Practical Ecology Report

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Assessment of Flora, Fauna and Habitat at the Blackburn Creeklands and General Recommendations for Conservation Management Prepared for Whitehorse City Council November 2001 Practical Ecology Pty Ltd ABN 88 082 911 377 PO Box 228, Preston, Victoria, 3072 Ph: (03) 9490 1434 Fax: 9499 9122 Mobile: 0417 517 011 Email: [email protected] Assessment of Flora and Fauna and Habitat at the Blackburn Creeklands INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 1 THE STUDY SITE ................................................................................................................................................... 1 CLIMATE ............................................................................................................................................................... 1 PHYSIOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY AND SOILS ................................................................................................................. 2 RESEARCH AND ASSESSMENT: LITERATURE SEARCH AND FIELDWORK ................................................................ 2 PART 1) ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES ASSESSMENT ................................................................................. 3 1.1 PRE-EUROPEAN ECOLOGY, LOCAL HISTORY AND THE MODERN LANDSCAPE ................................................. 3 1.2 FLORA ............................................................................................................................................................. 4 1.2.1 Existing Vegetation: Condition and Quality ........................................................................................... 4 1.2.2 Past and Present Vegetation Communities ............................................................................................. 6 1.2.3 Determining Conservation Significance or Rarity .................................................................................. 7 1.2.4 Significant Flora and Vegetation Communities ...................................................................................... 7 # Table 1. Flora of Regional Significance in Blackburn Creeklands ............................................................... 8 Table 2. Indigenous Vegetation Communities within Blackburn Creeklands and their Significance .............. 9 1.3 HABITAT AND INDIGENOUS FAUNA ................................................................................................................. 9 1.3.1 General Habitat Values......................................................................................................................... 10 1.3.2 Fauna Species in the Creeklands .......................................................................................................... 11 1.3.3 Significant Fauna in the Creeklands ..................................................................................................... 12 Table 3. Significant Bird Species Recorded at Blackburn Creeklands .......................................................... 14 1.3.4 Gaps in Fauna Records and Implications for Management ................................................................. 16 1.4 MANAGEMENT BLOCKS AND SITES OF CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE ......................................................... 16 1.4.1 Management Blocks .............................................................................................................................. 16 Table 4. Management Blocks: Extent, Description and Issues ...................................................................... 16 1.4.2 Local Sites of Conservation Significance .............................................................................................. 20 Table 5. Local Sites of Conservation Significance ......................................................................................... 20 PART 2) THREATS/RISKS TO ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES AND MANAGEMENT ISSUES ........... 21 2.1 ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS .......................................................................................................................... 21 2.1.1 Weed Invasion ....................................................................................................................................... 21 2.1.2 Predation by Feral and Domestic Predators and Harassment by Domestic Dogs ............................... 23 2.1.3 Competition for Tree Hollows and other Habitat Components ............................................................ 23 2.1.4 Fire and Fire Management ................................................................................................................... 24 2.1.5 Tree Decline and Dieback ..................................................................................................................... 24 2.1.6 Habitat Fragmentation ......................................................................................................................... 24 2.1.7 Additional Introduced Pests and Impacts ............................................................................................. 25 2.1.8 Numerous Boundaries with Private Land ............................................................................................. 25 2.1.9 Erosion and Erosion Control ................................................................................................................ 26 2.2 ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITIES ................................................................................................................ 26 2.2.1 Past Regeneration and Restoration Works ........................................................................................... 26 2.2.2 Active Community Conservation Group ............................................................................................... 26 2.2.3 Boundaries with Private Land .............................................................................................................. 26 2.2.4 Cooperating With Melbourne Water ..................................................................................................... 27 PART 3) RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES AND PRIORITISED ACTIONS FOR FUTURE MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................................................................. 28 3.1 GENERAL MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES ............................................................................................................ 28 3.2 GENERAL MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND BIODIVERSITY ENHANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES ................................ 29 3.2.1 Alternative Models for Revegetation ..................................................................................................... 29 3.2.2 Managing Interfaces with Private Property .......................................................................................... 31 3.2.3 Habitat Corridor Development ............................................................................................................. 32 3.2.4 Nestbox Provision and Hollow Management Program ........................................................................ 33 3.3 MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LOCAL SITES OF CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE .......................... 33 3.4 MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT BLOCKS ................................................................ 34 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................... 41 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................................... 41 Prepared by Practical Ecology P/L Assessment of Flora and Fauna and Habitat at the Blackburn Creeklands APPENDIX 1. VASCULAR PLANTS RECORDED AT BLACKBURN CREEKLANDS .......................... 44 APPENDIX 1. VASCULAR PLANTS RECORDED AT BLACKBURN CREEKLANDS .......................... 44 APPENDIX 2. BIRD SPECIES RECORDED AT BLACKBURN CREEKLANDS ..................................... 53 APPENDIX 3. MAMMALS, REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS OBSERVED AT BLACKBURN CREEKLANDS .................................................................................................................................................... 59 APPENDIX 4. INTRODUCED FLORA IN THE BLACKBURN CREEKLANDS: A SUMMARY OF THEIR STATUS AND CONTROL ................................................................................................................... 60 APPENDIX 5. SPECIES LISTS FOR REVEGETATION IN BLACKBURN CREEKLANDS .................. 65 MAP 1A. VEGETATION QUALITY AND CONDITION ASSESSMENT: MIDDLEBOROUGH RD. TO PAKENHAM ST. ................................................................................................................................................. 74 MAP 1B. VEGETATION QUALITY AND CONDITION ASSESSMENT: PAKENHAM ST. TO WARATAH CR. .................................................................................................................................................. 75 MAP 1C. VEGETATION QUALITY AND CONDITION ASSESSMENT: WARATAH CR. TO MAIN ST. .......................................................................................................................................................................... 76 MAP 1D. VEGETATION QUALITY AND CONDITION ASSESSMENT: MAIN ST. TO BLACKBURN RD. ........................................................................................................................................................................

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