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Submission by the Friends of Eastern Otways (Great Otway National Park

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Submission by the Friends of Eastern Otways (Great Otway National Park Submission by The Friends of Eastern Otways (Great Otway National Park) Incorporated [FEO (GONP)] to the Environment and Communications References Senate Committee on Faunal Extinction The FEO (GONP) is a community organisation of over 200 members whose area of operation is the Eastern area of the Great Otway National Park. The Friends carry out environmental care activities including weeding, regeneration of native vegetation and flora and fauna monitoring, in collaboration with Parks Victoria. Since 1998, FEO (GONP) has undertaken fauna monitoring in the Eastern Otways. Initially (1998 -2008) hair tubes were employed as animals enter the baited tube they leave hair samples and the animal is identified after analysis of the hair structure. More recently (2009 to 2017) remote, infra-red sensing cameras with attractants to draw native fauna to the camera sites have replaced hair tubes. With camera monitoring, the resultant images enable direct and immediate identification of a wide range of animal species. In the years since we commenced fauna monitoring we have carried out many thousands of hours of monitoring and identified many species of fauna in the area of the Eastern Otways (stretching from Point Addis in the East through Anglesea, Aireys Inlet and Lorne to Kennett River in the west, including the coastal hinterland). We make this submission to draw the committee’s attention to the decline in the number and variety of faunal species we have obtained using our monitoring methods. We would particularly wish to draw the Committee’s attention to the decline in small, native, terrestrial, mammals we have observed. Australia has many small terrestrial mammals: They are important in ecosystems such as found in GONP. There are eight rare or threatened small terrestrial mammals found in the GONP (See Appendix). Six of these have been identified by our monitoring: • Swamp Antechinus Antechinus minimus • Spot-tailed Quoll Dasyurus maculatus • Southern Brown Bandicoot Isoodon obesulus obesulus • Long-nosed Potoroo Potorous tridactylus • Smoky Mouse Pseudomys fumeus • White-footed Dunnart Sminthopsis leucopus In addition, 3 others whose current status is not rare or threatened have been observed by FEO, but sightings of these species are also in decline. • Agile Antechinus Antechinus agilis • Dusky Antechinus Antechinus swainsonii • Long-Nosed Bandicoot Perameles nasuta Figure 1: Small marsupial species observed 9 8 7 • smoky mouse long nose bandicoot 6 • dusky antechinus 5 • spot tail quoll a long nosed potoroo 4 Iii agile antechinus 3 Iii white footed dunnart sthn brown bandicoot 2 • Swamp antechinus 1 • tiger quoll 0 OO~OMNM~~~~OO~OMNM~~~ ~~0000000000MMMMMMM ~~00000000000000000 MMNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN Figure 1. Y axis shows number of records. Hair tubes (1998 2008), cameras (2009 2018). The Figure shows how the number of species has changed over time with some species not observed for many years. Note that no small mammals were recorded in 2016 or 2017. Fig 2: Total number observed Figure 2. Y axis shows total number of mammals recorded. Hair tubes (1998 - 2008), cameras (2009 - 2018). Note that no small mammals were recorded in 2016 or 2017 Implications The apparent decrease in the number of native small terrestrial mammals is disturbing. While we do not have conclusive evidence, it is likely that the increasing number of fe ral animals, particularly cats and foxes, is preying on these indigenous marsupials and that other major impacts include habitat fragmentation, declining rainfall. The results of our monitoring are entirely consistent with the wider-scale monitoring in the GONP carried out by Parks Victoria and Dr Barbara Wilson from Deakin University (Wayne et al 2017; Wilson et al, 2017, 2018). Conclusion and Recommendation • The number of small terrestrial mammals is in decline in the GONP. • Increased effo rt in eradicating fe ral animals from the GO NP is essential if this decline is to be reversed. • The Agile Antechinus Antechinus agilis, Dusky Antechinus Antechinus swainsonii, and the Long-Nosed Bandicoot Perameles nasuta should be added to the list of threatened and endangered species. • There are unknown consequences of environmental burning. Frequent fi res in their habitat may be reducing the ability of these creatures to find food and cover as well as increasing their exposure to predators. Appendix List of rare or threatened terrestrial and avian mammals from GONP 2009 management plan Terrestrial: Swamp Antechinus Antechinus minimus Spot-tailed Quoll Dasyurus maculatus Southern-Brown Bandicoot Isoodon obesulus obesulus Broad-toothed Rat Mastacomys fuscus Long-nosed Potoroo Potorous tridactylus Smoky Mouse Pseudomys fumeus New Holland Mouse Pseudomys novaehollandiae White-footed Dunnart Sminthopsis leucopus Avian: Common Bent-wing Bat Miniopterus schreibersii Grey-headed Flying-fox Pteropus poliocephalus Note: The New Holland mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae) has not been detected since 2003 when reintroductions of captive bred animals were conducted (Lock & Wilson 2017; Wilson et al 2018) and may be extinct in the area. References Lock, M. and Wilson, B. (2017). Influence of rainfall on population dynamics and survival of a threatened rodent (Pseudomys novaehollandiae) under a drying climate in coastal woodlands of south-eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 65,(1) 60-70. https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO16084 Parks Victoria (2009) Great Otway national Park Management Plan: https://parkweb.vic.gov.au/ data/assets/pdf file/0019/.../great-otway-np- mp.pdf Wayne, A.F., Wilson B.A. and Woinarski J.C.Z. (2017) Falling apart? Insights and lessons from three recent studies documenting rapid and severe decline in terrestrial mammal assemblages of northern, south-eastern and southwestern Australia. Wildlife Research 44, 114 126 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WR16178 Wilson, B. A., Zhuang-Griffin, L. and Garkaklis, M.J (2017) Decline of the dasyurid marsupial Antechinus minimus maritimus in south-east Australia: implications for recovery and management under a drying climate. Australian Journal of Zoology 65, 203 216 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO17041 Wilson, B. A., Lock M. and Garkaklis M.J. (2018). Long-term fluctuations in distribution and populations of a threatened rodent (Pseudomys novaehollandiae) in coastal woodlands of the Otway Ranges, Victoria: a regional decline or extinction? Australian Mammalogy, 40, 281 293. https://doi.org/10.1071/AM17036 .
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