❓ A parliamentary question seeks information on the conservation status, populations, habitat, and potential risks to mainland quokkas, particularly concerning the Muddle Lake wetland system. The response provides details on quokka distribution, habitat, and planned actions for conservation at Muddy Lake.
AnsweredQoN 731Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) What is the conservation status of the mainland quokka?
(2) How many populations of mainland quokka are known or thought to exist and, in general terms, what are their habitat requirements and geographical distributions?
(3) Has the presence of the quokka within the Muddle Lake wetland system south of Bunbury been confirmed in recent years?
(4) If yes, is this population at risk from adverse land uses?
(5) If yes, what actions are being taken by the Department of CALM to conserve this population, in particular, is CALM working with local landowners to protect its habitat and remove threatening processes such as fox predation?
(2) How many populations of mainland quokka are known or thought to exist and, in general terms, what are their habitat requirements and geographical distributions?
(3) Has the presence of the quokka within the Muddle Lake wetland system south of Bunbury been confirmed in recent years?
(4) If yes, is this population at risk from adverse land uses?
(5) If yes, what actions are being taken by the Department of CALM to conserve this population, in particular, is CALM working with local landowners to protect its habitat and remove threatening processes such as fox predation?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
9 April 2003
Responded by
Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Response time
43 days
(2) On the mainland, the quokka has been recorded since 1992 at 32 locations from the northern jarrah forest and approximately 184 locations from the southern forest and south coast. The quokka’s geographic range extends from the jarrah forest, approximately 10km south east of the Perth metropolitan area, in a narrow band along the Darling Plateau bounded by the 1 000 mm annual rainfall isohyet, through the southern forest area, to the south coast. The most easterly mainland populations are from the Mount Manypeaks Nature Reserve and Waychinicup National Park area, east of Albany. A geographically isolated population(s) occurs in the Stirling Range National Park, north east of Albany. In additional to Rottnest Island, the quokka also occurs on Bald Island, off the south coast near Albany. Known northern jarrah forest populations are associated with creeklines characterized and dominated by ti-tree, Agonis linearifolia . In southern forest areas, populations appear to be less discrete and the quokka inhabits a broader range of habitats including ti-tree thickets in the upper reaches of creek systems, dense streamside beds of rushes, areas supporting an understorey of spreading sword-sedge, Lepidosperma effusum , and Anarthria scabra. Quokkas will also utilize karri regrowth and midslopes and ridges supporting karri and tingle forests. Populations from the south coast also appear to be less discrete than the northern jarrah forest populations and occur from Walpole-Nornalup National Park to the Mt Manypeaks area, in forest with an understorey of spreading sword-sedge and Anarthria scabra and in dense coastal heath habitat. (3) Quokka presence has been inferred, not confirmed at Muddy Lake. A quokka skull was collected at Muddy Lake in September 2002, however it has no associated soft tissue and is not aged. It may therefore be an old specimen and not from an existing population. Its collection date does not necessarily infer presence of an extant population at the time of collection. Quokka presence is otherwise only inferred at this location by the presence of characteristic quokka runways. (4) If quokka presence is confirmed at Muddy Lake, then the population could be at risk from fox predation and habitat degradation. (5) The Department of Conservation and Land Management will survey the Muddy Lake system to determine whether quokkas are present. If so, the Department will, in consultation with local landowners, take measures including fox control and habitat management, to protect the population.
Known northern jarrah forest populations are associated with creeklines characterized and dominated by ti-tree, Agonis linearifolia . In southern forest areas, populations appear to be less discrete and the quokka inhabits a broader range of habitats including ti-tree thickets in the upper reaches of creek systems, dense streamside beds of rushes, areas supporting an understorey of spreading sword-sedge, Lepidosperma effusum , and Anarthria scabra. Quokkas will also utilize karri regrowth and midslopes and ridges supporting karri and tingle forests. Populations from the south coast also appear to be less discrete than the northern jarrah forest populations and occur from Walpole-Nornalup National Park to the Mt Manypeaks area, in forest with an understorey of spreading sword-sedge and Anarthria scabra and in dense coastal heath habitat. (3) Quokka presence has been inferred, not confirmed at Muddy Lake. A quokka skull was collected at Muddy Lake in September 2002, however it has no associated soft tissue and is not aged. It may therefore be an old specimen and not from an existing population. Its collection date does not necessarily infer presence of an extant population at the time of collection. Quokka presence is otherwise only inferred at this location by the presence of characteristic quokka runways. (4) If quokka presence is confirmed at Muddy Lake, then the population could be at risk from fox predation and habitat degradation. (5) The Department of Conservation and Land Management will survey the Muddy Lake system to determine whether quokkas are present. If so, the Department will, in consultation with local landowners, take measures including fox control and habitat management, to protect the population.
(3) Quokka presence has been inferred, not confirmed at Muddy Lake. A quokka skull was collected at Muddy Lake in September 2002, however it has no associated soft tissue and is not aged. It may therefore be an old specimen and not from an existing population. Its collection date does not necessarily infer presence of an extant population at the time of collection. Quokka presence is otherwise only inferred at this location by the presence of characteristic quokka runways. (4) If quokka presence is confirmed at Muddy Lake, then the population could be at risk from fox predation and habitat degradation. (5) The Department of Conservation and Land Management will survey the Muddy Lake system to determine whether quokkas are present. If so, the Department will, in consultation with local landowners, take measures including fox control and habitat management, to protect the population.
(4) If quokka presence is confirmed at Muddy Lake, then the population could be at risk from fox predation and habitat degradation. (5) The Department of Conservation and Land Management will survey the Muddy Lake system to determine whether quokkas are present. If so, the Department will, in consultation with local landowners, take measures including fox control and habitat management, to protect the population.
(5) The Department of Conservation and Land Management will survey the Muddy Lake system to determine whether quokkas are present. If so, the Department will, in consultation with local landowners, take measures including fox control and habitat management, to protect the population.
Known northern jarrah forest populations are associated with creeklines characterized and dominated by ti-tree, Agonis linearifolia . In southern forest areas, populations appear to be less discrete and the quokka inhabits a broader range of habitats including ti-tree thickets in the upper reaches of creek systems, dense streamside beds of rushes, areas supporting an understorey of spreading sword-sedge, Lepidosperma effusum , and Anarthria scabra. Quokkas will also utilize karri regrowth and midslopes and ridges supporting karri and tingle forests. Populations from the south coast also appear to be less discrete than the northern jarrah forest populations and occur from Walpole-Nornalup National Park to the Mt Manypeaks area, in forest with an understorey of spreading sword-sedge and Anarthria scabra and in dense coastal heath habitat. (3) Quokka presence has been inferred, not confirmed at Muddy Lake. A quokka skull was collected at Muddy Lake in September 2002, however it has no associated soft tissue and is not aged. It may therefore be an old specimen and not from an existing population. Its collection date does not necessarily infer presence of an extant population at the time of collection. Quokka presence is otherwise only inferred at this location by the presence of characteristic quokka runways. (4) If quokka presence is confirmed at Muddy Lake, then the population could be at risk from fox predation and habitat degradation. (5) The Department of Conservation and Land Management will survey the Muddy Lake system to determine whether quokkas are present. If so, the Department will, in consultation with local landowners, take measures including fox control and habitat management, to protect the population.
(3) Quokka presence has been inferred, not confirmed at Muddy Lake. A quokka skull was collected at Muddy Lake in September 2002, however it has no associated soft tissue and is not aged. It may therefore be an old specimen and not from an existing population. Its collection date does not necessarily infer presence of an extant population at the time of collection. Quokka presence is otherwise only inferred at this location by the presence of characteristic quokka runways. (4) If quokka presence is confirmed at Muddy Lake, then the population could be at risk from fox predation and habitat degradation. (5) The Department of Conservation and Land Management will survey the Muddy Lake system to determine whether quokkas are present. If so, the Department will, in consultation with local landowners, take measures including fox control and habitat management, to protect the population.
(4) If quokka presence is confirmed at Muddy Lake, then the population could be at risk from fox predation and habitat degradation. (5) The Department of Conservation and Land Management will survey the Muddy Lake system to determine whether quokkas are present. If so, the Department will, in consultation with local landowners, take measures including fox control and habitat management, to protect the population.
(5) The Department of Conservation and Land Management will survey the Muddy Lake system to determine whether quokkas are present. If so, the Department will, in consultation with local landowners, take measures including fox control and habitat management, to protect the population.
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