are
we farming trees, or creating forests? More specifically, do eucalypt (hardwood)
plantations provide enough resources to sustain viable faunal populations, or
are they only useful for connectivity and foraging, not supply of new
individuals? In order to answer these questions, as well as determine the
conservation value of eucalypt plantations in comparison to native forests, I
will assess differences in the ecological parameters of two native forest birds
- Eastern Yellow Robin and White-browed Scrubwren – in plantation and forest
habitats. The two focal species are both small insectivores, as previous research indicates that populations of such species are in decline. However, they each occupy a different niche, with different territory size, foraging strata and behaviour, thus allowing me to extrapolate information gathered on these species to birds of different biological requirements.
I plan to investigate the following ecological parameters, as they reflect habitat quality: territory size, foraging behaviour and breeding success. Territory size will be determined by following colour-banded resident birds and recording their position on a map. Foraging strata and behaviour will be recorded at the same time, using a portable tape recorder. I will also search for nests and monitor their progress in order to determine breeding success.
Data will be gathered over the two years of my PhD project. The results will
provide an insight into how native birds
adapt
to a novel presentation of native eucalyptus, and knowledge of the relative
conservation value of plantations to native forests will be valuable to the
development and improvement of management practices, and help to ensure that the
minimum requirements of some of the representative, resident species within
plantations are met.