Effects of Acacia invasion on leaf litter nutrient and soil properties of coastal Kerangas forests in Brunei Darussalam
- Yusoff, Aiman, Tennakoon, Kushan, Jaafar, Salwana, Zaman, Dk, Sukri, Rahayu
- Authors: Yusoff, Aiman , Tennakoon, Kushan , Jaafar, Salwana , Zaman, Dk , Sukri, Rahayu
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientia Bruneiana Vol. 18, no. 1 (2019), p. 1-10
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Exotic Acacia were introduced to Brunei Darussalam in the 1990s for plantation forestry and land rehabilitation but are now regarded as invasive. We assessed the effects of Acacia on litter nutrient composition and soil physicochemical properties of Brunei’s coastal Kerangas (heath) forests. Soil and litter samples were collected from ten 20 x 20 m plots in Acacia-invaded Kerangas forests (IKF) and ten uninvaded (UKF) plots. Soil samples were analyzed for pH, gravimetric water content and nutrient concentrations whereas litter samples were analyzed for total nutrients only. We recorded significantly higher concentrations of litter total N and P in the IKF than the UKF plots. In contrast, no significant differences were detected in soil properties, except for topsoil available P and subsoil exchangeable Ca which were both lower in the IKF plots. A significant positive correlation was detected between litter N and topsoil N in the IKF plots. We suggest that the fairly recent timescale of Acacia invasion (< 25 years) of the IKF sites resulted in the lack of significant increase of soil nutrients. In conclusion, Acacia invasion into Brunei’s forests can potentially alter both leaf litter and soil physicochemical properties of Kerangas forests, in particular affecting nutrient availability. This alteration of ecosystem may further enhance the invasion success of Acacia, making restoration attempts more challenging.
- Authors: Yusoff, Aiman , Tennakoon, Kushan , Jaafar, Salwana , Zaman, Dk , Sukri, Rahayu
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientia Bruneiana Vol. 18, no. 1 (2019), p. 1-10
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Exotic Acacia were introduced to Brunei Darussalam in the 1990s for plantation forestry and land rehabilitation but are now regarded as invasive. We assessed the effects of Acacia on litter nutrient composition and soil physicochemical properties of Brunei’s coastal Kerangas (heath) forests. Soil and litter samples were collected from ten 20 x 20 m plots in Acacia-invaded Kerangas forests (IKF) and ten uninvaded (UKF) plots. Soil samples were analyzed for pH, gravimetric water content and nutrient concentrations whereas litter samples were analyzed for total nutrients only. We recorded significantly higher concentrations of litter total N and P in the IKF than the UKF plots. In contrast, no significant differences were detected in soil properties, except for topsoil available P and subsoil exchangeable Ca which were both lower in the IKF plots. A significant positive correlation was detected between litter N and topsoil N in the IKF plots. We suggest that the fairly recent timescale of Acacia invasion (< 25 years) of the IKF sites resulted in the lack of significant increase of soil nutrients. In conclusion, Acacia invasion into Brunei’s forests can potentially alter both leaf litter and soil physicochemical properties of Kerangas forests, in particular affecting nutrient availability. This alteration of ecosystem may further enhance the invasion success of Acacia, making restoration attempts more challenging.
Cross-taxonomic surrogates for biodiversity conservation in human-modified landscapes – A multi-taxa approach
- Yong, Ding, Barton, Philip, Ikin, Karen, Evans, Maldwyn, Crane, Mason
- Authors: Yong, Ding , Barton, Philip , Ikin, Karen , Evans, Maldwyn , Crane, Mason
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Biological Conservation Vol. 224, no. (2018), p. 336-346
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Cross-taxonomic surrogates are often used in conservation planning because inventorying large suites of taxa is either not feasible or too costly. However, cross-taxonomic surrogates are seldom tested rigorously using both correlational and representation-based approaches at the spatial scales at which conservation management occurs. Here, we evaluated the effectiveness of five ecologically contrasting taxa (birds, herpetofauna, wild bees, beetles, trees) as cross-taxonomic surrogates in native woodland patches within a heavily modified, farming and plantation-dominated landscape. We first compared species richness and compositional heterogeneity across taxa before testing for cross-taxonomic congruence using a correlative approach. We then quantified how well each taxon incidentally represented other taxa in their best patch sets, and the costs of doing so using a complementarity-based approach. We found significant pairwise associations between some taxa (birds, bees), but no single taxon was strongly correlated with all other taxa. Woodland patch sets prioritised for beetles represented other taxa best, followed by birds, but were the costliest and required the largest amount of woodland. This contrasted with patch sets prioritised for wild bees or herpetofauna, which achieved higher representation of other taxa at lower costs. Our study highlighted the influence of taxon-specific patterns of diversity and heterogeneity on how remnant vegetation patches should be prioritised for conservation, a consideration not immediately obvious in correlative analyses of surrogacy. Second, taxa that are not the most speciose (e.g. wild bees) can be efficient surrogates, achieving higher incidental representation for other taxa at lower costs. Thus, while species-rich taxa are ideal as surrogates for prioritising conservation, conservation planners should not overlook the potential of less speciose taxa such as bees, while considering the cost-effectiveness of surveying multiple different taxa. © 2018. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton" is provided in this record**
- Authors: Yong, Ding , Barton, Philip , Ikin, Karen , Evans, Maldwyn , Crane, Mason
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Biological Conservation Vol. 224, no. (2018), p. 336-346
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Cross-taxonomic surrogates are often used in conservation planning because inventorying large suites of taxa is either not feasible or too costly. However, cross-taxonomic surrogates are seldom tested rigorously using both correlational and representation-based approaches at the spatial scales at which conservation management occurs. Here, we evaluated the effectiveness of five ecologically contrasting taxa (birds, herpetofauna, wild bees, beetles, trees) as cross-taxonomic surrogates in native woodland patches within a heavily modified, farming and plantation-dominated landscape. We first compared species richness and compositional heterogeneity across taxa before testing for cross-taxonomic congruence using a correlative approach. We then quantified how well each taxon incidentally represented other taxa in their best patch sets, and the costs of doing so using a complementarity-based approach. We found significant pairwise associations between some taxa (birds, bees), but no single taxon was strongly correlated with all other taxa. Woodland patch sets prioritised for beetles represented other taxa best, followed by birds, but were the costliest and required the largest amount of woodland. This contrasted with patch sets prioritised for wild bees or herpetofauna, which achieved higher representation of other taxa at lower costs. Our study highlighted the influence of taxon-specific patterns of diversity and heterogeneity on how remnant vegetation patches should be prioritised for conservation, a consideration not immediately obvious in correlative analyses of surrogacy. Second, taxa that are not the most speciose (e.g. wild bees) can be efficient surrogates, achieving higher incidental representation for other taxa at lower costs. Thus, while species-rich taxa are ideal as surrogates for prioritising conservation, conservation planners should not overlook the potential of less speciose taxa such as bees, while considering the cost-effectiveness of surveying multiple different taxa. © 2018. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton" is provided in this record**
- Ng, Katherine, Barton, Philip, Macfadyen, Sarina, Lindenmayer, David, Driscoll, Don
- Authors: Ng, Katherine , Barton, Philip , Macfadyen, Sarina , Lindenmayer, David , Driscoll, Don
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Landscape Ecology Vol. 33, no. 1 (2018), p. 109-125
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Context: Farming practices influence the degree of contrast between adjoining habitats, with consequences for biodiversity and species movement. Little is known, however, on insect community responses to different kinds of edges over time, and the extent of cross-habitat movement in agricultural landscapes. Objective: To determine temporal changes in beetle responses to different farmland-woodland edges, and document cross-habitat movement. Methods: We examined species richness, abundance, and movement across edges between remnant woodlands and four farmland uses (plantings, fallow, annual crops, woody debris applied over crops post-harvest) in southeastern Australia. We used directional pitfall traps to infer movement, and sampled at edges, and 20 and 200 m on both sides of edges, during spring and summer. Results: Detritivore and predator abundance varied between seasons across the edge between woodlands and all farmlands, but seasonal differences were weaker for fallow-woodland and woody debris-woodland edges. Detritivores moved from farmlands towards woodlands, but not across fallow-woodlands and woody debris-woodlands edges during summer. During summer, predators showed short-range movement towards edges from all farmlands except plantings, and towards woody debris from woodlands. Edges showed temporally stable predator richness and higher herbivore richness than adjoining habitats. Conclusions: Farmland use and season interactively affect beetle abundance across farmland-woodland edges. Woody debris can reduce seasonal fluctuations in beetle edge responses and increase permeability for cross-habitat movement, while plantings provide habitat during summer. Edges provide important resources for beetles in adjoining habitats, however, seasonal movement of predators specifically into edges may affect prey assemblages—a link requiring further study. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Tests of predictions associated with temporal changes in Australian bird populations
- Lindenmayer, David, Lane, Peter, Westgate, Martin, Scheele, Ben, Barton, Philip
- Authors: Lindenmayer, David , Lane, Peter , Westgate, Martin , Scheele, Ben , Barton, Philip
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Biological Conservation Vol. 222, no. (2018), p. 212-221
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Global biodiversity loss is the cumulative result of local species declines. To combat biodiversity loss, detailed information on the temporal trends of at-risk species at local scales is needed. Here we report the results of a 13-year study of temporal change in bird occupancy in one of the most heavily modified biomes worldwide; the temperate woodlands of south-eastern Australia. We sought to determine if temporal changes in bird species were different between three broad native vegetation types (old-growth woodland, regrowth woodland and restoration plantings) and between species traits (body size, migratory status, rarity, woodland dependency, or diet). We found evidence of decline for over a quarter of all bird species for which we had sufficient data for detailed analysis (30 out of 108 species). In contrast, only 14 species increased significantly. Temporal change of birds was linked to life-history attributes, with patterns often being habitat-dependent. Nectarivores and large-bodied birds declined across all vegetation types, whereas small-bodied species increased, particularly in restoration plantings. Contrasting with patterns documented elsewhere, resident but not migratory species declined, with this trend strongest in restoration plantings. Finally, our analyses showed that, as a group, common birds tended to decline whereas rare birds tended to increase, with effects for both most pronounced in restoration plantings. Our results highlight the benefit of targeted restoration planting for some species, but also demonstrate that many common species that have long-persisted in human-dominated landscapes are experiencing severe declines. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton” is provided in this record**
- Authors: Lindenmayer, David , Lane, Peter , Westgate, Martin , Scheele, Ben , Barton, Philip
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Biological Conservation Vol. 222, no. (2018), p. 212-221
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Global biodiversity loss is the cumulative result of local species declines. To combat biodiversity loss, detailed information on the temporal trends of at-risk species at local scales is needed. Here we report the results of a 13-year study of temporal change in bird occupancy in one of the most heavily modified biomes worldwide; the temperate woodlands of south-eastern Australia. We sought to determine if temporal changes in bird species were different between three broad native vegetation types (old-growth woodland, regrowth woodland and restoration plantings) and between species traits (body size, migratory status, rarity, woodland dependency, or diet). We found evidence of decline for over a quarter of all bird species for which we had sufficient data for detailed analysis (30 out of 108 species). In contrast, only 14 species increased significantly. Temporal change of birds was linked to life-history attributes, with patterns often being habitat-dependent. Nectarivores and large-bodied birds declined across all vegetation types, whereas small-bodied species increased, particularly in restoration plantings. Contrasting with patterns documented elsewhere, resident but not migratory species declined, with this trend strongest in restoration plantings. Finally, our analyses showed that, as a group, common birds tended to decline whereas rare birds tended to increase, with effects for both most pronounced in restoration plantings. Our results highlight the benefit of targeted restoration planting for some species, but also demonstrate that many common species that have long-persisted in human-dominated landscapes are experiencing severe declines. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton” is provided in this record**
Conservation conundrums and the challenges of managing unexplained declines of multiple species
- Lindenmayer, David, Wood, Jeff, MacGregor, Christopher, Foster, Claire, Barton, Philip
- Authors: Lindenmayer, David , Wood, Jeff , MacGregor, Christopher , Foster, Claire , Barton, Philip
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Biological Conservation Vol. 221, no. (2018), p. 279-292
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The conventional approach to conserving threatened biota is to identify drivers of decline, instigate actions to mitigate threatening processes, and monitor interventions to test their effectiveness and ensure target species recover. In Australia, predation by introduced predators is a threatening process for many native mammals. Here we report the results of a 15 year monitoring study in an iconic Australian reserve, Booderee National Park, where exotic Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) populations have been controlled through an intensive poison baiting program since 2003. Unexpectedly, we documented the collapse of native mammal fauna during this period, including fully arboreal species that should be largely unaffected by fox predation – such as the nationally Vulnerable Greater Glider (Petauroides volans) and Common Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus). We used path analysis to explore potential causes of these unexpected declines. We found no compelling evidence to support hypotheses that competition with increasing native species, native predator release, or increases in native herbivores underpinned mammal declines. Beyond the path analysis, data from other studies completed both inside Booderee National Park and outside (where intensive fox baiting does not occur yet depleted fauna species remain), allowed us to rule out several drivers of change. The temporal declines we documented for arboreal marsupials were not anticipated nor explained by any clear mechanism. We propose the use of experimentally-guided reintroductions and translocations to: (1) restore empty niches such as the currently vacant apex mammal predator niche, (2) reconstruct the now depleted arboreal marsupial guild, and (3) further test key hypotheses associated with mammal decline. We also suggest that given the potential for perverse outcomes following large-scale management interventions (even those where there is high confidence of success), wildlife managers should consider maintaining reference areas (where there is no management intervention). Finally, as the declines we documented were unexpected and rapid, there is a clear need to develop more sensitive early warning signals to alert conservation managers to impending problems, allowing them to alter management regimes before major declines occur. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton is provided in this record**
- Authors: Lindenmayer, David , Wood, Jeff , MacGregor, Christopher , Foster, Claire , Barton, Philip
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Biological Conservation Vol. 221, no. (2018), p. 279-292
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The conventional approach to conserving threatened biota is to identify drivers of decline, instigate actions to mitigate threatening processes, and monitor interventions to test their effectiveness and ensure target species recover. In Australia, predation by introduced predators is a threatening process for many native mammals. Here we report the results of a 15 year monitoring study in an iconic Australian reserve, Booderee National Park, where exotic Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) populations have been controlled through an intensive poison baiting program since 2003. Unexpectedly, we documented the collapse of native mammal fauna during this period, including fully arboreal species that should be largely unaffected by fox predation – such as the nationally Vulnerable Greater Glider (Petauroides volans) and Common Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus). We used path analysis to explore potential causes of these unexpected declines. We found no compelling evidence to support hypotheses that competition with increasing native species, native predator release, or increases in native herbivores underpinned mammal declines. Beyond the path analysis, data from other studies completed both inside Booderee National Park and outside (where intensive fox baiting does not occur yet depleted fauna species remain), allowed us to rule out several drivers of change. The temporal declines we documented for arboreal marsupials were not anticipated nor explained by any clear mechanism. We propose the use of experimentally-guided reintroductions and translocations to: (1) restore empty niches such as the currently vacant apex mammal predator niche, (2) reconstruct the now depleted arboreal marsupial guild, and (3) further test key hypotheses associated with mammal decline. We also suggest that given the potential for perverse outcomes following large-scale management interventions (even those where there is high confidence of success), wildlife managers should consider maintaining reference areas (where there is no management intervention). Finally, as the declines we documented were unexpected and rapid, there is a clear need to develop more sensitive early warning signals to alert conservation managers to impending problems, allowing them to alter management regimes before major declines occur. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton is provided in this record**
Reptiles and frogs use most land cover types as habitat in a fine-grained agricultural landscape
- Pulsford, Stephanie, Barton, Philip, Driscoll, Don, Kay, Geoffrey, Lindenmayer, David
- Authors: Pulsford, Stephanie , Barton, Philip , Driscoll, Don , Kay, Geoffrey , Lindenmayer, David
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Austral Ecology Vol. 43, no. 5 (2018), p. 502-513
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Agricultural landscapes comprise much of the earth's terrestrial surface. However, knowledge about how animals use and move through these landscapes is limited, especially for small and cryptic taxa, such as reptiles and amphibians. We aimed to understand the influence of land use on reptile and frog movement in a fine-grained grazing landscape. We surveyed reptiles and frogs using pitfall and funnel traps in transects located in five land use types: 1) woodland remnants, 2) grazed pastures, 3) coarse woody debris added to grazed pastures, 4) fences in grazed pastures and 5) linear plantings within grazed pastures. We found that the different land cover types influenced the types and distances moved by different species and groups of species. Reptiles moved both within, and out of, grazed paddocks more than they did in woodland remnants. In contrast, frogs exhibited varying movement behaviours. The smooth toadlet (Uperoleia laevigata) moved more often and longer distances within remnants than within paddocks. The spotted marsh frog (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis) moved out of grazed pastures more than out of pastures with coarse woody debris added or fences and were never recaptured in plantings. We found that most recaptured reptiles and frogs (76.3%) did not move between trapping arrays, which added to evidence that they perceived most of the land cover types as habitat. We suggest that even simple fences may provide conduits for movement in the agricultural landscape for frogs. Otherwise, most reptile and frog species used all land cover types as habitat, though of varying quality. Reptiles appeared to perceive the woodland remnants as the highest quality habitat. This landscape is fine-grained which may facilitate movement and persistence due to high heterogeneity in vegetation cover over short distances. Therefore, intensification and increasing the size of human land use may have negative impacts on these taxa. © 2018 Ecological Society of Australia
Interactive effects of land use, grazing and environment on frogs in an agricultural landscape
- Pulsford, Stephanie, Barton, Philip, Driscoll, Don, Lindenmayer, David
- Authors: Pulsford, Stephanie , Barton, Philip , Driscoll, Don , Lindenmayer, David
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment Vol. 281, no. (2019), p. 25-34
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Improved management of human-modified landscapes must be part of global efforts to combat biodiversity loss. We aimed to identify which land management types and environmental factors influenced the use of grazing landscapes by frogs. We surveyed frog assemblages in remnant vegetation, four different paddock types (pasture, linear planting, coarse woody debris addition and fence), and two grazing regimes (continuous and rotational). Frogs were surveyed using pitfall and funnel traps in twelve grazing farms in south-eastern Australia. We found that grazed agricultural landscapes provide important habitats for a variety of species of frogs and that frog assemblages were influenced by both farm management type and environmental variables, and their interactions. Total frog abundance increased with proximity to water more strongly in remnants compared to paddocks. This difference in response may be due to different traits and behaviours of frogs in remnants compared to frogs in open paddocks. Rare frog species richness and abundance of a common species (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis) increased with taller ground cover in remnants but no such relationship occurred in paddocks. Different types of predation risk in remnants compared to paddocks may result in greater ground cover shelter requirements in remnants, as vegetation structure can strongly influence predation. Total frog species richness increased more rapidly with higher rainfall in continuously grazed versus rotationally grazed farms. Higher rainfall was associated with taller ground cover. Continuously grazed farms had shorter average ground cover than rotationally grazed farms and the increased ground cover height associated with more rain may bring ground cover to a height better able to provide shelter and reduce desiccation risk for frogs. Our study highlights the importance of both land management practices and environmental conditions and their interaction in shaping frog assemblages. Improved frog biodiversity conservation may be achieved in grazing landscapes by retaining patches of remnant vegetation, maintaining water bodies such as farm dams, and maintaining tall ground cover within vegetation remnants. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.
- Evans, Maldwyn, Cunningham, Saul, Gibb, Heloise, Manning, Adrian, Barton, Philip
- Authors: Evans, Maldwyn , Cunningham, Saul , Gibb, Heloise , Manning, Adrian , Barton, Philip
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ecological Indicators Vol. 104, no. (2019), p. 209-218
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Ecosystem restoration can play a vital role in conserving biodiversity, but its effectiveness can be difficult to assess for hyperdiverse biota such as insects. Species traits of insects can be used to understand their functional responses to restoration, but their use often requires considerable effort, and few studies have examined what additional insight can be gained from this approach. We used a spatially and temporally controlled restoration experiment to examine beetle species, grouped by flight ability, family membership and feeding guild, as indicators of ecosystem functional change. We tested for the effects of reduced vertebrate grazing on beetle assemblages sampled from two different microhabitats (next to log and in open ground)one year prior and two years after a vertebrate grazing treatment was applied. We compared the responses of the different beetle functional groupings, and then related these to the effort involved in employing these indicators. We found that beetle species traits gave several functional insights into their responses to reduced grazing, including responses to changes in vegetation structure and biomass. Species richness indicators and abundance indicators of beetle functional groups showed similar responses in many cases, whereas biomass indicators gave additional insights related to the extra biomass of vegetation and detritus resulting from the reduction in grazing. We found that most results were revealed by using family groups as indicators for functional change. This is because the traits that often define beetle families, such as size, flight ability and feeding guilds each have distinctive functional roles, allowing a link from family to function, and supporting the idea that phylogeny is often a useful shortcut to species ecology. We conclude that in our study system, the least-cost approach to identifying functional responses of beetles to reduced vertebrate grazing, and possibly other restoration actions, is to use abundance indicators of the most common family groups. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd
Towards quantifying carrion biomass in ecosystems
- Barton, Philip, Evans, Maldwyn, Foster, Claire, Pechal, Jennifer, Bump, Joseph
- Authors: Barton, Philip , Evans, Maldwyn , Foster, Claire , Pechal, Jennifer , Bump, Joseph
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Trends in Ecology and Evolution Vol. 34, no. 10 (2019), p. 950-961
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The decomposition of animal biomass (carrion) contributes to the recycling of energy and nutrients through ecosystems. Whereas the role of plant decomposition in ecosystems is broadly recognised, the significance of carrion to ecosystem functioning remains poorly understood. Quantitative data on carrion biomass are lacking and there is no clear pathway towards improved knowledge in this area. Here, we present a framework to show how quantities derived from individual carcasses can be scaled up using population metrics, allowing for comparisons among ecosystems and other forms of biomass. Our framework facilitates the generation of new data that is critical to building a quantitative understanding of the contribution of carrion to trophic processes and ecosystem stocks and flows. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton” is provided in this record**
- Authors: Barton, Philip , Evans, Maldwyn , Foster, Claire , Pechal, Jennifer , Bump, Joseph
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Trends in Ecology and Evolution Vol. 34, no. 10 (2019), p. 950-961
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The decomposition of animal biomass (carrion) contributes to the recycling of energy and nutrients through ecosystems. Whereas the role of plant decomposition in ecosystems is broadly recognised, the significance of carrion to ecosystem functioning remains poorly understood. Quantitative data on carrion biomass are lacking and there is no clear pathway towards improved knowledge in this area. Here, we present a framework to show how quantities derived from individual carcasses can be scaled up using population metrics, allowing for comparisons among ecosystems and other forms of biomass. Our framework facilitates the generation of new data that is critical to building a quantitative understanding of the contribution of carrion to trophic processes and ecosystem stocks and flows. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton” is provided in this record**
Higher-taxon and functional group responses of ant and bird assemblages to livestock grazing : a test of an explicit surrogate concept
- Barton, Philip, Evans, Maldwyn, Sato, Chloe, O'Loughlin, Luke, Foster, Claire
- Authors: Barton, Philip , Evans, Maldwyn , Sato, Chloe , O'Loughlin, Luke , Foster, Claire
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ecological Indicators Vol. 96, no. (2019), p. 458-465
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Biodiversity monitoring programs are routinely established to quantify changes in biotic communities in response to land management. Surrogacy is implicitly used in many such monitoring programs whereby the measurement of a component of biodiversity is used to infer responses of broader biodiversity. Yet rarely is this surrogacy validated by demonstrating that measured variables and the target variable of interest have matching responses to management treatments. Here we examined the responses of higher-taxon and functional groupings of ants and birds (our surrogate variables) two years after the implementation of experimental livestock grazing treatments, and compared these with the responses of total ant and bird species richness (our target variables) to the same treatments. We found significant and strong correlations between surrogate and target variables, but this did not predict corresponding similar response to treatments. For ants, we found that the genus Monomorium had a negative response to the grazing exclusion treatment, but there was no matching response of species richness, and so no surrogacy was identified. For birds, total species richness had a weak positive response to spring/summer grazing exclusion, and the abundance of honeyeaters (Meliphagidae) showed a similar positive response, suggesting surrogacy. Our study highlights that correlations among variables do not necessarily lead to surrogacy, and indeed that different sub-components of biotic assemblages can respond in ways that contrast with overall species richness. Careful assessment of the matched responses of surrogate and target variables to management can provide a simple and robust way to critically assess biodiversity surrogacy. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton” is provided in this record**
- Authors: Barton, Philip , Evans, Maldwyn , Sato, Chloe , O'Loughlin, Luke , Foster, Claire
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ecological Indicators Vol. 96, no. (2019), p. 458-465
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Biodiversity monitoring programs are routinely established to quantify changes in biotic communities in response to land management. Surrogacy is implicitly used in many such monitoring programs whereby the measurement of a component of biodiversity is used to infer responses of broader biodiversity. Yet rarely is this surrogacy validated by demonstrating that measured variables and the target variable of interest have matching responses to management treatments. Here we examined the responses of higher-taxon and functional groupings of ants and birds (our surrogate variables) two years after the implementation of experimental livestock grazing treatments, and compared these with the responses of total ant and bird species richness (our target variables) to the same treatments. We found significant and strong correlations between surrogate and target variables, but this did not predict corresponding similar response to treatments. For ants, we found that the genus Monomorium had a negative response to the grazing exclusion treatment, but there was no matching response of species richness, and so no surrogacy was identified. For birds, total species richness had a weak positive response to spring/summer grazing exclusion, and the abundance of honeyeaters (Meliphagidae) showed a similar positive response, suggesting surrogacy. Our study highlights that correlations among variables do not necessarily lead to surrogacy, and indeed that different sub-components of biotic assemblages can respond in ways that contrast with overall species richness. Careful assessment of the matched responses of surrogate and target variables to management can provide a simple and robust way to critically assess biodiversity surrogacy. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton” is provided in this record**
Incorporating regional-scale ecological knowledge to improve the effectiveness of large-scale conservation programmes
- Kay, G., Barton, Philip, Driscoll, D., Cunningham, S., Blanchard, W.
- Authors: Kay, G. , Barton, Philip , Driscoll, D. , Cunningham, S. , Blanchard, W.
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Animal Conservation Vol. 19, no. 6 (2016), p. 515-525
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Land-stewardship programmes are a major focus of investment by governments for conserving biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. These programmes are generally large-scale (e.g. >1000 km) spanning multiple biogeographic regions but developed using spatially limited (e.g. landscape-scale; <100 km) ecological data interpolated across broad areas for one, or a few, well-studied taxonomic groups. Information about how less-studied taxa respond to regional differences in management and environmental effects has potential to further inform land-stewardship conservation programmes, but suitable data sets are rarely available. In this study, we sought to enhance planning of large-scale conservation programmes by quantifying relationships between reptile assemblages and key environmental attributes at regional scales within a large-scale (>172 000 km2) Australian land-stewardship programme. Using 234 remnant woodland monitoring sites spanning four distinct biogeographic regions, we asked: Do reptile assemblages show different environmental associations across biogeographically distinct regions? We found that environmental features important to reptile diversity differed over each region. Abundance and rare species richness of reptiles responded at regional-scales to elevation, native groundcover and aspect. We identified four implications from our study: (1) large-scale conservation schemes can achieve better outcomes for reptiles using regional-scale knowledge of environmental associations; (2) regional-scale knowledge is particularly valuable for conservation of rare reptile taxa; (3) consideration of abiotic environmental features which cannot be directly managed (e.g. aspect, elevation) is important; (4) programmes can be tailored to better support reptile groups at higher conservation risk. Our study shows that reptile-environment associations differ among biogeographic regions, and this presents opportunity for tailoring stronger policy and management strategies for conserving large-scale agricultural landscapes globally. © 2016 The Zoological Society of London. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton” is provided in this record**
- Authors: Kay, G. , Barton, Philip , Driscoll, D. , Cunningham, S. , Blanchard, W.
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Animal Conservation Vol. 19, no. 6 (2016), p. 515-525
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Land-stewardship programmes are a major focus of investment by governments for conserving biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. These programmes are generally large-scale (e.g. >1000 km) spanning multiple biogeographic regions but developed using spatially limited (e.g. landscape-scale; <100 km) ecological data interpolated across broad areas for one, or a few, well-studied taxonomic groups. Information about how less-studied taxa respond to regional differences in management and environmental effects has potential to further inform land-stewardship conservation programmes, but suitable data sets are rarely available. In this study, we sought to enhance planning of large-scale conservation programmes by quantifying relationships between reptile assemblages and key environmental attributes at regional scales within a large-scale (>172 000 km2) Australian land-stewardship programme. Using 234 remnant woodland monitoring sites spanning four distinct biogeographic regions, we asked: Do reptile assemblages show different environmental associations across biogeographically distinct regions? We found that environmental features important to reptile diversity differed over each region. Abundance and rare species richness of reptiles responded at regional-scales to elevation, native groundcover and aspect. We identified four implications from our study: (1) large-scale conservation schemes can achieve better outcomes for reptiles using regional-scale knowledge of environmental associations; (2) regional-scale knowledge is particularly valuable for conservation of rare reptile taxa; (3) consideration of abiotic environmental features which cannot be directly managed (e.g. aspect, elevation) is important; (4) programmes can be tailored to better support reptile groups at higher conservation risk. Our study shows that reptile-environment associations differ among biogeographic regions, and this presents opportunity for tailoring stronger policy and management strategies for conserving large-scale agricultural landscapes globally. © 2016 The Zoological Society of London. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton” is provided in this record**
Herbivory and fire interact to affect forest understory habitat, but not its use by small vertebrates
- Foster, Claire, Barton, Philip, Sato, C. F., Wood, J. T., Macgregor, C. I., Lindenmayer, David
- Authors: Foster, Claire , Barton, Philip , Sato, C. F. , Wood, J. T. , Macgregor, C. I. , Lindenmayer, David
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Animal Conservation Vol. 19, no. 1 (2016), p. 15-25
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Herbivory and fire are two disturbances that often co-occur, but studies of their interactive effects are rare outside of grassland ecosystems. We experimentally tested the interactive effects of prescribed fire and macropod herbivory on forest understory vegetation and its vertebrate fauna. Fire and herbivory interacted synergistically to affect forest understory vegetation, with palatable plants showing poor post-fire recovery in unfenced sites compared with herbivore exclusion sites. Despite this strong interactive effect on vegetation, small vertebrates responded to the individual, and not the interactive effects of disturbance. The native insectivorous mammal Antechinus stuartii was more frequently encountered on large herbivore exclusion sites, as was the introduced European rabbit. In contrast, the small skink Lampropholis delicata was more common on sites with high densities of large herbivores. Skinks, snakes and European rabbits were also more active on burnt than unburnt sites. Our results suggest that it may be necessary to manage the macropod herbivore population after fire to prevent the decline of palatable plants, and maintain the dense habitat required by some small mammals. However, as the invasive rabbit was most active in macropod-free sites after fire, any management must include control of both types of herbivores. A mix of understory densities may also need to be maintained to ensure the persistence of species preferring more open habitats. Our study demonstrates that interactive effects of disturbance on vegetation communities may not lead to predictable effects on animals, and highlights the importance of considering both multiple stressors, and multiple species, in the management of disturbance regimes. © 2016 The Zoological Society of London.
- Authors: Foster, Claire , Barton, Philip , Sato, C. F. , Wood, J. T. , Macgregor, C. I. , Lindenmayer, David
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Animal Conservation Vol. 19, no. 1 (2016), p. 15-25
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Herbivory and fire are two disturbances that often co-occur, but studies of their interactive effects are rare outside of grassland ecosystems. We experimentally tested the interactive effects of prescribed fire and macropod herbivory on forest understory vegetation and its vertebrate fauna. Fire and herbivory interacted synergistically to affect forest understory vegetation, with palatable plants showing poor post-fire recovery in unfenced sites compared with herbivore exclusion sites. Despite this strong interactive effect on vegetation, small vertebrates responded to the individual, and not the interactive effects of disturbance. The native insectivorous mammal Antechinus stuartii was more frequently encountered on large herbivore exclusion sites, as was the introduced European rabbit. In contrast, the small skink Lampropholis delicata was more common on sites with high densities of large herbivores. Skinks, snakes and European rabbits were also more active on burnt than unburnt sites. Our results suggest that it may be necessary to manage the macropod herbivore population after fire to prevent the decline of palatable plants, and maintain the dense habitat required by some small mammals. However, as the invasive rabbit was most active in macropod-free sites after fire, any management must include control of both types of herbivores. A mix of understory densities may also need to be maintained to ensure the persistence of species preferring more open habitats. Our study demonstrates that interactive effects of disturbance on vegetation communities may not lead to predictable effects on animals, and highlights the importance of considering both multiple stressors, and multiple species, in the management of disturbance regimes. © 2016 The Zoological Society of London.
Do temporal changes in vegetation structure additional to time since fire predict changes in bird occurrence?
- Lindenmayer, David, Candy, Steven, MacGregor, Christopher, Banks, Sam, Barton, Philip
- Authors: Lindenmayer, David , Candy, Steven , MacGregor, Christopher , Banks, Sam , Barton, Philip
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ecological Applications Vol. 26, no. 7 (2016), p. 2267-2279
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Fire is a major ecological process in ecosystems globally. Its impacts on fauna can be both direct (e.g., mortality) and indirect (e.g., altered habitat), resulting in population recovery being driven by several possible mechanisms. Separating direct from indirect impacts of fire on faunal population recovery can be valuable in guiding management of biodiversity in fire-prone environments. However, resolving the influence of direct and indirect processes remains a key challenge because many processes affecting fauna can change concomitantly with time since fire. We explore the mechanisms influencing bird response to fire by posing the question, can temporal changes in vegetation structure predict changes in bird occurrence on sites, and can these be separated from other temporal changes using the surrogate of time since fire? We conducted a 12-yr study of bird and vegetation responses to fire at 124 sites across six vegetation classes in Booderee National Park, Australia. Approximately half of these sites, established in 2002, were burned by a large (>3000 ha) wildfire in 2003. To disentangle collinear effects of temporal changes in vegetation and direct demographic effects on population recovery that are subsumed by time since fire, we incorporated both longitudinal and cross-sectional vegetation effects in addition to time since fire within logistic structural equation models. We identified temporal changes in vegetation structure and richness of plant and bird species that characterized burned and unburned sites in all vegetation classes. For nine bird species, a significant component of the year trend was driven by temporal trends in one of three vegetation variables (number of understory or midstory plant species, or midstory cover). By contrast, we could not separate temporal effects between time since fire and vegetation attributes for bird species richness, reporting rate, and the occurrence of 11 other bird species. Our findings help identify species for which indirect effects of vegetation dominate recovery and thus may benefit from vegetation management where conservation actions are required and, conversely, those species for which direct effects of time since fire drive recovery, where simply leaving a system to recover following the last disturbance will be sufficient. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.
- Authors: Lindenmayer, David , Candy, Steven , MacGregor, Christopher , Banks, Sam , Barton, Philip
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ecological Applications Vol. 26, no. 7 (2016), p. 2267-2279
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Fire is a major ecological process in ecosystems globally. Its impacts on fauna can be both direct (e.g., mortality) and indirect (e.g., altered habitat), resulting in population recovery being driven by several possible mechanisms. Separating direct from indirect impacts of fire on faunal population recovery can be valuable in guiding management of biodiversity in fire-prone environments. However, resolving the influence of direct and indirect processes remains a key challenge because many processes affecting fauna can change concomitantly with time since fire. We explore the mechanisms influencing bird response to fire by posing the question, can temporal changes in vegetation structure predict changes in bird occurrence on sites, and can these be separated from other temporal changes using the surrogate of time since fire? We conducted a 12-yr study of bird and vegetation responses to fire at 124 sites across six vegetation classes in Booderee National Park, Australia. Approximately half of these sites, established in 2002, were burned by a large (>3000 ha) wildfire in 2003. To disentangle collinear effects of temporal changes in vegetation and direct demographic effects on population recovery that are subsumed by time since fire, we incorporated both longitudinal and cross-sectional vegetation effects in addition to time since fire within logistic structural equation models. We identified temporal changes in vegetation structure and richness of plant and bird species that characterized burned and unburned sites in all vegetation classes. For nine bird species, a significant component of the year trend was driven by temporal trends in one of three vegetation variables (number of understory or midstory plant species, or midstory cover). By contrast, we could not separate temporal effects between time since fire and vegetation attributes for bird species richness, reporting rate, and the occurrence of 11 other bird species. Our findings help identify species for which indirect effects of vegetation dominate recovery and thus may benefit from vegetation management where conservation actions are required and, conversely, those species for which direct effects of time since fire drive recovery, where simply leaving a system to recover following the last disturbance will be sufficient. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.
Temporal trends in mammal responses to fire reveals the complex effects of fire regime attributes
- Lindenmayer, David, Blanchard, Wade, MacGregor, Christopher, Barton, Philip, Banks, Sam
- Authors: Lindenmayer, David , Blanchard, Wade , MacGregor, Christopher , Barton, Philip , Banks, Sam
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ecological Applications Vol. 26, no. 2 (2016), p. 557-573
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Fire is a major ecological process in many ecosystems worldwide. We sought to identify which attributes of fire regimes affect temporal change in the presence and abundance of Australian native mammals. Our detailed study was underpinned by time series data on 11 mammal species at 97 long-term sites in southeastern Australia between 2003 and 2013. We explored how temporal aspects of fire regimes influenced the presence and conditional abundance of species. The key fire regime components examined were: (1) severity of a major fire in 2003, (2) interval between the last major fire (2003) and the fire prior to that, and (3) number of past fires. Our long-term data set enabled quantification of the interactions between survey year and each fire regime variable: an ecological relationship missing from temporally restricted studies. We found no evidence of any appreciable departures from the assumption of independence of the sites. Multiple aspects of fire regimes influenced temporal variation in the presence and abundance of mammals. The best models indicated that six of the 11 species responded to two or more fire regime variables, with two species influenced by all three fire regime attributes. Almost all species responded to time since fire, either as an interaction with survey year or as a main effect. Fire severity or its interaction with survey year was important for most terrestrial rodents. The number of fires at a site was significant for terrestrial rodents and several other species. Our findings contain evidence of the effects on native mammals of heterogeneity in fire regimes. Temporal response patterns of mammal species were influenced by multiple fire regime attributes, often in conjunction with survey year. This underscores the critical importance of long-term studies of biota that are coupled with data sets characterized by carefully documented fire history, severity, and frequency. Long-term studies are essential to predict animal responses to fires and guide management of when and where (prescribed) fire or, conversely, long-unburned vegetation is needed. The complexity of observed responses highlights the need for large reserves in which patterns of heterogeneity in fire regimes can be sustained in space and over time. © 2015 by the Ecological Society of America. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton” is provided in this record**
- Authors: Lindenmayer, David , Blanchard, Wade , MacGregor, Christopher , Barton, Philip , Banks, Sam
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ecological Applications Vol. 26, no. 2 (2016), p. 557-573
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Fire is a major ecological process in many ecosystems worldwide. We sought to identify which attributes of fire regimes affect temporal change in the presence and abundance of Australian native mammals. Our detailed study was underpinned by time series data on 11 mammal species at 97 long-term sites in southeastern Australia between 2003 and 2013. We explored how temporal aspects of fire regimes influenced the presence and conditional abundance of species. The key fire regime components examined were: (1) severity of a major fire in 2003, (2) interval between the last major fire (2003) and the fire prior to that, and (3) number of past fires. Our long-term data set enabled quantification of the interactions between survey year and each fire regime variable: an ecological relationship missing from temporally restricted studies. We found no evidence of any appreciable departures from the assumption of independence of the sites. Multiple aspects of fire regimes influenced temporal variation in the presence and abundance of mammals. The best models indicated that six of the 11 species responded to two or more fire regime variables, with two species influenced by all three fire regime attributes. Almost all species responded to time since fire, either as an interaction with survey year or as a main effect. Fire severity or its interaction with survey year was important for most terrestrial rodents. The number of fires at a site was significant for terrestrial rodents and several other species. Our findings contain evidence of the effects on native mammals of heterogeneity in fire regimes. Temporal response patterns of mammal species were influenced by multiple fire regime attributes, often in conjunction with survey year. This underscores the critical importance of long-term studies of biota that are coupled with data sets characterized by carefully documented fire history, severity, and frequency. Long-term studies are essential to predict animal responses to fires and guide management of when and where (prescribed) fire or, conversely, long-unburned vegetation is needed. The complexity of observed responses highlights the need for large reserves in which patterns of heterogeneity in fire regimes can be sustained in space and over time. © 2015 by the Ecological Society of America. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton” is provided in this record**
Two roles for ecological surrogacy : indicator surrogates and management surrogates
- Hunter, Malcolm, Westgate, Martin, Barton, Philip, Calhoun, Aram, Pierson, Jennifer
- Authors: Hunter, Malcolm , Westgate, Martin , Barton, Philip , Calhoun, Aram , Pierson, Jennifer
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ecological Indicators Vol. 63, no. (2016), p. 121-125
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Ecological surrogacy - here defined as using a process or element (e.g., species, ecosystem, or abiotic factor) to represent another aspect of an ecological system - is a widely used concept, but many applications of the surrogate concept have been controversial. We argue that some of this controversy reflects differences among users with different goals, a distinction that can be crystalized by recognizing two basic types of surrogate. First, many ecologists and natural resource managers measure "indicator surrogates" to provide information about ecological systems. Second, and often overlooked, are "management surrogates" (e.g., umbrella species) that are primarily used to facilitate achieving management goals, especially broad goals such as "maintain biodiversity" or "increase ecosystem resilience." We propose that distinguishing these two overarching roles for surrogacy may facilitate better communication about project goals. This is critical when evaluating the usefulness of different surrogates, especially where a potential surrogate might be useful in one role but not another. Our classification for ecological surrogacy applies to species, ecosystems, ecological processes, abiotic factors, and genetics, and thus can provide coherence across a broad range of uses. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton" is provided in this record**
- Authors: Hunter, Malcolm , Westgate, Martin , Barton, Philip , Calhoun, Aram , Pierson, Jennifer
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ecological Indicators Vol. 63, no. (2016), p. 121-125
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Ecological surrogacy - here defined as using a process or element (e.g., species, ecosystem, or abiotic factor) to represent another aspect of an ecological system - is a widely used concept, but many applications of the surrogate concept have been controversial. We argue that some of this controversy reflects differences among users with different goals, a distinction that can be crystalized by recognizing two basic types of surrogate. First, many ecologists and natural resource managers measure "indicator surrogates" to provide information about ecological systems. Second, and often overlooked, are "management surrogates" (e.g., umbrella species) that are primarily used to facilitate achieving management goals, especially broad goals such as "maintain biodiversity" or "increase ecosystem resilience." We propose that distinguishing these two overarching roles for surrogacy may facilitate better communication about project goals. This is critical when evaluating the usefulness of different surrogates, especially where a potential surrogate might be useful in one role but not another. Our classification for ecological surrogacy applies to species, ecosystems, ecological processes, abiotic factors, and genetics, and thus can provide coherence across a broad range of uses. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton" is provided in this record**
Evaluating the effectiveness of overstory cover as a surrogate for bird community diversity and population trends
- Pierson, Jennifer, Mortelliti, Alessio, Barton, Philip, Lane, Peter, Lindenmayer, David
- Authors: Pierson, Jennifer , Mortelliti, Alessio , Barton, Philip , Lane, Peter , Lindenmayer, David
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ecological Indicators Vol. 61, no. (2016), p. 790-798
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Landscape features are often used as surrogates for biodiversity. While landscape features may perform well as surrogates for coarse metrics of biodiversity such as species richness, their value for monitoring population trends in individual species is virtually unexplored. We compared the performance of a proposed habitat surrogate for birds, percentage cover of vegetation overstory, for two distinct aspects of bird assemblages: community diversity (i.e. species richness) and population trends. We used four different long-term studies of open woodland habitats to test the consistency of the relationship between overstory percentage cover and bird species richness across a large spatial extent (>1000 km) in Australia. We then identified twelve bird species with long-term time-series data to test the relationship between change in overstory cover and populations trends. We found percentage cover performed consistently as a surrogate for species richness in three of the four sites. However, there was no clear pattern in the performance of change in percentage cover as a surrogate for population trends. Four bird species exhibited a significant relationship with change in percentage overstory cover in one study, but this was not found across multiple studies. These results demonstrate a lack of consistency in the relationship between change in overstory cover and population trends among bird species, both within and between geographic regions. Our study demonstrates that biodiversity surrogates representing community-level metrics may be consistent across regions, but provide only limited information about individual species population trends. Understanding the limitations of the information provided by a biodiversity surrogate can inform the appropriate context for its application. Crown Copyright © 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
- Authors: Pierson, Jennifer , Mortelliti, Alessio , Barton, Philip , Lane, Peter , Lindenmayer, David
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ecological Indicators Vol. 61, no. (2016), p. 790-798
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Landscape features are often used as surrogates for biodiversity. While landscape features may perform well as surrogates for coarse metrics of biodiversity such as species richness, their value for monitoring population trends in individual species is virtually unexplored. We compared the performance of a proposed habitat surrogate for birds, percentage cover of vegetation overstory, for two distinct aspects of bird assemblages: community diversity (i.e. species richness) and population trends. We used four different long-term studies of open woodland habitats to test the consistency of the relationship between overstory percentage cover and bird species richness across a large spatial extent (>1000 km) in Australia. We then identified twelve bird species with long-term time-series data to test the relationship between change in overstory cover and populations trends. We found percentage cover performed consistently as a surrogate for species richness in three of the four sites. However, there was no clear pattern in the performance of change in percentage cover as a surrogate for population trends. Four bird species exhibited a significant relationship with change in percentage overstory cover in one study, but this was not found across multiple studies. These results demonstrate a lack of consistency in the relationship between change in overstory cover and population trends among bird species, both within and between geographic regions. Our study demonstrates that biodiversity surrogates representing community-level metrics may be consistent across regions, but provide only limited information about individual species population trends. Understanding the limitations of the information provided by a biodiversity surrogate can inform the appropriate context for its application. Crown Copyright © 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Birds as surrogates for mammals and reptiles: Are patterns of cross-taxonomic associations stable over time in a human-modified landscape?
- Yong, Ding, Barton, Philip, Okada, Sachiko, Crane, Mason, Lindenmayer, David
- Authors: Yong, Ding , Barton, Philip , Okada, Sachiko , Crane, Mason , Lindenmayer, David
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ecological Indicators Vol. 69, no. (2016), p. 152-164
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Cross-taxonomic surrogates can be feasible alternatives to direct measurements of biodiversity in conservation if validated with robust data and used with explicit goals. However, few studies of cross-taxonomic surrogates have examined how temporal changes in composition or richness in one taxon can drive variation in concordant patterns of diversity in another taxon, particularly in a dynamic and heavily modified landscape. We examined this problem by assessing changes in cross-taxonomic associations over time between the surrogate (birds) and target vertebrate taxa (mammals, reptiles) that demand high sampling effort, in a heterogeneous mosaic landscape comprising pine monoculture, eucalypt woodland remnants and agricultural land. Focussing on four study years (1999, 2001, 2011, 2013) from a dataset collected over 15 years, we: (1) investigated temporal changes in cross-taxonomic congruency among three animal taxa (2) explored how temporal variation in composition and species richness of each taxon might account for variation in cross-taxonomic congruency, and (3) identified habitat structural variables that are strongly correlated with species composition of each taxon. We found the strength of cross-taxonomic congruency varied between taxa in response to both landscape context and over time. Among the three taxa, overall correlations were weak but were consistently positive and strongest between birds and mammals, while correlations involving reptiles were usually weak and negative. We also found that stronger species richness and composition correlations between birds and mammals were not only more prevalent in woodland remnants in the agricultural matrix, but they also increased in strength over time. Temporal shifts in species composition differed in rate and extent among the taxa even though these shifts were significant over time, while important habitat structural correlates were seldom shared across taxa. Our study highlights the role of the landscape matrix and time in shaping animal communities and the resulting cross-taxonomic associations in the woodland remnants, especially after a major perturbation event (i.e. plantation establishment). In such dynamic landscapes, differing and taxon-specific shifts in species diversity over time can influence the strength, direction and consistency of cross-taxonomic correlations, therefore posing a 'temporal' problem for the use of surrogates like birds in monitoring and assessment of biodiversity, and conservation management practices in general. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
- Authors: Yong, Ding , Barton, Philip , Okada, Sachiko , Crane, Mason , Lindenmayer, David
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ecological Indicators Vol. 69, no. (2016), p. 152-164
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Cross-taxonomic surrogates can be feasible alternatives to direct measurements of biodiversity in conservation if validated with robust data and used with explicit goals. However, few studies of cross-taxonomic surrogates have examined how temporal changes in composition or richness in one taxon can drive variation in concordant patterns of diversity in another taxon, particularly in a dynamic and heavily modified landscape. We examined this problem by assessing changes in cross-taxonomic associations over time between the surrogate (birds) and target vertebrate taxa (mammals, reptiles) that demand high sampling effort, in a heterogeneous mosaic landscape comprising pine monoculture, eucalypt woodland remnants and agricultural land. Focussing on four study years (1999, 2001, 2011, 2013) from a dataset collected over 15 years, we: (1) investigated temporal changes in cross-taxonomic congruency among three animal taxa (2) explored how temporal variation in composition and species richness of each taxon might account for variation in cross-taxonomic congruency, and (3) identified habitat structural variables that are strongly correlated with species composition of each taxon. We found the strength of cross-taxonomic congruency varied between taxa in response to both landscape context and over time. Among the three taxa, overall correlations were weak but were consistently positive and strongest between birds and mammals, while correlations involving reptiles were usually weak and negative. We also found that stronger species richness and composition correlations between birds and mammals were not only more prevalent in woodland remnants in the agricultural matrix, but they also increased in strength over time. Temporal shifts in species composition differed in rate and extent among the taxa even though these shifts were significant over time, while important habitat structural correlates were seldom shared across taxa. Our study highlights the role of the landscape matrix and time in shaping animal communities and the resulting cross-taxonomic associations in the woodland remnants, especially after a major perturbation event (i.e. plantation establishment). In such dynamic landscapes, differing and taxon-specific shifts in species diversity over time can influence the strength, direction and consistency of cross-taxonomic correlations, therefore posing a 'temporal' problem for the use of surrogates like birds in monitoring and assessment of biodiversity, and conservation management practices in general. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Does wing morphology affect recolonization of restored farmland by ground-dwelling beetles?
- Gibb, Heloise, Retter, Bryony, Cunningham, Saul, Barton, Philip
- Authors: Gibb, Heloise , Retter, Bryony , Cunningham, Saul , Barton, Philip
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Restoration Ecology Vol. 25, no. 2 (2017), p. 234-242
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Revegetation of previously cleared land is widely used to increase habitat area and connectivity of remnant vegetation for biodiversity conservation. Whether new habitat attracts or supports fauna depends on the dispersal traits of those fauna as well as the structure and composition of the surrounding landscape. Here, we examined wing morphology as a key dispersal trait for beetles in a revegetated landscape and asked, first, how it was related to phylogeny (family), trophic position, and body size. Second, we asked if wing morphology of recolonizing (or persisting) beetles varied with habitat characteristics at multiple scales, from microhabitat to landscape context. Third, we examined how common winged and wingless species responded to habitat at multiple scales. We measured the wing morphology of ground-dwelling beetles from a restoration chronosequence, including paddocks, “young” revegetation (8–11 years old), “old” revegetation (14–19 years old), and fenced remnant vegetation. We found that body size and family membership were significant predictors of winglessness, with wingless species of carabids and curculionids being larger than their winged counterparts. We found no difference in the number of sites occupied by winged and wingless species, and no relationship between the wing morphology traits represented in different locations and habitat characteristics or landscape context. Furthermore, the most abundant species of both winged and wingless ground-dwelling beetles had relatively little affinity to any habitat successional stage. Thus, despite intrinsic differences in wing morphology among species of ground-dwelling beetle, we found no evidence that flight-related dispersal limitations influenced recolonization (or persistence) in this landscape. © 2016 Society for Ecological Restoration
Effects of ecological restoration on soil microbial diversity in a temperate grassy woodland
- Hamonts, Kelly, Bissett, Andrew, Macdonald, Ben, Barton, Philip, Manning, Adrian, Young, Andrew
- Authors: Hamonts, Kelly , Bissett, Andrew , Macdonald, Ben , Barton, Philip , Manning, Adrian , Young, Andrew
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Applied Soil Ecology Vol. 117-118, no. (2017), p. 117-128
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Soil microbial communities are often overlooked in the context of ecological restoration. Given their central role in a broad range of ecosystem processes, however, understanding their response to restoration activities is critical to predicting restoration trajectories. In this study, we quantified the response of soil bacterial and fungal communities to restoration treatments, variation in microhabitat elements and vegetation in a critically endangered Australian box-gum grassy woodland ecosystem. Restoration treatments included the addition of coarse woody debris (CWD) and reduced grazing pressure. Four years after applying restoration treatments, we found no significant effect of CWD addition on soil microbial diversity, while reduced grazing significantly affected composition of the fungal, but not the bacterial, communities. Both bacterial and fungal communities responded to microhabitat element (open ground vs. old logs and trees), overlying vegetation and soil edaphic properties, and strong aboveground-belowground linkages were observed. Plant alpha diversity was positively correlated to soil bacterial, but not fungal, alpha diversity and plant community composition was a good predictor of both soil bacterial and fungal beta diversity. Co-occurrence network analysis identified numerous complex, non-linear associations between soil bacteria, fungi, edaphic properties and overlying plants. Soil microbes affected by restoration treatments included fungal saprotrophs and Actinobacteria, likely involved in litter breakdown, as well as bacteria likely involved in soil N cycling. Although the directions of the observed plant-microbe relationships remain unclear, we demonstrated the possibility of inducing changes to soil microbial communities to enhance restoration outcomes in box-gum grassy woodland ecosystems. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.
Fine-scale drivers of beetle diversity are affected by vegetation context and agricultural history
- Ross, Catherine, Barton, Philip, McIntyre, Sue, Cunningham, Saul, Manning, Adrian
- Authors: Ross, Catherine , Barton, Philip , McIntyre, Sue , Cunningham, Saul , Manning, Adrian
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Austral Ecology Vol. 42, no. 7 (2017), p. 831-843
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Environmental gradients have been shown to affect animal diversity, but knowledge of fine-scale drivers of insect diversity is, in many cases, poorly developed. We investigated the drivers of beetle diversity and composition at different microhabitats, and how this may be mediated by past agricultural activities. The study was undertaken in temperate eucalypt grassy woodland near Canberra, south-eastern Australia, with a 200-year history of pastoral land use. We sampled beetles using pitfall traps at three microhabitats (open grassland, logs and under trees). We analysed the effects of soil properties, vegetation structure, and plant composition on beetle composition, and compared beetle responses among the microhabitats. We found that microhabitat was a strong determinant of the way beetle communities responded to their environment. Soil nutrients (C, N and P) were the strongest drivers of beetle species richness, abundance and composition at open and log microhabitat, however vegetation structure (tree basal area) was more important for beetle richness, abundance and biomass under trees. We also found significant differences in beetle composition among distinct ground-layer plant communities at log and tree microhabitat. We show that prior agricultural land use, particularly fertilization, has altered soil and plant communities, and that these effects continue to flow through the system affecting beetle assemblages. These findings have implications for future management of microhabitat structures in temperate grassy woodlands with a history of agricultural use. © 2017 Ecological Society of Australia