Reptile and frog utilisation of rehabilitated bauxite minesites and dieback-affected sites in Western Australia's Jarrah Eucalyptus marginata forest

Nichols, O.G.; Bamford, Michael J.

doi:10.1016/0006-3207(85)90094-1

Cited by 40 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…The significant alterations to habitat and floristics associated with P. cinnamomi dieback have been predicted to substantially affect fauna through changes to important resources, such as food and nesting sites (Garkaklis et al, 2004;Wilson et al, 1994). Studies in southern Australia have tended to support these predictions, with declines in species richness and abundance of faunal communities recorded in areas with P. cinnamomi dieback (Armstrong and Nichols, 2000;Laidlaw and Wilson, 2006;Nichols and Bamford, 1985;Nichols and Burrows, 1985;Wilson et al, 1994), primarily due to changes in habitat structure. The negative effects of P. cinnamomi-induced floristic changes on faunal communities are likely to be significant given the wide range of plant species that are susceptible to P. cinnamomi (Garkaklis et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

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Impact of Phytophthora-dieback on birds in Banksia woodlands in south west Western Australia

Davis

Valentine

Craig

et al. 2014

Biological Conservation

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Invasive plant pathogens have impacted forest and woodland systems globally and can negatively impact biodiversity. The soil-borne plant pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi is listed as one of the world's worst invasive species and alters plant community composition and habitat structure. Few studies have examined how these Phytophthora-induced habitat changes affect faunal communities.We examined bird communities in Banksia woodland with, and without, Phytophthora dieback in a biodiversity hotspot, southwestern Australia. Seven sites along dieback fronts, with paired 1-ha plots in diseased and healthy vegetation, were surveyed monthly for birds over seven months. Vegetation assessments showed that diseased sites had reduced plant species richness, litter, shrub, tree and canopy cover, high bare ground and significantly lower flowering scores, than healthy sites. Bird community composition differed significantly between diseased and healthy sites, although total bird abundance, total species richness and foraging guilds, did not. Average species richness of birds per survey and the abundance of brown honeyeaters, western spinebills and silvereyes was lower in diseased than healthy sites. The tawny-crowned honeyeater had higher abundances in diseased sites.Similarity matrices of habitat structure, flowering scores and bird assemblages were congruent, indicating that habitat structural differences were influencing bird community composition. Our results suggest that this pathogen is potentially a serious threat to avian biodiversity and especially for nectarivores, and populations in fragmented landscapes. Since elimination of the pathogen is not currently possible, management should focus on methods of preventing its spread until techniques to eliminate the pathogen are developed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Similarly, the limited amount of research on the responses of other fauna to Phytophthora indicates that species richness is often reduced in diseased areas e.g. invertebrates (Nichols and Burrows, 1985); reptiles and frogs (Nichols and Bamford, 1985).…”

Section: Does P Cinnamomi Dieback Change Bird Community Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Phytophthora-dieback on birds in Banksia woodlands in south west Western Australia

Davis

Valentine

Craig

et al. 2014

Biological Conservation

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“…The limited information on the impact of dieback on vertebrates has been reviewed by Nichols and Muir (1989). Nichols and Watkins (1984) and Nichols and Bamford (1985) showed that a site severely affected by dieback had different fauna to a healthy forest site. For example, reptiles characteristic of open areas such as Pogona minor and Cryptoblepharus plagiocephalus were more common, while species requiring litter and shade (e.g., Lerista distinguenda) were less common in the sites severely affected by dieback.…”

Section: Diebackmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Alcoa'a fauna research commenced in 1979 to determine what species use rehabilitated minesites, what species are absent, and identifying rare species, either in rehabilitated sites or unmined forest. Early studies recorded presence or absence and included surveys of birds (Nichols and Watkins 1984), mammals (Kabay and Nichols 1980;Cerati 1981), reptiles (Nichols and Bamford 1985), as well as ants (Majer 1980), termites (Bunn 1983), collembola and arachnids. In all of these studies, forest control plots were also established.…”

Section: Rehabilitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest wildlife and habitat management in southwestern Australia: knowledge, research and direction

Wardell‐Johnson¹,

Nichols²

1991

Conservation of Australia’s Forest Fauna

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BfffA review is provided of research concerning forest wildlife and habitat management in southwestem Australia. We divide the research into biogeography, fauna and disturbance ecology. ^ Many community studies have been earned out in the Darling Botanical District but no attempt 1 has yet been made to define the overall pattern of any group of biota in that district or any of L the four subdistricts of the area. Methods to assess the extent of representation of species and assemblages in the reserve system are reviewed and will require adoption as land-use demands on the forests continue to intensify.Studies on fauna have concentrated on vulnerable and rare species, especially mammals, and some are the subject of detailed management programmes that have attracted funding and provided focus for research and management effort Habitat requirements and factors influencing distributions of many species remain poorly understood.Most research in the Darling District has been directed to disturbance ecology including mining, logging, fire and plant disease. Rehabilitation following bauxite mining and the dynamics and management of dieback disease caused by Phytophthora dnnamomi in the jarrah forest has been studied in considerable detail. Apart from clearing for agriculture, plant diseases caused by Phytophthora spp. pose the greatest threat to plant and animal communities of the Darling District Process understanding remains inadequate to predict responses following disturbance and integrated studies on the response of the biota to disturbance will be necessary to allow the development of predictive models. Funding for an expanded programme of research on the impacts of exploitation on forest wildlife should come from relevant forest-based industries.

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“…The disappearance of the Gastric Brooding Frog Rheobatrachus silw coincides with logging and gold mining activity upstream of its main habitat (Tyler and Davies 1985). Dam building and flooding lowlands (Plowman 1991), mining activity (Nichols and Bamford 1985) and urbanization (Ferraro and Burgin 1993b) have been cited as factors in reducing frog populations. In these examples, the reductions result not from the destruction of the animals directly but of a vital part of their habitat.…”

Section: A Hypothesis For the Declinementioning

confidence: 99%

Disappearing frogs

White¹

1995

Australian Zoologist

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Public attention was aroused in 1989 to a world-wide phenomena involving the decline of frog species. Since then herpetologists around the world have begun to document the nature and scope of these declines. In Australia. two froa sDecies lRheobairachus silus and Taudactvlus diurnisl =Dear to have become recentlv ekinct, &other two mav be facino imminent extinction (~auba~ivlus " errngellensts Tabaacryrus rheoph~l~.~) wn le a nLmber of olner spec es (nc udlng Uorra casranea. Lllona nyakalensls and Rheobanacnus vrlel1,nus) appear lhkely lo become exttnct In !he near futdre In aaalt on variods lrog popLlatlons are fac~ng oca extmctlons w tnln s-bslanl~al pans of the~r range

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Reptile and frog utilisation of rehabilitated bauxite minesites and dieback-affected sites in Western Australia's Jarrah Eucalyptus marginata forest

Cited by 40 publications

References 12 publications

Impact of Phytophthora-dieback on birds in Banksia woodlands in south west Western Australia

Impact of Phytophthora-dieback on birds in Banksia woodlands in south west Western Australia

Forest wildlife and habitat management in southwestern Australia: knowledge, research and direction

Disappearing frogs

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