For more detailed background click here for Strzelecki Biodiversity Report

Fauna

Greater Gliders are totally dependent on hollow-bearing trees in which to den during the day and raise their young.

Greater Gliders usually require a variety of eucalypts. They feed almost exclusively on the leaves, buds and floweres of eucalypts.

Greater Gliders usually die if all or most of their home range is intensively logged or cleared. Unless they are linked as part of an interconnecting network of reserves, local populations risk extinction through catastrophe or inbreeding.

Mountain Bobuck also require old trees for nest hollows. Their conservation is utterly dependent on sympathetic forest management which retains buffer strips of old forest between coupes and preserves old habitat trees and their potential successors in small unlogged areas.

The Common Brushtail Possum tends to replace the Bobuck possums in areas disturbed by logging. English's Corner was selected as a site of local and scientific interest by Mansergh and Norris in 1982 because it is one of only two localities south of the Princes Highway where the Broad-toothed rat is recorded. It is an uncommon animal, usually found in the alpine and subalpine heathlands and open eucalypt woodlands of the Snowy Mountains and Victorian Alps, in clearings with dense undergrowth in the wet sclerophyll forests of the Dandenong and Otway ranges, and in wet sedgelands and subalpine heathlands in Tasmania. This species was recorded near English's Corner in predator scats in 1996.

Powerful Owl
The powerful owl is classified as rare. It is also listed under schedule 2 Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. The powerful owl is totally dependent on hollow bearing trees. The powerful owl has been recorded in the area and was taped in College Creek in 1998.

The Sooty Owl
The sooty owl has also been recorded at Tarra-Bulga National Park.

Superb Lyrebird

The Superb Lyrebird is a common in the area, particularly within and adjacent to rainforest. The Lyrebird courtship display takes place on or near mounds. These mounds can be commonly seen and the territorial song of the male is frequently heard. The main predators are cats, dogs and foxes, and these pose a risk to the survival of the species.

Other birds

The report by Mansergh and Norris, 1982, reported 37 species of birds in this area. Many of these birds are dependent on nectar and blossom from the older trees. Young trees are very poor providers of blossom and nectar. If too many of the older trees are removed to extend plantations, and plantations have a short rotation time of 25 to 30 years, this will drastically reduce the availability of nectar and blossoms for these birds.

Endangered Freshwater Crayfish

The distribution of Engaeus rostrogaleatus in south Gippsland, Victoria.

At present there is little information on the effects of disturbances such as timber harvesting on the long term population levels. Several studies have shown that forestry activities can be deleterious to stream biota by increasing siltation, turbidity, salinity and stream habitat integrity (see review by Campbell & Doeg 1989, Growns & Davis 1994). Buffer zones are an established method used extensively in forestry management to protect streams. Davies & Nelson (1994) investigated the effectiveness of buffer zones on stream fauna and determined that the impacts of logging are directly dependent on buffer widths. The authors found that a minimum buffer width of 30m was required to reduce logging impacts on streams and that buffer zones of between 30-100m appear to provide protection from short term logging impacts. Similarly, Barton &Davies (1993) found 30m buffer strips were effective in reducing the effects of pesticide concentrations in streams within plantations of Eucalyptus nitens in Tasmania. Larger buffer widths of 100m have been shown to reduce changes in stream fauna at least 8 years after logging ceased (Gowans & Davis 1991).

The rare Strzelecki Burrowing Crayfish found in a logging coupe: Recent research into the effects of herbicides on native Australian crustaceans is of concern. Recent research by the RMIT University has revealed that the acute toxicity of Roundup to two week old C.destructor (freshwater crayfish - Australian Yabby), ranged between 0.4 and 8 mg glyphosate/l (120 hour LC50) with interbrood variability. The recommended agricultural application rate for Roundup which is 5-7ml/l at the rate of 2-3 l/ha (Monsanto, 1986) may therefore pose an ecological risk to Australian freshwater crustaceans. Australian native freshwater crustaceans are more sensitive to this herbicide than similar Northern Hemisphere species. (see Environmental Engineering Society Website). Plantation companies such as Hancock regularly spray with a cocktail of herbicides including Roundup. What is the effect of plantation herbcides on species of Crayfish in the Strzeleckis?

While these studies relate specifically to the instream fauna, the effects of timber harvesting on the fauna which inhabit stream margins remains largely unknown. Horwitz (1990b) suggests that forestry activities may pose direct and indirect threats to the crayfish through habitat destruction from creation or use of logging roads and removal of vegetation. Any activity leading to an alteration in the nature of the streamside water table or drainage patterns could affect the species survival. Variation in stream flows and water table levels occur when forest vegetation is cleared and when regrowth forest is planted. This is due to decreased transpiration rates after tree felling followed by increased transpiration rates in regrowth. Any activity which damages stream bank intergrity and alters water tables and drainage lines could be potentially harmful.

Doran & Richards (1996) investigated the management requirements of the Mt Arthur burrowing crayfish, Engaeus orramakuna, found in north-east Tasmania. They examined populations in logged and unlogged areas and found the species to be in high abundance in logged areas with healthy, fertile populations present throughout sites where E. phyllocercus was collected. In the current survey, these species were never found to be sympatric with E. phyllocercus, although their ranges obviously overlap. Therefore it is possible the species may occur if wet forest is located within the region or that the presence of E. quadrimanicus/cunicularius excludes E. phllocercus in this part of the species range.

Mt Worth, an area of 1040ha, is the only State Park from which the species is located. The number of specimens of E. phyllocercus collected from Mt Worth was low, but this was most likely a result of sampling difficulties rather than a true reflection of crayfish distribution. The crayfish is probably wide spread throughout the flood-beds of streams in the park, particularly those dominated by Mountain Ash and closed fern communities.

It is evident from some of the locations from which the crayfish were collected, that they can tolerate some level of disturbance. However, it is uncertain as to whether crayfish occur at the same density at these sites or whether their long term survival is secure.

The Strzelecki burrowing crayfish does not appear to occur extensively outside the 30km2 range estimated by Horwitz (1990). However, like the Narracan crayfish, it is widespread througout its range occurring in flood beds and creek banks of streams, particularly the smaller stream tributaries. It is also common in very wet gullies and seepage areas with underground springs.

Much of the land within the species range appears to be occupied by suitable habitat, although its distribution within pine plantations needs clarification. Most sites from which E. rostrogaleatus was collected occur within land utilized for softwood and hardwood plantation owned by Hancocks and Australian Paper Plantations. The 1230ha within Tarra-Bulga National Park represents the only area of protected habitat within the species range.

E. rostrogaleatus most likely found in the following Hancock plantations;

LEGL/93-78
LEGL/93-81
LEGL/93-82
LEGL/93-85
LEGL/93-88
LEGL/93-89
LEGL93-107