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Freshwater Aquatic Plants of Darwin Harbour Catchments Proceedings of the Darwin Harbour Public Presentations - February 2003 Freshwater aquatic plants of Darwin Harbour catchments Ian Cowie 1 1 Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, PO Box 496, Palmerston, NT 0831 ABSTRACT This paper reviews published and other works relating, either directly or indirectly, to the aquatic plants and wetlands in the Darwin Harbour Catchments. Although some data are available, wetlands and aquatic plants of the area are yet to be systematically surveyed and the processes at work are frequently poorly understood. The area contains 65% of the aquatic plant species known from the northern part of the Northern Territory. Seasonally inundated wetlands and their flora are by far the most extensive, with lagoons and swamps on sandy substrates a major feature of the region. These lagoons and the lower Howard River floodplain are likely to be highly productive, though relatively species poor, based on research on similar wetlands in the Alligator Rivers Region. In contrast, the extensive very shallow wetlands on infertile sand are relatively high in NT endemic species and species of conservation significance. This environment is likely to be highly susceptible to raised nutrient levels and minor modification of drainage patterns and is threatened in the long term by surface mining and other development. There is a need to more clearly identify the values and vulnerability’s of the different types of wetlands and associated flora to enable more effective planning, management and conservation of important areas. INTRODUCTION Alligator Rivers Region. The plants and biological processes at work in these Aquatic plants can be a conspicuous wetlands are likely to be similar to some feature of many of the Top End’s wetlands found in the Darwin Harbour Catchments. and add significantly to the aesthetic and conservation values of these areas. They Definitions form the basis of the food chain in turn supporting dense aggregations of Freshwater aquatic plant. There is no waterbirds and the region’s freshwater universally accepted definition of an fisheries. aquatic plant, and numerous differing examples can be found in the literature. The account presented here is based on Most have their limitations. For the first hand knowledge of wetlands in the purposes of this study an aquatic plant is Darwin Harbour Catchments, records from defined as a plant thriving when growing the NT Herbarium and a review of partly or fully submerged in water, relevant parts of the published research. restricted to such habitats and apparently The published research available on dependent on several months of inundation aquatic plants relating specifically to the to complete its life cycle. Such species Darwin Harbour Catchments (those would normally have specific adaptations catchments whose estuaries are bounded to the aquatic environment. Included are by a line between Charles and Gunn annual species present in shallowly Points) is limited. However, there is a inundated areas which have their foliage more extensive body of published work submerged for most of their life cycle, the relating to other parts of the Top End (that flowering and fruiting phases being part of the Northern Territory north of completed soon after water has receded. 15ºS latitude), especially floodplains of the Specifically excluded here are rheophytic Darwin Harbour Regional Plan of Management 160 Proceedings of the Darwin Harbour Public Presentations - February 2003 species (those plants, often trees, which authors of names of aquatic vascular plants grow by streams and rivers and experience follow Dunlop (1987). temporary inundation, in terms of the life cycle of the plant), species of rainforests ALGAE on springs and mangroves which grow in inter tidal areas. However, in reality there In comparison to the macrophytes in the are often not clear boundaries between Top End, the algae are relatively poorly freshwater aquatic plants, terrestrial known. Surveys of macroalgae and species and plants of these other habitats. diatoms in streams of Darwin Harbour Catchments have been carried out in April- Wetlands. The habitats occupied by May 2002 by Water Monitoring Section of aquatic plant species are collectively DIPE with identifications by the National termed wetlands. Storrs and Finlayson Herbarium of NSW (S. Townsend, pers. (1997) in their review of conservation comm.). Fifty one taxa of macroalga were status of wetlands in the NT adopted the recorded from a total of 25 sites. In definition of Paijmans et al. (1985) as keeping with naturally soft water and a most appropriate and it is used here. This tropical climate, the macroalgae were definition is “…land permanently or reported as comprising a rich and healthy temporarily underwater or water logged. flora very similar to those reported for Temporary wetlands must have surface Arnhem Land, the Alligator Rivers Region water or waterlogging of sufficient and Magela Creek. Scytonema archangelii, frequency and or duration to affect the Schizochlamys gelatinosa and Spirogyra biota. Thus the occurrence, at least sp. were the most frequently occurring sometimes, of hydrophytic vegetation or species, although the majority of species use by waterbirds are necessary occurred at only a few sites. Eighty three attributes”. As Finlayson and von Oertzen species of benthic diatoms were also (1993) note this definition does not have a recorded with Achnanthidium depth criterion. Although this definition minutissimum the most common. Diatom includes tidal wetlands and coastal salt assemblages correlated with water quality marshes, they have not been considered parameters, in particular conductivity, further in this paper. Although the alkalinity, pH and nutrients. In classification of Paijmans et al. (loc cit.) is comparison, Thomas (1983) recorded 160 recognised as inadequate when applied to taxa of diatom (representing 32 genera) Top End wetlands, it is regarded as the from a variety of water bodies in the best available and elements of it are used Alligator Rivers Region. In the Darwin here (Finlayson and von Oertzen, 1993). Harbour Catchments, data from man-made water bodies (excluding Darwin River Systematic scope. Although the systematic Reservoir (Townsend, 2001)), lagoons, scope of freshwater aquatic plants includes drainage depressions and both lower and algae, bryophytes, ferns and flowering upstream floodplain types appear to be plants, algae are considered only briefly lacking. Also, if the work of Ling and here. The algae are a heterogeneous group Tyler (1986) in the Alligator Rivers of organisms encompassing a greater Region is any indication, many more taxa diversity of lifeforms and metabolism than are yet to be recorded from the Darwin among the bryophytes or vascular plants. Harbour Catchments. These authors recorded more than 530 taxa of non- Aquatic plants are collectively termed diatom algae from the Alligator Rivers hydrophytes in the scientific literature (in Region. Greek literally meaning ‘water plant’), with larger (non-microscopic) species, LIFE FORMS OF AQUATIC PLANTS both vascular and non-vascular, termed macrophytes. This paper deals mostly with Two primary subdivisions in the lifeforms the vascular species (ferns, fern allies and of aquatic macrophytes - attached and flowering plants). For the most part, free-floating - are recognised by Sculthorpe (1967). Within the attached Darwin Harbour Regional Plan of Management 161 Proceedings of the Darwin Harbour Public Presentations - February 2003 group three lifeforms are recognised: been noted by Howard (1985). The emergent-leaved attached macrophytes number of endemic genera of aquatic (e.g. most aquatic Cyperaceae, most plants is in contrast to some other habitats aquatic Poaceae, Typha); floating-leaved in the Top End, notably the sandstone flora attached macrophytes (e.g. Nymphaea, (Taylor and Dunlop, 1985). Nymphoides, Potamogeton) and submerged-leaved, attached macrophytes Endemism. Of the aquatic species (e.g. Eriocaulon, Hydrilla, Maidenia, recorded in the Top End by Cowie et al. Vallisneria). Among the free floating (2000) or in the NT Herbarium, 38% (108) macrophytes, Sculthorpe (loc. id.) are endemic to Australia with only a small recognised a number of variations proportion (6%) restricted to Australasia. including submerged-leaved (e.g. Some 43% (125) of species are found in Utricularia aurea, Ceratophyllum), the Old World, and 14% (39) are floating-leaved (e.g. Azolla, Lemna pantropical. Terrestrial or mud flat species aequinoctialis, Spirodella polyrhiza) and present during the dry phase were emergent-leaved (e.g. Pistia, Salvinia). excluded. Of the Australian endemics, relatively few aquatic species are restricted The groups differ in their ability to utilise to the Northern Territory (Bambusa wetlands of different water depths arnhemica, Hygrochloa aquatica, (Sculthorpe, loc. id.). Emergent attached Nymphoides planosperma, N. spongiosa, species are usually in water less than 1.5 m N. subacuta, three Eriocaulon spp. and ten deep, and floating leaved, attached species Utricularia spp). Although none are in less than 3.5 m of water. Submerged restricted to the Darwin Harbour attached species occur in water depths to Catchments, the ranges of Nymphoides approximately 11 m. Free floating species subacuta, Utricularia holtzei and U. can be in any water depth but are restricted hamiltonii are centred on the Darwin Rural to still or slow flowing water bodies. Apart area. from the obvious structural differences, there
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