Ronda Green, BSc(Hons) PhD. Opening remarks

Major points from the talk:

Australia is the only continent with all three of Earth’s major groups of mammals. Most of Australia’s songbirds belong to families unique to Australia and New Guinea, including some of the world’s most primitive families, and songbirds may have originated here. Australia has more skinks, more pythons, and more venomous snakes than anywhere else in the world, and many other differences

So Australia’s different to the rest of the world. What about us, here in the seQld-ne-NSW region?

Much of Australia is flat and dry with infertile soils. Our own part is relatively hilly, well-watered and fertile, partly due to past volcanics, and with a fairly even climate: not roasting in summer or freezing in winter. We have the third highest diversity of plants and animals anywhere in Australia, including the highest diversity of mammals in Australia, one of Australia’s highest diversities of frogs and of birds, including most of Australia’s raptors, and one of the highest diversities of earthworms and land snails of Gondwanan ancestry.

We have southern species that reach their northern limits in neNSW/seQld and northern species that reach their southern limits in neNSW/seQld. Some migrate here regularly from north or south, others occasionally when conditions are bad out west. Some are restricted to our region. We have the icon species - kangaroos, koalas, platypus, the big and spectacular such as wedge-tailed eagles, sea-eagles, goannas and carpet pythons, also one of Australia’s four birds of paradise and much much more.

We humans are very fortunate to have ready access to so many areas to view and enjoy this marvelous diversity of habitats and the wildlife therein. And although some of us who live here get so used to them, visitors find even the common behaviours fascinating - the hopping of kangaroos, the pouch babies of marsupials generally, the bower-building by bowerbirds, the mound-building by brush-turkeys ….. Even for those of us familiar with these phenomena, there is much yet to learn about them. Then there is the weird courtship dance of our local bird of paradise, the marvelous mimicry of the lyrebird, the zealous mating behaviour of our carnivorous marsupials, the electrical-impulse foraging of the platypus, and many mysteries of behaviour and ecology that at present we understand very poorly. Some we can see very readily. Others take more patience. Human history extends back thousands of years here, and the long-term inhabitants have many stories involving wildlife, such as the story of the mortally-wounded goanna who returned from an important battle to die at home on what we now know as Mt Maroon(“maroon” = “goanna”).

This very special region is ours to enjoy to the full and protect well into the future

The following was quoted from the Australian Natural Resources Atlas:

[South East Queensland] ‘…contains one of the highest rates of population growth in Australia. The overall condition of the bioregion is ranked as fair, requiring significant intervention … to prevent further decline in biodiversity values...
There are 216 species listed as threatened in the bioregion, two that are considered extinct, 66 endangered and 148 vulnerable. The general trend of populations of the threatened species is declining.’

‘…Off-park conservation for species and ecosystem recovery
Within South East Queensland, priority groups for species and ecosystem recovery are identified as coastal heath lands, dry rainforest, reptiles, and rainforest frogs.

…Data gaps and research priorities
Major gaps in information include ecological and life history data particularly of the large numbers of threatened species, and systematic fauna surveys on private land.’

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Barry Davies. Background to Biodiversity

Barry presented a talk on the geological history, especially the formation of the local ranges by the eruption of the giant shiled volcanos from about 25 million years ago to 23 million years ago, and explained how the different kinds of volcanic rock form different soils which tend to support different kinds of vegetation. The two major rock types are basalt, which weathers into deep, nutrient-rich soils and tends to support rainforest, and rhyolite, which forms shallower soils with less nutrients, and tends to support open forest. Barry also introduced the different kinds of rainforest and other vegetation types in the region.

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Ronda Green, BSc(Hons) PhD. Mammals of the Scenic Rim

In the early days of mammals on Earth there were three main groups, reproducing in three different ways. Many laid eggs. Many gave birth to tiny youngsters with mouths and arms and little else viewed from the outside: they latched onto the mother’s teat, which swelled inside and continued development safe inside her pouch. The third group kept their babies inside their wombs much longer, and gave birth at a more developed stage: babies could detach from the teat between feeds, and a pouch was not needed. These, the placental mammals, are the most common types now found all over the world.

In the days when Australia, Antarctica and South America were still joined, monotremes (egg-layers) and marsupials roamed all 3 continents. When they split, monotremes and marsupials remained in Australia and New Guinea, Antarctica froze over, and South America gained placentals but lost monotremes. Australia and New Guinea soon gained bats from the north, and later rodents. Today they are the only countries to still have all three major groups of mammals.

So, what about our own little part of Australia?

Our local native placentals are rodents and bats (dingoes are not truly native, having been brought here by humans about 3000 years ago)

A bat is a bat is a bat. Or is it? Bats are not interchangeable, even within families

We have both major groups of bats here:

Macrobats (fruitbats and relatives, large, nectar- and fruit eating, no echo-location

Microbats (small, insectivorous, echo-locating)

 

Macrobats include:

• Grey-headed flying fox Like other fruitbats, they roost in trees, sometimes in large colonies, flying off at dusk to seek flowers and fruits
• Black flying fox. Largest of our fruitbats. Primarily a northern species, reaching its southern limits around this region
• Little red flying fox. Nectar forms a higher part of its diet than other flying foxes, and it is more nomadic
• Two small megabats (their anatomy and lack of echolocation still relates them to the megabats rather than the microbats):
• The eastern tube-nosed bat, which eats mainly eats fruits, especially figs and quandongs,
• The tiny common blossom bat, which eats nectar for energy and pollen for protein

Microbats include (information largely from Strahan's Australian Mammals and the Uni of Qld's website on Lamington NP):

• Eastern broad-nosed bat Scotorepens orion. A southern species, east of the Great Divide, reaching its northern limit here . Tall wet forests, nests in hollows. Not much known of its habits
• Greater broad-nosed bat Scotorepens ruepellii Most of Qld and NSW coastal mountains. Along creeks in all kinds of forest, Eats large beetles and sometimes other small bats
• Large forest bat Vespadelus darlingtoni. Restricted to mountain forests of southeast coastal Australia. Northern limit here, common in in rainforests of Border Ranges. Better able than other local bats to withstand cold and keep hunting insects on winter evenings
• Little forest bat Vespadelus vulturnus. Similar distribution. Northern limit here, in open forests of Border Ranges. Sometimes catches large insects in its wings. Doesn’t forage in very cold weather
• Southern forest bat. Vespadelus regulus. Similar distribution but also in WA, and in more open and lowland forests. Better able than other local bats to withstand cold and keep hunting insects on winter evenings - especially likes moths
• Eastern cave bat Vespadelus troughtoni. Northeastern species. South limit is central NSW coast. Dry forests and woodlands, roosts in caves. Widespread but few records
• Large-footed myotis Myotis adversus.Northern and eastern coastal Australia.Males have harems, and often bear scars of fights with other males.Swoop over water catching aquatic insects in their large toes
• Eastern false pipistrelle Falsistrellus tasmaniensis. South eastern coastal Australia, northern limit seQld. Not much known of its habits, but seen to roost in eucalypts
• Chocolate wattled bat Chalinolobus morio. Southern and eastern Australia, some inland. Wide range of habitats. Can feed when too cold for other bats
• Gould’s wattled bat Chalinolobus gouldii. Throughout Australia. Wide range of forests, woodlands and shrublands. Generally forage below tree canopy, sometimes close to ground
• Large-eared pied bat Chalinolobus dwyeri. Mostly drier forests and woodlands. Central coastal Qld to se NSW, including west of Great Divide. Roosts in caves, forages under canopy
• Gould’s long-eared bat Nyctophilus gouldi. Flies slowly, foraging in dense understorey along creek banks
• Common bentwing bat Miniopterus schreibersii. Entire length of east coast FNQ - Vic, also coastal NT. Large colonies in caves. Feeds above the tree canopy of forested valleys
• Little bentwing bat Miniopterus australis. Northeast coastal Australia, southern limit ne NSW. Forages beneath the canopy in eucalypt forest and rainforest. Roosts in caves
• Eastern horseshoe bat Rhinolophus megaphyllus. Lives in rainforests and eucalypt forests and woodlands. Hunts under the canopy along water-courses
• Golden-tipped bat Kerivoula papuensis. Eastern coastal strip of Australia and New Guinea. Gleans insects and spiders from leaves and webs while hovering close. Sometimes roosts in yellow-throated scrubwren nest. Over 80 years without a sighting until extensive trapping with harp traps began.

Native rodents here, as in all of Australia, all belong to the mouse-and-rat family. Local ones include:

• Melomys: 2 local species:fawnfooted (rainforest) and grassland (open forests, grasslands)
  Mosaic pattern on tails. Eat seeds,insects, fruit: powerful teeth. Very good climbers
• Bush rat Rattus fuscipes : Its ancestors were relatively recent arrivals from New Guinea probably about 1 million years ago). Related to the Asian rats imported from Europe
• Swamp rat Rattus lutreolus : Needs dense understorey, ,especially grasses and reeds along watercourses - vegetation needs up to 5 years recovery time after burning or heavy grazing. Smaller eyes and ears and shorter tail than other local native rodentts. Sometimes active by day
• Hastings River mouse: Extremely rare species of native mouse. Almost reaches its northern limit here, and has been found in Lamington NP. Prefers dense vegetation near water
• Eastern chestnut mouse: Coastal Qld and northern NSW, usually in vegetation near water. Often out-competed by swamp-rat in very dense vegetation, increases numbers in regrowth. Eats seeds (especially of grasses), insects and fungi
• Australasian Water rat: Often active by day, more so at sunset. Otter-like, with lovely sleek hair (but smells of rotten fish). Mostly feeds in water , eating fish, crustaceans and other aquatic creatures, but does sometimes emerge to seek small lizards and other land animals

Marsupials

There are still about 70 marsupial species in South and Central America (all in the opossum family, quite different from our possums) but only Australia and New Guinea have such a high proportion (~50%) of mammal species represented by marsupials and only Australia has such a diversity of families

Marsupials of Australia (those in bold occur in our region):

• Notoryctemorphia - marsupial ‘mole’
• Macropodidae - kangaroos.wallabies and kin
• Potoridae - potoroos and kin
• Phalangeridae - brushtail possums and kin
• Acrobatidae - feathertail glider
• Tarsipedidae - honey possum
• Pseudocheiridae - ringtail possum and kin
• Petauridae - sugar/ glider and kin
• Burramyidae - pigmy possums
• Peramelidae - bandicoots and bilbies
• Peroryctidae - spiny bandicoots
• Phascolarctidae - koala
• Vombatidae - wombat
• Myrmecobiidae - numbat
• Dasyuridae - carnivorous marsupials

 

Macropodidae - kangaroos.wallabies and kin

Eastern grey kangaroo. The world’s second largest marsupial. Highly social - small groups often congregate into large feeding crowds. Feed primarily on grass

Whiptail (‘pretty-face’) wallaby. FNQ to ne NSW. Social - move around in small groups. Feed primarily on grass. Long thin tail held high when hopping

Red-necked wallaby. Most common wallaby of eastern Australia, and the first Australian mammal to be taken to England. Fairly solitary. Feed primarily on grass

Swamp wallaby. Not closely related to other wallabies. Usually stays in or near dense low vegetation by day. East coast from FNQ to Vic

Brushtailed rock-wallaby. The first rock wallaby to be named by early white settlers
Originally abundant and in many habitats along the east coast from se Qld to Vic. Now a threatened species, mostly on high rocky slopes. Hunting, especially in the 1800s, habitat clearing and introduced predators have caused the decline

Red-necked pademelon. Largely a forest edge species, and regularly leaves the forest to graze on grasses from mid- to late afternoon, through the night and in the early morning.

Red-legged. Leaves the forest less readily, and tends to stick closer to the edge when it does so

 

Potoridae - potoroos and kin

Rufous bettong. In a different family to wallabies and kangaroos, but a closely related one. Smaller, and with more primitive features. Prefers eucalypt forests and woodlands with grassy or sparsely-shrubby understorey. Doesn’t emerge till well after dark.

Long-nosed potoroo. Related to bettongs. One of the first marsupials to be described by European settlers, very common then. Now much rarer. Needs large tracts of forest. Its diggings seen more often than animals itself: similar to bandicoot diggings but larger. They eat underground fruiting bodies of fungi, roots, fruit, flowers, seeds and insects and their larvae. They carry grasses in their tails for their nests. A major habitat need is low shrubbery, whether heathland or under forest. Changes to habitat and fire regimes and feral predators are the main threats. Threats to potoroos can threaten forest health, as they are important dispersers of fungi that assist uptake of nutrient by trees - more on this later (talk on ecvological interactions)

Phalangeridae - brushtail possums and kin

Common brushtail. Very adaptable in habitat and diet, and so common we often take it for granted, but visitors seeing it with news eyes call it a ‘very beautiful animal.’ Like all our possums, it is more closely related to koalas and kangaroos than to the opossums of the Americas

Bobuck (short-eared or mountain brishtail). Darker than the common brushtail, and with smaller ears.. Confined to tall, dense forests (eucalypt and rainforest), but common in many areas.. Eat leaves, flowers, fruits, often forage on ground

 

 

Acrobatidae - feathertail glider

Smallest of all gliders. Gliding membrane from elbows to knees

Pseudocheiridae - ringtail possum and kin

Common ringtail possum. Very adaptable in habitat type, less so in feeding than common brushtail, being more restricted to a diet of leaves. Makes a leafy nest

Greater glider. Largest of all gliders. The only mammal other than the koala which has a diet primarily of eucalypt leaves

Yellow-bellied glider. Rarest of the gliders. Prefers tall eucalypt forest with moist understorey. Restricted diet: mostly sap, honeydew, manna nectar. . Bites out small pieces of bark to let sap flow. Shrieks loudly to advertise its territorial boundaries

Petauridae - sugar glider and kin

Squirrel and sugar gliders. Two very similar species. Squirrel glider is larger, and never has white tail-tip. Eat nectar, pollen, insects and sap. Like many Australian mammals, they need hollow trees for nesting. Gliding membrane stretched from wrist to ankle

Burramyidae - pigmy possums

Pigmy possum. Smallest of all possums. Southeastern Australia. At Lamington, northern most limit of its habitat range.Uses claws as small nails to climb. Rainforests and eucalypt forests. Feeds mostly on nectar and pollen, also some soft fruits or insects. Nest in extremely small holes in trees. One of five marsupials known to truly hibernate, using its tail to store fat during hibernation. The longest hibernation season in one individual lasted for 367 days, providing new evidence that prolonged hibernation is not restricted to placental mammals living in the cold. It used a fortieth of the energy it used when awake. This ability probably helps it survive lean times in Australia's unpredictable climate.

Peramelidae - bandicoots and bilbies

Twp local species of bandicoot: northern brown and long-nosed. The bandicoots are intermediate between the carnivorous marsupials and the herbivorous marsupials, not only in diet but in anatomy. They have teeth similar to the carnivorous group, but also have the 2nd and 3rd toes of hind foot joined, as do possums, koala, kangaroos etc.

Phascolarctidae - koala

One of Australia’s best-loved animals, still quite common in many of the eucalypt forests of our region. But their specialized diet - not just any old gum-tree will do - makes them vulnerable to change, and dogs and cars are constant threats

Dasyuridae - carnivorous marsupials

Spotted-tailed quoll. The largest remaining native mammalian predator in mainland Australia, but threatened by habitat clearing, feral animals, disease and cane toads. They still exist in and around Lamington NP, and- surprisingly - some southern suburbs of Brisbane. There is effort underway to gather as much information as possible about local quolls - see the WPSQ stand outside today

Brushtailed phascogale. Another local predatory marsupial, about squirrel size, hunts in trees and on ground
Mostly in open forests. Another local predatory marsupial, about squirrel size, hunts in trees and on ground. Mostly in open forests. Energetic fighting and mating in early spring, after which all males die.

Antechinuses. Yellow-footedmost common in open forests. Brown and subtropical - mostly rainforest. Dusky - forests and heaths with dense low vegetation. Like other small carnivorous marsupials, the males go into a frenzy of territorial disputes in early spring, and copulation takes several hours. About three weeks later, all males are dead and the female lives on to raise he brood, sometimes surviving for a second season.

Common dunnart. Grassy open forests and woodlandsNot easy to catch in conventional cage-traps or pitfalls - need 60cm deep pitfalls to prevent them jumping straight out

Common planigale. Our smallest carnivorous marsupial, with a kangaroo-style pouch. Almost the world’s smallest marsupial. Eucalypt forests and woodlands, often amongst blady or kangaroo grass. Essentially a northern, coastal species, extending to ne NSW

 

Monotremes (egg'layer)

Echidna. Hardly less strange than the platypus, but not as famous - people tend to see it just as an odd kind of hedgehog or porcupine, neither of which lay eggs or develop pouches, and belong to totally unrelated groups of mammals. Very wide range of habitats, and research has found the only consistent feature is ground cover (low vegetation, long grass and/or logs/rocks). Eats termites and ants. They are still reasonably common in some parts of our Shire, apparently disappearing from others, although their food would appear abundant

Platypus. Arguably the world’s strangest mammal. Odd-looking, milk-giving, egg-laying, rubbery bill sensitive to electricity, venomous spur, remarkable digging capability, high REM sleep … In local mountain streams there appear to be approximately a pair of platypus every kilometre or so, but it can take some patient time sitting quietly to see them. Threats: pollution, bank disturbance, foxes, machinery, nets.

Quoting Steve Van Dyck, curator of mammals, Qld Museum (from “Wildlife of Greater Brsibane”) “At a time when the value of freshwater has never before been so carefully considered, heaven forbid that we underrate our responsibility to conserve a biological treasure like the platypus, which is so dependent on the same resource”

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Barry Davies. Birds of the Scenic Rim

Why are we so rich in species?

Varied habitats
Rainforest – temperate, sub-tropical and dry
Open forests – wet and dry sclerophyll
Woodlands
Heath
Grasslands
Rivers
Wetlands

Niche separation

Within each habitat there are many micro-habitats that provide opportunities for the species that have evolved to exploit those opportunities.
Eg. Treecreepers feed on invertebrates in bark by working their way up trees. Sittellas do the same but they work their way down the tree.

Why are they so beautiful?

Sexual selection

Where to find rainforest birds in the Scenic Rim region

Binna Burra
O’Reilly’s
Other parts of Lamington NP
Tamborine Mountain
Christmas Creek
Richmond Gap
Lever’s Plateau
Mt Barney
Peaks of the Great Dividing Range

Wetlands

• Nindooinbah Dam
• Fred Bucholz Dam
• Farm Dams
• Ephemeral lakes
• Rivers

[This talk was illustrated by a wonderful array of bird photos]

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Ed Meyer. Reptiles and Amphibians of the Scenic Rim

Ed spoke on the diversity of reptiles and frogs in the region, including locally endemic species such as the hip pocket frog, the male of which keeps the eggs and tadpoles in a 'pocket' in his hip. Ed will be presenting a repeat of his talk, which was illustrated with some great photos, during the Wildlife Expo in September 2008.

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Susana Heraud. National Landscapes

Tourism Australia’s Global Marketing Focus: To increase the active intention for travel to Australia

The opportunity lies in mobilising a clearly defined target audience: The Global Experience Seeker

Who are they?

Well educated, interesting, open-minded, sparky people who actively enjoy their lives
Motivated by opportunities for personal growth and self-fulfillment
‘Doers’ not just talkers
Opinion leaders and advocates within their social circle
Search for new experiences they can ‘brag’ about
Demanding and discerning about brands and communication
A global target audience united by values, attitudes and motivations in life, far beyond travel

What are they looking for?

Travel to experience the differences rather than the similarities - look for contrast
Want to absorb and get involved in the culture – interact and do, not just see the sights
Take an active interest in how others live their day to day lives
Seek knowledge – new information, angles, insights

A global target audience who travel to enjoy new and different experiences

What do they think of Australia?

A ‘nice to have’ not a ‘need to have’
Driven by icons
No compelling reason to visit now
However:
The Australian personality is clearly defined – open, real, genuine, down to earth and welcoming

The brand is positive but stagnant for them

How do we change their minds?

A need to communicate a sense of ‘new news’
Bring the brand to life
Deliver an experience they can be involved in rather than just observe
Focus on the inextricable link between the Australian personality and the physical environment

Why Nature?

• One of the key Product Truths that Australia offers
• Gives us a unique competitive advantage
• Australia is a recognised leader in eco/sustainable practices
• Provides great opportunity to showcase destinations and products – both natural and built
• Demonstrated consumer demand for Australia’s natural assets

Challenges

Icon driven
Static, not active, not immersive
Need for new-news
Mono-dimensional, ie need to combine variety of experiences
Need a better understanding of key markets and how to respond to their needs, eg. importance of promoting our wildlife

National Landscapes: an opportunity…

To go beyond the icons
To provide immersive, involving experiences
To provide new-news
To combine variety of experiences
To respond to consumers’ needs and expectations

 

National Landscapes Concept

Around the world the term ‘National Park’ is a prime brand name for tourism“National Parks” are few and significant

But in Australia we have 7719 protected areas

National Landscapes

Natural or cultural places that…
Can be a major draw card for the Experience Seeker
Have existing or proposed management arrangements to ensure the appropriate development of tourism products and services
Have a capacity to respond to or stimulate consumer demand
Have the potential for iconic imagery
Have the capacity to cater for manageable visitor levels

Limited number – to ensure
Message/concept is not diluted
Chosen destinations are really outstanding

They are not a physical icon – they are a region, eg.
Not Uluru ‡ Red Centre
Not Great Barrier Reef ‡ Tropical North Queensland
Marketing boundaries

e,g,

Red Centre, Northern Territory…an Experience Boundary

A Partnership Between Conservation & Tourism

International and nationalbranding and marketing of the selected exceptional national icons

Enhance the role of national parks in regional economies and foster a multi-tenure coordinated approach to regional tourism development

A catalyst for regional tourism planning:

destination branding
infrastructure
visitor information
enterprise development
employment programs

How the model works

• Discussion on a potential landscape
• Regional support and discussion
• Formal designation of a landscape
• Destination branding
• Tourism Master Plan
• Interpretation
• Public infrastructure
• Commercial developments
• Employment and training
• Signage
• Marketing & Promotion

Milestone Dates
Letter of Agreement between Parks Australia and Tourism Australia 24 Oct 2005
Reference Committee formed Feb 2006
Key Documents developed May – Oct 06
Presentation and discussion of concept at various forums May – Nov 06
Selection criteria discussion Jun – Nov 06
Launch of concept at Tourism Futures Conference Dec 06
First National Landscape – Red Centre Dec 06
Collateral and online information developed Dec 06
Workshops in Red Centre, Flinders Ranges, Australian Alps, Great Ocean Road and Mt Warning/Tweed Apr-Dec 07
Launch of Australia’s (first) 6 National Landscapes – Kakadu; Red Centre; Flinders Ranges; GOR; Australian Alps; Mt Warning. Jun 08 - ATE

Mt Warning Wollumbin Caldera National Landscape

Uniqueness
Contains world’s second largest volcano erosion crater
World’s largest remaining stands of subtropical rainforest
Large diversity of birds and reptiles in Australia – many endemic species
Attractiveness
Spectacular scenery: rainforests, waterfalls, abundant flora and fauna
Broad range of nature-based activities: bushwalking, river cruises, deep-sea fishing, whale watching, touring (Rainforest Way)
Accessibility
Close to major hubs/airports
Good infrastructure available
Sustainability
NL a catalyst for Master Planning to ensure appropriate visitor levels and adequate development of tourism products and services.

What’s in it for the region?

Become part of a select group of Landscapes/regions in Australia
Direct support from TA
Destination branding
Experiences audit - gaps

Be part of marketing activities undertaken by TA
Online/website
Media, VJP, PR
Trade: ASP, trade events

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Geoff Warne. Artificial glow worm caves - taking the pressure off National Parks

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Peter Kuttner. A catalogue of biodivesrsity of Mt Tamborine

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Ronda Green. Ecological roles and interactions of wildlife species

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Please contact darren.platypuscorner@bigpond.com for queries and comments on the website