Enhancing Recovery of Black-eared Miners on Calperum and Taylorville Stations
Over 95% of colonies of the endangered Black-eared Miner live in the Riverland Biosphere Reserve. A substantial area of Calperum and Taylorville Stations are listed as critical habitat for the species.
Productive, “old-growth” mallee older than 40 years post-fire is important habitat for Black-eared Miners. A bushfire in 2006 removed one third of old-growth mallee and this, combined with drought resulted in a 68% decline in the Riverland population of Black-eared Miners. The current status of the population size and distribution is unknown, making effective management difficult.
The Foundation has provided $28,990 for a survey of Black-eared Miners across the Riverland Biosphere area. The results will be used to refine the ongoing monitoring strategy and to help ensure the species can be better managed to ensure future survival. This project begain in July 2010 and will finish in June 2011.
Additionally, landscape protection burns will be undertaken at an appropriate time to reduce the likelihood of large areas of mallee burning in a single fire event. A number of old dams will be decommissioned to deter invasion of Yellow-throated Miners.
This project will improve the basis for managing the recovery of the endangered Black-eared Miner and grow our understanding of the distribution patterns of Black-eared Miners and the ecology of the systems within the region. It will also foster good management and protection of old-growth mallee as critical habitat for threatened species. It will also reduce grazing pressure to increase the quality of native vegetation needed to sustain native grazers.
