Journal articles on the topic 'Wildlife management – Australia'
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1
Kidd, Hamish. "Wildlife management in Australia." Pesticide Outlook 13, no. 6 (December 18, 2002): 249. http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/b211174h.
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Hone, Jim, and Tony Buckmaster. "How many are there? The use and misuse of continental-scale wildlife abundance estimates." Wildlife Research 41, no. 6 (2014): 473. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr14059.
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The number of individuals in a wildlife population is often estimated and the estimates used for wildlife management. The scientific basis of published continental-scale estimates of individuals in Australia of feral cats and feral pigs is reviewed and contrasted with estimation of red kangaroo abundance and the usage of the estimates. We reviewed all papers on feral cats, feral pigs and red kangaroos found in a Web of Science search and in Australian Wildlife Research and Wildlife Research, and related Australian and overseas scientific and ‘grey’ literature. The estimated number of feral cats in Australia has often been repeated without rigorous evaluation of the origin of the estimate. We propose an origin. The number of feral pigs in Australia was estimated and since then has sometimes been quoted correctly and sometimes misquoted. In contrast, red kangaroo numbers in Australia have been estimated by more rigorous methods and the relevant literature demonstrates active refining and reviewing of estimation procedures and management usage. We propose four criteria for acceptable use of wildlife abundance estimates in wildlife management. The criteria are: use of appropriate statistical or mathematical analysis; precision estimated; original source cited; and age (current or out-of-date) of an estimate evaluated. The criteria are then used here to assess the strength of evidence of the abundance estimates and each has at least one deficiency (being out-of-date). We do know feral cats, feral pigs and red kangaroos occur in Australia but we do not know currently how many feral cats or feral pigs are in Australia. Our knowledge of red kangaroo abundance is stronger at the state than the continental scale, and is also out-of-date at the continental scale. We recommend greater consideration be given to whether abundance estimates at the continental scale are needed and to their use, and not misuse, in wildlife management.
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Wilson, George R., Melanie J. Edwards, and Jennifer K. Smits. "Support for Indigenous wildlife management in Australia to enable sustainable use." Wildlife Research 37, no. 3 (2010): 255. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr09130.
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Wildlife managers could play a greater role in ensuring that Indigenous wildlife harvesting is sustainable and helping to address community health and employment challenges facing Indigenous Australians in remote and rural areas. Wildlife managers need to listen more to what Indigenous people say they want from their country and for their people, such as increased game to supplement their diet and security for totemic species, to maintain culture. In pre-colonial Australia, adherence to customary law maintained wildlife species Indigenous Australians wanted. Today the long-term sustainability of Indigenous wildlife harvesting is threatened. Where Indigenous communities lack leadership and other social problems exist, their capacity to apply customary land-and sea-management practices and to operate cultural constraints on wildlife use is reduced. The Indigenous right to hunt should coexist with responsible management. Improved wildlife management that combines science and traditional knowledge has implications for Indigenous people worldwide. Western science can support Indigenous passion for caring for the land. It can draw on traditional Indigenous practice and, through reciprocal learning, help reinstate Indigenous law and culture in communities. In Australia, wildlife managers could be more engaged in supporting Indigenous Australians in activities such as surveying populations and estimating sustainable yields, identifying refuge areas, maximising habitat diversity, controlling weeds and feral animals, and exchanging information across regions. Although support for Indigenous land and wildlife management has risen in recent years, it remains a minor component of current Australian Government resource allocation for addressing Indigenous need. Wildlife management could be a stronger focus in education, training and employment programs. Proactive wildlife management conforms to both the western concept of conserving biodiversity and Indigenous wildlife management; it can support sustainable harvesting, provide employment and income, create learning and training opportunities and improve Indigenous health. If greater expenditure were directed to Indigenous wildlife management, wildlife managers, especially Indigenous wildlife managers, could become more engaged in cultural initiatives across traditional and scientific practices and so contribute to programs that address the health and motivational challenges facing Indigenous communities.
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Miller, Kelly K. "Human dimensions of wildlife population management in Australasia - history, approaches and directions." Wildlife Research 36, no. 1 (2009): 48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr08006.
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It is now widely accepted that it is important to understand the ‘human dimensions’ of wildlife management issues in order to achieve management goals. This growing field of study was born in the 1960s and involves an examination of societal values, knowledge and behaviours associated with wildlife and wildlife management issues. This paper provides an overview of the history and directions in human dimensions research, focusing specifically on its application for wildlife population management in Australasia (in particular, Australia and New Zealand). It also provides a ‘toolkit’ of methods and approaches for those wishing to undertake, interpret or utilise human dimensions enquiries.
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Miller, Kelly K. "Public and stakeholder values of wildlife in Victoria, Australia." Wildlife Research 30, no. 5 (2003): 465. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr02007.
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This paper explores the management implications of a recent study that was designed to explore public and stakeholder values of wildlife in Victoria, Australia. Questionnaires (n = 1431) were used to examine values and knowledge of wildlife held by residents from seven Victorian municipalities and members of six wildlife management stakeholder groups. The results suggest that most Victorians have a relatively strong emotional attachment to individual animals (the humanistic value) and are interested in learning about wildlife and the natural environment (the curiosity/learning/interacting value). In comparison, the negativistic, aesthetic, utilitarian-habitat and dominionistic/wildlife-consumption values were not expressed as strongly. These findings suggest that wildlife managers should expect support for wildlife management objectives that reflect the relatively strong humanistic orientation of Victorians and tailor management and education programs to appeal to this value and Victorians' interest in learning about wildlife.
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Taylor, Brendan D., and Ross L. Goldingay. "Roads and wildlife: impacts, mitigation and implications for wildlife management in Australia." Wildlife Research 37, no. 4 (2010): 320. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr09171.
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Roads can disrupt the population processes of vertebrate wildlife species through habitat fragmentation and vehicle collision. The aims of this review were to synthesise the recent literature on road impacts on wildlife, to identify gaps in our understanding of this topic and to guide future research and management in Australia. We reviewed 244 published studies from the last decade on road and vehicle impacts on wildlife conducted worldwide. A geographic bias was evident among the studies, with 51% conducted in North America, 25% in Europe, 17% in Australia and 7% across several other countries. A taxonomic bias was evident towards mammals (53%), with far fewer studies on birds (10%), amphibians (9%) and reptiles (8%), and some (20%) included multiple taxonomic groups. Although this bias is partly explained by large insurance and medical costs associated with collisions involving large mammals, it is also evident in Australia and signals that large components of biodiversity are being neglected. Despite a prevalence of studies on wildlife road mortality (34%), population impacts are poorly described, although negative impacts are implicated for many species. Barrier effects of roads were examined in 44 studies, with behavioural aversion leading to adverse genetic consequences identified for some species. The installation of road-crossing structures for wildlife has become commonplace worldwide, but has largely outpaced an understanding of any population benefits. Road underpasses appear to be an important generic mitigation tool because a wide range of taxa use them. This knowledge can guide management until further information becomes available. Global concern about the decline of amphibians should lead to a greater focus on road impacts on this group. Priorities for research in Australia include (1) genetic studies on a range of taxa to provide an understanding of life-history traits that predispose species to barrier effects from roads, (2) studies that examine whether crossing structures alleviate population impacts from roads and (3) studies that describe the behavioural response of frogs to crossing structures and that identify factors that may promote the use of suitable structures. A national strategy to mitigate the impacts of roads on wildlife populations is long overdue and must ensure that research on this topic is adequately funded.
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Woods, Rupert, and Christopher Bunn. "Wildlife health surveillance in Australia." Microbiology Australia 26, no. 2 (2005): 56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ma05056.
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It is now recognised that those countries which conduct disease surveillance of their wild animal populations are more likely to detect the presence of infectious and zoonotic diseases and to swiftly adopt counter measures. The surveillance and monitoring of disease outbreaks in wildlife populations is particularly relevant in these days of rapid human and animal translocation, when the contact between wild and domestic animals is close and the threat of bioterrorist attack is very real. A major advantage of an efficient disease monitoring program for wildlife is the early detection of new and emerging diseases, some of which may have serious zoonotic and economic implications. A clear understanding of disease agents present in wildlife, and their effects on wildlife, domestic animals and humans is thus of paramount importance for management.
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Banks, Peter B., and Nelika K. Hughes. "A review of the evidence for potential impacts of black rats (Rattus rattus) on wildlife and humans in Australia." Wildlife Research 39, no. 1 (2012): 78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr11086.
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The black rat (Rattus rattus) is among the world’s worst invasive species, having spread across the globe in close association with the spread of human settlement. It is the source of some of the worst diseases affecting humans and is thought to have had a devastating impact on native wildlife, especially in island ecosystems. Black rat is likely to have arrived in Australia with the first European settlers, making it among the first of many alien species to invade the continent, and it is now widespread. Yet, its impacts on local wildlife have largely been overlooked. Here, we review the potential for black rat impacts in Australia in terms of its role as a source of disease and threats to wildlife and humans. We first summarise the global evidence for black rat impacts as background to the potential threats it poses and then focus specifically on emerging evidence available for Australian systems. We found a significant gap in our understanding of the ecology of black rats and the ecological role that it plays in Australia. This is despite its role as a source of a diverse range of diseases affecting humans and wildlife and its actions as a predator and competitor of native wildlife in Australia and elsewhere.
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Cooper, DW. "Should immunocontraception be used for wildlife population management?" Australian Mammalogy 26, no. 1 (2004): 61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am04061.
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Immunocontraception involves eliciting an immune response against eggs, sperm or hormones so that successful reproduction is prevented. Work in Australasia is aimed at European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), house mice (Mus musculus), common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), koalas (Phascolartcos cinereus) and kangaroos (Macropus spp.), with the vaccines involved all containing self antigens or their relatives. Two fundamental problems have been inadequately addressed in this research. The first problem is that it is difficult to obtain strong immune responses against self antigens and so the vaccines may be ineffective. Most published data on the effect of immunocontraceptives on reproduction involve the use of an adjuvant of which there are many kinds. The materials enhance the immune response greatly. The most frequently used is Freund?s adjuvant which can cause chronic suffering. Its use on wildlife will lead to very negative public perceptions. There has been no convincing demonstration that successful immunocontraception is possible with any method of vaccination likely to be used in the field, if success is defined as contraception of a proportion of the population high enough for management requirements. If it is assumed that success can be achieved, the second fundamental problem arises with two potential consequences. Even with adjuvant, a substantial minority of the vaccinated animals remains fertile. The first consequence is that since failure to be contracepted is likely to be in part genetic, there is likely to be rapid selection for these non-responders. The method will become ineffective in a few generations. The second problem is that the offspring of the animals which breed will have altered immune responses. Their capacities to respond to their own pathogens or to harbor pathogens of other species in the same ecosystem are likely to be changed. The presence of chlamydia in P. cinereus and bovine tuberculosis in New Zealand T. vulpecula means that responses to these pathogens would have to be studied in offspring of immunocontracepted parents to ensure that the offspring were not more susceptible to them. New Zealand intentions to put an immunocontraceptive into a T. vulpecula gut worm must be viewed with caution by Australia. The eggs of transgenic worms will be easily transplanted either accidentally or deliberately back into Australia, and so infect T. vulpecula in Australia.
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Steele, William K., and Michael A. Weston. "The assemblage of birds struck by aircraft differs among nearby airports in the same bioregion." Wildlife Research 48, no. 5 (2021): 422. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr20127.
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Abstract ContextBird–aircraft collisions impose an economic cost and safety risk, yet ecological studies that inform bird hazard management are few, and to date no study has formally compared species’ strike profiles across airports. In response to strike risks, airports have implemented customised management on an airport-by-airport basis, based on the assumption that strike risk stems from prevailing local circumstances. We tested this assumption by comparing a decade of wildlife–aircraft strikes at three airports situated in the same bioregion (likely to have similar fauna) of Victoria, Australia. AimTo compare the assemblage of wildlife struck by aircraft at three major airports in the same bioregion. MethodStandardised wildlife strike data were analysed from three airports (Avalon, Melbourne and Essendon Airports), in the Victorian Volcanic Plains bioregion, central Victoria, Australia. Ten discrete 1-year sampling periods from each airport were compared, spanning the period 2009–19. Bird data were comparable, and data on mammals were considered less reliable, so emphasis was placed on birds in the present study. ResultsIn total, 580 bird strikes were analysed, with the most commonly struck species being Australian magpie (Cracticus tibicen; 16.7%), Eurasian skylark (Alauda arvensis; 12.2%), Australian pipit (Anthus australis; 12.1%), masked lapwing (Vanellus miles; 5.9%), nankeen kestrel (Falco cenchroides; 5.0%), house sparrow (Passer domesticus; 4.8%), welcome swallow (Hirundo neoxena; 4.3%) and tree martin (Petrochelidon nigricans; 4.0%). The assemblage of birds struck by aircraft over the decade of study differed between airports. The most commonly struck species drove the assemblage differences between airports. Conclusions and implicationsIn the present study system, airports experienced discrete strike risk profiles, even though they are in the same bioregion. The airports examined differed in terms of air traffic movement rates, aircraft types, landscape context and bird hazard management effort. Given that strike risks profiles differ among airports, customised management at each airport, as is currently the case, is supported.
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Baird, IA, PC Catling, and JR Ive. "Fire Planning for Wildlife Management - a Decision-Support System for Nadgee-Nature-Reserve, Australia." International Journal of Wildland Fire 4, no. 2 (1994): 107. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wf9940107.
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This paper describes a decision support system for generating fire management plans which address predefined wildlife management objectives for a nature conservation reserve. Given limited knowledge of how low intensity fire would affect wildlife species, the expert reasoning of researchers was used to postulate fire response curves showing how high intensity fire affects vegetation structure and hence wildlife population density through time. These fire response curves and knowledge of the habitat preferences of wildlife species provided the best available information upon which to frame decision rules advocating prescribed burning at low intensity to manipulate wildlife habitat. Decision rules were also framed for protecting recreation sites, limiting fire spread, and reducing the risk of wildfire ignition. Once the decision rules were quantified, the LUPIS land use planning and information system was used to derive and map burning options reflecting different wildlife management strategies.
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Cousin, Jarrad. "Forest Fragmentation: Wildlife and Management Implications." Pacific Conservation Biology 6, no. 3 (2000): 273. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc000273.
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Fragmentation of natural ecosystems occurs throughout the world due to processes such as agriculture, forestry, mining and urbanization. Much of the wheatbelt regions of south-west and eastern Australia face major problems relating to the decline and extinction of resident flora and fauna. Much of the problem relates to the lack of knowledge of the processes and consequences of fragmentation. By the time problems have been addressed, damage to the ecosystems are often irreparable. In North America, much of the forested regions of the Pacific Northwest have also experienced broad-scale fragmentation of the natural forested ecosystems through extensive silvicultural practices.
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Woods, Rupert, Andrea Reiss, Keren Cox-Witton, Tiggy Grillo, and Andrew Peters. "The Importance of Wildlife Disease Monitoring as Part of Global Surveillance for Zoonotic Diseases: The Role of Australia." Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 4, no. 1 (February 6, 2019): 29. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed4010029.
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Australia has a comprehensive system of capabilities and functions to prepare, detect and respond to health security threats. Strong cooperative links and coordination mechanisms exist between the human (public health) and animal arms of the health system in Australia. Wildlife is included in this system. Recent reviews of both the animal and human health sectors have highlighted Australia’s relative strengths in the detection and management of emerging zoonotic diseases. However, the risks to Australia posed by diseases with wildlife as part of their epidemiology will almost certainly become greater with changing land use and climate change and as societal attitudes bring wildlife, livestock and people into closer contact. These risks are not isolated to Australia but are global. A greater emphasis on wildlife disease surveillance to assist in the detection of emerging infectious diseases and integration of wildlife health into One Health policy will be critical in better preparing Australia and other countries in their efforts to recognize and manage the adverse impacts of zoonotic diseases on human health. Animal and human health practitioners are encouraged to consider wildlife in their day to day activities and to learn more about Australia’s system and how they can become more involved by visiting www.wildlifeheathaustralia.com.au.
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Finch, Neal, Peter Murray, Julia Hoy, and Greg Baxter. "Expenditure and motivation of Australian recreational hunters." Wildlife Research 41, no. 1 (2014): 76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr13171.
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Context Recreational hunting has a long history in Australia, as in other parts of the world. However, the number, characteristics and motivations of Australian hunters have never been investigated in the same way as those in other countries where hunting occurs. Aims In this report, we aimed to systematically survey Australian recreational hunters to determine their demographic characteristics, patterns of spending and motivations. Methods Between September 2011 and June 2012, we encouraged hunters to participate in an anonymous online survey hosted by SurveyMonkey. We asked 53 questions about the hunters, their hunting patterns, expenditure on hunting and their motivations to hunt. Key results In total, 7202 hunters responded to the survey. The respondents were overwhelmingly male and 67% were aged between 31 and 60 years. Almost 34% of respondents were from Victoria, 26.7% from New South Wales and 22.0% from Queensland. Average direct expenditure on hunting was A$1835 per person per annum, whereas indirect expenditure was A$2168. Over 99% of respondents said that they would be willing to participate in pest-control activities if they had the opportunity. Conclusions There are likely to be at least 200 000 and more likely 300 000 recreational hunters in Australia and they spend in excess of A$1 billion dollars annually on hunting. Almost all of these hunters are willing to participate in direct wildlife management activities, such as pest control. Implications The Australian recreational hunting community is large, active and willing to spend large amounts of money on hunting. Their activities need to be understood and participants engaged by wildlife managers so as to obtain the best outcomes for wildlife management in Australia.
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Lunney, Daniel. "Wildlife management and the debate on the ethics of animal use. I. Decisions within a State wildlife agency." Pacific Conservation Biology 18, no. 1 (2012): 5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc120005.
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Some actions necessary to conserve wildlife sit uncomfortably with those who are concerned about the ethics of animal use. The statutory framework for protecting wildlife is outlined, and examples of the range of issues faced in a State wildlife management agency are discussed, including city wildlife, invasive species, hunting, keeping native animals, threatened species recovery and preparing for climate change. To maintain public support, government wildlife managers need to engage with the different views in society of how we should treat animals. Palmer (2010), a philosopher, identified three zones — wild, contact, and dependent — where humans and animals interact, each with a different ethical context and requiring a different response from people. Geography can determine attitude and destiny, particularly when an animal is foreign to a place, such as rabbits and foxes in Australia. The concept of native animals as pests and/or commercially valuable species has a complicated history, with shooting and commercial hunting reflecting the first half of the European history of wildlife management in Australia. No one word defines our optimal relationship to animals, be it minding, looking, liberation, protection or management, and this range of words identifies the scale of the test facing wildlife managers tasked with making decisions about wildlife. Sutherland et al. (2009) identified 100 questions of importance to the conservation of global biological diversity. I would expand this to 101, to encourage the active engagement of wildlife managers and conservation biologists in the debate on the ethics of animal use.
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Sparkes, Jessica, Guy Ballard, and Peter J. S. Fleming. "Cooperative hunting between humans and domestic dogs in eastern and northern Australia." Wildlife Research 43, no. 1 (2016): 20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr15028.
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Context Dogs aid hunters in many parts of Australia. Because of close proximity, transfer of zoonotic disease between hunters, hunting dogs and wildlife can, and does, occur. Knowledge about cooperative hunting between humans and domestic dogs and interactions with wildlife in Australia is limited, but is necessary to improve zoonotic-risk mitigation strategies. Aims We aimed to describe the frequency and geographic distribution of hunting with dogs, and to document interactions between them and wildlife that could contribute to zoonosis transmission. Methods Australian hunters were invited via web-based hunting forums, hunting supply stores and government agency communications to complete an online questionnaire about their hunting activities. Key results Most of the 440 responding hunters resided on Australia’s eastern coast. Pest animal management and recreation were their primary drivers for hunting with dogs. Most hunters used one or two dogs, and travelled ≥500 km to target feral pigs, rabbits, birds and deer. Almost a quarter of respondents (N = 313) had lost a dog while hunting, but most (93%, N = 61) were reportedly recovered within a few hours. Half the respondents indicated that they had encountered wild dogs while hunting, and reported a range of consequences from non-contact interactions through to attacks on the hunting dog or hunter. Conclusions Australian hunters frequently used dogs to assist in hunts of birds and introduced mammals, particularly where access was difficult because of rough terrain or thick vegetation. Interactions between hunters and non-target animals such as wild dogs were common, providing potential pathways for the spread of diseases. Furthermore, hunting expeditions >500 km from the point of residence occurred regularly, which could facilitate translocation of important zoonotic diseases between states and the creation of disparate foci of disease spread, even into highly populated areas. Implications Our improved understanding of hunting-dog use in Australia is essential to quantify the risk of disease transmission between wildlife and humans, identify transmission pathways and devise management plans to quash disease outbreaks. To promote rapid detection of exotic diseases, hunters should be encouraged to report unusual wildlife behaviour and interactions with their dogs.
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Vlachos, Alexandra. "Fortress Farming in Western Australia? The Problematic History of Separating Native Wildlife from Agricultural Land through the State Barrier Fence." Global Environment 13, no. 2 (June 15, 2020): 368–403. http://dx.doi.org/10.3197/ge.2020.130206.
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The Western Australia (WA) State Barrier Fence stretches 2,023 miles (3,256 kilometres) and divides Australia's largest state. The original 'Rabbit Proof Fence' fence was built from 1901–1907 to stop the westbound expansion of rabbits into the existing and potential agricultural zone of Western Australia. Starting as a seemingly straightforward, albeit costly, solution to protect what was considered a productive landscape, the fence failed to keep out the rabbits. It was subsequently amended, upgraded, re-named and used to serve different purposes: as Vermin Fence and State Barrier Fence (unofficially also Emu Fence or Dog Fence) the fence was designed to exclude native Australian animals such as emus, kangaroos and dingoes. In the Australian 'boom and bust' environment, characterised by extreme temperatures and unpredictable rainfall, interrupting species movement has severe negative impacts on biodiversity – an issue aggravated by the fact that Australia leads in global extinction rates (Woinarski, Burbidge and Harrison, 2015). The twentieth century history of the fence demonstrates the agrarian settlers' struggle with the novelty and otherness of Western Australia's ecological conditions – and severe lack of knowledge thereof. While the strenuous construction, expensive maintenance and doubtful performance of the fence provided useful and early environmental lessons, they seem largely forgotten in contemporary Australia. The WA government recently commenced a controversial $11 million project to extend the State Barrier Fence for another 660 kilometres to reach the Esperance coast, targeting dingoes, emus and kangaroos – once again jeopardising habitat connectivity. This paper examines the environmental history, purposes and impacts of the State Barrier fence, critically discusses the problems associated with European farming and pastoralism in WA, and touches on alternative land-use perspectives and futures.
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Jones, Darryl N., and Thomas Nealson. "Management of aggressive Australian magpies by translocation." Wildlife Research 30, no. 2 (2003): 167. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr01102.
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Attacks on humans by Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) cause a significant human–wildlife conflict in suburban environments throughout Australia. Community opposition to lethal control methods generally has, in part, led to an increase in the use of translocation as an alternative. We assessed the effectiveness and implications of using this approach in the management of aggressive magpie in south-eastern Queensland during 1999 and 2000. A total of 968 (1999) and 707 (2000) magpies were reported by the public, of which 39–45% were able to be investigated by a two-person team working three days per week. A total of 141 magpies were translocated, 31.7% of all birds investigated. Of these, only five (3.5%) returned to the place of capture, and 22 (15.6%) were resighted elsewhere; there was no evidence of 'homing'. Only three translocated birds were subsequently reported as being aggressive towards humans. While extremely effective in reducing the conflict locally, we caution against the indiscriminate use of this method, and suggest that it be seen as one of many options available to wildlife managers.
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Meek, Paul D., Guy-Anthony Ballard, Karl Vernes, and Peter J. S. Fleming. "The history of wildlife camera trapping as a survey tool in Australia." Australian Mammalogy 37, no. 1 (2015): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am14021.
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This paper provides an historical review of the technological evolution of camera trapping as a zoological survey tool in Australia. Camera trapping in Australia began in the 1950s when purpose-built remotely placed cameras were used in attempts to rediscover the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus). However, camera traps did not appear in Australian research papers and Australasian conference proceedings until 1989–91, and usage became common only after 2008, with an exponential increase in usage since 2010. Initially, Australian publications under-reported camera trapping methods, often failing to provide fundamental details about deployment and use. However, rigour in reporting of key methods has increased during the recent widespread adoption of camera trapping. Our analysis also reveals a change in camera trap use in Australia, from simple presence–absence studies, to more theoretical and experimental approaches related to population ecology, behavioural ecology, conservation biology and wildlife management. Practitioners require further research to refine and standardise camera trap methods to ensure that unbiased and scientifically rigorous data are obtained from quantitative research. The recent change in emphasis of camera trapping research use is reflected in the decreasing range of camera trap models being used in Australian research. Practitioners are moving away from less effective models that have slow reaction times between detection and image capture, and inherent bias in detectability of fauna, to more expensive brands that offer faster speeds, greater functionality and more reliability.
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Higginbottom, Karen, and Noel Scott. "Strategic Planning of Wildlife Tourism in Australia." Journal of Ecotourism 7, no. 2&3 (December 1, 2008): 97. http://dx.doi.org/10.2167/joe0225.0.
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Hughes, Michael, and Jack Carlsen. "Human–Wildlife Interaction Guidelines in Western Australia." Journal of Ecotourism 7, no. 2&3 (December 1, 2008): 142. http://dx.doi.org/10.2167/joe0228.0.
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Higginbottom, Karen, and Noel Scott. "Strategic Planning of Wildlife Tourism in Australia." Journal of Ecotourism 7, no. 2-3 (October 2008): 102–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14724040802140485.
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Hughes, Michael, and Jack Carlsen. "Human–Wildlife Interaction Guidelines in Western Australia." Journal of Ecotourism 7, no. 2-3 (October 2008): 147–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14724040802140519.
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Newsome, Thomas M. "Makings of Icons: Alan Newsome, the Red Kangaroo and the Dingo." Historical Records of Australian Science 25, no. 2 (2014): 153. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/hr14013.
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The red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) and the dingo (Canis dingo) are two of Australia's iconic mammals. Both are ingrained in the national psyche and well known internationally. For the red kangaroo, recognition has come despite the fact that the highest densities of the species occur well away from most of the human population. The dingo has achieved its status despite being present on the continent for perhaps as little as 3,000 years. This article considers the question of how, and why, these two animals became so elevated in the popular imagination and the scientific literature. It is a story of both the integers and consequences of scientific research, a story best told with a particular focus on the contribution made by one individual. Alan Newsome changed our understanding of the interactions between agriculture, introduced species and native wildlife, and was one of the first to understand the possibilities of enriching western science with Indigenous knowledge. He was a pioneer in explaining—particularly by reference to the red kangaroo in central Australia—the remarkable story of how Australian wildlife has adapted to survive some of the harshest conditions on the planet. His work across the landscape of the arid zone has had profound implications for management and conservation in Australia. This, then, is the story of three icons: the red kangaroo, the dingo and Alan Newsome.
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Higginbottom, K., CL Northrope, DB Croft, B. Hill, and E. Fredline. "The role of kangaroos in Australian tourism." Australian Mammalogy 26, no. 1 (2004): 23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am04023.
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Generally absent from the debate on the management of kangaroos (Macropodoidea) is discussion of their role in tourism. This paper examines the role that kangaroos play in Australian tourism, synthesising the findings of four related projects undertaken recently by the Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism. It investigates the role of kangaroos in tourism marketing imagery, international tourist demand and existing tourism enterprises, and examines opportunities for future development of tourism involving kangaroos. In order to assess these aspects, experimental studies, interviews, visitor surveys, content analysis of advertising material, postal surveys of wildlife professionals and site visits were conducted. The kangaroo was found to be one of the world?s best-recognised tourism icons and to generate positive responses among Americans; yet it is apparently under-utilised in overseas travel brochures designed to attract international tourists to Australia. The use of kangaroos in tourism is already widespread, with over 190 tourism enterprises including kangaroo viewing, and with the kangaroo featuring in organised wildlife tourism more frequently than any other type of animal. However kangaroos are generally just one component of a broader tourism experience. While 18.4% of international visitors are motivated to visit Australia partly because of its native animals, there are very few who would not come otherwise. Kangaroos and koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are by far the most popular animals with international visitors. Most visitors who wished to do so, succeeded in seeing kangaroos during their visit, and most expressed high levels of satisfaction with their wildlife experiences. The most satisfying kangaroo viewing experiences are likely to involve the relatively large, social species of open habitats. However areas where these species are most likely to be abundant mostly score poorly in terms of feasibility of tourism. Tourism is one significant management option for Australia?s kangaroos, and its potential deserves further investigation.
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Andrews, Robert, Bayan Bevrani, Brigitte Colin, Moe T. Wynn, Arthur H. M. ter Hofstede, and Jackson Ring. "Three novel bird strike likelihood modelling techniques: The case of Brisbane Airport, Australia." PLOS ONE 17, no. 12 (December 8, 2022): e0277794. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277794.
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The risk posed by wildlife to air transportation is of great concern worldwide. In Australia alone, 17,336 bird-strike incidents and 401 animal-strike incidents were reported to the Air Transport Safety Board (ATSB) in the period 2010-2019. Moreover, when collisions do occur, the impact can be catastrophic (loss of life, loss of aircraft) and involve significant cost to the affected airline and airport operator (estimated at globally US$1.2 billion per year). On the other side of the coin, civil aviation, and airport operations have significantly affected bird populations. There has been an increasing number of bird strikes, generally fatal to individual birds involved, reported worldwide (annual average of 12,219 reported strikes between 2008-2015 being nearly double the annual average of 6,702 strikes reported 2001-2007) (ICAO, 2018). Airport operations including construction of airport infrastructure, frequent take-offs and landings, airport noise and lights, and wildlife hazard management practices aimed at reducing risk of birdstrike, e.g., spraying to remove weeds and invertebrates, drainage, and even direct killing of individual hazard species, may result in habitat fragmentation, population decline, and rare bird extinction adjacent to airports (Kelly T, 2006; Zhao B, 2019; Steele WK, 2021). Nevertheless, there remains an imperative to continually improve wildlife hazard management methods and strategies so as to reduce the risk to aircraft and to bird populations. Current approved wildlife risk assessment techniques in Australia are limited to ranking of identified hazard species, i.e., are ‘static’ and, as such, do not provide a day-to-day risk/collision likelihood. The purpose of this study is to move towards a dynamic, evidence-based risk assessment model of wildlife hazards at airports. Ideally, such a model should be sufficiently sensitive and responsive to changing environmental conditions to be able to inform both short and longer term risk mitigation decisions. Challenges include the identification and quantification of contributory risk factors, and the selection and configuration of modelling technique(s) that meet the aforementioned requirements. In this article we focus on likelihood of bird strike and introduce three distinct, but complementary, assessment techniques, i.e., Algebraic, Bayesian, and Clustering (ABC) for measuring the likelihood of bird strike in the face of constantly changing environmental conditions. The ABC techniques are evaluated using environment and wildlife observations routinely collected by the Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) wildlife hazard management team. Results indicate that each of the techniques meet the requirements of providing dynamic, realistic collision risks in the face of changing environmental conditions.
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McLeod, S. R., and R. B. Hacker. "Balancing stakeholder interests in kangaroo management – historical perspectives and future prospects." Rangeland Journal 41, no. 6 (2019): 567. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj19055.
Full textAbstract:
Kangaroos are commercially harvested in five mainland states of Australia, with the harvest regulated by state government wildlife management agencies and overseen by the Commonwealth government. Non-commercial culling is permitted, and although most kangaroos have traditionally been taken by the commercial kangaroo harvesting industry, the proportion taken non-commercially has increased in recent years. Management plans that guide the regulation of the harvest support the management objectives of wildlife management agencies and the kangaroo industry, but the plans do not successfully address the objectives of other stakeholders including pastoralists and animal protection groups, which focus on minimising the grazing impacts of kangaroos and animal welfare issues respectively. We reviewed the objectives outlined in the management plans for kangaroos in the Australian rangelands and examined alternative systems for managing natural resources to identify if improvements to management could be made. Current management plans for kangaroos principally use fixed harvest rates that are responsive only to the state of the kangaroo population and not to changes in the environments in which kangaroos live. This type of management is reactive, and opportunities for improving management of the environment are limited. A viable alternative is active adaptive management which focuses on explicit measurement of the response of the natural system to management actions and use of this information to modify interventions to better meet management objectives. Active adaptive management is appropriate when management actions can strongly influence system state but the impacts of management are uncertain. We argue that the management of kangaroos and the environments in which they live would benefit from the adoption of an active adaptive management approach by wildlife management agencies.
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Coghlan, Ali, and Bruce Prideaux. "Encounters with Wildlife in Cairns, Australia: Where, What, Who…?" Journal of Ecotourism 7, no. 1 (August 2008): 68–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.2167/joe174.0.
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Wilson, George, Melanie Edwards, and Neil Byron. "Custodianship of wildlife on private land to support conservation – an Australian model." Rangeland Journal 42, no. 5 (2020): 309. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj20039.
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A large proportion of the world’s extinctions have occurred in Australia, and threatened species lists continue to grow, notwithstanding government and philanthropic efforts. Most losses have been on private land, so relying on national parks and reserves is not enough to reverse trends and meet Australia’s responsibilities. This paper proposes a model that could increase abundance and distribution of Australia’s biodiversity, while providing financial incentives to private landholders to do so. It addresses the question, can landholder management of wildlife, and a form of private ownership, remedy shortfalls in government funding for biodiversity conservation and the resulting consequences of vast biodiversity losses? Landholders currently invest in propagating introduced livestock species, but they are prevented by current regulations from investing in a similar manner in threatened Australian native species. Market-based incentives could increase the distribution and abundance of species on private land and help protect the habitat of other biodiversity. The enabling changes would be contentious to some people but are consistent with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Sustainable Use policy. Different versions of wildlife privatisation have been successfully applied internationally: there is urgency for Australia to draw on these experiences and develop its own model to encourage and support wildlife on private freehold land. The model proposed in this paper focuses on: identifying locally overabundant populations or captive-bred populations as sources of supply; finding landholders and philanthropists who would like to have custodianship of species; enabling entrepreneurs to respond to demand; and bringing the two together where there is scope for a market-based sharing economy. Encouraging wildlife custodianship on private freehold land would be mutually beneficial, as it would not only result in an increase in biodiversity, but the economic value of wildlife could provide an income to landholders as well as enhancing Australia’s conservation system.
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George, GG. "Monotreme and Marsupial Breeding Programs in Australian Zoos." Australian Journal of Zoology 37, no. 3 (1989): 181. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo9890181.
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Cooperative breeding programs for selected species in Australian zoos have developed rather rapidly in response to growing concerns for the status of wildlife world-wide. The need to enlarge captive populations and to manage them for genetic and demographic stability led in 1983 to the establishment of a regional Species Management Scheme among the major publicly funded zoos of Australia and New Zealand. Several Australian marsupials are being successfully managed under this scheme, and management plans for others are being developed. Managed species are designated on the basis of their restricted availability to zoos, and the desirability of having a self-sustaining captive population for conservation purposes. Captive breeding histories of most Australian and some New Guinea monotremes and marsupials are reviewed, and details of zoo breeding programs discussed for managed species.
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Read, John L., Chris R. Dickman, Wayne S. J. Boardman, and Christopher A. Lepczyk. "Reply to Wolf et al.: Why Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Is Not an Ethical Solution for Stray Cat Management." Animals 10, no. 9 (August 28, 2020): 1525. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani10091525.
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We critique the recent article by Wolf et al. (2019) that claims scientific merit for reducing the number of stray cats in Australia through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs, and then we provide an inventory of biological, welfare, and economic reasons why TNR is less successful than adoption and euthanasia for managing unowned cats. Like Crawford et al. (2019) and multiple other comprehensive and unbiased Australian and international scientific reviews, we refute the idea that returning neutered unowned cats to stray populations has any valid role in responsible, ethical, affordable, and effective cat management, or in wildlife conservation. The main purported objective of TNR proponents along with animal welfare, human health, and wildlife advocacy stakeholders is to reduce the number of unhomed cats. We contend that cessation of provisioning unowned cats with food is the most effective approach to achieve this objective. We also present evidence from the Brisbane City Council that informed cat management policy, advocacy, and laws, backed up by responsible rehoming or prompt ethical euthanasia, are together effective at reducing the stray cat problem.
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Croft, DB. "Sustainable use of wildlife in western New South Wales: Possibilities and problems." Rangeland Journal 22, no. 1 (2000): 88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj0000088.
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Sustainable use of wildlife has become equated with exploitation of animal products (meat, skin or feathers) and/or removal of wild progenitors into the pet trade. This consumption of the wildlife is therefore largely ex situ and so removes nutrients and energy from the rangelands. Demand for lethal or a removal action is often driven by the severity of the perceived conflict between the wildlife and other enterprises, especially agriculture, rather than for the resulting products. Such uses also raise community concerns about humane treatment of animals and a valuing of the natural heritage. Wildlife-based tourism, as part of the valuable and growing nature-based or ecotourism industry in Australia, is an in situ use that may be a more ecologically sustainable and economically twble option for use of rangeland wildlife. This paper examines these possibilities and their problems with a focus on the commercial kangaroo industry and the use of arid-zone mammals, birds and reptiles for pets. It provides new evidence that wildlife-tourism based on free-living kangaroos in the rangelands is both feasible and in demand. This industry should be given advocacy in the on-going debate on the management and future of the rangelands. Key words: kangaroos, wildlife management, wildlife tourism, game harvesting
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E. Whiting, Amy, and Kelly K. Miller. "Examining the Living with Possums policy in Victoria, Australia: community knowledge, support and compliance." Pacific Conservation Biology 14, no. 3 (2008): 169. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc080169.
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Studying the human dimensions of wildlife management issues is now considered to be an essential component of wildlife research. This study examined the Living with Possums policy in Victoria, Australia, in terms of the policy?s success in educating the community and ensuring community compliance. Postal surveys and telephone interviews were conducted across three samples from Greater Melbourne. These samples included people who had experiences with possums on their property (n = 340), veterinary clinics (n = 45) and the general public (n = 103). Significant levels of non-compliance were uncovered, highlighting the need for a renewed public education campaign to take place along with a continued interest in this issue from government agencies and councils. The study also revealed discrepancies between the policy and public preferences for possum management, suggesting that a shift in the recommended management technique may be warranted.
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Altman, Jon, and Michelle Cochrane. "Sustainable development in the indigenous-owned savanna: innovative institutional design for cooperative wildlife management." Wildlife Research 32, no. 5 (2005): 473. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr04074.
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This study examines a particular form of cooperative wildlife management on Aboriginal land in the tropical savanna of the Northern Territory of Australia, in the context of broader questions about governance. It asks how governance at the local or community level can be designed to ensure sustainable development and real economic benefit for the region’s long-term indigenous residents. It is argued here that sustainable development will require hybrid institutions that accommodate and value the principles and practices of indigenous resource management, while also recognising the benefits of broader regional resource governance. Emerging best practice in wildlife harvesting that is founded on careful scientific assessments of sustainability is identified, and an approach to northern development based on sustainability and locally controlled commercialisation is canvassed. Future challenges to the proposed approach include convincing governments and state agencies of its national as well as regional benefits. Reform of governance to facilitate its rapid implementation is desirable, in the context of the relative poverty currently experienced by many indigenous people in tropical north Australia.
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Kennedy, Brooke P. A., Bonny Cumming, and Wendy Y. Brown. "Global Strategies for Population Management of Domestic Cats (Felis catus): A Systematic Review to Inform Best Practice Management for Remote Indigenous Communities in Australia." Animals 10, no. 4 (April 11, 2020): 663. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani10040663.
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Pet domestic cat (Felis catus) populations are increasing all around the world, resulting in an increase in contact with humans and wildlife, potentially spreading zoonotic diseases and predating on wildlife. With the recently identified rise in cat populations in remote Indigenous communities in Australia, culturally appropriate cat population management strategies are required. A systematic review process was conducted to review the current global cat population management practices that are suitable for owned, free-roaming cat populations in these communities. Eight articles on in-situ field cat populations and five studies simulating computer modelled cat populations reported results of 66 population management interventions. Surgical Sterilisation (SS) was used in all socialised owned cat articles. The trap–neuter–release (TNR) method was used most frequently on unsocialised cats and gained the best results when the trap–remove (TR) method was used concurrently to adopt out unwanted social cats and euthanise ill or injured cats. The results of this review suggest that long-term TNR/SS programs supplemented with TR provide the current most ethically sound best practice, humane method of managing cat populations in remote Australian Indigenous communities. It is also recognised that no one plan will fit all, and that further research on the micro-level techniques used to deploy both TNR and TR needs to occur, and that culturally appropriate community consultation during all processes is vital in achieving a sustainable management program.
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Glen, Alistair S., and Chris R. Dickman. "Complex interactions among mammalian carnivores in Australia, and their implications for wildlife management." Biological Reviews 80, no. 03 (April 13, 2005): 387. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1464793105006718.
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Norton, T. W., and J. E. Williams. "Wildlife management in Australia: New developments and opportunities using computer-based generic models." Mathematics and Computers in Simulation 32, no. 1-2 (April 1990): 231–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0378-4754(90)90244-d.
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e. Fox, Robert. "Musings on Biodiversity by a Retired Park Manager." Pacific Conservation Biology 10, no. 1 (2004): 5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc040005.
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Biodiversity continues to decline in Australia despite significant effort by government, industry and concerned citizens. In this essay the author draws upon his >30 years of experience at the sharp end of natural resource management to consider some factors that may be contributing to the relative lack of progress. While national parks and reserves form a small part of the overall Australian landscape their importance in the battle to retain biodiversity is undeniable. However, rigidity of thinking on the part of park managers has limited the support base for parks and thus their potential in leading integrated landscape management at the all-important local level. The rise of animal libertarianism is further impacting on the ability of parks and wildlife managers to make rational decisions based on the best scientific advice. Animal libertarianism, influential in our western, primarily urban-based society, causes significant problems in wildlife conservation. Anthropomorphic concepts of rights have little application in the animal world and contribute even less to the conservation of species.
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Thomsen, D. A., K. Muir, and J. Davies. "Aboriginal perspectives on kangaroo management in South Australia." Rangeland Journal 28, no. 2 (2006): 127. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj05028.
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Kangaroos are culturally significant to Aboriginal people but Aboriginal people are generally not involved in kangaroo management or in the kangaroo industry. Our research has provided the first opportunity for Aboriginal people in South Australia to present their perspectives on the commercial harvest of kangaroos. Research methods were qualitative, involving consultations with authoritative Aboriginal people about their perspectives, aspirations, and how they see their rights and interests in relation to the commercial harvest of kangaroos. We found diverse views on this topic from Aboriginal research participants. For some Aboriginal people, strict cultural protocols preclude any involvement in the commercial harvest, but for people from other regions where the cultural laws concerning kangaroos are quite different, there is interest in developing enterprises based on kangaroo harvest. Despite the diversity of views about commercial kangaroo harvest, Aboriginal people across South Australia highly value kangaroos, and want to be included in decision-making processes for kangaroo management. There is potential for appropriate engagement of Aboriginal people in kangaroo management through improved communication, greater understanding and respect for the diversity of Aboriginal perspectives and protocols regarding native wildlife.
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Legge, Sarah, John C. Z. Woinarski, Chris R. Dickman, Brett P. Murphy, Leigh-Ann Woolley, and Mike C. Calver. "We need to worry about Bella and Charlie: the impacts of pet cats on Australian wildlife." Wildlife Research 47, no. 8 (2020): 523. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr19174.
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Research and management attention on the impacts of the introduced domestic cat (Felis catus) on Australian fauna have focussed mainly on the feral population. Here, we summarise the evidence for impacts of predation by pet cats on Australian wildlife. We collate examples of local wildlife population decline and extirpation as a result, at least in part, of predation by pet cats. We assemble information across 66 studies of predation by pet cats worldwide (including 24 Australian studies) to estimate the predation toll of pet cats in Australia, plus the predation pressure per unit area in residential areas. We compared these estimates to those published for feral cats in Australia. The per capita kill rate of pet cats is 25% that of feral cats. However, pet cats live at much higher densities, so the predation rate of pets per square kilometre in residential areas is 28–52 times larger than predation rates by feral cats in natural environments, and 1.3–2.3 times greater than predation rates per km2 by feral cats living in urban areas. Pet cats kill introduced species more often than do feral cats living in natural environments, but, nonetheless, the toll of native animals killed per square kilometre by pet cats in residential areas is still much higher than the toll per square kilometre by feral cats. There is no evidence that pet cats exert significant control of introduced species. The high predation toll of pet cats in residential areas, the documented examples of declines and extirpations in populations of native species caused by pet cats, and potential pathways for other, indirect effects (e.g. from disease, landscapes of fear, ecological footprints), and the context of extraordinary impacts from feral cats on Australian fauna, together support a default position that pet cat impacts are serious and should be reduced. From a technical perspective, the pet cat impacts can be reduced more effectively and humanely than those of feral cats, while also enhancing pet cat welfare. We review the management options for reducing predation by pet cats, and discuss the opportunities and challenges for improved pet cat management and welfare.
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Weekers, Damian P., Renee Zahnow, and Lorraine Mazerolle. "Conservation Criminology: Modelling Offender Target Selection for Illegal Fishing in Marine Protected Areas." British Journal of Criminology 59, no. 6 (March 27, 2019): 1455–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azz020.
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AbstractThe emergence of conservation criminology over the past decade provides a unique insight into patterns of wildlife crime. Wildlife crime has a dramatic impact on many vulnerable species and represents a significant challenge to the management of protected areas around the world. This paper contributes to the field of conservation criminology by examining the travel patterns of fishing poachers in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Australia. The results demonstrate that distance is a key feature of offender target selection, reflecting the established environmental criminology concept of distance decay. The analysis also reveals a significant relationship between individual no-take zones and regional population areas. The applicability of a nodal-oriented approach to wildlife crime prevention is discussed.
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Narayan, Edward, Annabella Perakis, and Will Meikle. "Using Thermal Imaging to Monitor Body Temperature of Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in A Zoo Setting." Animals 9, no. 12 (December 6, 2019): 1094. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani9121094.
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Non-invasive techniques can be applied for monitoring the physiology and behaviour of wildlife in Zoos to improve management and welfare. Thermal imaging technology has been used as a non-invasive technique to measure the body temperature of various domesticated and wildlife species. In this study, we evaluated the application of thermal imaging to measure the body temperature of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in a Zoo environment. The aim of the study was to determine the body feature most suitable for recording a koala’s body temperature (using coefficient of variation scores). We used a FLIR530TM IR thermal imaging camera to take images of each individual koala across three days in autumn 2018 at the Wildlife Sydney Zoo, Australia. Our results demonstrated that koalas had more than one reliable body feature for recording body temperature using the thermal imaging tool—the most reliable features were eyes and abdomen. This study provides first reported application of thermal imaging on an Australian native species in a Zoo and demonstrates its potential applicability as a humane/non-invasive technique for assessing the body temperature as an index of stress.
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Sutcliffe, Sarah, Bradley O. Clarke, and Oliver A. H. Jones. "Steroid oestrogens in the environment: an Australian perspective." Water Science and Technology 68, no. 11 (October 24, 2013): 2317–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2013.508.
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Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) have been in the scientific spotlight since the 1980s. However, there has been much less research reported in Australia than in other developed countries and little information is known about how these compounds interact with native Australian species compared to European and North American fauna. This is of concern because Australia has distinct wildlife and environments that face increasing intensity and frequency of extreme, climatic events compared to northern hemisphere countries. Since oestrogenic compounds cannot be prevented from entering wastewater their management and removal must occur at wastewater treatment plants. Biological treatment is the most effective tool in this regard; however the financial and environmental costs must be balanced with the environmental benefit to effectively plan treatment options. Since standard risk assessment models and procedures developed internationally are unlikely to translate well to Australian ecosystems, new, novel and localised research on both the monitoring and assessment of EDCs in Australian wastewater and receiving aquatic environments is recommended. This includes the development of relevant bioassays and application of treatment technologies that reflect the local community and climate.
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Hazell, Donna. "Frog ecology in modified Australian landscapes: a review." Wildlife Research 30, no. 3 (2003): 193. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr02075.
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Frog decline in Australia has often occurred where habitat is relatively intact. Habitat alteration and loss do, however, threaten many species. Widespread degradation of aquatic and terrestrial systems has occurred since European settlement, with only 6.4% of Australia's landmass reserved for conservation. But what do we know about how frogs use modified Australian landscapes? Do wildlife managers have the information required to ensure that frog habitat is considered in the management and revegetation of these areas? This review examines published Australian research on frogs to determine knowledge on processes of habitat loss and degradation. Literature that informs landscape restoration and revegetation is also examined to determine whether the habitat needs of frogs are considered. While many threats associated with frog habitat loss and change have been identified there is little quantitative information on frog–habitat relationships in modified landscapes, habitat fragmentation or knowledge of the connectivity required between terrestrial and aquatic frog habitat. Without this information frogs have largely been ignored in efforts to revegetate and manage for the conservation of Australian biota outside reserves. Ecological frog research in modified landscapes is required to avoid land-management decisions and conservation strategies based on inappropriate assumptions of how biota respond to landscape change.
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Woinarski, J. C. Z., R. J. Williams, O. Price, and B. Rankmore. "Landscapes without boundaries: wildlife and their environments in northern Australia." Wildlife Research 32, no. 5 (2005): 377. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr03008.
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This paper provides an introduction to the ecological fabric of northern Australia, described here as being a land characterised by extreme climatic seasonality and largely devoid of marked topographic features. Largely as a result of the latter trait, many species have extensive geographic ranges, and the spatial turnover in species composition is extremely limited. Somewhat counter-intuitively, these two traits can be accommodated by organisms only through reliance on critical, but often subtle, landscape variation. We present some preliminary models for Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae) and black-footed tree-rat (Mesembriomys gouldii) to illustrate patterns of variation in their resource availability, and the consequences of such variation. We discuss briefly some studies that have attempted to integrate, or at least consider, these elements.
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Jones, Darryl N., and Paul G. Finn. "Translocation of aggressive Australian magpies: a preliminary assessment of a potential management action." Wildlife Research 26, no. 3 (1999): 271. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr98062.
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Australian magpies are the cause of a major wildlife-management conflict in suburban areas throughout Australia. Mitigation of this conflict is becoming increasingly difficult in some locations because of community opposition to the destruction of the birds involved, which remains a common management solution of many wildlife agencies. Translocation – the capture and release elsewhere – of offending birds has been advocated but never seriously evaluated. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of translocation as a means of eliminating magpie attacks. We also attempted to assess the impact of the approach on both the translocated birds and those remaining in the territory. A total of 20 aggressive magpies, all males, were captured and released at distances 17–150 km from the place of capture. Most birds released more than 30 km away were not seen again; two birds released less than 30 km away returned quickly and were recaptured. A single bird re-established itself on its original territory several months after capture. In many cases, new males had replaced the captured birds within days. There was no evidence of negative behavioural interactions between these males and the resident females or chicks. While the technique is effective in reducing the human–magpie conflict at specific locations, our lack of knowledge of the fate of translocated males, as well as several other issues, suggests that this approach be used only in extreme circumstances.
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Clarke, Donna J., Kate A. Pearce, and John G. White. "Powerline corridors: degraded ecosystems or wildlife havens?" Wildlife Research 33, no. 8 (2006): 615. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr05085.
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Management of powerline corridors in Australia has traditionally focused on the complete removal of vegetation using short rotation times owing to the perceived hazard of fire associated with corridor vegetation. Because of the intense management associated with fire hazards, little thought has been given to use of powerline corridors by wildlife. This has resulted in corridors traditionally being viewed as a source of fragmentation and habitat loss within forested ecosystems. We investigated the responses of small mammal communities living in a powerline corridor to management-induced vegetation changes at different successional stages, to determine whether a compromise could be reached between managing corridors for fire and biodiversity. Habitat modelling in the corridor and adjacent forest for three native and one introduced small mammal species demonstrated that species responded to changes in vegetation structural complexity, rather than time-since-management per se. Early seral stages of vegetation recovery after corridor management encouraged the introduced house mouse (Mus domesticus) into corridors and contributed little to biodiversity. Mid-seral-stage vegetation, however, provided habitat for native species that were rare in adjacent forest habitats. As the structural complexity of the vegetation increased, the small mammal community became similar to that of the forest so that corridor vegetation contributed fewer biodiversity benefits while posing an unacceptable fire risk. If ecologically sensitive management regimes are implemented to encourage mid-seral vegetation and avoid complete vegetation removal, powerline corridors have the potential to improve biodiversity. This would maintain landscape connectivity and provide habitat for native species uncommon in the forest while still limiting fuel loads in the corridor.
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Hampton, Jordan O., Mark Laidlaw, Eric Buenz, and Jon M. Arnemo. "Heads in the sand: public health and ecological risks of lead-based bullets for wildlife shooting in Australia." Wildlife Research 45, no. 4 (2018): 287. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr17180.
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Lead (Pb) is a toxic element banned from fuel, paint and many other products in most developed countries. Nonetheless, it is still widely used in ammunition, including rifle bullets, and Pb-based bullets are almost universally used in Australia. For decades, poisoning from Pb shot (shotguns) has been recognised as a cause of disease in waterfowl and Pb shot has been subsequently banned for waterfowl hunting in many jurisdictions. However, the risks posed by Pb-based bullets (rifles) have not been similarly recognised in Australia. Pb-based rifle bullets frequently fragment, contaminating the tissue of shot animals. Consuming this Pb-contaminated tissue risks harmful Pb exposure and, thus, the health of wildlife scavengers (carrion eaters) and humans and their companion animals who consume harvested meat (game eaters). In Europe, North America and elsewhere, the environmental and human health risks of Pb-based bullets are widely recognised, and non-toxic alternatives (e.g. copper-based bullets) are increasingly being used. However, Australia has no comparable research despite widespread use of shooting, common scavenging by potentially susceptible wildlife species, and people regularly consuming shot meat. We conclude that Australia has its collective ‘head in the sand’ on this pressing worldwide One Health issue. We present the need for urgent research into this field in Australia.
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Meek, Paul D., Guy Ballard, Greg Falzon, Jaimen Williamson, Heath Milne, Robert Farrell, Joshua Stover, et al. "Camera Trapping Technology and Related Advances: into the New Millennium." Australian Zoologist 40, no. 3 (January 2020): 392–403. http://dx.doi.org/10.7882/az.2019.035.
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Camera trapping has advanced significantly in Australia over the last two decades. These devices have become more versatile and the associated computer technology has also progressed dramatically since 2011. In the USA, the hunting industry drives most changes to camera traps; however the scientific fraternity has been instrumental in incorporating computational engineering, statistics and technology into camera trap use for wildlife research. New survey methods, analytical tools (including software for image processing and storage) and complex algorithms to analyse images have been developed. For example, pattern and texture analysis and species and individual facial recognition are now possible. In the next few decades, as technology evolves and ecological and computational sciences intertwine, new tools and devices will emerge into the market. Here we outline several projects that are underway to incorporate camera traps and associated technologies into existing and new tools for wildlife management. These also have significant implications for broader wildlife management and research.
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Warne, Rowena M., and Darryl N. Jones. "Evidence of target specificity in attacks by Australian magpies on humans." Wildlife Research 30, no. 3 (2003): 265. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr01108.
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Although attacks on humans by Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) are a source of significant wildlife–human conflict in urban areas of Australia, little is known about the patterns of attack by these birds. Such information is essential for the development of sound management plans for this species. We examined the attack behaviour of 48 aggressive magpies from Brisbane during September–October 1999, paying particular attention to the types of intruders targeted. All attacking birds were male. A clear majority (71%) of birds attacked only one intruder type, with about half attacking pedestrians only; similar proportions targeted cyclists (8%) only and mail deliverers (10%) only. While all intruding cyclists and mail deliverers were attacked, magpies did not attack all pedestrian intruders, suggesting possible discrimination within this category. Management implications for these intruder types are discussed.