The Rabbit in Subalpine South-eastern Australia. I. Population Structure and Productivity

1974 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
DJ Dunsmore
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
National Park ◽  
Initial Level ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Breeding Group ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Domestic Livestock ◽  
A Site ◽  
Better Than

An unconfined, almost completely tagged rabbit population on a site of about 100 ha was studied by observation and trapping for 5 years. The commencement of the study coincided approximately with the incorporation of the area into the Kosciusko National Park, the elimination of grazing by domestic livestock, and the cessation of the previously almost annual burning of the area. During the 5-yr study the fecundity of the rabbits declined to little more than half the initial level. This was not a result of the concurrently increasing age of the population, which was shown to be quite unrelated. It was also shown that the 1yr old rabbits were less fecund than the older rabbits, whose fecundity remained constant. Although it appeared subjectively to be so, the area was not uniformly suitable for the survival of rabbits. In one of its four subdivisions adult survival was much better than in the others; and in one of the others it was much the worst. During the study there was considerable immigration to the area, presumably balanced by migration. Females tended to remain where they were born and in no case changed from one breeding group to another. Males were considerably less sedentary than the females.

Reproductive biology of the protogynous hermaphrodite Achoerodus viridis (Labridae) from south-eastern Australia

1995 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 999 ◽  
Author(s):  
BM Gillanders
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Reproductive Biology ◽  
Age Classes ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Protogynous Hermaphrodite ◽  
Mature Fish ◽  
A Site ◽  
Gonadal Structure

Achoerodus viridis (Pisces : Labridae) was sampled over two years at Little Bay, NSW, Australia, and comparative material was taken from a site 4.5 km away at Cape Solander. Population structure and gonadal structure showed that A. viridis was protogynous and monandric (i.e. no primary males were found). Histological sections of male gonads showed a gonadal lumen, general ovarian lamellar form and multiple sperm ducts running longitudinally through the gonad wall. Males dominated the larger size and age classes, whereas females predominated in the smaller size and age classes. The sex ratio of mature fish and the whole population was biased in favour of females. Individuals at both sites matured as females at 1+-2+ years. Fish at Little Bay functioned as females at ages ranging from 8+ to 18+ years before changing sex at a size between 480 and 580 mm SL. Fish at Cape Solander may function as females for up to 18+' years and change sex between 500 and 520 mm SL. Spawning occurred between July and October (1991-93).

Life-History of the Eastern Pygmy-Possum, Cercartetus-Nanus (Burramyidae, Marsupialia), in South-Eastern Australia

1990 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 287 ◽  
Author(s):  
SJ Ward
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
National Park ◽  
Maximum Longevity ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
North East ◽  
Eucalypt Forest ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
History Of ◽  
Cercartetus Nanus ◽  
Modal Size

Populations of Cercartetus nanus were investigated in three areas of Victoria: two areas of Banksia woodland at Wilsons Promontory National Park and an area of mixed eucalypt forest with an under- storey of B. spinulosa at Nar Nar Goon North, east of Melbourne. Most births occurred between November and March, but in areas where the dominant Banksia sp. flowered in winter they took place year-round. Most females produced two litters in a year, but some produced three. Males were reproductively active throughout the year. Litter sizes ranged from two to six, with a modal size of four. Pouch life lasted 30 days and weaning occurred at 65 days. Growth was rapid, young became independent immediately after weaning, and matured as early as 4.5-5.0 months old. Maximum longevity in the field was at least 4 years.

Effects of large-scale high-severity fire on occupancy and abundances of an invasive large mammal in south-eastern Australia

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 555 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Forsyth ◽  
Andrew M. Gormley ◽  
Luke Woodford ◽  
Tony Fitzgerald
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Large Mammal ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Pellet Counts ◽  
Sambar Deer ◽  
South Eastern Australia

Context Despite large mammals being an important component of many ecosystems, there is little information on the impacts of fire on large mammal populations. Aims We evaluated the effects of the large-scale high-severity ‘Black Saturday’ fires of 7 February 2009 on occupancy and abundances of an invasive large mammal, the sambar deer (Cervus unicolor), in south-eastern Australia. Methods The effects of the Black Saturday fires on the abundance of sambar deer were assessed using repeated annual counts of faecal pellets during 2007–11 in Kinglake National Park, which was burnt, and in Mount Buffalo National Park, which was not burnt. Pre-fire occupancy was modelled from data collected at 80 4-km2 cells using three survey methods. The same survey methods were used at 15 burnt (n = 9 sampled pre-fire) and 15 unburnt (n = 5 sampled pre-fire) cells 16–24 months after Black Saturday. Because multiple surveys were performed in each cell, we used a Bayesian state–space site-occupancy model to partition changes in the probability of occupancy from changes in the probability of detection. Key results Counts of sambar deer pellets increased linearly during 2007–11 in the unburnt Mount Buffalo National Park. Pellet counts also increased linearly in Kinglake National Park from 2007 to 2008, and then decreased (to zero) following Black Saturday; pellet counts increased again in 2010 and 2011. Sambar deer occupancy was weakly reduced (from 0.99 to 0.88) in burnt cells 16–24 months after Black Saturday, but was little changed in unburnt cells (from 0.99 to 0.98). Conclusions We conclude that the abundance of sambar deer was substantially reduced by the large-scale high-severity Black Saturday fires, but that most burnt habitat was reoccupied 16–24 months later. Implications There is concern about the negative impacts of invasive sambar deer on native biodiversity, particularly immediately post-fire. Our study suggests that it takes at least 8 months before sambar deer recolonise areas burnt by a large-scale high-severity fire; however, a risk-averse approach would be to act (e.g. by erecting fences or culling) sooner than that.

scholarly journals A list of reptiles and amphibians from Box Gum Grassy Woodlands in south-eastern Australia

Check List ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey M. Kay ◽  
Damian R. Michael ◽  
Mason Crane ◽  
Sachiko Okada ◽  
Christopher MacGregor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Environmental Stewardship ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Stewardship Program ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Domestic Livestock ◽  
South Eastern Australia

A large-scale biodiversity monitoring program examining the response of herpetofauna to the Australian Government’s Environmental Stewardship Program is taking place in south-eastern Australia within the critically endangered Box Gum Grassy Woodland vegetation community. Field surveys involve counting reptiles in areas under Environmental Stewardship management. These “Stewardship” areas have been matched with areas managed for primary production (domestic livestock grazing). We list reptiles recorded during surveys conducted between 2010 and 2012. We recorded sixty-nine species from ten families. The list will be useful for workers interested in the zoogeographical distribution of reptiles and amphibians in fragmented agricultural woodland ecosystems.

The Effect on Wild Dogs, Canis-F-Familiaris, of 1080-Poisoning Campaigns in Kosciusko-National-Park, Nsw

1986 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 535 ◽  
Author(s):  
JC Mcilroy ◽  
RJ Cooper ◽  
EJ Gifford ◽  
BF Green ◽  
KW Newgrain
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Rapid Loss ◽  
Grazing Land ◽  
Control Zone ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Radio Transmitters ◽  
Wild Dogs ◽  
South Eastern Australia

Nine wild dogs, Canis f. familiaris, radio-tracked over periods of 28-61 days in Kosciusko National Park, N.S.W., occupied home ranges of 220-5420 ha (mean 2193 ha). These home ranges were similar in size to those observed for dingoes, C. f. dingo, in other areas of south-eastern Australia. The maximum distance that any of the nine dogs moved between successive daily locations was 11.2 km. On the basis of this information and that obtained by others, we suggest that the control of wild dogs on Crown Land in south-eastern Australia should be confined to those areas adjacent to private grazing land. Furthermore, a control zone 12-20 km wide should be adequate. Two successive trail-baiting campaigns with 1080 poison in March and April 1982 killed only two (22%) of the nine wild dogs carrying radio transmitters. Traps, in comparison, caught 15 out of 27 (56%) of the dogs known to be in the area. The main factors which reduced the success of the poisoning campaign were the rapid loss of toxicity of the baits after their distribution, the rapid rate at which they were removed by other animals, particularly foxes Vulpes vulpes and birds, and the dogs' apparent preference for natural prey.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document