A conceptual framework for habitat use and research priorities for the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) in the north of Western Australia

Abstract

Little is known of the area of occupancy, extent of occurrence, abundance, density or habitat use of the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) in the north of Western Australia. To seek broad collaborative agreement on a research agenda, the Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife hosted a workshop where research priorities were identified through a facilitated process. Five key areas for future research effort were identified: (1) refine survey methods, (2) improve understanding of habitat use, (3) improve understanding of the genetic structure of (meta)populations, (4) improve understanding of the threat posed by introduced predators and herbivores, and (5) improve understanding of how fire regimes affect bilby conservation. A conceptual model describing the main landscape components thought to be influencing distribution is used to reconcile existing knowledge, link research priorities for the bilby in the north of Western Australia, and guide the development of an integrated program of research. The broad nature of the priorities reflects the limited knowledge of bilbies in the north of the state; however, this research program provides an opportunity to increase knowledge to enact both species- and ecosystem-focused approaches to conservation, and potentially contributes towards the implementation of more dynamic conservation approaches for mobile species.

Monitoring the Abundance of Wild and Reintroduced Bilby Populations

“…The greater bilby ( Macrotis lagotis ; bilby) is a threatened, elusive, burrowing marsupial with dispersed populations in remote areas of arid northern Australia (Bradley et al 2015, Cramer et al 2017). Despite a number of studies focusing on occupancy (Southgate et al 2019) and mapping areas where bilbies are present (Southgate 1990, Bradley et al 2015, Dziminski et al 2020), no efficient and reliable method to monitor their abundance has been implemented.…”

“…Despite a number of studies focusing on occupancy (Southgate et al 2019) and mapping areas where bilbies are present (Southgate 1990, Bradley et al 2015, Dziminski et al 2020), no efficient and reliable method to monitor their abundance has been implemented. Refining survey and monitoring techniques is a research priority for the conservation of this species (Woinarski et al 2014, Bradley et al 2015, Cramer et al 2017) and unbiased data are required to correctly determine its conservation status (International Union for Conservation of Nature [IUCN] 2012) or to assess the response of a population to management actions (Lyons et al 2008).…”

Feral Cats in the Subtropics of Australia—The Shamrock Station Irrigation Project

“…Bilbies now only occur in approximately 20% of their former range [23] and are listed nationally as vulnerable [24]. Predation by introduced predators is thought to be the primary threat for the bilby, with wildfire [20] and pastoralism [25] being landscape-scale factors also affecting bilby range and prevalence [26].…”

Including indigenous knowledge in species distribution modeling for increased ecological insights

“…The recovery of the mankarr is challenged by limited understanding of its current extent of occurrence and abundance and location of habitat (Cramer et al 2016) across the remote and expansive Aboriginal lands, where extant populations chiefly occur. Species distribution models (SDMs) offer methods to identify environmental correlates of occurrence to predict species distribution (Guisan & Thuiller 2005;Elith & Leathwick 2009) knowledge can be applied in ecological modeling to fill survey gaps or provide novel insights (Bélisle et al 2018).…”