Management of the terrestrial small mammal and lizard communities in the dune system of Sturt National Park, Australia: historic and contemporary effects of pastoralism and fox predation

This thesis addressed three issues related to the management and conservation of small terrestrial vertebrates in the arid zone. The study site was an amalgamation of pastoral properties forming the now protected area of Sturt National Park in far-western New South Wales, Australia. Thus firstly, it assessed recovery from disturbance accrued through more than a century of Sheep grazing. Vegetation parameters, Fox, Cat and Rabbit abundance, and the small vertebrate communities were compared, with distance to watering points used as a surrogate for grazing intensity. Secondly, the impacts of small-scale but intensive combined Fox and Rabbit control on small vertebrates were investigated. Thirdly, the ecology of the rare Dusky Hopping Mouse (Notomys fuscus) was used as an exemplar to illustrate and discuss some of the complexities related to the conservation of small terrestrial vertebrates, with a particular focus on desert rodents.Thirty-five years after the removal of livestock and the closure of watering points, areas that were historically heavily disturbed are now nearly indistinguishable from nearby relatively undisturbed areas, despite uncontrolled native herbivore (kangaroo) abundance. Rainfall patterns, rather than grazing history, were responsible for the observed variation between individual sites and may overlay potential residual grazing effects.In this study reduction of Fox activity was successful, whereas the reduction of Rabbit activity was not. The treatment had no evident effect on the small vertebrate community, total abundance or species richness and the majority of individual species. There was strong indication however that the House Mouse (Mus musculus) increased in abundance as a consequence of reduced Fox activity. Cat abundance also increased following Fox reduction but low sample size prevented analysis and discrimination between treatment or rainfall related effects.New insights were gained on the ecology of the Dusky Hopping Mouse, including temporal and spatial distribution, diet, home-range, density and population structure. A key result was the identification of the seeds of the Sandhill Wattle (Acacia ligulata) as a major food resource, which significantly influenced the mice’s movements, habitat use, distribution and density. The new information allows a more accurate assessment of threats, the identification of critical habitat and refuge areas and ultimately a focus for conservation actions for the species