Post by Tamrin on Apr 18, 2009 9:38:35 GMT 10
Bell Bird causing damage to forest ecosystems
[Excerpt - Article by Karen Barlow, The World Today, ABC Local Radio, 16/09/04) - Linked Above]
[Excerpt - Article by Karen Barlow, The World Today, ABC Local Radio, 16/09/04) - Linked Above]
ELEANOR HALL: It's taken a little bird with a loud, piercing voice to bring both sides of the highly-charged forestry debate together. A series of inquiries into what's causing dieback in Australian forests is now zeroing in on an unlikely culprit – the native "Bell Bird," also known as the "Bell Miner". Dieback is ruining both forestry productivity and biodiversity.
And as Karen Barlow reports, a cull of the birds is not being ruled out.
KAREN BARLOW: Whether or not you like the Bell Bird's call, you can't deny it's distinctive. It's also a sweet sound for a creature being associated with the destruction of trees.
Dieback is a condition where trees die where they stand, from the top down, through the leaves and branches, eventually consuming the whole tree.
Ron Billyard from the National Parks and Wildlife Service says human interaction such as weed invasions, logging and changing fire patterns has put the forest ecosystem out of whack.
RON BILLYARD: The final expression in North East NSW is that we have a very shrubby ground layer, under story, with high numbers of bell minors, bell birds. And those bell birds basically drive out other insect eating birds and the numbers of a sap sucking insect in the tree crowns called psyllids, explodes and stresses the trees and over time that stress will cause the trees to die.
KAREN BARLOW: The effect of the dieback is universal, adversely affecting the environment, the forest industry, tourism and the production of honey.
The Bell Miner Associated Dieback Working Group has been created from a group of government agencies, universities, landholders, and being brought together in a rare instance of solidarity, conservation groups and loggers.
RON BILLYARD: Well it is a real success story. We have in Forests NSW and the green groups we have, particularly northeast forests alliance, they're seen as, if you like, traditional combatants.
They're often seen on the opposite side of the logging issue, but on this one they've come together and agree that we do have to find a real solution and are working cooperatively on that. It's been a real wonderful experience for those groups I think.
And as Karen Barlow reports, a cull of the birds is not being ruled out.
KAREN BARLOW: Whether or not you like the Bell Bird's call, you can't deny it's distinctive. It's also a sweet sound for a creature being associated with the destruction of trees.
Dieback is a condition where trees die where they stand, from the top down, through the leaves and branches, eventually consuming the whole tree.
Ron Billyard from the National Parks and Wildlife Service says human interaction such as weed invasions, logging and changing fire patterns has put the forest ecosystem out of whack.
RON BILLYARD: The final expression in North East NSW is that we have a very shrubby ground layer, under story, with high numbers of bell minors, bell birds. And those bell birds basically drive out other insect eating birds and the numbers of a sap sucking insect in the tree crowns called psyllids, explodes and stresses the trees and over time that stress will cause the trees to die.
KAREN BARLOW: The effect of the dieback is universal, adversely affecting the environment, the forest industry, tourism and the production of honey.
The Bell Miner Associated Dieback Working Group has been created from a group of government agencies, universities, landholders, and being brought together in a rare instance of solidarity, conservation groups and loggers.
RON BILLYARD: Well it is a real success story. We have in Forests NSW and the green groups we have, particularly northeast forests alliance, they're seen as, if you like, traditional combatants.
They're often seen on the opposite side of the logging issue, but on this one they've come together and agree that we do have to find a real solution and are working cooperatively on that. It's been a real wonderful experience for those groups I think.
