Biodiversity Strategy - Gosford City Council - NSW Government

Variables such as ‘proportion of old growth forest in 2km’, ‘hollows’ index and ‘decorticating
bark’ and other related variables have been shown to be good predictors of forest owl and
arboreal marsupial distributions (Kavanagh and Bamkin 1995).
One of the features of old growth areas is that there are fallen logs remaining in a forested area.
The value of logs is also discussed by Scotts (1991). Micro-organisms, invertebrates, vertebrate
and invertebrates all use logs for shelter, as a food resource, reproduction, basking, nesting and
lookout sites (Maser and Trappe 1984 quoted in Scotts). Reptiles, amphibians and small
mammals, in particular, utilise logs for shelter and they may become important refuges during
fire (Scotts 1991). Old growth forest is also important for nitrogen recycling and fixation in the
soil.
For many animals old growth forest is the optimum habitat for both foraging, or nesting, or both.
Some of the threatened species that occur in the Gosford LGA that utilise hollows include:
• Broad-headed Snake
• Pale-headed Snake
• Stephen's Banded Snake
• Glossy Black Cockatoo
• Swift Parrot
• Powerful Owl
• Barking Owl
• Sooty Owl
• Yellow Bellied Sheathtail Bat
• Greater Horseshoe Bat
• Large Eared Horseshoe Bat
• Large Footed Myotis
• Greater Broad Nosed Bat
• East Coast Freetail Bat
• Spotted Tailed Quoll
• Brush Tailed Phascogale
• Squirrel Glider
• Eastern Pygmy Possum
(List based on Gibbons and Lindenmayer 2002 and DEC Atlas records).
Old growth mapping is not available locally or regionally. A regional fauna survey and mapping
project (Wintle 2004) recommended the collation of forest-growth stage information for the
region to improve the predictive performance of habitat models and provide information
regarding important areas of old-growth forest in the region. At a local scale, no mapping has
been done that identifies the age and condition of areas that would assist in identifying key
habitat. A regional vegetation mapping project currently being undertaken by HCCREMS aims
to provide regional vegetation condition mapping based on the interpretation of satellite imagery
however no products are yet available.
Important habitat trees remain around the Bensville/ Kincumber area (pers. comm. Payne and
pers.obs.) as isolated very mature trees containing multiple hollows. Some of these trees such
as large Angophora costata and Eucalyptus pilularis are estimated to be over 100 – 250 years
old. Retention of hollow bearing trees is an important action for biodiversity conservation.
A - 5.6.2
Wildlife Corridors and Linkages
Wildlife corridors are areas of habitat (such as remnant vegetation, feed or hollow bearing trees,
caves, roadsides, wetlands and waterways) that form connections between larger areas of
vegetation, particularly reserves and national parks. Corridors contribute to the protection of
biodiversity as they aid the movement of species. They do not necessarily form linear
Biodiversity - Technical Report Page 122