Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 2.12:
Noisy Miners are known for their aggressive exclusion of other bird species. (Photo by Dr Cheng
Hiang Lee)
several reasons for this: areas of native vegetation
surrounding a remnant may provide suitable additional
foraging or nesting areas for a species and increase the
chances it can inhabit a remnant. This also may boost
the overall numbers of a species in a landscape and
reduce the risk of localised extinction occurring. A
second reason is that areas of native vegetation
surrounding a remnant may contribute positively to the overall connectivity of a
landscape or its suitability for the movement and dispersal of a species.
36, 43
Therefore, if a species goes extinct in a remnant, other animals moving through
the landscape may help reverse that localised extinction.
Landscape context effects have been identified in a number of our studies. For
example, the occurrence of birds such as the Black-chinned Honeyeater and the
Eastern Yellow Robin is significantly higher within woodland remnants
surrounded by other areas of woodland vegetation. The Brown Treecreeper is
most likely to be found in those remnants where the surrounding landscape
supports many scattered paddock trees. Similarly, the Diamond Firetail is more
likely to occur in remnants where the surrounding landscape is dominated by
native pastures.
4
The landscape context (or
the characteristics of the
landscape surrounding
a remnant) has a major
effect on wildlife occupying
a remnant
