3.4 Monitoring of key vertebrate species David Westcott CSIRO - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

3.4 Monitoring of key vertebrate species David Westcott CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences

PURPOSE, INTENT, SCOPE OF RESEARCH Refine and implement cassowary monitoring i) Refine and implement cassowary monitoring at a variety of scales in the Wet Tropics • Conduct cassowary monitoring at the scale of the Wet Tropics Region: • Provide data on cassowary abundance and distribution • Assess performance of method and opportunities for improvement • Identify environmental influences on abundance and distribution • Provide data on the structure and phylogeography of cassowary populations across the region. • Provide detailed monitoring data for key areas

Cassowary Surveys • C. 500km of transects walked • Low detection rates • High variability - twice each year over 3 years Oct-Nov 2013 survey results • 101 fresh dungs • 15 feathers • 810 old dungs • 82 tracks • 11 sightings

1988 2012 • Distribution of cassowary encounter through the Wet Tropics

2) Collect dung 3) Extract DNA 1) Walk tracks 4) DNA Fingerprinting Sampl cass3. cass cass cass cass11 cass22 cass52 cass62 emu63 cau11 list cau 523a 71a 324a 3a 2a 1a a a a 007a 64a e SITE 1 5) Identify & sex individuals Kurand 1006a a 108 128 172 194 173 182 173 173 123 136 171 171 153 186 153 153 188 188 89 89 89 111 111 Kurand 1006b a 108 128 172 194 173 182 173 173 123 136 171 171 153 173 153 153 188 188 89 111 89 111 111 Kurand 1006c a 108 128 172 172 173 182 173 173 123 136 171 171 153 186 153 153 188 188 89 111 89 111 111 Kurand 1006d a 108 128 172 172 173 182 173 173 123 136 171 171 153 173 153 153 188 188 89 89 89 111 111 Kurand 1007a a 108 108 172 194 173 173 173 173 123 136 171 171 153 173 153 153 173 188 89 111 89 111 111 Kurand 1007b a 108 128 172 194 173 182 173 173 123 136 171 171 153 173 153 153 188 188 89 95 89 89 111 Kurand 1008a a 108 128 172 194 173 182 173 173 123 136 161 171 153 173 153 153 200 200 158 158 89 111 111 Kurand 1008b a 108 128 194 194 173 182 173 173 123 136 161 171 153 173 153 153 188 188 158 158 89 124 111 Kurand 1011a a 108 108 108 108 140 173 162 162 136 154 161 171 173 173 153 153 173 188 89 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1011b a 108 108 108 108 173 173 162 162 136 154 161 171 173 173 153 153 173 188 89 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1011c a 108 108 108 194 140 173 162 162 136 154 171 171 173 173 153 153 173 188 89 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1011d a 108 108 108 194 173 173 162 162 136 154 171 171 173 173 153 153 173 188 89 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1012a a 108 108 108 108 182 182 162 182 136 154 171 171 173 173 153 153 173 188 89 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1012b a 108 108 122 122 182 182 162 182 136 154 171 171 173 173 153 153 173 188 89 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1012c a 108 108 183 183 182 182 162 182 136 154 171 171 173 173 153 153 173 188 89 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1013a a 108 108 108 194 173 173 173 173 136 154 171 171 173 173 153 153 188 188 89 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1013b a 108 108 172 172 173 173 173 173 136 154 171 171 173 173 153 153 188 188 89 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1014a a 108 108 172 194 173 182 173 182 136 154 171 171 173 173 153 153 173 188 95 95 89 89 111 Kurand 1015b a 108 108 108 194 173 182 173 182 136 154 171 171 153 173 153 153 173 188 95 95 89 89 111 Kurand 1015c a 108 108 172 194 173 182 173 182 136 154 171 171 153 173 153 153 173 188 95 95 89 89 111 Kurand 1016a a 108 108 183 183 173 182 173 173 136 154 171 171 153 173 153 153 173 188 95 95 89 89 111 Kurand 1016b a 108 108 183 183 173 182 173 182 136 154 171 171 153 173 153 153 173 188 89 89 89 89 111 Kurand 1017a a 108 108 172 194 173 182 173 173 136 154 171 171 153 173 153 153 173 188 95 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1017b a 108 108 172 194 173 182 173 173 136 154 171 171 153 173 153 153 173 188 89 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1019a a 108 108 194 217 173 182 173 173 136 154 171 171 153 153 153 153 188 188 95 95 89 89 111 Kurand 1019b a 108 108 194 217 173 182 173 173 136 154 171 171 153 173 153 153 173 188 95 95 89 89 111 Kurand 1020 a 108 108 194 194 173 182 173 173 136 154 171 171 153 173 153 153 173 188 95 95 89 89 111 Kurand 1032a a 108 108 194 194 182 182 0 0 136 154 171 171 173 173 153 153 188 188 89 95 89 89 111 Kurand 1032b a 108 108 183 194 182 182 0 0 136 154 171 171 173 173 153 153 188 188 89 95 89 89 111 Kurand 1033a a 108 108 194 217 182 182 220 220 136 154 171 171 153 173 153 153 173 188 89 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1033b a 108 108 194 217 182 182 220 220 136 154 171 171 153 173 153 153 173 188 89 95 89 89 111 Kurand 1033c a 108 108 194 194 182 182 220 220 136 154 171 171 153 173 153 153 173 188 89 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1033d a 108 108 194 194 182 182 220 220 136 154 171 171 153 173 153 153 173 188 89 95 89 89 111 Kurand 1044 a 108 108 183 194 182 182 182 194 136 154 171 171 153 153 153 153 188 188 95 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1045 a 108 108 172 183 173 173 173 173 136 154 171 171 153 173 153 153 188 188 95 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1046a a 108 108 172 194 173 173 173 173 136 154 171 171 153 173 153 153 188 188 89 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1046b a 108 108 172 194 173 173 173 173 136 154 171 171 153 173 153 153 188 188 89 95 89 89 111 Kurand 1047a a 108 108 183 194 182 182 182 182 136 154 171 171 173 173 153 153 188 188 95 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1047b a 108 108 183 194 182 182 182 182 136 154 171 171 173 173 153 153 188 188 89 95 89 111 111 Kurand 1048 a 108 108 183 194 173 182 182 194 136 154 171 171 173 173 153 153 188 188 95 95 89 111 111 Kurand

Population Estimation at Kuranda • Maximum Likelihood Estimation • Estimated population size – 8 individuals (95%CI 6-16) – c. 6km 2

PURPOSE, INTENT, SCOPE OF RESEARCH Maintain flying-fox monitoring i) continue to provide up to date data for flying-fox management, ii) contribute to the development of an effective national approach to monitoring of flying-foxes, and iii) Determinants of spatial dynamics and risk • Conduct monthly surveys of the spectacled flying-fox population in the Wet Tropics Region: • Determine the size and spatial distribution of the population • Determine trends in abundance with an estimate of confidence • Analyses of this long-term data to examine determinants of spatial dynamics

SFF camps – Jan 2011 – Apr 2012 Spectacled Flying-fox Monitoring counted population 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000 50,000 0 Mar 04 Jul 04 Nov 04 Mar 05 Jul 05 Nov 05 Mar 06 Jul 06 Nov 06 Mar 07 Jul 07 Nov 07 Mar 08 Jul 08 Nov 08 Date Mar 09 Jul 09 Nov 09 p = 0.0841; r 2 = 0.3271 y = 1.1021E6 - 23.1615*x, Mar 10 Jul 10 Nov 10 Mar 11 Jul 11 Nov 11 Mar 12 Jul 12 Nov 12 Mar 13 Jul 13 Nov 13 Mar 14

An inconvenient truth - the population is urbanising r p =0.64, p<0.01, n=15 r p =0.69, p<0.005, n=15 24 100 23 22 21 20 90 % of population 19 18 # Urban Camps 17 Percentage 80 16 15 14 13 70 12 11 10 9 60 8 7 6 18 18 14 12 13 13 20 18 31 20 17 14 22 26 17 5 50 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 Year Year

Why? • Is it just chance? – Camps are closer to urban areas than expected by chance (Z = 33.26, p < 0.0001) – Camps are in locations which are more fragmented than expected (MPA, ED, PD, p<0.05) • Have urban areas encroached on camps? – No change in extent of urban cover near camps (Mann-Whitney U test, Z = 0.31, p = 0.76) • Have individual camps shifted closer to urban areas? – No change in camp locations – No change in the sub-set of camps occupied • Have landscape modifications forced a shift? – No change in the structure of the landscape around camps (MPA, PD, ED, p>0.05)

Other hypotheses for urbanisation • Other hypotheses include – Predation – Preferred environments – Resource availability – Habitat structure – Navigation – Refuge

This isn’t a new problem Reported organised shoots – Charters Towers 1916, 1927, 1935 – Tolga Scrub 1932 (‘mutilating’ the scrub) – Midgenoo and Mareeba 1937 – Cooktown 1939, 1940 (back in 1946) – Mirriwinni refused a permit 1941 – Pt Douglas refused ammunition in 1953 Clear that shooting to move camps was not uncommon and probably mostly unreported