Conservation status of common wombats in Tasmania II: population distribution and trends, and the incidence and significance of roadkill
Michael M. Driessen
A C , Elise Dewar A , Scott Carver B , Clare Lawrence A and Rosemary Gales A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, PO Box 44, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.
B Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: Michael.Driessen@dpipwe.tas.gov.au
Pacific Conservation Biology 28(2) 115-123 https://doi.org/10.1071/PC21031
Submitted: 6 may 2021 Accepted: 9 June 2021 Published: 9 July 2021
Abstract
Understanding species’ distribution, population trends, and the significance of threatening processes are central to the effective conservation and management of wildlife. The island state of Tasmania, Australia, is home to two of the three extant subspecies of common wombat Vombatus ursinus ursinus and V. u. tasmaniensis, both endemic to the state. We provide a comprehensive conservation assessment of both subspecies in Tasmania, providing information on distribution and habitat, population trends and incidence of roadkill. Wombats are widespread in Tasmania, occurring in most vegetation communities, but particularly in agricultural areas, dry eucalypt forests and woodlands, and grasslands. Wombat roadkills are widespread along most major roads, with the interaction of traffic speed and wombat density likely to be one of the main causes of wombat roadkill along roads with low traffic volume. Despite this, and other factors that impact wombats including sarcoptic mange and targeted culling, population indices from standardised spotlight surveys have increased by 2.6 times over the past 36 years for V. u. tasmaniensis on mainland Tasmania and by 4.2 times over the past 27 years for V. u. ursinus on Flinders Island. Based on IUCN criteria for distribution extent and population size and trends, neither subspecies qualifies for up-listing to Threatened. Nevertheless, because of risks to wombats (e.g. disease and roadkill) ongoing monitoring and research into effective mitigation is warranted.
Keywords: bare-nosed wombat, habitat, IUCN criteria, mange prevalence, monitoring, roadkill, Sarcoptes scabiei, spotlight survey, Threatened, wildlife populations.
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