bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potential lantana invasion of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area under climate change.
Authors: Gold Alexander , Ramp Daniel , Laffan Shawn W
Published: May 2016

Invasive weeds represent one of the greatest threats to ecosystem integrity worldwide, with climate change predicted
to allow expansion of weed ranges in coming decades. One of Australia’s worst weeds is lantana (Lantana camara)
which, given the potential for climatic change, is of increasing concern to those managing the mountainous regions in
the country’s southeast.
In order to identify potential additional threats lantana may pose for Australia’s valued biodiversity, this research
develops a habitat suitability model for lantana in a portion of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area under
current and simulated warmer conditions. Minimum temperature was found to be the most important predictor correlated
with potential lantana establishment, explaining over 88% of the variation in lantana presence predicted by the model.
Currently, 8% of the study area was found to be suitable for lantana, with this figure reaching 94% after a simulated
2°C rise in temperature anticipated by 2050.
The sharp increase in suitable habitat highlights the importance of keeping the weed’s range restricted in the study
area. The strong link between temperature and predicted lantana establishment confirms prior research and further
stresses the threat this weed poses to the area’s biodiversity values as the climate warms. In addition, the model
identified low-lying riparian areas as potential incursion pathways for the weed to travel further inland. Given the weed’s
invasiveness, potential for adverse impacts, and high capacity for dispersal, these pathways should not be overlooked
when monitoring potential invasion of mountainous regions by lantana and other tropical weeds.
Avoiding madness in the method: best practice methodologies for regulatory biodiversity assessment.
Authors: Briggs Sue
Published: May 2016

IN recent years, several Australasian
jurisdictions have developed methodologies
for regulatory assessment of
impacts of development on biodiversity.
Some methodologies are
gazetted (NSW Government 2005)
and some are policies under legislation
(Department of Natural
Resources and Environment 2002;
Department of Environment and
Climate Change 2007; Department
of the Environment, Water, Heritage
and the Arts 2009; Norton 2009).
Increasingly, the methodologies aim
for no net loss of biodiversity or net
environmental gain, or to improve
or maintain environmental outcomes
(Department of Natural Resources
and Environment 2002; NSW
Government 2005; Environmental
Protection Authority 2006; Webb
2009).
Some methodologies are deemed
as law, while assessments under
other methodologies are subject to
court challenges (Meyers 1996;
Cabarrus 2009). Assessments using
deemed methodologies cannot be
challenged in court providing the
methodology is accurately followed.
Some jurisdictions have deemed
methodologies to assess impacts of
development on biodiversity in
some circumstances, more open
(and legally challengeable) provisions
for biodiversity assessment in
other circumstances, and direct
Ministerial authority in other
situations (NSW Parliament 1979,
1995, 2003). Some methodologies
are accompanied by software tools
and datasets (NSW Government
2005; Department of Sustainability
and Environment 2006; Department
of Environment and Climate Change
2009).
Most methodologies have been in
operation for several years. During
this time, much has been learnt
about best practice for preparing
and implementing methodologies
and their accompanying tools and
datasets. The purpose of this paper
is to provide principles for developing
and implementing best practice
methodologies for assessing impacts
of development on biodiversity, for
policy makers and their advisors.
The principles apply to assessment
of individual development applications
and projects, rather than to
strategic assessment (see Macintosh
2010), although many are relevant
for strategic assessment also. Most
of the principles also apply to assessment
of biodiversity for non-regulatory
purposes, such as incentive
schemes.
When more is less: Urban remnants support high bird abundance but diversity varies
Authors: Fitzimons James A , Antos Mark J , Palmer Grant C
Published: May 2016

Urban remnant vegetation, especially where it occurs in public parks, allows for relatively easy access for ongoing
biodiversity monitoring. However, relatively little baseline information on bird species distribution and abundance across
a range of identifiable urban remnants appears in the published literature. We surveyed the relative abundance and
distribution of birds across urban and suburban remnant vegetation in Melbourne, Australia. One hundred and six species
were recorded, of which 98 were indigenous. Red wattlebirds had the highest mean relative abundance with 2.94 birds/
ha, followed by rainbow lorikeets (2.51), noisy miners (1.93), brown thornbills (1.75) and spotted doves (0.96). There
was no obvious trend between overall relative abundance and the size of the remnant, in contrast to species richness
which was positively correlated with remnant size. The data revealed that some species were either totally restricted
to, or more abundant in, larger remnants and generally absent from smaller remnants. Some of the more common
birds (crimson rosella, superb fairy-wren, spotted pardalote and black-faced cuckoo-shrike) recorded during this study
were detected at similar densities to those found in comparable vegetation to the east of Melbourne within a largely
forested landscape. Other species occurred at much lower densities (e.g., white-browed scrubwren, brown thornbill,
eastern yellow robin and grey fantail) or had habitat requirements or ecological characteristics that could place them
at risk of further decline or local extinction in the urban area. We identify a suite of bird species of potential conservation
concern within Melbourne’s urban landscape. The establishment of repeatable, fixed-point, and long-term monitoring
sites will allow for repeat surveying over time and provide an early warning of population declines, or conversely an
indication of population increase for other species.
Population trends of remote invertebrate resources in a marine reserve: trochus and holothurians at Ashmore Reef.
Authors: Ceccarelli Daniela M , Beger Maria , Kospartov Marie C , Richards Zoe T , Birrell Chico L
Published: May 2016

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have a high capacity to protect fish and invertebrate resources, given adequate
surveillance and enforcement. Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve (Ashmore Reef) was closed to commercial fishing
and harvesting of invertebrates such as trochus (Trochus niloticus) and holothurians in 1983. We evaluate population
trends in trochus and holothurians during eight years of monitoring, focusing largely on the differences between their
populations before and after a lapse of surveillance. The trochus population increased in density from 1998 to 2005,
followed by a slight decline in all surveyed habitats in 2006. This decline followed approximately five consecutive months
without surveillance. Amongst populations of 18 species of holothurians, densities declined in five, and remained relatively
stable in the others. Densities of commercially valuable holothurians (primarily Holothuria whitmaei and H. fuscogilva)
were too low to allow the detection of trends. Continuous enforcement of the fishing closure is important to ensure
successful conservation of Ashmore Reef, as are standardized monitoring techniques to enable temporal trends to be
detected with confidence.
Predicted impacts of climate change on New Zealand’s biodiversity.
Authors: Lundquist Carolyn J , Ramsay Doug , Bell Rob , Swales Andrew , Kerr Suzi
Published: May 2016

In New Zealand, climate change impacts have already been observed, and will increase in future decades. Average
air temperature is predicted to warm by 2.1°C by 2090 for a mid-range IPCC scenario (A1B), with larger increases
possible for some IPCC scenarios with higher rates of future emissions. Sea-level rise projections range between
0.18 – 0.59 m by 2100, based on six IPCC future emission scenarios excluding future rapid dynamical changes in
polar ice-sheet flow. Global surface ocean pH is predicted to decrease by an additional 0.14 – 0.35 units by 2100,
with a similar decrease expected in New Zealand waters. Rainfall is predicted to change significantly, with increased
precipitation in the west, and reduced precipitation in the east, and more intense rainfall events. Increasing temperature
is likely to result in species’ range shifts southward and upward, and mortality during extreme heat events. Ocean
acidification is expected to cause declines in carbonate communities, with cold water communities predicted to decline
first due to a lower aragonite saturation horizon in cold waters. Sea-level rise is likely to impact on coastal biota,
reducing coastal habitats, changing inundation patterns, and increasing vulnerability to storm surges and tides. Changes
in storm and rainfall intensity are predicted to increase disturbance to terrestrial and aquatic communities. Areas with
increased precipitation will amplify rates of disturbance, erosion and sedimentation into aquatic, estuarine and coastal
ecosystems, while areas with low precipitation will experience increased fire risk. In New Zealand, climate change
projections are being integrated into management, including increasing protection and improving management of coastal
habitats. Contributing to a global reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, New Zealand is the first country to include
forestry in their Emissions Trading Scheme, already positively affecting biodiversity by reducing deforestation.
Climate change and freshwater ecosystems in Oceania: an assessment of vulnerability and adaptation opportunities.
Authors: Jenkins K M , Kingsford R T , Closs G P , Wolfenden B J , Matthaei C D , Hay S E
Published: May 2016

Human-forced climate change significantly threatens the world’s freshwater ecosystems, through projected changes
to rainfall, temperature and sea level. We examined the threats and adaptation opportunities to climate change in a
diverse selection of rivers and wetlands from Oceania (Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands). We found common
themes, but also important regional differences. In regulated floodplain rivers in dry regions (i.e. Australia), reduced
flooding projected with climate change is a veneer on current losses, but impacts ramp up by 2070. Increasing drought
threatens biota as the time between floods extends. Current measures addressing water allocations and dam
management can be extended to adapt to climate change, with water buy-back and environmental flows critical.
Freshwater wetlands along coastal Oceania are threatened by elevated salinity as sea level rises, potentially mitigated
by levee banks. In mountainous regions of New Zealand, the biodiversity of largely pristine glacial and snow melt
rivers is threatened by temperature increases, particularly endemic species. Australian snow melt rivers face similar
problems, compounding impacts of hydro-electric schemes. Translocation of species and control of invasive species
are the main adaptations. Changes to flow regime and rising water temperatures and sea levels are the main threats
of climate change on freshwater ecosystems. Besides lowering emissions, reducing impacts of water consumption
and protecting or restoring connectivity and refugia are key adaptations for conservation of freshwater ecosystems.
Despite these clear imperatives, policy and management has been slow to respond, even in developed regions with
significant resources to tackle such complex issues.
Twinkling lights or turning down the dimmer switch? Are there two
patterns of extinction debt in fragmented landscapes?
Authors: Ford Hugh A
Published: May 2016

The decline and local extinction of many woodland birds across southern Australia is continuing and seems likely to continue for
a long time even though broad-scale clearing has ceased in many regions. The small proportion of remaining vegetation and its
fragmented and degraded nature will probably mean that a long-term extinction debt will have to be paid. For some species this will
be through the process of successive extinctions of sub-populations and lack of recolonization due to poor dispersal ability, leading
to ultimate extinction of the metapopulation. However, many bird species in Australia travel locally and regionally to exploit resources
that vary in time and space (rich-patch nomads), and appear to be quite capable of dispersing in fragmented landscapes. Many of
these too are declining and we need to understand the processes involved in their decline. Making the matrix more hospitable may
reverse the declines of the poor dispersers. However, a different approach may be needed to assist the rich-patch nomads, such as
re-establishing key resources. This will involve a better understanding of their natural history.
The Natural History of Sydney
Authors: Hayward Matt W
Published: May 2016

AUSTRALIA’S relatively recent discovery by
Europeans and rapid loss of traditional knowledge
without documentation means the accumulated
knowledge of our natural history is scant compared
to other continents (e.g., search for publications on
the top-order predators of each continent for
confirmation). Yet, as Mike Archer highlights in the
Foreword to this book, this natural history
information is fundamental for us to develop
effective conservation strategies. Instead of focusing
on accumulating this information, the competitive
nature of academia limits the value of publishing
simple natural history studies because of the low
impact such studies invariably have (see Paul Adam’s
chapter), while conservation managers are too busy
to publish their natural history research particularly
while they receive such little incentive to do so. The
Natural History of Sydney offers a valuable remedy to
this problem and Dan Lunney and his Royal
Zoological Society of NSW editorial team deliver
once again in servicing the intellectual needs of
Australian zoologists.
Wildlife management and the debate on the ethics of animal use. I. Decisions within a State wildlife agency.
Authors: Lunney Daniel
Published: May 2016

Some actions necessary to conserve wildlife sit uncomfortably with those who are concerned about the ethics of animal use. The
statutory framework for protecting wildlife is outlined, and examples of the range of issues faced in a State wildlife management agency
are discussed, including city wildlife, invasive species, hunting, keeping native animals, threatened species recovery and preparing for
climate change. To maintain public support, government wildlife managers need to engage with the different views in society of how
we should treat animals. Palmer (2010), a philosopher, identified three zones — wild, contact, and dependent — where humans and
animals interact, each with a different ethical context and requiring a different response from people. Geography can determine attitude
and destiny, particularly when an animal is foreign to a place, such as rabbits and foxes in Australia. The concept of native animals
as pests and/or commercially valuable species has a complicated history, with shooting and commercial hunting reflecting the first
half of the European history of wildlife management in Australia. No one word defines our optimal relationship to animals, be it minding,
looking, liberation, protection or management, and this range of words identifies the scale of the test facing wildlife managers tasked
with making decisions about wildlife. Sutherland et al. (2009) identified 100 questions of importance to the conservation of global
biological diversity. I would expand this to 101, to encourage the active engagement of wildlife managers and conservation biologists
in the debate on the ethics of animal use.
The value of baseline or long-term data for detecting and responding to declines in wildlife populations.
Authors: Calver Mike
Published: May 2016

IT would be a fair guess that few, if any, readers
of Pacific Conservation Biology would have heard
of Faunistische Abhandlungen Staatliches Museum
für Tierkunde in Dresden (although thanks to the
internet, it is possible to access some of the
papers without resort to the resources of a good
academic library). Even German conservation
researchers are infrequent readers. Sebastian
Schuch from the Georg-August-University of
Göttingen and his colleagues acknowledge that
it was only because of a tip from another
colleague, Herbert Nickel, that they discovered
an obscure but immensely valuable 1969 paper
by H. Schiemenz (Faunistische Abhandlungen
Staatliches Museum fur Tierkunde in Dresden
6, 201–280). Between 1963 and 1967,
Schiemenz had documented meticulously the
auchenorrhynchan (a sub-order of the true
bugs, Hemiptera) fauna of 48 protected dry,
grassland sites in Eastern Germany, and
published the full data along with a detailed
methodology.
Wildlife management and the debate on the ethics of animal use. II. A challenge for the animal protection movement.
Authors: Lunney Daniel
Published: May 2016

How people coexist and interact with animals has become an intensely debated issue in recent times, particularly with the rise
of the animal protection movement following the publication of Peter Singer’s book Animal Liberation in 1975. This paper discusses
some shortcomings of the philosophical positions taken in this complex debate. Singer has helped put animals on a new footing as
a group that cannot morally be ignored, but his focus is mainly on individual, familiar animals that are used or abused by humans.
The argument of this paper is that the ethics of managing wildlife hinges on a broader view of animals, and their contexts, than is
apparent from Singer’s text. Wildlife managers aim to conserve populations of a wide range of species, and their habitats, but some
mechanisms for achieving these aims, such as research and the control of invasive animals, are frequently opposed by elements of
the animal protection movement. We need to adapt our attitude to animals, particularly wildlife, away from the traditional legacy of a
few familiar species to embrace an ethic that is more ecological and relevant to Australian contexts. The case argued here has been
to see the critical role of context — geographical, ecological, historical, relational — as a basis for a degree of reconciliation between
conservation-oriented wildlife managers and the rising interest in the ethics of animal use. There is much to be gained for zoologists,
wildlife managers and conservation biologists by framing key elements of their case in ethical arguments. Conversely, the challenge
for those in the animal protection movement is to expand their philosophical ideas to include the ethical imperative of the conservation
of populations of wildlife.
Are vegetation interfaces important to foraging insectivorous bats in endangered coastal
saltmarsh on the Central Coast of New South Wales?
Authors: Gonsalves Leroy , Law Bradley , Webb Cameron , Monamy Vaughan
Published: May 2016

Conservation of insectivorous bats and their habitats is of increasing concern in Australia and linear elements in
the landscape form important foraging habitats for many species. Only recently has use of endangered coastal
saltmarsh habitat by bats been documented. Vegetation adjoining saltmarsh provides echolocating bats with linear
elements that may be used while foraging and commuting to patches of high insect abundance. We used acoustic
detectors to investigate whether individual species and total bat activity along seaward and landward saltmarsh
edges was different to the interior of the saltmarsh. Four taxa accounted for greater than 80 % of all bat activity in
each zone with similar taxa recorded in both edge and interior zones. However, significantly more bat activity was
recorded in edge zones. While differences in microhabitat use by individual species were also found, bat morphology
did not account for the observed differences. Conservation managers of saltmarsh and adjoining habitats should
consider potential impacts of management actions on foraging bats and their prey. Retention of strips of edge
vegetation may help to balance the conservation requirements of endangered coastal saltmarsh habitats and the
foraging insectivorous bat populations they sustain.
Blunt trauma observed in a common dolphin delphinus sp. Likely caused by a vessel collision in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand.
Authors: Martinez E , Stockin K A
Published: May 2016

While coastal cetaceans can become habituated to watercraft, that may not prevent their injury or mortality as a
consequence of vessel strike. Here we report a case of a likely collision between a Common Dolphin Delphinus sp.
and a recreational vessel in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. Injuries sustained by the immature male dolphin were
fatal. Recovery and subsequent post-mortem of the carcass revealed a transection of the spinal cord, with the vertebral
column sustaining fractures between L17 and Cd7 and between Cd3 and Cd8 of the neural and transverse processes,
respectively. Cd4 likely received the brunt of the impact given the vertebral body and epiphyses were also fractured.
Paralysis of the lower truck and associated extensive internal injuries resulted in a live stranding and subsequent mortality.
Injuries sustained were consistent of those of blunt force trauma, a consequence of an impact caused by a collision
with a small watercraft, most likely a jet-ski. This incident reinforces the need for continued public education concerning
safe water practices around marine mammals, which are protected under the New Zealand Marine Mammals Protection
Act 1978 and Marine Mammals Protection Regulations 1992.
Keeping Australia’s islands free of introduced rodents: the Barrow Island example
Authors: Greenslade Penelope , Burbidge Andrew A , Jasmyn A , Lynch J
Published: May 2016

Islands are important reservoirs of endemic and threatened species, but anthropogenic influences have impacted
their biotas. Australia has over 8000 islands, both continental and oceanic, but because of considerably increased traffic,
both tourist and commercial, many of these islands have been and are subject to increased threats from invasive species.
The invasive Black Rat Rattus rattus is of particular concern as it can negatively impact mammal, bird, reptile, invertebrate
and plant populations. Barrow Island, in northwest Western Australia, is an island requiring particular protection from
Black Rats as it is a Class A nature reserve with many unique and threatened taxa that is subject to major disturbances
from activities associated with oil extraction and a large liquefied natural gas processing plant. Strict quarantine is currently
imposed on all materials and persons being sent to the island and there is an intense on-island surveillance programme.
So far the protocols used have prevented Black Rats establishing on this island, but such a level of biosecurity is
clearly impossible for all islands. In this paper we discuss the effectiveness of quarantine inspections and surveillance
together and alone in protecting high-risk, high-value Australian islands against introduced rodents and we document
eradication costs for other islands. World-wide, it has only been possible so far to eradicate rats from relatively small
islands, mostly with no non-target indigenous mammals and larger islands only where there are no non-target indigenous
mammals. Models based largely on economic considerations have suggested it is more cost effective to use surveillance
alone without quarantine for Black Rats on Barrow Island and that if rats become widespread (an estimated 4% risk),
it may be more cost effective not to attempt eradication. Such models provide useful guidance for managers where
biodiversity values are relatively low or where there are no non-target species, but for Barrow island we argue for
continuation of quarantine as well as surveillance and an increased level of quarantine controls at the point of departure
on all people, vessels and aircraft visiting other vulnerable Australian islands.
Critical issues and new challenges for research and management of invasive plants in the Pacific Islands
Authors: Meyer Jean-Yves
Published: May 2016

Invasive alien species are recognized as a major threat to island biodiversity and ecosystem functions worldwide,
with well-documented, detrimental impacts on the native biota of Oceania. Despite their high number and rapid increase
in the Pacific Islands, invasive alien plants (IAP) have received less attention by researchers, managers, and the general
public compared to invasive animals (e.g., predatory mammals). Indeed, although lists of IAP in natural and agroecosystems
have been set up in most island countries and territories, their ecological and socio-economical impacts
are still not well documented and/or popularized. Very few IAP eradication successes have been reported, and postcontrol
monitoring and cost-benefit analysis are often missing. Moreover, most of the published studies have been
conducted in the Hawaiian and the Galápagos islands. This essay is a call for more research and management efforts
on IAP in Oceania, especially in the small tropical Pacific Islands. Focal areas should not only include species bioecology,
control strategies and methods and prioritization systems (including risk assessments), but also better
understanding of island ecosystems functioning (e.g. forest dynamics and resilience), with the integration of past and
present anthropogenic and natural disturbances. The importance of “novel” ecosystems, where natural habitats have
been partially or totally modified by humans, and the potential effects of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems should
be addressed, and new conservation and management strategies defined in the Pacific Islands, in order to try to halt
biodiversity erosion in highly vulnerable island ecosystems.
Locally-managed marine areas: multiple objectives and diverse strategies
Authors: Jupiter Stacy D , Cohen Philippa J , Weeks Rebecca , Tawake Alifereti , Govan Hugh
Published: May 2016

Community-based management and co-management are mainstream approaches to marine conservation and
sustainable resource management. In the tropical Pacific, these approaches have proliferated through locally-managed
marine areas (LMMAs). LMMAs have garnered support because of their adaptability to different contexts and focus on
locally identified objectives, negotiated and implemented by stakeholders. While LMMA managers may be knowledgeable
about their specific sites, broader understanding of objectives, management actions and outcomes of local management
efforts remain limited. We interviewed 50 practitioners from the tropical Pacific and identified eight overarching objectives
for LMMA establishment and implementation: (1) enhancing long-term sustainability of resource use; (2) increasing shortterm
harvesting efficiency; (3) restoring biodiversity and ecosystems; (4) maintaining or restoring breeding biomass of
fish or invertebrates; (5) enhancing the economy and livelihoods; (6) reinforcing customs; (7) asserting access and
tenure rights; and (8) empowering communities. We reviewed outcomes for single or multiple objectives from published
studies of LMMAs and go on to highlight synergies and trade-offs among objectives. The management actions or ʻtoolsʼ
implemented for particular objectives broadly included: permanent closures; periodically-harvested closures; restrictions
on gear, access or species; livelihood diversification strategies; and participatory and engagement processes. Although
LMMAs are numerous and proliferating, we found relatively few cases in the tropical Pacific that adequately described
how objectives and management tools were negotiated, reported the tools implemented, or empirically tested outcomes
and seldom within a regional context. This paper provides some direction for addressing these research gaps.
The conservation of Leadbeater's Possum in southeastern Australia and the Northern Spotted Owl in the Pacific north-west of the USA; management issues, strategies and lessons
Authors: B. Lindenmayer David , W. Norton Tony
Published: May 2016

Aspects of the conservation and management of the endangered species Leadbeater's Possum Gymnobelideus leadbeateri in southeastern Australia and the Northern Spotted Owl Strix occidentalis caurina in the Pacific north-west of the USA are similar in their nature and the intensity of public debate. Both species occur in temperate forests that are also used for intensive wood production. Due to historial factors and present forestry management regimes, a major conflict in land-use exists between the conservation of these animals and intensive timber harvesting in both geographic regions. The long-term persistence of Leadbeater's Possum and the Northern Spotted Owl will depend primarily on the protection and appropriate management of mature and old growth stands or attributes of such types of forest. The Interagency Spotted Owl Scientific Committee developed a set of guiding biological principles and used knowledge of the autecology and natural history of the species to formulate a management plan to help ensure the viability of populations of the Northern Spotted Owl beyond the next century. Unfortunately, the strategies currently proposed for the conservation of Leadbeater's Possum are unlikely to ensure its long-term persistence, and, therefore, the Victorian Government's position on this matter is inconsistent with its undertakings in the new National Forest Policy. We discuss the application of the approach and strategies proposed by the Interagency Committee to the conservation of Leadbeater's Possum. Attempts to manage the Northern Spotted Owl and Leadbeater's Possum will reflect the ability of governments to pursue truly ecologically sustainable development and resource use.
Quantifying the impact of disease on threatened species
Authors: McCallum Hamish
Published: May 2016

Determining whether a disease or parasite is having a substantial impact on a population of a threatened species is not straightforward. Highly pathogenic parasites are not those which have the greatest influence on hosts, and diseases present at high prevalence are not likely to have a major effect on the host population. I develop simple mathematical models which show that a microparasitic disease such as a viral or bacterial disease will have the greatest impact on its host if it prevents host reproduction, but does not affect host mortality. If infected hosts can still reproduce, intermediate levels of pathogenicity have the greatest impact on hosts. Macroparasites such as helminths likewise have maximum impact on hosts at intermediate pathogenicity. The impact of a helminth on its host population is, however, determined by a complex interplay between pathogenicity per parasite and the nature of the host response to infection. For example, in the absence of density-dependent constraints on parasites within individual hosts, the smaller the impact per parasite on the host, the greater the impact of the parasitic infection on the overall population. Several recommendations can be made to wildlife managers who detect a disease or parasite and wish to determine its impact on a population of a threatened species. There is no entirely satisfactory alternative to experimental manipulation. Treating part of a population and comparing suvivorship or fecundity with controls is the only way to confirm the impact of a disease on a free-ranging population. Such an approach is impractical with every potential pathogen in a population. Some idea as to which pathogens may be of significance to the population can be gained from comparison of disease prevalence or parasite burden between dead and dying hosts and the overall population. Overall high prevalence or high pathogenicity are not good indicators on their own.
Connectivity and complexity in landscapes and ecosystems
Authors: G. Green David
Published: May 2016

The connectivity of sites in a landscape affects both species distribution patterns and the dynamics of whole ecosystems. Dispersal tends to produce clumped distributions, which promote species persistence and provide a possible mechanism for maintaining high species richness in tropical rainforests and other ecosystems. Simulations of multi-species systems show that, below a critical rate, disturbance regimes have little impact on species richness. With super-critical rates of disturbance the rate of decrease in species richness depends on the balance between the rate of disturbance and dispersal range. Theoretical and simulation studies discussed here reveal that landscape connectivity falls into three distinct classes: connected, disconnected, and critical. Landscape processes are inherently unpredictable when connectivity lies within the critical range. Critical levels of connectivity lead to phase changes in the behaviour of many ecosystem processes. For instance epidemics, fire spread and invasions by exotic plants or animals are all suppressed if inter-site connectivity is too low. Conversely, genetic drift within individual populations is an order of magnitude greater if connectivity is sub-critical.
Reintegrating fragmented landscapes
Authors: F. Recher Harry
Published: May 2016

The dedication of this book is to Katie, Hamish, Samantha and Romayne - May they live in hope for, not fear of, the future. I think most of us would wish the same for our children, but few of us are as resolute as Richard Hobbs and Denis Saunders in their efforts to change the ecological future of the world. I can think of no group of researchers that has worked harder to understand the impact of human society on the Australian landscape and to find ways to accommodate human needs and desires with ecological reality than the CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology laboratory at Helena Valley in Western Australia. While many of us work hard at our research, few can claim to have achieved the level of communication of the Western Australians. For nearly a decade now, Saunders, Hobbs and their colleagues have organized, held and published a series of symposia and workshops on the impact of agriculture (and to a lesser extent, forestry) on the landscape and its wildlife. These proceedings have been international in scope and have brought together, in a way few others have achieved, scientists, farmers, resource managers, politicians, bureaucrats and environmental groups. On behalf of my children, Jeni and Myella, I want to thank them for their efforts.
Risk assessment in conservation biology
Authors: McCallum Hamish
Published: May 2016

Population viability analysis (PVA) has become one of the standard tools of conservation biology. Unfortunately, few examples have entered the refereed literature. Most remain in the "grey" world of internal government reports, where the results of "what-if" scenarios become transformed into the firm basis for policy settings. The problem is that rough guesses of population parameters enter the black box of a modeling package, to emerge as attractive and apparently precise graphs of extinction probability as a function of population size. Somewhere in the process, it is often forgotten that the quantitative predictions cannot be better than the quality of the parameters which went into them.
Kaitiakitanga: Maori perspectives on conservation
Authors: Roberts Mere , Norman Waerete , Minhinnick Nganeko , Wihongi Del , Kirkwood Carmen
Published: May 2016

Maori, like other indigenous peoples, are increasingly involved in attempts to provide appropriate cultural responses to environmental issues. These include efforts to translate and incorporate isolated parts of their language and traditional practises into the prevailing culture. Major problems with this process are the incommensurability of such attempts whereby the real meaning of a custom or word is frequently debased and divorced from its traditional cultural setting, so that its proper functioning is impaired. Added to this is the ignorance on the part of many concerning the conceptual world view, traditional beliefs and practices of the Maori ? or, if knowing these things, a lack of respect for their validity. On the other hand there are some, especially among the modern conservation movement, who have a more empathetic attitude towards indigenous ecological knowledge, but who thereby assume that their environmental ethics and those of indigenous peoples are motivated by similar philosophies and share similar aims. Not only is this assumption often wrong, it may also contribute to the inability of the western conservation movement to properly serve the needs of, and to fully empower, indigenous conservation aspirations as guaranteed to Maori under the Treaty of Waitangi. This paper addresses some of these issues by providing Maori perspectives on an increasingly important environmental concept: that of kaitiaki, and kaitiakitanga.
Relationships between fluctuating asymmetry and fitness: how good is the evidence?
Authors: M. Clarke Geoffrey
Published: May 2016

A number of recent articles have espoused a relationship between developmental stability, as measured by fluctuating asymmetry, and individual fitness, to the extent that asymmetry has been viewed as a surrogate for more direct fitness assessment. This essay reviews the underlying assumptions and evidence for such a relationship and concludes that although asymmetry assessment may provide a useful early-warning system for detection of individuals and populations under stress, there is inadequate evidence at this stage to support its widespread application as substitute for conventional fitness measurement within conservation programmes.
Conservation Biology in Australia and Oceania
Authors: L. Gross C.
Published: May 2016

Finally! The book from the conference has arrived. In 1991 the first conference on Conservation Biology in Australia was held in Queensland. Four years on, my first question about this book was, is this book out of date? Unfortunately, I do not think so. Why is this unfortunate? It is unfortunate because we have advanced very little in the last four years in the conservation and management of the biodiversity in Australasia.
The Australian Zoologist - successful opportunist in a changing environment?
Authors: Boulton Andrew
Published: May 2016

In the last 10 years, there has been a rapid proliferation of subdisciplines in the biological sciences. Such a burgeoning, especially in ecology and natural resource science, has been matched by the initiation of numerous specialist journals devoted to publishing articles in relatively restricted fields. But few of these new journals explicitly aim at seeking broad parallels in thinking and methodology among these subdisciplines or encouraging synthetic approaches at a time when environmental issues, for example, beg understanding of the big picture. It is therefore reassuring to find a journal (with a long history back to 1914 (Strahan 1994)) such as Australian Zoologist that continues to cater to specialists in zoology, but also published frequent articles of broad interest to all scientists. Better still, these papers are often topical and provocative, questioning dogma, pricking consciences, and seeking synthesis of larger issues and of most value is the creativity with which issues are addressed in Australian Zoologist.
Is biodiversity really the link between conservation and ecologically sustainable management? A reflection on paradigm and practice
Authors: Davie Jim
Published: May 2016

Nature conservation practice is increasingly required to stand within a context of multiple use as land and its resources come under greater pressure of use by people. Although biodiversity conservation is now universally adopted as the banner under which international and national conservation programmes march, it is not clear that it has widespread support based on an understanding of all its ramifications. Conversely land users in Australia and in tropical countries do indicate an understanding and acceptance of conservation objectives which focus on the processes which support ecosystem productivity. A focus on conservation of the ecological processes which perpetuate vegetation as habitat, water and the fertility of soil, may better integrate nature conservation into other land uses. This essay explores some of these questions in relation to two wetland areas in Indonesia. The Pantai Timur Mangrove Nature Reserve in Jambi Province, Sumatra is valuable for the conservation of certain migratory birds; however, it is so dynamic that species diversity is not significant. Despite this, ecological functions which have created the ecosystem may be critical to the continued productivity of the land and the quality of life of the people who live in it. In contrast the coastal wetland forests of Bunaken National Park are remarkably stable and while they are critical to ecological regulation of the quality and productivity of that environment, they also offer very special biodiversity values. The implications of these examples are examined in relation to conservation practice and to ecologically sustainable management. Design is proposed as a means through which local communities might take some control of land management in order to retain, restore or create landscapes which have sustainable, rich and productive natural and human attributes.
Natural history of the New Georgia Monkey-faced Bat Pteralopex sp. nov. from the Solomon Islands
Authors: Fisher Diana , Tasker Elizabeth
Published: May 2016

The megachiropteran bat genus Pteralopex, Monkey-faced bats, is restricted to the Solomon Islands and Fiji. No other field study has been conducted on any of the five known species. From February to May 1992, the New Georgia Monkey-faced Bat was studied to determine its distribution, assess its conservation status and to provide ecological data for management. We found New Georgia Monkey-faced Bats Pteralopex sp. nov. at four sites on the islands of Vangunu and New Georgia, but not on Kolombangara. Bats were most common around an old village site abandoned approximately 90 years ago, in undisturbed rainforest, and adjacent gardens. Pteralopex sp. nov. was absent from areas of regrowth after logging or cyclone damage. It roosts in the hollows of tall canopy or emergent trees (particularly Ficus spp.), either singly or in small groups. Like other megachiropterans, Pteralopex sp. nov. eats a wide range of fruit and flowers. Young were born throughout the study, from February to May. This species' restricted range and susceptibility to hunting make it vulnerable, especially in the short term if its habitat is affected by logging or cyclones. Old village sites may be important for Pteralopex and other wildlife in the Solomon Islands.
Fire and its impact on avian population dynamics
Authors: Barry Baker G. , Belinda Dettmann E. , J. Wilson Stephen
Published: May 2016

Survival rate, population size, recruitment and probability of capture, derived from a long-term study of 20 passerine species in wet sclerophyll forest near Canberra, were used to measure the impact of a high intensity wildfire which burnt 70% of the study area. The wildfire significantly affected the population size of 13 species for a period of up to six years following the fire. Survival and recruitment were the least sensitive measures of impact and indicated a significant response to fire for only 2 of 10 species. We detected measurable effects of the fire for 17 of the 20 species studied. Many of these species had returned to prefire levels within three years, but for nine species the effects were still apparent six years later. Mark-recapture methodology provides an effective way of measuring the impact of fire regimes in forest environments. Long-term monitoring programmes should be established in fire-prone forest environments to contribute toward our understanding of fire, and its effect on avian populations. Such programmes have resource implications and researchers are urged to encourage the participation of the amateur bird banding community to contribute to such projects.
Land use, habitat change and the conservation of birds in fragmented rural environments: a landscape perspective from the Northern Plains, Victoria, Australia
Authors: F. Bennett Andrew , A. Ford Leigh
Published: May 2016

Studies of the effects of habitat fragmentation on birds have mainly been carried out at the patch scale, by censusing birds in patches of different size, shape or composition. Here, we use data collected by observers for the Atlas of Australian Birds from 10' latitude/longitude grid cells (landscapes), each 277 km2 in size, to examine the effects of land use and habitat change at the landscape scale in the Northern Plains region of Victoria, Australia. Land birds were tallied for 63 such landscapes and species were classed as "woodland" or "other" species. Attributes measured for each landscape represented natural environmental variation, tree cover and the intensity of human settlement. The Northern Plains has experienced profound environmental change over the last century of agricultural settlement and tree cover now occupies only 6.2% of the region, mostly as large riverine forests. Eighty per cent of landscapes have less than 10% tree cover. Woodland birds showed substantial variation in richness between landscapes and, after accounting for sampling effort, species richness was best predicted by total tree cover and measures of environmental variation (e.g., number of streams). "Other" birds were more evenly distributed between landscapes. Species richness was best predicted by the environmental gradient in rainfall and temperature, although this accounted for only a small amount of variance after correcting for sampling effort. The predictive model for woodland birds indicates that this group is sensitive to habitat change, and implies a substantial loss of species in landscapes that have been almost entirely cleared of woodland habitat. The logarithmic nature of the relationship means that the rate of change in species richness is greatest during the final stages of habitat depletion. With median tree cover of 3.7% for landscapes in the region, this relationship supports the contention that a major decline in woodland birds is underway and that species are being lost from whole landscapes across the region. Attributes associated with landscapes of high conservation value for birds include: extensive overall tree cover, large blocks of woodland habitat, and stream systems with associated habitat connectivity. In this region, these attributes are more likely to occur in areas with broad-acre agriculture rather than intensive irrigation. The analysis suggests that at least 10% tree cover is a minimum goal for an infrastructure of natural vegetation in rural landscapes to prevent serious decline and loss in the woodland avifauna.