Context: Many Australian mammal species are highly susceptible to predation by introduced domestic cats (Felis catus) and European red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). These predators have caused many extinctions and have driven large distributional and population declines for many more species. The serendipitous occurrence of, and deliberate translocations of mammals to, ‘havens’ (cat- and fox-free offshore islands, and mainland fenced exclosures capable of excluding cats and foxes) has helped avoid further extinction. Aims: The aim of this study was to conduct a stocktake of current island and fenced havens in Australia and assess the extent of their protection for threatened mammal taxa that are most susceptible to cat and fox predation. Methods: Information was collated from diverse sources to document (1) the locations of havens and (2) the occurrence of populations of predator-susceptible threatened mammals (naturally occurring or translocated) in those havens. The list of predator-susceptible taxa (67 taxa, 52 species) was based on consensus opinion from >25 mammal experts. Key results: Seventeen fenced and 101 island havens contain 188 populations of 38 predator-susceptible threatened mammal taxa (32 species). Island havens cover a larger cumulative area than fenced havens (2152 km2 versus 346 km2), and reach larger sizes (largest island 325 km2, with another island of 628 km2 becoming available from 2018; largest fence: 123 km2). Islands and fenced havens contain similar numbers of taxa (27 each), because fenced havens usually contain more taxa per haven. Populations within fences are mostly translocated (43 of 49; 88%). Islands contain translocated populations (30 of 139; 22%); but also protect in situ (109) threatened mammal populations. Conclusions: Havens are used increasingly to safeguard threatened predator-susceptible mammals. However, 15 such taxa occur in only one or two havens, and 29 such taxa (43%) are not represented in any havens. The taxon at greatest risk of extinction from predation, and in greatest need of a haven, is the central rock-rat (Zyzomys pedunculatus). Implications: Future investment in havens should focus on locations that favour taxa with no (or low) existing haven representation. Although havens can be critical for avoiding extinctions in the short term, they cover a minute proportion of species’ former ranges. Improved options for controlling the impacts of cats and foxes at landscape scales must be developed and implemented.

Summary: Studies of landscape change are seldom conducted at scales commensurate with the processes they purport to investigate. Landscape change is a landscape‐level process, yet most studies focus on patches. Even when landscape context is considered, inference remains at the patch‐level. The unit of investigation must be extended beyond individual patches to whole mosaics in order to advance understanding of faunal responses to landscape change. In this study, we aggregated data from multiple sites per landscape such that both the response and explanatory variables characterized ‘whole’ landscapes, allowing for landscape‐level inference about factors influencing species’ incidence. We used hierarchical partitioning and Bayesian variable selection methods to develop species‐specific models that examined the influence of four categories of landscape properties – habitat extent, habitat configuration, landscape composition and geographical location – on the incidence of 58 species of woodland‐dependent birds in 24 agricultural landscapes (each 100 km²) in south‐eastern Australia. There was strong evidence for a positive effect of habitat extent for 27 species. Thirty species were related to at least one of the four landscape composition variables, and geographical location was important for 19 species. Habitat configuration was influential for 13 species and where important, the impacts of fragmentation per se were detrimental. Variation among species in the influential landscape variables indicates that different species respond to different sets of cues in land mosaics. Thus, although all species were grouped a priori as ‘woodland‐dependent’, expectations based on general ecological characteristics may prove unreliable. Synthesis and applications. These results underscore the value of moving beyond the fragmentation paradigm focused on the spatial pattern of habitat vs. non‐habitat, to a greater appreciation of the composition and heterogeneity of land mosaics. Landscape‐level inference will enable improved conservation outcomes by recognizing the influence of landscape properties on biota and devising strategies at this scale to complement patch‐based management. We provide strong empirical evidence that biodiversity management in agricultural landscapes must focus on habitat extent. Complementary management of other landscape attributes, such as habitat aggregation and intensity of agricultural land‐use, will also enhance the value of agricultural landscapes for woodland birds.