Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > Investigating brushtail possum (Trichosurus vul...

Links

Text available via DOI:

View graph of relations

Investigating brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) home-range size determinants in a New Zealand native forest.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published

Standard

Investigating brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) home-range size determinants in a New Zealand native forest. / Richardson, Kyle; Rouco, Carlos; Jewell, Christopher Parry et al.
In: Wildlife Research, Vol. 44, No. 4, 26.06.2017, p. 316-323.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Richardson, K, Rouco, C, Jewell, CP, French, N, Buddle, B & Tompkins, DM 2017, 'Investigating brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) home-range size determinants in a New Zealand native forest.', Wildlife Research, vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 316-323. https://doi.org/10.1071/WR16215

APA

Richardson, K., Rouco, C., Jewell, C. P., French, N., Buddle, B., & Tompkins, D. M. (2017). Investigating brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) home-range size determinants in a New Zealand native forest. Wildlife Research, 44(4), 316-323. https://doi.org/10.1071/WR16215

Vancouver

Richardson K, Rouco C, Jewell CP, French N, Buddle B, Tompkins DM. Investigating brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) home-range size determinants in a New Zealand native forest. Wildlife Research. 2017 Jun 26;44(4):316-323. doi: 10.1071/WR16215

Author

Richardson, Kyle ; Rouco, Carlos ; Jewell, Christopher Parry et al. / Investigating brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) home-range size determinants in a New Zealand native forest. In: Wildlife Research. 2017 ; Vol. 44, No. 4. pp. 316-323.

Bibtex

@article{45e47c3cbc0e43b1abd063572242d5c0,
title = "Investigating brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) home-range size determinants in a New Zealand native forest.",
abstract = "Context: The Australian brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) introduction to New Zealand has exacted a heavy toll on native biodiversity and presented the country with its greatest wildlife reservoir host for bovine tuberculosis (TB). Management efforts to control both possums and TB have been ongoing for decades, and the biology of possums has been studied extensively in Australia and New Zealand over the past 50 years; however, we still do not have a clear understanding of its home-range dynamics.Aims: To investigate determinants of home range size by using a uniquely large dataset in the Orongorongo Valley, a highly monitored research area in New Zealand and compare our findings with those of other studies.Methods: Possum density was estimated, for subpopulations on four 13-ha cage-trap grids, by the spatially explicit capture–mark–recapture analysis of trapping data from 10 consecutive months. Home ranges were estimated from trap locations using a 100% minimum convex polygon (MCP) method for 348 individuals and analysed with respect to grid, age and sex.Key results: Mean (standard error) possum density, estimated as 4.87 (0.19), 6.92 (0.29), 4.08 (0.21) and 4.20 (0.19) ha–1 for the four grids, was significantly negatively correlated with mean MCP home-range size. Grid, age, and the interaction of age and sex were significantly related to home-range size. Older possums had larger home ranges than did younger possums. When {\textquoteleft}juvenile cohort{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}adult cohort{\textquoteright} data were analysed separately, to investigate the significant interaction, males in the {\textquoteleft}adult cohort{\textquoteright} had significantly larger home ranges than did females, with the grid effect still being apparent, whereas neither sex nor grid effects were significant for the {\textquoteleft}juvenile cohort{\textquoteright}.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that, in addition to density, age and sex are likely to be consistent determinants of possum home-range size, but their influences may be masked in some studies by the complexity of wild-population dynamics.Implications: Our findings have strong implications regarding both disease transmission among possums and possum management. The fact that adult males occupy larger home ranges and the understanding that possum home range increases as population density decreases are an indication that males may be the primary drivers of disease transmission in possum populations. The understanding that possum home range increases as population density decreases could be a direct reflection of the ability of TB to persist in the wild that counteracts current management procedures. If individuals, and particularly males, infected with TB can withstand control measures, their ensuing home-range expansion will result in possible bacteria spread in both the expanded area of habitation and new individuals becoming subjected to infection (both immigrant possums and other control survivors). Therefore, managers should consider potential approaches for luring possum males in control operations.",
keywords = "age, density, population structure, possum management, sex",
author = "Kyle Richardson and Carlos Rouco and Jewell, {Christopher Parry} and Nigel French and Bryce Buddle and Tompkins, {D. M.}",
year = "2017",
month = jun,
day = "26",
doi = "10.1071/WR16215",
language = "English",
volume = "44",
pages = "316--323",
journal = "Wildlife Research",
issn = "1448-5494",
publisher = "CSIRO",
number = "4",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Investigating brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) home-range size determinants in a New Zealand native forest.

AU - Richardson, Kyle

AU - Rouco, Carlos

AU - Jewell, Christopher Parry

AU - French, Nigel

AU - Buddle, Bryce

AU - Tompkins, D. M.

PY - 2017/6/26

Y1 - 2017/6/26

N2 - Context: The Australian brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) introduction to New Zealand has exacted a heavy toll on native biodiversity and presented the country with its greatest wildlife reservoir host for bovine tuberculosis (TB). Management efforts to control both possums and TB have been ongoing for decades, and the biology of possums has been studied extensively in Australia and New Zealand over the past 50 years; however, we still do not have a clear understanding of its home-range dynamics.Aims: To investigate determinants of home range size by using a uniquely large dataset in the Orongorongo Valley, a highly monitored research area in New Zealand and compare our findings with those of other studies.Methods: Possum density was estimated, for subpopulations on four 13-ha cage-trap grids, by the spatially explicit capture–mark–recapture analysis of trapping data from 10 consecutive months. Home ranges were estimated from trap locations using a 100% minimum convex polygon (MCP) method for 348 individuals and analysed with respect to grid, age and sex.Key results: Mean (standard error) possum density, estimated as 4.87 (0.19), 6.92 (0.29), 4.08 (0.21) and 4.20 (0.19) ha–1 for the four grids, was significantly negatively correlated with mean MCP home-range size. Grid, age, and the interaction of age and sex were significantly related to home-range size. Older possums had larger home ranges than did younger possums. When ‘juvenile cohort’ and ‘adult cohort’ data were analysed separately, to investigate the significant interaction, males in the ‘adult cohort’ had significantly larger home ranges than did females, with the grid effect still being apparent, whereas neither sex nor grid effects were significant for the ‘juvenile cohort’.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that, in addition to density, age and sex are likely to be consistent determinants of possum home-range size, but their influences may be masked in some studies by the complexity of wild-population dynamics.Implications: Our findings have strong implications regarding both disease transmission among possums and possum management. The fact that adult males occupy larger home ranges and the understanding that possum home range increases as population density decreases are an indication that males may be the primary drivers of disease transmission in possum populations. The understanding that possum home range increases as population density decreases could be a direct reflection of the ability of TB to persist in the wild that counteracts current management procedures. If individuals, and particularly males, infected with TB can withstand control measures, their ensuing home-range expansion will result in possible bacteria spread in both the expanded area of habitation and new individuals becoming subjected to infection (both immigrant possums and other control survivors). Therefore, managers should consider potential approaches for luring possum males in control operations.

AB - Context: The Australian brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) introduction to New Zealand has exacted a heavy toll on native biodiversity and presented the country with its greatest wildlife reservoir host for bovine tuberculosis (TB). Management efforts to control both possums and TB have been ongoing for decades, and the biology of possums has been studied extensively in Australia and New Zealand over the past 50 years; however, we still do not have a clear understanding of its home-range dynamics.Aims: To investigate determinants of home range size by using a uniquely large dataset in the Orongorongo Valley, a highly monitored research area in New Zealand and compare our findings with those of other studies.Methods: Possum density was estimated, for subpopulations on four 13-ha cage-trap grids, by the spatially explicit capture–mark–recapture analysis of trapping data from 10 consecutive months. Home ranges were estimated from trap locations using a 100% minimum convex polygon (MCP) method for 348 individuals and analysed with respect to grid, age and sex.Key results: Mean (standard error) possum density, estimated as 4.87 (0.19), 6.92 (0.29), 4.08 (0.21) and 4.20 (0.19) ha–1 for the four grids, was significantly negatively correlated with mean MCP home-range size. Grid, age, and the interaction of age and sex were significantly related to home-range size. Older possums had larger home ranges than did younger possums. When ‘juvenile cohort’ and ‘adult cohort’ data were analysed separately, to investigate the significant interaction, males in the ‘adult cohort’ had significantly larger home ranges than did females, with the grid effect still being apparent, whereas neither sex nor grid effects were significant for the ‘juvenile cohort’.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that, in addition to density, age and sex are likely to be consistent determinants of possum home-range size, but their influences may be masked in some studies by the complexity of wild-population dynamics.Implications: Our findings have strong implications regarding both disease transmission among possums and possum management. The fact that adult males occupy larger home ranges and the understanding that possum home range increases as population density decreases are an indication that males may be the primary drivers of disease transmission in possum populations. The understanding that possum home range increases as population density decreases could be a direct reflection of the ability of TB to persist in the wild that counteracts current management procedures. If individuals, and particularly males, infected with TB can withstand control measures, their ensuing home-range expansion will result in possible bacteria spread in both the expanded area of habitation and new individuals becoming subjected to infection (both immigrant possums and other control survivors). Therefore, managers should consider potential approaches for luring possum males in control operations.

KW - age

KW - density

KW - population structure

KW - possum management

KW - sex

U2 - 10.1071/WR16215

DO - 10.1071/WR16215

M3 - Journal article

VL - 44

SP - 316

EP - 323

JO - Wildlife Research

JF - Wildlife Research

SN - 1448-5494

IS - 4

ER -