Current Research Projects
The role of dingoes in controlling cat and fox abundance in the arid zone
The study addresses the question of whether the dingo has the potential to suppress the abundance and distribution of introduced cats and foxes. Interactions between dingoes, cats and foxes will be studied within a 37 square km fenced exclosure using extremely accurate GPS collars on dingoes, cats and foxes. Depending on results, dingoes may be used to suppress cat and fox numbers and allow bilbies to survive outside the reserve.
Wild West Pest Management Program
Arid Recovery is currently conducting a project to test the cost effectiveness of integrated pest management in preference to costly aerial baiting. Pest control will be conducted using a combination of trapping, shooting and selective hand baiting in an unfenced area adjacent to the Arid Recovery Reserve. Another aim is to see if this control strategy can control cats and foxes in an area and allow the re-estabishment of a population of Greater Bilbies outside the reserve.
External bilby release
In 2004 twelve bilbies were released outside the Arid Recovery Reserve with the aim of establishing a wild population. Unfortunately the majority of these bilbies were taken by feral cats. However, some of these bilbies survived for over a year, triggering the questions ‘Do some bilbies have better instincts at avoiding feral animals?’ ‘Are they able to avoid feral animals if they have had a close encounter with a cat or fox?’ Subsequent research at Arid Recovery has identified that bilbies respond to predator-avoidance training with trained bilbies exhibiting a higher sense of awareness and response to cat odour. Ten trained and ten untrained bilbies have been released outside the Arid Recovery Reserve to determine if survival is greater in bilbies that have been given predator avoidance training.
Rodent distribution and habitat requirements in Arid Recovery Reserve
Recent trapping results have identified large increases in rodents inside Arid Recovery, particularly the nationally threatened Plains Rat. Research will be undertaken to determine the difference in abundance and habitat preference of the Plains Rat inside and outside the Arid Recovery Reserve.
One-way gate trials
Fenced reserves provide an unnatural barrier to dispersal and can lead to overstocking of threatened species. One way gates have been designed to allow threatened species to disperse into areas surrounding the reserve where cats and foxes are controlled through baiting. The one-way gates do not allow cats and foxes access to the reserve. Four one way gate designs were tested on Greater Bilbies and Burrowing Bettongs and each species preferred a different gate design. Preferred designs will now be tested on feral cats to ensure they cannot use them to gain access to the reserve.
Arid Recovery Research Priorities
1) Document and differentiate between the restoration of ecological processes after the removal of feral animals and the re-introduction of locally extinct species
- Changes in abundance, cover, recruitment, survivorship and diversity of flora
- Changes in relative abundance, diversity, reproductive success and condition of native mammals, reptiles, birds and invertebrates
- Changes in soil condition, fungi, seed bank and other substrate characteristics.
2) Research the ecology of threatened and significant species and formulate monitoring and re-introduction protocols
- Determine the habitat, shelter and dietary requirements of each species
- Determine the social and spatial behaviour of each species.
- Determine the most successful, efficient, humane and cost effective re-introduction protocol for each species.
- Determine the most successful, efficient, humane and cost-effective monitoring system for each species.
3) Identify indicators of overstocking of threatened species within the Reserve and explore options for maintaining desired population levels
- Identify indicators of overstocking
- Investigate the potential of native predators to control numbers
- Determine tolerable levels of cat and fox predation on re-introduced species
- Investigate methods of increasing survival of threatened species outside the reserve including predator avoidance training, habitat alteration etc
- Assess the success and necessity of soaks and one way gates
4) Develop and improve methods for feral animal control
- Develop a large scale effective, humane and cost efficient control strategy for cats, foxes and rabbits
- Design the most cost effective, efficient exclusion fence for future replacement and expansions
- Design an eradication strategy for the complete removal of rabbits, cats and foxes from within fenced exclusion zones.
|
|
