{"id":7203,"date":"2022-04-07T02:23:33","date_gmt":"2022-04-07T02:23:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/?p=7203"},"modified":"2022-04-26T06:06:28","modified_gmt":"2022-04-26T06:06:28","slug":"yellow-bellied-glider","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/yellow-bellied-glider\/","title":{"rendered":"Restoring Gilbey Forest"},"content":{"rendered":"[mk_page_section bg_image=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/gilbey-forest.jpg” bg_position=”center center” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_stretch=”true” enable_3d=”true” min_height=”500″ js_vertical_centered=”true” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” section_id=”donate” el_class=”donate-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”70px”][mk_fancy_title font_family=”none” align=”center”]RESTORING GILBEY FOREST[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”67″][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789112768{padding-right: 36px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_left”][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”15″ visibility=”visible-sm”][mk_padding_divider visibility=”visible-tl”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” el_class=”terrain-title-2″]YELLOW-BELLIED GLIDER HOME TO RECEIVE EXTRA HABITAT UPKEEP[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”60″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”20″ visibility=”visible-nb”][vc_column_text el_class=”sub-head” css=”.vc_custom_1650953174685{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]7 APRIL 2022[\/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1649296544524{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Known for its distinctive shrieks, rattles and gurgles, the endangered Yellow-bellied glider (Wet Tropics) is getting a helping hand with some extra habitat upkeep.<\/p>\n

Tall eucalypt forest in a narrow strip on the western edge of the World Heritage Area is home to the glider but the habitat is threatened by alteration and fragmentation. There are only three known remaining local tableland populations of the Wet Tropics sub-species of gliders left.<\/p>\n

Terrain NRM\u2019s Dr Andrew Dennis said the Gilbey Forest, on state forest and adjacent private land near Herberton on the Atherton Tablelands, is the habitat for one of the populations but weed infestations are putting the habitat at risk. Lantana camara, <\/em>a transformer weed of national significance, is a particular concern in the area as it can drastically change ecosystem condition and function.<\/p>\n

\u201cYellow-bellied gliders live in \u2018dens\u2019 in large rose gums in tall eucalypt forest and their survival depends on what remains of that habitat being in top notch condition. The right mix of species must be able to grow and recruit new den and feed trees, but lantana forms dense thickets that can stop young trees from growing and prevents critical forest regeneration,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Now, a one-off weed control program funded by the Queensland Government\u2019s Natural Resources Investment Program and delivered by Terrain NRM, will control an area of significant lantana infestation.<\/p>\n

The program builds on existing, longstanding work by the Yellow-Bellied Glider Project volunteers of the Tree Kangaroo and Mammal Group. The group has been looking after parts of the Gilbey Forest for decades and monitoring resident gliders. They have partnered with landholders, traditional owners, scientists, schools and other community groups to care for and manage the area.<\/p>\n

Yellow-bellied gliders rely on two main habitat trees. They live in the hollow limbs of soaring rose gums where small family groups live in \u201cdens\u201d, and they tap the trunk of the red mahogany for its clear, sugary sap.<\/p>\n

Dr John Winter, part of the team caring for the glider, has been involved with the fluffy gliders since the seventies.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack then nobody much bothered with the wet sclerophyll forests \u2013 they were actually completely overlooked for years and years. These days they are far more prominent in people\u2019s minds as an important ecotonal habitat.\u201d<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789122720{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 34px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_right”][mk_padding_divider size=”206″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1649298360815{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\n

\"Yellow-bellied

Image (C) Andrew Dennis<\/p><\/div>\n

Dr Winter said it takes 100-150 years for the right kind of hollow to form in rose gums so historical timber harvesting and land clearing has put the remaining wet forest habitat under pressure.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe main risk for the rose gums is fire. The bark sheds in long strips and accumulates at the base of the tree. We get out and rake the tree bases on a regular basis, but we can only look after small areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn time, before these large rose gums can be naturally replaced, it\u2019s likely that the gliders will need to use artificial nest boxes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The group works closely with Queensland Parks and Wildlife and Jirrbal people to maintain access tracks and monitor dens and feed trees. They have also worked with landholders to replace kilometres of barbed wire with plain wire to reduce barbed wire injury as the mammals glide between trees.<\/p>\n

The new weed control program will remove lantana from 20 hectares of private land and state forest with teams of people manually cutting plants, painting stems, and using targeted spraying to kill resprouting plants. This will enable a significant area of infestation to be brought under control so that landholders will be able to continue managing and maintaining the weed on their land.<\/p>\n

Dr Dennis said habitat monitoring will also be undertaken.<\/p>\n

\u201cConservation of the gliders requires monitoring as well as practical action and that means protecting habitat trees from fire, managing weeds, and advocating for appropriate protections of habitat,\u201d he said.[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section el_class=”grean-btn-sec” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”47″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_button dimension=”outline” url=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/yellow-bellied-glider-project\/” align=”right” el_class=”green-btn” outline_skin=”custom” outline_active_color=”#175137″ outline_active_text_color=”#ffffff” outline_hover_bg_color=”#175137″ outline_hover_color=”#ffffff”]Read More[\/mk_button][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1-blog” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”105″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” align=”right” el_class=”terrain-title”]RELATED NEWS[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][vc_row fullwidth=”true” fullwidth_content=”false” id=”post_grid_filter_1″][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”grid_greate_3″ css=”.vc_custom_1598408950187{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\n

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