DOCSLIB.ORG

BIOLOGICAL REPORT October 2019

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

APPENDIX J: BIOLOGICAL REPORT October 2019 INSERT LOGO Darwin Processing Facility Biological Survey Middle Arm, Darwin Harbour, N.T. Prepared on behalf of TNG Limited by: Darwin Processing Plant: Lot 1817, Hundred of Ayers, Middle Arm Peninsula Animal Plant Mineral Pty Ltd of Darwin Harbour BIOLOGICAL SURVEY Completed by: Animal Plant Mineral Pty Ltd ABN: 86 886 455 949 Tel: (08) 6296 5155 Fax: (08) 6296 5199 Address: 47 Caroline Retreat Henley Brook, Western Australia 6055 Website: www.animalplantmineral.com.au For further information on this report please contact: Ms Sharon Arena Tel: 0419 934 461 Email: [email protected] Disclaimer This document is protected by legal professional privilege. To ensure privilege is not waived, please keep this document confidential and in a safe and secure place. This document should not be distributed, nor any reference to it made, to any person or organization not directly involved in making decisions upon the subject matter of this document. If this document is requested by a third party, legal advice should be immediately obtained prior to that person viewing or taking the document to ensure that any necessary disclosure occurs in an appropriate manner. TNG Page | i BIOLOGICAL SURVEY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TNG Limited (TNG) is proposing to construct and operate the Darwin Processing Facility located on Middle Arm Peninsula of Darwin Harbour. Animal Plant Mineral Proprietary Limited (APM) was engaged by TNG in 2018 to provide a multiple-season terrestrial biological assessment to assist in the placement of the development and to support environmental approval applications for the proposed Project. The current report includes the combined data from a range of surveys conducted at the site, including previously unreported vegetation, flora, fauna, and migratory shorebird surveys conducted in 2016 and 2017 by GHD Environmental Consultants, and flora and vegetation, targeted migratory shorebird, and mammal surveys conducted by APM in 2018 and 2019. The site of the proposed Darwin Processing Facility has been heavily and extensively disturbed by previous use as a quarry, use by local residents for recreational activities (e.g. motorbike riding), and from illegal dumping of rubbish. However, the site retains biological values of conservation significance. Darwin Harbour is a site of both conservation and international significance. Sensitive and significant vegetation occurs in the Study area including riparian vegetation, Monsoon closed forest, and Eucalyptus woodland containing large trees with hollows suitable for fauna. No critical habitats listed under the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2006 (TPWC Act), or ecological communities listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), are present in the Study area, and no flora listed under the EPBC Act were detected in the Study area. Numerous plants listed under the TPWC Act were recorded, including Cycas armstrongii (Vulnerable) and Tricoryne elatior (Near Threatened). Targeted searches for Atalaya brevialata (Critically Endangered EPBC Act), Typhonium taylori (Endangered EPBC Act and TPWC Act), and Typhonium praetermissum (Vulnerable TPWC Act) failed to locate these species in the Study area. The Class B weed *Andropogon gayanus (Gamba Grass) occurs within the Study area at high densities along tracks and in areas not rehabilitated post-disturbance. Legislation requires that this weed be controlled. Seven habitat types have been identified across the Study area and, when coupled with the adjacent waterways, support a diverse and abundant range of fauna. The assemblage of conservation significant birds at the site is predominantly migratory shorebirds, mostly occurring within the tidal waterways, including the mudflats and mangroves. During field surveys, 33 fauna species of conservation significance have been recorded, including 22 birds, seven mammals, three reptiles, and one amphibian. Of particular note, the Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis), listed as Critically Endangered (EPBC Act), and the Black-footed Tree-rat (Mesembriomys gouldii gouldii), listed as Endangered (EPBC Act), have been recorded within the Study area. The Pale Field-rat (Rattus tunneyi) and Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii), both listed as Vulnerable (TPWC Act), have also been recorded. As the Study area hosts an abundance of Near Threated (TPWC Act) mammal species, a monitoring survey was established in 2019 involving trapping across the entire area. The Howard River Toadlet (Uperoleia daviesae), listed as Vulnerable (TPWC Act), may have been recorded in 2017; however, the identification was not confirmed using acoustic analysis, meaning a targeted survey will be conducted to validate the records. TNG Page | ii BIOLOGICAL SURVEY CONTENTS UNITS OF MEASURE ...................................................................................................................................... vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................................. vii 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 9 1.1 Project and Location .............................................................................................................................. 9 1.2 Scope of Work ..................................................................................................................................... 13 1.2.1 Terrestrial Flora and Vegetation ..................................................................................................... 13 1.2.2 Terrestrial Fauna ............................................................................................................................. 13 2 Background and Supporting Information .................................................................................. 15 2.1 Relevant Legislation ............................................................................................................................. 15 2.1.1 Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ........................ 15 2.1.2 Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2006 ....................................................................... 16 2.1.3 Environmental Assessment Act 1982 and Environmental Assessment Administrative Procedures 1984 ........................................................................................................................................................ 16 2.1.4 Northern Territory Planning Act 2016 ............................................................................................. 17 2.1.5 Weeds Management Act 2001 ....................................................................................................... 17 2.1.6 Soil Conservation and Land Utilisation Act 2016 ............................................................................ 18 2.1.7 Northern Territory Policies and Guidelines .................................................................................... 18 2.1.8 Government Mapping..................................................................................................................... 18 2.2 Land Use .............................................................................................................................................. 19 2.3 Climate ................................................................................................................................................. 19 2.4 Biogeographic Regionalisation ............................................................................................................ 20 2.4.1 Land Systems .................................................................................................................................. 20 2.4.2 Land Units ....................................................................................................................................... 21 3 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 25 3.1 Contributing Authors ........................................................................................................................... 25 3.2 Constraints ........................................................................................................................................... 26 3.3 Database Searches ............................................................................................................................... 28 3.4 Field Survey .......................................................................................................................................... 29 3.4.1 Flora and Vegetation Survey Timing ............................................................................................... 29 3.4.2 Flora and Vegetation Survey Methodology .................................................................................... 32 3.4.3 Conservation Significant Flora Targeted Searches .......................................................................... 34 3.4.4 Significant Vegetation ..................................................................................................................... 36 3.4.5 Flora and Vegetation Data Analysis ...............................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • Excursion Report July 2019

    Excursion Report July 2019

    July 2019 Number 193 In this issue... Excursion report July 2019..................................................1 Cooktown Botanic Gardens Work Party 2019...............................1 Species List .........................................5 Australian Native Plants Society (Australia) - 2019 Conference............................................8 Excursion report Blooming Biodiversity............8 Albany, Western Australia July 2019 - 29th September to 4 October 2019..............................8 Cooktown Botanic Gardens Work Party 2019 Mystery Styphelia Update.......8 Don Lawie and Stuart Worboys What's Happening.........................9 Cooktown Botanic Gardens is Queensland's Cairns Branch.............................9 northern-most botanic gardens. Established Townsville Branch....................9 not long after the town's birth in 1873, the gardens are home to historic stone-pitched Tablelands Branch...................9 waterways. and grand and unusual heritage trees. They also lie a short distance from the Endeavour River, where in 1770 Cook beached his damaged ship for repairs after an unfortunate interaction with the Great Barrier Reef. Page 1 During their sevenSGAP Cairnsweek enforcedBranch - Newsletterstay, the 193 botanist Joseph Banks, naturalist wet season plus much work has Daniels Solander and their party resulted in a green outlook of surveyed and collected more neat graveled pathways, low key extensively than anywhere else on but effective fencing, and trees, their voyage, making Cooktown shrubs and vines all thriving and arguably the birthplace of well mulched. An efficient but Australian scientific botany. unobtrusive “pop-up” watering Since 1987, Cooktown Botanic system has assisted with Gardens has been the semi-regular maintaining growth. mid-year destination for Cairns and Tablelands branches of SGAP. Over the decades, we have assisted with tasks across the gardens, from weeding to planting, from mulching to bridge renovations.
  • Brooklyn, Cloudland, Melsonby (Gaarraay)

    Brooklyn, Cloudland, Melsonby (Gaarraay)

    BUSH BLITZ SPECIES DISCOVERY PROGRAM Brooklyn, Cloudland, Melsonby (Gaarraay) Nature Refuges Eubenangee Swamp, Hann Tableland, Melsonby (Gaarraay) National Parks Upper Bridge Creek Queensland 29 April–27 May · 26–27 July 2010 Australian Biological Resources Study What is Contents Bush Blitz? Bush Blitz is a four-year, What is Bush Blitz? 2 multi-million dollar Abbreviations 2 partnership between the Summary 3 Australian Government, Introduction 4 BHP Billiton and Earthwatch Reserves Overview 6 Australia to document plants Methods 11 and animals in selected properties across Australia’s Results 14 National Reserve System. Discussion 17 Appendix A: Species Lists 31 Fauna 32 This innovative partnership Vertebrates 32 harnesses the expertise of many Invertebrates 50 of Australia’s top scientists from Flora 62 museums, herbaria, universities, Appendix B: Threatened Species 107 and other institutions and Fauna 108 organisations across the country. Flora 111 Appendix C: Exotic and Pest Species 113 Fauna 114 Flora 115 Glossary 119 Abbreviations ANHAT Australian Natural Heritage Assessment Tool EPBC Act Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth) NCA Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Queensland) NRS National Reserve System 2 Bush Blitz survey report Summary A Bush Blitz survey was conducted in the Cape Exotic vertebrate pests were not a focus York Peninsula, Einasleigh Uplands and Wet of this Bush Blitz, however the Cane Toad Tropics bioregions of Queensland during April, (Rhinella marina) was recorded in both Cloudland May and July 2010. Results include 1,186 species Nature Refuge and Hann Tableland National added to those known across the reserves. Of Park. Only one exotic invertebrate species was these, 36 are putative species new to science, recorded, the Spiked Awlsnail (Allopeas clavulinus) including 24 species of true bug, 9 species of in Cloudland Nature Refuge.
  • Disaggregation of Bird Families Listed on Cms Appendix Ii

    Disaggregation of Bird Families Listed on Cms Appendix Ii

    Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals 2nd Meeting of the Sessional Committee of the CMS Scientific Council (ScC-SC2) Bonn, Germany, 10 – 14 July 2017 UNEP/CMS/ScC-SC2/Inf.3 DISAGGREGATION OF BIRD FAMILIES LISTED ON CMS APPENDIX II (Prepared by the Appointed Councillors for Birds) Summary: The first meeting of the Sessional Committee of the Scientific Council identified the adoption of a new standard reference for avian taxonomy as an opportunity to disaggregate the higher-level taxa listed on Appendix II and to identify those that are considered to be migratory species and that have an unfavourable conservation status. The current paper presents an initial analysis of the higher-level disaggregation using the Handbook of the Birds of the World/BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World Volumes 1 and 2 taxonomy, and identifies the challenges in completing the analysis to identify all of the migratory species and the corresponding Range States. The document has been prepared by the COP Appointed Scientific Councilors for Birds. This is a supplementary paper to COP document UNEP/CMS/COP12/Doc.25.3 on Taxonomy and Nomenclature UNEP/CMS/ScC-Sc2/Inf.3 DISAGGREGATION OF BIRD FAMILIES LISTED ON CMS APPENDIX II 1. Through Resolution 11.19, the Conference of Parties adopted as the standard reference for bird taxonomy and nomenclature for Non-Passerine species the Handbook of the Birds of the World/BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World, Volume 1: Non-Passerines, by Josep del Hoyo and Nigel J. Collar (2014); 2.
  • Tropical Birding Tour Report

    Tropical Birding Tour Report

    AUSTRALIA’S TOP END Victoria River to Kakadu 9 – 17 October 2009 Tour Leader: Iain Campbell Having run the Northern Territory trip every year since 2005, and multiple times in some years, I figured it really is about time that I wrote a trip report for this tour. The tour program changed this year as it was just so dry in central Australia, we decided to limit the tour to the Top End where the birding is always spectacular, and skip the Central Australia section where birding is beginning to feel like pulling teeth; so you end up with a shorter but jam-packed tour laden with parrots, pigeons, finches, and honeyeaters. Throw in some amazing scenery, rock art, big crocs, and thriving aboriginal culture you have a fantastic tour. As for the list, we pretty much got everything, as this is the kind of tour where by the nature of the birding, you can leave with very few gaps in the list. 9 October: Around Darwin The Top End trip started around three in the afternoon, and the very first thing we did was shoot out to Fogg Dam. This is a wetlands to behold, as you drive along a causeway with hundreds of Intermediate Egrets, Magpie-Geese, Pied Herons, Green Pygmy-geese, Royal Spoonbills, Rajah Shelducks, and Comb-crested Jacanas all close and very easy to see. While we were watching the waterbirds, we had tens of Whistling Kites and Black Kites circling overhead. When I was a child birder and thought of the Top End, Fogg Dam and it's birds was the image in my mind, so it is always great to see the reaction of others when they see it for the first time.
  • Recommended Band Size List Page 1

    Recommended Band Size List Page 1

    Jun 00 Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme - Recommended Band Size List Page 1 Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme Recommended Band Size List - Birds of Australia and its Territories Number 24 - May 2000 This list contains all extant bird species which have been recorded for Australia and its Territories, including Antarctica, Norfolk Island, Christmas Island and Cocos and Keeling Islands, with their respective RAOU numbers and band sizes as recommended by the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme. The list is in two parts: Part 1 is in taxonomic order, based on information in "The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of Australia and its Territories" (1994) by Leslie Christidis and Walter E. Boles, RAOU Monograph 2, RAOU, Melbourne, for non-passerines; and “The Directory of Australian Birds: Passerines” (1999) by R. Schodde and I.J. Mason, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, for passerines. Part 2 is in alphabetic order of common names. The lists include sub-species where these are listed on the Census of Australian Vertebrate Species (CAVS version 8.1, 1994). CHOOSING THE CORRECT BAND Selecting the appropriate band to use combines several factors, including the species to be banded, variability within the species, growth characteristics of the species, and band design. The following list recommends band sizes and metals based on reports from banders, compiled over the life of the ABBBS. For most species, the recommended sizes have been used on substantial numbers of birds. For some species, relatively few individuals have been banded and the size is listed with a question mark. In still other species, too few birds have been banded to justify a size recommendation and none is made.
  • Soil and Land Suitability Assessment for Irrigated Agriculture in the Wildman River Area, Northern Territory February 2016

    Soil and Land Suitability Assessment for Irrigated Agriculture in the Wildman River Area, Northern Territory February 2016

    Agricultural Land Suitability Series – Report 2 DLRM Technical Report 2/2016D Soil and Land Suitability Assessment for Irrigated Agriculture in the Wildman River area, Northern Territory February 2016 Rangelands Division Department of Land Resource Management PO Box 496 Palmerston NT 0831 Easey D, Brocklehurst P, and Carnavas M © Northern Territory of Australia, 2016 ISBN 9781743500941 www.lrm.nt.gov.au Department of Land Resource Management Land Assessment Branch PO Box 496 Palmerston NT 0831 © Northern Territory of Australia, 2016 ISBN 9781743500859 To reference this report: Easey D, Brocklehurst P & Carnavas M (2016) Agricultural Land Suitability Series, Report 2. Soil and Land Suitability Assessment for Irrigated Agriculture in the Wildman River area, Northern Territory. Technical Report 2/2016D Department of Land Resource Management, Darwin, NT. The map series accompanying this report can be downloaded from the NR Maps website. http://nrmaps.nt.gov.au/ Disclaimer: All care and diligence has been exercised in the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data and recommendations presented in this report. The works undertaken have been completed in a skilled, professional manner, according to recommended and accepted Australian practices and standards. Specific circumstances and research findings after the date of publication may influence the accuracy of the data and recommendations within this report. While the findings presented in this report are based on information that the Department of Land Resource Management, NTG considers reliable unless stated otherwise, the accuracy and completeness of source information cannot be guaranteed. The information compiled in this report addresses specifically identified objectives of the project stake- holders, and as such may not address the needs of third parties using the report for their own purposes.
  • AUSTRALIA Queensland & Top End June 22 – July 4, 2013

    AUSTRALIA Queensland & Top End June 22 – July 4, 2013

    Sunrise Birding LLC AUSTRALIA Queensland & Top End June 22 – July 4, 2013 TRIP REPORT Sunrise Birding LLC, PO Box 274, Cos Cob, CT 06807 USA www.sunrisebirding.com 203.453.6724 Sunrise Birding LLC www.sunrisebirding.com AUSTRALIA Queensland & Top End TRIP REPORT June 22 – July 4, 2013 Leaders: Gina Nichol, Steve Bird & Barry Davies HIGHLIGHTS : BIRDS MAMMALS • Rainbow Pitta • Duck-billed Platypus • Gouldian Finch • Sugar Gliders • Hooded Parrot • Striped Possum • Golden Bowerbird • Dingo • Australian Bustard • Small-eared Rock Wallaby • Papuan Frogmouth • Tawny Frogmouth MOMENTS & EXPERIENCES • Chowchilla • Thousands of Brown Noddies and • Spotted Harrier Sooty Terns at Michaelmas Cay • Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon • Tawny Frogmouths too close to • Pied Heron believe • Black-necked Stork • Tens of thousands of ducks and • Black-breasted Buzzard geese at Hasties Swamp • Beach Stone Curlew • The Chowchilla dawn chorus • Northern Rosella • Wompoo Fruit Dove on a nest • Double-eyed Fig Parrot • Golden Bowerbird male preening • Lovely Fairywren above our heads! • White-lined Honeyeater • Spotted Harrier flying along with • Fernwren the bus at close range • Arafura Fantail • Victoria's Riflebird displaying • Barking Owl • Aboriginal Art at Kakadu • Victoria's Riflebird Rarities • Cotton Pygmy Goose at Catana Wetland • Freckled Duck at Hastie’s Swamp • Masked Booby at Michaelmas Cay Day 1, June 22 – Cairns area Paul, Darryl, Gina and Steve arrived on the previous day and this morning before breakfast, we walked from our hotel to the Cairns Esplanade before breakfast. Just outside the hotel were male and female Brown Sunrise Birding LLC, PO Box 274, Cos Cob, CT 06807 USA www.sunrisebirding.com 203.453.6724 Honeyeaters and flocks of Rainbow Lorikeets flying over as we crossed the streets heading toward the waterfront.
  • The Birds of Babar, Romang, Sermata, Leti and Kisar, Maluku, Indonesia

    The Birds of Babar, Romang, Sermata, Leti and Kisar, Maluku, Indonesia

    Colin R. Trainor & Philippe Verbelen 272 Bull. B.O.C. 2013 133(4) New distributional records from forgoten Banda Sea islands: the birds of Babar, Romang, Sermata, Leti and Kisar, Maluku, Indonesia by Colin R. Trainor & Philippe Verbelen Received 5 July 2011; fnal revision accepted 10 September 2013 Summary.—Many of the Banda Sea islands, including Babar, Romang, Sermata and Leti, were last surveyed more than 100 years ago. In October–November 2010, birds were surveyed on Romang (14 days), Sermata (eight days), Leti (fve days) and Kisar (seven days), and on Babar in August 2009 (ten days) and August 2011 (11 days). Limited unpublished observations from Damar, Moa, Masela (of Babar) and Nyata (of Romang) are also included here. A total of 128 bird species was recorded (85 resident landbirds), with 104 new island records, among them fve, 12, 20, four and three additional resident landbirds for Babar, Romang, Sermata, Leti and Kisar, respectively. The high proportion of newly recorded and apparently overlooked resident landbirds on Sermata is puzzling but partly relates to limited historical collecting. Signifcant records include Ruddy-breasted Crake Porzana fusca (Romang), Red-legged Crake Rallina fasciata (Sermata), Bonelli’s Eagle Aquila fasciata renschi (Romang), Elegant Pita Pita elegans vigorsii (Babar, Romang, Sermata), Timor Stubtail Urosphena subulata (Babar, Romang), the frst sound-recordings of Kai Cicadabird Coracina dispar (Babar?, Romang) and endemic subspecies of Southern Boobook Ninox boobook cinnamomina (Babar) and N. b. moae (Romang, Sermata?). The frst ecological notes were collected for Green Oriole Oriolus favocinctus migrator on Romang, the lowland-dwelling Snowy-browed Flycatcher Ficedula hyperythra audacis on Babar, the endemic subspecies of Yellow- throated (Banda) Whistler Pachycephala macrorhyncha par on Romang, and Grey Friarbird Philemon kisserensis on Kisar and Leti.
  • Ngangkan Culture Camp and Biodiversity Survey

    Ngangkan Culture Camp and Biodiversity Survey

    Ngangkan Culture Camp and Biodiversity Survey June 2013 Where and Why? Our camp was on Ngangkan in Ngolkwarre country, in the Warddeken IPA on the western Arnhem Plateau, Northern Territory. The elders chose Ngangkan for the families to camp because it is a peaceful place, away from town, with lots of bush tucker; a place to bring back memories to share and a place for kids to learn about cultural knowledge. Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area is funded to look after the country and its animals. Every year, the Warddeken rangers do surveys to look for animals and to build up a picture of what is happening with the animals over time. Surveys have been done at Ngangkan since 2012 and the same sites are visited each year to see if the animal numbers are changing. It is planned to use Ngangkan as a long term monitoring site to keep a check on animal numbers in Warddeken IPA. 2 Who was there? • Rangers and Traditional Owners of the Warddeken IPA from the Manmoyi and Kamarrkawarn ranger bases, with their families and lots of kids as it was the school holidays • Scientists Alys Stevens and Terry Mahney from Flora and Fauna Division (NT Govt) • Manmoyi Outstation school teacher – Dan McLaren • Volunteer Doctor – Gabby Hall • Georgia Vallance – Warddeken Coordinator 3 3 What we did Cultural activities Cultural activities included; gathering (bushtucker, cultural materials like pandanas, digging sticks), knowledge sharing in evenings, corroboree with singing and dancing, traditional cooking, making music with traditional instruments and knowledge sharing everyday as part of life. Berribob taught the boys and young men how to make shovel spears, spear throwers and make fire in preparation for a fire drive to hunt kangaroo.
  • Southern Gulf, Queensland

    Southern Gulf, Queensland

    Biodiversity Summary for NRM Regions Species List What is the summary for and where does it come from? This list has been produced by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (SEWPC) for the Natural Resource Management Spatial Information System. The list was produced using the AustralianAustralian Natural Natural Heritage Heritage Assessment Assessment Tool Tool (ANHAT), which analyses data from a range of plant and animal surveys and collections from across Australia to automatically generate a report for each NRM region. Data sources (Appendix 2) include national and state herbaria, museums, state governments, CSIRO, Birds Australia and a range of surveys conducted by or for DEWHA. For each family of plant and animal covered by ANHAT (Appendix 1), this document gives the number of species in the country and how many of them are found in the region. It also identifies species listed as Vulnerable, Critically Endangered, Endangered or Conservation Dependent under the EPBC Act. A biodiversity summary for this region is also available. For more information please see: www.environment.gov.au/heritage/anhat/index.html Limitations • ANHAT currently contains information on the distribution of over 30,000 Australian taxa. This includes all mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs and fish, 137 families of vascular plants (over 15,000 species) and a range of invertebrate groups. Groups notnot yet yet covered covered in inANHAT ANHAT are notnot included included in in the the list. list. • The data used come from authoritative sources, but they are not perfect. All species names have been confirmed as valid species names, but it is not possible to confirm all species locations.
  • BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION on the TIWI ISLANDS, NORTHERN TERRITORY: Part 1. Environments and Plants

    BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION on the TIWI ISLANDS, NORTHERN TERRITORY: Part 1. Environments and Plants

    BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION ON THE TIWI ISLANDS, NORTHERN TERRITORY: Part 1. Environments and plants Report prepared by John Woinarski, Kym Brennan, Ian Cowie, Raelee Kerrigan and Craig Hempel. Darwin, August 2003 Cover photo: Tall forests dominated by Darwin stringybark Eucalyptus tetrodonta, Darwin woollybutt E. miniata and Melville Island Bloodwood Corymbia nesophila are the principal landscape element across the Tiwi islands (photo: Craig Hempel). i SUMMARY The Tiwi Islands comprise two of Australia’s largest offshore islands - Bathurst (with an area of 1693 km 2) and Melville (5788 km 2) Islands. These are Aboriginal lands lying about 20 km to the north of Darwin, Northern Territory. The islands are of generally low relief with relatively simple geological patterning. They have the highest rainfall in the Northern Territory (to about 2000 mm annual average rainfall in the far north-west of Melville and north of Bathurst). The human population of about 2000 people lives mainly in the three towns of Nguiu, Milakapati and Pirlangimpi. Tall forests dominated by Eucalyptus miniata, E. tetrodonta, and Corymbia nesophila cover about 75% of the island area. These include the best developed eucalypt forests in the Northern Territory. The Tiwi Islands also include nearly 1300 rainforest patches, with floristic composition in many of these patches distinct from that of the Northern Territory mainland. Although the total extent of rainforest on the Tiwi Islands is small (around 160 km 2 ), at an NT level this makes up an unusually high proportion of the landscape and comprises between 6 and 15% of the total NT rainforest extent. The Tiwi Islands also include nearly 200 km 2 of “treeless plains”, a vegetation type largely restricted to these islands.
  • Redalyc.ARE OUR ORCHIDS SAFE DOWN UNDER?

    Redalyc.ARE OUR ORCHIDS SAFE DOWN UNDER?

    Lankesteriana International Journal on Orchidology ISSN: 1409-3871 [email protected] Universidad de Costa Rica Costa Rica BACKHOUSE, GARY N. ARE OUR ORCHIDS SAFE DOWN UNDER? A NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF THREATENED ORCHIDS IN AUSTRALIA Lankesteriana International Journal on Orchidology, vol. 7, núm. 1-2, marzo, 2007, pp. 28- 43 Universidad de Costa Rica Cartago, Costa Rica Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44339813005 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative LANKESTERIANA 7(1-2): 28-43. 2007. ARE OUR ORCHIDS SAFE DOWN UNDER? A NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF THREATENED ORCHIDS IN AUSTRALIA GARY N. BACKHOUSE Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Division, Department of Sustainability and Environment 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002 Australia [email protected] KEY WORDS:threatened orchids Australia conservation status Introduction Many orchid species are included in this list. This paper examines the listing process for threatened Australia has about 1700 species of orchids, com- orchids in Australia, compares regional and national prising about 1300 named species in about 190 gen- lists of threatened orchids, and provides recommen- era, plus at least 400 undescribed species (Jones dations for improving the process of listing regionally 2006, pers. comm.). About 1400 species (82%) are and nationally threatened orchids. geophytes, almost all deciduous, seasonal species, while 300 species (18%) are evergreen epiphytes Methods and/or lithophytes. At least 95% of this orchid flora is endemic to Australia.