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Winter 2008 Inside… Article 1 Southern Brown Bandicoot Angela Steffensen Article 2 Fungi - An introduction Wolfgang Klein Southern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus) Bandicoots are a nationally endangered, protected species found around Australia. The two varieties most commonly found in Victoria are the Southern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus) and the Eastern Barred Bandicoot (Perameles gunnii). However, the Eastern Barred Bandicoot is now extinct in South Australia and is ‘critically endangered’ in Victoria. Description Southern Brown Bandicoots are medium sized marsupials, about the same size as small rabbits, with a long, pointed snout, small eyes, rounded ears, a compact body and sparsely furred short, short thin tail approximately half of the body length. Their forelegs are shorter than their hind legs and they have curved claws used for digging for food. Their body is covered with coarse brown fur, with a softer creamy-white underbelly. Males are generally larger than the females. They were initially thought to be nocturnal, however bandicoots may be seen in late afternoon or even during the day, particularly where cover is abundant. Habitat, location and behaviour Bandicoots can be found in forests and in some suburban areas, living in tussocklike grass and feeding in lawn-type areas. By day, a bandicoot will rest in a sheltered spot, lined with grasses and leaves, on the surface of the ground, foraging at night. Conical holes in your lawn mean bandicoots have been looking for food. Solitary animals, with males being very territorial, bandicoots only come together for mating and feeding. Even young ones do not associate with their mothers for long, once weaned. Sometimes a few individuals can be seen feeding in close proximity to one another. They are most significantly threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation. Much of its remaining habitat is primarily in patches too small to be able to support large populations of bandicoots. These patches are also degraded by introduced weeds, grazing and trampling by stock, altered fire regimes, introduced plant diseases, selective clearance of understory vegetation and the construction of tracks and roads. Benefits of Bandicoots in the Garden Bandicoots are omnivorous, with a diet that includes some native fruits, berries and fungus, but basically are dependant on protein. They consume surface and soil dwelling invertebrates - earthworms, earwigs, cockroaches, crickets, grasshoppers, spiders, adult beetles, beetle larvae and pupae, moths, ants and termites. They usually dig for food but are opportunistic feeders and will also eat small mammals such as mice. National Tree Day 27 July 2008 Tree plantings will be held at four Knox reserves this year as follows: • Blind Creek Billabong Ferntree Gully • Lakewood Reserve Knoxfield • Mansons Reserve Wantirna • Rowville Lakes Rowville For planting times and further details, visit Council’s website www.knox.vic.gov.au Southern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus) (….cont’d from Page 1) For information on Environmental weeds refer to: “Environmental Weeds in Knox” or visit www.knox.vic.gov.au Other useful sites are: www.weeds.crc.org.au www.weedwarriors.net.au www.csiro.au/science/ InvasivePlants.html Bandicoots are known as the gardeners best friend. They eat cockroaches and spiders and relish the black beetle and beetle larvae (known as curl grubs) which cause die-back in suburban lawns. Brown patches in the lawn may indicate an infection of these pests. Bandicoot activity, indicated by the appearance of small conical holes in the lawn, should be a welcome sign, it means that bandicoots are at work, eating these destructive insects before they ruin your lawn! If you use pesticides, you could also poison bandicoots, as they ingest some soil while they are feeding. By digging, the animals are also aerating your lawn for free, so in the Spring, your lawn will grow back with renewed vigour. Bandicoots cause no long term damage and are beneficial to lawns and gardens. They are protected and are currently under threat due to both habitat loss and predation. If you live in a bandicoot territory and you have a suitable food source, you will have bandicoots in your yard. Once the food source has gone, they will move on. If you wish to deter bandicoots from an area in your yard, you could floodlight that particular area, as they do not like bright lights. You could also try Dynamic Lifter or chicken poo, as these products have a strong ammonia smell which most animals dislike. A combination of both bright light and smell appear to have the greatest effect as bandicoot deterrents. Breeding Breeding season is generally from early winter to summer. Nests are made of grasses which are pulled or woven together and often located under an overhang or dense thicket. They may also be found in long grass or low shrubbery in a protected spot. Females may produce two to three litters per year, each usually comprising of two or three young. With their life span of two to three years, Southern Brown Bandicoots have a potentially high reproductive output however this appears to be more than offset by a high juvenile death rate. Angela Steffensen—Knox City Council Fungi - An introduction I find autumn a wonderful relief from the hot days of summer; the onset of colder weather, rain, autumnal hues and the appearance of mushrooms. The variety of fungi growing in gardens and bushland can be substantial and is an important indication of the health of the ecosystem. The important and essential role that fungi perform in the environment is often overlooked or not understood—fungi remain a mysterious, magical if not a colourful curiosity. And of course, some fungi such as Agaricus sp. (see photo) are source of food for man and many animals and microorganisms. Fungi differ from plants because they do not contain chlorophyll (i.e. the green pigment in plants) and are unable to obtain nourishment from photosynthesis (i.e. the process by which the sun’s energy is trapped by chlorophyll and used to build up complex materials from carbon and water). Fungi are heterotrophs meaning they get their nourishment from organic substances. Fungi are extremely variable in form and successfully exploit many different habitats being very versatile in the ways they adapt to the environment. Fungi normally flourish in moist habitats where nutrient diffusion occurs freely and where membrane permeability can be maintained. They are effective scavengers and have developed a range of adaptive mechanisms for overcoming nutrient and environmental stress. For many species of fungi, vegetative growth is a slender thread-like filaments (i.e. hyphae) that grow to form a web-like mass (mycelium) spreading over and through a substrate such as organic material e.g. wood, foliage, faeces, etc. The mycelium of many fungi such as mushrooms and toadstools grow outward in search of food. Fungi produce spores to reproduce. In the southern parts of Australia, the peak fruiting time for most fungi occurs in autumn—from May to July—if good rainfall occurs whilst the soils are still warm. The fruiting part (e.g. mushrooms, toadstools, puffballs, polypores, etc) of fungi are generally observed growing above the soil or on trees, logs, etc.; however, some fungi produce fruiting parts beneath the ground (i.e. truffles). Fungi perform a very important role in the environment by nutrient cycling, particularly since many fungi are saprotrophic (i.e. live on dead organic matter) and obtain nutrients by degradation of the organic matter. Many fungi interact with plants and affect their growth in a number of ways. For example, some fungi form symbiotic associations with plants forming specialized roots known as mycorrhiza. The formation of mycorrhiza on the roots of plants such as eucalypts may result in better survival rates, greater biomass production, improved vigour and general health, and better resistance to attack by pathogenic fungi and other organisms. Mycorrhizal associations increase the productivity of plants and generally improve plant health, particularly in harsh infertile environments. Mycorrhizal associations greatly increase the area and volume of soil that a root system can exploit for water and minerals. Fungi receive water and sugars from the plant in return from this relationship. Agaricus sp Amanita Muscaria Armillaria sp. Research shows that many Australian species of plants such as Eucalypts form beneficial associations (mycorrhiza) with one or more fungi. Mycorrhizal fungi live either in roots (Endomycorrhiza) or on roots (Ectomycorrhiza). An example of a fungus that forms a mycorrhizal association with plants commonly found in the urban environment is Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric) (see photo). Be careful not to eat this fungus because it is poisonous. Australian soils are generally considered to be very old and nutrient poor (infertile). The addition of woodchips as mulch on garden beds often results in a range of fungi growing in the garden. A species that is observed growing in wood mulch is Hypholoma aurantica . The fungus breaks down (decays) the wood releasing minerals into the soil. Fungi are also important food source for our native animals e.g. Wallabies, potoroos, bandicoots and wombats. Some bird species and microorganisms e.g. Springtails, mites, snails and slugs also feed on fungi. Nothing in “nature” is wasted— everything is food for something else. Armillaria sp. Armillaria sp. Gymnopilus junonius Fungi—An introduction Sustainable City Strategy Open for public comment 24th July visit: www.knox.vic.gov.au The Field Naturalist Club of Victoria is hosting a Biodiversity Symposium on Sunday 14th September 2008.. For more details contact Mary Gibson on 9251 7466 ….continued from Page 3 Not all fungal interactions with plants are beneficial. Some fungi cause disease in plants; some fungi weaken and kill plants. According to the Department of Sustainability and Environment 2003, four species of Armillaria species have been found in Victoria. clumps (colonies) around the base of trees or stumps, or on roots. Another similar looking fungus which attacks the sapwood of dead nd living trees but rarely kills trees is Gymnopilus junonius. Gymnopilus junonius can be confused with Armillaria luteobubalina. (See photos of Armillaria and Gymnopilus) The distinguishing features between these two fungi are that Gymnopilus junonius has mustard yellow spores whereas Armillaria luteobubalina has white spores. Armillaria luteobubalina is a primary pathogen of the roots of healthy trees and can kill healthy trees, whereas the other three species of Armillaria are considered to be secondary pathogens that attack trees weakened by drought and other causes. Armillaria does not infest the soil and requires a woody food base such as tree roots stumps or a piece of infected wood in woodchips from which to infect healthy and/or stressed trees. Fungi are a fascinating kingdom to study. I hope this very brief foray into the subject of fungi may spark further interest amongst the readers of the Peregrine Post. An excellent book dealing with Australian Fungi (from which I have borrowed heavily) is Bruce Fuhrer’s 2005 A field guide to Australian Fungi Bloomings Books ISBN 1876473-51-7. The fruiting body of Armillaria luteobubalina is a toadstool which forms STOP PRESS! HAVE YOUR SAY! Congratulations to everybody! Gardens for Wildlife have over 180 participants extending habitat for our local wildlife. Now we can make a difference across the State. Importantly the valuable ecological services we take for granted are also under threat: clean air and water, pollination and pest control. The Victorian Government has released a Long-term solutions are being called for: plan for public comment – our comment. − At least a 10-fold increase in funding This “Green Paper” is a draft of Land and levels if we are to help protect and reBiodiversity at a Time of Climate Change store habitat. white paper - the basis of how Victoria man- − Plans to restore native habitat and creages its natural environment for the next 30 ate large-scale wildlife corridors to help years. species cope with climate change. Large-scale vegetation clearing combined with threats like weeds and feral animals have resulted in 44% of Victoria’s native plants being extinct or threatened and 30% of native animals extinct or threatened with extinction. Add the increasing pressures of climate change, which are expected to force many species out of their current habitat range, and it’s easy to see why Victoria’s natural environment is in urgent need of repair. Make a submission now! 5 minutes of your time could make a world of difference: a different world – it’s easy - for an online submission form and for more information visit www.victorianaturally,org.au, email [email protected], or DSE ph. 136 186. Contact & Contribution Details If you would prefer to receive this publication by email or download it from the web or for more information on any of the articles contact Nadine Gaskell on 92988579 or email [email protected] The Peregrine Post is printed on Recycled Paper