Furthermore the project will explore what limits the size of rodent populations within these patches by assessing the differences in resource types and abundance in each patch and determining what resources are being consumed by each rodent species. The project will be undertaken on the Atherton Tablelands. The Atherton tablelands was once an extensive patch of rainforest, however much of this ara was cleared in te early 1900s for agricultural use. The Tablelands is now a mosaic of rainforest patches with each supporting isolated populations of several types of organisms, including small native mammals. N. moorei is a living fossil characterised by a disjunct and limited distribution.
Populations are in decline as individuals age, with infrequent evidence of seedling regeneration.
Sporadic seed production and the absence of seedling populations under the closed canopy indicate infrequent regeneration by this species. Long-term persistence o N. moorei may be facilitated by vegetative regneration. The current distribution is likely to reflect the reduction in potential gene flow as vegetative reproduction does not allow for range expansion. Understanding the relationship between the genetic diversity of populatins undergoing sexual versus vegetative regeneration and the consequences of these modes for long term popualtion viability is essential for developing management strategies for the species. This project will determine the genetic diversity within and between N. moorei populations using chlorplast and nuclear DNA techniques.