Regional habitat selection of large gliding possums at forest stand and landscape scales in southern Queensland, Australia: I. Greater glider (Petauroides volans)

Forest stand and landscape scale habitat selection of the greater glider (Petauroides volans) was investigated at 506 survey sites sampling a variety of forest types in southern Queensland, Australia. While greater gliders were detected in a wide range of forest types, they were most abundant in the more productive, tall eucalypt forests. The generated model predicted that Corymbia citriodora and Eucalyptus tereticornis were important in greater glider habitat selection, as were live hollow-bearing trees, a currently limited resource in southern Queensland. The model also predicted a negative response by greater gliders to more intensive harvesting in selectively logged stands. The introduction of a new, more intensive harvesting regime in areas of greater glider habitat in south-east Queensland will therefore have a significant impact upon glider populations, unless current habitat tree prescriptions are adjusted to specify the retention of large C. citriodora and E. tereticornis trees, and species that rapidly form hollows. The retention of patches and corridors of mature eucalypt forest will also be important to ensure greater glider conservation in intensively logged forest landscapes of southern Queensland. Greater glider densities were also influenced by one landscape scale variable, proportion of cleared habitat within a 1 km spatial extent. Densities of greater gliders were predicted to decline to less than one glider per 3 ha if >15% of habitat was cleared in the landscape. Recent amendments to tree clearing legislation in Queensland, whereby all broadscale clearing will be phased out by the end of 2006, will greatly facilitate greater glider conservation in remaining habitat patches. However, the management of structural characteristics important for greater gliders within forest remnants will be essential for ensuring habitat suitability for gliders in the long term.