Posters

Are Quendas More Vulnerable to Introduced Predators in the Presence of Dieback?

Cecelia Crowe, Murdoch University

Co-Authors:
Trish Fleming, Murdoch University
Giles Hardy, Murdoch University
Tom Mansfield, Murdoch University

Phytophthora cinnamomi (dieback) is a plant pathogen causing significant loss of vegetation cover in many parts of the world. In Australia, P. cinnamomi has devastated native flora, resulting in extensive vegetation loss and degraded fauna habitats. Predators such as feral cats and foxes have greater hunting success in more open habitats and prefer hunting in areas where vegetation clearing occurs through livestock grazing or fire. The habitat loss due to P. cinnamomi and increased predator activity could negatively impact native wildlife, including important ecosystem engineers like the quenda (Isoodon fusciventer). In Mundaring, Western Australia, P. cinnamomi-infested sites have reduced shrub density and fewer grasstrees (Xanthorrhoea spp.) suitable as a refuge for animals, including quenda, and there is 33% less evidence of quenda digging activity. We investigated whether dieback-infested sites had greater activity of introduced predators (foxes and cats) and whether quenda could be more vulnerable in these sites due to the loss of protective cover across five northern jarrah forest urban reserves within the Shire of Mundaring. These sites have had spatial mapping of P. cinnamomi-affected areas, and vegetation assessments for P. cinnamomi-infested and healthy areas. A total of 40 camera traps were deployed to record predator and quenda activity to test the prediction that quendas spend more time in healthy sites that are likely to provide more food resources (i.e., insects, fungi fruiting bodies), and that predator activity is greater in infested sites, where they are likely to have greater hunting success due to lack of protective vegetation cover.
Data gathered from this project can assist in predator management and habitat restoration to protect native fauna and their habitats. The project will also add to the knowledge base of the relationship between habitat health and predator/prey interactions.

The Journey of a New Taxon: Exploring the Floral Diversity of Western Australia 

Cielito Marbus, Umwelt (Australia) Pty Ltd

Co-Authors:
David Coultas, Umwelt (Australia) Pty Ltd
Marlee Starcevich, Umwelt (Australia) Pty Ltd
Alison Saligari, Umwelt (Australia) Pty Ltd
Jaroslav Hruban, Umwelt (Australia) Pty Ltd
Catherine Godden, Umwelt (Australia) Pty Ltd
Gregory Woodman, Umwelt (Australia) Pty Ltd

Western Australia boasts an internationally recognised megadiverse flora, resulting from its large spatial extent, variety of ancient to more recent soil and landscape environments, varying climatic conditions and history of impacting processes. The known diversity of flora in terms of numbers of recognised taxa is constantly increasing, with extensive botanical surveys conducted each year funded through either resource projects (primarily for environmental approvals purposes), or through dedicated scientific endeavour and citizen science. These efforts regularly bring to light taxa that are new to science, which both delight the taxonomic community and pose potential consternation for developers.
Through the lens of botanical consultants undertaking ecological surveys across the State, we present the journey of new taxa from field encounters through to scientific recognition and publication. Our experience makes clear the role of survey methods and the importance of relationships with government bodies and resource stakeholders. We discuss potential implications to development projects and to contributions to overall taxonomic knowledge, and encourage improvements to biodiversity outcomes through continuing our pursuit of knowledge of our unique flora.

The Forensic Relevance of a Rare Association: Bryozoa and Ivory in Western Australia 

Edda Guareschi, Murdoch University 

Co-Authors: 
Paola Magni, Murdoch University 
Eckart Håkansson, The University of Western Australia 

The technology of underwater investigations has been leading to the frequent recovery of submerged bones and teeth, biomineralized tissues left after vertebrate organisms have decomposed. The identification of the events that the organisms experienced antemortem (in life), perimortem (around the time of death), or postmortem (after death) can be inferred by the study of the physical, chemical and biological alterations of their bones and teeth. In fact, in the postmortem period, their taphonomy and diagenesis provides crucial information to a diversified array of disciplines, such as archaeology, environmental sciences and palaeontology. The biological component of the degradation of biomineralized tissues in aquatic environments is represented by numerous taxa, which imprint macroscopic and microscopic alterations. Bryozoa are microscopic invertebrates which build colonies attached to hard substrates (e.g., rocks). Their exoskeletons, specific of marine taxa, have been rarely observed attached to bone or teeth. In this study, the association of archaeological elephant ivory, recovered underwater on the site of the historical shipwreck Vergulde Draeck (Gilt Dragon) (1656), and Bryozoa colonies is presented and characterised. This allows to discuss both the taxonomy of Bryozoa living in Western Australian waters and their potential application to forensic sciences. In fact, the estimation of a minimal time-since-death (postmortem interval – PMI) and/or time-since-submersion (postmortem submersion interval – PMSI) of submerged skeletal remains, either human or non-human, could be refined by including the association with the Bryozoan species to other methods used to estimate the PMI and the PMSI in aquatic environments (e.g. radiometric). 

Bhutan’s Commitment to Achieving Post-2020 Conservation Targets 

Thinley Choden, Murdoch University 

Bhutan is a tiny Himalayan country that covers only 0.03 percent of the world’s surface, yet it is home to 30 percent of the world’s wildcat species, and also has one of the highest proportions (51.41%) of its geographical areas under protection in the world. 
Bhutan has made conservation a priority during its rapid development and modernization, and has adopted measures to address emerging challenges necessary to balance conservation and development. Bhutan has acted locally to be seen on the global platform, and has been successfully progressing towards achieving the post-2020 biodiversity conservation targets. 
Protected Areas (PAs) have always had local communities living within them providing sources of food, energy, and timber to sustain rural livelihoods. At the regional level, PAs have contributed to achieving conservation and have brought together all of the countries within the range of both tigers and snow leopards. These countries plan for and seek to deliver conservation goals. 

Walking with Wildflowers: Wild and Not so Wild Ideas about a Role for Ecotourism in Monitoring, Data Gathering and Education 

Erika Jacobson, Edgewalkers 

Edgewalkers is an ecotourism company offering walking adventures and creativity retreats in Western Australia and Mongolia. 
Our mission is to bring people closer to nature and reconnect them to their most creative possibilities through immersive experiences in natural wilderness environments. 
From August to September, we walk with wildflowers taking small groups of people through some of the most florally biodiverse regions in the world. 
We spend most of our time in the Fitzgerald Biosphere – the Fitzgerald River National Park and the Ravensthorpe Range and surrounding areas – and the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. 
We also walk through the Stirling Range, the Kalbarri and the Lesueur National Parks. 
During this fast-moving and interactive presentation, using images and footage collected over 7 years of walking with wildflowers, I share some wild and not so wild ideas arrived at using a creative problem solving process. 
I invite the audience to join in a discussion and assessment of some of these ideas that propose a bigger role for tourism operators in monitoring, data gathering and education about wildflowers biodiversity. 

The Importance of Private Land Conservation: Hear from National Trust Covenant Landholders 

Monica Hunter, National Trust of Australia (WA) 

Co-Author: 
Diana Papenfus, National Trust of Australia (WA) 

The National Trust of Australia (WA) is an advocate for natural heritage and contributes to the creation and protection of private land biodiversity havens through its Conservation Covenant Program. The Program was formally established in 1999 however, the National Trust has been using covenants to protect native bushland since 1971. To date, a total of 189 covenants have been registered, covering over 18,000 hectares of bushland. 
These conservation covenants are legally-binding, in perpetuity agreements registered on land titles which bind all owners into the future. The covenants restrict certain activities in the bushland and immediate surrounds to protect the natural values and long-term viability of bushland parcels. The Program develops and reviews bushland management plans in partnership with covenant landholders and provides stewardship visits and advice. Many covenants with the National Trust were entered into voluntarily by passionate, conservation-minded landholders wishing to ensure the protection of their bushland beyond the years of their ownership. Several covenants over the last decade have been negotiated to meet subdivision conditions with numerous post-subdivision conservation lots sold to landholders with some sense of appreciation for nature. 
This presentation will showcase some of these outstanding covenant landholders and their passion and commitment to the remnant vegetation on their land. The presentation will also briefly discuss challenges as well as the resourcing and servicing opportunities needed to sufficiently support private landholders including grant limitations, mutable global markets, disparate natural resource management frameworks, ageing rural population, investment competition and public perception of nature. 

Soil Invertebrates and Their Roles in Nutrient Transformations of Agricultural Soils 

Wei Xu, Murdoch University 

Soil fauna refers to the various types of animals that live in the soil, including invertebrates such as earthworms, mites, springtails, nematodes, and insects. These animals play a critical role in maintaining healthy soil ecosystems by helping to break down organic matter, regulate nutrient cycling, and improve soil structure. They also provide food for other animals, such as birds and mammals, and can help to control pests and diseases. The diversity and abundance of soil fauna can be influenced by various factors, including soil type, moisture levels, temperature, and the presence of other organisms. Understanding the interactions between soil fauna and other components of the soil ecosystem is important for maintaining healthy soil and supporting agricultural productivity. This project aims to identify soil faunal communities, especially invertebrate species, reveal their interactions with soil microorganisms, and decipher their roles in regulating soil nutrient cycles using combined morphological identification, advanced stable isotope tracing technique, and state-of-the-art molecular approaches. This project will develop new standardized methodologies and generate a new framework that can assist soil biodiversity assessment and conservation, and improve Australia’s international leadership in soil faunal research, and provide significant benefits for improved soil health and agricultural productivity. 

Temperature Variation Imposes Costs and Benefits to Cold-Blooded Animals

Daniel Gomez Isaza, Murdoch University

Co-Authors:
Adrian Gleiss, Murdoch University
Belinda Robson, Murdoch University
Stephen Beatty, Murdoch University
Patricia Fleming, Murdoch University
Alan Lymbery, Murdoch University
Chad Hewitt, Lincoln University / Murdoch University
Essie Rodgers, Murdoch University

Climate change is seeing temperatures breach exceptional thresholds that threaten global biodiversity. Extreme climate variation and heatwaves are becoming the new norm and pose a far greater threat to species persistence than gradual increases in average temperatures. Yet, the effects of increasing temperature variability on ectotherms have been overlooked, constraining predictions of climate change impacts. Here, we assembled the most comprehensive database to date, spanning 165 ectothermic species, and performed meta-analyses to quantify the effects of temperature variation on key biological traits. We show that temperature variation increases upper limits of thermal tolerance, but reproductive traits are significantly compromised by temperature variation. Mean temperature and daily temperature variability pose strong moderating effects on biological traits, with responses increasing under warmer and more variable temperatures. Vulnerability assessments considering mean temperature increases without concurrent increases in temperature variability are severely underestimating the susceptibility of ectotherms to climate change.

Bioenergetic Approach to Freshwater Conservation: A Dynamic Energy Budget Model for the Western Minnow (Galaxias occidentalis)

Callum G. Donohue, Murdoch University

Decades of alteration and over-exploitation of freshwater ecosystems have resulted in a steep decline in freshwater biodiversity. With climate projections predicting dryer and hotter conditions, the rate of decline is expected to increase. Southwestern Australia is a global biodiversity hotspot, but in the last 50 years, has suffered a 16% decline in rainfall, equating to a 50% reduction in streamflow. This level of flow reduction, coupled with significant temperature increases, will reduce the size and quality of essential refuge pools that native freshwater fish rely on for persistence during the dry season. Little is known about how these conditions will affect fish survival, growth, and reproduction. Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) theory offers a framework to quantify how organisms uptake and allocate energy through their life cycle and because of a mechanistic underpinning, DEB theory is a powerful approach to make predictions under rapidly changing or novel conditions. We parameterised a DEB model for the endemic western minnow (Galaxias occidentalis) using published field data. The model is a good fit to empirical growth and fecundity data which suggests that the model has utility in predicting metabolic processes throughout the species’ life cycle. Furthermore, initial results suggest that the energy reserve at birth of G. occidentalis is higher compared to other Galaxias species, possibly suggesting a higher energy demand of juvenile G. occidentalis. This is the first DEB model for G. occidentalis and has the potential to aid in habitat suitability assessment for this species including potentially novel habitats and under climate change scenarios.

Invertebrates Australia: For a Future Where Australian Invertebrates are Appreciated and Valued so Their Biodiversity is Sustained Across Our Lands and Waters

Lizzy Lowe, Invertebrates Austalia

More than 80 percent of Australia’s 320 000 invertebrate species are found nowhere else in the world. We have named roughly 100 000 invertebrates species, one third of our estimated total species, leaving much to discover. Invertebrates make up more than half of Australia’s total biodiversity, and 95 percent of our animal diversity.

Invertebrate decline is leading to lost interactions with nature, poorer human health, decreased resilience to threats like climate change, and destabilised ecosystem services. Their importance is well understood but their conservation has been ignored for too long and at our great peril.

To address these issues Invertebrates Australia was founded in 2021 by a group of leading Australian scientists working on invertebrates who have the expertise and networks to transform conservation in Australia by championing invertebrates. Our mission is to provide an integrated scientific approach to the conservation and promotion of Australian invertebrates.

Invertebrates need resourcing in many areas. Our poster will outline our priorities for invertebrate conservation in Australia for
2023-2025 and details on how you can get involved.

What Next for the WA Feral Cat Working Group?

Dr Gillian Bryant, Dr Bruce Webber, Lis McLellan, Jane O’Malley, Dr Dave Algar and Susan Hunt AM PSM, WA Feral Cat Working Group

Many Western Australian researchers, conservation groups, Government and non-Government organisations seek to improve the trajectory of native fauna. Cats have a significant impact on native species populations with feral cats federally listed as a Key Threatening Process and declared pests in Western Australia. The Western Australian Feral Cat Working Group (WAFCWG) promotes information on impact and showcases best-practice of effective and humane cat management across the State. Our group is a community driven initiative comprising experienced people who represent community, government, industry and the research community. This poster highlights stakeholder evaluation from our 2023 WAFCWG Symposium and demonstrates the group’s current priority areas of cat management. Visit www.wafcwg.org.au to find out how we can assist your endeavors in improving cat management outcomes to protect our native WA species.

Fuzzy Felines: What affects the ability to identify individuals from camera trap images?

Faith Chen, Murdoch University 

Co-Authors:
Trish Fleming, Murdoch University
Shane Tobe, Murdoch University
Stuart Dawson, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Tracey Kreplins, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Since their introduction to Australia, feral cats (Felis catus) are one of the contributing causes in the decline of Australia’s biodiversity and are a known cause of mammal extinctions. Recent estimates indicate that there are 1.4–5.6 million feral cats across Australia and consume over 2 billion animal per year, with devastating consequences for native wildlife populations. Significant resources are therefore invested in feral cat control, and understanding whether the effort and expense in controlling feral cat populations requires that we monitor and quantify management outcomes. Any robust monitoring methods require knowing about the presence of individuals across a landscape. We used camera traps to obtain images of cats, using their unique coat patterns to identify individuals. 30 paired cameras were deployed along tracks on a site 5 hours from Perth. The cameras were placed at a 90-degree angle from each other on the same side of the track and angled at 45 degrees along the track to maximise detections. One camera faced a lure 2–3 m away, while the other faced away. I used generalised linear models (GLMs) to test for the effect of 5 variables on confidence of individual ID.  ‘Confidence of individual ID’ was scored: ‘1’ if >90% of the cat’s flank was shown clearly along with clear markings on their legs; ‘0.5’ if 50-90% of the cats’ flank was shown clearly or if markings on their legs were clear; ‘0’ if <50% of the cat’s flank was shown clearly, i.e., blurry image). I found strong differences with (1) the presence of a lure (p=0.033), (2) the cat’s movement speed (p=0.013), whether the cat investigated (3) the camera itself (p=0.001), or (4) the lure (p=0.004), while there was a trend for (5) time of day (p=0.058). These results suggest that attaining sufficient quality to show distinguishing features is complicated and affected by a myriad of factors. Therefore, developing robust monitoring techniques to ID individuals is of paramount importance.