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Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses : Honours Theses 1998 Locational factors determining the distribution of nesting sites for a colony of wedge-tailed shearwaters, puffinus pacificus, onest W Wallabi Island, Houtman Abrolhos, Western Australia Julie Davis Edith Cowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Ornithology Commons Recommended Citation Davis, J. (1998). Locational factors determining the distribution of nesting sites for a colony of wedge- tailed shearwaters, puffinus pacificus, onest W Wallabi Island, Houtman Abrolhos, Western Australia. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/473 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/473 Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. Where the reproduction of such material is done without attribution of authorship, with false attribution of authorship or the authorship is treated in a derogatory manner, this may be a breach of the author’s moral rights contained in Part IX of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Courts have the power to impose a wide range of civil and criminal sanctions for infringement of copyright, infringement of moral rights and other offences under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form. Locational Factors determining the distribution of nesting sites for a colony of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, Puffinus pacijicus, on West Wallabi Island, Houtman Abrolhos, Western Australia. Julie Davis B.A. (Soc. Sci.) A thesis submitted as a partial requirement for the award of Bachelor of Arts Honours (Geography) in the Faculty of Arts, Edith Cowan University 26'" November 1998 USE OF THESIS The Use of Thesis statement is not included in this version of the thesis. Absu·act West Wallabi Island in the Houtman Abrolhos, Western Australia, provide.s significant breeding habitat for the largest colony of Wedge-tailed Shcarwatcrs, Puffin us pacijicus, in the Eastern Indian Ocean. The Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) surveyed the Island in 1992 and estimated the population to be in excess of 1 117 000 pairs of breeding birds. Recent proposals to open the Abrolhos area to a larger number of visitors has identified the need for more detailed investigations into the relationship of birds and habitat. An understanding of this relationship provides a means of determining the ways in which populations will respond to human exploitation and environmental change. The design and implementation of appro;Jriate management strategies must utilise this infonnation if sustainable development is to be achieved. This study involved a detailed survey of a habitat area on West Wallabi Island as means of identifying the locational factors, such as topography, climate, soil and vegetation structures that influence the distribution of nest Sites, and to complete a population census as a means of monitoring population trends over time. Field research was carried out over a 10 week period from 18'" March 1998 to 23"' May 1998 when census and observational data v•ere collected. The results of this survey indicate that for the 1997/98 breeding season the population of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters breeding on West Wallabi Island is approximately 370 000 pairs of birds, approximately one third of the previously published data. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract Table of Contents JJ List of Figures VI List of Plates viii List of Tables X Acknowledgments xi Declaration xii Chapter 1 Introduction and Objectives 1 l.l Conceptual Framework I 1.2 The Houtman Abrolhos Islands 2 1.2.1 Location and Description 2 1.2.2 Currents and Climate 5 1.2.3 Seabirds and Other Fauua 8 1.2.4 History 10 1.2.5 Econo-.ic Significance II 1.2.6 The Islands' Current Status 14 1.3 The Importance of Island Studies 14 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.4 Why Study Seabirds? 16 1.5 Objectives ]9 Chapter 2 Methodology and Research Techniques 21 2.1 The Study Area- A brief overview 21 2.2 Location of Sites 24 2.2.1 Type of Information to be Collected 26 2.3 Population Census 27 2.3.1 Determining Burrow Status 28 2.3.2 Burrow Density Sucvey 30 2.4 Topography and Soil Profile 31 2.5 Vegetation Profile 32 2.6 Ecological Habits 32 2.7 Mapping 37 Chapter 3 The Study Area - a detailed site description 38 3.1 West Wallabi Island Overview 38 3.2 The Main Study Area 44 3.2.1 Habitat Types 45 Ill 'fAilLE OF CONTENTS Page 3.3 Transect Locations 50 3.4 Transect Profiles 54 3.4.1 Transect Number l 54 3.4.2 Transect Number 2 58 3.4.3 Transect Number 3 61 3.4.4 Transect Number 4 64 3.4.5 Transect Number 5 66 3.4.6 Transect Number 6 69 3.4.7 Transect Number 7 72 3.4.8 Transect Number 8 74 3.4.9 Transect Numbers 9 & 10 76 Chapter 4 Data Analysis and Discussion 78 4.1 Habitat Variables 78 4.1.1 Shell Grit Flat 78 4.1.2 Consolidated Dunes 83 4.1.3 Saltbush Scrublands 84 4.1.4 Samphire Fringe 85 4.2 Overall Population Trends 86 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Chapter 5 Conclusions 88 5 .I Intluence of Habitat Variables 88 5.2 Population Census 89 5.3 Population Trends Over Time 90 5.4 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and Island Ecosystems 92 5.4.1 Predators 92 5.4.2 Food Resources 93 5.4.3 Visitation to Nest Sites by Parent Birds 94 5.5 Summary and Reconunendations 94 Appendix 1 Schedule of Visits to Study Area \DO Appendix 2 Population Census Data and Standard Error caclulation I OZ. References lOb v List of Figures Figure Title Page 1.0 Food Web on Oceanic Islands 1.1 Location of Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia 3 1.2 Geomorphological Formations Exhibited by the Abrolhos Islands 4 1.3 Western Overlap Zone and The Leeuwin Current 6 1.4 Location of Shipwrecks and Associated Historical Sites in the II Wallabi Group 1.5 K-selected species/ r-selected species Inter-relationships with 18 Habitat 2.0 Wallabi Group of islands at the Houtman Abrolhos, Western 21 Australia 2.1 Access Route to West Wallabi Island and Landing Locations 23 in the south-east. 2.2 Southern Hemisphere Distribution of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters 33 2.3 Feeding range and Breeding Distribution of Southern Hemisphere 36 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters 3.0 Marine Environment West Wallabi Island 38 3.1 Geomorphological Structure of West Wallabi Island 39 3.2 Division of Study Area into Distinct Habitat Types 49 3.3 Transect Location map 53 3.4 Legend for Transect Profile Diagrams 56 3.5 Profile Transect l 57 VI List or Figures Figure Title Page 3.6 Profile Transect 2 59 3.7 Profile Transect 3 62 3.8 Profile Transect 4 65 3.9 Profile Transect 5 67 3.10 Profile Transect 6 70 3.11 Profile Transect 7 73 3.12 Profile Transect 8 75 4.0 Belts of High Density Burrows in the Study Area 79 vii List of Plates Plate Title Page l.O Satellite Image of the Lceuwin Current 7 l.l Fishermen's Camps on Little Pigeon Island 13 1.2 Wedge-tailed Shearwatcr, Pujji"nus pacificus 20 2.0 Laying a Transect 25 2.1 Physical Evidence of Burrow Occupation 34 3.0 Coral Shingle, Shells and Sand Deposits, East Coast, 40 West Wallabi Island 3.1 Pavement Li~aestone, West Wallabi Island 42 3.2 Aerial Photograph of West Wallabi Island I: I 0,000 43 3.3 Main Study Area, West Wallabi Island 44 3.4 Shell Grit Flats, South East Coast, West Wallabi Island 45 3.5 Consolidated Dunes, Southern Coast, West Wallabi Island 46 3.6 Saltbush Scrubland, West Wallabi Island 47 3.7 Samphire Fringe at Salt Lake, West Wallabi Island 48 3.8 Soil Composition, South East Corner, West Wallabi Island 51 3.9 Ground cover of Iceplant, Mesembryanthemum crystallinum 52 3.10 Shell Grit Flats at Transect l 55 3.ll Sand Mounds Created by Burrowing Activity, Shell Grit Flat 60 3.12 Vegetation cover at transect 3 60 3.13 Nests of White Bellied Sea Eagles 63 Vlll List of Plates Plate Title Page 3.14 Shell Grit Flats at Transect 4 63 3.15 Consolidated Dunes at Transect 5 68 3.16 Marine Erosion of Southern Dunes, West Wallabi Island 68 3.17 Consolidated Dunes at Transect 6 71 3.18 Wind Erosion in Southern Dunes at Transect 6 71 3.19 Saltbush Scrublands at Transect 7 72 3.20 Saltbush Scrub lands at Transect 8 74 3.21 Consolidated dunes at Transect 9 77 3.22 Vegetation at Transect 10 77 4.0 Surface Burrows at Transect 2 82 4.1 Dune Blow Out, South Coast West Wallabi Island 82 5.0 Wedge-tailed Shearwater Fledgeling 96 513 Accidental Burrow Collapse, Main Study Area 97 ix List of Tables Table Title Page 4.0 Annual Rainfall for Gerald ton 81 4.1 Point Data Avcrages 84 5.0 Record of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters Feeding in Waters close 93 to Breeding Habitat X Acknowledgements Foremost I would like to thank my family and friends who have supported me throughout the ycur, and without whom I would not have survived.
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