Study of seed dispersal by Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) in the Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forests of south-western Australia through satellite telemetry
Andrew P. Nield A B , Neal J. Enright A and Philip G. Ladd A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: a.nield@murdoch.edu.au
Emu 115(1) 29-34 https://doi.org/10.1071/MU13113
Submitted: 17 December 2013 Accepted: 18 September 2014 Published: 29 January 2015
Abstract
Global positioning system (GPS) technology for tracking wildlife continues to evolve at a remarkable pace. As animal movement is increasingly recognised as being critical for several ecological processes, advanced telemetry technology permits collection of a high volume of data across short time intervals that was previously unobtainable. Here we describe the use of GPS telemetry to track the movements of five tagged Emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae Latham) released within the Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata Sm.) forests of south-western Australia. The Emu plays a significant role as a seed disperser for many species. Describing the movement patterns of this species is a key requirement in refining the extent and significance of its contribution to seed dispersal, both locally and over long distances. We found that Emus followed a typical correlated random walk pattern and that each bird demonstrated a variable response to the landscape in terms of behaviour, extent of movement and habitat selection. From a methodological perspective, 50% of our devices detached before 30 days of GPS locations could be collected, reflecting a need for device refinement for future studies on large ratites. Nevertheless, our preliminary data provide useful insights into the movements of the Emu and potential impacts on seed dispersal within the Jarrah forests.
Additional keywords: endozoochory, fragmentation, GPS telemetry, long distance dispersal, movement ecology.
References
Benhamou, S. (2007). How many animals really do the Lévy walk? Ecology 88, 1962–1969.| How many animals really do the Lévy walk?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 17824427PubMed |
BOM (2014). Climate Data Online. Available at: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/data/
Bovet, P., and Benhamou, S. (1988). Spatial analysis of animals’ movements using a correlated random walk model. Journal of Theoretical Biology 131, 419–433.
| Spatial analysis of animals’ movements using a correlated random walk model.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bradford, M. G., and Westcott, D. A. (2010). Consequences of Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius, L.) gut passage and deposition pattern on the germination of rainforest seeds. Austral Ecology 35, 325–333.
| Consequences of Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius, L.) gut passage and deposition pattern on the germination of rainforest seeds.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Calder, W. A. (1996). ‘Size, Function, and Life History.’ (Courier Dover Publications: Mineola, NY.)
Calenge, C. (2006). The package “adehabitat” for the R software: a tool for the analysis of space and habitat use by animals. Ecological Modelling 197, 516–519.
| The package “adehabitat” for the R software: a tool for the analysis of space and habitat use by animals.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Calenge, C., Dray, S., and Royer-Carenzi, M. (2009). The concept of animals’ trajectories from a data analysis perspective. Ecological Informatics 4, 34–41.
| The concept of animals’ trajectories from a data analysis perspective.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Calviño-Cancela, M., Dunn, R., van Etten, E. J. B., and Lamont, B. B. (2006). Emus as non-standard seed dispersers and their potential for long-distance dispersal. Ecography 29, 632–640.
| Emus as non-standard seed dispersers and their potential for long-distance dispersal.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Calviño-Cancela, M., He, T., and Lamont, B. B. (2008). Distribution of myrmecochorous species over the landscape and their potential long-distance dispersal by Emus and kangaroos. Diversity & Distributions 14, 11–17.
| Distribution of myrmecochorous species over the landscape and their potential long-distance dispersal by Emus and kangaroos.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Campbell, H. A., Dwyer, R. G., Fitzgibbons, S., Klein, C. J., Lauridsen, G., McKeown, A., Olsson, A., Sullivan, S., Watts, M. E., and Westcott, D. A. (2012). Prioritising the protection of habitat utilised by Southern Cassowaries Casuarius casuarius johnsonii. Endangered Species Research 17, 53–61.
| Prioritising the protection of habitat utilised by Southern Cassowaries Casuarius casuarius johnsonii.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Curry, P. J. (1981). The young Emu and its family life in captivity. M.Agr.Sc. Thesis, Department of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Melbourne.
Davies, S. (1967). Sexual dimorphism in the Emu. Emu 67, 23–26.
| Sexual dimorphism in the Emu.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Davies, S. (1978). The food of Emus. Australian Journal of Ecology 3, 411–422.
| The food of Emus.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Davies, S. J. J. F. (2002). ‘Ratites and Tinamous.’ (Oxford University Press: New York.)
Davies, S., Beck, M., and Kruiskamp, J. (1971). Results of banding 154 Emus in Western Australia. Wildlife Research 16, 77–79.
| Results of banding 154 Emus in Western Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Department of Environment and Conservation (2012). Avon Valley National Park. Department of Environment and Conservation, Western Australia.
Dunstan, H., Florentine, S. K., Calvino-Cancela, M., Westbrooke, M. E., and Palmer, G. C. (2013). Dietary characteristics of Emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae) in semi-arid New South Wales, Australia, and dispersal and germination of ingested seeds. Emu 113, 168–176.
| Dietary characteristics of Emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae) in semi-arid New South Wales, Australia, and dispersal and germination of ingested seeds.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Herd, R. M., and Dawson, T. J. (1984). Fiber digestion in the Emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae, a large bird with a simple gut and high rates of passage. Physiological Zoology 57, 70–84.
Howe, H. F. (1989). Scatter-and clump-dispersal and seedling demography: hypothesis and implications. Oecologia 79, 417–426.
| Scatter-and clump-dispersal and seedling demography: hypothesis and implications.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC3sfnsFShtw%3D%3D&md5=a0ebc01947e5589490cd24174f10da64CAS | 23921409PubMed |
Howe, H. F., and Smallwood, J. (1982). Ecology of seed dispersal. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 13, 201–228.
| Ecology of seed dispersal.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kareiva, P. M., and Shigesada, N. (1983). Analysing insect movement as a correlated random walk. Oecologia 56, 234–238.
| Analysing insect movement as a correlated random walk.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Levine, J. M., and Murrell, D. J. (2003). The community-level consequences of seed dispersal patterns. Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics 34, 549–574.
| The community-level consequences of seed dispersal patterns.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Morales, J. M., and Carlo, T. A. (2006). The effects of plant distribution and frugivore density on the scale and shape of dispersal kernels. Ecology 87, 1489–1496.
| The effects of plant distribution and frugivore density on the scale and shape of dispersal kernels.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 16869425PubMed |
Nathan, R. (2006). Long-distance dispersal of plants. Science 313, 786–788.
| Long-distance dispersal of plants.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD28XnvVyntr4%3D&md5=dd83563c19ef5c4825ff01d4e80f997eCAS | 16902126PubMed |
Nathan, R., and Muller-Landau, H. C. (2000). Spatial patterns of seed dispersal, their determinants and consequences for recruitment. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 15, 278–285.
| Spatial patterns of seed dispersal, their determinants and consequences for recruitment.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Nathan, R., Getz, W. M., Revilla, E., Holyoak, M., Kadmon, R., Saltz, D., and Smouse, P. E. (2008). A movement ecology paradigm for unifying organismal movement research. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 105, 19052–19059.
| A movement ecology paradigm for unifying organismal movement research.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXhsFamurfP&md5=4a416891abf114a62a28ca9a7fd70cf6CAS | 19060196PubMed |
National Health and Medical Research Council (2013). ‘Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes.’ (National Health and Medical Research Council: Canberra.)
Noble, J. C. (1975). The effects of Emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae Latham) on the distribution of the nitre bush (Nitraria billardieri DC.). Journal of Ecology 63, 979–984.
| The effects of Emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae Latham) on the distribution of the nitre bush (Nitraria billardieri DC.).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Patodkar, V., Rahane, S., Shejal, M., and Belhekar, D. (2009). Behaviour of Emu bird (Dromaius novaehollandiae). Veterinary World 2, 439–440.
Quin, B. (1996). Diet and habitat of Emus Dromaius novaehollandiae in the Grampians Ranges, south-western Victoria. Emu 96, 114–122.
| Diet and habitat of Emus Dromaius novaehollandiae in the Grampians Ranges, south-western Victoria.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
R Core Team (2012). ‘R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing.’ (R Foundation for Statistical Computing.)
Reynolds, A. (2008). How many animals really do the Lévy walk? Ecology 89, 2347–2351.
| How many animals really do the Lévy walk?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 18724744PubMed |
Robbins, C. (1993). ‘Wildlife Feeding and Nutrition.’ (Academic Press: San Diego.)
Rodríguez-Pérez, J., Larrinaga, A. R., and Santamaría, L. (2012). Effects of frugivore preferences and habitat heterogeneity on seed rain: a multi-scale analysis. PLoS ONE 7, e33246.
| Effects of frugivore preferences and habitat heterogeneity on seed rain: a multi-scale analysis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 22438902PubMed |
Tsoar, A., Shohami, D., and Nathan, R. (2011). A movement ecology approach to study seed dispersal and plant invasion: an overview and application of seed dispersal by fruit bats. In ‘Fifty Years of Invasion Ecology: The Legacy of Charles Elton’. (Ed. D. M. Richardson.) pp. 101–119. (Blackwell Publishing Ltd: Oxford.)
Viswanathan, G., and Afanasyevt, V. (1996). Lévy flight search patterns of Wandering Albatrosses. Nature 381, 413–415.
| Lévy flight search patterns of Wandering Albatrosses.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK28XjsVWgtr4%3D&md5=c73862863b4f934cd709e1a9c334d74bCAS |
Willson, M. F. (1989). Gut retention times of experimental pseudoseeds by Emu. Biotropica 21, 210–213.
| Gut retention times of experimental pseudoseeds by Emu.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Willson, M. F., Rice, B. L., and Westoby, M. (1990). Seed dispersal spectra: a comparison of temperate plant communities. Journal of Vegetation Science 1, 547–562.
| Seed dispersal spectra: a comparison of temperate plant communities.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |