Scattered paddock trees and roadside vegetation can provide important habitat for koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in an agricultural landscape
Benjamin J. Barth A G , Sean I. FitzGibbon A , Amber Gillett B , Robbie S. Wilson C , Beth Moffitt C , Geoffrey W. Pye D E , Dalene Adam A , Harriet Preece F and William A. Ellis A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
B Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Beerwah, Qld 4519, Australia.
C School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
D San Diego Zoo Global, 2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA 92101, USA.
E Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Department of Animal Health, 1200 N. Savannah Circle Bay Lake, FL 32830, USA.
F School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
G Corresponding author. Email: b.barth@uq.edu.au
Australian Mammalogy 42(2) 194-203 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM18031
Submitted: 6 September 2018 Accepted: 16 August 2019 Published: 17 September 2019
Abstract
Habitat loss and fragmentation threaten the survival of koalas in Queensland. In rural landscapes, remaining koala habitat is often in the form of scattered paddock trees, patches of vegetation and roadside vegetation. The aims of this study were to (1) quantify the use of these three habitat types; (2) determine whether there is an increased use of scattered trees during the breeding season; and (3) describe the movement characteristics (daily step-length and turning angle) of koalas in different habitat types. To do this, koalas were caught and fitted with global positioning system (GPS) loggers that recorded their daily locations. We found koalas utilised all three habitat types in both breeding and non-breeding seasons, but roadside vegetation and scattered trees were utilised significantly more than expected based on their availability within the landscape. We found no significant difference in step-length or turning angles in scattered trees compared with patches of vegetation. We conclude that scattered trees are a critical element of habitat in this rural landscape. This work provides evidence that retaining or planting scattered trees within the rural landscape would likely complement or possibly enhance the conservation value of rural landscapes for koalas.
Additional keywords: fragmented, grazing, movement ecology, step-length, stock route.
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