Transition to density dependence in a reintroduced ecosystem engineer

Manning, Adrian D.; Evans, Maldwyn J.; Banks, Sam C.; Batson, William G.; Belton, Emily; Crisp, Helen; Fletcher, Donald B.; Gordon, Iain J.; Grarock, Kate; Munro, Nicki; Newport, Jenny; Pierson, Jennifer C.; Portas, Timothy J.; Snape, Melissa A.; Wimpenny, Claire

doi:10.1007/s10531-019-01852-2

Cited by 6 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…The effect of environmental phenomena on long‐term genetic trends in the eastern bettong should also be assessed, coinciding with a recommendation to do the same for demographic measures of success such as pouch occupancy and weight (Manning et al ., 2019). This would not only benefit the long‐term management of the eastern bettong but also inform the development of rule of thumb management for similar species in less well‐funded projects.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As with many critical weight range species (35—5500 g; Burbidge & McKenzie, 1989; Johnson & Isaac, 2009), this was predominantly due to predation by foxes and cats (Short, 1998). Reintroduction of the eastern bettong into predator‐proof reserves has seen populations of this important ecosystem engineer (Munro et al ., 2019; Ross et al ., 2020) re‐established in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT; Batson et al ., 2016; Manning et al ., 2019). To achieve this, individuals were deliberately sourced from seven localities across their refuge in Tasmania (Fig.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Following the reintroduction monitoring protocol, adults were marked by a PIT microchip at first capture and an ear biopsy was taken (Manning et al ., 2019). DNA was extracted from these ear clips using a modified proteinase‐K digestion and salting out method (Miller, Dykes & Polesky, 1988) with ethanol precipitation.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve (TNR) contains nine bettong enclosures between which bettong are moved occasionally and is a subsection of the larger Tidbinbilla area, which covers a total of 6466 ha and is one of the oldest reserves in the ACT (ACT Government, 2012). Details of the reintroduction and monitoring plan can be found in Batson et al (2016) and Manning et al (2019).…”

Section: Reintroduction Detailsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Establishment, persistence and the importance of longitudinal monitoring in multi‐source reintroductions

Brockett

Banks

Neaves

et al. 2022

Animal Conservation

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Incorporating genetic data into conservation programmes improves management outcomes, but the impact of different sample grouping methods on genetic diversity analyses is poorly understood. To this end, the multi-source reintroduction of the eastern bettong Bettongia gaimardi was used as a long-term case study to investigate how sampling regimes may affect common genetic metrics and hence management decisions. The dataset comprised 5307 SNPs sequenced across 263 individuals. Samples included 45 founders from five genetically distinct Tasmanian source regions, and 218 of their descendants captured during annual monitoring at Mulligan's Flat Woodland Sanctuary (121 samples across eight generations) and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve (97 samples across nine generations). The most management-informative sampling regime was found to be generational cohorts, providing detailed long-term trends in genetic diversity. When these generationspecific trends were not investigated, recent changes in population genetics were masked, and it became apparent that management recommendations would be less appropriate. The results also illuminated the importance of considering establishment and persistence as separate phases of a multi-source reintroduction. The establishment phase (useful for informing early adaptive management) should consist of no less than two generations and continue until admixture is achieved (admixture defined here as >80% of individuals possessing >60% of source genotypes, with no one source composing >70% of >20% individuals' genotype) is achieved. This ensures that the persistence phase analyses of population trends remain minimally biased. Based on this case study, we recommend that emphasis be given to the value of generationally specific analyses, and that conservation programmes collect DNA samples throughout the establishment and persistence phases and avoid collecting genetic samples only when the analysis is imminent. We also recommend that population genetic analyses for multi-source reintroductions consider whether admixture has been achieved when calculating descriptive genetic metrics.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Reintroduction Detailsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Establishment, persistence and the importance of longitudinal monitoring in multi‐source reintroductions

Brockett

Banks

Neaves

et al. 2022

Animal Conservation

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“…For example, in the initial years postrelease, a population’s sex and age ratio can be unstable (Armstrong and Reynolds, 2012; Morandini et al., 2019b), whereas density dependence may cause changes in vital rates as the population grows towards carrying capacity (Manning et al. 2019; Morandini et al., 2019a). Estimates of temporal variation can be confounded if important variables causing changes in vital rates over time are ignored, as those changes will be subsumed into the random year‐to‐year variation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incorporating data‐based estimates of temporal variation into projections for newly monitored populations

Parlato

Ewen

McCready

et al. 2021

Animal Conservation

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The importance of accounting for temporal variation in vital rates when modelling population dynamics is well recognized. However, long‐term (usually >5 years) datasets are needed to estimate this variation. Consequently, models for newly monitored populations typically assume no temporal variation or use default values provided in software programmes, both of which can give misleading inferences about population dynamics. The goal of this study is to improve estimation of dynamics in the initial years of conservation programmes by incorporating data‐based estimates of temporal variation from other populations with longer‐term data available. We show how data‐derived priors can be generated using estimates of temporal variation in vital rates from other populations, providing information about expected variation until sufficient population‐specific data are available. We specifically evaluated whether data‐derived priors improved our ability to estimate temporal variation for a reintroduced population monitored for 3 years postrelease. We first predicted population growth and probability of extinction assuming no temporal variation in vital rates, then compared projections to those obtained when temporal variation was estimated with uniform priors or with the data‐derived priors. Both types of priors were constrained to plausible ranges, and we also assessed sensitivity of model outputs to widening those ranges. Median projected population size was similar under all three models, but extinction probability was higher with inclusion of temporal variability, reiterating the importance of incorporating this source of uncertainty. Projections with temporal variation were similar irrespective of whether data‐derived priors or uniform priors were used. However, the data‐derived priors generated more precise estimates of annual variation that were less sensitive to relaxation of prior constraints. The approach we present can facilitate management decisions at the outset of conservation programmes when risk assessments that account for all relevant uncertainties can be crucial for determining optimal management strategies.

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A reintroduced ecosystem engineer provides a germination niche for native plant species

et al. 2019

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Transition to density dependence in a reintroduced ecosystem engineer

Cited by 6 publications

References 45 publications

Establishment, persistence and the importance of longitudinal monitoring in multi‐source reintroductions

Establishment, persistence and the importance of longitudinal monitoring in multi‐source reintroductions

Incorporating data‐based estimates of temporal variation into projections for newly monitored populations

A reintroduced ecosystem engineer provides a germination niche for native plant species

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