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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 33(8)

Powerline corridors: degraded ecosystems or wildlife havens?

Donna J. Clarke A B , Kate A. Pearce A and John G. White A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Burwood Campus, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Vic. 3125, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: djclarke@deakin.edu.au

Wildlife Research 33(8) 615-626 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR05085
Submitted: 23 September 2005  Accepted: 3 November 2006   Published: 19 December 2006

Abstract

Management of powerline corridors in Australia has traditionally focused on the complete removal of vegetation using short rotation times owing to the perceived hazard of fire associated with corridor vegetation. Because of the intense management associated with fire hazards, little thought has been given to use of powerline corridors by wildlife. This has resulted in corridors traditionally being viewed as a source of fragmentation and habitat loss within forested ecosystems. We investigated the responses of small mammal communities living in a powerline corridor to management-induced vegetation changes at different successional stages, to determine whether a compromise could be reached between managing corridors for fire and biodiversity. Habitat modelling in the corridor and adjacent forest for three native and one introduced small mammal species demonstrated that species responded to changes in vegetation structural complexity, rather than time-since-management per se. Early seral stages of vegetation recovery after corridor management encouraged the introduced house mouse (Mus domesticus) into corridors and contributed little to biodiversity. Mid-seral-stage vegetation, however, provided habitat for native species that were rare in adjacent forest habitats. As the structural complexity of the vegetation increased, the small mammal community became similar to that of the forest so that corridor vegetation contributed fewer biodiversity benefits while posing an unacceptable fire risk. If ecologically sensitive management regimes are implemented to encourage mid-seral vegetation and avoid complete vegetation removal, powerline corridors have the potential to improve biodiversity. This would maintain landscape connectivity and provide habitat for native species uncommon in the forest while still limiting fuel loads in the corridor.


Acknowledgments

We thank the Parks Victoria Research Partners Scheme and Deakin University, School of Ecology and Environment, for funding to conduct the study. Special thanks go to the Parks Victoria Rangers at the Gembrook office for their additional funds, support and interest across the study and to the many people who helped with fieldwork, especially Meghan Cullen. The statistical advice of John Aberton and Michael Scroggie was also much appreciated, as was Meghan Cullen’s review of this manuscript. We also thank two anonymous reviewers whose comments and suggestions were very much appreciated.


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