PREDICTING THE ABUNDANCE OF HOLLOW-BEARING TREES IN MONTANE FORESTS OF SOUTHEASTERN AUSTRALIA

Poisson regression analyses were used to relate the number of hollow-bearing trees on 523 sites in the montane ash forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria to a range of environmental variables. Region, logging history, the dominant species of eucalypt, slope angle, topographic position and the age of the stand influenced significantly the number of hollow-bearing trees. A simple predictive model containing these factors has possible application in geographic information systems and may assist in the assessment of wildlife habitat. The number of multi-aged stands and living trees with fire scars indicates that some individuals of 'fire-sensitive' montane ash eucalypts appear to survive intense wildfire.