Not so fussy after all: Shark Bay mouse (Pseudomys gouldii) recorded using a range of habitat types on Faure Island

Palmer, Bryony Joan; Cowen, Saul Jesse; Bourne, Amanda Ruth

doi:10.1071/am23038

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 31 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Lack of good understanding of habitat preference is an important issue in translocations, particularly in Australia and surrounding Oceanian areas where translocation sites are often subject to extensive weed invasions (Morris et al 2021). Another recent Australian example is the single remaining population of Shark Bay mouse (Pseudomys gouldi), which also has a broader range of suitable habitats than previously assumed (Palmer et al 2024).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Threatened stick-nest rats preferentially eat invasive boxthorn rather than native vegetation on Australia’s Reevesby Island

Kraehe,

Weisbecker,

Hill

et al. 2024

Wildlife Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Context The incorporation of invasive plants into novel ecosystems often has negative effects, but it can also sometimes enhance ecosystem function. The threatened native rodent species Leporillus conditor (greater stick-nest rat) is extinct on the Australian mainland and now lives primarily on small islands off the coast of southern Australia. Many of these are degraded novel ecosystems invaded by African boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum), a weed of national significance. However, L. conditor does not appear to be negatively affected by the presence of boxthorn, raising the question of how the two species co-exist. Aims To understand how L. conditor uses African boxthorn, we evaluated dietary composition of L. conditor on parts of Reevesby Island by comparing consumption of invasive boxthorn with that of native vegetation. Methods We identified three key vegetation types on the centre of the island and used point-intercept vegetation surveys to estimate relative availability of plant species in each. We then used micro-histological faecal analysis to estimate the proportions of each species in the diet of L. conditor, and quantified plant species selection by using selection ratios (use/availability). Key results Qualitative evidence of L. conditor activity suggested that it was mostly confined to vegetation with greater abundance of boxthorn than the other vegetation types (13.5%, compared with 5.7% total sampled vegetation). Furthermore, 51.7% of the faecal plant content and 11.8% of total sampled vegetation was African boxthorn, resulting in a selection ration for boxthorn of 4.4. Native species that appeared to be favoured food sources of L. conditor included Olearia axillaris, Myoporum insulare and Enchylaena tomentosa. Conclusions Stick-nest rats of Reevesby Island demonstrate a clear selection for African boxthorn, both in terms of diet (tested quantitatively) and nesting (from previous research and our field observations). Implications The strong selection of stick-nest rats for a declared noxious weed as its main food source and persistence of stick-nest rats on Reevesby Island require consideration with regards to vegetation management on islands where L. conditor occurs. More broadly, it highlights that some elements of novel ecosystems may have unexpected positive impacts on parts of original ecosystems.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Threatened stick-nest rats preferentially eat invasive boxthorn rather than native vegetation on Australia’s Reevesby Island

Kraehe,

Weisbecker,

Hill

et al. 2024

Wildlife Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Continental‐scale identification and prioritisation of potential refugee species; a case study for rodents in Australia

Smith,

Pierson,

Evans

et al. 2024

Ecography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A species is expected to be most resilient to environmental change when it occurs across a broad diversity of habitats. However, there is often no visual representation of the past (i.e. prehistoric and historical) context for a species in the range maps published by national and global authorities. Therefore, it is easy to overlook the fact that many species once occupied a broader geographic range, or greater diversity of habitats. Such oversights hinder the effective conservation of species that have become restricted to a subset of their formerly occupied habitats. Here, we quantified the shifted baseline that may underpin some of the ecological misconceptions about species, and developed a rapid assessment method to aid the identification and prioritisation of ‘potential refugee species' (i.e. species that have become restricted to a subset of their formerly occupied niche). The assessment of potential refugee status is different from, but complementary to, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and Green Status frameworks. Our framework defines a continuum of potential refugee status, which was demonstratable in continent‐scale maps drawn from biogeographic regionalisation. Applying this framework to all native rodent species across the continent of Australia (a group that has suffered several extinctions and notable declines), we found that the risk of ecological misconceptions caused by shifted baselines (i.e. resulting from ‘shifting baseline syndrome') was prevalent. This suggests that in many cases, translocation opportunities that might be avoided because they are perceived as conservation introductions (as defined by the IUCN translocation guidelines), may in fact fall within the indigenous range, and should therefore be considered reasonable reintroductions. Ultimately, our potential refugee assessment framework will help to facilitate the undertaking of ambitious translocations that will build species' resilience to environmental change by resuming their adaptation to habitats across all formerly occupied bioregions.

show abstract

Threatened stick-nest rats preferentially eat invasive boxthorn rather than native vegetation on Australia’s Reevesby Island

Kraehe,

Weisbecker,

Hill

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Context: The threatened native rodent species Leporillus conditor (greater stick-nest rat) is extinct on the Australian mainland and now lives primarily on small islands off the coast of southern Australia. Many of these are degraded novel ecosystems invaded by African boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum), a weed of national significance. However, L. conditor does not appear to be negatively impacted by the presence of boxthorn, raising the question of how the two species co-exist. Aims: To understand how L. conditor uses African boxthorn, we evaluated dietary composition of L. conditor on parts of Reevesby Island by comparing consumption of invasive boxthorn with that of native vegetation. Methods: We identified three key vegetation types on the centre of the island and used point-intercept vegetation surveys to estimate relative availability of plant species in each. We then used micro-histological faecal analysis to estimate the proportions of each species in the diet of L. conditor, and quantified plant species selection using selection ratios (use/availability). Key results: Qualitative evidence of L. conditor activity suggested it was mostly confined to vegetation with greater abundance of boxthorn than the other vegetation types (13.5%, compared to 5.7% total sampled vegetation). Furthermore, African boxthorn comprised of 51.7% of the faecal plant content and 11.8% of total sampled vegetation, resulting in a selection ration for boxthorn of 4.4. Native species that appeared to be favoured food sources of L. conditor included Olearia axillaris, Myoporum insulare and Enchylaena tomentosa. Conclusions: Stick-nest rats of Revesby Island demonstrate a clear preference for African boxthorn, both in terms of diet (tested quantitatively) and nesting (from previous research and field observations). Implications: The strong preference of stick-nest rats for a declared noxious weed as its main food source and persistence of stick-nest rats on Reevesby Island requires consideration with regards to vegetation management on all islands where L. conditor occurs. More broadly, it highlights that some elements of novel ecosystems may have unexpected positive impacts on parts of original ecosystems.

show abstract

Not so fussy after all: Shark Bay mouse (Pseudomys gouldii) recorded using a range of habitat types on Faure Island

Cited by 3 publications

References 31 publications

Threatened stick-nest rats preferentially eat invasive boxthorn rather than native vegetation on Australia’s Reevesby Island

Threatened stick-nest rats preferentially eat invasive boxthorn rather than native vegetation on Australia’s Reevesby Island

Continental‐scale identification and prioritisation of potential refugee species; a case study for rodents in Australia

Threatened stick-nest rats preferentially eat invasive boxthorn rather than native vegetation on Australia’s Reevesby Island

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About