J The Victorian Naturalist Volume 113(1) 199 February Club of Victoria Published by The Field Naturalists since 1884 MUSEUM OF VICTOR A 34598 From the Editors Members Observations As an introduction to his naturalist note on page 29, George Crichton had written: 'Dear Editors late years the Journal has become I Was not sure if it was of any relevance, as of ' very scientific, and ordinary nature reports or gossip of little importance We would be very sorry if members felt they could not contribute to The Victorian Naturalist, and we assure all our readers that the editors would be more than pleased to publish their nature reports or notes. We can, however, only print material that we actually receive and you are encouraged to send in your observations and notes or suggestions for topics you would like to see published. These articles would be termed Naturalist Notes - see in our editorial policy below. Editorial Policy Scope The Victorian Naturalist publishes articles on all facets of natural history. Its primary aims are to stimulate interest in natural history and to encourage the publication of arti- cles in both formal and informal styles on a wide range of natural history topics. Authors may submit the material in the following forms: Research Reports - succinct and original scientific communications. Contributions - may consist of reports, comments, observations, survey results, bib- liographies or other material relating to natural history. The scope is broad and little defined to encourage material on a wide range of topics and in a range of styles. This allows inclusion of material that makes a contribution to our knowledge of natural his- tory but for which the traditional format of scientific papers is not appropriate. Naturalist Notes - short and informal natural history communications. These may include reports on excursions, talks or noteworthy observations. 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Reprints and additional copies of the journal can be arranged at the time of the final submission of the paper. 6 The Victorian Naturalist F.NCv. Volume 113(1)1996 February Editors: Ed and Pat Grey Research Reports Negative Effects of Fuel Reduction Burning on Habitat of Grey- crowned Babbler, by P. Adam and D. Robinson 4 Drifting Sand and Marram Grass on the South-west Coast of Victoria in the Last Century, by J Heathcote and S. Maroske .. 10 Contributions A Transient Soil Seed Bank for the Yam Daisy, by I.D. hunt.... 1 The Little Pygmy-possum: An Addition to the Fauna of South-west Victoria, by L.E. Conole 20 Naturalist Notes Wombat Behaviour, by G.K. Smith 25 Middle Yarra Timelines: High Summer, by G, Jameson, Naturalist in Residence 26 Greater Glider with Pouched Young, by R.G. Taylor 29 Magpies, by G.A. Crichton 29 How to be a Field Naturalist Photography, by W. Clark 31 Book Reviews Saving a Continent. Towards a Sustainable Future, by David Smith, reviewer Robert Wallis 31 The Dingo in Australia and Asia, by Laurie Corbett, reviewer Brian Coman 32 Wildlife of the Australian Snow-country, by Ken Green and William Osborne, reviewer Robert Wallis 34 Kangaroos. The Biology of the Largest Marsupials, Coulson 35 by Terence T. Dawson, reviewer Graeme The Fauna of Tasmania: Birds, by R.H. Green, 37 reviewer Peter Brown - Frank Shepherd, In Search of the Buttercup A Ramble, by 38 reviewer R.J. Fletcher ISSN 0042-5184 G.K. Smith, (see page 25) Cover: Wombat carrying young. Photo by Research Reports Negative Effects of Fuel-reduction Burning on the Habitat of the Grey-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporalis P. Adam 1 and I). Robinson Abstract We examined the effects of annual fuel-reduction burning on the roadside habiiai of the endan- gered Grey crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporalis in the former Violet Town Shire in north- ern Victoria. Approximately 25% of the Victorian population of the Grey-crowned Babbler is found ill Violet Town Slme, and mote than W;; (if those birds depend on remnant woodland habitat found along the roadsides. Conservation oi the (Irey-erowned Babbler therefore requires appropriate man- agement of roadside habitat, The numbers of trees, saplings, wattles, Babblers' nests and Babblers were recorded along the burnt and unburnl sides of an I I km section of strategic firebreak road which supported 14 known groups of Gfey-crowned Babblers. With the exception of trees more than 10 m tall, all other si/e classes of trees and wattles were less common on the burnt side of the road than on the unburn! side. Five times as many Babblers' nests were recorded in plants on the unburnl side of the road as on the burnt side, and all Babblers seen during the survey were observed on the unburnl side. The results thus indicate that fuel-reduction burning is having a considerable impact on the habitat of the Grey-Crowned Babbler and that fire-prevention practices need to be modified to protect roadside habitat for the Circy-cruwned Babbler and other understorey-dependent species, A range of alternative fire-prevention practices is suggested here. (The Victorian Naturalist 11.1(1) 1996,4 9) Introduction weed invasion, and fire prevention works The Grey-crowned Babbler Pomatosto- (Robinson el al. in prep.; Robinson and temporalis is a threatened species mus of Davidson in prep.). Predation by cats and bird in south-eastern woodland Australia. birds may also be a significant cause of It lives in family groups of about two to decline in certain districts (Robinson and fifteen birds which occupy permanent ter- Davidson in prep.). ritories of about ten hectares in si/e. In The habitat of the Grey-crowned contrast to many species of lite birds, Babbler in Victoria comprises five critical Grey-crowned Babbler sleeps in a nest at elements: woodland or open-forest vegeta- night, the whole family roosting together tion communities on fertile or heavy soils; in a single nest. The bulky stick nests are relatively many trees in the immediate built in eucalypt saplings, small trees or landscape in contrast to sites without mature wattles, and several nests ate usu- Grey-crowned Babblers; relatively many ally in active use by the same family at trees larger than about 60 cm trunk diame- any one tune. The Grey-crowned Babbler ter at breast height (dbh); an understorey has recently become extinct in south-cast of young trees and shrubs in the 10-25 cm em South Australia, is endangered in dbh range for nest sites and shelter and a Victoria (CNR 1995) and is declining in relatively sparse ground layer with more parts of New South Wales and southern litter and less grass cover than at non-bab- Queensland (Robinson el al. in prep.). In bler sites (Robinson and Davidson in every part of its range, the principal cause prep.). Wherever one or more of these of decline has been extensive habitat habitat elements is missing, or is removed, clearing (Robinson and Davidson in Grey-crowned Babblers are absent, or prep.). The other significant cause of soon disappear (Robinson and Davidson in decline has been, and still is. the severe prep.). modification of Babbler habitat by a range In northern Victoria, the most signifi- of degrading processes, notably grazing, cant element missing in the remaining intensified land use, roadside earthworks, woodland landscape is an understorey of young trees and shrubs. In the former I RMB 2066, VTffltol Town ,««>" J RMBti34,Bei»lU3673 Violet Town Shire - the most important The Victorian Naturalist Research Reports locality in Victoria for Grey-crowned be managed as strategic firebreaks for the - Babblers 370 km (80%) of the 463 km of prevention of the spread of fire and access public road surveyed in 1993 had a sparse in the event of a fire. However, in contrast understorey or none at all, and 96 km to the situation in most other Shires, two (93%) of the 103 km of unused roads with of these roads also provide habitat for the trees had a sparse understorey or none at Grey-crowned Babbler, altogether sup- all (Robinson et al. in prep.). While graz- porting some 18 groups ( 20% of the ing is the major cause of death of young Shire's population and 5% of the State's trees and shrubs in the woodland land- population) (Fig. 1). We used one of these scape, fire-prevention works along select- strategic firebreak roads as our study urea. ed roadsides in Violet Town Shire have The Violet Town-Dookie Road is a been a significant, additional cause of the three-chain-wide (60 m) road reserve death of young trees and shrubs. Here we which supports 14 Babbler groups over a report on the effects of that control-burn- 14 km section (Fig. 1). Management of ing on the habitat and abundance of the both sides of the road in the Babbler sec- Grey-crowned Babbler. tion has been similar over the past 30 years, with the one exception of fire con- Study Area and Methods trol (P.