Three Parks Savanna Fire-effects Plot Network (Fauna): Bird Count Survey, Nitmiluk National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, 2015

Abstract: A total of 220 permanent monitoring plots were established between 1994–2002. The plots extend across three parks (Kakadu, Litchfield and Nitmiluk) in the Top End of the Northern Territory, representing the Three Parks Savanna Fire-effects Plot Network. A detailed flora and fauna survey has been conducted at each plot on a 5–6 year cycle to monitor biotic changes. Plots represent a variety of landforms and vegetation types. Nitmiluk National Park contains 46 plots, each with a paired plot located within 1 km of the primary plot. In 2015, 23 paired plots were surveyed for terrestrial vertebrate fauna using a range of survey methods. At each paired plot 12 x 10 minute bird surveys were conducted during daylight hours during a 4 day period. Bird surveys were carried out within a 100 x 100 metre quadrat, encompassing the standard 50 x 50 metre trapping grid and an additional 25 metre around all sides. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Three Park Savannah Fire-effects Plot Network’s program is provided at https://doi.org/10.25911/5c35959d4530d. Project funding: Between 2012 and 2018 this project was part of, and funded through the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN) a facility within the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) and supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
Type
collection
Title
Three Parks Savanna Fire-effects Plot Network (Fauna): Bird Count Survey, Nitmiluk National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, 2015
Alternate Title
Three Parks Savanna Fire-effects - Fauna Plot Network: Bird Counts Kakadu, Litchfield, Nitmiluk, 2015
Collection Type
Dataset
Access Privileges
Long Term Ecological Research Network
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
10.25911/5c3d7979704ea
Website Address
https://datacommons.anu.edu.au/
Metadata Language
English
Data Language
English
Brief Description
A detailed flora and fauna survey has been conducted at each plot on a 5–6 year cycle to monitor biotic changes. Plots represent a variety of landforms and vegetation types. Nitmiluk National Park contains 46 plots, each with a paired plot located within 1 km of the primary plot. In 2015, 23 paired plots were surveyed for terrestrial vertebrate fauna using a range of survey methods. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Three Park Savannah Fire-effects Plot Network’s program is provided at https://doi.org/10.25911/5c35959d4530d.
Full Description
Abstract: A total of 220 permanent monitoring plots were established between 1994–2002. The plots extend across three parks (Kakadu, Litchfield and Nitmiluk) in the Top End of the Northern Territory, representing the Three Parks Savanna Fire-effects Plot Network. A detailed flora and fauna survey has been conducted at each plot on a 5–6 year cycle to monitor biotic changes. Plots represent a variety of landforms and vegetation types. Nitmiluk National Park contains 46 plots, each with a paired plot located within 1 km of the primary plot. In 2015, 23 paired plots were surveyed for terrestrial vertebrate fauna using a range of survey methods. At each paired plot 12 x 10 minute bird surveys were conducted during daylight hours during a 4 day period. Bird surveys were carried out within a 100 x 100 metre quadrat, encompassing the standard 50 x 50 metre trapping grid and an additional 25 metre around all sides. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Three Park Savannah Fire-effects Plot Network’s program is provided at https://doi.org/10.25911/5c35959d4530d. Project funding: Between 2012 and 2018 this project was part of, and funded through the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN) a facility within the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) and supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
Methods
Plot set-up
1
At each of the 220 fire plots, a temporary 50 x 50 metre fauna survey quadrat is set directly adjacent to the permanent 40 x 20 metre flora monitoring plots (marked with a baseline and end-line of star steels and a permanent metal post and metal number tag). During set up the temporary fauna quadrat is marked out using flagging tape and a tape measure and traps are placed around the perimeter. Bird surveys were carried out within a 100 x 100 metre quadrat, encompassing the standard 50 x 50 metre trapping grid and an additional 25 metre around all sides.
Data collection
2
Binoculars and GPS
The bird-count survey protocol comprises a 10 minute meander search through the 100 x 100 metre square. Importantly:
- no differentiation is recorded between birds having been heard or seen.
- unidentified birds are not recorded
- the number of individuals of each species is recorded for each count.
- only birds that are using the quadrat are recorded – birds merely flying across overhead are not included. However, raptors, wood-swallows, etc. are included if they are observed hunting overhead.
- species records with a value of ‘zero’ were either outside the plot during a survey or flew overhead during a survey.
- opportunistic or incidental observations include records of birds outside 10 minute survey periods, and may include birds using the plot, or using the same habitat nearby (no fixed distance) the plot.
- visiting the sites in the same order every day was avoided.
- birds were also recorded during two nocturnal searches using spotlights (15 minutes). This data is not included here.
File Descriptions
tpsn_fauna_bird_counts_2015_p342.csv
abundance
definitionSpecies abundance
ratio number typewhole
ratio standard unitnumber
common_name
definitionCommon name of observed species
nominal text definitionCharacter
date
date time formatDD/MM/YYYY
date time precision0
definitionDate of observation
id
definitionObservation identification number
nominal text definitionCharacter
number of records918
round
definitionThe number of times a site has been monitored. Entries are either 2 or 3, meaning the 2015 survey was either the second or third time sites had been surveyed.
ordinal text definitionCharacter
scientific_name
definitionScientific name of observed species
nominal text definitionCharacter
site
definitionSite identification number
nominal text definitionCharacter
speciesid
definitionSpecies identification number
nominal text definitionCharacter
survey
definitionSurvey name
nominal text definitionCharacter
surveysite
definitionSurvey identification number
nominal text definitionCharacter
Contact Email
graeme.gillespie@nt.gov.au; alaric.fisher@nt.gov.au; Luke.Einoder@nt.gov.au
Contact Address
PO Box 496 Palmerston, NT, 0831 Australia
Contact Phone Number
+61 8 8995 5025; +61 429 091 783; +61 8 8995 5002; +61 478 404 546
Contact Fax Number
+61 8 8995 5099
Principal Investigator
Graeme Gillespie
Supervisors
Graeme Gillespie
Collaborators
John Woinarski; Alaric Fisher; Luke Einoder
Fields of Research
0501 - Ecological Applications; 0502 - Environmental Science and Management; 0602 - Ecology
Keywords
GCMD:Earth Science > Biological Classification > Animals/Vertebrates > Birds; LTERN Monitoring Theme:Birds; LTERN Monitoring Theme:Invasive animals; Three Parks Savanna Fire-effects - Fauna; Kakadu, Litchfield, Nitmiluk; Bird Counts
Type of Research Activity
Strategic basic research
Date Coverage
2015
Geospatial Location
Nimiluk (Katherine Gorge) National Park
text
northlimit = -13.81268; southlimit = -14.39819; westlimit = 132.16505; eastLimit = 132.74043
iso19139dcmiBox
Date of data creation
2016-03-31
Year of data publication
2016
Creator(s) for Citation
Gillespie
Graeme
Fisher
Alaric
Einoder
Luke
Publisher for Citation
The Australian National University Data Commons
Other Related Identifiers
MorphoId:ltern2.1063; PackageId:342
Access Rights
Special Conditions: Users are required to contact the data provider (Graeme Gillespie) to discuss use of these data, including collaboration or co-authorship where appropriate. Users are also required to seek permission from Northern Territory Government Department of Land Resource to discuss use of all of these data packages, and Parks Australia prior to use of data packages from Kakadu National Park.
Access Rights Type
Open
Rights held in and over the data
Creative Commons Licence (CC BY- Attribution) is assigned to this data. Details of the licence can be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Licence Type
CC-BY - Attribution (Version 4)
Licence
LTERN Deed: 47 Date of execution: 2017-05-12 Restrictions: Data collected prior to 2012 is to be published as mediated, except where explicitly stated otherwise by the Data Provider.
Data Location
https://datacommons.anu.edu.au
Retention Period
Indefinitely
Data Management Plan
No
Status: Published
Published to:
  • Australian National University
  • Australian National Data Service
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