Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2440/70541
Citations
Scopus Web of Science® Altmetric
?
?
Type: Journal article
Title: Predation determines the outcome of 10 reintroduction attempts in arid South Australia
Author: Moseby, K.
Read, J.
Paton, D.
Copley, P.
Hill, B.
Crisp, H.
Citation: Biological Conservation, 2011; 144(12):2863-2872
Publisher: Elsevier Sci Ltd
Issue Date: 2011
ISSN: 0006-3207
1873-2917
Statement of
Responsibility: 
K.E. Moseby, J.L. Read, D.C. Paton, P. Copley, B.M. Hill and H.A. Crisp
Abstract: Ten reintroduction attempts were conducted in and around the Arid Recovery Reserve in northern South Australia between 1998 and 2008. Five locally-extinct mammal species and one reptile species were reintroduced into a fenced Reserve where cats, foxes and rabbits were excluded. Reintroductions of the nationally threatened greater stick-nest rat, burrowing bettong, greater bilby and western barred bandicoot were all considered successful based on short and medium-term success criteria. These criteria included continued survival after 8years, increased distribution across the large Reserve and, most importantly, recovery after a drought event. The trial reintroductions of the numbat and woma python into the Reserve were unsuccessful due to predation by native avian and reptilian predators respectively. Outside the Reserve, where cats and foxes were present but controlled through poison baiting, reintroduction attempts of the greater bilby and burrowing bettong were unsuccessful. High mortality was attributed to cat and fox predation with dingoes also contributing to post-release mortality in bettongs. However, a reintroduction of burrowing bettongs into a fenced area with low rabbit and cat abundance has, to-date, met short-term and medium-term success criteria. Results suggest that the absence or severe restriction of exotic mammalian predators was the critical factor responsible for the success of the mammal reintroductions. Determining thresholds of predator activity below which successful reintroduction of threatened species can occur, are needed to improve the science of reintroduction biology in Australia.
Keywords: Reintroduction
translocation
threatened species
success criteria
arid zone
Rights: © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2011.08.003
Published version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2011.08.003
Appears in Collections:Aurora harvest
Earth and Environmental Sciences publications
Environment Institute publications

Files in This Item:
There are no files associated with this item.


Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.