biolink
Ballina Koala Habitat Study
Table 4.2. Summary of tree species data from non-active sites. The number of trees (n) and number of associated SAT sites within which each species was sampled is also provided. * = known koala food tree species, including those identified as preferred by this study. Sites Eucalypts E. acmenoides/carnea E. dunnii E. fibrosa E. grandis E. microcorys* E. pilularis E. propinqua* E. racemosa E. resinifera E. robusta* E. saligna E. seeana E. siderophloia E. tereticornis* E. sp.
White Mahogany White Gum Red Ironbark Flooded Gum Tallowwood Blackbutt Grey Gum Scribbly Gum Red Mahogany Swamp Mahogany Sydney Blue Gum Narrow-leaved Red Gum Grey Ironbark Forest Red Gum
Non-eucalypts
Various spp.
Total Trees
10 3 1 5 11 15 1 3 6 15 5 1 2 1 2
n 35 33 5 21 69 73 11 26 11 105 24 6 5 1 2 881 1,308
4.3.4 Koala Habitat Categorisations Available vegetation mapping for the Ballina LGA comprised exceptionally detailed, high resolution line work delineating 13,876 polygons that collectively capture some 15,111ha of vegetation cover. Unfortunately, only 64% (approximately) of the captured polygons have thus far been identified to vegetation community level, a circumstance no doubt exacerbated by the extent of fragmentation across the LGA which results in approximately 80% of mapped polygons being less than 1ha in size. Additionally, for those polygons that had been allocated a name as at the time of preparing this report, the lack of application of a standardised typology has resulted in approximately 280 vegetation community types being designated. In contrast, recent Class 5 vegetation mapping across the Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie LGAs recognised a maximum of 79 and 83 vegetation communities respectively (Office of Environment & Heritage 2012; Biolink 2013).
Despite our efforts, the lack of specific detail relating to the presence/absence and densities of preferred koala food tree species in each of the captured polygons did not enable an objective koala habitat classification exercise to be applied such that we could have prescribed a measure of confidence beyond approximately 50%. In order to assist resolution of this issue we further determined to consider vegetation cover across the LGA from other 41
