The distribution of the Southern Brown Bandicoot
Isoodon obesulus in south central Victoria

Terry Coates, David Nicholls and Rolf Willig

Abstract
The Southern Brown Bandicoot Isoodon obesulus has declined dramatically in both range and abundance since European Settlement. The species’ distribution is largely determined by the availability of the dense, heathy vegetation that formed on the sandy coastal plains of south-eastern Australia. One of the five major areas of habitat in Victoria occurred in the Port Phillip-Western Port-West Gippsland region of Victoria. This ‘south central’ region is one of the most populated and developed regions in Australia, and habitat suitable for Southern Brown Bandicoots has become rare, highly fragmented and influenced by a range of potentially threatening processes. We looked at the historic and current distribution of Southern Brown Bandicoots in the south central region to identify options for conservation management of the species. We found evidence that populations in the Greater Melbourne area, including the Mornington Peninsula, had declined substantially in recent decades. The species is now uncommon in administratively secure conservation reserves in the region apart from the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, where recent management initiatives appear to have been effective in controlling some known threats. Surprisingly, an extensive population also persists on predominantly agricultural and utility land north of Western Port Bay, around the former ‘Great’ (Koo-wee-rup) Swamp where they live close to humans, livestock and domestic pets. This population faces a number of immediate threats, yet may be crucial to the long term viability of the species in the south central region. Effective management of the Koo-wee-rup population will require innovative measures to mitigate threats across a range of land uses and tenures. (The Victorian Naturalist 125 (5), 2008, 128-139).

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Contributions

Ecological attributes of strategic land acquisitions for addition to
Victoria’s public protected area estate (2006-2007)

James A Fitzsimons, Cameron Williams, Vanessa Walsh,
Paul FitzSimons and Geoff U’Ren

Abstract
The development of a comprehensive, adequate and representative reserve system is the key objective of the National Reserve System, and is supported by all Australian States and Territories. In Victoria, the purchase of private land for incorporation into the parks and reserves system assists in the protection of some of the State’s most endangered ecosystems. This article outlines the ecological attributes of private land purchased for addition to the Victorian public protected area system in 2006 and 2007.
(The Victorian Naturalist 125 (5), 2008, 140-149)

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Host selection and relative abundance of the Finger Fern Grammitis billardieri
with regard to vegetation type at Mt Erica, Victoria

Jake Urlus, Katherine Kristof and Marian Weaving

Abstract
Despite the important role of vascular epiphytes in temperate rainforests, there are gaps in the literature regarding the factors driving their distribution patterns, including host tree specificity. This brief study attempts to determine the host preferences and relative abundance of the Finger Fern Grammitis billardieri (Willd.) in Cool Temperate Rainforest and Wet Sclerophyll Forest at Mt. Erica, Victoria. Both the type of host used and the relative abundance of the Finger Fern were significantly associated with vegetation type. The distribution of this species appears to be related to host characteristics, and therefore the conservation of this species will largely depend on the management of host tree populations, especially within the threatened temperate rainforest ecosystems.
(The Victorian Naturalist, 125, (5), 2008, 150-153)

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