A Biological Survey of Lower North Grasslands of South Australia
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
A Biological Survey of Lower North Grasslands of South Australia A Biological Survey of Lower North Grasslands of South Australia Survey 836 Report First published March 2014 Revised March 2015 Covering sites on the northern Adelaide Plains and foothills between Smithfield and the northern boundary of Light Regional Council Adrian Shackley, Andrew Allanson and Janet Kuys for Irongrass Environmental Rehabilitation Services & Gawler Environmental Heritage Association Acknowledgments This report is a joint effort of Adrian Shackley (Gawler Environmental Heritage Association) and Andrew Allanson and Janet Kuys (Irongrass Environmental Rehabilitation Services). The individual site reports are mainly written by Andrew Allanson and Janet Kuys and the historical background and analysis mainly by Adrian Shackley. The summaries and analysis are a joint responsibility. No doubt some errors will be found – hopefully not too many. We wish to particularly thank Kate Graham from the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR) for her help in guiding and assisting us with undertaking the survey as well as assisting in choosing appropriate sites and Rosemary Taplin for her in-depth botanical assistance – her expertise is invaluable. Thanks also to staff at the DEWNR Science Monitoring and Knowledge Branch for work in processing survey data. Gawler Environmental Heritage Association’s members and friends also contributed during survey days, and provided their local knowledge of sites that were suitable for possible inclusion in the survey. Their on-going support has been vital. Thanks to the landholders for permission to conduct surveys - Light Regional Council, Genesee Wyoming - lessees of the Gawler to Kapunda rail line, Town of Gawler, City of Playford and three private landholders. And thank to all the people who assisted with survey fieldwork - representatives of landholders - Andrew Philpott Light Regional Council, Grant Hemmerling and Gary Watson Town of Gawler, Lynda Tout-Smith City of Playford, volunteers (some of whom were working for part of their time) - Terri Bateman, Greg Donovan, Peter Hart, Rob Knight, Don Helbig, Sue Coldbeck, Belinda Copland, Krysia Potaczek, Leo Shackley, Chris Steeles, Peter Matejcic, Liz Ninnes (DEWNR), Kate Graham (DEWNR) and Dragos Moise & Leanne Rosser (Nature Foundation Para Woodland). Funding support was made available via a State NRM grant, a community support NRM grant and Gawler Environmental Heritage Association for this survey. Photographs in this report are the work of survey participants Janet Kuys, Andrew Allanson, Kate Graham, Adrian Shackley, Don Helbig, Peter Matejcic, Steve Kerrison and Belinda Copland. Cover Photos. Front cover. Finding Behr’s Swainson-pea, Swainsona behriana (River Road Bagot Well site) and Orange Swainson-pea, Swainsona stipularis (rail corridor south of Freeling) were highlights of the survey. Back cover. High quality grassland remnant at River Road Bagot Well site in spring 2013. This report may be cited as: Shackley, A., Allanson A. & Kuys, J. (2015) A Biological Survey of Lower North Grasslands of South Australia (Revised Edition) Irongrass Environmental Rehabilitation Services & Gawler Environmental Heritage Association. Copies and Feedback. To obtain copies of this report or provide feedback – contact Adrian Shackley [email protected] Disclaimer. Irongrass Environmental Rehabilitation Services and its employees and Gawler Environmental Heritage Association do not warrant or make any representation regarding the use, or results of the use, of the information contained herein as regards to its correctness, reliability, currency or otherwise. Irongrass Environmental Rehabilitation Services and its employees and Gawler Environmental Heritage Association expressly disclaim liability or responsibility to any person using the information or advice contained herein. Copyright. Irongrass Environmental Rehabilitation Services and Gawler Environmental Heritage Association. This work is copyright. Unless permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from Irongrass Environmental Rehabilitation Services and Gawler Environmental Heritage Association. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to Irongrass Environmental Rehabilitation Services, C/- Post Office, Palmer SA 5237 and Gawler Environmental Heritage Association, C/- 42 Finniss St, Gawler SA 5118. Printed by Bunyip Print and Copy Commercial Lane Gawler SA on ISO 14001 Environment Certified paper. ii A Biological Survey of Lower North Grasslands of South Australia Contents 1. Report Summary ................................................................................................................................. 1 2. Recommendations arising from the Survey ........................................................................................ 2 3. Introduction – Historical information for Lower North grasslands .................................................... 3 4. How Survey Sites Were Chosen ....................................................................................................... 15 5. Survey Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 16 6. Site Reports 6.1 KAP HOR 01 Paddock off Thiele Highway Kapunda ..................................................... 20 6.2 KAP HOR 02 Thiele Highway road verge. ...................................................................... 24 6.3 KAP DUF 01 Duff Road, Kapunda/Bagot Well ................................................................ 28 6.4 KAP FLA 01 Flagstaff Hill Road, Kapunda/Bagot Well. ................................................. 34 6.5 KAP MCK 01 River Road, Kapunda/Bagot Well ............................................................. 40 6.6 ROS MNR 01 Roseworthy Rail Reserve, off Main North Road ....................................... 55 6.7 KAP FOR 01 Fords Road & Rail reserve, south of Kapunda ........................................... 61 6.8 FRE SHA 01 Rail Reserve north of Shanahan Road, Freeling .......................................... 69 6.9 FRE SHA 02 Rail Reserve north of Shanahan Road, Freeling .......................................... 75 6.10 ROS RAI 01 Rail Reserve, south of Roseworthy township .............................................. 80 6.11 GAW DMP 01 Dead Man’s Pass reserve, Gawler ............................................................ 86 6.12 GAW GOR 01 Gordon Road, Gawler/Evanston South ..................................................... 95 6.13 PLA STE 01 Stebonheath Road, Playford ......................................................................... 99 6.14 Opportune site Spring Gully, Gawler East ...................................................................... 103 6.15 BAR KER 01 Nature Foundation property, Allendale Road ........................................... 111 6.16 BAR KER 02 Nature Foundation property, Allendale Road ........................................... 115 7. Summary of results over 14 project sites ........................................................................................ 119 8. Discussion of results ....................................................................................................................... 128 9. Historical information, Swainsona, Blandowski, Acacia paradoxa ............................................... 132 10. Bibliography and references ........................................................................................................... 136 Appendices Appendix 1 Overall flora data tables for survey (Tables 26-28) ......................................................... 144 Appendix 2 EPBC irongrass grassland: Class A, B & C criteria ....................................................... 162 Appendix 3 Prescott & Turner State and Transition template for irongrass grassland ....................... 163 Appendix 4 National, state & regional conservation ratings used in Report ....................................... 166 Appendix 5 Conservation rated species in Northern Lofty Herbarium Region by site ...................... 167 Appendix 6 Conservation rated species in Southern Lofty Herbarium Region by site ...................... 168 Appendix 7 Naturemaps Rail & Roadside vegetation mapping relevant to Survey sites ................... 169 Appendix 8 Evidence of original vegetation from Surveyors’ notes in Survey Books ...................... 174 Appendix 9 Comparison of DEWNR Pre-European vegetation map with survey results .................. 175 A Biological Survey of Lower North Grasslands of South Australia iii Maps Map 1 Indicative Pre-European Lower North grasslands, LNG 836 sites, existing BDBSA sites ...... 5 Map 2 Early explorers in the survey area - approximate routes ............................................................ 9 Map 3 Special Surveys map 1841, including Eyre’s Light River station No. 32 ................................ 11 Tables Table 1 Lower North Grassland Survey site locations and survey type conducted ................ 18 Flora and fauna site data tables for each site Table 2a – 2e KAP HOR 01 Paddock off Thiele Highway Kapunda .................................. 22-23 Table 3a – 3b KAP HOR 02 Thiele Highway road verge. ................................................. 26-27 Table 4a – 4e KAP DUF 01 Duff Road, Kapunda/Bagot Well ..........................................