Birdlife explosion as possum numbers slashed
By PAUL EASTON - The Dominion Post
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A dramatic drop in the estimated possum population is good news for native birds.
New research shows possum numbers have plummeted from between 60 and 70 million during the 1980s, to about 30 million.
The Wellington region recorded the biggest drop, of 87 per cent.
The region has about 200,000 possums, but without possum control the number would have been between 1.3 and 1.5 million.
Forest and Bird spokeswoman Helen Bain said the drop was a factor in exploding numbers of tui in the Wellington area. "We're getting a lot of anecdotal reports that numbers are up. I was in town the other day and I would have seen about 20 of them."
Possums would raid the nests of native birds, such as tui, taking eggs, chicks and sometimes even adult birds, she said. "If we get possum numbers down, native birds and plants come back big time."
The study, by Landcare Research wildlife biologist Bruce Warburton, used satellite-imaging technology to analyse 52 vegetation types, which helped show how many possums each area could accommodate.
The Conservation Department and regional councils also provided information.
The study found the forests could host 48 million possums, with no pest control. But when efforts to beat possums were included, that figure dropped to 30 million. "New Zealanders have been fascinated by how many possums there are, ever since the estimates of 60 to 70 million were generated in the 1980s."
Australian brush-tailed possums, introduced in 1837 to establish a fur trade, have become New Zealand's main pest in both ecological and economic terms.
Among their favourite foods are the leaves of natives trees such as pohutukawa and totara.
Possum control is carried out on about 13.3 million hectares – about half all vegetated land – for conservation and to stop the spread of bovine tuberculosis. The Conservation Department spent $14.9 million on it last year, mainly using 1080 poison.
The results of the study did not mean the war against possums was over, DOC spokesman Rory Newsman said. "We are getting some good results in places, but there is constant re-invasion by possums."
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Madeleine-hate to tell you but the articles in the Ecology journal are not level one studies or even RCTs by any means and there is obvious bias.The whole point I was making is that an insecticide will effect the whole ecosystem in the forest. Not just one or two speices.Its fith form science.
Oh surely not- Forest and Bird actually supporting DoC for once- and 1080 actually WORKS! If all you whingers hate 1080 so much then why aren't you out there shooting possums instead of just shooting your mouth off at the agency which is trying to protect our native wildlife? Sure we could eliminate possums- in just the same way as we have eliminated so many of our native species, and if there was money in it I'm sure we would do, but there isn't so we don't. Oh and if you are so concerned about 1080 then perhaps you should lobby the Government to provide DoC with the money to afford to do it another way- instead of just bitching about an effective method which is showing results. ps Dmitry#11- your "tree dwelling" possums spend quite a lot of time on the ground especially when they are sick!
So weird that people think that DoC would be content to destroy ecosystems and kill native wildlife indiscriminately, and that the "TB control" aspect is merely an excuse. If that were the case, then DoC wouldn't be their name, and what would be their motive? D'y'think they go around dropping poison on the land just for kicks? That other countries don't drop 1080 is irrelevant - we're one of the few places in the world where our pests are mainly mammalian and our native species mainly aren't so where 1080 poison is particularly useful.
"For a start there is not one controlled study (e.g. Level 1 or better) addressing the ecosystem level benefit, harm, or the unintended side effects of the practice of routinely dropping large amounts of food laced with a broad spectrum poison into our forest ecosystem … NOT ONE." Have you ever tried to study a whole ecosystem at once? I recommend the NZ Journal of Ecology for several studies on the effectiveness of 1080. Collectively they amount to a report on the effects on the ecosystem, and many concern the potential unintended side-effects. http://www.nzes.org.nz/nzje/search_result.php?s_keyword=1080
What a load of propergander Forest and Bird DoC 1080 aerial drops only does about 10% of all NZ possum ratification. The 1080 drops only lessons possum numbers for a short period of time then their numbers soon increase. Hence DoC need for continued 1080 aerial drops ever three years or so. So if new research shows possum numbers have plummeted from between 60 and 70 million during the 1980s, to about 30 million. Then there is no need to now aerial drop 1080 to manage them. We can now easily control their small numbers by safer ground control methods. Saving the country millions in the process. As ground control is a lot cheaper safer and a lot more environmentally friendly on other species.
... It's pure joy to walk through a native forest posted with skull and bones signs warning of deadly no-known-antidote poison. Good opportunity for tourists to snap pictures to take home: "Clean, green NZ... Look it says "DEADLY TO DOGS"... Watch out, so we don't step on anything funny... Still, isn't it so beautiful?..."
According to the DOC's own wild guess numbers published in this article, its efforts are not working: 2 out of 3 possums are running free, in spite of DOC poisoning half of the land. Instead of presenting convincing facts (which DOC presumably has in its internal paper trails), people who question 1080 are labeled a "brigade" and pest lovers. Could any one please explain how tree-dwelling possums infect grass-grazing cattle with bovine TB, and how DOC avoids an epidemic with "30 millions" of them still around?
Finally DOC and forest and bird will have to stop using the '70 million possums' myth to justify their indescriminate poisoning of our country. Science has prevailed. Next step for science is to expose some of the other myths of these poisons. For a start there is not one controlled study (e.g. Level 1 or better) addressing the ecosystem level benefit, harm, or the unintended side effects of the practice of routinely dropping large amounts of food laced with a broad spectrum poison into our forest ecosystem … NOT ONE.
Marks #4, I am more than happy for the anti 1080 brigade to out compete DOC, councils, contractors etc in the elimination of pest animals. Please activate your more effective technologies or techniques. If you can pass audits nearing 100% you will have done the country a favour and earn yourself millions. Well done. My question is - do you really want to eliminate non native pest animals from NZ?
@ laurence # 4, Laurance DoC never counted 70 million possums in the first place. That was an estimate based on what the forests in NZ could support.
As for walking through a silent forest, I've done that many a time after a 1080 drop. The loss of birds, especially insect eating ones, is clear and easy to see.
Many *URBAN* areas of Wellington are seeing the return of birds such as Tui. But 1080 was never used on Wellington urban area's? So why the return? Simple, the Karori Sanctuary keep out predators such as CATS. Not possums, CATS. This gives the Tui an 'island' sanctuary from they are able to recover.
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It is easy to see the damage 1080 does when you live in a drop zone. Most of the birds migrate to areas that haven't had it. Why? Well there's no insects left for them to eat. The ground becomes sludgy because there's no Ecology life to keep it healthy. Also a bird can strip a tree of food very fast yet possums get all the blame. In 11 yrs going into that bush I have not seen one bird on the ground. The organic bush areas I know of have shiney healthy growth, plenty of bird life, and remind me of the bush I grew up in. 1080 areas look nuked, with trees stuggling and black moss taking over.
On the farm next door after the last drop 7yrs ago all the houses took water from this area. The sharemilker, told me he thought he was having a breakdown ended up in hospital, wasn't clamptobactor, wasn't lepto. The Mho aren't even considering testing for 1080. damn discusting considering they are dropping this deadly Toxin into our water catchments. The new owner of this farm told me repeadedly that he was so ill (1080 symtoms) that he thought he was going to die. What were the symtoms Heart pulpitations, vomiting, shakes, couldn't work, couldn't see properly. Connected to the same farm suicides. Since that drop 2 marriage beakups. One husband, father, went suicidal with a knife, Police involved. Is anybody testing, all local medical, water, labs I have asked don't know anything about it. To the Government, you are ruining our Country. Take a Real Look before it's to late