Controlling invasive predators enhances the long-term survival of endangered New Zealand long-tailed bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus): Implications for conservation of bats on oceanic islands

O’Donnell, Colin F. J.; Pryde, Moira; Dam‐Bates, Paul van; Elliott, Graeme

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2017.08.015

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Invasive mammalian predators are among the leading causes of global biodiversity decline (Bellard, Genovesi, & Jeschke, 2016;Doherty, Glen, Nimmo, Ritchie, & Dickman, 2016). Understanding the effectiveness of predator control is therefore a key conservation issue across urban and natural landscapes (Bonnell & Breck, 2017;O'Donnell, Pryde, van Dam-Bates, & Elliott, 2017). One of the world's most widespread predators, the red fox Vulpes vulpes, is invasive or overabundant across much of its range (Larivière & Pasitschniak-Arts, 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

FoxNet: An individual‐based model framework to support management of an invasive predator, the red fox

Hradsky

Kelly

Robley

et al. 2019

Journal of Applied Ecology

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1. Invasive predators are a key driver of biodiversity decline, and effective predator management is an important conservation issue globally. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) poses a significant threat to wildlife, livestock and human health across Eurasia, North America and Australia. Despite worldwide investment in red fox management, decision makers still lack flexible tools for predicting control efficacy.2. We have developed FoxNet, a spatially explicit, individual-based model (IBM) framework that can be customised to predict red fox population dynamics, including responses to control and landscape productivity. High-resolution models can be run across northern and southern hemisphere landscapes. We present four case-study models to verify FoxNet outputs, explore key sensitivities and demonstrate the framework's utility as a management planning tool.3. FoxNet models were largely successful in reproducing the demographic structure of two red fox populations in highly contrasting landscapes. They also accurately generated the relationship between home-range size and fox-family density for home-range sizes between 1.0 and 9.6 km 2 , and captured the rapid decline and seasonally driven recovery of a red fox population following poison-baiting.4. An exploration of alternative poison-baiting scenarios for a conservation reserve predicted that current management suppresses red fox density by ~70% and showed that frequent baiting is required to combat recolonisation. Baiting at higher densities or establishing a baited buffer would further reduce red fox density. Predictions were sensitive to home-range and litter size assumptions, illustrating the value of region-specific data on red fox movement and biology. Synthesis and applications.We have developed a versatile individual-based model framework to guide management of the red fox, a globally significant invasive predator. Our framework, FoxNet, can be customised to generate realistic predictions of red fox population dynamics in diverse landscapes, making it immediately applicable to the design and optimisation of predator control programmes at scales relevant to management. Future extensions could explore competitor and prey responses to red fox control and the effects of habitat disturbance on predator population dynamics.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

FoxNet: An individual‐based model framework to support management of an invasive predator, the red fox

Hradsky

Kelly

Robley

et al. 2019

Journal of Applied Ecology

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“…1). This site was suitable for the experiment because both species occur sympatrically and are relatively common compared to elsewhere in New Zealand because their populations are recovering following a program of controlling exotic predators (Edmonds, et al ., 2017; O'Donnell, et al ., 2017). The site is a U-shaped glaciated valley with steep sides and a flat floor 0.5–2 km wide, at an altitude of 250–550 m above sea level.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The potential pool of bats available for capture was large, with > 4,000 individuals known from the study area. Radio tracking over the years has indicated that all bats fly through the study area multiple times per night (O'Donnell, 2000 a ; Christie and O'Donnell, 2014; Edmonds et al ., 2017; O'Donnell et al ., 2017).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Current methods for obtaining these data for many echolocating forest bat species require the capture of free flying bats using mist nets or harp traps and the use of radio telemetry to subsequently locate their roosts, determine home ranges and to be able to monitor populations (Limpert et al ., 2007; O'Donnell et al ., 2017; Carr et al , 2018). However, oftentimes the process associated with capturing bats for these purposes can involve the major use of field resources, especially in remote areas and where the target species are widely dispersed with low encounter rates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Acoustic Lures Increase the Effectiveness of Catching Rare and Endangered Forest-Edge and Forest-Interior Bats

Davidson-Watts¹,

O’Donnell²

2023

Acta Chiropterologica

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“…In regions where biodiversity is affected by invasive predators, core components of invasive predator control include exclusion, shooting, trapping, and toxicant baiting (O'Donnell et al 2017). Because species recovery is often linked to predator control, assessing the impact of such programs on the anticipated interactions between non-native predators and the species targeted for recovery is crucial for population restoration (Choquenot et al 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contact rates with nesting birds before and after invasive snake removal: estimating the effects of trap-based control

Adams¹,

Nafus²,

Klug³

et al. 2019

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Invasive predators are responsible for almost 60% of all vertebrate extinctions worldwide with the most vulnerable faunas occurring on islands. The brown treesnake (Boigairregularis) is a notorious invasive predator that caused the extirpation or extinction of most native forest birds on Guam. The success of avian reintroduction efforts on Guam will depend on whether snake-control techniques sufficiently reduce contact rates between brown treesnakes and reintroduced birds. Mouse-lure traps can successfully reduce brown treesnake populations at local scales. Over a 22-week period both with and without active snake removal, we evaluated snake-trap contact rates for mouse- and bird-lure traps. Bird-lure traps served as a proxy for reintroduced nesting birds. Overall, mouse-lure traps caught more snakes per trap night than did bird-lure traps. However, cameras revealed that bird-lure traps had a snake contact rate almost 15 times greater than the number of successfully captured snakes. Snakes that entered bird-lure traps tended to be larger and in better body condition and were mostly captured in bird-lure traps, despite numerous adjacent mouse-lure traps. Traps placed along grid edges caught more snakes than interior traps, suggesting continuous immigration into the trapping grid within which bird-lure traps were located. Contact between snakes and bird-lure traps was equivalent before and after snake removal, suggesting mouse-lure traps did not adequately reduce the density of snakes that posed a risk to birds, at least at the timescale of this project. This study provides evidence that some snakes exhibit prey selectivity for live birds over live mouse lures. Reliance on a single control tool and lure may be inadequate for support of avian reintroductions and could lead to unintended harvest-driven trait changes of this invasive predator.

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Controlling invasive predators enhances the long-term survival of endangered New Zealand long-tailed bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus): Implications for conservation of bats on oceanic islands

Cited by 10 publications

References 60 publications

FoxNet: An individual‐based model framework to support management of an invasive predator, the red fox

FoxNet: An individual‐based model framework to support management of an invasive predator, the red fox

Acoustic Lures Increase the Effectiveness of Catching Rare and Endangered Forest-Edge and Forest-Interior Bats

Contact rates with nesting birds before and after invasive snake removal: estimating the effects of trap-based control

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