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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 35(8)

The use of hollow-bearing trees by vertebrate fauna in wet and dry Eucalyptus obliqua forest, Tasmania

Amelia Koch A B F , Sarah Munks B C D and Don Driscoll E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A University of Tasmania, School of Geography and Environmental Studies, Private Bag 78, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia. Present address: Tasmanian Forest Practices Authority, 30 Patrick Street, Hobart, Tas. 7000, Australia.

B CRC for Forestry, Private Bag 12, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.

C Tasmanian Forest Practices Authority, 30 Patrick Street, Hobart, Tas. 7000, Australia.

D University of Tasmania, School of Zoology, Private Bag 5, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.

E Flinders University, School of Biological Sciences, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia. Present address: Fenner School of Environment and Society, WK Hancock Building 43, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.

F Corresponding author. Email: amy.koch@fpa.tas.gov.au

Wildlife Research 35(8) 727-746 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR08007
Submitted: 17 January 2008  Accepted: 16 July 2008   Published: 16 December 2008

Abstract

The loss of hollow-bearing trees in production forest areas can have large impacts on animal populations that rely on them for shelter. This study facilitates the selection of appropriate trees for retention by examining the proportion and type of trees that were used by vertebrate fauna in mature wet and dry Eucalyptus obliqua forest in Tasmania. Felled trees were searched for hollows and secondary evidence of use by fauna. Classification Trees and Bayesian logistic regression modelling were used to examine the site and tree attributes that best explained the use of a tree by fauna. We did two separate analyses: one using attributes expected to be causally related to hollow use, and a second using attributes that might be correlated with hollow use and could be easily assessed in standing trees. In all, 28% of hollow-bearing trees examined showed evidence of use, which is at the lower end of the scale found in other areas of Australia. The variables most strongly related to the use of a tree were hollow abundance, tree size and senescence. Random Forest modelling indicated that the likelihood of a hollow being used increased with hollow size, particularly hollow depth. Counting the number of hollows in standing trees was the best way to identify a tree that is likely to be used by fauna and this was particularly important for younger and healthier trees. It was recommended that trees to be retained should contain at least one large hollow. It was estimated that 8–15 trees per hectare were used by hollow-using fauna in mature wet and dry E. obliqua forest in Tasmania.


Acknowledgements

We thank Jamie Kirkpatrick for his comments on the manuscript and for his discussions on this research. The field and laboratory work could not have been done without the help of Chris Spencer. Other intermittent field assistants to whom we are also grateful are David Wilson and David Allen. Thanks also to all the forestry workers, at all levels, who assisted with this project; this work could not have been done without their cooperation. Thanks to Denis Charlesworth for doing the soil and leaf chemistry analyses. Further thanks to all those who gave statistical advice, Ross Corkrey, Simon Wotherspoon, Michael McCarthy and Chris Wilcox. However, all responsibility for the quality of the analysis is taken by the senior author. Thanks also to Barbara Triggs for identifying the hair samples. This research was made possible because of an Australian Postgraduate Award. The costs of field and laboratory work were met by funding from the W.V. Scott Fund, the Tasmanian Forest Practices Authority, Forestry Tasmania, Holsworth Wildlife Research Grant and The University of Tasmania. Despite receiving industry support, this research was entirely independent. Ethics approval was obtained for this study in case injured animals were found in felled trees. The animal ethics application number is A0007614. A permit to take wildlife for scientific purposes was also obtained from the Department of Primary Industries Water and Environment: Permit No. FA03241.


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Appendix 3.  The 10 variables most strongly related to hollow use, as indicated by the Random Forest when 1000 trees were grown
The following variables were removed: basal area, hollow density, bark width, canopy access, trunk access and soil conductivity. The values presented are the total decrease in the Gini index (node impurity)
T