Kangaroo ecology and ecological impacts

Impacts of grazing by kangaroos and rabbits on vegetation and soils in a semi-arid conservation reserve

(Braden, Mills, Cornwell, Maudby & Letnic, 2021)

Grazing by over-abundant native herbivores jeopardizes conservation goals in semi-arid reserves

(Mills et al, 2020)

Strategic adaptive management planning—Restoring a desert ecosystem by managing introduced species and native herbivores and reintroducing mammals

(Kingsford, 2019)

The Viggers & Hearn conundrum: a kangaroo home range study with no implications for land management

(Martin et al l, 2007)

Trends In The Numbers Of Red Kangaroos And Emus On Either Side Of The South Australian dingo fence: Evidence for Predator Regulation

(Pople, Grigg, Cairns & Beard, 2000)

Control and monitoring of kangaroo populations in the Mallee Parks of semi-arid Northwest Victoria

(Morris, Duncan, & Vesk, 2018)

This report explores the kangaroo population programs in the Mallee National Parks of Victoria.  Kangaroo populations in the Parks are managed for two interdependent reasons: to prevent large die-offs of kangaroos during drought and to prevent kangaroo grazing from impeding the ecological restoration of degraded semi-arid woodland ecosystems.

Remote sensing of trophic cascades: multi-temporal landsat imagery reveals vegetation change driven by the removal of an apex predator

(Fisher et al, 2021)

Eaten out of house and home: impacts of grazing on ground-dwelling reptiles in Australian Grasslands and Grassy Woodlands

(Howland, et al., 2014)

Victoria’s rangelands: In Recovery or in Transition?

(Sandell, 2011)

Comparison of the diets of yellow-footed Rock Wallabies and Sympatric herbivores in Western NSW

(Dawson & Ellis, 1979)

Threatened plant translocation in Australia: A review

(Silcock, et al., 2019)

This project combined a literature review with extensive consultations with translocation practitioners to compile data on translocations of threatened Australian plants.  The evaluation highlights the need to consider translocation in the broad context of conservation actions for species recovery and the need for long-term commitment to monitoring, site maintenance and documentation. Macropod grazing and trampling was a significant factor in the survival rates of some species.

Using evidence of decline and extinction risk to identify priority regions, habitats and threats for plant conservation in Australia

(Silcock & Fensham, 2018)

This project undertook to compile published information and best available field knowledge including 125 expert interviews to identify declining and at risk species of vascular plants. Grazing from kangaroos featured as a threat to many of these at risk species.

Density and dispersion of two species of kangaroo in relation to habitat

(Caughey, 1963)

A seminal work which investigates the differences in dispersion of red and grey kangaroos which indicated that grey kangaroos are more dependent on cover than red kangaroos and suggests that grey kangaroos frequent areas where they feel safe from observation.

Density Distributions and Habitat Associations of Red Kangaroos, Macropus rufus, and Western Grey Kangaroos, M. fuliginosus, in the South Australian Pastoral Zone

(Cairns, Pople, & Grigg, 1991)

Density distributions of red and western grey kangaroos in the South Australian pastoral zone were determined for the period 1978-1986. The habitat associations of these kangaroos were analysed.  Habitat heterogeneity and climatic factors including low evaporation and relatively high rainfall appeared to be the major determinants of the density distribution of western grey kangaroos. 

Home ranges of sympatric red kangaroos Macropos rufus, and Western Grey Kangaroos M. fuliginosus, in Western New South Wales

(Priddel, Shepherd, & Wellard, 1988)

Kangaroos are the most significant herbivores on Kinchega National Park.  This research involved using radiotracking 48 individual kangaroos over 20 months to determine home ranges.  Based on diurnal locations (resting sites) only, home ranges of red kangaroos were larger than those of western greys, but home ranges of kangaroos on Kinchega were smaller than those on the adjacent pastoral leasehold.

Is camera trap videography suitable for assessing activity patterns in eastern grey kangaroos?

(Green-Barber & Old, 2017)

This project assessed the suitability of using cameras to document the behaviour of eastern grey kangaroos by comparing activity patterns collected using cameras to published activity patterns for the species. The findings of this study suggest that camera traps are suitable for assessing the diurnal activity of eastern grey kangaroos and are useful tools for documenting their behaviour.

Sixteen years of Eastern Barred Bandicoot Perameles gunnii reintroductions in Victoria: a review

(Winnard & Coulson, 2008)

Examined characteristics affecting the success of Eastern Barred Bandicoot reintroductions, including competition from herbivores.  A combination of drought and grazing pressure from kangaroos and rabbits reduced the amount of available habitat and possibly led to population decline of Eastern Barred Bandicoots at one reintroduction site in Victoria.

The Effects of Grazing by Kangaroos and Rabbits on the Vegetation and the Habitat of Other Fauna in the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Australian-Capital-Territory

(Neave & Tanton, 1989)

Examined the status of grassland vegetation in three areas in which exclosures provided protection since 1979 and compared with 1982-1983.  Showed that some plants had declined while others increased under high kangaroo grazing and explored habitat implications for other wildlife.

The impact of grazing by Eastern Grey Kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) on vegetation recovery after fire at Reef Hills Regional Park, Victoria

(Meers & Adams, 2008)

This project was aimed at determining the grazing patterns of Eastern Grey Kangaroos after fire and determine the impacts that grazing might have on post fire woody shrub recovery. Found preferential grazing occurred on small burnt plots compared to adjacent unburnt areas and significant reduction in shrub diversity on grazed plots compared to ungrazed plots.

Bringing forward the benefits of coarse woody debris in ecosystem recovery under different levels of grazing and vegetation density. 

(Manning, Cunningham, & Lindenmayer, 2012)

Examined the effect of experimentally adding Course Woody Debris, in four different treatments, on reptile abundance in temperate woodlands in south-eastern Australia – one of the most highly degraded vegetation types on the continent. They investigated the influence that varying grazing pressure and vegetation density had on those effects.Found a reduction of grazing was the most effective way of increasing small skink abundance in high density vegetation.

Birds of a feather flock together: Using trait-groups to understand the effect of macropod grazing on birds in grassy habitats

(Howland B. W., et al., 2016)

Investigated the relationship between (1) density of native eastern grey kangaroos and grass structure and (2) grass structure and reptiles.  Found reptile abundance, species richness and diversity were highest where grazing intensity was low.

Habitat preference of the striped legless lizard: Implications of grazing by native herbivores and livestock for conservation of grassland biota

(Howland B. W., et al., 2016)

Investigated habitat preferences of Delma Impar at multiple spatial scales and found it was not affected by the size of grassland remnants, but was negatively related to the density of native grazers.

Mitigating impacts of weeds and kangaroo grazing following prescribed fire in a Banksia woodland

(Brown, Paczkowska, & Gibson, 2016)

Investigated how native and weed species richness and cover changed following autumn prescribed fire and the effectiveness of management techniques at reducing the impacts of grazing by western grey kangaroos.  

Experimental reduction of native vertebrate grazing and addition of logs benefit beetle diversity at multiple scales.

(Barton, Manning, Gibb, Lindenmayer, & Cunningham, 2011)

Investigated whether the differences in vertebrate grazing affect the trophic structure of beetle assemblages and a number of other habitat factors.  Found a reduction in grazing level had benefits for the abundance and species richness of beetles at the site scale.

The concept of overgrazing and its role in management of large herbivores

(Mysterud, 2006)

Detailed discussion of what overgrazing means under different land uses and impacts of overgrazing in conservation and production landscapes.  There are several different ways of defining overgrazing.  Native and exotic herbivores can result in overgrazing which can lead to new stable ecosystems states and these new states may be irreversible.

Eating away at protected areas: total grazing pressure is undermining public land conservation

(Prowse, O’Connor, Collard, & Rogers, 2019)

Resource use by the Eastern Grey Kangaroo and the Black Wallaby in a managed remnant woodland community

(de Munk, 1999)

This work studies the interactions and relationships that exist between Eastern Grey Kangaroos and Black Wallabies in their utilisation resources in a managed remnant woodland community.  

Sensitivity of soil organic carbon to grazing management in the semi-arid rangelands of south-eastern Australia

(Orgill, et al., 2017)

This study compared the effects of grazing management on soil organic carbon stocks in the semi-arid rangelands of NSW.  Field surveys were conducted at three locations with paired sites of rotational grazing and continuous grazing. In some parts of the landscape higher soil C was found with TGP control. Grazing pressure was determined by domestic livestock records and data from annual aerial surveys of goats and kangaroos.  

Management of grazing intensity in the semi-arid rangelands of southern Australia – Effects on soil and biodiversity

(Waters, Orgill, Melville, & Douglas, 2016)

Overgrazing contributes to rangeland degradation altering plant community composition, erosion and biodiversity. This research provides evidence that the effects of grazing management on SOC are mediated by ground cover and increased organic matter supply and/or reduced soil carbon redistribution (erosion), which indicates that the management of grazing intensity may provide a tool to avoid soil carbon loss in rangelands.

Overabundant kangaroo populations in Southeastern Australia

(Coulson G. , 2001)

Review of 5 reserve sites where kangaroos have become overabundant and the control methods adopted. The negative impacts of high kangaroo density include threats to humans, depression of threatened species, decline in body condition of kangaroos, and altered grazing equilibria. Population density has been reduced by culling at all sites, supplemented by fertility control at 3 sites.

Spatial patterns of kangaroo density across the South Australian pastoral zone over 26 years: aggregation during drought and suggestions of long distance movement

(Pople, et al., 2007)

This research explored the spatial patterns of density of red and western grey kangaroos over a 26 year period in an area exceeding 200 000km² in South Australia.  

Native vertebrate herbivores facilitate native plant dominance in old fields while preventing native tree invasion – implications for threatened species

(Ingram & Kirkpatrick, 2013)

An adaptive management case study for managing macropods on Maria Island National Park, Tasmania, Australia: adding devils to the detail

(Ingram, 2018)

The impact of grazing by Eastern Grey Kangaroos (Macropus Giganteus) on vegetation recovery after fire at Reef Hills regional park, Victoria

(Adams & Meers, 2003-2008)

What does it take to do successful adaptive management? A case study highlighting Coastal Grassy Woodland restoration at Yanakie Isthmus

(Morgan, et al., 2018)

This case study illustrates the steps necessary to deliver a complex, long-term adaptive management project involving a range of stakeholders at a landscape scale.  Perspectives of the land manager, scientist and volunteer help to convey successes and lessons learned.

Vegetation responses to stratified kangaroo grazing pressure at Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, 1992-96

(Sluiter, Allen, Morgan, & Walker, 1997)

Town roo, country roo: a comparison of behaviour in eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) in developed and natural landscapes

(Green-Barber & Old, 2018)

Water use and the thermoregulatory behaviour of kangaroos in arid regions: insights into the colonisation of arid rangelands in Australia by the Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus)

(Dawson, McTavish, Munn, & Holloway, 2005)

Vegetation change, erosion risk and land management on the Nullarbor Plain, Australia

(Gillieson, Wallbrink, & Cochrane, 1996)

Top-Predators as Biodiversity Regulators: Contemporary Issues Affecting Knowledge and Management of Dingoes in Australia

(Allen, Fleming, Hayward, Allen & Engeman, 2012)

(Bennett, Duncan, Rumpff, & Vesk, 2020)

Are the faecal pellets of kangaroos (Macropus spp.) a source of nutrients and carbon in an inland floodplain wetland during flooding? A preliminary experimental inundation study in the Macquarie Marshes, New South Wales

(Kobayashi, Iles, & Knowles, 2011)

Disentangling chronic regeneration failure in endangered woodland ecosystems

(Bennett, Duncan, Rumpff, & Vesk, 2020)

Top-predator removal does not cause trophic cascades in Australian rangeland ecosystems

(Castle, Smith, Allen, Carter, Elsworth & Allen, 2022)

Can threatened species survive where the top predator is absent?

(Wallach, Murray, & O’Neill, 2008)

Novel trophic cascades: apex predators enable coexistence

(Wallach, Ripple, & Carroll, 2015)

Fire and grazing influence food resources of an endangered rock-wallaby

(Tuft, Crowther, & McArthur, 2012)

Foraging behaviour and dispersion of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) in an ideal free framework

(Maguire, Ramp, & Coulson, 20016)

Large herbivore distribution and abundance: intra and interspecific niche variation in the tropics

(Ritchie, et al., 2008)

Macroecological patterns in mammal abundances provide evidence that an apex predator shapes forest ecosystems by suppressing herbivore and mesopredator abundance

(Colman, Crowther, & Letnic, 2015)

Mammals of particular conservation concern in the Western Division of New South Wales

(Dickman, Pressey, Lim, & Parnaby, 1996)

The Western Division of New South Wales is an administrative region of 325 000 km2 on the eastern fringe of the Australian arid zone. Since European settlement in 1788, 71 species of native mammals have been recorded in the Division, seven more have been documented only as subfossils, and a further 15 species occur within 100 km of the Divisional boundary. At least 27 of the original species have become regionally extinct, and a further 11 have declined in distribution. As in other regions of Australia, species losses have been greatest for rodents and marsupials in a critical weight range of 35–5500 g, and least for bats. However, percentage losses among the terrestrial fauna are high relative to other regions, and probably reflect both the early settlement of New South Wales and the marginal distribution in the Division of 49% of the original fauna. Feral cats are implicated in the regional extinction of up to ten species of native mammals prior to 1857.

National Recovery Plan for the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Petrogale penicillate

(Menkhorst & Hynes, 2011)

Is the removal of domestic stock sufficient to restore semi-arid conservation areas?

(Page & Beeton, 2000)

Predation risk and competitive interactions affect foraging of an endangered refuge-dependent herbivore

(Tuft K. D., Crowther, Connell, Muller, & McArthur, 2011)

Resolving the value of the dingo in ecological restoration

(Newsome, et al., 2015)

Resource pulses and mammalian dynamics: conceptual models for hummock grasslands and other Australia desert habitats

(Letnic & Dickman, 2009)

Eating away at protected areas Total grazing pressure is undermining public land conservation

(Prowse T. A., O’Connor, Collard, & Rogers, 2019)

Stemming the tide: progress towards resolving the causes of decline and implementing management responses for the disappearing mammal fauna of northern Australia

(Ziembicki, et al., 2015)

Trophic cascades and dingoes in Australia: Does the Yellowstone wolf-elk-willow model apply?

(Morgan, Hunter, Ballard, Reid, & Fleming, 2016)

Top predators as biodiversity regulators: the dingo Canis lupus dingo as a case study

(Letnic, Ritchie, & Dickman, 2012)

Predation by red foxes limits recruitment in populations of eastern grey kangaroos

(Banks, Newsome, & Dickman, 2000)

Removal of an apex predator initiates a trophic cascade that extends from herbivores to vegetation and the soil nutrient pool

(Morris & Letnic, 2017)

Linking modelling, monitoring and management: an integrated approach to controlling overabundant wildlife

(Chee & Wintle, 2010)

and culling when the objective is to keep a species’ abundance within control limits. Our framework explicitly deals with uncertainty arising from demographic stochasticity, ecological complexity and lack of knowledge, and provides the foundation for maximizing efficiency and cost‐effectiveness of control operations. Our approach could be applied in any instances where control is effected via culling.

Predation by red foxes limits recruitment in populations of eastern grey kangaroos

(Banks, Newsome & Dickman, 2000)

Biophysical risks to carbon sequestration and storage in Australian drylands

(Nolan, Sinclair, Eldridge & Ramp, 2017)

Home Range Shifts in Response to Lethal Control

(Wiggins, Bowman, McMahon & McCallum, 2010)

Red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) receive an antipredator benefit from aggregation

(Blumstein & Daniel, 2002)

Interactive effects of fire and large herbivores on web-building spiders

(Foster, Barton, Wood & Lindenmeyer, 2015)

Herbivory and fire interact to affect forest understory habitat, but not its use by small vertebrates

(Foster et al, 2015)

Rediscovering a role for dingoes on Wooleen Station

(Pollock, 2021)

Provision of watering points in the Australian arid zone: a review of effects on biota

(James, Landsberg & Morton, 1997)

In the absence of an apex predator, irruptive herbivores suppress grass seed production: Implications for small granivores

(Rees, Kingsford & Letnic, 2017)