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

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

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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

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3.4 Monitoring of key vertebrate species

David Westcott CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences

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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
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Cassowary Surveys

  • C. 500km of transects walked
  • Low detection rates
  • High variability - twice each year
  • ver 3 years

Oct-Nov 2013 survey results

  • 101 fresh dungs
  • 15 feathers
  • 810 old dungs
  • 82 tracks
  • 11 sightings
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SLIDE 4

1988 2012

  • Distribution of cassowary

encounter through the Wet Tropics

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SLIDE 5

1) Walk tracks 2) Collect dung 3) Extract DNA

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

4) DNA Fingerprinting 5) Identify & sex individuals

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  • Maximum Likelihood

Estimation

  • Estimated population size

– 8 individuals (95%CI 6-16) – c. 6km2

Population Estimation at Kuranda

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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

PURPOSE, INTENT, SCOPE OF RESEARCH

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Spectacled Flying-fox Monitoring

SFF camps – Jan 2011 – Apr 2012

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 Mar 09 Jul 09 Nov 09 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 Date 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000 counted population

y = 1.1021E6 - 23.1615*x, p = 0.0841; r2 = 0.3271

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An inconvenient truth - the population is urbanising

1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

Year

50 60 70 80 90 100

Percentage

1 9 9 8 1 9 9 9 2 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 3

Year

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

# Urban Camps

18 18 31 20 14 22 17 14 26 17 13 20 13 12 18

% of population rp=0.64, p<0.01, n=15 rp=0.69, p<0.005, n=15

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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)

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Other hypotheses for urbanisation

  • Other hypotheses include

– Predation – Preferred environments – Resource availability – Habitat structure – Navigation – Refuge

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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

This isn’t a new problem

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  • 1915 Cairns experiences a “...severe visitation”
  • 1920 Camp at the mouth of the Barron is a problem
  • 1935 thousands in the city
  • 1944 a camp at Pease and Anderson St
  • 1948 Cairns Post’s Nature Notes reports that

“In bygone years some large camps of flying foxes existed in the vicinity of Cairns - several such camps were located in the mangroves of the Cairns Inlet, Barron River and other places...”

  • 1952 camps at Charles St and Alligator Ck
  • Mangrove reclamation program approved in 1954

Apparently flying-foxes are still an issue in the CBD

Flying-foxes in Cairns

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  • We’ve being getting rid of flying-foxes for a long time,
  • Charters Towers 97 years, Tolga 81 years, Cairns 60 years
  • No evidence any method is particularly effective or cheap
  • 1890 – dispersals ineffective and too expensive (NSW Dept Ag)
  • 1920s - abolition of Flying-fox Destruction Boards (Qld & NSW)
  • 1920s – Commonwealth funded research program (Ratcliffe)
  • This is the same experience that has been had up and down the east coast

since the 1800s (Roberts et al. 2011)

What have we achieved?

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  • Manage the animals – harder, unpredictable
  • Manage the trees – easiest, but outcomes can be undesirable
  • Manage the people – easier…if you can manage the public debate

This all adds up to…

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  • What are the circumstances where moving a camp is appropriate?
  • What sort of camp should be moved?
  • What sort of impact should warrant moving a camp?
  • What are the alternatives?
  • Home modifications, zoning, covered areas,

purchase of properties, planning of tree plantings

  • Who will bear the cost?
  • Council, affected parties
  • Who is responsible for consequences?
  • Council, affected parties

To move or not to move?

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Cairns Regional Council Assessment Matrix

1 2 3 4 5 Score

No: of Bats

<100 100-300 300-500 500-1000 >1000

Dist from houses

>100m 80-100m 50-80m 20-50m <20m

No: of houses impacted

1-3 3-5 5-10 10-15 >15

No Residents impacted

1-5 5-10 10-15 15-20 >20

Setting

Natural area Low Density Residential/indus trial Medium Density Residential/industrial Medium- High Density Residential/i ndustrial High Density Residential/industrial

Noise

Very little noise,

  • ccasional

Some noise, intermittent noticeable, intermittent Loud, for long periods Very loud, continuous

Smell

Weak,

  • ccasional

Weak/medium Medium Medium/Str

  • ng

Very strong continuous

Mess

0-10% coverage 10-20% 20-30% 30-50% >50% coverage

Health

Low risk Low/Med Medium Med/High Very high risk

Impact on Assets

Low Low/Med Medium Med/High Very High

Achievability

Low Low/Med Medium Med/High High

Cost of Action

High Low/Med Medium Med/High Low Total /60

Score >35 Intervention warranted

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Summary

  • Spectacled flying-fox population appears to be stable, at best, possibly

declining

  • Spectacled flying-foxes are urbanising even further

– We still don’t know what it is about us that they like

  • Flying-foxes (SFFs) have been living with us for a long time

– Government & Councils need to think carefully about when and which camps should be moved. – Understanding the drivers underpinning this may provide solutions

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The National Flying-Fox Monitoring Program

David Westcott, Adam McKeown, Helen Murphy, Cameron Fletcher, Jen Parsons, Mellissa Dobbie, Peter Caley & Daniel Heersink

http://www.environment.gov.au/node/16393

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CONTACT Name: David Westcott Organisation: CSIRO, Ecosystems Sciences Phone: (07) 4091 8827 Email: david.westcott@csiro.au

THANK YOU