Papers by Kirsten M Parris
Journal of animal ecology, 2006
Poisson regression modelling provided support for an important increase in species richness with ... more Poisson regression modelling provided support for an important increase in species richness with patch area (pond size) and a decrease in species richness with increasing patch isolation, as measured by surrounding road cover. Holding all other variables constant, ...
Avian Urban Ecology, 2013
People and Nature, Apr 8, 2020
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which... more This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Landscape and Ecological Engineering
There is a prominent view within urban ecology that existing ecological theory is insufficient to... more There is a prominent view within urban ecology that existing ecological theory is insufficient to understand the ecology of urban environments. However, many ecological theories, hypotheses and paradigms have been shown to apply to cities just as they do to other types of ecosystems. Here, I identify 16 ecological theories that have been applied to urban environments, with examples. I also illustrate the utility of metapopulation theory in cities with a case study on pond-breeding frogs in Melbourne, Australia.
Cities
Cities tend to be built in areas of high biodiversity, and the accelerating pace of urbanization ... more Cities tend to be built in areas of high biodiversity, and the accelerating pace of urbanization threatens the persistence of many species and ecological communities globally. However, urban environments also offer unique prospects for biological conservation, with multiple benefits for humans and other species. We present seven ecological principles to conserve and increase the biodiversity of cities, using metaphors to bridge the gap between the languages of built-environment and conservation professionals. We draw upon John Ruskin's famous essay on the seven lamps of architecture, but more generally on the thinking of built-environment pioneers such as Patrick Geddes (1854-1932) who proposed a synoptic view of the urban environment that included humans and non-humans alike. To explain each principle or 'lamp' of urban biodiversity, we use an understanding from the built-environment disciplines as a base and demonstrate through metaphor that planning for the more-than-human does not require a conceptual leap. We conclude our discussion with ten practical strategies for turning on these lamps in cities. Urban planners, architects, landscape architects, engineers and other built-environmental professionals have a key role to play in a paradigm shift to plan for the more-than-human, because of their direct influence on the evolving urban environment. This essay is intended to increase dialogue between ecologists and members of these professions, and thus increase the biodiversity of cities around the world.
Conservation Biology
Global urban sprawl and the rising popularity of water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) has led to a... more Global urban sprawl and the rising popularity of water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) has led to a surge in the number of wetlands constructed to collect and treat stormwater runoff in cities around the world. However, contaminants such as heavy metals and pesticides present in stormwater adversely affect the survival, growth and reproduction of animals inhabiting This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. 2 these wetlands. A key question is whether wildlife can identify and avoid highly-polluted wetlands. We investigated this question using pond-breeding frogs across 67 urban wetlands in Melbourne, Australia, to determine if frogs are attempting to breed in wetlands that affect the fitness of their offspring. We found little evidence for any important relationships between species richness and the concentration of any of the contaminants assessed, and frogs were present and calling at even the most polluted wetlands. The proportion of fringing vegetation at a wetland had the greatest positive influence on the number of frog species present and the probability of occurrence of individual species, indicating that frogs inhabit wetlands with abundant vegetation, regardless of their pollution status. These wetlands contained contaminant levels similar to urban wetlands around the world, and at levels which reduce larval amphibian survival. These results are, thus, likely generalizable to other areas, suggesting that urban managers could inadvertently be creating ecological traps in countless cities, with significant conservation implications. Wetlands are important tools for the management of urban stormwater runoff , but we need to ensure their construction does not facilitate declines in wetland-dependent urban wildlife.
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Global declines in amphibian populations are a significant conservation concern, and environmenta... more Global declines in amphibian populations are a significant conservation concern, and environmental contamination is likely a contributing driver. Although direct toxicity may be partly responsible, contaminants are often present at sub-lethal concentrations in the wild. Behavioural end-points are becoming an increasingly useful method to estimate the impact of contaminants, particularly if the behavioural responses manifest to affect individual fitness (i.e. survival, growth, or reproduction). In the wild, most animals are affected by multiple stressors, and determining how these interact to affect behaviour is critical for understanding the ecological implications of contaminant exposure. Here, we examined the individual and interactive effect of the heavy metal copper and the insecticide imidacloprid on mortality rates and anti-predator behaviours of spotted marsh frog (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis) tadpoles. This common species frequently occupies and breeds in contaminated stormwater and agricultural wetlands, where copper and imidacloprid are often present. These contaminants may alter behaviour via physiological and neurological pathways, as well as affecting how tadpoles respond to chemical cues. Tadpoles suffered unexpectedly high mortality rates when exposed to imidacloprid concentrations well below published LC50 concentrations. Only unexposed tadpoles significantly avoided predator cues. Copper and imidacloprid reduced swimming speed and distance, and escape responses, while increasing erratic swimming. We observed an interactive effect of imidacloprid and copper on erratic swimming, but in general imidacloprid and copper did not act synergistically. Our results suggest that as contaminants enter waterbodies, tadpoles will suffer considerable direct mortality, reduced foraging capacity, and increased susceptibility to predation. Our results provide the first evidence of imidacloprid affecting amphibian behaviour, and highlight both the adverse effects of copper and imidacloprid, and the importance of exploring the effect of multiple contaminants simultaneously.
Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology, Jan 18, 2018
Despite repeated calls to action, proposals for urban conservation are often met with surprise or... more Despite repeated calls to action, proposals for urban conservation are often met with surprise or scepticism. It seems there remains a pervasive narrative in policy, practice and the public psyche that urban environments, while useful for engaging people with nature or providing ecosystem services, are of little conservation value. We argue that the tendency to overlook the conservation value of urban environments stems from misconceptions about the ability of native species to persist within cities and towns, and that this, in turn, hinders effective conservation action. Drawing on recent scientific evidence, we propose updated messages that can guide and inspire conservation action in urban environments: consider small spaces, recognize unconventional habitats, test creative solutions, and use science to minimize the impacts of future urban development. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America, 2018
Around cities, natural wetlands are rapidly being destroyed and replaced with wetlands constructe... more Around cities, natural wetlands are rapidly being destroyed and replaced with wetlands constructed to treat stormwater. Although the intended purpose of these wetlands is to manage urban stormwater, they are inhabited by wildlife that might be exposed to contaminants. These effects will be exacerbated if animals are unable to differentiate between stormwater treatment wetlands of varying quality and some function as 'ecological traps' (i.e. habitats that animals prefer despite fitness being lower than in other habitats). To examine if urban stormwater wetlands can be ecological traps for frogs, we tested if survival, metamorphosis-related measures and predator avoidance behaviours of frogs differed within mesocosms that simulated stormwater wetlands with different contaminant levels, and paired this with a natural oviposition experiment to assess breeding-site preferences. We provide the first empirical evidence that these wetlands can function as ecological traps for frogs....
Biological Reviews
Many wetlands harbour highly diverse biological communities and provide extensive ecosystem servi... more Many wetlands harbour highly diverse biological communities and provide extensive ecosystem services; however, these important ecological features are being altered, degraded and destroyed around the world. Despite a wealth of research on how animals respond to anthropogenic changes to natural wetlands and how they use created wetlands, we lack a broad synthesis of these data. While some altered wetlands may provide vital habitat, others could pose a considerable risk to wildlife. This risk will be heightened if such wetlands are ecological traps-preferred habitats that confer lower fitness than another available habitat. Wetlands functioning as ecological traps could decrease both local and regional population persistence, and ultimately lead to extinctions. Most studies have examined how animals respond to changes in environmental conditions by measuring responses at the community potential risks to animals. Reduced availability of natural wetlands is increasing the importance of altered wetlands for aquatic animals. Consequently, we need to define what represents habitat quality from the perspective of animals, and gain a greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms of habitat selection and how these factors could be manipulated. Furthermore, strategies to enhance the quality of these wetlands should be implemented to maximise their conservation potential.
Royal Society open science, 2017
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches are increasingly being used to generate multi-locus d... more Next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches are increasingly being used to generate multi-locus data for phylogeographic and evolutionary genetics research. We detail the applicability of a restriction enzyme-mediated genome complexity reduction approach with subsequent NGS (DArTseq) in vertebrate study systems at different evolutionary and geographical scales. We present two case studies using SNP data from the DArTseq molecular marker platform. First, we used DArTseq in a large phylogeographic study of the agamid lizard Ctenophorus caudicinctus, including 91 individuals and spanning the geographical range of this species across arid Australia. A low-density DArTseq assay resulted in 28 960 SNPs, with low density referring to a comparably reduced set of identified and sequenced markers as a cost-effective approach. Second, we applied this approach to an evolutionary genetics study of a classic frog hybrid zone (Litoria ewingii-Litoria paraewingi) across 93 individuals, which result...
Roadside habitats are important for a range of taxa including plants, insects, mammals, and birds... more Roadside habitats are important for a range of taxa including plants, insects, mammals, and birds, particularly in developed countries in which large expanses of native vegetation have been cleared for agriculture or urban development. Although roadside vegetation may provide suitable habitat for many species, resident animals can be exposed to high levels of traffic noise, visual disturbance from passing vehicles, and the risk of collision with cars and trucks. Traffic noise can reduce the distance over which acoustic signals such as song can be detected, an effect known as acoustic interference or masking. Studies from the northern hemisphere show that the singing behavior of birds changes in the presence of traffic noise. We investigated the impact of traffic noise and traffic volume on two species of birds, the Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica) and the Grey Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa), at 58 roadside sites on the Mornington Peninsula, southeastern Australia. The lo...
van der Ree/Handbook of Road Ecology, 2015
Animal Behaviour, 2014
Many passerines adjust song attributes to avoid potential masking by anthropogenic noise. The cos... more Many passerines adjust song attributes to avoid potential masking by anthropogenic noise. The costs of masking should be particularly high for vocalizations important for survival (e.g. alarm calls), but few studies have investigated how such calls are affected. We compared urban and rural silvereye, Zosterops lateralis, alarm calls across southeastern Australia, and found that urban calls had lower average, peak and maximum frequencies than rural calls. The average, peak and maximum frequency of alarm calls also decreased linearly with increasing background noise. The direction of this frequency shift runs contrary to expectations and previous findings of higher-pitched avian vocal signals in urban habitats, including higher-pitched song and contact calls in urban silvereyes. However, assuming no change in call amplitude, acoustic modelling indicates that the observed frequency shift would lead to a 20% increase in the predicted active space of alarm calls (i.e. the distance over which the calls can be detected by a conspecific bird) in urban noise, and therefore may be potentially adaptive. Our findings highlight the importance of considering behavioural and ecological contexts in urban acoustic-adaptation studies.
Journal of Applied Ecology, 2010
Ecologists and conservation biologists consider many issues when designing a field study, such as... more Ecologists and conservation biologists consider many issues when designing a field study, such as the expected value of the data, the interests of the study species, the welfare of individual organisms and the cost of the project. These different issues or values often conflict; however, neither animal ethics nor environmental ethics provides practical guidance on how to assess trade-offs between them. 2. We developed a decision framework for considering trade-offs between values in ecological research, drawing on the field of ecological ethics. We used a case study of the population genetics of three frog species, in which a researcher must choose between four methods of sampling DNA from the study animals. We measured species welfare as the reduction in population growth rate following sampling, and assessed individual welfare using two different definitions: (i) the level of suffering experienced by an animal, and (ii) the level of suffering combined with loss of future life. 3. Tipping the tails of tadpoles ranked as the best sampling method for species welfare, while collecting whole tadpoles and buccal swabbing of adult frogs ranked best for the first and second definitions of individual welfare, respectively. Toe clipping of adult frogs ranked as the worst sampling method for species welfare and the first definition of individual welfare, and equal worst for the second definition of individual welfare. 4. When considering species and individual welfare simultaneously, toe clipping was clearly inferior to the other sampling methods, but no single sampling method was clearly superior to the other three. Buccal swabbing, collecting tadpoles and tail tipping were all preferred options, depending on the definition of individual welfare and the level of precision with which we assessed species welfare. 5. Synthesis and applications. The decision framework we present can be used by ecologists to assess ethical and other trade-offs when planning field studies. A formal decision analysis makes transparent how a researcher might negotiate competing ethical, financial and practical objectives. Defining the components of the decision in this way can help avoid errors associated with human judgement and linguistic uncertainty.
Diversity and Distributions, 2012
... Correspondence: Brendan A. Wintle ... identify conditions most conducive to detection and con... more ... Correspondence: Brendan A. Wintle ... identify conditions most conducive to detection and control for imperfect detection in statistical inference (McArdle, 1990; Boulinier et al ... Burgman, MA, Wintle, BA, Thompson, CA, Moilanen, A., Runge, MC & Ben-Haim, Y. (2010) Reconciling ...
Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology, 1995
Page 1. Palissya cones from the Mesozoic of Australia and New Zealand KIRSTEN M. PARRIS, ANDREW N... more Page 1. Palissya cones from the Mesozoic of Australia and New Zealand KIRSTEN M. PARRIS, ANDREW N. DRINNAN AND DAVID J. CANTRILL PARIng, KM, DRINNAN, AN, & CANTRIt.L, DJ 1995:03:27. ... Page 2. 88 KM PARRIS, AN DRINNAN & DJ CANTRILL ALCHERINGA ...
Wildlife surveys often seek to determine the presence or absence of species at sites. Such data m... more Wildlife surveys often seek to determine the presence or absence of species at sites. Such data may be used in population monitoring, impact assessment, and specieshabitat analyses. An implicit assumption of presence/absence surveys is that if a species is not detected in one or more visits to a site, it is absent from that site. However, it is rarely if ever possible to be completely sure that a species is absent, and false negative observation errors may arise when detection probabilities are less than 1. The detectability of species in wildlife surveys is one of the most important sources of uncertainty in determining the proportion of a landscape that is occupied by a species. Recent studies emphasize the need to acknowledge and incorporate false negative observation error rates in the analysis of site occupancy data, although a comparative study of the range of available methods for estimating detectability and occupancy is notably absent. The motivation for this study stems from the lack of guidance in the literature about the relative merits of alternative methods for estimating detection probabilities and site occupancy proportions from presence/absence survey data. Six approaches to estimating underlying detection probabilities and the proportion of sites occupied from binary observation data are reviewed. These include three parametric methods based on binomial mixtures, one nonparametric approach based on mark-recapture theory, and two approaches based on simplistic assumptions about occupancy rates. We compare the performance of each method using simulated data for which the ''true'' underlying detection rate is known. Simulated data were realized from a beta-binomial distribution, incorporating a realistic level of variation in detection rates. Estimation methods varied in their precision and bias. The ''binomialwith-added-zeros'' mixture model, estimated by maximum likelihood, was the least biased estimator of detection probability and, therefore, occupancy rate. We provide an Excel spreadsheet to execute all of the methods reviewed. Stand-alone programs such as PRES-ENCE may be used to estimate all models including the ''binomial with added zeros'' model. Our findings lend support to the use of maximum likelihood methods in estimating site occupancy and detectability rates.
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Papers by Kirsten M Parris