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Department of Parks and Wildlife Department of Parks and Wildlife Science and Conservation Division annual research report 2015–16 Science and Conservation Division annual research report 2015–16 research annual Division and Conservation Science 20160418 0117 100 Acknowledgments This report was prepared by the Science and Conservation Division of the Department of Parks and Wildlife. For more information contact: Director, Science and Conservation Department of Parks and Wildlife 17 Dick Perry Avenue Kensington Western Australia 6151 Locked Bag 104 Bentley Delivery Centre Western Australia 6983 Telephone (08) 9219 9943 dpaw.wa.gov.au The recommended reference for this publication is: Department of Parks and Wildlife, 2016, Science and Conservation Division Annual Research Report 2015–16, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Perth. Images Front cover: Fortescue River, Pilbara Photo – Keith Morris / Parks and Wildlife Inset: Coral monitoring at Shark Bay Photo – Mike Rule / Parks and Wildlife; Tephrosia sp. Carnarvon Photo – Ryonen Butcher / Parks and Wildlife; Gilbert’s potoroo Photo – Dick Walker / Gilbert’s Potoroo Action Group Back cover: Sampling in wetland on Ethel Station Photo Mike Lyons / Parks and Wildlife Department of Parks and Wildlife Science and Conservation Division annual research report 2015–16 Director’s Message The past year has been one of consolidation after a period when we reviewed our activities and identified the core functions science is required to deliver to support government priorities. We have continued to imple- ment our Strategic Plan to integrate science into the delivery of the Department’s strategic goals of wildlife management, parks management, forest management, and managed use of natural assets. Our resources and activities are aligned with our core functions to ensure we are delivering best practice science driven by management priorities to inform effective conservation. Through 2015-16 we continued our work in the core areas of conserving threatened plant, animals and communities, landscape scale conservation, wildlife assets and inventory, WA Herbarium, bushfire research, marine monitoring and research, forest monitoring and research, wetland monitoring, hydrological monitoring, and data management and distribution. Some highlights of activities this year have been the launch of books documenting the outcomes of the Kimberley Islands Survey and the Pilbara Biological Survey; development of a Population Viability Analysis for Carnaby’s cockatoo; knowledge to support recovery actions for threatened animals, birds and plants affected by the severe fires along the south coast in 2015; establishing a survey database to ensure effective management of plot based data; review of the marine monitoring program to direct resources to the most effective outcomes and rationalise the reporting framework; and reconstruction of the major fires affecting WA in the past twelve months. Support for Biodiversity and Marine Science as one of the State Government’s five science priorities contin- ues. The Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute (WABSI) was launched by the Premier in October 2015 as a joint venture between nine founding partners, including the Department of Parks and Wildlife. The Governing council and Board are guiding its establishment, with an Executive Director in place and two Node Leaders appointed for the Biodiversity Survey, and Biodiversity Processes and Threats Nodes. Node Leaders for the Information Management, and Restoration and Ex-situ Conservation Nodes are being sought. I look forward to engagement of the Division in all of the nodes as the institute develops and with all relevant partners in delivering the agreed research plan for each node. Our partnership with WAMSI continues and many projects under the Kimberley Marine Research program are now in the knowledge exchange phase. A series of seminars and meetings with managers and end-users were delivered to help understand the implications of the research outputs for marine park management. It is pleasing to see major engagement of divisional staff with three hubs of the National Environmental Science Program (NESP), the Threatened Species Hub, the Northern Australian Environmental Resources Hub and the Marine Science Hub. The NESP hubs are strongly aligned with our own objectives as they seek to deliver applied research to support on-ground management; hence the involvement of our staff provides a key perspective on the application of excellent science to address conservation and management issues. This year has seen a national focus on threatened species following the Threatened Species Summit where the Threatened Species Commissioner released the Threatened Species Strategy. Many of the target species for the strategy are found in Western Australia and our research on the biology and ecology of these species and their threats is critical to making a difference in conservation management outcomes. Many of our scientists were involved in the Threatened Species Forum coordinated by the Northern Agricultural Catchment Council and held in Geraldton to highlight the conservation management of threatened species in Western Australia. As we continue to deliver excellent science to underpin effective biodiversity conservation in Western Aus- tralia, I encourage you all to make the most of opportunities and continue to seek innovative ways of delivering science to support the Department’s core functions. I welcome our continued engagement with all our partners, both within the Department and externally, in the delivery of innovative science to inform conservation and management of our plants, animals and ecosystems, and to support effective management of our parks and reserves, delivery of our fire program, managed use of our natural resources and science stories that inspire and engage people to embrace our natural heritage. Dr Margaret Byrne Director Science and Conservation July 2016 Contents Service Delivery Structure .......................................... 1 Report on research activities ........................................ 2 Biogeography ................................................. 2 South-Western Australia Transitional Transect (SWATT) . .2 Biological survey and conservation planning for the Swan Coastal Plain bioregion and adjacent scarps (Dandaragan, Darling and Whicher) . .3 Western Australian flora surveys . .4 Western Australian terrestrial fauna surveys . .5 Plant species richness and endemism within the south-western Australian Floristic Region . .7 Development of ethically acceptable techniques for invertebrate wet-pit trapping . .7 Kimberley islands biological survey . .8 Pilbara region biological survey . .9 Animal Science ................................................ 11 Improved fauna recovery in the Pilbara – Assessing the uptake of feral cat baits by northern quolls, and their associated survivorship . 11 Cat Eradication on Dirk Hartog Island . 12 Monitoring of threatened birds on Dirk Hartog Island . 13 Improving the use of remote cameras as a survey and monitoring tool . 14 Decision support system for prioritising and implementing biosecurity on Western Australia’s islands . 15 Conservation and management of the bilby (Macrotis lagotis) in the Pilbara . 17 Genetic assessment for conservation of rare and threatened fauna . 18 Genetic approaches for evaluating the contribution of the reserve system to fauna conservation . 19 Barrow Island Threatened and Priority fauna species translocation program . 20 Rangelands restoration: reintroduction of native mammals to Lorna Glen (Matuwa) . 21 Feral cat control and numbat recovery in Dryandra woodland and other sites . 23 Conservation of south coast threatened birds . 24 Ecology and management of the northern quoll in the Pilbara . 25 Conservation of the graceful sun-moth . 26 Impact of cane toads on biodiversity in the Kimberley . 27 Development of effective broad-scale aerial baiting strategies for the control of feral cats . 28 Gilbert’s potoroo (Potorous gilbertii) recovery plan . 30 Plant Science and Herbarium ........................................ 32 Is restoration working? An ecological assessment . 32 Interactive key and taxonomic studies of Myrtaceae tribe Chamelaucieae . 33 Biosystematics of fungi for conservation and restoration of Western Australia’s biota . 34 Climate change risks for biodiversity and ecosystem function in species-rich shrublands . 35 Strategic taxonomic studies in families including Amaranthaceae and Fabaceae (Ptilotus, Gomphrena, Swainsona) and other plant groups . 36 The Western Australian Plant Census and Australian Plant Census . 37 The Western Australian Herbarium’s specimen database . 38 Herbarium collections management . 39 Biodiversity informatics at the Western Australian Herbarium . 40 Taxonomy of undescribed taxa in the Ericaceae subfamily Styphelioideae, with an emphasis on those of conservation concern . 41 Taxonomic studies on native and naturalised plants of Western Australia arising from biological survey 42 Resolving the systematics and taxonomy of Tephrosia in Western Australia . 43 Taxonomy of selected families including legumes, grasses and lilies . 44 Temperature thresholds for recruitment in south-west Western Australian flora . 46 Systematics of the triggerplant genus Stylidium ............................. 47 Taxonomic review and floristic studies of the benthic marine algae of north-western Australian and floristic surveys of Western Australian marine benthic algae . 47 The Western Australian