Register      Login
Australian Mammalogy Australian Mammalogy Society
Journal of the Australian Mammal Society
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > AM > AM10015
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 32(2)

High koala mortality associated with low browse moisture in tropical environments

Irene Delma Clifton
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

School of Medical and Applied Science, Central Queensland University, PO Box 5606, Mackay MC, Qld 4741, Australia. Email: d.clifton@cqu.edu.au

Australian Mammalogy 32(2) 157-159 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM10015
Submitted: 17 February 2009  Accepted: 7 May 2010   Published: 5 August 2010

Abstract

At St Bees Island, central Queensland, during drought conditions from July 2001 to April 2003, 85% of koala deaths occurred when browse moisture fell below 51% fresh weight. Drought-induced mortality (and changing frequencies or intensities of drought due to climate change) may have a considerable effect upon this population.

Additional keywords: climate change, drought, Phascolarctos cinereus.


Acknowledgements

Funding and field support for this project was provided by Earthwatch International, Central Queensland Koala Volunteers, Centre for Environmental Management (CQU), CQU Research Training Scheme, Australians for Animals, and Mr Peter Berck. Animal experimentation was conducted with approval of CQU Animal Experimentation Ethics Panel, Certificate number 01/06-112 and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Scientific Purposes Permit E4/001032/99/SAA and C6/000075/01/SAB.


References

Berck L. (1995). ‘St Bees Island: Its History, Life-styles and Tales.’ (Booralong: Brisbane.)

Bureau of Meteorology (undated). Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology. http://www.bom.gov.au/ [accessed 2007].

Clifton, I. D. , Ellis, W. A. H. , Melzer, A. , and Tucker, G. (2007). Water turnover and the northern range of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). Australian Mammalogy 29, 85–88.
Gordon G. , McGreevy D. G. , and Lawrie B. C. (1990). Koala populations in Queensland: major limiting factors. In ‘Biology of the Koala’. (Eds A. K. Lee, K. A. Handasyde and G. D. Sanson.) pp. 85–95. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Martin, R. (1985). Overbrowsing, and decline of a population of the koala, Phascolarctos cinereus, in Victoria. I. Food preference and food tree defoliation. Australian Wildlife Research 12, 355–365.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Melzer A. (1994). Aspects of the ecology of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) in the semi-humid woodlands of central Queensland. Ph.D. Thesis, The University of Queensland.

Melzer, A. , Tucker, G. , Hodgon, J. , and Elliot, B. (2003). A note on predation on koalas, Phascolarctos cinereus, by raptors, including wedge-tailed eagles, Aquila audax, in Queensland. The Queensland Naturalist 41, 38–40.
Mitchell P. , and Martin R. (1990). The structure and dynamics of koala populations – French Island in perspective. In ‘Biology of the Koala’. (Eds A. K. Lee, K. A. Handasyde and G. D. Sanson.) pp. 97–108. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Nagy, K. A. , and Martin, R. (1985). Field metabolic rate, water flux, food consumption and time budget of koalas, Phascolarctos cinereus (Marsupialia: Phascolarctidae) in Victoria. Australian Journal of Zoology 33, 655–665.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Payne I. D. (2008). Environmental water relations of the koala, Phascolarctos cinereus, and the importance of the microenvironment in tropical habitats. Ph.D. Thesis, Central Queensland University.

Southwell I. A. (1978). Essential oil content of koala food trees. In ‘The Koala: Proceedings of the Taronga Symposium on Koala Biology, Management and Medicine, Sydney’. (John Sands Pty Ltd.)

Tucker G. (2008). Ecology, growth and behaviour of sub-adult koalas on St Bees Island, central Queensland. M.Sc. Thesis, Central Queensland University.

Tucker, G. , Melzer, A. , and Ellis, W. A. H. (2007). The development of habitat selection by subadult koalas. Australian Journal of Zoology 55, 285–289.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |