---
title: "Rapid recovery of vegetation following aerial poison baiting on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island"
---

# Rapid recovery of vegetation following aerial poison baiting on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island

Justine Shaw, Aleks Terauds and Dana Bergstrom of the [Australian Antarctic Division](http://www.antarctica.gov.au/) have studied what's been happening to the vegetation at Australia's Macquarie Island after the poison bait drops that commenced last year to remove European Rabbits *Oryctolagus cuniculus*, Black or Ship Rats *Rattus rattus* and House Mice *Mus musculus*, publishing their findings this month in the journal *[Ecological Management & Restoration](http://www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=1442-7001&site=1).*

 The paper's summary follows

 "Introduced rabbits have severely impacted the terrestrial ecosystem of sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island.  Here we describe first observations of rapid recovery of an important plant species following the commencement of a vertebrate pest eradication plan.  The tussock grass *Poa foliosa*, a major component of the Macquarie Island landscape, has been severely impacted by rabbit grazing with large-scale reductions in cover across the island observed at times over the last 50 years.  Preliminary aerial baiting for rabbits and rodents commenced in winter 2010, and within 6 months, we observed substantial regrowth of tussock grass.  The rapid re-emergence of this grass over such a short time period following localised removal of rabbits has positive implications for the island's recovery and provides insight for restoration monitoring."

 *Poa foliosa* provides important breeding habitat for many seabirds on Macquarie Island, including the ACAP-listed Black-browed Albatross *Thalassarche melanophris* and several species of burrowing petrels. 

 ![](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_browed/black_browed_albatross_chick_macquarie_aleks_terauds.jpg)  
A Black-browed Albatross chick among  tussock grass on Macquarie's coastal slopes  in 2003  
Photograph by Aleks Terauds

 No rodents have been seen since this year's complete-island bait drop by the Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project ([MIPEP](http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=13013)) on "Macca", and only a few remaining rabbits have been hunted down and killed post-drop ([click here](https://acap.aq/latest-news/macquarie-island-alien-mammal-eradication-programme-going-well-nearly-two-thirds-of-the-island-baited)).

 **Reference:**

 Shaw, J., Terauds, A. & Bergstrom, D. 2011.  Rapid commencement of ecosystem recovery following aerial baiting on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island.  [*Ecological Management & Restoration* 12: 241-244](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1442-8903.2011.00611.x/abstract).

 With thanks to Justine Shaw and Aleks Terauds for information and photograph.

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 3 December 2011*