Database Searches Determining Sre Status
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8 May 2017 Our ref: 11222-3922-17L_SRE Danielle White Consultant Strategen Environmental Level 1, 50 Subiaco Square Road SUBIACO WA 6008 Dear Danielle, STATE BARRIER FENCE SRE DATABASE SEARCHES (WAM) RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION This document is an addendum to the State Barrier Fence Biological Survey report (Ecoscape 2017) in response to comments received by the OEPA, specifically OEPA comment 14. This document outlines the potential invertebrate Short Range Endemic (SRE) fauna associated with the proposed State Barrier Fence. DATABASE SEARCHES In addition to the previously completed invertebrate fauna database searches (PMST, NatureMap), three database searches were obtained from the Western Australian Museum (WAM) and all threatened species listed under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 (Commonwealth of Australia 1999), Western Australian Wildlife Conservation (WC) Act 1950 (Government of Western Australia 1950)/ Western Australian Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (BC Act) (Government of Western Australia 2016) and as Priority by DPaW (Department of Parks and Wildlife 2015) were collated. The BC Act parts of which were enacted on 21 September 2016, provides for the conservation, protection and ecologically sustainable use of biodiversity and biodiversity components in Western Australia. The BC Act replaces the WC Act. Some sections of the BC Act have not been proclaimed and are still active under the WC Act. The WAM database search details are listed in the table below. It should be noted that at the time of the database request the WAM was not able to provide an SRE filter on the results. Only the mollusc database search was provided to include SRE species only (potential and confirmed SRE). The other two remaining database searches (crustacean and arachnids) included all records from the search area regardless of the SRE status. Table 1: Database search details Database Custodian Search Details Search Coordinates: -32.907642° 120.864412° WA Museum Arachnida & Myriapoda Database WAM -33.920537° 122.832616° Date: 03/04/2017 -32.305256° 119.394276° WA Museum Crustacea Database WAM -34.241882° 124.007536° Date: 03/04/2017 Search Coordinates: -32.907642° 120.864412° WA Museum Mollusca Database WAM -33.920537° 122.832616° Date: 03/04/2017 DETERMINING SRE STATUS The SRE status of invertebrate fauna is based on categories developed by the WAM and modified by the consultant taxonomists in order to describe the SRE status of WA taxa using the current knowledge of the distribution and biology of each species. The likelihoods are defined in the categories as listed in Table 2. The WAM SRE categories were released in 2013 and have been developed to describe the SRE status of WA taxa and use: (a) unambiguous categories; and (b) explanations of uncertainty. This has been accomplished using a two-tier classification system. In the first tier of classification geographic distribution and taxonomic certainty are the variables used to split taxa into either “Confirmed SREs”, “Widespread (not SREs)”, or “Potential/Likely SREs”. In the second tier of classification, “Potential SREs” are given one or more sub-categories identifying the reasons why they have been identified as a potential SRE taxa. In addition, taxonomists sometimes adapt these categories and incorporate one additional category: “likely SRE” (Table 3). Table 2: WAM SRE categories (2015) Taxonomic Certainty Taxonomic Uncertainty Confirmed SRE Potential/Likely SRE A known distribution of <10 000km2. Patchy sampling has resulted in The taxonomy is well known. incomplete knowledge of the Distribution < 10 000km2 The group is well represented in geographic distribution of the group. collections and/ or via comprehensive We have incomplete taxonomic sampling knowledge. The group is not well represented in Widespread (not an SRE) collections. A known distribution of >10 000km2. This category is most applicable to The taxonomy is well known. Distribution > 10 000km2 situations where there are gaps in our The group is well represented in knowledge of the taxon. collections and/ or via comprehensive Sub-categories for this SRE designation are sampling. outlined below SRE SUB-CATEGORIES If a taxon is determined to be a “Potential SRE”, the following sub-categories will further elucidate this status. A. Data Deficient: There is insufficient data available to determine SRE status. Factors that fall under this category include: Lack of geographic information; Lack of taxonomic information; The group may be poorly represented in collections; and The individuals sampled (e.g. juveniles) may prevent identification to species level. B. Habitat Indicators: It is becoming increasingly clear that habitat data can elucidate SRE status; and Where habitat is known to be associated with SRE taxa and vice versa, it will be noted here. C. Morphology Indicators: A suite of morphological characters are characteristic of SRE taxa; and Where morphological characters are known to be associated with SRE taxa and vice versa, it will be noted here. D. Molecular Evidence: If molecular work has been done on this taxon (or a close relative), it may reveal patterns congruent or incongruent with SRE status. E. Research & Expertise: Previous research and/ or WAM expertise elucidates taxon SRE status; and This category takes into account the expert knowledge held within the WAM. Table 3: SRE categories used SRE category Criteria Typical representatives Confirmed or almost certainly SRE; taxonomy of the group is well known (but not necessarily published); Antichiropus millipedes group well represented in collections, in particular from Confirmed (Paradoxosomatidae); scorpions in the the region in question; high levels of endemism in genus Aops (Urodacidae) documented species; inference is often possible from immature specimens. Taxonomically poorly resolved group; unusual Opiliones in the genus Dampetrus; some morphology for the group (i.e. some form of pseudoscorpions (Synsphyronus) and Likely troglomorphism); often singleton in survey and few, if slaters (Philosciidae); araneomorph spiders any, regional records. in the genus Karaops (Selenopidae) Taxonomically poorly resolved group; often common in certain microhabitats in SRE surveys (i.e. litter dwellers), Many mygalomorph spiders; some Potential but no other regional records; congeners often centipedes (Cryptopidae; Geophilomorpha) widespread. Taxonomically well resolved (but often not published) Many spiders (not mygalomorphs), Widespread/Not and demonstrated wide distribution (i.e. > 10,000 km2) centipedes or some scorpions SRE (Cercophonius sulcatus) All females and juveniles of species that cannot be identified to species level are required to be treated as ‘potential SRE’ under the precautionary principle. In addition, all likely, potential and unknown SREs should be treated as confirmed SREs under the precautionary principle (Section 4a of the Western Australian Environmental Protection Act 1986 [EP Act]) RESULTS AND DISCUSSION A summary of all SRE species recorded in the area (within 100km of the study area) is presented in Table 4. This list excludes all species that are not relevant to the assessments due to their lifestyle (troglobitic and stygobitic species) or occur in habitats that will not be impacted by the State Barrier Fence (marine and freshwater species). The raw output of the database search results is listed in Table 5. The WAM database search for crustaceans did not result in any species of interest. All species were freshwater or marine species and will not be impacted by the proposed corridor. All species identified as potential, likely or confirmed SRE as well as species listed under the WC Act and/or by DPaW are listed in Table 4. A total of 158 species were identified as potential or confirmed SRE as well as species listed under the WC Act and by DPaW: 111 morpho-species of mygalomorph spiders, nine species of pseudoscorpion, 26 millipedes, one soil centipede (geophilomorph), eight scorpions and three molluscs (snails). All females and juveniles of species that cannot be identified to species level are required to be treated as ‘potential SRE’ under the precautionary principle. One mygalomorph spider was identified as likely SRE and one millipede was identified as confirmed SRE. In addition to the SRE species above, two species of plant hopper (Flatidae) and one species of water flea are listed as Priority species by DPaW Priority 1, and one araneomorph spider and nine species of millipede are listed as Schedule 3 under the WC Act. The fact that the database search outputs included all invertebrate species regardless of their SRE status is highly likely to have contributed to the large number of species that are assessed as potential SRE. This is due to the limited public access to species information (e.g. unpublished reports, taxonomic statements) and the lack of taxonomist input on the likelihood of the species to represent an SRE. In addition, the large number of potential SRE species is also due to the low taxonomic resolution resulting from the lack of mature males and/or the fact that most morpho-species were collected from a single location and the distribution of the species is unknown. This is due to the fact that SREs are dominated by invertebrate species, which are historically understudied and in many cases, lack formal descriptions. An extensive, reliable taxonomic evaluation of these species has begun only relatively recently and thus the availability