The desert dweller: forging a career in arid zone ecology

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 230
Author(s):  
K. E. Moseby
Keyword(s):  
Threatened Species ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Harsh Environments ◽  
Conservation Science ◽  
Remote Location ◽  
Extinction Rates ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Boom And Bust

Australia’s deserts can appear to be desolate and harsh environments, but they are extremely dynamic places that support a range of species adapted to the boom and bust conditions. Despite the resilience of the arid zone, extinction rates in arid Australia are the highest in the country and the majority of medium-sized mammals have been lost since European settlement. Katherine Moseby is a conservation biologist who lives and works in the Australian arid zone, with a particular focus on threatened species and reintroductions. She provides a brief background on arid zone ecology in Australia and the story of how she went from city slicker to desert dweller. A discussion on what it means to be a woman in conservation science is included with some insights into juggling a career and a family in a remote location.

scholarly journals New partnerships for managing large desert landscapes: experiences from the Martu Living Deserts Project

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony Jupp ◽  
James Fitzsimons ◽  
Ben Carr ◽  
Peter See
Keyword(s):  
Threatened Species ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Management Control ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Western Desert ◽  
Cultural Economic ◽  
Nature Conservancy ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Returning To Work

Native fauna in Australia’s arid zone has declined significantly since European settlement; however, Martu country in the Western Desert of Western Australia retains a diversity of iconic and threatened species that were once more widespread. An innovative partnership between The Nature Conservancy, BHP Billiton and the Martu people (represented by Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa – KJ) is achieving positive social, cultural, economic and environmental outcomes, which builds on funding from the Australian Government for land management on Martu country. The partners support Martu people in fulfilling their desire to conserve the cultural and natural values of their 13.7 million ha native title determination area. Through KJ as the local delivery partner, Martu people are returning to work on country to clean and protect waterholes; improve fire management; control feral herbivores and predators; manage cultural heritage; and actively manage priority threatened species (such as the Greater Bilby and the Black-flanked Rock-wallaby). The project provides significant employment opportunities for Martu men and women in ranger teams working throughout their country. It is also generating measurable social, cultural and economic benefits for Martu people and environmental benefits for part of the most intact arid ecosystem anywhere on Earth.

Islands as refuges for threatened species: multispecies translocation and evidence of species interactions four decades on

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bertram Ostendorf ◽  
Wayne S. J. Boardman ◽  
David A. Taggart
Keyword(s):  
Threatened Species ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Ecosystem Engineer ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Interspecies Interactions ◽  
Significant Preference ◽  
Extinction Rates

Australia has one of the worst mammal extinction rates in the world, with translocations to refuge locations increasingly being advocated to help address problems of species decline. Offshore islands can function as these refuges, removing species from threatening processes and providing a source of animals for reintroduction. Historically, the focus of many island translocations in Australia has been the conservation of a single species, with data on long-term translocation success and population dynamics after release generally lacking. Here we examine the results of a multispecies translocation onto Wedge Island, off the South Australian coast 30–40 years ago. Fewer than a dozen individuals of three species – southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons), black-footed rock-wallaby (Petrogale lateralis pearsonii), and brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia penicillata) – were released. All three species have shown substantial population increase and wombat activity across the island has increased exponentially with >700 burrows detected. Substantial levels of co-use of wombat burrows by rock-wallabies and bettongs were observed, providing clear evidence for interspecies interactions. Rock-wallabies showed a significant preference for wombat-active burrows (45% co-used), whereas bettongs showed a significant preference for wombat-inactive burrows (10% used). This study suggests that islands have significant potential for long-term threatened species conservation and that translocation of an ecosystem engineer may increase habitat complexity and help improve habitat suitability for multiple species and thus increase the overall conservation benefit.

Zooplankton diversity and assemblages in arid zone rivers of the Lake Eyre Basin, Australia

2006 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell J. Shiel ◽  
Justin F. Costelloe ◽  
Julian R. W. Reid ◽  
Peter Hudson ◽  
Joan Powling
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Taxon Richness ◽  
Ecosystem Structure ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Flood Events ◽  
Assemblage Composition ◽  
Boom And Bust ◽  
Three Rivers

The responses of zooplankton assemblages in arid zone rivers to seasonal changes, flow events, drying and water quality changes are fundamental to our understanding of these unregulated rivers. For three years the zooplankton and littoral microfauna in three rivers in the Lake Eyre Basin were studied. A diverse assemblage was discovered with a total of 398 identifiable taxa being recorded, consisting of 72 protist, 227 rotifer and 93 microcrustacean taxa. Zooplankton diversity was highest in a boom phase during, or in the summer following, a large flood. The rotifer assemblage dominated during, or soon after, periods of flow. However, during the winter and early summer, there was a decline in rotifer taxon richness and abundance accompanied by an increase in microcrustacean taxon richness and abundance. The winter samples occurred during the recession of a large flood and the early summer samples during periods of no flow. These changes suggested the involvement of a strong annual cycle of ecosystem structure evident within the longer term patterns of boom and bust driven by the timing and size of flood events. Multivariate and regression analyses found that salinity was a significant and independent driver of assemblage composition.

The genetic diversity and distinctiveness of the Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby Petrogale xanthopus (Gray, 1854) in New South Wales

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa C. Pope ◽  
Andy Sharp ◽  
Craig Moritz
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Threatened Species ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Habitat Disturbance ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Feral Animals ◽  
Species Being

Yellow-footed Rock-wallabies (YFRW) Petrogale xanthopus have declined in numbers since European settlement from past hunting for skins, habitat disturbance and predation and competition with feral animals (Gordon et al. 1978, 1993; Copley 1983; Henzell 1990). This has led to the species being classed as potentially vulnerable to extinction in Australia (Kennedy 1992), and endangered in New South Wales (Schedule 1, Threatened Species Conservation Act, 1995).

The decline of the Brushtail Possum, Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr 1798), in arid Australia.

1992 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 107 ◽  
Author(s):  
JA Kerle ◽  
JN Foulkes ◽  
RG Kimber ◽  
D Papenfus
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waters ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Introduced Predators ◽  
Average Water ◽  
Cumulative Residual ◽  
Predator Pit

That the brushtail possum was once common and widespread in the arid zone is confirmed by a collation of historical information. Although possums were widespread, detailed records from the Northern Territory and South Australia show that they were most abundant in rocky ranges and outcrops and along watercourses. Possums are now rare in the arid zone. In considering the reasons for the decline of this apparently robust species we have further developed Morton's (1990) model for mammal decline in the arid zone. Our hypothesis is based on the premise that disturbance of refuge habitat patches critical for the survival of the species was occurring at the same time as the country was subjected to a below average water balance. During the period between 1920 and 1970 rainfall was either average or markedly below average with no exceptional rainfalls recorded. Analysis of the rainfall data using a cumulative residual mass curve suggests that sub-surface waters were probably not fully recharged, placing a natural stress on the refuge habitats. At the same time, possum populations were being affected by many disturbing factors introduced by European settlement. Once the populations were reduced, they fell into a 'predator- pit' through depredation by dingoes and introduced predators and were unable to increase in numbers even with the advent of improved conditions. In this paper we identify the need to accurately determine the refuge habitats of a species and then utilise tools such as the cumulative mass residual curve to predict when these habitats will be under most stress. Specific protection measures can then be developed in association with land managers in order to reduce disturbance at the most critical times.

Indigenous and modern biomaterials derived from Triodia (‘spinifex’) grasslands in Australia

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harshi K. Gamage ◽  
Subrata Mondal ◽  
Lynley A. Wallis ◽  
Paul Memmott ◽  
Darren Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Financial Benefits ◽  
Future Management

Plant-derived fibres and resins can provide biomaterials with environmental, health and financial benefits. Australian arid zone grasses have not been explored as sources of modern biomaterials including building materials. Triodia grasslands are a dominant vegetation type in the arid and semiarid regions of Australia covering a third of the continent. Of the 69 identified Triodia species, 26 produce resin from specialised cells in the outer leaf epidermis. In Aboriginal culture, Triodia biomass and resin were valued for their usefulness in cladding shelters and as a hafting agent. Since European settlement, Triodia grasslands have been used for cattle grazing and burning is a common occurrence to improve pasture value and prevent large-scale fires. Although Triodia grasslands are relatively stable to fires, more frequent and large-scale fires impact on other fire sensitive woody and herbaceous species associated with Triodia and invasion of exotic weeds resulting in localised changes in vegetation structure and composition. The extent and change occurring in Triodia grasslands as a result of altered land-use practices, fire regimes, and changing climate warrant careful consideration of their future management. Localised harvesting of Triodia grasslands could have environmental benefits and provide much needed biomaterials for desert living. Research is underway to evaluate the material properties of Triodia biomass and resin in the context of Indigenous and western scientific knowledge. Here, we review uses of Triodia and highlight research needs if sustainable harvesting is to be considered.

scholarly journals How many bird and mammal extinctions has recent conservation action prevented?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Friederike C. Bolam ◽  
Louise Mair ◽  
Marco Angelico ◽  
Thomas M. Brooks ◽  
Mark Burgman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Threatened Species ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Expert Elicitation ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Elicitation Method ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Extinction Rates ◽  
Near Future

AbstractAichi Target 12 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) aims to ‘prevent extinctions of known threatened species’. To measure its success, we used a Delphi expert elicitation method to estimate the number of bird and mammal species whose extinctions were prevented by conservation action in 1993 - 2020 (the lifetime of the CBD) and 2010 - 2020 (the timing of Aichi Target 12). We found that conservation prevented 21–32 bird and 7–16 mammal extinctions since 1993, and 9–18 bird and 2–7 mammal extinctions since 2010. Many remain highly threatened, and may still become extinct in the near future. Nonetheless, given that ten bird and five mammal species did go extinct (or are strongly suspected to) since 1993, extinction rates would have been 2.9–4.2 times greater without conservation action. While policy commitments have fostered significant conservation achievements, future biodiversity action needs to be scaled up to avert additional extinctions.

Fortress Farming in Western Australia? The Problematic History of Separating Native Wildlife from Agricultural Land through the State Barrier Fence

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 368-403
Author(s):  
Alexandra Vlachos
Keyword(s):  
Environmental History ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
The State ◽  
Extinction Rates ◽  
Global Extinction ◽  
Boom And Bust ◽  
History Of ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
European Farming

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.

Putting Science in its Place: The Role of Sandringham Station in Fostering Arid Zone Science in Australia

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R. Dickman ◽  
Libby Robin
Keyword(s):  
Arid Zone ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
Ephemeral Wetlands ◽  
The Past ◽  
Boom And Bust ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Ongoing Support ◽  
Scientific Questions ◽  
Simpson Desert

For the past fifty years, Sandringham Station has provided a major focus for scientific work in southwestern Queensland, an arid region that includes the Simpson Desert and the Channel Country (together 'Desert Channels'). This paper explores the role of place, chance and private enterprise in supporting science in this region. Unlike other parts of inland Australia, where government initiatives were prominent, science in Queensland's arid country was privately supported, and research there had an ecological or eco-physiological rather than an economic focus. It began later than elsewhere (1960s), and its scientific questions were different from those framed in research stations set up to address agricultural and pastoral imperatives. The location of Sandringham on the ecological edge between the ephemeral wetlands of the anastomosing channels and the dune country of the Simpson Desert created an ecotonal area that was rich in animals adapted to living in Australian desert country, and a particular opportunity to observe their adaptations to the boom-and-bust ecological conditions. The role of local observers, particularly station managers and naturalists, has been critical in studying the often cryptic animals of the region, and the ongoing support of the station itself was essential to investigations that were mostly on private leasehold lands.

scholarly journals Aspects of the ecophysiology and the dietary strategy of the greater bilby Macrotis lagotis: a review.

2004 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 179 ◽  
Author(s):  
LA Gibson ◽  
ID Hume
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Food Source ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Feeding Strategy ◽  
Separation Mechanism ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Dietary Strategy ◽  
The Arid Regions

Since European settlement, the distribution of the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis), an omnivorous peramelid marsupial, has contracted into the driest and least fertile parts of its former range. A review of the dietary, metabolic and digestive strategies used by M. lagotis provides the basis for an explanation of its ability to persist in the arid regions where it is now restricted. M. lagotis utilises an opportunistic feeding strategy, selecting dietary items in accordance with their abundance. Termites, ants and seeds, that form a concentrated food source, are prevalent in their diet. In captivity, M. lagotis exhibits a flexible digestive strategy that enables them to use diets of varying nutritional value. However, the absence of a colonic separation mechanism in the hindgut suggests that they are limited to relatively low-fibre diets, and this is reflected in their diet in the field. The low water and maintenance nitrogen requirements of M. lagotis are consistent with arid habitation, but the field metabolic rate is higher than expected for an arid-zone mammal, which suggests that water rather than energy conservation is a priority for this species.

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