Data for the Influence of Fire and Foliar Chemical Composition on the Diet of Southern Greater Gliders

Full description

This dataset records experimental research examining how foliage chemical composition and post-fire vegetation characteristics influence the feeding behaviour of the greater glider (Petauroides volans), a specialist arboreal folivore native to eastern Australia. The research aims to improve understanding of nutritional ecology, dietary selectivity, and habitat quality in the context of fire. Specifically, the study investigates the relationship between leaf nutritional and chemical properties and feeding responses of greater gliders under controlled feeding trial conditions. The scope includes assessing how variations in foliage quality affect consumption rates and the diet of greater gliders and comparing chemical composition between foliage types. The study recorded multiple variables related to both foliar samples and glider feeding behaviour, including mass of foliage offered to individual gliders, mass of foliage refused, apparent wet intake and estimated dry matter intake, wastage measurements (e.g. dropped foliage fractions), foliage type (e.g. epicormic regrowth vs mature foliage) chemical composition metrics such as available nitrogen and unsubstituted B-ring flavanone concentrations, and unique identification for individual animals and foliage samples. To collect the data, captive feeding trials were conducted in which individual greater gliders were offered known quantities of foliage from identified trees. Feeding sessions followed repeated-measures experimental designs, allowing comparison across multiple foliage types while controlling for individual animal variation. Measurements were conducted by weighing foliage before presentation to gliders, collecting and weighing refused, dropped, and remaining plant material following feeding and converting wet mass intake to dry matter intake using laboratory-derived dry matter correction factors. The leaf samples collected from source trees were subjected to laboratory-based chemical analyses to determine nutrient availability and chemical defence profiles. Standard ecological and nutritional chemistry techniques were applied to quantify foliar quality variables relevant to herbivore feeding decisions. The data were collected under controlled captive experimental conditions, allowing accurate quantification of intake and feeding behaviour while minimizing confounding environmental variables. Foliage samples were sourced from natural forest environments, including areas affected by disturbance such as fire, to ensure ecological relevance. The dataset provides high-resolution empirical evidence linking foliage chemical composition to the diet of southern greater. Ultimately, it improves understanding of how fire alters food resource quality and how this could affect the survivability of greater gliders post fire.

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Significance statement

The first data collected on the feeding preference of greater gliders in relation to unsubstituted B-ring flavanone concentrations and the animal's feeding preference towards epicormic regrowth and adult foliage.