Best practice involves using the best combination of techniques,
in the best places, at the best times. To implement best
practice, one must know what effects control programs are having on
target and non-target organisms and their populations, and the best
places and times to place control technologies to maximise control
effectiveness while minimising expense.
An IA CRC sponsored stakeholder workshop was held in Adelaide in
October 2005 (Fleming 2006) to set priorities with best practice
objectives in mind. This project has three components in line
with the top priorities determined at the Adelaide Workshop:
1. Evaluate and improve monitoring of wild dogs, feral
cats and red foxes:
- field and lab (DNA) work underway, expected completion
mid 2008. Mark-recapture analyses results expected by the end
of 2009.
2. Conduct a workshop on remote
sensing of wild canids and felids (completed).
3. Determine models of spotted-tailed quoll population
dynamics under wild canid control programs:
Sub-project 3 goals
include to:
- Review existing models, including population viability
analysis, exposure-response models and purpose-built age- and
sex-structured population analysis, to determine their
applicability to major management questions for spotted-tailed
quoll populations - completed.
- Review and obtain the available quoll demographic data and wild
dog and fox control information (published & unpublished)
required for the models - completed.
- Identify areas of data deficit, both general and specifically
for alternative modelling approaches - completed.
- Model population dynamics of spotted-tailed quolls in eastern
NSW, Victoria and south eastern Queensland and the population
outcomes of mortality from different sources and at different
levels and timings - 3 models have been constructed, and modelling
is underway.
- Determine the relative sensitivities of the models to changes
in parameters including poisoning and trapping-related mortalities
of quolls and compare model predictions to assess the risk of
decline or extinction of populations exposed to wild dog and fox
control at different levels
- Identify survey and monitoring requirements for on-going
testing and refinement of models - expected completion late
2008.
Each sub-project has a number of collaborators and there is
overlap of subproject with the wild dog
demonstration site within our Uptake Program and a project in
the Detection and Prevention Program. IA CRC PhD student
Danielle
Carey also works on this project.
Collaborators:
New South Wales Department of Primary Industries
New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change
Manaaki Whenua, Landcare Research New Zealand
Parasitech
Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water
University of Canberra
University of Western Australia
Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment
Western Australian Department of Environment and
Conservation
Other third parties.
