Three Parks Savanna Fire-effects Plot Network (Fauna): Nocturnal Spotlighting Survey, Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, 2016
Abstract: These data are records of all nocturnal spotlighting observations during the 2016 Litchfield survey. A total of 220 permanent monitoring plots were established between 1994-2002 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.
Litchfield National Park contains 40 plots. In 2016, 20 plots were surveyed for terrestrial vertebrate fauna using a range of survey methods. In addition, at all plots sampling also occurred at a second plot directly adjacent to the traditional plot.
At each paired plot 2 x 15 minute surveys was conducted at night using head-torches, on any of the 4 nights available during the 4 day fauna survey period. The spotlight survey area encompassed the standard 50 x 50 m trapping grid and an additional 25 m around all sides. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Three Park Savanna Fire-effects Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://hdl.handle.net/1885/151953 Study extent: Macropus antilopinus is now considered to be in the genus Osphranter, but these data use the name Macropus antilopinus for consistency with previous data sets. Project funding: Between 2012 and 2018 this project has been part of the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN). LTERN is a Facility within the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) and supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
Litchfield National Park contains 40 plots. In 2016, 20 plots were surveyed for terrestrial vertebrate fauna using a range of survey methods. In addition, at all plots sampling also occurred at a second plot directly adjacent to the traditional plot.
At each paired plot 2 x 15 minute surveys was conducted at night using head-torches, on any of the 4 nights available during the 4 day fauna survey period. The spotlight survey area encompassed the standard 50 x 50 m trapping grid and an additional 25 m around all sides. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Three Park Savanna Fire-effects Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://hdl.handle.net/1885/151953 Study extent: Macropus antilopinus is now considered to be in the genus Osphranter, but these data use the name Macropus antilopinus for consistency with previous data sets. Project funding: Between 2012 and 2018 this project has been part of the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN). LTERN is 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): Nocturnal Spotlighting Survey, Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, 2016
Alternate Title
Three Parks Savanna Fire-effects - Fauna Plot Network: Nocturnal Spotlighting Kakadu, Litchfield, Nitmiluk, 2016
Collection Type
Dataset
Access Privileges
Long Term Ecological Research Network
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
10.25911/5c341f6d5409c
Website Address
https://datacommons.anu.edu.au/
Metadata Language
English
Data Language
English
Brief Description
These data are records of all nocturnal spotlighting observations during the 2016 Litchfield survey. A total of 220 permanent monitoring plots were established between 1994-2002 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.
Full Description
Abstract: These data are records of all nocturnal spotlighting observations during the 2016 Litchfield survey. A total of 220 permanent monitoring plots were established between 1994-2002 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.
Litchfield National Park contains 40 plots. In 2016, 20 plots were surveyed for terrestrial vertebrate fauna using a range of survey methods. In addition, at all plots sampling also occurred at a second plot directly adjacent to the traditional plot.
At each paired plot 2 x 15 minute surveys was conducted at night using head-torches, on any of the 4 nights available during the 4 day fauna survey period. The spotlight survey area encompassed the standard 50 x 50 m trapping grid and an additional 25 m around all sides. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Three Park Savanna Fire-effects Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://hdl.handle.net/1885/151953 Study extent: Macropus antilopinus is now considered to be in the genus Osphranter, but these data use the name Macropus antilopinus for consistency with previous data sets. Project funding: Between 2012 and 2018 this project has been part of the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN). LTERN is a Facility within the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) and supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
Litchfield National Park contains 40 plots. In 2016, 20 plots were surveyed for terrestrial vertebrate fauna using a range of survey methods. In addition, at all plots sampling also occurred at a second plot directly adjacent to the traditional plot.
At each paired plot 2 x 15 minute surveys was conducted at night using head-torches, on any of the 4 nights available during the 4 day fauna survey period. The spotlight survey area encompassed the standard 50 x 50 m trapping grid and an additional 25 m around all sides. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Three Park Savanna Fire-effects Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://hdl.handle.net/1885/151953 Study extent: Macropus antilopinus is now considered to be in the genus Osphranter, but these data use the name Macropus antilopinus for consistency with previous data sets. Project funding: Between 2012 and 2018 this project has been part of the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN). LTERN is 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
Litchfield National Park contains 40 plots, each with a paired plot located within 1 km of the primary plot.
Data collection
2
Binoculars and GPS
At each paired plot 2 x 15 minute surveys was conducted at night using head-torches, on any of the 4 nights available during the 4 day fauna survey period. Spotlighting survey area encompassed the standard 50 x 50 m trapping grid and an additional 25 m around all sides.
• Quadrats were actively searched for reptiles, amphibians, mammals, scats and other signs, especially arboreal mammals such as sugar gliders and possums, and nocturnal birds including owls, frogmouth and nightjars.
• The search involved moving rocks and logs, raking through leaf litter and vegetation, looking under bark or in rock crevices. Care was taken not to damage or destroy shelter sites (eg logs, bark, and vegetation) and any upturned rocks, logs etc were placed back in the same position.
• The number of individuals of each species seen was recorded on a data sheet along with the date and time of the survey.
• Quadrats were actively searched for reptiles, amphibians, mammals, scats and other signs, especially arboreal mammals such as sugar gliders and possums, and nocturnal birds including owls, frogmouth and nightjars.
• The search involved moving rocks and logs, raking through leaf litter and vegetation, looking under bark or in rock crevices. Care was taken not to damage or destroy shelter sites (eg logs, bark, and vegetation) and any upturned rocks, logs etc were placed back in the same position.
• The number of individuals of each species seen was recorded on a data sheet along with the date and time of the survey.
File Descriptions
tpsl_nocturnal_spotlighting_p732t971.csv
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number of records | 147 | ||||||||||
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Contact Email
alaric.fisher@nt.gov.au
Contact Address
PO Box 496
Palmerston, Northern Territory, 0831
Australia
Contact Phone Number
+61 8 8995 5002;
+61 0478404546
Supervisors
Alaric Fisher
Collaborators
John Woinarski;
Graeme Gillespie;
Luke Einoder
Fields of Research
0502 - Environmental Science and Management;
0602 - Ecology;
0608 - Zoology
Keywords
GCMD:Earth Science > Biosphere > Terrestrial Ecosystems > Savannas;
GCMD:Earth Science > Biological Classification > Animals/Vertebrates;
LTERN Monitoring Theme:Birds;
LTERN Monitoring Theme:Mammals;
LTERN Monitoring Theme:Herpetofauna;
LTERN Monitoring Theme:Invasive animals;
keyword:Vertebrates;
keyword:Nocturnal spotlighting;
keyword:Litchfield National Park;
Three Parks Savanna Fire-effects - Fauna;
Kakadu, Litchfield, Nitmiluk;
Nocturnal Spotlighting
Type of Research Activity
Pure basic research
Date Coverage
2016
Geospatial Location
Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
text
northlimit = -13.038; southlimit = -13.52589; westlimit = 130.68445; eastLimit = 130.9701
iso19139dcmiBox
Date of data creation
2017-07-31
Year of data publication
2017
Creator(s) for Citation
Fisher
Alaric
Publisher for Citation
Australian National University Data Commons
Related Websites
Three Parks Savanna Fire-effects Plot Network (Fauna) homepage
http://hdl.handle.net/1885/151953
Other Related Identifiers
MorphoId:ltern.339;
PackageId:732
Access Rights
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 use these data packages.
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
Data Location
https://datacommons.anu.edu.au
Retention Period
Indefinitely
Data Management Plan
No
Status: Published
Published to:
Published to:
- Australian National University
- Australian National Data Service
Related items
- hasAssociationWith:
Three Parks Savanna Fire-effects Plot Network (Fauna) data packages, 1994-2018 [anudc:5552] - hasAssociationWith:
Luke Einoder [anudc:5603] - hasAssociationWith:
Dr Alaric Fisher [anudc:5561] - hasAssociationWith:
Graeme Gillespie [anudc:5588] - hasAssociationWith:
John Woinarski [anudc:5598] - hasAssociationWith:
Northern Territory. Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission [anudc:5637]