The role of nutrition in the conservation of the marsupial folivores of eucalypt forests

Moore, Ben D.; Wallis, Ian R.; Marsh, Karen J.; Foley, William J.

doi:10.7882/fs.2004.031

Cited by 62 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 144 publications

(178 reference statements)

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“…Climate change will also affect terrestrial vegetation and thus habitat quality and resource availability for many species (Hughes 2003). Changes in foliar chemistry due to elevated CO 2 are predicted to significantly affect arboreal folivores, including koalas (Kanowski 2001;Hughes 2003;Moore et al 2004;Lunney et al in press). For example, DeGabriel et al (2009) found that the reproductive success of common brushtail possums was reduced when leaves contained a high tannin content, which lowers the nitrogen available to folivores.…”

Section: Drought-driven Change In Distribution and Numbers Wildlife Rmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ellis et al (2010) reported similar results at Blair Athol in central Queensland, where plains vegetation comprising popular box and narrow-leaved ironbark (E. crebra) have continued to support koala populations and are the preferred food trees at the site. It appears that the key refuge habitats where koalas survive in times of environmental stress vary among locations, and this is provisionally linked to both moisture availability and soil nutrients, which in turn affect the balance between leaf nutrients and leaf toxins (Creagh 1992;Cork and Braithwaite 1996;Bryan 1997;Moore and Foley 2000;Moore et al 2004). Although there will continue to be years when numbers will expand and koalas will disperse into less optimal habitat, in southwest Queensland the maintenance of core habitat along creek lines with permanent waterholes will become increasingly critical in the coming decades.…”

Section: Drought-driven Change In Distribution and Numbers Wildlife Rmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Drought-driven change in wildlife distribution and numbers: a case study of koalas in south west Queensland

et al. 2011

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Context. Global climate change will lead to increased climate variability, including more frequent drought and heatwaves, in many areas of the world. This will affect the distribution and numbers of wildlife populations. In south-west Queensland, anecdotal reports indicated that a low density but significant koala population had been impacted by drought from [2001][2002][2003][2004][2005][2006][2007][2008][2009], in accord with the predicted effects of climate change.Aims. The study aimed to compare koala distribution and numbers in south-west Queensland in 2009 with pre-drought estimates from 1995-1997.Methods. Community surveys and faecal pellet surveys were used to assess koala distribution. Population densities were estimated using the Faecal Standing Crop Method. From these densities, koala abundance in 10 habitat units was interpolated across the study region. Bootstrapping was used to estimate standard error. Climate data and land clearing were examined as possible explanations for changes in koala distribution and numbers between the two time periods.Key results. Although there was only a minor change in distribution, there was an 80% decline in koala numbers across the study region, from a mean population of 59 000 in 1995 to 11 600 in 2009. Most summers between 2002 and 2007 were hotter and drier than average. Vegetation clearance was greatest in the eastern third of the study region, with the majority of clearing being in mixed eucalypt/acacia ecosystems and vegetation on elevated residuals.Conclusions. Changes in the area of occupancy and numbers of koalas allowed us to conclude that drought significantly reduced koala populations and that they contracted to critical riparian habitats. Land clearing in the eastern part of the region may reduce the ability of koalas to move between habitats.Implications. The increase in hotter and drier conditions expected with climate change will adversely affect koala populations in south-west Queensland and may be similar in other wildlife species in arid and semiarid regions. The effect of climate change on trailing edge populations may interact with habitat loss and fragmentation to increase extinction risks. Monitoring wildlife population dynamics at the margins of their geographic ranges will help to manage the impacts of climate change.

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Section: Drought-driven Change In Distribution and Numbers Wildlife Rmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Drought-driven Change In Distribution and Numbers Wildlife Rmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drought-driven change in wildlife distribution and numbers: a case study of koalas in south west Queensland

et al. 2011

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“…It is predicted that changes in foliar chemistry due to elevated CO 2 levels will significantly 48 affect arboreal folivores (Kanowski 2001;Lunney et al 2012; Moore et al 2004). Climate 49 change predictions for Australia indicate that droughts and heatwaves will become more 50 frequent and intense, and moisture availability will decrease (CSIRO 2007).…”

Section: Introduction 41mentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate-driven changes in diet composition and physiological stress in an arboreal folivore at the semi-arid edge of its distribution

Davies

Gramotnev

Seabrook

et al. 2014

Biological Conservation

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“…Similarly, the nitrogen-to-sideroxylonal ratio did not explain the feeding decisions of brushtail possum, another marsupial folivore (Wallis et al 2002). Hence, the diet of marsupial folivores cannot be fully explained by a simple ratio (Moore et al 2004a;DeGabriel et al 2010), which might be caused by the complicated digestion process with chemicals reactions and bacterial impacts.…”

Section: E Thozetiana E Coolabah E Populnea E Melanophloia)mentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Nutrient thresholds were found to be the first restriction for the occurrence and population viability of marsupial folivores . Nitrogen appeared to be more important to the koala, because levels of nitrogen in Eucalyptus foliage are low and barely meet the requirements of the folivores, while other nutrients are found at adequate levels (Moore et al 2004a). Phenolics, a group of PSMs, act as anti-nutrition by reducing the digestibility of nutrients, especially nitrogen (Hume 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The dietary preferences of koalas,Phascolarctos cinereus, in southwest Queensland

McAlpine

Seabrook

2012

Australian Zoologist

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The koala population in southwest Queensland is a large low-density population of important conservation value which is vulnerable to habitat loss, drought and climate change. The nutrient quality of Eucalyptus food trees favoured by koalas is an important factor influencing the survival of the koala on a low-nutrient-and-high-toxin diet. This study investigated the relationship between the diet of koalas, and food tree characteristics. Vegetation surveys, cuticle analysis and leaf chemical analysis were conducted in 14 study sites in southwest Queensland during the winter of 2010. Koala diet composition was different to eucalypt tree species availability, with Eucalyptus camaldulensis (56.5%) the most important tree species, E. coolabah (15.4%) and E. populnea (12.4%) of secondary preference. Leaf chemicals (moisture, total nitrogen, total phenolics, and a nutrition index = (moisture*nitrogen) / total phenolics) were significantly related to tree species, surface water availability, soil type and proximity to major creeks. Only leaf moisture was significantly correlated with koala food tree species preference. The presence of surface water appears to be a crucial characteristic of suitable koala habitat while riparian habitats dominant by E. camaldulensis are critical for conserving the koala populations in southwest Queensland.

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The role of nutrition in the conservation of the marsupial folivores of eucalypt forests

Abstract: Modelling distributions of arboreal and ground-dwelling mammals in relation to climate, nutrients, plant chemical defences and vegetation structure in the eucalypt forests of southeastern Australia. Forest Ecology & Management 85: 163-175.

Cited by 62 publications

References 144 publications

Drought-driven change in wildlife distribution and numbers: a case study of koalas in south west Queensland

Drought-driven change in wildlife distribution and numbers: a case study of koalas in south west Queensland

Climate-driven changes in diet composition and physiological stress in an arboreal folivore at the semi-arid edge of its distribution

The dietary preferences of koalas,Phascolarctos cinereus, in southwest Queensland

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