DOI: 10.5061/dryad.msbcc2g4p
title: Data from: Fox control and fire influence the occurrence of invasive predators and threatened native prey

description: It can be challenging to distinguish management impacts from other
 population drivers, including 'natural' processes and
 co-occurring threats. However, disentangling processes is important,
 particularly when management may have unintended consequences, such as
 mesopredator release. We explored the effects of long-term, broadscale
 poison-baiting programs on the distribution of red foxes Vulpes vulpes
 (targeted invasive predator), feral cats Felis catus (unmanaged invasive
 competitor) and two of their threatened native prey in two fire-affected
 regions of south-eastern Australia. We synthesised data from 3,667
 camera-trap deployments at 1,232 sites (172,052 trap-nights), combining
 experimental manipulation of foxes and fire with space-for-time
 approaches. Fox control effectiveness––in terms of decreased probability
 of fox occurrence and increased probability of prey occurrence––depended
 on the duration and intensity of the poison-baiting program. The effects
 of fox control on prey occurrence also varied between the two native prey
 species: fox control was strongly beneficial to the long-nosed potoroo
 Potorous tridactylus but had no measurable effect on southern brown
 bandicoot Isoodon obesulus occurrence. Feral cat occupancy tended to be
 higher in landscapes with long-term fox control, although we found no
 effect of fox-bait density on fine-scale cat occurrence. Time since fire
 (0–80 years) was associated with the occurrence of each study species, but
 its association with invasive predators also differed among vegetation
 types. Invasive predators and altered fire regimes are key, often
 overlapping, biodiversity threats. Our work highlights the importance of
 fine-scale monitoring and consideration of multiple drivers in
 distribution models to develop effective, tailored conservation
 strategies.
description: We compiled
 data from multiple smaller-scale camera-trap studies, each designed to
 experimentally assess mammal responses to fox control. Overall, we
 collated 5,449 and 2,202 independent detections of foxes and cats,
 respectively (separated by at least 30 minutes) from 172,052 camera-trap
 nights. We collated camera-trap data across two regions in south-west
 Victoria, Australia: the Glenelg region and Otway Ranges. In broad
 sections of each region, government land managers conduct ongoing targeted
 lethal fox control for biodiversity conservation. All camera-trap
 deployments consisted of a Reconyx (Holmen, Wisconsin) brand camera-trap
 (white or infrared flash), attached to a tree or a metal picket, facing a
 lure. Analyses were conducted in R version 4.1.3. We modelled species
 occupancy probabilities using occupancy-detection and generalised additive
 models. 
description: # Data from: Fox control and fire influence the occurrence of invasive
 predators and threatened native prey
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.msbcc2g4p](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.msbcc2g4p) This repository contains data and code to reproduce GAM results from the *Biological Invasions* manuscript 'Fox control and fire influence the occurrence of invasive predators and threatened native prey'. Additional code and data can be found on GitHub ([https://github.com/matt-w-rees/sw-vic-occurrence-phd](https://github.com/matt-w-rees/sw-vic-occurrence-phd)). Here we provide an R-project file ('sw-vic-occurrence-phd.Rproj'), as well as a raw data csv file ('raw\_data\_gams\_pa.csv'), and two R scripts: one to fit the models ('gams.R') and another to plot the results ('plot\_gams.R'). *The following variables are contained in the columns of the raw data file ('raw\_data\_gams\_pa.csv'):* \# region \- Glenelg or Otway Ranges \# block \- forest block\. Glenelg = distinct forests\, Otways = focal areas \(Otway Ark data\) \+ north / south \(matts cat grids / zoi's surveys\) \# data\_source \- dataset owner: Matt Rees \(phd surveys\)\, Glenelg Ark camera\-trap dataset 2013\-19\, Otway Ark dataset 2016\-18 \# station \- unique ID for camera\-trap site \# longitude \- coordiantes for location of cam\-trap site \# latitude \- coordiantes for location of cam\-trap site \# year \- year of survey \# station\_year \- unique deployment: camera trap site x year \# date\_start \- start date of cam\-trap survey \(yyyy\-mm\-dd\) \# date\_end \- end date of camera\-trap survey \(yyyy\-mm\-dd\) \# survey\_duration \- total survey duration \(days\) \# fox \- red fox: detected at least once \(1\) or not \(0\) \# cat \- feral cat: detected at least once \(1\) or not \(0\) \# bandicoot\_sb \- bandicoot southern brown: detected at least once \(1\) or not \(0\) \# potoroo\_ln \- long\-nosed potoroo: detected at least once \(1\) or not \(0\) \# XGROUPNAME \- vegetation type: Ecological Vegetation Class group \(DEWLP\) \# EFG\_NAME \- vegetation type: Ecological Fire Group \([https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/21113/Report-84-REDUCED-SIZE-Growth-Stages-and-Tolerable-Fire-Intervals-For-Victorias-Native-Vegetation-Data-Se.pdf](https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/21113/Report-84-REDUCED-SIZE-Growth-Stages-and-Tolerable-Fire-Intervals-For-Victorias-Native-Vegetation-Data-Se.pdf)) \# treatment \- non\-treatment / treatment \(control / impact\) sites in regards to fox control \(i\.e\.\, blocks without fox control but were eventually subject to fox\-baiting considered 'treatment'\) \# foxbaits \- number of 1080 fox\-off poison\-baits within a 2\.3 km radius around each cam\-trap \(average fox dmax in Hradsky et al 2017 Sci Reports\) \# elevation \- metres above sea level based of Vicmap digital elevation model layer: 10m resolution \([https://www.land.vic.gov.au/maps-and-spatial/spatial-data/vicmap-catalogue/vicmap-elevation](https://www.land.vic.gov.au/maps-and-spatial/spatial-data/vicmap-catalogue/vicmap-elevation)) \# ruggedness \- topographic ruggedness index made using QGIS plugin based off above^ elevation layer: median value within 30 m radius of cam\-trap \# wetness \- topographic wetness index: median value within 30 m radius of cam\-trap \([https://data.gov.au/dataset/ds-dap-csiro%3A5588/details?q=](https://data.gov.au/dataset/ds-dap-csiro%3A5588/details?q=)) \# rain\_diff\_percent\_06months \- deviation in rainfall \(%\) from the long\-term average \(closest weather station\) in the last 6 months \(from start of survey duration\) \# rain\_diff\_percent\_12months \- deviation in rainfall \(%\) from the long\-term average \(closest weather station\) in the last 12 months \(from start of survey duration\) \# rain\_diff\_percent\_18months \- deviation in rainfall \(%\) from the long\-term average \(closest weather station\) in the last 18 months \(from start of survey duration\) \# rain\_diff\_percent\_24months \- deviation in rainfall \(%\) from the long\-term average \(closest weather station\) in the last 24 months \(from start of survey duration\) \# tsf \- time since last fire \(year\) \# n\_fires \- number of fires since 1939 bushfires \# dist\_nnv \- distance to nearest area of non\-native vegatation \(greater than 30 ha\): derived from inverted extent of DELWP native vegetation extent layer