Fitz-Stirling 2007-2017 Ten-Year Evaluation Review
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Fitz-Stirling 2007-2017 Ten-year Evaluation Review Feb / 2018 P a g e | 1 Acknowledgements: This report has benefited greatly from the discussion and guidance on content, presentation and editing by Annette Stewart, Clair Dougherty and Simon Smale. Their expert assistance is greatly appreciated. Volunteers have played a major and vital role in the monitoring and survey program over the past 5 years and I thank all of those involved. Special thanks go to Dr Sandra Gilfillan for her continuing dedication to the wallaby monitoring and research program. Volunteers Aaron Gove, who provided the bird data analysis and Richard Thomas, who provided the bat data analysis, have made a large contribution to this report and I thank them. I sincerely thank Bill and Jane Thompson who have regularly carried out all the pool monitoring for several years. Thanks also to Barry Heydenrych, Greening Australia, who provided restoration data. Funding to assist the monitoring program and UAV surveys during 2015 was gratefully received from South Coast NRM as part of the Australian Government funded ‘Restoring Gondwana’ program. Funding vital for wallaby monitoring and research was provided by the Diversicon Foundation. Citation: Sanders, A. (2018). Fitz-Stirling 2007-2017 ten-year evaluation review. Unpublished report for Bush Heritage Australia. P a g e | 2 Contents Overview of Fitz-Stirling Project ........................................................................................................ 6 This report evaluates our conservation impact .................................................................................. 7 A wide range of indicators are monitored to assess progress towards our goals ........................... 8 ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 Climate change is influencing ecological processes in the Fitz-Stirling .......................................... 9 Four Conservation Targets are used to measure our progress ....................................................... 11 Conservation Target 1: Mallee Heath and Black-gloved Wallaby ................................................ 11 Goals for this target: ................................................................................................................ 12 Progress towards the goals for Mallee heath and Black-gloved Wallaby: .................................... 14 1. Extent of restored mallee heath has increased from 60 to 2,624 hectares ........................ 14 2. Undisturbed mallee heath vegetation is in very good condition ......................................... 14 3. Vegetation that has been established on cleared farmland is developing well .................. 15 4. Fire remains a key area requiring focus ............................................................................ 17 5. Bird monitoring shows that our restored areas are providing increasingly suitable bird habitat ...................................................................................................................................... 18 6. Bird activity and species richness increased over time at revegetated sites ...................... 19 7. Bird activity increased at reference sites ........................................................................... 20 8. Bird activity increased at naturally regenerating sites ........................................................ 21 9. Nectivorous resource nomads and resident understorey birds increased more in restored sites than in reference sites ..................................................................................................... 21 10. Bird assemblage similarity depends on the treatment and age of restoration. .................... 23 11. Ground dwelling fauna species richness has increased in restored areas .......................... 24 12. Seven bats species have been recorded in the restored areas .......................................... 25 13. Black-gloved Wallaby distribution is increasing with restoration of their habitat .................. 27 Conservation Target 2: Mallet, Moort and Tammar ..................................................................... 28 Goals for this target: ................................................................................................................ 28 Progress towards the goals for Mallet, Moort and Tammar Wallaby ............................................ 29 1. The goal of increasing the extent of mallet and moort by 100ha has been exceeded. ......... 29 2. Tammar occupancy has decreased from 50% in 2011 to 39% in 2015 ............................... 29 Conservation Target 3: Creeks and Flat-topped Yate .................................................................. 30 Conservation goals for this target ................................................................................................ 30 Progress towards the goals for Creeks and Flat-topped Yate ...................................................... 31 1. Further monitoring is required to establish the normal range of variation for Yate recruitment and crown condition .............................................................................................. 31 P a g e | 3 2. We are approaching our goal of restoring 2,000ha of yate by 2023 ..................................... 32 3. Water quality in creek pools needs further monitoring to establish the normal variations in these systems .......................................................................................................................... 33 4. We are approaching our goal of restoring perennial vegetation in the Monjebup and Corackerup catchments ........................................................................................................... 33 Conservation Target 4: Fresh Water Systems ............................................................................. 34 Conservation goal for this Target ............................................................................................. 34 Progress towards the goals for Fresh Water Systems ............................................................. 34 Landscape scale flora and vegetation surveys have highlighted extraordinary diversity .................. 35 Conservation actions – managing threats to the Conservation Targets ........................................... 37 Threats to Targets ................................................................................................................... 37 Managing fragmentation: The key management strategy for the Fitz-Stirling is to restore cleared farmland .................................................................................................................................. 39 Managing invasive herbivores: rabbits are controlled prior to restoration ................................. 39 Managing invasive predators: feral predators pose a high threat to fauna in the Fitz-Stirling and they are not currently managed ............................................................................................... 39 Managing weeds: weeds pose a minor threat on the BHA Fitz-Stirling properties .................... 40 Managing fire: prescribed burning is required across BHA properties ...................................... 40 Managing Phytophthora cinnamomi: Phytophthora cinnamomi occurs on Yarrabee and Monjebup North ....................................................................................................................... 41 Managing Salinity: salinity poses a very low threat to Targets on BHA properties .................... 41 Recommendations for the next 5 years and beyond ....................................................................... 43 Conservation Target recommendations ....................................................................................... 43 Target 2: Mallet, Moort and Tammar ........................................................................................ 43 Target 3: Creeks and Flat-topped Yate .................................................................................... 43 Target 4: Fresh water systems ................................................................................................. 43 Conservation action recommendations........................................................................................ 43 Restoration .............................................................................................................................. 43 Managing invasive herbivores.................................................................................................. 44 Managing invasive predators ................................................................................................... 44 Managing weeds...................................................................................................................... 44 Managing fire ........................................................................................................................... 44 Managing Phytophthora cinnamomi ......................................................................................... 44 Managing Salinity .................................................................................................................... 44 Monitoring, evaluation and research ........................................................................................ 44 Monitoring ...............................................................................................................................