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Black-footed Tree Rat (Mesembriomys gouldii)

The black-footed tree-rat is a large, nocturnal Australian rodent of northern eucalypt forests and woodlands. It uses tree hollows and dense Pandanus foliage for shelter, feeds in trees and on the ground, and can occur in habitat proposed for clearing, roads, infrastructure and horticulture. The Kimberley and mainland Northern Territory subspecies is Endangered under the EPBC Act, and the species is listed as Endangered in the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Endangered.

Western Australia, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Endangered.

Northern Territory, Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976: Endangered.

Breeding season

The species is non-migratory and may be active throughout the year. Breeding can occur in all months, with the clearest documented peak in August and September in the Northern Territory.

Month values run from January to December: 0 means not typical, 1 means occurs, and 2 means peak.

  • Breeding: Breeding may occur throughout the year and peaks in August and September in the most intensively studied Northern Territory population.
  • Young: Litters contain one to three young. Gestation is 43 to 44 days and young are reported to be weaned within four weeks, so dependent young may occur in any month.
  • Movement and dispersal: There is no seasonal migration. Individuals may move at least 500 m from roosts to foraging areas and may travel up to 2 km in one night.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing can harm the species in every month because breeding may occur year round and shelter and feeding areas are used throughout the year. Risk is highest in August and September when breeding activity peaks in the Northern Territory.

Identification

The black-footed tree-rat is a solid, shaggy-coated rodent that may be encountered during nocturnal spotlighting, camera trapping or trapping surveys. Identification should be confirmed carefully where other large northern Australian rodents occur.

Adults have long, shaggy medium grey to black fur above, a pale underside, large black ears and a long hairy tail ending in a distinctive white brush. The feet and ears are black. The animal is one of Australia's largest murids and may weigh up to 830 g.

Identification: Distinguishing features

The brush-tailed rabbit-rat is smaller, generally less than 600 g, with a shorter muzzle and no black feet or black ears. The golden-backed tree-rat has pink feet, a white tail and a distinct golden or golden-chestnut dorsal band. The black-footed tree-rat is larger, has black feet and ears, and has a dark tail with a terminal white brush.

Identification: Field signs and survey detection

The species is nocturnal and may be detected by spotlighting, camera traps, cage traps, Elliott traps or searches for signs around trees and Pandanus. It may den in tree hollows, dense Pandanus foliage or, occasionally, buildings.

The supplied documents do not provide diagnostic measurements for tracks or scats, a characteristic call, or a reliable eyeshine description. Do not identify the species from an unconfirmed track, scat or eyeshine record alone. Record the location, habitat, photographs and detection method, and seek confirmation from an experienced mammal ecologist where required.

  • Search dense Pandanus, potential hollow-bearing trees and nearby ground for signs of use during daytime habitat inspections.
  • Use camera traps with bait stations containing peanut butter and rolled oats where targeted detection is required.
  • Use combined arboreal and ground-based Elliott and cage trapping, spotlighting and daytime searches as appropriate to the survey design.

Distribution: States and regions

The species occurs across northern Australia, but its distribution is patchy and poorly known. The three recognised subspecies occupy different regions, with the most severe documented decline in the Kimberley and mainland Northern Territory subspecies.

Records are known from Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland. In Western Australia, the Kimberley range includes the north Kimberley, although records are sparse and the subspecies was not recorded for many years before a 2017 remote-camera record. In the Northern Territory, the species occurs on the mainland Top End, including the Darwin region, Kakadu, Litchfield and Garig Gunak Barlu areas, and on Melville Island in the Tiwi Islands. In Queensland, the north Queensland subspecies is recorded mainly around Mareeba and sparsely across Cape York Peninsula, including Mungkan Kandju National Park, Piccaninny Plains and Brooklyn wildlife sanctuaries.

The documents do not assign the records to formal IBRA bioregions. For project work, describe locations using the relevant regional units, catchments, reserves and habitat mapping for the site.

Distribution: Strongholds and subpopulations

The Kimberley and mainland Northern Territory subspecies has been recorded from forests and woodlands of the north Kimberley and mainland Northern Territory, with remaining records concentrated in parts of the Top End and the Darwin peri-urban area. It has declined markedly in Kakadu and more broadly across the Top End. The species has not been reported from islands in the Kimberley or mainland Northern Territory, but the Melville Island subspecies is restricted to Melville Island.

The north Queensland subspecies is known from relatively few locations. Records include eucalypt forests and woodlands around Mareeba and scattered sites across Cape York Peninsula. Its distribution is considered poorly known because survey coverage has been limited.

Distribution: Population status

There is no reliable population estimate for the species as a whole. Available estimates are generally for subspecies and are uncertain. The Kimberley and mainland Northern Territory subspecies has undergone an estimated population reduction of more than 50 percent over the past decade, based on relative abundance data. The north Queensland subspecies may number fewer than 10,000 mature individuals, but this has not been established by long-term capture-mark-recapture studies. The Melville Island subspecies has an estimated 12,000 mature individuals.

Kimberley and mainland Northern Territory trend: Estimated decline greater than 50 percent over the past decade.

North Queensland area of occupancy: Inferred to be less than 2,000 km2; a provisional estimate of 60 km2 was considered a substantial underestimate.

Melville Island area of occupancy: Approximately 3,000 km2 within an extent of occurrence of about 5,788 km2.

Melville Island population: Estimated at 12,000 mature individuals, with no published population estimate.

Known north Queensland locations: Fewer than 10 locations were known in the 2015 conservation assessment.

Habitat: Vegetation communities

Black-footed tree-rats are associated mainly with northern lowland eucalypt forests and woodlands. Habitat quality depends on intact vegetation, a relatively dense shrub layer, food plants and shelter such as hollow-bearing trees or dense Pandanus.

The Kimberley and mainland Northern Territory subspecies occurs mainly in lowland open forests and woodlands dominated by Darwin woollybutt, Eucalyptus miniata, and Darwin stringybark, Eucalyptus tetrodonta. It preferentially uses sites with a relatively dense shrubby understorey. The north Queensland subspecies is recorded mainly from eucalypt forests and woodlands, especially where tree hollows are relatively plentiful.

The Melville Island subspecies occurs across native forest, woodland and shrubland, but is absent or occurs at low density in rainforest, coastal habitats, mangroves, dunes, swamplands and exotic tree plantations.

Habitat: Structural features

Important habitat features include mature hollow-bearing trees, dense shrub cover, Pandanus foliage, connected forest blocks and food-producing understorey and canopy plants. Frequent or intense fire can reduce dense understorey and the supply of hollow-bearing large trees.

At a Darwin project site, trees with a diameter at breast height of at least 50 cm were treated as more likely to contain significant hollows. Four pockets totalling 3.7 ha met the site's density threshold for significant habitat, although animals also appeared likely to use commonly available Pandanus foliage.

Habitat: Climate and elevation

The supplied documents describe the species by northern tropical forests and woodlands rather than by a defined elevation limit. No reliable upper or lower elevation boundary is provided. Habitat assessments should therefore focus on vegetation structure, hollow availability, Pandanus and food plants, fire history, connectivity and recent disturbance.

Foraging habitat: Food and feeding sites

The black-footed tree-rat feeds both in trees and on the ground. It may travel well beyond the immediate shelter tree, so habitat assessment should include connected feeding areas rather than only the den tree or hollow.

The diet consists mostly of fruits, including fruit of Pandanus spiralis, and seeds. It also includes invertebrates, flowers and grass. Food plants recorded as useful in Darwin woodland rehabilitation planning include Eucalyptus miniata, Eucalyptus tetrodonta, Pandanus spiralis, Buchanania obovata, Planchonia careya, Terminalia ferdinandiana, Ficus aculeata, Syzygium species, Acacia species, Grevillea species, Livistona humilis and Canarium australianum.

  • Retain fruiting and seed-producing canopy and understorey plants within and beside clearing areas.
  • Retain Pandanus where it provides both food and dense shelter.
  • Control invasive grasses because they can reduce effective ground foraging and increase fire intensity.

Foraging habitat: Foraging range

Individuals may move at least 500 m from roost sites to foraging areas. In fragmented Darwin habitat, recorded average home range was 27.1 hectares, compared with 67.3 hectares plus or minus 10.4 hectares in unfragmented open forest. Individuals may travel up to 2 km in one night.

Minimum movement from roost to feeding area: At least 500 m.

Average home range in unfragmented open forest: 67.3 hectares plus or minus 10.4 hectares.

Average home range in fragmented habitat: 27.1 hectares plus or minus 8.4 hectares.

Recorded nightly travel: Up to 2 km in one night.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding occurs in the same forest and woodland used for feeding and shelter. Hollow-bearing trees and dense Pandanus foliage provide potential den sites, while nearby food plants support females and young.

Breeding season: May occur throughout the year, with a documented Northern Territory peak in August and September.

Litter size: One to three young.

Gestation: 43 to 44 days.

Age at sexual maturity: Approximately three months.

Weaning: Young are reported to be weaned within four weeks.

Breeding interval: Females may breed approximately every nine months.

Lifespan: Probably three to five years.

Generation length: Approximately two years.

Breeding habitat: Habitat needed for breeding

Potential breeding habitat includes intact or connected eucalypt forest and woodland with hollow-bearing trees, dense shrub cover and Pandanus foliage. At sites with few large trees, animals may use Pandanus foliage rather than hollows. Retain shelter and feeding vegetation around potential den trees because individuals use a home range for resting, feeding and breeding.

  • Inspect hollow-bearing trees and dense Pandanus before clearing, particularly where these features are connected to surrounding eucalypt woodland.
  • Avoid isolating small habitat patches from larger forest blocks where practicable.
  • Treat August and September as the period of highest expected breeding activity in the Northern Territory, while recognising that breeding can occur in other months.

Sheltering habitat: Hollows and foliage

The species is primarily a tree-sheltering rodent. Shelter can be provided by hollows in mature trees or by dense foliage, especially Pandanus.

Black-footed tree-rats den mostly in tree hollows. They also use dense foliage, notably Pandanus, and have occasionally been recorded using buildings. Frequent, intense or extensive fires may reduce the number of large hollow-bearing trees.

The supplied documents do not give a minimum hollow entrance size, hollow depth or preferred tree species for denning. In Darwin habitat, trees with a diameter at breast height of at least 50 cm were considered more likely to contain significant hollows.

Tree size associated with likely significant hollow availability at one Darwin site: Diameter at breast height of at least 50 cm.

  • Retain mature trees with hollows and protect them from direct clearing, fire damage and machinery contact.
  • Retain dense Pandanus clumps and other dense foliage where hollow availability is limited.
  • Inspect buildings and dense foliage before demolition, vegetation removal or night works where the species is known or likely to occur.

Sheltering habitat: Ground cover and refuge quality

Dense shrub understorey and connected forest improve habitat quality. The species forages on the ground as well as in trees, so clearing, grading, frequent fire and invasive grass cover can affect both feeding areas and movement between shelter sites.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main project risks are loss and fragmentation of eucalypt forest and woodland, removal of hollow-bearing trees and Pandanus, altered fire, feral cat predation and vehicle mortality. Threats can combine, with clearing and fire reducing shelter and increasing exposure to predators.

Clearing for horticulture, mining, urban growth and infrastructure removes preferred tall eucalypt forest and woodland. Fragmentation can isolate habitat patches, reduce access to food and shelter, and make smaller remnants less suitable because the species has a large home range. In the Darwin region, fragmentation from development is an ongoing threat, although the species may remain locally abundant in some peri-urban areas.

Retain large forest blocks, hollow-bearing trees, Pandanus and connections between remnants. Map the full area likely to be used for feeding and movement, not only confirmed den locations.

Threats: Fire and invasive grasses

Frequent, high intensity or extensive fires are associated with decline and can remove dense shrub understorey and hollow-bearing trees. Invasive grasses can make ground foraging less effective and carry hotter fires. Fire and grass invasion can therefore amplify the effects of clearing and fragmentation.

  • Maintain fire regimes that reduce the frequency and intensity of extensive fires.
  • Retain longer-unburnt habitat patches, including patches more than five years since fire where appropriate to the local fire plan.
  • Control invasive grasses before they form continuous fuel around retained habitat.

Threats: Predators, roads and other pressures

Feral cat predation is considered a severe threat across the mainland range, although direct causal evidence is limited in some areas. Wild dogs and dingoes are a plausible additional predator. A road mortality record was reported from Channel Island Road near a Darwin project area.

Livestock and feral herbivores may alter understorey structure and promote invasive grasses. Poisoning by cane toads is a possible concern where cane toads occur or may establish, although its effect on this species is uncertain. The supplied documents do not identify a specific disease threat or a demonstrated hydrology-related threat.

  • Record and report road-killed animals, especially near retained forest connections and known records.
  • Manage construction traffic and night driving near occupied habitat to reduce collision risk.
  • Do not use poison or traps in a manner that could affect non-target native mammals.
  • Include feral cat control and prevention of invasive grass spread in the project environmental management plan.

Survey methodology: 1. Daytime habitat and sign searches

Survey this nocturnal, predominantly arboreal rodent before clearing where suitable eucalypt woodland, dense understorey, Pandanus or hollow-bearing trees may be affected. Use more than one method because the species forages on the ground and in trees, may den in hollows or Pandanus foliage, and can be difficult to detect at low density.

Search suitable habitat during the day for signs of activity, including nests in trees, particularly Pandanus, scratches on tree trunks and scats.

Map Eucalyptus miniata and Eucalyptus tetrodonta woodland, dense shrubby understorey, Pandanus, large hollow-bearing trees, logs and habitat connections to retained vegetation.

Give particular attention to trees with a diameter at breast height of 50 centimetres or more, because these are more likely to contain suitable hollows.

Survey methodology: 2. Spotlighting

Conduct nocturnal spotlighting along transects, tracks and roads, with additional vehicle-based searches where safe and suitable.

Search both the ground and the canopy, and inspect Pandanus foliage and tree hollows because the species forages in both strata and uses both types of den site.

Record weather, start and finish times, route length, observers, spotlight type, habitat traversed and all detections or non-detections.

Survey methodology: 3. Stagwatching and camera trapping

Use stagwatching at potential nest and den sites, particularly hollow-bearing trees and dense Pandanus clumps.

Deploy camera traps, including untimed systems, at likely den sites and bait stations where appropriate, using peanut butter and rolled oats as the guideline example.

Place cameras at habitat edges, retained vegetation links and locations identified by daytime signs or spotlighting, and record the camera deployment period and detection rate.

Survey methodology: 4. Elliott and cage trapping

Use combined arboreal and ground-based Elliott B and cage trapping across the subject site where a targeted survey is required.

Stratify trapping across eucalypt woodland, dense understorey, Pandanus and habitat edges, rather than concentrating effort only on cleared or highly disturbed areas.

The survey guideline identifies Elliott traps and cage traps as the best targeted techniques for this species, but the supplied guideline extract does not state a prescribed number of trap nights for black-footed tree-rats.

As a project example, five trap lines with five trap nights per line were used for mammal surveys, and the project also used cameras and other fauna surveys.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use a combination of daytime sign searches, spotlighting, stagwatching, camera trapping and ground-based and arboreal trapping where habitat is suitable and the proposed works could affect the species.
  • Survey across all habitat types that may be used for denning, feeding or movement, including eucalypt woodland, Pandanus, dense understorey and habitat links.
  • Repeat or extend surveys when habitat is inaccessible, weather limits detection, fire has recently altered the site, or the initial effort does not adequately sample the proposed disturbance area.
  • Record the species name, subspecies where known, coordinates, date, time, method, effort, habitat, photographs and any evidence of breeding or denning.
  • Submit verified records and survey results to the relevant state wildlife database, including the Northern Territory Fauna Atlas for Northern Territory records, and provide records to the project environmental manager and relevant regulator.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Plan works around the species' need for intact eucalypt woodland, dense understorey, food plants and den sites. The species has declined in parts of northern Australia, and clearing, fragmentation, frequent intense fire, feral cats and invasive grasses are documented threats.

  • Retain large blocks of native eucalypt woodland, dense understorey, Pandanus and connecting vegetation wherever practicable.
  • Avoid clearing hollow-bearing trees, particularly trees with a diameter at breast height of 50 centimetres or more, and retain fallen timber and other cover near retained habitat.
  • Keep retained habitat connected to adjacent forest and woodland, because the species has large home ranges and may move at least 500 metres from roosts to foraging areas, with movements of up to 2 kilometres in one night reported for the Northern Territory subspecies.
  • Avoid creating narrow isolated remnants and minimise the length and width of access tracks, easements and other cleared areas.
  • Prevent the spread of invasive grasses and maintain fire regimes that reduce the frequency and intensity of fire.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

  • Confirm the current EPBC Act status and determine whether referral or approval is required before works that may have a significant impact on nationally listed habitat or individuals.
  • Check the applicable state or territory threatened species legislation, clearing controls, wildlife permits and fauna handling authorisations before work starts.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies habitat to retain, survey methods, fauna spotter catcher responsibilities, stop-work triggers, handling procedures, incident reporting and post-clearance checks.
  • Stage clearing so that retained habitat remains connected and fauna can move towards suitable retained areas before machinery enters each work area.
  • Avoid scheduling high-risk clearing and intense ground disturbance during periods when animals are likely to be denning or dependent young are present, and obtain project-specific ecological advice where timing cannot be avoided.
  • Include Indigenous ranger groups and relevant land managers in survey, monitoring and management planning where appropriate.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance preparation

  • Complete a pre-clearance inspection of the approved disturbance footprint and a surrounding area of retained habitat before machinery mobilisation.
  • Mark no-go areas, hollow-bearing trees, Pandanus clumps, dense understorey, logs, movement links and any confirmed den or nest sites on plans and on the ground.
  • Install exclusion fencing or other clearly visible controls where they can protect retained habitat and prevent machinery entry.
  • Brief machinery operators, supervisors and fauna spotter catchers on the species' appearance, nocturnal activity, likely den sites, access limits and stop-work procedures.
  • Confirm the location of the nearest authorised wildlife carer, veterinarian and government wildlife contact before clearing begins.

During habitat disturbance: Daily clearing controls

Use an active fauna management process during clearing and construction. The fauna spotter catcher must be able to direct machinery, stop work and arrange authorised care without delay.

  • Inspect the work area each day before clearing, especially after overnight rain, fire, machinery movement or a change in the clearing boundary.
  • Maintain exclusion fencing, no-go markers and retained habitat controls throughout the work.
  • Clear progressively towards retained habitat where this is safe and suitable, while avoiding forcing animals into roads, active work areas or unsuitable cleared ground.
  • Use low-speed, supervised clearing around Pandanus, dense understorey, hollow-bearing trees, logs and confirmed den sites.
  • Do not leave felled trees, logs or vegetation piles unmanaged if they may contain an animal; inspect them before removal, chipping or burning.

During habitat disturbance: Fauna spotter catcher response

  • The fauna spotter catcher must remain positioned where the clearing face, machinery and likely escape routes can be seen.
  • Instruct the operator to stop immediately when an animal, nest, den, hollow or other fauna hazard is detected, and do not resume until the spotter catcher gives clearance.
  • Do not handle the animal unless the person is appropriately trained, authorised and using methods permitted by the relevant state or territory authority.
  • Keep handling time, noise and physical restraint to the minimum needed for safety and lawful relocation or treatment.
  • Relocate a healthy animal only to nearby suitable retained habitat identified in the fauna management plan, and record the release location and condition.
  • Send an injured animal promptly to an authorised veterinarian or wildlife carer, and record the incident and destination.
  • Do not attempt to care for dependent young, injured animals or animals showing abnormal behaviour on site unless authorised to do so.

During habitat disturbance: Stop-work triggers and records

  • Stop work if a black-footed tree-rat is found in the active clearing area, if a den or nest is identified, if a hollow-bearing tree cannot be safely inspected, or if the approved clearing boundary is exceeded.
  • Stop work if exclusion fencing fails, a fire enters retained habitat, invasive grass spread is observed, or the fauna spotter catcher cannot maintain a safe view of the clearing face.
  • Notify the site environmental officer and relevant authority when a listed animal is injured, killed, relocated outside the approved area, or repeatedly found in the work zone.
  • Record date, time, location, animal condition, photographs, habitat feature, machinery activity, action taken, handler, release or care destination and the names of witnesses.
  • Retain daily fauna logs, clearance maps, photographs, incident forms and verification of all wildlife permits and notifications.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Clearance is not complete when machinery leaves the site. Confirm that no animals or dependent young remain, maintain habitat controls and check that construction has not created new fire, weed, predator or fragmentation risks.

  • Inspect the cleared footprint, retained vegetation edge, felled timber, vegetation piles and nearby Pandanus for animals, nests, dens and injured fauna after clearing and before chipping, burning or final grading.
  • Complete a final inspection after machinery has left each staged work area and record the result as a no-detection, detection, relocation or injury event.
  • Remove temporary fauna controls only when the environmental officer confirms that they are no longer needed and that retained habitat is protected from construction traffic.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and adaptive management

  • Monitor retained habitat and rehabilitation areas for black-footed tree-rat activity using repeat cameras, spotlighting, sign searches or trapping methods suited to the approval conditions.
  • Link monitoring to management effectiveness, including checks of fire frequency and intensity, invasive grasses, feral cat activity, habitat connectivity, understorey condition and food plant recovery.
  • Increase monitoring after fire, drought, major construction disturbance or a failure of rehabilitation criteria.
  • Investigate a decline in detections rather than treating non-detection as proof that the species is absent.

After habitat disturbance: Reporting and offsets

  • Report survey results, clearance outcomes, injuries, deaths, relocations, permit compliance and monitoring results to the project environmental officer and relevant approval authority.
  • Submit verified records to the relevant state wildlife database and update the project fauna records where new locations are found.
  • Implement any offset, compensatory habitat, conservation agreement or additional management measure required by the EPBC Act approval, state approval or clearing permit.
  • Keep retained habitat, fire controls, weed controls and access restrictions in place for the duration specified by the approval and fauna management plan.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure and resources

Rehabilitation should recreate the structure and food resources of northern Australian eucalypt woodland, not just establish ground cover. The target condition is habitat with suitable understorey, Pandanus, food plants, denning opportunities and protection from intense fire, invasive grasses and feral cats.

  • Re-establish Eucalyptus miniata and Eucalyptus tetrodonta woodland with a dense shrubby understorey where these communities are appropriate to the site.
  • Plant or encourage food and shelter species identified for black-footed tree-rats, including Pandanus spiralis, Buchanania obovata, Planchonia careya, Syzygium suborbiculare, Syzygium eucalyptoides, Terminalia ferdinandiana, Ficus aculeata, Petalostigma quadriloculare, Grevillea dryandri and Acacia species suited to the site.
  • Prioritise Pandanus spiralis because it provides both food and shelter and is used for denning.
  • Retain and reinstate cleared logs in stable piles or other arrangements that provide cover, while ensuring they do not create a fire or machinery hazard.
  • Protect existing hollow-bearing trees and retain mature trees as rehabilitation develops; where approved and ecologically suitable, assess artificial hollows or nest boxes as a supplementary measure rather than a substitute for retaining large trees.
  • Do not rely on newly planted trees to provide hollows in the short term, because the project assessment identified limited hollow availability and used Pandanus foliage as the likely denning resource.

Rehabilitation actions: Control weeds, predators and fire

  • Control gamba grass and other invasive grasses before they set seed and during rehabilitation, because invasive grasses can reduce ground foraging opportunities and increase fire intensity.
  • Use clean machinery and a weed management procedure to prevent weeds being introduced or spread through the rehabilitation area.
  • Develop and maintain a fire regime that reduces frequent, extensive and high-intensity fires, and retain patches that have remained unburnt for more than 5 years where consistent with the approved fire plan.
  • Manage feral cats using approved, cost-effective control measures where monitoring shows predation risk or where required by the conservation advice.
  • Prevent cane toads from becoming established on islands or other isolated populations where quarantine measures are applicable.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

  • Use natural analogue sites in nearby remnant eucalypt woodland to set local rehabilitation benchmarks for canopy, understorey, habitat plants and Pandanus.
  • Record the abundance and condition of black-footed tree-rat food and shelter plants during vegetation monitoring, and map the presence of Pandanus separately.
  • During the first 2 years, or until the first completion criteria are met, monitor rehabilitation twice each year, once at the end of the wet season and once at the end of the dry season.
  • Use fixed photo points and quantitative transects, with at least three quantitative sites where the rehabilitation area is sufficiently uniform, and add sites where performance differs between zones.
  • Use the project rehabilitation criteria as measurable benchmarks, including more than 30 percent canopy cover, more than 30 percent canopy height relative to the benchmark, more than 50 percent canopy health, more than 50 percent canopy species representation, and more than 50 percent of the benchmark score for ground-stratum growth forms.
  • Trigger supplementary planting, seeding, weed control, erosion repair or other remedial work when habitat diversity, abundance or required species fail to meet the approved completion criteria.
  • Add fauna monitoring to vegetation monitoring and assess whether black-footed tree-rats use the rehabilitated area, nearby retained habitat and connecting vegetation.

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