Adrian Wayne

... Authors Friend, G.; Wayne, A. Editors Abbott, I.;Burrows, N. Book chapter; Conference paper Fire in ecosystems of south-west Western Australia ... of post-fire succession for species and their abundance within a community, the use of species life histories and development of a fire ...

To date, little is known about the dynamics of vertical transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in Australian marsupials. Studies in mice demonstrate that vertical transmission of T. gondii is common and that chronically infected mice can transmit T. gondii to successive generations. In this study, PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to detect T. gondii in chronically infected marsupial dams and their offspring. T. gondii was detected in the unfurred pouch young of 2 out of 10 chronically infected western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) and in the unfurred pouch young of a brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia penicillata). Results of the study suggest that vertical transmission of T. gondii can occur in chronically infected Australian marsupials.

Information on roosting requirements and responses to forest management is integral to effectively conserve and manage bat populations. Tree hollows are especially important for roosting bats given the long time taken for hollows to form. We used radiotelemetry to compare roost site selection in two species, Vespadelus regulus and Nyctophilus gouldi, in logged jarrah forests of south-western Australia. We compared

The woylie or brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia penicillata) is critically endangered having declined by 90% in seven years (1999–2006) from a peak of about 200,000 individuals. This is a progress report summarising the management and research activities associated with woylie conservation in the Upper Warren region in southwest Western Australia, where the largest woylie populations remain. This work was principally funded by Western Australian Natural Resource Management Programs (BCI and WANRM), a Caring for Our Country federal grant (CFOC), the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW, formerly DEC), Perth Zoo, South West Catchments Council, Wildlife Conservation Action, Australian Academy of Science, South Coast NRM and the Environment Division of the United Nations Association of Australia (WA) Incorporated. Collaborations and partnerships with other organisations have been critical to the successes of these endeavours. These have included Warren Catc...

The woylie (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi) is a critically endangered small Australian marsupial that is in a state of accelerated population decline for reasons that are currently unknown. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the involvement of several viral pathogens through strategic serological testing of several wild woylie populations. Testing for antibodies against the Wallal and Warrego serogroup of orbiviruses, Macropod herpesvirus 1 and Encephalomyocarditis virus in woylie sera was undertaken through virus neutralisation tests. Moreover, testing for antibodies against the the alphaviruses Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus and the flaviviruses Kunjin virus and Murray Valley encephalitis virus was undertaken through virus neutralisation tests and ELISA mainly because of the interest in the epidemiology of these important zoonoses as it was considered unlikely to be the cause of the decline. Between 15 and 86 samples were tested for each of the four sites in s...

ABSTRACT Disease is increasingly being recognised as a risk factor in declining wildlife populations around the globe. However, there are limited protocols to assess disease risks in declining wildlife. Using epidemiological principles, we define a step-by-step framework to complete this complex and critical task. As an example, we assessed the potential role of diseases in relation to the decline of the woylie or brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi) in Western Australia. Between 1999 and 2006, woylie populations declined by 90%. The wildlife disease risk assessment began with a list of all known or suspected diseases to which the woylie, a species of macropod, is susceptible. This list was assessed against the spatial, temporal and demographic characteristics of the decline. Diseases causing widespread and high mortalities or debilitation leading to predation received high scores. Based on this assessment, priority diseases or pathogens for investigation identified were haemoparasites, gastrointestinal helminths, Neospora caninum, Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii), Encephalomyocarditis virus, Macropod Orbiviruses (Wallal virus and Warrego virus), Macropod Herpesviruses (Macropodid herpesvirus 1 and 2) and Salmonella spp.

ABSTRACT The brush-tailed bettong or woylie (Bettongia penicillata) is a continuous and rapid breeder. However, research investigating the monthly survival and development of young woylies from parturition to parental independence is incomplete. The reproductive biology of eight female woylies was observed for 22 consecutive months within a purposebuilt enclosure. Adult female woylies bred continuously and were observed caring for a dependant young 96% of the time. Pouch life of the young was ~102 days, with sexual maturity of female offspring reached as early as 122 days post partum. Crown–rump measurement was an accurate predictor of age for young restricted to the pouch, while skeletal morphometrics were a better predictor of age for ejected pouch young, young-at-foot and subadults. A four-month period between May and August of each study year accounted for 85% of pouch young mortality and 61% of pouch young births where the neonate went on to survive to subadult age. Here we discuss the possibility that pouch young born during the cooler, wetter months of May to August may have an increased chance of survival in the wild, resulting from an increased maternal investment being directed towards the rearing of ‘fitter’ progeny.

... Definition Species Tree species: Corymbia calophylla, Eucalyptus marginata, E. wandoo DBHob Diameter at breast height over bark (cm) Height Tree height to top of crown (m) Senescence scale Crown senescence scale (Whitford 2002) Tree lean Visual assessment of the ...

ABSTRACT Context: A reliable measure of population size is fundamental to ecology and conservation but is often difficult to obtain. The woylie, Bettongia penicillata, provides an example where ‘getting the numbers right’ has important implications in verifying and quantifying the recent unexpected, rapid and substantial declines across much of its range. Initial estimates prompted a conservation-status upgrade for the species to Endangered by the Australian Government. The present paper constitutes the foundational paper addressing the first steps of a decline diagnosis framework intended to identify the causes of the recent declines. Aims: To verify whether the declines in woylie trap-capture rates are representative of population change; better quantify the size of the largest woylie populations; and review what is understood about the ecology of the woylie and identify key knowledge gaps that may be relevant to identifying the causes of the recent declines. Methods: Monitoring data from live-cage trapping (transects and grids), sandpads, woylie diggings and nest-density surveys and spotlighting were collated. Population measures derived from trapping data included capture rates, number of individuals, abundance estimates based on capture–mark–recapture modelling and density using spatially explicit capture–recapture models (SECR). Key results: The declines in woylie trap-capture rates were verified as real population declines and corresponded closely with other measures of abundance derived from the same trapping data as well as with independent measures. A 95% decline occurred in the largest extant woylie populations (in the Upper Warren region, Western Australia) between 2002 and 2008. At a species level, woylies declined ~90% (1999–2006), from a peak of ~200 000 individuals in 1999. Conclusions: An accurate formal conservation status is an important factor in promoting the conservation of a species. It is recommended that the woylie be considered for Critically Endangered status under the Australian EPBC Act. Implications: Adequate and effective monitoring of species is critical to detecting and quantifying population changes in a timely manner. Having an accurate measure of population size can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of conservation and management efforts.

The woylie or brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia penicillata) is a medium-sized native Australian marsupial that has undergone a dramatic decline in numbers in recent years. Trypanosome parasites have been identified in the woylie but little is known about the prevalence and clinical impact of other haemoprotozoan parasites in these marsupials. In the present study, the occurrence and molecular phylogeny of a piroplasm was studied in woylies from six different sites in Western Australia (WA). Blood samples were screened by PCR at the 18S rRNA locus and 80.4% (123/153) of the blood samples were positive for piroplasm DNA. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis of 12 of these positives identified them as Theileria penicillata, and sequencing of cloned PCR products indicated that no other species of Theileria were present. Infected woylies had a lower body weight but microscopic evaluation of the blood films indicated that T. penicillata did not appear to cause red cell injury or anaemia. Further studies are required to determine the clinical significance of T. penicillata in woylies.

... CS Findlay and J. Houlahan, Anthropogenic correlates of species richness in Southeastern Ontario wetlands, Conservation Biology 11 (1997), pp. ... ES Jules, Habitat fragmentation and demographic change for a common plant: Trillium in old-growth forest, Ecology 79 (1998), pp. ...