A Biological Survey of the South Australian Coastal Dune and Clifftop Vegetation 1996 - 1998
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
A BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN COASTAL DUNE AND CLIFFTOP VEGETATION 1996 - 1998 BIOLOGICAL SURVEY Author Alison Oppermann Coast and Marine Section Environment Protection Agency 1999 The Biological Survey of the South Australian Coastal Dune and Clifftop Vegetation was carried out with the assistance of funds made available by the Commonwealth of Australia under the 1994-96 National Estate Grants Programs and the State Government of South Australia. The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the Australian Heritage Commission or the State Government of South Australia. The report may be cited as: Oppermann Alison (1999) A Biological Survey of the South Australian Coastal Dune and Clifftop Vegetation Coast and Marine Section Environment Protection Agency Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs, South Australia. Copies of the report may be accessed in the libraries of: Environment Australia Housing, Environment and Planning GPO Box 636 or 1st Floor, Roma Mitchell House CANBERRA ACT 2601 136 North Terrace, ADELAIDE SA 5000 AUTHOR Alison Oppermann EDITORS Doug Fotheringham Kathie Stove All geolographical data from Statewide Map Library, Environmental Data Base of South Australia ISBN 1 876562 01 3 © Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs Cover Photograph: Leucopogon parviflorus shrubland on quadrant DES00204 (KIS16716) Kangaroo Island Coastal Dune and Clifftop Vegetation Survey Foreword The survey was in response to considerable demand for information by local government state government and the community, particularly for rehabilitating degraded plant communities. This report provides information that will help ensure that South Australia’s coastal dune and clifftop plant communities can be restored and maintained in their natural state. The report also identifies some of the threats to our coastal plant communities from introduced plants and animals. Government and the community have a shared responsibility to manage these threats. The Coastal Dune and Clifftop Vegetation Survey is a component of the Biological Survey of South Australia. The program of systematic biological surveys to cover the whole of South Australia arose out of a realisation that an effort was needed to increase our knowledge of the remaining vascular plants and vertebrate fauna of the State and to encourage their conservation. Over the last 15 years there has been a strong commitment to the Biological Survey by government and an impressive dedication from hundreds of volunteer biologists. It is anticipated that the Biological Survey will achieve complete statewide coverage by 2015 and will be an achievement of which we can be very proud. Biologists in the future will be able to measure the direction of long-term ecological change and we will have substantially improved our knowledge of the biodiversity of South Australia and our ability to adequately manage nature conservation into the future. HON. DOROTHY KOTZ MP MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT AND HERITAGE 3 4 Coastal Dune and Clifftop Vegetation Survey Abstract The Coastal Dune and Clifftop Survey was undertaken over 3 years along the coast of South Australia. The survey was funded by the National Estate Grants Program and conducted and supported by the Coast and Marine Section of the Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs. A total of 849 quadrats were established between October 1995 and November 1997 of which 845 were included in the analysis. Over 22 316 plant records were added to the Environmental Data Base of South Australia (EDBSA) and 6741 specimens lodged with the State Herbarium of South Australia. A total of 1492 plant species were recorded of which 224 were rated as of conservation significance or possible conservation significance and of which 30 have Australian ratings. The survey data were incorporated into the Biological Survey Database which is a compilation of numerous surveys conducted by South Australian government departments and other organisations and is one of the databases in the EDBSA. All surveys used standardised survey methodology and techniques. The analysis resulted in the description of 52 floristically distinct plant communities which were both ecologically and geographically meaningful and reflected both ecological gradients and environmental differences. 5 6 Coastal Dune and Clifftop Vegetation Survey Contents ABSTRACT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. HABITAT 7 Physical 7 Environmental parameters 25 3. METHODS 37 4. RESULTS 45 Introduction 45 Analysis 47 Classification 65 Disturbance threats 208 5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 219 REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY 223 APPENDICES 227 Appendix 1 Glossary of terms 227 Appendix 2 Landforms of the coast 231 Appendix 3I Field information 237 Appendix 4 Buffers 239 Appendix 5 Information for quadrats in all surveys 241 Appendix 6 Perennial plant species regional distribution 273 Appendix 7 Frequency of perennials 303 Appendix 8 Perennial species by geomorphic region 311 Appendix 9 Plant species recorded in only one region 327 Appendix 10 Plant species rated Endangered or Vulnerable 331 7 8 Coastal Dune and Clifftop Vegetation Survey Figures and Tables FIGURES Figure 1 Study area 3 Figure 2 Geology 9 Figure 3 Geomorphic regions 13 Figure 4 Nullarbor: Tertiary limestone of the Nullarbor Plain eroded to form high cliffs 14 Figure 5 Head of the Bight: Fringing calcarenite reefs, small embayments and dune transgressions at Coymbra 14 Figure 6 Western Eyre Peninsula: Pt Sinclair showing thin calcarenite capping overlying basement rock 15 Figure 7 Southern Eyre Peninsula: Dune calcarenite overlying crystalline basement rock, Thistle Island 15 Figure 8 Eastern Eyre Peninsula: Cliffs comprising outwash sediments, capped by calcrete at Pt Gibbon 16 Figure 9 Upper Spencer Gulf: Shallow intertidal flats and saltmarshes near Franklin Harbour 16 Figure 10 Yorke Peninsula: Crystalline basement rock forming shore platforms and promontories near Foul Hill 17 Figure 11 Gulf St Vincent: Mangrove fringed tidal creek and extensive supratidal flats near Port Prime 17 Figure 12 Kangaroo Island South: Dune calcarenite forming cliffs at Cape Gantheaume 18 Figure 13 Kangaroo Island East: Shallow waters and sheltered coast along Nepean Bay 18 Figure 14 Kangaroo Island North: Metasediment cliffs near Cape Cassini 19 Figure 15 Fleurieu Peninsula: Metasediment cliffs at Second Valley 19 Figure 16 Coorong: High to moderate energy surf zone, barrier dune and back barrier lagoon 20 Figure 17 South East: Canunda National Park showing dune calcarenite headlands and reefs, beaches and dunes 20 Figure 18 Matrix of active sea-cliff profiles 21 Figure 19 Nullarbor cliffs 22 Figure 20 Calcarenite sandramps in front of the Nullarbor cliffs at Merdayerrah 22 Figure 21 Profile of dunefield 23 Figure 22 Dunefield at Lake Newland, Eyre Peninsula 24 Figure 23 Clifftop dunes on Nullarbor cliff 24 Figure 24 Soils 27 Figure 25 Rainfall 30 Figure 26 Wind direction of selected coastal stations 31 Figure 27 Wind strength of selected coastal stations 32 Figure 28 Remnant native vegetation 35 Figure 29 Total numbers of perennial plant species 46 Figure 30 Distribution of lifeform types throughout the coastal areas of the State 49 Figure 31 Importance of lifeform types between geomorphic regions 50 Figure 32 Distribution of lifeform types within geomorphic regions 54 Figure 33 Sites of conservation significance 60 Figure 34 Cakile maritima ssp maritima Herbland at quadrat SED00202 (KIS14709) 66 Figure 35 Spinifex sericeus/ Euphorbia paralias Grasslands (Shrublands) at quadrat KUR00201 (HOB14290) 69 Figure 36 Spinifex sericeus/ Euphorbia paralias Grasslands (Shrublands) at quadrat GOO00401 (COO14814) 69 Figure 37 Triodia compacta Hummock grasslands (Shrublands) at quadrat KIA00101 (EPW15908 72 Figure 38 Triodia compacta Hummock grasslands (Shrublands) at quadrat SEA00102 (EPW13942) 72 Figure 39 Juncus kraussii Sedgeland at quadrat BUF00303 (SOE14925) 74 9 Figure 40 Gahnia lanigera/ Lepidosperma congestum Low sedgelands at quadrat COU01101 (EPS13281) 77 Figure 41 Gahnia trifida Sedgeland at quadrat GAM00303 (SOE15259) 80 Figure 42 Lepidosperma gladiatum Sedgelands at quadrat TOR00201 (FLP15952) 83 Figure 43 Lepidosperma gladiatum Sedgelands at quadrat ROB00102 (SOE14934) 83 Figure 44 Atriplex cinerea Shrublands at quadrat PIL00102 (HOB14326) 86 Figure 45 Atriplex cinerea Shrublands at quadrat GIB00203 (EPE14584) 86 Figure 46 Atriplex vesicaria ssp Low shrublands at quadrat MAM00202 (SPG14600) 89 Figure 47 Atriplex vesicaria ssp/ Nitraria billardierei/ Threlkeldia diffusa Low shrublands at quadrat 92 COY00103 (HOB14306) Figure 48 Atriplex vesicaria ssp/ Nitraria billardierei/ Threlkeldia diffusa Low shrublands at quadrat 92 WIL00601 (NUL13801) Figure 49 Enchylaena tomentosa var tomentosa Low shrubland at quadrat WIL00102 (NUL13961) 95 Figure 50 Enchylaena tomentosa var tomentosa Low shrubland at quadrat WIL01002 (NUL13972) 95 Figure 51 Halosarcia indica ssp Low shrublands at quadrat CUL00101 (SPG14597) 97 Figure 52 Maireana erioclada Low shrublands at quadrat WIL00203 (NUL13804 100 Figure 53 Maireana erioclada Low shrublands at quadrat WIL00402 (NUL13807) 100 Figure 54 Maireana oppositifolia Low shrublands at quadrat PIL00101 (HOB14325) 103 Figure 55 Maireana oppositifolia Low shrublands at quadrat RUS00402 (HOB14297) 103 Figure 56 Threlkeldia diffusa Low shrublands at quadrat COO00505 (EPW13770) 106 Figure 57 Threlkeldia