Is there any plan to translocate family groups from the densely
populated areas to the unpopulated but apparently suitable areas as an
insurance policy?
LK
On 03/12/2009, at 5:57 PM, Peter Ewin wrote:
Hi Ross,
Not certain if they are completely gone from Ngarkat. I think there
is a lot of active management to protect the few small populations
that are left (mainly in areas that have escaped the fires). The
other mystery is the apparent paucity of records from Murray Sunset
which would appear to have suitable habitat but very low densities
(compared to Hattah-Kulkyne).
However, I agree with your sentiment about the fires at Hattah
(which have had some fires but thankfully not in the highest
densities).
Fire is a part of the landscape, but when the landscape has been
fragmented and isolated through other activities protecting the
areas that are left becomes vitally important.
Cheers,
Peter
From:
To: ;
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Cooloola nat park burnt out?
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2009 17:48:51 +1100
It's a good point, & the mallee emu-wren is a case in point. After
a fire in
Ngarkat CP in SA some years ago, the population disappeared from
that area,
leaving the bird with just one stronghold, in Murray-Sunset and
Hattah-Kulkyne NPs straddling the Calder Highway. Sarah Brown's
work has
shown that while the local population is healthy (in the 10s of
thousands
from memory), they are sedentary and have poor dispersal; in other
words
once they're lost from an area it's very hard for them to
recolonise it.
Gone from Ngarkat. Gone from Annuello FFR. Gone from all other known
previous habitats.
One big fire in the in Murray-Sunset / Hattah triodia country, &
the species
could be extinct.
And it's not the only species in that boat; not by a long chalk...
Ross Macfarlane
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