Wildlife
Potential to conserve wildlife
Eucalypt open-forests in Queensland provide habitat for many different types of native plants and animals, including at least 36 threatened or priority species.
Native species that occur in eucalypt open-forests include the greater glider, yellow-faced honeyeater and lively rainbow skink, and the Byfield fern, Cycas megacarpa and the Plunkett mallee.
Most actions that will accumulate carbon in eucalypt open-forests (such as not clearing regenerating trees, stopping hot fires, and reducing grazing pressure) will also benefit wildlife by reducing threats.
Different types of shelter, good and varied food supply, removing and controlling weeds and feral animals, and the size and shape of habitat patches and their distance from each other will help conserve wildlife in eucalypt open-forests.
Habitat for wildlife
Shelter and food
| Feature | Benefits for wildlife | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Trees and shrubs |
Nesting, shelter and feeding sites
A diversity of tree and shrub species that flower and fruit at different times can provide a continuous food supply (nectar, pollen, fruit and insects) for animals Many insects and some mammals (gliders and the koala) feed on certain tree and shrub species, and not others Some animal species need trees and shrubs of a certain size or age (e.g. saplings or dead, standing trees) | Birds, invertebrates, mammals, reptiles, frogs, parasitic plants (e.g. mistletoe) |
| Tree hollows | Shelter, nesting, a place to find food | Parrots, treecreepers, bats, gliders |
| Fallen timber | Shelter, basking and feeding areas | Birds, reptiles, frogs, mammals, invertebrates |
| Leaf litter | Shelter and feeding areas | Birds, invertebrates, reptiles, frogs, mammals |
| Rocks | Shelter, basking and feedings areas | Invertebrates, reptiles, frogs, mammals, plants |
| Mistletoe |
Nectar, berries and nesting sites
Can provide nectar and berries at times when these foods are scarce in the landscape | Birds, invertebrates, mammals |
| Invertebrates | Food, pollination, seed dispersal | Birds, reptiles, frogs, mammals, plants |
| Fungi | Food, beneficial relationship with plants | Mammals, reptiles, birds, invertebrates |
Landscape features
| Feature | Benefits for wildlife |
|---|---|
| Large patch size |
Support larger populations of plants and animals
Support animals that need large territories and/or occur in low population densities May also support more species of wildlife |
| Small edge-to-area ratio |
Patches that are rounded in shape suffer fewer ‘edge effects’ than patches of a similar size that are long and thin
Edge effects include increased weed invasion, predation, wind, sun and temperature, and all of these can have important impacts on wildlife |
| Close to other patches |
Allows animals and plants to disperse between patches
Reduces the risk of predation for animals when they move between patches Improves the exchange of pollen between patches |
| How much of the landscape is cleared |
Birds and mammals are negatively affected if more than 70% of the landscape is cleared of suitable habitat
There is also an interaction between grazing and how much of the landscape is cleared, as cattle tend to congregate in the remaining patches of woody vegetation If most of a landscape, or vegetation type, has been cleared, this also means that any remnants are very important for wildlife conservation, even if they are small or in poor condition. These remnants may provide valuable source populations for restoring other parts of the landscape. |
Habitat features used by some species that live in eucalypt open-forests
| Tree hollows, cracks and crevices | Fallen timber | Trees & shrubs | Nectar | Litter | Rocks | Insects | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mammals | ||||||||
| Gould's wattled bat | Chalinolobus gouldii | X | X | X | ||||
| Spotted-tail quoll | Dasyurus maculatus | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Yellow-bellied glider | Petaurus australis | X | X | X | ||||
| Koala | Phascolarctos cinereus | X | ||||||
| Grey-headed flying-fox | Pteropus poliocephalus | X | X | |||||
| Birds | ||||||||
| Yellow-faced honeyeater | Caligavis chrysops | X | X | X | ||||
| Mistletoebird | Dicaeum hirundinaceum | X | X | |||||
| Eastern yellow robin | Eopsaltria australis | X | X | X | ||||
| Barking owl | Ninox connivens | X | X | |||||
| Striated pardalote | Pardalotus striatus | X | X | X | ||||
| Grey fantail | Rhipidura fuliginosa | X | X | X | ||||
| Reptiles | ||||||||
| Lively rainbow skink | Carlia vivax | X | X | X | X | |||
| Common dtella | Gehyra dubia | X | X | X | ||||
| Frilled lizard | Chlamydosaurus kingii | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Lampropholis amicula (skink) | Lampropholis amicula | X | X | |||||
| Black-tailed monitor | Varanus tristis | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Frogs | ||||||||
| Common green treefrog | Litoria caerulea | X | X | X | X | X | ||
| Desert treefrog | Litoria rubella | X | X | X | ||||
| Spotted grassfrog | Limnodynastes tasmaniensis | X | X | X | ||||
| Plants | X | X | X |
Threats to wildlife
| Threat | Impacts on wildlife | Wildlife affected |
|---|---|---|
| Weeds and feral animals |
Competition, predation
Some management actions to control weeds and feral animals can also have negative impacts on native species | Many different types of plants and animals |
| Noisy miners and yellow-throated miners | These are aggressive native bird species that reduce the abundance and species richness of small woodland birds | Small birds |
| Continous high grazing pressure |
Grazing appears to benefit some common, widespread plant and animal species, but leads to declines in other species.
Increased grazing pressure in eucalypt open-forests has been linked to fewer dead trees with hollows, and fewer understorey shrubs | Many different types of plants and animals |
| Clearing and selective harvesting |
Clearing removes many plant and animal species and also removes the food and shelter of animals that depend on the plant species and structure found in mature open-forests
Selective harvesting in eucalypt open-forests can have a negative impact on animals that rely on large trees, tree hollows, and nectar | Many different types of plants and animals |
| Hot fires and frequent burning |
Hot fires may destroy hollow trees, fire-sensitive vegetation, and food resources for animals, simplify vegetation structure, and burn relatively large areas which can disadvantage animals which rely on patchy habitats, or a combination of burnt and unburnt habitats
Even low severity management fires can remove habitat, such as large hollow-bearing trees, that provide essential resources for many fauna Open-forests that are frequently burnt tend to have a more open understorey, which encourages noisy miners, and has a negative impact on small birds Frequent burning of open-forests also removes fallen timber and leaf litter, which has a negative impact on reptiles | Many different types of plants and animals |