Register      Login
Australian Mammalogy Australian Mammalogy Society
Journal of the Australian Mammal Society
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > AM > AM24035
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 47(2)

Behavioural responses of platypuses to desedimentation works in the Blue Lake at Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve, New South Wales, with notes on the relationship between platypus occurrence and habitat variables in nearby streams

Anne Musser https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3908-2547 A B * , Eren Turak https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7383-9112 C and Tom Grant D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Palaeontology, Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW 339, Australia.

B Jenolan Caves Reserve Trust, Jenolan, NSW, Australia.

C NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (NSW DCCEEW), Parramatta, NSW, Australia.

D School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

* Correspondence to: anne.musser@environment.nsw.gov.au

Handling Editor: Ross Goldingay

Australian Mammalogy 47, AM24035 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM24035
Submitted: 17 October 2024  Accepted: 17 April 2025  Published: 12 May 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the Australian Mammal Society.

Abstract

Instream earthworks occur in many streams in Australia, often following damage by flooding, to rehabilitate stream banks, remove flood-generated debris or protect against future flood damage. Earthworks may unavoidably disturb habitat, and understanding how species respond to such disturbance is critical to long-term conservation. We report the responses of platypuses to major instream works in the Blue Lake, upper Jenolan River, following severe catchment erosion and flooding in February 2020 and March 2021. Platypuses continued to use the Blue Lake during the works in 2020, but were observed or detected by remote cameras, moving into or out of the lake, less often as the works progressed, returning quickly on works completion and lake refilling. During later works in 2022, platypuses were seen in the Blue Lake or detected by remote cameras only for a few days after the start of the works, returning more slowly than in 2020, but indicating persistent long-term use of the Blue Lake despite these major instream works. Our analysis of available platypus occurrence data, and macroinvertebrate and benthic substrate data highlighted the importance of coarse benthic substrates associated with platypus occurrence in other streams in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, suggesting potential benefits of targeted benthic substrate rehabilitation following such instream works.

Keywords: habitat disturbance, instream works, macroinvertebrate recovery, monotreme, platypus conservation, platypus foraging, substrate composition, substrate rehabilitation.

References

Anonymous (1999). ‘New wetland welcomes the platypus.’ Ripples 15, Spring p. 3. (Australian Platypus Conservancy Newsletter)

Boulton, A. J., Brock, M. A., Robson, B. J., Ryder, D. S., Chambers, J. M., and Davis, J. A. (2014). ‘Australian Freshwater Ecology. Processes and Management.’ 2nd edn. (Wiley Blackwell: Oxford)

Breiman, L. (2001). Random forests. Machine Learning 45, 5-32.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Brunt, T., Cecil, M., Griffiths, J., Adams-Hosking, C., Murray, P. J., and Smith, A. (2025). Environmental DNA reveals habitat viables driving platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) distribution across an urbanised landscape. Ecology and Evolution 15(1), e70783.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Bryant, A. G. (1993). An evaluation of the habitat characteristics of pools used by platypuses (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) in the upper Macquarie River system. BAppSci(Hons) thesis, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW, Australa.

Burrell, H. (1927) ‘The Platypus.’ (Angus and Robertson: Sydney, NSW, Australia)

Dewson, Z. S., James, A. B., and Death, R. G. (2007). A review of the consequences of decreased flow for instream habitat and macroinvertebrates. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 26(3), 401-415.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Engineers Australia (1996). Jenolan Caves Engineering Works. Report on the Ceremony for the unveiling of the Historic Engineering Marker on Saturday 28 September 1996. Available at https://portal.engineersaustralia.org.au/system/files/engineering-heritage-australia/report-title/Jenolan_Caves_Report.pdf

Faragher, R. A., Grant, T. R., and Carrick, F. N. (1979). Food of the platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus, with notes on the food of the brown trout, Salmo trutta, in the Shoalhaven River, New South Wales. Australian Journal of Ecology 4, 171-179.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Grant, T. R. (1982). Food of the platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Ornithorhynchidae: Monotremata) from various water bodies in New South Wales. Australian Mammalogy 5, 235-236.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Grant, T. R. (2004). Depth and substrate selection by platypuses, Ornithorhynchus anatinus, in the lower Hastings River, New South Wales. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of NSW 125, 235-242.
| Google Scholar |

Grant, T. (2007). ‘Platypus.’ 4th edn. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne, Vic, Australia)

Grant, T. R. (2008). The Hastings District Water Supply Augmentation Scheme: Detection of Potential Future Water-Extraction Impacts on the Aquatic Biota of the Lower Hastings River. Monitoring Study: the Platypus. Ten Year Progress Report Winter 1998 to Spring 2007. Progress Report to October 2007 prepared for K. Bishop on behalf of NSW Department of Public Works and Hastings Council. Progress Report. January 2008.

Grant, T. (2012). Environmental impact assessment: monitoring from a platypus perspective. In ‘Science Under Siege: Zoology Under Threat’. (Eds P Banks, D Lunney, C Dickman) pp. 107–113. (Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales: Sydney, NSW, Australia)

Grant, T. (2014). The platypus and the environmental impact assessment process: more cogitations of a consultant. Consulting Ecology 33, 50-63.
| Google Scholar |

Grant, T. R., and Bishop, K. (1998). Instream flow requirements for the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) – A review. Australian Mammalogy 20, 267-280.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Grant, T. R., and Carrick, F. N. (1974). Capture and marking of the platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus in the wild. Australian Zoologist 18, 133-135.
| Google Scholar |

Hawke, T., Bino, G., Shackleton, M. E., Ross, A. K., and Kingsford, R. T. (2022). Using DNA metabarcoding as a novel approach for analysis of platypus diet. Scientific Reports 12, 2247.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Klamt, M., Davis, J. A., Thompson, R. M., Marchant, R., and Grant, T. R. (2015). Trophic relationships of the platypus: insights from stable isotope and cheek pouch dietary analyses. Marine and Freshwater Research 66, 1196-1204.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Larsen, S., Pace, G., and Ormerod, S. J. (2011). Experimental effects of sediment deposition on the structure and function of macroinvertebrate assemblages in temperate streams. River Research and Applications 27(2), 257-267.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Marchant, R., and Grant, T. R. (2015). The productivity of the macroinvertebrate prey of the platypus in the upper Shoalhaven River, New South Wales. Marine and Freshwater Research 66, 1128-1137.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

McLachlan-Troup, T. A., Dickman, C. R., and Grant, T. R. (2010). Diet and dietary selectivity of the platypus in relation to season, sex and macroinvertebrate assemblages. Journal of Zoology 280(3), 237-246.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

McKenzie, M., Brooks, A., Callisto, M., Collins, A. L., Durkota, J. M., Death, R. G., Jones, J. I., Linares, M. S., Matthaei, C. D., Monk, W. A., and Murphy, J. F. (2024). Freshwater invertebrate responses to fine sediment stress: a multi‐continent perspective. Global Change Biology 30(1), e17084.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Miller, S. W., Budy, P., and Schmidt, J. C. (2010). Quantifying macroinvertebrate responses to in-stream habitat restoration: applications of meta-analysis to river restoration. Restoration Ecology 18, 8-19.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Musser, A., Grant, T., and Turak, E. (2024). Movements of platypuses around and through instream structures and natural barriers in the Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve. Australian Mammalogy 46(2), AM23031.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Norris, R. H., Linke, S., Prosser, I. A. N., Young, W. J., Liston, P., Bauer, N., Sloane, N., Dyer, F., and Thoms, M. (2007). Very‐broad‐scale assessment of human impacts on river condition. Freshwater Biology 52(5), 959-976.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

NSW DCCEEW (2018). Aquatic Macroinvertebrates of NSW (1994 – ongoing), accessed from The Sharing and Enabling Environmental Data Portal. Available at https://datasets.seed.nsw.gov.au/dataset/fe4a0dd9-9f2f-4287-b513-8263e0d4a5df [accessed 15 August 2024]

NSW DCCEEW (2024). NSW BioNet. Available at https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/biodiversity/nsw-bionet [accessed 17 May 2024]

Palmer, M. A., Menninger, H. L., and Bernhardt, E. (2010). River restoration, habitat heterogeneity and biodiversity: a failure of theory or practice? Freshwater Biology 55, 205-222.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Rohweder, D. (1992). Management of platypus in the Richmond River catchment, northern New South Wales. Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons) thesis, University of New England Northern Rivers, Lismore, NSW, Australia.

Salant, N. L., Schmidt, J. C., Budy, P., and Wilcock, P. R. (2012). Unintended consequences of restoration: Loss of riffles and gravel substrates following weir installation. Journal of Environmental Management 109, 154-163.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Serena, M., Worley, M., Swinnerton, M., and Williams, G. A. (2001). Effect of food availability and habitat on the distribution of platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) foraging activity. Australian Journal of Zoology 49, 263-277.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Smith, P. (2021). Impact of the 2019-20 Fires on the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area – Version 2 (report to Blue Mountains Conservation Society). Technical Report May 2021. 10.13140/RG.2.2.26138.18881/2

Smith, P., and Smith, J. (2022). Impact of the 2019-20 mega-fires on the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, New South Wales. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 144, 227-254.
| Google Scholar |

Thackway, R., and Cresswell, I. D. (1995). ‘An interim biogeographic regionalisation for Australia: a framework for establishing the national system of reserves, Version 4.0.’ (Australian Nature Conservation Agency: Canberra, ACT, Australia)

Therneau, T., Atkinson, B., Ripley, B., and Ripley, M. B. (2015). Package ‘rpart’. Available at https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/rpart/rpart.pdf [accessed on 2 August 2024]

Thomas, J. L., Parrott, M. L., Handasyde, K. A., and Temple-Smith, P. D. (2018a). Female control of reproductive behaviour in the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), with notes on female competition for mating. Behaviour 155, 27-53.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Thomas, J., Handasyde, K., Parrott, M. L., and Temple-Smith, P. (2018b). The platypus nest: burrow structure and nesting behaviour in captivity. Australian Journal of Zoology 65, 347-356.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Townsend, C. R., Uhlmann, S. S., and Matthaei, C. D. (2008). Individual and combined responses of stream ecosystems to multiple stressors. Journal of Applied Ecology 45(6), 1810-1819.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Turak, E., and Koop, K. (2008). Multi-attribute ecological river typology for assessing ecological condition and conservation planning. Hydrobiologia 603, 83-104.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Turak, E., and Waddell, N. (2002). ‘Development of AUSRIVAS models for New South Wales.’ (Environment Australia)

Turak, E., Flack, L. K., Norris, R. H., Simpson, J., and Waddell, N. (1999). Assessment of river condition at a large spatial scale using predictive models. Freshwater Biology 41, 283-298.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Turak, E., Waddell, N., and Johnstone, G. (2004). ‘New South Wales (NSW) Australian River Assessment System (AUSRIVAS) Sampling and Processing Manual.’ (Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW): Sydney, NSW, Australia)

Venables, W. N., and Ripley, B. D. (2002). ‘Modern Applied Statistics with S-Plus.’ 4th edn. (Springer-Verlag)

Walsh, C. J., Webb, J. A., Gwinn, D. C., and Breen, P. F. (2023). Constructed rock riffles increase habitat heterogeneity but not biodiversity in streams constrained by urban impacts. Ecosphere 14(12), e 4723.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |