Posted: May 22nd, 2023

The proposed study purposes to use GPS-enabled transmitters

The proposed study purposes to use GPS-enabled transmitters, embedded on the radio-tracking device, to collect the requisite data on the mountain pygmy-possums. Being an observational study, the proposed study shall utilize a correlational approach to have a deeper comprehension of the mechanisms that influence phenomena of interest; that is, to evaluate how climate change – the independent variable – influences the density and habitat use of the Mountain Pygmy-Possum in selected areas. Consequently, the density and habitat use of this species become dependent variables. It, therefore, implies that climate change data, such as temperature shifts and precipitations, will be collected from the alpine and the subalpine regions of Kosciuszko National Park, NSW, while data on density, hibernation patterns, and habitat use will be collected from observing the mammals over three years. Some confounding factors that may be put into consideration when researching the mountain pygmy-possums, according to the Australian Government (2010) and Mansergh & Scotts (1989), include the availability of food (Bogong months), wildfires, and being preyed upon by larger predators.