Journal article
Feeling the pressure at home: Predator activity at the burrow entrance of an endangered arid-zone skink
D Moore, MR Kearney, R Paltridge, S McAlpin, A Stow
Austral Ecology | WILEY | Published : 2018
DOI: 10.1111/aec.12547
Abstract
Habitat modification and invasive species are among the most important contemporary drivers of biodiversity loss. These two threatening processes are often studied independently and few studies have focused on how they interact to influence species declines. Here we assess the predation pressure placed on the threatened great desert skink (Liopholis kintorei) and how this interacts with fire-induced habitat modifications. We collected daily track data of potential predators for 1 month at 30 great desert skink burrow-systems where vegetation cover varied significantly after experimental burns. We used these data to evaluate potential predation pressure at the burrow-system and assess whether..
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Awarded by Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Funding Acknowledgements
This project was funded by the Australia and Pacific Science Foundation, Trish Macdonald, Joss Haiblen and Australian Wildlife Conservancy. The research was carried out under the Macquarie University Animal Ethics Committee permit ARA 2013/020. We thank volunteers Arlo Stewart, Elia Pirtle, James Maino, Julia Wyllie and Shari May for their valuable assistance with fieldwork and Georgina Spinaze and Margaret Henley for their generous care given at the perfect times. Pat Hodgens provided valuable assistance with predator scat collection and analysis. A special thanks to Josef Schofield, Sanctuary Manager at Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary who conducted the experimental burns.