Coastcare Grant
Student Awarded a Government Coastcare Grant
PhD Candidate, Sarah Bell, working in the School of Biomedical Sciences was awarded a Community Coastcare grant from the Australian Government as part of the new national resource management initiative for her research on the squirrel glider. The squirrel glider is a small, arboreal marsupial. Distributions of the squirrel glider are declining throughout Australia due to habitat destruction and fragmentation. In order to conserve this species for the future, research needs to be carried out to provide information to guide management strategies. The majority of research has focused on urban populations however it would not be suitable to apply the management actions based on knowledge accrued from these urban environments to non-urban environments. This study will be the first to provide information on populations of squirrel gliders isolated on islands.
Islands are unique habitats for any species to live in. As a result of isolation and fewer predators and competitors, many islands can act as a refuge, however on the other hand, because of this isolation, populations on islands can also display lower levels of genetic diversity, inbreeding and the numerous adaptations found in the ‘island syndrome’ which may together increase an island population’s vulnerability to extinction in the long term. This study is important because it seeks to determine what changes are taking place in island populations of the squirrel glider and what effect this has on their long term viability. The results of this study will aid in future management strategies for the squirrel glider from island sites and may be applied to other species to reduce any further loss in biodiversity within Australia.
