Public Participation in Stagwatching Surveys of a Rare Mammal - Applications for Environmental and Public Education

Abstract

There is increasing awareness of environmental issues in Australia (Victorian Government 1986, 1987). However, public participation in many such issues is typically limited to comment and submission on government policy, management plans and a range of other environmental statements. It is rare for the public to be involved in the scientific research upon which many environmental policies are based.Recent surveys for the rare and endangered Leadbeater's Possum, Gymnobelideus leadbeateri have been an exception to this trend (Lindenmayer et al. 1990a, 1990b, 1990c). These studies have used a new wildlife survey technique termed stagwatching (Lindenmayer, 1989; Lindenmayer & Press, 1989) involves observing and counting animals emerging from nest and den sites in very large living or dead trees with hollows (“stags”) at, or close to, dusk. Animals are observed and recognised in silhouette. Because many Australian animals regularly move between nest sites, stagwatching is dependent on simultaneously watching all stags in a known area (= 3 ha in this study) (Smith et al. 1989). This makes stagwatching extremely labour intensive and its success is dependent on substantial participation by the public. Our experience of this public support suggests that stagwatching has considerable value for use in public and environmental education to increase the awareness of methods of study and understanding of forest biology and conservation. The values of stagwatching in environmental education are identified in this paper, and a case study of the use of stagwatching in surveys for Leadbeater's Possum is also presented. The methods used to organise the stagwatching program are documented so they may be adopted and modified for teaching a range of topics about Australian forests.

Evaluation of PVA Models of Arboreal Marsupials: Coupling Models with Long-term Monitoring Data

“…The abundance of nest sites in large trees with hollows is a major factor limiting populations of Leadbeater's Possum, as well as other species of arboreal marsupials in the montane ash forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria (Lindenmayer et al 1991b). Trees with hollows that occur in regrowth forests are typically mature stems that were killed or badly damaged when burnt during extensive wildfires in 1939 ).…”

“…Habitat models for the species show that the probability of occurrence of the species increases significantly in stands with high levels of Acacia spp. (Lindenmayer et al 1991b). …”

“…Stagwatching was used to count the number of arboreal marsupials on the site. This involved all large trees with hollows on a site being carefully observed before and after dusk, with animals emerging from their nest sites being counted (see Lindenmayer et al 1991b).…”

Patterns of co‐occurrence among arboreal marsupials in the forests of central Victoria, southeastern Australia

“…The 'stagwatching' method {sensu Lindenmayer et al 1991b) was used to count arboreal marsupials inhabiting 3 ha areas of forest throughout the study region. Stagwatching involves counting animals at dusk as they emerge from nest sites in large hollow trees within a given area of forest.…”

“…1991c). Each of the 152 survey sites was stagwatched once and the number of observers used in the survey at each site was matched with the characteristics of that site so there was at least one and often two observers assigned to each hollowbearing tree (Lindenmayer et al 1991b).…”