bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extinction: locally extinct for n years — a spatial and temporal measure.
Authors: Fulton Graham R
Published: May 2016

LOCAL extinction is often presented as a value judgment where the extinction is regarded as self-evident within a single survey. Thus it has not been subjected to evaluation by the IUCN criteria for ‘extinct’ or ‘extinct in the wild’ and may give a misleading impression of the local status of the species (IUCN 2012). I propose an expression for local extinctions as locally extinct for n number of years (i.e., L. E., n). This format allows a taxon to be identified as locally extinct within a certain geographical range, and most importantly adds a temporal component to the expression. The veracity of claiming extinction is
gauged by the number of years since the taxon was last reported. The utility of the temporal component is to be taken in context with the reliability of the survey methods used in searching for the taxon. A taxon that has not been recorded for
nine or 49 years would be recorded as locally extinct (L. E. 9 or L. E. 49).

The veracity will vary depending on the survey methods and the biology of the taxon. For example, to understand the status of a rare form of a widespread penguin absent for 9 or 49 years from an uninhabited sub-Antarctic island, its term of absence must be considered with its biology and the survey methods employed to find it. How often were surveys conducted and does the penguin show any significant dispersal ability? Once the methods and biology of the penguin are understood a relative value can be considered for the 9 and 49 years. In this way the number of years that a taxon has not been detected can provide a degree of veracity to the statement of local extinction.
Diversity and distribution of forest canopy Coleoptera on eastern Viti Levu, Fiji Islands.
Authors: Waqa-Sakiti Hilda , Winder Linton
Published: May 2016

In Fiji, few systematic studies have been conducted that describe insect distributions, especially with respect to
ecological gradients (e.g., habitat type, climate, altitude, and seasonality) that are known to influence their diversity
and distribution. In this study, canopy coleopteran assemblages within undisturbed forest in eastern Viti Levu, Fiji, were
intensively surveyed over a range of geographical locations and altitudes, namely lowland Nakobalevu (200–400 m),
upland Waisoi (400–600 m) and cloud montane forest Monasavu (600–1000 m). Dominant beetle families sampled
from the canopy included Curculionidae, Chrysomelidae and Staphylinidae. Multidimensional scaling revealed a division
in the canopy beetle assemblages between lowland forest (<400 m), upland forest (400–600 m) and cloud montane
forests (600–1 000 m). We tentatively conclude that diversity was highest at mid-to-high altitudes represented at
Monasavu. Direct Gradient Analysis (RDA) indicated that 49% of data variability was explained by two axes that
represented altitude and seasonality respectively.
Response of birds to a wildfire in the Great Western Woodlands, Western Australia.
Authors: Recher Harry F , Davis Jr William E
Published: May 2016

In December 2005, a wildfire burnt a large area of semi-arid eucalypt woodland along ~10 km of the Norseman-
Coolgardie Road north of Norseman in the Great Western Woodlands (GWW), Western Australia. Few birds used the
burnt area in the first year after the fire and these were mainly ground and shrub foraging insectivores. There was no
influx of seed-eaters or open-country species as reported for post-fire habitats elsewhere in southern Australia. The
greatest number of individuals and species of birds occurred in the second year post-fire when ground and shrub
vegetation was floristically most diverse. Canopy foragers were attracted to the burnt area in the second year by an
outbreak of psyllid insects on seedling eucalypts. At the same time, bark dwelling arthropods associated with the standing
stems of fire-killed eucalypts attracted bark-foragers. From the third year, small insectivorous ground, shrub, and canopy
foragers dominated the avifauna on the burnt area. These foraged on fire-killed shrubs, as well as living vegetation,
including the lignotuberous regrowth of eucalypts. Bark foragers were uncommon after the second year.
Throughout the study, the burnt area had fewer species and individuals than adjacent unburnt habitats. Compared
with unburnt woodlands there were few differences in how species foraged on the burnt plots, but most species foraged
lower reflecting the stature of the vegetation in the burnt woodland. Nectar-feeders, fruit-eaters, large insectivores, raptors,
and parrots, although common in the unburnt woodland, were absent or rare in the burnt area. This reflected the limited
regrowth of vegetation on the burnt area, which lacked the structural and floristic complexity of nearby unburnt woodlands.
Ground foragers probably commenced nesting on the burnt area in the first year, with shrub and canopy foragers
nesting from the second year. However, after five years, there was no evidence of large insectivores, nectar-feeders,
raptors, seed-eaters, or foliage-eaters (i.e., parrots) nesting despite their abundance in adjacent unburnt woodland.
Some of the unburnt woodlands monitored in this study were even-aged regeneration estimated to be 30–50 years
post-fire or logging. Regardless of origin, these even-aged plots lacked the diverse avifauna associated with mature
woodlands and suggest that post-fire recovery of birds and vegetation in these woodlands is likely to take decades
and probably more than 100 years. If so, human activities that increase fire frequency in the GWW, including climate
change and fuel-reduction burns, will have long-term adverse impacts on regional biodiversity exceeding those associated
with wildfires in less arid forests and woodlands where rates of recovery are more rapid.
The Atlas of Coasts & Oceans: Ecosystems, Threatened Resources, Marine Conservation.
Authors: Recher Harry F
Published: May 2016

OCEANS cover 70% of Earth, but the impact of
humans on the world’s seas and oceans is boundless.
Boundless in the sense that human impacts begin on
the land at the headwaters of every creek, stream,
and river flowing to the sea and extend without
interruption along and across every coast and estuary
to the most remote and deepest parts of the oceans.
Human impacts are carried with waters flowing to
the sea, in the air blowing across continents, and in
every vessel, regardless of size or number of
occupants, that ventures out from the land. No ocean
escapes the impact of humanity and nowhere at sea
is there any longer wilderness.
Wildlife roadkill: illuminating and overcoming a blind spot in public perception
Authors: Lunney Daniel
Published: May 2016

Wildlife roadkill is a tragic blind spot in public perception, both internationally and in Australia. Despite an increasing
body of data documenting the frequency and distribution of roadkill, and its consequences for specific animal populations,
scientists and engineers alone have been unable to develop solutions that challenge the prevailing indifference to the
problem. This points to an urgent need to develop approaches to roadkill which engage the general public, and which
draw from the insights of a range of scholarly communities. This paper contends that a broader response to the problem,
and to the conceptual basis of its solution, is required if we are to effect substantial change. The author, an ecologist,
has attempted to draw on the work of humanities scholars on the subject of roadkill in order to demonstrate the value
of their ideas for enriching our understanding of the problem. This essay also aims to develop a deeper understanding
of the significance of roadkill by exploring the different ways it is understood by specific groups, such as those interested
in its consumption, its artistic portrayal, and educational potential. The diverse perspectives from the humanities, combined
with the quantitative and species-specific approach of research scientists, promises to overcome the current impasse
and build a more robust and wide-ranging public discussion.
Users beware: implications of database errors when assessing the individual research records of ecologists and conservation biologists
Authors: Calver Michael C , Beatty Stephen J , Bryant Kate A , Dickman Christopher R , Ebner Brendan C , Morgan David L
Published: May 2016

Assessments of scientists’ research records through citations are becoming increasingly important in management
and in bibliometric research, but the databases available may contain errors that reduce the reliability of assessments.
We investigated this by profiling our personal records in five databases: Scopus, Web of Knowledge, Web of Science,
the Cited Reference Search within Web of Science, and the freeware Publish or Perish followed by correction in
CleanPoP. We documented disparities between the results and our CVs, noting implications for bibliometric analyses
from our perspective as conservation biologists.

No database provided a complete, accurate record for anyone. Sometimes publications were out of range or missing,
especially if they were books and book chapters. Other errors included mistakes in the order of authors or year of
publication, as well as misattribution of publications. The Hirsch index (h) was robust across databases, but other
metrics were more volatile. Nevertheless, all metrics except median citations/paper gave high correlations of 0.78 or
greater for the rank order of authors across databases.

Profiling researchers’ records without knowledge of their CVs will likely result in inaccurate assessments. Reliance
on one database compounds the problem if the database does not encompass the researcher’s full output, especially
books and book chapters. Coverage may be particularly important for conservation biologists, who sometimes publish
material of local relevance in local journals not abstracted in some of the databases. Administrators and researchers
seeking citation profiles should query multiple databases to obtain a more complete picture of research output and
cross check against a full CV when possible. It may be unjustified to assume that discrepancies between database
and CV indicate mistakes made by the researcher — verification from the original publication is necessary. Furthermore,
citations are but one of many measures available for assessing the quality, use or impact of research, and their sole
use, irrespective of possible errors, may be misleading.
Native vertebrate herbivores facilitate native plant dominance in old fields while preventing native tree invasion — implications for threatened species
Authors: Ingram Janeane , Kirkpatrick Jamie B
Published: May 2016

In a world in which reconstruction of the ‘natural’ does not necessarily result in the best outcomes for biodiversity,
it is important to consider the implications of management change on faunal populations in protected areas, and on
the future of the species that are most in need of protecting. On the old fields of Maria Island National Park, Tasmania
we use vegetation data from exclosure plots and adjacent controls to reveal that current populations of native vertebrate
herbivores prevent tree and shrub invasion of marsupial lawns and reduce the abundance of introduced plants. This
maintenance of marsupial lawns may be less effective after an insurance population of the endangered marsupial
carnivore, the Tasmanian Devil Sarcophilus harrisii, is introduced to the island. Native vertebrate herbivores represent
potential prey for the devils, impacting on grazing regimes and plant succession. Vegetation change is most likely to
favour two threatened bird species, while reducing the prospects for the threatened Tasmanian Devil and potentially
threatened Tasmanian Pademelon Thylogale billardierii.
Agrodeforestation and the loss of agrobiodiversity in the Pacific Islands: a call for conservation
Authors: Thaman Randolph
Published: May 2016

Our ability to conserve biodiversity and to adapt to climate, environmental and economic change in the Pacific
Islands will be greatly dependent on the conservation, restoration and enrichment of biodiversity within traditional
multispecies agricultural land use systems. “Agrobiodiversity” is the most well-known, culturally-useful and accessible
biodiversity on most islands and constitutes the most important foundation for ecosystem goods and services that support
food, health, energy and livelihood security. This rich Pacific agrobiodiversity heritage, including associated
ethnobiodiversity is highly threatened and deserves more prominence in mainstream conservation initiatives as a
foundation for long-term sustainability. Such action is in line with Aichi Biodiversity Targets 7 and 13 which set goals
for sustainable management of agriculture, fisheries and forestry, and the maintenance of genetic diversity as critical
for successful biodiversity conservation globally. It is also supported by the findings of the Japan Satoyama-Satoumi
Assessment, which stresses the critical importance of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services provided by
traditional agricultural and village landscapes.
They’re writing a Nature paper!
Authors: Calver Mike
Published: May 2016

IT WAS John Lawton, I think, who many years
ago referred to a tendency of researchers to
respond to a question about their research
interests with a detailed description of the
complex analyses they intended to apply to their
data. Sadly, the points of real interest — the
organisms they worked on and why they felt the
work mattered - were buried under the sediment
of statistical sophistication. Such answers still
occur, but in my experience they are often
replaced by mention of the journal in which the
work was (or is hoped to be) published, or
citation statistics about the impact of a
publication. A typical exchange might be: ‘What
is x’s group working on at the moment?’ ‘It’s
pretty exciting — they’re working on a Nature
paper. They’ve involved y, whose papers
routinely receive over 100 citations, so it’s going
to be big.’ Of course, one is pleased for x’s
group — if the grand plan comes off — but
what exactly are they writing about and why is
this topic big news? This growing tendency to
spout a journal name or ‘citation potential’
instead of discussing the work puts the focus on
the social context of doing science rather than
the findings.
Divergent responses to long-term grazing exclusion among three plant communities in a flood pulsing wetland in eastern Australia.
Authors: Berney Peter J , Wilson G. Glenn , Ryder Darren S. , Whalley R.D.B , Duggin John , McCosker Robert O.
Published: May 2016

We examined the effects of grazing exclusion over a period of 14 years on the species richness and community
composition of three plant communities with different dominant species and water regimes in the Gwydir Wetlands in
eastern Australia. Responses to grazing exclusion varied among the three plant communities, and were most likely to
be evident during dry periods rather than during periods of inundation. In frequently flooded plant communities, there
was an increase in phytomass following exclusion of domestic livestock, but changes in plant community composition
and species richness due to livestock exclusion varied depending on the morphological attributes of the dominant plant
species. In a plant community where tall sedge species were dominant, livestock exclusion further increased their
dominance and overall species richness declined. In contrast, where a prostrate grass species such as Paspalum
distichum was dominant, species richness increased following livestock exclusion, due to an increase in the abundance
of taller dicotyledon species. However, livestock exclusion in a community where flooding was less frequent and native
grass species have been largely replaced with the introduced species Phyla canescens, resulted in no significant changes
to phytomass, species richness or community composition among the grazing exclusion treatments over time. Our
results indicate responses to exclusion of domestic livestock are dependent upon the dominant species within the plant
community and will likely vary over time with the extent of wetland inundation. Grazing exclusion alone, without increased
flooding, is unlikely to restore floristically degraded floodplain plant communities.
Temperate Woodland Conservation and Management.
Authors: Masters Bernie
Published: May 2016

AS excellent as this book is, its title is something
of a misnomer. Because the book contains 40 short
chapters summarising the key findings and recommendations
of many of Australia’s leading woodland
researchers and managers, the words “Principles
of . . .” should precede the existing title. While the
book provides readers with a very good understanding
of the major issues to be addressed in
conserving and managing woodland habitat, as well
as in producing effective and much-needed government
policy, further reading is required from each
chapter’s extensive list of references to obtain the
detail of how to conserve and manage woodlands.
The biodiversity value of woodlands in southern
Australia is significant, particularly for bird and bat
conservation. Because woodland soils were suitable
for agriculture, between 80 and 90% have been
cleared (Thackway, Chapter 31). The remainder is
subject to many serious threats including grazing,
weeds, fertilizer drift, fragmentation effects and
altered fire regimes. This book is a timely summary
of relevant research, much of which has been carried
out in the last 10 to 15 years.
Ecocolonialism and indigenous knowledge systems: village controlled rainforest preserves in Samoa
Authors: Alan Cox Paul , Elmqvist Thomas
Published: May 2016

Ecocolonialism, the imposition of European conservation paradigms and power structures on indigenous villagers, is incompatible with the principles of indigenous control of village rainforest preserves. Since 1988, four rainforest reserves in Western Samoa and one US National Park in American Samoa have been created on communal lands using the principles of indigenous control, preserving a total of 30 000 hectares of lowland rainforest and associated coral reef. The reserves in Western Samoa are owned, controlled, administered and managed by the villagers. While these reserves appear to be robust approaches to preserve establishment within the communal land tenure system of Samoa, the concept of indigenous control appears to conflict with ecocolonialist attitudes that disparage the traditional knowledge, culture, political systems, and integrity of indigenous peoples. We discuss problems that have occurred in the Samoan village preserves and offer suggestions for the establishment of future village-controlled preserves in other areas of the South Pacific.
Can revegetation assist in the conservation of biodiversity in agricultural areas?
Authors: J. Hobbs Richard
Published: May 2016

It has been suggested that revegetation in agricultural areas to tackle land degradation problems can also aid in the conservation of biodiversity in these regions. Native biota is restricted to remnant areas, which are mostly small, often unconnected, and subject to a variety of impacts from the surrounding altered landscape. The current remnant network is not sufficient to ensure the long-term persistence of the biota, and requires enhancement. Revegetation provides an opportunity to protect and add to the existing remnant network. However, there are few data available with which to assess the likely impact of revegetation on conservation values, and few guidelines as to how revegetation should be designed for conservation purposes. This paper presents an initial framework for developing revegetation strategies which tie into the existing conservation network. Revegetation can either provide buffer strips around existing remnants to protect them from external impacts, corridors between them to increase connectivity, or additional habitat to increase the area of vegetation available, or can enhance degraded remnant areas. Precise design principles and specifications for these types of revegetation are lacking, and may not be appropriate since they will depend on vegetation types and the requirements of target species. In addition, revegetation will help retain biodiversity indirectly if it helps stabilize an otherwise degrading agricultural landscape. Revegetation in agricultural areas is compared with minesite rehabilitation, where the redevelopment of functioning ecosystems and faunal habitat appears to be possible. The task is harder in the agricultural situation because the scale of modification is greater, soil changes are more difficult to redress, and recolonization by native species is less likely. Increased research effort is needed on the implementation and effects of differing types of revegetation, strategies for increasing rates of adoption of revegetation and methods of integrating conservation considerations into revegetation programmes.
Genetic variation in the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis)
Authors: Southgate Richard , Adams Mark
Published: May 2016

The taxonomic status of and genetic diversity amongst extant populations of the greater bilby, Macrotis lagotis, were assessed using allozyme electrophoresis. A total of 47 bilbies sampled from three geographic areas and two captive colonies were screened for 42 loci, six of which were polymorphic. The results are consistent with the view that all extant populations represent a single biological species. All populations were genetically very similar (Nei D's 0.000 to 0.004) and overall levels of within-population genetic variability were low (Ho 0.004 � 0.004 to 0.0026 � 0.017). The allozyme data support the hypothesis that there has been no significant loss of variability in the captive colonies when compared to the species as a whole.
Coastal marine resource management in the Pacific region
Authors: Adams Tim
Published: May 2016

The inaugural issue of Pacific Conservation Biology - A journal devoted to conservation and land management in the Pacific region contained some discussion of conflict between indigenous and Eurocentric attitudes to conservation. Ironically, a major conflict between indigenous and Eurocentric attitudes is illustrated by the secondary title of the journal itself. This conflict is not so much in the concept of conservation which, to the subsistence-level human components of the species-poor ecosystems of the insular Pacific, is a matter of pragmatic commonsense, but in the concept of "land" management. For most small-island peoples, there is no sharp dividing line between the land and the sea and "land" management is but a facet of "marine" management, and vice-versa. On the borderline between Melanesia and Polynesia, they have an appropriate word for this concept, the vanua, which labels the totality of terrestrial/marine space and resources available to a given sub-unit of the human population.
Variation in mosaic diversity in the forests of coastal northern New South Wales
Authors: O. Nicholls A.
Published: May 2016

The measurement of diversity at the landscape scale is likely to suffer from many of the limitations that plague other measures of species diversity; there is little agreement as to how to calculate or interpret the measure or index. A recent addition to the suite of diversity measures is that of Scheiner's "mosaic diversity". In an attempt to accept Scheiner's challenge that "explorations of mosaic diversity among diverse landscapes ... will lead to new insights into the processes responsible for assembling species into communities" mosaic diversity has been calculated for 119 transects that sample the forests of the mid-north coast of New South Wales. Each transect is composed of five quadrats placed to encompass the variation in canopy floristic composition from xeric exposed slopes to mesic gullies. This paper looks at the environmental and spatial pattern of mosaic diversity. In addition I explore the relationship between mosaic diversity and other more readily grasped measures of diversity. Although very variable, Scheiner's mosaic diversity measure is shown to be weakly correlated with mean annual rainfall and mean annual temperature. In addition there is a weak trend in increasing mosaic diversity from the tablelands to the coast together with a trend of increase from south to north. Mosaic diversity did show a significant correlation with average species richness per quadrat within a transect but not with total species richness recorded on the transect nor with the number of alliances sampled by the five quadrats. The utility of this diversity measure to ecology remains unanswered by this study but the demonstration of weak relationships with both environmental and spatial variables given the small (5) sample size compared to that recommended (30+) suggests that further work is warranted.
Developing a strategy for rehabilitating riparian vegetation of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, Sydney, Australia
Authors: Howell Jocelyn , Benson Doug , McDougall Lyn
Published: May 2016

Situated on the southeastern coast at 34�S 151�E, Sydney was established in 1788 as Australia's first permanent European settlement. Clearing of natural vegetation and environmental degradation associated with the country's largest population concentration over the past 200 years have severely affected the nearby Hawkesbury-Nepean River. A strategy for rehabilitation of the riparian vegetation to conserve and enhance the natural conditions remaining along the river, with particular emphasis on habitat and natural biodiversity, has been developed. The study area encompassed the most modified part of the river, where it passes alternately through 80 km of sandstone terrain, where the natural vegetation of waterside scrub backed by open-forest remains largely unchanged, and 135 km of floodplain terrain, where most of the indigenous tall open-forest has been cleared and associated wetlands have been greatly modified. Indigenous riparian zone vegetation was recognized as critical to the maintenance of river health, providing a reservoir of biodiversity as a major value, upon which other values, including enhancement of water quality, bank stablility and erosion control, depend. As 47 per cent of study area riverbank was found to have less than 25 per cent tree cover, the strategy recommended that all remnant native vegetation and remnant native trees along the river be protected and that a substantial long-term aim should be the establishment of a 50-metre wide strip of native riparian forest vegetation on each bank along the full length of the river, to be linked ultimately with other areas of natural vegetation on the floodplain. To provide practical resources for revegetation, the strategy assembled a botanical database, including maps showing present tree cover and the past extent of floodplain vegetation types, descriptions and locations of sites where significant native riparian vegetation remains, ecological information on approximately 300 locally indigenous riparian and wetland plant species, guidelines on selection of appropriate species, replanting methods and determination of priorities at both site and landscape scale.
Climate change and conservation policies in Australia: coping with change that is far away and not yet certain
Authors: Hughes Lesley , Westoby Mark
Published: May 2016

Projected changes in temperature and precipitation as a result of the enhanced greenhouse effect suggest that climatic zones could shift several hundred kilometres towards the poles and several hundred metres upwards in elevation over the next 50 years. The potential consequences of such changes for sustainability of natural populations are enormous due to both physiological stresses on individuals and changes in competitive regimes. Despite this, few positive policy initiatives have yet been undertaken in Australia to mitigate the changes for Australia's flora and fauna. Climate change is generally perceived as a distant problem and the uncertainties surrounding the magnitude and rate of changes, especially at a regional scale, have encouraged a wait-and-see approach. In this paper we summarize some of the likely consequences for Australia's native species and outline five directions in which vigorous action is needed within this decade if we are to ameliorate the effects of future climate changes. Four of the five directions are already recognized as important conservation strategies, and more vigorous action is a matter of overcoming political and administrative impediments. The fifth strategy is to transplant selected long-lived, habitat-structuring, plant species into their estimated future climate envelopes, beginning now in order to give them time to develop as future habitat. Such a transplantation programme implies deliberately creating novel species-mixtures, as well as increasing gene flow between related species that previously were geographically separated. While many conservationists will oppose such a transplantation programme, in the name of "community integrity", it is possible that the damage done by transplanting is likely to be less than the damage done by inaction. Among the purposes of this paper is to open a debate on the scientific issues relating to a transplantation programme, because it is now urgent to conduct that debate and to resolve it.
Marine conservation in New Zealand
Authors: G. Creese Robert , G. Cole Russell
Published: May 2016

Marine conservation in New Zealand lags behind the achievements on land. This is largely because conservation issues in the sea have not been as readily apparent until more recent times. Although the marine environment has not suffered from the same scale of degradation as the terrestrial one, there are many present and potential threats that need to be addressed. Impacts from fishing, aquaculture, species introductions, coastal developments and pollution are briefly reviewed. With one notable exception, remedial measures for these impacts are not well developed. The exception is the establishment of marine reserves in which all marine biota is totally protected. Since the mid 1970s, New Zealand has set up 10 of these marine reserves, eight of them in the past five years. Preliminary research has demonstrated that dramatic changes in the densities, population size structures and behaviours of some large fish and invertebrates can occur, presumably as a result of this protection. This has prompted a realization that marine conservation measures are achievable and desirable. Further initiatives in marine reserves, and in other forms of conservation such as active habitat restoration and species enhancement, can be expected in the years ahead. More basic research needs to be done, however, with the fishing industry in particular devoting more money and effort to evaluating the environmental effects of its fishing activities.
Conservation is not enough
Authors: Goldsmith Edward
Published: May 2016

Economic development has become the overriding priority of almost every government in the last fifty years. Over this period, social and ecological imperatives have been the ruthlessly and systematically subordinated. As economic development has gone out of control, the pressures on the natural world have become immense. In fact, "free trade" and economic development are fundamentally in conflict with environmental conservation. We need to oppose the new World Trade Organization and the various free trade treaties such as the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT Uruguay Rounds), because once these have been set in place, there can be no environmental conservation. Conservation, as we know it, is not enough.
Conservation genetics of the Parma Wallaby Macropus parma: a case study for Australian marsupials
Authors: M. McKenzie L. , W. Cooper D.
Published: May 2016

The Parma Wallaby Macropus parma, native only to Australia, exemplifies a number of issues currently under discussion regarding the conservation of Australian marsupials. Thought to be extinct in the earlier part of this century, an expatriate population was identified on Kawau Island, New Zealand in 1967. These animals were used to supply zoos and captive breeding colonies throughout the world. Subsequently, parma populations were rediscovered in the Great Dividing Range of New South Wales, Australia. The Australian populations are small and inhabit severely restricted localities where they are highly vulnerable to predation and further habitat loss. Strategies for the preservation of parmas in Australia include the reintroduction of parmas either directly from Kawau Island or from established captive colonies. However, the founder number of Parma Wallabies on Kawau Island is unknown, hence it is possible the New Zealand derived parmas have a restricted genetic base compromising their suitability for reintroduction programmes. Additionally, there is a possibility that introgression has occurred between parmas and Black-striped Wallabies Macropus dorsalis on the island. Here we report that the level of genetic variation in New Zealand derived Parma Wallabies is not markedly reduced, and that no detectable introgression has taken place between Parma and Black-striped Wallabies. Indeed, re-examination of records casts doubt upon the suggestion that Black-stripes were introduced to Kawau Island.
A Field Guide to Australian Butterflies
Authors: Oliver Damon
Published: May 2016

Robert Fisher believes that an increased awareness about conserving the remaining unique biota of Australia has created a desire in many people to identify and understand the biology of organisms. A Field Guide to Australian Butterflies is a useful way to impart such biological information to those who wish to explore the natural world around them. The objective of this field guide is to provide a book of photographs which aid in the identification and appreciation of some two hundred Australian butterfly species, about half of the total described species in this country. The field guide provides a brief but adequate introduction explaining the classification, life histories, morphology and geographic distribution of Australian butterflies. It is then divided into sections corresponding to the six families of butterflies represented in Australia. Each section gives a brief overview of the unique morphological characters, geographic distribution and life cycle of that family. A noteworthy feature of this guide is the inclusion of several pages of excellent photographs of early life stages at the beginning of each family section. Ideally, though, it would have been desirable to have photographs of the early life stages for all species presented, to complement the adult photographs.
Towards a national bat research strategy for Australia: pointers arising from a survey of participants at the Sixth Australian Bat Conference in January 1994
Authors: Lunney D. , Law B. , Baverstock P.
Published: May 2016

A questionnaire distributed to the participants of the Sixth Australian Bat Conference in January 1994 sought views about priorities for Australian bat research. The results demonstrate that there is a primary requirement for the funding of broad-based fundamental research and many of the research projects proposed by the participants are listed here. Bat research was considered to be hindered by lack of funding, cost of capital equipment and inaccessible research results buried in unpublished studies. Species of the genera Pteropus and Nyctophilus and cave-dwellers were thought to be good potential subjects for research, but there was little support for research and development of an industry based on commercial utilization of flying foxes. Most importantly, the results reveal the concern of bat specialists that bat conservation in Australia be based on a thorough understanding of bat biology.
Changes in habitat use by lizards on a New Zealand island following removal of the introduced Pacific Rat Rattus exulans
Authors: R. Towns David
Published: May 2016

On Korapuki Island (Mercury Islands group, northeastern New Zealand) lizard capture frequencies increased following the removal of Pacific Rats Rattus exulans in 1986 and rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus in 1987. This increase was dominated by diurnal Shore Skinks Oligosoma smithi. Increases in Shore Skink captures were proportionally greatest where beach particle sizes exceeded 25 cm dia (50-fold in five years). In sites where particles were large the Shore Skink population became dominated by adults. These changes in Shore Skink distribution and size were found in areas unlikely to have been either directly or indirectly affected by rabbits. The changes are therefore attributable to removal of Pacific Rats which apparently had greatest effect on lizards where interstices between rocks allowed the rats access. The selective natural recovery of Shore Skink populations on Korapuki Island indicates that the effects of Pacific Rats on island lizard faunas depends not only on the presence of refuge areas, such as rocky beaches, but also on the particle sizes within them.
Should Redclaw Crayfish be introduced to Fiji?
Authors: Lowery Roger
Published: May 2016

Whenever a new organism comes on the aquaculture scene there is a rush to try it out and to introduce the species to new locations. Such was the case with Pacifastacus leniusculus in Europe in the early 1980s. In the UK there was at the time no legislation to control such introductions and commercial pressures ensured that the species was soon widely distributed throughout the UK. One consequence was the introduction of the Crayfish Plague Aphanomyces astaci which resulted in the destruction of large populations of the native crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes in several river systems. It was against this background that I came to learn of a proposal to introduce Cherax quadricarinatus to Fiji in 1991. The commercial proposal was put to the Department of Fisheries who were considering accepting it when, on the basis of experience with crayfish in the UK, I proposed that there should be a delay while the species was evaluated for its likely effect on the Fijian fauna.
Absence of Ship Rat Rattus rattus, and Norway Rat Rattus norvegicus, on Ouvea (Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia): consequences for conservation
Authors: Robinet Olivier , Salas Michel
Published: May 2016

A rat trapping campaign was conducted from July to December 1994 on Ouvea in the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia. Locations of rat traps took into account different geographic sectors (North, Centre, South and Islets) and different habitats (forest, crop fields, coconut plantations, houses). The campaign encompassed a total of 1 363 trap nights and autopsy data were collected on rodents that were captured. Vertebrate remains from Barn Owl roosts were also collected and examined to determine which rat species were present. For the whole campaign the corrected trap success rate was 9.5 rodents per 100 trap nights. No significant variations in the trap success rate were observed in relation to geographic sector or habitat. Ninety-eight rodents were captured and 64 identified: six Mus musculus and 58 Rattus exulans. No Rattus rattus and no R. norvegicus were caught. Similarly, the only species identified from material found in Barn Owl roosts were M. musculus and R. exulans. Observation of the fauna and environment on Ouvea provided some indirect evidence to confirm the absence of both R. rattusand R. norvegicus. The history and geographical characteristics of Ouvea, and certainly chance, could explain the fact that these two species never reached the island. With regard to rat species, Ouvea's situation is remarkable and unique in the Pacific for inhabited islands of comparable size and level of development. Considering the dramatic and well known effects resulting from the introduction of rat species such as R. rattus and R. norvegicus on small Pacific Island environments, the authors have alerted local authorities and the population of Ouvea, and have proposed initial measures as part of an action plan.
Translocation of the Palila, an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper
Authors: G. Fancy Steven , J. Snetsinger Thomas , D. Jacob James
Published: May 2016

The Palila Loxioides bailleui is an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper that is restricted to high-elevation dry woodlands on Mauna Kea volcano, Hawaii. Palila are absent or occur in small numbers throughout most of their historic range because of habitat loss, predation and avian disease. The Palila's habitat is regenerating as a result of feral ungulate control, but the species is likely to be slow in recolonizing former ranges because of strong site tenacity. In March 1993, we translocated 35 Palila to Kanakaleonui on the eastern slope of Mauna Kea to determine whether we could speed recovery by releasing adult birds in new areas where predators were controlled. At least two pairs of translocated Palila successfully nested at the release site during their first breeding season, and two other pairs constructed nests. The density of Palila at Kanakaleonui in the three years following the translocation was higher than that before translocation. Approximately half of the translocated birds remained at the release site for 2?6 weeks and then homed back to their capture site, >20 km away. Translocations of adult birds and release of captive-reared juvenile Palila, in combination with additional habitat restoration, may be an effective management tool for speeding the recovery of this species.
Colonizing Cane Toads cause population declines in native predators: reliable anecdotal information and management implications
Authors: Burnett Scott
Published: May 2016

This paper presents compelling, anecdotal evidence of severe population declines in five predator species, Dasyurus hallucatus, Varanus gouldii, V. mertensi, V. panoptes, and V. timorensis similis, in almost immediate response to Cane Toad colonization of their habitat in three widely distributed areas of northern Queensland. Furthermore, risk assessment of all quoll and monitor taxa whose distributions overlap the potential distribution of the Cane Toad in Australia (Sutherst et al. 1996), indicates that at the continental scale, three of the four quoll taxa and eight of the 20 monitor species examined are at high risk of severe population declines following Cane Toad colonization. One quoll taxon and seven monitor species are at moderate risk and five monitor species are at low risk. The definition of the threat which Cane Toads pose to native predators has received very little research attention, and fundamental questions including; which predator species are most at risk (testing of the risk assessment hypotheses presented here), the extent of these risks (is there a need to manage Cane Toad impacts upon predators?), and the contexts of intraspecific variation in relative extinction risk (for example, interactions of extinction risk with predator and Cane Toad population demography, climate, landscape, and land use), need to be assessed. Assuming that Cane Toads are found to have an impact across a range of taxa and landscapes (which I propose to be likely), management of the impact of this species on predators can be approached from two not necessarily exclusive directions; management of Cane Toad populations and management of predator populations, through both population and habitat management. At this stage, however, management from either viewpoint is constrained by a lack of published information relevant to autecology and fine scale distribution of predators.
People and Nature Conservation Perspectives on Private Land Use and Endangered Species Recovery
Authors: C. L. Gross Dr
Published: May 2016

Overall this is a very good book, although I must take umbrage with the title which does not represent the content of the book which is primarily about animals (wildlife) and not animals and plants (nature). This book, then, is about People and Wildlife Conservation.
Impact and response: a review of the effects of fire on the Australian avifauna
Authors: C. Z. Woinarski J. , F. Recher H.
Published: May 2016

The literature concerning the impact of fire on avian communities and the response of birds to fire is reviewed for the Australian continent. There are few detailed long-term studies of the effects of fire on avian communities, but there is sufficient information on fire effects from a broad cross-section of Australian habitats to identify patterns of response to individual fires and to predict likely long-term effects. Some birds respond immediately to fire, taking advantage of temporarily increased availability of food. These birds include predators that are attracted to fires to feed on exposed, disoriented and fire-killed prey and seed-eaters that congregate in burnt habitats to feed on seeds released by the fire or on the seeds of rapidly maturing post-fire ephemerals. At least in eucalypt forests, there is an increase of arthropod abundance on the rapidly regenerating vegetation that may lead to increased abundances of some bird species. Depending on the severity of the fire and the amount of vegetation killed, most avian communities recover rapidly following single fires regardless of fire intensity. However, such fires may pose a significant threat to species with a restricted distribution, limited reproductive potential, poor dispersal ability and/or narrow habitat requirements. Birds persisting in fragmented habitats are particularly at risk. However, of greatest significance as a threatening process to avian communities are increases in fire frequency. Of the threatened species in Australia whose relationships with fire have been comparatively well-documented, almost all show a clear preference for less frequent fires. Detrimental fire regimes contributed to the extinction of two of the three bird species and three of the four subspecies which have disappeared from Australia since European colonization. Inappropriate fire management is now a factor in the threatened status of at least 51 nationally recognized threatened Australian bird taxa. In many environments (notably heath and mallee), inappropriate fire regimes are the main threat to declining bird species. In temperate eucalypt forest and woodland, as well as in heathlands, control burning is widely used to reduce the threat of wildfire. While, in general, the immediate impact of controlled burns is less than that of wildfire, the frequency of these fires can lead to floristic and structural changes in the vegetation. Although not well-documented, these vegetative changes adversely affect the avifauna. In Australia, the most detailed long-term studies suggest that frequent, low-intensity fires may lead to the decline and loss of some species which are now perceived as common and little affected by mild fires.
Responses by birds to fire regime and vegetation at the wet sclerophyll/tropical rainforest boundary
Authors: Chapman Angela , N. Harrington Graham
Published: May 2016

Changes in fire regime have been identified as the cause of the loss of nearly 50% of wet sclerophyll forest in north Queensland in the last 50 years. In the absence of fire, rainforest invades and eventually eliminates the specialized wet sclerophyll forest biota. Bird populations and foraging behaviour were monitored in areas selected to encompass both recent and advanced rainforest invasion. Foraging guilds are discussed in relation to increasing rainforest biomass. Some species, such as the Pale Yellow Robin Tregallasia capito nana were advantaged by the expansion of rainforest. Other species, such as the Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis showed no significant response, whereas the endemic subspecies of the Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis magnirostris was clearly disadvantaged. The latter species is of particular concern because in north-east Queensland it is dependent upon wet areas adjacent to rainforest and requires open ground in which to forage. Over the longer term the White-naped Melithreptus lunatus and White-cheeked Phylidonyris nigra Honeyeaters are also threatened by habitat loss. These honeyeaters favour the wetter areas adjacent to the rainforest which are gradually being lost to the invasive process. To maximize biological diversity in the wet tropics of north Queensland, it is necessary to maintain the full spectrum of natural habitats. Fire management is therefore required to maintain the wet sclerophyll forest and its dependent fauna.