otrìsiinA1-onP-S' Q 2_3512-03 s 23S15-o3 etc_ 16. Dec- IS CONSERVATIONSTA s OF TJPPERSTOFtEYMALLEE V EG ETATION IN THEWESTER.N/ M(JRRAYLANDS Christine A. Jones CONSERVATION STATUS OF UPPERSTOREY MALILE VEGETATION IN THE WESTERN MURRAYLANDS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. (C) Christine A. Jones (1996) Two volumes Book One 1.Conservation assessment of Eucalyptus leuçorylon, Callitris preissii and Allocasuarina verticillata. 2. Botanical Lists, Monarto Native Plantation :liarla and Monarto South Monarto Conservation Park Loomoo oo Flora and Fauna Sanctuary L.00mooloo Heritage Area Ferries Moijonald Conservation Park Book Two 1. Fragmentation 2. Regeneration 3. Revegetation 4. Natural Resources Information First Published 1996 C. Jones Monarto South South Australia 5254 IS13[i: 1 875949 15 1 CONSERVATTON STATUS OF U F P E R STORE. Y M A L L E E VEGETATTON TN THE WESTERN MURRAYLANDS Christine A. Jones B.Ed., B.A., B.Lib.St. University of Adelaide / Department of Environment and Natural Resources 1996 B O O K T W O BOOK TWO PART 1: Fragmentation Fragmentation 1 Nature Conservation 1 Causes of Extinction and threats Table I 2 Numbers of plant species extinct Map 1 2 Plants of significance to malice 3 5 Fauna Status 6 Birds 7 8 PART 2 Regeneration Natural Regeneration 9 11 Pollination requirements 12 Dominance 13 PART3_Woodland Assessment Eucalypt Flowering Times Monarto Woodland 14 Woodland Species fruits Fig.1 15 Discrepancies in Selection 16 17 Trees with tendency to collapse in wind 18 Trees with tendency for limbs to break 18 Trees and Shrubs that are Struggling 18 Trees without seeds 18 Trees and Shrubs performing well 19 20 Woodland Species fruits Fig.2 21 PART4Revegetation Revegetation Practices 22 Re- establishment of native vegetation 23 24 Growth factors 25 Practices and weed control 26 28 Corridors 29 30 Shelterbelts 31 Windbreaks Monarto Woodland 32 Public Benefits from the Woodland 33 PART5:Natural Resources Information Historical background present problems 34 District Climate 35 - 3 Duststorms 35 Fogs and mists, frost 36 Climatic factors for SA Map 2 37 Effects of dry spells 37 Average Annual Rainfall Map 3 38 Rainfall and Evaporation Table 2.1 39 Temperature Table 2.2 39 Wind Analysis Table 3 40 Rainfall statistics 1996 Table 4 40 42 Callington Table 4.1 40 Loomodloo Table 4.2 41 Langhorne Ck Table 4.3 42 Murray Bridge Table 4.4 42 Frost in South Australia Map 4 43 Meteorological Data MDC Table 5 43 Low rá_infáidaggregates Table 6 43 Part 5 continued Climatic Change 44 45 The Effects Tables 7.1 to Table7.3 45 Major woody vegetation zones _Map5 46 21st Century expected change Map6 46 Impacts of Global Warming 46 NPWS reserves Map 7 47 21st Century expected change Map 8 47 Geology 48 49 Geology of Environs Map 9 49 [.and surface area Map10 49 Bedrock 49 Surface Geology MDB Map II 49 Landform Relief MDB Map12 49 Hydrogeology 50 62 Groundwater 51 Recharge and native vegetation 52 'Mallee' explained 52 The malice region MDB Map13 52 Water table contours M /Plains Map14 53 Water table depth M /Plains Map15 53 Water Table DepthHundreds Map16 54 Groundwater Fleurieu Pen. Map17 55 Catchments Fleurieu Pen. Map18 55 Salinity Hundreds Map19 56 Water table salinity Map20 57 Salinity Land Salinisation 58 Salinity states 59 Salinity Fleurieu Peninsula Map21 59 River Salinity Levels Rising 60 Strategies for Salinity Management 60 61 Soil Acidity Fleurieu Pen Map22 62 South Australia: Soil acidity Map23 62 Acidity explained 62 Vegetation and Salt Tolerance Fig.3 63 PART'S:Land Use practices Human Impact 64 Agricultural Land Use Grazing Map24 65 Agricultural Land Use Cropping Map25 65 Vegetation Clearance in S.A. 66 Native Vegetation Clearance Map26 66 Agriculture in County Sturt 67 69 Agriculture in WFZ Map27 68 Agriculture in Murray Mallee Table 8 68 County Sturt Map28 68 Murray Bridge & District Land Use Map29 69- 71 Land Use Fleurieu Districts Map30 70 Land Use Murray Mallee ' Map31 70 Population densities Map32 71 Land Systems Map33 72 Soils of the Mallee Map34 73 Generalised soils- Fleurieu Map35 74 Soil Units Mo artó: Table 9 74 Part 6 continued Individual Land Systems 75 76 Marla 77 Hartley 77 Brinkley 78 Gifford Hill 79 Monarto 80 Bremer 81 Kalibar 82 Narrinyeri Hills 82 Kinchina 83 Disher Hill 84 Soils 85 92 Land degradation 93 Soil erosion 94 PART / :Threats Key Causes to decline and threat 95 Primary threats 96 Endangering processes 97 98 Dieback 99 106 Fungi and Eucalypt dieback 101 Mistletoe 103 Environmental change and Salinity 104 105 Insects that Live on Eucalypts 106 Phytophthora l07 108 Pest Plants 109 111 Common weeds of the study area 112 Feral Pests 113 Air Pollution Potential 114 PART 8: Sustainable land management Land rehabilitation 115 Sustainable management 116 117 Landscape assessment 118 119 Environmental Management Recommendations 120 APPENDIX 1 Acts relating to Land Management Ai Ai.ii National Weeds Strategy Aiv Avi APPENDIX 2 CONCOM recommendations Avii Axi GLOSSARY REFERENCES BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOK TWO LIST OFMAPS 2 Map 1 Numbers of plant species extinct Map 2 Climatic factors for SA 37 Map 3 Average Annual Rainfall 38 Map 4 Frost in South Australia 43 Map 5 Major woody vegetation zones 46 Map 6 21st Century expected change 46 Map 7 NPWS reserves 47 Map 8 21st Century expected change 47 Map 9 Geology of Environs 49 Map 10 Land surface area 49 Map 11 Surface Geology MDB 49 Map 12 Landform Relief MDB 49 Map 13 The mallee region MDB 52 Map 14 Water table contours M /Plains 53 Map 15 Water table depth M /Plains 53 Map 16 Water Table Depth Hundreds 54 Map 17 Groundwater Fleurieu Pen. 55 Map 18 Catchments Fleurieu Pen. 55 Map 19 Salinity Hundreds 56 Map 20 Water table salinity 57 Map 21 Salinity Fleurieu Peninsula 59 Map 22 Soil Acidity Fleurieu Pen 62 Map 23 South Australia: Soil acidity 62 Map 24 Agricultural Land Use Grazing 65 Map 25 Agricultural Land Use Cropping 65 Map 26 Native Vegetation Clearance 66 Map 27 Agricultrure in WFZ 68 Map 28 County Sturt 68 Map 29 Murray Bridge & District land Use 69 Map 30 Land Use Fleurieu Districts 70 Map 31 Land UseMurray Mallee 70 Map 32 Population densities 71 Map 33 Land Systems 72 Map 34 Soils of the Mallee 73 Map 35 Generalised soils Fleureu 74 LIST OF FIGS. Fig.1 Woodland Species fruits 15 Fig.2 Woodland Species fruits 21 Fig.3 Vegetation and Salt Tolerance 63 LIST OF TABLES 2 Table i Causes of Extinction and threats Table2 Climate Table2.1Rainfall and Evaporation 39 Table2.2Temperature 39 Table3 Wind Analysis 40 Table4 Rainfall statistics 1996 40 42 Table4.1 Callingion 40 Table4.2 Loomooloo 41 Table4.3 Langhorne Ck 42 Table4.4 Murray Bridge 42 Table5 Meteorological Data MDC 43 Table6 Low rainfall aggregates 43 Table7.1The Effects 45 Table7.2 45 Table7.3 45 Table8 Agriculture in Murray Malice 68 Table9 Soil Units Monarto 74 o E X P L A N A T O R Y N O T E The preparation ofthis research paper has been wholly self funded. I gratefullyacknowledge the assistance provided by the Departmentof Environment and Natural Resources,Primary Industries SA,and the University of Adelaide for their input and support. The documentis intended to be a valuable resource on the status of upperstorey vegetation in the study area, while also providing background informationon land useand capability. While the data and information compiled on the district is not complete, it does provide sufficient information OD the natural resources and offers alternative suggestions towards income diversification, property planning and land management. ThisResearch Project has beendivided into several parts, comprising two books. In Book One the project is explained, the area selected, its background given, target species outlined and botanical listing and assessment occurs. Book Two is a continuation ofthe assessment process but also provides information on fragmentation, regeneration, revegetation and natural resources. P A R T O N E FRAGMENTATION Habitat fragmentation impacts on population viability, and may lead to extinction. Such causes may be human influenced through encroachment andinterference,poaching,and introduction of'alien' species; or maybe a natural consequence ofparticular events resulting from micro climate changes, genetic defects, or other threats. A population with density dependent dynamics will experiencerandomfluctuations in population size that may lead to extinction. There willalso he anincreased risk of greater extinction rates when an area in question is discontinuous. CBurkey,I989:79) Small and fragmented reserves play animportant role in conserving local endemic species (Terhorough,1974; Terborough & Winter 1983)particularly thosewith low area dependency requirements. NATURE CONSERVATION Flora Clearingandgrazing of malleevegetationhas had a significant adverse impact on the conservation status of mallee plant communities particularly that of the pinkgum / blugum / sheoak and pine communities. Fauna Clearing for cereal crops, grazing by livestock and feral animals and the spread of introduced plants has resulted in the loss and modification of wildlife habitat.(MVMWG 1991) The remaining remnant vegetation provides a very valuable habitat for vulnerable, endangered and rare species. Of particularnote is theavifaunal habitat provided for Leiopoa ocellata (malleefowl) in the Hundred of Freeling. L Causes of extinction and threats to endangered taxa in South Australia Source: Leigh and Briggs (1992) Threats Agriculture Grazing Low nos. Roadworks Weeds FireRecreation Urban Forestry Mining Others develop- ment Presumed extinct 3 4 14 Past threats to endangered laxa 16 15 3 4 1 2 l' Present and future threats to endangered taxa 2 19 6 13 15 2 1 8° N 1 Unknown 2 Salinity 2 Railway maintenance 1 Railway maintenance I Drainage I Clearing 1 Quarrying 1 Stock damage 1 Stock damage 1 Clearing oldomeUes 4c I Numbers of plant species extinct ineachregion of South Australia Source: Leigh et al.