Fire is a key element in the landscape-scale habitat requirements and global population status of a threatened bird: The Mallee Emu-wren (Stipiturus mallee)

Brown, Sarah K.; Clarke, Michael F.; Clarke, Rohan H.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2008.11.005

Cited by 60 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Brown et al 2009), there is little evidence that TSF alone is strongly related to faunal community structure, or to the distribution and abundance of individual species. For example, Monamy and Fox (2000) showed that post-fire recolonization rates of swamp rats (R. lutreolus) and eastern chestnut mice (P. gracilicaudatus) were related to vegetation structure rather than TSF.…”

Section: Tsf As a Surrogate For Species Abundance And Occupancymentioning

confidence: 96%

Fire, landscape change and models of small mammal habitat suitability at multiple spatial scales

et al. 2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fire is an important process in many ecosystems, but inappropriate fire regimes can adversely affect biodiversity. We identified a naturally flammable heathy woodland ecosystem where the use of planned fire had increased the extent of older vegetation, and quantified the abundance of two small native mammals in this landscape (silky mouse Pseudomys apodemoides and heath rat P. shortridgei). We defined four time-since-fire (TSF) categories representing a 2-to 55-year post-fire sequence and, on the basis of a habitat accommodation model, predicted that both species would select younger age-classes over older ones.We also predicted that (i) much of the variance in vegetation structure would remain unexplained by TSF and (ii) statistical models of mammal abundance and occupancy including structural variables as predictors would be better than models including TSF. Pseudomys apodemoides selected 17-to 23-year-old sites, while there was no evidence that P. shortridgei selected a particular TSF category, findings that were inconsistent with our predictions. In line with our predictions, relatively large portions of the variance in vegetation structure remained unexplained by TSF (adjusted r 2 for four structural variables: 0.24, 0.29, 0.35 and 0.57), and in three of four cases there was strong evidence that statistical models of mammal abundance and occupancy including structural variables were better than those including TSF. At the site scale (hectares), P. shortridgei abundance was positively related to the cover of dead material at the base of Xanthorrhoea plants and at the trap scale (metres), the trapability of both species was significantly related to vegetation volume at 0-20 cm. Our findings suggest that TSF may not be a good proxy for either vegetation structure or species abundance/occupancy.

show abstract

Section: Tsf As a Surrogate For Species Abundance And Occupancymentioning

confidence: 96%

Fire, landscape change and models of small mammal habitat suitability at multiple spatial scales

et al. 2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Bottlenecks often drive a loss of genetic diversity and inbreeding that may lead to the accumulation and expression of deleterious alleles, inbreeding depression and the subsequent reduction of population viability [17]–[19]. Changes in the spatial pattern of habitat resulting from fire can also increase the isolation of populations [20] and alter the movement of animals between patches [21], [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Mallee Emu-wren is one of the tiniest members (4–6.5 g) of the family Maluridae, endemic to the semi-arid zone of south-east Australia [20], [29], [30] (Figure 1). This zone encompasses extensive tracts of 'mallee' shrublands dominated by 3–10 m tall Eucalyptus spp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Mallee Emu-wren is a resident habitat specialist and has a patchy distribution. Multi-scale studies of the habitat requirements of this species show that its distribution is strongly influenced by the post-fire age of vegetation, as a consequence of seral changes in the structure of ground-storey spinifex grass ( Triodia scariosa ) on which it depends [20], [31]. In the northern area of its distribution (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Limited Population Structure, Genetic Drift and Bottlenecks Characterise an Endangered Bird Species in a Dynamic, Fire-Prone Ecosystem

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fire is a major disturbance process in many ecosystems world-wide, resulting in spatially and temporally dynamic landscapes. For populations occupying such environments, fire-induced landscape change is likely to influence population processes, and genetic patterns and structure among populations. The Mallee Emu-wren Stipiturus mallee is an endangered passerine whose global distribution is confined to fire-prone, semi-arid mallee shrublands in south-eastern Australia. This species, with poor capacity for dispersal, has undergone a precipitous reduction in distribution and numbers in recent decades. We used genetic analyses of 11 length-variable, nuclear loci to examine population structure and processes within this species, across its global range. Populations of the Mallee Emu-wren exhibited a low to moderate level of genetic diversity, and evidence of bottlenecks and genetic drift. Bayesian clustering methods revealed weak genetic population structure across the species' range. The direct effects of large fires, together with associated changes in the spatial and temporal patterns of suitable habitat, have the potential to cause population bottlenecks, serial local extinctions and subsequent recolonisation, all of which may interact to erode and homogenise genetic diversity in this species. Movement among temporally and spatially shifting habitat, appears to maintain long-term genetic connectivity. A plausible explanation for the observed genetic patterns is that, following extensive fires, recolonisation exceeds in-situ survival as the primary driver of population recovery in this species. These findings suggest that dynamic, fire-dominated landscapes can drive genetic homogenisation of populations of species with low-mobility and specialised habitat that otherwise would be expected to show strongly structured populations. Such effects must be considered when formulating management actions to conserve species in fire-prone systems.

show abstract

“…Therefore, for managers to accurately gauge the potential of resources on a scale appropriate to their use, it is important to understand the processes that influence the ecology of threatened species. For example, the distribution of mallee emu wrens at Murray-Sunset reserve, South Australia, is restricted to discrete habitat patches that have been unburnt for 15 yr (Brown et al 2009). In this situation, managers must allocate species-specific actions, such as disturbance reduction within the isolated occupied patches, while operating large-scale land management, such as wildfire control, over the entire 633 000 ha parkland.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet of a threatened pond frog differs over a small spatial scale

Bower¹,

Pickett²,

Garnham³

et al. 2014

Endang. Species. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Suitability of habitat patches affects demographic processes and consequently influences the viability of populations. In order for managers to consider the potential of resources on a scale appropriate to their use, it is important to understand the processes that influence the ecology of threatened species. Differential growth rates of Litoria aurea (green and golden bell frog) at Sydney Olympic Park, Australia, may be explained by prey availability and diet. We tested: (1) whether food availability differed among precincts at Sydney Olympic Park and (2) whether the diet of L. aurea was influenced by availability of invertebrate prey. Diets were distinct among precincts and reflected the variation in biomass and richness of invertebrate assemblages. Precincts with greater biomass corresponded to areas with faster individual growth rates and greater habitat structure. The differences in diet and individual growth rates of L. aurea among precincts at Sydney Olympic Park demonstrate how caution must be applied to generalising population function, even within a small area.

show abstract

Fire is a key element in the landscape-scale habitat requirements and global population status of a threatened bird: The Mallee Emu-wren (Stipiturus mallee)

Cited by 60 publications

References 23 publications

Fire, landscape change and models of small mammal habitat suitability at multiple spatial scales

Fire, landscape change and models of small mammal habitat suitability at multiple spatial scales

Limited Population Structure, Genetic Drift and Bottlenecks Characterise an Endangered Bird Species in a Dynamic, Fire-Prone Ecosystem

Diet of a threatened pond frog differs over a small spatial scale

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About