https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Index en-au 5 https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:48723 Wed 29 Mar 2023 16:42:40 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:54992 Wed 27 Mar 2024 16:31:16 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:29593 Wed 24 Nov 2021 15:52:55 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:31170 Wed 24 Nov 2021 15:50:17 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:55186 Wed 24 Apr 2024 09:56:15 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:23881 Wed 23 Feb 2022 16:04:29 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:36902 Wed 23 Feb 2022 16:03:35 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:43523 Wed 21 Sep 2022 11:25:36 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:55743 Wed 19 Jun 2024 15:30:21 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:24272 Wed 17 Nov 2021 16:32:27 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:24338 Wed 17 Nov 2021 16:29:37 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:32826 Wed 17 Nov 2021 16:29:05 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:46999 Wed 13 Mar 2024 08:03:38 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:22932 Wed 11 Apr 2018 16:16:56 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:29852 Wed 11 Apr 2018 14:07:33 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:17181 Wed 11 Apr 2018 13:41:19 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:27018 Wed 11 Apr 2018 12:30:44 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:24447 Wed 11 Apr 2018 12:04:27 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:24922 Calidris tenuirostris) during both northward and southward migration. Construction of a 33-km long sea-wall was completed in April 2006. We show that shorebird numbers at Saemangeum and two adjacent wetlands decreased by 130000 during northward migration in the next two years and that all species have declined at Saemangeum since completion of the sea-wall. Great Knots were among the most rapidly affected species. Fewer than 5000 shorebirds were recorded at Saemangeum during northward migration in 2014. We found no evidence to suggest that most shorebirds of any species displaced from Saemangeum successfully relocated to other sites in the ROK. Instead, by 2011-13 nearly all species had declined substantially in the ROK since previous national surveys in 1998 and 2008, especially at more heavily reclaimed sites. It is likely that these declines were driven by increased mortality rather than movement to alternate staging sites given that other studies have shown concurrent declines in numbers and survival on the non-breeding grounds. This is the first study in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway to confirm declines of shorebirds at a range of geographical scales following a single reclamation project. The results indicate that if migratory shorebirds are displaced from major staging sites by reclamation they are probably unable to relocate successfully to alternate sites.]]> Wed 11 Apr 2018 10:40:50 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:20410 Wed 11 Apr 2018 09:55:05 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:17477 0.1). At term, no dietary effect on birthweight was observed (P > 0.1) and males were not heavier than females (P > 0.1). These results suggest that maternal protein intake during the peri-conception (-60 to 23dpc) and first trimester (24-98dpc) may influence early conceptus growth and development in the bovine. The long-term effects on offspring metabolism and post-natal development of this dietary intervention are yet to be determined. © CSIRO 2014.]]> Wed 11 Apr 2018 09:22:40 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:53680 10-fold mean increase in detection rates of cats by 5 years after the loss of V. panoptes, reflecting relative increases of 3.3–8.7 individual cats per site. Conclusions: Although some unknown factor may have caused an increase in cats, their similar trophic position and niche to V. panoptes suggests that toads facilitated cats by effectively removing the lizards from the animal community. This interaction likely reflects one type of invasional meltdown, whereby a non-native species (cane toad) facilitated any aspect of another’s (feral cat) invasion (e.g. survival, reproduction, resource acquisition), but the latter has no detected influence on the former (+/0 interaction). Implications: Because both invaders cause declines in animal populations and are difficult to control, the potentially synergistic tandem of cane toads and feral cats could have chronic, irreversible effects on animal communities.]]> Wed 10 Jan 2024 10:20:29 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:47796 Tue 31 Jan 2023 15:32:49 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:51156 90 ships per year). Shipping exposure significantly increased from 2018 despite the pandemic, including within marine parks.Conclusions: These results highlight the wide-scale footprint of commercial shipping on marine ecosystems that may be increasing in intensity over time.Implications: Consideration should be made for assessing and potentially limiting shipping impacts along migration routes and within marine parks.]]> Tue 29 Aug 2023 10:19:21 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:43647 Tue 27 Sep 2022 12:33:50 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:54527 Tue 27 Feb 2024 19:43:35 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:36849 Tue 21 Nov 2023 09:42:58 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:55701 Tue 18 Jun 2024 12:40:46 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:37326 Tue 13 Oct 2020 09:21:21 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:33177 Tue 11 Sep 2018 12:15:39 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:37825 n = 360) were individually fed a high- or low-protein diet (HPeri and LPeri) from 60 days before conception. From 24 until 98 days post conception, half of each treatment group changed to the alternative post-conception high- or low-protein diet (HPost and LPost) yielding four treatment groups in a 2 x 2 factorial design. A subset of male fetuses (n = 25) was excised at 98 days post conception and fetal testis development was assessed. Reproductive development of singleton male progeny (n = 40) was assessed until slaughter at 598 days of age, when adult testicular cytology was evaluated. Low peri-conception diet delayed reproductive development: sperm quality was lowered during pubertal development with a concomitant delay in reaching puberty. These effects were subsequent to lower FSH concentrations at 330 and 438 days of age. In the fetus, the low peri-conception diet increased the proportion of seminiferous tubules and decreased blood vessel area in the testis, whereas low first trimester diet increased blood vessel number in the adult testis. We conclude that maternal dietary protein perturbation during conception and early gestation may alter male testis development and delay puberty in bulls.]]> Tue 11 May 2021 15:20:38 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:55511 Tue 04 Jun 2024 20:55:31 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:33373 Tue 03 Sep 2019 17:54:45 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:27020 Tue 01 May 2018 11:18:48 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:50551 Tue 01 Aug 2023 10:53:37 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:39953 Microcystis aeruginosa has been linked to toxic blooms worldwide. In addition to producing hepatotoxic microcystins, many strains are capable of synthesising a variety of biologically active compounds, including protease and phosphatase inhibitors, which may affect aquatic ecosystems and pose a risk to their use. This study explored the distribution, composition and conservation of known secondary metabolite (SM) biosynthesis gene clusters in the genomes of 27 M. aeruginosa strains isolated from six different Koppen-Geiger climates. Our analysis identified gene clusters with significant homology to nine SM biosynthesis gene clusters spanning four different compound classes: non-ribosomal peptides, hybrid polyketide-non-ribosomal peptides, cyanobactins and microviridins. The aeruginosin, microviridin, cyanopeptolin and microcystin biosynthesis gene clusters were the most frequently observed, but hybrid polyketide-non-ribosomal peptide biosynthesis clusters were the most common class overall. Although some biogeographic relationships were observed, taxonomic markers and geography were not reliable indicators of SM biosynthesis cluster distribution, possibly due to previous genetic deletions or horizontal gene transfer events. The only cyanotoxin biosynthesis gene cluster identified in our screening study was the microcystin synthetase (mcy) gene cluster, suggesting that the production of non-microcystin cyanotoxins by this taxon, such as anatoxin-a or paralytic shellfish poison analogues, is either absent or rare.]]> Thu 30 Jun 2022 14:50:32 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:45290 5% of initial body weight). Positive results were maintained at evaluations by participants in the HI treatment arm who attended, but only 31% of participants at 6 months and 21% at 12 months were followed up. Discussion: Participant engagement and retention and practitioner workload burden are key factors in the design of weight management programmes in primary care. Many lessons can be obtained as a result of this trial, and programme adjustments have been identified to improve its delivery model.]]> Thu 27 Oct 2022 13:55:30 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:32059 n=83) of the surveyed cohort, and 41.2% (n=61) saw four or more different clinicians before diagnosis. Between symptom onset and final diagnosis, 42.6% (n=63) of participants reported a delay of 5 months or more, and 16.9% (n=25) waited longer than 12 months. Eventually, 91% (n=134) were referred to a paediatric rheumatologist and 63.5% (n=94) were seen within 4 weeks from initial referral. More than half the respondents felt that general practitioners (GPS) and general paediatricians were not aware of RD. Overall, respondents felt that improved knowledge of PR diseases among GPS, improved access to PR clinics, improved educational materials for patients and families, access to speciality rheumatology nurses and coordinated rheumatology teams would have significantly improved the experience of their child's disease. Conclusions: Children with RD in NSW still experience significant delays from symptom onset to final diagnosis through consultations with multiple healthcare professionals. Multidisciplinary team care was not the norm for this patient group, despite established national and international management standards. What is known about the topic? Early diagnosis and management by a multidisciplinary team is the gold standard in PR management. Delays in diagnosis may significantly impair the outcomes of children diagnosed with RD, with reduced quality of life, increased pain level and worse long-term prognosis. What does this paper add? Children diagnosed with RD in NSW endure significant delays from symptom onset until a final diagnosis is made, with multiple consultations with different healthcare professionals. When the referral to PR services in NSW is made, RD children are mostly seen within 4 weeks, faster than other international standards. GPS and paediatric rheumatologists in NSW helped improve the children's and their family's experience of the diagnosis and treatment of a rheumatic condition and better informed them using appropriate educational materials. What are the implications for practitioners' This paper provides new evidence to practitioners to increase their knowledge of the current experiences and expectation of the paediatric rheumatology care in NSW.]]> Thu 26 Apr 2018 14:45:52 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:44707 Thu 20 Oct 2022 12:46:27 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:47434 Thu 19 Jan 2023 16:40:35 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:37558 Thu 18 Feb 2021 10:04:19 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:29487 Thu 17 Feb 2022 09:31:29 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:54812 Thu 14 Mar 2024 14:31:38 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:31228 Thu 14 Apr 2022 11:01:40 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:55131 Thu 11 Apr 2024 11:21:31 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:33765 Thu 10 Jan 2019 17:54:36 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:42944 Thu 08 Sep 2022 09:28:21 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:46975 Thu 06 Jul 2023 15:23:14 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:35232 Rhinella marina) has invaded over 50 countries and is a serious conservation issue in Australia. Because the cane toad has taken several decades to colonise northern Australia, due to the large size of the continent and the east–west invasion axis, there is scope for making testable predictions about how toads will invade new areas. The western toad invasion front is far from linear, providing clear evidence for heterogeneity in invasion speed. Aims: Several ad hoc hypotheses have been offered to explain this heterogeneity, including the evolution of traits that could facilitate dispersal, and spatial heterogeneity in climate patterns. Here an alternative hypothesis is offered, and a prediction generated for the spatiotemporal pattern of invasion into the Kimberley Region – the next frontier for the invading toads in Australia. Methods: Using observations of spatiotemporal patterns of cane toad colonisation in northern Australia over the last 15 years, a conceptual model is offered, based on the orientation of wet season river flows relative to the invasion axis, as well as toad rafting and floating behaviour during the wet season. Key results: Our model predicts that toads will invade southern areas before northern areas; an alternative model based on rainfall amounts makes the opposite prediction. The models can now be tested by monitoring the spread of invasion front over the next 5–10 years. Conclusions: Our conceptual models present a pleuralistic approach to understanding the spatiotemporal invasion dynamics of toads; such an approach and evaluation of the models could prove useful for managing other invasive species. Implications: Although control of cane toads has largely proved ineffective, knowledge of the spatiotemporal pattern of the toad invasion in the Kimberley could: (1) facilitate potential management tools for slowing the spread of toads; (2) inform stakeholders in the local planning for the invasion; (3) provide researchers with a temporal context for quantifying toad impacts on animal communities; and (4) reveal the mechanism(s) causing the heterogeneity in invasion speed.]]> Thu 04 Jul 2019 13:56:20 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:47070 Thu 03 Aug 2023 13:40:37 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:50591 Sun 30 Jul 2023 15:23:09 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:31415 Litoria aurea) to compare differences in microhabitat-use patterns in both a remnant and a constructed habitat. A detectability study was also conducted to determine detection probabilities among microhabitats. Key results: Aquatic vegetation was used more than expected in both the remnant and constructed habitats, and rock piles were utilised less than expected in the constructed habitat, despite their recommendation in most habitat templates. We found that detection probabilities altered the outcomes of abundance estimates for nearly all the measured microhabitat variables. Conclusions: Future management for this species should focus on providing high proportions of aquatic vegetation. Furthermore, although rock piles have been utilised greatly in past L. aurea habitat creation, placing large rocks on a managed site is expensive and time consuming. Future management initiatives may need to focus on providing smaller proportion of rocks, which would be a more appropriate use of resources. Implications: With conservation management projects increasing over the next few decades, understanding habitat use before implementing strategies should be a priority as it will provide important insights and inform decision-making for optimum habitat creation and restoration. Furthermore, accounting for detectability in microhabitat use studies is essential to avoid wrong conclusions that may negatively affect the success of ecological management strategies.]]> Sat 24 Mar 2018 08:43:55 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:18613 Sat 24 Mar 2018 08:01:05 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:20415 Sat 24 Mar 2018 08:00:52 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:21857 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:59:12 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:19630 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:58:15 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:20872 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:57:59 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:20612 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:55:49 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:21242 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:53:03 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:20113 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:51:47 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:29653 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:41:56 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:26289 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:40:42 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:29051 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:37:17 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:25961 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:36:58 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:26348 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:35:54 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:26145 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:35:28 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:29347 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:34:18 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:29358 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:34:17 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:26365 Sorghum bicolor(L.) Moench were deduced from histochemical determinations of cell wall composition and from the relative radial mobilities of fluorescent tracer dyes exiting vascular pipelines. The cell walls of small vascular bundles in source leaves, the predicted site of phloem loading, contained minimal quantities of lignin and suberin. A phloem-loaded symplasmic tracer, carboxyfluorescein, was retained within the collection phloem, indicating symplasmic isolation. Together, these findings suggested that phloem loading in source leaves occurs apoplasmically. Lignin was restricted to the walls of protoxylem elements located in meristematic, elongating and recently elongated regions of the stem. The apoplasmic tracer, 8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid, moved radially from the transpiration stream, consistent with phloem and storage parenchyma cells being interconnected by an apoplasmic pathway. The major phase of sucrose accumulation in mature stems coincided with heavy lignification and suberisation of sclerenchyma sheath cell walls restricting apoplasmic tracer movement from the phloem to storage parenchyma apoplasms. Phloem unloading at this stage of stem development followed a symplasmic route linking sieve elements and storage parenchyma cells, as confirmed by the phloem-delivered symplasmic tracer, 8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid, moving radially from the stem phloem.]]> Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:33:08 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:27143 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:33:00 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:26053 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:31:35 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:30898 Scaevola albida, Chrysocephalum semipapposum, and Enteropogon acicularis. Some Australian native plants inhibited nitrification in their rhizosphere. We propose future studies on these selected plant species by identifying and characterising the nitrification inhibiting compounds and also the potential of nitrification inhibition in reducing nitrogen losses through nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emission.]]> Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:30:39 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:28222 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:28:30 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:25854 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:25:56 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:24913 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:14:50 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:24291 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:14:41 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:23052 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:13:50 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:24495 2+ and ROS waves), chemical (assimilates, hormones, peptides and nutrients), and molecular (proteins and RNA) signals. Further, different signalling systems operate at very different timescales. It remains unclear whether some of these signalling systems operate in a priming mode(s), whereas others deliver more specific information about the nature of the signal, or whether they carry the same 'weight'. This review summarises the current knowledge of the above signalling mechanisms, and reveals their hierarchy, and highlights the importance of integration of these signalling components, to enable optimal plant functioning in a dynamic environment.]]> Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:13:15 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:23494 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:13:03 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:23757 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:11:09 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:23999 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:10:22 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:43602 n = 12) using two in-field approaches: validation by on-ground observer (n = 10) and validation using 4K footage captured and reviewed directly after the survey (n = 2). We also provide detectability considerations relative to survey time, temperature, wildlife–RPAS interactions and detection of non-target species, which can be used to further inform RPAS survey protocols.]]> Mon 26 Sep 2022 15:26:50 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:54971 Mon 25 Mar 2024 15:20:41 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:31922 Mon 23 Sep 2019 11:18:17 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:32417 Mon 23 Sep 2019 10:45:26 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:42353 Mon 22 Aug 2022 14:01:26 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:51786 Mon 18 Sep 2023 15:18:24 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:40787 Mon 18 Jul 2022 16:07:20 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:42361 Mon 14 Nov 2022 17:49:32 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:47770 Fri 27 Jan 2023 14:16:40 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:32085 Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is correlated with several environmental variables, including salinity, temperature, and moisture content, which influence the pathogen’s growth and survival. Habitats that contain these environmental variables at levels outside of those optimal for Bd growth and survival may facilitate the survival of susceptible host species. Therefore, manipulation of environmental salinity is a potential management strategy to help conserve Bd-susceptible species. However, host behaviour also influences disease dynamics, and the success of habitat manipulation programs depends on how hosts use this altered habitat. Aims: To assess if the Bd-susceptible green and golden bell frog, Litoria aurea, will select waterbodies with a salinity increased to S = 3; if this selection is affected by infection; and if a frog’s time in a waterbody of this salinity affects infection load or blood physiology. Methods: We conducted a filmed choice experiment and a 3-year field study where infected and uninfected frogs could choose between fresh or saline waterbodies. Key results: In both the laboratory experiment and field study, Bd-infected L. aurea spent a significantly greater amount of time in or closer to a waterbody than uninfected frogs. Experimentally infected frogs tended to prefer the saline water over fresh, but their choice of water usage did not differ statistically from uninfected frogs. In the field, frogs began to avoid ponds when salinities rose above S = 5. Conclusions: Because both wild and captive, and infected and uninfected L. aurea readily selected waterbodies with a salinity of S = 3, this salinity could potentially be used as a passive method for reducing the severity of Bd when managing this species. However, further testing is needed to understand the efficacy of this treatment, and care must be taken to prevent salinities rising above S = 5, because this level seems to produce an avoidance response and therefore may not be suitable in every location. Implications: Manipulation of aquatic habitats may be a worthwhile focus for Bd management in habitats where water level fluctuations are minimal.]]> Fri 27 Apr 2018 14:12:51 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:54932 Fri 22 Mar 2024 14:34:29 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:40550 Pristiophorus nudipinnis), to guide future research in this area. To identify where the animals may occur in greater numbers, this study used the major commercial fishery datasets in the region, containing nearly 180 000 catch records from 1990 to 2017. Several general patterns were evident. Sawsharks occurred at shallower and deeper depths than previously thought, and their geographical range was larger than documented in previous studies. Depth distributions of both species overlapped, but P. cirratus appeared more common in deeper water (at depths up to 500 m), with peak common sawshark catch rates at ~400 m. Seasonal standardised catch patterns across fishing methods suggested that migrations from deeper to shallower waters may occur in the Australasian autumn and winter. The greatest concentration of sawsharks, inferred by standardised catch rates, occurred to the east and west of Bass Strait between Tasmania and mainland Australia. Although standardised catch rates of sawsharks declined in gill-net fisheries by ~30%, primarily in the Bass Strait and Tasmania, sawsharks appear to be caught at consistent rates since the 1990s, inferring a possible resilience of these sharks to current levels of fishing pressure.]]> Fri 22 Jul 2022 15:24:27 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:40432 Setonix brachyurus, in south-west Western Australia. We hypothesised that movement between known populations would be relatively rare and result in significant genetic structuring. Genetic analyses from 412 adult individuals at 14 nuclear markers (microsatellite) from 33 sampling locations identified structure, diversity and spatial separation of quokkas across their mainland distribution and on two islands. We identified nine inferred (K = 9) populations of quokka that would be otherwise difficult to define with standard ecological techniques. The highest genetic diversity was evident in a large central population of quokka in the southern forest area and genetic diversity was lower at the peripheries of the distribution. The Rottnest Island population contained 70% of the genetic diversity of the mainland populations but the genetic diversity of animals on Bald Island was markedly lower. Populations of quokka in the northern jarrah forest were the only ones to show evidence of recent or long-term population bottlenecking. Of particular interest was the recently identified population at the Muddy Lakes area (the only remaining locality on the Swan Coastal Plain), which was identified as being genetically associated with the southern forest population. Overall, spatial and population cluster analysis showed small insular populations in the northern jarrah forest area, but in the southern forests there appears to be a large panmictic population.]]> Fri 22 Jul 2022 14:30:34 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:40429 Rhinella marina) has decimated populations of a keystone predator, the yellow-spotted monitor (Varanus panoptes), causing trophic cascades in Australian animal communities. Paradoxically, some V. panoptes populations coexist with toads. Demonstrating patterns in heterogeneous population-level impacts could reveal mechanisms that mediate individual effects, and provide managers with the ability to predict future impacts and assist in population recovery. Aims: The aim of the present study was to search for spatial patterns of population resilience of V. panoptes to invasive cane toads. Methods: Published literature, unpublished data, reports and anecdotal information from trained herpetologists were used to test the emerging hypothesis that resilient predator populations are mainly coastal, whereas non-resilient populations are mostly inland. Key results: Post-toad invasion data from 23 V. panoptes populations supported the idea that toad impacts on V. panoptes were heterogeneous; roughly half the populations could be designated as resilient (n = 13) and half as non-resilient (n = 10). Resilient populations had longer times since toad invasion than did non-resilient populations (39 versus 9 years respectively), supporting the idea that some recovery can occur. Non-resilient populations were exclusively inland (n = 10), whereas resilient populations were split between inland (n = 5) and coastal (n = 8) populations. Resilient inland populations, however, were mainly confined to areas in which decades had passed since toad invasion. Conclusions: The findings suggest that coastal V. panoptes populations fare much better than inland populations when it comes to surviving invading cane toads. Implications: Unambiguous recovery of monitor populations remains undemonstrated and will require long-term population monitoring before and after toad invasion.]]> Fri 22 Jul 2022 14:30:26 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:40425 Fri 22 Jul 2022 14:08:46 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:39954 Rhinella marina) and native water rats (Hydromys chrysogaster), where toads are novel prey. We show that wild water rats preferentially targeted larger toads, and consumed specific non-toxic organs only. Rats either rapidly learned these behaviours, or adapted them from hunting native frogs.]]> Fri 22 Jul 2022 11:49:25 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:24327 Fri 18 Nov 2016 16:53:47 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:43009 Fri 09 Sep 2022 14:46:25 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:46948 Fri 09 Dec 2022 14:35:31 AEDT ]]>