Influence of landscape structure on kangaroo abundance in a disturbed semi-arid woodland of Queensland

This paper develops a hierarchical landscape approach for investigating how landscape structure influences the abundance of eastern grey kangaroos, re d kangaroos and common wallaroos on properties in a partially cleared semi- arid woodland of Queensland. This approach is applied to examine the extent to which a mosaic of spatial factors at a hierarchy of scales influences k angaroo abundance at the property level, the level of management interest. The analysis concludes that the structure of the property habitat mosaic, c oupled with pasture productivity, is the most important influence for each species. Access to water was not a limiting factor, although it may be impo rtant locally. Grey kangaroos prefer an even mosaic of all habitat types on properties with productive grass-dominated pastures. Red kangaroos are pos itively associated with run-on areas and large-shrub regrowth patches, refl ecting their foraging preferences for forbs and short grasses and their abi lity to use more open habitats. Wallaroos have a clumped density distributi on associated with a heterogeneous mosaic of open habitats interspersed wit h fragmented forest patches and small to medium-grained shrub-regrowth patc hes. The research, while not replicated, identifies linkages between tree cleari ng practices at the property level and increased large kangaroo abundance i n the region. These linkages have been previously overlooked in the kangaro o management debate. Therefore, any tree clearing guidelines developed at t he property level need to be sensitive to key ecological processes influenc ing kangaroo populations at both the landscape and property levels. If not, the sustainable management of total grazing pressure (livestock plus kanga roos) biodiversity conservation will never become a reality.