Grey Headed Flying Fox Impact

Economical and Environmental Impact of Grey-headed Flying-Fox (Pteropus Poliocephalus)

A keystone species is an organism that has a critical effect on maintaining the structure of an ecosystem. Keystone species have a low functional redundancy and if extinct, would significantly alter the ecology, negatively impacting the range of species that inhabit the environment. The report will discuss the application and limitation of science as a human endeavor, with consideration to the role that humans are playing to reduce the extinction of the keystone specie, Grey-headed Flying-Fox. The Grey-Headed Flying-fox is recognized as a keystone specie within its environment as it plays an important role in the pollination of rainforests and native

Grey-headed Flying-foxes are bats of the genus Pteropus and is noted to be the largest, with its wingspan measuring up to 1 meter. Grey-headed Flying-foxes are Australia’s only endemic flying-fox and is known to inhabit the South-Eastern seaboard – from the coastal belt from Rockhampton and sometimes ranges in South Australia – (see fig 1.) Grey-headed flying-foxes play a critical part in the sustentation of native forests in dispersing seeds and pollinating flower plants. The large bats are highly mobile and provide long-distance dispersal of pollen and seeds allowing them to be effective pollinators. Grey-headed flying-foxes feed on the flower/fruits of more than 100 native Australian plants,

Counts of Grey-headed Flying-foxes conducted in 1989 and 1998-2201 indicated a 30% decline in national population. Due to the such a loss in such a short amount of time, it qualified the species to be listed as vulnerable under national environmental law. Scientific modelling has identified the extinction of the Grey-headed Flying-foxes will occur in less than 100 years due to the high levels of deaths due to human interactions. The NSW Scientific Committee has identified the primary reason for the decline in numbers is due to loss of habitat. The continuous loss of habitat for clearing or modification of native vegetation has removed root habitats and limited the availability of food sources to Grey-Headed Flying-Foxes, resulting in the foxes, searching elsewhere for food. Over the years, the species has also been under direct harassment through use of shooting at roosts. Licences were initially given to control the Flying-Foxes due to commercial crop damage within the culls of national cull limit, it was not until a review of the practice undertaken by an expert panel in 2009, was the decision made that culling would be illegal. The decision was made on the basis that this act of population control is not considered an effective means of reducing crop damage and can poses a threat