(Use this booklet with the Habitat Trees poster) - Moreton Bay ...

NOCTURNAL (night time)113232454566779889101110111212131314Old native trees (eg. gums, rainforest trees and mangroves) withmany hollows, cracks and crevices are called habitat trees.

Frequently, in urban areas, habitat trees and dead old treesare felled or severely cut back. This is because of fears thattrunks or limbs could fall and kill or injure people or pets;or damage property.Because old trees often host colonies of termites (‘whiteants’), people are afraid that these could damage buildings.Most termite species do not attack timber in buildings.The few species which attack sound wooden structures areusually the subterranean kinds that do not build visible nests.These may travel underground for up to 80 metres. Removalof a particular tree may have no effect at all in protecting abuilding from termites. Tree removal can give a false senseof security. Proper precautions and regular inspections at thesite of the building are the best protection against termites.6Termites that build arboreal moundsdo not harm sound buildings

Because of their great importance to the natural environment,it is essential to plan to prevent problems that may arise withhabitat trees. We should avoid locating buildings, paths andtracks near trees that may become dangerous. There are waysof avoiding dangers posed by old trees, other than the drasticoptions of lopping or removal. If a habitat tree is not close tobuildings or places where people frequent, they should betotally protected.Habitat trees are an important part of our natural heritageand are among our most valuable environmental assets.They are virtually irreplaceable and should be retainedwhenever possible.Every old gum tree becomes a more valuable habitat tree asit ages. In the future, when we become more aware of thereal value of habitat trees, their presence will significantlyincrease the monetary value of a property.Termites that build large terrestrial mounds eat only grass7

• Cracks, crevices, notches and hollows. These are habitatsand micro-habitats – breeding sites, shelter, refuge,and living quarters for a wide range of animals.In the Moreton Bay region, more than 31 native mammals,14 reptiles, 6 amphibians and 60 bird species use theseresources. Cymbidium orchids (3 species), now becomingless common in many areas, also depend on old trees forthe cracks and hollows in which they live.Native cymbidiumorchids need old ordead trees for habitatPale-headed Rosella –many Australian birdsbreed in hollow limbs(Photo: N. Male)• High branches. This is where some birds (eg. the Osprey,eagles, kites and other raptors) prefer to build their nests.Many raptors build nestsin tall, dead treesSome raptors build intall, living trees8

• Dead branches above the canopy. Some birds use thesefor roosting, sunning and preening. Good all-round visiongives protection against sudden approach by predators.Predators may also use these branches for these reasons,and to watch for prey. High, dead branches provideroosting and lookout sites.Australian MagpieWhistling Kite• Large quantities of food for wildlife. Mature, large oldtrees provide plentiful food – nectar, pollen, exudate(sap), fruit, seeds, leaves, wood and litter – for animals ofmany kinds; and food for plants such as fungi, algae,lichens and native orchids.• Large surface areas of trunks and branches of habitattrees provide extensive hunting sites for animals whichfeed on organisms that live on the bark.Feeding pattern ofRed-triangle Slugs on asmooth-barked gum treeWhite-throatedTreecreeper – feeds onbark-living animals• Large surface areas of leaves. Leaves carry outphotosynthesis (combining water and carbon dioxidevia sunlight to make organic compounds and oxygen) andtranspiration (release of water into the atmosphere).9

• Canopies create large areas of shade and shelter.Beneath large old trees soil temperatures and moisturelevels are more stable – providing better habitat forsoil organisms.• The large amount of carbon dioxide removed from theatmosphere is stored as wood. Decreasing the amountof carbon dioxide in the atmosphere helps lower the rateof global warming.• Big habitat trees release large amounts of oxygen toenhance the quality of air we breathe.• Habitat trees transpire large quantities of water to clean,moisten and cool the air we breathe.• A large wide canopy protects the soil from rain wash,and this, together with bigger quantities of leaf litter,slows the loss of moisture via evaporation, increasinginfiltration of water into the soil. Streams in forests arethus more likely to be permanent, and flood peaks lower.• Litter from large areas of canopy protects and enrichesthe soil and provides habitat and food for microorganisms,worms, snails and slugs, insects, arachnids, frogsand lizards.• Deep roots draw nutrients from greater depths, andtransfer these to the soil surface in leaf fall, makingfood available to smaller plant species.• Deep roots keep the watertable low and decrease thechances of soils becoming waterlogged or saline.• Hollow tree trunks and limbs are breeding sites for owls,hawks, and other birds that forage in surrounding fieldsfor grasshoppers, mice, rats, hares, rabbits and feral cats.• Birds that nest in hollows (eg. kingfishers, kookaburras,pardalotes, the Dollarbird, treecreepers and shrikethrushes)eat and control a vast array of insects.• Many species of insectivorous bats (microbats) whichshelter under bark and in hollows and cracks eat greatnumbers of insects, such as mosquitoes, mothsand termites.10

• Marsupials (such as possums, gliders, antechinuses andthe Brush-tailed Phascogale) that nest in hollows includemany large insects in their diets. Insects (such as beetles,grasshoppers, crickets, wood moths and stick insects),when not controlled by predators, add to problems ofdieback in our native trees.• Treefrogs, geckos and arboreal (tree-dwelling) skinks,that shelter and take refuge in cracks, crevices andhollows of habitat trees, control many insects such asmosquitoes, flies, moths and termites.Hollows may occur from low in trunks to high in the branches• Some large birds (eg. cockatoos and the Powerful Owl)and large marsupials (eg. possums and the Greater Glider)need large hollows for nesting and/or shelter.Large hollows are usually found only in the older trees.Several hundred years may be required for these largehollows to develop.Large hollows take hundreds of years to develop• Tall old trees, well-adapted for survival in the localenvironment, produce seeds for future generationsof these locally-adapted plants.11

(to protect wildlife, and avoid dangerous falling limbs)• Fence off isolated habitat trees that may pose a dangerto stock if limbs fall. Old trees (and younger ones) willremain healthier and live longer if stock do not gatheraround and compact the soil, concentrate nutrients,and damage the bark.Cattle seeking shelterhas lead to the deathof this lone old nativegum tree, now replacedby a Camphor Laurel, aweed that better toleratescompaction and highnutrient levels• Do not fell habitat trees (alive or dead) to use asfenceposts or firewood. Use younger trees of suitablespecies (ideally plantation grown) for these purposes.Younger local trees need to be retained to replace the oldtrees that are eventually lost – even small hollows takemore than 100 years to develop.• Allow the offspring of habitat trees to regenerate insurrounding fenced-off areas. When old trees die we losetheir valuable and irreplaceable genetic potential.• Decrease the fuel load around habitat trees between Mayand August (before the fire season). This helps to protectthem from hot fires that could destroy them at other timesof the year.A burning hollow tree.Many habitat treesare lost in hot fires12

• Retain or replant groups and corridors of local native treesas shade and shelter for stock. These will be more usefulthan isolated trees, and less impacted by stock.• Retain habitat trees and large dead trees near cultivatedpaddocks so that hawks, eagles and owls, and otherpredators of mice, rats, hares, foxes and pest insectswill use the trees for nesting, roosting and as lookoutsites. These natural predators decrease the need for costlyand environmentally-damaging pest control measures.• Retain habitat trees and dead trees within groups of localnative trees. Gliders, possums, phascogales andinsectivorous bats will use hollows in these treesfor shelter and refuge, and control leaf-eating insectsin surrounding trees. Native predatory animals, includingpredatory insects, help prevent the onset of dieback in ournative forests, caused partly by leaf-eating insects.• In parks and reserves, use wildlife-friendly fencing tofence-off habitat trees and dead trees that pose adanger to people if trunks or limbs fall. Signage canprovide information about the significance of these treesand their importance to native animals.• Locate tracks and paths (for bikes and walking) away fromhabitat trees and old dead trees.• In parks and reserves, retain or restore areas of naturalvegetation around and under habitat trees. Animals, someof which are natural predators of insects and otherorganisms that damage trees, need native vines,understorey shrubs and groundcovers. These predatoryanimals aid the survival of old trees.Silkpod and MonkeyRope vines flower whenfew other plants do.Their nectar is food fornative wasps that controlgumleaf-eating andwood-eating grubs13

Most native birds and other animals do not live incleared and mown open spaces. However, many exoticanimals do – Sparrows, Starlings, Indian Mynas,Spotted Turtledoves and feral pigeons. These areasalso favour open-area and edge-living native birds,such as Australian Magpies, Butcherbirds, NoisyMiners, and Masked Lapwings. Some of these birdscan become aggressive towards smaller birds, andsometimes towards humans.Common (pest) Starlingsuse tree hollowsCommon Mynas useand spoil tree hollows• Re-route existing tracks and paths (for bikes and walking)away from habitat trees so that people are not led into‘danger’ areas. This may be costly, but hundreds of yearsof growth have gone into producing these critical naturalresources. Planted replacement trees are not the answer.What price do we put on the survival of our uniqueAustralian fauna which depend on habitat trees?• Locate tables, barbeques and playground equipmentunder open shelter sheds, or around local native treesplanted specifically for the purpose, rather than nearhabitat trees which may pose dangers of falling branches.• Use no mulch near trunks of trees, and no excavation,concrete or bitumen within the dripline.• Design urban development layouts to ensure natural areaswith significant numbers of habitat trees and dead treesare retained as part of common land or in public reserves.14

• Parking facilities should be designed so that vehicles areseparated from habitat trees by landscaped areas of localnative groundcovers and shrubs.Good park design (at Andy Williams Park, Cedar Creek)to protect the habitat tree, the parked vehicles, and people• On building blocks, locate houses and other buildingswell away from habitat trees and retain these trees in saferplaces such as in back corners of large yards.Habitat trees and wildlifecan be doomed by poorlyplanneddevelopmentThis habitat tree neededpruning to make itsafe for pedestrians –because the path waspoorly sited• Realise that the chances of branches falling andhitting people are less than the chances of beingstruck by vehicles (especially if the above precautionsare observed).15

1. Do everything possible to save habitat trees fromdestruction. The removal of a habitat tree (or parts of it)should be only as the very last resort.2. Install nest boxes suitable for a range of native animals.For further information and plans for building nest boxes,see council’s multi-award winning book, Living With TheEnvironment in the Pine Rivers Shire.Bat boxGlider boxSuitable nest boxes can be useful for wildlife that use hollowsThe provision of nest boxes never compensates for thedestruction of old trees. Nest boxes never fully replace thevariety of natural hollows and the diverse micro-environmentsin habitat trees.3. Engage a professional apiarist or pest controller to removeferal honeybees from hollows in trees or artificialnest boxes. These bees displace our native animals.Feral honeybees (which are not native to Australia) alsomake it more difficult to control the spread of introducedbee diseases that greatly affect commercial and hobbyhoneybee colonies.A swarm of honeybeeswaiting to steal a homefrom native animalsTree hollow withhoneybees16Feral honeybees take habitat from native animals

Before and afterWith habitat treeWithout habitat treeHow has this affected wildlife here?DollarbirdGreen TreefrogOwlet NightjarSquirrel GliderJust a few more of the animals that need hollows17

In Australia, many of our most important habitat trees aretrees that we know generally as ‘gum trees’.‘Gum trees’ are the trees which typify Australia. They havebeen called the ‘essence of Australia’. Gum trees are the mostsuccessful and widespread group of trees in this country.These native trees occur in almost every terrestrial ecosystemin Australia, usually as the dominant vegetation. Their survivalis, therefore, crucial to the continued existence of most nativeanimals, and to our Australian landscape character.In total, gum trees number about 1,000 different species whenwe include all of the different kinds of eucalypts, corymbias,lophostemons, angophoras and syncarpias. If we includeother trees in the Myrtaceae family, such as melaleucas,acmenas, syzygiums, waterhousias and tristaniopsis, the listis even greater.More than 700 species of eucalypts are endemic to (foundonly in) Australia. Only about 12 species of Eucalyptus occurnaturally outside Australia. However, just two species do notoccur naturally in Australia. Only one eucalypt species occursnaturally in the Northern Hemisphere.In other countries, as in Australia, introduced plants oftenbecome weeds. Many gum tree species therefore, taken toother lands, are now feral pests.Botanists have, over time, split the genus Eucalyptus intoother genera. Corymbia (bloodwoods and their close relatives)is an example. In the future, further splitting will probablycontinue as we learn more about gum tree genetics.However, most people can generally recognise trees that wecall ‘gum trees’.To recognise the various kinds of gum trees, we look atfeatures such as their bark, flowers, fruit (gumnuts), leaves,growth habit, and so on. A most obvious identification featureis the bark.18

The bark of gum trees varies with the species, age of the tree,its environment, the season, etc. Some gum-tree groups thatcan be identified by bark characteristics include:Spotted gums andsmooth-barkedapple-gums – bark issmooth with dimplesand spots.Gum-barks – bark ismostly smooth withsome peeling ribbons.Half-barks – lowerbark is rough andthe upper smooth.Bloodwoods – the barkis flaky or tile-like.Ironbarks – hard roughbark, vertically (mostly)furrowed.Box-barks – bark hasvertical grooves about acentimetre apart; horizontalgrooves less-obvious.Stringybarks – bark ofstringy fibres that can bepulled away in long pieces.19

The natural plant communities in which gum trees live areextremely biodiverse – they support high numbers and a widevariety of native fauna and flora.Some evidence of the high productivity of gum trees:• Most gum trees produce an abundance of nectar or pollen,or both. This is why Australia is the centre of the world’shoneyeaters (nectar-feeders) and lorikeets (nectarpollen-feeders).Scarlet HoneyeaterRainbow Lorikeet• In natural gum tree ecosystems, honey productionby honeybees is equal to or greater than that of the mostproductive honey-producing regions on earth.Apiary of EuropeanHoneybeesA boxed hive of NativeStingless Bees• Because of their copious nectar and/or pollen production,gum trees attract large numbers of insects by day(diurnally) and by night (nocturnally).20

• Many insect species feed on the leaves, bark, wood,flowers and fruit of gum trees.• The large numbers of insects attracted by gum treesprovide food for many other groups of animals such asother insects, treefrogs, skinks, geckos, birds, gliders andpossums, microbats, etc.• Gum trees provide food for large numbers of megabats(flying foxes and blossom bats). In fact, many eucalyptsproduce a high nectar flow between 10pm and 2am –evidence of their evolution with flying foxes.Flying foxes atDays Road, Highvale• The leaves of particular kinds of gum trees are eaten,almost exclusively, by Greater Gliders and Koalas.KoalaGreater Glider21

• Gum trees often support numbers of mistletoes.All mistletoes in Australia are native plants. Mistletoes aresemi-parasites – they use water and minerals from thetree but, being green, photosynthesise and make theirown organic compounds. Mistletoes normally do not killthe host tree.Mistletoe flower and Scarlet Jezebel butterfly• Mistletoes provide food (nectar, pollen, fruit and leaves)and breeding sites for many animals (eg. butterflies, otherinsects and their larvae, birds, fruit bats and possums).Fallen mistletoe leaves provide extremely fertile mulch forthe plants and animals below.• Mature and old gum trees (including dead ones), moreso than any other group of trees, provide for the animalsthat need hollows in which to sleep, breed or take refuge.Sulphur-crested Cockatoo at tree hollow openingAustralia has a greater percentage of hollow-nestinganimals than does any other continent. The following listsgive an idea of the ecological services that habitat trees maybe performing.22

MARSUpIALSCOMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMENTS* = introduced pest species+ = native species from elsewhere in Australia, now established in SE QldGreater Glider Petauroides volans Needs large hollowYellow-belliedGliderPetaurus australisNeeds large hollowSquirrel GliderPetaurusnorfolcensisHollow with smallopening neededSugar Glider Petaurus breviceps Hollow with smallopening neededFeather-tailed GliderEastern PygmyPossumRingtail PossumMountain BrushtailPossumCommon BrushtailPossumSpotted-tailedQuollBrush-tailedPhascogaleYellow-footedAntechinusAcrobatespygmaeusCercartetus nanusPseudocheirusperegrinusTrichosurus caninusTrichosurusvulpeculaDasyurusmaculatusPhascogaletapoatafaAntechinus flavipesHollow with smallopening neededSmall hollowneededMay build drey(nest) in largehollowNeeds large hollowNeeds large hollowProbably extinct inPine RiversNeeds large hollowwith small entranceOccasionallyuses tree hollowBrown Antechinus Antechinus stuartii Occasionallyuses tree hollowCommonDunnartSminthopsis murinaOccasionallyuses tree hollow23

MICROBATSCOMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMENTSYellow-bellied BatBeccari’sFreetail-batLittle NorthernFreetail-batWhite-stripedFreetail-batGould’sWattled BatChocolateWattled BatHoaryWattled BatNorthernBroad-nosed BatEasternLong-eared BatLesserLong-eared BatGould’sLong-eared BatEastern FalsePipistrelleLarge-footed MyotisSaccolaimusflaviventrisMormopterusbeccariiMormopterusloriaeNyctinomusaustralisChalinolobusgouldiiChalinolobusmorioChalinolobusnigrogriseusScotorepensgreyiNyctophilusbifaxNynctophilusgeoffroyiNyctophilusgouldiiFalsistrellustasmaniensisMyotis adversusMicrobats maylive singly in smallcracks and crevicesor in large hollowsas a communalroosting site,depending onthe species, theseason, or weather.GreaterBroad-nosed BatEasternBroad-nosed BatEasternForest BatLittleForest BatScoteanax rueppelliiScotorepens orionVespadelus pumilusVespadelusvulturnus24

BIRDSCOMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMENTSBrown Falcon Falco berigora Uses tree hollowoccasionallyAustralian Kestrel Falco cenchroides Usually a hollow ina dead treeAustralian Hobby Falco longipennis Uses tree hollowoccasionallyPeregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Often uses treehollowCotton Pygmy-GooseAustralianWood DuckNettapuscoromandelianusChenonetta jubataOften in highhollow in treenear waterHollow often atconsiderable heightGrey Teal Anas gibberifrons Often usestree hollowChestnut Teal Anas castanea Hollow high inmangrove tree*Mallard Anus platyrhynchos Uses tree hollow,displaces nativesPacific Black Duck Anus superciliosa Often usestree hollow*Feral Pigeon Columbia livia Uses tree hollow –displaces nativesRed-tailed Black-CockatooGlossy Black-CockatooYellow-tailed Black-CockatooCalyptorhynchusbanksiiCalyptorhynchuslathamiCalyptorhynchuslatirostrisNeeds large hollowNeeds large hollowNeeds large hollow+Little Corella Cacatua pastinator Recently arrived inregion from inland+Long-billed Corella Cacatua tenuirostris Recently arrived –Victorian escapeesCockatielSulphur-crestedCockatooNymphicushollandicusCacatua galeritaSometimes in region.Usually dead treeNeeds large hollow25

+Galah Cacatua roseicapilla Arrived in region50+ years agoCoxen’s Fig-ParrotRainbow LorikeetScaly-breastedLorikeetCyclopsittadiophthalma coxiniTrichoglossushaematodusTrichoglossuschlorolepidotusRare & endangeredHollow usually insmooth-barked treeNarrow deep hollowhigh in treeLittle Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla Often in gum nearwater, low or highKing Parrot Alisterus scapularis Usually a deephollowCrimson Rosella Platycercus elegans Low to high in deador live treePale-headedRosellaPlatycercus adscitusOften small hollowin high treePowerful Owl Ninox strenua Needs largehollowSouthernBoobook OwlNinox boobookUsually in a smallhollow, low to highBarking Owl Ninox connivens Wide shallowhollow in gumSooty Owl Tyto tenebricosa Wide shallowhollow in tall gumBarn Owl Tyto alba Deep, wide hollowin large treeMasked OwlAustralianOwlet-nightjarForest KingfisherCollared KingfisherSacred KingfisherBlue-wingedKookaburraLaughingKookaburraTytonovaehollandiaeAegotheles cristatusTodiramphusmackeayiiTodiramphuschlorisTodiramphussanctusDacelo leachiiDacelonovaeguineaeDeep large hollowin large treeHigh to very lowopeningsSometimesuses tree hollowSometimesuses tree hollowSometimesuses tree hollowSometimesuses tree hollowSometimesuses tree hollow26

DollarbirdEurystomusorientalisUses hollowhigh in tall treeScarlet Robin Petroica multicolour Sometimes usestree hollowGrey Shrike-thrushBuff-rumpedThornbillBrown TreecreeperWhite-throatedTreecreeperRed-browedTreecreeperColluricinclaharmonicaAcanthizareguloidesClimacterispicumnusClimacterisleucophaeusClimacteriserythropsSometimes usestree hollowOccasionally usestree hollowUses deepnarrow hollowUses deepnarrow hollowUses deepnarrow hollowStriated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus Long narrow hollowin horizontal limbWhite-breastedWoodswallowMaskedWoodswallowDusky WoodswallowArtamusleucorynchusArtamus personatusArtamuscyanopterusSometimesuses tree hollowSometimesuses tree hollowSometimesuses tree hollowLittle Woodswallow Artamus minor Sometimesuses tree hollowWelcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena Sometimes useswall of open hollowTree Martin Hirundo nigricans Usually many nestshigh in dead limbFairy Martin Hirundo ariel Sometimesbuilds in largeopen tree cavityBassian Thrush Zoothera lunulate Sometimesuses hollowat end of stumpRusset-tailedThrushZoothera heineiSometimes useshollow at end ofstump*House Sparrow Passer domesticus Sometimes useshollow – displacesnatives27

*Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris Uses tree hollow –displaces natives*Common Myna Acridotheres tristis Uses, but spoils,hollows – displacesnativesREpTILESCOMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMENTSDtella Gehyra dubia Crack, crevice orsmall hollowRobust Velvet Gecko Oedura robusta Crack, crevice orsmall hollowWall SkinkPink-tailed SkinkCryptoblepharusvirgatusCyclodomorphusgerrardiiCrack, crevice orsmall hollowCrack, crevice orfairly small hollowTree Skink Egernia striolata Crack, crevice orfairly small hollowBar-sided Skink Eulamprus tenuis Crack, crevice orsmall hollowSouthernAngle-headedDragonHypsilurus spinipesOccasionallyuses rainforesttree hollowBearded Dragon Pogona barbata Occasionally useshollowLace Monitor Varanus varius Large hollowat any heightSpotted Python Antaresia maculosa Large hollowat any heightCarpet Python Morelia spilota Large hollowat any heightBrown Tree Snake Boiga irregularis Fairly large hollow;lays eggs in hollowCommon Tree SnakeStephen’sBanded SnakeDendrelaphispunctulataHoplocephalusstephensiiSmall to fairlylarge hollowSmall to fairlylarge hollow28

AMpHIBIANSCOMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMENTSGreen Treefrog Litoria caerulea Usually a moisthollow at any heightLaughing Treefrog Litoria tyleri Usually a moisthollow high in treeEmerald-spottedTreefrogLitoria peroniiUsually a moisthollow high in treeNaked Treefrog Litoria rubella In moist crack orcreviceBleeting Treefrog Litoria dentata In moist crack orcreviceINVERTEBRATESA huge number and variety of invertebrates live in cracks,crevices and knot holes of trunks and limbs; under loose bark;in hollows – in the rotten wood and in droppings of otheranimals on the floor of hollows; on walls of hollows, and inholes, cracks and crevices within the walls of hollows. Manyinvertebrates eat the bark and wood. Microhabitats may occurfrom ground level to high in the habitat tree.Examples: snails and slugs; moths and their larvae; beetlesand their larvae; bugs and their nymphs; crickets; woodhoppers;termites; ants; native solitary bees and stinglessbees; wasps; flies and their larvae; lice; spiders; scorpions;centipedes; millipedes.A Common Ringtail Possum(Photo: Alan & Stacey Franks, Hollow Log Homes)29

An old local native habitat tree, even when left on its own afterclearing, still supports infinitely more wildlife than a hundredsimilar-sized old imported trees. However, old native treessurrounded by other parts of the natural forest – understoreyshrubs, climbers, groundcovers and grasses – support evenmore wildlife. Here, a habitat tree maintains its health formuch longer.Old gum habitattree with manyhollows, and someunderstorey speciesThis old gum at Samfordhas died (killed, probablyby sheltering stock), butthe epiphytic native fig liveson and could survive formany hundreds of yearsif allowed to30

Habitat trees provide many places where other plants andanimals can live. These habitats and their residents include:SOME HABITATSWithin twigsand leaves ofthe canopySOME HABITAT RESIDENTSDiurnally-active: Lorikeets; rosellas;honeyeaters; whistlers; gerygones;thornbills; weebills; pardalotes;mistletoebirds. Butterflies & larvae; cicadas;crickets & hoppers; stick insects; mantises;many ants.Nocturnally-active: Fruit bats; Koalas;possums; gliders; phascogales. Moths& larvae; bladder cicadas; katydids;some ants.Nocturnally &/or diurnally-active: Beetles& larvae; sawfly wasps & larvae; prayingmantises; stick insects; tree crickets;leaf-hoppers; true bugs. Spiders. Slugs.Tree snakes; pythons.Trunks andbranchesDiurnally-active: Tree creepers; sittellas;magpies; magpie larks; hawks. LaceMonitors; skinks; geckos. Snakes. Manyants. Algae; moss; lichens; orchids;mistletoes.Nocturnally-active: Owls; frogmouths;Owlet Nightjar. Geckos. Moths; beetles;some ants; bugs. Spiders. Slugs.Nocturnally &/or diurnally-active:Beetles & larvae; moth larvae; bugs;bark-hoppers.On the groundwithin the dripline; in grassesand shrubs; onand in fallenlogs; etcDiurnally-active: Dragon lizards; goannas;snakes; skinks; geckos. Many ants; ant lions(lacewings); ground mantises; grasshoppers;crickets. Grasses; mosses; lichens.Nocturnally-active: Echidna; bandicoots;Yellow-footed Antechinus; Common Dunnart;Common Planigale; Rufous Bettong;Pale Field Rat (native). Nightjars; quail;fairy wrens. Geckos. Snakes. Treefrogs;sedgefrogs; marshfrogs; gunguns; froglets;broodfrogs. Snails & slugs.31

SOME HABITATS(Cont.)On the groundwithin the dripline; in grassesand shrubs; on andin fallen logs; etcSOME HABITAT RESIDENTS(Cont.)Many ants; termites; crickets;cockroaches (native); grasshoppers.Scorpions; centipedes; spiders.Amphipods.Nocturnally &/or diurnally-active:Termites; cicada nymphs; moth larvae;beetles & larvae; true bugs. Worms.Useful bacteria. Fungi.Each habitat in, on and around a habitat tree is madeup of smaller micro-habitats. Within each of these, theenvironment is more restricted and constant (a microenvironment).Habitat trees provide multitudes of thesesmaller places where other organisms can live. Somemicro-habitats and their residents include:32SOMEMICRO-HABITATSOn the leavesUnder the leavesWithin the leavesOn the barkUnder the barkWithin the barkIn cracks & crevicesWithin the woodIn leaf litterIn tree hollowsIn fallenbranch hollowsSOME MICRO-HABITAT RESIDENTSSawfly larvae; cup-moth larvae.Leaf-roller moth larvae; indentation scaleinsects; black tree ants. Leaf-curl spiders.Leaf-miner insects; some wasp larvae.Tree creepers; sittellas. Assassin bugs;stink bugs; tree hoppers; termites.Huntsman spiders; tree crickets; ants.Treefrogs. Geckos; skinks. Micro-bats.Moth larvae; termites.Native cockroaches. Spiders. Microbats.Wood moth larvae; longicorn beetlelarvae; wasp larvae; termites.Amphipods. Scorpions; centipedes;spiders. Native cockroaches; beetles;termites.Treefrogs. Gliders; possums;phascogales. Owlet nightjars; owls;parrots. Micro-bats.Dragon lizards; goannas; skinks; geckos;snakes. Frogs. Termites.

The Robust Velvet Gecko ambushes arthropodson tree trunks and under barkEntrance to native stingless bees’ nest in tree hollowLichens growing on persistent barkEpiphytic orchids on rainforest tree trunk33

Food webs are the feeding relationships (or diagrams of these)within a community of organisms.Nearly all food webs begin with plants (producers) which usethe sun’s energy (light) to combine water and carbon dioxideto make (photosynthesise) carbohydrates (sugars). Plantsalso make organic compounds, such as proteins, lipids (fatsand oils), sugars and vitamins. In making organic substances,plants use water and minerals from the soil.When organisms feed (we call these consumers), organiccompounds are passed along food chains within the foodweb. Herbivores eat plant matter, carnivores eat animals.Omnivores eat plants and animals. Organisms (living things)may compete for food. They may be competitors for otherresources, such as space, mates, shelter, etc. They may alsocontrol the numbers of other organisms.All food webs end with decomposers (bacteria and fungi),which break down the remains of dead organisms and returnthe nutrients to the environment. All food webs are linked toand overlap with other food webs.All the living things (organisms), interacting in a particulararea, together with their shared environment is called anecosystem. All ecosystems are interconnected as a part of thebiosphere – all the ecosystems on earth. The area where anecosystem merges with an adjacent one is called an ectone.Ectones are usually more diverse than other partsof ecosystems.Habitat trees are part of the ecosystem in which they occurbut, because each one provides for and assists the survivalof so many other organisms, they may be considered as anecosystem in their own right.34

Arrows from feeder to food.(much simplified)Leaves Flowers FruitStick insectsRosellasCaterpillarsLorikeetsNative beesGlidersWaspsRainbowBee-eaterCrows GoshawksPythonsBacteria and fungi consume all organisms that die35

Arrows from feeder to food.(much simplified)Inner wood(dead)Sap wood(living)Outer bark(dead)Algae(on bark)TermitesWood grubsTermitesRed-triangleSlugsTreecreepersWillieWagtailsPhascogalesButcherbirdsTree snakesKookaburrasPythonsBacteria and fungi consume all organisms that die36

Arrows from feeder to food.(much simplified)Grass leavesLeaf litter, fallentwigs & branchesFallen seedsCaterpillarsCockroaches(native)TermitesAntsEchidnasMarshfrogsBeetlesCaterpillarsWaspsWolf spidersAntechinusesScorpionsSnakesBacteria and fungi consume all organisms that die37

A local authority north of Moreton Bay region recently lookedat removing a large tree containing twenty-two hollows.Officers of that council contacted Alan and Stacey Franksof Hollow Log Homes and asked for a quote for the cost ofbuilding 22 nest boxes to replace the 22 hollows that wouldbe lost when the tree was removed.To the cost of the 22 nest boxes, Mr and Mrs Franks added thecost of maintaining them (every 5 years) and replacing them(every 10 years), and multiplied the total by the estimated lifeexpectancy of the tree (200 – 300 years). The total cost was$2.2million.The tree was retained.Nest box with Pale-headed Rosella38

300 years of service to our wildlife – 300 to go?Sugar GliderSpotted-tailed QuollYellow-bellied GliderAustralian Wood DucksSome other animals that use hollows39

This brochure is printed on Dalton ENVI 50/50 Recycled paper.SunshineCoastBribieIslandCabooltureSomersetRegionMORETON BAYREGIONRedcliffeMoreton BayStrathpinePort ofBrisbaneBrisbaneMORETON BAYREGIONNorthStradbrokeIsland©