CONSERVATION VALUE TO BIRDS OF REMNANTS OF MELALEUCA FOREST IN SUBURBAN BRISBANE

The bird species composition of nine remnants of Melaleuca forest in n orth-eastern Brisbane was censused from March 1992 to March 1993 to in vestigate the impact of forest fragmentation and fragment characterist ics. Remnant area was a significant predictor of the total number of b ird species and the number of raptors occurring, while understorey veg etation density was related to the number of forest and understorey bi rd species. The species composition of the Melaleuca remnants was comp ared with that of the Cooloola National Park and with that of eucalypt remnants in lowland south-eastern Queensland. Even the small Melaleuc a remnants around Brisbane play an important role in conserving the av ian fauna of the region by providing habitat and refuges for migrant, nesting, locally rare and uncommon species, and species not commonly f ound in other forest types. Future recommended management involves the maintenance of size, habitat diversity and understorey vegetation den sity, the prevention of disturbance and the preservation of swampy are as and ponds.