Conservation Biology of the Sandhill Dunnart
Location: Western Australia Great Victoria Desert
Overview:
Sandhill dunnarts (Sminthopsis psammophila) are poorly understood and federally endangered marsupial carnivores that persist in punctuated refugia in the remote Australian arid zone. At least 31 mammal species have become extinct in Australia since the arrival of Europeans due to invasive mesopredators, prolific wild fires and climate change. This research studies a remote population in the Western Australian Great Victoria Desert and methods comprise MaxEnt modelling, nocturnal radio and GPS tracking, compositional habitat analyses with GIS and R, vegetation surveys, nocturnal behaviour analyses, diet analyses and climate change modelling. The research is self-funded and also supported by Australian industry (APA Group and Tropicana Gold Mine) and conservation organisations such as the Goldfields Environmental Management Group (GEMG).
Publications:
WOOLEY, L.A, TURPIN, J.M., RILEY, J.L., WOINARSKI, J.C.Z. et al. - 2019, ‘Introduced cats (Felis catus) eating a continental mammal fauna: inventory and traits of species killed.’ in press.
PEARSON, D.J, CHURCHILL, S., RILEY, J.L. and TURPIN, J.M. ‘Sandhill Dunnart.’ - 2019 In: The Mammals of Australia, 4th Edition. New Holland, Sydney (Eds. Van Dyck and Strahan). in press.
Team:
Jo Riley
Jeff Turpin
Dr. Matt Zeale
Professor Gareth Jones
Supporters:
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