Summary Exotic woody plants are often used by native organisms, but may also be targets of expensive control justified by nature conservation. We determine the use of a weed of national significance, Gorse (Ulex europaeus L.), by native mammals, birds, reptiles and vascular plants in pastoral areas in an Australian biodiversity hotspot. Large numbers of fauna species were observed using Gorse within our 43 × 1 ha sample sites in riparian, woodland and pasture vegetation. Gorse cover and/or height positively influenced: the detection of mammals as a whole in an interaction with visibility at 50–75 cm above ground, but not their species richness or individual species abundances; bird abundance, but not richness; and, reptile richness but not abundance. In terms of flora, Gorse cover and/or height positively affected: non‐native plant species richness and the height and fecundity, but not the richness, of native grasses and forbs—but Gorse cover negatively influenced the height of native herbs. The only species of conservation significance using Gorse were three mammals, only one of which, the Tasmanian Pademelon (Thylogale billardieri), was sufficiently common to analyse. Its abundance had no relationship with Gorse cover or height. Even in the wider context of complementary work, there is no strong threatened species conservation justification for retaining Gorse thickets in the Northern Midlands pastoral landscape. Equally, expending scarce conservation resources to remove Gorse, as is taking place, is unlikely to achieve any threatened species conservation outcome but may help reduce long‐term loss of native animal and plant species.

Temperate woodlands are amongst the most threatened ecosystems in Australia because the land on which they occur is highly suited to agriculture. Two hundred years of habitat loss and fragmentation in the Midlands agricultural region in Tasmania have led to widespread declines in native vertebrates and landscapes with populations of predators including feral Cat (Felis catus) and the native-invasive Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala). Ecologists at the University of Tasmania co-designed mechanistic animal-centric research on mammals and birds in the Midlands to inform vegetation restoration carried out by Greening Australia that would support the recovery of wildlife species. We used speciesappropriate technologies to assess the decisions made by individual animals to find food and shelter and to disperse across this fragmented landscape, and linked these, together with patterns of occupancy, across multiple spatial and temporal scales. We focussed on a native (Spotted-tailed Quoll, Dasyurus maculatus) and an invasive (feral Cat, Felis catus) carnivore, a woodland-specialist herbivore (Eastern Bettong, Bettongia gaimardi) and woodland birds including the native-invasive Noisy Miner. Our results, which show intense predatory and competitive pressure of cats and populations of Noisy Miner on native fauna, highlight how grounding restoration in the context of ecological interactions is essential to success in managing the impacts of invasive species in restored landscapes. Successful restoration will require innovative approaches in plantings and field experimentation with artificial refuges, to reduce habitat suitability for the Noisy Miner and cats and provide refuges for native mammals and birds to live in the landscape where cats also occur. Our results emphasise the significance of structural complexity of restoration plantings for supporting the recolonisation and persistence of native fauna. At large landscape-scale, we demonstrate the importance of retaining small habitat elements, including ancient paddock trees, pivot irrigation corners and small, degraded remnants, in facilitating occupancy and dispersal and, therefore, persistence of wild animals across this agricultural region.

Summary Direct‐seeding trials in Tasmania tested the effectiveness of five treatments: a clear polymer film removed at three time intervals; insecticide; wetting agent; irrigation; and caging to exclude all mammal herbivores. The most effective treatment in improving early establishment of 15 native species across 2 years and at five sites was the application of the insecticide Bifenthrin to reduce seed predation by ants. The polymer film removed after 10 weeks also improved germination of a range of shrubby but not tree species. However, these early advantages were eroded over time at the first trial site due to damage from herbivores and at subsequent sites due to weed competition and mortality of seedlings over summer. Caging was beneficial to the ongoing persistence of tree and shrub species but also protected weeds. Further work on seed testing and timely weed control is needed.