The effects of rabbit grazing on regeneration of sheoaks, <i>Allocasuarina verticilliata</i> and saltwater ti‐trees, <i>Melaleuca halmaturorum</i>, in the Coorong National Park, South Australia

Abstract

Abstract Sheoaks and saltwater ti‐trees regenerate poorly within the Coorong National Park unless they are protected from grazing mammals. The age structure of these tree populations suggests that both species regenerated vigorously in the 1950s when myxomatosis kept rabbit numbers low. Experiments demonstrated that unprotected seedlings are quickly found and eaten by rabbits, particularly if alternative foods are scarce. Sufficient numbers of ti‐trees are presently recruited to ensure the persistence of that species, but a programme of rabbit control would be necessary to enable natural regeneration to perpetuate the sheoak population in the Coorong National Park.