Tag Archives: Hans Brunner

De-listing of the Southern Brown Bandicoot- an act of vandalism to promote urban sprawl

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Delisting of the Southern Brown Bandicoot

The Director

Marine and Freshwater Species Conservation Section

Wildlife, Heritage and Marine Division

Department of the Environment

PO Box 787 Canberra ACT 2601

I’ve been involved with Southern Brown Bandicoots (SBB) for more than 40 years. I live in Frankston where I remember SBBs all over the Mornington Peninsula, in the Frankston area and in the Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve where they were recognised as the largest and strongest colony in the region. Sadly, I have observed them gradually disappearing from all of these areas and in many of these places they have become extinct.

How could this be allowed to happen? Since 2001, went on the endangered list, a SBB recovery group was established. SBBs were selected as the flagship species in the Western Port Biosphere Reserve so they would receive special attention. At least five major workshops were held involving hundreds of people, among them scientists, government agencies, private consultants and landholders. In addition, countless meetings of the SBB recovery team were held at many places. During this time the Victorian government created strategies for the recovery and protection of them but none work.

Sadly, no SBBs or habitat areas were recovered anywhere in this region. At the Pines, where some SBBs were still remaining, at least $120,000 was spent on fox and cat control. It was unsuccessful and the last SBBs were lost as well. It is now high time to admit to the grand failure in protecting this species especially in this region.

As I understand, SBBs are not a corridor living species and need to be provided with habitat in large reserves like Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne and could be in the Pines Reserve, Briars Park in Mt Martha & several other reserves that are surrounded by a predator-proof fence. We desperately need some insurance colonies before we gamble with the rest that still survive in the wild.

If this current scenario continues, we will soon reach the point where the SBB species will collapse as the Eastern Barred Bandicoot did. At the lowest stage, only 50 animals survived.

Captive breeding had to prevent them from becoming extinct on the mainland. Even after numbers increased, the government managed to make some huge blunders with them.

SBB-small

(image: This little fellow was photographed in the Cranbourne Botanical Gardens.  This area is ~350 hectares of native bushland including an “Australian Garden”.  http://www.chappo1.com/brown%20bandicoot.html )

Why have we not learned from this? My question is: what is gained by delisting SBBs? Will the government be able to save some money on fox and cat control and will developers receive the green light to build houses in bandicoot habitat? We certainly have not been told everything. To declare SBBs safe because in one or two areas where fox control slightly increased their numbers is absolutely ridiculous. Take that money away and see what will happen.

Hans Brunner M. App. Sc. Deakin University

HB:  While threats, and extinction, are normal processes of evolution, what we have now is not normal, or avoidable.  The loss of another iconic native mammal is a deliberate action, a choice to prioritize housing growth, urban sprawl, over habitats. 

This de-listing of the SBB is not because their threats have been mitigated, and now there are abundant, safe colonies!  On the contrary, their habitats will be invaded and their lives destroyed.

In a void of manufacturing, mining, innovation and technological advances, housing growth- driven by high levels of immigration – is a major industry now.  It means swallowing up grasslands, native vegetation, digging up fertile soils, and stagnating it all with concrete, roads and housing!

De-listing the SSB is an act of vandalism, and a sacrificing of another species in Australia to the already growing list of threatened and extinct species. AWPC Editor

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Demonizing Dingoes on Fraser Island is criminal – Hans Brunner

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Fraser Island provides the last opportunity to secure the protection of pure- bread Dingoes. It is therefore our obligation to look after them as we look after elephants, tigers, lions, rhinos,monkeys etc. While we spend millions of dollars on these exotic species we not only neglect our on iconic dingoes, we actually demonize them and especially so on Fraser Island.

a very skinny dingo-tiny

(image: very skinny dingo Jennifer Parkhurst photographer)

These dingoes need to be looked after and as well fed as all the exotic animals in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries are.

Well fed dingoes will not need to beg for food from tourists and will leave them alone. All the so called trouble by dingoes is only caused because of their plight of mal- nutrition and the constant persecution by public staff.

Therefore, the protection of the Fraser Island dingoes must be the ultimate top priority, long before any other activities, while tourism should be the absolute, bottom last. If there is any better controlling needed on the island it must be the tourists and definitely not the dingo.

((aia skinny dingo looking for food from fisherman

(image: Fraser Island hungry dingo looking for food from a fisherman- Jennifer Parkhurst photographer)

(featured image: dingo searching for food on Fraser Island- Jennifer Parkhurst photographer)

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Dogs should be banned from wildlife reserves- Hans Brunner

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Why Dog Walking should not be allowed in wildlife reserves.

Most people believe that walking dogs in a nature reserve can do no harm to wildlife.

However, at least half of the people do not keep their dog or dogs on a leash. Also, too many people do not pick up their dog’s droppings resulting in unpleasant encounters. These droppings are smelly and unsightly for other visitors. Further more, dogs off leash often causes uneasy encounters for other visitors.

Dogs also spread diseases and parasites into wildlife.

However, by far the biggest problem to wildlife is that while dogs are allowed in these reserves, fox and cat control is virtually impossible for fear that dogs could be trapped or poisoned.

As a result, in the Pines, $120.000 has been spent over a period of four years on fox and cat control but immediately after each trapping session fresh fox and cat foot print could be found.

03012016164119-0001

(featured image: author Hans with a kangaroo mauled and killed by stray dogs, Frankston area)

At the end, the rest of all of the hundreds of the bandicoots in the Pines were eventually lost! And now, as long as dogs are allowed in the Pines and in many other reserves, the re-introduction of lost species is a lost cause.

While still in the Pines, two dogs hunted and killed a wallaby while the owner stood by and applauded them. Another wallaby was also killed by dogs outside Studio Park.

Because of all this, foxes and cats have an almost unrestricted freedom in too many reserves while wildlife has suffered as a consequence and has been drastically reduced. In the Sweetwater Creek Reserve several large colonies of Swamp Rats were lost to fox and cat predation. It has also been established that where dogs are present in bush-land 40 to 60% of native birds will gradually disappear. Adding the additional pressure by foxes and cats has a devastating effect on all the bird-life. One of the most serious problem exists where the ground nesting migratory birds suffer extreme losses of fledglings in the presence of dogs and , subsequently, foxes.

There are at least 33 free run areas for dogs in the Frankston municipality alone. It is therefor high time to get all the dogs out of wildlife reserves. This should also be regarded as a apt penalty because dogs on leash and picking up droppings is not working well enough.

 

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Ecologist Hans Brunner’s response to the DEWLP Southern Brown Bandicoot Implementation Plan

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To:
James Todd | Director Knowledge and Decision Systems | Biodiversity Division
Environment & Climate Change | Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning
Level 2, 8 Nicholson St, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002

Dear James,

In spite of the massive input that has already been done for the Southern Brown Bandicoot implementation plan, I still have some serious doubt about a best possible outcome at this stage. It appears that my many evaluations of the proposed corridors presented to DELWP have been totally ignored.

It seems that the long, too narrow, costly and unproven corridors are going to remain as the core solution regardless of everything else.

My I ask then why the corridor from the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne (RBGC) to the Pines is still seriously considered while there are no plans to protect SBB’s in the Pines,( if they can actually get there), the same way as they are at the RBGC? This, and the other three corridors are all open ended and do not lead into other and well protected colonies.

As to the Population Viability Assessment (PVA), much discussion went on about it. My question is, has there been a PVA applied to the proposed corridor solution and if so, I would like to obtain a detailed copy of it. As far as I am concerned, a proper PVA would have to dismally fail the present concept.

Since there is already $ 20m wasted on underpasses in the Pines , I would not like to see another $20 to 30 million wasted on these corridors while there is no money left for the proper protection of SBB;s in a number of reserves surrounded by a predator proof fence. This is my solution.

And finally, it appears to me that when environmental issues are dealt with in the same department as there is planning, there could well be a conflict of interest to occur.

I am happy to discuss my points with any one, possibly over the phone.

Yours concerned.

Hans Brunner.

Hansxx

We appreciate Hans Brunner’s effort (image above) to negotiate a solution to the threats to the Southern Brown Bandicoot in Victoria, Cranbourne area.  Such is the political and economic power of the housing industry, habitat will be lost and the threatening process is one that can’t easily be mitigated.

The forecast human population of Cranbourne, 2016, was 297,000 and by 2041, 492,497, a whopping 68.5% increase in this period!  Hardly leave much habitat for SBB!  They are to be sacrificed so that property developers, and real estate investors, can continue rolling out urban sprawl – and big profits.

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My response to “LOOKING AFTER THE BUSH: ECOSYSTEMS NEED PREDATORS” By Hans Brunner

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Dr. Jeff Yugovic, a highly respected botanist, insists that “Ecosystems need predators”, as he is seriously concerned that the browsing by ring-tail possums threatens to destroys all of the tree canopies on the Mornington Peninsula and declares it to be a looming disaster. He states in his draft “that there is a “possum plague” and tree health has seriously deteriorated”. He is also concerned that swamp rats are devastating orchid colonies which coincides with intensive fox and cat control, hence, his message, “Ecosystems need predators”. This statement was true before white man arrived on the peninsula. But now, after the original ecosystem has been severely fragmented into small and isolated and mostly weed infested reserves and where the native predators have been replaced by dog, foxes and cats, the true function of the original ecosystem has now been adversely altered.

Firstly about tree loss:

In a study: “Survey of Tree Die-back on the Mornington Peninsula, Vic.

(School of Forest Ecosystems Science, Heidelberg, 2006)” seven reserves were examined for the causes of tree die-back.

They were:

  • Lorikeet Reserve
  • Mt. Eliza Regional Reserve
  • Mt. Martha Foreshore
  • Mt. Martha Park
  • Woods Reserve
  • Warringine Park
  • Tyrone Reserve

Causes detected for tree die-back:

Phytophtora, a root disease

Armillaria, root rot and fungai

Bell Miners Associated Die-back

Other insect defoliaters (six species)

Mycospheralla, leaf disease

Bark and Wood Borers ( Longhorn Borers )

Mudulla Yellows

Salt, chloride toxicity

* Climate change with more hotter and longer heatwaves and longer periods of droughts.

*Droughts, (in high temperatures stomas close, prevent CO2 uptake causing the trees to starve and gradually die.)

* More frequent wild fires

* Weeds under trees makes leaves more palatable to possums.

* Suitability of soil types and altered water tables especially in built up areas.

Also see on internet “Catalyst-Tree death-ABC TV-Science”

Of the above seven reserves examined in only one, Mt Martha Park, was possum browsing mentioned and subsequent banding of trees recommended.

In all of the other reserves, tree die-back was only associated with a combination of all the above causes. (*my additions) In spite of this, Jeff still insists that beside possums browsing “ Other forms of tree fatalities are minor”

It is therefore important to consider all of these factors that contribute to tree die-back, and not just blame the ring-tail possums? If we want to prevent tree die-back we surely have to seriously consider all of the factors that will cause it. One other of these reasons is the smothering and killing of trees by the exotic Ivy and several other tree-climbers. I have observed this on many dead trees, especially in the Sweetwater Creek area.

Possums have evolved with trees and are part of the natural ecosystem. If they kill all the trees, they will kill themselves. I therefore don’t believe that there are too many possums and that they will be the only threat to all of the trees on the peninsula. Proper surveys to study all the causes of tree death are needed to clear this up.

The concern that the Mornington Council is putting too much effort into fox and cat control, and that this is “head and shoulder above the rest of the State” must be for good reasons and should therefore not be regarded as a problem. Dogs, foxes and cats do kill a lot of all types of native wildlife!

Re: Swamp Rats:

The numbers of swamp rats naturally fluctuate but, due to predation by foxes and cats, large colonies of swamp rats have of late been lost in many isolated reserves (personal observation) so that they are definitely not overabundant. As to the loss of orchids due to swamp rats, orchids grow manly in open areas while swamp rats live in dense ground cover of gahnia where orchids are not doing well. All species of orchids have survived in the presence of swamp rats for thousands of years, so what has changed? Have contents of scats from swamp rats ever been examined for remains of orchid bulbs in order to proof that they are the actual culprit or the only one? Science please.

As to the effects of the original native predators, to which there is so much reference, here is what was described by some of the early settlers on the Mornington Peninsula in “The men who blazed the track”

“Kangaroos were formerly so plentiful that they resembled flocks of sheep. At Sandy Point they erected yards for a big kangaroo drive. Messrs Clark, White, Benton and others got 1500 in the first drive. ….. In the last drive they got 800 kangaroos. On the plain they were in thousands as also were the possums. One night they shot 95 possums in two hours. Bandicoots and goannas were also very numerous.”

And yet, there was a full compliment of native predators.

There were lots of dingoes as the top predator as well as Tasmanian devils, two species of quolls and large goannas as meso-predators and several species of birds of prey while the eastern quoll was the most commonest animal observed. This was the original, natural balance of a predators and prey relationship in the ORIGINAL and UNDISTURBED environment which was described as teaming with wildlife.

But, so much for the effects that these native predators were supposed to have had in reducing the numbers of kangaroos and especially of the thousands of possums and swamp rats. In spite of these enormous numbers of herbivores, including the large numbers of possums and swamp rats, all of the vegetation, including trees and orchids thrived well.

In contrast, since dogs, foxes and cats were introduced and the wildlife habitat on the Mornington Peninsula now fragmented and reduced by 82%, at least nine species of mammals have already become extinct on the peninsula including the nationally endangered southern brown bandicoot while many other species are critically endangered and the rest remain only in relatively small numbers. The present combination of the impacts by man, by predation, by heatwaves during which thousands of possums die, and through habitat loss and further isolation of habitat, it continues to decimate our wildlife including possums and swamp rats.

To give more freedom to foxes and cats will only exacerbate this tragic loss. In my research in the diet of foxes, ring-tails occurred only in 11% of scats while 89% of the rest of their diet contained mostly remains of endangered native mammals and birds. This does surely not justify the use of more foxes for the possible reduction of ring-tails.

In the Frankston City News, they reported: “Pet cats kill an estimated 600.000 animals each year including sugar gliders and ring-tail possums. Cats also impact heavily on frogs and lizards, This alarming figure does not include wildlife killed by feral cats. A feral cat kills between 5-30 animals each night”. Adding the predation by foxes exacerbates this disaster and could at least double these losses. Why then is it so urgent in this situation that “Ecosystems need predators” and especially so on our depleted peninsula. I believe that our wildlife needs urgent protection from predators instead.

It is not only predation by foxes and cats that is a concern. Foxes also spread the seeds of blackberry and bone-seed as well as the disease of mange, while cats disperse the disease called Toxoplasmosis which causes death to many native mammals. Thankfully, Jeff has mentioned some of this as well.

We should also not forget that ring-tail and brush-tail possums are an important and staple source of food for the locally endangered powerful owl.

If there is such a concerned that possum browsing will destroy all of the tree canopies and that swamp rats destroy orchids, it would be useful to have a clear and detailed action plan as to what exactly should be done and especially what type of predators we seem to need and how and where they should be employed. This was not spelled out clearly. I hope it does not also include the removal of under-story vegetation in order to provide easier access to ring-tail possums by foxes and cats as this would exacerbate the loss of even more native mammals, insects, birds and reptiles. It could, of course, provide extra habitat for swamp rats.

Ringtail_Possum._Brisbane

(image: Common ringtail possum in a Brisbane park)

However, this is the way it should remain: In “The men who blazed the track” they stated that “The land was then very heavily timbered , the trees being so densely grown that possums could run from tree to tree. Captain Balmain’s paddocks were then very thickly wooded. At Sandy Point you could not see daylight through the dense foliage” also, “There were hundreds of trees to the acre” and, “They hunted in the thick scrub”. So, why should we now suddenly have to remove the under-story when these trees were so healthy IN SPITE OF LOTS OF POSSUMS!!!!

If there is such a concern about the loss of trees on the peninsula through possum browsing, Jeff should instead recommend to have all of the thousands of pine trees replaced on the peninsula with types of eucalyptus trees, that are not too palatable for ring-tail possums.

Hans Brunner.

M. App. Sc. Deakin

Hansxx 

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My response to the original draft by Dr. Jeff Yugovic, Jan, 2012: “LOOKING AFTER THE BUSH: ECOSYSTEMS NEED PREDATORS”.

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My response to the original draft by Dr. Jeff Yugovic, Jan, 2012: “LOOKING AFTER THE BUSH: ECOSYSTEMS NEED PREDATORS”.

Dr. Jeff Yugovic, a highly respected botanist, insists that “Ecosystems need predators”, as he is seriously concerned that the browsing by ring-tail possums threatens to destroys all of the tree canopies on the Mornington Peninsula and declares it to be a looming disaster. He states in his draft “that there is a “possum plague” and tree health has seriously deteriorating”. He is also concerned that swamp rats are devastating orchid colonies which coincides with intensive fox and cat control, hence, his message, “Ecosystems need predators”.

This statement was true before white man arrived on the Mornington Peninsula. But now, after the original ecosystem has been severely fragmented into small and isolated and mostly weed infested reserves and where the native predators have been replaced by dogs, foxes and cats, the true function of the original ecosystem has now been adversely altered.

800px-Possum_Ring-tailed444

(image: ring tail possum - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Possum_Ring-tailed444.jpg)

Firstly about tree loss:

In a study: “Survey of Tree Die-back on the Mornington Peninsula, Vic.

(School of Forest Ecosystems Science, Heidelberg, 2006)” seven reserves were examined for the causes of tree die-back.

They were:

Lorikeet Reserve, Mt. Eliza Regional Reserve, Mt. Martha Foreshore, Mt. Martha Park, Woods Reserve, Warringine Park and Tyrone Reserve.

Causes detected by them for tree die-back:

-Phytophtora, a root disease

-Armillaria, root rot and fungai

-Bell Miners Associated Die-back

-Other insect defoliaters (six species)

-Mycospheralla, leaf disease

-Bark and Wood Borers ( Longhorn Borers )

-Mudulla Yellows

-Salt, chloride toxicity

Other reasons for tree loss: (My addition)

* Climate change with more hotter and longer heatwaves and longer periods of droughts plus severe storms where many trees are blown over.

*More severe droughts, (in high temperatures stomas close, prevent CO2 uptake causing the trees to starve and gradually die.)

* More frequent wild fires

* Weeds under trees makes leaves more palatable to possums.

* Suitability of soil types and altered water tables especially in built up areas.

* Removal of trees for fire clearing, road widening and urban expansion.

* Also see on Internet “Catalyst-Tree death-ABC TV-Science”

Of the seven above reserves examined by the School of Forest Ecosystems Science, only in one, Mt Martha Park, was possum browsing mentioned and subsequent banding of trees recommended.

In all of the other reserves, tree die-back was only associated with a combination of all their identified causes. In spite of this, Jeff still insists that beside possums browsing “ Other forms of tree fatalities are only minor”

It is therefore important to consider all of these factors that contribute to tree die-back and tree loss, and not just blame the ring-tail possums? If we want to prevent tree die-back we surely have to seriously consider all of the factors that will cause it. One other of these reasons is the smothering and killing of trees by the exotic Ivy and several other tree-climbers. I have observed this on many dead trees, especially in the Sweetwater Creek area in Frankston.

Possums have evolved with trees and are part of the natural ecosystem. If they kill all the trees, they will kill themselves. I therefore don’t believe that there are too many possums and, especially, that they are a threat to the total loss of the tree canopy on the peninsula. Proper surveys to study the extent, and all of the causes of tree death and loss, are needed to clear this up.

His concern is that the Mornington Council is putting too much effort into fox and cat control, and that this is “head and shoulder above the rest of the state”. This must be for good reasons and should therefore not be regarded as a problem. Foxes and cats do kill a lot of all types of native wildlife!

Re: Swamp Rats:

swamp-rat

(image: https://museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/discovery-centre-news/2007-archive/is-this-a-native-or-an-introduced-rat/)

The numbers of swamp rats naturally fluctuate but, due to predation by foxes and cats, large colonies of swamp rats have of late been lost in many isolated reserves (personal observation) so that they are definitely not overabundant. As to the loss of orchids due to swamp rats, orchids grow manly in open areas while swamp rats live in dense ground cover of gahnia where orchids are not doing well. All species of orchids have survived in the presence of swamp rats for thousands of years, so what has changed? Have contents of scats from swamp rats ever been examined for remains of orchid bulbs in order to proof that they are the actual culprit or that they could be eaten by introduced rats or rabbits? Science please.

As to the effects of the original native predators, to which there is so much reference in his lecture, here is what was described by some of the early settlers on the Mornington Peninsula in “The men who blazed the track”

History tells us that “Kangaroos were formerly so plentiful that they resembled flocks of sheep. At Sandy Point they erected yards for a big kangaroo drive. Messrs Clark, White, Benton and others got 1500 in the first drive. ….. In the last drive they got 800 kangaroos. On the plain they were in thousands as also were the possums. One night they shot 95 possums in two hours. bandicoots and goannas were also very numerous.”

And yet, there was a full compliment of native predators.

There were lots of dingoes as the top predator as well as two species of quolls and large goannas as meso-predators and several species of birds of prey while the eastern quoll was the most commonest animal observed. This was the original, natural balance of a predators/prey relationship in the ORIGINAL and UNDISTURBED environment which was described as teaming with wildlife.

But, so much for the effects that these native predators were supposed to have had in reducing the numbers of kangaroos and especially of the thousands of possums and swamp rats. In spite of these enormous numbers of herbivores, including the large numbers of possums and swamp rats, all of the vegetation, including trees and orchids thrived well. Remember, herbivores keep on fertilizing the bush and nothing is lost in the long run.

In contrast, since dogs, foxes and cats were introduced and the wildlife habitat on the Mornington Peninsula now fragmented and reduced by 82%, at least nine species of mammals have already become extinct on the peninsula and in the Frankston area including the nationally endangered southern brown bandicoot while another six species are critically endangered and the rest remain only in relatively low numbers. The present combination of the impacts by man, by predation, by heatwaves during which now thousands of possums die, and through habitat loss and further isolation of habitat, it continues to decimate our wildlife including possums and swamp rats. To give more freedom to foxes and cats will only exacerbate this tragic loss. I therefore strongly support the various governments who see fox and cat control important in order to protect the remaining and endangered wildlife.

In my research in the diet of foxes, ring-tails occurred only at an average 11% in scats while 89% of the rest of their diet on the Mornington Peninsula contained mostly remains of endangered native mammals and birds. This does surely not justify the use of more foxes for the possible reduction of ring-tails.

In the Frankston City News, they reported: “Pet cats kill an estimated 600.000 animals each year including sugar gliders and ring-tail possums. Cats also impact heavily on frogs and lizards, This alarming figure does not include wildlife killed by feral cats. A feral cat kills between 5-30 animals each night”. Adding the predation by foxes exacerbates this disaster and could at least double these losses. Why then is it so urgent in this situation that “Ecosystems need predators” and especially so on our wildlife depleted peninsula. I believe that our wildlife needs urgent protection from predators instead.

It is not only predation by foxes and cats that is a concern. Foxes also spread the seeds of blackberry and bone-seed as well as the disease of mange, while cats disperse the disease called Toxoplasmosis which causes death to many native mammals. Thankfully, Jeff has mentioned some of this as well.

We should also not forget that ring-tail and brush-tail possums are an important and staple source of food for the locally endangered powerful owl.

If there is such a concern that possum browsing by ring-tails will destroy all of the tree canopies and that swamp rats destroy orchids, it would be useful to have a clear and detailed action plan as to what exactly should be done if it were true, and especially what type of predators we seem to need and how and where they should be employed. This was not spelled out clearly then.. I hope it does not also include the removal of under-story vegetation in order to provide easier access to ring-tail possums by foxes and cats as this would exacerbate the loss of even more native mammals, insects, birds and reptiles. It could, of course, provide extra habitat for swamp rats.

It is worth to consider that in “The men who blazed the track” they stated that “The land was then very heavily timbered , the trees being so densely grown that possums could run from tree to tree. Captain Balmain’s paddocks were then very thickly wooded. At Sandy Point you could not see daylight through the dense foliage” also, “There were hundreds of trees to the acre” and, “They hunted in the thick scrub”. So, why should we now suddenly have to remove the under-story when these trees were so healthy IN SPITE OF LOTS OF POSSUMS. To suddenly declare war on ring tails and brush tail possums is definitely not justified!.

In Germany and Switzerland they re-introduced the Wolf after one hundred years of absence. Now the numbers of native deer and other wildlife has been seriously reduced and farmers are loosing sheep and other life stock while people are afraid of encountering them. Do we need this here? To re-introduce some of the original predators into our remaining few forests and reserves would surely just be a further risk to the rest of our wildlife and life-stock. And why were these predators lost in the first place…..? What type of predators would have to do the job now?

If there is such a concern about the loss of trees on the peninsula through possum browsing, Jeff should instead recommend to have most of the thousands of pine trees replaced on the peninsula with types of eucalyptus trees, that are not too palatable for ring-tail possums.

Finally, Jeff’s problem should be addressed to the State Government for a response rather than seeking support from local environmental groups who have no real say in the matter. Reducing the number of ring tail possums on the peninsula and the way it should be done, if thought to be necessary, can only be resolved at the State Government level.

Is “Ecosystems need predators” the answer here ?

Hans Brunner.

Hansxx

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