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Prescriptions for the Identification of Habitats of the Hastings River Mouse Pseudomys Oralis (Rodentia: Muridae)

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Prescriptions for the Identification of Habitats of the Hastings River Mouse Pseudomys Oralis (Rodentia: Muridae) This document has been scanned from hard-copy archives for research and study purposes. Please note not all information may be current. We have tried, in preparing this copy, to make the content accessible to the widest possible audience but in some cases we recognise that the automatic text recognition maybe inadequate and we apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. PRESCRIPTIONS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF HABITATS OF THE' HASTINGS RIVER MOUSE PSEUDOMYS ORALJS (RODENTIA: MURIDAE) By D. G. Read I 1 I 1 ~ FORESTRY COMMISSION OF NSW RESEARCH DIVISION PRESCRIPTIONS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF HABITATS OF THE HASTINGS RIVER MOUSE PSEUDOMYS ORALIS (RODENTIA: MURIDAE) By D. G. Read ~ FORESTRY COMMISSION OF NSW RESEARCH DIVISION I PRESCRIPTIONS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF HABITATS OF THE HASTINGS RIVER MOUSE PSEUDOMYS ORALIS (RODENTIA:MURIDAE) by D.G.READ Prepared for the RESEARCH DIVISION FORESTRY COMMISSION OF NEW SOUTH WALES SYDNEY 1993 PRESCRIPTIONS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF HABITATS OF THE HASTINGS RIVER MOUSE PSEUDOMYS ORALlS (RODENTIA:MURIDAE) by D.G.READ Prepared for the RESEARCH DIVISION FORESTRY COMMISSION OF NEW SOUTH WALES SYDNEY 1993 ------------------ Technical Paper No. 58 January, 1993 The Author: Dr. D.G. Read, Visiting Fellow, School ofBiological Science, University ofNew South Wales. Published by: Research Division, Forestry Commission ofNew South Wales, 27 OratavaAvenue, West Pennant Hills. N.S.W. 2125 P.O. Box 100, Beecroft. N.S.W. 2119 Australia. Copyright © 1993 by Forestry Commission ofNew South Wales ODC 149.32(944) ISSN 0548-6807 ISBN 0 7305 9670 2 Technical Paper No. 58 January, 1993 The Author: Dr. D.G. Read, Visiting Fellow, School of Biological Science, University of New South Wales. Published by: Research Division, Forestry Commission of New South Wales, 27 Oratava Avenue, West Pennant Hills. N.S.W. 2125 r.o. Box 100, Beecroft. N.S.W. 2119 Australia. Copyright © 1993 by Forestry Commission of New South Wales ODC 149.32(944) ISSN 0548-6807 ISBN 0 7305 9670 2 Prescriptions for the Identification of Habitats of the Hastings River Mouse -i- Pseudomys oralis(Rodentia:Muridae) TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE SUMMARY iii IN'TRODUCTION 1 1. GeographicalDistribution 1 2. CharacteristicsofKnownLocalities 1 (a) Topography 1 (b) Tree cover 3 (c) Shrub layer 3 (d) Ground cover 3 3. Difficulties with Defining SuitableHabitats 5 4. Modelsfor IdentifyingSuitableHabitats 5 5. IdentificationofHabitatsby Description 5 (a) Creeks and catchmentheads 6 (b) Ridgesand mid-slopes 6 6. Suitability ofCurrentIdentification Prescriptions 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 8 REFERENCES 8 TABLES Table 1. ForestTypes at localities of the Hastings RiverMousein the Dorrigo Forestry District 3 Table 2. Rangein percentcoverat sevengully andthree ridgecapturesitesof the Hastings RiverMousein the Chaelundi and Billilimbra StateForests .4 FIGURE Figure 1. StateForestsandNational Parksin New SouthWaleswithtrapping records of the Hastings RiverMouse 2 APPENDIX Appendix 1. Priorities of habitatfeatures for the Hastings RiverMouse(Read, 1987) 9 Teclmical Paper No. 58 Forestry Commission ofNew SouthWales Prescriptions for the Identification of Habitats of the Hastings River Mouse -i- Pseudomys oralis(Rodentia:Muridae) TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE SUMMARY iii INTRODUCTION 1 1. Geographical Distribution 1 2. Characteristics 0/Known Localities 1 (a) Topography 1 (b) Tree cover 3 (c) Shrublayer 3 (d) Groundcover 3 3. Difficulties with Defining Suitable Habitats 5 4. Models/or Identifying Suitable Habitats 5 5. Identification 0/Habitats by Description 5 (a) Creeks and catchment heads 6 (b) Ridges andmid-slopes 6 6. Suitability ofCurrent Identification Prescriptions 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 8 REFERENCES 8 TABLES Table 1. Forest Types at localities of the Hastings River Mouse in the Dorrigo Forestry District 3 Table 2. Range in percent cover at seven gully and three ridge capture sites ofthe Hastings River Mouse in the Chaelundi and Billilimbra State Forests .4 FIGURE Figure 1. State Forests and National Parks in New South Wales with trapping records of the Hastings River Mouse 2 APPENDIX Appendix 1. Priorities of habitat features for the Hastings River Mouse (Read, 1987) 9 Technical Paper No. 58 Forestry Commission of New South Wales Prescriptions for the Identification of Habitatsof the HastingsRiverMouse -iii- Pseudomss oralis (Rodentia:Muridae) SUMMARY This documentdescribes habitatsusedby the Hastings RiverMouseand assesses prescriptions used to protecthabitatsof this rare indigenous rodentpriorto forestry operations. Two-thirds of the 18knownlocalities of this species in NewSouthWaleshavebeen discovered since 1985and the total of knownindividuals is 130,approximately. Theselocalities are widelyscattered in forestcountry,extending fromthe Barrington TopsNational Parknorthto areaseastofTenterfield. Mosthabitats are associated withcreeks and soakage areasbut somehabitatsoccuron ridges. Suitable habitatsare found in a rangeof foresttypesandvegetation associations but thesignificant plant indicatorsare considered to be sedgesin the Cyperaceae andJuncaceae families. Habitatrequirements for the mouseare difficult to definebecause at mostlocalitiesonly one or two individuals havebeen foundandpopulations at otherlocalities showmarkedfluctuations. Statisticalmodelscannotbe usedto predictsuitable habitatsbecauseinsufficient data are available and identification of habitatshas to relyon descriptions. The document presents descriptions for the identification of habitatsalongcreeks, in catchment heads, and on ridges. Measuresto protecthabitatshavebeenincorporated into Forestry Management Plansfor the Grasstrees area in Chaelundi StateForestandthereis a needfor goodcommunication withtimber contractors and clearmarkingtechniques. ForestryCommission personnel havebeeninvolved withthe discovery of halfthe knownlocalities of the speciesin New SouthWalesandit is my opinionthatthe Commission has the expertiseto identify habitatsof the Hastings RiverMouse. TeclmicalPaperNo. 58 Forestry Commission ofNew SouthWales Prescriptions for the Identification of Habitats of the Hastings River Mouse -Hi- Pseudomssoralis(Rodentia:Muridae) SUMMARY This document describes habitats used by the Hastings River Mouse and assesses prescriptions used to protect habitats ofthis rare indigenous rodent prior to forestry operations. Two-thirds of the 18 known localities ofthis species in New South Wales have been discovered since 1985 and the total ofknown individuals is 130, approximately. These localities are widely scattered in forest country, extending from the Barrington Tops National Park.north to areas east ofTenterfield. Most habitats are associated with creeks and soakage areas but some habitats occur on ridges. Suitable habitats are found in a range offorest types and vegetation associations but thesignificant plant indicators are considered to be sedges in the Cyperaceae and Juncaceae families. Habitat requirements for the mouse are difficult to define because at most localities only one or two individuals have been found and populations at other localities show marked fluctuations. Statistical models cannot be used to predict suitable habitats because insufficient data are available and identification ofhabitats has to rely on descriptions. The document presents descriptions for the identification ofhabitats along creeks, in catchment heads, and on ridges. Measures to protect habitats have been incorporated into Forestry Management Plans for the Grasstrees area in Chaelundi State Forest and there is a need for good communication with timber contractors and clear marking techniques. Forestry Commission personnel have been involved with the discovery ofhalfthe known localities of the species in New South Wales and it is my opinion that the Commission has the expertise to identify habitats ofthe Hastings River Mouse. Technical Paper No. 58 Forestry Commission of New South Wales Prescriptions for the Identification of Habitats ofthe Hastings River Mouse - 1 - Pseudomys oralis(Rodentia:Muridae) INTRODUCTION Describedin 1921 by Thomasfromonlytwo specimens caughtin the 1840's, the Hastings River Mouse,Pseudomys oralis, remained undetected until 1969whena few specimens were"rediscovered" in south-eastQueensland. Following the initialdiscovery in Queensland, it was foundat two additional localitiesin nearbycreeks. InNew SouthWales, it is nowknownfrom 18localities, 13 beingdiscovered since 1985. (Separate localities for the species are definedas placeswherecapture sites are more than 1 km apartwithout othercapturesitesin between.) At present, approximately 130 individuals only havebeen foundand,of these,morethantwo-thirds havebeen foundsince 1985. These figuresunderscore the rareness of the species, the paucityof information on its distribution, ecologyandbiology,andhow recentmostof this information has been acquired. The objectives of this document areto presentinformation that will facilitate identification of sites withhabitat suitablefor the Hastings RiverMouseandto assess the adequacy of prescriptions used to protect suitablehabitatspriorto forestry operations. 1. Geographical Distribution The geographical distribution of the Hastings RiverMousein New SouthWalesextends fromthe MountRoyal StateForestandthe adjacent Barrington TopsNational Park in the southto Billilimbra StateForest (Casino District) in the north(Figure 1). A distinctive feature of the distribution is its patchiness with extensive distances betweensomelocalities. Localities at MountRoyalare 150km from locationsin the Werrikimbe National
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