Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 4.8:
Eucalypt dieback in southern New South Wales. (Photo by Nicola Munro)
Dunnart. A study examining wildlife use of recycled wooden fence posts
distributed throughout the native grasslands of Terrick Terrick National Park
found the Fat-tailed Dunnart constructed nests beneath the fence posts within a
month. The number of Dunnarts recorded beneath the posts increased over a
five-month period, peaking during the spring breeding season.
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Fallen timber in
paddocks also adds significantly to the range and quality of habitats for birds on
farms. Overall bird species richness on a farm is higher on those farms where
paddocks support fallen timber.
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In another of our research projects, we have found that logs in paddocks
support highly diverse assemblages of native beetles, including many natural
predators of pest insects (Figure 4.11). These log-associated beetle assemblages have
proved to be markedly different from those found in open paddocks or under
trees.
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This work highlights the extraordinary diversity of invertebrates that can
characterise Australian farm and woodland environments. The importance of
fallen timber for beetles is illustrated by the number of species which are added for
