Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) (s266B) Conservation Advice for SUBTROPICAL AND TEMPERATE COASTAL SALTMARSH 1. The Threatened Species Scientific Committee (the Committee) was established under the EPBC Act and has obligations to present advice to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Water (the Minister) in relation to the listing and conservation of threatened ecological communities, including under sections 189, 194N and 266B of the EPBC Act. 2. The Committee provided its advice on the Subtropical and Temperate Coastal Saltmarsh ecological community to the Minister as a draft of this approved Conservation Advice. In 2013, the Minister accepted the Committee’s advice, adopting it as the approved Conservation Advice. 3. The Minister amended the list of threatened ecological communities under section 184 of the EPBC Act to include the Subtropical and Temperate Coastal Saltmarsh ecological community in the vulnerable category. It is noted that the Coastal Saltmarsh in the NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions listed as endangered under the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 corresponds in part to the Subtropical and Temperate Coastal Saltmarsh ecological community. Currently, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia do not list this ecological community. 4. The nomination and a draft description for this ecological community were made available for expert and public comment for a minimum of 30 business days. The Committee and Minister had regard to all public and expert comment that was relevant to the consideration of the ecological community. 5. This approved Conservation Advice has been developed based on the best available information at the time it was approved; this includes scientific literature, government reports, advice from consultations with experts, and existing plans, records or management prescriptions for this ecological community. Subtropical and Temperate Coastal Saltmarsh Conservation Advice Page 1 of 92 Table of Contents 1. DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................................ 4 Name of the ecological community ......................................................................................................... 4 Location..................................................................................................................................................... 4 Physical environment ............................................................................................................................... 4 Climate ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 Vegetation ................................................................................................................................................. 7 Faunal components ................................................................................................................................ 11 Key diagnostic characteristics, condition thresholds and survey guidelines .................................... 13 Key diagnostic characteristics ............................................................................................................. 14 Condition thresholds and survey guidelines ........................................................................................ 14 Surrounding environment and landscape context .............................................................................. 16 Area critical to the survival of the ecological community .................................................................. 17 Geographic extent and patch distribution ........................................................................................... 17 National context and existing protection .............................................................................................. 18 Ecosystem services .............................................................................................................................. 18 State distribution .................................................................................................................................. 18 Related State listings ............................................................................................................................ 19 2. SUMMARY OF THREATS ................................................................................................. 20 3. SUMMARY OF ELIGIBILITY FOR LISTING AGAINST EPBC ACT CRITERIA ... 22 4. PRIORITY CONSERVATION ACTIONS ......................................................................... 23 Conservation goals ................................................................................................................................. 23 Research Priorities ................................................................................................................................. 23 Priority Conservation Actions .............................................................................................................. 24 General ................................................................................................................................................. 24 Land clearing ....................................................................................................................................... 24 Infilling ................................................................................................................................................ 24 Altered hydrology ................................................................................................................................ 25 Invasive species - flora ........................................................................................................................ 25 Invasive species - fauna (see also Insect control) ................................................................................ 25 Insect control ....................................................................................................................................... 25 Recreation ............................................................................................................................................ 26 Pollution/Litter (see also Invasive species – flora and Insect control) ................................................ 26 Eutrophication...................................................................................................................................... 26 Acid sulphate soils ............................................................................................................................... 26 Evaporative salt production and mining .............................................................................................. 27 Climate Change and Sea Level Rise .................................................................................................... 27 Inappropriate fire regimes (see also Grazing) ...................................................................................... 27 Grazing ................................................................................................................................................ 27 Examples of existing management actions/plans................................................................................. 28 Recovery plan recommendation ........................................................................................................... 29 5. APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................ 30 APPENDIX A – DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL CONTEXT .................................. 30 APPENDIX B - GENERAL BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES ................................ 44 General ................................................................................................................................................. 44 Flora and salt tolerance ........................................................................................................................ 44 Flora, tidal connection and zonation .................................................................................................... 45 Cryptogamic flora. ............................................................................................................................... 45 Flora - reproduction ............................................................................................................................. 46 Fauna ................................................................................................................................................... 46 Productivity.......................................................................................................................................... 47 Trophic linkages .................................................................................................................................. 48 Subtropical and Temperate Coastal Saltmarsh Conservation Advice Page 2 of 92 Habitat values and nursery function .................................................................................................... 48 Coastal protection ...............................................................................................................................