Ramp, D, Caldwell, J, Edwards, KA, Warton, D & Croft, DB 2005, 'Modelling of wildlife fatality hotspots along the snowy mountain highway in New South Wales, Australia', BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION, vol. 126, no. 4, pp. 474-490.
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The effects of roads on the natural environment is of growing concern world-wide and foremost amongst these effects are the fatalities of wildlife killed in collisions with vehicles. Aside from animal welfare and human safety considerations, fatalities may have significant impacts on the population dynamics of species living adjacent to roads and thus can adversely affect the viability of local populations. As such, the need to quantify and mitigate road-based fatalities is paramount. With a vast expanse of roads it is imperative to identify where animals are most likely to be killed (i.e. hotspots) and what are the contributing factors. In order to identify hotspots, we develop a modelling approach for both presence and presence/absence data. We use data collected from the Snowy Mountain Highway in southern New South Wales, Australia, to compare the effectiveness of this approach for five species/groups of species. We observed that models of species killed in a clumped fashion were effective at identifying hotspots, while for species where fatalities were distributed evenly along the road the models were less effective. We recommend that where actual presence data exists spatial clustering is the preferred method of hotspot identification. Predictive models of presence/absence date should be constructed if the intention is to extrapolate to additional areas. The added benefit of predictive models are that they enable the identification of explanatory factors and this knowledge enables species-specific management strategies to be developed and implemented at hotspot locations. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Ramp, D, Russell, BG & Croft, DB 2005, 'Predator scent induces differing responses in two sympatric macropodids', AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, vol. 53, no. 2, pp. 73-78.
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When prey species encounter the scent of a predator they must make a decision on how to respond. This may be either to ignore, flee, hide or alarm call. While many species are able to derive detailed information from the chemical cues associated with predator scent, for some the decision to respond is often made without being able to identify the actual location and intentions of the predator. Depending on the sociality and ecology of the species, it may pay to flee or to engage in predator inspection where knowledge is impure. We tested for this in two sympatric marsupial macropodids, the parma wallaby (Macropus parma) and the red-necked pademelon (Thylogale thetis), as little is known of how these species detect and respond to olfactory cues of predation risk. We observed that, when presented with a synthetic predator scent mimicking dog urine, the social forager, T. thetis, tended to spend more time close to the predator odour, while the solitary forager, M. parma, exhibited an aversive response. The results suggest that social and ecological constraints on the sensory modalities used in predator detection may influence how macropodids respond to olfactory predator cues. © CSIRO 2005.
Riley, S 2005, 'Invasive Alien Species and the Protection of Biodiversity: The Role of Quarantine Laws in Resolving Inadequacies in the International Legal Regime', Journal of Environmental Law, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 323-359.
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There is growing awareness of the environmental problems caused by the introduction of invasive alien species, described by the IUCN as one of the major threats to biological diversity. Despite difficulties in definition and identification, international regimes have increasingly attempted to tackle the issue, with over 40 treaties referring to the regulation of invasive species. But current international law is acknowledged to have severe shortcomings. Quarantine controls, though originally designed to protect human health and agricultural commerce, could play a critical role as a country`s first line of defence in containing the spread of invasive alien species. The international quarantine regime is conceptually well placed to spearhead the fight against invasive alien species, but there are considerable problems with the current structures. An analysis of how current international trade law and in particular the 1994 Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures may conflict with international and national quarantine measures shows that the World Trade Organization, in its enthusiasm to prevent quarantine laws being used as a disguised restriction on trade, has discouraged members from using such laws to stem the spread of invasive alien species. Much greater cooperation between the relevant parties will be required to reverse this trend.
Riley, S 1970, 'Challenges that Developing Nations face in Implementing Effective Quarantine Measurse to Prevent Entry of Invasive Alien Species', Biodiversity Conservation, Law and Livelihoods: Bridging the North-South Divide, Sydney.
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The paper aimed to show the difficulties faced by developing nations in designing and implementing effective quarantine regimes in the context of international trade.
