Fauna assemblages were assessed within four primary vegetation types and three edge types between grassland and wooded habitats within the Bunya Mountains of eastern Australia. Wet rainforests differed in their species assemblages to dry rainforest, savanna woodland and grassy bald. Dry rainforests and savanna woodlands had similar species composition despite their dissimilar floristic and structural attributes. The small grassy balds supported lower vertebrate species richness and abundance and were significantly different in species composition to all other vegetation types. The small and structurally simple grassy balds contained a subset of species also found in surrounding forest and woodland vegetation, with only a few grassland specific species. Fauna assemblages in grassy bald-rainforest edges were significantly different to grassy balds and rainforest interiors, while grassy bald-savanna woodland edges were similar to savanna woodland interiors. The reptile Lampropholis colossus, the only endemic on the Bunya Mountains, was not a grassland specialist but was found in dry rainforest edge adjacent to balds, dry rainforest and savanna woodland containing rainforest elements at high altitude. A paucity of grassland specialists and endemics associated with balds concurs with evidence that grassy balds are of a relatively recent origin. Management intervention to preserve grassy balds will sustain small biodiversity gains.

Bond, W.J. and Parr, C.L. 2010. Beyond the forest edge: Ecology, diversity and conservation of the grassy biomes. Biological Conservation 143(10): 2395-2404. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2009.12.012
Bond, W.J., Silander Jr, J., Ranaivonasy, J. and Ratsirarson, J. 2008. The antiquity of Madagascar's grasslands and the rise of C4 grassy biomes. Journal of Biogeography 35(10): 1743-58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2008.01923.x
Bray, J.R., and Curtis, J.T. 1957. An ordination of the upland forest communities of southern Wisconsin. Ecological Monographs 27(4): 325-349. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1942268
Butler, D.W. 2007. Recovery Plan for the “Bluegrass (Dichanthium spp.) Dominant Grasslands in the Brigalow Belt Bioregions (North and South)” Endangered Ecological Community. Report to Department of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Brisbane, Australia.
Report to Department of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra
Butler, D.W., Fairfax, R.J. and Fensham, R.J. 2006. Impacts of tree invasion on floristic composition of subtropical montane grassland on the Bunya mountains, Australia. Australian Journal of Botany 54(3): 261-270. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/BT05070
Butler, D.W., Fensham, R.J., Murphy, B.P., Haberle, S.G., Bury, S.J. and Bowman, D.M.J.S. 2014. Aborigine-managed forest, savanna and grassland: biome switching in montane eastern Australia. Journal of Biogeography 41(8): 1492-1505. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12306
Clarke, K.R. and Gorley, R.N. 2006. PRIMER v6: User Manual/Tutorial. PRIMER-E, Plymouth, UK. Enge, K.M. 2001. The pitfalls of pitfall traps. Journal of Herpetology 35(3): 467-477. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1565965
Fairfax, R.J., Fensham, R.J, Butler, D.W., Quinn, K., Sigley, B. and Holman, J. 2009. Effects of multiple fires on tree invasion in montane grasslands. Landscape Ecology 24(10): 1363-1373. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10980-009-9388-y
Fensham, R.J., and Fairfax, R.J. 1996a. The disappearing grassy balds of the Bunya Mountains, southeastern Queensland. Australian Journal of Botany 44(5): 543-558. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/BT9960543
Fensham, R.J., and Fairfax, R.J. 1996b. The grassy balds on the Bunya Mountains, south-eastern Queensland. Floristics and conservation issues. Cunninghamia 4(3): 511-523.
The grassy balds on the Bunya Mountains, south-eastern Queensland. Floristics and conservation issues
Cunninghamia
, vol. 
4
 (pg. 
511
-
523
)
Fensham, R.J., and Fairfax, R.J. 2006. Can burning restrict eucalypt invasion on grassy balds? Austral Ecology 31(3): 317-325. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2006.01560.x
Hagger, V., Fisher, D., Schmidt, S. and Blomberg, S. 2012. Assessing the vulnerability of an assemblage of subtropical rainforest vertebrate species to climate change in south-east Queensland. Austral Ecology 38(4): 465-475. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2012.02437.x
Hargis, C.D., Bissonette, J.A. and Turner, D.L. 1999. The influence of forest fragmentation and landscape pattern on American martens. Journal of Applied Ecology 36(1): 157-172. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2664.1999.00377.x
Harper, K.A., MacDonald, S.E., Burton, P.J., Chen, J., Brosofske, K.D., Saunders, S.C., Euskirchen, E.S., Roberts, D., Jaiteh, M.S. and Esseen, P. 2005. Edge influence on forest structure and composition in fragmented landscapes. Conservation Biology 19(3): 768-782. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00045.x
Holmes, R.T., Bonney Jr, R.E. and Pacala, S.W. 1979. Guild structure of the Hubbard Brook bird community: a multivariate approach. Ecology 60(3): 512-520. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1936071
Humphries, R. 1992. Bonyi-Bonyi, Life and Legends of the Bunya Mountains. Wyndham Observer, Nanango, Queensland.
Bonyi-Bonyi, Life and Legends of the Bunya Mountains
Ingram, G.J. 1991. Five new skinks from Queensland rainforest. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 30(3): 443-453.
Five new skinks from Queensland rainforest
Memoirs of the Queensland Museum
, vol. 
30
 (pg. 
443
-
453
)
Karr, J.R. 1971. Structure of avian communities in selected Panama and Illionois habitats. Ecological Monographs 41(3): 207-233. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1942366
Kikkawa, J. 1982. Ecological association of birds and vegetation structure in wet tropical forests of Australia. Australian Journal of Ecology 7(4): 325-345. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.1982.tb01308.x
Kutt, A.S. and Martin, T.G. 2010. Bird foraging height predicts bird species response to woody vegetation change. Biodiversity Conservation 19(8): 2247-2262. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10531-010-9840-y
Lidicker, W.Z. Jr. 1999. Responses of mammals to habitat edges: an overview. Landscape Ecology 14(4): 333-343. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1008056817939
Luck, G.W., Possingham, H.P., and Paton, D.C. 1999. Bird responses at inherent and induced edges in the Murray mallee, South Australia. 1. Differences in abundance and diversity. Emu 99(3): 157-169. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MU99019
MacArthur, R.H. and Wilson, E.O. 1967. The Theory of Island Biogeography. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
The Theory of Island Biogeography
MacArthur, R.H., Recher, H. and Cody, M. 1966. On the relation between habitat selection and species diversity. American Naturalist 100(913): 319-332. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/282425
MacNally, R.C. 1990. The roles of floristics and physiognomy in avian community composition. Australian Journal of Ecology 15(3): 321-327. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.1990.tb01036.x
Martin, T.G. and Green, J.G. 2002. Wildlife and core conservation areas. Pp. 111-142 in Managing and Conserving Grassy Woodlands, edited by S. McIntyre, J.G. McIvor, and K.M. Heard. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, Australia.
Managing and Conserving Grassy Woodlands
(pg. 
111
-
142
)
Moravek, S., Luly, J., Grindrod, J. and Fairfax, R. 2013. The origin of grassy balds in the Bunya Mountains, southeastern Queensland, Australia. The Holocene 23: 305-315. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683612460792
Murcia, C. 1995. Edge effects in fragmented forests - implications for conservation. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 10(2): 58-62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0169-5347(00)88977-6
Overbeck, G., Muller, S., Fidelis, A., Pfadenhauer, J., Pillar, V., Blanco, C., Boldrini, I., Both, R. and Forneck, E. 2007. Brazil's neglected biome: the south Brazilian campos. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 9(2): 101-116. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2007.07.005
Piper, S.D. and Catterall, C.P. 2003. A particular case and a general pattern: hyperaggressive behaviour by one species may mediate avifaunal decreases in fragmented Australian forests. Oikos 101(3): 602-614. http://dx.doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0706.2003.12292.x
Rosenzweig, M.L. 1995. Species Diversity in Space and Time. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Species Diversity in Space and Time
Rowe, R.J., Finarelli, J.A. and Rickart, E.A. 2010. Range dynamics of small mammals along an elevational gradient over an 80-year interval. Global Change Biology 16(11): 2930-2943. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02150.x
Siegel, S. 1956. Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioural Sciences. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioural Sciences
Strayer, D.L., Power, M.E., Fagan, W.F., Pickett, S.T.A. and Belnap, J. 2003. A classification of ecological boundaries. BioScience 53(8): 723-729. http://dx.doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2003)053%5B0723:ACOEB%5D2.0.CO;2
Thompson, G.G. and Thompson, S.A. 2007. Usefulness of funnel traps in catching small reptiles and mammals, with comments on the effectiveness of the alternatives. Wildlife Research 34: 491-497. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WR06081
Webb, L.J. 1964. An historical interpretation of the grass balds of the Bunya Mountains, south Queensland. Ecology 45(1): 159-62. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1937117
Whelan, C.J. 2001. Foliage structure influences foraging of insectivorous forest birds: an experimental study. Ecology 82(1): 219-231. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/0012-9658(2001)082%5B0219:FSIFOI%5D2.0.CO;2
Wiens, J.A. 1989. The Ecology of Bird Communities. Part 1. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
The Ecology of Bird Communities. Part 1
Woinarski, J.C.Z. 1993. A cut-and-paste community: birds of monsoon rainforests in Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory. Emu 93(2): 100-120. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MU9930100
This content is only available as a PDF.