Roan D. Plotz

Deakin University · School of Life and Environmental Sciences

Paper is available online as open archive at Current Biology website [https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)30353-5]. Evolutionary theory expects social, communicative species to eavesdrop most on other species’ alarm calls [e.g., 1, 2] but also that solitary-living species benefit most from eavesdropping [3, 4]. Examples of s...

Traditional calendars document seasonal cycles and the communities' relationships to their biophysical environment and are often used by communities, particularly subsistence farmers, to synchronise their livelihood activities with the timing of ecological processes. As the timing of these ecological processes is not always consistent from year to...

Background and objective: There is currently no standardised way to share information across disciplines about initiatives, including fields such as health, environment, basic science, manufacturing, media and international development. All problems, including complex global problems such as air pollution and pandemics require reliable data sharin...

Pacific Islands, many relatively remote and small, have been occupied by people for more than 3000 years during which time they experienced climate‐driven environmental changes (both slow and rapid onset) that challenged human survival and led to the evolution of place‐based coping strategies expressed through traditional knowledge (TK). In today's...

Flight‐Initiation Distance (FID)—a direct measure of an individual animal's escape response—is a widely used method to study escape ecology in fauna. The technique has primarily been applied to bird species that are active by day. Indexing the escape behaviour of nocturnal species has been limited due to the need for light to detect and observe ani...

Controversy exists around owned dogs’ impacts in public open spaces, with concerns about dogs’ impact on wildlife, including birds. Leashing dogs in public open spaces offers a tractable way of reducing dogs’ deleterious impacts on birds. Although dogs in public spaces are often unleashed, some dogs roam freely, whilst other unleashed dogs remain c...

Evolutionary theory expects social, communicative species to eavesdrop most on other species' alarm calls but also that solitary-living species benefit most from eavesdropping. Examples of solitary species responding to the alarm calls of other species, however, are limited and unconvincing. The indigenous Swahili name for the red-billed oxpecker (...

National meteorological services (NMSs) are mandated to provide relevant and timely meteorological information to communities, including forecasts and warnings of conditions that are likely to endanger life, property, or the environment. However, in rural or remote areas, particularly in developing countries, traditional weather forecasting may be...

Table S1: Seasonal calendars of the Pacific based on a literature review. -Country Location (Ethnic group) -Type of calendar (Presented as) -# seasons -# months -Principal Use e.g. Agricultural, fishing, cultural -Reference -Comments

Many indigenous communities have developed climate forecast skills by observing how the physical environment impacts the behavioural ecology and phenology of plants and animals. Despite technological advances, contemporary forecasts remain underutilized by indigenous communities. Community access to both Indigenous and Scientific knowledge systems...

During transformational change at Victoria University, we present on our experiences with block teaching in the science discipline college. The new block model created an opportunity for us to completely redesign the curricula for the environmental science major within the Bachelor of Science degree. The block design framework supported the develop...

In most countries, weather and seasonal climate forecasts are available through national meteorological services (NMSs). However, uptake of NMS forecasts in remote Pacific communities can be limited, particularly those relating to expected impacts. To address this, NMSs need a clearer understanding of the types of information local communities curr...

The process of successfully engaging Pacific communities to collect and document traditional knowledge (TK) on weather and climate can be complex. Community engagement is a process of inclusive participation, where the lines of existing cultural practices and protocols are often blurred and difficult to navigate. For the Traditional Knowledge on We...

Understanding seasonality, climate variability and climate change in the Pacific is complex. For many communities in the Pacific, 'weather', seasonality, climate variability, extreme climate events and climate change are words and concepts that are not well understood nor easily communicated. For most Pacific Island communities, seasonality is unde...

Throughout the Pacific, national meteorological services (NMSs) routinely issue weather and seasonal forecasts and warnings. However, many local communities also have access to forecasts based on observations of their environment, i.e. built on traditional knowledge, and this can influence the uptake of NMS forecasts. To better understand the type...

Traditional knowledge (TK) on weather and climate is an important aspect of community life in the Pacific. Used for generations, this knowledge is derived from observing biological and meteorological variables and contributes to building community resilience to weather extremes. Most of this knowledge is passed on orally and is in danger of being l...

Concerns over the loss of traditional Knowledge and the limited uptake of contemporary seasonal forecasts and warnings in some Pacific communities, led to COSPPac working with National Meteorological Services to develop tools to increase community resilience to meteorological and geo-hazard events. Trials were taken in five countries, Niue, Samoa,...

People of Pacific have long history of forecasting and responding to extreme natural events based on repeated observation of their environments. However, it is now globally recognised that much can be gained by considering both contemporary and traditional expertise in the development of early warning and response systems. Based on this the Climate...

Remote communities in the Pacific are facing increased exposure to extreme climate and weather events. Pacific communities have traditional knowledge (TK), forecasting skills and coping strategies for extreme weather and climate events. This knowledge is under threat from social and environmental change. In most Pacific countries, weather and seaso...

The Australian Rhino Project (www.theaustralianrhinoproject.org) proposes importing 80 rhinos from South Africa to Australia by 2019 at a cost of over $US4 million, and the first six due to have been moved in 2016. This project has high profile supporters in the private sector, zoos and both governments, and is gaining major publicity through assoc...

Plotz R.D. & Chambers L.E. (2017). Linking forecasts and end users: perspectives from a Pacific Aid Program. Bulletin of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, 30(4): 26-29. In recent decades there have been significant advances in the skill of climate predictions (Bauer et al., 2015). While numerical weather and climate forecast...

Ahead of the 2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23), the UNESCO Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems programme (LINKS) is inviting key partners and institutions to share their own successes and lessons learned in mobilizing local and indigenous knowledge for climate change. The conference seeks to facilitate transdisciplinary, mult...

Close observation of their local environment, over multiple generations, has allowed communities in the Pacific to develop coping strategies for extreme weather and climate events. This includes the use of phenology for weather and climate forecasting. National Meteorological Services in Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu are now developing phenolo...

In most countries, national meteorological services either generate or have access to seasonal climate forecasts. However, in a number of regions, the uptake of these forecasts by local communities can be limited, with the locals instead relying on traditional knowledge to make their climate forecasts. Both approaches to seasonal climate forecastin...

Growing interest in traditional knowledge (TK), particularly in relation to the prediction of weather or climate extremes, raises issues concerning the appropriate storage and management of the information collected. The Traditional Knowledge Database (TK Database) for the storage and use of TK associated with weather and climate prediction in the...

Through long-term observations of their local environment, Pacific Islanders have developed techniques that have allowed them to make their own weather forecasts and climate predictions. The rapid disappearance of traditional weather and climate knowledge concerns many Pacific Islanders as it weakens their ability to predict and cope with increasin...

Observer impacts on animal behaviour concern conservation managers and researchers of critically endangered species, like black rhino (Diceros bicornis). Repeated observations are sometimes necessary, but may distress and displace animals. Information from more remote observations using radio-triangulation is limited and includes larger measurement...

National Meteorological Services (NMSs) routinely provide weather forecasts and seasonal predictions. Many Pacific communities do not use contemporary meteorological forecasts to the degree hoped for, with Pacific NMSs recognising that traditional weather and climate forecasting can play an important role in increasing community resilience to extre...

National Meteorological Services routinely provide weather forecasts and seasonal predictions. Forecast uptake in some parts of the Pacific region is low, largely due to a lack of community understanding or forecast obtainability. Some communities remain reliant on traditional or locally based forecasts built on direct observations of the world aro...

The Australian Rhino Project (see go.nature.com/28c8s29) aims to move 80 rhinoceroses from South Africa to Australia by 2019 as conservation 'insurance' against the poaching epidemic — at a cost of about US$3.5 million. The first 6 will go this year. In our view, this project is diverting funds and public interest away from the actions necessary to...

Comparisons of recent estimations of home range sizes for the critically endangered black rhinoceros in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP), South Africa, with historical estimates led reports of a substantial (54%) increase, attributed to over-stocking and habitat deterioration that has far-reaching implications for rhino conservation. Other reports, how...

Detailed comparison of methodology of black rhinoceros home range studies outside of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. Note that this table excludes home range studies in unpublished material e.g., Rhino Management Group (RMG) reports. The RMG reports are not publicly available, but several reports seen by the authors list average home range sizes for most b...

Many communities in the developing world do not utilize weather service broadcasts to the degree expected. Reasons for this include inappropriate methods of forecast delivery, time scales and contexts that inhibit application to their needs. In addition, modern scientific forecasts are generally not well understood by the lay person without special...

Many indigenous people in the Pacific forecast seasonal climate conditions through observation and monitoring of meteorological, astronomical and biological indicators (e.g. phenology). Built over many generations, these knowledge systems are adapted to local conditions to cope with a highly variable and vulnerable environment. Traditional climate...

As habitat loss, predators (human and non-human) and disease epidemics threaten species worldwide, protected sanctuaries have become vital to species conservation. Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP) in South Africa is at the centre of one of the world’s greatest conservation success stories. The formal proclamation of HiP in 1895 prevented the extinction...

Many indigenous people in the Pacific forecast seasonal climatic conditions through observation and monitoring of meteorological, astronomical and biological indicators (e.g. phases of moon, behaviour of plants and animals). Built over many generations, traditional climate indicators offer the potential for islands to use nature-based solutions to...

Many indigenous people in the Pacific forecast seasonal climate conditions through observation and monitoring of meteorological, astronomical and biological indicators (e.g. behavior of plants and animals). Built over many generations, these knowledge systems are adapted to local conditions to cope with a highly variable and vulnerable environment....

Many Samoans forecast seasonal climate conditions through observation and monitoring of meteorological, astronomical and biological indicators (e.g. behaviour of plants and animals). Built over many generations, these knowledge systems are adapted to local conditions to cope with a highly variable and vulnerable environment. Traditional climate kno...

The Swahili name for the red-billed oxpecker, Buphagus erythrorhynchus, is "Askari wa kifaru" and means the rhino's guard. We tested the widely held, but untested, belief that oxpeckers warn rhinoceros of approaching predators. Sixty-one unconcealed approaches by a person to seven marked adult female black rhinoceros, Diceros bicornis, were monitor...

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Actual observations of black rhinoceros predation are rarely reported and are limited to two incidences involving subadults. Nevertheless, some authors attribute tail and ear deformities in up to 7.1% of some populations to predation attempts. In August 2008 we observed a mother with dependent c. 8-month-old female black rhinoceros calf in Hluhluwe...

Home range size in black rhinoceros is used as a proxy for range condition and to detect deterioration of ranges through time. Since Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP) serves as a strategic source population for black rhinoceros range expansion, an accurate estimate of home range size is critical for management of the species. Reid et al. (2007) report a...

New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) show pronounced inter-sexual differences in adult body size, and males will potentially mate with many females. Consequently, selection is thought to act differently upon pups during growth. Little is known about how male and female fur seal pups conserve energy, and use milk for growth especially as t...