BDBSA Project Metadata Detail

Survey/Project Number: 808          Total No. of Sites: 263
Survey/Project Name: Eastern Plains Fire Trial - Bandicoot Diggings Surveys
Abstract: Background The Eastern Plains Fire Trial (EPFT) is a multi-stakeholder project funded by the KI Natural Resources Management (NRM) Board and the Australian Government and managed by the South Australian Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). It was established in 2008 in response to the decline of plant diversity in eastern Kangaroo Island and aims to develop a better understanding of the role of fire in maintaining ecosystem diversity and health (EPFT Working Group 2008). Site assessments undertaken in May 2011 during Phase Three of the EPFT identified areas of potential Southern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus) (SBB) habitat in sites that were being considered for inclusion in the trial. Subsequent searches of all eight sites being assessed located diggings consistent with SBB foraging activity in four of the sites (WI5L, BCP, WIAD1L and WIAD2L). SBBs are listed as an endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and burning the proposed sites had the potential to have an impact on SBBs and their habitat in the sites. A more systematic and repeatable survey of the sites showing evidence of occupation by SBBs was considered to be necessary in order to gain a greater understanding of their occurence in the burn sites and adjoining areas of native vegetation prior to and following the burns. Survey Aims The aim of the surveys is to use SBB diggings to determine the extent of SBB occurrence in and adjacent to the burn sites prior to and following the burns being undertaken.
 
Start Date: 01/06/2011      End Date: 01/11/2016
Survey Type: Vegetation and Fauna
   
Study Area Description: The Eastern Plains Fire Trial is being conducted in the Hundreds of Haines, Menzies and MacGillivray on Kangaroo Island
Objectives
         Vegetation: Refer to Abstract.
         Fauna: Refer to Abstract.
Methodology
         Vegetation: *** No vegetation methodology recorded
         Fauna: Methodology used to conduct the surveys is based on the proposed methodology developed by DENR for monitoring the occurrence of bandicoots in the Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges Region of South Australia. Each burn site and the adjacent contiguous area of native vegetation was divided into one hectare grid squares using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology. The coordinates of the corners of each grid square were then loaded into a handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) (Garmin GPS Map 76). Each grid square is identified by the grid number in the south-western corner of the square. Note: Due to the inability of the GPS unit to record 0 as a waypoint name grid square numbers displayed in the GPS when the waypoint files are uploaded from the GIS are one number higher than those displayed in the GIS shapefile. For example grid square number 12 in the shape file will be displayed as waypoint 13 in the GPS. Staff experienced in the identification of SBB diggings searched each grid square for SBB diggings for a maximum of 20 minutes, or until at least 5 recent diggings had been found. If five diggings were found the time taken to locate them was recorded and searching of that grid square stopped. Absence data was recorded but has not translated into BDBSA absence records at this stage.

Data Distribution Rules: Public Dataset
Project Basis: Fauna : Unclassified - pending reassessment.
Information Authority: Department for Environment and Heritage (BDBSA:Kangaroo Island)