Gold Coast
flora and fauna

Riparian dependent

False

Wetland dependent

False

Forest dependent

True

Hollow dependent

False

Terrestrial

True

Estuarine

False

Marine

False

General ecology

Eucalypt forest and woodland. Koalas will inhabit farmland and acreage properties where scattered eucalypts still remain.

Specific ecology

Habitat

Habitat comment

Prime koala habitat is eucalypt forest growing on high fertility soils, especially on alluvial flats and riparian zones.

Threats

Reduced recruitment and increased adult mortality due to: 1. Over browsing and starvation, disease and drought-induced mortality, reflecting the loss of optimum habitat and fragmentation of the remainder especially : - Urban development and expansion in coastal and sub-coastal areas and clearing for agriculture in high fertility soils in rural areas - Intensive forestry operations where core habitat is not adequately reserved; loss and conversion of old growth forest - Removal of home range trees which may seriously disrupt their social behaviour and affect the fertility of the core group 2. Road kills, feral and domestic dog attack and harassment 3. Stress-induced disease such as chlamydia 4. Structures that form barriers to their movement and isolate populations by not retaining corridors or providing fauna underpasses.

Management

Where ever possible the following suggestions should be followed to maintain Koala populations on the Gold Coast. 1. Notify residents that there is a colony in existence. 2. Conduct regular surveys, note whether animals are breeding or not and make regular checks of food trees indigenous to the area. 3. Continue planting the right type of trees to replace the loss of older trees in reserves, streets and rural areas. 4. Leave koalas in their natural environment with the least possible disturbance and legislate to prevent crop dusting or use of insecticides near known koala colonies. 5. Monitor the health of the koalas, but not by too much handling, and try to isolate koalas with conjunctivitis. 6. Have good rapport with your local council and its offices. 7. Koalas are very mobile and their movements need to be considered. They will use scattered trees in open paddocks as corridors. They readily scale fences. 8. Sufficient areas of forest of high quality, consisting of a mixture of preferred tree species and a range of tree sizes and ages. Tall, large trees for sleeping. 9. Reduce the impact of developments that severe bushland remnants by providing fauna access points between bushland remnants.

Community type