Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L01082:reg:1:p11
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L01082
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 1 (pt 11/30)
Character Range: 42708–45793

to occur, and is mainly confined to small inland areas that are subject to grazing (Baker-Gabb, 1998, 2002b; Bennett, 1983; Blakers et al., 1984; Llewellyn, 1975).

4.2 Current threatening processes

4.2.1 Habitat loss
Habitat loss is an ongoing threat for the plains-wanderer, both as a direct result of continued conversion of land for the cultivation of crops and an indirect result of the legacy of habitat fragmentation that has resulted from past land conversion. The replacement of native grasslands with introduced pasture or crops can impact on the plains-wanderer in a variety of ways. The widespread replacement of native grasslands in south-eastern Australia has caused the habitat of the plains-wanderer to become fragmented, and this has subsequently caused populations of the plains-wanderer to become isolated from one another (Baker-Gabb, 2002b). The application of fertilisers, or the sowing of introduced species of pasture plants, causes the density of grasslands to increase, and can also encourage the growth of environmental weeds, which render habitats unsuitable for inhabitation by the plains-wanderer, and lead to the temporary or permanent displacement of plains-wanderer populations (Baker-Gabb, 1998, 2002b). Similarly, if vegetation dynamics in a region are altered in a manner that leads to the thickening of vegetation, and incursion of woody vegetation into native grasslands, this can also result in a reduction in the availability of habitat suitable to plains-wanderers.  However, active management of grassland vegetation can assist the recovery of habitat values appropriate for plains-wanderers and provide suitable habitat in key population strongholds (Wong et al., 2010). Similarly, with appropriate management and resourcing, former cropping land can be restored to provide suitable plains-wanderer habitat (Antos, 2014).

4.2.2 Inappropriate grazing
Whilst grazing is an important component of plains-wanderer management, both overgrazing and insufficient grazing have the potential to negatively impact upon the species. Plains-wanderers have been shown to co-exist with light to moderate grazing (Baker-Gabb et al., 1990; Deiz & Foreman, 1996). Photographic guides for visually assessing the grassland structure preferred by plains-wanderers have been developed by both New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Service (Parker and Oliver, 2006) and Parks Victoria (PV, 2014), and can be used as an aid for managing grazing for the species. Although appropriately managed grazing may be unlikely to have a negative impact on the grassland structure (Wong & Morgan, 2012) upon which plains-wanderers rely, further research is required into the effects that various grazing regimes have on the food resources available to the species.

Droughts and extended dry periods with overgrazing
The overgrazing of native grasslands by domestic livestock and rabbits (Oryctolagus culiculus), particularly during drought conditions, can result in the temporary displacement of the species from areas of preferred habitat on a local or regional scale, and an