Ca. Marks et Sj. Moore, Nursery practices influence comparative damage to juvenile blue gum by wallabies (Wallabia bicolor) and European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), FOREST ECOL, 112(1-2), 1998, pp. 1-8
Anecdotal reports suggest that some provenances of juvenile blue gum are br
owsed less frequently by wallabies and rabbits in plantations. Trials were
conducted as randomised free-choice experiments using single species enclos
ures of wallabies and rabbits to investigate differential selection of juve
nile blue gum. In the first experiment, nine morphometrically similar prove
nances of blue gum and a single provenance of Monterey pine were randomly s
elected from nursery stock Variability in the provenances damaged by both w
allabies and rabbits was highly significant (P<0.001) and this appeared to
substantiate field observations of differential damage. In a second experim
ent, six provenances of blue gum, including four which in the previous expe
riment had showed extremes of damage by rabbits and wallabies, were propaga
ted and maintained using homogenous conditions and nursery treatments. Vari
ation in seedling damage caused by wallabies and rabbits was eliminated. Th
e contrasting results of both experiments suggest that, while the mechanism
responsible for causing differential damage is unknown, in general, nurser
y practices may greatly influence the selection of juvenile blue gum by bot
h wallabies and rabbits and account for field observations of differential
rates of damage to blue gum provenances. The authors suggest that, identifi
cation of the mechanisms responsible will have practical application in the
management of browsing damage. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r
eserved.