Nutritional Composition of Forage Available to the Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat.

Access to adequate nutrition supports an animal's chance of survival and reproduction; thus, it is particularly important for threatened species. The nutritional quality of forage available to the critically endangered northern hairy-nosed wombat (; NHW) has not been assessed for two decades. The NHW Recovery Action Plan 2022 highlighted a need to investigate the effects of invasive buffel grass () on the species' diet - reassessing the relative nutritional quality of highly abundant buffel grass will assist this investigation.

Assessment of the diet of the critically endangered northern hairy-nosed wombat () using DNA metabarcoding.

Invasive buffel grass () is considered a threat to the critically endangered northern hairy-nosed wombat (; NHW). Buffel grass outcompetes native grasses, reducing availability of native food items for NHW, and causes more intense fires due to the large volumes of dead matter it produces. Previous studies suggested buffel grass was increasing in the diet; however, the diet of the NHW has not been reassessed for over two decades and was limited to Epping Forest National Park, with the population at Richard Underwood Nature Refuge having never been assessed.