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 > WR07055
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 35(2)

The projected distributions of Mastacomys fuscus and Rattus lutreolus in south-eastern Australia under a scenario of climate change: potential for increased competition?

K. Green A D , J. A. Stein B and M. M. Driessen C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Snowy Mountains Region, National Parks and Wildlife Service, PO Box 2228, Jindabyne, NSW 2627, Australia.

B The Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.

C Biodiversity Conservation Branch – Wildlife and Marine Conservation Section, Department of Primary Industry and Water, GPO Box 44, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.

D Corresponding author. Email: kenneth.green@environment.nsw.gov.au

Wildlife Research 35(2) 113-119 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR07055
Submitted: 14 May 2007  Accepted: 29 February 2008   Published: 21 April 2008

Abstract

Animal distribution is strongly controlled by climate, especially at higher altitudes where harsher conditions favour fewer vertebrate species. A predicted consequence of climate change is increased pressure on these higher-altitude faunal communities by invasion of lower-altitude species more suited to warmer conditions. The distribution of two such species, the broad-toothed rat (Mastacomys fuscus) and swamp rat (Rattus lutreolus) (with the former generally occurring at higher altitude except in Tasmania), were examined using BIOCLIM. Modelled climate change with a 20% reduction in precipitation and a warming of 2.9°C at latitude 36°S (Snowy Mountains) and 3.4°C at 42°S (central Tasmania) suggests that M. fuscus will retreat to higher altitudes. The core areas of R. lutreolus will also contract, but significantly they will also move so that they overlap current core areas of M. fuscus on the mainland. Barrington Tops is the northernmost known location for M. fuscus and is climatically marginal. The recent invasion of Barrington Tops by R. lutreolus and decline of M. fuscus raises the question as to whether the modelled broader range changes will result in greater competition between the invading R. lutreolus and the cool-climate specialist M. fuscus, resulting in the further loss of the latter.


Acknowledgements

This paper is dedicated to the late Glenn Sanecki who put so much effort into an understanding of the present environment of Mastacomys. We also thank the late John Seebeck for many discussions on Mastacomys over the years. Rod Kavanagh, Chris Slade, Tony Mitchell and Bob Green (South Australia) provided access to distributional data, and Henry Nix, Mike Hutchinson and Glenn Sanecki commented on the manuscript.


References

Belcher M. A. (1988). Social behaviour and dispersal in Mastacomys fuscus. B.Sc.(Honours) Thesis, Australian National University, Canberra.

Brereton, R. , Bennett, S. , and Mansergh, I. (1995). Enhanced greenhouse climate change and its potential effect on selected fauna of southeastern Australia: a trend analysis. Biological Conservation 72, 339–354.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Busby J. R. (1988). Potential impacts of climate change on Australia’s flora and fauna. In ‘Greenhouse: Planning for Climate Change’. (Ed. G. I. Pearman.) pp. 387–398. (CSIRO Atmospheric Research: Melbourne.)

Calaby, J. H. , and Wimbush, D. J. (1964). Observations on the broad-toothed rat, Matacomys fuscus Thomas. CSIRO Wildlife Research 9, 123–133.
Green K. (2000). survey of the broad-toothed rat at Barrington Tops. Unpublished report to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Jindabyne.

Green, K. (2002). Selective predation on the broad-toothed rat Mastacomys fuscus (Rodentia:Muridae) by the introduced red fox Vulpes vulpes (Carnivora: Canidae) in the Snowy Mountains. Austral Ecology 27, 353–359.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Green K. (2006). Impacts on fauna from late winter variability in weather in the Snowy Mountains of Australia; implications for monitoring. In ‘Global Change in Mountain Regions’. (Ed. M. Price.) pp. 162–165. (Sapiens Publishing: Duncow, Scotland.)

Green K., and Osborne W. S. (1994). ‘Wildlife of the Australian Snow-Country.’ (Reed Books: Sydney.)

Green, K. , and Osborne, W. S. (2003). The distribution and status of the broad-toothed rat Mastacomys fuscus (Rodentia: Muridae) in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Australian Zoologist 32, 229–237.
Happold D. C. D. (1983). Broad-toothed rat. In ‘The Mammals of Australia’. (Ed. R. Strahan.) pp. 562–564. (Reed Books: Sydney.)

Hennessy K., Whetton P., Smith I., Bathols J., Hutchinson M. F., and Sharples J. (2003). ‘The Impact of Climate Change on Snow Conditions in Mainland Australia.’ (CSIRO Atmospheric Research: Melbourne.)

Hocking, G. J. , and Driessen, M. M. (2000). Status and conservation of the rodents of Tasmania. Wildlife Research 27, 371–377.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Holder D., Hutchinson M. F., Nix H. A., and McMahon J. P. (2000). ANUCLIM Users Guide, Version 5.1. Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, Australian National University, Canberra. Available online at http://cres.anu.edu.au/outputs/anuclim/doc/Contents.html [Verified April 2008]

Hutchinson M. F. (1991). The application of thin plate smoothing splines to continent-wide data assimilation. In ‘BMRC Research Report No.27, Data Assimilation Systems’. (Ed. J. D. Jasper.) pp. 104–113. (Bureau of Meteorology: Melbourne.)

Hutchinson, M. F. (1995). Interpolating mean rainfall using thin plate smoothing splines. International Journal of GIS 9, 305–403.
Hutchinson M. F., Stein J. A., and Stein J. L. (2000). Upgrade of the 9 Second Australian Digital Elevation Model, A Joint Project of CRES and AUSLIG. Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, Australian National University, Canberra. Available online at http://cres.anu.edu.au/dem/index.php [Verified April 2008]

Kesteven J. L., and Hutchinson M. F. (1996). Spatial modelling of climatic variables on a continental scale. In ‘Proceedings of the Third International Conference/Workshop on Integrating GIS and Environmental Modeling.’ (NCGIA: Santa Barbara, CA.) Available online at http://www.ncgia.ucsb.edu/conf/SANTA_FE_CD-ROM/ santa_fe.html [Verified April 2008]

Lindenmayer, D. B. , Mackey, B. G. , and Nix, H. (1997). The bioclimatic domains of four species of commercially important eucalypts from southeastern Australia. Australian Forestry 59, 74–89.
McIntosh R., Pook M., and Mcgregor J. (2005). Study of future climate change: a scenario for the Tasmanian Region. Stages 2 and 3. A report to Hydro Tasmania by CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research.

Menkhorst P. W. (1995). Broad-toothed rat. In ‘Mammals of Victoria’. (Ed. P. W. Menkhorst.) pp. 208–210. (Oxford University Press: Melbourne.)

Monamy, V. , and Fox, B. J. (1999). Habitat selection by female Rattus lutreolus drives asymmetric competition and coexistence with Pseudomys higginsi. Journal of Mammalogy 80, 232–242.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Nix H. A. (1986). biogeographic analysis of the Australian elapid snakes. In ‘Atlas of Elapid Snakes’. (Ed. R. Longmore.) pp. 4–15. (Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra.)

Robinson, A. C. , Kemper, C. M. , Medlin, G. C. , and Watts, C. H. S. (2000). The rodents of South Australia. Wildlife Research 27, 379–404.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Seebeck J. H. (1995). Swamp rat. In ‘Mammals of Victoria’. (Ed. P. W. Menkhorst.) pp. 227–228. (Oxford University Press: Melbourne.)

Seebeck, J. H. , and Menkhorst, P. W. (2000). Status and conservation of the rodents of Victoria. Wildlife Research 27, 357–369.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Wallis, R. L. , Brunner, H. , and Menkhorst, P. W. (1982). Victorian field studies of the broad-toothed rat (Mastacomys fuscus Thomas). Victorian Naturalist 99, 12–21.