Koala research and monitoring

• Koala populations
• Koala surveys and monitoring
• Current research
• Past research
• Collaborative research
• Other monitoring programs
• Urban koala radio tracking program

Koala populations

The Koala has been listed as vulnerable to extinction in the South East Queensland bioregion (New South Wales border to Gladstone, and west to Toowoomba). This status, under Queensland’s Nature Conservation Act 1992, is based on a significant decline in the koala populations within this area and ongoing pressure from a rapidly expanding and urbanised human population. The Queensland Government is focusing special attention on the recovery of the koala in this region. Although the koala is generally less threatened outside the South East corner, this status could change if current threats continue or new threats emerge from habitat loss, disease, urban encroachment or extreme weather events.

On a national scale, field-based koala research is conducted by various government agencies, universities and community groups. Research provides governments with much needed information on koala habitat loss, fragmentation of land and other threatening processes. Research has shown that koalas are most affected by habitat loss, disease, death or injury from cars and dogs, and drowning in backyard pools and climatic events.

 

Koala surveys and monitoring

Koala research provides vital information about koala biology, ecology, numbers, distribution, health, dispersal of young, home ranges and breeding patterns within populations.

Research survey and monitoring techniques (ground surveys and radio tracking), vegetation mapping and data from ambulance calls and hospital admissions are used to calculate and validate population estimates. The results from these surveys all show that koala populations are declining significantly, particularly in the Koala Coast and Pine Rivers areas.

Since 1996, extensive research has been undertaken on koala populations in the Koala Coast (area bounded by the Logan River, Pacific Highway, Gateway Motorway, Manly Road, Whites Road and Lota Creek) and Pine Rivers areas. The Koala Coast is an area in South East Queensland, around 375 sq. km that has been identified as one of the most significant koala habitats in Australia.

Koala surveys in 1996–1999 indicated that the Koala Coast area was home to approximately 6200 koalas. Since then, additional surveys have highlighted an estimated population decline to 4600 koalas in 2006 and 2250 koalas in 2008.

The latest Koala Coast survey, conducted in 2010, did not find any significant change in the koala population since 2008. This finding is giving hope for the future of the Koala Coast koala population. More surveys will be needed in coming years to determine whether this represents a change in the long term trend of this important population.

For more information:

• Koala Coast Koala Population Report 2010 (PDF, 1.3M)* 

Current research

Building on past research programs, DERM has developed detailed, long-term research programs focusing on regional koala populations.

Current research includes:

• survey and monitoring koala populations across South East Queensland
  • the Queensland Government has committed $2.5 million over five years as part of the Koala Response Strategy 
  • the surveys build on data that has already been collected on koala numbers in the Koala Coast and in the former Pine Rivers area
  • it will expand the surveyed area to include Gold Coast, Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast local government areas
  • data collected builds understanding about what is happening to koala populations and where koalas are under the greatest threat
  • it will be used to develop koala conservation initiatives and management strategies to help conserve koalas and their habitat.
• monitoring the status of koalas in the Koala Coast
  • since the original surveys in 1996–1999, three further comprehensive surveys have quantified the decline in koalas.
  • The 2008 results indicated a loss of 51 per cent of the population in less than three years and an overall 64 per cent decline in the population over 10 years.
  • The latest Koala Coast survey, conducted in 2010, did not find any significant change in the koala population from 2008:
    • Determining the Distribution and Abundance of a Regional Koala Population in South-East Queensland for Conservation Management
    • Report on Koala Coast Koala Surveys 2005-2006 (PDF, 2.1M)* 
    • Decline of the Koala Coast Population: Population Status in 2008 (PDF, 310K)*
    • Koala Coast Koala Population Report 2010 (PDF, 1.3M)*.
• monitoring and modelling threats to koala populations
  • spatial analysis of koala road mortality and other threats is providing information on 'blackspots' where koalas face the greatest threat of being killed or injured.
• determining the role of urban koalas in the regional Koala Coast koala population
  • surveys, radio monitoring and genetic analysis of urban koalas are assisting in our understanding of this group of animals and their function within the regional Koala Coast population.
  • a detailed study of the ecology of urban koalas using a radio tracking program.
• spatial analysis of koala habitat values, habitat abundance and losses in South East Queensland
  • habitat fragmentation and losses continue to be the primary threat to koala survival.

Past research

The Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) has a long history of conducting koala research in Queensland. Studies date back to the early 1970s and provide some of the first detailed knowledge of the biology and ecology of Queensland’s koalas. Most of this research focussed on koalas at Springsure and Emerald in central Queensland and Oakey in southern Queensland, and investigated:

• the koala's response to heatwave and drought
• developing a system to age koalas based on toothwear (koalas have the same set of teeth throughout their life which can give an indication of their age)
• ecology, biology and population dynamics (changes to koala populations based on immigration, emigration, birth and death rates) of koalas.

A Koala Research Unit was formed in 1996 to investigate the conservation requirements of koalas in the Koala Coast. This research project ran for five years and included research on:

• comparative ecology and population dynamics of koalas
  • detailed investigations of approximately 120 koalas at three sites were achieved via radio monitoring. Radio collars were fitted to the koalas to monitor their habitat use, health, birth rates and causes of death
• distribution and abundance of the regional koala population
  • koala surveys were conducted at more than 20 sites over four years
• impacts of development on a koala population
  • long-term data showed the changes to survivorship (rate of survival), fecundity (how many offspring produced), disease prevalence and habitat use of koalas experiencing habitat loss
• management strategies to reduce threats to koalas
  • the koala speed-zone trial involved different road speeds to reduce koala road mortality
• developing spatial techniques to identify and map koala habitat.

In 2001, koalas were surveyed in the former Pine Rivers Shire to determine distribution and abudance in this region. For more information:

Koalas in Pine Rivers Shire: distribution, abundance and management (PDF, 2.4M)*

Collaborative research

DERM koala research staff collaborate with, and support, other research institutions and state and local government agencies to better understand the biology, ecology and management of koalas. Some of these projects include:

• urban koala radio tracking project–Redland City Council and the University of Queensland (UQ) Koala Study Program
• road safety barrier trial to assist koala movement–Department of Transport and  Main Roads
• koala modelling project/cost benefit analysis of management strategies–UQ
• survey of the distribution and abundance of koalas in Pine Rivers–Pine Rivers Shire Council
• koala study program–UQ
• artificial insemination and disease screening program– UQ
  • this program aims to enhance genetic diversity of koalas in captive breeding programs
  • in March 2003, the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC) signed a partnership agreement with DERM to further develop the koala artificial insemination program
  • in December 2003, the Premier signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Queensland Government and UQ to work cooperatively to progress development of the Koala Enhanced Genetic Exchange Program (KEGEP)
  • the MOU implicitly recognises ownership of koala genetic material by the State of Queensland and UQ technical expertise in this field
  • the koala artificial insemination program has subsequently progressed in Queensland under the broad umbrella of KEGEP, via a steering committee comprising representatives of Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) (following transfer of responsibilities from DPC), UQ and DERM. Under the KEGEP MOU, all intellectual property that is created, directly or indirectly, as a result of activities undertaken by the parties to the KEGEP MOU vests jointly with the State of Queensland and UQ.
• Koala Disease Research Fund (2010) 
  • DERM provided $400,000 to financially support high quality research to mitigate the effects of disease on wild populations of koalas 
  • the fund is a key component of the actions being taken by the Queensland Government to halt the decline of koala populations in South East Queensland
  • allocations of funds were through open competitive funding rounds for projects that could be completed within 12 months
  • research priorities that applications needed to address included:
    • assess and develop appropriate methods to reduce vulnerability of wild populations to disease
    • establish the relationship between habitat loss (and other environmental stressors) to disease in koalas
    • quantify the impacts of disease on breeding and fecundity rates
    • develop tools that result in improved management outcomes.

Other monitoring programs

DERM manages a Koala Hospitals Information System that contains records of healthy, sick, injured, orphaned or dead koalas resulting from unsolicited sightings from members of the public (primarily from South East Queensland). This database contains over 15,000 koala records from the Koala Coast and over 30,000 in the whole of South East Queensland. This database is a valuable supplementary data source for research into:

• monitoring the effectiveness of management strategies
  • Koala Mortality on Roads in South-East Queensland : The Koala Speed-Zone Trial
• population distribution, abundance and trends
• quantifying threatening processes.

Urban koala radio tracking program

A significant koala population exists in various habitat types in South East Queensland:

• bushland in conservation parks, reserves and rural properties
• patches of remaining bushland in developed areas
• urban areas—koalas using local parks, schools, street trees and trees in residential backyards.

To protect urban koala populations, information in needed on their use of, and movement through, urban areas. Urban koalas regularly cross streets and move through backyards in search of food trees (PDF, 146K)*. They encounter obstacles and threats every day that obstruct their travel between trees, including:

• dogs
• cars
• unclimbable fences
• swimming pools
• new buildings.

These threats can, and do, result in koala deaths.

DERM has fitted urban koalas in the Redlands area with radio/GPS collars. These koalas were caught from within urban areas or were admitted to either the Moggill Koala Hospital or the Australian Wildlife Hospital for veterinarian attention and rehabilitation. Information downloaded from the radio/GPS collars allows DERM to monitor their daily movements and habitat use. Each collar is fitted with a GPS receiver that stores locational data. The data can be remotely downloaded without having to catch the koala. The collar also has a VHF transmitter, which can locate the koala to a specific tree so that DERM researchers can check the general health of each koala.

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Last updated 31 January 2012

Research and monitoring

• Koala disease research fund
• Previous research

Related information

• Previous research