Grasslands and Grassy Woodlands of the Lofty Block Bioregion South Australia 1995 -1996
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
OGICAL SURVEY OF ,T1 tUHVFY ell I I Allo FI}AL S!î. M y , r t t7 Department for Environment Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs -, A BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF GRASSLANDS AND GRASSY WOODLANDS OF THE LOFTY BLOCK BIOREGION SOUTH AUSTRALIA 1995 -1996 (M,CNYWIY Y sonO4CONOIC SOUTH AU StSP DATA BASES by M.A. Robertson Biological Survey and Research Heritage and Biodiversity Division Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs, South Australia 1998 Research and collation of information presented in this report was under- taken with funding provided by Environment Australia through the Grassland Ecology Program. The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not reflect those of the Commonwealth Government, the Minister for the Environment, Sport and Territories, the Secretary of Environment Australia or the South Australian Government. AUTHOR MA. Robertson CARTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN Geographical Analysis and Research Unit Department of Transport and Urban Planning All geographical data from Statewide Map Library, Environmental Data Base of South Australia Biological Survey & Research, Heritage and Biodiversity Division, Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs O Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs 1998 ISBN 0 7308 5838 3 Cover Photograph: Lomandra multrflora ssp. dura tussock grasslands, Burn Hills Photo: R.J. Davies Grasslands and Grassy Woodlands of the Lofty Block Bioregion Abstract In the spring/sununer seasons of 1995 and 1996, native grassland and grassy woodland was surveyed in the Lofty Block Bioregion. The vegetation and general landform of seventy four sites were surveyed in total, including a complete plant species list. A total of 3,774 plant records (427 native taxa and 147 alien taxa) were added to the South Australian Environmental Database, with 1,813 plant voucher specimens being lodged in the State Herbarium of South Australia. One hundred and sixty six records are of particular conservation significance at the regional level. These comprise 149 plant taxa, of which seven plant species are of national conservation significance and 36 plant species are rated as of conservation significance in South Australia. Sites representing native grasslands and grassy woodlands of the Lofty Block Bioregion, sampled in previous surveys were selected from the South Australian biological survey database (439 sites). Added to the Lofty Block Grassland dataset, a total of 884 taxa, of which 241 are alien, occurred at 513 grassy sites. These data were included in a composite vegetation analysis, resulting in recognition of 15 vegetation groups. Several of these groups consisted of semi -sclerophyllous vegetation, or marginal grasslands. Remnants of native grassland and grassy woodland in the bioregion are generally small and all grassy vegetation is modified to some extent. Alien plant species are always present and often form a significant component of the flora, even in the grassy vegetation of highest quality. Plants of regional conservation significance were recorded at the majority of grassy sites. The original land survey records of the 19th and early 20th century were inspected for locations sampled during the current survey. They indicate that the northern plains (eg. Willochra Plain) grasslands were originally chenopod shrublands, while the general structure of present day vegetation at other grassy sites is consistent with the early surveyors' remarks. Grassland and grassy woodland sites of high conservation significance were identified and included some remnants of less than one hectare as well as remnants that are more extensive. The conservation status of grassy floristic groups was assessed and recommendations have been made for conserving important vegetation types that are not yet represented in the reserve system. Important remnants of grassland and grassy woodland occur on public and private land, including major conservation reserves and minor public reserves such as road reserves. A range of strategies is therefore recommended for the conservation of grassy ecosystems in the bioregion. iii Grasslands and Grassy Woodlands of the Lofty Block Bioregion Preface A Biological Survey of Grasslands and Grassy Woodlands of the Lofty Block Bioregion, South Australia is a further 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 its conservation. Over the last fifteen 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 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. MRS DOROTHY KOTZ MP MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT AND HERITAGE iv Grasslands and Grassy Woodlands of the Lofty Block Bioregion Contents Abstract iü Preface iv List of Figures vii List of Tables Lx List of Appendices xi Acknowledgments xiii Introduction 1 BACKGROUND - 1 THE LOFTY BLOCK BIOREGION 5 PREVIOUS VEGETATION STUDIES 5 Methods 9 AIMS 9 STUDY AREA AND COLLATION OF EXISTING SURVEY DATA 9 FIELD SURVEY STRATEGY 10 LOFTY BLOCK GRASSLANDS FIELD SURVEY 10 VEGETATION ANALYSIS 13 Results 19 VEGETATION ANALYSIS 19 HISTORICAL VEGETATION RECORDS 81 Conclusions and Recommendations 83 GRASSY ECOSYSTEMS IN THE LOFTY BLOCK OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA 83 RECOMMENDATIONS 93 Bibliography 95 APPENDICES 99 V J Grasslands and Grassy Woodlands of the Lofty Block Bioregion Figures Figure 1. Lofty Block Bioregion - Study Area showing 1:50 000 mapsheet number opposite page 1 Figure 2. Flora Regions and Laut et al. (1977) Environmental Regions in Study Area 3 Figure 3. Relief and Annual Rainfall Isohyets - Lofty Block Bioregion 4 Figure 4. Environmental Associations (Laut et a1.,1977) and Grassland and Woodland Vegetation Formations (Boomsma & Lewis, 1980) in the Lofty Block Bioregion 6 Figure 5. Soil Types in the Study Area 7 Figure 6. Location of Vegetation Survey Sites in the Study Area 11 Figure 7. Location of Parks and Heritage Agreements within the Study Area 12 Figure 8. Grassy Vegetation Survey Sites included in Analysis 16 Figure 9. Habitat of nationally rare grass Festuca benthamiana at Mount Remarkable National Park 24 Figure 10. Floristic vegetation groups and subgroups resulting from the PAIN analysis - simplified dendrogram 27 Figure 11. Lomandra effusa Grassland in the south -eastern Mount Lofty Ranges 30 Figure 12. Lomandra effusa Grassland on the western Murray Flats 30 Figure 13. Stipa eremophila / Danthonia caespitosa Grassland with emergent shrubs on the smith WillochraPlains 33 Figure 14. Stipa eremophila / Danthonia caespitosá Grassland with emergent shrubs on the western Murray Flats 33 Figure 15. Danthonia caespitosa Very open grassland & Callitris glaucophylla Low open forest/ Woodland in the south -central Flinders Ranges 35 Figure 16. Callitris preissii or Eucalyptus porosa Low woodland in the south Flinders Ranges 38 Figure 17. Danthonia caespitosa /Stipa nitida Grassland & Low open shrubland +1- emergent Acacia victoriae in eastern Mount Brown Conservation Park 41 Figure 18. Danthonia caespitosa /Stipa nitida Grassland & Low open shrubland +/- emergent Acacia victoriae on the south Willochra Plains 42 Figure 19. Eucalyptus odorata Low woodland in eastern Mount Remarkable National Park 45 Figure 20. Eucalyptus odd rata /Eucalyptus socialis Mallee east of the Southern Flinders Ranges 48 Figure 21. Allocasuarina verticillata Low woodland in the southern Flinders Ranges 51 Figure 22. Allocasuarina verticillata Low woodland in the south- eastern Mount Lofty Ranges 51 Figure 23. Triodia scariosa Hummock Grassland & Callitris glaucophylla Low woodland east of the Southern Flinders Ranges 55 Figure 24. Triodia scariosa Hummock Grassland & Callitris glaucophylla Low woodland in the Flinders Ranges 55 Figure 25. Stipa blackii Grassland & Low Eucalypt woodland on unmade road reserve in the Northern Lofty Region 57 Figure 26. Stipa blackii Grassland & Low Eucalypt woodland on unmade road reserve in the Northern Lofty Region 59 Figure 27. Lomandra multi/2ora ssp. dura Tussock grassland in the Burra Hills 60 Figure 28. Eucalyptus leucoxylon +1- E.odorata Woodland in Wirrabara Forest Reserve 64 Figure 29. Eucalyptus leucoxylon +1- E.odorata Low woodland & woodland east of Mount Remarkable National-Park 64 Figure 30. Southern Eucalyptus microcarpa Low woodland in a Heritage Agreement near Adelaide 67 vii Figure 31., Northern AZlocasuarina verticillata +/- Eucalyptus leucoxylon +l- E. microcarpa Low woodland & Low open woodland in the Southern Flinders Ranges 70 Figure 32. Northern Eucalyptus microcarpa +/- Allocasuarina verticillata Low woodland east of the southern Flinders Ranges 73 Figure 33. Seasonally grazed vegetation in the eastern foothills of the South Mount Lofty Ranges 91 M a viii Grasslands and Grassy Woodlands of the Lofty Block Bioregion Tables Page Table 1. Conservation status of Lofty Block grassy ecosystems in South Australia and interstate (Neagle, 1995) 1 -2 Table 2. Source of quadrat