Den trees, hollow-bearing trees and nest boxes: management of squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) nest sites in tropical Australian woodland

2011 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Ball ◽  
Ross L. Goldingay ◽  
Judith Wake
Keyword(s):  
Size Class ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Tree Hollows ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Squirrel Glider ◽  
Tropical Woodlands ◽  
Tree Hollow

The squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) is an arboreal marsupial potentially impacted throughout its geographic range by the loss of hollow-bearing trees. We investigated the use of den trees and the availability of hollow-bearing trees near Mackay in the tropical north of the squirrel glider range where information was deficient. Mean den tree size (41.1 ± 2.9 cm (s.e.), diameter at breast height (dbh)) was significantly larger than that of available trees (27.5 ± 0.9 cm). Dead trees (stags) comprised 52% of 27 dens but comprised only 12% of available trees. This likely reflects the greater frequency of hollows in dead trees compared with other trees. Surveys found that 59% of 720 available trees contained hollows. A much lower percentage of trees in the 10–30-cm dbh size class were hollow-bearing (22%) compared with trees >30 cm (77%), and we view these smaller trees as those providing future den trees. Their density varied from 17 to 95 ha–1 among sites, which suggests that most sites have an adequate supply of future hollows. We installed 56 nest boxes to determine use by squirrel gliders. Only 20% were used after 3 years, but use was not influenced by the availability of tree hollows. Tree hollow availability appears adequate for the squirrel glider in these tropical woodlands but further studies are needed to understand the dynamic processes that govern this resource.

The characteristics of squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) den trees in subtropical Australia

2008 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgia L. Beyer ◽  
Ross L. Goldingay ◽  
David J. Sharpe
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Effective Management ◽  
Living Tree ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
North East ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Squirrel Glider ◽  
Tree Hollow ◽  
Subtropical Australia

Effective management of tree-hollow-dependent wildlife requires a sound knowledge of the characteristics of the trees used for shelter or breeding. We used radio-tracking to identify the den trees of squirrel gliders (Petaurus norfolcensis) in south-east Queensland (Qld) and north-east New South Wales (NSW). Squirrel gliders used dead trees as well as 13 species of living tree for dens across the two locations. Dead trees accounted for a large percentage of dens (54% of 48 dens in Qld, and 50% of 18 dens in NSW) despite comprising only 3–10% of the forest (trees >20 cm diameter at breast height (dbh)) at each location. This preference is largely due to dead trees being more likely to contain hollows, accounting for 26–44% of available hollow-bearing trees. Mean den tree size (dbh) was 48.9 ± 2.4 cm in Qld and 62.8 ± 5.6 cm in NSW. Den entrance height averaged 6.8 ± 1.2 m in Qld and 11.9 ± 1.3 m in NSW. Fissures in the trunk and holes in branches were the most common of six hollow types used. At one location branch end hollows were ignored relative to their availability. Den entrances varied in size (2.5–12 cm wide) but most were ≤5 cm in diameter. Entrance size of hollows appears to be the hollow attribute of most importance to squirrel gliders. Monitoring of these den trees over several years revealed the collapse of three dead den trees at each location, which is equivalent to an annual loss of 3% of den trees. Further research is needed to determine whether this will lead to a future shortage of den trees.

Use of Tree Hollows by Two Sympatric Gliding Possums, The Squirrel Glider, Petaurus norfolcensis and The Sugar Glider, P. breviceps.

1998 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 79
Author(s):  
B.J. Traill ◽  
A. Lill
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Nest ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Forestry Practices ◽  
Tree Hollows ◽  
Sugar Glider ◽  
Squirrel Glider ◽  
Petaurus Breviceps ◽  
Artificial Nest Boxes

Populations of the Squirrel Glider, Petaurus norfolcensis and the Sugar Glider, P. breviceps, are often sympatric and the two species are potential competitors for tree hollows. Their use of hollows and artificial nest-boxes was examined in a Box-Ironbark forest where natural hollows are scarce due to past forestry practices. We found gliders used hollows in the boles and branches of trees and in coppicing stumps. There was considerable interspecific overlap in the use of hollows and nest-boxes, both by gliders and other birds and mammals. Both gliders preferred hollows and nest-boxes with narrow entrances (<50 mm diameter). Petaurus breviceps preferred nest-boxes and possibly natural tree hollows with entrances too narrow for the larger P. norfolcensis. When abundant nest-boxes of this type were introduced at the study site, P. breviceps numbers increased and then decreased when the nest-boxes were removed. The results suggest that the larger P. norfolcensis monopolise the best available hollows. Petaurus breviceps numbers may have been limited by a lack of suitable hollows.

Characteristics of tree hollows used by Australian arboreal and scansorial mammals

2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross L. Goldingay
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Processes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Tree Hollows ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Primary Determinant ◽  
Standing Dead ◽  
Standing Dead Trees ◽  
Tree Hollow

Many species of non-flying mammal depend on tree hollows (cavities or holes) for shelter and survival. I reviewed the published literature on tree hollow use by Australian non-flying arboreal and scansorial mammals to provide a synthesis of tree hollow requirements, to identify gaps in knowledge and to stimulate future research that may improve the management of these species. The use of hollows was described in some detail for 18 of 42 hollow-using species. Most information was for possums and gliding possums, whereas dasyurid marsupials and rodents were largely neglected. The paucity of data for many species must be addressed because it represents an impediment to their conservation. Hollow abundance appears to be the primary determinant of tree preferences. This accounts for the frequent use of standing dead trees by most species. Most hollow-bearing trees used as dens were at least 100 years of age. Further studies that describe the dynamic processes that govern the availability of tree hollows are needed. The few studies that document attrition of hollow-bearing trees suggest that land managers need to improve strategies for the effective retention and long-term replacement of these trees.

scholarly journals The availability and dimensions of tree hollows that provide nest sites for cockatoos (Psittaciformes) in Western Australia

1982 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 541 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Saunders ◽  
G. T. Smith ◽  
I. Rowley
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
The Other ◽  
Agricultural Area ◽  
Future Prospects ◽  
Inside Diameter ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Tree Hollows ◽  
Dead Trees

A 15-ha plot of salmon gum woodland contained 241 hollows with an entrance diameter and depth exceeding 90 mm, in 173 trees, the majority (95%) in salmon gums. Occupancy of these hollows during the spring of 1978 was 47%; eight species of bird (six Psittaciformes, one Anseriformes and one Falconiformes) were involved. Galahs, corellas, red-tailed black cockatoos and Port Lincoln parrots were the most numerous hollow-nesting birds in the area; there were differences in the sizes of hollows they used, which were separable on entrance size and on inside diameter of the hollow 0.5 m below the entrance. There was a trend for hollow size to decrease in the order: red-tailed black cockatoos, corellas, galahs and Port Lincoln parrots. Red-tailed black cockatoos nested in more dead trees, or trees which were lower and had smaller canopies, than did the other three species. The woodland contained few young trees, trees were dying rapidly and there was no regeneration. This situation is typical for woodland throughout the agricultural area, and future prospects are discussed.

Ethanol in ponderosa pine as an indicator of physiological injury from fire and its relationship to secondary beetles

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 870-884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick G Kelsey ◽  
Gladwin Joseph
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Xylem Sap ◽  
Upward Movement ◽  
Stem Base ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Crown Scorch ◽  
Second Year ◽  
The Relationship

Sixteen days after a September wildfire, ethanol and water were measured in phloem and sapwood at breast height and the base of Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. & C. Laws. with zero (control), moderate, heavy, and severe crown scorch. The quantity of ethanol increased with each level of injury, resulting in trees with severe scorch containing 15 and 53 times more phloem and sapwood ethanol, respectively, than controls. Ethanol concentrations in the sapwood and adjacent phloem were related, probably as a result of diffusion. Upward movement in xylem sap was most likely responsible for the relationship between sapwood ethanol concentrations at breast height and the stem base. As trees recovered from their heat injuries, the ethanol concentrations declined. In contrast, ethanol accumulated in dead trees that lost their entire crowns in the fire. Various bark and xylophagous beetles landed in greater numbers on fire-damaged trees than on controls the following spring and summer, suggesting that ethanol was being released to the atmosphere and influencing beetle behavior. Beetle landing was more strongly related to sapwood ethanol concentrations the previous September than in May. Sapwood ethanol measured 16 days after the fire was the best predictor of second-year mortality for trees with heavy and severe crown scorch.

Long-term monitoring of nest boxes and nest logs in a tree-hollow depleted box–ironbark forest in north-eastern Victoria

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce R. Quin ◽  
Ross L. Goldingay ◽  
Darren G. Quin ◽  
Eileen Collins ◽  
Neville Bartlett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nest Boxes ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Long Term Monitoring ◽  
Term Monitoring ◽  
Tree Hollow

Saproxylic Cetoniidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea): A ‘Females’ World’ or a Question of Dependence on Deadwood?

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 288-295
Author(s):  
Sandra Martínez-Pérez ◽  
Gerardo Sanchez-Rojas ◽  
Eduardo Galante ◽  
Estefanía Micó
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Male Competition ◽  
Oak Forest ◽  
Mediterranean Forests ◽  
Tree Hollows ◽  
Biased Sex Ratio ◽  
Dispersal Abilities ◽  
Tree Hollow

Abstract We explored the dependence of some Cetoniidae species on saproxylic environments and microhabitats in a Mediterranean oak forest by analyzing species collected using different kinds of traps—log emergence, hollow emergence, and interception traps—and the sex ratio of the species in each trap. Comparing the sex ratio of the species collected via emergence versus interception was useful to unravel the degree of dependence on saproxylic microhabitats. Among the species studied, Cetonia aurataeformis Curti, 1913 (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae) was the only obligate tree hollow inhabitant. Special attention should thus be paid to the maintenance of tree hollows for the species’ conservation in Mediterranean forests. A gradient of dependence on tree hollows was established from the more dependent Protaetia (Potosia) cuprea (Fabricius, 1775) (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae) and Protaetia (Potosia) opaca (Fabricius, 1787) (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae) to the less dependent Protaetia (Netocia) morio (Fabricius, 1781) (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae). All the latter species can be considered facultatively dependent, to varying degrees, on tree hollows. By contrast, the saproxylic affinity of Protaetia (Netocia) oblonga (Gory and Percheron, 1833) (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae), Tropinota squalida (Scopoli, 1783) (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae) and Oxythyrea funesta (Poda, 1761) (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae) was doubtful. Generally, the sex ratio of the studied species was female-biased. A possible explanation may be local male competition for females, suggesting the Cetoniinae is a female world. However, the range of difference in the female-biased sex ratio among species suggests it is important to explore other possible causes, such as differences in dispersal abilities.

Using ecological studies to understand the conservation needs of the squirrel glider in Brisbane?s urban forest-remnants.

2006 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 173 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Goldingay ◽  
D. J. Sharpe ◽  
G. L. Beyer ◽  
M. Dobson
Keyword(s):  
Urban Forest ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Parameter Estimates ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Forest Remnants ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Squirrel Glider ◽  
Urban Matrix

This paper provides an overview of our current ecological research on squirrel gliders (Petaurus norfolcensis) living in forest-remnants within an urban matrix in south-east Queensland. We have conducted population censuses and behavioural observations primarily in one 60-ha remnant. The number of tagged gliders (minimum number known alive) in this remnant varied from 75 in 2002 when flowering trees were abundant, to 33 the following year when flowering was poor. Poor flowering led to a delay in breeding and a decline in the probability of glider survival. Feeding observations on gliders in the year of abundant flowering revealed that almost 50% of the diet was comprised of nectar and pollen derived from 10 tree species. A more detailed focus on flowering and its influence on population dynamics at several sites would be of considerable value in understanding the population ecology of this species. We assessed the viability of the subpopulations of P. norfolcensis distributed across the various remnants to allow identification of management actions that may improve viability. Viability analyses under various scenarios suggest that our focal metapopulation will have a high likelihood of extinction within the next 100 years. Predictions of population viability are sensitive to changes in life history parameter estimates. Thus, current field-work has been directed by the need for more precise empirical values. The remnants containing our metapopulation need to be functionally linked to larger nearby remnants to enable glider dispersal among sites. We need a better understanding of glider dispersal behaviour and how permeable the urban matrix might be for P. norfolcensis. Arterial roads and freeways sever connections between many remnants, requiring novel approaches to corridor provision. Future research should examine how habitat quality of the remnants changes over time due to tree die-back and wind-throw. We are investigating the potential role of nest boxes to facilitate glider dispersal and to supplement the availability of den trees. The findings of our studies should contribute to a greater understanding of the general conservation requirements of P. norfolcensis.

Hollow formation in eucalypts from temperate forests in southeastern Australia

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 218 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Gibbons ◽  
D. B. Lindenmayer ◽  
S. C. Barry ◽  
M. T. Tanton
Keyword(s):  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Physiological Condition ◽  
New South ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Southeastern Australia ◽  
Tree Hollows ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Standing Trees ◽  
Logged Forest

We examined factors associated with the occurrence of tree hollows in four eucalypt species from temperate forest in southeastern New South Wales and East Gippsland. A total of 1 256 standing trees and 328 felled trees was examined. The proportion of trees containing hollows with small entrances (2-5 cm) was significantly negatively associated with dbh, while the proportion of trees containing hollows with medium (5-10 cm) and large (>10 cm) entrances was positively associated with dbh. There was a significant, but weak, relationship between hollow depth and minimum entrance width that was improved with the addition to the model of the variables branch diameter and branch health. Trees of all sizes and ages contained hollows, although larger and older trees had a higher probability of doing so. For two tree species (Brown Barrel or Cuttail Eucalyptus fastigata and Messmate E. obliqua), the probability of live trees containing hollows remained below 0.5 for stems less than 180 years of age. Un logged forest supported, on average, 22.0 hollowbearing trees per ha ? 18.5% of which were dead trees. For all values of dbh, trees were more likely to contain hollows if either dead or in poor physiological condition, indicating the potential for hollow development to be accelerated in eucalypts by killing or injuring suitably-sized trees.

The Availability of Tree Hollows for Use as Nest Sites by White-tailed Black Cockatoos

1979 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 205 ◽  
Author(s):  
DA Saunders
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Mature Trees ◽  
Breeding Range ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Tree Hollows ◽  
Selection Of

Data on nest hollows were collected from four study areas throughout the range of the short-billed form of the white-tailed black cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus baudinii latirostris, in south Western Australia. Hollows in trees are formed as a result of some destructive agent such as termites or fungi attacking the heartwood of the tree and breaking down the structure of the wood cells. The breaking off of part of the tree provides access to the hollow from the outside, and allows it to be used as a nest site. Throughout their breeding range, white-tailed black cockatoos will nest in any species of eucalypt which has a hollow of suitable size. The aspects of the entrances of hollows are not randomly distributed among compass groups, but the birds' selection of hollows was random. The aspect, depth to the floor and height of the entrance from the ground do not affect the success or failure of the nesting attempt. Female white-tailed black cockatoos searching for and preparing nest hollows chase female conspecifics from an area around their prospective nest tree. They continue this activity until they are incubating; this may result in suitable hollows not being accessible to other females. The rate of loss of hollows was 4.8 and 2.2% at two of the study areas. Hollows are being destroyed by all causes, particularly clearing for agriculture, faster than they are being created. Guidelines for the management of woodland must be drawn up so as to maintain a continuing supply of mature trees and protect hole-nesting species.

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