Koalas on North Stradbroke Island: diet, tree use and reconstructed landscapes

Restore former mining sites

A replicated, site comparison study in 2005–2006 in woodland in Queensland, Australia (Woodward et al. 2008) found that four of five restored mines were not used by koalas Phascloarctos cinereus, but that koala diet did not differ between those in restored and unmined sites. In four of five restored sites, koalas were not found, but they were found in two of three nearby unmined sites. There was no significant difference between diets of koalas in the occupied restored area and those in the two occupied unmined areas. In 1976–1977, areas mined for mineral sands were recontoured and trees, including Eucalyptus species, were planted. Eight koalas were radio-collared and located once/week for 12 months to determine the tree species they were using. To investigate diet and koala presence, dung was collected from study animals once, from five 50 × 50 m plots in restored sites and three in unmined areas.