Habitat Use by Sminthopsis-Crassicaudata, Planigale-Gilesi and Planigale-Tenuirostris (Marsupialia, Dasyuridae) in Semiarid New-South-Wales

1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 385 ◽  
Author(s):  
DG Read
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Sminthopsis Crassicaudata ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Soil Cracks ◽  
Habitat Variables

Habitat use by Sminthopsis crassicaudata, Planigale gilesi and P. tenuirostris was investigated in the arid zone of New South Wales. All species showed considerable flexibility in habitat use at all times, and abundance was poorly predicted from easily measured parameters of the habitat. However, evidence was found for separation of microhabitat among these sympatric species. Multiple regression analysis indicated that abundance of S. crassicaudata was negatively associated with height of vegetation and the depth and density of soil cracks, and that of P. gilesi was positively associated with these habitat variables. Plant height was positively associated with abundance of P. tenuirostris and it was the only important predictor for this species. These results are discussed in conjunction with trapping records from other habitats.

Movements and Home Ranges of Three Sympatric Dasyruids, Sminthopsis crassicaudata, Planigale gilesi and P. tenuirostris (Marsupialaia), in Semiarid Western New South Wales

1984 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 223 ◽  
Author(s):  
DG Read
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Trapping Site ◽  
Niche Separation ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Sminthopsis Crassicaudata ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Local Abundance

A mark and recapture study was conducted over 2 years in a trapping site ofapproximately 50 ha. Ofthe 692 individuals captured, 30% were recaptured; in all trapping periods, a high proportion of animals caught had not been captured previously. The three species showed considerable mobility throughout the year, but during June Planigale spp. were more sedentary. Mobility is implicated in the changes in local abundance of these insectivores. Some individuals had movements in excess of 400 m day-l; average rates of displacement were 620 m in 100 days for Sminthopsis crassicaudata and 400 m in 100 days for Planigale gilesi. Home ranges ofall species were described as unstable and continually shifting. It is suggested that mobility is an important factor in niche separation between these sympatric species.

Reproductive synchrony of three sympatric species of wobbegong shark (genus Orectolobus) in New South Wales, Australia: reproductive parameter estimates necessary for population modelling

2007 ◽  
Vol 58 (8) ◽  
pp. 765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlie Huveneers ◽  
Terence I. Walker ◽  
Nicholas M. Otway ◽  
Robert G. Harcourt
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Parameter Estimates ◽  
Reproductive Parameters ◽  
Population Modelling ◽  
Male Population ◽  
Total Length ◽  
South Wales

Reproductive parameters of three closely-related sympatric species of wobbegong (Orectolobus ornatus, O. maculatus and O. halei) off New South Wales (NSW) were investigated to contribute to a biological basis for the management of a commercial fishery targeting wobbegongs. Estimates of the onset of maturity based on ovary condition were 729 mm, 1117 mm, and 1591 mm total length (TL) for O. ornatus, O. maculatus and O. halei respectively. The length at which 50% of the male population is mature based on clasper calcification was 803 mm, 1282 mm and 1784 mm TL for O. ornatus, O. maculatus and O. halei, respectively, and was similar to female onset of maturity based on uterus condition and to TL-at-maternity. These species of wobbegong had synchronous, triennial reproductive cycles. Follicles took 2 years to enlarge before ovulation. During the first year, follicles remained small, and then grew rapidly during the second year before ovulation during November. Gestation lasted ~10–11 months and parturition occurred during September–October. Mean litter sizes were nine (s.e. 0.5) and 21 (s.e. 1.5) for O. ornatus and O. maculatus, respectively, and increased with female total length in O. ornatus. Pregnant O. ornatus and O. maculatus were frequently caught in northern NSW and no pregnant wobbegongs, or females with large, yolky follicles were captured south of Sydney. Differences in the reproductive conditions of wobbegongs caught in northern and central NSW suggested geographically dependent reproductive behaviour. Knowledge of the reproductive parameters provided in this paper is necessary for adequate fisheries management and species conservation assessments.

Habitat use and density of numbats (Myrmecobius fasciatus) reintroduced in an area of mallee vegetation, New South Wales

2007 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.M. Vieira ◽  
G.R. Finlayson ◽  
C.R. Dickman
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Survey Period ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Transect Sampling ◽  
Introduced Predators ◽  
Future Management

The distribution of the numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) has been dramatically reduced since European settlement, with remnant populations now occurring naturally only in the south west of Western Australia. In recent years a number of reintroductions have led to the reestablishment of this species in parts of its former range. In this study we investigated the density and habitat use of the numbat within a 4,000 ha feral - free site on Scotia Sanctuary in western New South Wales. Numbats had been reintroduced to this site in 1999 and 2000. During transect sampling 500 km were driven and 10 numbats were observed. An additional 14 sightings were made incidentally during the survey period. We estimated the density of numbats at Scotia to be 1.24 individuals/100 ha (SE = 0.56). Numbats were located randomly throughout the four major vegetation communities within the reintroduction site. At a finer scale, numbats selected for areas with less spinifex and less bare ground, although visibility using this sampling technique in areas with less spinifex cover may be increased. This study provides information on the habitats used and selected for by numbats at a local scale, and suggests that the species is capable of re-inhabiting areas within its former range where essential resources such as food and shelter are still available at adequate levels, and introduced predators are absent. This, in turn, has implications for future management decisions about how and where to reintroduce this species to other parts of its former range.

The butterfly fauna of the Griffith district, a fragmented semi-arid landscape in inland southern New South Wales

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael F. Braby ◽  
Ted D. Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Summer Rainfall ◽  
Wagga Wagga ◽  
Fragmented Landscape ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Butterfly Fauna ◽  
Semi Arid

Thirty-three species of butterflies are recorded from the Griffith district in the semi-arid zone of inland southern New South Wales. The butterfly community comprises the following structure: 19 species (58%) are resident; 7 (21 %) are regular immigrants; 2 (6%) are irregular immigrants; 5 (15%) are vagrants. Except for a few migratory species, most occur in relatively low abundance. Lack of similar studies elsewhere in western New South Wales precludes generalizations regarding the species richness, composition and structure of semi-arid butterfly communities. Comparison of the butterfly fauna with that from five other inland regions on the slopes and foothills of the Great Diving Range, revealed that the Griffith district is most similar in species richness and composition to that of Deniliquin and to a lesser extent Wagga Wagga and Cowra in the south, than with two regions in the higher summer rainfall area of the north of the State (Coonabarabran-Mendooran, Narrabri-Bellata). Overall, the butterfly fauna of inland New South Wales (total of 73 species, of which 49 occur in the southern regions) is depauperate compared with that recorded from the coastal/subcoastal areas east of the Great Dividing Range. Attention is drawn to the conservation significance of several vegetation types and habitat remnants in the Griffith district. Much of the native vegetation in the district has been extensively modified since European settlement due to excessive clearing for agriculture, resulting in a highly fragmented landscape for the conservation of native flora and fauna. With the exception of the lycaenid Candalides hyacinthinus Simplex, which is considered threatened locally, there is a general absence of narrow range endemic butterflies associated with mallee-heathland or mallee-woodland, possibly as a result of widespread land clearing practices of mallee vegetation in the past.

Do economic factors cause change in productivity and stability in the New South Wales arid zone?

1978 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 200
Author(s):  
J.R. Anderson ◽  
PA Bruyn
Keyword(s):  
Arid Zone ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Western Division

A framework is suggested and explored for examining the influence of economic factors on changes in productivity and stability in the Western Division of New South Wales. The conclusion is reached that, excepting for an extraordinary peak of productivity around 1890, productivity continues to move up and down in a manner as unstable as ever. Economic factors seemingly play no clear role in influencing changes in productivity and only a slight and ambiguous role in influencing changes in stability.

Vegetation changes after fire on two land systems in arid North-west New South Wales.

1985 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 80 ◽  
Author(s):  
WE Mulham
Keyword(s):  
Arid Zone ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Summer Rainfall ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Dune System ◽  
Erosion Risk ◽  
North West ◽  
South Wales

Following a sequence of favourable years in which pasture growth over much of the arid zone of Australia reached very high ievels, controlled burns were carried out on two contrasting vegetation types in the extreme north-west of New South Wales. A wheei-point apparatus was used to measure subse- quent changes in botanical composition and foliage cover over a four year period. On a pasture periodically dominated by Mitchell grass (Astrebla spp.) burning while growing conditions were favourable resulted in only a small long- term decrease in the cover of Mitchell grass. In the short-term all chenopod species were eliminated and a wider range and greater abundance of annual forbs were promoted in the following spring. On a similar area burned by wildfire in a year of low summer rainfall the response from Mitchell grass was much poorer and botanical composition of the pasture present in the following spring differed from that which developed in the spring following the controlled burn. It also differed from that of the unburnt pasture. The major differences were due to the response of forb species and are attributed to variation in seasonal rainfall. On a dune-system pasture the dominant grasses were species of Aristida and Enneapogon. These are relatively short-lived and appear to have little ability to regrow from the butt after fire. Their slow regeneration after the burn was reflected in the substantial increase in relative abundance of perennial forbs in the following autumn, and of annual forbs the next spring. Although fire appeared to have no long-term effect on the pasture it dramatically reduced tree and shrub numbers. It is suggested that during years in which abnormal quantities of Mitchell grass are present in this region, controlled burning could be a useful form of management. A mosaic of patches burnt at different times would reduce the potential for wide-scale wildfires, provide refuge areas for stock and wildlife in the event of wildfire, and promote a wider choice of plant material for grazing animals. However, in dune-systems vegetation, removal of the pasture cover and reduction of the tree and shrub density would constitute an erosion risk.

Humid to Arid to Subhumid Vegetation Shift on Pilliga Sandstone, Ulungra Springs, New South Wales

1989 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 182-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.R. Dodson ◽  
R.V.S. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Vegetation History ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Vegetation Shift ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Shrub Steppe ◽  
Pollen Rain ◽  
Open Forests

AbstractThe Pilliga Sandstone region of the northwest slope of New South Wales has a natural vegetation cover of sclerophyllous relatively closed to open forests with a largely heathy understorey, and a warm, subhumid and continental climate. Pollen analysis of spring-fed deposits gives a vegetation history extending from at least 30,000 yr B.P. to the late Holocene. Tree pollen became scarce after about 25,000 yr B.P. and an assemblage dominated by Chenopodiaceae, Liguliflorae, Tubuliflorae, and probably Poaceae developed. No similar assemblage is known from present pollen rain studies carried out in Australia. However, it clearly represents a treeless open shrub-steppe formation and therefore an arid or semiarid environment. The site thus provides evidence of an eastward late Pleistocene extension of the arid zone in Australia, and is the first full-glacial vegetation record between 20° and 35° latitude in Australia. The present vegetation cover did not become reestablished until the beginning of the Holocene, which raises questions about the form in which Pilliga Sandstone vegetation survived full-glacial conditions.

Differential habitat use by a local population of subadult common dunnarts, Sminthopsis murina, following wildfire in coastal wet heath, New South Wales, Australia

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vaughan Monamy ◽  
Barry J. Fox
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
New South ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Local Population ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
High Soil Moisture ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Unusual Occurrence ◽  
Habitat Fidelity

Little has been published about Sminthopsis murina, a small insectivorous marsupial encountered infrequently during trapping studies. Individuals favour vegetation associations found in recently burnt heathlands and forests; however, individuals rarely remain in such areas long enough for repeated capture. We report an unusual occurrence of habitat fidelity by a dense population of subadult S. murina in coastal wet heath, New South Wales, Australia. Individuals were captured repeatedly in the first 16 months following wildfire (30 subadults trapped 154 times: recapture rate = 80%). Densities peaked 10 months after fire at 3.75 individuals ha–1. More males than females were captured (23 males, 7 females). Habitat analyses revealed differential use of regenerating coastal wet heathland by S. murina. Significantly more captures were made in areas of high soil moisture in the first six months following fire. Captures then decreased in these areas but increased where soil moisture had been lower and where vegetation had been growing more slowly. Beyond the 1995/96 breeding season, regenerating vegetation became increasingly dense and less patchy and captures of S. murina ultimately declined to zero. This paper records a rare opportunity to examine habitat preferences of a single cohort of subadult S. murina. Habitat use may have been determined by the presence of a narrow range of vegetation structure.

Home ranges of feral cats (Felis catus) in central-western New South Wales, Australia

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robyn Molsher ◽  
Chris Dickman ◽  
Alan Newsome ◽  
Warren Müller
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Range Size ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Adult Cats

Twenty-one feral cats were radio-tracked using direct sighting and triangulation techniques (amassing 730 location fixes) during winter in an agricultural landscape in central-western New South Wales. Factors affecting home-range size, home-range overlap and habitat use were assessed. Mean home-range size was 248 ha (s.e. = 34.9, n = 15 cats, 598 location fixes). Home-range size and habitat use were not influenced by sex or age of adult cats, prey abundance or time of day. However, cat weight significantly influenced range size, with heavier cats having larger ranges than smaller cats. Although the cats are apparently solitary, their home ranges overlapped considerably, particularly between young adults and old adult cats. Cats were active both by day and night and did not occupy permanent dens. Home ranges encompassed mixed habitat types that provided both shelter and prey. Open woodland and open forest were the main habitat types covered by home ranges, but within these areas cats showed a preference for grassland, where rabbits were more abundant. The results recorded in this study indicate that cat-control programs should concentrate in mixed habitat areas, where both shelter and food are available, and over widely dispersed areas. The absence of group living suggests that the effectiveness of virally vectored fertility or biological control agents would be limited.

Observations on the effects of rabbit calicivirus disease on low and medium density rabbit populations in western New South Wales

2001 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Sharp ◽  
Kerry Holmes ◽  
Melinda Norton ◽  
Adam Marks
Keyword(s):  
Arid Zone ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Winter Period ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Medium Density ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Positive Growth ◽  
Density Population

Between winter 1995 and winter 1998, seasonal spotlight counts for rabbits were conducted along three transects in western New South Wales. Rabbit Calicivirus (RCV) arrived at the study site in spring 1996 and had an immediate marked effect on rabbit densities. Prior to the advent of Rabbit Calicivirus Disease (RCD), rabbit abundance followed the expected annual pattern of positive growth during the winter to summer period and negligible or negative growth during the summer to winter period. With the arrival of RCV, rabbit abundance was observed to decline by 47% and 75% within low density populations and by 84% within a medium density population. In the subsequent 21 months, the low density populations returned to levels approximating those prior to the arrival of RCV. In contrast, rabbit abundance within the medium density population remained at consistently lowered levels. These data suggest that RCD will have a minimal effect on semi-arid zone rabbit populations below a density of 0.4/ha and that additional management actions will be required to further reduce rabbit abundances.

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