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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 31(2)

Conservation of the false water rat (Xeromys myoides) depends on landscape complementation

Tanya L. Russell A B C and Peter T. Hale A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A The Ecology Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.

B Present Address: Ifakara Health Institute, PO Box 53, Ifakara, Kilombero, United Republic of Tanzania & Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, United Kingdom.

C Corresponding author. Email: trussell@ihi.or.tz

Australian Mammalogy 31(2) 81-87 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM09006
Submitted: 21 February 2009  Accepted: 24 July 2009   Published: 15 October 2009

Abstract

Identification of habitat variables that are associated with patch occupancy can provide a solid foundation for conservation, especially when habitats and landscapes are affected by human activities. As a case study to investigate the importance of landscape complementation and habitat quality for conservation, we examined the habitat preferences of a vulnerable native rodent, the false water rat (Xeromys myoides Thomas). In this study, results from surveys for animal presence and recording of habitat attributes in localities in south-east Queensland showed that X. myoides prefers a habitat with a wide mangrove zone of short mangroves and a high percentage of relatively tall vegetation cover in the sedge/saltmarsh zone. The absence of X. myoides from areas of likely habitat at a large scale can be attributed, at least in part, to the local habitat variables that overrode predictions based at a large scale. The findings suggest that availability of suitable habitat is a factor limiting the distribution and abundance of X. myoides. It is clear that landscape complementation influences patch occupancy and should be an essential consideration for conservation programs.

Additional keywords: anthropogenic impacts, habitat preferences, intertidal wetlands, logistic regression.


Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Mark Burnham of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service for field advice on detection and assessment of nests, to Steve Van Dyck from the Queensland Museum for advice on localities, and to Tony Pople from the Ecology Centre for discussion about analytical methods. We also thank Claire Anderson and Dale Young for assistance with field trips.


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