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[post_content] => The semester started just a week ago and students are still getting used to the rainforest environment with all its noises, smells, and dampness.
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Now the students are on their way to hear more about the natural and human history of the place to better understand factors that affected and shaped the present landscape. There is a lot more to learn and to discover….
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[post_content] => Since 2012 the SFS Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) has been involved in habitat surveys and research in relation to the protection of the vulnerable northern species of the Yellow-bellied Glider (Petaurus australis) (YBG). Currently the protection of the habitat of this species relies on the enthusiasm and dedicated work of a few volunteers which makes contributions from students and faculties of CRS very valuable.
Former students of CRS have spent endless hours in glider-occupied habitats, habitats not used by gliders and habitats that were abandoned by gliders to identify essential habitat features that meet the ecological requirements of this species. This has resulted in a published research report of the ecology faculty together with former students on a preliminary study to assess habitat requirements of this species based on simple methods that can be applied in future citizen science projects (Heise-Pavlov et al. 2017).
Last week students of this semester continued with this research using refined methods to assess the suitability of an area for the yellow-bellied glider. Students learnt and utilized skills to navigate in unknown terrain using GPS and compass, to identify Eucalyptus species (from which some are essential for gliders to use a habitat), to measure vegetation features such as the height and diameter of trees, and to assess the density of invasive species, such as lantana (Lantana camara). They practised data collection in the field and the storage of the collected data in appropriate formats. Some locals assisted the students in their data collection and were impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication of the students to survey an area from which we had no knowledge about its suitability for gliders.
But students did not only contribute to habitat surveys for the protection of the YBG in north Queensland. In previous News from the Field I reported about a call recording device that had been built with support from a crowdfunding campaign in order to record and analyse calls from this quite vocal species with the aim to use the calls to identify individuals and thus to be able to assess population densities of this species. To record calls individual gliders have to be observed after dusk when they arrive at their feeding trees to extract sap. This is usually the time they interact by using various calls. Students helped in these observations by sitting around trees gliders were known to feed on. Beside a very thorough recording of interactions and vocalization of the observed individuals, students enjoyed seeing this unique animal.
With their enthusiasm and dedication students of this semester assisted in habitat surveys and ongoing research to protect this unique species of the Wet Tropics Bioregion of Australia. They contributed to the work of the volunteers of the Tropical Glider Group for which this group is very grateful.
Heise-Pavlov, S.; Chizinski, T. and Walker, N.E. (2017): Selection of sap feed trees by yellow-bellied gliders (Petaurus australis) in north-eastern Queensland, Australia – implications for site-specific habitat management. – Australian Mammalogy, online March 2017
→ Tropical Rainforest Studies in Australia
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks, students at The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies got an impression of the Australian outback and had a hands-on experience in research on invasive species.
About 150km west from the Center is the small township Chillagoe with its air of the Australian outback. Not only outback birds and large kangaroos welcomed the students, but also strange looking landforms. Chillagoe is located just along the edge of the ancient Australian continent and students were able to see the vastness of the Australian dry woodlands that stretches west from Chillagoe.
When looking east they saw a karst landscape, full of limestone caves that originated from an old reef that grew along the shores of this ancient continent. Although set back in time by the landscape, students learned that rainforest exists in the dry outback around Chillagoe, hidden in protected and moist gullies and near caves. They also got familiar with past and present human activities in this area which was and is connected with mining and the various impacts this industry has on the environment.
Back at the Center students enjoyed the much cooler climate compared to the hot and humid outback of Chillagoe. For 3 and 1/2 days students were then doing research on the invasive cane toad of Australia. Toads had to be collected from different sites at night and then dissected the next day. Data collection and dissection had to be organized by the entire class and this was a challenge!
Every student had a task allocated so that the success of the data collection depended on every member of the group. The final product was a large data sheet from which every student could draw data for her or his specific scientific question on cane toad ecology and physiology.
Now students have to write a mock scientific paper on their question using the collectively obtained data. And there are many questions about cane toads! What do they eat? What impact do lung nematodes have on food consumption or the development of fat bodies in cane toads? Do cane toads eat more in the Wet season? Students are using their own data to answer some of these questions and compare the results with those from other studies. Another step further in the preparation of the students for the upcoming Directed Research Projects.
[post_title] => Students Experience Different Australian Ecosystems
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks, students were busily engaged in their Directed Research projects. In the first week they had to complete their data collection. This meant for many to be out in the field working along steep slopes in rain and mist as the weather had deteriorated. It also saw students in thick rainforest establishing transects while trying to avoid being entangled in a spiky climbing palm, the so-called “Wait-a-while”.
Other students retrieved their data during long hours in the laboratory; some could work only after sunset as their subjects were nocturnal animals. And some students had to arrange interviews with people either by phone or during visits throughout the Tablelands. Despite the weather and all other hardships, the data must be got! No wonder that this part of the research project makes every student appreciate the obtained data.
Once the data were in, they had to be organized in Excel spreadsheets for the statistical analyses. This was often a time-consuming procedure, but worthwhile to be able to see what data can actually reveal. With the help of the faculty, students “made the data speak” and often very surprising results emerged. Some were expected, others were contradictory to any expectations.
This is the next challenge for the students: trying to explain the results. By the end of the last week students went back to the literature to compare their results with the results of other, similar studies. Students try now to interpret their results and put their results into the broader scientific picture. This is a challenge, but it is the final essence of all the efforts they have put into their projects so far.
[post_title] => Data Collection in the Wet Tropics
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[post_content] => The last two weeks were filled with students’ activities in the classroom, the computer lab, the field lab, and even in the Australian Outback.
Classroom lectures on the history of Australian rainforests and ecological terminology laid the foundation of knowledge for students in upcoming research activities. Students were introduced to various software programmes to assist in collecting, storing, presenting, and analysing spatial data for ecological research and assessing the impact of climate change on the fauna of the Wet Tropics. They also learned how to write an essay on a socio-economic topic and applied this knowledge to their first assignment.
Further preparation of students for research activities included the practice of identifying rainforest plant and arthropod species. During a review of various trapping and marking methods for animals many students were able to utilize their knowledge from research projects they had been previously involved in at their home institutions.
Activities at the Centre were followed by the first excursion of the semester program: a visit to Chillagoe, a previous mining town in the Australian Outback. Students felt the heat, saw Australian savannah landscape, and were sent back in time when interpreting the geology of an ancient part of the Australian continent. Although the outback was cloudy, some students were able to get a glimpse of the stunning Australian night sky with its many stars and special features.
[post_title] => Laying the Foundation
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[post_content] => The semester started just a week ago and students are still getting used to the rainforest environment with all its noises, smells, and dampness.
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[post_content] => Students came back from the mid-semester break refreshed and full of new impressions of Australia.
Back in class, a rich program of lectures and field lectures awaited them. They heard about principles of repairing landscapes by revegetation including site selection, plant selection, monitoring the development of the site, and how to attract wildlife to such sites. Guest lectures familiarized them with types of economic incentives to encourage farmers to consider biodiversity on their land. During field lectures, students visited neglected farmland and discussed options to convert it back to a functioning ecosystem. They also inspected a revegetated riparian area in which tree-kangaroos are frequently seen.
One visit was very special for the students. The class visited a wildlife caretaker who explained the importance of wildlife caretakers here on the Atherton Tablelands with such a diverse and often endemic fauna. There is a lot of work involved when animals get rehabilitated or orphans need to be looked after. Currently, the wildlife caretaker looks after a young tree-kangaroo who lived in an artificial pouch attached to the chest of the caretaker. Tree-kangaroo joeys often come into care as they get easily expelled from the mother’s pouch when the mother is distressed. However, the care is quite complicated and requires a lot of experience. Not much is known about tree-kangaroos, particularly about the ways they detoxify toxic plant compounds which plants produce to deter herbivores in our rainforests. But we can learn a lot from the tree-kangaroos, and caretakers play a vital role in the conservation of these beautiful animals.
The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies (CRS) is also doing research on these animals to gain more knowledge about their ecology, which can assist in effective conservation planning. I am coordinating my research with a local community group that aims at the conservation of this and other special mammals on the Atherton Tablelands. The Tree-kangaroo and Mammal Group (TKMG) has recently completed a “Community Action Plan for the Conservation of the Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroo.” CRS will contribute to the various actions outlined in the plan and students’ projects will be strongly linked with these actions. In October, I attended the International Tree-kangaroo Workshop in Melbourne. There, I presented research done on the Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo by previous CRS students. I also presented TKMG’s Action Plan, which was consequently integrated into the Action Plan of the International Tree-kangaroo Conservation Group. This group consists of managers of conservation areas in Papua New Guinea (where most of the tree-kangaroo species exist), various zoos with tree-kangaroo breeding programs, veterinarians, researchers, and broader conservation groups.
Tree-kangaroos can only be effectively preserved when people with different backgrounds and knowledge cooperate. This applies to many other species too. But the tree-kangaroo case is special for CRS. It shows how our students contribute not only to conservation activities of the local community, but also to conservation efforts at an international scale.
[post_title] => Tree-Kangaroos and Conservation
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks, the life of students at the Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) was filled with lectures, field lectures, field laboratory work, and workshops.
In lectures, students heard about the history of the Australian rainforest and how indigenous and European people used the natural resources of this environment. On walks they experienced the nature of the rainforest by identifying its structural features such as buttress roots, lianas, epiphytes, emergent trees and plants of the understory. They were introduced to methods of plant identification and practiced them.
In lectures and lab work students were introduced to the fauna of Australia including the large and fluffy creatures such as possums and kangaroos, the dangerous creatures such as snakes, and the very small creatures such as insects. In the field lab, students used microscopes and various identification keys to work out the order or species of some of the small animals. A highlight was a spotlighting night walk through the forests of the Centre during which students discovered spiders, frogs, small dragons, and even microbats.
Students spent a day with Aboriginal elders who familiarized the students with their culture and their ways of using the land. Students also visited the James Cook University to discuss the pros and cons of plans to further develop coastal areas of tropical Australia. They learned how to assess development projects in their complexity.
Two days were devoted to aspects of climate change and rainforest fragmentation and another day was devoted to learning applications of spatial tools such as GIS. Despite being busy with classes, students had also time to explore Australian life themselves by spending one weekend in Cairns.
[post_title] => Learning About the Australian Rainforest
[post_excerpt] => During the last two weeks, the life of students at the Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) was filled with lectures, field lectures, field laboratory work, and workshops.
In lectures, students heard about the history of the Australian rainforest and how indigenous and European people used the natural resources of this environment. On walks they experienced the nature of the rainforest by identifying its structural features such as buttress roots, lianas, epiphytes, emergent trees and plants of the understory. They were introduced to methods of plant identification and practiced them.
In lectures and lab work students were introduced to the fauna of Australia including the large and fluffy creatures such as possums and kangaroos, the dangerous creatures such as snakes, and the very small creatures such as insects. In the field lab, students used microscopes and various identification keys to work out the order or species of some of the small animals. A highlight was a spotlighting night walk through the forests of the Centre during which students discovered spiders, frogs, small dragons, and even microbats.
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks students became more familiar with the local community, met indigenous people near Cairns, “sniffed” the Australian Outback, and were introduced to various ecological field techniques.
Regular visits of students to nurseries and restoration sites of the local community strengthen the relationships between the Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) and members of the local communities and help in local projects. Students also spent a weekend with Aussie families to see what Aussies do during their spare time.
Twice the students camped overnight. On one occasion students camped on the land of an indigenous tribe near Cairns. At a camp fire students listened to the stories of the Aboriginals and to the didgeridoo. They were shown the land of the tribe, how indigenous people value the land and ensure its protection and careful use. On another occasion students camped in the Outback, about 150km west of CRS. They saw the vastness of Australian dry woodlands, were amazed by the countless stars and some of the constellations you can only see in the southern hemisphere’s sky, explored ancient caves which developed when this dry country was once part of an ocean and observed kangaroos, wallabies, and colourful outback birds.
Lectures, field lectures, and workshops at CRS filled the time in between excursions. Students learned about major factors impacting on Australian ecosystems, such as climate change, fragmentation and invasive species. They were familiarized with ways to identify plants and animals of the Australian Wet Tropical Rainforest and spent time applying GIS software to produce maps of the spatial distribution of ecological features. With so much knowledge on the fauna and flora of the rainforests here in Queensland, students feel more and more familiar with this unique place.
[post_title] => Excursions, Camping, and Lectures
[post_excerpt] => During the last two weeks students became more familiar with the local community, met indigenous people near Cairns, “sniffed” the Australian Outback, and were introduced to various ecological field techniques.
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[post_content] => During the first week of this semester, Centre Director Amanda Freeman introduced the students to the semester program and the Five-Year Research Plan of the SFS Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS). Faculties then familiarized the students with the components of their courses and how their teaching and research are linked to CRS’s Five-Year Research Plan.
One day was devoted to the exploration of local towns. Students had to find out more about the economy of these towns, the people living in them, and their interest and sense of place. This gave the students a great opportunity to speak to locals and get a feeling of the Atherton Tablelands.
The ecology faculty introduced the students to the geology and the fauna of the place. This was first done via classroom lectures, which were followed by a field lecture. During the field lecture the students saw land formations which they had to place into the correct geological epochs based on material presented in the previous lecture. Students were introduced to marsupials as a class of mammals by seeing a video clip on the birth of a marsupial. By combining geological and evolutionary history of the Atherton Tablelands students got a better understanding of the concepts of refugia and vicariant events in species speciation. By providing them with current research papers on the fauna of this area they were ask to assess how this unique fauna will survive in a world of climate change. They heard about some of the unique and endemic species of this area and are now keen on seeing them during their semester. The ecology faculty specifically familiarized the students with the unique tree-kangaroo and the research done on the ecology and behavior of this species by CRS and its students. Just recently a paper on the evolutionary aspects of the use of predator odors in antipredator behaviors of Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos was published by the faculty. The paper was based on extensive data collections done by students of CRS over many years.
Next week the students will explore spatial tools in ecological field research and analytical methods for spatial data to address specific questions on habitat selection, landscape ecology and conservation planning. Students will see how former students have applied GIS software in their research projects on habitat selection of tree-kangaroos and how this will impact conservation planning for this species. This example will also demonstrate to the students how important undergraduate research is since the GIS based projects on tree-kangaroo habitats won an award for best undergraduate students’ research abroad from the Forum on Education Abroad last year. This should enhance students’ interests in learning modern tools of ecology and doing research of high relevance for on-ground conservation.
Photo Credit: Chase Douglas
[post_title] => Exploration and Introductions
[post_excerpt] => During the first week, students were introduced to the semester program and the Five-Year Research Plan of the Centre for Rainforest Studies.
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[post_content] => Students arrived at the Center only a week ago, but became quickly involved in ongoing research of the Center for Rainforest Studies (CRS).
After an introduction into the program’s objectives and the schedule, students were familiarized with the local flora and fauna in lectures and spotlighting at night. Discovering the rainforest at night, listening to the rustles of possums, and admiring the beauty of elaborated spider webs placed many of the students into an unfamiliar world.
In a classroom activity, students identified and summarized techniques of scientific writing. They will apply this in their course assessments which require the writing of a results section and a full mock scientific paper on one of the course components.
Students then dived into the world of analyzing spatial features in ecological research. They became familiar with the basics of recording spatial data in the field, transferring them to a GIS database, displaying them on a map, and matching them with data on climate, soil, and watercourses. At the same time, students were introduced to basics and methods of radio-tracking animals and could see the application of this method in research on a local freshwater turtle.
Students and staff dissect a carpet python found (dead) on Center property.
Students also got insight into community-driven conservation work on the Atherton Tablelands. They visited two community projects, one that focuses on various restoration projects on the Tablelands, and one that restored riparian vegetation along a creek. Spotting a tree-kangaroo in trees that were planted many years ago along this creek showed the students how successful community conservation projects can be.
At the end of their first week, students were introduced to an ongoing research project of the Five-Year Research Plan of CRS. CRS helps in analyzing the distribution, habitat requirements, and habitat use of the vulnerable northern subspecies of the endemic yellow-bellied glider. This subspecies is separated from yellow-bellied glider populations in southern parts of Australia by a 400km gap, and depends on certain tree species for feeding and denning in wet sclerophyll forests. We have only limited knowledge on how forest management affects populations of this vulnerable species and urgently need more information on the species’ population and behavior. Students turned into scientists by reading papers to become familiar with this species, by identifying knowledge gaps which they expressed in research questions, by selecting field methods to collect required data to answer these questions, and by preparing their field work.
Students’ first encounter with the yellow-bellied glider was by sitting at trees shortly after dusk and listening to the calls of the gliders and recording any gliders that arrived at the observed trees to feed on the sap of the trees. This required sitting near a tree for two hours in the dark just using a red light to check occasionally the tree trunk. Some of the students recorded climatic data every 30 minutes, but also watched out for gliders and recorded the direction of calls they heard.
And students were lucky. Most of them saw gliders on the tree: fluffy animals with big ears and pink noses were moving along the trunks. Despite the cold weather, students loved the experience. They will continue on two nights next week and also conduct habitat surveys in areas where glider habitation is not yet confirmed.
[post_title] => Ongoing Research in Australia
[post_excerpt] => Students arrived at the center only a week ago, but became quickly involved in ongoing research of the Center for Rainforest Studies.
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[post_content] => Conservation biology is often described as a ‘crisis discipline’. Resources for conservation are usually limited, demanding prioritization under inclusion of strict criteria. Furthermore, our knowledge on ecological patterns and processes is often insufficient to assess whether a planned conservation action can be successful. Students at the SFS Center for Rainforest Studies (CRS) get familiar with conservation issues of the Wet Tropics of Australia and discover research needs to assist in better conservation of the values of the Wet Tropics. Towards the end of the semester students will become involved in research projects that are part of the Centre's long-term strategic research agenda and are closely linked with urgent conservation issues of Australia's Wet Tropics.
But research entails more than just the accumulation of results by conservation biologists. Unlike scientists of other disciplines, conservation biologists have an additional unusual burden, namely the responsibility to disseminate their results in order to ensure their application and use in management and policy making (Dickman 2013). This makes conservation biology a very complex discipline. Students at CRS become aware of this complexity by the many linkages that exist between the three courses they attend here during their semester abroad. While they learn about the various damaging impacts of human activities on our ecosystems and species and attempts to investigate how to mitigate these impacts, they also become familiar with ways to explore human perceptions on these damaging impacts, how to inform the public about new ways to achieve effective conservation, and how to assess the willingness of people to apply new mitigating measures.
Current students at CRS have already experienced some examples of this complexity during their first three weeks here in Australia. For example: they learned about invasive species and how these species can reduce and even destroy the biodiversity of our native species. They then attended a public lecture at James Cook University in which scientists demonstrated their research results to the public and explained what community members can do in their backyards to control the spread of the very invasive and destructive Yellow Crazy Ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) which poses a threat to the biodiversity of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.
At another occasion students learned about the impact of feral predators, such as dogs and cats, on our unique Australian animals. Dog control and management can become very sensitive issues as they may interfere with the privacy of individuals’ right to manage their own dogs. It is essential to explore whether people are aware of the threat domestic predators pose to our wildlife and to assess people’s perceptions to dog control. Students tried to find this out and used World Cassowary Day, which was held in Mission Beach on the 26th of September, to interview people on theses topics.
Like many conservation-minded groups, SFS also presented itself on that day with a booth in which it displayed examples of its educational and research mission on various posters. One poster informed the public about the susceptibility of Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) to domestic dogs. Some of my recent research shows that Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos recognize the odor of dogs as odor from a predator, but respond to it in an inappropriate way (Heise-Pavlov 2015). Instead of climbing further up on a tree, they select an antipredatory strategy that helped their ancestors, the rock-wallabies, to escape from the predator, namely to run away on the ground. But this is an insufficient tactic for tree-kangaroos that have now well adapted to a life in the canopies which made them incapable of running fast enough on the ground. Any encounter of a tree-kangaroo with a dog is likely to be fatal for the tree-kangaroo.
Students interviewed more than 100 people and will now start to analyse the data to assess whether people are aware of the impact dogs can have on our wildlife and whether they are willing to manage their dog in an appropriate way. With these interviews students make a valuable contribution to the conservation work of CRS which consists of education, research, and dissemination of knowledge to the public.
Dickman, C. R. (2013): Human community ecology: making connections for conservation. – Pacific Conservation Biology 19: 312-319.
Heise-Pavlov, S. (2015): Evolutionary aspects of the use of predator odors in antipredator behaviors of Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi). - In: Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 13, (Eds. Schulte, B. Goodwin, T.), Springer New York, in print
[post_title] => Learning the Complexities of Conservation Biology
[post_excerpt] => Students become familiar with conservation issues of the Wet Tropics of Australia and discover research needs.
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[post_content] => The Atherton Tablelands within the Wet Tropics of Australia have a unique wildlife that consists of many endemic and relict species adapted to higher elevations within the tropical climate of North Eastern Australia. As anywhere in the world human settlement, land use, and development affect this unique fauna. Beside habitat loss, fragmentation and infrastructure, non-native species and, specifically, non-native predators, introduced by colonizing people, pose a threat to native wildlife. In contrast to other continents, introduced predators seem to have a far greater impact on the Australian native fauna than other factors of human development and land use (Woinarski et al. 2015). Feral cats have been declared as number one threat to many native Australian species and have been identified as major contributor to the decline or even extinction of many Australian small mammals in almost all ecosystems of this continent (Woinarski et al. 2015), followed by foxes and feral dogs. Feral or even roaming dogs can cause population declines of many Australian species since their ability to hunt in packs allows them to target species of various sizes. Addressing the threat to Australian wildlife by feral and roaming dogs in conservation actions can be problematic since many people own dogs as pets or working animals and assume that their dogs do not harm wildlife.
Photo by Sigrid Heise-Pavlov.
The threat of native wildlife by dogs becomes even more paramount when anti-predatory strategies of native Australian species are inappropriate or insufficient. This is the case for the unique Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) that lives in the canopies of rainforests with most of its populations on the Atherton Tablelands. Research at the Centre for Rainforest Studies shows that tree-kangaroos are able to recognize odours from dogs as odours from predators, but apply an inappropriate anti-predatory strategy by descending from the canopy to the ground (Heise-Pavlov 2016). This behaviour increases their risk to fall victim to encounters with dogs. It is therefore not surprising that wildlife caretakers, who deal with injured tree-kangaroos or/and raise juvenile orphaned tree-kangaroos who come into care after their mother had been killed, are particularly concerned about dogs roaming around. But where to start to mitigate this threat? Perhaps with increasing the awareness of people to recognize the negative impact of dogs on our wildlife here on the Atherton Tablelands? Last year students at the Centre for Rainforest Studies started to explore the attitude of locals towards this issue. They worked out a questionnaire that tries to capture people’s knowledge on the impact of introduced species on our wildlife and their opinions on how domestic dogs or cats should be kept to minimize their potential impact on our wildlife. Students of this semester continued with this work and, after they had revised the questionnaire, interviewed locals at various places on the Atherton Tablelands. But they went even further!
Photo by Ana Toumpas.
They also observed a released orphaned tree-kangaroo to understand how it adapts to the forest after being raised in a wildlife caretaker’s home and to observe how it moves within the canopy but also on the ground where it easily can be chased by uncontrolled or feral dogs. They listened to the concerns of a wildlife caretaker about the situation of roaming and feral dogs on the Atherton Tablelands who can destroy within minutes the year-long efforts of caretakers to raise orphaned tree-kangaroos before they can be released.
After the collation of all the interviews and observation records students wrote two mock scientific papers on the results which will help us to take further steps in developing effective strategies to reduce the existing threat of our unique wildlife by domestic and feral dogs.
Heise-Pavlov SR. 2016. Evolutionary Aspects of the Use of Predator Odors in Antipredator Behaviors of Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi). Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 13: Springer. pp 261-280.
Woinarski J, Burbidge AA, NHarrison PL. 2015. Ongoing unraveling of a continental fauna: decline and extinction of Australian mammals since European settlement. PNAS 112(15):4531-4540.
Rainforest Studies in Australia
[post_title] => Man’s Best Friend, Tree Kangaroo’s Worst Enemy
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[post_content] => With support from SFS-HQ, we developed a crowdfunding project in March 2016 to support research on methods to assess population sizes of Yellow-bellied gliders based on identifying individuals by their calls. The plan was to develop a field mini-lab that would record calls and take infrared photos from gliders. Using special software, I plan to identify call traits that can be used to identify individuals and therefore would allow the estimation of the number of animals within a family group. Knowledge on population sizes is essential to computing population trends of a species, which assists in conservation planning.
The crowdfunding campaign was successful, and many of the former CRS students who had been out in the forest observing gliders with me contributed to the success. However, it took a while to get a prototype of a sensitive sound recording device ready. Stan, the physicist who is building the device, had to overcome some challenges. The material was quickly purchased and the assemblage of the parts was not a great hurdle, but when it came to make the assembled parts working together, some unforeseen problems emerged. The program, which runs the data recording and allows the setting of a certain recording time, was running smoothly on the PC, but it had to be tweaked to run as a ‘headless’ system, i.e. no name, no monitor or keyboard, for operating in the field. It was set to save data as .wav files on an external USB stick from which they could be transferred into the analysis software.
At the beginning of October the first prototype of the recording device was ready to be tested in the field. This was close to the time of a field exercise during which I planned to collect more data on the behavior of gliders with students of the current CRS semester. Glider observations require sitting still at trees which gliders use to extract sap from. When gliders approach these feed trees and while feeding from them they emit various calls which can be recorded.
Sylvie Finn and Marley Guy measure the diameter of the Eucalyptus grandis, also known as Rose Gum. Rose Gums are the species of choice when it comes to Yellow-bellied gliders finding densBen Curell measures the height of a tree using a rangefinder which emits a laser to different points of a tree and calculates the approximate heightBen, Sylvie, and Marley scope out the forest for potential glider den and feeding trees
I took the recording device into the field on the 11th of October, placed the microphone in a plastic frame and attached it to a branch of a small tree near a tree that showed signs of gliders feeding from its sap. I connected the device to a battery and started the program following the prompts. After setting the time to 120 minutes I then sat quietly at the tree together with two other students.
The observation session started at 18.30. Slowly birds became less active and quietened completely. At around 18.43 cicadas started to call. It was so loud that it was almost deafening. They all stopped at once at around 18.57. Soon after, the last cockatoos stopped calling and a beautiful quietness spread through the dark forest. We listened intently. Then, suddenly, we heard a typical glider call from the East and another one from the West. A few minutes later wee saw the silhouette of a glider against the sky and the glider landed at the tree. The animal moved down to a cut in the bark of the tree from which sap exuded and started to feed. My students and I noted the calls and the arrival of the glider.
After 30 minutes a loud call appeared near the tree and another glider arrived at the tree while calling. This animal went to a different cut and started to feed. After a while this glider moved further down to the first glider and rubbed its body against the first animal. From observations of Rupert Russell, who had observed many gliders in his life, we know that this behavior is linked with the distribution of a family odour among the members of a glider family. After this interaction the second animal moved up along the tree trunk and resumed its feeding. Both animals were feeding happily for quite a while before the second animal emitted a loud call and went further up the trunk to reach a branch from which it glided away into the forest. The observers got really excited because they now had two calls from the same individual which can be analysed for individual-specific traits.
After the two hours the recording device indicated that the data had been saved. On the next day the data were transferred onto the computer and into the sound analysis program. It was a great moment to see the sounds displayed graphically. The long period of cicada calls was clearly visible as well as several calls from Yellow-bellied gliders. I took the device out for two more nights while sitting at two other trees which were used actively by gliders to feed from. With the obtained data Stan is now able to tune the microphones and pre-amplifiers to optimize the ‘quality’ of the recording to extract as much information as possible.
Sigrid Heise-Pavlov
Katie Gimbert takes a leap over a small creek after a day of surveying the forest for den and feeding treesStudents scope out a small creek crossing in the Eucalypt-dense Gilbey Forest Scientific Reserve→ Tropical Rainforest Studies in Australia
[post_title] => Up Close and Personal with the Yellow-Bellied Glider
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[post_content] => Since 2012 the SFS Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) has been involved in habitat surveys and research in relation to the protection of the vulnerable northern species of the Yellow-bellied Glider (Petaurus australis) (YBG). Currently the protection of the habitat of this species relies on the enthusiasm and dedicated work of a few volunteers which makes contributions from students and faculties of CRS very valuable.
Former students of CRS have spent endless hours in glider-occupied habitats, habitats not used by gliders and habitats that were abandoned by gliders to identify essential habitat features that meet the ecological requirements of this species. This has resulted in a published research report of the ecology faculty together with former students on a preliminary study to assess habitat requirements of this species based on simple methods that can be applied in future citizen science projects (Heise-Pavlov et al. 2017).
Last week students of this semester continued with this research using refined methods to assess the suitability of an area for the yellow-bellied glider. Students learnt and utilized skills to navigate in unknown terrain using GPS and compass, to identify Eucalyptus species (from which some are essential for gliders to use a habitat), to measure vegetation features such as the height and diameter of trees, and to assess the density of invasive species, such as lantana (Lantana camara). They practised data collection in the field and the storage of the collected data in appropriate formats. Some locals assisted the students in their data collection and were impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication of the students to survey an area from which we had no knowledge about its suitability for gliders.
But students did not only contribute to habitat surveys for the protection of the YBG in north Queensland. In previous News from the Field I reported about a call recording device that had been built with support from a crowdfunding campaign in order to record and analyse calls from this quite vocal species with the aim to use the calls to identify individuals and thus to be able to assess population densities of this species. To record calls individual gliders have to be observed after dusk when they arrive at their feeding trees to extract sap. This is usually the time they interact by using various calls. Students helped in these observations by sitting around trees gliders were known to feed on. Beside a very thorough recording of interactions and vocalization of the observed individuals, students enjoyed seeing this unique animal.
With their enthusiasm and dedication students of this semester assisted in habitat surveys and ongoing research to protect this unique species of the Wet Tropics Bioregion of Australia. They contributed to the work of the volunteers of the Tropical Glider Group for which this group is very grateful.
Heise-Pavlov, S.; Chizinski, T. and Walker, N.E. (2017): Selection of sap feed trees by yellow-bellied gliders (Petaurus australis) in north-eastern Queensland, Australia – implications for site-specific habitat management. – Australian Mammalogy, online March 2017
→ Tropical Rainforest Studies in Australia
[post_title] => Out in the Field with the Yellow-Bellied Glider
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks, students at The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies got an impression of the Australian outback and had a hands-on experience in research on invasive species.
About 150km west from the Center is the small township Chillagoe with its air of the Australian outback. Not only outback birds and large kangaroos welcomed the students, but also strange looking landforms. Chillagoe is located just along the edge of the ancient Australian continent and students were able to see the vastness of the Australian dry woodlands that stretches west from Chillagoe.
When looking east they saw a karst landscape, full of limestone caves that originated from an old reef that grew along the shores of this ancient continent. Although set back in time by the landscape, students learned that rainforest exists in the dry outback around Chillagoe, hidden in protected and moist gullies and near caves. They also got familiar with past and present human activities in this area which was and is connected with mining and the various impacts this industry has on the environment.
Back at the Center students enjoyed the much cooler climate compared to the hot and humid outback of Chillagoe. For 3 and 1/2 days students were then doing research on the invasive cane toad of Australia. Toads had to be collected from different sites at night and then dissected the next day. Data collection and dissection had to be organized by the entire class and this was a challenge!
Every student had a task allocated so that the success of the data collection depended on every member of the group. The final product was a large data sheet from which every student could draw data for her or his specific scientific question on cane toad ecology and physiology.
Now students have to write a mock scientific paper on their question using the collectively obtained data. And there are many questions about cane toads! What do they eat? What impact do lung nematodes have on food consumption or the development of fat bodies in cane toads? Do cane toads eat more in the Wet season? Students are using their own data to answer some of these questions and compare the results with those from other studies. Another step further in the preparation of the students for the upcoming Directed Research Projects.
[post_title] => Students Experience Different Australian Ecosystems
[post_excerpt] => Students at The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies got an impression of the Australian outback and had a hands-on experience in research on invasive species.
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks, students were busily engaged in their Directed Research projects. In the first week they had to complete their data collection. This meant for many to be out in the field working along steep slopes in rain and mist as the weather had deteriorated. It also saw students in thick rainforest establishing transects while trying to avoid being entangled in a spiky climbing palm, the so-called “Wait-a-while”.
Other students retrieved their data during long hours in the laboratory; some could work only after sunset as their subjects were nocturnal animals. And some students had to arrange interviews with people either by phone or during visits throughout the Tablelands. Despite the weather and all other hardships, the data must be got! No wonder that this part of the research project makes every student appreciate the obtained data.
Once the data were in, they had to be organized in Excel spreadsheets for the statistical analyses. This was often a time-consuming procedure, but worthwhile to be able to see what data can actually reveal. With the help of the faculty, students “made the data speak” and often very surprising results emerged. Some were expected, others were contradictory to any expectations.
This is the next challenge for the students: trying to explain the results. By the end of the last week students went back to the literature to compare their results with the results of other, similar studies. Students try now to interpret their results and put their results into the broader scientific picture. This is a challenge, but it is the final essence of all the efforts they have put into their projects so far.
[post_title] => Data Collection in the Wet Tropics
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[post_content] => The last two weeks were filled with students’ activities in the classroom, the computer lab, the field lab, and even in the Australian Outback.
Classroom lectures on the history of Australian rainforests and ecological terminology laid the foundation of knowledge for students in upcoming research activities. Students were introduced to various software programmes to assist in collecting, storing, presenting, and analysing spatial data for ecological research and assessing the impact of climate change on the fauna of the Wet Tropics. They also learned how to write an essay on a socio-economic topic and applied this knowledge to their first assignment.
Further preparation of students for research activities included the practice of identifying rainforest plant and arthropod species. During a review of various trapping and marking methods for animals many students were able to utilize their knowledge from research projects they had been previously involved in at their home institutions.
Activities at the Centre were followed by the first excursion of the semester program: a visit to Chillagoe, a previous mining town in the Australian Outback. Students felt the heat, saw Australian savannah landscape, and were sent back in time when interpreting the geology of an ancient part of the Australian continent. Although the outback was cloudy, some students were able to get a glimpse of the stunning Australian night sky with its many stars and special features.
[post_title] => Laying the Foundation
[post_excerpt] => Students felt the heat, saw Australian savannah landscape, and interpreted the geology of an ancient part of the Australian continent.
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[post_content] => The semester started just a week ago and students are still getting used to the rainforest environment with all its noises, smells, and dampness.
After a good introduction to the site of the Centre for Rainforest Studies and to regulations to keep students and staff happy, healthy, and safe, the academic program began. Students were familiarized with the courses, the various teaching activities and what is expected from them (to speak of assignments and exams). Then they learnt about the area, its geology, the different types of rainforests and how people settled here and used the land. Information on these topics was presented in lectures followed by field lectures in which students actually saw specific geological features, rainforest types, and land uses.
Students also familiarized themselves with the local bird fauna. Very early in the morning, students assembled at a spot on site and listened to the first bird calls. It is amazing how quiet a day starts and how many birds suddenly join into a dawn chorus. Students are required to learn some of the bird calls for a quiz, and it helps listening to the birds in our lovely rainforest, not just on an iPod.
Now the students are on their way to hear more about the natural and human history of the place to better understand factors that affected and shaped the present landscape. There is a lot more to learn and to discover….
[post_title] => Introduction to the Centre
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[post_content] => Students came back from the mid-semester break refreshed and full of new impressions of Australia.
Back in class, a rich program of lectures and field lectures awaited them. They heard about principles of repairing landscapes by revegetation including site selection, plant selection, monitoring the development of the site, and how to attract wildlife to such sites. Guest lectures familiarized them with types of economic incentives to encourage farmers to consider biodiversity on their land. During field lectures, students visited neglected farmland and discussed options to convert it back to a functioning ecosystem. They also inspected a revegetated riparian area in which tree-kangaroos are frequently seen.
One visit was very special for the students. The class visited a wildlife caretaker who explained the importance of wildlife caretakers here on the Atherton Tablelands with such a diverse and often endemic fauna. There is a lot of work involved when animals get rehabilitated or orphans need to be looked after. Currently, the wildlife caretaker looks after a young tree-kangaroo who lived in an artificial pouch attached to the chest of the caretaker. Tree-kangaroo joeys often come into care as they get easily expelled from the mother’s pouch when the mother is distressed. However, the care is quite complicated and requires a lot of experience. Not much is known about tree-kangaroos, particularly about the ways they detoxify toxic plant compounds which plants produce to deter herbivores in our rainforests. But we can learn a lot from the tree-kangaroos, and caretakers play a vital role in the conservation of these beautiful animals.
The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies (CRS) is also doing research on these animals to gain more knowledge about their ecology, which can assist in effective conservation planning. I am coordinating my research with a local community group that aims at the conservation of this and other special mammals on the Atherton Tablelands. The Tree-kangaroo and Mammal Group (TKMG) has recently completed a “Community Action Plan for the Conservation of the Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroo.” CRS will contribute to the various actions outlined in the plan and students’ projects will be strongly linked with these actions. In October, I attended the International Tree-kangaroo Workshop in Melbourne. There, I presented research done on the Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo by previous CRS students. I also presented TKMG’s Action Plan, which was consequently integrated into the Action Plan of the International Tree-kangaroo Conservation Group. This group consists of managers of conservation areas in Papua New Guinea (where most of the tree-kangaroo species exist), various zoos with tree-kangaroo breeding programs, veterinarians, researchers, and broader conservation groups.
Tree-kangaroos can only be effectively preserved when people with different backgrounds and knowledge cooperate. This applies to many other species too. But the tree-kangaroo case is special for CRS. It shows how our students contribute not only to conservation activities of the local community, but also to conservation efforts at an international scale.
[post_title] => Tree-Kangaroos and Conservation
[post_excerpt] => I am coordinating my research with a local community group that aims at the conservation of this and other special mammals on the Atherton Tablelands.
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks, the life of students at the Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) was filled with lectures, field lectures, field laboratory work, and workshops.
In lectures, students heard about the history of the Australian rainforest and how indigenous and European people used the natural resources of this environment. On walks they experienced the nature of the rainforest by identifying its structural features such as buttress roots, lianas, epiphytes, emergent trees and plants of the understory. They were introduced to methods of plant identification and practiced them.
In lectures and lab work students were introduced to the fauna of Australia including the large and fluffy creatures such as possums and kangaroos, the dangerous creatures such as snakes, and the very small creatures such as insects. In the field lab, students used microscopes and various identification keys to work out the order or species of some of the small animals. A highlight was a spotlighting night walk through the forests of the Centre during which students discovered spiders, frogs, small dragons, and even microbats.
Students spent a day with Aboriginal elders who familiarized the students with their culture and their ways of using the land. Students also visited the James Cook University to discuss the pros and cons of plans to further develop coastal areas of tropical Australia. They learned how to assess development projects in their complexity.
Two days were devoted to aspects of climate change and rainforest fragmentation and another day was devoted to learning applications of spatial tools such as GIS. Despite being busy with classes, students had also time to explore Australian life themselves by spending one weekend in Cairns.
[post_title] => Learning About the Australian Rainforest
[post_excerpt] => During the last two weeks, the life of students at the Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) was filled with lectures, field lectures, field laboratory work, and workshops.
In lectures, students heard about the history of the Australian rainforest and how indigenous and European people used the natural resources of this environment. On walks they experienced the nature of the rainforest by identifying its structural features such as buttress roots, lianas, epiphytes, emergent trees and plants of the understory. They were introduced to methods of plant identification and practiced them.
In lectures and lab work students were introduced to the fauna of Australia including the large and fluffy creatures such as possums and kangaroos, the dangerous creatures such as snakes, and the very small creatures such as insects. In the field lab, students used microscopes and various identification keys to work out the order or species of some of the small animals. A highlight was a spotlighting night walk through the forests of the Centre during which students discovered spiders, frogs, small dragons, and even microbats.
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks students became more familiar with the local community, met indigenous people near Cairns, “sniffed” the Australian Outback, and were introduced to various ecological field techniques.
Regular visits of students to nurseries and restoration sites of the local community strengthen the relationships between the Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) and members of the local communities and help in local projects. Students also spent a weekend with Aussie families to see what Aussies do during their spare time.
Twice the students camped overnight. On one occasion students camped on the land of an indigenous tribe near Cairns. At a camp fire students listened to the stories of the Aboriginals and to the didgeridoo. They were shown the land of the tribe, how indigenous people value the land and ensure its protection and careful use. On another occasion students camped in the Outback, about 150km west of CRS. They saw the vastness of Australian dry woodlands, were amazed by the countless stars and some of the constellations you can only see in the southern hemisphere’s sky, explored ancient caves which developed when this dry country was once part of an ocean and observed kangaroos, wallabies, and colourful outback birds.
Lectures, field lectures, and workshops at CRS filled the time in between excursions. Students learned about major factors impacting on Australian ecosystems, such as climate change, fragmentation and invasive species. They were familiarized with ways to identify plants and animals of the Australian Wet Tropical Rainforest and spent time applying GIS software to produce maps of the spatial distribution of ecological features. With so much knowledge on the fauna and flora of the rainforests here in Queensland, students feel more and more familiar with this unique place.
[post_title] => Excursions, Camping, and Lectures
[post_excerpt] => During the last two weeks students became more familiar with the local community, met indigenous people near Cairns, “sniffed” the Australian Outback, and were introduced to various ecological field techniques.
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[post_content] => During the first week of this semester, Centre Director Amanda Freeman introduced the students to the semester program and the Five-Year Research Plan of the SFS Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS). Faculties then familiarized the students with the components of their courses and how their teaching and research are linked to CRS’s Five-Year Research Plan.
One day was devoted to the exploration of local towns. Students had to find out more about the economy of these towns, the people living in them, and their interest and sense of place. This gave the students a great opportunity to speak to locals and get a feeling of the Atherton Tablelands.
The ecology faculty introduced the students to the geology and the fauna of the place. This was first done via classroom lectures, which were followed by a field lecture. During the field lecture the students saw land formations which they had to place into the correct geological epochs based on material presented in the previous lecture. Students were introduced to marsupials as a class of mammals by seeing a video clip on the birth of a marsupial. By combining geological and evolutionary history of the Atherton Tablelands students got a better understanding of the concepts of refugia and vicariant events in species speciation. By providing them with current research papers on the fauna of this area they were ask to assess how this unique fauna will survive in a world of climate change. They heard about some of the unique and endemic species of this area and are now keen on seeing them during their semester. The ecology faculty specifically familiarized the students with the unique tree-kangaroo and the research done on the ecology and behavior of this species by CRS and its students. Just recently a paper on the evolutionary aspects of the use of predator odors in antipredator behaviors of Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos was published by the faculty. The paper was based on extensive data collections done by students of CRS over many years.
Next week the students will explore spatial tools in ecological field research and analytical methods for spatial data to address specific questions on habitat selection, landscape ecology and conservation planning. Students will see how former students have applied GIS software in their research projects on habitat selection of tree-kangaroos and how this will impact conservation planning for this species. This example will also demonstrate to the students how important undergraduate research is since the GIS based projects on tree-kangaroo habitats won an award for best undergraduate students’ research abroad from the Forum on Education Abroad last year. This should enhance students’ interests in learning modern tools of ecology and doing research of high relevance for on-ground conservation.
Photo Credit: Chase Douglas
[post_title] => Exploration and Introductions
[post_excerpt] => During the first week, students were introduced to the semester program and the Five-Year Research Plan of the Centre for Rainforest Studies.
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[post_content] => Students arrived at the Center only a week ago, but became quickly involved in ongoing research of the Center for Rainforest Studies (CRS).
After an introduction into the program’s objectives and the schedule, students were familiarized with the local flora and fauna in lectures and spotlighting at night. Discovering the rainforest at night, listening to the rustles of possums, and admiring the beauty of elaborated spider webs placed many of the students into an unfamiliar world.
In a classroom activity, students identified and summarized techniques of scientific writing. They will apply this in their course assessments which require the writing of a results section and a full mock scientific paper on one of the course components.
Students then dived into the world of analyzing spatial features in ecological research. They became familiar with the basics of recording spatial data in the field, transferring them to a GIS database, displaying them on a map, and matching them with data on climate, soil, and watercourses. At the same time, students were introduced to basics and methods of radio-tracking animals and could see the application of this method in research on a local freshwater turtle.
Students and staff dissect a carpet python found (dead) on Center property.
Students also got insight into community-driven conservation work on the Atherton Tablelands. They visited two community projects, one that focuses on various restoration projects on the Tablelands, and one that restored riparian vegetation along a creek. Spotting a tree-kangaroo in trees that were planted many years ago along this creek showed the students how successful community conservation projects can be.
At the end of their first week, students were introduced to an ongoing research project of the Five-Year Research Plan of CRS. CRS helps in analyzing the distribution, habitat requirements, and habitat use of the vulnerable northern subspecies of the endemic yellow-bellied glider. This subspecies is separated from yellow-bellied glider populations in southern parts of Australia by a 400km gap, and depends on certain tree species for feeding and denning in wet sclerophyll forests. We have only limited knowledge on how forest management affects populations of this vulnerable species and urgently need more information on the species’ population and behavior. Students turned into scientists by reading papers to become familiar with this species, by identifying knowledge gaps which they expressed in research questions, by selecting field methods to collect required data to answer these questions, and by preparing their field work.
Students’ first encounter with the yellow-bellied glider was by sitting at trees shortly after dusk and listening to the calls of the gliders and recording any gliders that arrived at the observed trees to feed on the sap of the trees. This required sitting near a tree for two hours in the dark just using a red light to check occasionally the tree trunk. Some of the students recorded climatic data every 30 minutes, but also watched out for gliders and recorded the direction of calls they heard.
And students were lucky. Most of them saw gliders on the tree: fluffy animals with big ears and pink noses were moving along the trunks. Despite the cold weather, students loved the experience. They will continue on two nights next week and also conduct habitat surveys in areas where glider habitation is not yet confirmed.
[post_title] => Ongoing Research in Australia
[post_excerpt] => Students arrived at the center only a week ago, but became quickly involved in ongoing research of the Center for Rainforest Studies.
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[post_content] => Conservation biology is often described as a ‘crisis discipline’. Resources for conservation are usually limited, demanding prioritization under inclusion of strict criteria. Furthermore, our knowledge on ecological patterns and processes is often insufficient to assess whether a planned conservation action can be successful. Students at the SFS Center for Rainforest Studies (CRS) get familiar with conservation issues of the Wet Tropics of Australia and discover research needs to assist in better conservation of the values of the Wet Tropics. Towards the end of the semester students will become involved in research projects that are part of the Centre's long-term strategic research agenda and are closely linked with urgent conservation issues of Australia's Wet Tropics.
But research entails more than just the accumulation of results by conservation biologists. Unlike scientists of other disciplines, conservation biologists have an additional unusual burden, namely the responsibility to disseminate their results in order to ensure their application and use in management and policy making (Dickman 2013). This makes conservation biology a very complex discipline. Students at CRS become aware of this complexity by the many linkages that exist between the three courses they attend here during their semester abroad. While they learn about the various damaging impacts of human activities on our ecosystems and species and attempts to investigate how to mitigate these impacts, they also become familiar with ways to explore human perceptions on these damaging impacts, how to inform the public about new ways to achieve effective conservation, and how to assess the willingness of people to apply new mitigating measures.
Current students at CRS have already experienced some examples of this complexity during their first three weeks here in Australia. For example: they learned about invasive species and how these species can reduce and even destroy the biodiversity of our native species. They then attended a public lecture at James Cook University in which scientists demonstrated their research results to the public and explained what community members can do in their backyards to control the spread of the very invasive and destructive Yellow Crazy Ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) which poses a threat to the biodiversity of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.
At another occasion students learned about the impact of feral predators, such as dogs and cats, on our unique Australian animals. Dog control and management can become very sensitive issues as they may interfere with the privacy of individuals’ right to manage their own dogs. It is essential to explore whether people are aware of the threat domestic predators pose to our wildlife and to assess people’s perceptions to dog control. Students tried to find this out and used World Cassowary Day, which was held in Mission Beach on the 26th of September, to interview people on theses topics.
Like many conservation-minded groups, SFS also presented itself on that day with a booth in which it displayed examples of its educational and research mission on various posters. One poster informed the public about the susceptibility of Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) to domestic dogs. Some of my recent research shows that Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos recognize the odor of dogs as odor from a predator, but respond to it in an inappropriate way (Heise-Pavlov 2015). Instead of climbing further up on a tree, they select an antipredatory strategy that helped their ancestors, the rock-wallabies, to escape from the predator, namely to run away on the ground. But this is an insufficient tactic for tree-kangaroos that have now well adapted to a life in the canopies which made them incapable of running fast enough on the ground. Any encounter of a tree-kangaroo with a dog is likely to be fatal for the tree-kangaroo.
Students interviewed more than 100 people and will now start to analyse the data to assess whether people are aware of the impact dogs can have on our wildlife and whether they are willing to manage their dog in an appropriate way. With these interviews students make a valuable contribution to the conservation work of CRS which consists of education, research, and dissemination of knowledge to the public.
Dickman, C. R. (2013): Human community ecology: making connections for conservation. – Pacific Conservation Biology 19: 312-319.
Heise-Pavlov, S. (2015): Evolutionary aspects of the use of predator odors in antipredator behaviors of Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi). - In: Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 13, (Eds. Schulte, B. Goodwin, T.), Springer New York, in print
[post_title] => Learning the Complexities of Conservation Biology
[post_excerpt] => Students become familiar with conservation issues of the Wet Tropics of Australia and discover research needs.
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[post_content] => The Atherton Tablelands within the Wet Tropics of Australia have a unique wildlife that consists of many endemic and relict species adapted to higher elevations within the tropical climate of North Eastern Australia. As anywhere in the world human settlement, land use, and development affect this unique fauna. Beside habitat loss, fragmentation and infrastructure, non-native species and, specifically, non-native predators, introduced by colonizing people, pose a threat to native wildlife. In contrast to other continents, introduced predators seem to have a far greater impact on the Australian native fauna than other factors of human development and land use (Woinarski et al. 2015). Feral cats have been declared as number one threat to many native Australian species and have been identified as major contributor to the decline or even extinction of many Australian small mammals in almost all ecosystems of this continent (Woinarski et al. 2015), followed by foxes and feral dogs. Feral or even roaming dogs can cause population declines of many Australian species since their ability to hunt in packs allows them to target species of various sizes. Addressing the threat to Australian wildlife by feral and roaming dogs in conservation actions can be problematic since many people own dogs as pets or working animals and assume that their dogs do not harm wildlife.
Photo by Sigrid Heise-Pavlov.
The threat of native wildlife by dogs becomes even more paramount when anti-predatory strategies of native Australian species are inappropriate or insufficient. This is the case for the unique Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) that lives in the canopies of rainforests with most of its populations on the Atherton Tablelands. Research at the Centre for Rainforest Studies shows that tree-kangaroos are able to recognize odours from dogs as odours from predators, but apply an inappropriate anti-predatory strategy by descending from the canopy to the ground (Heise-Pavlov 2016). This behaviour increases their risk to fall victim to encounters with dogs. It is therefore not surprising that wildlife caretakers, who deal with injured tree-kangaroos or/and raise juvenile orphaned tree-kangaroos who come into care after their mother had been killed, are particularly concerned about dogs roaming around. But where to start to mitigate this threat? Perhaps with increasing the awareness of people to recognize the negative impact of dogs on our wildlife here on the Atherton Tablelands? Last year students at the Centre for Rainforest Studies started to explore the attitude of locals towards this issue. They worked out a questionnaire that tries to capture people’s knowledge on the impact of introduced species on our wildlife and their opinions on how domestic dogs or cats should be kept to minimize their potential impact on our wildlife. Students of this semester continued with this work and, after they had revised the questionnaire, interviewed locals at various places on the Atherton Tablelands. But they went even further!
Photo by Ana Toumpas.
They also observed a released orphaned tree-kangaroo to understand how it adapts to the forest after being raised in a wildlife caretaker’s home and to observe how it moves within the canopy but also on the ground where it easily can be chased by uncontrolled or feral dogs. They listened to the concerns of a wildlife caretaker about the situation of roaming and feral dogs on the Atherton Tablelands who can destroy within minutes the year-long efforts of caretakers to raise orphaned tree-kangaroos before they can be released.
After the collation of all the interviews and observation records students wrote two mock scientific papers on the results which will help us to take further steps in developing effective strategies to reduce the existing threat of our unique wildlife by domestic and feral dogs.
Heise-Pavlov SR. 2016. Evolutionary Aspects of the Use of Predator Odors in Antipredator Behaviors of Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi). Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 13: Springer. pp 261-280.
Woinarski J, Burbidge AA, NHarrison PL. 2015. Ongoing unraveling of a continental fauna: decline and extinction of Australian mammals since European settlement. PNAS 112(15):4531-4540.
Rainforest Studies in Australia
[post_title] => Man’s Best Friend, Tree Kangaroo’s Worst Enemy
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[post_content] => With support from SFS-HQ, we developed a crowdfunding project in March 2016 to support research on methods to assess population sizes of Yellow-bellied gliders based on identifying individuals by their calls. The plan was to develop a field mini-lab that would record calls and take infrared photos from gliders. Using special software, I plan to identify call traits that can be used to identify individuals and therefore would allow the estimation of the number of animals within a family group. Knowledge on population sizes is essential to computing population trends of a species, which assists in conservation planning.
The crowdfunding campaign was successful, and many of the former CRS students who had been out in the forest observing gliders with me contributed to the success. However, it took a while to get a prototype of a sensitive sound recording device ready. Stan, the physicist who is building the device, had to overcome some challenges. The material was quickly purchased and the assemblage of the parts was not a great hurdle, but when it came to make the assembled parts working together, some unforeseen problems emerged. The program, which runs the data recording and allows the setting of a certain recording time, was running smoothly on the PC, but it had to be tweaked to run as a ‘headless’ system, i.e. no name, no monitor or keyboard, for operating in the field. It was set to save data as .wav files on an external USB stick from which they could be transferred into the analysis software.
At the beginning of October the first prototype of the recording device was ready to be tested in the field. This was close to the time of a field exercise during which I planned to collect more data on the behavior of gliders with students of the current CRS semester. Glider observations require sitting still at trees which gliders use to extract sap from. When gliders approach these feed trees and while feeding from them they emit various calls which can be recorded.
Sylvie Finn and Marley Guy measure the diameter of the Eucalyptus grandis, also known as Rose Gum. Rose Gums are the species of choice when it comes to Yellow-bellied gliders finding densBen Curell measures the height of a tree using a rangefinder which emits a laser to different points of a tree and calculates the approximate heightBen, Sylvie, and Marley scope out the forest for potential glider den and feeding trees
I took the recording device into the field on the 11th of October, placed the microphone in a plastic frame and attached it to a branch of a small tree near a tree that showed signs of gliders feeding from its sap. I connected the device to a battery and started the program following the prompts. After setting the time to 120 minutes I then sat quietly at the tree together with two other students.
The observation session started at 18.30. Slowly birds became less active and quietened completely. At around 18.43 cicadas started to call. It was so loud that it was almost deafening. They all stopped at once at around 18.57. Soon after, the last cockatoos stopped calling and a beautiful quietness spread through the dark forest. We listened intently. Then, suddenly, we heard a typical glider call from the East and another one from the West. A few minutes later wee saw the silhouette of a glider against the sky and the glider landed at the tree. The animal moved down to a cut in the bark of the tree from which sap exuded and started to feed. My students and I noted the calls and the arrival of the glider.
After 30 minutes a loud call appeared near the tree and another glider arrived at the tree while calling. This animal went to a different cut and started to feed. After a while this glider moved further down to the first glider and rubbed its body against the first animal. From observations of Rupert Russell, who had observed many gliders in his life, we know that this behavior is linked with the distribution of a family odour among the members of a glider family. After this interaction the second animal moved up along the tree trunk and resumed its feeding. Both animals were feeding happily for quite a while before the second animal emitted a loud call and went further up the trunk to reach a branch from which it glided away into the forest. The observers got really excited because they now had two calls from the same individual which can be analysed for individual-specific traits.
After the two hours the recording device indicated that the data had been saved. On the next day the data were transferred onto the computer and into the sound analysis program. It was a great moment to see the sounds displayed graphically. The long period of cicada calls was clearly visible as well as several calls from Yellow-bellied gliders. I took the device out for two more nights while sitting at two other trees which were used actively by gliders to feed from. With the obtained data Stan is now able to tune the microphones and pre-amplifiers to optimize the ‘quality’ of the recording to extract as much information as possible.
Sigrid Heise-Pavlov
Katie Gimbert takes a leap over a small creek after a day of surveying the forest for den and feeding treesStudents scope out a small creek crossing in the Eucalypt-dense Gilbey Forest Scientific Reserve→ Tropical Rainforest Studies in Australia
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[post_content] => Since 2012 the SFS Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) has been involved in habitat surveys and research in relation to the protection of the vulnerable northern species of the Yellow-bellied Glider (Petaurus australis) (YBG). Currently the protection of the habitat of this species relies on the enthusiasm and dedicated work of a few volunteers which makes contributions from students and faculties of CRS very valuable.
Former students of CRS have spent endless hours in glider-occupied habitats, habitats not used by gliders and habitats that were abandoned by gliders to identify essential habitat features that meet the ecological requirements of this species. This has resulted in a published research report of the ecology faculty together with former students on a preliminary study to assess habitat requirements of this species based on simple methods that can be applied in future citizen science projects (Heise-Pavlov et al. 2017).
Last week students of this semester continued with this research using refined methods to assess the suitability of an area for the yellow-bellied glider. Students learnt and utilized skills to navigate in unknown terrain using GPS and compass, to identify Eucalyptus species (from which some are essential for gliders to use a habitat), to measure vegetation features such as the height and diameter of trees, and to assess the density of invasive species, such as lantana (Lantana camara). They practised data collection in the field and the storage of the collected data in appropriate formats. Some locals assisted the students in their data collection and were impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication of the students to survey an area from which we had no knowledge about its suitability for gliders.
But students did not only contribute to habitat surveys for the protection of the YBG in north Queensland. In previous News from the Field I reported about a call recording device that had been built with support from a crowdfunding campaign in order to record and analyse calls from this quite vocal species with the aim to use the calls to identify individuals and thus to be able to assess population densities of this species. To record calls individual gliders have to be observed after dusk when they arrive at their feeding trees to extract sap. This is usually the time they interact by using various calls. Students helped in these observations by sitting around trees gliders were known to feed on. Beside a very thorough recording of interactions and vocalization of the observed individuals, students enjoyed seeing this unique animal.
With their enthusiasm and dedication students of this semester assisted in habitat surveys and ongoing research to protect this unique species of the Wet Tropics Bioregion of Australia. They contributed to the work of the volunteers of the Tropical Glider Group for which this group is very grateful.
Heise-Pavlov, S.; Chizinski, T. and Walker, N.E. (2017): Selection of sap feed trees by yellow-bellied gliders (Petaurus australis) in north-eastern Queensland, Australia – implications for site-specific habitat management. – Australian Mammalogy, online March 2017
→ Tropical Rainforest Studies in Australia
[post_title] => Out in the Field with the Yellow-Bellied Glider
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[post_date] => 2012-03-23 11:48:02
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks, students at The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies got an impression of the Australian outback and had a hands-on experience in research on invasive species.
About 150km west from the Center is the small township Chillagoe with its air of the Australian outback. Not only outback birds and large kangaroos welcomed the students, but also strange looking landforms. Chillagoe is located just along the edge of the ancient Australian continent and students were able to see the vastness of the Australian dry woodlands that stretches west from Chillagoe.
When looking east they saw a karst landscape, full of limestone caves that originated from an old reef that grew along the shores of this ancient continent. Although set back in time by the landscape, students learned that rainforest exists in the dry outback around Chillagoe, hidden in protected and moist gullies and near caves. They also got familiar with past and present human activities in this area which was and is connected with mining and the various impacts this industry has on the environment.
Back at the Center students enjoyed the much cooler climate compared to the hot and humid outback of Chillagoe. For 3 and 1/2 days students were then doing research on the invasive cane toad of Australia. Toads had to be collected from different sites at night and then dissected the next day. Data collection and dissection had to be organized by the entire class and this was a challenge!
Every student had a task allocated so that the success of the data collection depended on every member of the group. The final product was a large data sheet from which every student could draw data for her or his specific scientific question on cane toad ecology and physiology.
Now students have to write a mock scientific paper on their question using the collectively obtained data. And there are many questions about cane toads! What do they eat? What impact do lung nematodes have on food consumption or the development of fat bodies in cane toads? Do cane toads eat more in the Wet season? Students are using their own data to answer some of these questions and compare the results with those from other studies. Another step further in the preparation of the students for the upcoming Directed Research Projects.
[post_title] => Students Experience Different Australian Ecosystems
[post_excerpt] => Students at The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies got an impression of the Australian outback and had a hands-on experience in research on invasive species.
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[post_date] => 2012-04-23 07:02:40
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks, students were busily engaged in their Directed Research projects. In the first week they had to complete their data collection. This meant for many to be out in the field working along steep slopes in rain and mist as the weather had deteriorated. It also saw students in thick rainforest establishing transects while trying to avoid being entangled in a spiky climbing palm, the so-called “Wait-a-while”.
Other students retrieved their data during long hours in the laboratory; some could work only after sunset as their subjects were nocturnal animals. And some students had to arrange interviews with people either by phone or during visits throughout the Tablelands. Despite the weather and all other hardships, the data must be got! No wonder that this part of the research project makes every student appreciate the obtained data.
Once the data were in, they had to be organized in Excel spreadsheets for the statistical analyses. This was often a time-consuming procedure, but worthwhile to be able to see what data can actually reveal. With the help of the faculty, students “made the data speak” and often very surprising results emerged. Some were expected, others were contradictory to any expectations.
This is the next challenge for the students: trying to explain the results. By the end of the last week students went back to the literature to compare their results with the results of other, similar studies. Students try now to interpret their results and put their results into the broader scientific picture. This is a challenge, but it is the final essence of all the efforts they have put into their projects so far.
[post_title] => Data Collection in the Wet Tropics
[post_excerpt] => During the last two weeks, students were busily engaged in their Directed Research projects.
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[post_date] => 2013-02-28 08:23:37
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[post_content] => The last two weeks were filled with students’ activities in the classroom, the computer lab, the field lab, and even in the Australian Outback.
Classroom lectures on the history of Australian rainforests and ecological terminology laid the foundation of knowledge for students in upcoming research activities. Students were introduced to various software programmes to assist in collecting, storing, presenting, and analysing spatial data for ecological research and assessing the impact of climate change on the fauna of the Wet Tropics. They also learned how to write an essay on a socio-economic topic and applied this knowledge to their first assignment.
Further preparation of students for research activities included the practice of identifying rainforest plant and arthropod species. During a review of various trapping and marking methods for animals many students were able to utilize their knowledge from research projects they had been previously involved in at their home institutions.
Activities at the Centre were followed by the first excursion of the semester program: a visit to Chillagoe, a previous mining town in the Australian Outback. Students felt the heat, saw Australian savannah landscape, and were sent back in time when interpreting the geology of an ancient part of the Australian continent. Although the outback was cloudy, some students were able to get a glimpse of the stunning Australian night sky with its many stars and special features.
[post_title] => Laying the Foundation
[post_excerpt] => Students felt the heat, saw Australian savannah landscape, and interpreted the geology of an ancient part of the Australian continent.
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[post_date] => 2013-09-12 05:59:31
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[post_content] => The semester started just a week ago and students are still getting used to the rainforest environment with all its noises, smells, and dampness.
After a good introduction to the site of the Centre for Rainforest Studies and to regulations to keep students and staff happy, healthy, and safe, the academic program began. Students were familiarized with the courses, the various teaching activities and what is expected from them (to speak of assignments and exams). Then they learnt about the area, its geology, the different types of rainforests and how people settled here and used the land. Information on these topics was presented in lectures followed by field lectures in which students actually saw specific geological features, rainforest types, and land uses.
Students also familiarized themselves with the local bird fauna. Very early in the morning, students assembled at a spot on site and listened to the first bird calls. It is amazing how quiet a day starts and how many birds suddenly join into a dawn chorus. Students are required to learn some of the bird calls for a quiz, and it helps listening to the birds in our lovely rainforest, not just on an iPod.
Now the students are on their way to hear more about the natural and human history of the place to better understand factors that affected and shaped the present landscape. There is a lot more to learn and to discover….
[post_title] => Introduction to the Centre
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[post_date] => 2013-11-12 09:13:52
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[post_content] => Students came back from the mid-semester break refreshed and full of new impressions of Australia.
Back in class, a rich program of lectures and field lectures awaited them. They heard about principles of repairing landscapes by revegetation including site selection, plant selection, monitoring the development of the site, and how to attract wildlife to such sites. Guest lectures familiarized them with types of economic incentives to encourage farmers to consider biodiversity on their land. During field lectures, students visited neglected farmland and discussed options to convert it back to a functioning ecosystem. They also inspected a revegetated riparian area in which tree-kangaroos are frequently seen.
One visit was very special for the students. The class visited a wildlife caretaker who explained the importance of wildlife caretakers here on the Atherton Tablelands with such a diverse and often endemic fauna. There is a lot of work involved when animals get rehabilitated or orphans need to be looked after. Currently, the wildlife caretaker looks after a young tree-kangaroo who lived in an artificial pouch attached to the chest of the caretaker. Tree-kangaroo joeys often come into care as they get easily expelled from the mother’s pouch when the mother is distressed. However, the care is quite complicated and requires a lot of experience. Not much is known about tree-kangaroos, particularly about the ways they detoxify toxic plant compounds which plants produce to deter herbivores in our rainforests. But we can learn a lot from the tree-kangaroos, and caretakers play a vital role in the conservation of these beautiful animals.
The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies (CRS) is also doing research on these animals to gain more knowledge about their ecology, which can assist in effective conservation planning. I am coordinating my research with a local community group that aims at the conservation of this and other special mammals on the Atherton Tablelands. The Tree-kangaroo and Mammal Group (TKMG) has recently completed a “Community Action Plan for the Conservation of the Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroo.” CRS will contribute to the various actions outlined in the plan and students’ projects will be strongly linked with these actions. In October, I attended the International Tree-kangaroo Workshop in Melbourne. There, I presented research done on the Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo by previous CRS students. I also presented TKMG’s Action Plan, which was consequently integrated into the Action Plan of the International Tree-kangaroo Conservation Group. This group consists of managers of conservation areas in Papua New Guinea (where most of the tree-kangaroo species exist), various zoos with tree-kangaroo breeding programs, veterinarians, researchers, and broader conservation groups.
Tree-kangaroos can only be effectively preserved when people with different backgrounds and knowledge cooperate. This applies to many other species too. But the tree-kangaroo case is special for CRS. It shows how our students contribute not only to conservation activities of the local community, but also to conservation efforts at an international scale.
[post_title] => Tree-Kangaroos and Conservation
[post_excerpt] => I am coordinating my research with a local community group that aims at the conservation of this and other special mammals on the Atherton Tablelands.
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks, the life of students at the Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) was filled with lectures, field lectures, field laboratory work, and workshops.
In lectures, students heard about the history of the Australian rainforest and how indigenous and European people used the natural resources of this environment. On walks they experienced the nature of the rainforest by identifying its structural features such as buttress roots, lianas, epiphytes, emergent trees and plants of the understory. They were introduced to methods of plant identification and practiced them.
In lectures and lab work students were introduced to the fauna of Australia including the large and fluffy creatures such as possums and kangaroos, the dangerous creatures such as snakes, and the very small creatures such as insects. In the field lab, students used microscopes and various identification keys to work out the order or species of some of the small animals. A highlight was a spotlighting night walk through the forests of the Centre during which students discovered spiders, frogs, small dragons, and even microbats.
Students spent a day with Aboriginal elders who familiarized the students with their culture and their ways of using the land. Students also visited the James Cook University to discuss the pros and cons of plans to further develop coastal areas of tropical Australia. They learned how to assess development projects in their complexity.
Two days were devoted to aspects of climate change and rainforest fragmentation and another day was devoted to learning applications of spatial tools such as GIS. Despite being busy with classes, students had also time to explore Australian life themselves by spending one weekend in Cairns.
[post_title] => Learning About the Australian Rainforest
[post_excerpt] => During the last two weeks, the life of students at the Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) was filled with lectures, field lectures, field laboratory work, and workshops.
In lectures, students heard about the history of the Australian rainforest and how indigenous and European people used the natural resources of this environment. On walks they experienced the nature of the rainforest by identifying its structural features such as buttress roots, lianas, epiphytes, emergent trees and plants of the understory. They were introduced to methods of plant identification and practiced them.
In lectures and lab work students were introduced to the fauna of Australia including the large and fluffy creatures such as possums and kangaroos, the dangerous creatures such as snakes, and the very small creatures such as insects. In the field lab, students used microscopes and various identification keys to work out the order or species of some of the small animals. A highlight was a spotlighting night walk through the forests of the Centre during which students discovered spiders, frogs, small dragons, and even microbats.
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks students became more familiar with the local community, met indigenous people near Cairns, “sniffed” the Australian Outback, and were introduced to various ecological field techniques.
Regular visits of students to nurseries and restoration sites of the local community strengthen the relationships between the Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) and members of the local communities and help in local projects. Students also spent a weekend with Aussie families to see what Aussies do during their spare time.
Twice the students camped overnight. On one occasion students camped on the land of an indigenous tribe near Cairns. At a camp fire students listened to the stories of the Aboriginals and to the didgeridoo. They were shown the land of the tribe, how indigenous people value the land and ensure its protection and careful use. On another occasion students camped in the Outback, about 150km west of CRS. They saw the vastness of Australian dry woodlands, were amazed by the countless stars and some of the constellations you can only see in the southern hemisphere’s sky, explored ancient caves which developed when this dry country was once part of an ocean and observed kangaroos, wallabies, and colourful outback birds.
Lectures, field lectures, and workshops at CRS filled the time in between excursions. Students learned about major factors impacting on Australian ecosystems, such as climate change, fragmentation and invasive species. They were familiarized with ways to identify plants and animals of the Australian Wet Tropical Rainforest and spent time applying GIS software to produce maps of the spatial distribution of ecological features. With so much knowledge on the fauna and flora of the rainforests here in Queensland, students feel more and more familiar with this unique place.
[post_title] => Excursions, Camping, and Lectures
[post_excerpt] => During the last two weeks students became more familiar with the local community, met indigenous people near Cairns, “sniffed” the Australian Outback, and were introduced to various ecological field techniques.
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[post_date] => 2015-02-10 14:57:46
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[post_content] => During the first week of this semester, Centre Director Amanda Freeman introduced the students to the semester program and the Five-Year Research Plan of the SFS Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS). Faculties then familiarized the students with the components of their courses and how their teaching and research are linked to CRS’s Five-Year Research Plan.
One day was devoted to the exploration of local towns. Students had to find out more about the economy of these towns, the people living in them, and their interest and sense of place. This gave the students a great opportunity to speak to locals and get a feeling of the Atherton Tablelands.
The ecology faculty introduced the students to the geology and the fauna of the place. This was first done via classroom lectures, which were followed by a field lecture. During the field lecture the students saw land formations which they had to place into the correct geological epochs based on material presented in the previous lecture. Students were introduced to marsupials as a class of mammals by seeing a video clip on the birth of a marsupial. By combining geological and evolutionary history of the Atherton Tablelands students got a better understanding of the concepts of refugia and vicariant events in species speciation. By providing them with current research papers on the fauna of this area they were ask to assess how this unique fauna will survive in a world of climate change. They heard about some of the unique and endemic species of this area and are now keen on seeing them during their semester. The ecology faculty specifically familiarized the students with the unique tree-kangaroo and the research done on the ecology and behavior of this species by CRS and its students. Just recently a paper on the evolutionary aspects of the use of predator odors in antipredator behaviors of Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos was published by the faculty. The paper was based on extensive data collections done by students of CRS over many years.
Next week the students will explore spatial tools in ecological field research and analytical methods for spatial data to address specific questions on habitat selection, landscape ecology and conservation planning. Students will see how former students have applied GIS software in their research projects on habitat selection of tree-kangaroos and how this will impact conservation planning for this species. This example will also demonstrate to the students how important undergraduate research is since the GIS based projects on tree-kangaroo habitats won an award for best undergraduate students’ research abroad from the Forum on Education Abroad last year. This should enhance students’ interests in learning modern tools of ecology and doing research of high relevance for on-ground conservation.
Photo Credit: Chase Douglas
[post_title] => Exploration and Introductions
[post_excerpt] => During the first week, students were introduced to the semester program and the Five-Year Research Plan of the Centre for Rainforest Studies.
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[post_content] => Students arrived at the Center only a week ago, but became quickly involved in ongoing research of the Center for Rainforest Studies (CRS).
After an introduction into the program’s objectives and the schedule, students were familiarized with the local flora and fauna in lectures and spotlighting at night. Discovering the rainforest at night, listening to the rustles of possums, and admiring the beauty of elaborated spider webs placed many of the students into an unfamiliar world.
In a classroom activity, students identified and summarized techniques of scientific writing. They will apply this in their course assessments which require the writing of a results section and a full mock scientific paper on one of the course components.
Students then dived into the world of analyzing spatial features in ecological research. They became familiar with the basics of recording spatial data in the field, transferring them to a GIS database, displaying them on a map, and matching them with data on climate, soil, and watercourses. At the same time, students were introduced to basics and methods of radio-tracking animals and could see the application of this method in research on a local freshwater turtle.
Students and staff dissect a carpet python found (dead) on Center property.
Students also got insight into community-driven conservation work on the Atherton Tablelands. They visited two community projects, one that focuses on various restoration projects on the Tablelands, and one that restored riparian vegetation along a creek. Spotting a tree-kangaroo in trees that were planted many years ago along this creek showed the students how successful community conservation projects can be.
At the end of their first week, students were introduced to an ongoing research project of the Five-Year Research Plan of CRS. CRS helps in analyzing the distribution, habitat requirements, and habitat use of the vulnerable northern subspecies of the endemic yellow-bellied glider. This subspecies is separated from yellow-bellied glider populations in southern parts of Australia by a 400km gap, and depends on certain tree species for feeding and denning in wet sclerophyll forests. We have only limited knowledge on how forest management affects populations of this vulnerable species and urgently need more information on the species’ population and behavior. Students turned into scientists by reading papers to become familiar with this species, by identifying knowledge gaps which they expressed in research questions, by selecting field methods to collect required data to answer these questions, and by preparing their field work.
Students’ first encounter with the yellow-bellied glider was by sitting at trees shortly after dusk and listening to the calls of the gliders and recording any gliders that arrived at the observed trees to feed on the sap of the trees. This required sitting near a tree for two hours in the dark just using a red light to check occasionally the tree trunk. Some of the students recorded climatic data every 30 minutes, but also watched out for gliders and recorded the direction of calls they heard.
And students were lucky. Most of them saw gliders on the tree: fluffy animals with big ears and pink noses were moving along the trunks. Despite the cold weather, students loved the experience. They will continue on two nights next week and also conduct habitat surveys in areas where glider habitation is not yet confirmed.
[post_title] => Ongoing Research in Australia
[post_excerpt] => Students arrived at the center only a week ago, but became quickly involved in ongoing research of the Center for Rainforest Studies.
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[post_content] => Conservation biology is often described as a ‘crisis discipline’. Resources for conservation are usually limited, demanding prioritization under inclusion of strict criteria. Furthermore, our knowledge on ecological patterns and processes is often insufficient to assess whether a planned conservation action can be successful. Students at the SFS Center for Rainforest Studies (CRS) get familiar with conservation issues of the Wet Tropics of Australia and discover research needs to assist in better conservation of the values of the Wet Tropics. Towards the end of the semester students will become involved in research projects that are part of the Centre's long-term strategic research agenda and are closely linked with urgent conservation issues of Australia's Wet Tropics.
But research entails more than just the accumulation of results by conservation biologists. Unlike scientists of other disciplines, conservation biologists have an additional unusual burden, namely the responsibility to disseminate their results in order to ensure their application and use in management and policy making (Dickman 2013). This makes conservation biology a very complex discipline. Students at CRS become aware of this complexity by the many linkages that exist between the three courses they attend here during their semester abroad. While they learn about the various damaging impacts of human activities on our ecosystems and species and attempts to investigate how to mitigate these impacts, they also become familiar with ways to explore human perceptions on these damaging impacts, how to inform the public about new ways to achieve effective conservation, and how to assess the willingness of people to apply new mitigating measures.
Current students at CRS have already experienced some examples of this complexity during their first three weeks here in Australia. For example: they learned about invasive species and how these species can reduce and even destroy the biodiversity of our native species. They then attended a public lecture at James Cook University in which scientists demonstrated their research results to the public and explained what community members can do in their backyards to control the spread of the very invasive and destructive Yellow Crazy Ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) which poses a threat to the biodiversity of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.
At another occasion students learned about the impact of feral predators, such as dogs and cats, on our unique Australian animals. Dog control and management can become very sensitive issues as they may interfere with the privacy of individuals’ right to manage their own dogs. It is essential to explore whether people are aware of the threat domestic predators pose to our wildlife and to assess people’s perceptions to dog control. Students tried to find this out and used World Cassowary Day, which was held in Mission Beach on the 26th of September, to interview people on theses topics.
Like many conservation-minded groups, SFS also presented itself on that day with a booth in which it displayed examples of its educational and research mission on various posters. One poster informed the public about the susceptibility of Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) to domestic dogs. Some of my recent research shows that Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos recognize the odor of dogs as odor from a predator, but respond to it in an inappropriate way (Heise-Pavlov 2015). Instead of climbing further up on a tree, they select an antipredatory strategy that helped their ancestors, the rock-wallabies, to escape from the predator, namely to run away on the ground. But this is an insufficient tactic for tree-kangaroos that have now well adapted to a life in the canopies which made them incapable of running fast enough on the ground. Any encounter of a tree-kangaroo with a dog is likely to be fatal for the tree-kangaroo.
Students interviewed more than 100 people and will now start to analyse the data to assess whether people are aware of the impact dogs can have on our wildlife and whether they are willing to manage their dog in an appropriate way. With these interviews students make a valuable contribution to the conservation work of CRS which consists of education, research, and dissemination of knowledge to the public.
Dickman, C. R. (2013): Human community ecology: making connections for conservation. – Pacific Conservation Biology 19: 312-319.
Heise-Pavlov, S. (2015): Evolutionary aspects of the use of predator odors in antipredator behaviors of Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi). - In: Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 13, (Eds. Schulte, B. Goodwin, T.), Springer New York, in print
[post_title] => Learning the Complexities of Conservation Biology
[post_excerpt] => Students become familiar with conservation issues of the Wet Tropics of Australia and discover research needs.
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[post_content] => The Atherton Tablelands within the Wet Tropics of Australia have a unique wildlife that consists of many endemic and relict species adapted to higher elevations within the tropical climate of North Eastern Australia. As anywhere in the world human settlement, land use, and development affect this unique fauna. Beside habitat loss, fragmentation and infrastructure, non-native species and, specifically, non-native predators, introduced by colonizing people, pose a threat to native wildlife. In contrast to other continents, introduced predators seem to have a far greater impact on the Australian native fauna than other factors of human development and land use (Woinarski et al. 2015). Feral cats have been declared as number one threat to many native Australian species and have been identified as major contributor to the decline or even extinction of many Australian small mammals in almost all ecosystems of this continent (Woinarski et al. 2015), followed by foxes and feral dogs. Feral or even roaming dogs can cause population declines of many Australian species since their ability to hunt in packs allows them to target species of various sizes. Addressing the threat to Australian wildlife by feral and roaming dogs in conservation actions can be problematic since many people own dogs as pets or working animals and assume that their dogs do not harm wildlife.
Photo by Sigrid Heise-Pavlov.
The threat of native wildlife by dogs becomes even more paramount when anti-predatory strategies of native Australian species are inappropriate or insufficient. This is the case for the unique Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) that lives in the canopies of rainforests with most of its populations on the Atherton Tablelands. Research at the Centre for Rainforest Studies shows that tree-kangaroos are able to recognize odours from dogs as odours from predators, but apply an inappropriate anti-predatory strategy by descending from the canopy to the ground (Heise-Pavlov 2016). This behaviour increases their risk to fall victim to encounters with dogs. It is therefore not surprising that wildlife caretakers, who deal with injured tree-kangaroos or/and raise juvenile orphaned tree-kangaroos who come into care after their mother had been killed, are particularly concerned about dogs roaming around. But where to start to mitigate this threat? Perhaps with increasing the awareness of people to recognize the negative impact of dogs on our wildlife here on the Atherton Tablelands? Last year students at the Centre for Rainforest Studies started to explore the attitude of locals towards this issue. They worked out a questionnaire that tries to capture people’s knowledge on the impact of introduced species on our wildlife and their opinions on how domestic dogs or cats should be kept to minimize their potential impact on our wildlife. Students of this semester continued with this work and, after they had revised the questionnaire, interviewed locals at various places on the Atherton Tablelands. But they went even further!
Photo by Ana Toumpas.
They also observed a released orphaned tree-kangaroo to understand how it adapts to the forest after being raised in a wildlife caretaker’s home and to observe how it moves within the canopy but also on the ground where it easily can be chased by uncontrolled or feral dogs. They listened to the concerns of a wildlife caretaker about the situation of roaming and feral dogs on the Atherton Tablelands who can destroy within minutes the year-long efforts of caretakers to raise orphaned tree-kangaroos before they can be released.
After the collation of all the interviews and observation records students wrote two mock scientific papers on the results which will help us to take further steps in developing effective strategies to reduce the existing threat of our unique wildlife by domestic and feral dogs.
Heise-Pavlov SR. 2016. Evolutionary Aspects of the Use of Predator Odors in Antipredator Behaviors of Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi). Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 13: Springer. pp 261-280.
Woinarski J, Burbidge AA, NHarrison PL. 2015. Ongoing unraveling of a continental fauna: decline and extinction of Australian mammals since European settlement. PNAS 112(15):4531-4540.
Rainforest Studies in Australia
[post_title] => Man’s Best Friend, Tree Kangaroo’s Worst Enemy
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[post_content] => With support from SFS-HQ, we developed a crowdfunding project in March 2016 to support research on methods to assess population sizes of Yellow-bellied gliders based on identifying individuals by their calls. The plan was to develop a field mini-lab that would record calls and take infrared photos from gliders. Using special software, I plan to identify call traits that can be used to identify individuals and therefore would allow the estimation of the number of animals within a family group. Knowledge on population sizes is essential to computing population trends of a species, which assists in conservation planning.
The crowdfunding campaign was successful, and many of the former CRS students who had been out in the forest observing gliders with me contributed to the success. However, it took a while to get a prototype of a sensitive sound recording device ready. Stan, the physicist who is building the device, had to overcome some challenges. The material was quickly purchased and the assemblage of the parts was not a great hurdle, but when it came to make the assembled parts working together, some unforeseen problems emerged. The program, which runs the data recording and allows the setting of a certain recording time, was running smoothly on the PC, but it had to be tweaked to run as a ‘headless’ system, i.e. no name, no monitor or keyboard, for operating in the field. It was set to save data as .wav files on an external USB stick from which they could be transferred into the analysis software.
At the beginning of October the first prototype of the recording device was ready to be tested in the field. This was close to the time of a field exercise during which I planned to collect more data on the behavior of gliders with students of the current CRS semester. Glider observations require sitting still at trees which gliders use to extract sap from. When gliders approach these feed trees and while feeding from them they emit various calls which can be recorded.
Sylvie Finn and Marley Guy measure the diameter of the Eucalyptus grandis, also known as Rose Gum. Rose Gums are the species of choice when it comes to Yellow-bellied gliders finding densBen Curell measures the height of a tree using a rangefinder which emits a laser to different points of a tree and calculates the approximate heightBen, Sylvie, and Marley scope out the forest for potential glider den and feeding trees
I took the recording device into the field on the 11th of October, placed the microphone in a plastic frame and attached it to a branch of a small tree near a tree that showed signs of gliders feeding from its sap. I connected the device to a battery and started the program following the prompts. After setting the time to 120 minutes I then sat quietly at the tree together with two other students.
The observation session started at 18.30. Slowly birds became less active and quietened completely. At around 18.43 cicadas started to call. It was so loud that it was almost deafening. They all stopped at once at around 18.57. Soon after, the last cockatoos stopped calling and a beautiful quietness spread through the dark forest. We listened intently. Then, suddenly, we heard a typical glider call from the East and another one from the West. A few minutes later wee saw the silhouette of a glider against the sky and the glider landed at the tree. The animal moved down to a cut in the bark of the tree from which sap exuded and started to feed. My students and I noted the calls and the arrival of the glider.
After 30 minutes a loud call appeared near the tree and another glider arrived at the tree while calling. This animal went to a different cut and started to feed. After a while this glider moved further down to the first glider and rubbed its body against the first animal. From observations of Rupert Russell, who had observed many gliders in his life, we know that this behavior is linked with the distribution of a family odour among the members of a glider family. After this interaction the second animal moved up along the tree trunk and resumed its feeding. Both animals were feeding happily for quite a while before the second animal emitted a loud call and went further up the trunk to reach a branch from which it glided away into the forest. The observers got really excited because they now had two calls from the same individual which can be analysed for individual-specific traits.
After the two hours the recording device indicated that the data had been saved. On the next day the data were transferred onto the computer and into the sound analysis program. It was a great moment to see the sounds displayed graphically. The long period of cicada calls was clearly visible as well as several calls from Yellow-bellied gliders. I took the device out for two more nights while sitting at two other trees which were used actively by gliders to feed from. With the obtained data Stan is now able to tune the microphones and pre-amplifiers to optimize the ‘quality’ of the recording to extract as much information as possible.
Sigrid Heise-Pavlov
Katie Gimbert takes a leap over a small creek after a day of surveying the forest for den and feeding treesStudents scope out a small creek crossing in the Eucalypt-dense Gilbey Forest Scientific Reserve→ Tropical Rainforest Studies in Australia
[post_title] => Up Close and Personal with the Yellow-Bellied Glider
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[post_title] => Sigrid Heise-Pavlov, Ph.D.
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[post_content] => Since 2012 the SFS Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) has been involved in habitat surveys and research in relation to the protection of the vulnerable northern species of the Yellow-bellied Glider (Petaurus australis) (YBG). Currently the protection of the habitat of this species relies on the enthusiasm and dedicated work of a few volunteers which makes contributions from students and faculties of CRS very valuable.
Former students of CRS have spent endless hours in glider-occupied habitats, habitats not used by gliders and habitats that were abandoned by gliders to identify essential habitat features that meet the ecological requirements of this species. This has resulted in a published research report of the ecology faculty together with former students on a preliminary study to assess habitat requirements of this species based on simple methods that can be applied in future citizen science projects (Heise-Pavlov et al. 2017).
Last week students of this semester continued with this research using refined methods to assess the suitability of an area for the yellow-bellied glider. Students learnt and utilized skills to navigate in unknown terrain using GPS and compass, to identify Eucalyptus species (from which some are essential for gliders to use a habitat), to measure vegetation features such as the height and diameter of trees, and to assess the density of invasive species, such as lantana (Lantana camara). They practised data collection in the field and the storage of the collected data in appropriate formats. Some locals assisted the students in their data collection and were impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication of the students to survey an area from which we had no knowledge about its suitability for gliders.
But students did not only contribute to habitat surveys for the protection of the YBG in north Queensland. In previous News from the Field I reported about a call recording device that had been built with support from a crowdfunding campaign in order to record and analyse calls from this quite vocal species with the aim to use the calls to identify individuals and thus to be able to assess population densities of this species. To record calls individual gliders have to be observed after dusk when they arrive at their feeding trees to extract sap. This is usually the time they interact by using various calls. Students helped in these observations by sitting around trees gliders were known to feed on. Beside a very thorough recording of interactions and vocalization of the observed individuals, students enjoyed seeing this unique animal.
With their enthusiasm and dedication students of this semester assisted in habitat surveys and ongoing research to protect this unique species of the Wet Tropics Bioregion of Australia. They contributed to the work of the volunteers of the Tropical Glider Group for which this group is very grateful.
Heise-Pavlov, S.; Chizinski, T. and Walker, N.E. (2017): Selection of sap feed trees by yellow-bellied gliders (Petaurus australis) in north-eastern Queensland, Australia – implications for site-specific habitat management. – Australian Mammalogy, online March 2017
→ Tropical Rainforest Studies in Australia
[post_title] => Out in the Field with the Yellow-Bellied Glider
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks, students at The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies got an impression of the Australian outback and had a hands-on experience in research on invasive species.
About 150km west from the Center is the small township Chillagoe with its air of the Australian outback. Not only outback birds and large kangaroos welcomed the students, but also strange looking landforms. Chillagoe is located just along the edge of the ancient Australian continent and students were able to see the vastness of the Australian dry woodlands that stretches west from Chillagoe.
When looking east they saw a karst landscape, full of limestone caves that originated from an old reef that grew along the shores of this ancient continent. Although set back in time by the landscape, students learned that rainforest exists in the dry outback around Chillagoe, hidden in protected and moist gullies and near caves. They also got familiar with past and present human activities in this area which was and is connected with mining and the various impacts this industry has on the environment.
Back at the Center students enjoyed the much cooler climate compared to the hot and humid outback of Chillagoe. For 3 and 1/2 days students were then doing research on the invasive cane toad of Australia. Toads had to be collected from different sites at night and then dissected the next day. Data collection and dissection had to be organized by the entire class and this was a challenge!
Every student had a task allocated so that the success of the data collection depended on every member of the group. The final product was a large data sheet from which every student could draw data for her or his specific scientific question on cane toad ecology and physiology.
Now students have to write a mock scientific paper on their question using the collectively obtained data. And there are many questions about cane toads! What do they eat? What impact do lung nematodes have on food consumption or the development of fat bodies in cane toads? Do cane toads eat more in the Wet season? Students are using their own data to answer some of these questions and compare the results with those from other studies. Another step further in the preparation of the students for the upcoming Directed Research Projects.
[post_title] => Students Experience Different Australian Ecosystems
[post_excerpt] => Students at The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies got an impression of the Australian outback and had a hands-on experience in research on invasive species.
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks, students were busily engaged in their Directed Research projects. In the first week they had to complete their data collection. This meant for many to be out in the field working along steep slopes in rain and mist as the weather had deteriorated. It also saw students in thick rainforest establishing transects while trying to avoid being entangled in a spiky climbing palm, the so-called “Wait-a-while”.
Other students retrieved their data during long hours in the laboratory; some could work only after sunset as their subjects were nocturnal animals. And some students had to arrange interviews with people either by phone or during visits throughout the Tablelands. Despite the weather and all other hardships, the data must be got! No wonder that this part of the research project makes every student appreciate the obtained data.
Once the data were in, they had to be organized in Excel spreadsheets for the statistical analyses. This was often a time-consuming procedure, but worthwhile to be able to see what data can actually reveal. With the help of the faculty, students “made the data speak” and often very surprising results emerged. Some were expected, others were contradictory to any expectations.
This is the next challenge for the students: trying to explain the results. By the end of the last week students went back to the literature to compare their results with the results of other, similar studies. Students try now to interpret their results and put their results into the broader scientific picture. This is a challenge, but it is the final essence of all the efforts they have put into their projects so far.
[post_title] => Data Collection in the Wet Tropics
[post_excerpt] => During the last two weeks, students were busily engaged in their Directed Research projects.
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[post_content] => The last two weeks were filled with students’ activities in the classroom, the computer lab, the field lab, and even in the Australian Outback.
Classroom lectures on the history of Australian rainforests and ecological terminology laid the foundation of knowledge for students in upcoming research activities. Students were introduced to various software programmes to assist in collecting, storing, presenting, and analysing spatial data for ecological research and assessing the impact of climate change on the fauna of the Wet Tropics. They also learned how to write an essay on a socio-economic topic and applied this knowledge to their first assignment.
Further preparation of students for research activities included the practice of identifying rainforest plant and arthropod species. During a review of various trapping and marking methods for animals many students were able to utilize their knowledge from research projects they had been previously involved in at their home institutions.
Activities at the Centre were followed by the first excursion of the semester program: a visit to Chillagoe, a previous mining town in the Australian Outback. Students felt the heat, saw Australian savannah landscape, and were sent back in time when interpreting the geology of an ancient part of the Australian continent. Although the outback was cloudy, some students were able to get a glimpse of the stunning Australian night sky with its many stars and special features.
[post_title] => Laying the Foundation
[post_excerpt] => Students felt the heat, saw Australian savannah landscape, and interpreted the geology of an ancient part of the Australian continent.
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[post_date] => 2013-09-12 05:59:31
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[post_content] => The semester started just a week ago and students are still getting used to the rainforest environment with all its noises, smells, and dampness.
After a good introduction to the site of the Centre for Rainforest Studies and to regulations to keep students and staff happy, healthy, and safe, the academic program began. Students were familiarized with the courses, the various teaching activities and what is expected from them (to speak of assignments and exams). Then they learnt about the area, its geology, the different types of rainforests and how people settled here and used the land. Information on these topics was presented in lectures followed by field lectures in which students actually saw specific geological features, rainforest types, and land uses.
Students also familiarized themselves with the local bird fauna. Very early in the morning, students assembled at a spot on site and listened to the first bird calls. It is amazing how quiet a day starts and how many birds suddenly join into a dawn chorus. Students are required to learn some of the bird calls for a quiz, and it helps listening to the birds in our lovely rainforest, not just on an iPod.
Now the students are on their way to hear more about the natural and human history of the place to better understand factors that affected and shaped the present landscape. There is a lot more to learn and to discover….
[post_title] => Introduction to the Centre
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[post_date] => 2013-11-12 09:13:52
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[post_content] => Students came back from the mid-semester break refreshed and full of new impressions of Australia.
Back in class, a rich program of lectures and field lectures awaited them. They heard about principles of repairing landscapes by revegetation including site selection, plant selection, monitoring the development of the site, and how to attract wildlife to such sites. Guest lectures familiarized them with types of economic incentives to encourage farmers to consider biodiversity on their land. During field lectures, students visited neglected farmland and discussed options to convert it back to a functioning ecosystem. They also inspected a revegetated riparian area in which tree-kangaroos are frequently seen.
One visit was very special for the students. The class visited a wildlife caretaker who explained the importance of wildlife caretakers here on the Atherton Tablelands with such a diverse and often endemic fauna. There is a lot of work involved when animals get rehabilitated or orphans need to be looked after. Currently, the wildlife caretaker looks after a young tree-kangaroo who lived in an artificial pouch attached to the chest of the caretaker. Tree-kangaroo joeys often come into care as they get easily expelled from the mother’s pouch when the mother is distressed. However, the care is quite complicated and requires a lot of experience. Not much is known about tree-kangaroos, particularly about the ways they detoxify toxic plant compounds which plants produce to deter herbivores in our rainforests. But we can learn a lot from the tree-kangaroos, and caretakers play a vital role in the conservation of these beautiful animals.
The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies (CRS) is also doing research on these animals to gain more knowledge about their ecology, which can assist in effective conservation planning. I am coordinating my research with a local community group that aims at the conservation of this and other special mammals on the Atherton Tablelands. The Tree-kangaroo and Mammal Group (TKMG) has recently completed a “Community Action Plan for the Conservation of the Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroo.” CRS will contribute to the various actions outlined in the plan and students’ projects will be strongly linked with these actions. In October, I attended the International Tree-kangaroo Workshop in Melbourne. There, I presented research done on the Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo by previous CRS students. I also presented TKMG’s Action Plan, which was consequently integrated into the Action Plan of the International Tree-kangaroo Conservation Group. This group consists of managers of conservation areas in Papua New Guinea (where most of the tree-kangaroo species exist), various zoos with tree-kangaroo breeding programs, veterinarians, researchers, and broader conservation groups.
Tree-kangaroos can only be effectively preserved when people with different backgrounds and knowledge cooperate. This applies to many other species too. But the tree-kangaroo case is special for CRS. It shows how our students contribute not only to conservation activities of the local community, but also to conservation efforts at an international scale.
[post_title] => Tree-Kangaroos and Conservation
[post_excerpt] => I am coordinating my research with a local community group that aims at the conservation of this and other special mammals on the Atherton Tablelands.
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks, the life of students at the Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) was filled with lectures, field lectures, field laboratory work, and workshops.
In lectures, students heard about the history of the Australian rainforest and how indigenous and European people used the natural resources of this environment. On walks they experienced the nature of the rainforest by identifying its structural features such as buttress roots, lianas, epiphytes, emergent trees and plants of the understory. They were introduced to methods of plant identification and practiced them.
In lectures and lab work students were introduced to the fauna of Australia including the large and fluffy creatures such as possums and kangaroos, the dangerous creatures such as snakes, and the very small creatures such as insects. In the field lab, students used microscopes and various identification keys to work out the order or species of some of the small animals. A highlight was a spotlighting night walk through the forests of the Centre during which students discovered spiders, frogs, small dragons, and even microbats.
Students spent a day with Aboriginal elders who familiarized the students with their culture and their ways of using the land. Students also visited the James Cook University to discuss the pros and cons of plans to further develop coastal areas of tropical Australia. They learned how to assess development projects in their complexity.
Two days were devoted to aspects of climate change and rainforest fragmentation and another day was devoted to learning applications of spatial tools such as GIS. Despite being busy with classes, students had also time to explore Australian life themselves by spending one weekend in Cairns.
[post_title] => Learning About the Australian Rainforest
[post_excerpt] => During the last two weeks, the life of students at the Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) was filled with lectures, field lectures, field laboratory work, and workshops.
In lectures, students heard about the history of the Australian rainforest and how indigenous and European people used the natural resources of this environment. On walks they experienced the nature of the rainforest by identifying its structural features such as buttress roots, lianas, epiphytes, emergent trees and plants of the understory. They were introduced to methods of plant identification and practiced them.
In lectures and lab work students were introduced to the fauna of Australia including the large and fluffy creatures such as possums and kangaroos, the dangerous creatures such as snakes, and the very small creatures such as insects. In the field lab, students used microscopes and various identification keys to work out the order or species of some of the small animals. A highlight was a spotlighting night walk through the forests of the Centre during which students discovered spiders, frogs, small dragons, and even microbats.
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks students became more familiar with the local community, met indigenous people near Cairns, “sniffed” the Australian Outback, and were introduced to various ecological field techniques.
Regular visits of students to nurseries and restoration sites of the local community strengthen the relationships between the Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) and members of the local communities and help in local projects. Students also spent a weekend with Aussie families to see what Aussies do during their spare time.
Twice the students camped overnight. On one occasion students camped on the land of an indigenous tribe near Cairns. At a camp fire students listened to the stories of the Aboriginals and to the didgeridoo. They were shown the land of the tribe, how indigenous people value the land and ensure its protection and careful use. On another occasion students camped in the Outback, about 150km west of CRS. They saw the vastness of Australian dry woodlands, were amazed by the countless stars and some of the constellations you can only see in the southern hemisphere’s sky, explored ancient caves which developed when this dry country was once part of an ocean and observed kangaroos, wallabies, and colourful outback birds.
Lectures, field lectures, and workshops at CRS filled the time in between excursions. Students learned about major factors impacting on Australian ecosystems, such as climate change, fragmentation and invasive species. They were familiarized with ways to identify plants and animals of the Australian Wet Tropical Rainforest and spent time applying GIS software to produce maps of the spatial distribution of ecological features. With so much knowledge on the fauna and flora of the rainforests here in Queensland, students feel more and more familiar with this unique place.
[post_title] => Excursions, Camping, and Lectures
[post_excerpt] => During the last two weeks students became more familiar with the local community, met indigenous people near Cairns, “sniffed” the Australian Outback, and were introduced to various ecological field techniques.
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[post_date] => 2015-02-10 14:57:46
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[post_content] => During the first week of this semester, Centre Director Amanda Freeman introduced the students to the semester program and the Five-Year Research Plan of the SFS Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS). Faculties then familiarized the students with the components of their courses and how their teaching and research are linked to CRS’s Five-Year Research Plan.
One day was devoted to the exploration of local towns. Students had to find out more about the economy of these towns, the people living in them, and their interest and sense of place. This gave the students a great opportunity to speak to locals and get a feeling of the Atherton Tablelands.
The ecology faculty introduced the students to the geology and the fauna of the place. This was first done via classroom lectures, which were followed by a field lecture. During the field lecture the students saw land formations which they had to place into the correct geological epochs based on material presented in the previous lecture. Students were introduced to marsupials as a class of mammals by seeing a video clip on the birth of a marsupial. By combining geological and evolutionary history of the Atherton Tablelands students got a better understanding of the concepts of refugia and vicariant events in species speciation. By providing them with current research papers on the fauna of this area they were ask to assess how this unique fauna will survive in a world of climate change. They heard about some of the unique and endemic species of this area and are now keen on seeing them during their semester. The ecology faculty specifically familiarized the students with the unique tree-kangaroo and the research done on the ecology and behavior of this species by CRS and its students. Just recently a paper on the evolutionary aspects of the use of predator odors in antipredator behaviors of Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos was published by the faculty. The paper was based on extensive data collections done by students of CRS over many years.
Next week the students will explore spatial tools in ecological field research and analytical methods for spatial data to address specific questions on habitat selection, landscape ecology and conservation planning. Students will see how former students have applied GIS software in their research projects on habitat selection of tree-kangaroos and how this will impact conservation planning for this species. This example will also demonstrate to the students how important undergraduate research is since the GIS based projects on tree-kangaroo habitats won an award for best undergraduate students’ research abroad from the Forum on Education Abroad last year. This should enhance students’ interests in learning modern tools of ecology and doing research of high relevance for on-ground conservation.
Photo Credit: Chase Douglas
[post_title] => Exploration and Introductions
[post_excerpt] => During the first week, students were introduced to the semester program and the Five-Year Research Plan of the Centre for Rainforest Studies.
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[post_content] => Students arrived at the Center only a week ago, but became quickly involved in ongoing research of the Center for Rainforest Studies (CRS).
After an introduction into the program’s objectives and the schedule, students were familiarized with the local flora and fauna in lectures and spotlighting at night. Discovering the rainforest at night, listening to the rustles of possums, and admiring the beauty of elaborated spider webs placed many of the students into an unfamiliar world.
In a classroom activity, students identified and summarized techniques of scientific writing. They will apply this in their course assessments which require the writing of a results section and a full mock scientific paper on one of the course components.
Students then dived into the world of analyzing spatial features in ecological research. They became familiar with the basics of recording spatial data in the field, transferring them to a GIS database, displaying them on a map, and matching them with data on climate, soil, and watercourses. At the same time, students were introduced to basics and methods of radio-tracking animals and could see the application of this method in research on a local freshwater turtle.
Students and staff dissect a carpet python found (dead) on Center property.
Students also got insight into community-driven conservation work on the Atherton Tablelands. They visited two community projects, one that focuses on various restoration projects on the Tablelands, and one that restored riparian vegetation along a creek. Spotting a tree-kangaroo in trees that were planted many years ago along this creek showed the students how successful community conservation projects can be.
At the end of their first week, students were introduced to an ongoing research project of the Five-Year Research Plan of CRS. CRS helps in analyzing the distribution, habitat requirements, and habitat use of the vulnerable northern subspecies of the endemic yellow-bellied glider. This subspecies is separated from yellow-bellied glider populations in southern parts of Australia by a 400km gap, and depends on certain tree species for feeding and denning in wet sclerophyll forests. We have only limited knowledge on how forest management affects populations of this vulnerable species and urgently need more information on the species’ population and behavior. Students turned into scientists by reading papers to become familiar with this species, by identifying knowledge gaps which they expressed in research questions, by selecting field methods to collect required data to answer these questions, and by preparing their field work.
Students’ first encounter with the yellow-bellied glider was by sitting at trees shortly after dusk and listening to the calls of the gliders and recording any gliders that arrived at the observed trees to feed on the sap of the trees. This required sitting near a tree for two hours in the dark just using a red light to check occasionally the tree trunk. Some of the students recorded climatic data every 30 minutes, but also watched out for gliders and recorded the direction of calls they heard.
And students were lucky. Most of them saw gliders on the tree: fluffy animals with big ears and pink noses were moving along the trunks. Despite the cold weather, students loved the experience. They will continue on two nights next week and also conduct habitat surveys in areas where glider habitation is not yet confirmed.
[post_title] => Ongoing Research in Australia
[post_excerpt] => Students arrived at the center only a week ago, but became quickly involved in ongoing research of the Center for Rainforest Studies.
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[post_content] => Conservation biology is often described as a ‘crisis discipline’. Resources for conservation are usually limited, demanding prioritization under inclusion of strict criteria. Furthermore, our knowledge on ecological patterns and processes is often insufficient to assess whether a planned conservation action can be successful. Students at the SFS Center for Rainforest Studies (CRS) get familiar with conservation issues of the Wet Tropics of Australia and discover research needs to assist in better conservation of the values of the Wet Tropics. Towards the end of the semester students will become involved in research projects that are part of the Centre's long-term strategic research agenda and are closely linked with urgent conservation issues of Australia's Wet Tropics.
But research entails more than just the accumulation of results by conservation biologists. Unlike scientists of other disciplines, conservation biologists have an additional unusual burden, namely the responsibility to disseminate their results in order to ensure their application and use in management and policy making (Dickman 2013). This makes conservation biology a very complex discipline. Students at CRS become aware of this complexity by the many linkages that exist between the three courses they attend here during their semester abroad. While they learn about the various damaging impacts of human activities on our ecosystems and species and attempts to investigate how to mitigate these impacts, they also become familiar with ways to explore human perceptions on these damaging impacts, how to inform the public about new ways to achieve effective conservation, and how to assess the willingness of people to apply new mitigating measures.
Current students at CRS have already experienced some examples of this complexity during their first three weeks here in Australia. For example: they learned about invasive species and how these species can reduce and even destroy the biodiversity of our native species. They then attended a public lecture at James Cook University in which scientists demonstrated their research results to the public and explained what community members can do in their backyards to control the spread of the very invasive and destructive Yellow Crazy Ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) which poses a threat to the biodiversity of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.
At another occasion students learned about the impact of feral predators, such as dogs and cats, on our unique Australian animals. Dog control and management can become very sensitive issues as they may interfere with the privacy of individuals’ right to manage their own dogs. It is essential to explore whether people are aware of the threat domestic predators pose to our wildlife and to assess people’s perceptions to dog control. Students tried to find this out and used World Cassowary Day, which was held in Mission Beach on the 26th of September, to interview people on theses topics.
Like many conservation-minded groups, SFS also presented itself on that day with a booth in which it displayed examples of its educational and research mission on various posters. One poster informed the public about the susceptibility of Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) to domestic dogs. Some of my recent research shows that Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos recognize the odor of dogs as odor from a predator, but respond to it in an inappropriate way (Heise-Pavlov 2015). Instead of climbing further up on a tree, they select an antipredatory strategy that helped their ancestors, the rock-wallabies, to escape from the predator, namely to run away on the ground. But this is an insufficient tactic for tree-kangaroos that have now well adapted to a life in the canopies which made them incapable of running fast enough on the ground. Any encounter of a tree-kangaroo with a dog is likely to be fatal for the tree-kangaroo.
Students interviewed more than 100 people and will now start to analyse the data to assess whether people are aware of the impact dogs can have on our wildlife and whether they are willing to manage their dog in an appropriate way. With these interviews students make a valuable contribution to the conservation work of CRS which consists of education, research, and dissemination of knowledge to the public.
Dickman, C. R. (2013): Human community ecology: making connections for conservation. – Pacific Conservation Biology 19: 312-319.
Heise-Pavlov, S. (2015): Evolutionary aspects of the use of predator odors in antipredator behaviors of Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi). - In: Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 13, (Eds. Schulte, B. Goodwin, T.), Springer New York, in print
[post_title] => Learning the Complexities of Conservation Biology
[post_excerpt] => Students become familiar with conservation issues of the Wet Tropics of Australia and discover research needs.
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[post_content] => The Atherton Tablelands within the Wet Tropics of Australia have a unique wildlife that consists of many endemic and relict species adapted to higher elevations within the tropical climate of North Eastern Australia. As anywhere in the world human settlement, land use, and development affect this unique fauna. Beside habitat loss, fragmentation and infrastructure, non-native species and, specifically, non-native predators, introduced by colonizing people, pose a threat to native wildlife. In contrast to other continents, introduced predators seem to have a far greater impact on the Australian native fauna than other factors of human development and land use (Woinarski et al. 2015). Feral cats have been declared as number one threat to many native Australian species and have been identified as major contributor to the decline or even extinction of many Australian small mammals in almost all ecosystems of this continent (Woinarski et al. 2015), followed by foxes and feral dogs. Feral or even roaming dogs can cause population declines of many Australian species since their ability to hunt in packs allows them to target species of various sizes. Addressing the threat to Australian wildlife by feral and roaming dogs in conservation actions can be problematic since many people own dogs as pets or working animals and assume that their dogs do not harm wildlife.
Photo by Sigrid Heise-Pavlov.
The threat of native wildlife by dogs becomes even more paramount when anti-predatory strategies of native Australian species are inappropriate or insufficient. This is the case for the unique Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) that lives in the canopies of rainforests with most of its populations on the Atherton Tablelands. Research at the Centre for Rainforest Studies shows that tree-kangaroos are able to recognize odours from dogs as odours from predators, but apply an inappropriate anti-predatory strategy by descending from the canopy to the ground (Heise-Pavlov 2016). This behaviour increases their risk to fall victim to encounters with dogs. It is therefore not surprising that wildlife caretakers, who deal with injured tree-kangaroos or/and raise juvenile orphaned tree-kangaroos who come into care after their mother had been killed, are particularly concerned about dogs roaming around. But where to start to mitigate this threat? Perhaps with increasing the awareness of people to recognize the negative impact of dogs on our wildlife here on the Atherton Tablelands? Last year students at the Centre for Rainforest Studies started to explore the attitude of locals towards this issue. They worked out a questionnaire that tries to capture people’s knowledge on the impact of introduced species on our wildlife and their opinions on how domestic dogs or cats should be kept to minimize their potential impact on our wildlife. Students of this semester continued with this work and, after they had revised the questionnaire, interviewed locals at various places on the Atherton Tablelands. But they went even further!
Photo by Ana Toumpas.
They also observed a released orphaned tree-kangaroo to understand how it adapts to the forest after being raised in a wildlife caretaker’s home and to observe how it moves within the canopy but also on the ground where it easily can be chased by uncontrolled or feral dogs. They listened to the concerns of a wildlife caretaker about the situation of roaming and feral dogs on the Atherton Tablelands who can destroy within minutes the year-long efforts of caretakers to raise orphaned tree-kangaroos before they can be released.
After the collation of all the interviews and observation records students wrote two mock scientific papers on the results which will help us to take further steps in developing effective strategies to reduce the existing threat of our unique wildlife by domestic and feral dogs.
Heise-Pavlov SR. 2016. Evolutionary Aspects of the Use of Predator Odors in Antipredator Behaviors of Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi). Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 13: Springer. pp 261-280.
Woinarski J, Burbidge AA, NHarrison PL. 2015. Ongoing unraveling of a continental fauna: decline and extinction of Australian mammals since European settlement. PNAS 112(15):4531-4540.
Rainforest Studies in Australia
[post_title] => Man’s Best Friend, Tree Kangaroo’s Worst Enemy
[post_excerpt] => Student research contributes to the development of effective strategies to reduce the existing threat to wildlife by domestic and feral dogs.
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[post_content] => With support from SFS-HQ, we developed a crowdfunding project in March 2016 to support research on methods to assess population sizes of Yellow-bellied gliders based on identifying individuals by their calls. The plan was to develop a field mini-lab that would record calls and take infrared photos from gliders. Using special software, I plan to identify call traits that can be used to identify individuals and therefore would allow the estimation of the number of animals within a family group. Knowledge on population sizes is essential to computing population trends of a species, which assists in conservation planning.
The crowdfunding campaign was successful, and many of the former CRS students who had been out in the forest observing gliders with me contributed to the success. However, it took a while to get a prototype of a sensitive sound recording device ready. Stan, the physicist who is building the device, had to overcome some challenges. The material was quickly purchased and the assemblage of the parts was not a great hurdle, but when it came to make the assembled parts working together, some unforeseen problems emerged. The program, which runs the data recording and allows the setting of a certain recording time, was running smoothly on the PC, but it had to be tweaked to run as a ‘headless’ system, i.e. no name, no monitor or keyboard, for operating in the field. It was set to save data as .wav files on an external USB stick from which they could be transferred into the analysis software.
At the beginning of October the first prototype of the recording device was ready to be tested in the field. This was close to the time of a field exercise during which I planned to collect more data on the behavior of gliders with students of the current CRS semester. Glider observations require sitting still at trees which gliders use to extract sap from. When gliders approach these feed trees and while feeding from them they emit various calls which can be recorded.
Sylvie Finn and Marley Guy measure the diameter of the Eucalyptus grandis, also known as Rose Gum. Rose Gums are the species of choice when it comes to Yellow-bellied gliders finding densBen Curell measures the height of a tree using a rangefinder which emits a laser to different points of a tree and calculates the approximate heightBen, Sylvie, and Marley scope out the forest for potential glider den and feeding trees
I took the recording device into the field on the 11th of October, placed the microphone in a plastic frame and attached it to a branch of a small tree near a tree that showed signs of gliders feeding from its sap. I connected the device to a battery and started the program following the prompts. After setting the time to 120 minutes I then sat quietly at the tree together with two other students.
The observation session started at 18.30. Slowly birds became less active and quietened completely. At around 18.43 cicadas started to call. It was so loud that it was almost deafening. They all stopped at once at around 18.57. Soon after, the last cockatoos stopped calling and a beautiful quietness spread through the dark forest. We listened intently. Then, suddenly, we heard a typical glider call from the East and another one from the West. A few minutes later wee saw the silhouette of a glider against the sky and the glider landed at the tree. The animal moved down to a cut in the bark of the tree from which sap exuded and started to feed. My students and I noted the calls and the arrival of the glider.
After 30 minutes a loud call appeared near the tree and another glider arrived at the tree while calling. This animal went to a different cut and started to feed. After a while this glider moved further down to the first glider and rubbed its body against the first animal. From observations of Rupert Russell, who had observed many gliders in his life, we know that this behavior is linked with the distribution of a family odour among the members of a glider family. After this interaction the second animal moved up along the tree trunk and resumed its feeding. Both animals were feeding happily for quite a while before the second animal emitted a loud call and went further up the trunk to reach a branch from which it glided away into the forest. The observers got really excited because they now had two calls from the same individual which can be analysed for individual-specific traits.
After the two hours the recording device indicated that the data had been saved. On the next day the data were transferred onto the computer and into the sound analysis program. It was a great moment to see the sounds displayed graphically. The long period of cicada calls was clearly visible as well as several calls from Yellow-bellied gliders. I took the device out for two more nights while sitting at two other trees which were used actively by gliders to feed from. With the obtained data Stan is now able to tune the microphones and pre-amplifiers to optimize the ‘quality’ of the recording to extract as much information as possible.
Sigrid Heise-Pavlov
Katie Gimbert takes a leap over a small creek after a day of surveying the forest for den and feeding treesStudents scope out a small creek crossing in the Eucalypt-dense Gilbey Forest Scientific Reserve→ Tropical Rainforest Studies in Australia
[post_title] => Up Close and Personal with the Yellow-Bellied Glider
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Sigrid Heise-Pavlov, Ph.D.
Professor in Rainforest Ecology
Introduction to the Centre
Posted: September 12, 2013
The semester started just a week ago and students are still getting used to the rainforest environment with all its noises, smells, and dampness.
After a good introduction to the site of the Centre for Rainforest Studies and to regulations to keep students and staff happy, healthy, and safe, the academic program began. Students were familiarized with the courses, the various teaching activities and what is expected from them (to speak of assignments and exams). Then they learnt about the area, its geology, the different types of rainforests and how people settled here and used the land. Information on these topics was presented in lectures followed by field lectures in which students actually saw specific geological features, rainforest types, and land uses.
Students also familiarized themselves with the local bird fauna. Very early in the morning, students assembled at a spot on site and listened to the first bird calls. It is amazing how quiet a day starts and how many birds suddenly join into a dawn chorus. Students are required to learn some of the bird calls for a quiz, and it helps listening to the birds in our lovely rainforest, not just on an iPod.
Now the students are on their way to hear more about the natural and human history of the place to better understand factors that affected and shaped the present landscape. There is a lot more to learn and to discover….
But students did not only contribute to habitat surveys for the protection of the YBG in north Queensland. In previous News from the Field I reported about a call recording device that had been built with support from a crowdfunding campaign in order to record and analyse calls from this quite vocal species with the aim to use the calls to identify individuals and thus to be able to assess population densities of this species. To record calls individual gliders have to be observed after dusk when they arrive at their feeding trees to extract sap. This is usually the time they interact by using various calls. Students helped in these observations by sitting around trees gliders were known to feed on. Beside a very thorough recording of interactions and vocalization of the observed individuals, students enjoyed seeing this unique animal.
With their enthusiasm and dedication students of this semester assisted in habitat surveys and ongoing research to protect this unique species of the Wet Tropics Bioregion of Australia. They contributed to the work of the volunteers of the Tropical Glider Group for which this group is very grateful.
Heise-Pavlov, S.; Chizinski, T. and Walker, N.E. (2017): Selection of sap feed trees by yellow-bellied gliders (Petaurus australis) in north-eastern Queensland, Australia – implications for site-specific habitat management. – Australian Mammalogy, online March 2017
→ Tropical Rainforest Studies in Australia
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks, students at The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies got an impression of the Australian outback and had a hands-on experience in research on invasive species.
About 150km west from the Center is the small township Chillagoe with its air of the Australian outback. Not only outback birds and large kangaroos welcomed the students, but also strange looking landforms. Chillagoe is located just along the edge of the ancient Australian continent and students were able to see the vastness of the Australian dry woodlands that stretches west from Chillagoe.
When looking east they saw a karst landscape, full of limestone caves that originated from an old reef that grew along the shores of this ancient continent. Although set back in time by the landscape, students learned that rainforest exists in the dry outback around Chillagoe, hidden in protected and moist gullies and near caves. They also got familiar with past and present human activities in this area which was and is connected with mining and the various impacts this industry has on the environment.
Back at the Center students enjoyed the much cooler climate compared to the hot and humid outback of Chillagoe. For 3 and 1/2 days students were then doing research on the invasive cane toad of Australia. Toads had to be collected from different sites at night and then dissected the next day. Data collection and dissection had to be organized by the entire class and this was a challenge!
Every student had a task allocated so that the success of the data collection depended on every member of the group. The final product was a large data sheet from which every student could draw data for her or his specific scientific question on cane toad ecology and physiology.
Now students have to write a mock scientific paper on their question using the collectively obtained data. And there are many questions about cane toads! What do they eat? What impact do lung nematodes have on food consumption or the development of fat bodies in cane toads? Do cane toads eat more in the Wet season? Students are using their own data to answer some of these questions and compare the results with those from other studies. Another step further in the preparation of the students for the upcoming Directed Research Projects.
[post_title] => Students Experience Different Australian Ecosystems
[post_excerpt] => Students at The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies got an impression of the Australian outback and had a hands-on experience in research on invasive species.
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks, students were busily engaged in their Directed Research projects. In the first week they had to complete their data collection. This meant for many to be out in the field working along steep slopes in rain and mist as the weather had deteriorated. It also saw students in thick rainforest establishing transects while trying to avoid being entangled in a spiky climbing palm, the so-called “Wait-a-while”.
Other students retrieved their data during long hours in the laboratory; some could work only after sunset as their subjects were nocturnal animals. And some students had to arrange interviews with people either by phone or during visits throughout the Tablelands. Despite the weather and all other hardships, the data must be got! No wonder that this part of the research project makes every student appreciate the obtained data.
Once the data were in, they had to be organized in Excel spreadsheets for the statistical analyses. This was often a time-consuming procedure, but worthwhile to be able to see what data can actually reveal. With the help of the faculty, students “made the data speak” and often very surprising results emerged. Some were expected, others were contradictory to any expectations.
This is the next challenge for the students: trying to explain the results. By the end of the last week students went back to the literature to compare their results with the results of other, similar studies. Students try now to interpret their results and put their results into the broader scientific picture. This is a challenge, but it is the final essence of all the efforts they have put into their projects so far.
[post_title] => Data Collection in the Wet Tropics
[post_excerpt] => During the last two weeks, students were busily engaged in their Directed Research projects.
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[post_content] => The last two weeks were filled with students’ activities in the classroom, the computer lab, the field lab, and even in the Australian Outback.
Classroom lectures on the history of Australian rainforests and ecological terminology laid the foundation of knowledge for students in upcoming research activities. Students were introduced to various software programmes to assist in collecting, storing, presenting, and analysing spatial data for ecological research and assessing the impact of climate change on the fauna of the Wet Tropics. They also learned how to write an essay on a socio-economic topic and applied this knowledge to their first assignment.
Further preparation of students for research activities included the practice of identifying rainforest plant and arthropod species. During a review of various trapping and marking methods for animals many students were able to utilize their knowledge from research projects they had been previously involved in at their home institutions.
Activities at the Centre were followed by the first excursion of the semester program: a visit to Chillagoe, a previous mining town in the Australian Outback. Students felt the heat, saw Australian savannah landscape, and were sent back in time when interpreting the geology of an ancient part of the Australian continent. Although the outback was cloudy, some students were able to get a glimpse of the stunning Australian night sky with its many stars and special features.
[post_title] => Laying the Foundation
[post_excerpt] => Students felt the heat, saw Australian savannah landscape, and interpreted the geology of an ancient part of the Australian continent.
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[post_content] => The semester started just a week ago and students are still getting used to the rainforest environment with all its noises, smells, and dampness.
After a good introduction to the site of the Centre for Rainforest Studies and to regulations to keep students and staff happy, healthy, and safe, the academic program began. Students were familiarized with the courses, the various teaching activities and what is expected from them (to speak of assignments and exams). Then they learnt about the area, its geology, the different types of rainforests and how people settled here and used the land. Information on these topics was presented in lectures followed by field lectures in which students actually saw specific geological features, rainforest types, and land uses.
Students also familiarized themselves with the local bird fauna. Very early in the morning, students assembled at a spot on site and listened to the first bird calls. It is amazing how quiet a day starts and how many birds suddenly join into a dawn chorus. Students are required to learn some of the bird calls for a quiz, and it helps listening to the birds in our lovely rainforest, not just on an iPod.
Now the students are on their way to hear more about the natural and human history of the place to better understand factors that affected and shaped the present landscape. There is a lot more to learn and to discover….
[post_title] => Introduction to the Centre
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[post_content] => Students came back from the mid-semester break refreshed and full of new impressions of Australia.
Back in class, a rich program of lectures and field lectures awaited them. They heard about principles of repairing landscapes by revegetation including site selection, plant selection, monitoring the development of the site, and how to attract wildlife to such sites. Guest lectures familiarized them with types of economic incentives to encourage farmers to consider biodiversity on their land. During field lectures, students visited neglected farmland and discussed options to convert it back to a functioning ecosystem. They also inspected a revegetated riparian area in which tree-kangaroos are frequently seen.
One visit was very special for the students. The class visited a wildlife caretaker who explained the importance of wildlife caretakers here on the Atherton Tablelands with such a diverse and often endemic fauna. There is a lot of work involved when animals get rehabilitated or orphans need to be looked after. Currently, the wildlife caretaker looks after a young tree-kangaroo who lived in an artificial pouch attached to the chest of the caretaker. Tree-kangaroo joeys often come into care as they get easily expelled from the mother’s pouch when the mother is distressed. However, the care is quite complicated and requires a lot of experience. Not much is known about tree-kangaroos, particularly about the ways they detoxify toxic plant compounds which plants produce to deter herbivores in our rainforests. But we can learn a lot from the tree-kangaroos, and caretakers play a vital role in the conservation of these beautiful animals.
The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies (CRS) is also doing research on these animals to gain more knowledge about their ecology, which can assist in effective conservation planning. I am coordinating my research with a local community group that aims at the conservation of this and other special mammals on the Atherton Tablelands. The Tree-kangaroo and Mammal Group (TKMG) has recently completed a “Community Action Plan for the Conservation of the Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroo.” CRS will contribute to the various actions outlined in the plan and students’ projects will be strongly linked with these actions. In October, I attended the International Tree-kangaroo Workshop in Melbourne. There, I presented research done on the Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo by previous CRS students. I also presented TKMG’s Action Plan, which was consequently integrated into the Action Plan of the International Tree-kangaroo Conservation Group. This group consists of managers of conservation areas in Papua New Guinea (where most of the tree-kangaroo species exist), various zoos with tree-kangaroo breeding programs, veterinarians, researchers, and broader conservation groups.
Tree-kangaroos can only be effectively preserved when people with different backgrounds and knowledge cooperate. This applies to many other species too. But the tree-kangaroo case is special for CRS. It shows how our students contribute not only to conservation activities of the local community, but also to conservation efforts at an international scale.
[post_title] => Tree-Kangaroos and Conservation
[post_excerpt] => I am coordinating my research with a local community group that aims at the conservation of this and other special mammals on the Atherton Tablelands.
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks, the life of students at the Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) was filled with lectures, field lectures, field laboratory work, and workshops.
In lectures, students heard about the history of the Australian rainforest and how indigenous and European people used the natural resources of this environment. On walks they experienced the nature of the rainforest by identifying its structural features such as buttress roots, lianas, epiphytes, emergent trees and plants of the understory. They were introduced to methods of plant identification and practiced them.
In lectures and lab work students were introduced to the fauna of Australia including the large and fluffy creatures such as possums and kangaroos, the dangerous creatures such as snakes, and the very small creatures such as insects. In the field lab, students used microscopes and various identification keys to work out the order or species of some of the small animals. A highlight was a spotlighting night walk through the forests of the Centre during which students discovered spiders, frogs, small dragons, and even microbats.
Students spent a day with Aboriginal elders who familiarized the students with their culture and their ways of using the land. Students also visited the James Cook University to discuss the pros and cons of plans to further develop coastal areas of tropical Australia. They learned how to assess development projects in their complexity.
Two days were devoted to aspects of climate change and rainforest fragmentation and another day was devoted to learning applications of spatial tools such as GIS. Despite being busy with classes, students had also time to explore Australian life themselves by spending one weekend in Cairns.
[post_title] => Learning About the Australian Rainforest
[post_excerpt] => During the last two weeks, the life of students at the Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) was filled with lectures, field lectures, field laboratory work, and workshops.
In lectures, students heard about the history of the Australian rainforest and how indigenous and European people used the natural resources of this environment. On walks they experienced the nature of the rainforest by identifying its structural features such as buttress roots, lianas, epiphytes, emergent trees and plants of the understory. They were introduced to methods of plant identification and practiced them.
In lectures and lab work students were introduced to the fauna of Australia including the large and fluffy creatures such as possums and kangaroos, the dangerous creatures such as snakes, and the very small creatures such as insects. In the field lab, students used microscopes and various identification keys to work out the order or species of some of the small animals. A highlight was a spotlighting night walk through the forests of the Centre during which students discovered spiders, frogs, small dragons, and even microbats.
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[post_content] => During the last two weeks students became more familiar with the local community, met indigenous people near Cairns, “sniffed” the Australian Outback, and were introduced to various ecological field techniques.
Regular visits of students to nurseries and restoration sites of the local community strengthen the relationships between the Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) and members of the local communities and help in local projects. Students also spent a weekend with Aussie families to see what Aussies do during their spare time.
Twice the students camped overnight. On one occasion students camped on the land of an indigenous tribe near Cairns. At a camp fire students listened to the stories of the Aboriginals and to the didgeridoo. They were shown the land of the tribe, how indigenous people value the land and ensure its protection and careful use. On another occasion students camped in the Outback, about 150km west of CRS. They saw the vastness of Australian dry woodlands, were amazed by the countless stars and some of the constellations you can only see in the southern hemisphere’s sky, explored ancient caves which developed when this dry country was once part of an ocean and observed kangaroos, wallabies, and colourful outback birds.
Lectures, field lectures, and workshops at CRS filled the time in between excursions. Students learned about major factors impacting on Australian ecosystems, such as climate change, fragmentation and invasive species. They were familiarized with ways to identify plants and animals of the Australian Wet Tropical Rainforest and spent time applying GIS software to produce maps of the spatial distribution of ecological features. With so much knowledge on the fauna and flora of the rainforests here in Queensland, students feel more and more familiar with this unique place.
[post_title] => Excursions, Camping, and Lectures
[post_excerpt] => During the last two weeks students became more familiar with the local community, met indigenous people near Cairns, “sniffed” the Australian Outback, and were introduced to various ecological field techniques.
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[post_date] => 2015-02-10 14:57:46
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[post_content] => During the first week of this semester, Centre Director Amanda Freeman introduced the students to the semester program and the Five-Year Research Plan of the SFS Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS). Faculties then familiarized the students with the components of their courses and how their teaching and research are linked to CRS’s Five-Year Research Plan.
One day was devoted to the exploration of local towns. Students had to find out more about the economy of these towns, the people living in them, and their interest and sense of place. This gave the students a great opportunity to speak to locals and get a feeling of the Atherton Tablelands.
The ecology faculty introduced the students to the geology and the fauna of the place. This was first done via classroom lectures, which were followed by a field lecture. During the field lecture the students saw land formations which they had to place into the correct geological epochs based on material presented in the previous lecture. Students were introduced to marsupials as a class of mammals by seeing a video clip on the birth of a marsupial. By combining geological and evolutionary history of the Atherton Tablelands students got a better understanding of the concepts of refugia and vicariant events in species speciation. By providing them with current research papers on the fauna of this area they were ask to assess how this unique fauna will survive in a world of climate change. They heard about some of the unique and endemic species of this area and are now keen on seeing them during their semester. The ecology faculty specifically familiarized the students with the unique tree-kangaroo and the research done on the ecology and behavior of this species by CRS and its students. Just recently a paper on the evolutionary aspects of the use of predator odors in antipredator behaviors of Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos was published by the faculty. The paper was based on extensive data collections done by students of CRS over many years.
Next week the students will explore spatial tools in ecological field research and analytical methods for spatial data to address specific questions on habitat selection, landscape ecology and conservation planning. Students will see how former students have applied GIS software in their research projects on habitat selection of tree-kangaroos and how this will impact conservation planning for this species. This example will also demonstrate to the students how important undergraduate research is since the GIS based projects on tree-kangaroo habitats won an award for best undergraduate students’ research abroad from the Forum on Education Abroad last year. This should enhance students’ interests in learning modern tools of ecology and doing research of high relevance for on-ground conservation.
Photo Credit: Chase Douglas
[post_title] => Exploration and Introductions
[post_excerpt] => During the first week, students were introduced to the semester program and the Five-Year Research Plan of the Centre for Rainforest Studies.
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[post_content] => Students arrived at the Center only a week ago, but became quickly involved in ongoing research of the Center for Rainforest Studies (CRS).
After an introduction into the program’s objectives and the schedule, students were familiarized with the local flora and fauna in lectures and spotlighting at night. Discovering the rainforest at night, listening to the rustles of possums, and admiring the beauty of elaborated spider webs placed many of the students into an unfamiliar world.
In a classroom activity, students identified and summarized techniques of scientific writing. They will apply this in their course assessments which require the writing of a results section and a full mock scientific paper on one of the course components.
Students then dived into the world of analyzing spatial features in ecological research. They became familiar with the basics of recording spatial data in the field, transferring them to a GIS database, displaying them on a map, and matching them with data on climate, soil, and watercourses. At the same time, students were introduced to basics and methods of radio-tracking animals and could see the application of this method in research on a local freshwater turtle.
Students and staff dissect a carpet python found (dead) on Center property.
Students also got insight into community-driven conservation work on the Atherton Tablelands. They visited two community projects, one that focuses on various restoration projects on the Tablelands, and one that restored riparian vegetation along a creek. Spotting a tree-kangaroo in trees that were planted many years ago along this creek showed the students how successful community conservation projects can be.
At the end of their first week, students were introduced to an ongoing research project of the Five-Year Research Plan of CRS. CRS helps in analyzing the distribution, habitat requirements, and habitat use of the vulnerable northern subspecies of the endemic yellow-bellied glider. This subspecies is separated from yellow-bellied glider populations in southern parts of Australia by a 400km gap, and depends on certain tree species for feeding and denning in wet sclerophyll forests. We have only limited knowledge on how forest management affects populations of this vulnerable species and urgently need more information on the species’ population and behavior. Students turned into scientists by reading papers to become familiar with this species, by identifying knowledge gaps which they expressed in research questions, by selecting field methods to collect required data to answer these questions, and by preparing their field work.
Students’ first encounter with the yellow-bellied glider was by sitting at trees shortly after dusk and listening to the calls of the gliders and recording any gliders that arrived at the observed trees to feed on the sap of the trees. This required sitting near a tree for two hours in the dark just using a red light to check occasionally the tree trunk. Some of the students recorded climatic data every 30 minutes, but also watched out for gliders and recorded the direction of calls they heard.
And students were lucky. Most of them saw gliders on the tree: fluffy animals with big ears and pink noses were moving along the trunks. Despite the cold weather, students loved the experience. They will continue on two nights next week and also conduct habitat surveys in areas where glider habitation is not yet confirmed.
[post_title] => Ongoing Research in Australia
[post_excerpt] => Students arrived at the center only a week ago, but became quickly involved in ongoing research of the Center for Rainforest Studies.
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[post_content] => Conservation biology is often described as a ‘crisis discipline’. Resources for conservation are usually limited, demanding prioritization under inclusion of strict criteria. Furthermore, our knowledge on ecological patterns and processes is often insufficient to assess whether a planned conservation action can be successful. Students at the SFS Center for Rainforest Studies (CRS) get familiar with conservation issues of the Wet Tropics of Australia and discover research needs to assist in better conservation of the values of the Wet Tropics. Towards the end of the semester students will become involved in research projects that are part of the Centre's long-term strategic research agenda and are closely linked with urgent conservation issues of Australia's Wet Tropics.
But research entails more than just the accumulation of results by conservation biologists. Unlike scientists of other disciplines, conservation biologists have an additional unusual burden, namely the responsibility to disseminate their results in order to ensure their application and use in management and policy making (Dickman 2013). This makes conservation biology a very complex discipline. Students at CRS become aware of this complexity by the many linkages that exist between the three courses they attend here during their semester abroad. While they learn about the various damaging impacts of human activities on our ecosystems and species and attempts to investigate how to mitigate these impacts, they also become familiar with ways to explore human perceptions on these damaging impacts, how to inform the public about new ways to achieve effective conservation, and how to assess the willingness of people to apply new mitigating measures.
Current students at CRS have already experienced some examples of this complexity during their first three weeks here in Australia. For example: they learned about invasive species and how these species can reduce and even destroy the biodiversity of our native species. They then attended a public lecture at James Cook University in which scientists demonstrated their research results to the public and explained what community members can do in their backyards to control the spread of the very invasive and destructive Yellow Crazy Ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) which poses a threat to the biodiversity of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.
At another occasion students learned about the impact of feral predators, such as dogs and cats, on our unique Australian animals. Dog control and management can become very sensitive issues as they may interfere with the privacy of individuals’ right to manage their own dogs. It is essential to explore whether people are aware of the threat domestic predators pose to our wildlife and to assess people’s perceptions to dog control. Students tried to find this out and used World Cassowary Day, which was held in Mission Beach on the 26th of September, to interview people on theses topics.
Like many conservation-minded groups, SFS also presented itself on that day with a booth in which it displayed examples of its educational and research mission on various posters. One poster informed the public about the susceptibility of Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) to domestic dogs. Some of my recent research shows that Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos recognize the odor of dogs as odor from a predator, but respond to it in an inappropriate way (Heise-Pavlov 2015). Instead of climbing further up on a tree, they select an antipredatory strategy that helped their ancestors, the rock-wallabies, to escape from the predator, namely to run away on the ground. But this is an insufficient tactic for tree-kangaroos that have now well adapted to a life in the canopies which made them incapable of running fast enough on the ground. Any encounter of a tree-kangaroo with a dog is likely to be fatal for the tree-kangaroo.
Students interviewed more than 100 people and will now start to analyse the data to assess whether people are aware of the impact dogs can have on our wildlife and whether they are willing to manage their dog in an appropriate way. With these interviews students make a valuable contribution to the conservation work of CRS which consists of education, research, and dissemination of knowledge to the public.
Photo by Sigrid Heise-Pavlov.
The threat of native wildlife by dogs becomes even more paramount when anti-predatory strategies of native Australian species are inappropriate or insufficient. This is the case for the unique Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) that lives in the canopies of rainforests with most of its populations on the Atherton Tablelands. Research at the Centre for Rainforest Studies shows that tree-kangaroos are able to recognize odours from dogs as odours from predators, but apply an inappropriate anti-predatory strategy by descending from the canopy to the ground (Heise-Pavlov 2016). This behaviour increases their risk to fall victim to encounters with dogs. It is therefore not surprising that wildlife caretakers, who deal with injured tree-kangaroos or/and raise juvenile orphaned tree-kangaroos who come into care after their mother had been killed, are particularly concerned about dogs roaming around. But where to start to mitigate this threat? Perhaps with increasing the awareness of people to recognize the negative impact of dogs on our wildlife here on the Atherton Tablelands? Last year students at the Centre for Rainforest Studies started to explore the attitude of locals towards this issue. They worked out a questionnaire that tries to capture people’s knowledge on the impact of introduced species on our wildlife and their opinions on how domestic dogs or cats should be kept to minimize their potential impact on our wildlife. Students of this semester continued with this work and, after they had revised the questionnaire, interviewed locals at various places on the Atherton Tablelands. But they went even further!
Photo by Ana Toumpas.
They also observed a released orphaned tree-kangaroo to understand how it adapts to the forest after being raised in a wildlife caretaker’s home and to observe how it moves within the canopy but also on the ground where it easily can be chased by uncontrolled or feral dogs. They listened to the concerns of a wildlife caretaker about the situation of roaming and feral dogs on the Atherton Tablelands who can destroy within minutes the year-long efforts of caretakers to raise orphaned tree-kangaroos before they can be released.
After the collation of all the interviews and observation records students wrote two mock scientific papers on the results which will help us to take further steps in developing effective strategies to reduce the existing threat of our unique wildlife by domestic and feral dogs.
Heise-Pavlov SR. 2016. Evolutionary Aspects of the Use of Predator Odors in Antipredator Behaviors of Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi). Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 13: Springer. pp 261-280.
Woinarski J, Burbidge AA, NHarrison PL. 2015. Ongoing unraveling of a continental fauna: decline and extinction of Australian mammals since European settlement. PNAS 112(15):4531-4540.
Rainforest Studies in Australia
[post_title] => Man’s Best Friend, Tree Kangaroo’s Worst Enemy
[post_excerpt] => Student research contributes to the development of effective strategies to reduce the existing threat to wildlife by domestic and feral dogs.
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[post_content] => With support from SFS-HQ, we developed a crowdfunding project in March 2016 to support research on methods to assess population sizes of Yellow-bellied gliders based on identifying individuals by their calls. The plan was to develop a field mini-lab that would record calls and take infrared photos from gliders. Using special software, I plan to identify call traits that can be used to identify individuals and therefore would allow the estimation of the number of animals within a family group. Knowledge on population sizes is essential to computing population trends of a species, which assists in conservation planning.
The crowdfunding campaign was successful, and many of the former CRS students who had been out in the forest observing gliders with me contributed to the success. However, it took a while to get a prototype of a sensitive sound recording device ready. Stan, the physicist who is building the device, had to overcome some challenges. The material was quickly purchased and the assemblage of the parts was not a great hurdle, but when it came to make the assembled parts working together, some unforeseen problems emerged. The program, which runs the data recording and allows the setting of a certain recording time, was running smoothly on the PC, but it had to be tweaked to run as a ‘headless’ system, i.e. no name, no monitor or keyboard, for operating in the field. It was set to save data as .wav files on an external USB stick from which they could be transferred into the analysis software.
At the beginning of October the first prototype of the recording device was ready to be tested in the field. This was close to the time of a field exercise during which I planned to collect more data on the behavior of gliders with students of the current CRS semester. Glider observations require sitting still at trees which gliders use to extract sap from. When gliders approach these feed trees and while feeding from them they emit various calls which can be recorded.
Sylvie Finn and Marley Guy measure the diameter of the Eucalyptus grandis, also known as Rose Gum. Rose Gums are the species of choice when it comes to Yellow-bellied gliders finding dens
Ben Curell measures the height of a tree using a rangefinder which emits a laser to different points of a tree and calculates the approximate height
Ben, Sylvie, and Marley scope out the forest for potential glider den and feeding trees
I took the recording device into the field on the 11th of October, placed the microphone in a plastic frame and attached it to a branch of a small tree near a tree that showed signs of gliders feeding from its sap. I connected the device to a battery and started the program following the prompts. After setting the time to 120 minutes I then sat quietly at the tree together with two other students.
The observation session started at 18.30. Slowly birds became less active and quietened completely. At around 18.43 cicadas started to call. It was so loud that it was almost deafening. They all stopped at once at around 18.57. Soon after, the last cockatoos stopped calling and a beautiful quietness spread through the dark forest. We listened intently. Then, suddenly, we heard a typical glider call from the East and another one from the West. A few minutes later wee saw the silhouette of a glider against the sky and the glider landed at the tree. The animal moved down to a cut in the bark of the tree from which sap exuded and started to feed. My students and I noted the calls and the arrival of the glider.
After 30 minutes a loud call appeared near the tree and another glider arrived at the tree while calling. This animal went to a different cut and started to feed. After a while this glider moved further down to the first glider and rubbed its body against the first animal. From observations of Rupert Russell, who had observed many gliders in his life, we know that this behavior is linked with the distribution of a family odour among the members of a glider family. After this interaction the second animal moved up along the tree trunk and resumed its feeding. Both animals were feeding happily for quite a while before the second animal emitted a loud call and went further up the trunk to reach a branch from which it glided away into the forest. The observers got really excited because they now had two calls from the same individual which can be analysed for individual-specific traits.
After the two hours the recording device indicated that the data had been saved. On the next day the data were transferred onto the computer and into the sound analysis program. It was a great moment to see the sounds displayed graphically. The long period of cicada calls was clearly visible as well as several calls from Yellow-bellied gliders. I took the device out for two more nights while sitting at two other trees which were used actively by gliders to feed from. With the obtained data Stan is now able to tune the microphones and pre-amplifiers to optimize the ‘quality’ of the recording to extract as much information as possible.
Sigrid Heise-Pavlov
Katie Gimbert takes a leap over a small creek after a day of surveying the forest for den and feeding trees
Students scope out a small creek crossing in the Eucalypt-dense Gilbey Forest Scientific Reserve
→ Tropical Rainforest Studies in Australia
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[post_content] => Since 2012 the SFS Centre for Rainforest Studies (CRS) has been involved in habitat surveys and research in relation to the protection of the vulnerable northern species of the Yellow-bellied Glider (Petaurus australis) (YBG). Currently the protection of the habitat of this species relies on the enthusiasm and dedicated work of a few volunteers which makes contributions from students and faculties of CRS very valuable.
Former students of CRS have spent endless hours in glider-occupied habitats, habitats not used by gliders and habitats that were abandoned by gliders to identify essential habitat features that meet the ecological requirements of this species. This has resulted in a published research report of the ecology faculty together with former students on a preliminary study to assess habitat requirements of this species based on simple methods that can be applied in future citizen science projects (Heise-Pavlov et al. 2017).
Last week students of this semester continued with this research using refined methods to assess the suitability of an area for the yellow-bellied glider. Students learnt and utilized skills to navigate in unknown terrain using GPS and compass, to identify Eucalyptus species (from which some are essential for gliders to use a habitat), to measure vegetation features such as the height and diameter of trees, and to assess the density of invasive species, such as lantana (Lantana camara). They practised data collection in the field and the storage of the collected data in appropriate formats. Some locals assisted the students in their data collection and were impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication of the students to survey an area from which we had no knowledge about its suitability for gliders.