TGB Osborn (Koonamore) Vegetation Reserve, Rabbit Warren Data 

The record comprises data on rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.) warren surveys conducted within the TGB Osborn (Koonamore) Vegetation Reserve (KVR) from 1977 to 2014 as part of ongoing rabbit control efforts. The Reserve was divided into 400x400 m grid squares (with exceptions for row 5 and column 6), and warrens were identified based on the presence of at least four rabbit holes. In some years, the entire Reserve was surveyed; in others, only a subset was covered. All identified warrens or holes were fumigated and filled following detection. This is version 2.1 of the TGB Osborn Rabbit Warren data release and supersedes any previous versions. Change log for the collection:

• V2.1, 2026-02-16; Specht, Miranda Fittock and Arun Singh Ramesh; Ensured dates recorded were in ISO format YYYY-MM-DD. Entries edited, anomalies corrected, and metadata (this file) expanded to better explain the methodology used.
• V2, 2025-04-29; Alison Specht; Separated data, created and organised data files to comply with FAIR standards, aligned vocabularies with the TERN vocabularies and created comprehensive metadata.  
• V1, 2008-2014; Russell Sinclair; Digitised field data sheets made available through the AEKOS-TERN portal via html screens only. V1 metadata only available through the AEKOS portal.  

  

We at TERN acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians throughout Australia, New Zealand and all nations. We honour their profound connections to land, water, biodiversity and culture and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. Acknowledgement is due to all the students, staff and researchers who have collected data at the site since its establishment, to those who have entered the data, and to the support of funders and interested parties, including the Adelaide University. Without the vision, tenacity, and diligence of many past researchers, these unique data could not have been made openly available. 

In the mid-1920's Professor Theodore George Bentley Osborn, Professor of Botany in the University of Adelaide, put forward strong scientific arguments concerning the lack of knowledge of the ecology of arid zone vegetation, and the effect of grazing on it. In 1925, a parcel of land of around 390 ha was identified in Koonamore Station in South Australia and fenced to exclude rabbits and other stock, and Mr Wilcox, one of the directors, had a three-roomed house erected to serve as a field laboratory. The area was originally referred to as the Arid Region Flora Reserve but later was named the TGB Osborn Vegetation Reserve after its founder. For simplicity it is commonly referred to as the Koonamore Vegetation Reserve. There have been some unwanted animal incursions over the years, but these have been rare. In 1931, for example, rabbits were able to enter due to fence damage. Kangaroos and emus are not fully excluded. As is clear from the objectives stated by TGB Osborn, the reserve was to provide the basis for systematic measurements of the now-protected vegetation. Osborn and his team (including Prof. J.G. Wood and Mr Terry Paltridge) set up a series of quadrats (square plots) and photopoints within the reserve. A series of transects was later added. All of the foregoing were permanently marked, and observations on species occurrence (presence and abundance) and physical measurements of the plants were made repeatedly, but at varying intervals. 

Method Summary:

Regular rabbit checking is done by groups of 3 or 4 people. The recorders use a schematic representation of the reserve divided into 400x400m squares, except row 5 and column 6 which are narrower. The group lines up, spaced about 10m apart, with a boundary fence on one side. The person furthest from the fence has a supply of plastic tapes, which can be tied to tree or shrub branches. The group walks forward parallel to the fence, with the person on the end of the line furthest from the fence marking their route with the plastic tags. Everyone keeps a sharp lookout for rabbit holes or signs of rabbits, especially “buck heaps”, i.e. the piles of droppings which rabbits regularly establish. When the group reaches the end of their traverse, they retrace their steps and then repeat the process. The areas covered by each group, and the holes found, are marked on a master map each day, and the final completed map is stored in the record files for future reference. All warrens or single holes found are fumigated with Phostoxin pellets and filled in.

Some years the whole reserve was surveyed, other times only partial surveys were done. The average time for a complete rabbit survey is 145 person hours. However, a fallen tree or rusty netting sometimes breaches the fence, so that it is important to continue with full surveys regularly. Four rabbit holes were considered an indication of a warren. For detailed information please refer to the preview document in the data package, available under 'Access Data'.