alan robley - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by alan robley

Ecological Management & Restoration, 2007

... Michael Johnston is a scientist, Dan Purdey, Michael Lindeman and Kirstin Long are technical ... more ... Michael Johnston is a scientist, Dan Purdey, Michael Lindeman and Kirstin Long are technical officers at the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Sustainability and ... In: Reintroduction Biology of Australian and New Zealand Fauna (ed. M.Serena), pp. ...

Biological Conservation, 2002

... by a peak in numbers in the first 5–15 years after their first arrival in new districts (Jarm... more ... by a peak in numbers in the first 5–15 years after their first arrival in new districts (Jarman ... Home ranges vary from 10–21 km 2 in the mesic south-east of Australia to >70 km ... from Dutch shipwrecks on the west coast from the early 1600s, or been introduced to northern Australia by ...

Australian Zoologist, 2005

Compared to many parts of Victoria, there have been few systematic surveys of ground-dwelling ver... more Compared to many parts of Victoria, there have been few systematic surveys of ground-dwelling vertebrates in the Little Desert National Park. Using pitfall and Elliott traps, we conducted a trapping survey of small, ground-dwelling vertebrates at three sites in the eastern block of this park. We trapped for seven consecutive days and nights on each of three sessions between October and December 2002. Over this period we trapped 20 species, comprising four native mammals, one exotic mammal and 15 species of herpetofauna. We used these data to appraise the adequacy of our sampling in this area. Our trapping detected the majority of ground-dwelling vertebrates known from the park that are likely to be trapped in pitfall and Elliott traps. Notably, this trapping procured the first specimen of the Little Pygmy-possum Cercartetus lepidus from this park, and incidental observations confirmed the occurrence of Rosenberg's Goanna Varanus rosenbergi within the park.

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 2006

Wild canids (wild dogs and European red foxes) cause substantial losses to Australian livestock i... more Wild canids (wild dogs and European red foxes) cause substantial losses to Australian livestock industries and environmental values. Both species are actively managed as pests to livestock production. Contemporaneously, the dingo proportion of the wild dog population, being considered native, is protected in areas designated for wildlife conservation. Wild dogs particularly affect sheep and goat production because of the behavioural responses of domestic sheep and goats to attack, and the flexible hunting tactics of wild dogs. Predation of calves, although less common, is now more economically important because of recent changes in commodity prices. Although sometimes affecting lambing and kidding rates, foxes cause fewer problems to livestock producers but have substantial impacts on environmental values, affecting the survival of small to medium-sized native fauna and affecting plant biodiversity by spreading weeds. Canid management in Australia relies heavily on the use of compou...

... Reducing Risks to Environmental Values November 2003 Prepared for National Parks DivisionPark... more ... Reducing Risks to Environmental Values November 2003 Prepared for National Parks DivisionParks Victoria by Kirstin Long, Alan Robley, David Cheal, Matt White, Oberon Carter, Arn Tolsma and Alison Oates Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research ...

This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not g... more This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. Front cover photo: Feral cat captured on camera at Anglesea (Alan Robley)

Australian Mammalogy, 2010

To investigate movements and habitat selection by wild dogs we attached satellite-linked global p... more To investigate movements and habitat selection by wild dogs we attached satellite-linked global positioning system (GPS) units to nine wild dogs (Canis lupus dingo and Canis lupus familiaris) captured in eastern Victoria in summer 2007. Units estimated locations at 30-min intervals for the first six months and then at 480-min intervals for six more months. DNA testing revealed all these wild dogs to be related. Home ranges of males were almost three times larger than those of females (males: 124.3 km2 ± 56.3, n = 4; females: 45.2 km2 ± 17.3, n = 5) and both sexes preferred subalpine grassland, shrub or woodland at the landscape and home-range scales. Wild dogs were recorded more often than expected within 25 m of roads and less often than expected within 25 m of watercourses. Wild dogs displayed higher-velocity movements with shallow turning angles (generally forwards) that connected spatial and temporal clusters comprising slower-velocity, shorter, and sharper turning movements. On...

This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any person except in accordance with ... more This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any person except in accordance with the provision of the Copyright Act 1968. Authorised by the Victorian Government, 8 Nicholson St, East Melbourne. Print managed by Finsbury Green. Printed on recycled paper. ISBN 978-1-74287-729-7 (print) ISBN 978-1-74287-730-3 (online)

The influence of fire, fox control and habitat structure on the presence of native mammals in Eas... more The influence of fire, fox control and habitat structure on the presence of native mammals in East Gippsland

Appendix 3. Location and year of detection for Long-nosed Potoroos across the Glenelg Ark monitor... more Appendix 3. Location and year of detection for Long-nosed Potoroos across the Glenelg Ark monitoring area ..

The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessar... more The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for the Environment and Heritage. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are factually correct, the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this publication.

Austral Ecology

Trophic interactions and disturbance events can shape the structure and function of ecosystems. H... more Trophic interactions and disturbance events can shape the structure and function of ecosystems. However, the effects of drivers such as predation, fire and climatic variables on species distributions are rarely considered concurrently. We used a replicated landscape‐scale predator management experiment to compare the effects of red fox Vulpes vulpes control, time‐since‐fire, vegetation type and other environmental variables on native herbivore distributions. Occurrence data for four native herbivores and an invasive predator – the red fox – were collected from 240 sites across three baited (for lethal fox control) and three unbaited forest blocks (4659–9750 ha) in south‐western Victoria, Australia, and used to build species distribution models. The herbivore taxa were as follows: red‐necked wallaby Macropus rufogriseus, black wallaby Wallabia bicolour, grey kangaroo Macropus fuligenosus and Macropus giganteus and common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula. Fox control and fire had little effect on herbivore occurrence, despite the literature suggesting it can influence abundance, while climate, proximity to farmland and topography were more influential. This may be because the region’s high productivity and agricultural pastures subsidise food resources for both predators and prey within the forest blocks and so dampen trophic interactions. Alternatively, these drivers may affect herbivore abundance, but not herbivore occurrence. Understanding the drivers of herbivore distributions is an important step in predicting the effects of herbivory on other species, particularly after management interventions such as predator control and prescribed burns.

Journal of Applied Ecology

Invasive predators are a key driver of biodiversity decline, and effective predator management is... more Invasive predators are a key driver of biodiversity decline, and effective predator management is an important conservation issue globally. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) poses a significant threat to wildlife, livestock and human health across Eurasia, North America and Australia. Despite worldwide investment in red fox management, decision makers still lack flexible tools for predicting control efficacy. We have developed FoxNet, a spatially explicit, individual‐based model (IBM) framework that can be customised to predict red fox population dynamics, including responses to control and landscape productivity. High‐resolution models can be run across northern and southern hemisphere landscapes. We present four case‐study models to verify FoxNet outputs, explore key sensitivities and demonstrate the framework's utility as a management planning tool. FoxNet models were largely successful in reproducing the demographic structure of two red fox populations in highly contrasting landscapes. They also accurately generated the relationship between home‐range size and fox‐family density for home‐range sizes between 1.0 and 9.6 km², and captured the rapid decline and seasonally driven recovery of a red fox population following poison‐baiting. An exploration of alternative poison‐baiting scenarios for a conservation reserve predicted that current management suppresses red fox density by ~70% and showed that frequent baiting is required to combat recolonisation. Baiting at higher densities or establishing a baited buffer would further reduce red fox density. Predictions were sensitive to home‐range and litter size assumptions, illustrating the value of region‐specific data on red fox movement and biology. Synthesis and applications. We have developed a versatile individual‐based model framework to guide management of the red fox, a globally significant invasive predator. Our framework, FoxNet, can be customised to generate realistic predictions of red fox population dynamics in diverse landscapes, making it immediately applicable to the design and optimisation of predator control programmes at scales relevant to management. Future extensions could explore competitor and prey responses to red fox control and the effects of habitat disturbance on predator population dynamics.

Ecological Management & Restoration, 2007

... Michael Johnston is a scientist, Dan Purdey, Michael Lindeman and Kirstin Long are technical ... more ... Michael Johnston is a scientist, Dan Purdey, Michael Lindeman and Kirstin Long are technical officers at the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Sustainability and ... In: Reintroduction Biology of Australian and New Zealand Fauna (ed. M.Serena), pp. ...

Biological Conservation, 2002

... by a peak in numbers in the first 5–15 years after their first arrival in new districts (Jarm... more ... by a peak in numbers in the first 5–15 years after their first arrival in new districts (Jarman ... Home ranges vary from 10–21 km 2 in the mesic south-east of Australia to >70 km ... from Dutch shipwrecks on the west coast from the early 1600s, or been introduced to northern Australia by ...

Australian Zoologist, 2005

Compared to many parts of Victoria, there have been few systematic surveys of ground-dwelling ver... more Compared to many parts of Victoria, there have been few systematic surveys of ground-dwelling vertebrates in the Little Desert National Park. Using pitfall and Elliott traps, we conducted a trapping survey of small, ground-dwelling vertebrates at three sites in the eastern block of this park. We trapped for seven consecutive days and nights on each of three sessions between October and December 2002. Over this period we trapped 20 species, comprising four native mammals, one exotic mammal and 15 species of herpetofauna. We used these data to appraise the adequacy of our sampling in this area. Our trapping detected the majority of ground-dwelling vertebrates known from the park that are likely to be trapped in pitfall and Elliott traps. Notably, this trapping procured the first specimen of the Little Pygmy-possum Cercartetus lepidus from this park, and incidental observations confirmed the occurrence of Rosenberg's Goanna Varanus rosenbergi within the park.

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 2006

Wild canids (wild dogs and European red foxes) cause substantial losses to Australian livestock i... more Wild canids (wild dogs and European red foxes) cause substantial losses to Australian livestock industries and environmental values. Both species are actively managed as pests to livestock production. Contemporaneously, the dingo proportion of the wild dog population, being considered native, is protected in areas designated for wildlife conservation. Wild dogs particularly affect sheep and goat production because of the behavioural responses of domestic sheep and goats to attack, and the flexible hunting tactics of wild dogs. Predation of calves, although less common, is now more economically important because of recent changes in commodity prices. Although sometimes affecting lambing and kidding rates, foxes cause fewer problems to livestock producers but have substantial impacts on environmental values, affecting the survival of small to medium-sized native fauna and affecting plant biodiversity by spreading weeds. Canid management in Australia relies heavily on the use of compou...

... Reducing Risks to Environmental Values November 2003 Prepared for National Parks DivisionPark... more ... Reducing Risks to Environmental Values November 2003 Prepared for National Parks DivisionParks Victoria by Kirstin Long, Alan Robley, David Cheal, Matt White, Oberon Carter, Arn Tolsma and Alison Oates Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research ...

This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not g... more This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. Front cover photo: Feral cat captured on camera at Anglesea (Alan Robley)

Australian Mammalogy, 2010

To investigate movements and habitat selection by wild dogs we attached satellite-linked global p... more To investigate movements and habitat selection by wild dogs we attached satellite-linked global positioning system (GPS) units to nine wild dogs (Canis lupus dingo and Canis lupus familiaris) captured in eastern Victoria in summer 2007. Units estimated locations at 30-min intervals for the first six months and then at 480-min intervals for six more months. DNA testing revealed all these wild dogs to be related. Home ranges of males were almost three times larger than those of females (males: 124.3 km2 ± 56.3, n = 4; females: 45.2 km2 ± 17.3, n = 5) and both sexes preferred subalpine grassland, shrub or woodland at the landscape and home-range scales. Wild dogs were recorded more often than expected within 25 m of roads and less often than expected within 25 m of watercourses. Wild dogs displayed higher-velocity movements with shallow turning angles (generally forwards) that connected spatial and temporal clusters comprising slower-velocity, shorter, and sharper turning movements. On...

This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any person except in accordance with ... more This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any person except in accordance with the provision of the Copyright Act 1968. Authorised by the Victorian Government, 8 Nicholson St, East Melbourne. Print managed by Finsbury Green. Printed on recycled paper. ISBN 978-1-74287-729-7 (print) ISBN 978-1-74287-730-3 (online)

The influence of fire, fox control and habitat structure on the presence of native mammals in Eas... more The influence of fire, fox control and habitat structure on the presence of native mammals in East Gippsland

Appendix 3. Location and year of detection for Long-nosed Potoroos across the Glenelg Ark monitor... more Appendix 3. Location and year of detection for Long-nosed Potoroos across the Glenelg Ark monitoring area ..

The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessar... more The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for the Environment and Heritage. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are factually correct, the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this publication.

Austral Ecology

Trophic interactions and disturbance events can shape the structure and function of ecosystems. H... more Trophic interactions and disturbance events can shape the structure and function of ecosystems. However, the effects of drivers such as predation, fire and climatic variables on species distributions are rarely considered concurrently. We used a replicated landscape‐scale predator management experiment to compare the effects of red fox Vulpes vulpes control, time‐since‐fire, vegetation type and other environmental variables on native herbivore distributions. Occurrence data for four native herbivores and an invasive predator – the red fox – were collected from 240 sites across three baited (for lethal fox control) and three unbaited forest blocks (4659–9750 ha) in south‐western Victoria, Australia, and used to build species distribution models. The herbivore taxa were as follows: red‐necked wallaby Macropus rufogriseus, black wallaby Wallabia bicolour, grey kangaroo Macropus fuligenosus and Macropus giganteus and common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula. Fox control and fire had little effect on herbivore occurrence, despite the literature suggesting it can influence abundance, while climate, proximity to farmland and topography were more influential. This may be because the region’s high productivity and agricultural pastures subsidise food resources for both predators and prey within the forest blocks and so dampen trophic interactions. Alternatively, these drivers may affect herbivore abundance, but not herbivore occurrence. Understanding the drivers of herbivore distributions is an important step in predicting the effects of herbivory on other species, particularly after management interventions such as predator control and prescribed burns.

Journal of Applied Ecology

Invasive predators are a key driver of biodiversity decline, and effective predator management is... more Invasive predators are a key driver of biodiversity decline, and effective predator management is an important conservation issue globally. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) poses a significant threat to wildlife, livestock and human health across Eurasia, North America and Australia. Despite worldwide investment in red fox management, decision makers still lack flexible tools for predicting control efficacy. We have developed FoxNet, a spatially explicit, individual‐based model (IBM) framework that can be customised to predict red fox population dynamics, including responses to control and landscape productivity. High‐resolution models can be run across northern and southern hemisphere landscapes. We present four case‐study models to verify FoxNet outputs, explore key sensitivities and demonstrate the framework's utility as a management planning tool. FoxNet models were largely successful in reproducing the demographic structure of two red fox populations in highly contrasting landscapes. They also accurately generated the relationship between home‐range size and fox‐family density for home‐range sizes between 1.0 and 9.6 km², and captured the rapid decline and seasonally driven recovery of a red fox population following poison‐baiting. An exploration of alternative poison‐baiting scenarios for a conservation reserve predicted that current management suppresses red fox density by ~70% and showed that frequent baiting is required to combat recolonisation. Baiting at higher densities or establishing a baited buffer would further reduce red fox density. Predictions were sensitive to home‐range and litter size assumptions, illustrating the value of region‐specific data on red fox movement and biology. Synthesis and applications. We have developed a versatile individual‐based model framework to guide management of the red fox, a globally significant invasive predator. Our framework, FoxNet, can be customised to generate realistic predictions of red fox population dynamics in diverse landscapes, making it immediately applicable to the design and optimisation of predator control programmes at scales relevant to management. Future extensions could explore competitor and prey responses to red fox control and the effects of habitat disturbance on predator population dynamics.