James Kohen

Biogeography and diversity of ants in Purnululu (Bungle Bungle) National Park and Conservation Reserve, Western Australia

We describe the diversity, composition, functional group organisation and biogeography of ants in Purnululu National Park (128°19′E, 17°19′S) in Western Australia’s Kimberley region, located at a semi-arid/tropical zone boundary. Pitfall trapping collected a representative sample of ants from three main habitats within the park: spinifex, sandplain and gorges. In total, 154 species from 25 genera were collected. The richest genera were Melophorus, Iridomyrmex and Monomorium. Iridomyrmex was the most abundant genus, accounting for 80% of all individuals recorded in traps. Functional group composition was dominated by Dominant Dolichoderinae (41% of individuals collected) and Hot Climate Specialists (26%). Biogeographical composition was typical of semi-arid zone assemblages located on the overlap between Eyrean and Torresian zones: 50% of the species recorded represented Eyrean taxa, followed by 33% with Torresian affinities, and 10% Widespread. Differences in ant species richness, abundance and assemblage composition between the three habitat types were attributed to a combination of variation in vegetation structure and microhabitat composition. This paper provides baseline data on local ant communities in the semi-arid Kimberley, enabling a greater understanding of the conservation value of reserves within the Kimberley, one of Australia’s least studied bioregions.

An ethnopharmacological study of medicinal plants in New South Wales.

The Australian Aboriginal people have used plants as medicine and food for thousands of years, however, this traditional knowledge is documented only to a limited extent, and is in danger of being lost. The Indigenous Bioresources Research Group (IBRG) aims to help Australian Aboriginal communities to preserve their customary medicinal knowledge, and to provide information that can be used for their cultural or educational purposes, as well as for scientific advancement. This work is undertaken in close collaboration with Australian Aboriginal communities in New South Wales. The project is multidisciplinary, combining an ethnobotanical and an ethnopharmacological approach, which includes biological and chemical investigations, as well as developing best practices for protecting traditional knowledge. This paper describes the general strategy of the project as well as methods used in the ethnopharmacological study. Ethnobotanical databases are set up for each participating community. Plant material is collected, extracted, and active compounds are isolated using a bioassay-guided fractionation approach. All extracts and compounds are tested for biological activity in antimicrobial assays (disc diffusion, resazurin, fluorescein diacetate), neurological assays or anti-inflammatory assays, depending on their traditional use.

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants of Chungtia village, Nagaland, India

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Traditional medicinal plant knowledge is an integral and very important part of Indigenous cultures worldwide. For many communities there is a great urgency in recording this knowledge in written form. This is the first ethnobotanical report of medicinal plant knowledge of the Nagaland Ao tribe of Chungtia village and is an important step in the preservation of this culturally and medicinally significant knowledge. AIM OF THE STUDY The aim of the presented work was to perform an ethnobotanical study on plants of medicinal and other significance to the Chungtia villagers of Nagaland, North East India. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ethnobotanical data were collected from traditional practitioners and Elders of Chungtia village by means of open group discussions and semi-structured interviews of groups and individuals using questionnaires. The interviews were also recorded in an audio format in the local Mongsen language. The gathered ethnobotanical knowledge was compared with reported ethnobotanical usages worldwide and reported biological properties and phytochemical studies relevant to the Chungtia villagers׳ applications. RESULTS A total of 135 plant species of 69 families and 123 genera were recorded for medicinal and household maintenance applications. Those applications were grouped into 13 categories based on Chungtia villagers׳ classification system. The families most represented were Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae and Solanaceae. The most reported uses were for gastrointestinal problems, followed by dermatological problems. The most commonly used plant parts were leaves, followed by fruits and stems and they were most commonly administered as a paste, decoction, infusion, juice or poultice, or taken orally with no preparation. There was strong agreement among the informants as to the usages of the plants (informant consensus factor 0.80-0.91). The use value of 6 for Cassia floribunda, Dolichos lablab, Hedyotis scandens, Phyllanthus urinaria and Rhus javanica indicated these are the most important species. Forty four of the 135 plants had a fidelity level of 100%. CONCLUSION This study has helped to document and preserve in written format important traditional plant knowledge of 135 plants of the Chungtia villagers, assisting them in the continued preservation of their cultural values.

High possum mortality on urban roads: implications for the population viability of the common brushtail and the common ringtail possum

Animal–vehicle collisions impact wildlife populations and in the northern suburbs of Sydney, both the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) and the common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) are killed in large numbers. Over a two-year period almost 600 road-killed possums were observed from 217 road surveys covering over 7800 km, equating to 5.45 possums per week over the 36-km study area. Surveys were conducted along roads where the environment ranged from low-rise suburban to continuous sclerophyll forest. Significantly more ringtail possums were observed as road-kill, outnumbering brushtail possums by almost three to one. No sex bias was found amongst road-killed ringtail possums; however, seasonal trends and weight fluctuations were significant, with both males and females being at their lowest weights during the autumn breeding season. For brushtail possums a bias towards young males was observed. Sex and weight of road-killed brushtail possums were comparable to live-trap data from a previous study in the same location. In areas of such high possum mortality, wildlife managers may need to take action to mitigate possum road-kill.

The incidence of road-killed possums in the Ku-ring-gai area of Sydney

Abstract. The spatial and temporal incidence of possum mortality on roads was monitored in Sydney’s northern suburbs over a two-year period. In total, 217 road surveys were completed, equating to over 17 000 km travelled. Almost 600 possums were observed as road-kill, with common ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) encountered in 87% of surveys and almost three times as often as common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) (encountered in 52% of surveys). Roads were classified into three categories based on adjacent landscape attributes, with the road-side environment ranging from suburban housing to continuous sclerophyll forest. Clusters, or ‘hot spots’, for possum road-kill were identified using GIS. Most possum fatalities, and five out of six hot spots, occurred along roads at the bush–urban interface, suggesting high possum movement rates and/or abundance at these sites. Continuous canopy across the road was available along only 4% of the roads surveyed, forcing these arboreal marsupials to cross roads via electricity wires or at ground level, making them vulnerable to collision with vehicles. In an attempt to mitigate the possum road toll, two rope tunnel bridges were erected at canopy level above the most consistent hot spot. Subsequent monitoring of the roads was undertaken for 10 months after erection of the canopy bridge and road-kill numbers declined significantly at the site of the bridges, but also at adjacent sites throughout the study area.

Suburban attitudes towards the common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula and the common ringtail possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus in the northern suburbs of Sydney

Community based urban wildlife surveys are a two way exchange of information. They allow the researcher to gain information on urban wildlife living, or travelling through, private property that would normally remain inaccessible, whilst simultaneously informing the participants of current research and conservation initiatives. In Sydneys northern suburbs, 600 residences were surveyed on their attitudes to urban possums, with a return rate of 33 %. The majority of respondents were accepting of these animals on their properties and showed an enthusiasm to learn more on living peaceably with possums. A minority were found to have a high level of conflict with these animals. The relatively high proportion of respondents who admitted to removing possums from their properties (20 % of respondents), shows the extent to which human - possum interactions reach a point where peaceable coexistence is no longer possible. Despite this, when informed of a conservation initiative in the area to mitigate possum road-ki...

Water views: Water-based survey methods on Cowan Creek, New South Wales

Abstract A survey of shell midden sites within the Cowan Creek area, which lies to the north of Sydney, was conducted over a period of five months. The survey design was based upon a site location printout obtained from the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System. Due to the ruggedness of the terrain within the area, the sites were first identified from the water, and GPS was used to verify the coordinates. The location of the sites was then confirmed on foot. During the survey potential habitation sites were also examined, and a total of thirty-eight new sites containing middens, were identified and recorded for inclusion on the site register with National Parks. Recorded site density, as a result of the survey, has increased along Coal and Candle Creek from 0.5 sites /linear km, to 8.5 sites/linear km. Surface examinations of the midden deposits in this area suggest that Trichomya hirsuta andCrassostrea commercialis were strongly favoured by Aboriginal people in the past. The results of the survey indicate that the water-based survey method adopted for the purposes of this project was highly efficient in the location of sites containing middens in Cowan Creek, within a short period of time. The results also indicate that a great deal of this information is being rapidly degraded within the area, with the majority of sites displaying damage due to both natural and anthropogenic influence, despite the protection afforded by inclusion of all of these sites within a National Park.