Reptile and arboreal marsupial response to replanted vegetation in agricultural landscapes

Published source details Cunningham R.B., Lindenmayer D.B., Crane M., Michael D. & MacGregor C. (2007) Reptile and arboreal marsupial response to replanted vegetation in agricultural landscapes. Ecological Applications, 17, 609-619.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

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	Plant trees on farmland Action Link

Plant trees on farmland

A replicated, site comparison study in 2002–2005 on 46 farms in New South Wales, Australia (Cunningham et al. 2007) found that reptile species richness was lower on farms with 7–20-year-old restoration plantings compared to farms without restoration plantings. Reptile species richness was lower in restoration planting plots (1.5 species/plot) compared to remnant natural vegetation plots (2.0 species/plot), and lower on farms with restoration plantings (3.6 species/farm) compared to farms without restoration plantings (4.7 species/farm). Of 22 reptile species detected, 11 were not recorded in restoration plantings (see paper for individual species abundances). Twenty-three landscapes (10,000 ha circles) were defined and two farms/landscape were selected. Twenty-three farms contained restoration plantings and 23 did not. Restoration plantings were 7–20-years-old (native ground cover and trees), and were compared to areas of remnant natural vegetation (old growth woodland, self-seeded regrowth woodland or coppice regrowth woodland recovering from logging or fire). In spring 2002–2005, four 1 ha plots/farm (184 total plots, number taken from text) were surveyed for reptiles along transects using active searches (20 minutes x 1 ha) and point searches under artificial substrates (corrugated iron sheets, piles of offcut wood or sets of four roof tiles, two points/transect). On farms with restoration planting, three plots/site were in restored vegetation and one plot/site was in remnant vegetation.

(Summarised by: Maggie Watson)