Conserving koalas: A review of the contrasting regional trends, outlooks and policy challenges
McAlpine, C, Lunney, D, Melzer, A, Menkhorst, P, Phillips, S, Phalen, D, Ellis, W, Foley, W, Baxter, G, de Villiers, D, Kavanagh, R, Adams-Hosking, C, Todd, C, Whisson, D, Molsher, R, Walter, M, Lawler, I & Close, R 2015, Biological Conservation, vol. 192, pp. 226-236.
The koala has suffered a 50% decline in its distribution since European colonisation began in Australia, and consequently its conservation has become a national priority. The purpose of this review was to synthesise current knowledge of koala populations and their threats to identify a way forward for their conservation.
Read more ...
Contribution of community knowledge of vertebrate fauna to management and planning
Lunney, D, O’Neill, L, Matthews, A, & Coburn, D 2000, Ecological Management & Restoration, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 175 – 184.
A postal survey on vertebrate fauna was conducted within the community living on the Iluka Peninsula in northern New South Wales. The survey asked residents to mark on a map the locations of vertebrate species (both alive and dead) they had seen on the Iluka Peninsula, as well as a series of questions about opinions on wildlife conservation and management. The survey revealed not only is the abundance of vertebrate fauna on the Iluka Peninsula, but the strong community support for improved habitat and wildlife management.
Read more ...
Introduction: an interdisciplinary effort for koala conservation
Cork, SJ, Clark, TW, & Mazur N 2000, Conservation Biology, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 606-609.
This paper opens a special edition of Conservation Biology dedicated to the conservation of the koala. The authors preface the special edition by explaining how a cooperative, interdisciplinary approach is critical in the decision-making process for developing effective koala conservation management strategies. Taking a systematic view of the conservation policy and decision-making process highlights all the components that are involved as well as how these components are interrelated in the sense that weakness in any one component may compromise the end result. It is also important to acknowledge the role of social and political science in the development of policy beyond biological science alone.
Read more ...