VVEERRTTEEBBRRAATTEE Brigalow Belt South FFAAUUNNAA SSUURRVVEEYY,, AANNAALLYYSSIISS AANNDD Stage 2 MMOODDEELLLLIINNGG PROJECTS PROJECTS NSW WESTERN REGIONAL ASSESSMENTS SEPTEMBER 2002 Resource and Conservation Assessment Council VERTEBRATE FAUNA SURVEY, ANALYSIS AND MODELLING PROJECTS NSW WESTERN REGIONAL ASSESSMENTS BRIGALOW BELT SOUTH BIOREGION (STAGE 2) NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Projects undertaken for the Resource and Conservation Assessment Council NSW Western Regional Assessments Project numbers WRA 23 and WRA 27 For more information and for information on access to data contact the: Resource and Conservation Division, Planning NSW GPO Box 3927 SYDNEY NSW 2002 Phone: (02) 9762 8052 Fax: (02) 9762 8712 www.racac.nsw.gov.au © Crown copyright September 2002 New South Wales Government ISBN [1740291921] This project has been funded and managed by the Resource and Conservation Division, Planning NSW Main Author: Michael Pennay Co Author: Carl Gosper Co Authors (Species Profiles): Jade Freeman, Robyn Molsher, Marc Irvin, Tania Laity. Reviewers: Murray Ellis (NPWS), Darren Shelly (DLWC), Jim Shields (SFNSW), David Goldney (Charles Sturt University), Martin Denny (Independent), Todd Soderquist (NPWS). Acknowledgments: Western Regional Assessment Unit Manager: Gary Saunders. Project Manager: Michael Pennay. Technical Working Group: Murray Ellis (NPWS), Darren Shelly (DLWC), Jim Shields (SFNSW), David Goldney (Charles Sturt University). GIS Support: Heidi Henry, Steve Thornton, Michael Pennay. Data entry: Jade Freeman, Rebecca Drury. Data check: Technical Working Group, Carl Gosper, Rebecca Drury, Chris Turbill, Michael Pennay. Bat Call Analysis: Greg Ford. Voucher specimen identification: Sandy Ingleby, Terry Reardon, Hank Godthelp, Harry Parnaby, Ross Sadlier, Australian Museum. Survey Team Leaders: Rebecca Drury, Carl Gosper, Michael Pennay. NPWS Survey Team Members: Alex Dudley, Chris Turbill. SFNSW Survey Team Members: David Read, Wayne Longmore. SFNSW Field Assistance: Alan Douch, Mike Crowley, Pete Mostyn, Justin Williams, Pat Tap, David Taylor, Ken McCray, Mick Wilson, Bill Dowling. Volunteers: Nathan Summers, Rosie Lane, Tessa Wilson, Jane Bastin-Sikimeti, Trish Waters, Tania Harrison, Liz Mazzer, Tanya Leary. NPWS Northern Plains Region, Coonabarabran Area Support: Mark Fosdick, Richard Ghamroui, Scott Filmer, Christine Duncan. Narrabri Area Support: Richard Kingswood, Trish Waters, Rachel Cawthorne, Paul McInnes. NPWS Northern Tablelands Region, Glenn Innes West Area Support: Shane Robinson, Alan Hill. NPWS Western Directorate Support: Murray Ellis, Dani Ayers, Todd Soderquist. NPWS Northern Directorate Support: Mick Andren, John Westaway. Rural Lands Protection Board Support: James Austin, Eslyn Johns. Additional acknowledgment is owing to the property owners of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion who offered their properties to be surveyed. Properties Surveyed: "Korrowong", (John & Heather Seale) "Manna Springs” (Anthony O'Halloran & Annabelle Greenup), , "Yallaroo", (Ian & Sandy Mulcahy), "Ukerbarley", (Jane & Milton Judd), "Wandaroo", (Jenny & John Findlayson), "Beaulai”,(Chris Watkins) and thanks also to Sonya Ardill & Peter Terrill, Old Mendooran Road.". Disclaimer While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that this document is correct at the time of printing, the State of New South Wales, its agents and employees, do not assume any responsibility and shall have no liability, consequential or otherwise, of any kind, arising from the use of or reliance on any of the information contained in this document. CONTENTS PROJECT SUMMARY 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Project descriptions 1 1.2 Report outline 1 1.3 Fauna survey project 2 1.4 The fauna data analysis project 4 1.5 Data management 5 1.6 Study area 6 1.7 Project team 11 2. BACKGROUND 13 2.1 Preliminary survey (stage 1) 13 2.2 Other surveys and research 14 3. FAUNA SURVEY 16 3.1 Survey methodology 16 3.2 Sites 18 3.3 Results of the fauna survey 27 4. FAUNA DATA ANALYSIS AND MODELLING 36 4.1 Mapsheet fauna classification for BBS and buffer 37 4.2 PATN analysis of systematic sites 55 4.3 Modelling of priority species 78 4.4 Future work 88 5 Outcomes 89 5.1 Project objectives 89 6 Recommendations 92 7 Glossary 94 8 References 102 LIST OF TABLES Table A – Provinces of the Brigalow Belt South bioregion (New South Wales) Table B – Number of species recorded within the Brigalow Belt bioregion since 1972 Table C – Species believed extinct in the study area Table D – Members of the Fauna Projects Technical Working Group Table E – Members of the fauna survey team Table F – Members of the fauna analysis team Table G – Systematic techniques Table H – Broad vegetation categories used for survey site selection Table I – Breakdown of systematic sites by province and vegetation Table J – Break down of systematic sites by tenure and broad vegetation type Table K – Number of targeted sites by technique Table AH – A comparison of the results of species detected in this survey with those found in other regional assessments (RACD 1998, RACD 2000b). Table L – Number of records for endangered species found during this survey Table M – Number of records for vulnerable Species found during this survey Table N – Other significant species discovered in New South Wales during this survey which have not been listed as threatened species Table O – Capture rates of mammals in Elliott traps Table P – Non mammal captures in Elliott traps Table Q – Comparison between results of two spotlight techniques used Table R – Number of records per species from anabat analysis Table S – Fauna species with the most records on wildlife databases in the BBS and buffer Table T – Most widespread fauna species in the BBS and buffer Table U – Distribution of TSC-listed fauna among mapsheet groups Table V – Distribution of TSC-listed terrestrial birds among mapsheet groups Table W – Distribution of TSC-listed reptiles among mapsheet groups Table X – Characteristics of fauna groups (communities) and subgroups (subcommunities) derived from PATN analysis of systematic site survey data Table Y – Species composition of the faunal communities derived from the classification of sites by the presence/absence of vertebrate fauna Table Z – Ability of environmental, habitat structural and methodological variables to discriminate between faunal communities Table AA – Distribution of overstorey plant species among fauna communities Table AB – Species of highest priority for additional analysis Table AC – Other species identified as priority for analysis Table AD – Data sources used in the analysis for each species group Table AE – Environmental variables used to analyse fauna data Table AF – List of species for which modelling was attempted and the number of presence/absence records used Table AG – Number of sites used and sampling density for each species group in the modelling LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 Schematic layout of a standard site Figure 1.2 Frequency of sightings for each species found during the survey Figure 3 Percentage contribution to total Small Mammal Captures in Elliott traps for each night of trapping during this survey Figure 4 Numbers OF Small mammal SPECIES captured in Elliott traps for each night of trapping during this survey Figure 1.3 Dendrogram of mapsheet groups classified by vertebrate species (excluding fish) composition Figure 1.4 Ordination of mapsheets by composition of all vertebrate species (excluding fish), showing the four groups Figure 1.5 Dendrogram of mapsheet groups classified by terrestrial bird species composition Figure 1.6 Ordination of mapsheets by terrestrial bird composition, showing the three groups Figure 1.7 Dendrogram of mapsheet groups classified by reptile species composition Figure 1.8 Ordination of mapsheets by reptile species composition, showing the three groups Figure 1.9 Dendrogram of fauna communities identified in PATN analysis of fauna composition of systematic survey sites Figure 1.10 Ordination of all fauna survey sites by their vertebrate species composition (presence/absence), showing the four site groups (communities) Figure 1.11 Direction of vertebrate species vectors within the ordination of sites by vertebrate species composition (see Figure 1.10) Figure 1.12 Direction of environmental vectors within the ordination of sites by their vertebrate species composition Figure 1.13 Direction of plant species vectors within the ordination of sites by vertebrate species composition (see Figure 1.10) LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1: Results of priority species modelling Appendix 2: Fauna species profiles Appendix 3: Voucher specimens collected Appendix 4: List of all species recorded in the BBS Appendix 5: Site attributes collected from each site Appendix 6: Details of each Stage 2 site Appendix 7: Species detected during the Stage 2 survey Appendix 8: Species composition of the mapsheet groups of all vertebrate fauna in the BBS Appendix 9: Species composition of mapsheet groups for bird and reptile fauna in the BBS Appendix 10: Dendrogram Appendix 11: Species composition of the faunal communities derived from the classification of sites Appendix 12: Environmental attributes used as confirmatory variables in the fauna community classification Appendix 13: Distribution of plants among the fauna communities Appendix 14: Other species of conservation concern LIST OF MAPS Map 1 – Brigalow Belt South Bioregion (NSW) showing major towns, roads, provinces and woody vegetation Map 2 – Location of systematic fauna survey sites in the BBS Map 3 – Location