METAPOPULATION VIABILITY ANALYSIS OF THE GREATER GLIDER PETAUROIDES-VOLANS IN A WOOD PRODUCTION AREA

Successful forest wildlife management is dependent on information that estimates long-term viability of populations in response to different management practices. In this paper we couple information captured in a GIS database, relationships between habitat attributes and habitat quality, and the dynamics of those habitat attributes, to assess the l ong-term metapopulation viability of a forest-dependent arboreal marsu pial, greater glider Petauroides volans Kerr, in the Ada Forest Block in south-eastern Australia. Estimates of the size and spatial distribu tion of populations in remnant patches of old-growth forest, and the d ynamics of key elements of that habitat, are input to ALEX, a computer package for population viability analysis. The model is used to predi ct the probability of persistence of P. volans within the Ada Forest B lock concentrating on scenarios that assess the value of different old -growth patches and the impact of wildfire. We conclude that small pat ches of old-growth forest (< 20 ha) make almost no contribution to the persistence of the species. In addition, control of wildfire will sig nificantly increase the viability of the species in the remaining habi tat.