Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01095:body:0:p9
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by volunteers and state based Malleefowl Recovery Groups in Vic, WA, NSW, and community volunteers in SA regions, and the Aṉangu-Pitjantjara-Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. The monitoring program provides critical data for the conservation of the species and is important for conservation planning and decision-making. Since the species is widespread across southern Australia, a nationally-coordinated approach to monitoring is critical. This allows species-wide population trends to be determined, and for regional data to be considered within this context.

To ensure robust and reliable population estimates, the NMRG designed and instigated a standardised monitoring program which is coordinated in conjunction with project partners across Australia. The work of the NMRG includes:

       * Developing and adapting scientifically rigorous monitoring methods

       * Maintaining monitoring protocols and manuals for use by volunteers and project partners

       * Delivering training events for monitoring and data management

       * Liaising and collaborating with volunteer groups

       * Providing ongoing technical support to monitors and volunteers

       * Maintaining the smartphone app used for monitoring

       * Error-checking and validating all monitoring data

       * Maintaining the National Malleefowl Monitoring Database

       * Establishing standardised protocols for adopted technologies (e.g. LiDAR, drones)

       * Working with university researchers, industry and regional, state and federal government to ensure data are suitable for management and decision-making

       * Creating educational materials

       * Collating management and environmental data in order to understand Malleefowl population trends

       * Trending and periodically undertaking analyses and reporting results

       * Analysing regional and national data to determine population trends

       * Reporting regional Malleefowl population trends to each partner NRM agency and to the state and federal governments each year

The data gathered at a regional level underpin the ability to supply local and national trends, for which reason the NMRG's aim is to work collaboratively with all NRM agencies, national parks managers, Indigenous ranger groups and conservation organisations that manage land within Malleefowl distribution.

2.6 Adaptive Management Predator Experiment (AMPE)

The Adaptive Management Predator Experiment (AMPE) draws on the data from a subset of sites monitored under the volunteer-based national monitoring program mentioned above, alongside supporting government and private organisations. The initial aim of the Malleefowl AMPE is to learn about the effect of fox and cat reduction on Malleefowl breeding activity by establishing a network of control and treatment sites (Hauser et al. 2019) to be monitored alongside existing long-term monitoring sites. Introduced predators are managed in and around treatment sites, while nearby control sites are left unmanaged. This arrangement will help tease apart the effect of fox and cat control from other environmental factors that might cause a change. Once resolved, the experiment can be modified to learn about the effectiveness of other actions as conservation strategies, such as fire or herbivore management (Southwell