CAUGHT ON CAMERA Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest - JANUARY 2019 - Victorian National Parks Association
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CAUGHT ON CAMERA Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest JANUARY 2019 A REPORT ON THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF MONITORING THE EFFECTS OF FIRE ON WILDLIFE Prepared by Christine Connelly, Richard Loyn, Caitlin Griffith, Dr Sera Blair
Victorian National Parks Association
The Victorian National Parks Association is a community-led nature conservation organisation.
Our vision is to ensure Victoria is a place with a diverse and healthy natural environment that is
protected, respected and enjoyed by all.
We work with all levels of government, the scientific community and the general community to
achieve long term, best practice environmental outcomes and help shape the agenda for creating
and managing national parks, conservation reserves and other important natural areas across
land and sea in Victoria.
We are also Victoria’s largest bushwalking club and provide a range of education, citizen science
and activity programs that encourage Victorians to get active for nature.
NatureWatch
The Victorian National Parks Association’s NatureWatch program is a citizen science program
which gets community involved in collecting scientific data on Victorian native plants and animals.
The program builds links between community members, scientists and land managers and
develops scientifically based, practical projects which contribute to a better understanding of
species and ecosystems, and the management of natural areas.
Project Partners
Wombat Forestcare
Wombat Forestcare is a community group dedicated to protecting and enhancing the natural
ecosystems of the Wombat State Forest and surrounding areas.
Eco Insights
Eco Insights is a consultancy established by Richard Loyn that conducts strategic projects in
Australia and Papua New Guinea. Richard is an ecologist with special interests in forests, fire,
wetlands, threatened species, bird migration and conservation.
PAGE 2 | Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest
Acknowledgements
NatureWatch and the Caught on Camera project would not exist without the tremendous amount of
work of many volunteers who have been involved in helping establish the project, setting up cameras,
maintaining equipment, team leading, identifying wildlife in images and data management.
Over the first five years of the project, each year around 45 volunteers contributed over 1,500 hours in the
field, over 1,000 hours in the office identifying images and managing equipment and countless hours on
other behind the scenes tasks.
Wombat Forestcare input and support, Gayle Osborne, Eddie Schambre and several others.
DELWP input and support, Matt Chick, Robin Holmes, Kerryn McTaggart and Sarah Bellhouse.
ARI input into project development, Matt Bruce, Peter Menkhorst and Richard Loyn.
EcoInsights project scientific support, Richard Loyn.
Victorian National Parks Association volunteer team leaders, office volunteers and field volunteers.
Project supported by: Since 2012, the project has received funding from the Foundation for National Parks
and Wildlife, the ANZ Staff Foundation, Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria
Environment Fund, Perpetual Rowe Family Foundation.
Caught on Camera is supported by the Victorian Government.
This project is conducted with full ethics approvals
and under DELWP Research Permit #10007466.
CONTENTS
Summary 4
A project for the wider community 4
What have we found? 4
Introduction 6
Caught on Camera project 6
Project aims 6
This report 6
Background 7
The importance of understanding the fire response 7
Why use motion-sensing cameras? 7
Monitoring in Wombat State Forest 7
A 10-year endeavour 7
Methods 8
Study area 8
Sites 8
Survey methods 10
Training 10
Setting up monitoring sites 11
Species identification 12
Habitat assessments 12 Above: Christine Connelly. Photo by Deb Connelly.
Analysis 13
Cover images: Eastern Grey Kangaroos and
Results 14 Brush-tailed Phascogale (inset). Photos by VNPA.
What did we observe? 14 Back cover images: Common Wombat and
Associations between animal species 17 Crimson Rosella (inset). Photos by VNPA.
Associations with habitat features 18
Relationships with fire history 19
Trends over time 20
Discussion 23
A community achievement 23
Understanding our results 23
Limitations and recommendations 24
What’s next 25
References 26
Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest | PAGE 3
Summary
Between 2012 and 2016 The participation of the community
more than 200 volunteers A project for the in this project demonstrates a great
contributed over 2,500 wider community passion for science and conservation
hours to monitor wildlife in Wombat State Forest.
in Wombat State Forest Caught on Camera has been a
as part of the Caught on major achievement for the local We’re incredibly grateful to everyone
Camera project. Thanks to and wider community. that has contributed to the project
the inspiring volunteer effort, to date and we look forward to
Through the project, we’ve working with new and old friends
the community amassed five
built and strengthened positive to complete our ambitious and
years of data on 13 native
and long-lasting links between valuable 10-year study.
mammals and 15 native
the community, scientists and
birds, including threatened
the government.
species. This is part of a 10 What have we found?
year project and this report The community came together
marks our findings at the half The community effort on this project
to develop and deliver this
has amassed five years of records that
way mark. project over the past five years,
document 13 native mammal species
with volunteers from Wombat
Back in 2012, Wombat and 15 native bird species, including
Forestcare and VNPA being
Forestcare and the VNPA
involved in: Mammals:
were concerned that we did
not know enough about the Establishing the project science and methods Echidna
effects of fire on wildlife. Reviewing project progress Brush-tailed Phascogale
So, with the support of the Setting up and packing down cameras 100 Agile Antechinus
Department of Environment, times at 44 different monitoring sites Dusky Antechinus
Land Water and Planning’s Habitat assessments Common Brushtail Possum
Arthur Rylah institute for Sending in recorded data Mountain Brushtail Possum
Environmental Research Maintaining equipment Common Ringtail Possum
(ARI), we set about devising Leading teams in the field Koala
a method to explore the Identifying wildlife in many thousands Common Wombat
question; ‘what is the impact of images
Black Wallaby
of fire on mammals?’ Overview of final reports
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
through the VNPA’s
Bush Rat
NatureWatch program.
Swamp Rat
Birds:
Southern Boobook
Laughing Kookaburra
Crimson Rosella
Superb Fairy-wren
White-browed Scrubwren
Spotted Quail-thrush
Grey Shrike-thrush
Grey Currawong
Pied Currawong
Australian Magpie
White-winged Chough
Scarlet Robin
Flame Robin
Eastern Yellow Robin
Bassian Thrush
PAGE 4 | Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest
We have also recorded nine Other recent studies in similar We don’t have a lot of data on
introduced mammal species ecosystems have shown that the less common species but to
and one introduced bird species: longer-term effects of fire on date our results appear to show
flora and fauna are generally that common ground-dwelling
Common Blackbird more subtle than those in the mammal and bird species in
Black Rat first three years. Our project the two forest types remained
House Mouse appears to support this, at common over the study period.
European Rabbit least for the common species.
Brown Hare So far, there is no evidence
Feral Goat of a dramatic response for
Sambar Deer any species, and several
Red Fox species have shown only
Cat subtle responses.
Domestic Dog (with its human!)
Brush-tailed Phascogales:
an exciting find of a threatened species!
Capturing images of a threatened Brush-tailed Phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa)
is an incredibly exciting outcome for this project. They are a small marsupials with a
distinctive bottle-brush tail that live in dry leafy forests and nest in tree hollows and feed
on insects and nectars. Being photographed at three sites across the Wombat State
Forest demonstrates this is an important habitat area for this species which is listed as
threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988).
A few months before these images were taken, Wombat Forestcare picked up the species
on some of their cameras – these were the first recordings of the species in this part of the
Wombat State Forest since the 1970’s!
Brush-tailed Phascogale.
Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest | PAGE 5
INTRODUCTION
Caught on Camera Project aims
project The Caught on Camera project This original aim remains,
objectives in Wombat State although we have refined our
Caught on Camera is an
Forest are: project slightly since we started.
ongoing project that involves
We have extended the study to
working with local community • To provide crucial data on
look at fire response in a broader
groups, land managers and the long-term impacts of
range of species, including some
scientists to establish long- prescribed burning on wildlife
ground-foraging birds, and to
term wildlife monitoring, using to land managers, community
increase the number of sites in
motion-sensing cameras. Field groups, scientists and
each vegetation type and time
deployment of the cameras and government.
since fire category.
management of equipment is • To create working partnerships
undertaken by local community with government, researchers
volunteers, with support of and community, to carry out This report
volunteers from elsewhere in long-term monitoring. This report presents the
Victoria, recruited through the • To demonstrate and promote results of the first five years’
VNPA. to government the need of monitoring, and provides
In Wombat State Forest and for ongoing, strategic and recommendations for the
Bunyip State Park, Caught on comprehensive monitoring in ongoing monitoring.
Camera involves looking at response to fire.
the long-term impact of fire We specifically designed the
on wildlife. In the Hindmarsh/ project to explore the question:
Wimmera region and at Bank
Australia’s conservation ‘What mammal species are
reserves, we explored the value located at ‘Recently Burnt’,
of revegetation efforts for ‘Medium time since burnt’ and
wildlife. ‘Long Unburnt’ sites in Foothills
Forest and Forby Forest in
In other locations we are Wombat State Forest?’
carrying out exploratory surveys,
especially where contemporary
survey data are lacking.
Wombat
PAGE 6 | Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest
BACKGROUND
The importance of Why use motion- Monitoring in
understanding the sensing cameras? Wombat State
fire response Monitoring of fauna using traditional Forest
survey techniques (e.g. trapping,
“Much monitoring of fauna is of such spotlighting) can be highly labour Since 2012, annual monitoring took
a small scale and short duration that intensive. Motion-sensing cameras place over March to July at up to
the statistical likelihood of detecting provide an alternative method, and the 20 sites each year. The monitoring
a positive or negative effect of the opportunity to gather data on some season commences with a
management regime is minute. Such animal groups (e.g. small mammals, community training session in March,
shortcomings will only be overcome some arboreal mammals and ground- which includes deploying the cameras
through broad-scale and/or long-term foraging birds) with much less effort. at the first four sites.
studies of fauna.” (Clarke 2008)
Cameras can be set-up at multiple Throughout the monitoring season,
In Australia, we have a limited locations and left to automatically eight cameras are rotated around the
understanding of the impacts of detect and record species throughout sites every three weeks, to ensure that
fire on our biodiversity particularly the day and night. The method is also every site is monitored once. Each
the impacts on fauna (Clarke 2008, much less stressful for the fauna than deployment involves two teams of
MacHunter et al. 2009). We need trapping and can provide data on the around 4-5 volunteers.
repeatable, ongoing monitoring or presence of some species that are
there will continue to be gaps in our
understanding of the impacts of
unlikely to be caught in traps. A 10-year
planned burning in the landscape. It’s important to note that motion- endeavour
sensing cameras do not provide
For land managers to improve accurate data on population sizes We established a one year trial, to test
planned burning techniques, (except in rare cases when individual the study design and the community’s
particularly to meet the needs of animals can be recognised) but capacity to carry out the study,
our native fauna, it is essential to may have potential to provide with a view to carrying out annual
understand the impact of fire on all data on relative abundance across monitoring over the long-term
life forms, not just the impacts on the different habitats. (>10 years).
plants. This is particularly relevant
when working in a fragmented Motion-sensing cameras also offer At the end of the year, we reported
landscape, such as Victoria. a terrific opportunity for community on our results and reviewed our
engagement — the photographs of success and decided that the project
“The ability of fire planners to animals ‘Caught on Camera’ in their was successful and should continue.
meaningfully implement the dual natural environment can be shared We established a strategic plan with
aspirations of protecting life and throughout the community as well planning and review actions to be
property and achieving ecological as to a wider audience online. This undertaken at four yearly intervals.
goals is dependent on the availability can serve as an educational tool and
of science and evidence that informs inform the community about the In 2015, we conducted a detailed
operational processes, and monitoring richness of their local environment, review of the project and determined
that influences future management.” fostering a more meaningful that we are tracking well; the
(MacHunter et al. 2009) relationship between the community data were of good quality and the
and the place in which they live. project should continue with minor
Through long term community- adjustments.
driven projects that are developed
with scientific rigour and linked to Specifically, we determined that we
management techniques, such as should increase our sample size by
planned burning, it is possible for the adding more sites across the site
community to contribute to building categories, to improve our likelihood
our knowledge base on the impact of of detecting responses.
fire on fauna.
Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest | PAGE 7
Methods
Study area Sites
The study was conducted in From 2012 to 2015, 28 sites Parameters for selecting
Wombat State Forest in central- were established, a subset monitoring sites:
west Victoria, approximately of 30 sites established by
• Include sites with planned
80 km north-west of central Wombat Forestcare and the
burns in the subsequent 1-2
Melbourne. The forest covers Department of Sustainability
years (to collect pre-burn data
about 70,000 ha and extends and Environment as Community
and then monitor change).
along both sides of the Great Research sites (Macak et al.
2010). In 2016, a further 16 • Sites in Forby Forest and
Dividing Range, from Creswick to
sites were added to increase the Foothills Forest EVDs.
Mount Macedon.
statistical power of the study, • Consider opportunities to
Wombat forest has a long history providing greater capacity to address spatial distribution of
of timber harvesting, and was detect trends in results. burns in the landscape, and the
extensively logged during the patterns of burn intensity within
gold rush era of the mid-1800s. The sites were selected to each burn. Patchiness can be
Virtually all old-growth trees have represent sites that have been manipulated at both scales
been removed from the forest. burnt at different time intervals, through the planning process
Large-scale harvesting ceased in which were classified into three and decisions about when to
2002 (Macak et al. 2010), but the ‘time since fire’ categories; burn (weather on the day). Fine-
forest continues to be managed • recently burnt (RB: 0 - 10 years scale patchiness can also be
under the Forests Act, thus mining since the last fire), manipulated by decisions about
and further logging activities • medium burnt (IB: 11 - 41 ignition patterns.
cannot be ruled out. years since the last fire) and • All sites are easily accessible
• long unburnt (LU: 42+ years (by 2WD vehicle and short
The forest comprises a
since the last fire). walk).
mixed eucalypt foothill forest
• Sites are at least 1km apart.
with dominant Messmate Sites were located within
(Eucalyptus obliqua) overstorey, • Design includes recently burnt
two vegetation communities sites (0-3 years since burn) if
in combination with Peppermints (ecological vegetation division
(E. dives and E. radiata) and possible.
categories for fire planning; • If there is an interest or need
Candlebark Gum (E. rubida) EVDs); Foothills Forest and
(Leversha 1996). Sixty per cent of identified in the future, sites in
Forby Forest. new EVCs can be included at a
the vegetation types that occur in
the Wombat forest are classified The project planning workshop later stage.
as threatened. provided a 10-year project plan So far, 44 sites have been
to select 20 sites for monitoring selected and surveyed across
The Wombat forest provides each year. This could include
habitat for over 180 native the study area (Figure 1), with 28
some repeated sites and some monitored in the first four years
vertebrate fauna species, new sites and result in up to 100
including 18 rare or threatened and a further 16 surveyed in the
or more monitoring sites over fifth year covered by this report.
species (e.g. Greater Glider, the next 10 years.
Powerful Owl, Square-tailed
Kite, White-throated Needletail
and Lace Monitor). The forest
is also inhabited by several key
fire response species such as
Mountain Brushtail Possum, Agile
Antechinus and Black Wallaby
(Macak et al. 2010; MacHunter et
al. 2009).
PAGE 8 | Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest
Figure 1. Map of the study sites within the Wombat State Forest and their time since fire category
(green = long unburnt, blue= medium burnt, red= recently burnt).
Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest | PAGE 9
Survey methods
Training
This is an ongoing
community project and
on-ground activities are
carried out by community
volunteers. Each year,
coordination and training
is led by the VNPA. The
monitoring season starts
in March and begins with a
community training activity,
to launch the project and
train participants in how to
set-up cameras.
Between 2012 and 2017,
each annual training activity
was attended by 25-50
eager participants , who
were provided with project
background, information
about VNPA and Wombat
Forestcare, visited several
sites in Wombat forest and
were trained in how to set-up
bait stations and cameras.
PHOTOS: IAN KENINS
PAGE 10 | Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State ForestSetting up monitoring sites
Following the training activity, site. Two motion-sensing ground, facing south to
community volunteers from cameras (heat-in-motion type, avoid sun glare at sunrise
VNPA and Wombat Forestcare Reconyx Hyperfire HC500) and sunset.
volunteered every three weeks were installed at each site,
to pack down, move and set-up approximately 100 m apart. The bait station comprised six
cameras and bait stations at the stainless steel tea strainers,
20 sites monitored each year. Each camera was attached which were secured inside a
to the nearest suitable tree at small rectangular cage and
A GPS and location description the designated location and attached to a plastic garden
were used to navigate to each positioned 50 cm above the stake, as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Camera and bait station field set-up
Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest | PAGE 11PHOTO: IAN KENINS
A bait station was placed The cameras were left to operate
Habitat assessments
2-3 m in front of each camera for a minimum of 21 days.
with the base of the cage Upon collection, cameras were At the first camera set-up at each
approximately 30 cm from the checked to see if they were still site, habitat was assessed within
ground. The tea strainers were operating. a one hectare area centred on the
filled with a bait mixture of cameras. Several habitat variables
rolled oats, peanut butter and Species identification were recorded, to describe upper-,
golden syrup, which were used mid- and under-storey vegetation
to attract wildlife to the centre The species of wildlife in each
structure and to not any special
of the cameras’ field of view. photo taken by the cameras
features of the site. Key habitat
were identified and counted by
features such as leaf litter or fallen
The cameras were aligned so volunteers under the supervision
logs were scored on a scale from
that the bait station appeared of the NatureWatch Coordinator.
0 (absent) to 5 (very prevalent).
in the horizontal centre of The images of wildlife which
Practice sessions helped ensure
the frame and the bottom were difficult to identify were
that this was estimated consistently
of the bait cage was in the then sent to ARI or Eco Insights
by all assessors.
vertical centre of the frame. for further identification. Where
The vegetation between each possible, animals have been Four photographs of the habitat
camera and its bait station identified to species level. were taken from the locations where
and one metre behind was In cases where some doubt cameras were installed, using hand-
cleared (within the field of persisted they were assigned held digital cameras. The first is a
view of the camera) to ensure to a more generic category, for photograph of the canopy, and the
that this did not obscure any example “Unidentified Brushtail rest are horizontal photographs
photographs of animals. Possum”. of the vegetation immediately
surrounding the site.
PAGE 12 | Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State ForestWe had planned to examine sites
Analysis in a third EVD (Grassy/Heathy Dry
We calculated the number of Forest) but found too few sites for
days on which each species this to be useful. Hence, we focused
was identified (using means for mainly on Foothills Forest and Forby
the two cameras) for each site Forest. Two sites in Grassy/Heathy
and year. This measurement is Dry Forest were analysed along
called a ‘site-day’. We used this with sites in Forby Forest, as some
as a measure of the prevalence intermingling was found between
of that species on the site at those EVDs.
that time, or the intensity with Table 1 shows the spread of
which the species was using sites across these ‘time since fire’
the site. We then assessed categories and the vegetation types.
any relationships between Because there is less Forby Forest in
this prevalence measure for the Wombat forest, we located two
each species and the following sites within a similar EVD, ‘Grassy/
variables: Heathy Dry Forest’.
• The prevalence of other
Table 1. Number of sites in
species.
each fire category and
• The habitat variables we ecological vegetation
recorded. division. Time since fire
• The vegetation type (Ecological categories include: recently
Vegetation Division; EVD). burnt (3-14 years before
• Fire history (number of the survey); medium-burnt
recorded fires since 1970, and (15-50 years before) or
‘time since fire’ as a numerical long-unburnt (no recorded
value of ‘years’). fires for 50 years or more).
We categorised the sites as Ecological Total Recently Medium Long
recently burnt (3-14 years before Vegetation Sites Burnt Burnt Unburnt
the survey); medium-burnt (15- Division
50 years before) or long-unburnt Foothills Forest 29 7 12 10
(no recorded fires for 50 years
Forby or
or more). This differs slightly Grassy/Healthy 15 4 5 6
from the original design (see Dry Forest
pages 10-11), but it provided TOTAL 44 11 17 16
similar numbers of sites in each
category. It happens that we
did not survey any sites burnt Statistical analyses were run to
less than three years before the identify significant correlations
survey, and we will attempt to and other more complex
include such very recently burnt relationships with EVD and time
sites in the future because some since fire. Further statistical
species are known to favour models will be developed in the
those early stages after fire. future for selected species.
Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest | PAGE 13Results
What did we observe?
Altogether we recorded 23 most common mammal species The same seven species also topped
mammal species and 16 in descending order were the list in terms of numbers of days
bird species with the motion- Common Wombat (36 sites), detected, accounting for 74.2% of
sensing cameras. Black Agile Antechinus (31), Red Fox mammal site-days. The two small
Wallabies were detected on (28), Mountain Brushtail Possum species in the group (Agile Antechinus
all 44 sites and were recorded (26), Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Bush Rat) were recorded on more
on more days than any other (22), and Bush Rat (18). All were days at each site than the larger species,
species. In terms of numbers native except for the Red Fox. reflecting their small home ranges and
of sites recorded, the next Details in Table 2. consequently higher density.
Black Wallaby Common Wombat
Red Fox Bush Rat
Mountain Brushtail Possum Eastern Yellow Robin
PAGE 14 | Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State ForestNo other mammal species was recorded on more than 10 sites
(Table 2). Black Rats appeared to be common on one of the three
sites where they were recorded (WCR8, with Forby Forest last burnt in
2004) whereas other species were detected infrequently.
The species recorded were mainly ground-foragers, although Agile
Antechinus also forage extensively in trees and five species feed
mainly in trees (Brush-tailed Phascogale, Koala and the three possum
species). No gliders or bats were recorded with the camera traps.
Agile Antechinus Koala
Of the 22 mammal species, 13 were native and nine were introduced
to Australia. Introduced mammal species contributed 7.1% of the
mammal site-days, showing that introduced mammals form only a
modest component of the mammal fauna detected.
The most commonly detected bird species was the Superb Fairy-wren,
and it was found on 20 sites, followed by the Grey Shrike-thrush at
18 sites (Table 2).
Feral cat Superb Fairy-wren
Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest | PAGE 15Table 2: Species prevalence represented by the number of sites they were recorded visiting, the percentage
of total sites they visited and the mean number of days (site days) they were recorded at each site.
Mean number Number of Percentage of
of site days sites recorded sites visited
(n=44) (n=44)
Native mammals species
Black Wallaby 3.94 44 100.0
Common Wombat 1.49 36 81.8
Agile Antechinus 1.76 31 70.5
Any Brushtail 0.96 29 65.9
Mountain Brushtail Possum 0.77 26 59.1
Eastern Grey Kangaroo 0.45 22 50.0
Bush Rat 0.79 18 40.9
Common Ringtail Possum 0.09 10 22.7
Common Brushtail Possum 0.16 9* 20.5
Antechinus sp. 0.05 9 20.5
Echidna 0.06 9 20.5
Koala 0.08 7 15.9
Unknown Rattus sp. 0.07 6 13.6
Brushtail sp. 0.01 3 6.8
Brush-tailed Phascogale 0.04 3 6.8
Dusky Antechinus 0.01 2 4.5
Swamp Rat 0.01 1 2.3
Native bird species
Superb Fairy-wren 0.56 20 45.5
Grey Shrike-thrush 0.49 18 40.9
White-browed Scrubwren 0.11 12 27.3
Grey Currawong 0.17 12 27.3
Australian Magpie 0.19 9 20.5
Laughing Kookaburra 0.16 7 15.9
White-winged Chough 0.13 7 15.9
Spotted Quail-thrush 0.03 4 9.1
Scarlet Robin 0.02 3 6.8
Currawong sp. 0.01 2 4.5
Southern Boobook 0.01 1 2.3
Crimson Rosella 0.01 1 2.3
Pied Currawong 0.00 1 2.3
Flame Robin 0.02 1 2.3
Eastern Yellow Robin 0.12 12 27.3
Bassian Thrush 0.06 8 18.2
Introduced species
Red Fox 0.55 28 63.6
Cat 0.03 5 11.4
Black Rat 0.21 3 6.8
European Rabbit 0.05 3 6.8
Common Blackbird 0.02 3 6.8
Sambar or Deer sp. 0.01 2 4.5
Domestic Dog 0.01 2 4.5
House Mouse 0.01 2 4.5
Brown Hare 0.03 2 4.5
Feral Goat 0.04 1 2.3
* Identification of some Common Brushtail Possum records requires further confirmation.
Local observers consider it to be unlikely to be as prevalent as these data suggest.
PAGE 16 | Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State ForestAll of the birds observed forage All bird species recorded, except
extensively from the ground or Common Blackbird, were native
low vegetation, and most were species. Introduced species
classed as members of two contributed 0.7% of the bird site-
guilds that take invertebrates days, showing that introduced
from open ground or damp birds form a very small
shady ground respectively. component of the bird fauna
detected.
Another common species (Grey
Shrike-thrush) is classed as a Associations between
general insectivore, which takes
invertebrates and other food
animal species
from a wide range of situations. We found positive correlations
between species that favour
The only seed-eating bird
similar habitats, including Black
recorded (Crimson Rosella) feeds
Wallaby and Common Wombat;
mainly in the tree canopy but also
Agile Antechinus and Echidna;
from the ground or low plants.
and Grey Shrike-thrush and
Two carnivorous species Eastern Yellow Robin. These
(Laughing Kookaburra and species all occupy a wide range
Southern Boobook) feed mainly of habitats but the first pair
by pouncing on ground-dwelling favours reasonably dense shrub
prey though they may take prey cover and the other two pairs
from a range of situations. become most common where
shrub cover is interspersed with
Laughing Kookaburra areas of open ground. Dusky
Antechinus were identified at
two sites where Bassian Thrush
was detected (WCR13 & 28),
and both species have a general
preference for forest gullies,
damp or wet forest.
Birds that favour drier situations
(e.g. White-winged Chough,
Scarlet Robin and Spotted Quail-
thrush) also showed positive
correlations with each other,
showing that they tended to
favour similar sets of sites.
Many bird species that feed from Few negative correlations
tall shrubs, tree trunks or the were found, suggesting that
eucalypt canopy are known to be competition between species
common in the forest, but were was not a major force in shaping
not detected with camera traps. the bird community in this forest.
Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest | PAGE 17Associations with
habitat features
In terms of the designated Table 3: Mean number of site days of each species
EVD, two native species by Ecological Vegetation Division.
(Echidna and Spotted Quail-
thrush) appeared to favour Site EVD Foothills Forby Forest or
Grassy/Heathy Dry Forest or Forest Grassy/Heathy
Forby Forest over Foothills
Forest. Two introduced Number of sites 29 15
species (European Rabbit Native mammal species
and Feral Cat) were also Echidna 0.04 0.10
found more often in Brush-tailed Phascogale 0.05 0.00
those EVDs. Agile Antechinus 1.97 1.33
Dusky Antechinus 0.01 0.00
Three of the uncommon Common Brushtail Possum 0.19 0.11
native mammal species Mountain Brushtail Possum 0.90 0.53
recorded were only found in Any Brushtail 1.11 0.65
Foothills Forest: these were Common Ringtail Possum 0.11 0.04
Brush-tailed Phascogale, Koala 0.08 0.09
Swamp Rat and Dusky Common Wombat 1.70 1.07
Antechinus. Fewer birds Black Wallaby 3.91 4.01
were recorded in the two Eastern Grey Kangaroo 0.48 0.41
sites containing Grassy/ Bush Rat 1.03 0.32
Heathy Dry Forest than in Swamp Rat 0.01 0.00
sites containing Forby Forest Native bird species
or Foothills Forest.
Southern Boobook 0.02 0.00
In general, the designated Crimson Rosella 0.02 0.00
EVD explained only a Laughing Kookaburra 0.16 0.15
small part of the variation Superb fairy wren 0.66 0.37
in mammal and bird White-browed Scrubwren 0.11 0.10
communities between sites. Spotted Quail-thrush 0.02 0.06
Grey Shrike-thrush 0.50 0.46
Mean numbers of site-days
Australian Magpie 0.16 0.26
for each species in each EVD
Pied Currawong 0.00 0.00
are shown in Table 3.
Grey Currawong 0.17 0.17
Currawong sp. 0.00 0.01
White-winged Chough 0.17 0.04
Scarlet Robin 0.03 0.00
Flame Robin 0.00 0.05
Eastern Yellow Robin 0.15 0.05
Bassian Thrush 0.08 0.03
Introduced species
Black Rat 0.08 0.47
House Mouse 0.02 0.00
European Rabbit 0.03 0.08
Brown Hare 0.02 0.07
Feral Goat 0.00 0.12
Sambar or Deer sp. 0.01 0.01
Red Fox 0.63 0.41
Cat 0.01 0.06
Domestic Dog 0.00 0.02
Common Blackbird 0.00 0.04
PAGE 18 | Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State ForestCorrelations were evident with stringybarks (mainly Messmate) Four native species showed
some of the measured habitat was negatively correlated with weak positive relationships with
characteristics. For example, Mountain Brushtail Possum but time since fire, suggesting a
the abundance of tree-ferns was positively with Agile Antechinus. long process of recovery after
positively associated with Dusky an initial negative impact of fire.
Antechinus and Bassian Thrush. Numbers of Agile Antechinus These were Echidna, Bush Rat,
Sedges and Blackwood wattles correlated positively with the Grey Shrike-thrush and Superb
were positively associated number of trees with dead tops, Fairy-wren1.
with Common Wombat and and negatively with the number
insectivorous birds that feed of trees lacking that feature. Two uncommon species were
from damp ground (including Tree size and number of hollows found mainly on sites that had
White-browed Scrubwren and correlated positively with total not been burned for a long time:
Eastern Yellow Robin). birds and several bird species. these were Dusky Antechinus
and (more surprisingly) the
The proportion of smooth- Relationships with introduced European Rabbit.
barked eucalypts (gums, mainly fire history Introduced House Mouse was
Candlebark) was positively only found in two sites (WCR4
correlated with Koala (which No species showed strong and 19), both of which were
feeds preferentially from these relationships with fire history, long-unburnt.
species) and Mountain Brushtail showing that most species can
Possum (which favours the tolerate a range of fire regimes. The three records of Brush-
damp habitats occupied by However, weak relationships tailed Phascogale were in
gums). The proportion of were found for some species Foothills Forest in each of the
(Table 4). three time since fire categories
(recently burnt, medium burnt,
long unburnt).
Short-beaked Echidna
1 Statistical significance for all tests: p < 0.1
Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest | PAGE 19Table 4: Mean number of site days for each species Trends over time
by fire history category.
We surveyed 11 of the 44 sites
every year from 2012 to 2015,
Site Long Medium Recently
which enables us to examine
unburnt burnt burnt
trends over time at these
sites. Data from those sites
Native mammals species are graphed in Figures 3-6 for
Echidna 0.11 0.05 0.00 four common native mammal
Brush-tailed Phascogale 0.02 0.06 0.02 species: along with most
Agile Antechinus 2.00 2.13 0.82 species, these were expected to
Dusky Antechinus 0.02 0.00 0.00 demonstrate a response to fire.
Common Brushtail Possum 0.09 0.22 0.17
Mountain Brushtail Possum 0.96 0.69 0.61 Two of the 11 sites were classed
Any Brushtail 1.06 0.95 0.81 as recently burnt: site WCR30
Common Ringtail Possum 0.14 0.08 0.03 was burnt in 2009 (three years
Koala 0.12 0.04 0.09 before our study began), and
Common Wombat 1.67 1.46 1.26 site WCR18 in 2005 (7 years).
Black Wallaby 3.73 4.02 4.13 Three of the sites were classed
Eastern Grey Kangaroo 0.45 0.35 0.63 as medium time since fire,
Bush Rat 1.37 0.61 0.22 having been burnt 10-50 years
Swamp Rat 0.02 0.00 0.00 previously (WCR5, 14 & 23), and
Native bird species six were classed as long-unburnt
Southern Boobook 0.00 0.00 0.05 (WCR3, 12, 19, 26, 28 & 29). It
Crimson Rosella 0.00 0.00 0.05 was expected that the recently
Laughing Kookaburra 0.02 0.23 0.25 burnt sites (especially WCR30)
Superb fairy wren 1.00 0.36 0.23 might show more evidence of
White-browed Scrubwren 0.13 0.07 0.13 successional change than the
Spotted Quail-thrush 0.03 0.06 0.00 sites burnt longer ago. However,
Grey Shrike-thrush 0.78 0.36 0.25 little support for that idea was
Australian Magpie 0.21 0.16 0.22 found for these four species
Pied Currawong 0.01 0.00 0.00 (Figures 3-6).
Grey Currawong 0.13 0.21 0.16
Nevertheless, some differences
Currawong sp 0.01 0.01 0.00
in response were evident2:
White-winged Chough 0.09 0.22 0.05
Scarlet Robin 0.04 0.02 0.00 • Black Wallabies appeared to
Flame Robin 0.05 0.00 0.00 increase over time on the most
Eastern Yellow Robin 0.17 0.11 0.06 recently burnt site (WCR30)
Bassian Thrush 0.08 0.07 0.02 but remained more stable on
Introduced species the set of other sites (Figure 3).
Black Rat 0.00 0.01 0.84 • Common Wombats were
House Mouse 0.04 0.00 0.00 initially more common on
European Rabbit 0.13 0.00 0.00 WCR30 than on other sets of
Brown Hare 0.00 0.06 0.05 sites, but decreased to average
Feral Goat 0.00 0.00 0.16 levels in the fourth year of the
Sambar or Deer sp. 0.01 0.00 0.02 survey (Figure 4).
0.48 0.60 0.60
Red Fox
• Bush Rats were not recorded
Cat 0.05 0.02 0.01
on WCR30 except in the third
0.01 0.00 0.01
Domestic Dog
year of the survey (2014), and
Common Blackbird 0.02 0.00 0.05
numbers fluctuated greatly
in the other sets of sites
(Figure 5).
2 Further analysis is needed to assess the statistical significance of these results.
PAGE 20 | Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State ForestFigure 3: Black Wallaby relationship with fire history.
9
8
7
Average number of site days per year
6
Long unburnt
5 Medium burnt
WCR18 (2005)
4
WCR30 (2009)
3
2
1
0
2012 2013 2014 2015
Figure 4. Common Wombat relationship with fire history.
6
5
Average number of site days per year
4
Long unburnt
Medium burnt
3
WCR18 (2005)
WCR30 (2009)
2
1
0
2012 2013 2014 2015
Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest | PAGE 21Figure 5: Bush Rat relationship with fire history.
5
4.5
4
Average number of site days per year
3.5
Long unburnt
3
Medium burnt
2.5
WCR18 (2005)
2 WCR30 (2009)
1.5
1
0.5
0
2012 2013 2014 2015
Figure 6: Agile Antechinus relationship with fire history.
• Agile Antechinus
declined
7 dramatically after
the first year of
the survey on
66 both recently
burnt sites, and
on the set of
Average number of site days per year
5 three medium-
burnt sites, but
Long unburnt not on the set of
4 six long-unburnt
Medium burnt sites (Figure 6).
A similar decline
WCR18 (2005)
3
occurred on the
WCR30 (2009) long-unburnt sites
the following year,
with a partial
2
recovery in 2015.
1
0
2012 2013 2014 2015
PAGE 22 | Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State ForestDiscussion
Some of our participants, “Looking at the photos there is
A community volunteers and community something incredibly intimate
achievement group leaders reflected on their and unguarded about them. It's
learnings through an anonymous as if wildlife social-realism meets
This important study on the survey: the monochromatic aesthetic of
impacts of fire on wildlife in the night vision surveillance and we
Wombat State Forest is carried “Participation has broadened my are becoming voyeurs of another
out almost entirely by volunteers. knowledge and appreciation of intelligence at work -- which we
More than 45 volunteers each local plants and animals and the would not have encountered
year contributed over 2,500 habitats in which they live.” otherwise.” (Brüggemeier and
hours of work to amass five Miranda 2012)
“Community members have a
years of highly valuable data
desire for ecological knowledge
on mammals in Wombat State
Forest.
and their participation allows for Understanding our
the sharing of this knowledge.”
results
The project has opened a new
We’ve also had some exciting
window on the ground-dwelling Wombat State Forest has been
and unexpected outcomes.
mammal fauna in the Wombat subject to a long history of
Caught on Camera in Wombat
State Forest, and helps to gold-mining, logging, wildfire
State Forest was featured in
improve our understanding and planned burns. Most of
French documentary, ‘Nature’s
of how different species may the 44 sites surveyed had been
Keepers’. Representatives from
change over time, and respond subject to some or all of these
VNPA and Wombat Forestcare
to habitat and the way the disturbances.
were interviewed and the field
habitat is managed.
deployment of the project was Fire causes substantial changes
Without this study we would filmed to provide an international to fauna habitat, which are
have no contemporary data audience with an understanding most marked in the first three
about the ground-dwelling of the project and our aims. years. Influxes of native species
mammal fauna in these forests associated with open habitats
‘Nature in the Dark’ was a
in the decade following one are often seen after wildfire, and
creative arts project that arose
of the longest droughts in these may include introduced
from the images we collected.
recent history (1997-2009) and species such as House Mouse
Artists were provided with our
subsequent changes in policy (Friend 1993) and native species
wildlife images and re-worked
relating to management of fire such as Superb Fairy-wren,
and interpreted the original
and logging. Scarlet Robin and White-browed
footage in their own way, with
Woodswallow (Loyn 1997; Loyn
The project has seen passionate several artists’ interpretations
and McNabb 2015).
community members, scientists curated into a single piece that
and managers working together was projected at various venues. Smaller influxes may also occur
to increase our understanding According to the curators; after planned burns, as shown in
of mammals in Wombat various studies including some
State Forest. The project in the Wombat State Forest
has expanded the skills and (Humphries 1994; Loyn et al.
knowledge of everyone involved. 2003; Loyn and McNabb 2015).
The current study focused on
longer-term effects, and we did
not examine sites burnt less
than three years before the
surveys.
Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest | PAGE 23Some of the species that As with any project, our
prosper in the first three years Limitations and study does not provide a
after fire (e.g. House Mouse, recommendations complete picture, and there
Superb Fairy-wren and Scarlet are some limitations with the
Robin) turned out to be more Camera trapping has become field methods and with the
prevalent in long-unburnt forest a popular and valuable survey exploratory analysis presented
than in younger age-classes. method, and refinements will here. But, despite the limitations,
Other studies have shown that continue to be made to the this project has progressed
some of the mammals and birds technology and the different our knowledge of fauna in
that favour open stands in early ways of analysing data Wombat State Forest. More
stages after fire or logging may (e.g. Swann et al. 2004; complex statistical analyses
avoid the later stages where Nelson and Scroggie 2009; will be needed to unlock the
shrub cover may be dense, but Meek et al. 2014). potential of this study to inform
become more prevalent as those us about effects of habitat and
At present, the number of
stands open up again after many fire management. The analyses
photographs does not provide
years (Loyn 1997, 2004, 2012). reported here are exploratory,
a robust measure of species
and more sophisticated
Recent studies in Victorian abundance, as individual
approaches are possible (Robley
foothill forests have shown that animals may spend long and
et al. 2010; Gillespie et al. 2016)
longer-term effects of fire on variable periods at the bait
which we look forward to
flora and fauna are generally station on a single visit. Some
exploring in the future.
subtler than those in the first ecologists have argued that
three years (Muir et al. 2015; quantitative conclusions cannot With the present data, it is
Leonard et al. 2016; Kelly et be made with camera-trap data clear that some species were
al. 2017). The current project unless individual animals are detected much more often on
supports this conclusion, identified, but we believe that some sites than others, in terms
showing the response of the approach is too limited, and of numbers of photographs
common ground-dwelling quantitative analyses of the taken and numbers of days on
mammal and bird fauna in these sort we have undertaken can which they were photographed.
forests. provide important information The number of days on which
about the relative abundance the species is detected is highly
The project has also shown of mammal species in different likely to reflect the relative
that these forests continue to types of habitat. Analysis abundance of that species on
support some less common based on presence-absence the site (for species with small
species, including the Brush- would clearly be inadequate for home ranges), or the intensity
tailed Phascogale, which was common species such as Black of use that site (for species with
formerly only known from the Wallaby, which was recorded on large home ranges).
drier northern parts of Wombat every site but exhibited marked
State Forest. It is much harder variation in prevalence between
to determine how they may be sites (different numbers of
affected by current or future site-days).
management of fire or anything
else because of the low numbers
we detected. However, it is
reassuring that they can still be
found in Wombat State Forest
and continue to make use of
widely distributed and less-
threatened habitats including
Foothills Forest.
PAGE 24 | Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State ForestWhat’s next
At a workshop to develop our The following reporting will be
long-term project plan, attended undertaken:
by the project partners, we 1. Regular reporting back to
decided the best way to progress community via social media
was to increase the number of and emails.
sites by monitoring new sites
2. Reporting all feral and
each year. The benefits of this
threatened species records
approach were identified as:
to DELWP within a week of
• Increase the statistical power downloading data.
of the project and capacity to
3. Reports every five years
answer the research question.
prepared for a mixed
• Easily make it possible to audience (scientists, land
include several of the following managers, community and
options: volunteers) and published by
1. Adding monitoring of birds VNPA.
at existing sites. 4. Article for peer-reviewed
2. Adding monitoring in other science journal by around
vegetation types 2022 (including up to 10
3. Setting up monitoring sites years of data).
to monitor burn patterns at
We’re committed to continue
specific sites.
this project for at least ten
4. Setting up monitoring at years. We’re looking forward
sites before and after fire. to a continued and lasting
5. Gather more detailed relationship between the
habitat data. community, scientists and
6. Include more ‘recently government representatives
burnt’ sites (0-4 years involved in Caught on Camera in
since fire). Wombat State Forest.
• Make it possible to analyse
the data against different
variables. Black Wallaby
Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest | PAGE 25References
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M. 2012. Curatorial Statement: F., Di Stefano, J., Haslem, A., 2015. Bird population responses
Nature in the Dark 1. http:// Holland, G., Kelly, L., Loyn, R., to wildfire and planned burns in
unlikely.net.au/nitd, accessed MacHunter, J., Rumpff, L., the foothill forests of Victoria,
August 2018. Bennett, A., Clarke, M. and York, Australia. Journal of Ornithology.
A. 2016. Foothills fire and biota. 156: 263-273.
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Red Fox
Caught on Camera | Citizen science in the Wombat State Forest | PAGE 27Victorian National Parks Association
Level 3, 60 Leicester St, Carlton VIC 3053
PH: 03 9341 6500 | EMAIL: vnpa@vnpa.org.au | WEB: vnpa.org.au
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