Observations on roost use by the yellow-bellied sheathtail-bat (Saccolaimus flaviventris) in northern New South Wales, Australia

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas L. Clews

Hollow-bearing trees are recognised as essential habitat features for insectivorous bats and provide sites for mating, the rearing of young, hibernation, protection from predators, and social interaction. The characteristics of hollow-bearing trees used as roosts by insectivorous bats in Australia are poorly known. To help fill this gap, this note presents data on tree roost characteristics for the yellow-bellied sheathtail-bat (Saccolaimus flaviventris) obtained from northern New South Wales, Australia. Of the 19 roost trees observed, most were live Eucalyptus albens trees with an incomplete crown with substantial numbers of dead limbs. Roosts selected were, on average, 9.3 m high with an entrance diameter of 12.7 cm in trees with a mean diameter at breast height of 49.5 cm. All entrance hollows were located at the end of a rotten spout formed when a branch had broken off the tree. These observations are some of the first to document the characteristics of roost trees for this species in New South Wales and this information can be used by land managers to identify and retain suitable roosting habitat for S. flaviventris in the landscape.


1978 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 106 ◽  
Author(s):  
DL Michalk ◽  
PK Herbert

A study of the density and basal diameter of Chloris acicularis Lindl. (syn. Enteropogon acicularis (LindlJLazar. - curly windmill grass) and C. truncata R. Br. (windmill grass) was made at two stocking rates over a period of eight years. The propor- tion of ground covered by these Chloris species varied widely with season, and to a lesser extent with grazing pressure. The density of both species increased in good seasons, while the mean diameter decreased because of the number of new seedlings. Although C. truncata seedlings were more numerous in good seasons, they did not survive as well as did C. acicularis seedlings during prolonged dry periods.



1989 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Wilkes

Basic density was assessed at 23 positions in stems of mature Pinusradiata D. Don growing at 22 sites throughout New South Wales. The most striking and consistent form of variation was within stem, where density increased appreciably in the centrifugal direction, e.g., by an average of 44% over the first 26 rings at breast height. Less obviously, a basipetal increase occurred low in the bole in tissues of a given formative age. Variations in density between trees on a single site frequently exceeded 20%. The extreme difference between sites was approximately 20%, with 20 of the stands differing by less than 11%. Across the sites, density tended to vary positively with rainfall in the summer months (R2 = 0.27–0.29), and negatively with foliar phosphorus levels (R2 = 0.16–0.31), winter rainfall (R2 = 0.10–0.19), and the productivity parameters of stem diameter (R2 = 0.21–0.26) and height (R2 = 0.14–0.24). Density was essentially unrelated to site temperature. Effects, particularly those of rainfall, are possibly mediated in part by the earlywood/latewood ratio in annual increments.



2004 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Cole ◽  
Ian D. Lunt ◽  
Terry Koen

Temperate grassy woodlands are endangered ecosystems in Australia, and many degraded remnants are in desperate need of understorey restoration. This experiment compared the effects of soil disturbance, weed control and mulch treatments on establishment of the original dominant grass, Themeda triandra Forssk., in a degraded white box (Eucalyptus albens Benth.) woodland at Cowra in central New South Wales (NSW). Awned Themeda seeds were surface-sown into replicated plots treated as follows: soil scalping, soil disturbance (by ripping), herbicide (simazine) application and retention of natural mulch. Scalping combined with soil disturbance best promoted Themeda establishment (47.8% after 40 days and 28% after 518 days), and also reduced broadleaf-herb densities. By contrast, scalping without soil disturbance had the worst effect on Themeda establishment (5.2% after 40 days and 4.5% after 518 days). Disturbance significantly enhanced Themeda establishment and decreased the density of annual grasses and the basal cover of non-Themeda species. By contrast, the retention of 500–800 kg of natural surface mulch had no apparent effect on Themeda establishment. Contrary to expectations, simazine reduced the density and basal cover of all species, including Themeda, which is normally resistant to this herbicide. All combinations of the mulched, disturbed and herbicide treatments (i.e. all treatments except scalping) gave similar results, ranging from 10.7 to 22.0 Themeda plants m–2 after 518 days. These results suggest that Themeda stands can be established in degraded box woodlands by using awned seed materials, with minimal seedbed preparation and simple sowing techniques. Further studies are required to determine whether established swards can resist weed invasion in the absence of ongoing weed management, and whether establishment success varies with soil conditions and landscape position.



1995 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 457 ◽  
Author(s):  
RL Goldingay ◽  
RP Kavanagh

Observations were made of the foraging behaviour of the feathertail glider (Acrobates pygmaeus) at Waratah Creek in south-eastern New South Wales (NSW). Gliders were observed on 164 occasions, including 42 observations of feeding, 41 observations of moving along a substrate and 68 observations of gliding to a tree, an understorey plant or to the ground. On the remaining occasions, gliders were lost from view before any information was recorded. Most (91%) feeding observations occurred in live eucalypts. When feeding in eucalypts, 61% of observations were of gliders searching under loose shedding bark and 32% were of gliders engaged in foliage gleaning. Foraging amongst loose bark is suggested to represent feeding on honeydew and arthropods while foliage gleaning is indicative of gliders engaged in feeding on manna, honeydew, lerps and arthropods. Nectar feeding was uncommon and only 3% of trees in which gliders were observed were flowering. In contrast, 42% of these trees showed signs of recent bark shed. Two observations were of gliders foraging on the ground, suggesting that arthropods may also be captured there. Comparison of the frequency of use of different tree species with the abundance of those species showed a highly significant preference for E. fastigata, while other species were used in proportion to their abundance. Analysis also showed that gliders used trees in the smallest of three size classes (<40 cm diameter at breast height) less often than expected on the basis of the abundance of these trees. Overall, gliders used the six different habitat types in the study area in proportion to their abundance but showed significant seasonal differences in the use of these habitats. These results permit consideration of the management requirements of the feathertail glider in the timber production forests of NSW. It is concluded that the requirements of this species are catered for by existing management prescriptions.





2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Von Mueller


2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louisa Anne Meredith


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