Surverys are being planned to identify deer numbers and behaviours to estimate their impact on new plantings
Survey of Zierra Smithii which is a rare plant in the area to follow up observations of rubbing damage.


Observations of Zieria Smithii                                                                1/9/2009
 
Location 2 groups of plants separated by about 350 Metres were observed. Both sites close to the walking track along the top of the gully
 
Browsing
Group 1 consists of 3 plants:  2 adult and one seedling.
Browsing impact           Adults  plant 1  browsing tips to height of 2M  60% of light tips
                                                plant     2   browsing                          1M 40% exposed branches                                 Seedling           no browsing
 
Group 2   consists of 6 plants 2 adults 1 recruit (multistalk 30 cm tall) and 3 seedlings
Browsing impact no obvious browsing damage on these plants.
 
Even where the browse damage covered a large area of the plant it was light and not obviously causing the plant significant stress or loss of  growth or reproduction.
 
Located 100M north in area of dense shrubs
Group 3           consists of 17 plants  13 browsed to about 30 – 60 cm 90 – 100 % of stems nipped off.
 No obvious mature plants.
4 seedlings to 10cm not browsed
No hard stems to show rubbing
 
Located 1Km NNw on gully floor on the side of the (illegal) motor bike track through the forest, open light cover of small shrubs
Group 4  100+ plants
50% of tops nipped average height about 45cm.
No obvious plants over 1M
No hard stems  or mature plants.
 
 
Rubbing
3 adult plants (Group 1 and 2) with accessible hard stems have 75% – 80% of stems  ringbarked or damage to over half circumference of each stem.
 
There is no obvious damage to the smaller plants.