A Review of Natural Values Within the 2013 Extension to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area
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A review of natural values within the 2013 extension to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Nature Conservation Report 2017/6 Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Hobart A review of natural values within the 2013 extension to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Jayne Balmer, Jason Bradbury, Karen Richards, Tim Rudman, Micah Visoiu, Shannon Troy and Naomi Lawrence. Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Nature Conservation Report 2017/6, September 2017 This report was prepared under the direction of the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (World Heritage Program). Australian Government funds were contributed to the project through the World Heritage Area program. The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Tasmanian or Australian Governments. ISSN 1441-0680 Copyright 2017 Crown in right of State of Tasmania Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright act, no part may be reproduced by any means without permission from the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment. Published by Natural Values Conservation Branch Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment GPO Box 44 Hobart, Tasmania, 7001 Front Cover Photograph of Eucalyptus regnans tall forest in the Styx Valley: Rob Blakers Cite as: Balmer, J., Bradbury, J., Richards, K., Rudman, T., Visoiu, M., Troy, S. and Lawrence, N. 2017. A review of natural values within the 2013 extension to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Nature Conservation Report 2017/6, Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart. A review of natural values within the 2013 extension 2 to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Table of Contents PART A: INTRODUCTION . 5 Glossary . .5 Introduction . 9 Methods . 12 Overview of values within the extension area . 21 Part A references . 39 PART B: NORTHWEST SECTOR . 44 Summary of key values of the Northwest sector . 45 Natural values of the Nelson River unit . 46 Natural values of the St Clair unit . .57 Sites for education, research and monitoring in the Northwest sector . 74 Reliability of data for the Northwest sector . 75 Key threats and management issues for the Northwest sector . 76 Key gaps in natural values information for the Northwest sector . 80 Part B references . .83 PART C: CENTRAL NORTH SECTOR . 87 Summary of key values of the Central North sector . .88 Geodiversity setting of the Central North sector . 90 Natural values of the Dove River unit . .92 Natural values of the Upper Mersey unit . .105 Natural values of the Quamby Bluff unit . 123 Natural values of the Great Western Tiers unit . 137 Natural values of the Northeastern Central Plateau unit . 151 Sites for education, research and monitoring in the Central North sector . 163 Reliability of data for the Central North sector . 164 Key threats and management issues for the Central North sector . 167 Key gaps in natural values information for the Central North sector . 172 Part C references . .174 A review of natural values within the 2013 extension 3 to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area PART D: CENTRAL SOUTH SECTOR . 178 Summary of key values of the Central South sector . 179 Geodiversity setting of the Central South sector . .181 Natural values of the Florentine unit . .183 Natural values of the Mt Field National Park unit . .199 Natural values of the Clear Hill-Wedge unit . .220 Natural values of the Styx-Tyenna unit . 235 Sites for education, research and monitoring in the Central South sector . 251 Reliability of data for the Central South sector . .253 Key threats and management issues for the Central South sector . .258 Key gaps in natural values information for the Central South sector . .263 Part D references . .266 PART E: SOUTHEAST SECTOR . 275 Summary of key values of the Southeast sector . 276 Geodiversity setting of the Southeast sector . .277 Natural values of the Weld-Snowy unit . .279 Natural values of the Huon-Picton unit . .296 Natural values of the Hartz-Esperance unit . 312 Natural values of the Recherche unit . .327 Sites for education, research and monitoring in the Southeast sector . .340 Reliability of data for the Southeast sector . 341 Key threats and management issues for the Southeast sector . 345 Key gaps in natural values information for the Southeast sector . 349 Part E references . 352 PART F: APPENDICES . 357 A review of natural values within the 2013 extension 4 to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area INTRODUCTION A: PART Acknowledgements Anni McCuaig was the principal liaison with PWS. At various times Jason Bradbury, Michael Comfort, Rosemary Gales, Naomi Lawrence and Peter Voller provided oversight and direction. Rolan Eberhard made a substantive contribution regarding karst. Expert editorial advice and some text was provided for threatened flora by Richard Schahinger, for other flora and vegetation values and threats by Micah Visoiu and Tim Rudman and for geodiversity values by Michael Comfort. Felicity Faulkner assisted with spatial analysis of biological data and prepared the unit location maps. Janette Brennan and Hit Send provided copy editing services and Brett Littleton prepared the layout. 1 Glossary 1.1 Acronyms, abbreviations ABRS Australian Biological Resources Study ALA Atlas of Living Australia; http://www .ala .org .au ASL Above sea level BAMP The Baseline Altitudinal Monitoring Project; a research project at Warra BRAM Bushfire Response Assessment Model; an information system which informs the risk analysis for fire management and planning by the PWS CA Conservation Area CAR Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative; conservation objectives for the Reserve Estate CFT Climate Futures Tasmania DPIPWE Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Tasmania EPBCA Also EPBC Act, Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 FPPF Future Potential Production Forest; a category of informal reserve area GR Game Reserve; a category of formal reserve ILS Information and Land Services Division, DPIPWE INV International value LiDAR Light detection and ranging LTER Long-Term Ecological Research; a permanent research site at Warra in the Huon Valley NCA Tasmanian Nature Conservation Act 2002 NP National Park; a reserve type with a high level of protection under Tasmanian legislation, managed by the Parks and Wildlife Service in accordance with a management plan NR Nature Reserve; a category of formal reserve NRA Nature Recreation Area; a category of formal reserve A review of natural values within the 2013 extension 5 to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area INTRODUCTION A: PART NV National value NVA Natural Values Atlas; a spatial database, repository for natural values, www .naturalvaluesatlas .tas .gov .au NVCB Natural Values Conservation Branch, a branch within DPIPWE OUV Outstanding universal value PA Public Authority land within the TWWHA PWS Parks and Wildlife Service, Tasmania RR Regional Reserve; a category of formal reserve RS Regional Significance RV Regional Value SR State Reserve; a category of formal reserve that are managed by the Parks and Wildlife Service in accordance with a management plan SV State value TERN Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network TGD Tasmanian Geoconservation Database TLC Tasmanian Land Conservancy TNVC Threatened Native Vegetation Community: Schedule 3A, Nature Conservation Act 2002 TPLUC Tasmanian Public Land Use Commission TSPA Also TSP Act, Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 TSS Threatened Species Section, Natural and Cultural Heritage Division, DPIPWE TVMMP Tasmanian Vegetation Monitoring and Mapping Program, a work unit within DPIPWE TWWHA Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area UNESCO The United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (WHA nominations and listings) WCP Wildfire Chronosequence Project, a research project at Warra WHA World Heritage Area A review of natural values within the 2013 extension 6 to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area INTRODUCTION A: PART 1.2 Definitions Adequacy An objective of the reserve system is that the natural values contained within reserves, for example populations, species or communities, are of sufficient size, extent and arrangement that ecosystem processes are sustainable and that the long-term viability and integrity of these values is ensured. Methods of assessing adequacy of reservation are poorly developed, as the requirements for long-term sustainability of values are usually poorly understood and vary greatly between species and communities. However, metapopulation theory and landscape ecology have demonstrated that in general the larger the area of a community or population size of species which is retained, the greater are its chances of long-term persistence. Edge effects from land clearance and other human disturbance pose threats to the viability of some species and communities. Sustainability of species and ecosystem processes usually requires the protection of multiple populations and areas of a community. Maintaining connectivity between populations and communities also increases the resilience of species and communities to stochastic disturbance and threatening processes. Comprehensive An objective of the reserve system for any given region (e.g. State of Tasmania) is for the reserve system to include examples of the full range of natural