Greater Gliders Bushfire Rehabilitation

Greater Gliders Bushfire Rehabilitation

 

Post-bushfire initiatives to conserve the endangered Greater and Yellow-bellied gliders in SEQ.

 

glider on a tree branchMapping Greater and Yellow-bellied gliders' habitats as a starting point for their rehabilitation.This project was designed to conserve the endangered Greater and Yellow-bellied gliders in South East Queensland.

After the Black Summer bushfires, the Government instated a Dushfire Recovery Fund to assist with projects to safeguard and recover threatened species among many other initiatives.

The project aimed to assist with the recovery of Greater and Yellow-bellied gliders through draft habitat mapping using regional ecosystems identified by species records and the presence of known food tree species. This improved our knowledge of their presence, abundance, and status.

In addition, 2 workshops were run to build the community's knowledge and skills to contribute to the conservation of this threatened species. 

The project focused on:

  • Two fauna surveys to detect the presence, abundance, and status of Greater and Yellow-bellied gliders.
  • Surveys conducted in burnt and unburnt sites.
  • Mapping of habitat for both species.
  • Two community capacity-building workshops.

 

What we did

glider in one of the scientist's handsCommunity capacity-building workshops to increase knowledge and skills to help with the conservation and rehabilitation of gliders.

The project is meant to support the country's initiatives to support and recover threatened species involved:

  • Mapping habitat for both species.
  • Surveys conducted in burnt and unburnt sites.
  • Improving knowledge of the presence, abundance, and status of these species on private land and ground-truthing habitat mapping.
  • Using existing knowledge to build community understanding and awareness.

 

Measuring success

As a result of this project, we were able to record and understand the drivers of site occupancy for the two species.

From the survey's results, we created a final summary report including evidence and details of breeding, numbers recorded (observed or heard), and the locations and extent of the habitat (i.e. regional ecosystem, the abundance of living or dead trees, abundance of hollows, the abundance of potential and known food trees).

In addition, with two capacity-building community workshops, we were able to involve the community and teach them how to create artificial hollows for gliders so that they can, on their lands, contribute to the conservation and rehabilitation of the two species.

 

Why this project is important

Across Australia, more than 300 species depend on hollows for shelter and raising young, including gliders. They use multiple hollows to reduce parasite load, avoid predators, and for different thermal needs and weather conditions.

Unfortunately, many of the large, hollow-bearing trees that gliders need to survive have been lost to bushfires.

Assessing the current presence, abundance, and status of Greater and Yellow-bellied gliders will tell us how and to what extent we must intervene to preserve their habitat and their species.

The surveys will provide evidence and details of breeding, numbers recorded (observed or heard), and the locations and extent of the habitat (i.e. regional ecosystem, the abundance of living or dead trees, abundance of hollows, abundance of potential and known food trees).

  

Project snapshot

Project name:  Bushfire Rehabilitation Greater Gliders
Project manager:  Liz Gould, Healthy Land & Water
Catchment:  South East Queendsland
Timing: 2022
Budget:  
Partnerships: 

This project is funded by the Australian Government’s Bushfire Recovery Fund (BRF) and it was delivered in partnership with the Great Eastern Ranges (GER) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

 

What's next

There is huge potential to build on the successful work.

 

Project collaborators

This project is funded by the Australian Government’s Bushfire Recovery Fund (BRF) and it was delivered in partnership with the Great Eastern Ranges (GER) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

 Australian Government flipbox         29. The Great Eastern Ranges   IFAW

 

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