Habitat preference for fire scars by feral cats in Cape York Peninsula, Australia
Hugh W. McGregor A B , Hannah B. Cliff A and John Kanowski A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Australian Wildlife Conservancy, PO Box 8070, Subiaco East, WA 6008, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: hugh.mcgregor@utas.edu.au
Wildlife Research 43(8) 623-633 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR16058
Submitted: 24 March 2016 Accepted: 1 November 2016 Published: 13 February 2017
Abstract
Context: Feral cats are implicated in the decline of terrestrial native mammals across northern Australia. Research in the Kimberley region of north-western Australia found feral cats strongly selected for fire scars when hunting, suggesting that intensifying fire regimes will have severe consequences for declining prey species.
Aims: We tested the generality of cat–fire interaction beyond the Kimberley, by measuring habitat selection of feral cats in relation to fire scars and habitat types in north-eastern Australia.
Methods: Our study was conducted at Piccaninny Plains Wildlife Sanctuary, Cape York Peninsula. We live-captured feral cats during the dry season of 2015, released them with GPS collars set to record fixes at 15-min intervals, and recaptured cats 4 months later. We created dynamic habitat maps of vegetation types, fire and wetlands, and compared cat habitat selection using discrete choice modelling. We also measured cat density from arrays of camera traps and examined cat diet by analysis of stomach contents.
Key results: We obtained GPS movement data from 15 feral cats. Feral cats selected strongly for recent fire scars (1 or 2 months old), but avoided fire scars 3 months old or older. Three long-distance movements were recorded, all directed towards recent fire scars. Cats also selected for open wetlands, and avoided rainforests. Density of cats at Piccaninny Plains was higher than recorded elsewhere in northern Australia. All major vertebrate groups were represented in cat diet.
Conclusions: We showed that feral cats in north-eastern Australia strongly select for recent fire scars and open wetlands. These results are consistent with those from the Kimberley. Together, these studies have shown that amplified predation facilitated by loss of cover is likely to be a fundamental factor driving mammal decline across northern Australia.
Implications: Reducing the frequency of intense fires may indirectly reduce the impact of feral cats at a landscape scale in northern Australia. We also suggest that managers target direct cat control towards open wetlands and recently burnt areas, which cats are known to favour.
References
Bateman, B. L., Kutt, A. S., Vanderduys, E. P., and Kemp, J. E. (2010). Small-mammal species richness and abundance along a tropical altitudinal gradient: an Australian example. Journal of Tropical Ecology 26, 139–149.| Small-mammal species richness and abundance along a tropical altitudinal gradient: an Australian example.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bengsen, A. J., Algar, D., Ballard, G., Buckmaster, T., Comer, S., Fleming, P. J. S., Friend, J. A., Johnston, M., McGregor, H., Moseby, K., and Zewe, F. (2016). Feral cat home-range size varies predictably with landscape productivity and population density. Journal of Zoology 298, 112–120.
Borchers, D. L., and Efford, M. G. (2008). Spatially explicit maximum likelihood methods for capture–recapture studies. Biometrics 64, 377–385.
| Spatially explicit maximum likelihood methods for capture–recapture studies.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD1czhvVWlsA%3D%3D&md5=f15bbfa5919e516b8ff1a400b0dad326CAS |
Bowman, D. M. J. S., Perry, G. L. W., Higgins, S. I., Johnson, C. N., Fuhlendorf, S. D., and Murphy, B. P. (2016). Pyrodiversity is the coupling of biodiversity and fire regimes in food webs. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences 371, 20150169.
| Pyrodiversity is the coupling of biodiversity and fire regimes in food webs.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brook, B. W., Sodhi, N. S., and Bradshaw, C. J. A. (2008). Synergies among extinction drivers under global change. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 23, 453–460.
| Synergies among extinction drivers under global change.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brook, L. A., Johnson, C. N., and Ritchie, E. G. (2012). Effects of predator control on behaviour of an apex predator and indirect consequences for mesopredator suppression. Journal of Applied Ecology 49, 1278–1286.
| Effects of predator control on behaviour of an apex predator and indirect consequences for mesopredator suppression.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brooks, M. L., D’antonio, C. M., Richardson, D. M., Grace, J. B., Keeley, J. E., DiTomaso, J. M., Hobbs, R. J., Pellant, M., and Pyke, D. (2004). Effects of invasive alien plants on fire regimes. Bioscience 54, 677–688.
| Effects of invasive alien plants on fire regimes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Burnham, K. P., and Anderson, D. R. (1998) ‘Model Selection and Multimodel Inference: a Practical Information-theoretic Approach.’ 2nd edn. (Springer Science & Business Media, Inc.: New York.)
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 |
Dickman, C. R., Leung, L. K.-P., and Van Dyck, S. M. (2000). Status, ecological attributes and conservation of native rodents in Queensland. Wildlife Research 27, 333–346.
| Status, ecological attributes and conservation of native rodents in Queensland.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Didham, R. K., Tylianakis, J. M., Gemmell, N. J., Rand, T. A., and Ewers, R. M. (2007). Interactive effects of habitat modification and species invasion on native species decline. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 22, 489–496.
| Interactive effects of habitat modification and species invasion on native species decline.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dirzo, R., Young, H. S., Galetti, M., Ceballos, G., Isaac, N. J. B., and Collen, B. (2014). Defaunation in the Anthropocene. Science 345, 401–406.
| Defaunation in the Anthropocene.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC2cXhtFyks7vM&md5=0d3e0b1ccca50c0ef87b9d3c52225e5dCAS |
Doherty, T., Davis, R. A., Etten, E. J. B., Algar, D., Collier, N., Dickman, C. R., Edwards, G. P., Masters, P., Palmer, R., and Robinson, S. (2015a). A continental-scale analysis of feral cat diet in Australia. Journal of Biogeography 42, 964–975.
| A continental-scale analysis of feral cat diet in Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Doherty, T. S., Dickman, C. R., Nimmo, D. G., and Ritchie, E. G. (2015b). Multiple threats, or multiplying the threats? Interactions between invasive predators and other ecological disturbances. Biological Conservation 190, 60–68.
| Multiple threats, or multiplying the threats? Interactions between invasive predators and other ecological disturbances.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Doupé, R. G., Mitchell, J., Knott, M. J., Davis, A. M., and Lymbery, A. J. (2010). Efficacy of exclusion fencing to protect ephemeral floodplain lagoon habitats from feral pigs (Sus scrofa). Wetlands Ecology and Management 18, 69–78.
| Efficacy of exclusion fencing to protect ephemeral floodplain lagoon habitats from feral pigs (Sus scrofa).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Drucker, A. G., Garnett, S. T., Luckert, M. K., Crowley, G. M., and Gobius, N. (2008). Manager-based valuations of alternative fire management regimes on Cape York Peninsula, Australia. International Journal of Wildland Fire 17, 660–673.
| Manager-based valuations of alternative fire management regimes on Cape York Peninsula, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fisher, D. O., Johnson, C. N., Lawes, M. J., Fritz, S. A., McCallum, H. I., Blomberg, S. P., Van Der Wal, J., Abbott, B., Frank, A., Legge, S., Letnic, M., Thomas, C. R., Fisher, A., Gordon, I. J., and Kutt, A. S. (2014). The current decline of tropical marsupials in Australia: is history repeating? Global Ecology and Biogeography 23, 181–190.
| The current decline of tropical marsupials in Australia: is history repeating?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Folke, C., Carpenter, S., Walker, B., Scheffer, M., Elmqvist, T., Gunderson, L., and Holling, C. S. (2004). Regime shifts, resilience, and biodiversity in ecosystem management. Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics 35, 557–581.
| Regime shifts, resilience, and biodiversity in ecosystem management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Forester, J. D., Im, H. K., and Rathouz, P. J. (2009). Accounting for animal movement in estimation of resource selection functions: sampling and data analysis. Ecology 90, 3554–3565.
| Accounting for animal movement in estimation of resource selection functions: sampling and data analysis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Frank, A. S. K., Johnson, C. N., Potts, J., Alaric, F., Lawes, M. J., Woinarski, J. C. Z., Tuft, K., Radford, I., Gordon, I. J., Collis, M.-A., and Legge, S. (2014). Experimental evidence that feral cats cause local extirpation of small mammals in Australia’s tropical savanna. Journal of Applied Ecology 51, 1486–1493.
| Experimental evidence that feral cats cause local extirpation of small mammals in Australia’s tropical savanna.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Getz, W. M., Fortmann-Roe, S., Cross, P. C., Lyons, A. J., Ryan, S. J., and Wilmers, C. C. (2007). LoCoH: nonparameteric kernel methods for constructing home ranges and utilization distributions. PLoS One 2, e207.
| LoCoH: nonparameteric kernel methods for constructing home ranges and utilization distributions.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kutt, A. S. (2012). Feral cat (Felis catus) prey size and selectivity in north‐eastern Australia: implications for mammal conservation. Journal of Zoology 287, 292–300.
| Feral cat (Felis catus) prey size and selectivity in north‐eastern Australia: implications for mammal conservation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kutt, A. S., Vanderduys, E. P., Perry, J. J., Perkins, G. C., Kemp, J. E., Bateman, B. L., Kanowski, J., and Jensen, R. (2012). Signals of change in tropical savanna woodland vertebrate fauna 5 years after cessation of livestock grazing. Wildlife Research 39, 386–396.
| Signals of change in tropical savanna woodland vertebrate fauna 5 years after cessation of livestock grazing.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lawes, M. J., Murphy, B. P., Fisher, A., Woinarski, J. C. Z., Edwards, A. C., and Russell-Smith, J. (2015). Small mammals decline with increasing fire extent in northern Australia: evidence from long-term monitoring in Kakadu National Park. International Journal of Wildland Fire 24, 712–722.
| Small mammals decline with increasing fire extent in northern Australia: evidence from long-term monitoring in Kakadu National Park.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lazenby, B. T., Mooney, N. J., and Dickman, C. R. (2015). Effects of low-level culling of feral cats in open populations: a case study from the forests of southern Tasmania. Wildlife Research 41, 407–420.
| Effects of low-level culling of feral cats in open populations: a case study from the forests of southern Tasmania.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Leahy, L., Legge, S., Tuft, K., McGregor, H. W., Barmuta, L., Jones, M. H., and Johnson, C. N. (2016). Amplified predation after fire drives declines of small mammals in Australia’s tropical savannas. Wildlife Research 42, 705–716.
| Amplified predation after fire drives declines of small mammals in Australia’s tropical savannas.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Legge, S., Murphy, S., Heathcote, J., Flaxman, E., Augusteyn, J., and Crossman, M. (2008). The short-term effects of an extensive and high-intensity fire on vertebrates in the tropical savannas of the central Kimberley, northern Australia. Wildlife Research 35, 33–43.
| The short-term effects of an extensive and high-intensity fire on vertebrates in the tropical savannas of the central Kimberley, northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Legge, S., Kennedy, M. S., Lloyd, R., Murphy, S. A., and Fisher, A. (2011a). Rapid recovery of mammal fauna in the central Kimberley, northern Australia, following the removal of introduced herbivores. Austral Ecology 36, 791–799.
| Rapid recovery of mammal fauna in the central Kimberley, northern Australia, following the removal of introduced herbivores.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Legge, S., Murphy, S., Kingswood, R., Maher, B., and Swan, D. (2011b). EcoFire: restoring the biodiversity values of the Kimberley region by managing fire. Ecological Management & Restoration 12, 84–92.
| EcoFire: restoring the biodiversity values of the Kimberley region by managing fire.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McGregor, H. W., Legge, S., Jones, M. E., and Johnson, C. N. (2014). Landscape management of fire and grazing regimes alters the fine-scale habitat utilisation by feral cats. PLoS One 9, e109097.
| Landscape management of fire and grazing regimes alters the fine-scale habitat utilisation by feral cats.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McGregor, H. W., Legge, S., Jones, M. E., and Johnson, C. N. (2015a). Feral cats are better killers in open habitats, revealed by animal-borne video. PLoS One 10, e0133915.
| Feral cats are better killers in open habitats, revealed by animal-borne video.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McGregor, H. W., Legge, S., Jones, M. H., and Johnson, C. N. (2015b). Extraterritorial hunting expeditions to intense fire scars by feral cats. Scientific Reports , .
McGregor, H. W., Legge, S., Potts, J., Jones, M. H., and Johnson, C. N. (2015c). Density and home range of feral cats in north-western Australia. Wildlife Research 42, 223–231.
| Density and home range of feral cats in north-western Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McKenzie, N. L., Burbidge, A. A., Baynes, A., Brereton, R. N., Dickman, C. R., Gordon, G., Gibson, L. A., Menkhorst, P. W., Robinson, A. C., and Williams, M. R. (2007). Analysis of factors implicated in the recent decline of Australia’s mammal fauna. Journal of Biogeography 34, 597–611.
| Analysis of factors implicated in the recent decline of Australia’s mammal fauna.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Mulder, E., Kemp, J. E., Jensen, R., and Kanowski, J. (2014). Piccaninny Plains 2014 survey report. Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Perth.
Perry, J. J., Vanderduys, E. P., and Kutt, A. S. (2015). More famine than feast: pattern and variation in a potentially degenerating mammal fauna on Cape York Peninsula. Wildlife Research 42, 475–487.
| More famine than feast: pattern and variation in a potentially degenerating mammal fauna on Cape York Peninsula.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Perry, J. J., Vanderduys, E. P., and Kutt, A. S. (2016). Shifting fire regimes from late to early dry-season fires to abate greenhouse emissions does not completely equate with terrestrial vertebrate biodiversity co-benefits on Cape York Peninsula, Australia. International Journal of Wildland Fire 25, 742–752.
Price, O. F., Russell-Smith, J., and Watt, F. (2012). The influence of prescribed fire on the extent of wildfire in savanna landscapes of western Arnhem Land, Australia. International Journal of Wildland Fire 21, 297–305.
| The influence of prescribed fire on the extent of wildfire in savanna landscapes of western Arnhem Land, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
R Development Core Team (2014). ‘R: a Language and Environment for Statistical Computing.’ (R Foundation for Statistical Computing: Vienna.)
Rich, L. N., Kelly, M. J., Sollmann, R., Noss, A. J., Maffei, L., Arispe, R. L., Paviolo, A., De Angelo, C. D., Di Blanco, Y. E., and Di Bitetti, M. S. (2014). Comparing capture–recapture, mark–resight, and spatial mark–resight models for estimating puma densities via camera traps. Journal of Mammalogy 95, 382–391.
| Comparing capture–recapture, mark–resight, and spatial mark–resight models for estimating puma densities via camera traps.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Russell-Smith, J., Yates, C. J., Edwards, A., Allan, G. E., Cook, G. D., Cooke, P., Craig, R., Heath, B., and Smith, R. (2003). Contemporary fire regimes of northern Australia, 1997–2001: change since Aboriginal occupancy, challenges for sustainable management. International Journal of Wildland Fire 12, 283–297.
| Contemporary fire regimes of northern Australia, 1997–2001: change since Aboriginal occupancy, challenges for sustainable management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Russell-Smith, J., and Edwards, A. C. (2006). Seasonality and fire severity in savanna landscapes of monsoonal northern Australia. International Journal of Wildland Fire 15, 541–550.
Stanton, P., Parsons, M., Stanton, D., and Stott, M. (2014). Fire exclusion and the changing landscape of Queensland’s Wet Tropics Bioregion 2. The dynamics of transition forests and implications for management. Australian Forestry 77, 58–68.
| Fire exclusion and the changing landscape of Queensland’s Wet Tropics Bioregion 2. The dynamics of transition forests and implications for management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stokeld, D., Frank, A. S. K., Hill, B., Choy, J. L., Mahney, T., Stevens, A., Young, S., and Gillespie, G. R. (2015). Multiple cameras required to reliably detect feral cats in northern Australian tropical savanna: an evaluation of sampling design when using camera traps. Wildlife Research 42, 642–649.
| Multiple cameras required to reliably detect feral cats in northern Australian tropical savanna: an evaluation of sampling design when using camera traps.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Therneau, T. M. (2014). A Package for Survival Analysis in R Package. 2.37-4. Available at http://CRAN.r-project.org/package=survival
Thurfjell, H., Ciuti, S., and Boyce, M. S. (2014). Applications of step-selection functions in ecology and conservation. Movement Ecology 2, 4.
Webb, T., Cooper, T., Mulder, E., Gray, S., Woods, G., and Kanowski, J. (2015). ‘Piccaninny Plains Wildlife Sanctuary: 2015 Fire Analysis.’ (Australian Wildlife Conservancy: Subiaco, WA)
Whitehead, P. J., Russell-Smith, J., and Yates, C. (2014). Fire patterns in north Australian savannas: extending the reach of incentives for savanna fire emissions abatement. The Rangeland Journal 36, 371–388.
| Fire patterns in north Australian savannas: extending the reach of incentives for savanna fire emissions abatement.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Whytlaw, P. A., Edwards, W., and Congdon, B. C. (2013). Marine turtle nest depredation by feral pigs (Sus scrofa) on the western Cape York Peninsula, Australia: implications for management. Wildlife Research 40, 377–384.
Woinarski, J. C. Z., Mackey, B., Nix, H. A., and Traill, B. J. (2007) ‘The Nature of Northern Australia: Natural Values, Ecological Processes and Future Prospects.’ (ANU Press: Canberra.)
Woinarski, J. C. Z., Legge, S., Fitzsimons, J. A., Traill, B. J., Burbidge, A. A., Fisher, A., Firth, R. S. C., Gordon, I. J., Griffiths, A. D., Johnson, C. N., McKenzie, N. L., Palmer, C., Radford, I., Rankmore, B., Ritchie, E. G., Ward, S., and Ziembicki, M. (2011). The disappearing mammal fauna of northern Australia: context, cause, and response. Conservation Letters 4, 192–201.
| The disappearing mammal fauna of northern Australia: context, cause, and response.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Woinarski, J. C. Z., Burbidge, A. A., and Harrison, P. L. (2015a). A review of the conservation status of Australian mammals. Therya 6, 155–166.
| A review of the conservation status of Australian mammals.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Woinarski, J. C. Z., Burbidge, A. A., and Harrison, P. L. (2015b). Ongoing unraveling of a continental fauna: decline and extinction of Australian mammals since European settlement. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 112, 4531–4540.
| Ongoing unraveling of a continental fauna: decline and extinction of Australian mammals since European settlement.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC2MXitlagsbg%3D&md5=c496a7532fe86c0d8017bdbe8ed5423fCAS |
Ziembicki, M. R., Woinarski, J. C. Z., Webb, J. K., Vanderduys, E., Tuft, K., Smith, J., Ritchie, E. G., Reardon, T. B., Radford, I. J., Preece, N., Perry, J., Murphy, B. P., McGregor, H., Legge, S., Leahy, L., Lawes, M. J., Kanowski, J., Johnson, C. N., James, A., Griffiths, A. D., Gillespie, G., Frank, A., Fisher, A., and Burbidge, A. A. (2015). Stemming the tide: progress towards resolving the causes of decline and implementing management responses for the disappearing mammal fauna of northern Australia. Therya 6, 169–226.
| Stemming the tide: progress towards resolving the causes of decline and implementing management responses for the disappearing mammal fauna of northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
