Stocktake Sale on now: wide range of books at up to 70% off!
Register      Login
Wildlife Research Wildlife Research Society
Ecology, management and conservation in natural and modified habitats
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > WR > WR24008
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 51(6)

Assessing the suitability of a surveillance fauna-monitoring program for detecting future changes in reptile occupancy

Peter J. McDonald https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6875-1466 A * , Alistair Stewart A , Simon J. Ward A , Paul M. Oliver https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4291-257X B C and Catherine E. M. Nano A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Flora and Fauna Division, Northern Territory Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security, Arid Zone Research Institute, South Stuart Highway, Alice Springs, NT 0870, Australia.

B Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Brisbane, Qld 4121, Australia.

C Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Queensland Museum, South Brisbane, Qld 4101, Australia.

* Correspondence to: peter.mcdonald2@nt.gov.au

Handling Editor: Penny Fisher

Wildlife Research 51, WR24008 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR24008
Submitted: 15 January 2024  Accepted: 14 May 2024  Published: 3 June 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Context

Ecological surveillance monitoring typically targets multiple taxonomic groups by using standardised sampling across large spatial scales. Although surveillance monitoring confers advantages over hypothesis-driven monitoring in its broad taxonomic and spatial scope, the approach has been criticised for its disconnect from ecological management and failure to provide insights on the drivers of ecological change

Aims

To assess the adequacy of a plot-based general fauna-monitoring program for sampling reptiles as indicators of ecosystem health in a semi-arid upland region of the Northern Territory, Australia.

Methods

We surveyed reptiles at 90 sites, stratified between major landform and vegetation types, and using standard fauna-sampling methods, across the 2568 km2 Tjoritja National Park in the MacDonnell Ranges. We compiled a full inventory of the reptile fauna of the study area and identified species with potential utility as ecological indicators. We then used single-season occupancy models and power analyses to evaluate the adequacy of sampling for detecting potential future changes in occupancy.

Key results

We detected 57 of the 68 reptile species known from the protected area, 17 of which are potentially useful indicators of ecological health, mostly related to fire management. There was insufficient power to detect moderate (50%) future changes in reptile occupancy for all but the single most detected species. For the two ecological indicator species with sufficient detections for occupancy modelling, a positive association with a keystone structure (dense spinifex grass) was confirmed. However, increasing detection probability or the number of surveys would result in only minor improvements in power to detect occupancy change in these species.

Conclusions

Although reptiles are potentially useful indicators of ecological health, particularly in relation to fire regimes, the number of sites required to detect future changes in reptile occupancy by using standardised plot-based monitoring in this protected area is prohibitively high.

Implications

Our results suggest that once ecological associations are understood, monitoring ecological health remotely by using techniques such as fire-scar mapping to track proportions of long-unburnt vegetation should be considered over labour-intensive surveillance monitoring for reptiles. Targeted monitoring of threatened and other reptile species of conservation or cultural concern may also be warranted.

Keywords: fire management, indicator species, monitoring, occupancy modelling, power analysis, reptile, spinifex, surveillance.

References

Beaupre SJ, Douglas LE (2009) Snakes as indicators and monitors of ecosystem properties. In ‘Snakes: ecology and conservation’. (Eds SJ Mullin, RA Seigel) pp. 244–261. (Cornell University Press: New York, NY, USA)

Böhm M, Collen B, Baillie JEM, Bowles P, Chanson J, Cox N, Hammerson G, Hoffmann M, Livingstone SR, Ram M, Rhodin AGJ, Stuart SN, van Dijk PP, Young BE, Afuang LE, Aghasyan A, García A, Aguilar C, Ajtic R, Akarsu F, Alencar LRV, Allison A, Ananjeva N, Anderson S, Andrén C, Ariano-Sánchez D, Arredondo JC, Auliya M, Austin CC, Avci A, Baker PJ, Barreto-Lima AF, Barrio-Amorós CL, Basu D, Bates MF, Batistella A, Bauer A, Bennett D, Böhme W, Broadley D, Brown R, Burgess J, Captain A, Carreira S, Castañeda MdR, Castro F, Catenazzi A, Cedeño-Vázquez JR, Chapple DG, Cheylan M, Cisneros-Heredia DF, Cogalniceanu D, Cogger H, Corti C, Costa GC, Couper PJ, Courtney T, Crnobrnja-Isailovic J, Crochet P-A, Crother B, Cruz F, Daltry JC, Daniels RJR, Das I, de Silva A, Diesmos AC, Dirksen L, Doan TM, Dodd CK, Doody JS, Dorcas ME, Duarte de Barros Filho J, Egan VT, El Mouden EH, Embert D, Espinoza RE, Fallabrino A, Feng X, Feng Z-J, Fitzgerald L, Flores-Villela O, França FGR, Frost D, Gadsden H, Gamble T, Ganesh SR, Garcia MA, García-Pérez JE, Gatus J, Gaulke M, Geniez P, Georges A, Gerlach J, Goldberg S, Gonzalez J-CT, Gower DJ, Grant T, Greenbaum E, Grieco C, Guo P, Hamilton AM, Hare K, Hedges SB, Heideman N, Hilton-Taylor C, Hitchmough R, Hollingsworth B, Hutchinson M, Ineich I, Iverson J, Jaksic FM, Jenkins R, Joger U, Jose R, Kaska Y, Kaya U, Keogh JS, Köhler G, Kuchling G, Kumlutaş Y, Kwet A, La Marca E, Lamar W, Lane A, Lardner B, Latta C, Latta G, Lau M, Lavin P, Lawson D, LeBreton M, Lehr E, Limpus D, Lipczynski N, Lobo AS, López-Luna MA, Luiselli L, Lukoschek V, Lundberg M, Lymberakis P, Macey R, Magnusson WE, Mahler DL, Malhotra A, Mariaux J, Maritz B, Marques OAV, Márquez R, Martins M, Masterson G, Mateo JA, Mathew R, Mathews N, Mayer G, McCranie JR, Measey GJ, Mendoza-Quijano F, Menegon M, Métrailler S, Milton DA, Montgomery C, Morato SAA, Mott T, Muñoz-Alonso A, Murphy J, Nguyen TQ, Nilson G, Nogueira C, Núñez H, Orlov N, Ota H, Ottenwalder J, Papenfuss T, Pasachnik S, Passos P, Pauwels OSG, Pérez-Buitrago N, Pérez-Mellado V, Pianka ER, Pleguezuelos J, Pollock C, Ponce-Campos P, Powell R, Pupin F, Quintero Díaz GE, Radder R, Ramer J, Rasmussen AR, Raxworthy C, Reynolds R, Richman N, Rico EL, Riservato E, Rivas G, da Rocha PLB, Rödel M-O, Rodríguez Schettino L, Roosenburg WM, Ross JP, Sadek R, Sanders K, Santos-Barrera G, Schleich HH, Schmidt BR, Schmitz A, Sharifi M, Shea G, Shi H-T, Shine R, Sindaco R, Slimani T, Somaweera R, Spawls S, Stafford P, Stuebing R, Sweet S, Sy E, Temple HJ, Tognelli MF, Tolley K, Tolson PJ, Tuniyev B, Tuniyev S, Üzüm N, van Buurt G, Van Sluys M, Velasco A, Vences M, Veselý M, Vinke S, Vinke T, Vogel G, Vogrin M, Vogt RC, Wearn OR, Werner YL, Whiting MJ, Wiewandt T, Wilkinson J, Wilson B, Wren S, Zamin T, Zhou K, Zug G (2013) The conservation status of the world’s reptiles. Biological Conservation 157, 372-385.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Carignan V, Villard M-A (2002) Selecting indicator species to monitor ecological integrity: a review. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 78, 45-61.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Clarke PJ, Latz PK, Albrecht DE (2005) Long-term changes in semi-arid vegetation: Invasion of an exotic perennial grass has larger effects than rainfall variability. Journal of Vegetation Science 16, 237-248.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Dorcas ME, Willson JD (2009) Snakes: ecology and conservation. In ‘Snakes: ecology and conservation’. (Eds RA Seigel, SJ Mullin) pp. 5–37. (Cornell University Press: New York, NY, USA)

Doughty P, Ellis RJ, Oliver PM (2016) Many things come in small packages: revision of the clawless geckos (Crenadactylus: Diplodactylidae) of Australia. Zootaxa 4168, 239-278.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Free CL, Baxter GS, Dickman CR, Lisle A, Leung LK-P (2015) Diversity and community composition of vertebrates in desert river habitats. PLoS ONE 10, e0144258.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Fyfe G (1990) Notes on the central carpet python Morelia spilota bredli. Herpetofauna 20, 29-34.
| Google Scholar |

Goldingay R, Daly G, Lemckert F (1996) Assessing the impacts of logging on reptiles and frogs in the montane forests of southern New South Wales. Wildlife Research 23, 495-510.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Guillera-Arroita G, Lahoz-Monfort JJ (2012) Designing studies to detect differences in species occupancy: power analysis under imperfect detection. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 3, 860-869.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Kellner KF, Smith AD, Royle JA, Kéry M, Belant JL, Chandler RB (2023) The unmarked R package: twelve years of advances in occurrence and abundance modelling in ecology. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 14, 1408-1415.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Landres PB, Verner J, Thomas JW (1988) Ecological uses of vertebrate indicator species: a critique. Conservation Biology 2, 316-328.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Lindenmayer DB, Likens GE (2010) The science and application of ecological monitoring. Biological Conservation 143, 1317-1328.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Lindenmayer DB, Gibbons P, Bourke M, Burgman M, Dickman CR, Ferrier S, Fitzsimons J, Freudenberger D, Garnett ST, Groves C, Hobbs RJ, Kingsford RT, Krebs C, Legge S, Lowe AJ, McLean R, Montambault J, Possingham H, Radford J, Robinson D, Smallbone L, Thomes D, Varvcoe T, Vardon M, Wardle G, Woinarski J, Zerger A (2012) Improving biodiversity monitoring. Austral Ecology 37, 285-294.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Marshall VM, Lewis MM, Ostendorf B (2012) Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) as an invader and threat to biodiversity in arid environments: a review. Journal of Arid Environments 78, 1-12.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Masters P (1996) The effects of fire-driven succession on reptiles in spinifex grasslnads at Uluru National Park, Northern Territory. Wildlife Research 23, 39.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

McDonald PJ (2012) Snakes on roads: an arid Australian perspective. Journal of Arid Environments 79, 116-119.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

McDonald PJ, Luck GW, Pavey CR, Wassens S (2012) Importance of fire in influencing the occurrence of snakes in an upland region of arid Australia. Austral Ecology 37, 855-864.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

McDonald PJ, Jobson P, Köhler F, Nano CEM, Oliver PM (2021) The living heart: climate gradients predict desert mountain endemism. Ecology and Evolution 11, 4366-4378.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

McDonald PJ, Brown RM, Kraus F, Bowles P, Arifin U, Eliades SJ, Fisher RN, Gaulke M, Grismer LL, Ineich I, Karin BR, Meneses CG, Richards SJ, Sanguila MB, Siler CD, Oliver PM (2022) Cryptic extinction risk in a western Pacific lizard radiation. Biodiversity and Conservation 31, 2045-2062.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Nano CE, Clarke PJ, Pavey, CR (2012) Fire regimes in arid hummock grasslands and Acacia shrublands. In ‘Flammable Australia: fire regimes, biodiversity and ecosystems in a changing world’. (Eds RA Bradstock, AM Gill, RJ Williams) pp. 195–214. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne, Vic., Australia)

Nichols J, Williams B (2006) Monitoring for conservation. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 21, 668-673.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Nimmo DG, Kelly LT, Spence-Bailey LM, Watson SJ, Taylor RS, Clarke MF, Bennett AF (2013) Fire mosaics and reptile conservation in a fire-prone region. Conservation Biology 27, 345-353.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Oliver PM, McDonald PJ (2016) Young relicts and old relicts: a novel palaeoendemic vertebrate from the Australian Central Uplands. Royal Society Open Science 3, 160018.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Pavey C (2004) ‘Recovery plan for Slater’s skink, Egernia slateri, 2005–2010.’ (Northern Territory Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, Northern Territory Government: Darwin, NT, Australia)

Pavey CR, Nano CEM (2009) Bird assemblages of arid Australia: vegetation patterns have a greater effect than disturbance and resource pulses. Journal of Arid Environments 73, 634-642.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Pavey CR, Burwell CJ, Nano CEM (2010) Foraging ecology and habitat use of Slater’s skink (Egernia slateri): an endangered Australian desert lizard. Journal of Herpetology 44, 563-571.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Pianka ER (1989) Desert lizard diversity: additional comments and some data. The American Naturalist 134, 344-364.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Pianka ER, Goodyear SE (2012) Lizard responses to wildfire in arid interior Australia: long-term experimental data and commonalities with other studies. Austral Ecology 37, 1-11.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Powney GD, Grenyer R, Orme CDL, Owens IPF, Meiri S (2010) Hot, dry and different: Australian lizard richness is unlike that of mammals, amphibians and birds. Global Ecology and Biogeography 19, 386-396.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

R Core Team (2022) ‘R: a language and environment for statistical computing.’ (R Foundation for Statistical Computing: Vienna, Austria) Available at https://www.R-project.org/

Read JL, Moseby KE (2001) Factors affecting pitfall capture rates of small ground vertebrates in arid South Australia. I. The influence of weather and moon phase on capture rates of reptiles. Wildlife Research 28, 53.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Rochester CJ, Brehme CS, Clark DR, Stokes DC, Hathaway SA, Fisher RN (2010) Reptile and amphibian responses to large-scale wildfires in southern California. Journal of Herpetology 44, 333-351.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Santos X, Cheylan M (2013) Taxonomic and functional response of a Mediterranean reptile assemblage to a repeated fire regime. Biological Conservation 168, 90-98.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Schlesinger CA, Westerhuis EL (2021) Impacts of a single fire event on large, old trees in a grass-invaded arid river system. Fire Ecology 17, 34.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Siddig AAH, Ellison AM, Ochs A, Villar-Leeman C, Lau MK (2016) How do ecologists select and use indicator species to monitor ecological change? Insights from 14 years of publication in Ecological Indicators. Ecological Indicators 60, 223-230.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Sinervo B, Méndez-de-la-Cruz F, Miles DB, Heulin B, Bastiaans E, Villagrán-Santa Cruz M, Lara-Resendiz R, Martínez-Méndez N, Calderón-Espinosa ML, Meza-Lázaro RN, Gadsden H, Avila LJ, Morando M, De la Riva IJ, Sepulveda PV, Rocha CFD, Ibargüengoytía N, Puntriano CA, Massot M, Lepetz V, Oksanen TA, Chapple DG, Bauer AM, Branch WR, Clobert J, Sites JW, Jr (2010) Erosion of lizard diversity by climate change and altered thermal niches. Science 328, 894-899.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Southwell DM, Einoder LD, Lahoz-Monfort JJ, Fisher A, Gillespie GR, Wintle BA (2019) Spatially explicit power analysis for detecting occupancy trends for multiple species. Ecological Applications 29, e01950.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Thackway R, Cresswell ID (1995) An interim biogeographic regionalisation for Australia: a framework for setting priorities in the national reserves system cooperative. Australian Nature Conservation Agency, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

Waldron JL, Welch SM, Bennett SH (2008) Vegetation structure and the habitat specificity of a declining North American reptile: a remnant of former landscapes. Biological Conservation 141, 2477-2482.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Wilson S, Swan G (2020) A complete guide to reptiles of Australia. New Holland, Sydney.

Wintle BA, Runge MC, Bekessy SA (2010) Allocating monitoring effort in the face of unknown unknowns. Ecology Letters 13, 1325-1337.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Woinarski JCZ, Armstrong M, Brennan K, Fisher A, Griffiths AD, Hill B, Milne DJ, Palmer C, Ward S, Watson M, Winderlich S, Young S (2010) Monitoring indicates rapid and severe decline of native small mammals in Kakadu National Park, northern Australia. Wildlife Research 37, 116.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |