LTERN Data Portal

Initially all patches of remnant native vegetation on areas designated for pine plantation were characterised. Fifty remnants were randomly selected with stratification, such as vegetation type, patch size, established year of surrounding pine trees. Fifty-six remnants on adjacent farmstopine plantations were selected to match those 50 remnants, to make sure that remnants from two groups were as similar as possible. Ten sites in cleared paddocks around the woodland remnants on the grazing properties and 10 sites in areas dominated by newly planted radiate pine trees were established as ‘‘landscape matrix’’ sites. Those sites were established in 1998, but a few sites were scrapped due to non-accessibility or vast invasion of weed. To make up for those abandoned sites, additional sites were established within a few years since the first establishment.

For more details, please refer to Lindenmayer, DB, Cunningham, RB, MacGregor, C, Tribolet, C & Donnelly, CF 2001, ‘A prospective longitudinal study of landscape matrix effects on fauna in woodland remnants: experimental design and baseline data’, Biological Conservation, vol 101 no 2, pp. 157-169.

Spotlighting is conducted every two years along 200 m fixed transects at each site for 20 minutes per site. Animals are detected by getting a reflection of the eye shine with the spotlight. Nocturnal birds are also detected by the calls and estimate distances along and adjacent to a transect.

Animal species name and abundance are recorded along with time they are found and distances along and adjacent to a transect, are also recorded. If animals are up on a tree, tree species and animal height (distance from the ground to the animal) are also recorded.