Environmental factors influencing the distribution of the Kangaroo Island dunnart (Sminthopsis fuliginosus aitkeni)
Rosemary Hohnen A G , Brett P. Murphy A , Sarah M. Legge A B C , Chris R. Dickman D , Pat Hodgens E , Heidi Groffen E , Robyn Molsher F , Jody P. Gates F and John C. Z. Woinarski AA National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0810, Australia.
B National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4075, Australia.
C National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Fenner School of Environment & Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
D National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Desert Ecology Research Group, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
E Land for Wildlife Kangaroo Island Association Incorporated, Kingscote, SA 5223, Australia.
F Department for Environment and Water, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
G Corresponding author. Email: rosemary.hohnen@cdu.edu.au
Australian Mammalogy 44(1) 51-58 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM19036
Submitted: 29 May 2019 Accepted: 3 February 2021 Published: 9 April 2021
Abstract
Determining the factors that drive the distributions of threatened species is often critical for informing effective conservation management actions. Species distribution models can be used to distinguish common habitat features shared by limited historical records and identify other areas where a species might persist. In this study, we built a species distribution model for the Endangered and cryptic Kangaroo Island dunnart (Sminthopsis fuliginosus aitkeni). We fitted generalised linear models using incidental records and presence-absence data from surveys between 1969 and 2018. In the models we included the variables rainfall, percentage native vegetation in the surrounding 2 km2, and post-fire vegetation age. The modelling suggested that rainfall and to a lesser extent post-fire vegetation age are good predictors of dunnart occurrence, with dunnart occurrence greatest in areas of high rainfall (>600 mm) and vegetation age classes <30 years post fire. Potentially suitable habitat for the KI dunnart was predicted to be on the central-western side of Kangaroo Island. These results suggest that careful fire management could benefit the dunnart, and that decreased rainfall (as projected by Australian climate models), will be a threat in the long term. Extensive recent fires on western Kangaroo Island suggest that climate-related threats are already being realised.
Keywords: dunnart, fire management, Kangaroo Island, native vegetation, rainfall, Sminthopsis fuliginosus aitkeni, species distribution modelling, threatened species.
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