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Gliders, Habitat Connectivity & Weeds

Gliders, Habitat Connectivity & Weeds. Dr Ross Goldingay School of Environment, Science & Engineering Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480 ross.goldingay@scu.edu.au. Seminar outline. Habitat loss & fragmentation – potential impact on gliders,

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Gliders, Habitat Connectivity & Weeds

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  1. Gliders, Habitat Connectivity & Weeds Dr Ross Goldingay School of Environment, Science & Engineering Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480 ross.goldingay@scu.edu.au

  2. Seminar outline • Habitat loss & fragmentation – potential impact on gliders, • How do we mitigate the impact of fragmentation? • Is there potential for exotic woody plants to connect habitats?

  3. Habitat Loss & Fragmentation Chermside Hills, Brisbane Capalaba, Brisbane • Recognised as the leading cause of species loss • Roads are a leading cause of habitat fragmentation

  4. Why the Squirrel Glider? • Listed as: • Vulnerable in NSW • Endangered in Vic. • Management focus in Brisbane • Has been a species of management focus by BCC. • Could be a model species. Mostly occurs at <300 m elevation

  5. Ecological intuition – gaps beyond gliding distance are barriers or filters to dispersal. Goldingay & Taylor (2009)

  6. Genetic Evidence for Fragmentation Effect:Structure along the Gateway Freeway Gateway Fwy 3 2 4 Analysis of 5 variable genetic markers (microsats). 5 6 Prob. of cluster membership shown by colours. 7 8 Taylor, A., Goldingay et al. (in prep.)

  7. Implications of Genetic Analyses Logan & Gateway Mtwys, se Qld Population processes severely disrupted by habitat fragmentation. High probability of local extinction in coming decades, unless remnants reconnected. Population modeling suggests subpopulations are unstable.

  8. Habitat Connectivity Must be Retained or Restored ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ Bank St, Reserve, QUT, Cabbage Tree Ck ☺= SqG hair record ☺ Raven St Reserve, Cabbage Tree Ck Felsman St Reserve, Downfall Ck

  9. One Way is with Glider Road-crossing Structures • BCC has installed these at 3 locations, • road upgrade sites in Brisbane , • we’ve been monitoring over several years Brendan Taylor

  10. Compton Road

  11. Compton Rd, Brisbane Taylor & Goldingay (2012)

  12. We now use automated cameras to monitor pole use

  13. We now use automated cameras to monitor pole use Camera records suggest 1.8 crossing per week

  14. Hamilton Road

  15. Hamilton Road

  16. Hamilton Road Land Bridge - Detections S N • Almost 2 years of camera monitoring • 70 confirmed SqG crossings • 1.6 crossings per wk

  17. Crossings by common brushtail & ringtail possums

  18. Scrub Road

  19. Scrub Road – Camera Set-up • North cam (north pole) installed: 27/2/2012 • South cam (middle pole) installed: 1/8/2011 • i.e. Plastic baffle ~3m above ground • Camera/bracket ~2m above baffle

  20. Scrub Road – detections N S Camera records suggest 1 crossing per week Taylor & Goldingay (2013)

  21. Pacific Hwy, NSW, Rope-bridges Karuah, 35 km north of Newcastle Goldingay, Rohweder & Taylor (2013)

  22. Can arboreal mammals cross through exotic trees? • through camphor or pine? • how many do you need?

  23. Dispersal Through Pines by Ringtail Possums Pine matrix Mt Gambier, SA • 312 possums sampled genetically. Lancaster et al. (2011)

  24. Dispersal Through Pines by Ringtail Possums Pine matrix Mt Gambier, SA • 88% born where caught, • 33 dispersal events, • av 2.2 km thru pines (max. 5.7 km). • Yellow-bellied Glider observed in some years in Palparra . Lancaster et al. (2011)

  25. Will Greater Gliders Move Through Pines? Pine matrix at Tumut, NSW • 107 GGs sampled, • all GGs in 10 patches • small # (2-18) in patches, • 1 GG sampled was in a patch 7 km from parents. Taylor et al. (2007)

  26. What about Camphor Laurel? Arboreal mammals will use artificial structures. Genetic evidence for RPs and GGs that they can disperse through pine forest. Inferred for YBG.

  27. What about Camphor Laurel? If Camphor is providing connectivity – it should not be removed unless functionally replaced.

  28. Thank you 4 UR attention Thanks 2 BCC for previous funding. Thanks to Stacey McLean & other BCC staff 4 support.

  29. References Goldingay, R. L., Rohweder, D., and Taylor, B. D. (2013). Will arboreal mammals use rope-bridges across a highway in eastern Australia? Australian Mammalogy 35, 30-38. Lancaster M, Taylor AC, Cooper SJB, Carthew SM (2011) Limited ecological connectivity in an arboreal marsupial across a fragmented forest landscape despite apparent resilience to habitat modification. Molecular Ecology 20: 2258-2271. Taylor AC, Tyndale-Biscoe H, Lindenmayer DB (2007) Unexpected persistence on habitat islands: genetic signatures reveal dispersal of a eucalypt-dependent marsupial through a hostile pine matrix. Molec Ecol 16: 2655-2666. Taylor, B. D., and Goldingay, R. L. (2012). Facilitated movement over major roads is required to minimise extinction risk in an urban metapopulation of a gliding mammal. Wildlife Research 39, 685-695. Taylor, B. D., and Goldingay, R. L. (2012). Restoring connectivity in landscapes fragmented by major roads: a case study using wooden poles as “stepping-stones” for gliding mammals. Restoration Ecology 20 (6), 671–678. Taylor, B. D., and Goldingay, R. L. (2013). Squirrel gliders use road-side glide poles to cross a road gap. Australian Mammalogy 35, 119-122.

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