Conservation of the Spotted‐tailed Quoll across the Wet Tropics mountaintops (Old ID 23254)
Role
Supervisor
Description
The northern subspecies of Spotted‐tailed Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus gracilis) is genetically divergent, highly isolated, and restricted to high elevation rainforest of the Wet Tropics. It is listed as Endangered at both the Federal (EPBC) and State (NCA) level. Dasyurus m. gracilis has declined substantially due to a number of possible threats and only appears to survive in five small, disjunct areas across the central and northern Wet Tropics mountains. For effective management, it is vital that we understand the decline and genetic structuring of Spotted‐tailed Quoll populations across the Wet Tropics. This project aims to: 1) Use distribution modelling to identify areas of quoll loss/persistence and assess possible reasons for the decline, in order to identify threats and key areas for conservation management, and 2) Use genomics to determine genetic structuring between subpopulations, in order to understand isolation and connectivity between populations and direct conservation actions
Date
03 Mar 2017 - 31 Dec 2017
Project Type
N/A
Keywords
Dasyurus maculatus gracilis;Dasyuridae;Genomics;Spotted‐tailed Quoll;Modelling
Funding Body
Wet Tropics Management Authority
Amount
1200
Project Team
Conrad Hoskin