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Transcript
Restoring the Balance - managing wildlife in modified ecosystems Wild about Welfare RSPCA seminar 22 March 2016 Managing parks and reserves Parks and reserves • Parks Victoria manages 2988 parks across 4.1 million hectares (18% of Victoria) • 139 areas managed under the National Parks Act covering 3.45 million hectares (84% of total area) • Of the 1405 native species of fauna that have been recorded in Victoria, 1,102 (78%) are recorded in Victoria’s parks network • Of the 306 listed rare and threatened fauna species that have been recorded in Victoria, 277 (91%) are recorded in Victoria's parks network • Of the 1857 listed rare and threatened flora species recorded in Victoria, 646 (90%) are recorded in Victoria’s parks network Conservation planning Structured process for planning using international standard: • identifying the key ecological assets in a landscape • determining their current and desired condition • assessing threats • developing and prioritising actions to address the threats. • Monitoring and evaluation are incorporated to enable effectiveness of management actions to be measured and to adapt management based on learnings. Managing threats • Effort is directed to minimise threatening processes that are having the greatest impact on the most significant conservation values • These threats include: ‒ weeds (competition, displacement) ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ pest animals (predation, competition, overgrazing/browsing) non-compliance from illegal activities inappropriate fire frequency and intensity inappropriate watering regimes visitor impacts over-grazing or browsing from overabundant native fauna Native animals – Overabundance problems • Populations may increase until there are insufficient food resources • Leads to mortality ‒ from starvation, often associated with extremes of climate (winter cold or summer vegetation die-off ) ‒ disease spread through congregation and faecal matter • Degradation of habitats through: ‒ overgrazing/browsing , trampling ‒ competition or displacement, • Impacts on agricultural or cultural assets, or human health and safety Overabundant native animals - causes • Native wildlife populations become overabundant due to environmental factors ‒ legacy of previous land uses (eg vegetation clearance) ‒ fragmentation of habitat (may limit ranging behaviour) ‒ increased food and water availability (eg from agricultural improvements) ‒ absence of natural regulation of populations by predators (human, dingo) • Compounding factors ‒ park ecosystems are in long term recovery from previous land uses ‒ climate change is increasing the impact of other threats Parks Victoria intervenes only when wildlife populations are: • suffering as a result of confinement or habitat loss • threatening the survival of rare or threatened species or communities; • a major contributor to serious environmental damage or long-term degradation of habitat; • a major factor preventing habitat recovery • impacting on agricultural values, and support is required for the management of wildlife populations occurring across land tenure Interventions • Management options include: ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ deterrents exclusion translocation fertility control lethal control • Options are assessed according to effects on: ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ welfare of treated animals welfare of untreated animals habitat degradation other significant flora or fauna values human health feasibility Interventions • Intervention undertaken using standards: ‒ formal code of practice (ie for humane shooting of kangaroos) ‒ methods developed during research trials ‒ methods developed with guidance from welfare and species experts ‒ for performance • Species subject to management include: ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ koala macropods birds (galah, miner) long spined sea urchin Planning and implementation Problem identification Monitoring, evaluation and review Technical assessment (survey) of population size & habitat impacts Implementation (to specified standards) Assessment of management alternatives Stakeholder engagement Oversight of, and advice on assessments by Kangaroo Technical Advisory Committee Submission of plan to DELWP Overabundant native species across parks network Case Study – Mount Eccles koalas Annual program for the in-situ contraception of koalas: • To improve ecosystem health of the 6000 hectares of Coastal Manna Gum Woodland in the Mount Eccles National Park • To maintain a sustainable and healthy koala population Project history: • Commenced 1998 (following crashes at Framlingham Forest, Snake Island and Westernport) • Population surveys and tree condition assessment • Commenced large scale translocation program (with surgical sterilisation) to sites assessed as suitable habitat • Advice on management and monitoring design from koala experts (Koala Technical Advisory Committee) • Program overseen by vets Mount Eccles koalas - outcomes • Monitoring showed unacceptable rates of mortality for surgically sterilised and translocated animals, and that health and survival outcomes were dependent on habitat quality • Translocation program was ceased • Contraceptive implant program developed and trialled • Since 2004, 4613 female koalas have been implanted • Captured koalas health assessed by vets • Monitor any injuries sustained as part of capture and data used to help train staff and respond appropriately to koala behaviour • Tree condition stabilised: tree mortality and canopy decline stabilised • Population stabilised, but have not reached density targets, that would ensure sustainable and ongoing koala health. • Program reviewed annually by expert committee Koala population trend 1997 - 2015 Tree health • 2014 assessment shows Manna Gum condition continues to be generally poor. • 30% of trees assessed (n.959) were dead or dying. • Defoliation levels of greater than 50% occurred in 62% of trees assessed. • Despite this, overall tree condition has improved since the 2012 study. • Mean foliage cover has increased from 20.4% in 2012 to 23.6% in 2014 • canopy area has increased from 25.9 m² to 47.9 m² • leaf area / ha has increased from 1,079 to 1,979 m²/ha Case Study – Mallee parks Western Grey and Red Kangaroo population management: • To improve ecosystem health of the 170,000 hectares of threatened and grazing sensitive communities (semi-arid woodland and floodplain vegetation communities) • To maintain healthy and ecologically sustainable kangaroo population levels that are not subject to boom-bust cycles (kangaroo management is a component of a total grazing management plan, also dealing with rabbits and goats) Project history: • History of boom-bust kangaroo population cycles monitored since the 1970’s. • Impacts of high kangaroo population densities occur even when rabbits densities are held low • Target population density set to allow sufficient grassy biomass to persist, and so that tree seedlings are not browsed 5 1972 1973 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Density Estime (kangaroos/km²) Western grey kangaroo population density – Wyperfeld NP 1972-2014 50 45 40 Kangaroo management commences 35 30 25 20 15 10 Central Wyperfeld Pine Plains 0 Mallee parks - outcomes • Ground shooting assessed to be only feasible and humane method • Commenced 1990 in Hattah-Kulkyne, 1998 in Wyperfeld, and 2001 in Murray-Sunset • Employ shooters that are tested to comply with accuracy standards • PV authorised officers accompany shooters and control shooting • Protocols to minimise the risk of orphaning joeys • Data collected on accuracy, age class and sex • Program reviewed annually by expert committee • Open houses held with public to discuss restoration goals and actions Results • Surface erosion has been stabilised, cover of perennial grasses has improved and there are some signs of natural recovery are now being seen in the recruitment of the key woody species Conclusion • In some ecosystems, subject to a number of stresses that cannot be directly addressed, the direct and ongoing management of wildlife populations is unavoidable • In these situations management involves difficult trade-offs between the different values we are entrusted to protect • We engage with experts to help make decisions about what to do, and how best to do it • We collect data that will help us evaluate our approach and are willing to improve our methods based on evidence