PhD Scholar
Reintroduction of the Brown Treecreeper
E-mail: victoria.bennett@anu.edu.au

Reintroduction is the deliberate movement of plants or animals in an attempt to establish a species in an area within its historical range, from which it has recently disappeared. The reintroduction of animal populations is an important and increasingly popular conservation tool, yet the approach and underlying theory have rarely been tested in Australia. Reintroductions aim to address accelerating biodiversity loss in the face of species extinctions, thereby successfully establishing self-sustaining populations.

This project will provide the first experimental reintroductions of the Brown Treecreeper, Climacteris picumnus. This species will be reintroduced to Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo Nature Reserves in the Australian Capital Territory, where large-scale habitat restoration experiments are ongoing. By performing this reintroduction in a rigorous experimental context with a detailed monitoring and evaluation plan, we will gain vital information and provide invaluable models and protocols to guide other reintroductions in many Australian environments.

This project will also examine the possibility of reintroduction of small mammals, such as the New Holland Mouse, Pseudomys novaehollandiae, into Mulligans Flat after the construction of a predator-proof fence. Field and laboratory-based diet analysis will determine whether Mulligans Flat will provide suitable habitat for this species.