• stimulated local interest in conservation and biodiversity
• strengthened local support of the TKCP, seen as a cooperative effort that helps local communities as well as wildlife
• greater local capacity to handle future conservation issues without assistance
• increased rate at which scientific data are collected. This means that conservation problems can be more quickly recognized and addressed

MORE: The Science Behind Conservation TKCP Personnel About Papua New Guinea Return to Tree Kangaroo Main DOWNLOADS: 2004 TKCP Annual Report 2005 TKCP Annual Report 2006 TKCP Annual Report MAJOR THREATS: Overhunting for meat and fur Habitat destruction from logging, mining and agriculture LINKS: Tree Kangaroo Fact Sheet

TKCP Research
The TKCP's research integrates many scientific disciplines, including biology, ecology, genetics, biogeography and botany, and recognizes the value of indigenous knowledge. The TKCP's field studies have captured the attention of the global scientific community, sparking the interest of other biologists in the wildlife of the Huon Peninsula of PNG.

Tree kangaroo research studies:
Home-range size and movements determined using radiotelemetry
The TKCP is the first to successfully GPS/radiocollar wild Matschie's tree kangaroos for an extended period, and will thus provide new information on home range and habitat preferences. In 2004 and 2005, the TKCP collared wild tree kangaroos (5 females, 2 males) with GPS or VHF-only radiocollars for daily radio-tracking. When a tree kangaroo is located, TKCP field scientists take a GPS reading, note the behavior of the collared tree kangaroo (if it is visible), and describe the canopy and vegetation at the location. Dung samples are collected opportunistically for a feeding ecology study and genetics research.

Animal density
The TKCP determined the first tree kangaroo density estimate for a wild population in PNG using a statistical technique called distance sampling. The distance sampling methodology requires that researchers perform a standardized survey at designated points along a series of lines (transects), searching for objects of interest (usually animals or clusters of animals). For each object detected, they record the distance from the point to the object. Since tree kangaroos are very difficult to observe in the wild, researchers search for their dung rather than the animals themselves. Dung densities are estimated with distance sampling and tree kangaroo densities are then extrapolated using known defecation rates and dung decomposition rates. Surveys at two TKCP field sites are conducted throughout the year so that comparisons can be made between the sites (which have different habitat characteristics and hunting histories) and so that seasonal changes can be determined. Surveys are done by local landowners who have been trained and are supervised by TKCP staff.

Habitat classification using GIS
The TKCP is using satellite imagery technology to increase the resolution of the vegetation classification for the maps of the Conservation Area and provide a measure of tree kangaroo habitat quality. By improving the resolution of these maps and classifying habitats, the TKCP will be able to more accurately identify critical habitat and direct its conservation efforts towards those areas. The TKCP contracted an Australian botanist to delineate broad vegetation types across the TKCP study areas, and to try to identify differences within and between the forest types that may relate to suitability of habitat for Matschie's tree kangaroos. Local landowners also identified tree kangaroo food plants, and provided the local names for all collected plants.

Feeding ecology
The TKCP is collaborating with the University of Denver to identify Matschie's tree kangaroo food plants from fragments in dung samples collected at TKCP field sites. A reference key was created from tree kangaroo food plant leaves collected by the TKCP in 1998. Tree kangaroo dung samples collected in 1999 and collected from the tree kangaroos that were radiocollared in 2004 were analyzed and insect fragments were found in some samples. Insects have not been previously documented as part of the wild tree kangaroo diet, so this discovery will be further examined.

Genetics
Tree kangaroo genetic analyses using dung samples collected in PNG are conducted at the University of Rhode Island. Microsatellite markers, once developed, will potentially be varioable enough to be used to identify individual Matschie's tree kangaroos from dung samples, and to calculate nuclear genetic diversity, relatedness, and gene flow estimates among tree kangaroo populations.

Long-beaked echidna research:
Ecology, movements and conservation status
The long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bruijnii) is a monotreme (egg-laying mammal) found only in New Guinea and listed by the IUCN as endangered. This project, launched in 2002, is one of only two field research studies of long-beaked echidnas, and the only project working on the Huon Peninsula. The long-beaked echinida's population decline is thought to be due overhunting and habitat loss, although this has not been confirmed by scientific study.

In 2004, the TKCP attached a radiotransmitter to one echinida and tracked the animal daily for approximately six weeks. Data collected included the animal's GPS location, weather conditions and habitat description. The TKCP is working with the WCS-PNG Program, which is conducting a long-beaked echinida radiotracking project at Crater Mountain Wildlife Management Area, Eastern Highlands, PNG.

Given the highly elusive nature of long-beaked echinidas, even in areas where they have not recently bee hunted, the TKCP will use camera-traps (cameras with infrared triggers) to assess local abundance and determine the best site for focusing radiotelemetry work.