We are very excited to announce an innovative partnership with ourselves, Hepburn Shire Council, DELWP, and the local community, to create and install wildlife rope canopy bridges to key storm damaged areas in the Wombat State Forest.
The storms of June 2021 resulted in the loss of many large trees across the Wombat State Forest and surrounding area, resulting in large gaps in the canopy that will not regrow for many years.
Wildlife rope bridges are artificial crossing structures that are a commonly used conservation strategy, particularly in new road developments when a road bisects habitat. Research shows that a variety of arboreal native mammals will use rope, and other style, bridges, and that these bridges can reduce the wildlife death toll on roads.
While most bridges have been installed across roads, one study investigated the utility of rope bridges to mitigate temporary canopy loss following an adverse weather event. Chan et al (2020) document the installation, and subsequent use, of rope bridges for the worlds most endangered primate, the Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus). These gibbons live on one Island off China, and only around 30 individuals remain; their habitat was impacted by Super Typhoon Rammasun in 2014, causing landslides which left canopy gaps of up to 30m across.
Temporary rope bridges were installed across the gaps, and the gibbons were found to use the bridges within 6 months, along with a variety of other arboreal mammals.
This project has similar aims – rope bridges will be created as temporary canopy linkages in areas of the Wombat State Forest which have lost canopy connectivity. Native arboreal marsupials are at risk from predation from cats and foxes if they have to come to the ground to move through the forest, and the primary target species we hope to benefit from the bridges are Southern Greater Gliders, Brush-tailed Phascogales and Eastern Pygmy-Possums, as well as a suite of other more common arboreal marsupials.
The really cool and innovative aspect of this project will be that the local community will be involved in making the rope bridges. Coordinated by Lauren Linke and the Storm Recovery Team at Hepburn Shire Council, school groups, Scout groups and others are getting involved to help knot together a simple design of flat rope bridge.
These rope bridges are a temporary measure while the canopy grows back, and are not meant to last forever. As such, we are able to use a natural, biodegradable rope, and they will be attached to suitable standing trees in the environment. A simple attachment method should allow easy access and maintenance – such as letting out attachment straps as trees grow over time.
Our team recently installed a prototype bridge at ERA HQ, to ensure the design was fit-for-purpose and to hopefully identify any issues prior to the getting the public involved.
We were very pleased to see Krefft’s gliders using the bridge within a week!
If you or your group are interesting in volunteering time to make some lengths of rope bridge for this project, please contact the Storm Recovery Team at Hepburn Shire Council on 03 5348 2306.
