Monitoring indicates greater resilience for birds than for mammals in Kakadu National Park, northern Australia

Woinarski, John C. Z.; Fisher, A.; Armstrong, M.; Brennan, K. E. C.; Griffiths, Anthony D.; Hill, Brydie M.; Choy, Jenni Low; Milne, D.; Stewart, Alistair; Young, Soogil; Ward, Simon; Winderlich, S.; Ziembicki, Mark

doi:10.1071/wr11213

Cited by 16 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The program has been instrumental at detecting declines in small‐ to medium‐bodied mammals (Woinarski et al. ), but is currently being evaluated to address concerns about its design (e.g., site locations and timing of surveys), and low detectability of many species (Einoder et al. ).…”

Section: Case Study: Three Parks Monitoring Programmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatially explicit power analysis for detecting occupancy trends for multiple species

Southwell

Einoder²,

Lahoz‐Monfort

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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Assessing the statistical power to detect changes in wildlife populations is a crucial yet often overlooked step when designing and evaluating monitoring programs. Here, we developed a simulation framework to perform spatially explicit statistical power analysis of biological monitoring programs for detecting temporal trends in occupancy for multiple species. Using raster layers representing the spatial variation in current occupancy and species‐level detectability for one or multiple observation methods, our framework simulates changes in occupancy over space and time, with the capacity to explicitly model stochastic disturbances at monitoring sites (i.e., dynamic landscapes). Once users specify the number and location of sites, the frequency and duration of surveys, and the type of detection method(s) for each species, our framework estimates power to detect occupancy trends, both across the landscape and/or within nested management units. As a case study, we evaluated the power of a long‐term monitoring program to detect trends in occupancy for 136 species (83 birds, 33 reptiles, and 20 mammals) across and within Kakadu, Litchfield, and Nitmiluk National Parks in northern Australia. We assumed continuation of an original monitoring design implemented since 1996, with the addition of camera trapping. As expected, power to detect trends was sensitive to the direction and magnitude of the change in occupancy, detectability, initial occupancy levels, and the rarity of species. Our simulations suggest that monitoring has at least an 80% chance at detecting a 50% decline in occupancy for 22% of the modeled species across the three parks over the next 15 yr. Monitoring is more likely to detect increasing occupancy trends, with at least an 80% chance at detecting a 50% increase in 87% of species. The addition of camera‐trapping increased average power to detect a 50% decline in mammals compared with using only live trapping by 63%. We provide a flexible tool that can help decision‐makers design and evaluate monitoring programs for hundreds of species at a time in a range of ecological settings, while explicitly considering the distribution of species and alternative sampling methods.

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Section: Case Study: Three Parks Monitoring Programmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatially explicit power analysis for detecting occupancy trends for multiple species

Southwell

Einoder²,

Lahoz‐Monfort

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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“…The sharper response of mammals to fire compared with birds has been shown by coincident sampling of birds and mammals after single fires (Legge et al 2008) and across multiple fire events (Woinarski et al 2012). Detailed autecological studies of some species of mammal has allowed for population viability modelling that predicts the most marked declines (to at least local extinction) for regimes of frequent or high-intensity fires and least decline in regimes characterised by less fire and smaller, patchier fires (Pardon et al 2003;Firth et al 2010).…”

Section: Fire and Other Fauna In Australian Tropical Savannasmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On Cape York Peninsula, Perry et al (2011b) used a study design broadly similar to that of Woinarski et al (2004bWoinarski et al ( , 2012 at Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks (above), with a large set of plots sampled initially in 2000 and re-sampled in 2008. Fire was an important component in the explanatory models for four species that declined significantly over this period but for only two species was this relationship clearly directional.…”

Section: Modes Of Research On Fire and Birdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Three bird species (all grassdwellers) were 'overwhelmingly recorded' in unburnt sites, and four species (none of them grass-dwellers) were more abundant in burnt sites. Woinarski et al (2004bWoinarski et al ( , 2012 sampled birds at many sites in Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks, re-sampled the same sites in the same manner 5-8 years after initial sampling, and then related change in abundance at each site to the fire history of the sites in the intervening period. At Litchfield, of 44 bird species considered, the change in abundance of 10 species was related significantly to fire history.…”

Section: Modes Of Research On Fire and Birdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In all cases, increases in the frequency and scale of fire, especially highintensity fire, are associated with declines or changes in behaviour that are expected to lead to decline. All three northern grasswrens are sensitive to the availability of mature spinifex, in which they live, shelter, forage, and nest (Noske 1992;Woinarski et al 2007bWoinarski et al , 2012Cawardine et al 2011). Extensive surveys have shown that Carpentarian Grasswrens are more likely to occur in old-growth spinifex rather than frequently or recently burnt areas, and to occur in landscapes with physical features that reduce the spread of fire, such as large areas of rock, high densities of gullies and areas distant from roads, from which most fires are lit (Harrington et al 2011;Perry et al 2011a).…”

Section: Grass-dwellersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The impacts of fire on birds in Australia's tropical savannas

Woinarski

Legge

2013

Emu - Austral Ornithology

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Abstract. The ecology of Australia's tropical savannas is shaped by the near-pervasive influence of fire. Constituting 20% of Australia's land area, tropical savannas contribute >75% of the area burnt in Australia each year. Across most of Australia's tropical savannas, components of biodiversity are declining, including many species of birds. This review seeks to assess whether that decline is linked to current fire regimes. However, relevant studies are few, short-term and opportunistic, and indicate rather than demonstrate the effects of fire. There is no set of agreed paradigms for contextualising the relationship between birds and fire regimes in this region or for any management consequences. We conclude that the current fire regime is suboptimal for many species of birds, particularly for granivores, frugivores, hollow-dependent species and those that nest on or near the ground. For conservation reserves, we recommend that fire management protocols include the explicit targets that: (1) at least 25% of the savanna landscape is at least 3 years unburnt; (2) at least 5% is at least 10 years unburnt; (3) fire-sensitive non-savanna vegetation types are increasing or stable and (4) populations of selected hollownesting, ground-nesting, frugivorous and granivorous birds are increasing or stable. We also identify key knowledge gaps that currently inhibit conservation management.

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Historical perspectives on invasive grasses and their impact on wildlife in Australia

Cook

Grice

2013

Wildl. Soc. Bull.

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In recent years, there have been declines of varying severity in many vertebrate species across much of the sparsely populated savannas of northern Australia, and adding to the dismal record of extinctions from arid and semi‐arid central Australia since European colonization. It is likely that multiple factors are responsible for the current wave of extinctions, but they are occurring in areas of sparse human population in extensive, seemingly unmodified landscapes. Habitat change is one likely contributing factor, with invasive exotic grasses an important component in some regions. Historically, conservation of native vertebrates has been poor in Australia, with many species being considered vermin under legislation. As late as the 1960s much scientific research was aimed at controlling species that are now considered threatened under legislation. Through the 20th century substantial efforts to introduce exotic pasture species saw the introduction for trial of twice as many species of grasses and legumes as occur naturally on the whole Australian continent. The legacy of these programs is the spread of grasses that, through a range of processes, lead to simplification of floristic structure and reduction in plant species diversity and habitat suitability for many native mammals. Management of these invasive species should focus on preventing their spread into and establishment in new regions, and controlling them where they are established. State and transition models may provide a framework for considering the management and environmental triggers that could lead to re‐establishment of native grasses. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.

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Monitoring indicates greater resilience for birds than for mammals in Kakadu National Park, northern Australia

Cited by 16 publications

References 37 publications

Spatially explicit power analysis for detecting occupancy trends for multiple species

Spatially explicit power analysis for detecting occupancy trends for multiple species

The impacts of fire on birds in Australia's tropical savannas

Historical perspectives on invasive grasses and their impact on wildlife in Australia

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