Factors Affecting Flora Conservation - Victorian Environmental ...

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147 149 Source; Alias of Victorian Wildlif>: 34-^ FIGURE 3: riEW HOLLAriD MOUSE ^ since 1970 before 1970 36- ^ c 7 - ^ 1 -^^ 38- -V.r-A- JW" 141 143 145 !47 149 Source: Alias of Victorian Wildlife
126 been recorded at the Cranboume Annex of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Langwarrin Flora and Fauna Reserve. However, it was last recorded al Tyabb in 1972, al Cranboume in 1976, and al Langwarrin in 1983. Extensive trapping at Langwarrin in recent years has failed to detect any animals (Brereton et al, in prep.). It is likely diat the New Holland mouse is now very rare, or possibly extinct, in the study area. The New Holland mouse has been described as a habitat specialist and a food generalist (Braithwaite and Gullan 1978). It feeds on a wide range of foods such as seeds, root material, fungi, moss sporangia, and insects (Walts and Braidiwaiie 1978). The introduced house mouse also has a preference for the early stages of regenerating heath, bul it has been shown that the species, where they co-exist, have a strong dietary separation (Cockburn 1980). Both species are omnivorous, but the house mouse tends towards an insect diet and the New Holland mouse towards a diet of grains. Further research is required to determine the current stams of this species in the study area and to ascertain appropriate management strategies. This species has very restricted habitat requirements. All the above sites are in the sand heathland community, and the animal appears to depend on regenerating heath between 2 and 8 years after fire or clearing. At some of the known sites, especially Tyabb, the vegetation is now much older than this, and is probably no longer suitable for the species. At Langwarrin, however, in an attempt to provide suitable habitat, a program of prescriptive burning lo produce a mosaic of different-aged heaths has been carried out since 1980. Australian fur-seal (Arctocephalus pusillus) This is the most common of the diree species of seals resident in Australian waters. It is found throughout Bass Strait and around Tasmania, and extends along the east coast of the mainland into south-eastern New Soulh Wales. Early last century intensive sealing in Bass Strait almost wiped out the population. Since becoming a protected species, which in Victoria occurred in 1891 (Wameke 1983), its numbers have recovered and are now stable at approximately 30 000. However, the original population was probably two to five times greater. Australian fur-seals use fraditional breeding sites, where the large males establish territories, mating occurs, and the females give birth to their young. There are only nine of these breeding colonies, of which the Victorian ones comprise half the total populafion. Seal Rocks State Faunal Reserve, off Phillip Island, contains the largest Victorian of these, estimated at 5600 individuals and hence the study area is important for the conservation of the species. The seals can be observed in the study area along the ocean coasfline, as well as within Western Port. Southern right whale (Baleana glacialis australis) In the 1800s when whaling first began in Victoria, the slow speed of the southern right whale, and the fact dial it was so rich in oU that it floated even when dead, led to its name as the 'right' whale to hunt. Throughout the summer, die southern right whale feeds in die plankton-rich sub- Antarctic waters, moving north to spend the winter along the coasts of South America, South Africa, New Zealand, and southern Australia. In order for the calves to survive they need to be born in relatively warm water, and the whales use sheltered bays close inshore for calving. This made them very vulnerable to bay-based whaling, and last century many whaling stations were sel up along die Victorian coast. By 1843 the number of southern right whales wintering here was on the decline, and in the 1850s most of those companies were dissolved. Ship-based whaling then took over as the main hunting mefliod. By the end of die 19th century, die southern right whale was on the edge of extinction. In 1935 it became the first whale to be protected by international agreement and, although it is still rare, with a total world populafion of only approximately 2000, its numbers show signs of a slow recovery. It is classified as endangered in Ausfralia (CONCOM 1990) and vulnerable in Victoria. In recent years individuals have been seen regularly along the Victorian coast, and females are returning to traditional breeding areas, such as Logans Beach near Warrnambool, to give birth to their young. In the last 10 to 20 years the number of sightings of the southern right whale off the coasfline of die study area has been increasing.
Page 1 and 2: 90 diversity of this zone reflects
Page 3 and 4: 92 Riparian forest is prone to weed
Page 5 and 6: 94 protection and suppression, and
Page 7 and 8: 96 hydrology of alpine bogs is deli
Page 9 and 10: 98 Dry sub-alpine shrubland The maj
Page 11 and 12: 100 Major threats to the forest com
Page 13 and 14: 102 small, disturbed examples of bo
Page 15 and 16: 104 of Western Port, on the norther
Page 17 and 18: 106 8. FAUNA Melbourne Area, Distri
Page 19 and 20: 108 numbers must decrease. During t
Page 21 and 22: no While many species have declined
Page 23 and 24: 112 leopard seal, which usually inh
Page 25 and 26: 114 In addition to these changes, t
Page 27 and 28: 116 Plateau and Lake Mountain, at e
Page 29 and 30: 118 to 75 m high, allow this skink
Page 31 and 32: 120 here, may be found in large num
Page 33 and 34: 122 - - 'S.vCS--, r,:C:^-^»v Austr
Page 35: 124 (Wilkinson 1961). Since then it
Page 39 and 40: 128 availability may affect short-t
Page 41 and 42: 130 beach and in the dunes. It appe
Page 43 and 44: FIQURE 4: ORAriGE-BELLIED PARROT 14
Page 45 and 46: 134 these areas may be used regular
Page 47 and 48: M7 149 Source: Atlas of Victorian W
Page 49 and 50: 138 adjacent to water. Dredging of
Page 51 and 52: • 34 s, 140 - - ^ FIGURE 10: SWAM
Page 53 and 54: 142 FIQURE 12: BRUSH-TAILED PHASCOG
Page 55 and 56: 144 Eastern horseshoe-bat This spec
Page 57 and 58: 146 gum, mountain grey gum, and mes
Page 59 and 60: 148 such as platypus, water-rat, fr
Page 61 and 62: 150 extensively cleared areas. Some
Page 63 and 64: 152 to be concentrated in those are
Page 65 and 66: 154 Changed stream flow and barrier
Page 67 and 68: 156 The 1939 bushfires resulted in
Page 69 and 70: 158 water-birds, such as the white-
Page 71 and 72: 160 of multi-cellular organisms on
Page 73 and 74: 162 Copepods The following species
Page 75 and 76: 164 Bennett, A.F. (1990). Habitat c
Page 77 and 78: 166 Kitchener, D.J. and Capufi, N.
Page 79 and 80: 168 Schulz, M. (in press.). The Gre
Page 81 and 82: 170 9. MARINE AND COASTAL ENVIRONME
Page 83 and 84: 172 around French and Phillip Islan
Page 85 and 86: 174 beach seining collected 33 spec
Page 87 and 88:
176 forest and woodland grew furthe
Page 89 and 90:
178 Knowledge of the marine and coa
Page 91 and 92:
180 of acceleration, with erosion l
Page 93 and 94:
182 Marsden, M.A.H., and MaUet, CW.
Page 95 and 96:
184 Table 19 KEY TO GEOMORPFHC CATE
Page 97 and 98:
186 Adequate representation was ass
Page 99 and 100:
References Aldrick, J.M., Hook, R.A
Page 101 and 102:
191 11. PUBLIC LAND USE This chapte
Page 103:
193 Table 23 PARK RECOMMENDATIONS A
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