David B Croft | The University of New South Wales (original) (raw)

Papers by David B Croft

Research paper thumbnail of Welfare implications of commercial kangaroo killing: Do the ends justify the means?

Debate on the pros and cons of kangaroo management in Australia has recently centred on the aware... more Debate on the pros and cons of kangaroo management in Australia has recently centred on the awareness that commercial killing (commonly referred to as harvesting), a by-product of management, is difficult to regulate and that there are animal welfare costs that the current regulatory framework is yet to resolve. Moreover, public interest in animal welfare is at an unprecedented height and is expected to increase over time. At the core of animal welfare law and policy is a question of ends and means. Animal welfare laws have existed for around 200 years, and presently attempt to prevent ‘unnecessary’ or ‘unreasonable’ suffering by animals. Yet at the same time, large scale animal industries have developed that often involve high levels of harm and suffering being inflicted upon a great number of animals in order to produce food and other products for human use. From a policy perspective, industrial suffering of animals is ‘necessary’ or ‘reasonable’ where there is both legitimacy of ...

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Research paper thumbnail of The influence of non-climate predictors at local and landscape resolutions depends on the autecology of the species

Austral Ecology, 2014

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Research paper thumbnail of Observation techniques that minimize impacts on wildlife and maximize visitor satisfaction in night-time tours

ABSTRACT Nocturnal observation of wildlife is a popular tourist attraction. However, there is ver... more ABSTRACT Nocturnal observation of wildlife is a popular tourist attraction. However, there is very little research about its impact on wildlife and thus the optimal trade-off in minimizing impacts and maximizing visitor satisfaction. We first used a questionnaire-based survey to determine the characteristics of a satisfying nocturnal wildlife tour for visitors to a popular Australian rangeland tourist site. This revealed a particular interest by visitors in high-tech wildlife observation equipment such as night vision devices and bat detectors. Further satisfaction was gained from the types of wildlife viewed and the conduct of the tour. Respondents underestimated aversive effects on wildlife imposed by night-time tours. With this context, we analysed observation methods typically employed in night-time wildlife tours. We compared the results achieved with different illumination (white vs. red vs. infrared light), watch modes (sitting at artificial watering points vs. hiking in creek beds), observation times (starting at dusk vs. 2 h past dusk) and wind speed. Abundance and species richness of the non-bat fauna and bat activity were greatest at artificial watering points directly after dusk during calm nights. A night vision device enhanced by infrared light facilitated closer observations, the viewing of undisturbed wildlife behaviour and revealed more species than under white or red light. We consolidated our findings from the visitor survey and the wildlife observation research to recommend a tour design that minimizes impacts and optimizes observation outcomes when conducting night-time tours of wildlife.

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Research paper thumbnail of Impacts of tourism hotspots on vegetation communities show a higher potential for self-propagation along roads than hiking trails

Journal of environmental management, 2014

Vegetation communities along recreational tracks may suffer from substantial edge-effects through... more Vegetation communities along recreational tracks may suffer from substantial edge-effects through the impacts of trampling, modified environmental conditions and competition with species that benefit from disturbance. We assessed impacts on trackside vegetation by comparing high and low usage tourism sites at a 1-10 m distance from recreational tracks in a popular arid-lands tourism destination in South Australia. The central aim was quantification of the strengths and spatial extent of tourism impacts along recreational tracks with a qualitative comparison of roads and trails. Track-distance gradients were most prevalent at high usage sites. There, species community composition was altered, total plant cover decreased, non-native species cover increased, plant diversity increased or decreased (depending on the distance) and soil compaction increased towards recreational tracks. Roadside effects were greater and more pervasive than trailside effects. Further, plant diversity did not...

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Research paper thumbnail of THE ROLE OF KANGAROOS IN AUSTRALIAN TOURISM

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Research paper thumbnail of Survival behaviour of swamp wallabies during prescribed burning and wildfire

Wildlife Research, 2010

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Research paper thumbnail of Frequency and causes of kangaroo–vehicle collisions on an Australian outback highway

Wildlife Research, 2006

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Research paper thumbnail of Do wildlife warning reflectors elicit aversion in captive macropods?

Wildlife Research, 2006

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Research paper thumbnail of Suitability of acoustics as non-lethal deterrents for macropodids: the influence of origin, delivery and anti-predator behaviour

Wildlife Research, 2011

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Research paper thumbnail of Population viability assessment and sensitivity analysis as a management tool for the peri-urban environment

Urban Ecosystems, 2006

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Research paper thumbnail of Visitor monitoring along roads and hiking trails: How to determine usage levels in tourist sites

Tourism Management, 2012

ABSTRACT Best-practice visitor-monitoring techniques are crucial for the assessment of tourism-re... more ABSTRACT Best-practice visitor-monitoring techniques are crucial for the assessment of tourism-related impacts in natural areas of high conservation value. In such studies, ecosystem variables are typically compared between high and low usage tourist sites. We assessed visitor use at 80 sites in the Flinders Ranges gorges and compared 11 visitor variables for their potential to differentiate usage levels between sites either exposed to vehicle or hiker traffic. We show that the efficiency with which a visitor variable represents usage levels depends on the access mode to gorges, with the number of passing visitors best suited for monitoring of usage levels in gorges permitting hiker access only, and variables describing camping usage best suited for gorges permitting vehicle access. Further, the distinct advantages and disadvantages of four visitor-monitoring techniques were examined; namely, the direct monitoring of visitor use by staff observers, the assessment of proxy variables from which past and present use can be inferred, GPS tracking of visitors and the survey of visitors by an interview-based questionnaire. We recommend GPS tracking because of the reliability and detail of data and the many sites per day that can be sampled. Due to a strong, positive correlation, the campground size and the number of fireplaces may be recorded in proxy of the camper numbers to increase time-efficiency and robustness of measures against short-term fluctuations in usage. Survey data gathered in relation to specific site-use were tempered by the memory of visitors and their ability to describe or reference the visited sites on a map. Visitor surveys were therefore useful only as a supplementary method for differentiating usage levels on a coarser spatial scale.

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Research paper thumbnail of Educational and Conservation Value of Whale Watching

Tourism in Marine Environments, 2007

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Research paper thumbnail of Behavioral responses of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to whale-watching vessels on the southeastern coast of Australia

Marine Mammal Science, 2009

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Research paper thumbnail of Domestic pigeons (Columba livia) discriminate between photographs of male and female pigeons

Learning & Behavior, 2006

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Research paper thumbnail of Domestic pigeons (Columba livia) discriminate between photographs of individual pigeons

Animal Learning & Behavior, 2003

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Research paper thumbnail of Vegetation moderates impacts of tourism usage on bird communities along roads and hiking trails

Journal of Environmental Management, 2013

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Research paper thumbnail of Modelling of wildlife fatality hotspots along the Snowy Mountain Highway in New South Wales, Australia

Biological Conservation, 2005

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Research paper thumbnail of Assessing the impacts of roads in peri-urban reserves: Road-based fatalities and road usage by wildlife in the Royal National Park, New South Wales, Australia

Biological Conservation, 2006

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Research paper thumbnail of Predator scent induces differing responses in two sympatric macropodids

Australian Journal of Zoology, 2005

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Research paper thumbnail of Minimizing disturbance to wildlife by tourists approaching on foot or in a car: A study of kangaroos in the Australian rangelands

Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2010

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Research paper thumbnail of Welfare implications of commercial kangaroo killing: Do the ends justify the means?

Debate on the pros and cons of kangaroo management in Australia has recently centred on the aware... more Debate on the pros and cons of kangaroo management in Australia has recently centred on the awareness that commercial killing (commonly referred to as harvesting), a by-product of management, is difficult to regulate and that there are animal welfare costs that the current regulatory framework is yet to resolve. Moreover, public interest in animal welfare is at an unprecedented height and is expected to increase over time. At the core of animal welfare law and policy is a question of ends and means. Animal welfare laws have existed for around 200 years, and presently attempt to prevent ‘unnecessary’ or ‘unreasonable’ suffering by animals. Yet at the same time, large scale animal industries have developed that often involve high levels of harm and suffering being inflicted upon a great number of animals in order to produce food and other products for human use. From a policy perspective, industrial suffering of animals is ‘necessary’ or ‘reasonable’ where there is both legitimacy of ...

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Research paper thumbnail of The influence of non-climate predictors at local and landscape resolutions depends on the autecology of the species

Austral Ecology, 2014

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Observation techniques that minimize impacts on wildlife and maximize visitor satisfaction in night-time tours

ABSTRACT Nocturnal observation of wildlife is a popular tourist attraction. However, there is ver... more ABSTRACT Nocturnal observation of wildlife is a popular tourist attraction. However, there is very little research about its impact on wildlife and thus the optimal trade-off in minimizing impacts and maximizing visitor satisfaction. We first used a questionnaire-based survey to determine the characteristics of a satisfying nocturnal wildlife tour for visitors to a popular Australian rangeland tourist site. This revealed a particular interest by visitors in high-tech wildlife observation equipment such as night vision devices and bat detectors. Further satisfaction was gained from the types of wildlife viewed and the conduct of the tour. Respondents underestimated aversive effects on wildlife imposed by night-time tours. With this context, we analysed observation methods typically employed in night-time wildlife tours. We compared the results achieved with different illumination (white vs. red vs. infrared light), watch modes (sitting at artificial watering points vs. hiking in creek beds), observation times (starting at dusk vs. 2 h past dusk) and wind speed. Abundance and species richness of the non-bat fauna and bat activity were greatest at artificial watering points directly after dusk during calm nights. A night vision device enhanced by infrared light facilitated closer observations, the viewing of undisturbed wildlife behaviour and revealed more species than under white or red light. We consolidated our findings from the visitor survey and the wildlife observation research to recommend a tour design that minimizes impacts and optimizes observation outcomes when conducting night-time tours of wildlife.

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Research paper thumbnail of Impacts of tourism hotspots on vegetation communities show a higher potential for self-propagation along roads than hiking trails

Journal of environmental management, 2014

Vegetation communities along recreational tracks may suffer from substantial edge-effects through... more Vegetation communities along recreational tracks may suffer from substantial edge-effects through the impacts of trampling, modified environmental conditions and competition with species that benefit from disturbance. We assessed impacts on trackside vegetation by comparing high and low usage tourism sites at a 1-10 m distance from recreational tracks in a popular arid-lands tourism destination in South Australia. The central aim was quantification of the strengths and spatial extent of tourism impacts along recreational tracks with a qualitative comparison of roads and trails. Track-distance gradients were most prevalent at high usage sites. There, species community composition was altered, total plant cover decreased, non-native species cover increased, plant diversity increased or decreased (depending on the distance) and soil compaction increased towards recreational tracks. Roadside effects were greater and more pervasive than trailside effects. Further, plant diversity did not...

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Research paper thumbnail of THE ROLE OF KANGAROOS IN AUSTRALIAN TOURISM

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Survival behaviour of swamp wallabies during prescribed burning and wildfire

Wildlife Research, 2010

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Frequency and causes of kangaroo–vehicle collisions on an Australian outback highway

Wildlife Research, 2006

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Do wildlife warning reflectors elicit aversion in captive macropods?

Wildlife Research, 2006

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Suitability of acoustics as non-lethal deterrents for macropodids: the influence of origin, delivery and anti-predator behaviour

Wildlife Research, 2011

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Population viability assessment and sensitivity analysis as a management tool for the peri-urban environment

Urban Ecosystems, 2006

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Visitor monitoring along roads and hiking trails: How to determine usage levels in tourist sites

Tourism Management, 2012

ABSTRACT Best-practice visitor-monitoring techniques are crucial for the assessment of tourism-re... more ABSTRACT Best-practice visitor-monitoring techniques are crucial for the assessment of tourism-related impacts in natural areas of high conservation value. In such studies, ecosystem variables are typically compared between high and low usage tourist sites. We assessed visitor use at 80 sites in the Flinders Ranges gorges and compared 11 visitor variables for their potential to differentiate usage levels between sites either exposed to vehicle or hiker traffic. We show that the efficiency with which a visitor variable represents usage levels depends on the access mode to gorges, with the number of passing visitors best suited for monitoring of usage levels in gorges permitting hiker access only, and variables describing camping usage best suited for gorges permitting vehicle access. Further, the distinct advantages and disadvantages of four visitor-monitoring techniques were examined; namely, the direct monitoring of visitor use by staff observers, the assessment of proxy variables from which past and present use can be inferred, GPS tracking of visitors and the survey of visitors by an interview-based questionnaire. We recommend GPS tracking because of the reliability and detail of data and the many sites per day that can be sampled. Due to a strong, positive correlation, the campground size and the number of fireplaces may be recorded in proxy of the camper numbers to increase time-efficiency and robustness of measures against short-term fluctuations in usage. Survey data gathered in relation to specific site-use were tempered by the memory of visitors and their ability to describe or reference the visited sites on a map. Visitor surveys were therefore useful only as a supplementary method for differentiating usage levels on a coarser spatial scale.

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Research paper thumbnail of Educational and Conservation Value of Whale Watching

Tourism in Marine Environments, 2007

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Research paper thumbnail of Behavioral responses of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to whale-watching vessels on the southeastern coast of Australia

Marine Mammal Science, 2009

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Domestic pigeons (Columba livia) discriminate between photographs of male and female pigeons

Learning & Behavior, 2006

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Domestic pigeons (Columba livia) discriminate between photographs of individual pigeons

Animal Learning & Behavior, 2003

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Vegetation moderates impacts of tourism usage on bird communities along roads and hiking trails

Journal of Environmental Management, 2013

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Research paper thumbnail of Modelling of wildlife fatality hotspots along the Snowy Mountain Highway in New South Wales, Australia

Biological Conservation, 2005

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Research paper thumbnail of Assessing the impacts of roads in peri-urban reserves: Road-based fatalities and road usage by wildlife in the Royal National Park, New South Wales, Australia

Biological Conservation, 2006

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Predator scent induces differing responses in two sympatric macropodids

Australian Journal of Zoology, 2005

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Minimizing disturbance to wildlife by tourists approaching on foot or in a car: A study of kangaroos in the Australian rangelands

Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2010

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