Vertebrate monitoring and resampling in Kakadu National Park : Year 3, 2003-04
Watson, Michelle; Woinarski, John Casimir Zichy; Northern Territory. Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment
E-Publications; E-Books; PublicationNT
2004-05-01
Date:2004-05; Made available via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT)
Summary -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Continuation of a monitoring program that will contribute to the assessment of impacts of cane toads -- 3. Baseline survey of vertebrates at fire monitoring plots -- 4. Investigation of change in vertebrate (especially mammal) species composition at sites sampled in historic surveys -- a. Jabiluka -- b. Kapalga -- 5. Survey of threatened plants -- 6. Investigation of census and trapping methods for feral cats and dingoes -- 7. Training of Parks Australia staff in fauna survey through a field-based camp -- 8. Compilation of data bases and GIS layers showing existing and current fauna records -- Appendix A. Schedule for consultancy RS19 Vertebrate monitoring and resampling in Kakadu National Park.
English
Animals -- Northern Territory -- Kakadu National Park
Northern Territory Government
Palmerston
v, 57 pages : col. maps ; 30 cm.
application/pdf
Attribution International 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)
Northern Territory Government
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/213586
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/715012
38 Inthischapterwediscussresultsfromastudythatusedtwomethodstoestimate distributionandrelativeabundanceofferalcatsanddingoesinthesavanna woodlandsofKakaduNationalPark.Bothmethodsemployacombinationof spotlightingandtrackcountingtoprovidearelativeabundanceofbothferalcatsand dingoesalongsurveytransects.ResearchfromelsewhereinAustraliahasshownthat dingoespreyonferalcats,andthepresenceofdingoesinanareamayaffectthe behaviourofferalcats(eg.catsmayavoidareaswheredingoeshaverecentlybeen active,apotentialsourceofbiasinthesurveymethodsemployedduringthisstudy). Forthisreason,relationshipsbetweenferalcatanddingo/dogabundanceare investigated.Simultaneousmammaltrappinginthevicinityofcat/dingosurvey transectswasusedtoprovideinformationabouttheabundanceanddiversityofsmall mammalsintheseareasandtoallowinvestigationintotherelationshipsbetween cat/dingonumbersandsmallmammalpopulations.Thisstudyrepresentsthefirst dedicatedattempttoquantifyferalcatpopulationsinKakaduNationalParkandhas beenpromptedbyrecentconcernoverthecurrentstatusofsmallmammalswithinthe Parkandthepotentialrolethatferalcatsmayplayindeterminingnativemammal populations. Methods Twosurveytechniqueswereusedtoinvestigateferalcatanddingodistributionand abundanceintworegionswithinKakaduNationalPark.Thefirsttechnique,which utilisesbaitedsurveystationshaspreviouslybeentestedasamethodtodetermine relativeabundanceofferalcatsandtotesttheefficacyofarangeofbaitsatanumber ofsitesintheTopEndoftheNorthernTerritory (Cameron1994)andelsewherein arid/semiaridareasofAustralia(Clappertonetal.1994Edwardsetal.1997Risbey etal.1997).Aswellasprovidingsomeindicationofferalcatnumbersinthestudy sites,thismethodwasalsodesignedtotesttheefficacyofanumberoftypesand combinationsofbaitsandluresforpossibleuseinfuturetrappingprogramsin KakaduNationalPark.Thesecondtechniquehasbeenextensivelyemployedto surveymammalsontheeastcoastofNewSouthWalesandQueenslandandtosurvey catsanddingoesintheAliceSpringsregion,buthasonlybeenusedonceinthe tropicalsavannasoftheNorthernTerritory (Catlingetal.1999). Baitedsurveystations Thebaitedstationsurveyusedinthisstudyisbasedlooselyonprevioussurveys performedintheAliceSpringsregionbyEdwardsetal.(1997)andintheTopEndof theNorthernTerritory (Cameron1994).Duringthissurvey,twotransectswere establishedinboththeEastAlligatorandSouthAlligatorDistrictsofKakadu NationalPark(seeAppendixAforGPScoordinates).Eachofthetransectswas locatedalonganexistingvehicletrackthatpassedthrough Eucalyptusdominated woodland.ThedominanttreespecieswereEucalyptstetrodonta,E.miniataand Corymbiableeseriwithamixedmidstoreyanddensegrassunderstoreydominatedby Sargasp. Baitedsurveystationsweresetupat200mintervalsalonga6kmtransectcentredon anexistingvehicletrack.Surveystationswerelocatedapproximately10mintothe woodlandonthelefthandsideofthetrack.Ateachstationanareaofapproximately 1.5mx1.5mwasclearedofgroundvegetationandcoveredwithalayerofsand collectedlocally.Oneoffivebait/lure/trapcombinationswassetupatthecentreof
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website may contain the names, voices and images of people who have died, as well as other culturally sensitive content. Please be aware that some collection items may use outdated phrases or words which reflect the attitude of the creator at the time, and are now considered offensive.
We use temporary cookies on this site to provide functionality. |
You are welcome to provide further information or feedback about this item by emailing TerritoryStories@nt.gov.au