21941.05 - Willoughby Cover 17/5/05 1:40 PM Page 1 A Biological Survey of Mount Willoughby Indigenous Protected Area South Australia www.environment.sa.gov.au A BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE MT WILLOUGHBY INDIGENOUS PROTECTED AREA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2003 by R. Brandle, B. Sparrow, J. N. Foulkes and A. C. Robinson Biological Survey and Monitoring Section Science and Conservation Directorate Department for Environment and Heritage South Australia 2005 i Mt Willoughby I. P. A. Biological Survey The Biological Survey of the Mt Willoughby I. P. A. South Australia was carried out as a consultancy to the Tjirilia Foundation with funds from the Indigenous Protected Areas Fund of the Commonwealth of Australia The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of Environment Australia or the State Government of South Australia. The report may be cited as: R. Brandle, B. Sparrow, J. N. Foulkes and A. C. Robinson (2005). A Biological Survey of the Mt Willoughby Indigenous Protected Area, South Australia - October 2003. (Department for Environment and Heritage, South Australia). Limited hard copies of the report were prepared, but it can also be accessed from the Internet on: http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/biodiversity/biosurveys AUTHORS R. Brandle, B. Sparrow, J. N. Foulkes and A. C. Robinson, Biological Survey and Monitoring, Science and Conservation Directorate, Department for Environment and Heritage. PO Box 1047 Adelaide 5001 CARTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN Science and Conservation Directorate, Department for Environment and Heritage. © Department for Environment and Heritage 2005 Cover Photograph View SW across breakaway hills from above survey site BRU00501 on the Mt Willoughby I. P. A. Photo AC Robinson ii Mt Willoughby I. P. A. Biological Survey PREFACE A Biological Survey of the Mt Willoughby Indigenous Protected Area, South Australia is a further product 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 South Australia and to encourage its conservation. Over the last 21 years, there has been a strong commitment to the Biological Survey by Government and an impressive dedication from hundreds of volunteer biologists. By 2015, it is anticipated that the Biological Survey will achieve complete statewide coverage. The Biological Survey of South Australia will be an achievement for which we can be very proud. We will have substantially improved our knowledge of the biodiversity of South Australia to enable biologists in the future to measure the direction of long-term ecological change. This will greatly enhance our ability to adequately manage nature conservation into the future. JOHN HILL MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION iii Mt Willoughby I. P. A. Biological Survey ABSTRACT Mt Willoughby Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) has a diverse suite of landforms and related physical characteristics. It lies across two biogeographical regions of Australia, the Stony Plains and the Great Victoria Desert. The area is predominantly native vegetation having been modified to various extents by sheep and cattle grazing during its former landuse as a Pastoral Station. The aims of this biological survey were to identify and sample the habitats and associated plants and animals for the Tjirilia Aboriginal Corporation to assist the management of the area for biodiversity. A vegetation map of the area was produced to enhance the interpretation of this information and assist with management planning. Twenty-eight quadrats were selected from across the study area to sample the maximum variety of habitat types. A further 221 sites were sampled for dominant vegetation to assist with the mapping which was done using supervised classification of satellite imagery data. Each quadrat was sampled for vegetation, birds, reptiles, mammals and invertebrates using the standard methods adopted for the Biological Survey of South Australia. Extra methods were used to opportunistically sample bats and also to search for signs of Marsupial Moles. Sites sampled ranged from swamps and drainage lines to breakaway hills and sand dunes. These supported a variety of grasslands, shrublands and low woodlands. Fourteen vegetation types were described and these were mapped into nine mapping classes. Mt Willoughby IPA is now known to support at least 225 plant taxa (3 introduced) from 29 Families. No species with national or South Australian conservation status ratings were recorded at quadrats, however a number of endemic species were recorded or would be expected to occur in the breakaway habitats given suitable rainfall events. Twelve native and 6 introduced mammal species were recorded during the survey, none are currently rated as rare or threatened. Seventy-four bird species were recorded at the 28 survey quadrats with a further twelve being observed away from sites. Six species with current conservation significance ratings were recorded at quadrats including a rediscovery of the northern population of Slender-billed Thornbill. Forty-five reptile species were recorded during the survey and 47 are now known to inhabit the IPA. The Bronze-back Legless Lizard, the only reptile with an Australian conservation status rating, was recorded at one site. One species of frog was detected after a shower of rain. Invertebrates from 79 Families in 22 Orders were collected during the survey. As the Mt Willoughby IPA represents the only area of the breakaways region managed with biodiversity protection as an objective, the bulk of cattle should be removed to enable regeneration of the vegetation and fauna communities in this area. Because of the dry conditions during the survey, further surveys targetting specific species are needed to establish the areas’ conservation value for some of the rarer and endemic species known to occur in the region. iv Figure 1. Residual hills E of Brumby Creek, Mt Willoughby I. P. A. Photo: AC Robinson. Figure 2. The spectacular wolf spider Lycosa bicolor from the mulga sand plains of the Mt Willoughby I. P. A. Photo AC Robinson. v vi Mt Willoughby I. P. A. Biological Survey CONTENTS Page PREFACE....................................................................................................................................................................... III ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................................................................... IV CONTENTS...................................................................................................................................................................VII FIGURES..................................................................................................................................................................... VIII TABLES.......................................................................................................................................................................... XI APPENDICES ...............................................................................................................................................................XII ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................................................................................................................ XIII INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................................1 Physical Characteristics...............................................................................................................................................1 Climate........................................................................................................................................................................4 Previous Biological Surveys .......................................................................................................................................6 METHODS ........................................................................................................................................................................7 RESULTS ........................................................................................................................................................................10 VEGETATION .............................................................................................................................................................10 Significant Species ....................................................................................................................................................14 Vegetation Mapping..................................................................................................................................................20 Stony plains bioregion...............................................................................................................................................22 Great Victoria Desert Bioregion................................................................................................................................46 FAUNA.........................................................................................................................................................................55