THE CONTROL OF RODENT DAMAGE IN AUSTRALIAN MACADAMIA ORCHARDS BY MANIPULATION OF ADJACENT NONCROP HABITATS

Habitat manipulation was used as a management strategy for the control of rodent (Rattus rattus) damage in Australian macadamia orchard syst ems. Large, temporally stable non-crop habitats were converted to high ly modified grasslands. These sites were manipulated by removing all n on-crop vegetation over 10 cm in height to a distance of approximately 20 m from the orchard. Regrowth was controlled by the application of herbicide. The total cost of the habitat manipulation was $AUD 292 per site. Manipulation resulted in a reduction in damage of 65% within th e associated orchards. This reduction in rodent damage resulted in a s aving of $AUD 980 per site. Therefore habitat manipulation was cost-ef fective and is a viable startegy for the control of rodent damage in A ustralian macadamia orchard systems. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. Ai l rights reserved.