Wildlife

Plant species that live in eucalypt open-forests. Byfield fern (Bowenia serrulata)
Plant species that live in eucalypt open-forests. Byfield fern (Bowenia serrulata)

Potential to conserve wildlife

Eucalypt open-forests in Queensland provide habitat for many different types of native plants and animals, including at least 36 threatened or priority species.

Native species that occur in eucalypt open-forests include the greater glider, yellow-faced honeyeater and lively rainbow skink, and the Byfield fern, Cycas megacarpa and the Plunkett mallee.

Most actions that will accumulate carbon in eucalypt open-forests (such as not clearing regenerating trees, stopping hot fires, and reducing grazing pressure) will also benefit wildlife by reducing threats.

Different types of shelter, good and varied food supply, removing and controlling weeds and feral animals, and the size and shape of habitat patches and their distance from each other will help conserve wildlife in eucalypt open-forests.

Habitat for wildlife

Shelter and food

FeatureBenefits for wildlifeUsed by
Trees and shrubs Nesting, shelter and feeding sites

A diversity of tree and shrub species that flower and fruit at different times can provide a continuous food supply (nectar, pollen, fruit and insects) for animals

Many insects and some mammals (gliders and the koala) feed on certain tree and shrub species, and not others

Some animal species need trees and shrubs of a certain size or age (e.g. saplings or dead, standing trees)

Birds, invertebrates, mammals, reptiles, frogs, parasitic plants (e.g. mistletoe)
Tree hollows Shelter, nesting, a place to find food Parrots, treecreepers, bats, gliders
Fallen timber Shelter, basking and feeding areas Birds, reptiles, frogs, mammals, invertebrates
Leaf litter Shelter and feeding areas Birds, invertebrates, reptiles, frogs, mammals
Rocks Shelter, basking and feedings areas Invertebrates, reptiles, frogs, mammals, plants
Mistletoe Nectar, berries and nesting sites

Can provide nectar and berries at times when these foods are scarce in the landscape

Birds, invertebrates, mammals
Invertebrates Food, pollination, seed dispersal Birds, reptiles, frogs, mammals, plants
Fungi Food, beneficial relationship with plants Mammals, reptiles, birds, invertebrates

Landscape features

FeatureBenefits for wildlife
Large patch size Support larger populations of plants and animals

Support animals that need large territories and/or occur in low population densities

May also support more species of wildlife

Small edge-to-area ratio Patches that are rounded in shape suffer fewer ‘edge effects’ than patches of a similar size that are long and thin

Edge effects include increased weed invasion, predation, wind, sun and temperature, and all of these can have important impacts on wildlife

Close to other patches Allows animals and plants to disperse between patches

Reduces the risk of predation for animals when they move between patches

Improves the exchange of pollen between patches

How much of the landscape is cleared Birds and mammals are negatively affected if more than 70% of the landscape is cleared of suitable habitat

There is also an interaction between grazing and how much of the landscape is cleared, as cattle tend to congregate in the remaining patches of woody vegetation

If most of a landscape, or vegetation type, has been cleared, this also means that any remnants are very important for wildlife conservation, even if they are small or in poor condition. These remnants may provide valuable source populations for restoring other parts of the landscape.

Habitat features used by some species that live in eucalypt open-forests

  Tree hollows, cracks and crevicesFallen timberTrees & shrubsNectarLitterRocksInsects
Mammals        
Gould's wattled bat Chalinolobus gouldii X   X     X
Spotted-tail quoll Dasyurus maculatus X X X   X X X
Yellow-bellied glider Petaurus australis X   X X    
Koala Phascolarctos cinereus   X     
Grey-headed flying-fox Pteropus poliocephalus   X X    
Birds        
Yellow-faced honeyeater Caligavis chrysops   X X    X
Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirundinaceum   X X    
Eastern yellow robin Eopsaltria australis  X X     X
Barking owl Ninox connivens X   X     
Striated pardalote Pardalotus striatus X   X     X
Grey fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa  X X     X
Reptiles        
Lively rainbow skink Carlia vivax  X    X X X
Common dtella Gehyra dubia X   X     X
Frilled lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii X X X   X X X
Lampropholis amicula (skink) Lampropholis amicula     X   X
Black-tailed monitor Varanus tristis X X X   X X X
Frogs        
Common green treefrog Litoria caerulea X X X    X X
Desert treefrog Litoria rubella X   X     X
Spotted grassfrog Limnodynastes tasmaniensis  X     X X
Plants   X    X X  

Threats to wildlife

ThreatImpacts on wildlifeWildlife affected
Weeds and feral animals Competition, predation

Some management actions to control weeds and feral animals can also have negative impacts on native species

Many different types of plants and animals
Noisy miners and yellow-throated miners These are aggressive native bird species that reduce the abundance and species richness of small woodland birds Small birds
Continous high grazing pressure Grazing appears to benefit some common, widespread plant and animal species, but leads to declines in other species.

Increased grazing pressure in eucalypt open-forests has been linked to fewer dead trees with hollows, and fewer understorey shrubs

Many different types of plants and animals
Clearing and selective harvesting Clearing removes many plant and animal species and also removes the food and shelter of animals that depend on the plant species and structure found in mature open-forests

Selective harvesting in eucalypt open-forests can have a negative impact on animals that rely on large trees, tree hollows, and nectar

Many different types of plants and animals
Hot fires and frequent burning Hot fires may destroy hollow trees, fire-sensitive vegetation, and food resources for animals, simplify vegetation structure, and burn relatively large areas which can disadvantage animals which rely on patchy habitats, or a combination of burnt and unburnt habitats

Even low severity management fires can remove habitat, such as large hollow-bearing trees, that provide essential resources for many fauna

Open-forests that are frequently burnt tend to have a more open understorey, which encourages noisy miners, and has a negative impact on small birds

Frequent burning of open-forests also removes fallen timber and leaf litter, which has a negative impact on reptiles

Many different types of plants and animals