21 – Determining trends in irruptive desert species^283rodents (Greenville et al. 2016). The latter result in part ref lects the similarity in
dynamics of D. blythi and rodents across the nine study sites, and the fact that
mulgaras eat rodents during irruptions.
The capture rates of S. youngsoni showed similar f luctuations in magnitude to
those of the mulgara, but contrasted markedly in showing a complete lack of
synchrony across the nine sites (Figs 21.2, 21.3). Subsequent MARSS modelling
explored whether populations of this species might differ based on their responses
to wildfire, environmental productivity and proximity to water or run-on sites
Fig. 21.2. Long-term pattern in capture rates (numbers of captures per 100 trap-nights) of the lesser
hairy-footed dunnart Sminthopsis youngsoni at nine sites in the Simpson Desert, western Queensland. The
capture rates (dots), predicted population sizes (lines) and 95% credible intervals (shading) are modelled
using a Bayesian multivariate autoregressive state–space model depicting asynchronous spatial population
dynamics. Dunnart drawing courtesy of Alison Foster. Figure reproduced with permission from the journal
Ecosphere, Greenville et al. (2016).