Application for Scientific Permit – Available for Public Comment
Public comment on the following application for a Scientific Research (Fauna) Permit is open until 5 August.
Species/Taxon:
Mammals
Location:
Peter Murrell Reserves (State Reserve and Conservation Area)
Title of research:
Mammal community responses to planned burning regimes
Aim of project:
To investigate how mammal communities respond to planned burning regimes
Justification:
Managers of reserved land require information on how wildlife respond to fire to develop fire regimes for reserved land for the purposes of ecosystem management and asset protection. There are few empirical studies in Tasmania that have monitored how wildlife responds to fire planned and unplanned) in Tasmania, where we have species that are endemic to Tasmania or are now uncommon on mainland Australia. Wildlife specialists typically provide this advice to land managers based on fauna habitat studies and/or studies conducted on mainland Australia.
The results of this study will be provided to land managers and wildlife specialists to help inform the use of planned burning for wildlife conservation.
Maximum likely numbers of individuals involved:
The maximum number of individuals recorded on camera is not known because individual animals cannot be easily determined from camera images. Over the course of our previous surveys the number of visits to cameras per week are:
Long-nosed potoroo = 11
Rufous-bellied pademelon = 19
Red-necked wallaby = 2
Brush-tailed possum = 2
Southern brown bandicoot = 1
Eastern barred bandicoot = 1
Several other ground-dwelling mammal species have also been recorded at less than 1 visit per week, including non-native species (e.g. cat, dog, rat and house mouse).
Activities undertaken and methods:
Camera traps are set for a week at 32 stations in autumn and spring. Cameras are strapped to trees. A peanut butter and oat mix is placed in a pegged container in front of the camera to lure animals to the camera. Cameras are then removed and images analysed for the species of animal visiting the cameras. Vegetation density is recorded during each survey by observing the number of squares obscured by vegetation on a gridded board (1m tall, 0.5 m wide).
Previous monitoring in the reserve has indicated that the native swamp rat Rattus lutreola has disappeared from our survey areas. Additional opportunistic camera surveys using up to 10 cameras will be conducted in potential suitable habitat elsewhere in the reserve. Cameras will be deployed as described above.
Fate of animals:
Animals are not captured and are free to undertake their normal activities apart from being temporarily attracted to the bait.
Likely impact on species involved (including any by-catch):
Impact on the species involved (including birds) is limited to temporary attraction to the bait.