Book contents
- Rebuilding an Ecosystem
- Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation
- Rebuilding an Ecosystem
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Part I Beginnings
- Part II Results
- 6 Plants
- 7 Arthropods
- 8 Truffle Fungi
- 9 Soils
- 10 Soil Microbe and Fungal Communities
- 11 Inferring Diet from Isotope Analysis of Scat and Hair
- 12 Systematic Selection of Species for Reintroduction
- 13 Vertebrates
- 14 An Introduction to the Eastern Bettong
- 15 Translocating the Eastern Bettong
- 16 Establishing the Eastern Bettong and Moving towards Coexistence
- 17 Ecosystem Effects of the Eastern Bettong
- 18 Social and Cultural Perspectives
- 19 Synthesis for Ecological Teaching
- Part III Reflections and the Future
- Appendices
- Index
- References
14 - An Introduction to the Eastern Bettong
from Part II - Results
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 July 2026
Book contents
- Rebuilding an Ecosystem
- Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation
- Rebuilding an Ecosystem
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Part I Beginnings
- Part II Results
- 6 Plants
- 7 Arthropods
- 8 Truffle Fungi
- 9 Soils
- 10 Soil Microbe and Fungal Communities
- 11 Inferring Diet from Isotope Analysis of Scat and Hair
- 12 Systematic Selection of Species for Reintroduction
- 13 Vertebrates
- 14 An Introduction to the Eastern Bettong
- 15 Translocating the Eastern Bettong
- 16 Establishing the Eastern Bettong and Moving towards Coexistence
- 17 Ecosystem Effects of the Eastern Bettong
- 18 Social and Cultural Perspectives
- 19 Synthesis for Ecological Teaching
- Part III Reflections and the Future
- Appendices
- Index
- References
Summary
This chapter introduces the eastern bettong (Bettongia gaimardi) as the first mammal reintroduced to Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary. Once widespread across southeastern Australia, the species became extinct on the mainland due to predation, habitat loss and persecution. The eastern bettong is a key ecosystem engineer, known for its soil-disturbing foraging behaviour and role in fungal spore dispersal. Its reintroduction was based on historical evidence of its presence in the ACT and its potential to restore ecological processes in box-gum grassy woodlands. This chapter outlines the rationale for selecting the eastern bettong, emphasising its dual value as a conservation target and a functional agent of ecosystem restoration. It also previews the subsequent research on translocation logistics, reintroduction biology and ecosystem impacts. This work reframes species reintroduction not only as a means of species recovery, but also as a tool for restoring ecosystem structure and function, laying the foundation for long-term ecological research and management.
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- Information
- Rebuilding an EcosystemIntegrating Applied Research and Restoration, pp. 291 - 295Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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