Using atlas data for large scale conservation strategies: a case study of NSW s mammals

Abstract

Global threatening processes such as habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive species, and climate change are driving many species to extinction at an alarming rate. This has particularly affected mammal populations across Australia where mammal extinctions over the past two centuries have been the highest in the world. Setting aside areas for protection is the principle strategy for safeguarding against biodiversity and maintaining ecosystem processes. Identifying areas for protection requires comprehensive knowledge of species distributions, where relative comparisons can be made over large scales. Spatially explicit datasets, such as atlases, harbour the greatest potential of large-scale information of biodiversity. These however, are seldom fully utilised for large-scale conservation initiatives and management. This thesis provides concepts, methods, and operational guidelines for conservation efforts using large data over extensive scales. To achieve this, I utilised NSW s atlas data and focused on records of native terrestrial mammals. Chapter 1 provides an overview of global threats, conservation strategies, and specifically the state of Australia s mammals. In chapter 2, I demonstrated how atlas data, collated at multiple spatial scales can be used to rank survey methods best suited for the detection of each mammal species. This approach provides a methodological process used to identify efficient monitoring strategies tailored for unique species inventories at regional and bioregional scales. Chapter 3 tests the efficacy of the existing Australian bioregional framework for representing mammal species within protected areas. The bioregional framework, which primarily relies on vegetation communities, is used to measure representation of biodiversity and prioritise new inclusions to the national protected area network. The chapter presents an alternative approach for prioritisation driven by mammal assemblages, using patterns co-occurring species. Results and performance for mammal representation are then assessed against the bioregional framework. Chapter 4 builds upon identified mammal assemblages to model anticipated effects of climate change on whole assemblages simultaneously and identify climate-resilient faunal communities. Identified areas are then used within to prioritise land for additions to the existing protected area network, given impacts of climate change on mammalian distributions. Chapter 5 examines the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms shaping Australia s mammal community assemblages. By exploring trait interactions across spatial scales, a more precise scaling for evolving determinants of niche overlap are made. This provides unique insight into the evolutionary pathways and their rates, allowing identification of the scales in which these operate in shaping present-day communities. Finally, in Chapter 6, I summarise the research presented in the thesis and discuss directions for future work.