Characteristics of hollow-bearing trees occupied by arboreal marsupials in the montane ash forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria, south-east Australia

Lindenmayer, David B.; Cunningham, RB; Tanton, M. T.; Smith, A. P.; Nix, H. A.

doi:10.1016/0378-1127(91)90047-y

Cited by 139 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Wildfires have had a major impact on the structure of the vegetation in montane ash forests (Lindenmayer et al 1990b(Lindenmayer et al , 1991d and have, in turn, significantly affected the suitability of habitats for G. leadbeateri (Lindenmayer et al 1991c). These catastrophic events also have influenced the spatial arrangement and juxtaposition of existing habitat patches for the species (such as areas of old-growth forest).…”

Section: Effects Of Wildfirementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Regrowth montane ash forests would then remain virtually devoid of nest sites until new trees are recruited that contain cavities suitable for occupation by G. leadbeater/. This process takes at least 200 years (Smith & Lindenmayer 1988;Lindenmayer et al 1991cLindenmayer et al , 1993a. Lowintensity fires in stands of old growth may create multiaged stands comprised of dense regenerating Acacia spp.…”

Section: Effects Of Wildfirementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Detailed field surveys have shown that stands of 55-year, old regrowth montane ash forest have provided important areas of habitat for G. leadbeateri, and many records of the species during the past 20-30 years have come from this type of forest ). Statistical models of the habitat requirements of G. leadbeateri highlight the species' dependence on nest sites in large trees that are several hundred years old (Lindenmayer et al 1991c). But most nest sites within regrowth forests are dead trees killed or badly damaged by the 1939 wildfires (Lindenmayer et al 1991d).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This will result in a major decline of populations of the species. The shortage of nest sites will persist for at least 100 years or until existing regrowth trees reach a minimum of 150 years old and become suitable for occupation by G. leadbeateri (Smith and Lindenmayer 1988;Lindenmayer et al 1991c). Most hollow-bearing trees within stands of oldgrowth forest are large, old, living stems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ranking Conservation and Timber Management Options for Leadbeater’s Possum in Southeastern Australia Using Population Viability Analysis

Lindenmayer¹,

Possingham²

1996

Conservation Biology

135

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The conservation of the endangered Leadbeater's Possum, Gymnobelideus leadbeateri, is one of the most contentious forestry issues in Australia. The challenge is to identify strategies to conserve the species in the significant portion of its range in the central highlands of Victoria (southeastern Australia) where timber harvesting occurs. We used ALEX, a simulation program for population viability analysis, to explore the effectiveness of potential forest management strategies to enhance the persistence of G. leadbeateri in areas of

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Section: Effects Of Wildfirementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Effects Of Wildfirementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Ranking Conservation and Timber Management Options for Leadbeater’s Possum in Southeastern Australia Using Population Viability Analysis

Lindenmayer¹,

Possingham²

1996

Conservation Biology

135

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“…This is because past wildfires and logging operations have created extensive areas of young, predominantly even-aged forest that are less than 55 years old . Large trees with hollows provide nest sites for G. leadbeateri (Smith and Lindenmayer, et al, 1991c). Most such trees within regrowth forest are large mature stems that were killed or badly damaged by the catastrophic 1939 wildfires.…”

Section: Modelling Patches Of Old Growth Forestmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling the impacts of wildfire on the viability of metapopulations of the endangered Australian species of arboreal marsupial, Leadbeater's Possum

Lindenmayer

Possingham

1995

Forest Ecology and Management

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Catastrophic events such as intensive wildfires have a major effect on the dynamics of some wildlife populations. In this investigation, the computer package ALEX (Analysis of the Likelihood of Extinction), was used to simulate the impacts of wildfires on the persistence of metapopulations of the endangered species Leadbeater's possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri) which is restricted to the montane ash forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria. A range of scenarios was examined. First, the response of G. leadbeateri to tires in hypothetical patches of old growth forest of varying size was modelled. Metapopulation dynamics were then modelled in four existing forest management areas: the O'Shannassy Water Catchment and the Steavenson, Ada and Murrindindi Forest Blocks using GIS-derived forest inventory data on complex spatial arrangements of potentially suitable old growth habitat patches. The impacts of different fire frequencies and the proportion of forest area that was burnt in the Steavenson Forest Block and the O'Shannassy Water Catchment were examined. Finally, the combined impacts of both wildfires and post-fire salvage logging operations on the persistence of populations of G. leadbeateri were assessed. Our analyses indicated that, even in the absence of wildfires, populations of G. leadbeateri are very susceptible to extinction within single isolated habitat patches of 20 ha or less. The probability of persistence approached 100% in patches of 250 ha. The incorporation of the effects of wildfire was predicted to have a major negative impact on isolated populations of G. leadbeateri. In these cases, the probability of population extinction remained above 60%, even when a single patch of 1200 ha of old growth forest was modelled. In the absence of wildfires, there was a low probability of extinction of G. leadbeateri in the O'Shannassy Water Catchment where very large patches of old growth forest presently exist. The risk of extinction of the species was significantly higher in the Murrindindi and Ada Forest Blocks where there are lower total areas of, and significantly smaller, suitable habitat patches. Wildfires resulted in an increase in the predicted probability of metapopulation extinction in the four areas that were targeted for study. An investigation of the Steavenson Forest Block and the O'Shannassy Water Catchment revealed that the predicted values for the probability of extinction were sensitive to inter-relationships between the frequency of fires and the proportion of habitat patches that were burnt during a given fire event. The probability of extinction of G. leadbeateri was predicted to be lowest when there were frequent fires that burnt only relatively small areas of a given forest block. Conversely, the results of our analyses suggested that populations of the species are vulnerable to infrequent but intensive conflagrations that burnt a large proportion of the forest. The results of the suite of analyses completed in this study suggest hat four management strategies will be impo...

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Managing and Designing Landscapes for Conservation

Lindenmayer

Hobbs

2007

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Characteristics of hollow-bearing trees occupied by arboreal marsupials in the montane ash forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria, south-east Australia

Cited by 139 publications

References 10 publications

Ranking Conservation and Timber Management Options for Leadbeater’s Possum in Southeastern Australia Using Population Viability Analysis

Ranking Conservation and Timber Management Options for Leadbeater’s Possum in Southeastern Australia Using Population Viability Analysis

Modelling the impacts of wildfire on the viability of metapopulations of the endangered Australian species of arboreal marsupial, Leadbeater's Possum

Managing and Designing Landscapes for Conservation

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