha in their nonnative environment within Australia. Presence or absence of rhizobia in soils in both the native and introduced ranges of each species, as well as infectivity and efficacy, were estimated using the Most Probable Number (MPN) method to determine numbers of rhizobial cells/g-1 of soil. A glasshouse experiment had shown that there are significant differences in aboveground biomass between plants grown in soils from their native compared with non-native environment. The outcome of this study will enhance our understanding of the role of plant-soil interactions in Acacia invasion into novel ranges in Australia and also contribute towards a larger global framework of studies on the invasion ecology of non-native Acacias. Christina Birnbaum is a PhD student in Macquarie University Biology Department. She has done her BSc and MSc in Estonia and has been involved in NOBANIS IAS database compilation. 246 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Moran G008, MCC 1445, Moran G008, MCC Assessing rapid morphological change in the invasive common starling (Stunus vulgaris) in Australia The influence of landscape and local-scale attributes on invasive predator activity patterns in agricultural landscapes Ellen Couchman1,2,3, Angela Moles1,2,3, Lee Ann Rollins1,2,3, 1,2,3 William Sherwin Cameron Graham1, Martine Maron1, Clive McAlpine1,2 1 2 3 UNSW, Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science Rapid changes in morphological traits can influence invasion success. Globally, it is now recognised that rapid shifts in morphological traits are commonly found in invasive species. However within Australia studies on rapid morphological change have been limited. Our study follows on from recent genetic work conducted by Dr Lee Ann Rollins and Dr William Sherwin which found a genetic change in the range front population of starlings in Western Australia. We looked at the morphological traits of starlings over their range in Australia. We measured twelve morphological traits which are broadly categorised into four major morphological groups (brain, feet and leg, flight related and bill). Preliminary analysis has found that wing length differs over the starlings range in Australia. Furthermore trait variation is highly reduced in both the South Australia and Western Australian populations when compared to Victorian and New South Wales populations. Thus, rapid morphological change is occurring in the starling population in Australia. Although many studies have looked for evidence of genetic bottlenecks, this is one of the first to ask whether invading populations display less morphological variation then established. The results of this study are important as changes to a species phenotype can influence invasiveness. This study will also give baseline information to help us predict how Australia’s fauna may respond to climate change. 1 University of Queensland, School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, 2University of Queensland, The Ecology Centre Invasive predators are often associated with fragmented landscapes, and are an important concern for conservation management. Knowledge of how invasive predators are influenced by landscape structure can assist in the mitigation of their impacts. To address this issue, we investigated the influence of landscape and site scale habitat attributes on feral cat and red fox activity patterns in agricultural landscapes. Field surveys of the frequency of invasive predator visitation at a site scale were conducted in patch interiors, large patch edges, small patches, roadside verges, regrowth patches and open agricultural land. Invasive predators were most active in roadside verges, which may provide increased foraging success and also function as movement corridors. Generalised linear models showed that the most important factors in influencing invasive predator activity levels included the proportion of the landscape covered by cultivation and the density of vegetation at the site scale. Heterogeneous landscapes dominated by cultivation had more invasive predator activity. Dense lateral vegetation, typical of edge habitat, may be preferred by invasive predators as they provide cover for animals when foraging and moving. This information has important implications for the design of wildlife-friendly landscapes. Cameron Graham completed a BSc Conservation Ecology (Hons) at Deakin University. Cameron volunteered for two years at Bogor Botanical Gardens, Indonesia, and is currently a PhD candidate at University of Queensland investigating the ecology of invasive predators in agricultural landscapes. Ellen Couchman is currently completing an honours year at UNSW in ecology. Her special interests are invasive species and evolution. 247 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 7e—Urban landscapes 1330, Moran G007, MCC 1345, Moran G007, MCC Modelling spatial patterns of wildlife mortality in peri-urban landscapes Roost tree selection by insectivorous bats: can urban remnants sustain populations of hollow dependent fauna? 1 Harriet Preece , Clive McAlpine 2 1 Qld Department of Environment and Resource Management, The University of Queensland 2 In urban and peri-urban landscapes, wildlife experience elevated rates of mortality due to the interaction of habitat loss and fragmentation, matrix impermeability, proximity to roads and increased predation by dogs and cats. Numerous studies have sought to model the distributions of wildlife, however, few have modelled the spatial patterns in wildlife mortality. Using the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) as a case study, we modelled spatial patterns of mortality to determine the relative importance of natural and anthropogenic factors. To account for spatial autocorrelation, both trend surface analysis and a conditional autoregressive (CAR) model were applied and this revealed insights that would have been otherwise overlooked. Progressively introducing more spatial information into the models tended to decrease the magnitude of the environmental effects. Both human population density and road density were found to be misleading indicators of koala mortality compared with traffic volume and the amount of habitat in the landscape. Spatial autocorrelation represents a new paradigm in ecology and provides an important toolset for managers to better assess proposed urban developments and in the formulation of targeted management responses to better sustain biodiversity in the future. Dr Harriet Preece is a Senior Conservation Officer in the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM). Her current work involves research and monitoring to support koala conservation in South East Queensland. 248 Caragh Threlfall1, Bradley Law2, Peter Banks1 1 School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, 2Forest Science Centre, Industry and Investment NSW A lack of suitable refuge in urban areas is a common explanation for population declines of native wildlife. For microbats, this could mean a scarcity of roosting opportunities, but roosting requirements are poorly known. We examine roost selection in an urban bushland remnant in Sydney, Australia. We radio-tracked Gould’s long-eared bat Nycotphilus gouldi during breeding and non-breeding periods and compared their roosting strategy to two other species, Gould’s wattled bat Chalinolobus gouldii and the Eastern broad-nosed bat Scotorepens orion. Individual roost trees were located during the day and tree characteristics measured. Random trees available to bats (that contained at least one hollow or decorticating bark) were also measured. N. gouldii roost trees had significantly greater vegetative cover than random trees, and breeding females had significantly different roosting behaviours to non breeding females. No differences in roost preference emerged amongst species or in the location of roosts in the landscape. All species rarely used the urban matrix or small remnants, and confined their roosting activities to within 200 m of a large remnant. Our data indicates that reasons for such habitat preferences include the density of suitable trees in the urban landscape and competition for roost space by other hollow-using fauna. Caragh Threlfall is a PhD student in her 3rd year at UNSW studying the mechanisms governing bat diversity and abundance in urban areas. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Moran G007, MCC 1415, Moran G007, MCC Impact of urbanisation on frog communities in streams along an urban–rural gradient in Melbourne, Victoria Urban edges: bird responses at the interface between suburbs and reserves Stefano Canessa1, Kirsten Parris1 1 School of Botany, University of Melbourne Urbanisation affects stream ecosystems through altered hydrology, pollution and modified habitat. Impacts of urbanisation on biotic communities in streams have been widely investigated. In particular, the proportion of impervious area in the catchment has been shown to significantly correlate with impoverished invertebrate and fish assemblages. However, few studies have focused on anuran species (frogs) in urban streams. We monitored 46 sites in three different stream systems in north-western Melbourne, along an urban-rural gradient. After accounting for imperfect detection, multiple surveys were carried out to estimate presence and abundance of frogs. Community data were then related to variables at a local scale, describing stream structure and suitable habitat, as well as at the catchment scale, including measures of attenuated imperviousness. We found that the species richness and abundance of frogs declined substantially as the area of impervious surface in the catchment increased. This study may contribute to conservation planning in urban stream systems, which often represent the only connecting corridors available for amphibian species in these human-impacted landscapes. After graduating in Science and Economics in Italy, Stefano Canessa has recently completed a MSc at Melbourne University. He is involved in amphibian ecology and conservation in both his home countries. Karen Stagoll1, Adrian Manning1, Emma Knight1, Joern Fischer1, David Lindenmayer1 1 The Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University As cities expand closer to natural areas, a key management question is what happens at the interface where suburbs and reserves meet. The interface is subject to edge effects, which can influence the ability of birds to live in and move through suburban and reserve areas. Factors affecting the extent and nature of these effects include: (i) the type of street vegetation (native or exotic street trees); and (ii) the type of interface boundary (unsealed management track or sealed public road). Our study investigates these ‘urban edges’ in order to inform urban planners and developers how the management and design of interfaces in new urban areas will affect birds. We examined bird responses at suburb-reserve edges in Canberra, Australia, and found that both suburb vegetation and boundary type affected bird diversity and composition within suburbs and reserves, but that individual bird responses to the interface were species-specific. We use this data to discuss how alternative planning options at new suburb-reserve edges can lead to different bird communities in future urban areas. Karen Stagoll studies patterns of landscape use by birds within mixed-use urban landscapes as part of her PhD at the Fenner School of Environment and Society, ANU. 249 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Moran G007, MCC 1445, Moran G007, MCC Urban wildlife across the divide: the unlikely costs and benefits of urbanised landscapes Sustaining mammals in urban landscapes: the importance of maintaining functional connectivity and understanding behavioural ecology Nelika Hughes1, Rachel Miller2, Matt Hayward1, Sarah Legge1 1 Australian Wildlife Conservancy, 2Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, National Parks and Wildlife Service Sean FitzGibbon1, Robbie Wilson1, William Ellis1 The impact of urbanisation is slow for many species, as populations that manage to survive the initial loss of habitat gradually decline throughout the urbanbushland mosaic. An understanding of how remnant populations use the interface between urban and natural landscapes is therefore crucial to their long term management. In this presentation I examine how the long-nosed bandicoot, one of the few ground-dwelling mammals to have persisted within the urban-bushland mosaic, exploits both the modified urban and natural habitats available to it. I present the results of large-scale trapping and radio-tracking studies, in combination with an analysis of the distribution of predators and prey. My findings reveal some paradoxical costs (e.g. the loss of nesting habitat and reduced cover from some predators) and benefits (e.g. highly productive habitats and an escape from other potential predators and competitors) of urbanised landscapes to species existing across the urban-bushland divide. Significantly, however, these results demonstrate that already urbanised environments need to be managed just as much as the natural vegetation remnants. Only with this management can we hope to maintain our already threatened urban wildlife. Sustaining biodiversity in urban landscapes involves addressing markedly different challenges to those in rural and natural environments. While habitat loss and fragmentation are still pervasive influences upon wildlife, the role of the matrix that separates patches is poorly understood. We examined the distribution and behavioural ecology of two native mammals, the northern brown bandicoot and koala, occupying habitat fragments in the heavily urbanised landscape of South East Queensland. Using GPS and radio-telemetry we found both species were largely restricted to habitat patches but occasionally ventured into adjacent highdensity residential areas. Such forays often involved exposure to significant threats including domestic pets and vehicle collisions during road crossings. Patch surveys highlighted the importance of functional connectivity upon occupation by bandicoots, which was generally highest for riparian fragments. Repeat surveys one-year later revealed that bandicoots are continuing to become locally extinct within isolated patches. Similarly, while koalas were found within many small patches (some <1ha), we suggest this is due to a lag effect and that numerous local extinctions will occur in the near future. We discuss the implications of this research for the conservation and management of native mammals in urban landscapes. Nelika Hughes is an ecologist with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy at the North Head Sanctuary, where research examines the effects of fire, introduced species and habitat fragmentation on native species and communities. 250 1 The University of Queensland Sean FitzGibbon completed his Doctorate of Philosophy at The University of Queensland (2005), examining wildlife survival in habitat patches within fragmented urban landscapes. He continues to research native wildlife in urban and rural landscapes. He also paints garden gnomes. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 7f—Symposium: Taking action together: the role of ecology in conservation partnerships 1330, Room T6, MCC 1345, Room T6, MCC Continental scale connectivity conservation in Australia and North America: science in partnership Ecological drivers in landscape planning in the Gondwana Link area of Western Australia Carina Wyborn1 Angela Sanders1, Jim Radford1 1 Fenner School, Australian National University Initiatives seeking to establish ecological connectivity at large scales are growing in number and profile as a means to protect, enhance and restore native vegetation and biodiversity. Originating in response to habitat fragmentation and land use intensification, connectivity is increasingly framed within the discourse of climate change adaptation, resilience and social connectivity. While these initiatives show promise for integrated conservation management across multiple land tenures, they face significant challenges of collaboration and communication across vast, diverse landscapes, communities and agendas. Building social and ecological connectivity across large landscapes is dependent on small-scale interventions feeding into a landscape-scale vision that makes sense at multiple scales, through individual landholder, local community, bioregion, up to the continental scale. And while proponents of connectivity conservation have aspirations to work with local communities across large landscapes, there is an inherent incompatibility between landscape scale science and community based conservation. Little research has been undertaken on the social and institutional aspects of connectivity conservation. Drawing on two case studies in Australia and one in North America this paper will explore different mechanisms for engaging with local communities in the context of landscape scale science and action. 1 Bush Heritage Australia The Conservation Action Planning process, developed by The Nature Conservancy, has been used to prepare a landscape scale plan for the FitzStirling operational area of Gondwana Link in southern Western Australia. Six years on the plan remains the blueprint guiding property management, ecological monitoring and the achievement of Gondwana Link goals. Ecological drivers underpin the plan, which includes six key conservation targets; creeks, yate (Eucalyptus occidentalis) woodland, mallet (E. astringens) and moort (E. platypus) woodland, proteaceous rich communities, wallabies and fresh water systems. The current condition of targets has been assessed against various ecological attributes and monitoring programs have been developed for each. The achievement of all this has involved partnerships with other conservation based NGOs, state government departments and tertiary education institutions. The ecological monitoring section has been well supported but momentum on the strategy effectiveness and adaptive management sections has been difficult to maintain. This paper explores possible reasons and proposes solutions to fill the gaps. Jim Radford manages the Science and Monitoring team at Bush Heritage. His research interests include understanding the interplay between behavioural responses to landscape change and the ecological processes that determine the distribution and abundance of fauna. He translates this understanding into principles and guidelines for ecologically sustainable landscape management. Carina Wyborn is a PhD student and social scientist at the Fenner School of Environment and Society. Her research interest is in the integration of human dimensions into understandings of environmental change and biodiversity conservation. 251 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T6, MCC 1415, Room T6, MCC Implementing Naturelinks—the WildEyre experience Strange bedfellows? Partnerships between environmental NGOs and resource extraction companies Emma Coates1, Andrew Freeman2, Matt Turner3, Todd Berkinshaw4, Rob Coventry2, Louise Mortimer2, Paul Hodges2, 5 4 Tim Milne , Simon Bey 1 1 Greening Australia 2 Department for Environment and Natural Resources, Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board, 3The Wilderness Society, 4Greening Australia (SA), 5The Nature Conservation Society of SA The NatureLinks program is the South Australian Government’s commitment to No Species Loss—through the implementation of fundamental ecological principles at a landscape scale to ensure the best long-term outcomes for healthy ecosystems. Launched in 2008, the East meets West NatureLinks Plan provides the direction for collaborative landscape scale conservation on Eyre Peninsula. So begins the WildEyre experience; a Conservation Alliance of five conservation organisations creating and implementing a shared ecological vision for the conservation of the WildEyre area whilst acting as a delivery mechanism for NatureLinks. The key aim of WildEyre is to conserve and restore the core habitats and species of central to north-western Eyre Peninsula through an integrated, landscape-scale conservation project that is supported by strong organisational partnerships, an ambitious investment program and best-practice, science-based planning, community involvement and on ground action. WildEyre aims to increase the resilience and condition of key South Australian native ecosystems to environmental and anthropogenic induced landscape changes. The WildEyre approach epitomises best practise in collaborative landscape scale biodiversity conservation. Emma Coates has a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Environmental Ecology and coordinates the East meets West NatureLinks and WildEyre programs with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. 252 Robert Lambeck1 In order to fund their operations, NGOs often seek out sponsorships and partnerships with corporate organisations. These relationships can be both challenging and rewarding. If they are to be successful over the longer term, it is critical that both parties have a clear understanding of what each party wants from the relationship. This requires an understanding of the distinction between corporate social responsibility, enlightened self-interest and cynical opportunism. Effective relationships need to be embedded at multiple levels of both organisation’s management and there needs to be great clarity about communication expectations, both internally and externally. Risk management is critical with a need to explicitly ensure that organisational Brands are protected in the event of one party experiencing negative public exposure. This paper explores an exemplary partnership between Greening Australia and Shell Development Australia, that focused on delivering scientific, environmental, social (both Indigenous and non-Indigenous) and economic gains in the context of the Gondwana Link initiative in Western Australia. Robert Lambeck is a Adjunct Professor, School of Plant Biology University of Western Australia. He is also a consultant for Greening Australia and is the former CEO of Greening Australia. He has developed a number of long standing and high profile corporate partnerships for Greening Australia. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T6, MCC 1445, Room T6, MCC The primacy of ecology in NGO conservation planning Boorowa River recovery—a case study demonstrating the importance of partnerships in landscape scale rehabilitation Guy Dutson1, Stephen Garnett2, Cheryl Gole3 1 BirdLife International, 2Charles Darwin University, 3Birds Australia Lori Gould1 1 Important bird areas (IBAs) are an international tool for prioritising sites for bird conservation. They are built from ecological knowledge of the birds and, for several criteria, are tenure blind—places where threatened birds persist or where large numbers congregate are chosen by the birds. Declaration of such IBAs, whose values are non-substitutable, can therefore be apolitical. In contrast other terrestrial conservation planning regimes must often work within a human framework of land allocation and maximise efficiency on the basis of price and availability within political and social constraints. In Australia identification of the IBA network was undertaken with funding from a large mining company, which put no constraints on the outcome of the final plan, but with no formal government assistance. At the same time engagement of a volunteer network in identification of IBAs helped imbue a local sense of responsibility for IBA protection and management, regardless of tenure. We argue that identification of irreplaceable ecological values must remain independent of socio-political influences, and that conservation NGOs are better placed than government to undertake such planning. After that, however, achievement of effective conservation is entirely a political process where the stronger the partnerships the more durable the success. Greening Australia Capital Region Boorowa River Recovery is a large scale, award winning riparian rehabilitation program implemented in the Boorowa River Catchment over the past 4 years in response to poor water quality, and a significant loss of biodiversity resulting in salinity and reduced agricultural productivity. Boorowa River Recovery has actively engaged 70 land managers who have protected and rehabilitated 640 ha of riparian zone along 80km of waterways. The project is centred around meaningful partnerships with community, government and business, in a flexible and adaptive implementation model that aligns partner priorities with project objectives to achieve outcomes with multiple benefits. Over the past ten years, Lori Gould has managed several award winning multi-million dollar projects resulting in the protection and rehabilitation of over 400 km of waterways in south eastern Australia. Lori has engaged over 450 farmers, and manages partnerships with dozens of organisations who provide financial support and other resources. Guy Dutson, Stephen Garnett and Cheryl Gole were all closely involved in planning Australian Important Bird Areas and their implementation. All have extensive experience in linking ecology, conservation and people. 253 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 7g—Symposium: Biodiversity indicators for measuring and monitoring ecosystem condition and climate change adaptation 1330, Room T2, MCC 1345, Room T2, MCC Warming UK climate increases avian species richness and homogenisation as generalists spread A new approach to biodiverse ecosystem indicator measurement for change adaptation Cath Davey1,2, David Noble2, Alison Johnston2, Stuart Newson2, Dan Chamberlain2,3 Judy Fisher1 1 2 CSIRO, British Trust for Ornithology, UK, University of Turin, Italy Birds are expected to react to climate change in a number of ways; as well as range expansions and contractions, phenological mismatches in breeding and migration are expected to occur. To date, research has focused on single-species, with few studies addressing the impacts of climate on community structure. We examined the influence of recent warming on communities by examining diversity and homogenisation in British bird assemblages. We used Breeding Bird Survey data for Britain from 1994–2006 to calculate site-specific diversity and community specialisation indices. We modelled these indices using Generalised Additive Models to examine the effect of climate on spatial and temporal trends in community metrics. Over our study period, species’ diversity increased at the local scale. Average temperature had a positive effect on community diversity and richness, confirming empirical and theoretical predictions of the effect of climate warming. However, temperature had a significant negative influence on community specialisation indices, which declined over the same period. We suggest that diversity increases are in part being driven by range expansion of generalist species; future warming is likely to increase homogenisation of communities. Indicators that rely solely on richness or diversity measures may therefore overlook important implications of climate for biodiversity. Cath Davey has recently taken up a Postdoctoral Fellowship in agro-ecological modelling with CSIRO sustainable ecosystems. Prior to this she worked at British Trust for Ornithology where she worked on a variety of applied conservation issues. In addition to her work on patterns in bird diversity she also completed an evaluation of the efficacy of environmental schemes for reversing farmland bird declines in England. 254 1 Fisher Research/University of Western Australia 3 As a response to concerns regarding the management and protection of ecosystems in biodiversity hot spots and significant ecological communities in Western Australia, a new bottom up scientific approach to establishing indicators of ecosystem change has been developed. These advances are being applied in urban rivers, and their associated vegetation communities, and ecosystems in the Kimberley Dampierland bioregion. Key indicators and baseline measurement methodologies are being established, by working with those designing on ground restoration activities, to determine indicators most likely to determine ecosystem functional change and responses to change. The incorporation of scientifically sound baseline monitoring programs into restoration projects is providing new directions to monitor and adapt the management of altered and disturbed ecosystems and their responses to future change. Invasive species, as indicators, are leading to opportunities, and baseline measurement questions, which will assist us to better understand the responses of ecosystems to change. The incorporation of key indicator measurements into on ground restoration projects will provide baseline evidence based data to direct policy and its effective implementation. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T2, MCC 1415, Room T2, MCC Vulnerability of aquatic macroinvertebrates to climate change in eastern New South Wales Towards meaningful quantitative indices for monitoring degradation and restoration of biological communities Alex Bush1 1 School of Biological Sciences Carla Catterall1, Jarrad Cousin1, Amanda Freeman1 1 Aquatic assemblages of freshwater invertebrates have been shown to respond rapidly to shifts in climate. As the climate changes, these species are expected to shift to higher latitudes and altitudes, where suitable habitat is available and where movement is not constrained by geographic barriers. Understanding the present day distribution of species and higher order taxonomic groups in relation to topography and other environmental factors is important for predicting the vulnerability of these taxa in the future. We show that standard water-quality macroinvertebrate survey data, based on family-level taxonomy, demonstrates significant turnover along a latitudinal gradient down the eastern coast of New South Wales. Montane stream assemblages, which have modest scope for altitudinal migration, are particularly vulnerable because suitably elevated sites are isolated from one another. Dispersal is often limited, or infrequent, among many aquatic taxa which will struggle to shift their range in accordance with new climate conditions. Loss of habitat specialists unable to locate suitable habitat will lead to an overall reduction in beta-diversity among reaches, and in landscape gamma-diversity. Management options for the most vulnerable aquatic habitats using both riparian corridors and terrestrial linkages between catchments should be considered to reduce the impacts of climate change. Alex Bush is an ecology student, originally graduating from the University of East Anglia, UK. Alex now studies the implications of climate change for freshwater macroinvertebrates at Macquarie University for a PhD. Griffith University Many important questions in ecological management involve judgements concerning the condition or quality of a community in relation to specific reference points. The latter may, for example, comprise ecosystems selected to represent ‘intact’ or ‘degraded’ states, or the start and endpoints of restoration. To understand and monitor whether ecological communities are changing in a desired direction, we need to measure and rank states of ecological degradation or restoration—that is, to quantify where a given community sits, or how fast it is moving, on the trajectory between reference conditions. Well-developed methods for the quantitative assessment of communities at particular points in space and time involve measuring the values (for example abundances) of multiple attributes (such as species). Methods for visualising and describing similarities and difference between communities are also well developed, however these generally tell us about overall patterns of similarity or difference among sites or times, rather than their relative positions in relation to reference states. This talk explores some alternative methods for representing the progress of communities along a degradationrestoration spectrum, using both univariate and multivariate approaches. We use case studies of bird communities in remnant and restored forest patches, although the methods are not taxon-specific. Carla Catterall is a wildlife ecologist at Griffith University with a particular interest in the conservation and restoration of forest communities. She is also President of ESA. 255 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T2, MCC 1445, Room T2, MCC Effectiveness of vegetation condition attributes for predicting vertebrate assemblages in inland Queensland ClimateWatch: community monitoring of ecological change Victor Neldner1, Teresa Eyre1 1 Lynda E Chambers1, Andy Donnelly2, Rachel Maitland2, Richard Weatherill2 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Sciences, Department of Environment and Resource Management, QLD 1 Bureau of Meteorology, VIC, 2EarthWatch Institute Australia, NSW, 2EarthWatch Institute Australia, WA The BioCondition Assessment Methodology uses the best practice vegetation indicators to provide a rapid assessment of the condition of the vegetation at a site. Research in the poplar box woodlands in the fragmented brigalow belt and mulga woodlands from the Queensland mulgalands bioregion has been investigating the effectiveness of these structural and floristic indicators for predicting the biodiversity of vascular plants and vertebrates. In general the aggregated BioCondition classes (1234, with 1 being best condition) reflect the biodiversity values in terms of richness and composition as expected for the tested functional groups of forbs, grasses, reptiles and diurnal birds. For both diurnal birds and reptiles, there was no significant difference between species richness in classes 1, 2 and 3 but species richness in class 4 was significantly lower. Diurnal bird and reptile assemblages were dissimilar between all BioCondition classes, except between classes 1 and 2. This pattern was consistent within each of the three investigated land types. Appropriate setting of benchmarks for attributes for different ecosystems is important, e.g. the presence of some shrub cover is important habitat in some ecosystems e.g. poplar box woodlands, but at too high levels is indicative of dysfunctional condition in other ecosystems e.g. mulga. Australia is in a unique position to investigate the influence of climate on plants and animals as its climate ranges from the tropics to temperate to arid to alpine. In response, ClimateWatch, the Australian phenology network was launched in September 2009 (http://www.climatewatch.org.au). Based on international examples, the network is the first of its type in the Southern Hemisphere and aims to support the work of climate change biologists, natural resource managers and policy makers. Eighty-three indicator species were selected by a Science Panel which cover 8 groups: birds (28), plants (13), insects (16), mammals (4), marine (6), frogs (6), reptiles (5) and spiders (5). During a pilot phase more than 1000 volunteers tested the web interface and gathered preliminary data. Over 2000 records on 66 species in 264 locations have been received. The system is designed to detect changes in both phenology and distribution. In its first year ClimateWatch seeks to engage 8000 citizen scientists with recruitment strategies based on existing networks, on-line and traditional media. Longer term strategies include partnerships with key scientific organisations and strategic alignments with government initiatives. These strategies, the early results and both the social and scientific implications of the project are discussed. Dr Lynda Chambers is a Senior Research Scientist at the Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research—Bureau of Meteorology. Specialising in climate research and its interaction with flora and fauna, Lynda is a project leader for the citizen science project ClimateWatch, member of the NCCARF Terrestrial Biodiversity Steering Committee, expert member of the Charles Darwin Climate Change Observatory, lead author of the National Marine Climate Change and Adaptation Report Card and contributing author of the IPCC 4AR. 256 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 7h—Symposium: Grassy woodlands: managing processes to restore ecosystem function 1330, Room T1, MCC 1345, Room T1, MCC Return of the fauna: brown treecreeper reintroductions in Eucalypt woodland Ameliorating grassy woodland soils by enhancing truffle production and establishing populations of mycophagous marsupials Victoria Sheean1, David Lindenmayer1, Adrian Manning1, Veronica Doerr2, Erik Doerr2 1 2 Australian National University, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems One of the key components of restoring an ecosystem is to restore or improve the species biodiversity. Species reintroductions are increasingly important tools to improve biodiversity by establishing self-sustaining populations, particularly when natural recolonisation is unlikely. We reintroduced 43 Brown Treecreepers, Climacteris picumnus, into two eucalypt grassy woodland nature reserves, Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo, in Canberra, ACT. The Brown Treecreeper is one of many woodland birds that are rapidly disappearing, chiefly in small degraded remnants. Complex reasons for their decline include delayed effects of habitat fragmentation and habitat degradation. Release of birds within an experimental framework allowed for assessment of the reintroduction process as well as investigation into the factors influencing the species’ decline. Brown Treecreepers were radio-tracked for three months. We examined individual movement patterns and large-scale habitat selection based on experimental manipulations placed across the reserves. We also assessed how bird behaviour and use of small-scale habitat variables differed depending upon variations in qualities of the large-scale habitat. Therefore, the birds themselves provide an unique insight into the condition of an ecosystem through their survival, movement, behaviour and habitat use. This project will provide a model for future reintroductions and suggest pathways for re-establishing populations of Brown Treecreepers. Victoria Sheean completed her first class honours at the University of Wollongong, before working within the graduate program at the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water. Jacqui Stol1, Jim Trappe1,2 1 Agricultural and Forest Ecosystems Research Program, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, 2Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, USA Australian woodlands once supported mammal mycophagists, including rodents, rat-kangaroos, bandicoots, possums, and wallabies. Many prefer truffles, the subterranean fruit-bodies of mycorrhizal fungi, over other foods, digesting nearly all the truffle but the spores, which they disperse through defecation. When excavating truffles, these animals break through hydrophobic soil crusts, turn over soil, and after extracting a truffle leave a water ‘microcatchment’. Individual woylies, for example, may excavate 38–114 holes per night, displacing up to 5 tonnes of soil per year. Such cultivation occurred in woodlands until invasive predators plus other threatening factors reduced mycophagists a century or more ago. Success of re-establishing mycophagists for soil amelioration and dispersal of mycorrhizal fungus spores depends on predator control and availability of truffles. We examined habitat variables that affect truffle production in SE Australian woodlands. Water, required by truffle colonies to fruit, proved the most important, including soilwetting rains plus leaf litter and shade to reduce evaporation and moderate temperatures. Current studies at Mulligan’s Flat Nature Reserve in the ACT indicate 1–4 cm of litter are related to maximum truffle production, with 2 cm the best. Management to promote truffle fruiting includes capturing rainfall, retaining leaf litter and encouraging understorey plants for shade. Jacqui Stol has been involved in diverse research projects, including firewood production and vegetation studies in woodlands, tree regrowth in paddocks, and role of mycorrhizal fungi in establishing tree plantations. 257 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1400, Room T1, MCC 1415, Room T1, MCC Restoring ecological resistance to invasion by exotic annual plants in degraded woodlands Influence of a parasitic shrub on diversity in eucalypt forests: a resource-based approach Ian Cole1,2, Ian Lunt1, Suzanne Prober3 David M Watson1, Hugh W McGregor1, Peter G Spooner1 1 Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Department of Climate Change and Water NSW, 3CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems 2 Degraded temperate grassy ecosystems commonly support abundant exotic annuals. This has been associated with seasonally elevated soil nitrate concentrations, that can result from disruption of feedbacks between keystone native perennial grasses and soil nitrogen cycling. We attempted to restore ecological resistance to broad-leaf exotic annuals in degraded woodlands by: (a) comparing management strategies to control exotics in the short-term, and (b) reestablishing native perennial grasses to restore soil nutrient cycles and control exotics over the long term. We added carbohydrate (sugar) to reduce soil nitrate, and applied spring burning and crash grazing to control exotic seed set. Seed of four perennial grass species was sown. Results over 2 years show that sugar dramatically reduced soil nitrate and exotic annual cover, as in earlier studies. Spring grazing and burning had no effect on broad-leaf exotic cover in the short term at least. Reestablishment of native perennial grasses proved difficult, with few plants of any species establishing despite effective exotic control in some treatments. This study confirms that exotic annuals can be controlled in the short-term by adding carbohydrate, and highlights the need for better native grass establishment strategies to achieve the greater challenge of long-term resistance to weed invasion. Dr Ian Lunt’s research focuses on the disturbance ecology and restoration of temperate grasslands and grassy woodlands in south-east Australia. 1 Charles Sturt University Parasitic plants are components of many habitats and have various effects on their hosts and neighbouring plants. Research on mistletoes has explored the consequences of these interactions at the stand and community level; the aerial hemiparasites found to boost species richness, alter successional dynamics and modify nutrient cycling pathways. These plants also provide fleshy fruit, nectar, foliage-dwelling insects and secure nest sites, but the relative importance of these nutritional and structural resources on faunal diversity has not been considered. Moreover, the growth form of mistletoes is distinctive (shared only with woody epiphytes restricted to rainforests), and it is unclear what proportion of mistletoe’s influence relates to their parasitic habit. To disentangle these factors and quantify the resources provided by parasitic plants, we focused on the root parasitic shrub Exocarpos strictus (Santalaceae). 28 Eucalyptus camaldulensis forest plots were measured in the Gunbower-Koondrook forest in south-eastern Australia, comparing riparian forests with an Exocarpos understorey with otherwise similar habitats without shrubs or with an equivalent cover of the non-parasitic shrub Acacia dealbata. Analyses of avian richness and incidence (both overall and in six feeding guilds) were complemented by explicit measures of resources in both shrub types. Avian species richness was approximately 50% greater and total incidences for five guilds were significantly greater in forests with the parasitic shrub, with no appreciable differences between the other two habitat types. In addition to plentiful fleshy fruits, Exocarpos supported abundant arthropods in their foliage—significantly higher in biomass than for equivalent volumes of Acacia foliage. The parasitic plant had a shorter and denser structure, providing a greater range of microhabitats than the more open growing Acacia. Grass cover was also greater beneath Exocarpos plants, consistent with studies that have found parasitic plants can facilitate understorey growth via high quality litter. Rather than an exceptional system or an aberrant result, we suggest the influence of Exocarpos on species richness relates to their parasitic habit, whereby hemiparasites mobilise resources from their hosts and make them available to a range of trophic levels, thereby driving pervasive changes in productivity and diversity. Dave Watson’s research group focuses on three broad themes: biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes, the biological consequences of habitat fragmentation and the ecology of parasitic plants. 258 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1430, Room T1, MCC 1445, Room T1, MCC Temperate woodlands, vegetation condition, vegetation restoration and biodiversity conservation: insights from a decade of field-based empirical research Landscape restoration and spatial planning for biodiversity David Lindenmayer1, Ross Cunningham1, Jeff Wood1, 1 1 1 Emma Knight , Damien Michael , Mason Crane , Rebecca 1 1 Montague-Drake , Chris MacGregor , Geoff Kay1 1 1 The Australian National University Our research team has dedicated more than a decade to studies a range of aspects of temperate woodland conservation and management on the South West Slopes of New South Wales—one of the most extensively cleared bioregions in that State. Work to date has encompassed investigations of birds, reptiles, mammals and plants and it has shown that an array of strategies can promote the conservation of biodiversity on farms— at the site, paddock, farm and landscape scales. We have discovered that plantings can be important habitats for a range of woodland birds and reptiles, although arboreal marsupials and other native mammals rarely use them. Design attributes of plantings to enhance their value for bird taxa include making them block shaped, establishing near other plantings or areas of native vegetation and intersecting them with other plantings. Another key discovery has been the cumulative value for woodland birds of different kinds of attributes of remnant vegetation on farms including woodland patches, scattered paddock trees, fallen timber, and native pastures. We also have identified rocky areas as key micro hotspots for reptile biota on farms and in agricultural landscapes. The importance of these places was previously unrecognised by farmers and natural resource managers. Based on research insights we have generated from the past 10 years, we have commenced the process of writing and distributing new communication materials for farmers and natural resource managers that aim to improve biodiversity conservation on farms. Peter Vesk1, Jim Thomson2, Atte Moilanen3, Andrew Bennett4, Ralph Mac Nally2 University of Melbourne, 2Monash University, 3University of Helsinki, 4Deakin University Much effort is being devoted to restoring grassy woodland landscapes through revegetation. Conservation of native biodiversity under threat from years of degradation and clearing of native habitat is a key aim of the effort. How to choose where to revegetate? We approached this problem by considering how to maximise the benefit to woodland birds in the Goulburn Broken Catchment, Victoria. We quantified the development of habitat through time on revegetated sites and developed species-specific spatiotemporal models of habitat suitability for 62 woodland birds. We then used an optimisation approach using the conservation planning software, Zonation, to choose the sites that maximised the increase in range balanced across the species. The spatially-explicit plan highlighted priority areas clustered around existing vegetation and on productive soils and higher rainfall, reflecting their disproportionate clearing. This work demonstrates potential of systematic restoration planning at broad scales. Thomson, JR, Moilanen, AJ, Vesk, PA, Bennett, AF & MacNally, R (2009). Where and when to revegetate: a quantitative method for scheduling landscape reconstruction. Ecological Applications, 19, 817–828. David Lindenmayer is a Professor of Ecology and Conservation Biology at The Australian National University. He runs six largescale, long-term landscape programs that focus on the response of biodiversity to such key drivers as fire, logging, plantation establishment, and agriculture and grazing. 259 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 8a—Symposium: Ecological restoration science and practice: current and future directions 1530, Room T4, MCC 1545, Room T4, MCC Evaluating riparian restoration in the Murray– Darling Basin: lessons and implications Improving biodiversity outcomes from restoration actions using a landscape assessment framework and recovery group Paul Reich1,2, Sam Lake2, Tim Cavagnaro2, Rob Hale2 1 Arthur Rylah Institute, Department of Sustainability and Environment, 2School of Biological Sciences, Monash University Nigel Willoughby1, Rowena Danks2, Phil Barron3, Chris Grant1, 4 5 Jo Spencer , Sarah Lance 1 Riparian zone restoration is a critical component of stream restoration but monitoring its effectiveness is typically deficient. Consequently, there is a lack of knowledge about the timing and magnitude of ecological responses, and the indicators that should be measured to assess these. For six years, we have been carrying out an experiment across 5 locations in the Murray–Darling basin, implementing and monitoring the restoration of river red gum-dominated riparian zones in small, intermittent lowland streams within grazed catchments. At each site (~1 km long treatment and control sections), a range of aquatic and terrestrial variables has been monitored to test if restoration produces desirable trajectories of response and reinstates hypothesised links in structure and function between variables. Despite a 13-year mega-drought affecting all sites since 1997, there have been reductions at treatment sites in bare ground, increases in plant and litter cover and successful recruitment of river red gum seedlings. However, macrophytes, fish and aquatic macro-invertebrates have declined in abundance and richness across all sites. With both treatment and control sections at each site, it is possible to discriminate between the effects of restoration and drought. Our results illustrate the need in restoration to contend with potentially counteractive disturbances, such as drought, and to plan for both short- and long-term effects, both predicted and otherwise. Paul Reich is a freshwater ecologist with an interest in stream restoration. 260 Department of Environment and Natural Resources, South Australia, 2Murray Mallee Local Action Planning Association, 3 Barron Environmental, 4Greening Australia, 5South Australian Murray–Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board To conserve biodiversity, the general principles of landscape and restoration ecology provide an indication of what to consider, not what to do. To decide what to do, a framework is needed to guide from vision through to explicit goals. This presentation presents a practical example of the use of such a framework from the northern Murray Mallee, South Australia. Landscape components were defined on the basis of environmental settings and their typical vegetation types. Prioritisation between these components occurred using an approach we termed ‘landscape response groups’, based here on characteristic bird species. Data on current bird distributions suggested: extinction of birds associated with habitats typically developing on shallow sand; contraction to one population for birds associated with habitats typically developing on deep sand; while birds associated with habitats that develop on sandy loams with calcrete remained relatively widespread. Together, this information provided the basis for a landscape restoration goal to increase the extent of desirable vegetation on deep sand. A state-and-transition model for deep sand guides activities on each patch. 2010 sees the second year of on-ground works and landscape monitoring. Nigel Willoughby has worked in the Murray Mallee for five years, focusing on merging landscape and restoration theory with practice. Prior to that he completed a PhD on Melithreptid honeyeater ecology. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T4, MCC 1615, Room T4, MCC Fish for the future—what difference is the Native Fish Strategy making? When environmental filters become too fine: multiple, interacting stressors drive regeneration failure in semi-arid floodplain forests Jim Barrett1, Martin Mallen-Cooper2, Terry Korodaj1 1 Murray–Darling Basin Authority, 2Fishway Consulting Services Gillis Horner1,2 1 Populations of most of the Murray–Darling Basin’s 35 fish species have declined severely in the last 100 years, with nearly half listed as threatened under Commonwealth or State legislation. The Native Fish Strategy, which started in 2004, is a 50 year initiative to rehabilitate native fish populations by direct management of causal factors as well as targeted restoration. This paper will describe some of the strategy’s successes in its first 6 years, together with some of the key research findings that will lead to further improvements. The construction of 16 fishways along 2,500km of the Murray River that are purpose-built for native fish (and include facilities to trap and remove the invasive Carp) will be completed in 2011. Results include hundreds of thousands of native fish moving through the new fishways as well as over 70 tonnes of carp being removed River at Lock 1. Resnagging several reaches of the Murray to recover native fish populations, increase habitat complexity and restore connectivity has taken place and is being monitored. Ten large-scale ‘demonstration reaches’ are being established to trial the cumulative impact of simultaneously undertaking a range of restorative measures, with the active participation of local communities across the Basin. The paper concludes with a range of questions to the management and research communities to stimulate further collaborative effort to move the Basin along a restorative trajectory for the future. Monash University, 2GHD Pty Ltd Riverine ecosystems already under stress from human actions, such as wholesale land-use change and excessive water extraction for agriculture, now are experiencing a profound, chronic, additional stress through climate change. The extensive river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh.) forests of Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin provide one of the world’s most dramatic examples of floodplain forest decline, the extent of which is likely to have profound consequences for ecosystem structure and function. We explored how flooding, mammalian herbivory (grazing) and sediment salinity affected a key stage in forest regeneration, tree seedling survival. We conducted two concurrent field experiments measuring survival of planted and naturally established seedlings. We controlled likely stressors (water availability and grazing) individually, and in combination, to determine how these factors affect survival. In the first experiment, seedlings were planted within six ephemeral creeks, three of which were flooded and three unflooded. Within each creek, four plots were established, two of which were grazed and two ungrazed. Sediment conductivity (ECe) was measured at 10, 20 and 30 cm depths at all plots. Flooding had a pronounced positive effect, increasing seedling survival by a factor of 8, in the absence of grazing. Grazing and sediment salinity had strong negative effects on seedling survival at both flooded and unflooded sites. Positive effects of flooding (on survival) largely were nullified by grazing and sediment salinity. Seedling survival is likely to be a critical process limiting population viability of dominant floodplain tree species in many water-limited river basins. Variation in flooding, grazing and sediment salinity are strong environmental filters, controlling short-term establishment and longterm population viability. Given the extensive dieback of mature trees from river regulation and salinisation, there is an urgent need to enhance regeneration. Managing these filters correctly probably will enhance regeneration and structural development of floodplain forests subjected to a drying climate and excessive human water extraction. Gillis Horner has over 15 years experience, working as an ecologist in Qld, NSW and Victorian sections of the Murray–Darling Basin. He has recently submitted his PhD thesis titled ‘Impacts of multiple stressors on ecological dynamics of river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) Denhn. forests on the Murray River floodplain’. Gillis is currently working as a Senior Botanist for GHD, an international consulting company. 261 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1630, Room T4, MCC 1645, Room T4, MCC A genetic assessment of ecological restoration success Restoration of threatened plants recipes for success 1,2 Siegy Krauss , Alison Ritchie 1 University Sunshine Coast 2 Kings Park and Botanic Garden, University of Western Australia Implicit, but rarely assessed, in the success of ecological restoration projects is the management of genetic variation of restored populations and, critically, their offspring. Management of genetic variation is critical to achieving functional, self-sustaining restored populations that are resilient to environmental challenges. The delivery of robust pollinator services for seed set, inbreeding avoidance and genetic connectivity is vital, especially for animal pollinated outcrossing species. In a keystone Banksia, we assessed genetic variation, structure and differentiation of restored and natural populations, and their offspring. We also characterised mating systems and assigned paternity to offspring to characterise pollen flow, and genetic connectivity, within and among restored and adjacent natural populations, and assessed inbreeding depression through glasshouse growth trials. Restored populations and their offspring were genetically undifferentiated from, and displayed similar levels of genetic variation to, adjacent natural populations, indicating initial sourcing of genetically diverse local provenance seed. Mating system parameters were similar between populations, and extensive realised pollen dispersal within and between restored and adjacent natural populations highlight effective delivery of pollinator services and genetic connectivity and explain the absence of inbreeding depression in restored population offspring. Our results indicate successful genetic management of a restored population, from which we identify general principles. Siegy Krauss is a senior research scientist at Kings Park and Botanic Garden, and a Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Australia. Siegy has headed the Conservation Genetics team at Kings Park since 1998. 262 Alison Shapcott1 1 2 Restoration of threatened plants is sometimes; incorporated within community level restoration programs, undertaken as part of targeted species recovery programs or part of translocations associated with offset or compensatory programs. Threatened plant species present a special case for restoration and as such are either embraced for specific attention or excluded due to inadequate knowledge or experience. This has lead to both failures and lost opportunities. Experience with a variety of such projects has enabled development of recipes for success. The ability to translate theory into practical on the ground compromises is one of the keys to success when working with a variety of stake holders. Being able to explain why particular things matter for success and resolving practical constraints is another. Case studies including the USC compensatory Habitat Project, Macadamia jansenii and Allocasuarina emuina recovery projects will be used to illustrate how a little time spent on the details has lead to successful projects. Alison Shapcott has been involved in threatened plant restoration for the last decade, working with developers land managers community groups and traditional owners in Australia, PNG and Madagascar. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 8b—Threatened species: birds 1530, Room T6, MCC 1545, Room T6, MCC Coins to conservation: how do the values of avifauna to Australian society affect conservation outcomes? Resource limitation and interspecific competition constrain reproduction in an endangered finch 1 1 1 Gill Ainsworth , Heather Aslin , Stephen Garnett , Mike 2 Weston 1 1 1 James Brazill-Boast , Sarah Pryke , Simon Griffith 1 Department of Brain, Behaviour, and Evolution, Macquarie University 1 School for Environmental Research, Charles Darwin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University 2 That biodiversity is a social value is easy for conservationists and ecologists to forget. However one need only look at the relative allocations of funding across government budgets to realise that much of the voting public has other priorities. Nevertheless, that there is a budget at all for biodiversity conservation indicates that this social value does command at least some political support. But which values are being reflected in conservation investment? What is it that drives allocation of funds and time towards protection of non-human taxa? Historically the sole reason was probably utilitarian—communities that over-exploited critical resources were selected against. Modern society, however, is driven by a wide range of values—aesthetic, religious, scientific, anthropomorphic. My research aims to understand just which of the values that society holds for threatened birds drive conservation action—by government, by individuals or by society at large. To do so I am initially comparing conservation investments for different bird taxa with bird values as expressed through a range of media from stamps to scientific papers, from tour guides to legislative schedules. Later work will be delving more deeply into paired samples where different values seem to have driven different outcomes for similar species. Gill Ainsworth is a PhD student studying the social values of Australian threatened birds at Charles Darwin University. She has worked in Australian conservation for the last ten years. Nest-site limitation and interspecific competition for nestsites can have important effects on the reproductive fitness and population dynamics of cavity-nesting birds. The endangered Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae) is an obligate cavity-nester, which inhabits only a small fraction of its historical distribution. We investigated the effects of nest-site limitation and interspecific competition with the ecologically similar and sympatric Long-tailed finch (Poephila acuticauda), which utilises similar tree cavities for nesting. Over three years, we monitored competitive interactions at nest-sites via video cameras, as well as experimentally manipulating nest-site availability using custom designed nest-boxes. Gouldian finch nests received higher levels of competitive interference than Long-tailed finch nests, Long-tailed finches dominated agonistic interactions, and interspecific competition frequency significantly affected Gouldian finch offspring survival. Nest-box provisioning enhanced both population productivity (71–240% increase in breeding densities) and individual reproductive success (pairs nesting in boxes produced larger clutches and fledged more offspring than those in natural cavities). Our findings demonstrate that Gouldian finches were limited by the availability and quality of nest-sites in the environment, and that interference competition at nests from a dominant and more abundant competitor constrains reproductive success. We also highlight the efficacy of custom-designed nestboxes for conservation management of this endangered species. James Brazill-Boast completed an undergraduate degree at UNSW, and recently completed a PhD at Macquarie University, based on fieldwork in Western Australia. 263 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T6, MCC 1615, Room T6, MCC Ten little dicky birds up against the wall: social behaviour of an endangered population of chats How are our birds doing? Red List indices calculated from 20 years of bird statuses and trends in Australia Richard Major1 1 Australian Museum Judit Szabo1, Stephen Garnett1 1 The white-fronted chat has recently been listed as a Vulnerable species in New South Wales, with the Sydney population listed as Endangered. Since 2008, a colour-banding study demonstrated that the subpopulation at Homebush Bay has declined from nine down to four (all males) and the only other subpopulation (Botany Bay) consists of 23 birds. Radiotransmitters were used to locate roost sites and measure habitat use of foraging birds during midwinter. Most birds roosted communally and usually foraged in a single flock ranging over a 40 ha area of saltmarsh. During this period birds foraged continuously from dawn to dusk, almost exclusively on Sarcocornia quinqueflora substrates. The foraging flock assembled in the same place for several days before moving on to new locations, suggesting temporal variability in food resources over a local scale. Birds of prey were common in the Botany Bay site, and predation by the Australian Hobby was observed. Given 1) the restricted area of saltmarsh habitat, 2) its invasion by mangroves, and 3) the isolation of patches by intensive urban development, it is easy to understand how stochastic factors will drive coastal populations to extinction without management intervention. Richard Major’s main research interest is the ecology of birds in fragmented landscapes. Richard is currently Chair of the NSW Scientific Committee, which maintains the threatened species lists in New South Wales. 264 Charles Darwin University The Red List Index uses information from the IUCN Red List to track trends in the projected overall extinction risk of sets of species based on their population and range size and trends. We assessed the status of all Australian birds on a subspecies level in 1990, 2000 and 2010 and calculated Red List Indices based on the number of taxa in each Red List category and the number that changed categories between assessments as a result of genuine improvement or deterioration in status. As a result of action on Christmas Island to control ants, six of the 21 bird taxa considered Critically Endangered in 2000 can now be downlisted to Endangered. However we believe that in 1990 five subspecies and one species considered Critically Endangered at the time were probably already extinct. While this means no taxon has gone extinct in the last two decades, the overall trend is negative. In the last decade the largest decline in status has been among the migratory shorebirds, primarily because of development in the Yellow Sea. This would never have been detected had it not been for two decades of monitoring by volunteers in Australia. Judit Szabo is a Research Fellow at Charles Darwin University, Darwin. Her interests include threatened bird conservation, optimal monitoring, conducting bird surveys and ecological modelling. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1630, Room T6, MCC 1645, Room T6, MCC Habitat use by hooded robins Melanodryas cucullata (Petroicidae) Resource allocation between multiple management actions: how to cost-effectively conserve the malleefowl Phillip Northeast1, David Paton1, Daniel Rogers2 1 School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide, 2Conservation Policy and Programs Directorate, Department for Environment and Heritage, South Australian Government Habitat use by Hooded Robins Melanodryas cucullata was examined at locations within the Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia. The aim was to critique disproportionate habitat use to delineate high-use and low-use areas to expose critical habitat features deemed important to this species. The study showed how these birds may interpret and use their habitat at patch scales. Within plantation style revegetation, birds chose areas containing higher levels of leaf litter for home ranges, and then sought areas within home ranges containing choice perching substrates overlooking heavy litter cover. Within remnant vegetation, birds frequented more open areas typically hosting eucalypts. Surveys were generally conducted during fine weather, but birds resurveyed during storm conditions used more enclosed habitats, dominated by slender cypress-pine Callitris gracilis. This information could help drive restoration policy to return quality habitat in favour of this declining species. Entering academia as a mature-aged student, Phillip Northeast followed a lifelong passion for the environment. Currently, his PhD project has him studying habitat use of declining woodland birds within the Mount Lofty Ranges. Jessica Walsh1, Kerrie Wilson1, Joe Benshemesh2, Hugh 1 Possingham 1 The University of Queensland, 2La Trobe University The prioritisation of conservation spending should be informed by knowledge of the effectiveness of available management actions and the level of investment required to achieve the desired outcomes. However, there is often limited evidence regarding the true effectiveness of management actions, especially across landscapes with large environmental variability. As a result, decisions regarding the allocation of resources are often based on assumptions, which may lead to ineffective management. We use the malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata) as a case study and investigate how this species responds to different levels of investment in fox control and fire management. We employ empirical data collected from extensive malleefowl monitoring surveys and analyse it within a Bayesian modelling framework. We then incorporate these models on the malleefowl’s response to investment in fox baiting and fire management into a prioritisation framework to investigate a cost effective management strategy for this species. The paucity of data on past management regimes is a key constraint in quantifying the effectiveness of management actions, even though the malleefowl is one of the best studied species of conservation concern in Australia. Adaptive management could be used to better integrate monitoring, data collection and management, while maximising conservation outcomes for the malleefowl and other threatened species. Jessica Walsh has been in the Ecology Centre at the University of Queensland for four years, working on conservation resource allocation, the impacts of exotic species on islands and the effectiveness of recovery plans. 265 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 8c—Symposium: Dissecting Australian diversity: the key to understanding global biodiversity 1530, Room T5, MCC 1545, Room T5, MCC Importance of location and habitat structure in determining nearshore faunal assemblages within Botany Bay, Australia Modelling bottom-up trophic dynamics in estuarine habitats: food-chain responses to nutrient enrichment Judy Upston1,2 Paul York1, Brendan Kelaher1,2, Melanie Bishop1,3, David Booth1 Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney 1 3 Estuarine habitats are particularly susceptible to anthropogenic disturbance yet the consequences of habitat loss are unpredictable because processes determining distributions of nearshore small fish and macroinvertebrates are not well understood. The importance of location and habitat structure (seagrass, patch reef) in determining nearshore faunal assemblages within Botany Bay, Australia was investigated over four years in a series of mensurative and manipulative experiments, incorporating different spatial scales. Potential confounding factors such as the sampling method and volume of ‘living space’ within each habitat were standardised in an experiment. Simple ecological models that predict trophic responses to bottom-up forcing are potentially an invaluable tool for ecosystem managers. Historically, theoretical ecologists have assumed resource-dependence in predicting the trophic dynamics of food webs and their responses to perturbations. More recently it has been suggested that ratio-dependent models may better represent natural systems. The predictions of these two models vary greatly in aquatic systems subjected to longterm bottom-up forcing. We conducted experiments to determine the relationship between nutrients and four trophic levels in two estuarine systems, one based on seagrass and the other phytoplankton. Comparisons of food web structure between sites above and below a sewage outfall that has been operational for > 20 yrs revealed increased abundance of all four trophic levels proportional to nitrogen loading in the phytoplanktondominated system, supporting ratio-dependence. However, comparison of seagrass ecosystems between enriched and low nutrient catchments revealed that while the predictions of ratio dependent models held at lower trophic levels, there was no significant difference in biomass at higher trophic levels between ambient and enriched catchments. The evidence of ratio dependence demonstrates the applicability of ecological theory for simplifying the complexity of systems and provides valuable information for fisheries management and the conservation of estuarine habitats. These studies also highlight the need for further research that investigates different habitats, geographical locations and the strength and type of perturbations. 1 Location within Botany Bay and habitat structure were important in determining fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages within seagrass (Zostera and artificial beds) and on patch reefs. Faunal assemblages within the habitats were localised at the scale of site. Differences between macrofaunal assemblages in seagrass beds and patch reefs were evident over different spatial scales (metres and kilometres) and regardless of the large variability in faunal assemblages between sites. Most taxa found within seagrass beds did not recruit to the alternative habitat provided by patch reefs, indicating that the reefs were a novel habitat in areas dominated by seagrasses. Consequently, disturbance to seagrass beds by introducing artificial hard substrata may result in different faunal assemblages. Judy Upston has a PhD in marine ecology and a Graduate Certificate in Biometrics. She has worked in quantitative ecology and fisheries science for the past 13 years, currently at CSIRO. 266 University of Technology, Sydney, 2Batemans Marine Park, Macquarie University Paul York is a PhD student at UTS studying trophic interactions of seagrass food webs. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T5, MCC 1615, Room T5, MCC Developing an integrated approach to climate change refugia in old stable landscapes Using weather events, not climate means, to model the distribution and competitive outcomes of marsupials Grant Wardell-Johnson1, Gunnar Keppel1, Colin Yates2, Kimberly Van Niel3, Margaret Byrne2, Ladislav Mucina1, 1 4 Antonius Schut , Stephen Hopper 1 2 Curtin University, Department of Environment and Conservation, 3 The University of Western Australia, 4Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Anthropogenic climate change threatens the Earth’s biota and human society. By identifying areas that are most likely to act as refugia for biota under projected climate change, adaptation and conservation activities can be focused where they will provide greatest benefit. In Australia, the subdued landscape of the southwestern Australian (SWWA) global biodiversity hotspot is already experiencing climate change with predictions for further warming and drying. Much theory associated with refugia has been developed in young, complex landscapes. We have developed a methodology to determine whether there are features in subdued landscapes that will act as refugia in the face of anticipated climate change. Three questions and 10 hypotheses guide our research on granite outcrops and fringing vegetation, and their surrounds. Our approach examines environmental characteristics, phylogeographic patterns, resource availability, and resilience of granite outcrop plant communities and fringing vegetation; compared to that of the wider landscape. The application of high resolution spatial analysis together with phylogeography, ecophysiology and community assembly rules provides an integrated, transdisciplinary approach to examining the role of granite outcrops as safe havens for the biota in the face of climate change. Our approach enables the development of understanding and management of refugia in old stable landscapes. Associate Professor Grant Wardell-Johnson is Director of the Curtin Institute for Biodiversity and Climate at Curtin University. He researches refugia and climate change impacts on biodiversity in mediterranean-climate ecosystems. Brooke Bateman1, Jeremy VanDerWal1, Christopher Johnson1,2 1 Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, James Cook University, 2School of Zoology, University of Tasmania Species distribution models (SDMs) are used to generate hypotheses on the determinants of current distributions of species, and predict distributional responses to climate change. Current approaches to such prediction are based on correlations between species locations and climate variables, generally measured as long-term means. But species respond to weather, not climate. Weather events or unusual short-duration patterns of weather are known to affect species distributions, interspecific competition and community assemblage, but are typically not included in SDMs. Although these ‘weather events’ may not be even noticed by humans, they can be defined as ‘extreme’ for the species. Here, we demonstrate the importance of such extreme weather events in defining the distribution of an endangered marsupial, the northern bettong (Bettongia tropica). Weather events are implicated in the failure of populations close to range margins to reach their potential abundance (as indicated by climate suitability), and can explain local extinction of marginal populations. Further, we show how these extreme events can influence the results of interspecific competition of this species with the more common rufous bettong (Aepyprymnus rufescens). Such events are overlooked when only long-term climate means are used to construct distribution models. Because the incidence of extreme events is likely to rise with climate change, climate-only models may underestimate the impacts of climate change. Jeremy VanDerWal is a spatial ecologist examining the impacts of past, present and future climate change on spatial patterns of species distribution and abundance. 267 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1630, Room T5, MCC Bottom-up versus top-down limits on recruitment in the threatened long-lived arid tree, Acacia peuce Catherine Nano1, Chris Pavey1, S Raghu2 1 Biodiversity Conservation Division, Northern Territory Government, 2Plant Industries, Northern Territory Government Acacia peuce F.Muell. (Mimosaceae) is a threatened arid tree known only from three small disjunct populations on the edge of the Simpson Desert in Central Australia. The population in the Northern Territory is vulnerable to decline by virtue of its small size and due to cattle and fire disturbances. We tested the relative effects of bottom-up (climate and soil resources) versus top-down (herbivore and fire disturbance) limits on recruitment using a 30 year monitoring data-set of 14 permanent plots, and through redundancy analysis (RDA) of environmental and life-class relationships. We found that resource availability (space and time) had an overwhelming effect on stand density and regeneration in this species; but disturbance reduced both attributes to levels below the climate limit. Seedling recruitment was confined to a single phase of extremely high rainfall. Cattle browsing in productive (run-on) patches kept saplings short; while long-fenced and low cattle-use (run-off) patches provided spatial escape opportunities for sapling growth. Fire caused the death of standing plants, but it did not stimulate recruitment, and therefore led to stand decline. Our study emphasised the need for ongoing management to ensure that rare recruitment opportunities are not reduced below persistence thresholds by cattle and fire. Catherine Nano is a botanist with the NT government in Alice Springs. Her major research focus in on limits to woody growth and canopy formation in arid systems. 268 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 8d—Invasive species 1530, Moran G008, MCC 1545, Moran G008, MCC Factors that effect the detection of the northern Pacific seastar Australian family ties: does a lack of local relatives help invasive plants succeed? 1 1 Kimberley Millers , Michael McCarthy , Jan Carey 1 1 University of Melbourne 1 2 1 Kerinne Harvey , David Britton , David Nipperess , Lesley 1 Hughes 1 Globally, extensive survey programs have been undertaken in marine environments to document the distribution of invasive marine species. A critical source of error when conducting such surveys is the imperfect detection of a species. Understanding the relationship between factors influencing detection probability such as observer experience, search effort and environmental conditions is essential for designing cost-effective survey programs. In this study, we estimate the likelihood of detecting the invasive northern Pacific seastar, Asterias amurensis, in Victoria. Using a novel approach, artificial mimics of the target species were placed along a 50 m survey transect to create a population with a known density. Observers independently surveyed the area and recorded search effort and the number of individual mimics detected. Mathematical modelling was used to examine the relationship between detection probability, search effort, observer experience and environmental conditions. The findings suggest that detection probabilities declined with (i) increasing habitat cover and water depth and (ii) decreasing water visibility and search effort. Detection probabilities on average were higher for an experienced observer compared with those of an inexperienced observer. This study provides a powerful tool in addressing the overall efficiency of detection during surveys for a spreading introduced marine species. Kimberley Millers is a PhD candidate from the University of Melbourne, with her current research project looking at the imperfect detection of introduced marine species. Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Entomology Collections, Australian Museum, NSW 2 Invasive plants may initially be released from natural enemies upon their introduction to new regions but once established, natural enemies may accumulate. The degree to which phylogenetic relationships of nonindigenous species to the native recipient community may drive patterns of herbivore and pathogen damage and be important in determining the success of the invasive species. Damage due to herbivores was compared across invasive, non-invasive and native species. Phylogenetic distance to nearest native relative explained 37% of leaf damage on invasive plants. Using a finer taxonomic scale within the genus Senecio, preliminary results display a non-significant trend towards reduced herbivory on non-indigenous species, but the invasive plant S. madagascariensis had similar damage levels to other non-indigenous Senecio’s. These results suggest that phylogeny at the genus level and above may provide a tool for assessing the invasive potential of non-indigenous plants, with respect to colonisation by the herbivore and pathogen community. However, predictions based on phylogeny at the subgeneric level may be less reliable due to the fine-scale complexity of interactions between invaders and their natural enemies. Kerinne Harvey is a PhD student interested in the predictions and community response of invasion. 269 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Moran G008, MCC 1615, Moran G008, MCC Distribution and impacts of the invasive ant Pheidole megacephala on Great Barrier Reef coral cays From individual damage to population level consequences: the biocontrol program against the invasive weed groundsel bush Chris Burwell1,2, Akihiro Nakamura1,2, Andrew McDougall3, 4 John Neldner Yvonne Buckely1,2, Nikki Sims-Chilton1 1 Queensland Museum, Environmental Futures Centre and Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, 3Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Environment and Resource Management, 4Queensland Herbarium We surveyed ants across 16 coral cays located in the southern Great Barrier Reef, mostly in the Capricorn and Bunker Groups. A total of 28 ant species were recorded, including at least 11 species we considered exotic. The exotic and invasive coastal brown ant, Pheidole megacephala, was widely distributed, occurring on 12 of the 16 islands. The inter-island distribution of P. megacephala was related to current human disturbance, suggesting that human activities have facilitated its establishment. The within-island distribution of P. megacephala was influenced by habitat type. It was much less abundant within closed Pisonia grandis forest in the interior of larger islands. However, on small islands it was equally abundant within Pisonia forest and surrounding open woodland. Pheidole megacephala was numerically dominant on most infested islands and was the most significant factor influencing assemblages of other ants. Heavily infested islands, particular smaller ones, were characterised by depauperate faunas of other ants. Uninfested islands had relatively large numbers of ant species consisting mostly of natives. The management implications of these results are discussed, particularly in relation to controlling P. megacephala on heavily-infested islands, preventing its further spread, and elucidating its role in outbreaks of scale insects that have resulted in the death of Pisonia grandis trees on some islands. Chris Burwell is Senior Curator of insects at the Queensland Museum, Brisbane and a 20% co-appointment with Griffith University where he is a lecturer in the Griffith School of Environment. 270 1 The University of Queensland, 2CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences 2 The introduction of biological control agents is a common control strategy for invasive plants; however, long-term evaluation of biocontrol programs is rarely carried out. We examined whether the insects released for biocontrol of groundsel bush (Baccharis halimifolia) in Australia affect the growth, survival and fecundity of individual plants under field conditions and subsequently population growth rate. We used the observed effects of biocontrol agent damage on plant vital rates and insect exclusion experiments to parameterise matrix population models. While biocontrol agent damage can reduce individual plant growth rates in the field, low average levels of attack indicate that population level control is not generally achieved. Simulation of the highest observed levels of damage indicate that there is potential to further reduce population growth rate. Insect exclusion experiments showed a greater effect of insect damage on individual plant growth than the observational damage models, with a concomitant increase in population growth rate; however, enemy release and observed population growth rates did not differ significantly. We provide a unique example of population scale evaluation of the effectiveness of a long-term biological control program and demonstrate the use of a novel evaluation framework combining insect exclusion, observational damage studies and population modelling to assess, a posteriori, the effectiveness of biological control. Dr Yvonne Buckely is an ARC Australian Research Fellow at the University of Queensland and CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences. Her work includes plant and insect interactions, plant population dynamics, movement ecology and environmental decision making for invasive species management and ecosystem restoration. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1630, Moran G008, MCC 1645, Moran G008, MCC How far does pollen and seed of the invasive willow, Salix cinerea, move? Brushtail possums in New Zealand: a nutritional study Tara Hopley1,2, Alec Zwart3, Andrew Young1 Hannah Windley1, William Foley1, Ian Wallis1, Wendy Ruscoe2, Pen Holland2, Mandy Barron2, Roger Pech2 1 2 CSIRO Plant Industry, Australian National University, Research School of Biology, 3CSIRO Mathematics, Informatics and Statistics Current control efforts for the most highly invasive willow species, Salix cinerea, are extensive, costly and not always successful due to rapid post-removal reinfestation. An improved knowledge of the reproductive ecology and dispersal dynamics of this species will help to minimise future expansion and make current control efforts more effective. The species was found to be predominately insect pollinated but can exhibit wind pollination which has the potential for long distance dispersal. This combined with a high reproductive output and high initial germination rates give the species the potential to reinfest cleared areas and expand its range. Preliminary paternity analysis using molecular markers show that up to 50% of seed on trees are sired from outside the home location. Genetic profiling of populations in surrounding rivers has allowed us to identify the most likely pollen and seed sources to give an estimate of the scale of gene flow. Initial results suggest that over 30% of seed are moving between rivers with a small amount travelling over 30 kilometres. These results suggest that land managers need to coordinate control efforts across rivers for more effective long term eradication. 1 Australian National University, 2Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) poses one of the greatest threats to New Zealand’s natural ecosystems. Many have suggested that possums in New Zealand have experienced an ‘ecological release’ from some of their natural controls (both ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’) into an environment which has not coevolved with folivorous mammals, resulting in much higher population densities than seen in Australia. The ‘bottom-up’ part of these ideas depends on assumptions made about the nutritional quality of the vegetation in New Zealand and the physiological capacity of the possums themselves. There are very few data on either aspect and no large scale studies that compare the nutrition of possums in Australia and New Zealand. We are currently comparing nutritional environment in the two countries. Using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy, we can analyse far more samples than by using traditional techniques and can also develop calibration equations for several nutrients and secondary chemicals that allow us to quickly assess the nutritional value of sites and how they vary over time. This study links nutrition and populations but it also informs possum control programs. Nutritional information could assist in deciding where and when to control possums and what sites are most vulnerable to damage from possum browsing. Hannah Windley is in her first year of a PhD at the Australian National University. She is a nutritional ecologist with a background in biotechnology. Her current work addresses the impact of brushtail possums on native New Zealand forests and aims to explain browsing choices within and between tree species. Hannah completed her B.Biotech (hons) from ANU in 2009 and during her honours year, developed a method for determining the quality of diets eaten by folivores through chemical analysis of faeces. 271 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 8e—Urban landscapes 1530, Moran G007, MCC 1545, Moran G007, MCC Threatened species in the path of progress: major infrastructure projects acting responsibly On the snail trail! Mitchell’s rainforest snail (Thersites mitchellae) and microhabitat use Wendy Jeffery 1 1 KBR In recent years, several major linear infrastructure projects have been proposed such as road, rail wand water projects to the north and west of Melbourne. These projects pass through areas which include remnants of the threatened native grassland community and threatened species of flora and fauna it supports. Detailed flora and fauna assessments required for major projects increasingly encounter threatened communities or species at some point along their proposed alignments. Despite attempts to avoid areas of concentration of significant species or habitat, it is almost inevitable given the limited opportunities for routing major linear infrastructure through areas of existing development or those under development pressure, that some species must be narrowly avoided and managed during construction and beyond. This paper describes the process of risk identification, risk assessment, construction mitigation and postconstruction management commitment which is applied at the project design, pre-construction, construction and post-construction stages and is necessary to achieve a potentially positive outcome for threatened species. A major long-term benefit of this process is a result of the ‘ripple effect’, which is contributing to the raised awareness, education and practice of project engineers, clients, local community, government representatives charged with management of threatened species on the ground and government policy makers. Several threatened species are discussed as specific examples. Wendy Jeffery is Senior Ecologist in KBR’s Melbourne office with practical knowledge and skills in ecology, field botany, zoology, fauna survey, analysis of soil, water and air, managing terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, revegetation and environmental remediation, integrated catchment management, nature-based tourism and aspects of environmental law. She is experienced in all aspects of the production of environment effects statements (EES) and environmental management plans, from concept to final product. 272 1 Mark Robinson 1 Byron Shire Council Mitchell’s Rainforest Snail (Thersites mitchellae) is a threatened terrestrial snail confined to north-eastern NSW in an area whose macrohabitats have been severely altered and reduced by agricultural land use and under increasing pressure by urban and holiday developments. Little is known about the microhabitat use of this nocturnally active mollusc however it is an imperative to improve knowledge in this regard to satisfactorily manage its habitat or for informing impact assessment purposes. To assist NSW conservation agency (DECCW) Priority Actions for managing this threatened species, a pilot study was undertaken to use line and spool tracking method to determine the microhabitat use of the species. A custom built spool was attached and microhabitat features were recorded every 0.25m and compared to that of available habitat. The results have illuminated the microhabitat use of this rare snail but also their nightly movement distances. Mark Robinson has over 20 years’ experience in ecological management, including biological surveys, ecological restoration and education and impact assessment. Among other issues, this project was so Mark could learn about snails. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Moran G007, MCC 1615, Moran G007, MCC Habitat usage of parrots in an urban landscape Pattern, process and prediction: developing a stochastic patch occupancy model for an endangered Australian amphibian Adrian Davis1, Charlotte Taylor1, Richard Major2 1 University of Sydney, 2Australian Museum Since 1981, populations of at least four species of native parrot have increased in urban Sydney, with similar trends reported throughout other urban centres around Australia. Such increases in abundance highlight the potential role that urban landscapes may play in biodiversity conservation. Whilst awareness of urban habitats such as streetscapes, golf courses and urban parks is increasing amongst both scientists and urban planners alike, the configuration and structure of the landscape, species utilisation of the landscape, and the factors that allow the two to coexist, are both poorly understood and largely unstudied. This project aimed to determine the extent to which the urban landscape is utilised by Sydney’s parrot population. Golf courses, streets, parks and remnant bush lots were surveyed along an urban gradient stretching from the city centre to the surrounding national parks during and outside parrot breeding season over a two year period. Significantly higher numbers of parrots were present in the urban landscape, relative to the surrounding national parks, and were most likely to be found in the suburban and outer urban regions. Presence and abundance amongst different habitats varied significantly and was species dependent. Adrian Davis is a PhD candidate in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney. His research focuses on the resource and habitat utilisation of Sydney’s’ urban parrot population. Geoffrey Heard1, Michael Scroggie2, Kirsten Parris1, Michael 1 McCarthy 1 School of Botany, University of Melbourne, 2Arthur Rylah Institute of Environmental Research, Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment Metapopulation theory is a useful paradigm for the conservation of species threatened by habitat change, because it offers tools to assess their viability under differing management scenarios. One such tool is a stochastic patch occupancy model, or SPOM. A SPOM describes the processes of population extinction and colonisation, and can be used to predict these dynamics given alternative management scenarios. When coupled with formal approaches to compare extinction risk under these scenarios (such as a decision analysis), SPOMs can identify those that optimise metapopulation viability. We sought to develop a SPOM for the growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis), an endangered Australian amphibian threatened by urbanisation. We will describe two preliminary steps: ‘pattern’—in which hypotheses concerning the determinants of population extinction and colonisation were developed using occupancy data—and ‘process’—in which these hypotheses were assessed using occupancy-turnover data. Our resulting Bayesian SPOM will be presented, with examples of the application of the model to specific conservation problems for L. raniformis. In doing so, we will show that contemporary analytical methods and software provide a complete framework in which to develop a SPOM, and apply it to conservation planning for threatened species. Geoff Heard is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Applied Environmental Decision Analysis Hub at the University of Melbourne. Geoff is an applied ecologist, with special interest in the conservation of herpetofauna. 273 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1630, Moran G007, MCC 1645, Moran G007, MCC Local turnover in amphibian communities in an urbanised landscape The impacts of urban growth on Brisbane’s biodiversity Andrew Hamer1, Kirsten Parris2 Jessica Sushinsky1, Jonathan Rhodes2,3, Hugh Possingham1, Tony Gill3, Richard Fuller1,2 1 Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, 2School of Botany, University of Melbourne Recent studies conducted in relatively natural ecosystems have found that the dynamics of regional and local amphibian communities are strongly influenced by local abiotic and biotic factors, and landscape connectivity. In this study, we assessed local extinction of frog populations in urban ponds throughout Greater Melbourne, Australia. We sampled frog communities at 61 ponds during two study periods in 2000–2002 and 2007–2008. We recorded a suite of local and landscape variables at each pond as measures of habitat quality and pond connectivity and isolation. Using a Bayesian stochastic patch occupancy model, we investigated the effect of these variables on the probability of local extinction between the two study periods. We found that populations of Limnodynastes dumerilii, L. peronii, L. tasmaniensis and Litoria ewingii were more likely to go extinct at smaller ponds. Local extinction of L. tasmaniensis populations was also higher at ponds surrounded by a high density of roads and where nonnative fish were present. Populations of L. peronii were less likely to go extinct at ponds with a high cover of aquatic vegetation. These results highlight the importance of pond size, local habitat quality and landscape context for the persistence of amphibian communities in urban areas. Andrew Hamer is an ecologist who conducts research into the effects of urbanisation on frog communities. He is interested in how frog-habitat relationships determine species persistence in a rapidly urbanising world. 1 The Ecology Centre, University of Queensland, 2CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship and CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, 3Centre for Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Science, School of Geography, Planning and Architecture Cities have become the epicentres of human population growth, and urbanisation is arguably the most persistent, damaging and rapidly expanding form of environmental degradation. Fuelled by a desire to minimise future land take, many cities have adopted urban growth plans that increase the density of existing residential areas. The consequences for urban biodiversity of such policy decisions are unclear. Here, we predict the impacts of future urban development policy in Brisbane on both biodiversity persistence and access by people to green spaces close to where they live and work. We modelled the current distributions of 35 bird species (25 urban adapting and 10 urban sensitive species), and projected how these will change under low and high density future urban growth scenarios both adding the required 85,000 dwellings to the city. Switching to high density urban growth will substantially reduce the quality of the urban matrix for the urban-adapted components of biodiversity that dominate urban assemblages, but retain pockets of habitat where (i) urban sensitive species can persist, and (ii) people can access nature close to where they live. Tools integrating conservation planning and urban planning are urgently required in Australia, particularly as the nation debates moving toward compact city design. Jessica Sushinsky has been at the University of Queensland in Brisbane for the past two years working as a research assistant and studying for her MPhil in The Ecology Centre with Dr Richard Fuller and Prof Hugh Possingham. Jessica’s work at UQ has focused on conservation planning, spatial ecology, urban ecology, and bird conservation and ecology. Currently, she is investigating the impacts of urban growth strategies in Brisbane on biodiversity conservation objectives and the aim of maintaining biodiversity close to where people live. Before coming to Australia Jessica completed my BSc in ecology at the University of Maryland in the USA and then worked for two years as a biologist at Patuxent Wildlife Research Centre where she provided GIS and database support for several national (USA) biological monitoring programs. Jessica will complete her MPhil in March 2010 and move to Louisiana in the USA where she plans to continue her work as a research biologist. 274 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 8f—Impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation 1530, Room T3, MCC 1545, Room T3, MCC Back to the brink—population decline of the endangered grassland earless dragon following its rediscovery Linking plant–pollinator interactions to gene flow in fragmented plant populations 1 1 2 Wendy Dimond , Will Osborne , Murray Evans , 1 1 Bernd Gruber , Stephen Sarre 1 1,2 3 2 Carole Elliott , Alec Zwart , David Lindenmayer , 4 1 Saul Cunningham , Andrew Young 1 2 Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Research and Planning Unit, ACT Parks, Conservation and Lands Lizard populations are under serious threat with widespread declines and predictions of multiple extinctions through climate change. A concerted effort to locate all remaining populations of the endangered grassland earless dragon (Tympanocryptis pinguicolla) following its rediscovery in 1990 identified two regions, Canberra and the southern tablelands, that retained apparently viable populations of the species. We show a gradual non-significant decline in population sizes across Canberra from 1995 followed by a dramatic reduction (88%) from 2006 at the most densely populated site. Using mark-recapture, we estimate annual survival at that site to be low (0.017 to one year of age and 0.024 to adulthood) over the three years of the study. Taken together, these data suggest a regional decline among T. pinguicolla populations that place the species in grave jeopardy of becoming the first confirmed reptile extinction in Australia since European settlement. The key extinction factors are likely to include extreme drought conditions, coincident with over grazing and habitat fragmentation. Our data show the value in continuous monitoring of at risk species in identifying declines before it is too late and in providing strong baselines with which to identify causes of decline through rigorous experimentation. Wendy Dimond is completing her PhD thesis at the University of Canberra studying the conservation biology of grassland earless dragons. CSIRO Plant Industry, 2Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, 3CSIRO Mathematics, Informatics and Statistics, 4CSIRO Entomology We investigated the effect of landscape context on plant-pollinator interactions on a common, birdpollinated, autohexaploid shrub (Eremophila glabra ssp. glabra) to assess connectivity in fragmented landscapes, in south-eastern Australia. We contrasted three replicated landscape contexts (interior element; near element; far element) at different distances from a large vegetation remnant. We compared plant reproduction, and examined the relationship between pollinator movement and gene flow by assessing the ratio of within versus between population matings. Seed set was significantly higher in the interior, yet experienced lower pollinator visitation when compared to the near and far elements. Eremophila glabra ssp. glabra was highly outcrossed (>90%) and we found no difference in the frequency of local or foreign gene flow of populations in different elements. We attribute this lack of difference to self-incompatibility and highly mobile pollinators. There was no relationship between pollinator movement patterns and gene flow patterns. We demonstrate that the spatial context of fragmented remnants altered pollinator behaviour and plant reproduction, though levels of gene flow were unaffected, as evidenced by high levels of foreign out-crossing. Therefore, we conclude that current immigrant gene flow is crucial to populations and pollinators were key to maintaining genetic connectivity among populations in highly fragmented landscapes. 275 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T3, MCC 1615, Room T3, MCC Genetic effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on the endangered tetraploid shrub, Allocasuarina emuina (Casuarinaceae) Not drowning, waving—the effect of flooding and fallen timber availability on floodplain ant assemblages Robert Lamont1, Alison Shapcott1, Rhonda Stokoe1 Greg Horrocks1, Ralph Mac Nally1, Dennis O’Dowd1, 1 Shaun Cunningham 1 University of the Sunshine Coast 1 Over the last few decades, there have been numerous ecological and genetic studies conducted on plant species from recently fragmented habitats. Depending on a species life-history and genetic characteristics, the effects of population loss and erosion of population size upon long-term viability, are likely to vary among taxa. We assessed the genetic consequences of significant levels of habitat loss, due to rapid urbanisation, in the Emu Mountain she-oak (Allocasuarina emuina), an apomictic, polyploid shrub from the coastal heaths of SE Queensland. Contrary to the predictions of population genetic theory, which relates mainly to diploid species, no correlation was found between population size, fecundity, and the level of genetic diversity contained within populations. In fact, one of the smallest remnant populations of A. emuina, with only 43 individuals, was also one of the most diverse. It would appear that in some cases, the fixed genomes of polyploid taxa, are functioning to conserve the loss of diversity, even under conditions of severe fragmentation. The implications of collateral benefit for co-occurring species are discussed. Robert Lamont’s main focus is the conservation genetics and ecology of heathland species under conditions of habitat loss and degradation arising from urbanisation and human overpopulation in SE Qld. Australian Centre For Biodiversity, Monash University Flooding regimes and fallen timber both play pivotal roles in the determination of floodplain ecology and have a significant impact on the diversity of resident biota. Terrestrial arthropod communities in these systems have had limited study and there is little information on the long-term impact of such disturbance on ant assemblages. Altered flooding regimes, and any change in the amount and distribution pattern of logs, are both likely to have an impact on the resident ant community. Historically, a reduction in habitat complexity has often led to a drop in species richness for other floodplain fauna. In this study, we used a manipulative forest experiment to investigate the effect of availability of fallen-timber and flooding on the composition and abundance of ant assemblages. Invertebrate collection surveys were carried out over a five-year period in river red gum forest on a Murray River floodplain in Victoria. In areas of similar habitat structure, pitfall trapping was carried out in 34 one-hectare plots prior to fallen timber being redistributed into differing woodloads. Four postmanipulation surveys were conducted over the three years after disturbance including three completed after a major flooding event. The response of the ant assemblages to changes in the amount of fallen timber and extensive flooding will be discussed. Greg Horrocks has over 30 years’ experience as a field ecologist working on birds and mammals for DSE and Monash University and is now completing a PhD on ants. 276 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1630, Room T3, MCC 1645, Room T3, MCC Bat activity in forests in south-east NSW as revealed by Anabat call detection and radiotracking Land clearing reduces gene flow in the granite outcrop dwelling lizard, Ctenophorus ornatus Dan Lunney1, Harry Parnaby, Peggy Eby, Chris Corben, Shaan Gresser, David Priddel, Robert Wheeler, Alison Matthews2, Ian Shannon Esther Levy1, Natasha LeBas1, Jason Kennington1, Joseph Tomkins1 1 2 DECCW NSW, Charles Sturt University This study of tree-dwelling microbats is part of a broader investigation into the long-term impact of woodchip logging on fauna. Radiotracking was used to determine the roosts selected by Gould’s long-eared bat and the little forest bat in a forest that had been logged 25 years earlier. Both bat species were selective in the species, size and condition of roost trees, and in landscape characteristics, such as logging history, topography and aspect. Neither species used live trees of <50 cm in trunk diameter, although trees of this size dominated the forest. There was no evidence that regrowth trees within intensively managed forest provided roosting habitat. We conclude that the conservation of these bats depends on the preservation of the old-growth elements of forests to be logged. The second strand of the study, using Anabat ultrasonic detectors, explored patterns of bat activity across vegetation types, elevation and land tenure. Activity of most species was highest in the vegetation types with the highest soil fertility. Our results demonstrate the usefulness of this technique, and identify that management prescriptions for bats need to include landscape characteristics. Dan Lunney is a wildlife ecologist with a long-term interest in forest mammals. 1 University of Western Australia, School of Animal Biology, Centre for Evolutionary Biology An important question for the conservation of species dwelling in fragmented habitats is whether changes to the intervening landscape create a barrier to gene flow. Here, we make use of the spatial distribution of the granite outcrop-dwelling lizard, Ctenophorus ornatus to compare inferred levels of gene flow between outcrops in a nature reserve with that between outcrops in the adjacent agricultural land. Genetic variation, relatedness and subdivision were compared within groups of individuals from different outcrops similar in size and distance apart at each site. In the agricultural land we found significantly lower genetic variation within outcrops and greater genetic differentiation between outcrops than in the reserve. Further, the rate at which genetic divergence between outcrops increased over geographical distance was significantly greater in the agricultural land than in the reserve. We also found that individuals were more closely related within outcrops, but more distantly related between outcrops in the cleared land. Thus, even though land clearing around the outcrops leaves outcrop size unchanged, it restricts gene flow, reducing genetic variation and increasing population structure, with potentially negative consequences for the long-term persistence of the lizards on these outcrops. Esther Levy is postgraduate student at the University of Western Australia. Her research focuses on the causes and consequences of reduced genetic variation, using the ornate dragon lizard as a model. 277 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 8g—Climate change and other disturbances: impacts on species assemblages 1530, Room T2, MCC 1645, Room T2, MCC Alpine soil as a methane sink: predicting the effects of climate change and fire The influence of climate on the numerical response of a top order mammalian predator Kerryn J McTaggart1,2, Tina L Bell1,2,3, Chris J Weston1, Lauren T Bennett Berlinda Bowler1, Jim Hone1, Charles Krebs1,2 1 Department of Forest and Ecosystem Science, The University of Melbourne, 2The Bushfire CRC, 3The University of Sydney Soils are vital to sustaining biodiversity, cycling nutrients at a global and local level, providing one of the earth’s most diverse areas of biodiversity as well as the largest carbon sinks which humans can control. One important part of this sink is aerobic forest soils which contain CH4 consuming bacteria (methanotrophs) that consume 15– 45 Tg yr-1 of atmospheric CH4 globally (3–10% of emissions). This sink is greatly affected by climate change and fire. This project studied the effect of soil property changes on CH4 oxidation. Alpine Ash forests (E. delegatensis) and Snow Gum (E. pauciflora) woodlands in the Bogong High Plains were chosen as alpine areas are thought to be particularly sensitive to climate change. All soils were shown to be CH4 sinks, with oxidation rates ranging from 28 to 105 (mean 59) μg CH4 m-2 h-1. Laboratory and field studies were used to disentangle the effects of changing properties and determine properties that play an important role in controlling CH4 oxidation rates. Properties investigated included CH4 concentration and diffusion, soil moisture, temperature, bulk density, inorganic nitrogen and pH. Results from these studies will improve our understanding and ability to predict the effects of changes on this important CH4 sink. Kerryn J McTaggart studied at The University of Melbourne, completing a Bachelor of Science with honours and has almost completed her PhD. Kerryn currently works for the Department of Sustainability and Environment. 278 1 Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, 2Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Canada Predation is an important ecosystem function and much work has been done to elicit complex relationships between predators and their prey. However, the influence of climate on predator-prey interactions remains poorly understood for terrestrial mammals. In a time of climate change, there is a need to understand the consequences of climate on such important wildlife interactions. This study investigates the influence of climate on the predation dynamics of a top order predator, coyote (Canis latrans), relevant to its keystone prey, snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) in a Canadian boreal forest ecosystem experiencing rapid climate change. The aim was to develop models to assess the influence of climate on the predator numerical response. Linear, non-linear, additive, and interactive effects of prey and climate were postulated that separately incorporated broad scale (North Atlantic Oscillation, El Niño-Southern Oscillation, Pacific/North Atlantic) and local scale (temperature, precipitation, snow) climate indices. Models were evaluated using model selection procedures. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) had the strongest effect on coyote numerical response, while other broad and local scale climate indices had relatively weak effects. Coyote numerical response was positively influenced by the negative phase of the NAO, and contrary to expectations, negatively influenced by increased local temperatures. Berlinda Bowler recently completed a Bachelor of Environmental Science degree, and is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Applied Science Honours by research, both at the University of Canberra. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T2, MCC 1615, Room T2, MCC Incorporating fire frequency in species distribution models enhances climate change predictions for tropical savanna birds Response of eucalypt arthropods to climate change factors: predicting future community changes April Reside1,2, Jeremy VanDerWal2, Ian Watson1, Alex Kutt1 1 CSIRO, 2JCU Biodiversity conservation in the face of changing climate requires reliable predictions of species distributions. Distribution models need to include variables that strongly influence species persistence. Species will be affected by climate change directly by altering the amount and location of suitable climatic space, and indirectly by climate-driven modification of habitat. Very few studies of climate change effects on biodiversity have included key landscape factors in distribution modelling, despite recognition that landscape alteration through processes such as fire and land clearing have substantial influence on fauna patterning. For birds in Australian tropical savannas, change in fire regime is a critical conservation issue, linked to species decline, and likely to be a more immediate threat than the actual changes in climate. This study examines species’ vulnerability to climate change by modelling species distributions using Maxent, projecting distribution algorithms onto spatial surfaces predicted by nine global circulation models and three emissions scenarios. This study shows that including fire frequency is important for understanding species vulnerability to climate change. Understanding species’ vulnerability to both climate change and fire is a critical step in conservation planning and adaptation of land management for combating biodiversity loss. April Reside is a student working on climate change impacts on Australian tropical savanna birds, continuing her interests in ecology and conservation, particularly of flying vertebrates. Tara Murray1, Goran Lopaticki1, David Ellsworth1, Markus Riegler1 1 Centre for Plants and the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury Campus For several decades now there has been significant research into the potential impacts of future atmospheric and climate change on plant chemistry and productivity, with important implications for insect development and diversity. Most of these studies have been conducted in the Northern Hemisphere. However, recent outcomes from the Hawkesbury Forest Experiment, an international climate change field experiment on eucalypts, suggest physiological responses of eucalypts may differ in some key aspects from those of Northern Hemisphere plants. These responses have consequences for arthropod diversity and community dynamics in Australia where eucalypts dominate a number of native ecosystems. We discuss the expected physiological changes in eucalypts under predicted atmospheric and climate change scenarios for 2050 in Australia. We present preliminary data and hypotheses for the effects of drought on arthropod community diversity and of changes in atmospheric CO2 on herbivore development. We also present results of a community diversity study in a remnant natural eucalypt woodland which may be used as baseline data for monitoring impacts of climate change in the future. Dr Tara Murray received her PhD from Lincoln University in New Zealand where she was based with New Zealand Forest Research Institute in Rotorua studying parasitoids of eucalypt pests. She joined the Centre for Plants and the Environment at the Hawkesbury campus of the University of Western Sydney as a postdoctoral fellow in June this year. Tara and her co-authors are part of a large group of scientists utilising the Hawkesbury Forest Experiment to study the effects of climate change, particularly increased CO2, on eucalypt communities and her research focuses on the responses of insect herbivores. 279 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1630, Room T2, MCC 1645, Room T2, MCC Which species are most responsive to rising CO2 under resource limited conditions? A model analysis Vulnerability of Australian forests to climate change: contrasting bioclimatic and ecophysiological approaches Ashehad Ali1, Belinda Medlyn1 Belinda Medlyn1, Melanie Zeppel1 1 Macquarie University Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) has a direct and measurable effect on plant growth. However, it does not affect all species equally, which could lead to shifts in competitive dominance of species in ecosystems. Numerous studies suggest that under favourable conditions, plants with high relative growth rate (RGR) respond strongly to rising [CO2], and it is possible to show mathematically why this should be the case. However, we have a poor understanding of which plant species will be most responsive to rising [CO2] when resources, such as light and nutrients, are limiting. We used a plant-soil model to examine which species traits lead to high or low [CO2] responsiveness under resource-limited conditions. Trait values that yield high RGR did not lead to high [CO2] responsiveness, contrary to the non-resource-limited case. Our results suggest that rising [CO2] could favour changes in species dominance towards slow-growing species in resource-limited environments. Ashehad Ali is a PhD student at Macquarie University, applying maths to natural systems such as plant-soil-environment by understanding processes and developing mathematical models for such systems in the face of global change. 280 1 Macquarie University The vulnerability of Australian forests to climate change has been assessed using two quite different types of study: bioclimatic modelling and ecophysiological modelling. Bioclimatic modelling is correlative: this approach seeks to establish correlations between the current distribution of a species and climate, and use these correlations to predict distributions under future climate. Ecophysiological modelling is mechanistic: it seeks to understand how climate affects individual plant processes and to use this knowledge to predict how climate will affect overall plant growth. We reviewed studies applying these approaches to Australian forests, and found that the general conclusions of the two types of study were quite different. Bioclimatic models indicate that Australian forest species are highly vulnerable to climate change, whereas ecophysiological models suggest that forest productivity could potentially increase under climate change. We discuss reasons for these contrasting conclusions. Integration of these two approaches is a clear and compelling research need. Dr Belinda Medlyn’s background is in maths and biology. Her chief research interest is in ecophysiological modelling of forest responses to climate change. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 8h—Symposium: Grassy woodlands: managing processes to restore ecosystem function 1530, Room T1, MCC 1545, Room T1, MCC Presenting an experimental, field-scale project focused on reconstructing grass and herb components of open woodland Where’s the seed going to come from? Florabank tools to enable restoration of grassy woodlands Paul Gibson-Roy 1 1 Greening Australia/Melbourne University Vulnerable grassy-woodlands contain many rare and threatened species. Clearing and continued grazing have reduced the extent and complexity of grassywoodlands throughout their natural range. Studies have demonstrated that the grassy-herb component is the most problematic to restore or re-introduce at-scale. Since 2004 the Grassy Groundcover Research Project (GGRP) has investigated the reconstruction of grassland and grassy woodland focusing on: • the reintroduction of species-rich assemblages (representative of local remnants) onto land with an agricultural history (where weed management and plant establishment are primary areas of interest) • the use of seed production systems to supply quantities of high quality, provenance seed for fieldscale restoration. Thirty GGRP grassland or woodland sites have been restored across Victoria. Utilising over 200 native species considerable success has been demonstrated in reestablishing species-rich communities using mechanised seeding equipment. Nutrient limitation was critical to restricting weed competition with sown species and improving establishment. Recruitment of second generation individuals and colonisation by vertebrate and invertebrate species indicate increased functionality within these reconstructed grasslands. It is hoped that GGRP findings may contribute to the wider knowledge of broad-scale restoration of grassy and grassywoodland communities. Paul Gibson-Roy has headed the GGRP since 2004. Since that time the project has continued to investigate the reconstruction of species-rich grassland and grass-woodland at field sites throughout Victoria. He has published several papers on this subject and spoken at many restoration forums though Australia. Penny Atkinson1, David Carr1,2 1 Greening Australia, 2Southern New England Landcare Coordinating Committee Ecological research demonstrates that biodiverse restoration is most effective, yet Australian restoration projects are still often planted with just a few species. Seed is not readily available for the right range of species in the quantities required to restore vegetation communities at the scales required, and restoration practitioners need more accessible information. Greening Australia’s Florabank has developed new tools which can focus on priority vegetation communities in a local area to improve restoration results. • Florabank Seed Supply Planning examines restoration seed needs—identifying provenance zones, source populations, seed issues and constraints. Once the ecological information and the local human and physical infrastructure around seed supply are understood, the practical recommendations can be implemented to increase the amount of seed and species range available. • Florabank’s Species Navigator integrates plant species distribution data with ecological data using a Lucid platform. Species Navigator can be used as an interactive key to select species suited to particular restoration sites and the Species Fact Sheets consolidate information to improve restoration results. Florabank’s role in the Communities in Landscapes project supported by the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country is to provide these tools to improve restoration outcomes for endangered Box-Gum Grassy Woodlands. Penny Atkinson manages Greening Australia’s Florabank, which aims to improve the availability of native seed for large-scale restoration work around Australia. David Carr was instrumental in the development of Florabank. 281 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1600, Room T1, MCC 1615, Room T1, MCC State-and-transition modelling for adaptive management of grassy woodlands in south-eastern Australia Beyond remnants and single properties: landscape scale improvement in box gum grassy woodlands Libby Rumpff1, Peter A Vesk1, David H Duncan2, David A Keith3, 1 Brendan A Wintle 1 University of Melbourne, 2Department of Sustainability and Environment, 3Department of Environment and Climate Change New South Wales Peter Ampt1 Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, University of Sydney 1 Substantial investments are being made to restore the condition of grassy woodlands across Australia. However, there is high uncertainty about how, where, and under what circumstances vegetation restoration is a good investment. Adaptive Management (AM) uses monitoring to iteratively update the state of knowledge and the subsequent direction of management and is regularly proposed as a framework to help deal with this uncertainty. Yet there still remains a need to demonstrate its efficacy for vegetation restoration. One of the major factors impeding implementation is the failure to develop and use appropriate process models. Process models are a representation of the belief about the properties and dynamics of an ecological system, and the system response to management intervention. In this study we present an example of AM underpinned by a quantitative state and transition model (STM) for grassy woodland vegetation dynamics. The STM is implemented as a Bayesian network, making it simple to communicate and update with new data as they arise. We show how the model may be used to predict the probability of achieving desirable state transitions at restoration sites and how monitoring of those sites can be used to update the model (learn) and adapt restoration strategies. Libby Rumpff’s postdoctoral research project aims to implement an Adaptive Management experiment for native vegetation restoration. It is a collaboration between the Applied Environmental Decision Analysis and Landscape Logic CERF hubs. 282 There is a strong ecological case for improving the landscape matrix within which remnants exist. Developing a finely scaled landscape mosaic which includes a range of uses from cropping through to good quality woody remnants could provide better connectivity and greater habitat diversity. The social landscape in BGGWs is already diverse and becoming more multifunctional, offering opportunities for integrating conservation and production. Grazing management has potential, with, landholders already moving towards shorter periods of intense grazing followed by longer periods of rest. The research on these rotational systems is increasing and, while more evidence is needed, there is clearly cause for optimism that these systems may hold the key to regenerating some of the function and structure of grasslands. Major benefit will be achieved if multiple properties embrace this and other strategies across the same locality. Local and international precedents exist for this environmental collaboration and there is a common property literature paving the way for successful implementation. The Communities in Landscapes (CiL) project is attempting to bring these factors together through its contribution to the research on the impact of rotational grazing strategies and in its pursuit of cross property planning in priority landscapes. Peter Ampt is a Lecturer in Natural Resource Management and Manager of the Future of Australia’s Threatened Ecosystems Program. He has returned to academia following a career as high school teacher, education manager and participatory research consultant. He is in the final stages of a PhD by papers on the integration of conservation and production through the Institute of Environmental Studies at UNSW. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1630, Room T1, MCC 1645, Room T1, MCC Connect the people, connect the landscape, restore the system Woodland conservation through environmental stewardship—applying research to policy and practice Toni McLeish1 1 Grassy Box Woodland Conservation Management Network Emma Burns1, Charlie Zammit1, Simon Attwood1 1 Incomplete knowledge: Incomplete understanding of the ecosystem, their components, their interaction with each other or their interaction with a landscape that includes productive systems, limits our actions. We continue to stand outside the system looking in; we compartmentalise, simplify and address symptoms. We need comprehensive information about how this complex, responsive natural system (in all transitional states) functions internally, with the landscape and its managers. Lack of funding security: Scientists are loosing too much time sourcing funding instead of focusing on providing sound knowledge and innovation. Frustrated land managers are taking unstructured research into their own hands. We need collaborative scientifically valid research shared through trusted sources. Wasted resources: Governments and authorities have aspirations for landscapes without detailed plans of actions and funds to achieve them. Communities do not always share these aspirations limiting their participation. We need a shared vision and plan for our landscapes. Competition verses collaboration: Limited funds historically have created competition where there should be collaboration and partnerships. We need to continue to encourage the formation of partnerships (shared ideals and resources) that can drive the broader landscape vision and build collaborative relationships that help deliver the vision at all scales. Toni Mcleish has worked with members of the GBWCMN for 11 years, initially from the family property as a Rural Liaison Officer and for the past 7 years as coordinator. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities Grassy woodlands present both a high priority and a considerable challenge for conservation. They are often situated on productive private land, and consequently require a combination of legislative and incentive approaches for effective conservation. Here we outline the design and early results from the Australian Government’s Environmental Stewardship Program, which uses competitive tenders to fund private land managers to maintain and/or improve the condition and extent of targeted matters of national environmental significance under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The program utilises scientific input to enable evidence-based decisionmaking, with key examples including the use of State and Transition Models, conservation value metrics and an ecological monitoring program. From 2007–2009, the program targeted the box gum grassy woodlands of south eastern Australia through the Box Gum Grassy Woodlands Project. This project consisted of five tender rounds across NSW and southern Queensland and resulted in 26,470 ha being managed for conservation by 201 land managers who have long-term agreements with the Australian Government. In 2010–2011 the program will target multiple grassland and woodland communities through the Multiple Ecological Communities Project in NSW and SA. This project signals the program’s intent to shift to a more landscape-focused approach. Emma Burns is an Assistant Director in the Environmental Stewardship Program. She is responsible for scientific management issues to support Environmental Stewardship, including survey, tender and metric designs for optimal conservation outcomes. Emma has a PhD in conservation genetics and phylogeography and has worked in various roles with a focus on conservation ecology for a number of years, including positions in research, consultancy and government. 283 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Friday 10 December Concurrent session 9a—Open forum 1100, Room T4, MCC 1115, Room T4, MCC Can Reverend Bayes redeem categorical vegetation assessments to help monitor change over time? ‘Jack-and-Master’ species: when adaptive phenotypic plasticity maximises geographic ranges and their transformations David Duncan1 1 Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Sustainability and Environment, VIC Jean-Baptiste Pichancourt1, Rieks van Klinken1 Opportunities for monitoring ecological change due to applied management are severely limited by the availability of appropriately sensitive baseline data. Enormous amounts of plot or mapped-zone based data exist, these data were mostly collected by Government for justifying the choice of one site over another as a place to invest in native vegetation management. This is an important function, but very different to detecting change over time. Is there a way that quasi-quantitative metrics like Habitat Hectares can contribute to assessing change over time? I revisited 25 habitat zones in dry woodland and forest in northern Victoria that were established under the pilot BushTender program. Detailed quantitative assessments of vegetation composition and structure were compared against backprojected prior values informed by the initial assessments. Change over time as a function of starting conditions and management was then assessed using a Bayesian regression. These analyses shed light on likely ecological trends in the accumulation of litter and logs; and a decline in weed cover. Systematic estimation error is suggested in some cases. Above all, these findings underline why data collection for prioritisation and allocation; and for monitoring change over time, should each be tailored with respect to their objectives. Adaptive phenotypic plasticity has long been suspected to give species the ability to increase their geographic range across large-scale environmental gradients. We confirm theoretical expectations by demonstrating a hybrid ‘Jack-and-Master’ strategy in a highly invasive plant in response to moisture gradients, where phenotypic plasticity resulted in (1) fitness homeostasis across its geographic range, including in sub-optimal environments such as at the arid and wet margins of its range (‘Jack-of-all-Trades’ strategy), and (2) fitness maximisation at the range centre where moisture conditions were optimal (‘Master-of-Some’ strategy). The ‘Jack-and-Master’ strategy allowed for rapid and reversible phenotypic responses to new or changing environments at different scales, providing definite advantages over genetic adaptation for maximising the species distribution and its transformation. Furthermore, we show for this species that plasticity itself is under natural selection pressure which will result in a more pronounced ‘Jack-and-Master’ strategy, thereby maximising further range transformations. David Duncan has been working at ARI since the end of 2004. His interests are in the functional integrity of remnant native vegetation in fragmented or production landscapes. 284 1 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences Jean-Baptiste Pichancourt undertook a PhD in mathematical ecology (Uni. Rennes & Lyon, France: with Dr Francoise Burel & Pr Pierre Auger) from 2004–2007; Post-Doc CSIRO Ento. (Dr Rieks van Klinken) 2007–2010; Post-Doc CSIRO Eco. Sc. (Dr Tara Martin), 2010–2012. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T4, MCC 1145, Room T4, MCC How does habitat complexity affect ant foraging success? A test using functional measures on three continents How well do small urban remnants sustain forest bird communities over time? 1 Heloise Gibb , Catherine Parr 2 1 La Trobe University, 2Oxford University Habitat complexity can mediate key processes that structure local assemblages through effects on factors such as competition, predation and foraging behaviour. While most studies address assemblage responses to habitat complexity within one locality, a more global approach allows conclusions with greater independence from the phylogenetic constraints of the target assemblages, thus allowing greater generality. We tested the effects of natural and manipulated habitat complexities on ant assemblages from South Africa, Australia and Sweden, in order to determine if there were globally consistent responses in how functional measures of foraging success are regulated by habitat complexity. Specifically, we considered how habitat complexity affected ant foraging rates including the speed of discovery and rate of monopolisation. We also tested if habitat complexity affected the Body Size Index, a size-related morphological trait, of ants discovering resources and occupying and monopolising the resources after 180 mins. Ants were significantly slower to discover baits in the more complex treatments, consistent with predictions that they would move more slowly through more complex environments. The monopolisation index was also lower in the more complex treatments, suggesting that resources were more difficult to defend. Our index of ant body size showed trends in the predicted direction for complexity treatments. In addition, ants discovering, occupying and monopolising resources were smaller in simple than complex natural habitats. Responses of discovering ants to resources in natural habitats were clear in only one of three regions. Consistent with our predictions, habitat complexity thus affected functional measures of the foraging success of ants in terms of measures of discovery and monopolisation rates and body size traits of successful ants. However, patterns were not always equally clear in manipulative and mensurative components of the study. Jarrad Cousin1, Carla Catterall1 1 Environmental Futures Centre, School of Environment, Griffith University Biodiversity conservation in urban areas is often limited to small patches of remnant vegetation. The conservation value of such remnants to bird species may be influenced by the size and quality of a remnant as well as the surrounding landscape. Over time, the stability of bird communities within the remnants could depend on the extent of change in attributes of both the remnants themselves and the surrounding landscape. Community change may comprise the loss of some species and gain in others. Observed changes in bird species composition could represent random species turnover, but could also constitute time-lagged losses (extinction debt). This has broad implications if urban conservation reserves are established on the basis of current presence of habitat-dependent biota, given that they may fail to support these biota in the future. In the present study, we examined bird community composition in 19 urban remnants in the urbanising Brisbane region, across a 15-year time period. We investigated what attributes influenced bird community composition within the early 1990s and the mid-2000s, as well as the change across time-periods. Jarrad Cousin is interested in spatio-temporal ecology, and is currently a post-doctoral research fellow at Griffith University undertaking a project on forecasting and managing change in birds in urbanising landscapes. Dr Heloise Gibb is a lecturer in zoology at La Trobe University. Her research examines the role of biotic and abiotic factors in structuring communities, with a focus on functional trait responses. 285 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T4, MCC 1215, Room T4, MCC A new workshop called ‘Bioscapes—an introduction to biodiversity in grazing landscapes’ Adaptive management through research-directed monitoring of the operational roll-out of variable retention silviculture in Tasmania Clare Edwards1, Lori McWhirter1 1 Industry and Investment NSW This paper outlines a new workshop, ‘Bioscapes—an introduction to biodiversity in grazing landscapes’, developed by Industry and Investment NSW (I&I NSW). The workshop was developed primarily for land managers wanting to know more about the linkages between ecology and production, as well as clear definitions of pertinent terms. The workshop has been piloted to over 50 land managers, producers, extension personnel, and Landcare and catchment officers since April 2010. Delivery has covered the northern, central and southern tablelands of NSW. The two-day workshop aims to develop the skills and knowledge of participants in assessing the landscape and its components. This promotes better land-use, land capability and conservation values. A mixture of theory and practical examples is used, employing the principles of adult learning. The workshop is activity based, and is delivered either on-farm or near a suitable area of native vegetation like a travelling stock route. It also connects with other production and sustainability based workshops and activities. Bioscapes integrates local and relevant scientific information into ‘bite-sized’ components. Objectives include understanding and exploring the conflicts between agriculture and biodiversity, as well as investigating possible solutions. Bioscapes recognises and supports the influence that practical engagement can have in enhancing landholders’ knowledge of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Clare Edwards is a district agronomist based in Armidale NSW. 286 Steve Read1,3, Sue Baker1,2,3, Dave McElwee1, Tim Wardlaw1,2,3 1 Forestry Tasmania, 2Department of Plant Science, University of Tasmania, 3CRC for Forestry Research at the Warra Long-Term Ecological Research site, southern Tasmania, identified the aggregated retention form of variable retention as the best alternative to clearfelling in tall, wet eucalypt forests on ecological, economic and safety criteria. Based on the Warra research and practices elsewhere, a set of goals were developed for the state-wide roll-out of aggregated retention, with an associated set of operational guidelines. The roll-out was overseen by a formally constituted implementation group, to ensure the goals and guidelines were translated into feasible and effective practice. Feed-back from operational monitoring of silvicultural outcomes allowed refinement of practices during the roll-out. A set of twelve metrics that evaluated outcomes against key ecological objectives were developed as a focus for biodiversity monitoring. These metrics showed continual improvement during the first three years of operational roll-out as practices were developed, even though many of the ecological benefits will not appear for a decade or more after harvesting. The Warra research had low statistical power but temporally intensive sampling and a rapid transition to state-wide implementation, but has been coupled to intensive, directed monitoring at ecologically critical time-points in operational areas, with local controls: this is an alternative approach to adaptive management in practice. Steve Read is Chief Scientist of Forestry Tasmania’s Division of Forest Research. He oversees a multi-disciplinary research program, with extensive collaborative linkages, underpinning management of Tasmania’s State forests. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 9b—Invasive species 1100, Room T5, MCC 1115, Room T5, MCC Understanding the ecological drivers of invasion to structure management Threats to woodlands posed by invasive grasses: the case of Coolatai grass (Hyparrhenia hirta) 1 1 Cameron Fletcher , David Westcott 1 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences Miconia calvescens is recognised as one of the 100 1 2 2 Chris Nadolny , Vinod Chejara , Paul Kristiansen 1 NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, University of New England 2 worst invasive alien species in the world, has caused great environmental damage in Hawaii and Tahiti, and is established at four locations in and around the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area in Far North Queensland. It is listed as a Class 1 weed in Australia and as such is under active eradication programs by state and local governments. To support this management effort and improve our ecological understanding of the drivers of the invasion we have created a detailed, process-driven individual-based model, incorporating seed dispersal by Australian frugivores and heterogeneous environmental suitability of the real habitats it is invading. We have also worked with on-ground managers to incorporate realistic management strategies that capture the broad and fine scale interaction of management policies with established populations. We present key results of the model, including an analysis of the trade-offs between the spatial scale of management and limited management resources, and concrete recommendations for management in real environments. We then extend the analysis to consider fundamental relationships between management strategies and the ecological drivers of invasion for frugivore dispersed species in general. Coolatai grass (Hyparrhenia hirta), originally introduced as a prospective pasture species, now infests large areas of grassy woodland in northern New South Wales, including roadsides, travelling stock routes and national parks. In previous decades the threat posed by this species was not widely appreciated because it was widely believed that grassy woodlands that were protected from grazing and disturbance should be resistant to invasion by exotic grasses. It has now been confirmed that Coolatai grass is capable of displacing intact native vegetation in the absence of grazing. It forms dense, almost monospecific swards that reduce floristic diversity in a variety of vegetation types and tolerates a variety of soil conditions. Coolatai grass performs well in climates varying from warm temperate through to Mediterranean and subtropical, so is capable of invading much more of Australia. The short viability of its seedbank, with the life-expectancy of seeds less than a year, is a weak point in the species’ life cycle that can be exploited in efforts to prevent its continued spread. While Coolatai grass is only one of several highly invasive exotic grasses in Australia, the story of its spread in northern New South Wales provides pertinent lessons for conservation. Dr Cameron Fletcher is an expert in modelling ecosystems and human interactions with the environment. He has a PhD in physics and is a Research Scientist with CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences. Chris Nadolny is an ecologist with the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water with a long-standing interest in conservation and restoration of biodiversity in rural landscapes. 287 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T5, MCC 1145, Room T5, MCC Habitat specificity of biocontrol agents of Mimosa pigra: implications for evaluating effectiveness of biocontrol Australian Acacias behaving badly: correlates of invasiveness in novel ranges Louis Elliott1 Michelle Leishman1, Rachael Gallagher1, Dave Richardson2, John Wilson2, Jaco LeRoux2, Jan Suda3, Joe Miller4 1 NT Department of Natural Resources, the Environment, the Arts and Sport Macquarie University, 2Centre for Invasion Biology, University of Stellenbosch, 3Charles University Prague, 4CSIRO Plant Industry Over the last 30 years, 15 different biocontrol agents have been released on Mimosa pigra, an invasive exotic plant of wetlands in the Northern Territory. Of these, 9 have established. Traditionally multiple agents are chosen in order to target different parts of the host species anatomy or as part of a ‘lottery’ approach to maximise the probability of success. In the Northern Territory, Mimosa pigra is capable of invading a wide range of wetland habitats, with a range of local environmental stresses. We present evidence that different biocontrol agents may be better at surviving and inflicting damage in particular habitats, and that a suite of agents may do a better job not only because they can attack multiple parts of the target, but because they may be able to better colonise the range of habitats available. In addition, native insects and pathogens may form a part of this suite. Where the impact and establishment of agents occurs unevenly across a heterogeneous landscape, agent habitat preferences may need to be considered for all steps of a classical biocontrol program from selection through to the evaluation of effectiveness. Many Australian Acacia species have been introduced to novel environments for forestry and horticultural purposes around the world. A substantial number of these have become naturalised and/or invasive, and represent a significant threat to native diversity and ecosystem processes. We compiled a database of 80 Australian Acacia species that have been introduced to new environments outside Australia. For each species we calculated an index of invasiveness and compiled data on traits including genome size, seed mass, specific leaf area and relative growth rate. We examined relationships between traits and invasiveness using crossspecies correlations and phylogenetically independent contrasts derived from supertree constructions. Understanding of the correlates of invasiveness in this widespread and speciose genus will contribute substantially to our general understanding of plant invasion success. Louis Elliott completed honours in ecology at Charles Darwin University in 2005, since then he has been working for the NT government on threatened flora, weed risk and biological control. 288 1 Michelle Leishman is a plant ecologist at Macquarie University. Her research focuses on plant functional traits, particularly in relation to invasive plants and restoration ecology. The work presented here is part of a large international collaborative project on invasive Acacias. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T5, MCC Managing feral olives and restoring endangered bushland—how can we maximise restoration success? Peter Cuneo1, Michelle Leishman2 1 Botanic Gardens Trust, NSW, 2Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University African olive (Olea europaea ssp. cuspidata) is a dense crowned evergreen small tree, and a closely related subspecies of the cultivated European olive. Invasion by African olive threatens highly fragmented native vegetation in the Cumberland Plain region (western Sydney), where it forms a dense mid canopy excluding the regeneration of native species. We established a three year ecological restoration experiment following removal and mechanical chipping of an established African olive forest to test the effectiveness of burning and re-seeding to re-establish native plant diversity. Burned plots had some regeneration of native species, indicating that the native soil seedbank was still present after 15 years of olive invasion. Native grasses were found to be not persistent in the soil seedbank, however species such as Microlaeana stipoides, Elymus scaber and Themeda australis were readily established by supplementary direct seeding. Germination and establishment of native shrubs from the direct seeding mix was poor, suggesting that these species may have to be planted in subsequent years. The use of burning and direct seeding to establish early successional stage Cumberland Plain woodland provides the basis of an ecological restoration model, which could be implemented in areas of African olive removal to exclude subsequent establishment of African olive and promote re-establishment of native plant diversity. Peter Cuneo is Manager—Natural Heritage at Mount Annan Botanic Garden. Peter is currently completing a PhD on weed ecology of invasive African Olive which is now a major conservation concern in western Sydney. Working in conjunction with Macquarie University, Peter has published four research papers on this invasive species. 289 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 9c—Threatened species: plants 1100, Room T6, MCC 1115, Room T6, MCC National vegetation attributes for linking vegetation type and condition to the delivery of ecosystem services Comprehensive ‘Red List’ assessments of flora at the municipal scale 1 2 Richard Thackway , Joe Walker , Roger Hnatiuk 1 Graeme Lorimer 1 Biosphere Pty Ltd 1 Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics— Bureau of Rural Sciences, 2CSIRO Division of Land and Water Resources A nationally accepted schema for surveying and classifying site-based vegetation was developed in early 1980s and revised in 1990. Initially the classification and mapping was directed towards pastoral, forestry and conservation activities. Today there is a much wider range of users and often the users are not well versed in vegetation science but simply want a means to describe what vegetation exists at a site and the condition of the vegetation. Recently the national schema has been revised to clarify some definitions and to include a wider range of users and to include wetlands, cool temperate rainforests of Tasmania as well as vegetation stage and condition. The site-based attributes have been revised in collaboration with state and territory agencies and are accepted by the Executive Committee for Australia Vegetation Information (ESCAVI) as part of the national guidelines for the National Vegetation Information System (NVIS). Additional work has been carried out in developing a method for linking vegetation type and condition to the delivery of ecosystem goods and services. Some examples will be presented. Richard Thackway has had an extensive career in developing of practical methods and their theoretical underpinnings for vegetation survey and classification to underpin land use and land management. He has developed numerous models for understanding vegetation function. 290 The IUCN ‘Red List’ method for rating the extinction risk of species is mostly used for unusually rare species. Much less predictable outcomes arise when a region’s entire flora or fauna are assessed, as has occurred for vascular flora in each of three municipalities near Melbourne. For example, common, long-lived species (e.g. eucalypts and some sedges) generally qualify as threatened even though botanists and policy makers mostly find such classifications unpalatable. This presentation identifies the features of the Red List criteria that lead to such unexpected outcomes and explores resolution of the tension between the classifications and popular conceptions. The presentation also provides statistics of the threat ratings of plants in the three municipalities and the reasons why species qualify as threatened. 82% of extant indigenous species in Manningham are locally threatened, compared with 84% in Knox and 79% in Boroondara. A frequent reason for qualification as threatened is the decline of regional populations over the past decade due to their habitat drying out, particularly for mistletoes and plants of floodplains. As the drying is believed to be at least partly associated with ongoing climate change, there are serious implications for the future of the region’s indigenous flora and fauna. Dr Graeme Lorimer has over 20 years’ experience as a consulting environmental scientist with specialisations in biodiversity strategies, management plans for species and reserves, vegetation monitoring and the botany of grasses. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T6, MCC 1145, Room T6, MCC Long-term monitoring of endangered plant populations in the ACT: values and limitations Specialised symbioses and their role in rarity in hammer orchids (Drakaea) Emma Cook1, Greg Baines1 Ryan Phillips1,2,3, Matthew Barrett1,2, Kingsley Dixon1,2, Stephen Hopper4 1 Conservation Planning and Research, ACT Land Management and Planning Monitoring work carried out by the ACT Government shows that trends identified from short term data sets in the abundance and distribution of small populations of endangered plants can sometimes be misleading. Long term monitoring can reveal a truer picture of a population, especially in species where there is little known of their specific ecology. Here we use the endangered Tarengo Leek Orchid and Small Purple Pea as case studies. Issues that arose over time included changes in staff and methodology and the lack of efficient management of core data. We found that stringent and detailed record keeping and data collection is important to minimise negative impacts from these issues. The implementation of new technology part way through one of the programs greatly improved the efficiency and repeatability of the field work, providing the most reliable information possible over time. In conclusion, the maintenance of any program over the long term will always experience management and funding difficulties however these are certainly outweighed by the long term survival of remnant populations of threatened and endangered species through scientifically informed management. Emma Cook completed a Bachelor of Environmental Science at the University of Canberra in 2008. She has since worked as a Research Support Officer for the ACT Government focusing on vegetation management and monitoring within the ACT. 1 Kings Park and Botanic Garden, The Botanic Garden and Parks Authority, WA, 2School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, 3Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 4Royal Botanic Gardens, UK The role of specialised plant-pollinator and plantmycorrhiza relationships in plant species rarity is poorly understood. Here, we test the role of these symbioses in rarity in Drakaea, a genus endemic to south-western Australia, where five of the nine extant species are rare and endangered. Drakaea are pollinated by sexual deception of male thynnid wasps and rely on mycorrhizal fungi for germination and annual growth. All Drakaea were shown to utilise a single, widespread species of mycorrhizal fungus. Further, in situ baiting demonstrated that potential mycorrhizal fungi exhibit similar abundance to fungi utilised by co-occurring common orchid genera. Baiting for pollinators and DNA barcoding demonstrated that each Drakaea species relies on a single pollinator species. In areas with a diversity of Drakaea, rare orchids were pollinated by rare pollinators. Fruit set was high in most species but low in a subset of rare species. In some rare species, the pollinator was more widespread than the orchid at the regional scale. We propose that in Drakaea the causes of rarity are idiosyncratic. Species rarity appears to result from different combinations of the abundance of pollinators, habitat specialisation and the evolutionary history of the Drakaea species. Ryan Phillips undertook his PhD at University of Western Australia and is continuing this work at the Australian National University. His research focuses on the role of pollinators and mycorrhiza in speciation and rarity in orchids. 291 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T6, MCC 1215, Room T6, MCC Translocation of Eremophila resinosa, is it working and have we improved our cultural practices Plant translocations and the consequences for dependent insect assemblages Ian (Bob) Dixon1 Melinda Moir1, Peter Vesk1, Karl Brennan2, Lesley Hughes3, Mick McCarthy1, David Keith4 1 Botanic Garden and Parks Authority, Kings Park and Botanic Garden, WA Eremophila resinosa was translocated to three degraded open woodland sites at Westonia in the Wheatbelt of Western Australia. Here we discuss the sites and improving cultural practices over the last 6 years. The first site was initially planted in 2004, using multiple plants of five clones raised by tissue culture, and extended to double its size with seedlings the following year. The second and third sites were initially planted with seedlings in 2009. All sites were irrigated to establish the plants, initial growth and survival rates were high but variable depending on the irrigation system used and the frequency of watering. Site management improvements include chemical weed control and sowing seed in situ. Seed production and seedling recruitment on site one Indicate we are on the way to a sustainable system, and our present corporate knowledge will assist any future minesite restoration of this species. Acknowledgments: Catalpa Resources for funding the project, Westonia Shire and Kings Park Volunteer Master Gardeners for their assistance. Bob Dixon’s main areas of expertise are the translocation of declared rare flora and environmental weed control in natural and degraded ecosystems. 292 1 The University of Melbourne, 2Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation, 3Macquarie University, 4NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Management actions designed to conserve threatened species may be detrimental to co-dependent species that use the threatened taxa as hosts. We investigate whether the translocation of three highly threatened plant species (Leucopogon gnaphaloides, Banksia brownii, Banksia montana) is beneficial to the survival of possible co-threatened insect assemblages that are dependent upon these plants as hosts. We assessed insect assemblage similarity between threatened plants in the wild, related non-threatened plant species within the area and plants at a translocation site. Using host breadth models, we determined which insects were potentially host-specific to the threatened plants. We found that the insect assemblages on wild plants differed from those on translocated plants and that several host-specific insects were not present on translocated plants. Instead, translocated plants adopted insect assemblages from the surrounding area. We conclude that ex-situ conservation methods for host species, such as translocating threatened plants, are not beneficial to individual dependent species or the insect assemblage as a whole. Melinda Moir is a research fellow with the University of Melbourne working on co-extinction: the extinction of dependent fauna with their host species. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 9d—Ecological science and policy making 1100, Room T3, MCC 1115, Room T3, MCC The usefulness of resilience thinking in conservation policy and planning Supporting native fauna recolonisation following catastrophic fires: using SDMs and ‘zonation’ to prioritise predator control activities 1 1 1 Kate de Smeth , Charlie Zammit , Robert Gales 1 Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities Graeme Newell1, Matt White1, Peter Griffioen1, Alan Robley1, 2 Phil Pegler 1 Increasing the resilience of our natural systems has been promoted in a number of recent scientific and policy reports as a means of mitigating threats to Australia’s biodiversity. Here we outline preliminary work on the applicability of the resilience concept, and of the broader ‘resilience thinking’ approach, to environment planning and decision making by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Kate de Smeth works as a Project Officer in the Biodiversity Conservation Branch of the Land and Coasts Division of the Department. She is responsible for project work about resilience thinking for natural resource management and conservation policy and planning. Arthur Rylah Institute, Department of Sustainability and Environment, VIC, 2Parks Victoria The bushfires of February 2009 had major impacts upon more than 450,000 hectares of land supporting important populations of native fauna. Assisting ecosystem recovery has been a major focus with management agencies allocating significant funds to the suppression of introduced predators. This project aimed to identify and prioritise key locations in fire-affected landscapes for predator suppression activities to support native fauna recolonisation. Species distribution models (SDMs) of 126 target fauna species were assembled from an existing state-wide library. One data array of SDMs was differentially damage using DSE’s 2009 Fire Severity model, while a similar array remained ‘unburnt’. Spatial prioritisation analyses were undertaken using Zonation software. Rank analyses for the ‘burnt’ and ‘unburnt’ stacks were compared to identify locations where the highest habitat values had been reduced in the fire event. Analyses also considered the adjacency of the impacted habitat areas to unburnt locations that are likely to facilitate recolonisation. Spatial outputs were used in consultation with land managers to develop an optimal baiting strategy for predator control. This process demonstrated a systematic process for using robust species distribution models for prioritising landscape scale management activities, where the products are consistent across the state, but useful at local scales. Graeme Newell is the Program Leader in Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research. He and his team work on developing state-wide spatial datasets of ecological assets and processes that directly inform conservation policy and management for the Victorian Government. 293 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T3, MCC 1145, Room T3, MCC Cats or quolls? Feasibility and conservation impact of keeping native mammals as pets Does recovery planning improve the status of threatened species? Rosie Cooney1, Rosalie Chapple1, Sarah Doornbos2, Stephen Jackson3 Madeleine Bottrill1, Jessica Walsh1, James Watson1, Liana 1 2 1 Joseph , Alejandro Ortega-Argueta , Hugh Possingham 1 Institute of Environmental Studies, UNSW, 2Future of Australia’s Threatened Ecosystems (FATE) Program, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, University of Sydney, 3wildlife consultant Substantial media polemic—and scant reasoned debate— have accompanied the proposition that keeping native mammals as pets rather than the common suite of exotic predators could contribute to conservation. While the keeping of certain native reptiles, birds and amphibians as pets is reasonably well-established across Australia, in most states private keeping of most native mammals is currently prohibited. Such keeping is controversial on a number of grounds, including conservation and animal welfare impacts and whether such an industry would be practical from an economic or regulatory standpoint. This report provides the first detailed assessment of the feasibility of keeping native mammals as pets, focused on the marsupial eastern quoll Dasyurus viverrinus and the rodent Mitchell’s hopping mouse Notomys mitchelli as case studies. It critically examines arguments about the likely impact of such an industry on conservation and animal welfare, surveys current regulatory approaches, assesses the suitability of the focal species for keeping, and examines a range of critical issues for regulation and industry structure. It concludes that under certain regulatory and management conditions, more widespread keeping of these species could benefit conservation in a number of ways, including raising revenue for captive breeding and reintroduction efforts, and proposes a set of recommended models for the regulation and operation of such an industry. Rosie Cooney is an ecologist and biodiversity policy specialist, affiliated with the Fenner School of Environment and Society at ANU and the Institute of Environmental Studies at UNSW. 294 1 University of Queensland, 2Instituto de Ecologia, Mexico Recovery planning is a key component of federal and state funded initiatives to address declining populations of threatened species. Recovery plans bring together quantitative data and expert opinion to specify threats, direct management priorities and identify recovery criteria for threatened species. In Australia, limited retrospective evaluation of the impact of recovery plans applied under the national legislation for listing threatened species, the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Interest in evaluating recovery planning has been motivated by demands for greater accountability and a shift away from a single species focused to more ecosystem-based management. To date, recovery plans do not exist for many species, and for those with plans, there is currently no legal obligation to implement recovery actions highlighted in the plan. In this paper, we aim therefore to investigate whether listed species with recovery plans are more likely to be improving than listed species without recovery plans. We applied an econometric matching analysis to reduce biases associated with the nonrandom selection of species for listing and recovery planning. Our analysis found that any variation in species status (e.g., improving/stable or declining) was independent of whether a species had a recovery plan. This result suggests that recovery plans do not consistently demonstrate a positive (or negative) impact on species status in the short term and uncertainty persists on the overall contribution of recovery plans to species recovery. Madeleine Bottrill is a PhD candidate in the Spatial Ecology Lab at the University of Queensland. Her research focuses on the use of evaluation to measure the effectiveness of different approaches to conservation planning. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T3, MCC Conservation management frameworks for protected areas in South Africa and Australia: comparing resource use approaches Kelly Scheepers1, Sue Jackson1 1 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences This paper entails a critical review of natural resource management (NRM) within the formal reserve systems of South Africa and Australia. We assess how key scientific, socio-economic and political drivers in both countries have shaped their nation’s conservation management frameworks. Based on current trends, we suggest principles for balancing conservation and sustainable resource use objectives in protected area management. A preliminary analysis shows that although South Africa and Australia have experienced similar conservation policy trajectories, key differences in population pressures, political aspirations for Indigenous social development and settlement histories have shaped the definition of legitimate resource users, protected area planning and the development of resource use strategies. Both countries have shifted away from the use of simple, cause-and-effect models in favour of ecosystem and adaptive approaches that try to accommodate multiple values and benefits from sustainable resource use in protected areas. South Africa has made tentative advances in the formulation of institutional arrangements to integrate socio-economic and ecological objectives in park management, namely a national resource use policy for protected areas and a management effectiveness framework. Kelly Scheepers is a postdoctoral fellow with CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, working on Indigenous livelihoods development. 295 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 9e—Ecosystem restoration 1100, Room T1, MCC 1115, Room T1, MCC Restoration in a current and changed climate— should we source seeds locally, or not? Assessing consequences of assemblage change for ecological processes: a case study using frugivorous birds 1,2 2 1 1 Ann Smithson , Siegy Krauss , Hans Lambers , Erik Veneklas 1 2 School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Kings Park and Botanic Gardens Catherine Moran1, Carla Catterall1 South-western Western Australia is a world biodiversity hotspot, characteristically harbouring large numbers of species with often restricted ranges. Large scale projects aim to restore hundreds of hectares of this biodiverse vegetation each year, following activities such as mining. Seed is the main resource used to achieve such restorations. Since seed is often obtained from remnant native vegetation it is a very limited resource, and habitat specificity and adaptation to local climatic conditions further restrict seed sourcing zones. With climate change, sourcing seeds more widely has been suggested based on the premise that increased genetic diversity will promote adaptation to future climate, but this may risk poor plant establishment in a current climate or a novel habitat. In this talk, we will test (a) how intraspecific adaptation is spatially structured in south west Western Australia, and (b) whether adaptability is predictable using genetic markers. We will discuss case studies using two native forest understory legumes, one is morphologically uniform, the other morphologically diverse. We will summarise by considering whether seed sourcing decisions in a biodiversity hotspot should continue to be based around the concept of local adaptation, or whether in the light of climate change different strategies are advisable. Changes in the species composition of faunal assemblages may lead to changes in ecological processes: If species are lost from ecosystems, some processes will also be lost unless remaining species are functionally similar to those that have been lost. Prediction of such consequences requires knowledge of species’ roles. In complex ecological systems such as rainforests, where the process of seed dispersal is predominantly mediated by vertebrate frugivores, it is not feasible to study all possible interactions between all species. However, it may be possible to develop a predictive understanding of the consequences of assemblage change for ecological processes without this information, if species having different functional roles also vary in certain attributes. In contrast with most regions globally, the roles of Australian birds in seed dispersal are relatively well known, providing an opportunity to test whether there are predictable relationships between particular attributes of bird species and their roles in seed dispersal. We consider the patterns of plant-frugivore interactions in Australian rainforests in order to identify attributes of birds that are strongly correlated with major variation in seed dispersal roles. We discuss how this approach could be useful in other regions where there is a dearth of information regarding species’ roles in seed dispersal. Ann Smithson has researched and lectured in plant evolutionary biology, ecology and genetics for 15 years in the UK. She focused on rare species of conservation concern, especially within the Orchidaceae, but has a broad interest in plant-pollinator interactions and the influences of pollinator behaviour on plant reproductive success and population genetics. Since a move to Australia three years ago she has been researching the ecology and genetics of selected legume species in a restoration and climate change context, with particular emphasis on broad-scale post-mining restoration in a drying climate. 296 1 Griffith University Cath Moran has studied the consequences of rainforest fragmentation for frugivores and seed dispersal in Australia and is especially interested in applying the findings of this work to restoring landscapes that support healthy frugivore populations and seed dispersal processes. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T1, MCC 1145, Room T1, MCC Breeding birds and farm revegetation Continuing loss of tropical forests on agricultural land could be reversed by carbon credit trading Suzi Bond1, David Lindenmayer1, Joern Fischer1, Jeff Wood1 1 Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University The majority of Australia’s eucalypt woodlands in the temperate agricultural zone have been cleared, fragmented and degraded, which has resulted in the loss and decline of biodiversity, including many bird species. For various reasons, there have been restoration programs that have focused on the planting and regeneration of trees on this cleared agricultural land. The faunal response to vegetation restoration is little known, and from the work conducted on birds in Australia it would appear that planting attributes important for birds are their size, shape, width, structure, age and proximity to remnant vegetation. There is also a general consensus that generalist species prefer plantings. Most studies on birds in plantings in Australia have not focused on detecting breeding activity, however. We examined the bird community and bird breeding activity in revegetation and woodland remnants in the sheep-wheat belt of southern New South Wales. We found that revegetation and remnant sites had distinctly different bird communities from each other, and that just under half of the bird species community present attempted to breed. We determined that plantings can be valuable breeding sites for many bird species, and that block-shaped plantings were particularly important for bird species attempting to breed. Suzi Bond is a PhD candidate at the Fenner School of Environment and Society at the Australian National University. Noel Preece1,2,3, Penny van Oosterzee1,2 1 Biome5 Pty Ltd, 2Charles Darwin University, 3James Cook University Legislation protects, to a significant degree, remnant forests on private lands, but fails to minimise and reverse continuing losses of forests in Queensland’s Wet Tropics. The decline of forest area on private lands has been substantial since World Heritage declaration, with over 36,000 ha lost since 1990, around 10% of the remaining forest. The annual clearing rate is around 1,700 ha/yr. Reactions to legislative restrictions on private land use have led to pre-emptive clearing. We argue that legislation is necessary but insufficient to protect vital forest habitat. Incentives are needed which encourage landholders, particularly primary producers, to retain their natural forest regrowth. The sale of carbon credits held within these forest regrowth stands can provide alternative sources of income, and could provide returns per hectare equivalent to those from beef cattle and other uses, making retention of forests viable alternative land uses. Annual increments of biomass in trees are in the order of 15–20 t/yr of CO2-equivalent. This could return a price to landholders of around $150-$200/yr at a net price of $10 per tonne of carbon. Given transaction costs of around 40%, a market price of $17/t would make forest stands viable as an income stream in many situations. Noel Preece is an ecologist with 25 years’ experience in the Australian tropics and deserts. He is a consultant and business proprietor, currently working on carbon trading with the NRM regions. 297 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T1, MCC 1215, Room T1, MCC Using competitive native plants to achieve grassland restoration goals Green roofs: delivering urban ecosystem services using a novel experimental platform Kris Hulvey1 Nicholas SG Williams1, Zengdong Chen2, Elizabeth C Denman1, John P Rayner1 1 University of Western Australia, work completed at University of California, Santa Cruz Successful ecosystem restoration involves both increasing native populations and restoring ecosystem functions. In many ecosystems, reinvasion by non-native plants is a key threat to restoration. Through a fieldbased experiment in US grasslands, I explored whether restoration actions that increased densities of native competitors could reduce vulnerability to invasion. I focused on interactions between three asters: yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitalis)—an invasive annual forb currently spreading across the Western US, and two native forbs—Hemizonia congesta and Madia elegans. I planted varying abundances of one or both natives into plots where litter was either cleared or retained. Past studies show H. congesta and starthistle use resources similarly in time and space, and that starthistle invasion increases as H. congesta abundance declines. I found two strategies similarly increased invasion resistance: retaining cut litter in plots, or removing litter and adding high densities of native seed. Litter retention, however, decreased native survival. These findings suggest that while land managers can manipulate multiple site variables to achieve restoration goals, including competitive native species in restoration actions can both increase native species populations and decrease exotic reinvasion. Kris Hulvey gained her PhD from the University of California, Santa Cruz in the US working on plant invasions in grasslands. She currently is a post doc researcher with Dr Richard Hobbs at UWA. 298 1 Department of Resource Management and Geography, University of Melbourne, 2CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems Extensive green roofs consist of stress tolerant plants growing in shallow, lightweight growing media over a specially designed drainage layer. While common in the temperate northern hemisphere they are rare in Australia due to significant climatic differences, unproven growing media and plant palettes which combine to create significant technical and market barriers. Our research aims to overcome these because extensive green roofs have great potential as a climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy for urban environments by providing ecosystem services such as temperature amelioration, stormwater capture and filtration and biodiversity habitat. We assessed the survival of 32 plant species on an experimental extensive green roof between 2008 and 2009. Simultaneously, we monitored temperatures on the green roof, a control roof and in identical rooms below and used this data to model the green roof influence on building energy budgets. Despite all of 25 of the 32 species dying over the experimental period, the green roof is predicted to reduce summer energy use by 38%. The presentation will also report the results of plant growth trials in two light weight media and explain how green roofs are an attractive research platform to investigate the influence of biodiversity on ecosystem function. Dr Nicholas (Nick) Williams is a plant ecologist who joined the University of Melbourne in 2007. Although he has conducted research in agricultural, forest and alpine environments Nick is particularly interested in the ecology of urban areas because they are a unique combination of habitats that are becoming increasingly prevalent on a global scale and present many important research questions. His research has addressed both theoretical and applied ecological questions while advancing the conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity in human dominated landscapes. Recently Nick and colleagues have been investigating how green roofs can be successful in Australian cities and have established Australia’s first green roof research program. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS Concurrent session 9f—Woodlands 1100, Room T2, MCC 1115, Room T2, MCC Historical grazing management (1976–1998) in travelling stock reserves in southern NSW: influence on woodland conditions Evolution of crown architecture and its role in the coexistence of trees 1 Peter Spooner 1 1 Peter Vermeulen , Mark Westoby 1 Macquarie University 1 Charles Sturt University Travelling stock routes and reserves (TSRs) are a legacy of 19th century grazing practice, and a conspicuous component of many rural landscapes. The aim of this study was to quantify grazing practices implemented in TSRs 1976–1998 in the Albury region, and investigate potential relationships with woodland conditions. As the results show, 78% of TSRs provided refuge for endangered box woodlands, where 35% were assessed as having ‘medium’ to ‘high’ conservation values, where 14% possessed high native plant species richness. Most TSRs were lightly grazed (annual mean 1.1 DSE/ha), and were stocked for less than 2 months per year, but some were much more heavily grazed. Fluctuations in grazing tended to follow climate variability; however stocking rates had declined since 1984, and attributed to a more conservation grazing approach. Plant response to historic grazing management was highly variable, and largely influenced by the intensity, duration (years grazed) and timing (season) of grazing inputs, as well as the size (area) and spatial location of individual TSRs. These results highlight the conservation values of TSRs and role of stock in managing endangered woodlands. Peter Spooner’s research is aimed at contributing to biodiversity conservation in rural landscapes. His research interests include human impacts on ecosystems, fragmentation effects on vegetation, restoration of woodlands, and road ecology. Crown architecture strongly determines the light environment of an individual tree by influencing the level of self-shading and the amount of shade that is cast by neighbouring trees. Therefore, the relation between the different components of crown architecture should be the result of selection and evolution, due to competitive interactions between trees in the competition for light. Here, we apply a game theoretical approach to a pipe model, analysing the evolution of crown depth, crown height and the crown radius through their effects on light capture in dense stands. In our model, crown depth is independent of maximum height. It does, however, depend on the radius of the tree: with increasing radius the evolutionarily stable crown depth increases. In contrast, our model predicts that tree crowns become thinner when nutrient availability increases, and become thinner with increasing latitudes. Our results indicate that even in dense stands the evolution of crown architecture is driven by shifts in the balance between self-shading and shading by neighbours. Analysing the interplay between top height, crown base, total leaf area and tree radius, we investigate how evolution for different levels of selfshading may lead to the coexistence of different crown shapes. Peter Vermeulen obtained his PhD under Professor Werger at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. He was awarded a Rubicon fellowship for talented researchers by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research for current postdoctoral project. 299 CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1130, Room T2, MCC 1145, Room T2, MCC Niche separation in herb-rich woodlands: evidence from novel use of species co-occurrence tests Assessing the habitat specificity of Hall’s babbler (Pomatostomus halli) at multiple spatial scales John Morgan1, Jodi Price2, Brandon Schamp3 Dean Portelli1 1 2 Department of Botany, La Trobe University, Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia, 3Department of Biology, Algoma University, Canada Ecological mechanisms proposed to explain the maintenance of biodiversity are hypothesised to fall along a theoretical continuum bounded at one extreme by deterministic processes (‘niche assembly’) and at the other extreme by stochastic processes (‘dispersal assembly’). Untangling the importance of these processes remains a challenge for ecologists. We explore assembly processes in temperate eucalypt woodlands where species density can exceeded 100 species per 0.1 ha and local environmental conditions (trees, microtopography) create strong environmental heterogeneity in light, soil moisture and litter. We use cooccurrence null models in a novel way to test whether micro-sites differ in species co-occurrence patterns, which is expected if these micro-sites represent different niches. Our results suggest that local woodland composition was deterministically structured by interspecific interactions in each of three study years, consistent with the widespread evidence of plant competition for nutrients, light and/or water. Our analysis does not support the hypothesis that four targeted micro-sites represent different niches in this woodland. While analysis of species distribution patterns can provide only indirect evidence as to the mechanisms structuring communities, our study also introduces a novel set of predictions, as well as a null model test for identifying biologically relevant heterogeneity within natural communities. John Morgan is a plant ecologist interested in long-term vegetation dynamics and patterns of species coexistence in herbaceous-dominated ecosystems. 300 1 University of New South Wales Habitat destruction and degradation are arguably the greatest threats facing species worldwide. Effective management of natural resources for biota depends on a comprehensive understanding of wildlife-habitat relationships, yet this is lacking for most species. The Australian endemic Hall’s babbler (Pomatostomus halli) has been little studied since its relatively recent discovery in 1963, but largely anecdotal information suggests it is a habitat specialist. Other babbler species are sensitive to habitat loss and modification, raising concern for the conservation of Hall’s babbler, given its apparent habitat specificity. I assessed the habitat use of the species at a microhabitat, landscape and distribution scale using direct field sampling techniques and spatial data analysis within a geographic information system. At a microhabitat scale, the structure of the tree stratum is an important determinant of habitat occupancy, but vegetation community composition is of over-riding importance. Hall’s babblers are restricted to a subset of vegetation communities present within its geographic distribution, primarily woodlands and shrublands dominated by Acacia species, in particular mulga (Acacia aneura). I discuss the conservation management issues raised by the habitat specificity of Hall’s babbler, including land use practices, degradation and habitat fragmentation, with reference to better-studied populations of other babbler species. With a research interest in conservation biology and increasing our knowledge of poorly-studied Australian birds, Dean Portelli is currently completing a PhD on the behavioural ecology of Hall’s babbler. CONCURRENT ABSTRACTS 1200, Room T2, MCC 1215, Room T2, MCC Bird community disarray in eastern Australia: the relative roles of landscape properties and interspecific competition Altitudinal variability of flower visitor assemblages of subtropical rainforest plants—predicting climate change impacts Martine Maron1, Alison Howes1, Michiala Bowen1, Peter 2 1 3 Dunn , Clive McAlpine , Jarrod Kath Sarah Boulter1, Jacinta Zalucki2, Roger Kitching2 1 2 The University of Queensland, University of the Sunshine Coast, 3 University of Southern Queensland Millions of hectares of remnant woodland in eastern Australia are now dominated by a single, highly aggressive species, the noisy miner Manorina melanocephala. We combined bird assemblage data from eight regions distributed across a 2,000 km-long transect in eastern Australia to explore the potential implications of landscape modification and noisy miners for bird community structure, niche occupancy and the provision of ecological services. In all cases, the proportion of small passerines in the avifauna declined rapidly with increasing noisy miner density until a threshold density of miners was reached, beyond which only 10–15% of birds were small passerines. A threshold in landscape-level native vegetation cover was evident at about 30%, below which the proportion of small passerines in sites with few noisy miners depended on the remnant vegetation cover. However, the proportion of small passerines in sites with high noisy miner density was independent of vegetation cover. The ecological implications of this widespread bird community disarray include changes to predation pressures on particular invertebrate guilds and increased rates of predation on small vertebrates. Combined, the effects of landscape change and interspecific aggressors are causing significant shifts in the dynamics of eastern Australia’s woodlands. 1 National Climate Change Adaptation Research Centre, Griffith University, 2Environmental Futures Centre, Griffith University Climate change has the potential to lead to a ‘decoupling’ of phenological relationships such as those that occur between a plant and its pollinators due to strong links between flowering activity and pollinator life histories and climactic cues. While evidence of pollinator declines is indisputable for some plant species, other pollinator species show resilience or adaptability to change and disturbance. In this study we considered the variation in flower visitor assemblages at different altitudes using three plant species in a subtropical rainforest. A common understorey palm demonstrated a very specialised visitor assemblage, while a mid-storey tree species and canopy tree species each showed a much broader visitor assemblage. By using altitude as a surrogate for climate change, the variation or constancy of the assemblages at different altitudes provides an important indication of the long-term reproductive success of these species under climate change scenarios. Coupled with an assessment of reproductive success, we consider the implications of species substitution as a response to changed climate, and the implications of this for ecosystem function. Sarah Boulter is a research fellow with the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility. She completed her PhD in February 2010 looking at pollination and climate change in subtropical rainforest. Martine Maron is a landscape ecologist and Lecturer in Environmental Management in the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management at UQ. Her research interests include conservation of biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes, particularly understanding the mechanisms which drive species loss from fragmented or degraded landscapes, and conservation policy. 301 POSTER ABSTRACTS Abstracts—Posters Poster 1 Poster 2 Dryland salinity and terrestrial biota on the southern tablelands of NSW: the importance of endemic saline soils, disturbance, succession, edge effects, scale and predation How resilient are poplar box (E. populnea) woodlands in production landscapes? 1 1 Glen Bann , John Field 1 Australian National University An update to the understanding of the affects of dryland salinity on terrestrial biota in SE Australia was carried out using a suite of biotic and abiotic metrics collected during 2004, 2005 and 2006 on grassy woodland sites on the STNSW. No cause-effect relationship was established linking elevated salinity levels to endemic biota mortality. Many endemic fauna and flora species flourish at degraded salinised sites; many species of ants, spiders, wasps, worms, termites, centipedes, frogs and lizards tolerate elevated and fluctuating salinity levels. Foxes and other exotics were present at all sites and are ubiquitous across the region. Many endemic grass and tree species also exhibit salt tolerance, during all stages of their life cycles and should therefore be focal management species. It is problematic to directly link elevated soil salinity levels per se with ecological stress (particularly for endemic species), as many other factors and processes are involved and are likely more significant, including the sites previous history (i.e. is it primary salinity?) and disturbance (i.e. land use/grazing regime and the compounding adverse affects of soil and vegetation degradation), succession (soil, vegetation, fauna), edge effects, scale, predation (foxes, spiders, centipedes, meat ants), drought and water deficit, and many other synergistic symptoms associated with soil and vegetation degradation. Glen Bann has a background in geology and ecology, and has worked in both fields, including natural resource management. Glen is presently finalising a PhD at the ANU investigating dryland salinity, biodiversity and geodiversity in south-eastern Australia. In his spare time Glen works on a science education program, called Living GeoDiversity, which he’s hoping to have included in the new national secondary schools science syllabus due for rollout in 2011. Lisa Fritz1, Andy Le Brocque1, Martine Maron2 1 Faculty of Sciences/Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments, University of Southern Queensland, 2Landscape Ecology and Conservation Group, Centre for Spatial Environmental Research, School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland As little as 10% of the original poplar box (Eucalyptus populnea) woodlands remain in the agriculturally productive landscapes of southern inland Queensland, with most remnants significantly affected by surrounding land use practices. These woodlands have shown signs of dysfunction in the form of dieback and reduced recruitment. Little is known of the resilience of these remaining ecosystems in the face of disturbance from agriculture and other activities. Woodland ecosystems occurring in agricultural landscapes are often subject to clearing, fragmentation and grazing effects. These processes may result in altered recruitment patterns, floristic composition, and condition, changes to stand structure, soil processes, and disruption to overall ecosystem function. The decline in resilience of these systems decreases the likelihood of long term persistence and future provision of broader ecosystem functions. We summarise existing knowledge of poplar box ecosystems and develop a conceptual model of multi-scale drivers of resilience of these woodlands. We describe the fieldbased research underpinned by this model to test the role and strength of key potential drivers. This study will contribute to developing informed resource management actions needed to maintain and enhance the biodiversity and resilience of poplar box woodlands in these production landscapes. Lisa Fritz is currently researching the resilience of poplar box (Eucalyptus populnea) in production landscapes in southern Queensland as part of her Master of Science degree. She is a member of the Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments, a trans-disciplinary research centre at Toowoomba campus of the University of Southern Queensland. 303 POSTER ABSTRACTS Poster 3 Poster 4 Gaining insight into the impacts of severe tropical cyclones on vegetation in northern Australia using time series remote sensing Frog assemblage structure and its environmental correlates in a production landscape of south-west Australia Leo Lymburner1, Garry Cook2, Peter Tan1, Norman Mueller1, 3 1 1 Richard Thackway , Adam Lewis , Medhavy Thankappan Aaron D Gove1, Grant Wardell-Johnson1, Michael J Bamford2, 2 3 4 Wesley J Bancroft , Geoffrey W Mauger , James T Croton , 5 Stephen Vlahos 1 Geoscience Australia, 2CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, 3Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics-Bureau of Rural Sciences Severe tropical cyclones occur frequently across Australia’s tropical north, and those that make landfall typically have a catastrophic impact on the vegetation in the immediate path of the cyclone. Previous studies have demonstrated a ‘before and after’ characterisation of the impact, however time series information is required to fully characterise the longer term response and recovery trajectories of vegetation communities. This study illustrates how the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Dynamic Land Cover Map (DLCM) in combination with EVI time series can provide insight into the impact of three recent severe tropical cyclones, Monica, Ingrid and Larry on vegetation communities including tropical rainforest, savannah woodlands and mangroves. The characteristics of the impacts are assessed within the context of terrain effects, storm surges and antecedent (pre-event) vegetation structure. Vegetation on the windward slope and ridges show significantly greater impact than those on the lee slope. The post event time series characteristics are consistent with an event-disturbance-recovery model, however the recovery trajectories of different vegetation types provide valuable insight into their immediate and short-term resilience. Given the flexibility of the DCLM data products it can be readily applied to numerous other resource management issues. Leo Lymburner has worked in the field of vegetation remote sensing since 1998 and is keenly interested in how remote sensing can be used to provide insight into the impact of extreme events. 1 Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Bamford Consulting Ecologists, 3Geographic Information Analysis Pty Ltd, 4Water and Environmental Consultants, 5Health, Environment and Asset Protection, BHP Billiton Worsley Alumina Pty Ltd 2 Management of biodiversity at a landscape level requires knowledge of the location of species assemblages and their environmental correlates. Here we focus on the frog assemblage of a region of SW Australia in which Worsley Alumina is developing plans for future miningrelated activities. Frogs were surveyed at 140 sites throughout the region. In order to identify useful environmental correlates of species assemblage, we considered broad scale landscape-level parameters, several of which were quantified within a 1 km buffer of each site. Latitude and longitude were used as proxies for broad-scale environmental variation. By fitting vectors to multidimensional scaling plots, we found that frog assemblage structure was associated with landscapelevel variables such as forest coverage and distance to forest edge, and latitude and longitude. Longitude is closely associated with rainfall, while the environmental correlates of latitude are less well understood. Changes in species assemblage were primarily due to turnover in species rather than a simple decline in species richness. This is also supported by a significant lack of nestedness in the species assemblage. We suggest that planning should take account of the possible influence of forest cover and edge effects, and consider the spatial gradient in species turnover which is associated with several environmental variables. Aaron Gove is interested in the distribution of biodiversity and its conservation, particularly in the context of production landscapes. His work has focused insects, birds, and plant-animal interactions in a number of regions, including Mexico and Ethiopia. In his current role as Research Associate works with a broad range of taxa and their distributions in the SW of Australia. 304 POSTER ABSTRACTS Poster 5 Poster 6 Grazing effects on the sex ratio of a native dioecious grass depend on unpalatable neighbourhood Understanding evolution in regional endemics of the Yilgarn banded iron formations: a conservation perspective Pamela Graff1, Martin R Aguiar1 Heidi Nistelberger1 1 IFEVA-Faculty of Agronomy. University of Buenos Aires, Argentina Dioecy makes plants particularly susceptible to anthropogenic disturbances. By changing the selective pressures on vegetation, domestic grazing could change gender performance and sex ratios with important repercussions on plant population dynamics. Understanding the mechanisms behind those changes can be of particular importance for rangeland management, especially when the species concerned support livestock production. We studied the impact of interspecific competition and herbivory on the sex performance of a perennial-native-dioecious grass (Poa ligularis). We linked the results of the process-based field experiments with fine-scale spatial patterns of naturally established plants at none, moderate and intense sheep grazing. We found that females were better defended against insects but had less competitive ability at exclosure conditions than males. This trade-off resulted in a microsite sex-biased spatial pattern, being females more segregated from unpalatable grasses than males. On the other hand, under domestic grazing, plants growing far from unpalatable grasses suffer higher levels of sheep grazing. The reduction in a 40–70% female density with grazing intensification results in a decrease of 53–83% flowering stems density. These results, plus the notion of recruitment limitation in field conditions, could strongly affect Poa population viability and livestock sustainability. Pamela Graff has a PhD in Agronomy Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires. Argentina. She is a postdoctoral researcher. CONICET. Faculty of Buenos Aires. Argentina Endeavour Award Holder. working with Dr Sue McIntyre in CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Canberra. 1 University of Western Australia, 2Department of Environment and Conservation Yilgarn banded iron formations (BIFs) are ancient ‘island’ habitats in semi-arid Western Australia. They have been unglaciated and above sea-level for 250 million years. Taxa inhabiting these formations today represent a combination of relictual species and more recently derived, arid-adapted taxa. The Yilgarn BIFs are areas of exceptional species richness and species turnover but are most notable for their high levels of endemism. Regional endemics are restricted to BIF habitat but occur on more than one formation. BIF biotas are threatened by iron-ore mining; therefore the conservation of these taxa is of considerable importance for the maintenance of ecosystem biodiversity. My comparative phylogeographic study of four regionally endemic BIF taxa will provide an opportunity to study the historical forces that have led to these disjunct ‘island’ distributions and will highlight the degree to which formations are connected within the landscape. Patterns of genetic diversity and structure will also be used to develop predictive hypotheses about the potential impact of mining on these species and propose conservation strategies to ensure their long-term persistence. The study is the first of its kind in the region and will provide a basis for future studies of endemic BIF taxa. Heidi Nistelberger is a recent PhD student at UWA studying comparative phylogeography of regionally endemic BIF taxa. She has a background in plant population genetics from working at DEC. 305 POSTER ABSTRACTS Poster 8 Poster 9 A report card for the biodiversity condition in the Wet Tropics Natural systems resilient to climate change: current approaches in Tasmania Petina Pert1, Caroline Bruce1, James Butler1, Daniel Metcalfe1 Jennie Whinam1, Louise Gilfedder1, Felicity Faulkner1 1 CSIRO A prototype report card for biodiversity condition in the Wet Tropics was developed as part of a federally funded project entitled ‘Status and trends of biodiversity and ecosystem services: state of the environment reporting and gap filling’, this paper presents an analysis of vegetation condition in the Wet Tropics region. In the absence of ecologically based thresholds of concern, we measured the change in native vegetation condition against the Wet Tropics NRM Plan’s Resource ConditionTarget 2 (RCT2) for biodiversity: ‘no net loss of native vegetation condition across the region by 2014’. This paper describes the methods and results relating to the analysis of vegetation condition across the region from 1972–2006. It is the first indicator based assessment of the Wet Tropics vegetation condition and takes stock of the state of vegetation condition and its loss in the Wet Tropics. Analysis of the indicators suggests that with respect to the status and trends in biodiversity some progress has been made towards halting biodiversity loss in the region. However, overall, the status of most vegetation condition still gives rise to concern. It is still not possible to give a comprehensive regional picture of the state of Wet Tropics environment because of the lack of accurate, consistent temporal environmental data. Therefore, the need for an enduring data system remains a high priority if natural resource management agencies in the Wet Tropics are to measure progress and make sound investments in the region’s environmental assets. Dr Petina Pert is currently working on spatial habitat prioritisation and visualisation in Mission Beach and investigating ecosystems services in the Wet Tropics. She is currently works with CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems in the Cairns office. Dr Pert conducts various spatial analyses, testing and implementation of ecological metrics for conservation planning in the Wet Tropics and Melanesia. 306 1 Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment The Tasmanian Government’s Natural Systems Resilient to Climate Change Project aims to identify the key vulnerabilities and facilitate the adaptations that may maintain, enhance and recover their natural resilience. Terrestrial ecosystems considered potentially highly vulnerable in Tasmania include alpine ecosystems, moorlands and peatlands. A monitoring program has been established on key mountain-tops in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Work is also under way to identify refugia and ensure their protection and conservation management. Jennie Whinam is an ecologist who has spent most of her working life in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area researching the ecology and conservation management of alpine systems. POSTER ABSTRACTS Poster 10 Poster 11 Habitat use of little forest bats subject to changes in saltmarsh mosquito population size Are mallee trees modulators of the grounddwelling arthropod community in semi-arid Australia? Leroy Gonsalves1, Cameron Webb2, Bradley Law3, Vaughan 1 Monamy 1 School of Arts and Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Department of Medical Entomology, University of Sydney and Westmead Hospital, 3Industry and Investment NSW 2 Coastal saltmarsh is a declining community where mosquito populations can be very high. We investigated whether insectivorous bats preferentially foraged in saltmarsh or in adjoining swamp oak forest habitat, and whether habitat use reflected the availability of certain prey items, particularly the saltmarsh mosquito, Aedes vigilax. Habitat use of the little forest bat, Vespadelus vulturnus , was studied across two relative population sizes of mosquitoes as predicted by tidal flooding regimes of local habitats. A total of 13 bats were radio-tracked during the study. Ten individuals were tracked during a period of relatively large mosquito population size, while six individuals were tracked during a period of relatively small mosquito population size, with three of these individuals tracked during both periods. Prey availability was quantified concurrently with radio-telemetry in coastal saltmarsh and swamp oak forest habitats using CO2baited encephalitis virus surveillance (EVS) traps and standard light traps. Habitat compositional analysis will be used to assess whether V. vulturnus was preferentially foraging in coastal saltmarsh or the adjoining swamp oak forest. We will also present a comparison of foraging habitat between both mosquito population size periods to distinguish whether V. vulturnus foraging habitat reflected prey availability. Leroy Gonsalves is a PhD candidate at the Australian Catholic University, studying the ecological link between saltmarsh mosquitoes and microchiropteran bats on the NSW Central Coast. Alan Kwok1, David Eldridge2 1 University of New South Wales, 2NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water Landscape modulator (LM) theory predicts that woody vegetation structures biotic communities through the creation and maintenance of distinct resource patches, that is, by regulating the availability of critical resources at small spatial scales. In semi-arid mallee woodlands, the ground surface beneath mallee canopies is a distinct resource patch, being covered by leaf litter and deeply shaded. This creates habitat and provides a cooler, moister microclimate which contrasts markedly with the inter-tree areas that are largely devoid of leaf litter and shade. Under LM theory, we would expect to find stark differences in the community assemblage of grounddwelling arthropods between tree and inter-tree areas. These differences should be greatest where resource contrasts are at their maximum (i.e. in mature, undisturbed mallee communities), and weakest or nonexistent where patch structure has been broken down (e.g. due to disturbances such as fire). In this study we investigated the role of mallee trees as landscape modulators of the ground-dwelling arthropod community. We compared the arthropod community in tree and inter-tree areas, examining whether the strength of mallee eucalypts as modulators is moderated by fire, grazing and their interaction. Alan Kwok is a PhD candidate investigating how the concentration of plant resources structures arthropod communities in semi-arid eastern Australia. 307 POSTER ABSTRACTS Poster 12 Poster 13 Beta diversity patterns and their contribution to landscape and regional floristic diversity in arid and semi-arid Western Australia Woody thickening of savanna ecosystems in northern Australia Eddie Van Etten1 1 Edith Cowan University Beta diversity is the spatial turnover of species and can be measured in a variety of ways and at different scales. There are also many components of beta diversity including turnover within habitats or communities, turnover between habitats, and differences between landscapes. Variance in species composition amongst sites is a useful measure of overall beta diversity. Although the south-west of Western Australia is renown as a plant biodiversity hotspot, other regions of the State also have relatively high numbers of plant species, including many recently evolved and endemic species with relatively restricted distributions. This poster explores patterns in two such species-rich regions (the arid to semi-arid Pilbara and Coolgardie bioregions). The questions posed are: what level of beta diversity is attributable to differences in environmental features (principally soil and landform) over landscapes and regions; and what is attributable to spatial structure? It was hypothesised that a large proportion of beta diversity can be explained by spatial structure independent of environmental s variables due to many species with narrow ranges or patchy distributions. I found total species turnover across all scales to be relatively high and this made an important contribution to the high plant species diversity of the two arid/semiarid bioregions studied. A large proportion of this turnover however can be explained by measured environmental variables (which were mostly edaphic, topographic and geomorphic factors) and most of these variables were spatially structured (i.e. had distinctive spatial patterns). Only a relatively small proportion of beta diversity can be attributed to spatial structure independent of measured environmental variables and this may reflect recent evolution and narrow distribution ranges of many plant species. The majority of beta diversity however remains unexplained and could be due to processes which promote stochastic distributions of plant species and/or reflect environmental and spatial variables not measured in these studies (such as groundwater depth etc). Eddie Van Etten is a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Management at Edith Cowan University and study vegetation ecology (pattern and process) in drylands and apply this understanding to improving rangeland management. 308 David Gillieson1, Robyn Cowley2, Neil McDonald3, Jeff Silverman4 1 James Cook University, 2NT Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries and Mining, 3WA Agriculture Department, 4TerraGlobal Capital Pty Ltd ‘Woody thickening’ and ‘bush encroachment’ are worldwide phenomena of grassy ecosystems. A multidisciplinary Savanna CRC project has studied woody thickening in northern Australia at over 400 sites in the Kimberleys, Victoria River District and Cape York Peninsula. Available data indicate that where woody thickening occurs it tends to be rapid, with substantial changes occurring over 10–30 year time spans. Estimates from serial aerial photography show increases in shrub cover ranging from 20 to 40% over a fifty year period. At each field site measurements of tree basal area, tree and shrub height, canopy area and species dominance were made. Data on fire history were also collected. Various field measures of shrub cover were correlated with vegetation indices derived from ASTER satellite imagery. Significant results were obtained for NDVI and SAVI indices. These results support development of broad scale monitoring of woody thickening using satellite data across northern Australia. David Gillieson led a Tropical Savannas CRC project assessing woody vegetation change in savannas. He has also carried out research on the monitoring of rainforest canopy disturbance. POSTER ABSTRACTS Poster 14 Poster 15 The birds and the bees: condition and context effects in the travelling stock route network Can you kill two birds with one stone? Birds indicative of ecological condition and avian diversity Pia E Lentini1, Joern Fischer1, Philip Gibbons1, Saul Cunningham2, Jan Hanspach3, Tara Martin2 1 The Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, 2CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, 3UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Germany The establishment of corridors has been suggested as a means of ameliorating the effects of habitat fragmentation, but to do so is costly and their ability to facilitate dispersal is disputed. However, extensive networks of linear remnants may already exist in the landscape. In Australia, some linear elements take the form of the travelling stock route (TSR) network, which was established prior to broad-scale clearing to allow for droving of livestock between pastures. We examined the habitat value of the TSR network for woodland birds and native bees, and whether the presence of TSRs influences these communities in adjacent farmland. Our study design incorporated TSRs of varying size and condition, as well as different adjacent land use types. Communities responded particularly to the condition of the stock routes and the intensity of agriculture in the adjacent paddock. Woodland birds of conservation concern were found almost exclusively in the TSRs or in native pastures, and although native bees were most abundant in flowering crops, TSRs proved important for beta diversity in a regional context. Networks of linear remnants such as these present a cost-effective conservation opportunity for land managers, and if protected and restored appropriately could help sustain biodiversity across extensively cleared agricultural landscapes. Juliana McCosker1, Rod Fensham1, John Rolfe2 1 Department of Environment and Resource Management, University of Central Queensland 2 Although mobile, birds display strong nesting and feeding associations with woodland components that are affected by disturbance. The crested bellbird, brown treecreeper, grey shrike-thrush, rufous whistler, striated pardalote and weebill, all display a significant decreaser response to a reduction in silver-leaved ironbark woodland condition in the Desert Uplands. The abundance these birds are indicative of the ecological condition and avian diversity in this woodland, by displaying measurable and reliable responses to grazing disturbance. Juliana McCosker has worked in conservation in central western Queensland for 20 years, She has a Masters on the ecology and conservation of spectacled hare-wallabies, major focus of work in the 90s was negotiation of conservation on private land, interested in incentive schemes to maximise conservation in the broader landscape off reserve. Pia Lentini is a second-year PhD student at ANU’s Fenner School of Environment and Society. She completed her BSc(Hons) at Monash University in 2007, and has also worked in the parks sector. 309 POSTER ABSTRACTS Poster 16 Poster 17 Exploring drivers of change in stand structure from pre-European to present day woodlands using a stand simulation model Extinction risk and climate change: a robust modelling framework applied to the endangered mountain pygmy-possum Karen Ross1,2, Ian Lunt1, Ross Bradstock3, Michael Bedward2, 2 Murray Ellis John Baumgartner1, Tracey Regan1, Brendan Wintle1, Linda 2 3 Broome , Dean Heinze 1 Charles Sturt University, 2NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, 3University of Wollongong Attempts to isolate causes of woody plant encroachment are often hampered by synchronous changes to multiple disturbance regimes. We use a process-driven stand simulation model to investigate causes of widespread encroachment by Callitris glaucophylla in Eucalyptus-Callitris woodlands in eastern Australia. We orthogonally manipulated two processes— historical removal of canopy trees and subsequent thinning of regrowth—to identify drivers of structural change over 120-years. Modelling illustrated that both disturbances independently contributed to historical shifts from Eucalyptus to Callitris dominance. At European settlement, stands were not sufficiently dense to impede regeneration, and dense Callitris (>1000 trees/ha) established under all scenarios. However, only in the undisturbed scenario did stands remain Eucalyptus-dominated in terms of basal area (BA). Eucalyptus density remained low in thinned scenarios due to direct destruction, while BA remained low in unthinned scenarios due to competition from dense Callitris regrowth. Thinning promoted Callitris BA to a much greater extent than removal of competing presettlement trees, by enhancing growth of retained trees, whereas strong competition in unthinned scenarios retarded Callitris BA growth. Modelling results are consistent with historical and ecological data and enabled the complementary, long-term impacts of both disturbances to be isolated in ways not previously possible. Karen Ross works on disturbance ecology in eucalypt forests/woodlands, and here looks at how historical disturbances have shaped woodland structures—an understanding of which contributes to making informed current management decisions. 310 1 University of Melbourne, 2NSW Department of Environment Climate Change and Water, 3Research Centre for Applied Alpine Ecology, La Trobe University In order to effectively manage biodiversity in the face of a changing climate, it is essential that we produce robust predictions of species extinction risk. Although a considerable body of research has risen to this challenge, most attempts to predict species’ response to climate change have focused exclusively on changes in the availability and arrangement of suitable habitat. A clear shortcoming of this approach is that it fails to explicitly address demographic and landscape-related factors, such as constraints to dispersal and natural or anthropogenic disturbances that can contribute to or moderate risk of extinction. Recent developments in this field have yielded an approach that facilitates integration of correlative models of habitat suitability and dynamic, spatially explicit meta-population models, thereby addressing these important processes and interactions. We demonstrate this approach to predict the fate of an endangered alpine specialist marsupial, the mountain pygmy-possum, Burramys parvus, under various climate change scenarios. Our analysis highlights the likely demographic and environmental constraints to the persistence and distribution of B. parvus. This can lead to the development of more effective conservation strategies that ameliorate the negative impacts of climate change on the species’ persistence. John Baumgartner is a PhD student in the School of Botany at the University of Melbourne. His research focuses on development of quantitative tools to facilitate effective decision-making for biodiversity conservation. POSTER ABSTRACTS Poster 18 Poster 19 Predicting the effect of climate change on community structure and function using grassland invertebrates Modelling habitat suitability under climate change: a comparison of Australia’s tropical and temperate elapid snakes Matthew Binns1, Nigel Andrew1, David Warton2, Heloise Gibb3 Abigail Cabrelli1, Lesley Hughes1 1 University of New England, 2The University of New South Wales, 3 La Trobe University Understanding the impact of climate change on ecological communities is a critical research priority for Australia. This knowledge is vital for the implementation of conservation strategies that aim to minimise the adverse effects of climate change. This project involves assessing community structure not only in terms of species abundances, but also through the use of morphological traits. Forty-four grassy sites dominated by Themeda australis across NSW and Victoria are being sampled using sweep netting over four seasons. Modelbased statistical methods currently being developed will be used to jointly assess the relationship of insect abundances, environmental variables and morphological traits. Using these models and values from climate predictions we can estimate what might happen to species diversity in the future. In addition to this survey, a transplant experiment using Themeda australis will be used to demonstrate the effects of what a host plant growing outside of its normal climate might have on insect diversity. Depending on the area, Themeda australis may exhibit polyploidy, of which diploids and tetraploids have been shown to have different climatic tolerances. The transplant experiment will attempt to determine if insects have a preference in regards to ploidy of the host plant. Matthew Binns is one year into a PhD project at the University of New England. 1 Macquarie University Tropical ectotherms are expected to be particularly vulnerable to climate change as they tend to have narrower thermal tolerances, and are therefore more sensitive to environmental perturbations, than species from temperate regions. Another important determinant of species vulnerability, however, is the degree of exposure to climate change, which is projected to be greatest at higher latitudes. In this study we investigated how these factors may influence vulnerability to changes in habitat suitability by comparing the projected responses of Australia’s elapid snakes (family Elapidae) from different biogeographic zones to climate change. We combined museum locality records of 81 species with both climatic and habitat data to define the current environmental niche space of each species, and used environmental niche models (ENMs) to project these data onto future climate surfaces produced by four global circulation models (GCMs). Our results show that for the majority of species, the amount of suitable habitat is projected to contract, and that species from temperate regions are just as susceptible to these changes in habitat suitability as tropical species. These findings suggest that thermal tolerance and the degree of exposure to climate change are equally important drivers of species vulnerability. Abigail Cabrelli is a second year PhD student at Macquarie University, studying the impacts of climate change on Australia’s reptiles. 311 POSTER ABSTRACTS Poster 20 Poster 21 The interactive effects of climate change and fire on floristic composition in the Victorian alps Thermotolerance capacities of native and introduced coastal plants during extreme heat events James Camac1, Peter Vesk1, Dick Williams2, Carl-Henrik Wahren3, Ary Hoffmann1 1 The University of Melbourne, 2The University of Melbourne, 3 CSIRO Climate change can influence species responses directly through physiological changes (e.g. growth), but also indirectly by altering disturbance regimes (e.g fire). Fire is known to shape the distribution and composition of many plant communities, ecosystems and biomes. Researchers and managers must now consider whether changes in disturbance regimes act synergistically or antagonistically with climate change. Here we examine the interactive effects of warming and fire on the floristic composition of key alpine species on the Bogong High Plains, Victoria. Our key questions were do the effects of fire and warming result in floristic change? If so, what species/growth forms are the winners and losers? We addressed these questions by passively warming vegetation burnt by the 2003 bushfires using Perspex open top chambers established in 4 sites (2 burnt; 2 unburnt) as part of the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX). Preliminary analyses have shown that the post-fire recovery of alpine vegetation is strong. The response to warming was idiosyncratic, both with respect to species and site. There was no evidence of significant declines species richness or cover in response to warming and fire. Alpine vegetation appears to be resilient, in the short term, to the effect of warming and fire. James Camac is a PhD student at the University of Melbourne studying the interactive effects of fire and climate change on Australian alpine shrub/grass dynamics. He is particularly interested in determining whether alpine shrubs are likely to increase in a warmer, potentially, more flammable landscape, and if so, determine what the primary drivers are for such expansions. James is also a member of the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) established on the Bogong High Plains in 2003. This international experiment aims to address the effects of warming on ecosystem processes by investigating effects on a variety of areas such as soil chemistry, insect assemblages and plant composition, phenology and growth. 312 Kris French1, Jodie Lia1 1 University of Wollongong Predictions suggest that in the future there will be an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme heat events in some regions. We compared the response of introduced and native coastal dune plant species following simulated extreme heat episodes to determine if different plant characteristics such as origin, morphology and photosynthetic pathway could determine any variation in species thermotolerance and predict future changes in composition of communities. Both native and introduced species were treated with days of extreme heat (39°C) over a period of time to determine their response to a present summer regime, predicted future summer regime, and a four day heatwave. Individual species responses varied but overall, introduced species performed better than natives in survivability, growth and showed greater photosynthetic efficiency under the current frequency of heat events. However, under future summer conditions, there was no significant difference between weeds and native in leaf senescence, photosynthetic efficiency, photosynthetic efficiency after a heatwave, or transpirational cooling. Predictable patterns were observed with C4 grasses thriving under a future summer regime and introduced reduced leaf shrubs showing no physical signs of stress to extreme heat. The added stress of extreme heat may push some native species out of their current distribution allowing invasive species to move in. Kris French has been involved in investigating the effects and mechanisms of invasion in coastal systems for 20 years. POSTER ABSTRACTS Poster 22 Poster 23 Designing reserve networks to facilitate species’ adaptations to climate change: an urban biodiversity case study The vulnerability of natural values on Tasmania’s coastline to sea level rise Jenni Garden1,2, Carla Catterall1, Darryl Jones1, Jean-Marc 1 1 1 Hero , Pat Dale , Jan McDonald 1 2 Environmental Futures Centre, Griffith University, Griffith Climate Change Response Program, Griffith University The ability for species to adapt to climate change will be critical for their long-term persistence, as species that are unable to adapt will risk decline/extinction. Within urban landscapes, many species that would typically adapt to climate change by moving their geographic range to match shifting environmental suitability may be unable to do so due to the prevalence of impediments to persistence or movement, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as the built environment. Such species are therefore at increased risk of decline/extinction. Designing urban landscapes that facilitate species’ adaptations to climate change is a necessary challenge for protecting biodiversity in the long-term. Here we explore an approach for specifically incorporating species’ adaptations to climate change into conservation reserve design. The main questions addressed are: (1) How adequate is the current reserve network for protecting species now, and under alternative climate change scenarios?; (2) How might the reserve design change in order to adequately protect species now, and under alternative climate change scenarios?; and, (3) How might such a reserve design change under alternative urban planning scenarios? We present here a scoping of the problem and preliminary results. Jenni Garden completed her PhD in urban ecology in 2006 through The University of Queensland. She is currently a research fellow within Griffith University’s Griffith Climate Change Response Program and the Environmental Futures Centre, and is investigating urban biodiversity and climate change adaptation. Louise Gilfedder1, Clarissa Murphy1, Felicity Faulkner1, Jill Pearson2 1 Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, NRM South 2 Sea level rise increasingly presents a major challenge for both coastal zone management and biodiversity conservation planning. The vulnerability of natural values to sea level rise along Tasmania’s coastline has been investigated using coastal landform sensitivity (Sharples 2006) as the basis of the assessment. A small number of native vegetation communities have much of their extent within 500 m distance of the coast. A similar trend was found with the flora—11 species have 100% of their populations and range in the zone defined by 5m elevation. The fauna most at risk was coastal shorebirds as they are entirely dependent upon the shoreline of Tasmania (with 12 migratory species covered by international conventions and 50% of their habitat on the coast). The potential impact