Journal article
Habitat characteristics of a threatened arboreal marsupial and its resource use in a degraded landscape: The brush-tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa tapoatafa) in central Victoria, Australia
C Mansfield, AH Arnold, TL Bell, A York
Wildlife Research | CSIRO PUBLISHING | Published : 2017
DOI: 10.1071/WR16104
Abstract
Context Habitat loss and degradation has contributed significantly to the decline of many species worldwide. To address this loss, we first require a comprehensive understanding of habitat requirements and resource-use patterns of the species under threat. Aims The study aimed to quantify variation in the habitat of a species threatened by habitat loss and degradation, the brush-tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa tapoatafa), by measuring several physical characteristics of trees and ground cover, as well as to determine potential foraging resource preferences using abundance data from a long-term monitoring study. Methods Phascogale monitoring surveys were conducted over a 13-year perio..
View full abstractGrants
Awarded by Department of Sustainability and Environment Arthur Rylah Institute's Animal Ethics Committee
Funding Acknowledgements
Thanks to the following people for help with field work, data analysis and site logistics: Amanda Ashton, Julian Di Stefano, Helen Doherty, Anne Miehs, Catherine Nield and Cara Reece (University of Melbourne); Kylie Dixon, Cath Grant, Mark O'Brien and Merydth Whitehead (Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning) and Kyra Winduss (Parks Victoria). Thanks also to the students and staff from Federation University Rural Sciences for their considerable support during the phascogale trapping program. The fauna trapping program was carried out under Research Permit FF46/0066, approved by the Department of Sustainability and Environment Arthur Rylah Institute's Animal Ethics Committee (AEC 06/03 and AEC 09/21) and was undertaken according to the Victorian Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 and the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes 2004. Thanks to Chandra Jayasuriya for preparing Fig. 1.