Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative Reserve System for Forests in Australia
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Land Management and Biodiversity Conservation Reforms Office of Environment and Heritage PO Box A290 Sydney South NSW 1232
Land Management and Biodiversity Conservation Reforms Office of Environment and Heritage PO Box A290 Sydney South NSW 1232 21st June 2017 To the Office of Environment and Heritage, Stand Up For Nature is an alliance of environment, wildlife and heritage groups in support of strong biodiversity and native vegetation laws in NSW. Together we represent tens of thousands of people who want the NSW Government to safeguard the future of our unique wildlife, and our healthy soils and water resources. Stand Up For Nature members include: Nature Conservation Council of NSW | Total Environment Centre National Parks Association of NSW | Humane Society International The Wilderness Society | Colong Foundation for Wilderness | NSW WIRES WWF Australia |National Trust |Birdlife Australia IFAW We urge the NSW Government to abandon the draft Regulations and Codes under the Biodiversity Conservation 2016 and Local Land Services Amendment Act 2016 and develop strong biodiversity conservation laws that are scientifically robust and that will deliver improved environmental outcomes, now and for future generations. Please count this as our formal submission into these important documents, and do not hesitate to contact Daisy Barham, Campaigns Director, Nature Conservation Council on [email protected] for any further information. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 1 KEY ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE CODES AND REGULATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 2 Timeframe and the Native Vegetation Regulatory Map 2 Broad-scale land clearing 3 Threatened ecological communities 3 Koala -
South Eastern Highlands Bioregion
203 CHAPTER 16 The South Eastern Highlands Bioregion 1. Location 2. Climate The South Eastern Highlands Bioregion lies just inland from the coastal This bioregion is dominated by a temperate climate characterised by warm bioregions of the South East Corner and the Sydney Basin, bounded by the summers and no dry season. Significant areas in the north and south of the Australian Alps and South Western Slopes bioregions to the south and west. bioregion are at higher elevations in a montane climate zone, where The bioregion includes most of the ACT and extends south into Victoria. summers are much milder. With a total area of about 8,749,155 ha (IBRA 5.1), 55.9% or 4,888,633 ha of the South Eastern Highlands Bioregion lies in NSW. The bioregion occupies 3. Topography approximately 6.11% of the state. The South Eastern Highlands Bioregion covers the dissected ranges and The bioregion includes the towns of Orange, Bathurst and Lithgow in the plateau of the Great Dividing Range that are topographically lower than the north, Goulburn, Queanbeyan and Yass in the centre and Cooma, Jindabyne Australian Alps, which lie to the southwest. It extends to the Great and Bombala in the south. Escarpment in the east and to the western slopes of the inland drainage basins. The bioregion continues into Victoria. The substrate is formed of The Lachlan, Macquarie, Murray, Murrumbidgee, Shoalhaven and Snowy Palaeozoic granites, metamorphosed sedimentary rocks and Tertiary basalts. Rivers all flow across the bioregion. Mean Annual Minimum Maximum Mean Annual Minimum Maximum Temperature Average Monthly Average Monthly Rainfall Average Monthly Average Monthly Temperature Temperature Rainfall Rainfall 6 – 16°C -3.8 – 4.7°C 18 – 31.3°C 460 – 1883mm 23 – 98mm 55 – 220mm South Eastern Highlands 204 The Bioregions of New South Wales – their biodiversity, conservation and history 4. -
The Nature of Northern Australia
THE NATURE OF NORTHERN AUSTRALIA Natural values, ecological processes and future prospects 1 (Inside cover) Lotus Flowers, Blue Lagoon, Lakefield National Park, Cape York Peninsula. Photo by Kerry Trapnell 2 Northern Quoll. Photo by Lochman Transparencies 3 Sammy Walker, elder of Tirralintji, Kimberley. Photo by Sarah Legge 2 3 4 Recreational fisherman with 4 barramundi, Gulf Country. Photo by Larissa Cordner 5 Tourists in Zebidee Springs, Kimberley. Photo by Barry Traill 5 6 Dr Tommy George, Laura, 6 7 Cape York Peninsula. Photo by Kerry Trapnell 7 Cattle mustering, Mornington Station, Kimberley. Photo by Alex Dudley ii THE NATURE OF NORTHERN AUSTRALIA Natural values, ecological processes and future prospects AUTHORS John Woinarski, Brendan Mackey, Henry Nix & Barry Traill PROJECT COORDINATED BY Larelle McMillan & Barry Traill iii Published by ANU E Press Design by Oblong + Sons Pty Ltd The Australian National University 07 3254 2586 Canberra ACT 0200, Australia www.oblong.net.au Email: [email protected] Web: http://epress.anu.edu.au Printed by Printpoint using an environmentally Online version available at: http://epress. friendly waterless printing process, anu.edu.au/nature_na_citation.html eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and saving precious water supplies. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry This book has been printed on ecoStar 300gsm and 9Lives 80 Silk 115gsm The nature of Northern Australia: paper using soy-based inks. it’s natural values, ecological processes and future prospects. EcoStar is an environmentally responsible 100% recycled paper made from 100% ISBN 9781921313301 (pbk.) post-consumer waste that is FSC (Forest ISBN 9781921313318 (online) Stewardship Council) CoC (Chain of Custody) certified and bleached chlorine free (PCF). -
Toward Sustainable Management: Southern Africa's Afromontane, And
Proceedings 6th National Conference of the Australian Forest History Society Inc, Michael Calver et al. (eds) © 2005 Millpress, Rotterdam, ISBN 90 5966 026 9 Toward sustainable management: Southern Africa’s Afromontane, and Western Australia’s jarrah forests Grant Wardell-Johnson Natural and Rural Systems Management, The University of Queensland, Gatton, 4343 Michael Calver Biological Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150 Peer reviewed contribution Keywords: logging, Afromontane forest, jarrah forest, management regimes, sustainability, silviculture, employment, plantations ABSTRACT: We review the history of forest management in two southern hemisphere forest types: Western Australia’s jarrah Eucalyptus marginata forests and the Afromontane forests of southern Africa to determine approaches for achieving sustainable forest management. We argue that despite major differences in the ecology and biogeography of these two forest types, a shared pattern in the history of exploitation may provide lessons for achieving sustainable management across forest types. While advanced silvicultural understanding has long been achieved in both for- est types, this in itself has not led to either sustainable management or to public acceptance of forest management regimes. In both areas an early, rapid expansion of uncontrolled timber removal and in the number of operating timber mills was followed by controlled exploitation, a rapid decline in the numbers of mills and, more recently, a general decline in yield. In neither case was increased con- cern about conservation responsible for the reduction in either yield or in employment in the indus- try. Rather, in WA jarrah forests, amendments in purpose and tenure were subsequent to the loss of most mills and towns, while in southern Africa’s Afromontane forests, timber workers were pen- sioned by 1939 because of scanty remaining merchantable timber. -
Legune Coastal Floodplain
Legune coastal floodplain Location and Description Located between the mouths of the Victoria and Keep Rivers and 330 km south-west of Darwin in the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, the Legune coastal floodplain is the western-most coastal floodplain in the Northern Territory. The floodplain extends across extensive tidal flats to Turtle Point in the north and includes a range of freshwater wetland habitats. Large areas of mangroves are associated with the major rivers and channels. Despite close proximity to major rivers, the catchment area for the floodplain system is relatively small being supplied by Forsyth Creek and other smaller unnamed creeks. This differs from other coastal floodplain systems in the Territory which are directly inundated by the river they are associated with. Tenure and Land Use Google Earth imagery This coastal floodplain is predominantly pastoral leasehold land within one pastoral property (Legune). The main land use within the Site is grazing of cattle on native pastures. Significance Rating International Significance Ecological Values The Legune wetlands comprise extensive areas of diverse freshwater and saline wetland habitat and are known to support more than 40 000 mixed waterbirds, mostly Wandering Whistling-Ducks and various egrets and herons. At least four waterbird breeding colonies have also been recorded on the floodplain, including the second largest waterbird colony in the Territory. Turtle Point supports high density nesting of the Flatback Turtles and significant aggregations of migratory shorebirds. Management Issues Grazing pressure from cattle can affect wetland habitats, especially where access is not restricted during wet periods. Any future expansion of the Ord irrigation scheme is likely to affect the lower Keep River, which may have some impacts on the Legune floodplain. -
Natural Values and Resource Use in the Limmen Bight
NATURAL VALUES AND RESOURCE USE IN THE LIMMEN BIGHT REGION © Australian Marine Conservation Society, January 2019 Australian Marine Conservation Society Phone: +61 (07) 3846 6777 Freecall: 1800 066 299 Email: [email protected] PO Box 5815 West End QLD 4101 Keep Top End Coasts Healthy Alliance Keep Top End Coasts Healthy is an alliance of environment groups including the Australian Marine Conservation Society, the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Environment Centre of the Northern Territory. Authors: Chris Smyth and Joel Turner, Centre for Conservation Geography Printing: Printed on 100% recycled paper by IMAGE OFFSET, Darwin. Maps: Centre for Conservation Geography This report is an independent research paper prepared by the Centre for Conservation Geography commissioned by, and for the exclusive use of, the Keep Top End Coasts Healthy (KTECH) alliance. The report must only be used by KTECH, or with the explicit permission of KTECH. The matters covered in the report are those agreed to between KTECH and the authors. The report does not purport to consider exhaustively all values of the Limmen Bight region. The authors do not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation, compensatory, direct, indirect, or consequential damages and claims of third parties that may be caused directly or indirectly through the use of, reliance upon or interpretation of the contents of the report. Cover photos: Main - Limmen River. Photo: David Hancock Inset (L-R): Green Turtle, Recreational fishing is an important leisure activity in -
Phylogenetic Structure of Vertebrate Communities Across the Australian
Journal of Biogeography (J. Biogeogr.) (2013) 40, 1059–1070 ORIGINAL Phylogenetic structure of vertebrate ARTICLE communities across the Australian arid zone Hayley C. Lanier*, Danielle L. Edwards and L. Lacey Knowles Department of Ecology and Evolutionary ABSTRACT Biology, Museum of Zoology, University of Aim To understand the relative importance of ecological and historical factors Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079, USA in structuring terrestrial vertebrate assemblages across the Australian arid zone, and to contrast patterns of community phylogenetic structure at a continental scale. Location Australia. Methods We present evidence from six lineages of terrestrial vertebrates (five lizard clades and one clade of marsupial mice) that have diversified in arid and semi-arid Australia across 37 biogeographical regions. Measures of within-line- age community phylogenetic structure and species turnover were computed to examine how patterns differ across the continent and between taxonomic groups. These results were examined in relation to climatic and historical fac- tors, which are thought to play a role in community phylogenetic structure. Analyses using a novel sliding-window approach confirm the generality of pro- cesses structuring the assemblages of the Australian arid zone at different spa- tial scales. Results Phylogenetic structure differed greatly across taxonomic groups. Although these lineages have radiated within the same biome – the Australian arid zone – they exhibit markedly different community structure at the regio- nal and local levels. Neither current climatic factors nor historical habitat sta- bility resulted in a uniform response across communities. Rather, historical and biogeographical aspects of community composition (i.e. local lineage per- sistence and diversification histories) appeared to be more important in explaining the variation in phylogenetic structure. -
Semi-Evergreen Vine Thickets of the Brigalow Belt (North and South) And
145° 150° 155° Semi-evergreen vine thickets of the Brigalow Belt (North and South) and ° ° Nandewar Bioregions 0 Charters Towers 0 2 " 2 - - This is an indicative map only and it is not intended for fine scale assessment. Mackay " Legend Winton " Ecological community likely to occur Brigalow Belt (North and South) and Nandewar Bioregions Emerald " Major Roads Gladstone " Note: The areas of Semi-evergreen vine thickets of the Blackall Brigalow Belt (North and South) and Nandewar Bioregions in " Queensland shown on this map all contain the ecological community but may have varying proportions of other communities Bundaberg mixed within the Semi-evergreen vine thickets. ° " ° 5 5 2 2 - - Source: Semi-evergreen vine thickets of the Brigalow Belt (North and South) and Nandewar Bioregions. The distribution in Queensland consists of Regional Ecosystems Nos 11.3.11, 11.4.1, 11.5.15, 11.8.13, 11.9.4, 11.11.18, 11.2.3, 11.8.3, 11.8.6, and 11.9.8 as defined by Sattler, P. and Williams, R. (eds) (1999). The Conservation of Queensland's Bioregional Ecosystems, Qld EPA Roma and mapped by Queensland Herbarium (Remnant Vegetation 2005 " v5). The distribution in NSW is from the Department of the Environment and Heritage's Native Vegetation Information System (NVIS), 2006. The following attributes were mapped from the Dalby 'Source_Code' field; e3 - Semi-evergreen Vine Thicket. Addtional areas " were derived according to Benson, J.S., Dick, R. and Zubovic, A. Brisbane " (1996). Semi-evergreen vine thicket vegetation at Derra Derra Ridge, Bingara, New South Wales. Cunninghamia 4(3): 497-510; and the Nomination. -
MVG04 Tropical Eucalypt Open Forests DRAFT
MVG 4 - TROPICAL EUCALYPT OPEN FORESTS Tropical eucalypt savanna forest Kakadu National Park, NT (Photo: D. Keith) Overview Also known as tropical savannas. MVG 4 occurs in high rainfall areas of Cape York in Queensland, on Melville and Bathurst Islands, the Top End in Northern Territory, and in Western Australia close to Kimberley coast. Structurally it is an open forest with a tall grass-dominated groundlayer. Dominated by eucalypts, primarily species of Corymbia and Eucalyptus, notably the subgenera Fibridia and Leprolaena, but the tree canopy also includes a range of tropical non-eucalypt genera. The grassy understorey is dominated by annual and perennial species exclusively with C4 photosynthetic pathways. Closely associated with tropical monsoonal climates with wet summers and dry winters. Regularly fire-prone in dry seasons. Facts and figures Major Vegetation Group MVG 4 – Tropical Eucalypt Open Forests Major Vegetation Subgroups xx. Tropical eucalypt savanna forest NT, QLD, WA (number of NVIS descriptions) Typical NVIS structural formations Low open forest Number of IBRA regions 26 Most extensive in IBRA region Est. pre-1750: Jarrah Forest (WA) (Est. pre-1750 and present) Present: Nandewar (NSW) Estimated pre-1750 extent (km2) 4 726 Present extent (km2) 3 952 Area protected (km2) 1 417 Structure and physiognomy Open forests dominated by eucalypts with tall grass dominated understories. Trees are taller with straighter boles and the canopy cover is greater than in the savanna woodlands of MVG 12. Leaves of the tree canopies are sclerophyllous and vary in size from notophyll (20 – 45 cm2) to mesophyll (45 – 150 cm2). Broad-leaved shrubs, palms and cycads occur in the understorey (Dunlop 2001; Beard et al. -
Building Nature's Safety Net 2008
Building Nature’s Safety Net 2008 Progress on the Directions for the National Reserve System Paul Sattler and Martin Taylor Telstra is a proud partner of the WWF Building Nature's Map sources and caveats Safety Net initiative. The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia © WWF-Australia. All rights protected (IBRA) version 6.1 (2004) and the CAPAD (2006) were ISBN: 1 921031 271 developed through cooperative efforts of the Australian Authors: Paul Sattler and Martin Taylor Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage WWF-Australia and the Arts and State/Territory land management agencies. Head Office Custodianship rests with these agencies. GPO Box 528 Maps are copyright © the Australian Government Department Sydney NSW 2001 of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts 2008 or © Tel: +612 9281 5515 Fax: +612 9281 1060 WWF-Australia as indicated. www.wwf.org.au About the Authors First published March 2008 by WWF-Australia. Any reproduction in full or part of this publication must Paul Sattler OAM mention the title and credit the above mentioned publisher Paul has a lifetime experience working professionally in as the copyright owner. The report is may also be nature conservation. In the early 1990’s, whilst with the downloaded as a pdf file from the WWF-Australia website. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Paul was the principal This report should be cited as: architect in doubling Queensland’s National Park estate. This included the implementation of representative park networks Sattler, P.S. and Taylor, M.F.J. 2008. Building Nature’s for bioregions across the State. Paul initiated and guided the Safety Net 2008. -
Koala Conservation Status in New South Wales Biolink Koala Conservation Review
koala conservation status in new south wales Biolink koala conservation review Table of Contents 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................... 3 2. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 6 3. DESCRIPTION OF THE NSW POPULATION .............................................................. 6 Current distribution ............................................................................................................... 6 Size of NSW koala population .............................................................................................. 8 4. INFORMING CHANGES TO POPULATION ESTIMATES ....................................... 12 Bionet Records and Published Reports ............................................................................... 15 Methods – Bionet records ............................................................................................... 15 Methods – available reports ............................................................................................ 15 Results ............................................................................................................................ 16 The 2019 Fires .................................................................................................................... 22 Methods ......................................................................................................................... -
Littoral Rainforests and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia
Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia A nationally threatened ecological community Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia 1 POLICY STATEMENT 3.9 Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia A nationally threatened ecological community This brochure is designed to assist land managers, owners and occupiers to identify, assess and manage the Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia, an ecological community listed under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The brochure is a companion document for the listing advice which can be found at the Australian Government’s species profile and threats database (SPRAT). Please go to the Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia profile in SPRAT: www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publiclookupcommunities.pl 2 Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia What is an ecological community? An ecological community is a unique and naturally occurring group of plants and animals. Its presence and distribution is determined by environmental factors such as soil type, position in the landscape, climate and water availability. Species within such communities interact and depend on each other - for example, for food or shelter. Examples of communities listed under the EPBC Act include woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, forests, wetlands, ground springs and cave communities. Together with threatened species, ecological Management Authority Tropics © Wet communities are protected as one of several matters Ptilinopus superbus, superb fruit dove. Listed Marine Species of National Environmental Significance under the EPBC Ecological communities provide a range of ecosystem Act.