Dissertation
Assessment and restoration of an endangered ecological community; Coastal Swamp Oak (Casuarina glauca) Forests of South East Queensland
University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Doctor of Philosophy, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25907/01006
Abstract
Coastal ecosystems are faced with a range of increasing anthropogenic and environmental impacts. In combination, these impacts alter species distribution and lead to declines in the extent, structure and connectivity of habitats at multiple spatial scales. For this reason, there is a growing desire for active interventions, including ecological restoration, that are designed to minimise the impacts and/or reverse the effects of impacts. Identifying and understanding drivers of ecosystem condition and managing associated impacts in fragmented and often poorly connected urban ecosystems is increasingly important for establishing targets, effective management strategies and prioritising areas suitable for conservation and restoration efforts. However, quantitatively identifying components of ecosystem structure for management prioritisation can be challenging because of the many competing impacts from multiple spatial scales. This thesis assessed Coastal Swamp Oak (Casuarina glauca) Forests as a model system as their extent has been reduced by 64-79% across their range, primarily due to human influences driving degradation and fragmentation of communities, with remnant patches challenged with reduced condition and more susceptible to edge effects, invasive species, erosion and land-clearing. Despite the growing demand for restoration of these forests, the impacts they face remain poorly understood. Here, I assessed the combined effects of environmental and spatial drivers on the composition and distribution of plant community structure, fauna assemblage composition and their ecological functions within swamp oak forests across three estuaries in South East Queensland with varying impact gradients. Tree communities within swamp oak forests were most influenced by the effects of urbanisation, while measures of ground cover within the forest were most influenced by the presence of nearby protected areas. Results therefore emphasised the importance of spatial linkages between swamp oak forest patches in influencing both tree size and understory characteristics. Fauna assemblage composition within swamp oak forests, as quantified from camera trapping surveys, was primarily influenced by proximity of sites to the estuary mouth and forest complexity (i.e., presence of understory cover, canopy cover, and canopy height). The overall species richness of the faunal assemblages at each site were highest at sites with lower canopy cover, at greater distances from the estuary mouth, with larger areas of nearby urban land nearby. Bird communities and their functional composition (being the relative abundance of each functional group) within swamp oak forests were modified by a series of protection (i.e., nearby protected areas) and habitat context effects, with protection modifying both the structure and functional composition of birds. Finally, in assessing ecological functioning associated with the faunal communities, I identified that the abundance of crows (Corvus orru) and black rats (Rattus rattus) were key drivers of scavenging throughout swamp oak forests. These animals undertake clear partitioning in their feeding activities, with crows and other avian species feeding almost exclusively throughout the day, while black rats and other mammal species feed overnight. Together, these findings improve our understanding of how vegetation characteristics, faunal communities and their functions are modified across different spatial scales, linked to dominance by different species, how they are impacted by human disturbance, and finally how the effects of protection may be able to alter these negative effects. This thesis furthers our understanding of the drivers of swamp oak forest communities and highlights the importance of quantitative data for guiding ecosystem management.
Details
- Title
- Assessment and restoration of an endangered ecological community; Coastal Swamp Oak (Casuarina glauca) Forests of South East Queensland
- Authors
- Ellen Bingham - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Contributors
- Ben Gilby (Principal Supervisor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringAndrew Olds (Co-Supervisor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringCatherine Yule (Co-Supervisor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Centre for BioinnovationChristopher Henderson (Co-Supervisor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringLucy Goodridge Gaines (Consultant Supervisor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Awarding institution
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Degree awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Publisher
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- DOI
- 10.25907/01006
- Grant note
- Sunshine Coast Council Monitoring Program
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991209381402621
- Output Type
- Dissertation
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