Gliders, Habitat Connectivity & Weeds Dr Ross Goldingay School of Environment, Science & Engineering Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480

Seminar outline Habitat loss & fragmentation – potential impact on gliders, How do we mitigate the impact of fragmentation? Is there potential for exotic woody plants to connect habitats?

Habitat Loss & Fragmentation Recognised as the leading cause of species loss Roads are a leading cause of habitat fragmentation Capalaba, BrisbaneChermside Hills, Brisbane

Why the Squirrel Glider? Listed as: Vulnerable in NSW Endangered in Vic. Management focus in Brisbane Has been a species of management focus by BCC. Could be a model species. Mostly occurs at <300 m elevation

Goldingay & Taylor (2009) Ecological intuition – gaps beyond gliding distance are barriers or filters to dispersal.

Genetic Evidence for Fragmentation Effect: Structure along the Gateway Freeway Taylor, A., Goldingay et al. (in prep.) Prob. of cluster membership shown by colours. Analysis of 5 variable genetic markers (microsats). Gateway Fwy

Implications of Genetic Analyses Logan & Gateway Mtwys, se Qld Population processes severely disrupted by habitat fragmentation. High probability of local extinction in coming decades, unless remnants reconnected. Population modeling suggests subpopulations are unstable.

Habitat Connectivity Must be Retained or Restored QUT, Cabbage Tree Ck Bank St, Reserve, Raven St Reserve, Cabbage Tree CkFelsman St Reserve, Downfall Ck ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺= SqG hair record

One Way is with Glider Road-crossing Structures BCC has installed these at 3 locations, road upgrade sites in Brisbane, we’ve been monitoring over several years Brendan Taylor

Compton Road

Compton Rd, Brisbane Taylor & Goldingay (2012)

We now use automated cameras to monitor pole use

Camera records suggest 1.8 crossing per week

Hamilton Road

Hamilton Road Land Bridge - Detections Almost 2 years of camera monitoring 70 confirmed SqG crossings 1.6 crossings per wk N S

Crossings by common brushtail & ringtail possums

Scrub Road

Scrub Road – Camera Set-up North cam (north pole) installed: 27/2/2012 South cam (middle pole) installed: 1/8/2011 i.e. Plastic baffle ~3m above ground Camera/bracket ~2m above baffle

Camera records suggest 1 crossing per week Taylor & Goldingay (2013) Scrub Road – detections N S

Pacific Hwy, NSW, Rope-bridges Goldingay, Rohweder & Taylor (2013) Karuah, 35 km north of Newcastle

Can arboreal mammals cross through exotic trees? through camphor or pine? how many do you need?

Dispersal Through Pines by Ringtail Possums Lancaster et al. (2011) Pine matrix Mt Gambier, SA 312 possums sampled genetically.

Dispersal Through Pines by Ringtail Possums Lancaster et al. (2011) Pine matrix Mt Gambier, SA 88% born where caught, 33 dispersal events, av 2.2 km thru pines (max. 5.7 km). Yellow-bellied Glider observed in some years in Palparra.

Will Greater Gliders Move Through Pines? Pine matrix at Tumut, NSW 107 GGs sampled, all GGs in 10 patches small # (2-18) in patches, 1 GG sampled was in a patch 7 km from parents. Taylor et al. (2007)

What about Camphor Laurel? Arboreal mammals will use artificial structures. Genetic evidence for RPs and GGs that they can disperse through pine forest. Inferred for YBG.

What about Camphor Laurel? If Camphor is providing connectivity – it should not be removed unless functionally replaced.

Thank you 4 UR attention Thanks 2 BCC for previous funding. Thanks to Stacey McLean & other BCC staff 4 support.

References Goldingay, R. L., Rohweder, D., and Taylor, B. D. (2013). Will arboreal mammals use rope-bridges across a highway in eastern Australia? Australian Mammalogy 35, Lancaster M, Taylor AC, Cooper SJB, Carthew SM (2011) Limited ecological connectivity in an arboreal marsupial across a fragmented forest landscape despite apparent resilience to habitat modification. Molecular Ecology 20: Taylor AC, Tyndale-Biscoe H, Lindenmayer DB (2007) Unexpected persistence on habitat islands: genetic signatures reveal dispersal of a eucalypt-dependent marsupial through a hostile pine matrix. Molec Ecol 16: Taylor, B. D., and Goldingay, R. L. (2012). Facilitated movement over major roads is required to minimise extinction risk in an urban metapopulation of a gliding mammal. Wildlife Research 39, Taylor, B. D., and Goldingay, R. L. (2012). Restoring connectivity in landscapes fragmented by major roads: a case study using wooden poles as “stepping-stones” for gliding mammals. Restoration Ecology 20 (6), 671–678. Taylor, B. D., and Goldingay, R. L. (2013). Squirrel gliders use road-side glide poles to cross a road gap. Australian Mammalogy 35,