Hollow occurrence and tree spacing in Eucalyptus tereticornis

ABSTRACT

A ground-based survey of 400 Eucalyptus tereticornis trees examined the incidence of visible hollows suitable for hollow-dependent fauna. As well as the expected relationship with stem diameter, data analysis revealed a relationship between the incidence of hollows (with entrance diameter ≥10 cm) and spacing between neighbouring trees. When the distance between trees is equivalent to 0.3 times total tree height, a tree is more likely to suffer branch breakage and subsequent hollow formation. This influence of spacing, likely due to branches clashing during storms, appears to contribute a twofold difference in the incidence of hollows. This offers opportunities for the management of regrowth forests and restoration plantings, especially where one of the objectives is to encourage the formation of hollows.

KEYWORDS:

• Eucalyptus tereticornis
• hollows
• thinning
• branch damage

Acknowledgements

I acknowledge and pay respect to the Widjabul Wia-bal people of the Bundjalung Nation on whose land this research was conducted. Three reviewers provided helpful comments that greatly improved this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).