Biodiversity

This area of the program investigates how the Coastal IFOA multi-scale landscape protections and conditions are adequately protecting focal species and their habitat from forestry operations and support their occupancy and persistence in the landscape.

1. Monitoring species occupancy


The program will monitor trends across landscapes and regions for focal fauna species using occupancy modelling.

Data on the presence or the absence of focal species across the Coastal IFOA areas will be captured through a field-based monitoring program, mainly consisting of remote survey methods throughout coastal state forests. This will include the use of infrared cameras and acoustic devices but will also require some species-specific methods, including spotlighting for the greater glider (Petauroides volans).

1.1 Fauna monitoring on state forests


The approach

Fauna occupancy monitoring will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Coastal IFOA protections and conditions, particularly the collective multi-scale landscape protections, in maintaining species occupancy and the population status of focal species. To achieve this, the program will estimate the trends in occupancy of focal species, such as koalas and other arboreal mammals, hollow-dependant bats, nectivores, ground-dwelling mammals and forest owls.

As part of this work, new fauna call recognisers such as for owls and frogs are being developed. These will be used to analyse the extensive call datasets being collected for the monitoring program and can also be used for previously collected acoustic data sets.

Species occupancy survey design and implementation

A pilot study in 2021 assessed the feasibility of remote sampling techniques, detectability of various species and site establishment for the overall design of the monitoring program. From this, it was recommended that the program establish 300 monitoring sites across the Coastal IFOA estate to provide enough data and statistical power to estimate occupancy levels for a variety of species.

The monitoring sites are located within the three Coastal IFOA regions, Upper northeast, Lower northeast and Southern, with 100 sites per region. A proportion of these sites are surveyed in spring and the rest in autumn to allow for seasonal variation in detectability of the species, for example, powerful owls are more vocal in autumn and koalas are more vocal in spring.

The landscape-scale trend monitoring is aimed at a range of species that can be photographed with remote cameras at bait lure stations and sound recorders are being used to record the species that emit audible identifiable calls along with ultrasonic sound recorders for echo-locating bat species.

Remote sampling of fauna with cameras and sound recorders takes place over a two-week period in each season. Data is collected by the NSW Forestry Corporation and analysed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries Forest Science Unit.

More information on the fauna survey design and implementation is available here:

Further details on the set-up and programming of equipment are provided in the equipment instruction sheets:

Other monitoring information and instructions include:

Progress to date

  • The NSW Forestry Corporation carried out surveys in spring 2022, autumn 2023 and spring 2023.
  • Camera and acoustic data collected have been shared with the NSW Department of Primary Industries Forest Science Unit and species have been identified for spring 2022 and autumn 2023 surveys.
  • Data have been scanned and validated for koalas, powerful owl, sooty owl, masked owl and sugar gliders for the south coast region.
  • Call recognisers have also been developed for 13 target species, including the glossy black cockatoo and selected priority nocturnal species, including owls, gliders and the grey headed flying fox.

Next steps and timing

  • Occupancy modelling of the spring 2022 and autumn 2023 survey data and analysis of environmental co-variates is due to be completed before May 2024.
  • Identification of fauna species from the spring 2023 surveys will be complete by May 2024.

1.2 Fauna call recognisers


The NSW Department of Primary Industries, in collaboration with Queensland University of Technology, NSW Forestry Corporation and Victorian University of Wellington are developing fauna call recognisers for a range of forest dependent species such as large forest owls and frogs. This work will support fauna occupancy monitoring on state forests.

More information can be found here.

2. Monitoring specific fauna species

The species-specific fauna monitoring strategy will adopt the monitoring outlined in each of the Coastal IFOA fauna species management plans (SMPs). These plans contain detailed objectives and monitoring requirements for the species, generally at specific locations, plus review and reporting requirements.

A process to review species management plans was developed by the Commission in collaboration with the Coastal IFOA technical working group and FMIP Steering Committee independent expert Professor Philip Gibbons, and approved by the FMIP Steering Committee. As part of a species management plan review, a Species Management Plan Review Group formed of specialists from Forestry Corporation of NSW, EPA, DPIE and DPI-Forest Science, review the monitoring approach for each Species Management Plan. Results from previous monitoring data collected will be analysed to inform suggested improvements.

Based on the findings of the review and monitoring data analysis, the Commission, on behalf of the Steering Committee, advise the EPA on suggested improvements to the species management plans to ensure the program can continue to improve the effectiveness of the Coastal IFOA conditions for supporting the persistence of those fauna species.

2.1 Greater Glider

The site-specific biodiversity condition for Greater Gliders in the Coastal IFOA region requires the CIFOA monitoring program to monitor the effectiveness of site-specific conditions to protect Greater Glider populations in mapped areas.

The program has engaged Dr Rod Kavanagh, Adjunct Associate Professor at Southern Cross University to design and propose a plan to meet the new requirements. For over four decades, Dr Kavanagh has worked as a senior wildlife research scientist and forest ecologist across government, the private sector and not-for-profit organisations. He has published in peer reviewed scientific journals, including research on Greater Gliders, other arboreal marsupials and large forest owls in south eastern NSW forests.

In designing a plan, Dr Kavanagh will work closely with a cross-agency technical working group including our staff, Environment Protection Agency, Forestry Corporation of NSW, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and Department of Primary Industries.

2.2 Koala

The Coastal IFOA monitoring program has engaged Dr Alistair Melzer, Adjunct Research Fellow at Central Queensland University to design a long-term, species-specific plan to monitor the effectiveness of koala conditions in the Coastal IFOA. Dr Melzer, a field ecologist, has worked on koalas and their habitat for over two decades. He is a previous member of the Queensland Government’s Koala Expert Panel, advising on the most appropriate actions to reverse population decline and ensure long-term persistence of south east Queensland’s koalas. He has authored or co-authored over fifty scientific publications, primarily on the koala.

As outlined in the approved Coastal IFOA monitoring program, this work will build on recent research and findings under our koala research program. This program investigates koala response to harvesting, including conditions related to habitat, koala tree retention and harvesting limits.

Dr Melzer will work closely with a cross-agency technical working group including our staff, Environment Protection Agency, Forestry Corporation of NSW, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and Department of Primary Industries.

2.3 Yellow-bellied Glider

The program has engaged the DPI Forest Science team to analyse 2020-23 data under the yellow-bellied glider SMP.

2020 review

The first species management plan review for the yellow-bellied glider is now complete.

The Species Management Plan Review Group worked collaboratively to recommend changes to the yellow-bellied glider species management plan based on an analysis undertaken by the DPI Forest Science team. The group identified potential improvements including updating the objectives of the species management plan to ensure they can be effectively answered with improved monitoring methods, and a revision of the species management plan objectives to consider yellow-bellied glider recovery in a post-fire landscape. These improvements were endorsed by the FMIP Steering Committee and the Commission, on behalf of the Steering Committee, advised the EPA:

  • Improvements to the method to monitoring yellow-bellied Gliders such as the use of songmeters going forward, to allow for repeat surveys (nights) for occupancy analysis.
  • Occupancy modelling should continue for the next 2-3 years to assess trends in the Bago-Maragle yellow-bellied glider population, particularly the impact of the bushfires and recovery of the species post-fire. Objectives of the species management plan will need to be updated to support these changes.
  • Once the monitoring is complete, the specific conditions relating to the species will be reviewed, should the Coastal IFOA conditions be found to be adequately protecting this species, yellow-bellied gliders will be monitored as part of the broader species occupancy monitoring and a species management plan will no longer be required.

Analyses of yellow-bellied glider survey data to understand the population trend from 1995, 2010 and 2013-2020, and the species response to the 2019/20 wildfire and harvesting have been published here.

2.4 Southern Brown Bandicoot

The program has engaged the DPI Forest Science team to analyse 2020-23 data under the southern brown bandicoot SMP.

2020 review

The Southern Brown Bandicoot Species Management Plan (SMP) was approved in 2007. Monitoring has been undertaken by FCNSW in line with the SMP since this time. The DPI Forest Science team has analysed field data and reported findings for the Southern Brown Bandicoot.

A cross agency technical team – the Species Management Plan Review Group (the group) - reviewed DPI’s analysis and recommended improvements to the NSW Forest Monitoring Steering Committee (the Committee). In reviewing the species management plan and associated monitoring, the group was supported by native wildlife and monitoring expert Dr Andrew Claridge and the Committee’s independent advisor Professor Phillip Gibbons.

The NSW Forest Monitoring Steering Committee has endorsed the team’s recommendations.

The Commission, on behalf of the Steering Committee, advised the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to:

  • update management objectives to ensure bushfire and harvesting impacts are effectively monitored, including thresholds to trigger management responses
  • implement and monitor the effectiveness of predator control on state forests
  • increase locations to monitor different harvest treatments and use the Ben Boyd National Park dataset as a control site to compare and analyse differences
  • update data analysis to include timber harvesting as a primary parameter when investigating potential changes.

The EPA have accepted the recommendations. The EPA will work with Forestry Corporation of NSW and the group to ensure the management plan is updated accordingly.

3. Monitoring specific flora species

The species-specific flora monitoring strategy will adopt the monitoring outlined in each species management plans (SMPs). SMPs are being prepared for seven focal flora species, with two already completed and another five currently being drafted.

The SMPs will detail monitoring, review and adaptive management of the Coastal IFOA conditions for those species. Two of the flora species, native jute (Corchorus cunninghamii) and East Lynne midge orchid (Genoplesium vernale) which are currently having SMPs drafted, are already being monitored on Coastal IFOA state forests under the NSW Saving Our Species program The Saving Our Species monitoring work will be incorporated into the monitoring component of the SMP.

SMP monitoring results will be analysed in accordance with the requirements within each SMP. The analysis will be used to determine the effectiveness of the SMPs in maintaining the presence of those species and their habitats within a forested landscape.

3.1 Assessing change in tree composition on state forests



The program has engaged researchers at the Forest Science Unit, DPI to assess how tree composition has changed over time on coastal state forests. Timber harvesting has the potential to alter tree species composition and thus the habitat and nutritional quality available for many species that rely on them. The researchers will access extensive space and time plot-based datasets held by FCNSW to undertake the analysis. The investigation will also assess change in selected focal feed trees that are used by species such as koalas, greater gliders and yellow-bellied gliders (e.g. tallowwood, grey gum, bloodwood) and important non browse and timber species (e.g. blackbutt, spotted gum, turpentine).

3.2 Milky Silkpod and Rusty Plum

The Species Management Plan Review Group worked collaboratively to recommend changes to the Rusty Plum and Milky Silkpod species management plan. The Commission engaged Dr. Doug Binnns to review the plans and inform the group. The group identified potential improvements including steps to strengthen monitoring and data analysis to ensure scientifically robust results. These improvements were endorsed by the FMIP Steering Committee.

On behalf of the Steering Committee, the Commission advised the EPA the plans could be improved by:

  • Developing species distribution models for the Rusty Plum and Milky Silkpod across tenures to determine the current extent of reservation to protect the species’ habitat.
  • Targeting field validation to confirm key areas and populations across their extent.
  • Determining if sufficient areas of the species’ habitat occur in protected areas, and evaluate if existing conditions are adequate. This should use the most current knowledge gained from the monitoring to date on impacts from harvesting and fire. This will help protect the long-term viability of the species and determine if supplementary measures and/or monitoring is still necessary.

The Commission also recommended updating the objectives of the species management plan to support these changes. Dr Binns review was provided to the EPA and FCNSW.

The EPA have accepted the recommendations. The EPA will work with Forestry Corporation of NSW and the group to ensure the management plan is updated accordingly.

4. Monitoring landscape-scale trends

The University of New England and the NSW Department of Primary Industries Forest Science Unit will deliver baselines, drivers and trends for species occupancy and distribution in NSW forests across all tenures, including Coastal IFOA state forests.

Over 15 leading scientists will form the team including scientists from the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment who will adopt indicators and modelling from the NSW Biodiversity Indicators program as part of the work. Professor Nick Reid, University of New England will lead the project. Dr. Rod Kavanagh will coordinate investigators across the project.

More information

Click here for information on monitoring key habitat features.