Application for Scientific Permit - Available for Public Comment
Public comment on the following application for a Scientific Research (Fauna) Permit is open until 30th August 2024.
Applicant: NRM North (Northern Tasmanian Natural Resource Management Association Inc.)
Species/Taxon: All bird and frog species within the survey area
Location: The survey area is on Crown Land currently under a lease for agricultural purposes, adjacent to the North Esk River at Ravenswood, northern Tasmania
Title of research: Baseline Bird and Frog Surveys of a Trial Wetland Restoration Site on the North Esk River Floodplain
Aim of project: Field surveys for birds and frogs form part of a package of surveys and desktop research to be undertaken to provide a Baseline Ecosystem Inventory for a proposed wetland restoration project. The outcomes of the surveys, together with baseline data collection and analysis for other biophysical parameters, will inform the design of restoration works at the site. Specifically, results will:
• enable the restoration design to take into account existing biota utilising the site and nearby areas, in order to retain, enhance and/or create habitat for the native species (including threatened species) present or which may be expected to migrate from surrounding areas;
• provide a baseline for future comparison of presence/absence, recovery and habitat utilisation of a restored peri-urban wetland by frog and bird species.
Justification: The project and associated baseline and follow-up data will provide a valuable case study in wetland restoration, as there are few examples in Australia of freshwater intertidal wetland restoration projects. Where possible, the restored wetland area will include appropriate public access infrastructure (e.g. walking trails) that will facilitate community education and awareness of the value of wetlands and the fauna dependent on them.
The surveys will establish a baseline for fauna at the site, to enable assessment of the progress of restoration efforts over time and benefits to native (including threatened) species. The least-invasive survey techniques that will provide sufficient and appropriate data will be utilised.
Maximum likely numbers of individuals involved: The number of individuals of any species that will be recorded is not able to be predicted prior to commencing surveys. The survey regime for birds is twice monthly (dawn and dusk) for 2-3 hours, together with passive acoustic recording for a 3-week period. For frogs, daytime ground surveys will be undertaken on two consecutive days, plus passive listening and playback surveys undertaken on four occasions after dusk, with playback being undertaken for 15 minutes at each of three sites on each occasion.
Activities undertaken and methods: Surveys for bird species that are readily detectable by observation will be undertaken at monthly intervals for 12 months. Surveys will be undertaken at dawn and dusk by two experienced observers traversing on foot a fixed survey route through the study area.
In Spring 2024, three passive acoustic monitoring devices will be deployed within the study area for a three-week period. Target species for acoustic monitoring include masked owl and Australasian bittern. Recordings will be analysed for target species using recogniser software.
Surveys for frog species will be undertaken in November-December 2024, which captures the peak calling period for most frog species likely to inhabit the study area. Multiple survey methods will be employed, to increase the likelihood of detecting all species present, and in order to establish a measure of relative abundance. Methods to be utilised are: (1) daytime ground surveys, undertaken on foot by walking slowly along the edge of standing waterbodies listening for the calls and observing for basking frogs; (2) acoustic recording - the same recordings taken from the passive acoustic devices used to detect birds will be analysed for frog calls; and (3) listening and playback surveys after dusk, with observers undertaking passive listening for 30 minutes, followed by 15 minutes of playing the recorded calls of target frogs and listening for and recording responses.
Fate of animals: Animals will not be trapped, handled or removed from their environment. The frequency and duration of playback surveys for frogs has been designed to ensure minimal disruption or alteration of individuals’ behaviour in response to the presence of an unexpected breeding call. At the conclusion of each survey event, all surveyed animals will continue to inhabit their environment as before.
Likely impact on species involved (including any by-catch): The potential impact on the majority of target and non-target species will be limited to minor and short-term disturbance while observers traverse the area to undertake surveys. The use of playback surveys may affect the behavioural responses of target frog species in the short term, and the survey regimes including frequency and duration of playback surveys have been designed in line with established survey guidelines for the target species, to reduce any impact to a negligible level.