Journal article
Factors influencing the residency of bettongs using one-way gates to exit a fenced reserve
Jessie Moyses, Bronwyn Hradsky, Katherine Tuft, Katherine Moseby, Nicholas Golding, Brendan Wintle
Austral Ecology: a journal of ecology in the Southern Hemisphere | Wiley | Published : 2020
DOI: 10.1111/aec.12898
Abstract
Understanding the conditions under which small native Australian mammals can persist in the presence of introduced predators remains a key challenge to conservation ecologists. Bettong‐specific one‐way gates were used at a predator‐free reserve in South Australia to allow the burrowing bettong (Bettongia lesueur) – a small potoroid, listed as ‘vulnerable’ nationally – to disperse out of the reserve. We conducted a field experiment to explore the conditions affecting residence time of bettongs that left the reserve. We monitored bettong and mammalian predator activity outside the fence using track surveys across 18 sites over two seasons. We examined the effect of supplementary feeding as a s..
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Funding Acknowledgements
Arid Recovery is a joint conservation initiative between BHP, The University of Adelaide, S.A. Department for Environment and Water, Bush Heritage Australia and the local community. Arid Recovery is on the country of the Kokatha people. We recognise the enduring relationship they have with their country and pay our respects to Elders past, present and future. We thank the National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub for funding this project. We also thank Rebecca Groenwegen, Katherine Handasyde, Anja Scroblin, Ben Phillips, Hugh McGregor, Georgina Neave, Nathan Beerkens, John Crompton, Mac Moyses, Hilary Wilson, Rachael McCullough, Tia Manning, Tessa Manning, Tia Kearney, Temara Grove, Isaac Towers, Rory Burton, Georgia Kelly, Roxanne De Vos, Grace Harmer, Zoi Banikos, Matthew Rees and Leo McComb for their support. The field experiment was conducted under University of Melbourne Ethics approval ID number 1714207.1