Microhabitat use and foraging behaviour of Sminthopsis youngsoni (Marsupialia:Dasyuridae) in arid central Australia

Haythornthwaite, Adele S.

doi:10.1071/wr04126

Cited by 20 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…These preferences are consistent with published information on habitat use in each species (e.g. Dickman et al ; Haythornthwaite ; van Dyck & Strahan ; Pavey et al ; Waudby & Petit ; Molyneux et al ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Population dynamics of dasyurid marsupials in dryland Australia: Variation across habitat and time

2020

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The irruptive population dynamics of rodents are a globally renowned wildlife phenomenon; however, the dynamics of other small mammals with which rodents are sympatric are poorly understood. Dryland Australia supports a high diversity of small (<200 g) arthropod-eating marsupials (Dasyuridae). Here, we test the hypothesis that dasyurid marsupials do not exhibit the same degree of irruptive population dynamics that are shown by rodents. We addressed this question by sampling small mammal assemblages on 20 permanent trapping sites in the Simpson Desert on 20 occasions from 2007 to 2017. Sampling was stratified across three broad habitat types: sandridge, gibber plain and clay plain. We captured 478 dasyurid marsupials of nine species, ranging in mean body mass from 5.75 to 93.50 g, at a capture rate of 1.71 per 100 trap-nights. Capture rate varied across habitat and over time and the interaction between these two effects was also significant. Capture rate was highest on clay plain (3.35 captures/100 trap-nights), followed by gibber plain (2.16 captures/100 trap-nights) and lowest on sand habitat (0.54 captures/100 trap-nights). Each species had a clear preference for one of the dominant habitat types. Dasyurid assemblages responded to high rainfall pulses in November-December 2008 and January 2015; however, the largest rainfall period in 2010-2011 resulted in very low captures. Likewise, a peak in abundance occurred in April 2008 although it was not preceded by high rainfall. We conclude that, although dasyurid marsupial capture rates varied up to 34 fold during the study period, population changes are not strongly tied to rainfall. Heterothermic physiology in this family, in particular the ability to use daily torpor to save energy, may be central to the decoupling of population dynamics from rainfall-driven primary productivity.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Population dynamics of dasyurid marsupials in dryland Australia: Variation across habitat and time

2020

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“…As S. youngsoni is a carnivorous food generalist [49] that appears to be largely unaffected by higher predation risk in open habitat [50], we had not expected this species to be affected strongly by grazing. However, as it forages preferentially near spinifex hummocks [51], it may have benefited from the less-trampled spinifex cover in the lightly grazed areas rather than from differences in the grazing regime per se . Other species of dasyurids have been shown to be tolerant of grazing [52] or to decline only in heavily grazed sites [53].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions of Grazing History, Cattle Removal and Time since Rain Drive Divergent Short-Term Responses by Desert Biota

et al. 2013

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Arid grasslands are used worldwide for grazing by domestic livestock, generating debate about how this pastoral enterprise may influence native desert biota. One approach to resolving this question is to experimentally reduce livestock numbers and measure the effects. However, a key challenge in doing this is that historical grazing impacts are likely to be cumulative and may therefore confound comparisons of the short-term responses of desert biota to changes in stocking levels. Arid areas are also subject to infrequent flooding rainfalls that drive productivity and dramatically alter abundances of flora and fauna. We took advantage of an opportunity to study the recent effects of a property-scale cattle removal on two properties with similarly varied grazing histories in central Australia. Following the removal of cattle in 2006 and before and after a significant rainfall event at the beginning of 2007, we sampled vegetation and small vertebrates on eight occasions until October 2008. Our results revealed significant interactions of time of survey with both grazing history and grazing removal for vascular plants, small mammals and reptiles. The mammals exhibited a three-way interaction of time, grazing history and grazing removal, thus highlighting the importance of careful sampling designs and timing for future monitoring. The strongest response to the cessation of grazing after two years was depressed reproductive output of plants in areas where cattle continued to graze. Our results confirm that neither vegetation nor small vertebrates necessarily respond immediately to the removal of livestock, but that rainfall events and cumulative grazing history are key determinants of floral and faunal performance in grassland landscapes with low and variable rainfall. We suggest that improved assessments could be made of the health of arid grazing environments if long-term monitoring were implemented to track the complex interactions that influence how native biota respond to grazing.

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“…In simplified models, foragers closely track food resources across patches, and choose patch(es) that maximize fitness, resulting in an ideal, free distribution of individuals that mirrors food distribution (Fretwell and Lucas 1970). Several empirical studies have demonstrated that animals occur more frequently or in greater numbers in habitat patches with more abundant food, and for some animals food abundance is the key determinant of distribution (Rey 1995, Haythornthwaite 2005, van Gils et al 2006). However, the correlation between food and distribution of other animals is weakened by diverse factors, such as predation, social interactions, climate, or attempts to forecast future conditions (Marra 2000, Telleria and Perez‐Tris 2007).…”

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confidence: 99%

Food abundance determines distribution and density of a frugivorous bird across seasons

Crampton

Longland

Murphy

et al. 2010

Oikos

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Although food abundance is a principal determinant of distribution and abundance of many animals, most previous studies have not quantitatively assessed its importance relative to other factors that may also determine species distributions. We estimated frugivorous phainopepla Phainopepla nitens occupancy and density, food density, and vegetation structure on transects in fragmented mesquite and acacia woodlands over three years in non‐breeding and breeding seasons. Using an AIC framework and controlling for detection probability, we determined relative impacts of food abundance, vegetation structure, and habitat fragmentation on patch occupancy and density, and concomitant extinction and colonization probabilities of phainopeplas. Initial occupancy in winter 2002 was high (0.87 ± 0.047), and primarily positively correlated with food abundance and woodland area (Akaike weights wi= 0.998 and 0.750 respectively). Woodland area more strongly influenced occupancy where food was scarcer. Phainopepla density in both seasons was strongly positively correlated with food abundance, especially in the 2002 drought when density was higher (wi=1.0 for food and year). Density was higher in acacia than mesquite woodlands (wi= 1.0), and moderately negatively correlated with elevation (wi= 0.789). Extinction probability (patches vacated) was low (0.078 ± 0.040), and principally influenced by phainopepla density (wi= 0.968) and tree height (wi= 0.749). Colonization probability was low (0.15 ± 0.034) and determined by vegetation structure (wi= 1.0). Much recorded colonization was reoccupancy of woodlands previously occupied by single males in winter, then vacated in a breeding season. These results suggest that for an animal occupying a highly fragmented landscape, distributions and densities at the habitat patch scale are driven by food abundance, are moderately affected by habitat fragmentation, and are slightly influenced by vegetation structure.

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Microhabitat use and foraging behaviour of Sminthopsis youngsoni (Marsupialia:Dasyuridae) in arid central Australia

Cited by 20 publications

References 43 publications

Population dynamics of dasyurid marsupials in dryland Australia: Variation across habitat and time

Population dynamics of dasyurid marsupials in dryland Australia: Variation across habitat and time

Interactions of Grazing History, Cattle Removal and Time since Rain Drive Divergent Short-Term Responses by Desert Biota

Food abundance determines distribution and density of a frugivorous bird across seasons

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