Papers by Ronald Bonifacio
<p>Number of ecosystems assessed for each criterion and number for which each criterion det... more <p>Number of ecosystems assessed for each criterion and number for which each criterion determined overall status.</p
Pacific Conservation Biology, 2011
Shelterbelts are common features of farm landscapes that provide shelter for livestock and crops ... more Shelterbelts are common features of farm landscapes that provide shelter for livestock and crops and timber but may also benefit wildlife. The importance of shelterbelt plant diversity for birds was investigated by a survey of 62 sites in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. An area search technique was used to assess bird occurrence. An all subsets and exponential regression analysis approach explored the relationships between woody plant diversity and avifauna diversity (using Hill’s diversity index), whilst seasonal variations were analysed using restricted maximum likelihood. Sixty-six bird species, including many that are woodland-dependent, representing eight foraging guilds, were observed in the shelterbelts. More species of birds occurred and at higher density in more floristically diverse shelterbelts. Other factors found to influence avifaunal use of shelterbelts were woody plant density, shelterbelt width, structural complexity, tree height, crown cover ...
PLoS ONE, 2013
An understanding of risks to biodiversity is needed for planning action to slow current rates of ... more An understanding of risks to biodiversity is needed for planning action to slow current rates of decline and secure ecosystem services for future human use. Although the IUCN Red List criteria provide an effective assessment protocol for species, a standard global assessment of risks to higher levels of biodiversity is currently limited. In 2008, IUCN initiated development of risk assessment criteria to support a global Red List of ecosystems. We present a new conceptual model for ecosystem risk assessment founded on a synthesis of relevant ecological theories. To support the model, we review key elements of ecosystem definition and introduce the concept of ecosystem collapse, an analogue of species extinction. The model identifies four distributional and functional symptoms of ecosystem risk as a basis for assessment criteria: A) rates of decline in ecosystem distribution; B) restricted distributions with continuing declines or threats; C) rates of environmental (abiotic) degradation; and D) rates of disruption to biotic processes. A fifth criterion, E) quantitative estimates of the risk of ecosystem collapse, enables integrated assessment of multiple processes and provides a conceptual anchor for the other criteria. We present the theoretical rationale for the construction and interpretation of each criterion. The assessment protocol and threat categories mirror those of the IUCN Red List of species. A trial of the protocol on terrestrial, subterranean, freshwater and marine ecosystems from around the world shows that its concepts are workable and its outcomes are robust, that required data are available, and that results are consistent with assessments carried out by local experts and authorities. The new protocol provides a consistent, practical and theoretically grounded framework for establishing a systematic Red List of the world's ecosystems. This will complement the Red List of species and strengthen global capacity to report on and monitor the status of biodiversity
Arthropod prey of shelterbelt-associated birds: Linking faecal samples with biological control of... more Arthropod prey of shelterbelt-associated birds: Linking faecal samples with biological control of agricultural pests
Shelterbelts are composed of linear vegetation planted for the protection of crops and livestock.... more Shelterbelts are composed of linear vegetation planted for the protection of crops and livestock. Some of the ecosystem services of shelterbelts are: protection of crops and livestock from weather, water table and salinity management, timber production and aesthetics. Shelterbelts may also constitute valuable habitat for conservation of vertebrates. Some of these species may help suppress agricultural pests.
Aquat Bot, 1999
The seeds of the tropical seagrass Enhalus acoroides were analyzed for their nutritive components... more The seeds of the tropical seagrass Enhalus acoroides were analyzed for their nutritive components to assess their dietary value for humans. Proximate analysis of flour prepared by grinding the dried seeds gave the following results: 9.8% moisture; 8.8% protein; 0.2% fat; 72.4% carbohydrates; 2.4% crude fiber; 6.4% ash; 933 mg/kg calcium; 2392 mg/kg phosphorous; and 2813 mg/kg iron. Correspondingly, proximate analysis of the starch prepared from the flour with a 50% yield, resulted in the following: 11% moisture; 0.8% protein; 0.1% fat; 87.6% carbohydrates; 0.4% crude fiber; 0.5% ash; 320 mg/kg calcium; 210 mg/kg phosphorous and; 220 mg/kg iron. Comparison of the proximate analysis results and the calculated caloric values of the seagrass seed flour and starch showed similarity with those of terrestrial origin.
Bull Environ Contam Toxicol, 1998
Australian Journal of Entomology, 2007
The value of insectivorous birds as agents for biological control of arthropod pests has been lit... more The value of insectivorous birds as agents for biological control of arthropod pests has been little studied, especially in Australia. This paper reports on the extent to which arthropods from various pest and non-pest taxa feature in the diets of birds captured in farm shelterbelts in central western New South Wales. The parameters examined were the types of arthropod fragments in bird faeces and percentage volume and frequency of occurrence of each component. The faecal data were compared with samples of the arthropod fauna trapped in shelterbelts during the period the birds were captured. In 26 of 29 faecal samples, arthropod fragments were the predominant components, the most common being from Coleoptera, Hymenoptera (especially Formicidae), Orthoptera and Araneae. The recognisable pest taxa in faecal samples were Scarabaeidae and wingless grasshopper Phaulacridium vittatum (Sjöstedt) (Orthoptera: Acrididae). The results indicate that the native bird species common in farm shelterbelts preyed on a range of arthropod taxa including several that are pests of crops and pastures. Accordingly, conservation of birds in farmlands could contribute to suppression of arthropod pests.
Shelterbelts are common features of farm landscapes that provide shelter for livestock and crops ... more Shelterbelts are common features of farm landscapes that provide shelter for livestock and crops and timber but may also benefit wildlife. The importance of shelterbelt plant diversity for birds was investigated by a survey of 62 sites in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. An area search technique was used to assess bird occurrence. An all subsets and exponential regression analysis approach explored the relationships between woody plant diversity and avifauna diversity (using Hill's diversity index), whilst seasonal variations were analysed using restricted maximum likelihood. Sixty-six bird species, including many that are woodland-dependent, representing eight foraging guilds, were observed in the shelterbelts. More species of birds occurred and at higher density in more floristically diverse shelterbelts. Other factors found to influence avifaunal use of shelterbelts were woody plant density, shelterbelt width, structural complexity, tree height, crown cover index and elevation. Seasonal analysis confirmed the importance of these independent variables but also revealed the significance of shelterbelt's proximity to water during summer for birds using this habitat. This study shows that floristic diversity, amongst other factors, is a significant predictor of avifauna diversity in shelterbelts and suggests that shelterbelts may be designed to optimize their wildlife habitat and biodiversity conservation values.
The seeds ofthe tropical seagrass Enhalus acoroides were analyzed for their nutritive components ... more The seeds ofthe tropical seagrass Enhalus acoroides were analyzed for their nutritive components to assess their dietary value for hwnans. Proximate analysis of flour prepared by grinding the dried seeds gave the following results: 9.8% moisture; 8.8% protein; 0.2% fat; 72.4% carbohydrates; 2.4% crude fiber; 6.4% ash; 933 mg/kg calcium; 2392 mg/kg phosphorous; and 2813 mg/kg iron. Correspondingly, proximate analysis ofthe starch prepared from the flour with a 50% yield, resulted in the following: 11 % moisture; 0.8% protein; 0.1 % fat; 87.6% carbohydrates; 0.4% crude fiber; 0.5% ash; 320 mg/kg calcium; 210 mglkg phosphorous and; 220 mg/kg iron. Comparison of the proximate analysis results and the calculated caloric values of the seagrass seed flour and starch showed similarity with those of terrestrial origin.
Austral Ecology, 2014
ABSTRACT The Lake Eyre Basin, one of the world&#39;s last unregulated wild river basins, cove... more ABSTRACT The Lake Eyre Basin, one of the world&#39;s last unregulated wild river basins, covers almost one sixth of the Australian continent, with large areas of connected wetlands (73 903 km2), including floodplains, lakes, waterholes and river channels. Few data existed and so we used literature and government biotic and abiotic data and anthropogenic impacts to assess the conservation risk of the ecosystem as Least Concern (IUCN Red List criteria for ecosystems, version 2.0). This was based on limited distributional change and low levels of degradation or anthropogenic threatening processes. The approach could be applied to ecosystem assessments of other large river basins around the world, given the Lake Eyre Basin occupies one extreme (unmodified) while the Aral Sea (collapsed), previously assessed, occupies the other extreme (highly modified). River flow analysis with available biotic data is critical for risk assessment as well as identification and tracking of long-term threats. Assessment was possible at this large basin scale and appropriate, given the critical importance of connectivity but could also occur at finer spatial scale. Increased diversions for irrigation, mining impacts on floodplains and projected increased temperatures threaten the current status (Least Concern) of the connected wetlands of the Lake Eyre Basin ecosystem.
Australian Journal of Entomology, 2007
The value of insectivorous birds as agents for biological control of arthropod pests has been lit... more The value of insectivorous birds as agents for biological control of arthropod pests has been little studied, especially in Australia. This paper reports on the extent to which arthropods from various pest and non-pest taxa feature in the diets of birds captured in farm shelterbelts in central western New South Wales. The parameters examined were the types of arthropod fragments in bird faeces and percentage volume and frequency of occurrence of each component. The faecal data were compared with samples of the arthropod fauna trapped in shelterbelts during the period the birds were captured. In 26 of 29 faecal samples, arthropod fragments were the predominant components, the most common being from Coleoptera, Hymenoptera (especially Formicidae), Orthoptera and Araneae. The recognisable pest taxa in faecal samples were Scarabaeidae and wingless grasshopper Phaulacridium vittatum (Sjöstedt) (Orthoptera: Acrididae). The results indicate that the native bird species common in farm shelterbelts preyed on a range of arthropod taxa including several that are pests of crops and pastures. Accordingly, conservation of birds in farmlands could contribute to suppression of arthropod pests.
PLoS ONE, 2013
An understanding of risks to biodiversity is needed for planning action to slow current rates of ... more An understanding of risks to biodiversity is needed for planning action to slow current rates of decline and secure ecosystem services for future human use. Although the IUCN Red List criteria provide an effective assessment protocol for species, a standard global assessment of risks to higher levels of biodiversity is currently limited. In 2008, IUCN initiated development of risk assessment criteria to support a global Red List of ecosystems. We present a new conceptual model for ecosystem risk assessment founded on a synthesis of relevant ecological theories. To support the model, we review key elements of ecosystem definition and introduce the concept of ecosystem collapse, an analogue of species extinction. The model identifies four distributional and functional symptoms of ecosystem risk as a basis for assessment criteria: A) rates of decline in ecosystem distribution; B) restricted distributions with continuing declines or threats; C) rates of environmental (abiotic) degradation; and D) rates of disruption to biotic processes. A fifth criterion, E) quantitative estimates of the risk of ecosystem collapse, enables integrated assessment of multiple processes and provides a conceptual anchor for the other criteria. We present the theoretical rationale for the construction and interpretation of each criterion. The assessment protocol and threat categories mirror those of the IUCN Red List of species. A trial of the protocol on terrestrial, subterranean, freshwater and marine ecosystems from around the world shows that its concepts are workable and its outcomes are robust, that required data are available, and that results are consistent with assessments carried out by local experts and authorities. The new protocol provides a consistent, practical and theoretically grounded framework for establishing a systematic Red List of the world's ecosystems. This will complement the Red List of species and strengthen global capacity to report on and monitor the status of biodiversity
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Papers by Ronald Bonifacio