The Viggers &amp; Hearn conundrum: a kangaroo home range study with no implications for land management

Martin, Jennifer K.; Coulson, Geoff; Stefano, Julian Di; Ritchie, Euan G.; Greenfield, Andrew; Catanchin, Helen; Evans, Lisa N.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2664.2007.01309.x

Cited by 5 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…(2007) critique the study design, home range analysis, biomass assessment and other aspects of the work by Viggers & Hearn (2005). We reject the criticisms made by Martin et al . (2007) and believe that the study design employed by Viggers & Hearn (2005) was sound.…”

contrasting

confidence: 72%

“…(2007). We believe that other criticisms made by Martin et al . (2007) also cannot be sustained. Synthesis and applications.…”

mentioning

confidence: 66%

“…The work also was preceded by extensive day and night‐time field assessments to enable contrasts between low and high density M. giganteus populations. We also contend that the home range analysis was not flawed: the methods employed by Viggers & Hearn (2005) were in fact the same ones recommended by Martin et al . (2007).…”

mentioning

confidence: 90%

“… Summary The management of kangaroo populations is a major land management and conservation issue in many parts of Australia. Viggers & Hearn (2005) reported the results of a substantial radio‐tracking study of the eastern grey kangaroo ( Macropus giganteus Shaw) in south‐eastern Australia. Martin et al . (2007) critique the study design, home range analysis, biomass assessment and other aspects of the work by Viggers & Hearn (2005).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This creates a disincentive for farmers to conserve remnant native vegetation. The criticisms by Martin et al . (2007) have no bearing on this conclusion; hence the kangaroo conundrum stands.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The kangaroo conundrum remains

Viggers

Lindenmayer

2007

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Summary1. The management of kangaroo populations is a major land management and conservation issue in many parts of Australia. 2. Viggers & Hearn (2005) reported the results of a substantial radio-tracking study of the eastern grey kangaroo ( Macropus giganteus Shaw) in south-eastern Australia. Martin et al . (2007) critique the study design, home range analysis, biomass assessment and other aspects of the work by Viggers & Hearn (2005). 3. We reject the criticisms made by Martin et al . (2007) and believe that the study design employed by Viggers & Hearn (2005) was sound. The work also was preceded by extensive day and night-time field assessments to enable contrasts between low and high density M. giganteus populations. We also contend that the home range analysis was not flawed: the methods employed by Viggers & Hearn (2005) were in fact the same ones recommended by Martin et al . (2007). We believe that other criticisms made by Martin et al . (2007) also cannot be sustained. 4. Synthesis and applications. Viggers & Hearn (2005) found that patches of remnant native vegetation were used as day and night-time refuges by M. giganteus. This creates a disincentive for farmers to conserve remnant native vegetation. The criticisms by Martin et al . (2007) have no bearing on this conclusion; hence the kangaroo conundrum stands.

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contrasting

confidence: 72%

“…(2007). We believe that other criticisms made by Martin et al . (2007) also cannot be sustained. Synthesis and applications.…”

mentioning

confidence: 66%

mentioning

confidence: 90%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The kangaroo conundrum remains

Viggers

Lindenmayer

2007

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) include fauna underpasses in their home range

et al. 2016

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Context The presence of large mammals on roads poses a serious risk to both the animals and motorists if collisions with vehicles occur. Fencing roads can reduce this risk, and it also limits the landscape-scale movements of animals. By also constructing fauna underpasses it may be possible to avoid collisions with vehicles, while, at the same time, allowing the natural movement of animals across the landscape. Aims We aimed to determine whether western grey kangaroos (Macropus fulignosus) would use fauna underpasses and to determine how this may affect their home range. Methods We used motion-activated infrared cameras to monitor the use of one large 8 × 3 m arched underpass and two 0.9-m-diameter fauna underpasses over 342 days between March 2011 and March 2012. The underpasses were situated between reserves separated by a four-lane fenced highway, with one reserve surrounded by residential properties. At the same time, 20 kangaroos (10 males and 10 females) were radio-tracked to determine the size of their home range and to test whether the animals incorporated the fauna underpasses into their daily movements. Key results The large fauna underpass was used 3116 times by individual kangaroos in groups of up to 21 animals, whereas the two smaller underpasses were used only twice. In total, 14 of the 20 radio-collared kangaroos used the large underpass over the course of the study, but underpass use did not affect home-range size. Kangaroos that did not use the underpass had a significantly higher proportion of their home range on residential properties surrounding one of the reserves than did those kangaroos that used the underpass. Conclusions The use of the underpass did not affect the size of the home range of the kangaroos, but it allowed the kangaroos to access grazing areas that would have been otherwise inaccessible. Fauna underpasses allow the safe passage of kangaroos between isolated remnant vegetation patches and may reduce significantly the risks posed to motorists and kangaroos from collisions. Implications Fencing roads and constructing fauna underpasses is a viable solution to reducing some of the problems of managing large kangaroos in peri-urban areas.

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A review of home-range studies on Australian terrestrial vertebrates: adequacy of studies, testing of hypotheses, and relevance to conservation and international studies

Goldingay¹

2015

Aust. J. Zool.

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Describing the spatial requirements of animals is central to understanding their ecology and conservation needs. I reviewed 115 studies describing the home ranges of Australian terrestrial vertebrates that were published during 2001-12. Understanding the features that characterise best practice can guide future studies. I aimed to: evaluate the adequacy of these studies, examine the use of current analysis techniques, examine the application of home-range knowledge to species' management, and examine hypotheses that seek to explain the size and location of home ranges. The reviewed studies were unevenly distributed across taxa with a majority (68%) involving mammals compared with birds (12%), reptiles (19%) and frogs (1%). Many studies had various shortcomings, suggesting that they had not fully described home ranges; many (41%) involved 10 or fewer individuals, 50 locations per individual (44%), and spanned periods of 3 months (46%). Studies of short duration risk underestimating home-range area and overlooking seasonal habitat use. Global positioning system telemetry was used in 10% of Australian studies. Many were also of short duration. Despite frequent criticism in the literature, the Minimum Convex Polygon was the most frequently used home-range estimator (84% of studies), followed by the Fixed Kernel (45% of studies). Applying knowledge of home ranges appears to be underappreciated, with only 39% of studies explicitly aiming to address management or conservation issues. Only three studies tested hypotheses that may explain home-range characteristics. Resource (food and shelter) distribution and, in one case, its heterogeneity, shaped home-range characteristics. I found that most studies use the term 'home range' in an indiscriminate way. Only 11% of studies within the international literature used qualifying terms (e.g. seasonal, annual). Tracking period is shown to influence home-range estimates. Therefore, I recommend that qualifying terms be used more frequently to avoid confusion when referring to animal home ranges.

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The Viggers & Hearn conundrum: a kangaroo home range study with no implications for land management

Cited by 5 publications

References 37 publications

The kangaroo conundrum remains

The kangaroo conundrum remains

Western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) include fauna underpasses in their home range

A review of home-range studies on Australian terrestrial vertebrates: adequacy of studies, testing of hypotheses, and relevance to conservation and international studies

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