Does forest restoration in fragmented landscapes provide habitat for a wide‐ranging carnivore?

Abstract

The loss of suitable macro-and microhabitats can negatively affect an animal's ability to persist in an area, ultimately leading to range contractions. The western quoll Dasyurus geoffroii is a wide-ranging Australian carnivore that has suffered a catastrophic range contraction since European settlement, partly due to landscape fragmentation. Bauxite mining in the jarrah forest of south-western Australia, where western quoll currently persist, disturbs and fragments large areas, potentially reducing habitat available to quolls. We examined macro-and microhabitat use by western quolls in fragmented landscapes containing remnants of unmined jarrah forest and bauxite mine restoration to determine the impacts of this fragmentation on its ecology. Specifically, we aimed to identify the microhabitats required by western quoll for denning and movement and if post-mining restored forests provided these microhabitats. Quolls used restoration of varying ages for denning. They were adaptable in den substrates used, selecting subterranean burrows associated with surface rocks in restoration where preferred substrates used in unmined forest (hollow logs and stumps) were less available. Logs were also an important microhabitat used by quolls to traverse through unmined forest and we recommend more logs are restored post-mining. Our results suggest that post-mining restoration provides a permeable matrix for western quolls, and individuals quickly re-colonize restored areas and use available habitat, particularly for denning. Important microhabitats such as logs, stumps and large hollowbearing trees are relatively sparse in restored forest. Our study does not explicitly consider the potential effects of this on quoll survival and demography so further studies of breeding success and long-term survival across multiple generations of quoll are recommended. We concluded that forest restoration can be an important strategy in managing fragmented landscapes for wide-ranging species by providing pathways for movement, habitat for re-colonization and improved landscape connectivity for these species.bs_bs_banner Animal Conservation. Print

Artificial refuges to combat habitat loss for an endangered marsupial predator: How do they measure up?

“…Northern quolls in the Pilbara often inhabit complex rocky habitat, likely because it provides protection from predation (Cook, 2010; Hernandez‐Santin et al, 2016) and fire (Burrows, Ward, & Robinson, 2009), and often contains temporary ponds and sheltered crevices (Henneron, Sarthou, De Massary, & Ponge, 2019; Radford, Gibson, Corey, Carnes, & Fairman, 2015). Artificial dens in our study area were usually placed in open, flat landscapes, with a history of disturbance—characteristics that have been shown to negatively affect refuge use in other species (Lalas, Jones, & Jones, 1999; McGregor et al, 2014). As predicted, we found areas surrounding artificial dens lacked important habitat complexity; they were characterized by less embedded rock, Triodia cover, and herbaceous vegetation, and had more small rocks and bare ground.…”

“…Rocky outcrops and mesas provide crucial denning sites for northern quolls (Burbidge & McKenzie, 1989; Hernandez‐Santin et al, 2016), but are the focus of mining activities owing to their rich deposits of iron ore and gravel (Cramer et al, 2016; Ramanaidou & Morris, 2010). Mining companies are sometimes required to offset environmental damage by replacing or compensating for destroyed habitat (McGregor, Stokes, & Craig, 2014; Shackelford, Miller, & Erickson, 2018), and artificial refuges have been touted as one tool that could—along with other actions—help to offset the destruction of nonrenewable refuges (Cramer et al, 2016; Trulio, 1995). Artificial refuges comprised of rock, concrete, and gravel have been created by mining companies with the hope to rehabilitate previously destroyed habitat due to mining activities, as well as to provide off‐site refuge for northern quolls during mining operations, particularly by trying to replace lost natal dens (i.e., crevices where female quolls raise their offspring; Cramer et al, 2016; Table S1).…”

Can postmining revegetation create habitat for a threatened mammal?

“…One aim of this revegetation is to ensure that mining does not negatively affect the conservation status of threatened mammals (see McGregor et al . ).…”

“…Several minerals, including gold and bauxite, are mined in the northern jarrah forest, with mining companies required to revegetate mine pits to the premining vegetation community (Bartle & Slessar 1989). One aim of this revegetation is to ensure that mining does not negatively affect the conservation status of threatened mammals (see McGregor et al 2014).…”

A three-step approach to minimise the impact of a mining site on vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) and to restore landscape connectivity

“…Recolonisation by mammals and other terrestrial vertebrates is slower, and frequently depends on preserved patches of critical habitat, as well as on a spatial configuration of habitats that allows their return following restoration (Craig et al 2012;Cristescu 2012). Thus, problems of population fragmentation may appear at both the local and the regional scales following large-scale mining operations (Sanderson et al 2006;McKinney 2008;McGregor et al 2014). Therefore, it is important to monitor and manage remnant populations of terrestrial vertebrates in mining areas to maintain biodiversity and minimise the risk of colonisation by opportunistic or invasive species that outcompete native vertebrates for limited resources or prey on them (Nichols and Grant 2007).…”