New Zealand Journal of Ecology (2006) 30(1): 153- 153

©New Zealand Ecological Society

The koala-forest-management interactive game: are there lessons in modelling a complex system?

Conference Abstract
Charles R. Todd 1
David M. Forsyth 1
David Choquenot 2
Natasha McLean 3
  1. Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
  2. Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand
  3. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Abstract: 

[First paragraph]
Koalas are considered to be overabundant in some areas of their natural range. This is the case at Mount Eccles National Park, Victoria, Australia. The concern at Mount Eccles National Park is that an overabundant koala population will have deleterious impacts on the unique forest community as well as leading to a koala population collapse. Due to social and political constraints, the only available management technique is to sterilise adult female koalas. Two questions of interest to management are: (1) Can sterilisation reduce the likelihood of both a decline in the forest community and a severe collapse in the koala population? (2) Can management sterilise enough koalas such that the likelihood is sufficiently reduced?

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