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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