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Refuges for Declining Mammals in Dryland Australia

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Refuges for Declining Mammals in Dryland Australia REFUGES FOR DECLINING MAMMALS IN DRYLAND AUSTRALIA Peter McDonald A thesis submitted to fulfil the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Faculty of Science University of Sydney 2018 DECLARATION This thesis is submitted to the University of Sydney in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original except as acknowledged in the text. I hereby declare that I have not submitted this material, either in full or in part, for a degree at this or any other institution. Signed: Peter James McDonald Date: 29 October/2018 Cover photos: The rugged Mt Sonder in the MacDonnell Ranges (left), and the critically endangered central rock-rat (Zyzomys pedunculatus) (right). Photos by P. McDonald. ii AUTHOR ATTRIBUTION STATEMENT FOR PUBLISHED CHAPTERS Chapter 2. McDonald, P.J., Luck, G.W., Dickman, C.R., Ward, S.J. and Crowther, M.S. (2015). Using multiple‐ source occurrence data to identify patterns and drivers of decline in arid‐dwelling Australian marsupials. Ecography 38 1090-1100. Chapter 3. McDonald, P.J., Nano, C.E., Ward, S.J., Stewart, A., Pavey, C.R., Luck, G.W. and Dickman, C.R. (2017). Habitat as a mediator of mesopredator‐driven mammal extinction. Conservation Biology 31, 1183-1191. Chapter 4. McDonald, P.J., Brim-Box, J., Nano, C.E., Macdonald, D.W. and Dickman, C.R. (2018). Diet of dingoes and cats in central Australia: does trophic competition underpin a rare mammal refuge?. Journal of Mammalogy 99, 1120-1127. Chaper 5. McDonald, P.J., Stewart, A. and Dickman, C.R. (2018). Applying the niche reduction hypothesis to modelling distributions: A case study of a critically endangered rodent. Biological Conservation 217, 207-212. Chapter 6. McDonald, P.J., Griffiths, A.D., Nano, C.E., Dickman, C.R., Ward, S.J. and Luck, G.W. (2015). Landscape-scale factors determine occupancy of the critically endangered central rock-rat in arid Australia: the utility of camera trapping. Biological Conservation 191, 93-100. Chapter 7. McDonald, P.J., Stewart, A., Schubert, A.T., Nano, C.E., Dickman, C.R. and Luck, G.W. (2016). Fire and grass cover influence occupancy patterns of rare rodents and feral cats in a mountain refuge: implications for management. Wildlife Research 43, 121-129. Author contributions: For all data chapter papers I was responsible for the chapter concept, data analysis, and writing, in consultation with my co-authors. For Chapter 3 I co-led the fieldwork with C. Nano and was assisted by many others. For Chapter 4 I oversaw scat collection and undertook cat scat analysis (G. Story undertook dingo scat analysis). For Chapter 5-7 I led the fieldwork with assistance from A. Stewart and many others. Peter McDonald 29 October/2018 As supervisor for the candidature upon which this thesis is based, I can confirm that the authorship attribution statements above are correct. Prof. Chris Dickman 29 October/2018 iii CONTENTS Acknowledgments..................................................................................................................... vi Abstract ................................................................................................................................................. vii Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Dryland mammal research ............................................................................................................ 2 1.2 Mammal decline in dryland Australia........................................................................................... 3 1.3 The refuge concept ........................................................................................................................ 5 1.4 Thesis aims .................................................................................................................................... 6 1.5 Thesis structure ............................................................................................................................. 7 Chapter 2: Using multiple-source occurrence data to identify patterns and drivers of decline in arid- dwelling Australian marsupials ............................................................................................................... 9 2.1 Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 10 2.3 Methods ....................................................................................................................................... 11 2.4 Results ......................................................................................................................................... 14 2.5 Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 15 2.6 References ................................................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 3: Habitat as a mediator of mesopredator-driven mammal extinction .................................... 21 3.1 Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... 22 3.2 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 23 3.3 Methods ....................................................................................................................................... 23 3.4 Results ......................................................................................................................................... 25 3.5 Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 26 3.6 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................ 29 3.7 Supporting information ............................................................................................................... 29 3.8 Literature cited ............................................................................................................................ 29 Chapter 4: Diet of dingoes and cats in central Australia: does trophic competition underpin a rare mammal refuge ..................................................................................................................................... 31 4.1 Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... 32 4.2 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 32 4.3 Materials and methods ................................................................................................................ 33 4.4 Results ......................................................................................................................................... 34 4.5 Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 36 4.6 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................ 38 4.7 Supplementary data ..................................................................................................................... 38 4.8 Literature cited ............................................................................................................................ 38 iv Chapter 5: Applying the niche reduction hypothesis to modelling species distributions: A case study of a critically endangered rodent ........................................................................................................... 40 5.1 Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... 41 5.2 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 41 5.3 Methods ....................................................................................................................................... 42 5.4 Results ......................................................................................................................................... 43 5.5 Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 43 5.6 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................ 46 5.7 Literature cited ............................................................................................................................ 46 Chapter 6: Landscape-scale factors determine occupancy of the critically endangered central rock-rat in arid Australia: The utility of camera trapping ................................................................................... 47 6.1 Abstract ......................................................................................................................................
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