Source: NSW CRA/RFA Steering Commitee

Community Gets Together On South-East Wildlife Surveys

7 May 1998

Local volunteers and specialist scientists are joining forces with State Forests of NSW and the National Parks and Wildlife Service in a major survey of the region’s forest wildlife. The combination of local knowledge and scientific expertise will produce a systematic picture of the region’s native flora and fauna: what it is, where it lives, and in what numbers.

The survey is critical to the joint State-Commonwealth comprehensive regional assessments (CRAs). The results of the survey will help to decide how forested areas can be protected and managed sustainably in the future.

According to NPWS CRA Manager, Nic Gellie, the survey has already produced some interesting results.

"In Morton National Park and around Nowra, the fauna survey team located eleven scheduled (threatened) species including the Long-nosed Potoroo, Common Bent-wing Bat, Large-eared Pied Bat, Heath Monitor and Giant Burrowing Frog.

"Around Conjola and Yerriyong State Forests, rare arboreal mammals including Squirrel and Yellow-bellied Gliders and the rare Masked, Sooty and Powerful Owls have been recorded. A number of rare birds, such as the Eastern Bristlebird, Glossy Black Cockatoo and Square-tailed Kite have been observed, and a new location for the endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog has been found," Mr Gellie said. "The rare White-footed Dunnart, which is a small marsupial, has also been captured and several species have been recorded beyond their previously known distributions."

Mr Gellie explained the process of ascertaining the range, habitat and numbers of species in the region.

"To get a thorough understanding, we are conducting several types of survey simultaneously. The first are systematic flora and fauna surveys which enable us to assess how environmental variations such as soils, climate and vegetation affect the distribution of flora and fauna species. The second type are targeted surveys; for fauna we search for specific species which are difficult to detect, whilst for flora we collect population data on rare species whose locations are already known."

State Forests of NSW Regional Manager, Steve Dodds, is enthusiastic about the joint project and the vital information it will provide for future regional managment.

"Some people might think that if we find a species at a particular site, that site is immediately earmarked for conservation," he said. "But that isn’t how it works."

"Once a species is identified in a particular location, we then undertake a process we call "modelling". This means that from the information gathered, we are able to predict through computer modelling the broader distribution of the species across the region. So if a species is identified in a State forest, predictions about its existence in other areas with suitable habitat can be made. Or if we find something on private land, predictions about that species can be made for areas that are inaccessible for surveying, such as remote parts of forests and parks. The species can therefore be assessed on a region-wide basis across all land types."

Flora and Fauna Survey Managers, Lesley Forward and Max Beukers, explained the scientific process of the surveying.

"The methods of surveying fauna depends on the type of animal we are trying to detect. For example, when surveying for owls and gliders we play pre-recorded owl and glider calls on a megaphone in the forest for a set period and then wait for the animals to respond. For ground mammals, we use small traps to catch the animals investigating the smell of bait."

"Plant species in all forest ecosystems are also being surveyed. These include rare forest ecosystems on the south coast such as coastal rainforests, coastal forest red-gum remnants and Pigeon House ash forests, as well as the largely cleared box ecosystems and the relatively uncleared commercial ash and stringy-bark forests on the coast and tablelands. The surveying will enable the present and pre-white settlement extent of different forest vegetation types to be mapped throughout southern NSW.

"Flora surveys are conducted by recording all plant species and their abundance in designated plots, as well as forest structure and disturbance. Rare or interesting plant species that have been recorded so far include the Pigeon House Ash, Callitris columellaris (a native cypress pine) and Grevillea renwickiana."

"To date surveys have been completed on the south coast and adjoining tablelands. The information gathered will be used to map the forest ecosystems throughout south eastern NSW."

Mr Gellie said that an important feature of this event is that the CRA survey is a community effort. "The surveying is going on around the clock so the help of local landholders with their knowledge and cooperation in permitting access has been invaluable in our search.

"The fact that people from all sectors of the community are contributing their experience and expertise makes the survey all the more worthwhile. The CRAs are all about broad participation and it is gratifying to see it happen at the level of field surveys.

"We are also seeking expressions of interest from landholders on private lands to undertake fauna surveys on their land. We are particularly interested in surveying bush remnants within the cleared coastal valleys and the southern highlands and tablelands."

Surveys will continue this season until mid May. Next spring, the tablelands, highlands and western slopes will be the subject of further surveys.

For further information contact: Nic Gellie, NPWS Southern Zone 02 6299 7255.

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