14 – The multiple benefits of monitoring threatened species: Leadbeater’s possum^195The multiple benefits of threatened species monitoring
Understanding of the ecology of a suite of species
Leadbeater’s possum is one of eight species of arboreal marsupials in the montane
ash forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria (Lindenmayer et al. 2015a) and,
although the monitoring program had Leadbeater’s possum as a focus, the
monitoring design is suitable for collecting high-quality data on almost all other
‘non-target’ arboreal marsupials. Data from the long-term monitoring program for
Leadbeater’s possum have provided important insights into the ecology and
conservation of other species such as the greater glider Petauroides volans,
mountain brushtail possum Trichosurus caninus, sugar glider Petaurus breviceps
and yellow-bellied glider Petaurus australis. These insights include an enhanced
understanding of the habitat requirements of these species (Lindenmayer et al.
2014), as well as their responses to different kinds of disturbances such as wildfire
(Lindenmayer et al. 2013b). In addition, the monitoring program for Leadbeater’s
possum has provided data on the temporal dynamics of populations of many of the
species of arboreal marsupials in montane ash forests (Lindenmayer et al. 2 011).
Understanding the ecosystem and key threatening processes
The work on the conservation of Leadbeater’s possum initially commenced in 1983
as a study of the distribution, abundance and habitat requirements of the species
Fig. 14.1. The Leadbeater’s possum Gymnobelidues leadbeateri is an arboreal marsupial confined to the
montane ash forests of Victoria’s Central Highlands. Photo: E. Beaton.