Vegetation of the Ringarooma Ramsar Wetlands, Tasmania Non-Forest Vegetation Program Department of Primary Industries and Water May 2006 Vegetation of the Ringarooma Ramsar Wetlands Summary Wetlands have important biodiversity values and are listed as threatened vegetation communities in Tasmania. The Ringarooma wetland system is one of ten sites registered under the Ramsar Convention in Tasmania. The Ringarooma wetlands are part of the Flood Plain Lower Ringarooma River Ramsar site. Ramsar wetlands are protected under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The Ringarooma wetland system contains blackwood and coast paperbark swamp forests; scented paperbark scrub; and wetlands including, freshwater aquatic sedgeland and rushland and freshwater and lacustrine herblands. All of these vegetation types are threatened in Tasmania. The area also contains lowland grassy sedgeland, coastal heathland, lowland sedgy heathland, wet heathland, and black peppermint coastal forest and woodland. While none of these are recognised as threatened they provide the context in which the threatened communities occur. Heath in the area is particularly important for biodiversity. Purple loosestrife, native gypsywort and ribbon weed occur in the wetland environments and shiny grasstree occurs in the heath. The fish, dwarf galaxias, occurs in the waterways. These are all species listed as threatened on the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. The Ringaroooma wetlands contain potential habitat for a number of other threatened species. The Ringarooma wetlands span Crown Land and private property. The area is grazed by dairy cows. The Crown Land area is included in the Mt Cameron Regional Reserve and is grazed under temporary grazing licences and used for duck shooting. Parts of the study area on private property to the east of the Ringarooma River have been converted from sedgy and rushy wetland to introduced pasture, and this impacts on the conservation values of the Ramsar site. Given the conservation values of the area it is recommended that the Crown assess the appropriateness of current management practices in the section of the Ramsar site, for which it is responsible. The Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is triggered by any action that is likely to have a significant impact on the ecological character of a declared Ramsar wetland. Note that the ecological character is defined under the Act as “..the sum of biological, physical, and chemical components of the wetland ecosystem, their interactions, which maintain the wetland and its products, functions and attributes.” This means that all actions relating to stock grazing (including nutrification, clearance and conversion of native vegetation) in the Ringarooma Ramsar wetlands have the potential to trigger the Act. The Crown needs to assess if its current management practices have a significant impact on the ii Non-Forest Vegetation Program May 2006 Vegetation of the Ringarooma Ramsar Wetlands ecological character of the wetlands and take appropriate action. It is recommended that private landholders are made aware of the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and how it applies to Ramsar sites. Willow, gorse, blackberry and boxthorn are ‘declared weeds’ under the Weed Management Act 1999 and are present in the area along with other weeds, including introduced herbs and grasses. Active management of the major weeds is recommended. iii Non-Forest Vegetation Program May 2006 Vegetation of the Ringarooma Ramsar Wetlands Contents INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................5 BACKGROUND AND AIM .......................................................................................................................5 STUDY AREA.........................................................................................................................................6 METHODS..............................................................................................................................................9 PLANT COMMUNITIES....................................................................................................................10 SWAMP FORESTS.................................................................................................................................12 Coast paperbark swamp forest .....................................................................................................12 Blackwood swamp forest...............................................................................................................13 WETLANDS.........................................................................................................................................14 Freshwater aquatic sedgeland and rushland................................................................................14 Freshwater aquatic herbland........................................................................................................15 Lacustrine herbland......................................................................................................................15 SCENTED PAPERBARK SCRUB..............................................................................................................17 LOWLAND GRASSY SEDGELAND .........................................................................................................17 HEATH................................................................................................................................................18 Coastal heathland and lowland sedgy heathland .........................................................................18 Wet heathland ...............................................................................................................................18 BLACK PEPPERMINT COASTAL FOREST AND WOODLAND ....................................................................19 THREATENED SPECIES...................................................................................................................19 MANAGEMENT ISSUES ...................................................................................................................24 WEEDS ...............................................................................................................................................24 STOCK ................................................................................................................................................27 ROOT ROT FUNGUS .............................................................................................................................28 APPENDIX 1 ........................................................................................................................................29 APPENDIX 2 ........................................................................................................................................30 iv Non-Forest Vegetation Program May 2006 Vegetation of the Ringarooma Ramsar Wetlands Introduction Background and Aim The Non-Forest Vegetation Program deals specifically with issues relating to non- forest plant communities, particularly those currently listed as threatened (rare, vulnerable and endangered). Wetlands are a threatened non-forest vegetation type in Tasmania. In Tasmania, non-forest vegetation may soon be protected under State legislation. The Ringarooma wetlands are a part of the Flood Plain Lower Ringarooma River Ramsar site. The Ramsar Convention provides a framework for international cooperation in the conservation of wetlands. Ramsar wetlands are protected under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. This Act places obligations on all people to ensure that their actions do not significantly affect matters of national environmental signficance. The Ringarooma wetlands qualify as a Ramsar site for the following reasons:1 • The area is of geoscientific significance. The Chimneys, a small section in the middle of the marshes, is thought to be older than any other lake in the area. The site contains excellent examples of wetland systems for the Flinders Biogeographic Region • The site supports at least four nationally threatened fauna species • The flood plain supports a number of species that are rare or vulnerable and are poorly reserved in Tasmania Staff from the Non-forest Vegetation Program visited the Ringarooma wetlands with the Water Assessment Section of the Department of Primary Industries and Water (DPIW) on 16th and 17th of January 2006. The aims were to: • identify the plant communities within the Ramsar site • identify threatened plant species and threatened fauna habitat • identify issues pertaining to the management of native vegetation The landscape of the Ringarooma wetlands, its geomorphic history and potential and future changes in its landscape are well described.2 Past and future changes in its landscape have definite implications for the native vegetation in the area. 1 From the Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (as required by the Ramsar Bureau). 2 Jerie K. and Houshold, I. (2001) The Ringarooma wetlands: a temporary landscape (Or: The Muddy Truth about Mining Sediments and Conservation). 5 Non-Forest Vegetation Program May 2006 Vegetation of the Ringarooma Ramsar Wetlands This report describes the current plant communities