Nanangroe Plantation Plot Network: Mason Crane, The Australian National University. The Value of Countryside Elements in the Conservation of the Threatened Arboreal Marsupial Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis in Agricultural Landscapes of South-eastern Australia - the Disproportional Value of S

Human activities, particularly agriculture, have transformed much of the world’s terrestrial environment. Within these anthropogenic landscapes, a variety of relictual and semi-natural habitats exist, which we term countryside elements. The habitat value of countryside elements (‘elements’) is increasingly recognised. In association with the Nanangroe Plot network in the south-west slopes of New South Wales, we quantify the relative value of four kinds of such ‘elements’ (linear roadside remnants, native vegetation patches, scattered trees and tree plantings) used by a threatened Australian arboreal marsupial, the squirrel glider Petaurus norfolcensis. We examined relationships between home range size and the availability of each ‘element’ and whether the actual usage was relative to predicted levels of usage. The usage of ‘elements’ by gliders was largely explained by their availability, however there was a preference for native vegetation patches and scattered trees. We found home range size was significantly smaller with increasing area of scattered trees and a contrasting effect with increasing area of linear roadside remnants or native vegetation patches. Our work showed that each ‘element’ was used and as such had a role in the conservation of the squirrel glider, but their relative value varied. We illustrate the need to assess the conservation value of countryside elements so they can be incorporated into the holistic management of agricultural landscapes. This work demonstrates the disproportional value of scattered trees, underscoring the need to specifically incorporate and /or enhance the protection and recruitment of scattered trees in biodiversity conservation policy and management. (Crane, M.J., Lindenmayer, D.B., Cunningham, R.B., 2014. The Value of Countryside Elements in the Conservation of a Threatened Arboreal Marsupial Petaurus norfolcensis in Agricultural Landscapes of South-Eastern Australia—The Disproportional Value of Scattered Trees. PLOS One. 9(9): e107178 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107178).人类活动，尤其是农业活动，已重塑了全球多数陆地生态环境。在这类人为景观中，存在多种残留与半自然生境，我们将其统称为乡村景观要素（countryside elements）。乡村景观要素（以下简称“要素”）的生境价值正日益得到学界认可。本研究依托新南威尔士州西南坡的Nanangroe样地网络，针对受胁澳大利亚树栖有袋类物种——蜜袋鼯（Petaurus norfolcensis）所利用的四类乡村景观要素（路边线性残遗植被带、本土植被斑块、零散树木与人工栽植林木），量化其相对价值。本研究分析了家域面积与各景观要素可利用面积之间的关联，同时验证了蜜袋鼯对要素的实际利用是否与理论预期的利用水平相符。蜜袋鼯对景观要素的利用程度主要由其可利用面积决定，但该物种更偏好本土植被斑块与零散树木。研究发现，随着零散树木覆盖面积的增加，蜜袋鼯的家域面积会显著缩小；而路边线性残遗植被带或本土植被斑块面积的增加则会产生相反的效应。本研究表明，四类景观要素均被蜜袋鼯利用，因此均在蜜袋鼯的物种保护中发挥作用，但其相对价值存在差异。本研究证实，亟需评估乡村景观要素的保护价值，以便将其纳入农业景观的整体管理框架之中。本研究凸显了零散树木的不成比例高价值，强调在生物多样性保护政策与管理实践中，需专门纳入并/或加强对零散树木的保护与自然更新工作。（Crane MJ, Lindenmayer DB, Cunningham RB, 2014. 澳大利亚东南部农业景观中受胁树栖有袋类蜜袋鼯保护的乡村景观要素价值——零散树木的不成比例高价值. PLOS ONE, 9(9): e107178. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107178）