The Times Australia
The Times World News

.
The Times Real Estate

.

I realised the fat-tailed dunnart was under threat. Here's how I got the species officially listed

  • Written by Emily Scicluna, Research Associate – Thylacine Integrated Genomic Restoration Research Laboratory, University of Melbourne, The University of Melbourne
I realised the fat-tailed dunnart was under threat. Here's how I got the species officially listed

Saving endangered species is an uphill battle in Australia, the mammal extinction capital[1] of the world. But the first step, threatened species listing, can be confusing, tedious and time-consuming.

To demystify the rigorous (yet arduous) process for listing threatened species, we describe the experience of listing fat-tailed dunnarts in Victoria.

This feisty little predator stores fat in its tail, much like a camel’s hump. For too long it was considered common, but evidence shows the species is in decline and needs help to recover.

Threatened species listing affords extra protection, but there are no guarantees. We need to keep the pressure on policy-makers and public servants to ensure our most vulnerable species receive the protection they deserve.

Read more: 'Gut-wrenching and infuriating': why Australia is the world leader in mammal extinctions, and what to do about it[2]

A litter of fat-tailed dunnart joeys nesting in straw.
Fat-tailed dunnarts are short lived, which means successful breeding is important for populations to survive. Emily Scicluna, Author provided

A shameful record of extinction

Australia has the highest mammal extinction rate[3] in the world. We have lost 39 land mammals since European settlement. That’s a rate of about one to two mammal species per decade[4] since the first post-1788 Australian mammal extinction, probably in the 1840s.

In total, 67 animals and 37 plants are declared extinct under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). That includes 39 mammals, 22 birds, four frogs, one reptile and one earthworm.

A further 499 animals[5] and 1,374 plants[6] are listed as threatened with extinction.

Threatened species listing gives the conservation status legal standing and mandates actions to secure species populations, allowing eventual removal from the list. This may include developing a recovery plan that stipulates actions to reduce threats (such as habitat loss, predation, or competition with invasive species) or to increase populations (such as captive breeding and translocations).

Listing also triggers environmental laws. Proposed developments that might harm or otherwise impact threatened species or their habitat should be referred for assessment under the EPBC Act. The development may be stopped entirely (although this rarely happens), modified to reduce potential impacts, or offsets may be required to compensate by helping the species at another location.

Cause for confusion

A species at risk of extinction may be listed as threatened under either state or federal legislation. However, there are several aspects of the listing process that may cause confusion.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List[7] of Threatened Species has five criteria[8]:

  • A: population size reduction
  • B: geographic range (declining area or extent)
  • C: small population size and decline
  • D: very small or restricted population
  • E: quantitative analysis (reflecting the population’s viability).

Each criterion has specific thresholds that a species must fall below to be considered threatened. However, a species only needs to meet one of the five criteria to be eligible for listing as threatened.

The catch-all term “threatened” includes different levels of extinction risk, from vulnerable through to endangered, critically endangered, extinct in the wild, and finally, extinct. The risk of extinction increases with each step.

For example, a species is classified as vulnerable if it has suffered a 30% reduction in population size over ten years or three generations. If the decline was 50% or more, it is classified as endangered, and critically endangered if the decline was greater than 80%.

Similarly, a species is vulnerable if its entire population consists of less than 1,000 adults, endangered if it is fewer than 250 adults, and critically endangered if less than 50 adults.

To further complicate matters, every state and territory, and the Commonwealth, has its own threatened species legislation. This means a species can potentially be listed as threatened in one jurisdiction but not in another.

For example, koalas are listed as threatened under the federal EPBC Act (due to drastic declines in NSW, Queensland and the ACT) but not under Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act. So a species can be threatened in one state but not in another, and can be threatened at the state level but not at a national level.

Finally, someone (or usually a group of people) must take the time and effort to formally nominate a species as threatened. While anyone can nominate a species for listing, the nominator must provide compelling evidence that the species satisfies at least one of the IUCN criteria.

This is not a trivial undertaking, so the official lists of threatened species are almost certainly an underestimate of the true number of species that are threatened. But this is exactly what I did.

A fat-tailed dunnart leaps down from a log to the ground, the fat tail is close to a person's hand for size comparison.
The tail of the fat-tailed dunnart contains body fat, stored when food is plentiful. This can give the tail a swollen appearance when times are good. Caleb McElrea, Author provided

Listing the fat-tailed dunnart

Early in my PhD candidature (in February 2018), my goal was to use fat-tailed dunnarts as a model species for some of their more endangered relatives, such as the Tasmanian devil or eastern quoll.

The fat-tailed dunnart is a small, carnivorous, nocturnal marsupial that weighs around 15 grams (about the size of three grapes). They are incredibly cute, ferocious predators (of insects, that is) who store energy reserves in their tail, much like a camel’s hump.

The species is widely distributed across southern and central Australia in a range of habitats. In Victoria, they are largely confined to grasslands and open woodlands.

When I began my PhD research, fat-tailed dunnarts were assumed to be “common”, based on historical records. But no-one was really looking for them. So when I set out to find them, I couldn’t.

My main study site was at the Werribee Western Treatment Plant. In the early 1970s, 700 fat-tailed dunnart were trapped there over four years. Using the same methods, with double the survey effort, I found none[9].

In the intervening 43 years, 75% of suitable dunnart habitat at this site had been cleared. When I extended my search further west into Victoria’s grasslands, fat-tailed dunnarts were still present but only in very low numbers. As the last remaining small mammal in Victoria’s grasslands, this was highly concerning.

Over time I realised that this species was a threatened species in its own right.

Read more: These historic grasslands are becoming a weed-choked waste. It could be one of the world's great parks[10]

Gathering the evidence

In 2019, I began to pursue statutory listing and protection for fat-tailed dunnarts in Victoria under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act. So what did that involve?

I needed to provide the following:

  • Species description, life history, generation length, habitat, and distribution. Basically, everything there is to know about the species. Generation length is crucial: if a species has slow reproductive rates, it will be more difficult to recover from population crashes.

  • Key threats. I needed to provide evidence that fat-tailed dunnarts were experiencing habitat loss (conversion of grasslands to crops), being heavily preyed upon by invasive species (mostly by rats) and that the remaining populations were becoming geographically isolated, therefore restricting gene flow.

  • Evidence of decline. This is where it gets really tricky. I needed to provide evidence that fat-tailed dunnarts met at least one of the five IUCN criteria mentioned above. This was challenging because there were no long-term survey datasets available for fat-tailed dunnarts. How do you show a decline when no one knew what the original populations were?

I was able to garner enough data and evidence from my PhD research, the Atlas of Living Australia[11], and compiling incidental recordings of this species from other surveys to convince the Scientific Advisory Committee to support the nomination of the fat-tailed dunnart.

Specifically, I was able to show that the Victorian population had declined by more than 60% from 2000-09 to 2010-19. This satisfied the threshold for population decline (criterion A) of at least 30% over the past 10 years (vulnerable).

I was also able to demonstrate that fat-tailed dunnarts now only occupied 1,427 square kilometres in Victoria, meeting the threshold for vulnerable under criterion B (geographic range). I satisfied not one, but two IUCN criteria.

Emily Scicluna holding a fat-tailed dunnart
Emily Scicluna successfully nominated the fat-tailed dunnart for threatened species listing in Victoria. La Trobe University, Author provided

Protecting the dunnart

Once the vulnerable listing is formally ratified, planning decisions that involve clearing potential fat-tailed dunnart habitat need to consider the species. At least that’s the idea. In practice, legislative protection does not always translate to on-ground protection[12].

Loopholes[13], offsets, ministerial discretion and findings of “low to moderate impact[14]” mean projects that clear threatened species habitat go ahead more often than not.

Despite promising signals and intent from the federal government[15], threatened species habitat continues to be cleared at alarming rates, pushing species towards the brink of extinction. The process for listing threatened species is rigorous - as it should be - but it is a means to an end.

Unless threatened species laws are enforced and strengthened, the effort required to have a species listed as threatened will be in vain.

Read more: Australia's next government must tackle our collapsing ecosystems and extinction crisis[16]

References

  1. ^ mammal extinction capital (theconversation.com)
  2. ^ 'Gut-wrenching and infuriating': why Australia is the world leader in mammal extinctions, and what to do about it (theconversation.com)
  3. ^ mammal extinction rate (www.abc.net.au)
  4. ^ one to two mammal species per decade (www.pnas.org)
  5. ^ 499 animals (www.environment.gov.au)
  6. ^ 1,374 plants (www.environment.gov.au)
  7. ^ Red List (www.iucnredlist.org)
  8. ^ criteria (cmsdocs.s3.amazonaws.com)
  9. ^ I found none (bioone.org)
  10. ^ These historic grasslands are becoming a weed-choked waste. It could be one of the world's great parks (theconversation.com)
  11. ^ Atlas of Living Australia (bie.ala.org.au)
  12. ^ does not always translate to on-ground protection (conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
  13. ^ Loopholes (theconversation.com)
  14. ^ low to moderate impact (www.abc.net.au)
  15. ^ promising signals and intent from the federal government (theconversation.com)
  16. ^ Australia's next government must tackle our collapsing ecosystems and extinction crisis (theconversation.com)

Read more https://theconversation.com/i-realised-the-fat-tailed-dunnart-was-under-threat-heres-how-i-got-the-species-officially-listed-200632

The Times Features

Best Deals on Home Furniture Online

Key Highlights Discover the best deals on high-quality outdoor furniture online. Transform your outdoor space into a stylish and comfortable oasis. Explore a wide range of d...

Discover the Best Women's Jumpers for Every Season

Key Highlights Explore lightweight jumpers for spring and summer, ensuring breathability and ease. Wrap up warm with cozy wool jumpers for the chilly autumn and winter season...

Uncover the Elegance of Gorgeous Diamond Tennis Necklaces

Key Highlights Diamond tennis necklaces are a timeless piece of jewelry that exudes elegance and sophistication. They feature a continuous line of brilliant-cut diamonds, cre...

Dental Implants vs. Dentures: Which Is Better for You?

When it comes to replacing missing teeth, two of the most common options are dental implants and dentures. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, so choosing between them ...

What Neck Pain Really Means (And Why It’s More Than Just Poor Posture)

Neck pain is often brushed off as something temporary — a tight spot after a long day at the desk or a poor night’s sleep. But when the discomfort keeps returning, it could be a ...

The Work of Gosha Rubchinskiy: Fashion, Culture, and Youth

From Designer to Cultural Architect Gosha Rubchinskiy is not just a fashion designer—he's a cultural force. Born in Moscow in 1984, Rubchinskiy began his career in fashion in t...

Times Magazine

The Essential Guide to Transforming Office Spaces for Maximum Efficiency

Why Office Fitouts MatterA well-designed office can make all the difference in productivity, employee satisfaction, and client impressions. Businesses of all sizes are investing in updated office spaces to create environments that foster collaborat...

The A/B Testing Revolution: How AI Optimized Landing Pages Without Human Input

A/B testing was always integral to the web-based marketing world. Was there a button that converted better? Marketing could pit one against the other and see which option worked better. This was always through human observation, and over time, as d...

Using Countdown Timers in Email: Do They Really Increase Conversions?

In a world that's always on, where marketers are attempting to entice a subscriber and get them to convert on the same screen with one email, the power of urgency is sometimes the essential element needed. One of the most popular ways to create urg...

Types of Software Consultants

In today's technology-driven world, businesses often seek the expertise of software consultants to navigate complex software needs. There are several types of software consultants, including solution architects, project managers, and user experienc...

CWU Assistive Tech Hub is Changing Lives: Win a Free Rollator Walker This Easter!

🌟 Mobility. Independence. Community. All in One. This Easter, the CWU Assistive Tech Hub is pleased to support the Banyule community by giving away a rollator walker. The giveaway will take place during the Macleod Village Easter Egg Hunt & Ma...

"Eternal Nurture" by Cara Barilla: A Timeless Collection of Wisdom and Healing

Renowned Sydney-born author and educator Cara Barilla has released her latest book, Eternal Nurture, a profound collection of inspirational quotes designed to support mindfulness, emotional healing, and personal growth. With a deep commitment to ...

LayBy Shopping