Integrating LiDAR and ecological metrics to quantify habitat suitability for the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)

Abstract

Understanding habitat selection and population dynamics is critical for the conservation of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), a freshwater species endemic to eastern Australia. This study integrated LiDAR-based habitat modelling, radio-tracking, and ecological assessments to examine habitat suitability and social interactions within a semi-wild platypus population in Tidbinbilla Sanctuary, Australian Capital Territory. Live trapping and radio-tracking of 15 individuals documented movements, burrow use, and foraging behaviours, while high-resolution LiDAR data characterised riparian habitat features. The study revealed a high population density of 6.7 platypuses per hectare, with 21 confirmed individuals occupying the Sanctuary’s waterbodies. Over 32 days of tracking, 31 burrows were identified, with individuals using between one and seven burrows, including six shared burrows, one of which housed five individuals concurrently. Burrow-sharing rates were substantially higher than previously reported. Spatial use was clustered into two distinct hotspots, which could not be fully explained by connectivity or prey availability. Instead, central regions were disproportionately favoured, suggesting that resource-independent factors, such as regional centrality and burrow complexity, influenced habitat selection. LiDAR-based habitat suitability models achieved 85 % accuracy in predicting burrow locations, with elevation and foliage projective cover identified as key predictors. Neither food nor burrow availability significantly influenced habitat selection, indicating both were sufficiently abundant. Instead, factors such as regional centrality emerged as key drivers of habitat use. These findings highlight the applicability of LiDAR-based methodologies for assessing habitat suitability in riparian ecosystems and provide a scalable approach for freshwater biodiversity conservation.