DOI: 10.5061/dryad.j1sb5
title: Data from: Density trends and demographic signals uncover the long-term impact of transmissible cancer in Tasmanian Devils

description: Monitoring the response of wild mammal populations to threatening
 processes is fundamental to effective conservation management. This is
 especially true for infectious diseases, which may have dynamic and
 therefore unpredictable interactions with their host. We investigate the
 long-term impact of a transmissible cancer, devil facial tumour disease
 (DFTD), on the endemic Tasmanian devil. We analyse trends in devil
 spotlight counts and density across the area impacted by the disease. We
 investigate the demographic parameters which might be driving these
 trends, and use spatial capture-recapture models to examine whether DFTD
 has affected home range size. We found that devils have declined by an
 average of 77% in areas affected by DFTD, and that there is a congruent
 trend of ongoing small decline in spotlight counts and density estimates.
 Despite this, devils have persisted to date within each of nine monitoring
 sites. One site is showing as yet unexplained small increases in density
 8–10 years after the emergence of DFTD. We also found the prevalence of
 DFTD has not abated despite large declines in density and that diseased
 sites continue to be dominated by young devils. The long-term impact of
 the disease has been partially offset by increased fecundity in the form
 of precocial breeding in 1-year-old females, and more pouch young per
 female in diseased sites. The lower densities resulting from DFTD did not
 affect home range size. Synthesis and applications. Transmission of devil
 facial tumour disease continues despite large declines in devil density
 over multiple generations. Plasticity in life history traits has
 ameliorated the impact of devil facial tumour disease, however broad-scale
 trends in density show ongoing decline. In light of this, devil facial
 tumour disease and the impact of stochastic events on the reduced
 densities wrought by the disease, continue to threaten devils. In the
 absence of methods to manage disease in wild populations, we advocate
 managing the low population densities resulting from disease rather than
 disease per se.
description: Tasmanian devil collated
 capture historiesEach sheet in the file
 contains the capture histories for individual devils for a specified site
 (totalling nine sheets and nine sites).Bronte collated trap
 files for Tasmanian devilsEach sheet within the
 file contains the trap locations for the specified month of survey for
 respective sites.Buckland collated trap
 files for Tasmanian devilsEach sheet within the
 file contains the trap locations for the specified month of survey for
 respective sites.Fentonbury collated trap
 files for Tasmanian devilsEach sheet within the
 file contains the trap locations for the specified month of survey for
 respective sites.Granville collated trap
 files for Tasmanian devilsEach sheet within the
 file contains the trap locations for the specified month of survey for
 respective sites.Kempton collated trap
 files for Tasmanian devilsEach sheet within the
 file contains the trap locations for the specified month of survey for
 respective sites.Narawntapu collated trap
 files for Tasmanian devilsEach sheet within the
 file contains the trap locations for the specified month of survey for
 respective sites.Takone collated trap
 files for Tasmanian devilsEach sheet within the
 file contains the trap locations for the specified month of survey for
 respective sites.Woolnorth collated trap
 files for Tasmanian devilsEach sheet within the
 file contains the trap locations for the specified month of survey for
 respective sites.wukalina collated trap
 files for Tasmanian devilsEach sheet within the
 file contains the trap locations for the specified month of survey for
 respective sites.Island wide devil
 spotlight countsContains spotlight count
 information for devils across 132 transects that are 10 km in length that
 have been surveyed annually since 1985.