Strategic management of Aleppo Pines on Lower Eyre

CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................iii
1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 1
2 THE ALEPPO PINE ON EYRE PENINSULA ................................................................................................ 2
2.1 Ecology ........................................................................................................................................ 2
2.2 History and distribution on Eyre Peninsula................................................................................ 2
2.3 Implications for biodiversity conservation................................................................................ 3
2.3.1 Native vegetation and threatened flora.................................................................... 3
2.3.2 Interactions with native fauna ..................................................................................... 3
3 EYRE PENINSULA YELLOW-TAILED BLACK-COCKATOO ...................................................................... 4
3.1 Conservation status and distribution ........................................................................................4
3.2 The EPYTBC Habitat Recovery Project ..................................................................................... 7
3.3 Diet ............................................................................................................................................... 7
3.4 Foraging ecology ....................................................................................................................... 8
3.4.1 Habitual feeding behaviour and site fidelity.............................................................. 8
3.4.2 Learnt behaviour ........................................................................................................... 8
3.4.3 Predation ........................................................................................................................ 8
3.4.4 Nest selection.................................................................................................................8
3.4.5 <strong>Aleppo</strong> <strong>Pines</strong> as an EPYTBC food resource................................................................. 9
4 QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF EPYTBC FOOD RESOURCES ................................. 10
4.1 Quality: Nutritional analysis...................................................................................................... 10
4.1.1 Methods........................................................................................................................10
4.1.2 Results ........................................................................................................................... 11
4.2 Quantitative analysis: Estimating cone abundance and number <strong>of</strong> seeds...................... 12
4.2.1 Methods........................................................................................................................12
4.2.2 Results ........................................................................................................................... 13
5 CONE ABUNDANCE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR REVEGETATION ....................................................... 15
5.1 <strong>Aleppo</strong> Pine and hakea food resource equivalence: Revegetation scenario ................ 15
5.2 Limitations for revegetation..................................................................................................... 16
6 ALEPPO PINE MANAGEMENT ON LOWER EYRE PENINSULA............................................................. 17
6.1 Past and current control efforts .............................................................................................. 17
6.2 Implications <strong>of</strong> the Wangary Fire, January 2005 ................................................................... 17
6.2.1 Implications on <strong>Aleppo</strong> Pine abundance on lower Eyre Peninsula....................... 17
6.2.2 Impact on <strong>Aleppo</strong> Pine EPYTBC food resources ...................................................... 18
7 ALEPPO PINE SURVEY, 2005................................................................................................................. 19
7.1 Methods..................................................................................................................................... 19
7.1.1 Field survey ...................................................................................................................19
7.1.2 Identifying and assessing impacts to biodiversity values ........................................ 19
7.1.3 Setting control priorities............................................................................................... 20
7.2 Results ........................................................................................................................................ 20
7.2.1 Field survey ...................................................................................................................20
7.2.2 Desktop analysis ..........................................................................................................20
7.3 Discussion................................................................................................................................... 21
7.3.1 Protecting large remnant areas ................................................................................ 21
7.3.2 Private land .................................................................................................................. 21
8 A STRATEGIC APPROACH ................................................................................................................... 22
8.1 Criteria for <strong>Aleppo</strong> Pine control .............................................................................................. 22
8.2 Critieria for <strong>Aleppo</strong> Pine retention .......................................................................................... 22
8.3 Guidelines for stakeholders ..................................................................................................... 23
9 KEY RESOURCES, DOCUMENTS AND CONTACTS.............................................................................. 24
9.1 Key documents......................................................................................................................... 24
9.2 Key contacts ............................................................................................................................. 24
10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................................... 25
<strong>Strategic</strong> <strong>management</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Aleppo</strong> <strong>Pines</strong> on Lower Eyre Peninsula to maximise biodiversity conservation outcomes i