ABSTRACT

Dead trees can occur throughout an urban forest and need to be managed. Standing dead trees that have been made ‘safe’ through regular inspection and the removal of unstable and decaying material are called ‘totem trees’ by Transport Canberra and City Services in Canberra, Australia. This paper is a pilot case study of totem trees in Canberra, employing an innovative mixed-methods approach, which includes silvicultural assessment, focal sampling, ad libitum sampling, in situ observation of evidence for fauna presence, and public questionnaires. It demonstrates that totem trees have significant habitat value because they provide perching, nesting, vocalisation, habitation and feeding sites for birds and arboreal mammals, as well as habitation and food for reptiles, insects and fungi. Totem trees with greater structural complexity appear to be preferred by fauna. The questionnaire findings, from park users and nearby park residents, indicate a generally positive attitude towards totem trees, with most participants perceiving them as valuable habitat for fauna and appreciating their aesthetic appeal. This highlights an important juxtaposition of management priorities: the need to balance structural complexity with providing safe trees. The findings of this study underscore the need to maintain and enlarge the totem tree population given their significant habitat value and social functions. Freestanding, structurally complex dead trees with numerous hollows, branches and bark should be prioritised for conservation. Additionally, the raising of public awareness is recommended to address any ongoing public uncertainty regarding the safety of totem trees.

摘要

死树可能出现在整个城市森林中，需要进行管理。通过定期检查和移除不稳定和腐烂的材料而变得“安全”的站立枯树被澳大利亚堪培拉的堪培拉交通局和城市服务部称为“图腾树”。本文是堪培拉图腾树的试点案例研究，采用创新的混合方法方法，包括造林评估、焦点抽样、随意抽样、原位观察动物群存在的证据和公共问卷。它表明图腾树具有重要的栖息地价值，因为它们为鸟类和树栖哺乳动物提供栖息、筑巢、发声、栖息和觅食的场所，以及爬行动物、昆虫和真菌的栖息地和食物。动物群似乎更喜欢结构复杂的图腾树。公园用户和附近公园居民的问卷调查结果表明，人们普遍对图腾树持积极态度，大多数参与者认为它们是动物群的宝贵栖息地，并欣赏它们的美感。这突出了管理优先事项的一个重要并列：需要平衡结构复杂性和提供安全的树木。鉴于图腾树具有重要的栖息地价值和社会功能，这项研究的结果强调了维持和扩大图腾树种群的必要性。应优先保护独立的、结构复杂的死树，其中有许多空洞、树枝和树皮。此外，建议提高公众意识，以解决公众对图腾树安全性的任何持续不确定性。