Multi‐Year Monitoring of Small, Threatened Macropods in Two Subtropical Australian Forests Reveals Varied Stability Between Northern Long‐Nosed Potoroo ( Potorous tridactylus tridactylus ) Populations

ABSTRACT Multi‐year population studies are central to conservation efforts to help determine the status of populations and the necessity of interventions. Small, threatened macropod marsupials are highly susceptible to decline and extinction, yet few studies report multi‐year dynamics of their populations. We document the multi‐year dynamics of populations of three small macropods (two of which are threatened) and two mammalian predators in two subtropical forest reserves in north‐eastern New South Wales (NE NSW), Australia. In one reserve, populations of the threatened northern long‐nosed potoroo ( Potorous tridactylus tridactylus ) and the threatened red‐legged pademelon ( Thylogale stigmatica ) showed little change in occupancy over an 8‐year period and coexisted with populations of dingoes ( Canis familiaris ) and feral cats ( Felis catus ). In the other reserve, the red‐legged pademelon and the non‐threatened red‐necked pademelon ( Thylogale thetis ) populations exhibited high occupancy over a 12‐year period. In contrast, the long‐nosed potoroo population experienced a protracted and major decline, resulting in a greater than 80% decrease in occupancy over the study period. There was no evidence to implicate dingoes or feral cats in this decline. We hypothesise that predation by red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) may be driving this decline and preventing recovery. Drought may also be a contributing factor. Interventions, such as fox control, may be necessary to prevent the localised extinction of the long‐nosed potoroo in this reserve. We recommend continued monitoring to ensure the ongoing conservation of these threatened macropod populations.