Novel Conservation Strategies to Conserve Australian Marsupials

Legge, Sarah; Hayward, Matt; Weeks, Andrew R.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-88800-8_56-1

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 120 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…17 out of ~ 176 species of native marsupials in the last 200 years(Legge, Hayward, et al, 2023;Woinarski et al, 2015). By contrast, not one of the ~ 130 New World marsupial species has gone extinct over the same period(Martin et al, 2022).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Today, there are an additional 45 Australian marsupials (~ 30% of extant species) listed as threatened in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List (iucnredlist.org) and/or under Australian legislation (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999). Many of these species now only occur in small (< 1000 individuals) and isolated populations occupying < 10% of their former geographic ranges(Legge, Hayward, et al, 2023;…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Developing demo-genetic models to simulate genetic rescue

Beaman,

Gates,

Saltré

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Genetic rescue is now a serious management consideration for protecting small and isolated populations from the negative effects of inbreeding and genetic drift on genetic diversity and population viability. However, such populations might be already vulnerable to random fluctuations in growth rates (demographic stochasticity). Therefore, the success of genetic rescue depends not only on the genetic composition of the source and target populations, but also on the emergent outcome of interacting demographic processes and other stochastic events. Developing predictive models that account for feedback between demographic and genetic processes ('demo-genetic feedback') is therefore necessary to guide genetic-rescue interventions that potentially minimise the risk of extinction of threatened populations. We review the available software and explore how they could be used to develop practical simulations that incorporate demo-genetic feedback to plan and implement scenarios of genetic rescue. We then present a summary of a literature search of available genetic data using Australian threatened marsupials as a case study. We conclude with a guided approach for making model-based decisions on implementing genetic rescue.

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing demo-genetic models to simulate genetic rescue

Beaman,

Gates,

Saltré

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Insuring woylies (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi) against extinction: establishment of Perup Sanctuary

Harrison,

Thorn,

Maxwell

et al. 2024

Wildlife Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Context Predator free havens are increasingly relied upon to preserve populations of imperilled species, yet despite their substantial cost, the success of these ventures is rarely critically evaluated. Aims Based on 12 years of population monitoring data, we report on the translocation of woylies (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi) to Perup Sanctuary, a 423 ha predator-free haven in the south west of Western Australia. Methods We built spatially explicit capture–recapture models to estimate population density, population growth rates, and survivorship of woylies inside the sanctuary. Using these estimates, and additional demographic information, we aimed to show key drivers of population density, evaluate the establishment of the sanctuary population against predetermined translocation success criteria, and run simulations of different sampling designs to determine a robust sampling design for future monitoring of this population. Key results The population rapidly increased in the first 3 years (2010–2013), and then fluctuated around a density of ~0.9 woylies ha−1 before declining slightly in recent years to ~0.6 woylies ha−1. All translocation success criteria evaluated were met. The previous 3 months’ rainfall was a key driver of population density and body weight declined over time, indicating that the population may be regulated by food resources. Conclusions Woylies have established and persisted in Perup Sanctuary, and against the criteria, the translocation of woylies into Perup sanctuary is a success. Harvests from this population appear to have been sustainable. We discuss these findings in the context of the Perup Sanctuary, and recommend ongoing monitoring continue to ensure that the population remains viable and well managed. Implications We describe important considerations for the supplementation and harvest of fenced populations, including: the source of animals (selecting free-living individuals over captive ones); the timing of release (releasing more individuals early on may improve establishment probabilities); and rates of harvest (<30% of adults harvested per generation seemeded to be sustainable for woylies in this case). The results from this study can inform the ongoing management of this and other havened populations, to ensure they continue to benefit mammal conservation.

show abstract

Novel Conservation Strategies to Conserve Australian Marsupials

Cited by 2 publications

References 120 publications

Developing demo-genetic models to simulate genetic rescue

Developing demo-genetic models to simulate genetic rescue

Insuring woylies (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi) against extinction: establishment of Perup Sanctuary

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About