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Study Site |
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I carried out my field work in Cooloola National Park, Queensland, Australia (26o05'S, 153o02'E). This park is approximated 3 hours drive north of Brisbane and is managed by the Queensland Department of Wildlife and Heritage. It encompassed over 56,000 ha of habitat and is one of the largest pristine and protected watersheds on the eastern coast of Australia.
Cooloola Rainforests Rainforests in Cooloola support a limited diversity of tree species. There are only about 40 common species with another 25 uncommon species. Rainforests are patchily distributed, in part based on the proximity of the water table to the surface, and in part due to the anthropogenic fire history of any particular area.
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Data Collection
I carried out field work between March 1997 and January 2000 and was present in the park during all months. I collected data on seed dispersal by three bird species: the Rose-crowned Fruit-dove (Ptilinopus regina), Wompoo Fruit-dove (Ptilinopus magnificus), and Green Catbird (Aileurodes crassirostris). I also monitored flowering and fruiting phenology of 30 species of rainforest tree and seed predation of 6 species of large-seeded tree.
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Continent of Australia showing approximate location of Cooloola National Park.
Cooloola consists of an enormous series of sand
dunes blown up and deposited from the south over many 100,000
years. There is a typical pattern going from windswept coastal
forest on the seaward side of the dunes, to closed rain forest near the
landward edge of dune systems grading into open woodland and heathland
along the plains of the Noosa River.