Demonstrating stewardship of the environment and ecologically sustainable forestry

Highlights

• Plantations support devils and eastern quolls
  Both species were detected more often in areas with a greater proportion of plantation cover in the surrounding landscape.
• Windrows matter
  Linear piles of logging debris (windrows) were associated with higher abundance for both species. Devils also used windrows as den sites, including one confirmed maternal den.
• Devils are highly adaptable
  Devils did not show strong preferences between plantation, native forest, or grassland at the landscape scale, and within plantations they preferred stands aged 4–7 years. They frequently used roads and plantation edges to move efficiently.
• No negative responses to forestry detected in study areas
  Devil abundance did not decline with time since logging or other harvested‑forest attributes. For quolls, native‑forest logging variables showed only weak or negligible influence on abundance.
• Plantation landscapes can hold healthy carnivore populations
  Both species appear able to survive and thrive in production forests, supported by prey availability and the mix of dense vegetation and open areas.
• Management settings are broadly effective
  Current guidance on protecting known devil dens and retaining windrows aligns well with the species’ observed use of plantations. The study suggests scope to refine how “high‑quality windrows” are defined.
• Further research is needed
  More work is recommended on:
  – defining what makes a windrow “high‑quality”
  – understanding eastern quoll denning behaviour in plantations
  – better documenting how often devils use windrows as maternal dens.

Plantations by Tasmanian Devils and Eastern Quolls

This research was conducted to better understand how Tasmanian devils and eastern quolls use plantation landscapes, and whether current forest management practices are effective in supporting these threatened species. The work forms part of a broader project on threatened fauna in production forests.

Research objectives

• Identify what environmental features influence devil and eastern quoll numbers in production forest landscapes.
  
• Examine how devils move through plantations, what habitats they prefer, and where they choose to den.
• Provide evidence that can help assess whether current forest practices are effectively supporting these species.

Key findings

1. Plantation areas can support healthy populations of devils and quolls
   Across the study regions, both species were found more often where plantations of the surrounding landscape.

2. Windrows are important habitat features
   Devils and quolls were detected more often in plantation areas with larger or well‑structured windrows—linear piles of harvest residues. Devils also used windrows as den sites, including one confirmed maternal den.

3. Devils are adaptable and use a range of habitats
   Devils did not strongly favour native forest over plantations or grassland at a broad scale, and within plantations they tended to use mid‑aged stands (4–7 years). They also preferred moving along roads and plantation edges, where travel is faster and easier.

4. No evidence of negative impacts from forestry practices in the study areas
   The research did not detect declines in linked to harvesting intensity or time since logging in native forest areas and found that both devils and quolls can survive and thrive in production forests.

5. Eastern quolls also use plantations more than expected
   Although their denning behaviour wasn’t directly studied, eastern quolls were frequently detected in plantation areas, particularly those with certain windrow compositions or where the land was previously pasture.

Benefits to the Forestry Industry

• Evidence of effective current practices: Findings suggest existing approaches—such as protecting known den sites and retaining some windrows—are supporting devil populations in plantation landscapes.
• Guidance for refining management: The study highlights the value of clearly describing what constitutes a “high‑quality windrow,” which can strengthen consistency in on-ground planning.
• Support for sustainable forestry certification: Demonstrating that threatened species can persist in managed forests helps reinforce the environmental credibility of forestry operations.

Future research and next steps

The report identifies areas where more information is needed:

• Defining high‑quality windrows to guide planners in identifying which windrows should be retained.
• Further study of eastern quoll denning behaviour, including how they use plantation‑derived windrows and how sensitive they may be to disturbance.
• Additional data on devil denning patterns, particularly how frequently devils use windrows for maternal dens and whether this varies by landscape.