Tropical forests support exceptional biodiversity yet remain underrepresented in long-term wildlife research and monitoring programs due to logistical, financial, and methodological constraints. Conventional ground-based survey methods are often ineffective in these environments, particularly for rare, cryptic, or arboreal species. Drone-mounted thermal cameras (thermal drones) offer a promising alternative by detecting endothermic animals from above based on their thermal signatures, with advantages for surveying inaccessible or densely forested habitats. This review synthesises the application of thermal drones for research on tropical forest fauna and provides a practical framework to support conservation practitioners in their deployment. Drawing on 38 studies published between 2018 and 2025, we examine how biological traits, environmental conditions, and technical parameters influence detection outcomes and evaluate whether thermal drones have potential to improve upon conventional methods. While most studies remain at the pilot stage, with limited progression to population inference, the available evidence indicates that thermal drones can outperform ground-based methods for detecting arboreal mammals in tropical forests when protocols are tailored to species behaviour and conditions that maximise thermal contrast. Based on the evidence, we summarise operational challenges and methodological limitations and highlight key constraints on inference, including variable detectability and species misclassification. We distil findings from the literature to provide best practice guidance for survey planning, flight configuration, and detection validation, supported by a decision tree to guide protocol design. Integration with long-term monitoring programs, improved error quantification, and broader taxonomic application will be essential to realise the potential of thermal drones for tropical biodiversity research.

ABSTRACT Frog species worldwide are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and are the most endangered vertebrate group. To identify and mitigate impacts, it is necessary to have a method to monitor activity, particularly breeding activity, to detect changes over time. To this end, this study examined the breeding phenology of the poorly known magnificent broodfrog (Pseudophryne covacevichae) across its disjunct distribution in upland sclerophyll forests of the Wet Tropics of Australia. Using a species‐specific acoustic recogniser, we processed near continuous recordings from November 2022 to November 2023, across ten sites, spanning parts of the species' disjunct ranges, the Atherton Tablelands region and Paluma Range. Recorders sampled nightly for 5 min of every hour and detected ~350,000 advertisement calls using a 95% accuracy threshold. Despite a geographic separation of under 200 km, the timing and duration of calling varied markedly among sites and regions. Atherton Tablelands populations exhibited relatively synchronous, wet season calling, whereas Paluma Range populations had delayed and more prolonged calling periods, extending into the mid to late dry season. Climate window analyses indicated that calling was influenced by antecedent environmental conditions, but the time scale and effect differed between regions. In the Atherton Tablelands, calling intensity was positively associated with high rainfall accumulation over multiple weeks, high minimum temperatures and low humidity over the preceding month. In contrast, in the Paluma Range, calling intensity declined with higher rainfall over the previous 2 weeks and was associated with cooler, but more humid nights in the week prior. The intraspecific variation in calling activity suggests that local hydrological conditions may mediate reproductive timing and duration, with rainfall either facilitating or suppressing calling, depending on the region. Understanding such fine‐scale intraspecific variation in breeding may assist in identifying populations more at risk to the effects of future climate change.

Tropical forest transpiration strongly influences the global hydrological cycle and is often estimated through sap flow measurements. Due to their high diversity and complex canopies, estimates often rely on mean sap flow measured from cohorts of similar trees, although within-cohort variability remains poorly investigated in tropical forests. We aimed to quantify sap flow variability in a cohort of 10 similarly sized conspecific trees in an Australian tropical rainforest. Over three campaigns (dry, wet, and dry seasons), we measured sap flow simultaneously on north and south stem aspects and at two sapwood depths using heat-ratio sensors, and estimated crown exposure for each tree. Between the first and second campaigns, a tropical cyclone increased mean crown exposure of the cohort two-fold. We found that sap flow readings varied up to 14-fold between trees under the same environmental conditions, decreasing to nine-fold when within-tree variation was accounted for. Regardless of aspect or depth, sap flow varied by an average of 52.5% within trees across the study period. Although sapwood depth was a poor predictor of sap flow, averaging across the radial profile decreased within-tree variation to 34%. Despite similar stem dimensions, crown exposure largely explained variability among and within trees. During the dry seasons, north-aspect sap flow remained stable, whereas south-aspect sap flow increased by 44% following cyclone-induced increases in exposure. In contrast, variation within and across trees was substantially lower during the wet season, presumably due to more uniform soil water availability. These results yield two recommendations to reduce uncertainty in tropical forest transpiration estimates: (i) sap flow should be measured at more than one point (at different aspects and/or depths) to account for the 52.5% difference in readings per tree; and (ii) crown exposure should be incorporated into stratification approaches to reduce within-cohort sap flow variability.

Context The wet sclerophyll forests of the Australian Wet Tropics face increasing pressure from emerging threats like climate change and industrial development for wind farms. The magnificent broodfrog (Pseudophryne covacevichae) is a threatened species of the wet sclerophyll forest. A limitation for conservation is poor knowledge of its ecology and distribution.Aims We aimed to better estimate the distribution of P. covacevichae using species distribution modelling (SDM) and evaluate model performance through targeted field surveys.Methods We developed an initial MaxEnt model to guide field surveys and locate new populations. These new records were then incorporated to produce an updated model. Model performance was evaluated using area under the curve and true skill statistic (TSS).Key results The SDM identified previously unrecognised areas of potential habitat beyond the species' currently known distribution and identified many high-probability areas without records within the currently known distribution. The model resulted in the discovery of 12 new populations (all within the currently recognised distribution). Including the new records in the updated model led to improved model performance (TSS) and increased predicted probabilities in marginal or under-sampled areas. Modelling suggests that the patchy distribution of P. covacevichae is due to natural isolation between areas of suitable habitat, with suitability driven primarily by dry season precipitation and elevation. The findings highlight priority areas for future surveys, particularly in the wet sclerophyll forest on the Windsor Tableland. Further, increased sampling effort at elevations of 650-800 m may refine the species' lower elevational limits.Conclusion This research provides insight into the potential distribution of P. covacevichae, identifies key areas that require surveys, and underscores the importance of field validation in SDM studies. Accurate distribution data are essential for conservation planning, particularly in mitigating threats from potential habitat loss due to climate change and wind farms.Implications Substantial areas of the species' distribution occur on unprotected land and the SDM identifies key habitat that could be prioritised for future protection, particularly in the Atherton Tablelands region. The predictions also provide a foundation for genetic studies to assess population structure and gene flow among these isolated populations, which can aid in identifing vulnerable populations and inform conservation strategies to reduce extinction risk.

Tropical forest transpiration is essential for the maintenance of the water and carbon cycles and regulation of the global climate. However, recent collective efforts to compile sap flow data, which is the most widely used method for quantifying transpiration in woody stems, have revealed a large data gap in the tropics. Furthermore, accurately upscaling point measurements of sap flow to whole-plant water use (PWU) requires data inputs and corrections that may be difficult to determine in highly diverse tropical forests. This systematic review has two main goals: to assess the methodological limitations of PWU research in tropical forests and to highlight geographical and ecological gaps among current tropical forest PWU research. Our Web of Science search used terms related to ‘plant water use’ and ‘tropical forest’ and gathered all peer-reviewed studies that used sap flow sensors and upscaled point measurements to PWU in tropical forests. Based on 72 studies conducted in 85 locations, we found that drier forest types (based on Holdridge life zones) are largely underrepresented in the literature, with more than 75% of the research output concentrated in wetter forest types. We also identified a substantial knowledge gap on liana sap flow, which appeared in less than 6% of the studies. Regarding the methodological limitations, most studies omitted information regarding the number of sensors deployed per plant and the method of zero-flow determination. Other shortcomings specific to each sap flow sensor type are highlighted. Our study underscores the need for standardising key methodological aspects and identifies significant geographical and ecological gaps in tropical forest PWU research. It provides a foundation for further studies to refine estimates of the present and future contributions of tropical forest transpiration to the global water cycle.

Morphological adaptations facilitate effective movement within habitats. Claws are among the most common adaptations enabling organisms to use inclined and vertical surfaces. However, some taxa have evolved adhesive pads in addition to claws, with claws suggested to be more effective at gripping coarse surfaces, while pads attach better to fine-grained surfaces. Using test surfaces that represented the range of surface roughness used by six species of diplodactylid geckos in nature, we quantified the role of claws and pads acting together, and of pads alone. We examined two functional traits, attachment (on inclines, 45° and vertical surfaces, 90°) and clinging ability (on inclines only). Claws were critical to attachment on vertical surfaces, and attachment declined linearly with decreasing surface roughness. Although attachment was lowest on fine-grained surfaces, this was where claws had the greatest functional contribution. Clinging ability also declined linearly with decreasing surface roughness, where claws played an additive role. Our study highlights novel results describing the function of gecko adhesive systems on different surfaces and suggests a clade-specific interaction of claws and pads. Specifically, we highlight that pads alone can be capable of attachment on rough surfaces, with claws contributing more on fine-grained surfaces.

Difficulty in detecting species' presence is a common issue when surveying threatened species. This is particularly relevant when target species occur in remote regions, have small populations, are difficult to detect, or sampling effort is limited. This can lead to underestimation of a species' true occurrence, which can be an issue where developments are proposed that could impact populations through habitat loss or fragmentation. We aimed to identify the environmental variables influencing the probability of detecting the magnificent broodfrog (Pseudophryne covacevichae), determine environmental triggers for survey initiation and estimate the number of surveys required to provide confidence in the species' true absence at a location. We analysed repeat site survey data from 13 locations where the species was known to occur. Single-season occupancy models identified volumetric soil moisture to be the most influential environmental variable in detection, followed by a combination of volumetric soil moisture and accumulated rainfall in the 5 days prior to a survey. These two variables were used to classify survey conditions into poor, average and excellent, defined by their 5th, 50th and 95th percentiles, to estimate the relationship between survey conditions and survey effort. Cumulative detection probability under 'poor' environmental conditions remained low, with less than 40% cumulative detection probability following six surveys and high uncertainty in posterior distributions. In contrast, under 'average' conditions, detection probability increased to 96% following three surveys, and in 'excellent' conditions, a single survey resulted in 98% probability of detection, and certainty in the posterior distributions increased in both instances. These results demonstrate that targeting surveys under good to optimal environmental conditions can improve detection probability, maximise the efficiency of surveys and reduce the likelihood of false absences.

BACKGROUND:Data-sharing is increasingly encouraged or required by funders and journals. Data-sharing is more complicated for lifecourse studies that rely upon ongoing participation, but little is known about perspectives on data-sharing among participants of such studies. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore perspectives on data-sharing of participants in a birth cohort study.METHODS:Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study when aged between 45 and 48 years. Interviews were led by the Director of the Dunedin Study and involved questions about different scenarios for data-sharing. The sample consisted of nine Dunedin Study members who are Māori (the Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa/New Zealand) and 16 who are non-Māori.RESULTS:Principles of grounded theory were applied to develop a model of participant perspectives on data-sharing. The model consists of three factors that inform a core premise that a one-size-fits-all approach to data-sharing will not suffice in lifecourse research. Participants suggested that data-sharing decisions should depend on the cohort and might need to be declined if any one Dunedin Study member was opposed (factor 1). Participants also expressed a proven sense of trust in the researchers and raised concerns about loss of control once data have been shared (factor 2). Participants described a sense of balancing opportunities for public good against inappropriate uses of data, highlighting variability in perceived sensitivity of data, and thus a need to take this into account if sharing data (factor 3).CONCLUSIONS:Communal considerations within cohorts, loss of control over shared data, and concerns about inappropriate uses of shared data need to be addressed through detailed informed consent before data-sharing occurs for lifecourse studies, particularly where this has not been established from the start of the study. Data-sharing may have implications for the retention of participants in these studies and thus may impact on the value of long-term sources of knowledge about health and development. Researchers, ethics committees, journal editors, research funders, and government policymakers need to consider participants' views when balancing the proposed benefits of data-sharing against the potential risks and concerns of participants in lifecourse research.

Soils with high exchangeable sodium contents have structural and hydrological problems that limit agricultural productivity. Gypsum is commonly applied as an ameliorant but there are few field studies into its long-term (> 10 years) effects on soil chemistry, especially at depths greater than 0.4 m, and no long-term validation of the gypsum requirement model. The aim of this study was to address these two knowledge gaps. This was achieved by a) carrying out a field study of the effects of repeated gypsum applications, irrigation, and sugarcane cultivation to 1.25 m depth over a 26-year period in Australia, and b) assessing the ability of the gypsum requirement model to predict changes in exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) more broadly, using 53 unique cases from 17 field studies (> 1 year). In our field study, the greatest reductions in exchangeable sodium (up to 5.49 %; p < 0.05) occurred between 0.25 and 1.00 m depth, where initial concentrations were highest. The amount of sodium (16.47 cmolc/m2), magnesium (2.49 cmolc/m2), and potassium (0.65 cmolc/m2) displaced was less than the amount of calcium gained (36.76 cmolc/m2) over the profile. Most calcium was retained in the application layer (0.00–0.25 m) but some moved down to at least 1.25 m. Reductions in exchangeable sodium were smaller than in all previous long-term studies, possibly due to lower deep drainage rates (39–45 mm/year) and increased pH. Assessment of the gypsum requirement model showed that predicted final ESP deviated widely from measured ESP in many cases (95 % of predictions deviated by >10 %), presumably due to interactions between pH, clay type, carbonate, climate, management, and cation exchange equilibria. By adjusting two model parameters, the effect of gypsum on ESP was more accurately predicted (20 % of predictions were within 10 % of measured ESP) making it a useful tool for farmers.

Effects of Invasive Toad Calls and Synthetic Tones on Call Properties of Native Australian Toadlets

Kaupapa Maori early years provision (KM-EYP) is recognised as a cornerstone of community efforts to revitalise Maori language and culture. Surprisingly, little is known about how KM-EYP influences the lives of whanau who have engaged. Parents/grandparents (N=91) of tamariki who had attended a Taranaki-based centre (between 1994 and 2017) completed a survey designed to measure 20 aspects of whanau lives, which collectively align with an ao Maori view of wellbeing. Most participants agreed that their children's learning, Maori identity and cultural capacity had been strengthened, as had their own capabilities. Comparisons between the year after exiting the Centre and the time of the survey (2019/2020) demonstrated sustained or increasing benefits, with the exception of relationships with other Centre whanau and the reo Maori capacity of tamariki. Our findings contribute to what is known about how whanau can benefit from engagement in KM-EYP.

This review outlines current debates about the sharing of research data, with a focus on relevance for Aotearoa/New Zealand. Recent years have seen increasingly frequent calls for public sharing of data from funders and publishers/journals in particular. Past research has suggested that researchers tend to agree that any detriments of data-sharing are outweighed by benefits for transparency and progress. We summarise trends across past research into perspectives of funders, publishers/journals, and researchers on data-sharing before raising three considerations. Firstly, past research on data-sharing has tended to overlook the potential implications of data-sharing for participants. We review the small body of research on participant perspectives. This research has conceptualised participants as a homogenous group without theorising how participants make sense of data-sharing. Secondly, perspectives on data-sharing vary depending on the methodology being applied, and we raise some specific considerations when data-sharing is proposed in long-term longitudinal research such as the Dunedin Study. Thirdly, Indigenous perspectives on data-sharing must be central to all research into data-sharing with any of the stakeholder groups, and we review existing research on data sovereignty in relation to data-sharing in Aotearoa/New Zealand and globally. We conclude by summarising a series of tensions between stakeholders in the data-sharing debate.

Māori hold unique views on the lifecourse but there has been limited Māori-led longitudinal research to date. There is a particular need for kaupapa Māori and interface longitudinal research that generates mātauranga Māori and enables Māori-initiated transformative action. In this paper, we identify key features of a Māori lifecourse framework and its application to longitudinal research at the interface of mātauranga Māori and Western science. We describe how these features are applied in the Taranaki Māori-led longitudinal research programme Te Kura Mai i Tawhiti. Māori will benefit from a regionally-focussed Māori approach to lifecourse research at the interface. This approach can be applied directly in future localised research led by Māori and other Indigenous peoples. Māori-led longitudinal research will inform effective interventions to lift Māori wellbeing and prospects throughout all stages of life and strengthen Māori contributions to wider society. Māori approaches to longitudinal research will help shape new futures for Māori and a brighter future for all peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand. Glossary of Māori words: ao Māori: Māori world; Aotearoa: Māori name for New Zealand; hāngī: an earth oven or food cooked in such an oven; hapū: subtribe (also meaning to be pregnant); iwi: tribe, people; kaitiaki: guardian (also meaning teacher); kaupapa Māori: Māori paradigm; based within a Māori worldview; Māori: indigenous peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand; mātauranga Māori: Māori knowledge; mokopuna: grandchildren; ōhākī: parting wishes before death; Pākehā: primarily referring to New Zealand Europeans; reo Māori: Māori language; tamariki: children; Tangi te Kawekaweā: study title (the call of the kawekaweā, long-tailed cuckoo, heralds spring and the opportunity for growth); Taranaki: a tribal nation and region of Aotearoa New Zealand; Te Kura mai I Tawhiti: research programme title (sacred legacy of an ancient era); tauiwi: outsider, commonly referring to non-Māori; tuakiri: identity; wānanga: forum for sharing knowledge/learning; whakapapa: genealogy; whanau: extended family.

The transmission and reception of sound, both between conspecifics and among individuals of different species, play a crucial role in individual fitness, because correct interpretation of meaning encoded in acoustic signals enables important context-appropriate behaviours, such as predator avoidance, foraging, and mate location and identification. Novel noise introduced into a soundscape can disrupt the processes of receiving and recognising sounds. When species persist in the presence of novel noise, it may mask the production and reception of sounds important to fitness, and can reduce population size, species richness, or relative abundances, and thus influence community structure. In the past, most investigations into the effects of novel noise have focused on noises generated by anthropogenic sources. The few studies that have explored the effects of calls from invasive species suggest native species alter behaviours (particularly their vocal behaviour) in the presence of noise generated by invasive species. These effects may differ from responses to anthropogenic noises, because noises made by invasive species are biotic in origin, and may therefore be more spectrally similar to the calls of native species, and occur at similar times. Thus, in some cases, negative fitness consequences for native species, associated with noises generated by invasive species, may constitute interspecific competition. Possible negative consequences of invasive species calls represent an overlooked, and underappreciated, class of competitive interactions. We are far from understanding the full extent of the effects of invasive species on native ones. Further investigation of the contribution of noise interference to native species’ decline in the presence of invasive species will significantly increase our understanding of an important class of interactions between invasive and native species.

Kaupapa Māori early years provision (KM-EYP) has underpinned efforts to revitalise Māori language and culture throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. Although many tamariki and whānau have benefited from engagement in KM-EYP, less than 20% of tamariki Māori currently participate. Kaupapa Māori psychological research is needed to better understand what facilitates participation among whānau who attend KM-EYP. This article describes findings from a study that aimed to understand whānau engagement in KM-EYP. An online survey was developed to test findings of an earlier qualitative phase of an overall study. The survey was completed by 121 parents/grandparents whose tamariki had attended one KM-EYP centre in Taranaki, at some stage, since it opened in 1994. This article reports on the top ranked motivations of whānau to enrol their tamariki in KM-EYP and the top ranked facilitators of, and barriers to, their engagement. The findings provide novel evidence about what impacts whānau participation and engagement in KM-EYP.

Kaupapa Māori early years provision (KM-EYP) has underpinned efforts to revitalise Māori language and culture throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. Although many tamariki and whānau have benefited from engagement in KM-EYP, less than 20% of tamariki Māori currently participate. Kaupapa Māori psychological research is needed to better understand what facilitates participation among whānau who attend KM-EYP. This article describes findings from a study that aimed to understand whānau engagement in KM-EYP. An online survey was developed to test findings of an earlier qualitative phase of an overall study. The survey was completed by 121 parents/grandparents whose tamariki had attended one KM-EYP centre in Taranaki, at some stage, since it opened in 1994. This article reports on the top ranked motivations of whānau to enrol their tamariki in KM-EYP and the top ranked facilitators of, and barriers to, their engagement. The findings provide novel evidence about what impacts whānau participation and engagement in KM-EYP.

Many species - humans included - employ color as an instrument of deception. One intriguing example of this resides in the conspicuous abstract color patterns displayed on the bodies of female orb weaving spiders. These displays increase prey interception rates and thereby function at least as visual lures. Their chromatic properties however vary extensively, both across and within species, with discrete forms often co-existing in the manner of a stable polymorphism. Variation is principally expressed in terms of signal hue (color per se), but it is unclear how attractiveness scales with this property and if extant morphs are maximally attractive relative to a graded range of potential alternatives. We examined these questions by assessing catch rates among color-manipulated females of the dimorphic jeweled spider Gasteracantha fornicata in their natural webs. The manipulation altered dorsal appearance in a manner akin to adding six new variants of their existing white/yellow phenotypes. This magnified the natural variation in stimulus hue independently of chroma (saturation) across a range spanning most of the color spectrum. Catch rate varied across treatments in simple accordance with how greatly stimulus hue deviated from either of the two extant spider phenotypes. Predictions based on fly-perceived chromatic and achromatic background contrast were clearly unsupported despite dipterans constituting similar to 60 % of identifiable prey. This study supports the importance of signal coloration per se in G. fornicata and suggests that extant lure phenotypes reside in a broadly optimal spectral range for stimulating their aggregate prey community.

This is the first of two papers describing the creation of measurement tools for four Maori constructs of positive child behaviour - tuakiri (secure local Maori identity); whanauranga (acting as a member of a whanau); manawaroa (persisting despite difficulty); and piripono (having integrity, commitment and responsibility). This paper describes the psychometric properties of these new measures. Parents and teachers completed questionnaires on 28 children aged 0-5 years five times over 10 months in a Maori-medium early years setting, and video observations were made. Ratings of the videos showed good inter-rater reliability. All questionnaire measures had good internal consistency. Associations of questionnaires with rated observations varied at some timepoints suggesting a need to include both in ongoing research. This study provides initial evidence about reliability of our novel Maori measurement tools for assessment of preschool Maori children.

Supporting positive early childhood development is important for both short and long-term outcomes. This paper is the second of two papers examining the measurement of four Maori constructs underpinning positive child behaviours - tuakiri (secure local Maori identity); whanauranga (acting as a member of a whanau); manawaroa (persisting despite difficulty); and piripono (having integrity, commitment and responsibility). Here, we describe changes in measures of these constructs over a 10 month period. Whanau (families) and kaitiaki (teachers) completed questionnaires and video observations were made of 28 Maori children aged 0-5 years. Growth curve analysis revealed significant positive change in each construct across five timepoints, even controlling for age differences. These findings provide proof-of-concept that our novel measures of the four constructs are sensitive to change in positive child behaviours among preschool Maori children.

Kaupapa Māori early years provision (KM-EYP) is often understood as a critical site for Māori cultural revitalisation, where a foundation for the educational success and lifelong wellbeing of tamariki Māori is laid. Given its importance, the Tangi te Kawekaweā study sought to identify and examine barriers and facilitators of whānau engagement in KM-EYP. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individual whānau members (n = 19) and whānau groups (n = 5) enrolled in one centre for KM-EYP, and with expert informants (n = 10). This paper reports on the insights gained. Inductive thematic analysis identified barriers to engagement (e.g., historical trauma, whakamā, whānau disconnection) and facilitators of engagement (e.g., critical awareness, emotional and practical support, whānauranga). These findings have the potential to inform policy and practice to enhance whānau Māori engagement in the learning and development opportunities offered by KM-EYP and the early years sector more broadly.