Papers by Rodney van der Ree
Handbook of Road Ecology, 2015
ABSTRACT Wildlife crossing structures help animals cross safely under or over roads or other line... more ABSTRACT Wildlife crossing structures help animals cross safely under or over roads or other linear infrastructure and hence play an important role in the conservation of biodiversity. Measuring the rate of use by wildlife is an important first step in almost every evaluation of wildlife crossing structures. Unfortunately, the majority of studies of the use of crossing structures by wildlife lack a proper study design which limits the quality or reliability of the findings. The design and methods of each study to evaluate the use of crossing structures must be tailor‐made because of differences among structures in their design, goals, target species, landscape and road conditions. 15.1 Identify and describe the target species for the wildlife crossing structure being evaluated. 15.2 For each target species, define the intended type and frequency of use. 15.3 Design the study to enable a comparison of actual rate of use and minimum expected rate of use. 15.4 Use data from control plots to estimate the minimum expected rate of use of a crossing structure. 15.5 Select survey methods that monitor multiple species simultaneously and use more than one survey method for each species. 15.6 The timing, frequency and duration of the monitoring should allow for rigorous estimates of crossing structure use. 15.7 Measure explanatory variables to enable a comprehensive analysis of the monitoring data and comparison of crossing structure functioning. 15.8 Thorough analysis, reporting and sharing of data are critical. Taken individually, each study of the use of crossing structures by wildlife provides an important but basic understanding of their function. Adopting the guidelines presented in this chapter will improve the quality of each monitoring programme as well as permit robust meta‐analyses to optimise design, placement and management of wildlife crossing structures at much broader spatial scales.
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Nov 8, 2022
Wildlife Research, 2007
The squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) occurs in forests and woodlands in eastern Australia.... more The squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) occurs in forests and woodlands in eastern Australia. In Victoria it is now largely restricted to small, fragmented areas and is considered endangered. In this study, the time-budget, feeding behaviour and related habitat use of the squirrel glider were investigated in a linear remnant of roadside vegetation near Euroa, Victoria. Timed observations of three males and three females, fitted with radio-collars, were made in each of four seasons. Gliders were observed for a total of 53.2 h, during which they devoted 72% of time to foraging activities. Grooming accounted for 16% of observation time. Exudates associated with homopterous insects were the primary food items consumed throughout the year. Arthropods, nectar and pollen, and Acacia gum formed the remainder of the diet. The proportion of time devoted to harvesting these food items showed marked seasonal variation. The primary dependence on homopterous insect exudates in this study area contrasts with other investigations at sites of greater floristic diversity where nectar and pollen were the most important dietary resources. This highlights the need to obtain ecological information from the range of habitats occupied by a species. Large trees are a vital habitat component of remnant linear vegetation in this study area, providing gliders with critical foraging resources. Retention of such trees is essential for the longevity of glider populations.
Forest Ecology and Management, Mar 1, 2004
Functional Ecology, Jul 1, 2015
Naturschutz und Landschaftsplanung, 2006
Conservation Genetics Resources, May 13, 2014
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd eBooks, Apr 24, 2015
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd eBooks, Apr 24, 2015
Journal of Zoology, Apr 1, 2003
ABSTRACT
Cambridge University Press eBooks, Jun 25, 2009
ABSTRACT
Forest Ecology and Management, Jun 1, 2021
Constructing hollows or cavities in trees with chainsaws is an emerging approach to manage hollow... more Constructing hollows or cavities in trees with chainsaws is an emerging approach to manage hollow-dependent species in hollow depleted landscapes. Small-scale experiments are required to refine this approach before implementing on a broad scale. We addressed two questions: i) are chainsaw hollows used by the regionally threatened brush-tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa) and the non-threatened sugar glider (Petaurus notatus), ii) do chainsaw hollows retain their integrity over time. We paired 45 chainsaw hollows with nest boxes of equivalent internal dimensions in southeastern Australia and inspected these on 20 occasions over 2.5 years. Camera traps revealed phascogales visited some cavities within hours of installation and monthly inspections revealed rapid uptake of these hollows by both target species. Overall, phascogales and sugar gliders used 32% and 84% of the chainsaw hollows respectively, and 21% and 82% of the nest boxes. We used multi-method occupancy to compare detection within the two types of cavities. Detection models that included cavity type had more support than those without. Detection of both species was substantially higher in the chainsaw hollows compared to the nest boxes. Over the 2.5-year monitoring period the faceplates of some chainsaw hollows showed signs of deformity. Callous regrowth over the faceplate was pronounced on some trees suggesting the need for periodic maintenance. Our study confirms the potential of chainsaw hollows to restore habitat for hollow-dependent mammals but highlights periodic maintenance is likely to be a feature of this approach as it is with nest boxes.
Biological Conservation, Aug 1, 2017
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd eBooks, Apr 24, 2015
Austral Ecology, Nov 28, 2012
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd eBooks, Apr 24, 2015
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Papers by Rodney van der Ree