Habitat change and restoration: responses of a forest-floor mammal species to manipulations of fallen timber in floodplain forests

In forests and woodlands, fallen timber (logs and large branches) is an important habitat element for many species of animals. Fallen timber has been systematically stripped in many forests, eliminating an important structural element. This study describes results of a "meso–scale" experiment in which fallen timber was manipulated in a floodplain forest of the Murray River in south–eastern Australia. A thousand tons of wood were redistributed after one–year’s pre–manipulation monitoring, while a further two–year's post–manipulation monitoring was conducted. The response of the main forest–floor small–mammal species, the Yellow–footed Antechinus Antechinus flavipes, to alterations of fallen–wood loads is documented. Results of the experiment will help to frame guidelines for fallen–timber management in these extensive floodplain forests.