Welcome to the Wildside

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Greetings from the Editor G'day all and welcome to this issue of 'Welcome to the Wild- This issue features articles on the latest results of a scientific side'. This newsletter is produced by David Lindenmayer's paper on tree plantings and the results of a novel approach to research team at the Australian National University. It is our surveying reptiles. Mason and Sachiko provide articles on aim to ensure that all our research partners, such as your- our woodland enhancement study and biometric vegetation selves, are up to date with our work in the Murray and Mur- assessments. The staff profile in this issue is about Lachie rumbigee catchment management areas. McBurney, research officer based in Victoria.

Over the last six months, we have conducted reptile surveys In the next few months we begin working on a new wildlife in the Murray and commenced a new nest box proj- on farms book and a new DVD. We will also be conducting ect in the Murrumbidgee catchment. We have also been busy some more surveys in the Nanangroe Study, as well as in the writing scientifc papers based on the results of the field work Riverina and Southwest Slopes. Until next time, thanks for so far, and a new field guide to the reptiles of the Murray your continued support. River catchment is currently well under away. We have also began work on our next year's calendar. Damian Michael

Spreading the Word tree plantings might be best established Communication is something the to enhance bird diversity and abun- team sees as being very important, this Public School Talk dance. year we have again produced numerous scientific papers and other publications. In April, Damian gave a talk to grades Our findings relate to three broad If you are interested in viewing these, one – six at the Conargo Public School attributes of a planting: 1) Context = visit David Lindenmayer's home page on the wildlife of the Murray catch- the amount and type of vegetation sur- for a comprehensive list of papers or ment. All the kids enjoyed the slide rounding the planting; 2) Configuration contact Damian, Mason or Rebecca . show and had the opportunity to tell = the size and shape of a planting and their own stories about encounters with the position in the landscape. 3) Con- Murray Field Day local wildlife. It was a delight to hear tent = vegetation structure and the type their stories and learn about their expe- of plant species used in the plantings. riences of growing up in the country. On the 1st April we held a wildlife field day at the Falkiner Memorial Field If you would like ANU staff to give a Station near Conargo. The aim of the similar talk at your school, we will be day was to showcase our wildlife moni- more than happy to organise a time to toring methods and communicate our come out. results with landholders and interested members of the general public. Around 20 people participated in the event and Latest results on tree although few reptiles were seen that day, everyone enjoyed travelling plantings & birds around and looking at the different parts of the country, especially sandhill Recently, statisticians from Canberra Planting with wattle and remnant trees woodland sites near Wangenella. The have analysed the results of bird sur- event was finished of with a BBQ back veys conducted by the ANU team over In a nutshell, we found the overall num- at the field station. the past 7 years in the SWS. These ber of bird species that use tree plant- results have implications for how future ings will be greater if plantings are Tuesday, May 19, 2009 located in gullies or riparian areas, are block-shaped, contain lots of wattle species, are left ungrazed and contain remnant trees, mistletoe and fallen tim- ber.

Reptile funnel trap surveys in the Murray Riverina

During March and April this year, we Using a dingo to excavate a trench Tessellated Gecko conducted reptile surveys in the Murray Riverina using a trapping method that After a week of trapping, we were New nestbox study has previously never been used in the pleased with the results - capturing 12 region. On 22 of our long-term moni- reptile species and the introduced In March this year, the team erected toring sites we erected a 30m fence House Mouse. Many were species we 70 nest boxes on 10 sites around the made from plastic 'damp course'. Along had not previously recorded on our area as part of a new nest box each fence-line we placed 8 funnel sites using the artificial refuges. We study. Nest boxes varied in size from traps, especially designed to capture also captured more snakes and geckos, small bat, glider and parrot boxes, to reptiles and small mammals. The idea both of which are active during the large brushtail possum boxes. The aim is that snakes and lizards encounter the night. The highlight was the first record of the study is to investigate what spe- fence and get directed to one of the for the study of the Spotted-back Skink cies use the different box designs and traps. At each end of the funnel trap Ctenotus orientalis. whether nest boxes can help in wildlife there are small openings allowing ani- conservation. If so, where in the land- mals to enter. A zip along the top of scape are they most effective. Spotlight each trap allows the animals to be eas- surveys were conducted on all the sites ily released after they have been identi- before the boxes were installed to fied. Traps are left in place for up to examine the numbers of possums four days allowing for variation in the already on site. Continued spotlighting weather and increasing the chance of over the next few years will reveal if capturing different species. there are any changes to population densities. Boxes will also be inspected annually to investigate what species are using them. Over the coming months, in partnership with the Landcare Spotted-back Skink Network, we will be adding more boxes around Junee. Other species recorded included: East- ern Brown Snake, Curl Snake, Spiny- tailed Gecko, Marbled Gecko, Tessel- lated Gecko, Wood-mulch Slider, Wall Skink, Boulenger's Skink, Grey's Skink and the Saltbush Skink.

Funnel trap and fence survey method On one of the sites we found evidence of a Fat-tailed Dunnart. However, this Because this was a pilot trial we animal is difficult to capture using con- decided to dig the trenches by hand and ventional trapping methods. We hope on some sites use a dingo and trench they will eventually colonise our rail digger. After a few hours of back way sleepers. breaking digging in boree and black box woodlands it became obvious the only way we could quickly and 'pain- lessly' erect the fences was with the aid Nest box design for gliders of the dingo. Tuesday, May 19, 2009

farms across the Murrumbidgee and to gauge the wildlife response to this. Murray catchments last spring. Data Key structural features included dense Biometric assessments collected included vegetation struc- pockets of shrubs, swards of native tural and compositional attributes, grass tussocks and fallen timber. Many of you will have heard the such as native over-storey cover, term “BioMetric” in relation to clear- regeneration rate of native The sites selected were all on private ing of native vegetation and wondered trees/shrubs, length of fallen logs and land and, typically consist of an over- what this term refers to. Some may the number of hollow-bearing trees. storey of eucalyptus with no regener- have even had Catchment Manage- Those data were collected within a ating trees or shrubs, and a ground ment Authority (CMA) staff out to 20m × 50 m plot at either end of a layer dominated by exotic annuals. their property to conduct a “BioMet- 200 m-long transect established at a These sites are a subset of existing ric” assessment. This short article out- site. Native plant species richness was sites involved in the Southwest Slopes lines what BioMetric is, and also dis- also assessed at a nested 20m × 20m Restoration Study, which had been cusses why our team has recently been plot within the 20m × 50m plot. The monitored for wildlife, three years busy conducting BioMetric assess- results of this work are soon to be before the intervention. In 2005 - ments on more than seventy properties assessed by our statisticians and we 2006 two to five wool packs of kanga- throughout the and look forward to reporting the results to roo grass hay, loaded with ripe seed Riverina regions. you in the next edition of our “Wel- were spread across each site and dense come to the Wildside” newsletter. pockets of shrubs planted. “BioMetric” is a computer based modeling tool developed by CSIRO Sachiko Okada Sustainable Ecosystems and the Department of Environ- ment and Climate Change. It assesses Woodland terrestrial biodiversity at the scale of the patch, paddock or property and enhancement study has been widely used in NSW, par- The Southwest Slopes is the most ticularly by CMA's to determine modified bioregion in NSW. Most of whether the negative impacts of clear- the native vegetation that remains is ing native remnant vegetation can be highly degraded. This is particularly offset. In the methodology of BioMet- true for woodlands. Many woodland Remnant with planted understorey ric explicit rules and metrics have remnants on farms today consist of been developed to facilitate transpar- single age stands of trees. The under- Unfortunately, 4 sites near Illabo were ent and consistent assessments. For storeys of such woodlands are mostly affected by the Junee fire in 2006, example the ‘metrics’ conducted in dominated by annual grasses such as soon after we spread the kangaroo the field includes measurements of Bromes and Barley Grass, and little to grass hay. This was then followed by a native grass, exotic grass, bare ground none of the native understorey grasses dry winter and spring resulting in the and leaf litter cover. Comparing these and shrubs remain. This situation is plantings failing at 8 of the 11 sites. results with the scores that would be often the result of decades of set This was very disappointing for all expected of that vegetation type in its stocking with sheep and cattle. Plants involved. However, we are encour- natural state, allows the operators to need time to grow and reproduce. In a aged to see the shrubs are doing well, assess the ‘condition’ of the site, and set stocking situation, once a plant is at 3 sites and we continue to see kan- thus whether a patch can be cleared grazed and begins to produce new garoo grass pop up across the differ- (i.e. if the clearing can be offset), or growth it is soon grazed again, as the ent sites. whether particular conservation meas- new palatable shoots are sought by ures improve the condition of that site. stock. Over time this continued graz- ing pressure will limit reproduction The variables helping to drive Bio- and weaken the plant often resulting in Metric were included only after much death. Highly palatable plants and deliberation. Variables collected in the plants that seed only once a year (like field had to be: 1) Easily repeatable to Kangaroo Grass) are the first to disap- measure, 2) Not too time-consuming pear. to collect, and 3) Influence a broad suite of biota. In 2006 the Murrumbidgee CMA and a number of landowners, with the To date, no-one has assessed the rela- assistance of the ANU undertook a tionship between certain ‘metric’ project to attempt to enhance eleven scores and the response of animal spe- degraded woodland remnants. The cies. It is to this end, that our research aim of this project is to restore some team collected data on more than 70 of the key structural features, and then Tuesday, May 19, 2009

with the A.N.U research team in Jervis mountain ash seedlings (1cm high) in a So it is hoped with appropriate grazing Bay in 2001, I started working with 1x1 metre sample! The acacia seedlings regimes the dominance of the annual Damian in Victoria. are also thick on the ground. weed species will be broken and native grasses, trees and shrubs will continue The ecology of these forests have to regenerate. In time it is anticipated evolved with fire of thousands of years, that reintroduced native understorey and for me, its fascinating to have the species will recolonise the site. While it opportunity to study the flora and fauna is too early to see a wildlife response to as it recovers. Especially, the parts that the enhancement project, grey-crowned recover so quickly, from what to us was babblers and owlet nightjars have been such a devastating natural disaster. seen using the shrubs. We are currently looking for funding to replant the failed sites.

Mason Crane Lachie enjoying the Ash forests

Planned field surveys I now currently manage A.N.U’s long- term forest monitoring program in the central highlands of Victoria. There Over the next coming months we are several large projects currently plan on conducting field surveys on the running down here, totalling over 25 following dates in the Murray and SWS years of forest research that began All 22 Mt brushtail possums being regions. with David Lindenmayer’s research tracked at the time of the fire, just east of into Leadbeaters Possum in the Marysville survived. June 9 – 12: Nanagroe spotlighting 1980’s. Since then, the A.N.U team have conducted research and monitor- Further information June 29 & 30: VISY reptile surveys ing of arboreal possums and gliders, birds, reptiles, owls, small mammals, For any further information or gen- Aug 17 – 20: Murray reptiles surveys nest boxes, silvicultural practices and eral inquiries, please phone us, drop us vegetation. 161 long-term monitoring an email or call in and see us. Sep 1 – 6: Murray spotlighting sites have been mapped and studied on a rotational basis for the 25 years. The Gundagai Wildlife Information Sep 14 – 20: SWS Spotlighting knowledge gained from this research Centre - Ph. 02 69 444 586 has resulted in significant changes in Oct 19 – 23: Nanagroe bird surveys forest management practices, logging Mason Crane operations and community education. Ph. 0427770594 Nov 2 – 6: Murray bird surveys [email protected] Staff Profile With the recent Victorian bushfires, Rebecca Montague-Drake around a third of our sites were Ph. 042777602 The idea of having a staff profile is so impacted in some way. Stands of old [email protected] you can get to know some the many growth mountain ash forest some 70 people who are part of David Linden- metres tall do not have a single leaf Damian Michael mayer's research team. remaining. Vast areas of forest were Ph.042770595 burnt in the worst conditions seen on [email protected] Lachie McBurney record. But it is not all bad news with fire and forests. We have moved into a For information on projects and pub- I grew up in the box-ironbark forests of large-scale analysis of our sites post- lications check out David Lindemayers central Victoria, in our owner built fire. We will be intensively studying home page http://cres.anu.edu.au/peo- mud-brick house. After spending most fire severity, vegetation recovery, bird ple/userprofile.php?user=davidl responses, possum and glider of my childhood outdoors and covered in mud, I was always going to end up responses and a new project looking at Thanks to: working outdoors. My love of plants the effect of the salvage logging and animals took me to study in Mel- operations, which began just 4 weeks bourne and eventually, after working after the fires. This week during our vegetation surveys, we counted 1600