Garden Wildlife

Many of the clubs and societies give talks and workshops to help you learn how to encourage native wildlife in your garden. Such events happening around Qld sometimes appear in the Gardening Events Diary.

Note that native wildlife is variously protected by law. Feral animals also have issues. Please check with authorities if you have any problems or questions about dealing with wildlife in your district.

News

More habitat secured for Brisbane koalas

Brisbane City Council has added a 52 hectare property at Burbank to Brisbane's Koala Bushlands, which has grown by more than 1,000 ha during 25 years of the Bushland Acquisition Program. The recent Burbank acquisition contains a large number of mature scribbly gums, which not only provide koala food, but can be expected to provide tree hollow habitats for many species. Source: Brisbane's Koala Bushlands grows by 1,000 hectares (November, 2015)

Plan for koalas

University of Queensland researchers have studied how tree cover and roads affected koala gene flow patterns across eight local government areas in SE Queensland. They found that "genetic connectivity" dropped rapidly once forest cover fell below 30 per cent. The presence of highways also had a dramatic effect. The findings indicate that forest cover and incorporation of habitat underpasses and bridges can help urban planners accommodate the needs of koalas. Source: Better urban planning can save koalas (March 2014)

Mine rehabilitation more than plants

Functional ecosystems include both plants and animals. A study of a rehabilitated sand-mining site on North Stradbroke Island has shown that areas revegetated with the most "success" did not necessarily attract koalas. On the other hand, some areas rated much lower with respect to flora were nevertheless being used by koalas. These findings indicate that fauna should be included when assessing the success of a rehabilitation project. Source: Koalas and mine site restoration (February 2013)

How to encourage birds in the city?

Environmental researchers from The University of Queensland have released a study suggesting urban birdlife can be better supported with compact development, provided suitable habitats can be retained in the form of parks and vegetated areas. Such habitats are not generally provided by urban sprawl. Source:Building bird-friendly cities (November 2012)

Native street trees benefit birds

A "world-first" study conducted in Canberra reveals that native street trees can have a significant effect on the number and diversity of bird species in the area. Exotic tree species, while having certain landscaping advantages, are not as good as eucalypts (especially large ones) in supporting birdlife, whether by food, shelter or nesting sites. Even though some management may be required to keep large eucalypts safe in a suburban environment, the researchers urge that the benefits to biodiversity be considered in vegetation planning. This includes proactively planting young trees to replace the large trees, which will eventually succumb to age. Source: Native street trees can boost birds' survival (November 2012)