Wildlife

Potential to conserve wildlife

Mulga vegetation in Queensland supports many different types of native plants and animals, including at least 15 species listed as threatened or near threatened.

Notable species found in Queensland mulga include the yellow-naped snake Furina barnardi, yakka skink Egernia rugosa, kultarr Antechinomys laniger and the herb Elacholoma hornii.

Bird species considered to be characteristic of mulga in Queensland include Major Mitchell’s cockatoo, Hall’s babbler, the red-capped robin, rufous whistler, and chestnut-rumped thornbill.

The koala can also be found in mulga vegetation, especially in the northern and eastern parts of the Mulga Lands and near eucalypts such as poplar box (Eucalyptus populnea), although its range has recently contracted in this bioregion.

Limits to wildlife conservation

Most actions that will accumulate carbon in mulga vegetation (such as not reducing grazing, not clearing vegetation and preventing fire) also benefit wildlife by reducing threats.

Different types of shelter for wildlife, a good (and varied) supply of food, the removal or control of weeds and feral animals, and the size and shape of habitat patches and their distance from each other, will help conserve wildlife.

Habitat for wildlife—Shelter and food

Feature	Benefits for wildlife	Used by
Trees and shrubs	Nesting, shelter and feeding sites A diversity of tree and shrub species that flower and fruit at different times can provide a continuous supply of food (e.g. nectar, pollen, fruit and insects) for animals A dense layer of mulga trees at 5m to 7m height benefits small birds, which tend to forage in this part of the canopy In contrast, a dense layer of low shrubs less than a metre in height (such as turkey bush) tends to have a negative impact on small birds and reptiles. Some animal species need trees and shrubs of a certain size or age (such as saplings or dead, standing trees)	Birds, invertebrates, mammals, reptiles, frogs, parasitic plants such as mistletoe
Tree hollows, cracks and crevices	Shelter, nesting, a place to find food In south-west Queensland, hollows may take over 100 years to form in eucalypts. Cracks and crevices may take up to 60 years to develop in mulga	Parrots, treecreepers, bats, reptiles
Fallen timber	Shelter, basking and feeding areas	Birds, reptiles, frogs, mammals, invertebrates
Mistletoe	Nectar, berries and nesting sites Can provide nectar and berries at times when these foods are scarce in the landscape	Birds, invertebrates, mammals
Leaf litter	Shelter and feeding areas	Birds, invertebrates, reptiles, frogs, mammals
Rocks	Shelter, basking and feedings areas; habitat for plants	Invertebrates, reptiles, frogs, mammals, plants
Perennial native grass cover	Shelter and feeding areas	Plants, small mammals, birds, reptiles, invertebrates
Invertebrates	Food, pollination, seed dispersal	Birds, reptiles, frogs, mammals, plants
Fungi	Food, beneficial relationship with plants	Mammals, invertebrates

Landscape features

Feature	Benefits for wildlife
Large patch size	Support larger populations of plants and animals Support animals that need large territories and/or occur in low population densities May also support more species of wildlife
Small edge-to-area ratio	Patches that are rounded in shape suffer fewer ‘edge effects’ than patches of a similar size that are long and thin Edge effects include increased weed invasion, predation and exposure to wind, sun and temperature variations. All of these can have important impacts on wildlife
Close to other patches	Allows animals and plants to disperse between patches Reduces the risk of predation for animals when they move between patches Improves the exchange of pollen between patches
How much of the landscape is cleared	Birds and mammals are negatively affected if more than 70% of the landscape is cleared of suitable habitat There is also an interaction between grazing and how much landscape is cleared, as cattle tend to congregate in the remaining patches of woody vegetation If most of a landscape, or vegetation type, has been cleared, any remnants become very important for wildlife conservation, even if they are small or in poor condition. These remnants may provide valuable source populations for restoring other parts of the landscape

Habitat features used by some species that live in mulga

	Tree hollows, cracks & crevices	Fallen timber	Trees & shrubs	Native grasses	Litter	Mistletoe	Rocks	Insects
Mammals		x		x	x
Little pied bat	x							x
Kultarr								x
Koala			x
Birds				x	x
White-browed treecreeper	x	x	x					x
Brown treecreeper	x	x	x					x
Major Mitchell's cockatoo	x		x
Red-capped robin		x						x
Chestnut-rumped thornbill		x	x					x
Splendid wren			x					x
Spiny-cheeked honeyeater			x			x		x
Rufous whistler			x					x
Crested bellbird								x
Grey shrike-thrush			x					x
Mistletoe bird						x
Reptiles				x	x
Marbled velvet gecko	x		x					x
Yakka skink		x					x	x
Insects	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Spiders	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Plants		x					x

Threats to wildlife