Editing Freycinet National Park (section)

== Environmental threats ==

There are numerous threats to species within Freycinet National Park, and with recreation and tourism in natural areas becoming increasingly popular further stresses can be placed on flora and fauna already struggling to survive.<ref name=Pickering>Pickering, C. M., & Hill, W. (2007). Impacts of recreation and tourism on plant diversity and vegetation in protected areas in Australia. ''Journal of Environmental Management, 85'', 791-800.</ref> There can be many impacts caused by the building and maintenance of roads, tracks, lookouts and various types of accommodation.<ref name=Pickering/> A study conducted by Jones<ref name=Jones>Jones, M. E. (2000). Road upgrade, road mortality and remedial measures: impacts on a population of eastern quolls and Tasmanian devils. ''Wildlife Research, 27'', 289-296.</ref> observed that species such as the Tasmanian devil and eastern quoll are more susceptible to being killed by cars after road upgrades to increase the volume of tourist traffic.

There can also be direct and indirect damage to vegetation and habitats from activities such as bushwalking and horse riding, as well as an increased risk of alterations to soil characteristics and the transmission of disease.<ref name=Pickering/> An example of this is the fungus ''[[Phytophthora cinnamomi]]'', which numerous plant families in Freycinet National Park are susceptible to, and which also places rare and endangered species at greater risk of extinction.<ref name=Barker96>Barker, P. C. J., Wardlaw, T. J., & Brown, M. J. (1996). Selection and design of ''Phytophthora'' management areas for the conservation of threatened flora in Tasmania. ''Biological Conservation, 76'', 187-193.</ref> Visitors to the park may also inadvertently bring in seeds of weeds on clothing or equipment.<ref name=Pickering/>

One of the most serious threats faced by any species within Freycinet is the devil facial tumour which has seen the Tasmanian devil's (''[[Sarcophilus harrisii]]'') conservation status upgraded in 2008 to endangered under the ''TSP Act''.<ref name=devilstatus>{{cite web |url=http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=387|title=Tasmanian Devil, ''Sarcophilus harrisii''|last=Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service |date=2014 |website= Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. |access-date=5 May 2016}}</ref> Studies have shown there has been a decline in the population of the Tasmanian devil in the area, with this decrease in numbers being associated with the devil facial tumour.<ref name=Hawkins>Hawkins, C. E., Baars, C., Hesterman, H., Hocking, G. J., Jones, M. E., Lazenby, B., Mann, D., Mooney, N., Pemberton, D., Pyecroft, S., Restani, M., & Wiersma, J. (2006). Emerging disease and population decline of an island endemic, the Tasmanian devil ''Sarcophilus harrisii''. ''Biological Conservation, 131'', 307-324.</ref> This infectious disease, caused by a transmissible cancer<ref name=Bruniche>Bruniche-Olsen, A., Burridge, C. P., Austin, J. J., & Jones, M. E. (2013). Disease induced changes in gene flow patterns among Tasmanian devil populations. ''Biological Conservation, 165'', 69-78.</ref> has become a serious threat to populations of devils throughout Tasmania and has seen a change to the age structure within the population at Freycinet National Park.<ref name=jones2008>Jones, M. E., Cockburn, A., Hamede, R., Hawkins, C., Hesterman, H., Lachish, S., Mann, D., McCallum, H., & Pemberton, D. (2008). Life-history change in disease-ravages Tasmanian devil populations. ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 105'', 10023-10027.</ref> A decrease in breeding age adults has placed pressure on the persistence of the species<ref name=lachish>Lachish, S., McCallum, H., & Jones, M. (2009). Demography, disease and the devil: life-history changes in a disease-affected population of Tasmanian devils (''Sarcophilus harrisii''). ''Journal of Animal Ecology ,78'', 427-436.</ref> with most females now only having the opportunity to breed once rather than typically producing offspring annually for 3 years after the age of two.<ref name=jones2008/>

The loss of Tasmanian devils also places other species within Freycinet National Park at risk, as the decline of such a predator could alter interactions between other species.<ref name=fancourt2013>Fancourt, B. A., Hawkins, C. E., & Nicol, S. C. (2013). Evidence of rapid population decline of the eastern quoll (''Dasyurus viverrinus'') in Tasmania. ''Australian Mammalogy, 35'', 195-205.</ref> For instance, research has shown that the eastern quoll is in decline at Freycinet as well as other parts of the state.<ref name=fancourt2013/> It is possible the changes occurring due to the decline of the Tasmanian devil are affecting the behaviour of other predators and species.<ref name=fancourt2013/>

Threats that are faced by the endangered eastern quoll, which are common to many species, and include introduced species, increasing dry conditions and modifications to habitats<ref name=fancourt2013/><ref name=cardoso>Cardoso, M. J., Mooney, N., Eldridge, M. D. B., Firestone, K. B., & Sherwin, W. B. 2014. Genetic monitoring reveals significant population structure in eastern quolls: implications for the conservation of a threatened carnivorous marsupial. ''Australian Mammalogy, 36'', 169-177.</ref> are also faced by the Tasmanian bettong (''[[Bettongia gaimardi]]'').<ref name=fancourt2014>Fancourt, B. A. (2014). Rapid decline in detections of the Tasmanian bettong (''Bettongia gaimardi'') following local incursion of feral cats (''Felis catus''). ''Australian Mammalogy, 36'', 247-253.</ref> A recent study showed a decline in observations of the Tasmanian bettong with the occurrence of feral cats, though further research is still required to determine if this introduced species is a predator of ''B. gaimardi'' and if the Tasmanian bettong is susceptible like some Australian mammals to the disease [[toxoplasmosis]] carried by cats.<ref name=fancourt2014/>

{{wide image|Friendly_Beaches_Tasmania.jpg|700px|Friendly Beaches.<ref>Groves, L. (2016). Friendly pano [Photograph]. Retrieved 5 May 2016, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/130200334@N05/26550858030</ref>}}