248 Monitoring Threatened Species and Ecological Communities
the condition of habitat), a proportion of the tammar population is relocated to
AWC’s nearby Paruna sanctuary. The data required for this decision comes from
the Ecohealth program.
Discussion
AWC’s monitoring program, which has a significant focus on monitoring a large
number of threatened species, is characterised by:
● (^) a reliance on data, rather than expert opinion
● (^) its systematic nature (intensive survey effort conducted each year, on some
properties for over a decade: for example, over 130 000 trap-nights were
conducted across AWC sanctuaries in 2016)
● (^) delivery primarily by in-house ecologists, rather than external contractors
● (^) the practical application of monitoring results: the tight integration of AWC’s
land management and science programs, and the link between monitoring and
research, means that monitoring outcomes actively shape the design and
review of land management strategies.
AWC’s monitoring framework has developed iteratively over the last decade.
Initially, intensive monitoring was primarily directed towards reintroduced
mammals, while survey effort comprised a mix of inventory, question-based
Fig. 18.5. A mala Lagorchestes hirsutus at Scotia’s Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo: AWC / W. Lawler.