Small Mammals and Habitat Disturbance in Open Forest of Coastal New-South-Wales .1. Population Parameters

Kemper, CM

doi:10.1071/wr9900195

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…M. domesticus is able to overcome the competitive superiority of P. novaehollandiae only by sheer numbers. However, these highdensity or plague conditions are often reported during post-fire succession, particularly after high rainfall (Leonard 1972;Recher et al 1974Recher et al , 1975Christensen and Kimber 1975;Newsome et al 1975;Friend 1979;Fox and McKay 1981;Fox 1982Fox , 1983Lunney and Ashby 1987;Kemper 1990;Wilson et al 1990), and as such could have a detrimental effect on the recovery of P. novaehollandiae and other native species after fire.…”

Section: Impact 3: Increased Competitionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…The population increases of P. albocinereus (Bamford 1985), P. gracilicaudatus (Fox 1981), P. novaehollandiae (Kemper 1977;Fox 1981Fox , 1982Wilson et al 1990), P. desertor (Masters 1993;Reid et al 1993), P. hermannsburgensis (Masters 1993;Reid et al 1993), R. fuscipes (Leonard 1972;Christensen and Kimber 1975;Heislers 1980;Fox 1982;Thompson 1983;King 1985;Lunney and Ashby 1987;Wilson et al 1990) R. lutreolus Catling 1986;Wilson et al 1990;Humphries and Tolhurst 1992), R. tunneyi (White 1992), Notomys alexis (Masters 1993;Reid et al 1993) and M. domesticus (Christensen and Kimber 1975;Fox 1981Fox , 1982Bamford 1985;Kemper 1990;Masters 1993;Reid et al 1993), have all been correlated with vegetative regrowth over time since fire. Until recently, however, there has been little experimental evidence to demonstrate that these correlations reflect causal mechanisms of recovery.…”

Section: Covermentioning

confidence: 95%

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Mechanisms of recovery after fire by rodents in the Australian environment: a review

Sutherland¹,

Dickman²

1999

Wildl. Res.

136

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Possible impacts and mechanisms of response by Australian rodents to fire are identified and discussed in relation to the literature. Although there is considerable information on patterns of population response, there is little concerning the effect of fire on individual behaviour, mortality, or interactions at the community level. The evidence that links observed responses of rodents to habitat variables is largely correlative, and theories on mechanisms of recovery are often simplified or speculative. Experimental manipulations of resources, competitive interactions and predation rates are proposed as the best way to clarify which factors are most influential upon individuals, populations and communities in the post-fire environment.

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Section: Impact 3: Increased Competitionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Covermentioning

confidence: 95%

Mechanisms of recovery after fire by rodents in the Australian environment: a review

Sutherland¹,

Dickman²

1999

Wildl. Res.

136

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“…Although this study was not focused on P. novaehollandiae and M. domesticus , which are found predominantly in dry heath, they played an interesting role in this experiment so that information about them should also be reviewed. Pseudomys novaehollandiae is often associated with microhabitats of high floristic diversity which is largely a function of its granivorous diet and recolonization of heath following disturbance in the early or middle seral stages is typical of this species (Fox & Fox 1978; Kemper 1990), abundance increases with regeneration age over this period. This is likely to be a function of its habitat requirements as the species has previously shown a positive association with vegetation density in the low shrub layer in regenerating heath (Fox & Fox 1978) and regenerating open forest (Fox & Fox 1984).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental manipulation of habitat structure: a retrogression of the small mammal succession

Fox

Taylor

Thompson

2003

Journal of Animal Ecology

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Summary1. The habitat accommodation model for animal succession proposed that animal species enter a succession when changes in the vegetation succession reach a threshold of habitat suitable to that species. As the vegetation succession moves on, the habitat becomes less suited to that species and it is competitively excluded by species better suited to the habitat. 2. The main species in the mammalian succession following fire for wet heath in eastern Australia are rodents, with Pseudomys gracilicaudatus (eastern chestnut mouse) being followed by Rattus lutreolus (swamp rat) which becomes dominant with increasing time since fire. The abundance of both species has been shown to correlate with vegetation density, but in markedly different ways, and asymmetric interspecific competition has been demonstrated using controlled, replicated removal experiments in the field. 3. We used this system to examine if vegetation density is causal, manipulating the habitat by clipping to remove 60-70% of the vegetative cover from the 10 m × 10 m area surrounding each of six trapping stations on each grid. There were four experimental plots clipped, each with two abutting grids, one clipped and one unclipped, and a further four control plots each with two abutting grids that remained undisturbed. 4. We monitored the effects on each species with three censuses in January 1993 (summer) before clipping in early February, and on five further censuses, three in February (late summer) to assess immediate, short-term effects, one in August (winter) and one in December 1993 (early summer). 5. The abundance of Rattus lutreolus was significantly reduced by clipping the vegetation, while the abundance of Pseudomys gracilicaudatus remained relatively unchanged by the clipping. 6. Two species that are abundant on early succession stages in dry heath succession, but occurred at very low abundance on these wet heath habitats before clipping, P. novaehollandiae (New Holland mouse) and Mus domesticus (house mouse), showed marked increases in abundance on clipped and control plots soon after clipping. 7. An abundance index based on the standardized difference between clipped and control plots, was used to assess responses to habitat manipulation. Rattus lutreolus demonstrated significant negative index values, Pseudomys gracilicaudatus had index values close to zero until the winter census, P. novaehollandiae and Mus domesticus showed positive abundance indices soon after clipping. The order of significant responses to the habitat manipulation was revealed as: Mus domesticus → Pseudomys novaehollandiae → P. gracilicaudatus → Rattus lutreolus . 8. The impact of a habitat manipulation experiment on these four species of rodents produced a retrogression of the small-mammal succession. This demonstrated a causal role for vegetation density, which provided insight into the mechanisms that operate during the succession following fire, and supported the habitat accommodation model for animal succession.

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“…In the eastern Otways, Victoria, the species preferred vegetation of high floristic diversity, and within this vegetation it preferred areas of denser cover in low vegetation layers (Wilson 1991). The species has been shown to increase in abundance as vegetation regenerates after wildfire or sand-mining, and reaches maximum abundance between 2 -6 years (Kemper 1977(Kemper , 1990Fox 1978, 1984;Fox and McKay 1981;Fox 1982;Twigg et al 1989;Wilson 1991Wilson , 1996bWilson et al 1990, Lock andWilson 1999). These responses of P.…”

Section: Thementioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat characteristics for New Holland mouse Pseudomys novaehollandiae in Victoria

Wilson¹,

Laidlaw²

2003

Aust. Mammalogy

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Pseudomys novaehollandiae is 'Endangered' in Victoria, where it is presently considered to be extant at only three localities Loch Sport, Providence Ponds, and Wilsons Promontory. This study aimed to determine indicators of suitable habitat for the species that could assist in identifying potential habitat and sites for planned re-introductions as part of a recovery program. Vegetation and site data (soils, topography, rainfall, fire age-time since fire) were assessed at localities where P. novaehollandiae was recorded. The species occurred in five structural vegetation groups -open-forest, woodland, heathland, shrubland, grassland, with the most common being open-forest and woodland. Grassland and shrubland were restricted to coastal sand-dunes in south Gippsland. Understorey vegetation at most sites was dominated by sclerophyllous shrubs ranging in cover from 10 -70%. Classification of quadrats produced eight floristic groups in which the trend was for quadrats to cluster according to geographical location. Ordination confirmed the classification pattern and vector-fitting produced significant correlations between vector points and five variables: species richness, latitude, longitude, fire age and annual rainfall. The study identified a range of vegetation communities where P. novaehollandiae occurs and provided evidence that the species is not restricted to floristically rich and diverse heathlands. The findings can be used to determine further localities with suitable habitat. However, factors other than vegetation are also likely to be important in predicting suitable habitat.Key words: Pseudomys novaehollandiae, New Holland mouse, habitat, Victoria, vegetation structure. (Keith and Calaby 1968; Mahoney and Marlow 1968;Seebeck and Beste 1970;Posamentier and Recher 1974;Hocking 1980). Recently, however, it has also been found at sites up to 100 km inland at altitudes of 550 -900 m in Queensland and NSW (Read 1988; Townley 1993;Van Dyck and Lawrie 1997). P. novaehollandiae occurs in a variety of habitats including heathland and woodland (Posamentier and Recher 1974;Kemper 1977;Braithwaite and Gullan 1978;Hocking 1980;Pye 1991), dry sclerophyll forest with a dense shrub layer (Keith and Calaby 1968;Seebeck and Beste 1970;Fox and McKay 1981) and on vegetated sand dunes (Keith and Calaby 1968;Fox and Fox 1978;Cockburn 1980;Pye 1991). B.A. Wilson, School of Ecology and EnvironmentalThe microhabitat preferences of P. novaehollandiae have been found to be influenced by vegetation floristics and structure, and soil characteristics. Studies undertaken in NSW in coastal heath and open-forest regenerating after sand-mining found that the biomass of the species was highly correlated with the proportion of heath species, vegetation cover below 50 cm and softer substrates Fox 1978, 1984). At Cranbourne in Victoria, Braithwaite and Gullan (1978) found that floristic variables explained more of the habitat preferences of P. novaehollandiae than structural variables. In the eastern Otways, Victoria, the species preferred...

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Small Mammals and Habitat Disturbance in Open Forest of Coastal New-South-Wales .1. Population Parameters

Cited by 15 publications

References 26 publications

Mechanisms of recovery after fire by rodents in the Australian environment: a review

Mechanisms of recovery after fire by rodents in the Australian environment: a review

Experimental manipulation of habitat structure: a retrogression of the small mammal succession

Habitat characteristics for New Holland mouse Pseudomys novaehollandiae in Victoria

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