"Many iconic Australian animals, such as bilbies, potoroos, bettongs and bandicoots, feed directly on soil fungi -- including native truffles. The same pathways are likely to be responsible for their distribution in the environment."

To ensure the long-term survival of species that depend on soil fungi, especially the glossy black-cockatoo, Dr Crowley says conservation efforts need to consider the value of habitats on poor soils.

The study: Geology controls the distribution of a seed-eating bird: Feeding-tree selection by the glossy black-cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami