Lavinia Ramsar Site Ecological Character Description
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Lavinia Ramsar Site Ecological Character Description 1 March 2010 Blank Page Client/Logo Lavinia Ramsar Site Ecological Character Description Peter Newall and Lance Lloyd 3 March 2010 Blank Page ECD for Lavinia Ramsar Site…5 Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 24 1.1 PURPOSE OF AN ECOLOGICAL CHARACTER DESCRIPTION ...................................................................... 24 1.2 SITE DETAILS ............................................................................................................................................. 26 1.3 DATE OF DESCRIPTION .............................................................................................................................. 28 1.4 RELEVANT TREATIES, LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS ........................................................................ 28 1.4.1 International .................................................................................................................................. 28 1.4.2 National ........................................................................................................................................... 29 1.4.3 State ................................................................................................................................................. 30 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE ................................................................................................................ 32 2.1 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ........................................................................................................................ 32 2.2 OVERVIEW OF THE SITE ............................................................................................................................ 34 2.3 LAVINIA RAMSAR SITE FEATURES ............................................................................................................ 35 2.4 RAMSAR LISTING CRITERIA ...................................................................................................................... 38 2.5 LAND TENURE AND OWNERSHIP ............................................................................................................... 44 3. ECOLOGICAL CHARACTER OF THE LAVINIA RAMSAR SITE .............................................. 46 3.1 COMPONENTS AND PROCESSES ACROSS THE SITE ................................................................................ 46 3.1.1 Climate ............................................................................................................................................ 46 3.1.2 Geomorphology ............................................................................................................................ 48 3.1.3 Hydrology ....................................................................................................................................... 51 3.1.4 Vegetation Communities ........................................................................................................... 52 3.1.5 Fauna................................................................................................................................................ 64 3.1.6 Fire Regime .................................................................................................................................... 68 3.2 THE SEA ELEPHANT RIVER ESTUARY ECOSYSTEM .................................................................................. 70 3.2.1 Listing Criteria and Benefits/Services of Sea Elephant Estuary ................................ 73 3.2.2 Critical components and processes of Sea Elephant Estuary ..................................... 75 3.2.3 A Conceptual Model of the Sea Elephant Estuary ........................................................... 82 3.2.4 Actual and likely threats to the Sea Elephant Estuary .................................................. 86 3.2.5 Limits of Acceptable Change to the Sea Elephant Estuary Ecosystem ................... 90 3.3 THE COASTAL STRIP ECOSYSTEM ............................................................................................................ 94 3.3.1 Listing Criteria and Benefits/Services of the Coastal Strip .......................................... 96 3.3.2 Critical components and processes of Coastal Strip ...................................................... 97 3.3.3 A Conceptual Model of the Coastal Strip .......................................................................... 104 3.3.4 Actual and likely threats to the Coastal Strip ................................................................. 108 3.3.5 Limits of Acceptable Change to the Coastal Strip Ecosystem .................................. 111 3.4 THE DUNES ECOSYSTEM ......................................................................................................................... 114 3.4.1 Listing Criteria and Benefits/Services of the Dunes ..................................................... 117 3.4.2 Critical components and processes of the Dunes.......................................................... 120 3.4.3 A Conceptual Model of the Dunes ....................................................................................... 123 3.4.4 Actual and likely threats to the Dunes .............................................................................. 126 3.4.5 Limits of Acceptable Change to the Dunes Ecosystem ............................................... 131 3.5 THE NORTHERN SANDSHEET ECOSYSTEM ............................................................................................. 136 3.5.1 Listing Criteria and Benefits/Services of the Northern Sandsheet ......................... 138 3.5.2 Critical components and processes of the Northern Sandsheet .............................. 138 3.5.3 A Conceptual Model of the Northern Sandsheet ............................................................ 141 3.5.4 Actual and likely threats to the Northern Sandsheet ................................................... 143 3.5.5 Limits of Acceptable Change to the Northern Sandsheet Ecosystem .................... 145 3.6 SUMMARY OF LIMITS OF ACCEPTABLE CHANGE IN LAVINIA RAMSAR SITE ........................................ 149 4. CHANGES IN ECOLOGICAL CHARACTER SINCE LISTING ................................................. 151 5. KNOWLEDGE GAPS AND MONITORING NEEDS ...................................................................... 155 ECD for Lavinia Ramsar Site…6 5.1 KNOWLEDGE GAPS .................................................................................................................................. 155 5.2 MONITORING NEEDS ............................................................................................................................... 156 6. COMMUNICATION, EDUCATION AND PUBLIC AWARENESS (CEPA) MESSAGES 158 7. GLOSSARY ................................................................................................................................................... 159 8. REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................................. 160 9. APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................................. 165 Inquiries on this report can be made to: Lance Lloyd, Director, Lloyd Environmental Pty Ltd, ph: 03 9884 5559, Mob: 0412 007 997, Fax: 03 9884 7405, [email protected], PO Box 3014, SYNDAL, Victoria 3149 Please refer to this document as: Newall, P.R. and Lloyd, L.N. 2010. Lavinia Ramsar Site Ecological Character Description. Lloyd Environmental report to NRM North, Syndal, Victoria. ECD for Lavinia Ramsar Site…7 Acknowledgements The following people have contributed to the development of this ECD and are thanked for their contributions: o Emma Williams – NRM North, NRM Project Manager & Steering Committee Member o Nicole Walsh – NRM North, Steering Committee Member o Ian Houshold – DPIPWE, Steering Committee Member o Stewart Blackhall – DPIPWE, Steering Committee Member o Ken Morgan – DEWHA, DEWHA Project Manager & Steering Committee Member o Sally Fenner – NRM Cradle Coast, Steering Committee Member o Belinda Colson – NRM Cradle Coast o Shelley Davison - PWS Head Ranger (King Island) o Heather Colman - KINRMG o Nigel Burgess - PWS Ranger (King Island) o Graeme Batey – Local landowner and member of King Island Field Naturalists o Donald Graham – Local landowner and member of King Island Field Naturalists o Eva Finzel - Local landowner and member of King Island Council o Rod McGarvie - Local landowner and member of King Island Field Naturalists o Steve Nicholson – PWS o David Taylor – PWS o Richard Schahinger – DPIPWE o Jason Bradbury - DPIPWE o Debbie Searle – Northern Waterways Assessment Team o Inga Playle – Hydro Tasmania (supply of GIS Mapping) This project was commissioned by NRM North and funded through the Australian Government: Symbols in conceptual models are courtesy of the Integration and Application Network (ian.umces.edu/symbols/), University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. ECD for Lavinia Ramsar Site…8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Ecological Character Description (ECD) has been developed following the National Framework and Guidance for Describing the Ecological Character of Australia’s Ramsar Wetlands (DEWHA 2008) and contains information on the