Overview
Recovery efforts (Applications for membership of the Southern Brown Bandicoot Regional Recovery Group close on 15 August 2011)
Further information
Since 2006, the Biosphere Foundation and its partners have been working to ensure the regional recovery of the endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot. The Biosphere Foundation aims to protect and enhance biodiversity and foster sustainable living within the Western Port Biosphere Reserve. Increasing the distribution and abundance of the Southern Brown Bandicoot is one measure of success.
The Southern Brown Bandicoot is listed as nationally endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and threatened in Victoria under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.
Until the 1970s, it was common in the heathy woodlands that occurred in the Melbourne and Western Port region, including the Seaford-Frankston and Cranbourne-Langwarrin areas, and parts of the Koo Wee Rup, Cardinia and Bass Coast regions.
Today, it is now restricted to only one relatively secure site, the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne. Here, strategic management of a 250-hectare patch of remnant vegetation provides suitable habitat for the species. However, even this population is still relatively small with limited genetic diversity, making it vulnerable to fire and disease. It is also becoming isolated from other remnant bandicoot populations by rapid urban development.
Elsewhere, only isolated patches of habitat remain, with none or just a few surviving bandicoots. The conservation of these fragmented populations, on land managed by many private landholders and public agencies, poses a significant challenge.
Reconnecting the Cranbourne botanic gardens population with remnant groups scattered between Frankston, Koo Wee Rup and Bunyip will help to ensure the future of the bandicoot.
Key aspects of the bandicoot recovery effort are outlined below. Considerable work has been done to protect bandicoots at crucial sites in the Western Port Biosphere Reserve region. Details of these on-ground projects are available on the history page.
In collaboration with other organisations, the Biosphere Foundation's research committee established a Southern Brown Bandicoot recovery team. This team has developed a draft regional recovery plan, complementing national and state recovery plans.
Work to date has focussed on three major areas:
High priority actions for the future include:
Comments on the draft recovery plan are welcome: PDF file, Microsoft Word file
The bandicoot recovery effort is complex, spanning land managed by many private landholders and public agencies.
A regional bandicoot recovery group, which will include representatives of the Biosphere Foundation, government agencies, local landholders and environmental organisations, is being formed. The recovery group will take a landscape-scale approach and enable key stakeholders to better coordinate their bandicoot conservation efforts. Comments are welcome on the draft recovery group terms of reference.
Applications for membership of the Southern Brown Bandicoot Regional Recovery Group close on 15 August 2011:
A public meeting was held on 23 June 2011 to review progress and discuss the way forward to build on conservation efforts to date. Two motions were passed.
Isoodon obesulus obesulus
Image © Alison Kuiter 2009
An endangered ground-dwelling marsupial found in mainland Australia from South Australia to Sydney, generally within 50km of the coast. Within Victoria, this species is found from the Lower Glenelg National Park to East Gippsland.
Historically, Southern Brown Bandicoots preferred coastal heathland and heathy woodlands on sandy soils, and further inland, lowland forests with low-growing, dense cover. Today, habitat loss is forcing bandicoots to take refuge in dense cover provided by woody weed thickets, e.g. blackberry and gorse.
The two major threats to this species are predation by foxes, cats and dogs and continuing loss of habitat.
Above: Temporary bandicoot shelters amid habitat plantings. Shelters are designed to provide bandicoots with refuge from foxes, particularly until plantings provide dense cover.
Southern Brown Bandicoots play a vital role within their ecosystem, according to biosphere bandicoot recovery project officer, David Nicholls.
"The whole ecosystem’s health starts with healthy soil," David said.
"Bandicoots dig the soil for underground fungi and insect larvae, aerating and fertilising the soil, and spreading the fungi that recycle nutrients essential for plant growth and health."
"If we get it right for the bandicoot, we get it right for many of the other indigenous flora and fauna, such as orchids."
Become a Biosphere Bandicoot Buddy (donation plus membership)
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