No Slide Title€¦ · Methods – Tracking Tunnels • Rodents/Mustelids/Weta • 20 randomly...
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James Griffiths Project Kaka Understanding the effects of 3 yearly aerial 1080 applications for animal pest control
Transcript of No Slide Title€¦ · Methods – Tracking Tunnels • Rodents/Mustelids/Weta • 20 randomly...
James Griffiths
Project Kaka Understanding the effects of 3 yearly aerial 1080
applications for animal pest control
Project Kaka initiated
Switch from possum focused control to multi-pest
control
• 6 year aerial 1080 applications to 10,000ha blocks halted over
(36, 000ha) of Tararua Forest Park - 2007
• 3 year aerial 1080 with pre-feed commenced Nov 2009
(22,000ha)-Otaki to Mt Holdsworth
• Hutt Water Catchment (10,000ha), ongoing aerial 1080 treatment
by GWRC, 6 year cycle, last 1080 application May 2009
Rationale
• Pre-fed 1080 treatment can control multiple pests
• Rats
• Mustelids
• Possums
• Increased treatment area size, consideration of shape &
edge topography
– reduced pest immigration
• 3 year treatment cycle should allow two good bird
breeding seasons every three years
Bird populations
Time
Bir
d
Den
sit
y
3-yearly vs 6 yearly pest control
• Comprehensive research programme implemented 2009
• Rodents/Mustlids/Possums
• Birds
• Invertebrates
• Deer
• Forest structure/composition
• Fruit abundance
• Long term - 10 year
• Research partnerships established – DOC R&D, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Landcare Research, AHB & Vic Uni
Can we use 3 yearly 1080 ops to restore a forest ecosystem?
Research objectives
1. How does 3-yearly aerial 1080
treatment influence the abundance
and distribution of target pest species
(possums, rats, stoats) and non-target
pests (mice, deer)?
2. How are the abundance and
distribution of target/non-target pest
species related to the abundance and
distribution of vulnerable native
animal and plant species?
Research objectives
3. How are the abundance and
distribution of target pest species and
breeding of fruit-feeding birds related
to changes in beech and rimu
seedfall?
4. What is the effect of stopping 6-
yearly aerial 1080 control on
target/non-target pest species and
ecosystem health?
Methods – 5MBC
• 120 stations/treatment
• random locations – First detection of
individual birds recorded
– Time of detection recorded
– Digital audio recording
(Olympus LS10)
• sampling frequency
– annual
Methods – Tracking Tunnels
• Rodents/Mustelids/Weta
• 20 randomly placed transects per treatment/non-treatment area
• At least 1km apart
• 10 tracking tunnels per line
• sampling frequency
– Quarterly – Rodents&Weta
– Jan,Feb – Mustelids
Methods – Waxtags
• Possums
• 40 randomly placed transects per treatment /non-treatment
• 30 waxtags per transect
• sampling frequency
– annual
Methods – Faecal Pellet Index
• Deer
• 40 randomly placed transects per
treatment/non-treatment
• 30x1m radius plots per transect
• Pellet groups counted in each plot
• Sampling frequency
– annual
Methods – Seedrain Traps
• Fruitfall, Stick insect
eggs & Weta frass
• Placed under randomly
selected rimu silver and
beech
• Sampling frequency
– Nov, Feb
Methods – Ungulate exclusion plots
• Impact of deer on forest structure and composition
• Randomly selected sites
• Sampling frequency
– 5 years
Methods – 20x20m vegetation plots
• Forest/Structure and Composition
– Emphasis on demography/mortality
• Randomly selected from existing plot network
• Tagged palatable/unpalatable stems
• Browse scores recorded for tagged stems
• Sampling frequency
– 10 years
Preliminary results – Possums
2012 data to come
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
Year
Bite
Mar
k In
dex
2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011
Hutt Catchment Non Treatment Project Kaka
1080
app
licat
ion
1080
app
licat
ion
Preliminary results - Rats
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
mean t
rackin
g r
ate
2009 2010 2011 2012 2009 2010 2011 2012 2009 2010pre 2010post 2011 2012
Hutt Catchment Non Treatment Project Kaka
10
80
ap
plic
atio
n
10
80
ap
plic
atio
n
Preliminary results - Mice
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
mean t
rackin
g r
ate
2009 2010 2011 2012 2009 2010 2011 2012 2009 2010pre 2010post 2011 2012
Hutt Catchment Non Treatment Project Kaka
10
80
ap
plic
atio
n
10
80
ap
plic
atio
n
Preliminary results - Stoats
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
Year
mea
n tr
acki
ng r
ate
2010 2011 2012 2010 2011 2012 2010 2011 2012
Hutt Catchment Non Treatment Project Kaka
1080
app
licat
ion
1080
app
licat
ion
Preliminary results – Deer
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
Year
faecal pelle
t in
dex
2010 2011 2012 2010 2011 2012
Non Treatment Project Kaka
1080 a
pplic
atio
n
Preliminary results – Birds
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
Rifleman
me
an
nu
mb
er
of b
ird
s p
er
5 m
inu
te b
ird
co
un
t
n=100 n=100 n=100 n=118 n=108 n=118 n=114 n=113 n=117
De
c-0
9
De
c-1
0
De
c-1
1
De
c-0
9
De
c-1
0
De
c-1
1
De
c-0
9
De
c-1
0
De
c-1
1
Hutt Catchment Non Treatment Project Kaka
1080 a
pplication
1080 a
pplication
0.5
1.0
1.5
Whitehead
n=100 n=100 n=100 n=118 n=108 n=118 n=114 n=113 n=117
De
c-0
9
De
c-1
0
De
c-1
1
De
c-0
9
De
c-1
0
De
c-1
1
De
c-0
9
De
c-1
0
De
c-1
1
Hutt Catchment Non Treatment Project Kaka
1080 a
pplication
1080 a
pplication
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
Kakariki
me
an
nu
mb
er
of b
ird
s p
er
5 m
inu
te b
ird
co
un
t
n=100 n=100 n=100 n=118 n=108 n=118 n=114 n=113 n=117
De
c-0
9
De
c-1
0
De
c-1
1
De
c-0
9
De
c-1
0
De
c-1
1
De
c-0
9
De
c-1
0
De
c-1
1
Hutt Catchment Non Treatment Project Kaka
1080 a
pplication
1080 a
pplication
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
Tomtit
n=100 n=100 n=100 n=118 n=108 n=118 n=114 n=113 n=117
Dec-0
9
Dec-1
0
Dec-1
1
Dec-0
9
Dec-1
0
Dec-1
1
Dec-0
9
Dec-1
0
Dec-1
1
Hutt Catchment Non Treatment Project Kaka
1080 a
pplication
1080 a
pplication
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
Tui&Bellbird
me
an
nu
mb
er
of b
ird
s p
er
5 m
inu
te b
ird
co
un
t
n=100 n=100 n=100 n=118 n=108 n=118 n=114 n=113 n=117
De
c-0
9
De
c-1
0
De
c-1
1
De
c-0
9
De
c-1
0
De
c-1
1
De
c-0
9
De
c-1
0
De
c-1
1
Hutt Catchment Non Treatment Project Kaka
1080 a
pplication
1080 a
pplication
0.0
00
.05
0.1
00
.15
0.2
00
.25
0.3
00
.35
Fantail
n=100 n=100 n=100 n=118 n=108 n=118 n=114 n=113 n=117
De
c-0
9
De
c-1
0
De
c-1
1
De
c-0
9
De
c-1
0
De
c-1
1
De
c-0
9
De
c-1
0
De
c-1
1
Hutt Catchment Non Treatment Project Kaka
1080 a
pplication
1080 a
pplication
Acoustic Recorders – Birds
What next?
• 1080 applied
– Project Kaka area 2013&2016
– Hutt Catchment 2015
• Ensure sampling is consistent and executed to a high standard
• Develop models that accurately predict the effect of treatment
and interactions between animal pests, fruiting events, & native
flora & fauna
• Report on progress
– Stakeholder newsletters
– Internet
– Science literature
Acknowledgements
• DOC Graeme Elliott, Maheswaran Rohan, Josh Kemp, Ben Reddiex, Colin Miskelly, Jack Mace, Clare Veltman, Wairarapa and Kapiti AO staff
• Greater Wellington RC – Philippa Crisp, Kim Broad, Owen Spearpoint and field staff
• Landcare Research - Mandy Barron, Wendy Ruscoe, Rob Allen & Peter Bellingham
Questions?
