Climate and behaviour influence thermal suitability of artificial hollows for a critically endangered mammal

LB McComb; PE Lentini; DKP Harley; LF Lumsden; AC Eyre; NJ Briscoe

Journal article

Climate and behaviour influence thermal suitability of artificial hollows for a critically endangered mammal

LB McComb, PE Lentini, DKP Harley, LF Lumsden, AC Eyre, NJ Briscoe

Animal Conservation | Published : 2022

DOI: 10.1111/acv.12750

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Abstract

Artificial hollows are commonly used to mitigate the scarcity of den and nest sites that threatens fauna species globally, but there is a risk that these do not provide suitable microclimates for the populations they are intended to support. We monitored temperature, humidity and occupancy in artificial dens (nest boxes and chainsaw-carved cavities) provided for the critically endangered Leadbeater’s possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri) in south-eastern Australian forests. Monitoring occurred over both winter and summer in five habitat types spanning a broad elevational gradient (110–1580 m asl). We then used a biophysical model to explore the physiological consequences of the den temperatures..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Pia Lentini Author

Natalie Briscoe Author

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Awarded by Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, State Government of Victoria

Funding Acknowledgements

This project received financial and/or in-kind support from Zoos Victoria, the Mohammed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, and the Arthur Rylah Institute (DELWP). The authors thank Jemma Cripps, Louise Durkin, and Jenny Nelson (ARI DELWP) for advice and guidance on field data collection, and also the many volunteers who made this possible. Thanks to Mark Cashmore and the Treetec team for assistance collecting chainsaw hollow data, Nicole Boys and Paula Watson from Zoos Victoria for assisting with trials at Healesville Sanctuary, and Joanne Antrobus from Parks Victoria for her ongoing support and involvement in the nest box program. Jian Yen, Kristin Semmens, and Richard Peters generously assisted with saturation drift corrections. Review comments generously provided by David Watson and Ross Goldingay helped improve the manuscript. NJB was supported by the NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub, and PEL was supported by ARC Linkage Project (LP160100439).