Abstract
Livestock contributes to the decline of many species in Australia. However, they may have less impact in arid environments, where annual plant species dominate. Kowaris (Dasyuroides byrnei), a small carnivorous marsupial, living on Diamantina National Park were monitored to assess the success of ecosystem recovery following a reduction in cattle. Kowaris were found at 10 locations within the study area: five where they had been recorded prior to the area becoming a national park and five ‘new’ locations. No kowaris were found at one of the historical sites. The density was estimated to range from 1 to 2.5 kowaris per square kilometre from 2007 to 2009. The results suggest that the population likely increased following a reduction in grazing pressure. However, a boom in rodents and predators occurred during the study with a corresponding decline in kowari detections. Kowaris have not been detected at any of the study sites since 2012. These results suggest that management of top-down factors as well as bottom-up factors are required to conserve kowaris. The work further highlights the need for replicated, long-term studies if the interactions between complex ecological processes, at a landscape scale, are to be understood so that threatened species, like the kowari, can be managed effectively.
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