ResearchOnline@JCU This file is part of the following work: Hopkins, Jaimie Maryee (2020) Invading the soundscape: the impacts of vocal invasive species. PhD Thesis, James Cook University. Access to this file is available from: https://doi.org/10.25903/v0a4%2Dft89 Copyright © 2020 Jaimie Maryee Hopkins. The author has certified to JCU that they have made a reasonable effort to gain permission and acknowledge the owners of any third party copyright material included in this document. If you believe that this is not the case, please email [email protected] Invading the soundscape: the impacts of vocal invasive species Thesis submitted by Jaimie Maryee Hopkins, MSc, BZool For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy College of Science and Engineering James Cook University October 2020 Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis) photographed by Jaimie Hopkins Acknowledgements Completing this PhD was one of the most challenging things I have ever done, but also the most rewarding. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work on this amazing project, and for the many wonderful people who have supported me throughout the last four years. The contributions of everyone are what has made this possible, and I am so thankful. First and foremost, I would like to thank my primary supervisor, Lin Schwarzkopf. Lin truly is one of a kind and she was exactly who I needed supervising me throughout my PhD. What I am most appreciative of is how she encouraged me to make this project my own. Lin always took the time to listen to my ideas and come up with ways to make them better. Her comments throughout my manuscripts always made me laugh (“Summed, not totalled. Totalled is what you do on Saturday night at the pub.”) and also helped me to be a more concise and clearer writer. On a personal note, when things would get overwhelming, she had a way of making me realise that it wasn’t so bad and that I was going to get there. Lin always believed that I could do it, and that is what pushed me. Her support throughout my PhD has been second to none, and I feel so lucky to have had such a wonderful supervisor. I also owe a lot to my secondary supervisor, Will Edwards. Despite being in a different city, Will always set aside time for me to discuss stats and interpretation of results. His comments on my manuscripts have helped me to produce quality pieces of work. I’m so thankful for Will’s supervision and support throughout my PhD. Although she didn’t supervise me for long, I’d like to thank Deb Bower for helping me to get started on this project. Deb provided me with the right words at the right time, which encouraged me to persevere with my PhD. I’d also like to thank the college ADRE, Mohan Jacob, for believing in me and encouraging me to complete my project. This project certainly would not have been possible without assistance in the field from volunteers. I’d like to thank Monica Macinante, Alessandro Froldi, Hayden Marriott and Rheanne Denny for all the early mornings spent bashing through chest-high grass to deploy recording equipment. The laughs and chats I had with those guys made the Black-throated Finch project so enjoyable and I really hope they all got something out of it too! Thank you to my wonderful friends, Jenny Cocciardi, Lexie Edwards and Jodie Betts. They have all helped out on this project at some point but were also a huge support to me here in Townsville throughout my PhD. I also owe a huge thanks to the Vertebrate Ecology Lab, for ii discussing my project at lizard lunch and helping me to figure out what on earth was going on with my data when I had no idea. I’m forever grateful to my parents, Neville and Tracey, for instilling in me the value of hard work and commitment. It is one of the main reasons I was able to complete my PhD. Thank you also to my sister, Ashleigh, and my best friend, Charmaine, for always listening to me and providing words of support when I needed them the most. Thank you to my beautiful nephews, Cooper and Lachlan, for inspiring me to be better every single day. And finally, to my Ryan. You’ve lived through every moment of this with me and have pushed just as hard as I have. From day one, you did everything you could for me. You ran around at night collecting geckos, you gave up your Christmas break to survey with me, you spent early mornings deploying recording equipment, and you read over every single thing that I wrote… and rewrote… and rewrote. But most importantly, you’ve held my hand throughout this entire journey and believed in me even when I didn’t. There are no words for how much I appreciate you. Thank you for supporting me in every way possible so that I was able to do this. iii Copyright statement Every reasonable effort has been made to gain permission and acknowledge the owners of copyright material. I would be pleased to hear from any copyright owner who has been omitted or incorrectly acknowledged. Ethics declaration All research was carried out with approval from James Cook University’s Animal Ethics Committee. For Chapters 3, 4 and 5, research activities were approved under permit #A2547. For Appendix S1, research activities were approved under permit #A2208. iv Statement on the contribution of others Nature of Contribution Names, Titles and Affiliations of Co- Assistance Contributors Intellectual Supervision Prof Lin Schwarzkopf – College Science and support Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville (Entire thesis) A/Prof Will Edwards – College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns (Entire thesis) Dr Conrad Hoskin – College of Science and Engineering. James Cook University, Townsville (Appendix 1) Dr Megan Higgie – College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville (Appendix 1) Experimental design Prof Lin Schwarzkopf – College Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville (Chapters 3, 4 and 5) A/Prof Will Edwards – College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns (Chapters 3 and 5) Mr Juan Mula Laguna – College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville (Chapter 3) Dr Deb Bower – School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale (Chapter 4) Dr Conrad Hoskin – College of Science and Engineering. James Cook University, Townsville (Appendix 1) Dr Megan Higgie – College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville (Appendix 1) Data analysis Prof Lin Schwarzkopf – College Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville (Chapters 3, 4 and 5) A/Prof Will Edwards – College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns (Chapters 3, 4 and 5) v Dr Conrad Hoskin – College of Science and Engineering. James Cook University, Townsville (Appendix 1) Dr Megan Higgie – College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville (Appendix 1) Editorial assistance Prof Lin Schwarzkopf – College Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville (Entire thesis) A/Prof Will Edwards – College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns (Entire thesis) Mr Juan Mula Laguna – College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville (Chapter 3) Dr Deb Bower – School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale (Chapter 4) Dr Conrad Hoskin – College of Science and Engineering. James Cook University, Townsville (Appendix 1) Dr Megan Higgie – College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville (Appendix 1) Financial Research costs Competitive Research Training Grant, College of support Science and Engineering, James Cook University (twice received) Stipend and tuition James Cook University’s Research Training fee offset Program, Australian Government Data Field assistants Ryan Hopkins, Monica Macinante, Alessandro collection Froldi, Hayden Marriott, Rheanne Denny vi Publications associated with thesis Publication Status Statement of authorship Chapter 2 Hopkins, J. M., Edwards, W., and Under All authors conceived Schwarzkopf, L. Invading the review the idea of the review. soundscape: exploring the effects JMH wrote the of invasive species’ calls on manuscript. WE and LS acoustic signals of native edited the manuscript. wildlife. Biological Invasions. Chapter 3 Hopkins, J. M., Edwards, W., Accepted All authors conceived Mula Laguna, J. and the study. JMH collected Schwarzkopf, L. 2020. An and analysed the data. endangered bird calls less when WE and LS assisted invasive birds are calling. Journal with data analysis. JMH of Avian Biology. wrote the manuscript. WE, JML and LS edited the manuscript. Chapter 4 Hopkins, J. M., Bower, D. S., Prepared for DSB and LS conceived Edwards, W., and Schwarzkopf, publication the study and collected L. The effect of invasive cane the data. JMH analysed toad calls and synthetic noise on the data and wrote the the acoustic repertoire of the manuscript. WE and LS native floodplain toadlet. assisted with data analysis. DSB, WE and LS edited the manuscript. Chapter 5 Hopkins, J. M., Edwards, W., and Prepared for All authors conceived Schwarzkopf, L. Signaller and publication the study. JMH collected receiver behaviour of native and analysed the data. Australian Peaceful Doves WE and LS assisted exposed to invasive Spotted with data analysis. JMH Dove coos wrote the manuscript. WE and LS edited the manuscript. Appendix 1 Hopkins, J. M., Higgie, M., and Published All authors conceived Hoskin, C. J. 2020. Calling the study. JMH collected behaviour in the invasive Asian and analysed the data. house gecko (Hemidactylus MH and CJH assisted frenatus) and implications for with data analysis. JMH early detection. Wildlife wrote the manuscript. Research. (available online). MH and CJH edited the https://doi.org/10.1071/WR20003 manuscript. vii Abstract Acoustic signalling is an important mode of intraspecific communication in several animal groups.