This document provides an overview of a project investigating the biodiversity value of fodder shrub plantings. The project aims to determine how saltbush-based farming systems can improve biodiversity persistence in South Australia's Murray Mallee region. The research focuses on examining the resource and functional connectivity for birds and lizards provided by saltbush plantings compared to remnant mallee and pastureland. Field methods to assess survival and breeding of selected bird species are outlined. Outputs will include management guidelines to promote farming practices that integrate production and biodiversity outcomes.

1. Biodiversity value of fodder shrub plantings
Dr Andrew Fisher
Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation
22 June 2010
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2. Production Perennials for Biodiversity
Project Logic:
What does native biodiversity need to survive?
How do current landscapes provide these needs?
What can be done to provide what is lacking?
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3. Production Perennials for Biodiversity
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4. Project History
Fauna use of Oil mallees
WA & SA database of resource requirements
d t b f i t
WA reptile project
SA fodder shrub work
SA Complementary State NRM funded project
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5. Biodiversity value of planted saltbush
Preliminary investigation – plants, birds, invertebrates
Saltbush, Pasture, Remnant
5 sites per treatment
Spring & Autumn
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6. Bird species richness
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a
12
Number of species
8 b
N
4 c
0
Remnant Saltbush Pasture
Treatment
Combined seasonal data
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7. Bird abundance data
▲/ ∆ = Remnant, ● / ○ = Saltbush, / □ = Pasture.
Shaded =Spring 2008
Unshaded = Autumn 2009
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12. PP4B project evolution
Focus of field work moved to SA – personnel hub
PhD student from March 2010
Revision of scope & deliverables
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13. PP4B – revision
Can saltbush-based farming systems improve biodiversity
security in the SA Murray Mallee?
y y
“security” = persistence
Two sub-projects:
Resource connectivity (birds) – Fisher et al.
al
Functional connectivity (lizards) – Smyth et al.
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14. South Australia
Study Area
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15. Resource connectivity
For selected bird species:
Foraging: food availability & how gathered
Reproductive success
Comparisons at landscape scale
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16. R s R
R vs vs
s
R R
Intact mallee Fragmented mallee with Fragmented mallee with
saltbush plantings conventional grazing
R = remnant mallee
s = saltbush planting
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17. Field Methods
For selected bird species:
Survival = food, protection
Breeding = nest materials, nest sites, food for young
Techniques may i l d
T h i include:
Territory mapping
Observations of foraging movements
Time budgets
Nest observations
Predation (adults, eggs, young) – observation/artificial
nests/remote recordings
Observations of dispersal movements
Ob ti f di l t
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18. Plans from here
Literature review & synthesis
Confirm sites
Test methods
Data collection
Analysis
A l i
Report/paper(s) by June 2011
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19. Autumn 2009
Spring 2008
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22. Outputs
Output 5.1 Management & decision packages that promote
farming systems that integrate p
g y g production and biodiversity
y
outcomes
Conceptual model developed
Data collection / model refinement to June 2011
Report = paper(s)
Guidelines for saltbush management
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23. Outputs (cont.)
Collard & Fisher (2010) Shrub-based plantings of woody
p
perennial vegetation in temperate Australian agricultural
g p g
landscapes: What benefits for native biodiversity? Ecological
Management & Restoration 11(1): 31 – 35
Smith, Fisher, Collard (in prep) - synthesis p p on resource
, , ( p p) y paper
provided for vertebrates in woody perennial farming systems
Smyth et al. – paper(s) on functional connectivity
Richards - PhD thesis
Convening ESA symposium Dec 2010: Biodiversity conservation
in agricultural landscapes: is it really worth the effort?
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