Threatened species & ecological communities
A knowledge synthesis to inform a national approach to fighting extinction
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Through the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Programme, I worked on a knowledge synthesis to look at actions for threatened species across Australia.
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Collectively, a wealth of knowledge is held by managers, traditional owners and scientists across Australia about what we can do to improve the outlook for threatened species. However, further efforts are needed to draw this knowledge together into a coordinated assessment of options for mitigating key threats to threatened species.
We synthesise research and expertise across threatened species in Australia to generate and evaluate options for ensuring the persistence of threatened species, using the best available scientific and policy knowledge.
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Refuges for threatened species
Through the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Programme Theme 4 Reintroductions and refugia I have investigated the role of refuges for Australia's threatened species.
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​Refuges are important to many species, as they allow many species to survive environmentally stressful times, like droughts, fires and disease outbreaks. While fixed refuges like mountain tops can be easy to identify, many species rely on temporary refuges which move in time and space.
This project will advance our understanding of both fixed and shifting refuges to support their protection and management. It will also identify the critical refuge attributes for a number of threatened species including: the spotted tree frog, great desert skink, several species of antechinus, Sharman’s rock wallaby, and northern quoll. It will also examine how feral cats use refuges in arid zones and rangelands.
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Relevant publications:
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Reside, A.E., Briscoe, N.J., Dickman, C.R., Greenville, A.C., Hradsky, B.A., Kark, S., Kearney, M.R., Kutt, A.S., Nimmo, D.G., Pavey, C.R., Read, J.L., Ritchie, E.G., Roshier, D., Skroblin, A., Stone, Z., West, M., Fisher, D.O., 2019. Persistence through tough times: fixed and shifting refuges in threatened species conservation. Biodiversity and Conservation Online early
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Black-throated finch
The Southern Black-throated finch (Poephila cincta cincta) is a small granivorous bird that now occurs exclusively in Queensland in north-eastern Australia. It has declined in the south-eastern part of its former distribution, with some estimates that it has lost 80% of its former range. The Black-throated finch is listed as Endangered nationally (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) and in Queensland (Nature Conservation Act 1992); and Extinct in New South Wales (Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995).
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The decline of the Black-throated finch is believed to be driven by both the destruction (e.g. land clearing) and degradation of formerly suitable areas. The degradation is likely to be a result of cattle grazing, and interruption of food supply because of introduced grasses and shrubs.
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I have been involved with Black-throated finch research and conservation through the Black-throated finch Recovery Team, through supervising research students (2 PhD, 1 Masters and 1 Honours student), and other research projects.
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Relevant publications:
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Reside, A.E., Cosgrove, A.J., Pointon, R., Trezise, J., Watson, J.E.M., Maron, M., 2019. How to send a finch extinct. Environmental Science & Policy 94, 163-173.
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Vanderduys, E. P., Reside, A. E., Grice, A., & Rechetelo, J. (2016). Addressing potential cumulative impacts of development on threatened species: the case of the endangered Black-throated Finch. PLoS ONE, 11(3), e0148485.
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Rechetelo, J., Grice, A., Reside, A. E., Hardesty, B. D., & Moloney, J. (2016). Movement patterns, home range size and habitat selection of an endangered resource tracking species, the Black-throated Finch (Poephila cincta cincta). PLoS ONE, 11(11), e0167254.
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Vine, S., & Reside, A. E. (2014). Down to the wire. Australian Birdlife (December).
