Fauna: |
To assess bird responses to honeybee presence two 1.5km long transects were established radiating out from a central point, close (~ 50m) to where an apiary had been placed (or could have been placed). Since honeybee activity (densities) decrease with distance from their hives the 1.5km long transects were broken into 100m sections and the birds present, and the birds present 50m either side of the transect line were recorded for each 100m section while slowly walking along the line. In the initial years the focus was on assessing honeyeater abundances and although all species were recorded the specific identities were not always determined during the initial years. When the worked commenced in 1990 18 sites were established in areas likely to be used by beekeepers where there were extensive Banksia ornata, and in areas of Ngarkat lacking previous
commercial use by beekeepers. The reason for the sites being 3km apart is that preliminary work (1989) showed that during winter honeybees foraged out to at most 1.5 km from an apiary, and placing sites 3km apart meant that each site was independent as far as honeybees were concerned. The monitoring of birds along transects is repeated, essentially a replicate census that commences a few minutes after the first one is conducted in the opposite direction. In the initial years (1990s) there were also some surveys that were conducted in spring and autumn. See Paton (1995), Paton (1996) and Paton (1997) for more detailed descriptions of methods used. References Paton, D.C. (1996). Overview of feral and managed honeybees in Australia: distribution, abundance, extent of interactions with native biota, evidence of impacts and future research. ANCA, Canberra. Paton, D.C. (1997). Honeybees Apis mellifera and the disruption of plant-pollinator systems in Australia. Victorian Naturalist 114: 23-29. Paton, D.C. (1995) Impacts of honeybees on the flora and fauna of Ngarkat Conservation Park. SASTA
Journal 95: 3-11. |