What faecal pellet surveys can and can't reveal about the ecology of koalas Phascolarctos cinereus

Previous approaches to indirect detection of koala presence have been proposed, however, the present paper identifies issues of bias, pellet detectability and over-analysis of information inherent in those prior techniques. We recommend an approach that reduces bias, can be consistently applied and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAustralian zoologist Vol. 36; no. 2; pp. 192 - 200
Main Authors Woosnam-Merchez, Olivia, Romane Cristescu, David Dique, Bill Ellis, Robert J.S. Beeton, Jeremy Simmonds, Frank Carrick
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Royal Zoological Society of NSW 2012
Subjects
absence
Bias
feces
habitats
koalas
landscapes
Phascolarctos cinereus
random sampling
rapid methods
stratification
survey design
surveys
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Summary:Previous approaches to indirect detection of koala presence have been proposed, however, the present paper identifies issues of bias, pellet detectability and over-analysis of information inherent in those prior techniques. We recommend an approach that reduces bias, can be consistently applied and enables information on presence of koalas Phascolarctos cinereus to be used to inform larger survey programs, ‘ground-truth’ predictive habitat mapping, etc. We describe a rapid assessment methodology based on indirect signs that provides a reproducible, statistically valid, time-efficient and resource-efficient protocol for determining the presence of this species. The application, advantages and limitations of this ‘koala rapid assessment method’ (KRAM) are discussed with reference to its role in the design of detailed and landscape scale P. cinereus surveys.
Bibliography:http://dx.doi.org/10.7882%2FAZ.2012.030
ISSN:0067-2238
DOI:10.7882/AZ.2012.030