GLMM Applied on the Spatial Distribution of Koalas in a Fragmented Landscape
Predicting the spatial distribution of wildlife populations is an important component of the development of management strategies for their conservation. Landscape structure and composition are important determinants of where species occur and the viabili
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GLMM Applied on the Spatial Distribution of Koalas in a Fragmented Landscape J.R. Rhodes, C.A. McAlpine, A.F. Zuur, G.M. Smith, and E.N. Ieno
21.1 Introduction Predicting the spatial distribution of wildlife populations is an important component of the development of management strategies for their conservation. Landscape structure and composition are important determinants of where species occur and the viability of their populations. In particular, the amount of suitable habitat and its level of fragmentation (i.e. how broken apart it is) in a landscape can be important determinants of the distribution and abundance of biological populations (Hanski, 1998; Fahrig, 2003). In addition to the role of habitat, anthropogenic impacts, such as wildlife mortality on roads or direct wildlife-human conflict, can also have large impacts on the distribution and abundance of a species (Fahrig et al., 1995; Woodroffe and Ginsberg, 1998; Naves et al., 2003). Therefore, if we are to manage landscapes to successfully conserve wildlife, it is important that we understand the role of these landscape processes in determining their distributions. In this chapter, we will model the impact of landscape pattern on the distribution of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus, Fig. 21.1) in a landscape in eastern Australia. Koalas are folivorous arboreal marsupials restricted to the eucalypt forests of eastern and southeastern Australia. Across their geographic range, they feed on a wide range of tree species from the genus Eucalyptus, but mostly prefer only a few species in any particular area (Hindell and Lee, 1987; Phillips and Callaghan, 2000; Phillips et al., 2000). Koala habitat generally consists of forest associations containing their preferred tree species, although other factors, such as tree size, water availability, and nutrient status, can also be important determinants of habitat quality (Moore et al., 2004; Matthews et al., 2007). Since European settlement, koalas have suffered declines in their abundance and distribution due to clearing and degradation of eucalypt forests, together with historical hunting, disease, bushfire, drought, and urbanisation (ANZECC, 1998; Melzer et al., 2000; Phillips, 2000).
J.R. Rhodes (B) The University of Queensland, School of Geography, Planning and Architecture, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
A.F. Zuur et al., Mixed Effects Models and Extensions in Ecology with R, Statistics for Biology and Health, DOI 10.1007/978-0-387-87458-6 21, C Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009
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470 Fig. 21.1 Young koala (photo by Dick Marks, Australian Koala Foundation. www.savethekoala.com)
Fig. 21.2 Map of the study area (Noosa Local Government Area) showing the distribution of koala habitat and the location of roads (Australian Koala Foundation unpublished data)
J.R. Rhodes et al.
21 GLMM Applied on the Spatial Distribution of Koalas in a Fragmented Landscape
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The study area we consider for this chapter is the Noosa Local Government Area (LGA) in southeast Queensland, Australia (Fig. 21.2). Noosa
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