Management of broadly distributed invasive species requires knowledge of population densities across multiple ecosystems. The feral cat has a continental distribution in Australia; however, density estimates from several ecosystems are few or lacking. This study aimed to estimate the feral cat population density within a subtropical rainforest ecosystem. We demonstrated that the feral cat density was unexpectedly high. Our study adds to a growing body of literature that suggests feral cat densities are high in productive mesic reserves of eastern Australia. Image by Darren McHugh.

Acoustic monitoring with autonomous recording units (ARUs) offers efficient ecosystem assessment, but producing high quality data is challenging. We assessed detection probabilities of five frog species from ten ARUs positioned across a wetland, finding that the degree of spatiotemporal variability in detection varied by species. Our analysis informed ARU deployment requirements for producing reliable species community monitoring data and informed confidence levels when fewer ARUs are deployed. Image by Andrew Hall.

Urbanisation is rapidly expanding, placing an increasing strain on biodiversity globally. This study assessed how vertebrate species assemblages of northern Sydney vary along an urbanisation gradient and the potential drivers of this variation. We found that as urbanisation increased, fewer native and more invasive species made up the assemblages, highlighting the pervasive impact of habitat modification on fauna in urban areas. Photograph by Martín Boer-Cueva.

Information about environmental contamination with Toxoplasma gondii can inform management decisions of risk of toxoplasmosis in resident endothermic vertebrates and in potential translocations and re-introductions of endangered species. This work estimated environmental contamination across two different landscapes. Both the landscapes measured had low T. gondii contamination. The results highlighted the potential of using sentinel species (rabbits and mice), target species (bandicoots) and soil analysis to enhance the detection and inform likely exposure of a target species to T. gondii in a defined landscape. Photograph by Amanda Jane Breidahl.

Global increases in wildfires are making rainforests vulnerable to fire, especially at the margins. We found that fire in rainforest margins was associated with lower mammal diversity than in unburnt rainforest, and caused variation in how rainforest-associated species used habitat. Fire in sclerophyll vegetation surrounding rainforests was associated with reduced probability of movement of a generalist mammal species at low elevations. Mammals in rainforest margins had modified habitat use and behaviour 15 months post-fire, indicating that rainforest margins need to be protected from increasing wildfires. Photograph by Rhiannon Bird.

Feral cats pose a significant threat to native fauna across the globe, with Australia being particularly affected. We examined the behavioural reactions of two Australian lizard species to the visual cues from a model cat and found that the lizards showed little response. We recommend further testing of reptile responses towards cat sensory cues to deepen understanding of how reptiles respond to the threat of cat predation. Photograph by Owen Lishmund.

Kiwirrkurra Traditional Owners use fire as an important tool to assist the harvest of bush meats and promote growth of favoured food plants. Forty years of firescar mapping across managed and unmanaged areas of Kiwirrkurra country show that where traditional burning has been maintained, populations of threatened species (bilby and great desert skink) have persisted, while disappearing from the surrounding landscape.

Pintupi summary: Yanangu Kiwirrkurra tjana kututja waru kutjani panya kukaku an yukiri mangarri puutjinuku yurrunpa tjintu nganti yarra-paluda yirrititja tjutangku. 40 yiya panya waru yilkarri katunguru nintini Ninu anta Tjalapaku yaaltji-wana Yanangu tjutangku yankula kuka an warukitjangkulpi nyanganyi ngurra Tjalapaku.

Photograph by Kiwirrkurra Indigenous Protected Area.

This article belongs to the collection: Indigenous and cross-cultural wildlife research in Australia.