Threatened species & ecological communities

National recovery plan for the Christmas Island Pipistrelle Pipistrellus murrayi

Prepared by Martin Schulz and Linda F. Lumsden
Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2004
ISBN 0 642 55012 3

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Part F: Duration and costs

Resource Allocation

The most critical conservation problems facing the Christmas Island Pipistrelle are from unidentified threatening process(es) resulting in decline and range contraction, and from habitat loss. Actions taken to remedy these problems are likely to have positive benefits on a range of endemic rainforest fauna and flora species. Some of the actions outlined in this Plan are identified in the Christmas Island National Park Plan of Management (Commonwealth of Australia 2002), the strategic nature conservation document for the island, as broader actions necessary for the maintenance of fauna biodiversity on the island. Similarly, in this Plan some of the actions recommended correspond with those identified in other recovery (e.g. Abbott's Booby and Christmas Island Hawk-Owl) and action plans (e.g. Garnett & Crowley 2000). Consequently, opportunities exist for sharing resources and a co-ordinated strategy to implement Recovery Plans for all threatened Christmas Island fauna requires investigation.

Action 8 is supporting the ongoing management for the control of the Yellow Crazy Ant supercolonies as outlined in draft Yellow Crazy Ant Action Plan and the Christmas Island National Park Management Plan. Therefore, this action requires no additional funding from the Christmas Island Pipistrelle Recovery Plan. However, it is essential that adequate funding be provided for this work from other sources, with the current Plan used to assist in the procurement of the necessary funding.

A number of Actions are ongoing (e.g. Action 10) and may be considered as core duties of Parks Australia North.

The majority of funding outlined in the Duration and Costs section is aimed at identifying the threatening processes resulting in the decline and range contraction of the Christmas Island Pipistrelle. Research into this bat and reasons for its decline and westward range contraction have been identified as of high priority in the Christmas Island National Park Management Plan (Commonwealth of Australia 2002). This research, particularly that proposed for the Common Wolf Snake, may also identify threatening processes that are responsible for the decline and range contraction of the Blue-tailed Skink Cryptoblepharus egeriae, Forest Skink Emoia nativitatis and Christmas Island Gecko Lepidactylus listeri.

A large number of actions identified in this Recovery Plan are aimed at identifying currently unknown threatening processes. Many of these actions can be investigated simultaneously in the same field sampling periods, thereby representing a considerable saving in costs. Actions that can be conducted concurrently are denoted by the symbols A, B and C in the Duration and Costs Section. These funding estimates have incorporated Parks Australia North providing vehicles and accommodation to the researchers while on the island.

Effective management of the Christmas Island Pipistrelle will be ongoing and encompass both management practices covered as core Parks Australia North duties, and specialist actions that will only be identified following the outcome of actions identified in this Recovery Plan. Costs associated with the management of currently unidentified threatening processes have not been included in this Plan, and can only be determined once the threatening processes have been identified.

Duration and Costs

Actions that can be conducted concurrently are denoted by the symbols A (dry season sampling), B (wet season sampling) and C (Wolf Snake investigation), with the costing for A and B provided at the end of the table.

Recovery Action
Year of Implementation
Total
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Action 1: Assess population and distribution trends.            
1a Investigate westward range contraction
A
-
-
-
A
A
1b Impact of YCA on activity levels
A
-
-
-
A
A
1c Establish & maintain pipistrelle database
PAN
PAN
PAN
PAN
PAN
  
1d Establish and conduct monitoring program
5,000+ PAN
1,000+ PAN
1,000+ PAN
1,000+ PAN
1,000+ PAN
9,000+
Action 2: Determine roosting requirements.            
2a Determine seasonal and distributional roosting requirements
A+B*
-
-
-
A+B*
A+B*
2b Impact of YCA on roost requirements
A
-
-
-
A
A
2c Trial artificial roosts
Dependent of findings of Action 2 & 3
  
Action 3: Determine the impact of the CWS on roosts, and if found to impact on pipistrelles, develop appropriate management actions.            
3a Establish & maintain CWS database
PAN
PAN
PAN
PAN
PAN
 
3b Conduct survey for CWS in central section of island
26,000 (=C*)
-
-
-
-
C
3c Assess climbing ability of CWS and the potential risk to roosting pipistrelles
C*
-
-
-
-
C
3d Devise & implement appropriate management actions
C*
Dependent of findings of Actions 3b & 3c
C
Action 4: Determine the impact of the Nankeen Kestrel, and if found to prey on pipistrelles, develop management actions to reduce impact.            
4a Establish & maintain Nankeen Kestrel database
PAN
PAN
PAN
PAN
PAN
  
4b Assess Nankeen Kestrel as a predator
5,000 +A+B
-
-
-
-
5,000 +A+B
4c Potential Nankeen Kestrel control
Dependent on findings of Action 4b
  
Action 5: Identify primary foraging sites away from ecotones and roads.            
5a Identify foraging areas away from artificial edges
A+B*
-
-
-
A+B*
A+B
Action 6: Investigate dietary specialisation.            
6a Investigate diet in the wet and dry seasons
10,000+A+B
-
-
-
-
10,000+A+B
6b Investigate degree of dietary specialisation
10,000+A+B
-
-
-
-
10,000+A+B
Action 7: Clarify the taxonomic status.            
7a Resolve taxonomic uncertainty
8,000
-
-
-
-
8,000
Action 8: Continue active management for the control of YCA supercolonies.            
8a Ongoing monitoring and remedial actions as required
To be sourced from other budgets by the Yellow Crazy Ant Steering Committee and PAN
  
8b Roost areas intensively monitored on a regular basis
PAN
  
Action 9: Increased protection of known and potential habitat outside the National Park.            
9a Protect known important foraging areas
Component of PAN core duties
  
9b Potential impact of future development proposals
Component of PAN core duties
  
Action 10: Assess impact of phosphate stockpile removal on the species.            
10a Impacts of phosphate stockpile removal
Component of PAN core duties
  
Action 11: Guidelines to reduce vehicle-related mortality            
11a Establish guidelines to reduce mortality risk
Component of PAN core duties in consultation with the CRA and relevant affected interests (eg. AFP, CIS)
  
11b Minimise impact of night-time traffic between IRPC and the Settlement
Component of PAN core duties in consultation with the CRA, DIMIA, DoFADoFA, CIS and AFP
  
Action 12: Review the conservation status
To be assessed under EPBC Act
  
12a Review the conservation status              
A. Dry season component
56,500
-
-
-
56,500
113,000
B. Wet season component
47,500
-
-
-
47,500
95,000
Additional Funding (as outlined above)
64,000
1,000
1,000
1,000
>1,000
68,000
TOTAL COST
168,000
1,000
1,000
1,000
105,000
276,000
plus additional funds dependent on identification of key threatening process

YCA = Yellow Crazy Ant; CWS = Common Wolf Snake; IRPC = Immigration Reception and Processing Centre; CRA = Central Road Authority; AFP = Australian Federal Police; CIS = Christmas island Shire; DIMIA = Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs; DoFA = Department of Finance and Administration, * = some wet season sampling may extend into the following year (i.e. sampling undertaken in December - January).
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