Landscape processes and eucalypt dieback associated with bell miner habitat in south-eastern Australia

Wardell‐Johnson, Grant; Lynch, A. Jasmyn J.

doi:10.1080/00049158.2005.10674972

Cited by 13 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…comm., March 28, 2019). This in turn has allowed for significant areas of BMAD to occur (Wardell‐Johnson & Lynch 2005; Silver & Carnegie 2017), resulting in poor habitat for threatened macropod species.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Long‐nosed Potoroo and Red‐legged Pademelon are priority management species in this region under the NSW Saving our Species programme (https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/savingourspeciesapp/). Many areas where these macropods occur are subject to BMAD, and prescribed burning is a proposed management option to reduce Lantana coverage (Wardell‐Johnson & Lynch 2005). The response of the small macropods to prescribed fire is unknown, however if it leads to increased predator activity, then an additional management issue arises.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Short‐term response of threatened small macropods and their predators to prescribed burns in subtropical Australia

McHugh¹,

Goldingay²,

Parkyn³

et al. 2020

Eco Management Restoration

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Fire is an important ecological process that shapes vegetation structure and habitat for faunal assemblages globally. Prescribed burns are increasingly being used in conservation and management to restore fire regimes in fire-suppressed vegetation communities. Small threatened macropods require structurally complex habitat that allows them to evade detection by predators. Given that fire can alter vegetation structure, it can be viewed as a strong ecological force in shifting the dynamics between predator and prey species. Previous studies in temperate Australia have shown that prescribed burns in the presence of European Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and feral Cat (Felis catus) can have negative impacts on small macropods and medium-sized mammals. Post-fire response of threatened small macropods and their predators has not been experimentally examined in subtropical Australia despite this region providing refugia for the Long-nosed Potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) and Red-legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica). We conducted a before-after-control-impact fire experiment at two paired sites after low-moderate intensity burns typical of cool season prescribed burns. We used camera trapping to investigate changes in activity of threatened small macropods and their predators. We also recorded vegetation change. Despite large reductions in ground and shrub cover, activity of small macropods and the Dingo (Canis dingo) did not change in response to fires. Therefore, the threat of dingo predation appears to have remained unchanged following the fires. Although feral cats and foxes were present, they showed negligible activity across our sites. Our study suggests that small-scale patchy ecological burns may not lead to increased predation of small macropods in our landscape. We attribute this to sufficient post-fire refugia and very low densities of foxes.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short‐term response of threatened small macropods and their predators to prescribed burns in subtropical Australia

McHugh¹,

Goldingay²,

Parkyn³

et al. 2020

Eco Management Restoration

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“…If we confirm that bell miners are significantly associated with canopy decline, then identification of other forest features also associated with this forest dieback syndrome may assist in formulating management options for affected forests in NSW (Wardell-Johnson and Lynch 2005). In addition, the identification of forest attributes associated with bell miners will contribute to mapping the actual and potential distribution of bell miners using remote sensing technologies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…1983;Stone 1996;Clarke and Schedvin 1999;Jurskis and Turner 2002;Ewen et a/. 2003;Jurskis 2005;Wardell-Johnson and Lynch 2005;Dare eta/. 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Forest canopy health and stand structure associated with bell miners (Manorina melanophrys) on the central coast of New South Wales

Stone

Kathuria

Carney

et al. 2008

Australian Forestry

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Forest attributes including canopy health and stand structure were visually assessed to identify features commonly associated with the bell miner (Manorina melanophrys, Meliphagidae), a cooperatively breeding, insectivorous honeyeater endemic to south-eastern Australia. A stratified random sampling methodology, using a combination of SPOTS satellite imagery and a 25-m pixel digital altitude model, was used to establish 130 circular plots 40 m in diameter within a 12 800 ha study area in the Watagan mountain range, central coast of New South Wales (NSW). In this study site, the presence of bell miners was significantly associated with unhealthy eucalypt crowns. This supports the proposition that a dieback syndrome known as bell-miner-associated dieback (BMAD) exists in central coastal forests ofNSW. Our results also demonstrate a strong association of a sparse eucalypt canopy over a dense lower midstorey with the presence of bell miners. Altitude and fire frequency were negatively correlated with bell miners while the topographical wetness index was positively correlated with bell miners. Logistic regression was used to quantify the effects of a series of explanatory variables including tree species, forest structure variables and selected topographic variables. Although there were significant differences in the ranking of crown condition between eucalypt species, tree species was not selected in the final model. The final variables identified by the logistic regression for the presence ofbell miners included sparse eucalypt overstorey cover, dense lower midstorey cover, the absence of young vigorous regrowth trees and higher values of the topographic wetness index. Based on the results of our survey we discuss practical options for managing the forest dieback syndrome associated with bell miners in the central coast region of NSW and an approach to mapping forests at risk from BMAD.

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“…It will be appropriate to consider the relative role of floristics and structure in correlations with various BMAD related parameters at these sites. Linking plot-based research and landscape-scale processes is a fruitful research direction for BMAD (see Wardell-Johnson and Lynch 2005, this …”

Section: Management Developmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of eucalypt dieback associated with bell miner habitat in south-eastern Australia

Wardell‐Johnson

Stone

Recher³

et al. 2005

Australian Forestry

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SummaryWe aim to assess current knowledge, and identify gaps in knowledge concerning bell-miner-associated dieback (BMAD) in south-eastern Australia. We review BMAD as a form of forest dieback, and bell miner and psyllid interrelations. We then consider indirect and direct causal factors associated with local functional scales (tree crown), and finally, indirect and direct causal factors associated with broader functional scales (forest stand and landscape processes). This paper emphasises published literature and is a summary of a more detailed report prepared for the BMAD working group which explicitly included personal communications with many researchers, managers and members of conservation groups and the timber industry. We conclude that BMAD is a significant threat to the sustainability of the moist eucalypt forests of north-eastern NSW and south-eastern Queensland, and to biodiversity conservation at a national scale. There are serious deficiencies in the information base for most BMAD issues. While there are clear interactions between bell miners and psyllids, there are many other, less well quantified interactions that may be of greater significance to the development of the problem. We suggest that management and research efforts towards solutions urgently target disturbances that lead to changes in forest canopy structure, but there is unlikely to be a single or simple management solution. An integrated management program will be necessary as concentration on particular management regimes in isolation is unlikely to resolve the BMAD problem because BMAD is associated with interacting disturbances.

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Landscape processes and eucalypt dieback associated with bell miner habitat in south-eastern Australia

Cited by 13 publications

References 56 publications

Short‐term response of threatened small macropods and their predators to prescribed burns in subtropical Australia

Short‐term response of threatened small macropods and their predators to prescribed burns in subtropical Australia

Forest canopy health and stand structure associated with bell miners (Manorina melanophrys) on the central coast of New South Wales

A review of eucalypt dieback associated with bell miner habitat in south-eastern Australia

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