https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Index ${session.getAttribute("locale")} 5 https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:15115 Wed 11 Apr 2018 10:17:31 AEST ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:19194 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:54:59 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:26888 B. dendrobatidis infection, and survival were monitored at 1, 4, and 12 months. The effect of salt on the abundance of nontarget organisms was also investigated in before and after style analyses. Salinities remained constant over time with little intervention. Hosts in water bodies with 4 ppt salt had a significantly lower prevalence of chytrid infection and higher survival, following metamorphosis, than hosts in 0 ppt salt. Tadpoles in the 4 ppt group were smaller in length after 1 month in the release site than those in the 0 and 2 ppt groups, but after metamorphosis body size in all water bodies was similar . In water bodies with 4 ppt salt, the abundance of dwarf tree frogs (Litoria fallax), dragonfly larvae, and damselfly larvae was lower than in water bodies with 0 and 2 ppt salt, which could have knock-on effects for community structure. Based on our results, salt may be an effective field-based B. dendrobatidis mitigation tool for lentic amphibians that could contribute to the conservation of numerous susceptible species. However, as in all conservation efforts, these benefits need to be weighed against negative effects on both target and nontarget organisms.]]> Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:41:41 AEDT ]]> https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:26282 Litoria aurea) has a number of behavioural traits which suggest conspecific attraction occurs via a vocal mechanism, including a loud conspicuous call and large chorusing aggregations. To date, attempts to repopulate restored and created habitat through natural immigration and active translocation of tadpoles and juveniles have been met with limited success for this species. We used L. aurea to determine if distribution could be manipulated via conspecific attraction using artificial communication cues. We placed speaker systems in uninhabited areas of five inhabited ponds across two locations and broadcast calls of L. aurea to see if we could manipulate distribution into previously unoccupied pond areas. Surveys undertaken before and after broadcast indicate that we successfully manipulated L. aurea distribution for adults increasing both occupancy and calling around the speaker locations. This occurred in four of five replicate ponds over three months of experimental treatment, but controls remained low in abundance. We suggest that manipulation of distribution via conspecific attraction mechanisms could be a useful conservation tool for endangered amphibian habitat restoration and creation programmes, resulting in increased occupancy and programme success.]]> Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:40:12 AEDT ]]>