In this thesis, I describe the behavioural ecology of an Australian passerine, the Southern Emuwren Stipiturus malachurus (Maluridae). The southern emu-wren is threatened in several parts of its range, and yet information on the species’ breeding biology, habitat use and mating system is lacking. These data are fundamental to effective conservation management. My research investigated the breeding behaviour and habitat ecology of a population of southern emu-wrens in Portland, Victoria, Australia, over three breeding seasons (2000/01, 2001/02 and 2002/03). also collected data pertaining to habitat use from populations located in Anglesea and Lower Glenelg National Park (Victoria, Australia). Southern emu-wrens commonly formed socially monogamous pair bonds, although cooperative breeding was observed for the first time in this species, where male offspring within several families delayed breeding to help raise younger siblings. Successful nests produced 1.8 fledglings on average, however, a nest had only a 56% chance of success during incubation and nestling phases. Nest failure was mainly attributed to depredation and snakes were identified as major nest predators. The slow breeding rate of the southern emu-wren is typical of a small passerine in the Southern Hemisphere. Nevertheless, adult mortality was unusually high. In one breeding season the adult population was reduced by 50%. The population recovered when individuals dispersed from the adjacent coastal heathland to fill territory vacancies. This highlights the vulnerability of populations to local catastrophe, and potential extinction if spatial separation of populations exceeds the species’ dispersal capacity.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-13T17:10:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 AndriaCAS_DISSERT.pdf: 1478535 bytes, checksum: 5e10433aefe8f9739608cecbcbc55629 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-02-24 / The study done has as objective the comprehension of the constructed territorial spaces through the commercial perspective, because it is a social practice which enables the dynamic of the space and the appearing of territories. Related to the territory, we emphasized the interest for the idea of used territory treated by Milton Santos, because we agreed with him believing that is the use of the territory which warrants its legitimacy. Then, the spatial dimension chose concentrates itself into the district of Alecrim, localized at the east zone of Natal/RN, where it is recognized by its strong commercial dynamic which was built during years, facing some events which happened in the context of the city. However, this dynamic counts with a hard dichotomy which involves as the considered by the State formal activities, as the informal one. About the commerce of the district, it has characteristics into its activities whose make him to be considered popular, as by the existing products, as by the strong presence of informal workers that constitutes the district s landscape. The informal workers practice expresses one of the multiples constructed alternative territorialities. We believe that this fact has direct relation with the growing process of the exclusion from the formal jobs market. Still talking about the spatial dimension, this real example of the Alecrim district shows how the techniques changes, together with the capitalism process, may influence one entire spatial dynamic across years, involving many agents, since the transient people from somewhere, until the State. Shall the Geography understand the multiple forms from the space, face to the relations that occur into it and also how new territories have been built / O estudo realizado objetiva a compreens?o dos espa?os territoriais constru?dos atrav?s da perspectiva comercial, tendo em vista que ? um tipo de pr?tica social que viabiliza a din?mica do espa?o e o surgimento de territ?rios. Em rela??o ao territ?rio, enfatizamos nosso interesse pela ideia de territ?rio usado trabalhada por Milton Santos, pois concordamos com ele ao acreditarmos que ? o uso do territ?rio que garante a sua legitimidade. Para tanto, o recorte espacial escolhido concentra-se no bairro Alecrim, localizado na zona leste de Natal-RN e reconhecido pela sua forte din?mica comercial constru?da ao longo dos anos mediante alguns eventos que se deram no contexto da capital natalense. Por?m, essa dinamicidade conta com uma forte dicotomia que abarca n?o s? as atividades consideradas formais frente ao Estado, como tamb?m a grande presen?a das atividades informais. Quanto ao com?rcio do bairro, possui caracter?sticas nas suas atividades que o classificam como popular, tanto pelos produtos existentes quanto pela forte presen?a de trabalhadores informais que constituem a paisagem urbana do bairro. A pr?tica dos trabalhadores informais expressa uma das diversas territorialidades alternativas constru?das. Acreditamos que esse fato possui uma liga??o direta com o processo de crescimento da exclus?o do mercado formal de trabalho. Ainda em rela??o ao recorte espacial escolhido, esse exemplo real do bairro Alecrim nos esclarece como as mudan?as t?cnicas, juntamente com o processo do capitalismo, podem influenciar toda uma din?mica espacial ao longo dos anos, envolvendo diversos agentes, desde os transeuntes de um local at? o Estado. Cabe ? Geografia compreender as diversas formas assumidas pelo espa?o mediante as rela??es que se d?o nele e tamb?m o modo como os novos territ?rios t?m sido constru?dos