Habitat associations of the long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) at multiple spatial scales

Abstract

This study examined the coarse-and fine-scale habitat preferences of the long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, in order to inform the management of this threatened species. Live-trapping was conducted in autumn and spring, from 2005 to 2008, at two sites. Macrohabitat preferences were examined by comparing trap success with numerous habitat attributes at each trap site. In spring 2007 and autumn 2008, microhabitat use was also examined, using the spool-and-line technique and forage digging assessments. While potoroos were trapped in a wide range of macrohabitats, they displayed some preference for greater canopy and shrub cover, and ground cover with lower floristic diversity. While most individuals also displayed preferences for various microhabitat attributes, no clear trends were evident across all individuals. Potoroos displayed some foraging preference for microhabitats with higher shrub cover densities and more open ground cover. Despite extensive fox predation risks, individual potoroos did not all preferentially utilise dense ground cover. Future management of known and potential potoroo habitat should aim to provide effective introduced predator control and enhance the diversity of vegetation attributes while avoiding practices that simplify the habitat. Abstract. This study examined the coarse-and fine-scale habitat preferences of the long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, in order to inform the management of this threatened species. Live-trapping was conducted in autumn and spring, from 2005 to 2008, at two sites. Macrohabitat preferences were examined by comparing trap success with numerous habitat attributes at each trap site. In spring 2007 and autumn 2008, microhabitat use was also examined, using the spool-and-line technique and forage digging assessments. While potoroos were trapped in a wide range of macrohabitats, they displayed some preference for greater canopy and shrub cover, and ground cover with lower floristic diversity. While most individuals also displayed preferences for various microhabitat attributes, no clear trends were evident across all individuals. Potoroos displayed some foraging preference for microhabitats with higher shrub cover densities and more open ground cover. Despite extensive fox predation risks, individual potoroos did not all preferentially utilise dense ground cover. Future management of known and potential potoroo habitat should aim to provide effective introduced predator control and enhance the diversity of vegetation attributes while avoiding practices that simplify the habitat.

Relative influence of habitat structure, species interactions and rainfall on the post‐fire population dynamics of ground‐dwelling vertebrates

“…They were also at very low densities before the fire, which was less than 10 years after the previous fire in 1972. Past studies have indicated associations between potoroos and a dense ground layer (Seebeck et al 1989), but a more recent study suggests an association between potoroos and tree canopy cover consistent with the strong positive association we observed (Norton et al 2010). The latter may reflect an association between tree canopy cover and fungi, a preferred food of potoroos (Claridge & May 1994).…”

Habitat and introduced predators influence the occupancy of small threatened macropods in subtropical Australia

“…Smaller animals that are incapable of out running predators are likely to seek refuge in dense habitats to avoid detection and pursuit, particularly when rearing young (Signorell et al, 2010), whereas larger species that are capable of rapid movement have a higher chance of evading predation in more open habitats (Creel et al, 2005). Consistent with previous studies, we found that occupancy of the long-nosed potoroo was influenced strongly by dense ground cover (Claridge & Barry, 2000;Norton et al, 2011) and occupancy of the red-legged pademelon was strongly influenced by areas of open ground cover (Vernes, 1995). The long-nosed potoroo's requirement for dense ground cover over other habitat variables may reflect a need for concealment from terrestrial predators, and habitat for diurnal nesting sites.…”

“…Tooloom, and Mt Jerusalem).Previous studies have shown that potoroos occupy a broadrange of vegetation communities across their distribution. identified coastal sandy wet heathlands, moist inland woodlands and forests on plateaux and their associated slopes and gullies to be important for potoroos across eastern Australia Norton et al, (2011). We confirm that structural complexity of understory vegetation is critical to this species Claridge, Seebeck, and Rose (2007).…”

“…These hypotheses are a manifestation of the landscape of fear hypothesis that relate to our target species at the regional scale. These species show a preference toward dense habitats that may provide concealment from predators (Claridge & Barry, 2000;Norton, French, & Claridge, 2011). The long-nosed potoroo is well documented to be in decline in our region (Andren, Milledge, Scotts, & Smith, 2013).…”

Long-term and large-scale control of the introduced red fox increases native mammal occupancy in Australian forests

“…EVC is a vegetation classification for assessing biodiversity conservation at the landscape scale in Victoria (Department of Sustainability and Environment, 2007) and closely matches habitat descriptions for the three native prey species (Bennett, 1993;Norton et al, 2010;Rees and Paull, 2000). Randomization of treatment and non-treatment areas was not logistically feasible, as all treatment areas were located in the southern half of the study area (Fig.…”