The yellow-bellied glider can be found in many forests throughout Victoria. In the mountain ash forests of the Central Highlands, however, its population has declined due to wildfire.
The 1939 bushfires wiped out 75 per cent of the Central Highlands ash forests, including many older trees serving as vital habitats for species such as the yellow-bellied glider and leadbeater's possum. In the ensuing 60 years, these forests have regenerated magnificently but have not yet reached the age where they make good homes for such creatures.
When that happens, barring a repeat of the 1939 disaster, scientists believe these species will again flourish in the Central Highlands forests. The Central Highlands Regional Forest Agreement and Forest Management Plan both contain strategies to achieve this goal.
Logging is excluded from the region's older ash forests so that yellow-bellied
gliders and other species have maximum opportunity. Of the total area of
forest suitable for, timber production, less than 50 per cent is available
for logging, which takes place on an 80-year rotation in dispersed coupes
of 20 to 40 hectares.