Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L01082:reg:1:p15
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L01082
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 1 (pt 15/30)
Character Range: 53918–56935

in these trees; furthermore the distance plains-wanderers maintain from trees appears to depend on the height of the tree (Baker-Gabb, 2014). Planting of trees is also a threat to the flora of native grasslands (DSE, 2010).

4.2.8 Other potential threatening processes
    * High-intensity, large-scale fires can degrade or destroy plains-wanderer habitat, particularly following high rainfall when grassland habitat has become dense and tall and can provide increased fuel loads for wildfires of above-average severity and extent. Plains-wanderers can recolonise grasslands post-fire and have been observed to do so within 18 months when the disturbance event has been combined with grazing (Antos, 2014). However, it is unclear how long it may take for grasslands to regenerate to a level which allows birds to recolonise and reach pre-fire abundances. Furthermore, the time required for habitat to become suitable post-fire in the absence of grazing is unknown, although associated avifauna have been observed in suitable habitat within six months of burning events (NTAG, 2010).
    * A lack of appropriate burning regimes may also be impacting upon the availability of suitable plains-wanderer habitat. Controlled low intensity fires can be a useful tool to manage grassland composition by reducing the dominance of weeds (Wong & Morgan, 2012) and short-lived, winter-growing native species, in particular spear grass (Sinclair, 2014), removing dead plant material, and allowing longer-living summer growing species to flourish (NTAG, 2010). This may be an important part of the management regime in maintaining plains-wanderer habitat as, in the absence of fire and under the presence of grazing, certain prolific grass species (e.g., rough spear grass) may dominate after high rainfall events and close out available foraging space (NTAG, 2010). In addition, fire appears to increase the stability of the system through promoting biological soil crusts (Wong & Morgan, 2012), maintaining spatial variability (Wong, 2012) and reducing climate driven fluctuations in functional traits (Wong, 2012). These changes may also promote flowering in many herbaceous species, which might result in an increase in resources for species such as the plains-wanderer. Further research is required into the effects that various fire regimes have on habitat availability, food resources available to the species and the reproductive success of small populations.
    * Plains-wanderers can occasionally be killed during the quail hunting season as they look superficially similar and are found in the same habitat. Stubble quail (Coturnix pectoralis) are a native quail species that can be legally hunted in Victoria. The majority of hunting occurs on private property. There are also 16 State Game Reserves in which hunting is permitted (GMA, 2014). The degree to which quail hunting is impacting upon plains-wanderer survival is largely unknown; however hunting has the potential to have adverse impacts upon the species due