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RAiD https://raid.org/10.71613/65b180be
NESP RL Project 2.7 - Research to support the management of priority desert threatened species

Dates

Start Date
01-Jul-2022
End Date
30-Jun-2027

Titles

Title
NESP RL Project 2.7 - Research to support the management of priority desert threatened species
Title Type
Primary
Title Type:
Primary
 Preferred full description or abstract.
Start Date
01-Jul-2022
End Date
30-Jun-2027
Language
English

Descriptions

Description

This project is supporting Indigenous rangers in reversing the declining trajectories of 3 priority desert species identified in the Australian Government’s Threatened Species Action Plan 2022–2032 – the bilby, the great desert skink (Tjakura) and night parrot.

Researchers are:

  • providing scientific support to desert ranger groups through co-development of standardised monitoring programs for these threatened species
  • co-designing research projects that will improve the management of introduced predators and fire to protect these species. All aspects of the work will use a 2-way science approach that integrates local Indigenous knowledge with the latest technologies to develop efficient, effective and user-friendly monitoring techniques and threat-management programs.

This project builds upon successful projects from the first phase of the National Environmental Science Program (NESP). The Indigenous Desert Alliance (IDA) is leading this project and working with the extensive network of ranger groups across the desert regions.

Bilby

The bilby is listed as Vulnerable to extinction and has been the subject of many surveys over the past decade. However, until now, there has been little targeted management of wild populations.

This project is establishing long-term monitoring programs that combine traditional tracking with technology such as camera traps, DNA scat analysis and aerial surveys to measure bilby abundance, occupancy and connectivity between sites. It will also provide technical and scientific support to enable ranger groups to progress beyond the survey stage towards initiating experimental fire and predator management programs for the recovery of wild bilby populations.

Tjakura (great desert skink)

Tjakura is nationally classified as Vulnerable. It is preyed upon by feral cats, especially after fire removes vegetation cover. The IDA has worked with ranger groups across the distribution of Tjakura to identify management, monitoring and research priorities for a Tjakura recovery plan.

This project will complement the recovery plan surveys and management actions by developing standardised monitoring for Tjakura across its range and investigating the relationship between fire regimes and population trends. This improved understanding will support rangers to implement best-practice fire management across Tjakura’s range.

Night parrot

The night parrot is a nationally critically endangered species known from one area in Queensland and 6 areas of Western Australia (WA).

This project aims to work with Traditional Owners, rangers and the Night Parrot Recovery Team to co-design a research plan for night parrots in WA that builds on research conducted during the previous phase of NESP on the Queensland night parrot population.

The research will prioritise 2-way science techniques to map night-parrot habitat, manage predators, investigate its diet, and document Indigenous knowledge relevant to finding and protecting seed and water resources.

Key research areas

To address the challenges faced by these 3 priority desert threatened species, this project is:

  • co-designing research plans for 3 species that address priorities determined by Traditional Owners, other Indigenous partners and the Threatened Species Strategy Action Plan 2021–2026
  • identifying the actions required to effectively manage introduced predators – particularly feral cats – and fire to improve the trajectories of these 3 species
  • complement existing management and survey programs conducted by Indigenous ranger groups across the desert regions with best-practice survey design and new technologies
  • developing monitoring programs that can provide quantitative data on population trends and inform an adaptive-management approach that is needed to assess the conservation status and trajectories of these 3 priority species
  • supporting improved outcomes for these species, ultimately aiming to see their threat status down-listed due to improved population knowledge and better programs to manage fire and cats.

Pathway to impact

This project will support better outcomes for priority desert threatened species by:

  • strengthening co-designed research and monitoring with Indigenous partners
  • improving management of key threats, including introduced predators and fire
  • supporting consistent monitoring of species trends and management effectiveness
  • informing ranger workplans, recovery planning and future conservation decisions.
Description Type

Primary
Description Type:

Primary

 Preferred full description or abstract
Language
English

Contributors

Name Rachel Paltridge ORCID Logo (unauthenticated)
Contributor ID ORCID Logo https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3691-2521 (unauthenticated)
Leader
Yes
Contact
Yes
Positions
Position
Principal or Chief Investigator
Position:
Principal or Chief Investigator
 Principal investigator refers to the person(s) in charge of a research project
Start Date
01-Jul-2022
End Date
---
Roles
No Entries

Organisations

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RelatedObjects

Citation
, Sunfly, C., Schubert, A., Reid, A. M., Leseberg, N., Parker, L., & Paltridge, R. (2024). Potential threats and habitat of the night parrot on the Ngururrpa Indigenous Protected Area. Wildlife Research, 51(10).
Type
Journal Article
Categories
Output
Citation
Southwell, D. M., Moore, D., McAlpin, S., Blackwood, E. M. J., Schubert, A., Smart, A. S., Merson, S. D., Goumas, M., Macgregor, N. A., & Paltridge, R. M. (2025). Fire regimes drive population trends of a threatened lizard in the central and western deserts of Australia. Wildlife Research, 52(4).
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Alternate Identifier

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Alternate URLs

Related RAiDs

Title
NESP Resilient Landscapes Hub (10.71821/ffc970c8)
Relation
IsPartOf
Relation:
IsPartOf
 Relates a subproject back to its parent project

Access

Type
Open Access
Type:
Open Access
 Open access refers to a resource that is immediately and permanently online, and free for all on the Web, without financial and technical barriers.The resource is either stored in the repository or referenced to an external journal or trustworthy archive.
Language
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Embargo Expiry
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