Successional changes in feeding activity by threatened cockatoos in revegetated mine sites
Tim S. Doherty A D E G , Briana N. Wingfield A F , Vicki L. Stokes B , Michael D. Craig A C , Jessica G. H. Lee A , Hugh C. Finn A and Michael C. Calver A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.
B Alcoa of Australia Ltd, Huntly mine site, WA 6208, Australia.
C School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
D School of Natural Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia.
E Current address: Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Vic. 3125, Australia.
F Current address: MWH Global, Jolimont, WA 6014, Australia.
G Corresponding author. Email: tim.doherty.0@gmail.com
Wildlife Research 43(2) 93-104 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR15053
Submitted: 12 March 2015 Accepted: 26 January 2016 Published: 11 April 2016
Abstract
Context: Provision of key habitat resources is essential for effectively managing species that have specific ecological requirements and occur in production landscapes. Threatened black cockatoos in the jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest of Western Australia have a wide range, so their conservation requires support from all land tenures, not just reserves. Mining in the jarrah forest temporarily removes cockatoo feeding habitat, so it is important to understand how cockatoos exploit revegetated areas for food resources.
Aims: We aimed to determine whether there were successional patterns in cockatoo feeding activity in revegetation aged from 4 to 23 years at three mine sites in the jarrah forest in south-western Australia.
Methods: We surveyed 232 plots in revegetation to document (1) structural and floristic variation in vegetation across mine sites and revegetation ages, (2) differences in cockatoo feeding activity across mine sites and revegetation ages on the basis of feeding residues and (3) any edge effect reflecting preferential use of vegetation at the interior or exterior of mine pits. We also documented the frequency of occurrence of cockatoo food plants and feeding residues in 480 plots in unmined forest to compare with revegetated areas.
Key results: Marri (Corymbia calophylla) and jarrah were commonly consumed in unmined forest and Banksia and Hakea species were also fed on to a lesser extent. Revegetated mine pits provided food within 4 years and continued to do so up until the oldest plots studied (23 years). The relative importance of food plants shifted from proteaceous species in young revegetation to myrtaceous species in intermediate to older revegetation. However, extent of feeding on myrtaceous species in older revegetation did not equate to feeding rates in unmined forest, with lower frequencies recorded in revegetation.
Conclusions: Black cockatoos fed in revegetation at all three mine sites, despite variations in vegetation age, structure and floristics. Feeding on proteaceous and myrtaceous food plants occurred within 4 and 7 years of revegetation being established, respectively, indicating that some food resources are restored quickly after mining disturbance of the jarrah forest.
Implications: Our results emphasise the importance of monitoring fauna recolonisation over appropriate time scales, to understand how successional processes in revegetation influence fauna population persistence in production landscapes.
Additional keywords: Calyptorhynchus, disturbance, feeding traces, jarrah forest, production landscape, restoration, revegetation, succession.
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