User:Fred.e/List of Threatened Ecological Communities
Ecological communities in Australia are assemblages of plants and animals that have a mutual dependency, usually for food or shelter. Australia has 600 000 to 700 000 species, most of them endemic, in an extremely diverse range of habitat. Environmental conditions, such as soil and climate, which limit and isolate species, can sometimes produce a biocoenosis. These communities may contain ecological fugitives, remnants of changes to climate, continuing in isolated groups of flora or fauna. A number of these are found only within these ecological communities. Significant environmental changes over 200 years has either threatened or caused the extinction of many of these. [1]
Description
[edit]Communities are identified through the study of the diversity and mutual dependance of the species fixed to the location. While other species, such as birds, may particate intermittently, the community is not dependant on them. The complexity of the interaction of species may also exclude others from entering the community. The assemblages are named for the ways in which they interact and the species contained by them. A predominating environmental factor can sometimes be identified.
- Climatic change in the biogegraphic region of Southwest Australia has left tree species in isolated habitats, such as those of the Mound springs of the Swan Coastal Plain around aquifer discharges. While other members of plant species are now only found in cooler and moister conditions, the flora help to maintain an assemblage which contains ancient (Gondwana) faunal genera in an unusual permanent water source.
- A group of cave systems in the same bioregion supports communities, Aquatic Root Mat Community in Caves of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge (No.s 1-4), which are almost entirely self sustained. The roots of tree species, that enter the caves, interact in a complex and isolated relationship with the denizens of the caves, allowing their occupation of the harsh surface environ.
List of Threatened Ecological Communities
[edit]At the commencement of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) the list of threatened species, ecological communities and threatening processes consisted only of those previously listed under the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992. The act was ammended in december of 2006, purportedly to streamline the process and give greater certainty to industry. The minister now has veto over the nominations, the time frame of assessment, and acceptance of the recommendations of the Threatened Species Scientific Committee, who generate a Proposed Priority Assessment List. Two new communities were added to list in June 2007, no change of status to others has been given.
The provisions of the original act gave new categories for listed threatened species and ecological communities. Critically endangered and vulnerable have been added to the previous category of endangered for ecological communities. These are attributed by the committee by those criteria used by the World Conservation Union in the IUCN Red List.
Community | Status | Effective | Details |
---|---|---|---|
Aquatic Root Mat Community 1 in Caves of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Aquatic Root Mat Community 2 in Caves of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Aquatic Root Mat Community 3 in Caves of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Aquatic Root Mat Community 4 in Caves of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Aquatic Root Mat Community in Caves of the Swan Coastal Plain | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Assemblages of plants and invertebrate animals of tumulus (organic mound) springs of the Swan Coastal Plain | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Blue Gum High Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion | Critically Endangered | 26 Aug 2005 | |
Bluegrass (Dichanthium spp.) dominant grasslands of the Brigalow Belt Bioregions (North and South) | Endangered | 04 Apr 2001 | |
Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla dominant and co-dominant) | Endangered | 04 Apr 2001 | |
Buloke Woodlands of the Riverina and Murray-Darling Depression Bioregions | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Corymbia calophylla - Kingia australis woodlands on heavy soils of the Swan Coastal Plain | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Corymbia calophylla - Xanthorrhoea preissii woodlands and shrublands of the Swan Coastal Plain | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Cumberland Plain Woodlands | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Eastern Stirling Range Montane Heath and Thicket | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub of the Sydney Region | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Eucalyptus ovata - Callitris oblonga Forest | Vulnerable | 01 Sep 2004 | |
Iron-grass Natural Temperate Grassland of South Australia | Critically Endangered | 21 Jun 2007 | |
Mabi Forest (Complex Notophyll Vine Forest 5b) | Critically Endangered | 08 Oct 2002 | |
Natural Temperate Grassland of the Southern Tablelands of NSW and the Australian Capital Territory | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Peppermint Box (Eucalyptus odorata) Grassy Woodland of South Australia | Critically Endangered | 21 Jun 2007 | |
Perched Wetlands of the Wheatbelt region with extensive stands of living sheoak and paperbark across the lake floor (Toolibin Lake) | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Sedgelands in Holocene dune swales of the southern Swan Coastal Plain | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Semi-evergreen vine thickets of the Brigalow Belt (North and South) and Nandewar Bioregions | Endangered | 04 Apr 2001 | |
Shale/Sandstone Transition Forest | Endangered | 04 Apr 2001 | |
Shrublands and Woodlands of the eastern Swan Coastal Plain | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Shrublands and Woodlands on Muchea Limestone of the Swan Coastal Plain | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Shrublands and Woodlands on Perth to Gingin ironstone (Perth to Gingin ironstone association) of the Swan Coastal Plain | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Shrublands on southern Swan Coastal Plain ironstones | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Silurian Limestone Pomaderris Shrubland of the South East Corner and Australian Alps Bioregions | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Swamp Tea-tree (Melaleuca irybana) Forest of South-east Queensland | Critically Endangered | 15 Apr 2005 | |
Swamps of the Fleurieu Peninsula | Critically Endangered | 21 Mar 2003 | |
Temperate Highland Peat Swamps on Sandstone | Endangered | 12 May 2005 | |
The community of native species dependent on natural discharge of groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin | Endangered | 04 Apr 2001 | |
Thrombolite (microbial) community of coastal freshwater lakes of the Swan Coastal Plain (Lake Richmond) | Endangered | 16 Jul 2000 | |
Turpentine-Ironbark Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion | Critically Endangered | 26 Aug 2005 | |
Upland Wetlands of the New England Tablelands and the Monaro Plateau | Endangered | 17 Nov 2005 | |
Weeping Myall - Coobah - Scrub Wilga Shrubland of the Hunter Valley | Critically Endangered | 01 Aug 2005 | |
White Box-Yellow Box-Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland | Critically Endangered | 17 May 2006 | |
Threatened status per IUCN criteria: Critically Endangered (immediate); Endangered (short term); Vulnerable (medium term). These terms indicate that, without intervention, a community has a high risk of extinction. [2] |
Classes
[edit]The way in which communities are recognised and given a priority for protection changed with the passing of the 2007 ammmendment. Ecological communities are also given a condition class, those that are deemed to thave suffered significant degardation no longer receive a listing. Landholders may attempt rehabilitation of the communities and they may apply for a grant to do so from the National Heritage Trust, however they are free to continue activities such as landclearing and grazing that may be degrading the site. Those communities listed and existing on leasehold, have been eligible for protection by the funding of fencing and assessment of an abatement plan.
Nicola Beynon (2006-10-18). News "Amendments to Australia's environment laws weaken and politicise threatened species protection". News. WWF-Australia. Retrieved 2007-08-02. HSI and WWF-Australia are alarmed by the proposed changes and the potential for the Minister to politicise what should be an objective scientific process
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Threats
[edit]The Austalian environment has undergone a significant number of changes in the 200 years since colonisation. The invasion of assemblages by introduced weed species ins the most common threat to the communities. Changes in fire regimes, agriculture, grazing by livestock, salinity, and altered hydrology have directly or indirectly degraded and destroyed these biocoenose communities. The introduction of plants and animals may also cause a significant degradation. The Department of the Environment and Water Resources maintains a Listed Key Threatening Processes, some of which threaten the ecological communities with extinction. [3]
Other listings
[edit]- The recognition, assessment and listing of ecological communities in Australia has been done at various times by all three levels of goverment. The State Government of New South Wales maintains a list of ecological communities ascribed a 'scientific name' within their list of threatened species. [4]
- Eurobodalla Shire Council Threatened Species and Endangered Ecological Communities of the Eurobodalla Page and fact sheets Report
- South Australia lists those mentioned on the Federal governments register. [5]
- The Department of Environment and Conservation in Western Australia has maintained an informal listing of the ecological communities in the state. The criteria for identification of an 'ecological community' is broader than that of the federal government's own. However, over half of the state governments list appears on the federal listing. WA currently has ... 66 threatened ecological communities in W, 3 presumed extinct or destroyed. 31 of these are covered by interim recovery plans. 18 CE, 7 E, 5 V, all with IRPs. concludes that the rest should get IRP State of the Environment Report 2007 :: Biodiversity
Data source: Department of Environment and Conservation [ver. 2007]. Some fauna are covered within threatened ecological community interim recovery plans; Some plans cover more than one species or threatened ecological community.
- ACT one EC mention Yellow Box/Red Gum Grassy Woodland
Notes
[edit]- ^ 'a naturally occurring biological assemblage that occurs in a particular habitat'. (Burbage: paraphrasing description in Acts.)
- ^ Source:Species Profile and Threats Database (SPRAT) EPBC Act List of Threatened Ecological Communities (21 June 2007) [1]
- ^ Department of the Environment and Water Resources: Listed Key Threatening Processes[2]
- ^ "Communities". Browse by type of species > Threatened Communities found in NSW. Department of Environment and Climate Change. 2005-09-01. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
There are 81 threatened communities in NSW.
- ^ "Nationally Threatened Ecological Communities". Threatened Species - Number of Extinct, Endangered and Vulnerable Ecological Communities. Department of Environment and Heritage. 2005-01-27. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
Six in total, two of three "under consideration" are since accepted.
See also
[edit]Further reading
[edit]- Burbidge, Andrew A (2004). "10. Threatened ecological communities". Threatened animals of Western Australia. Department of Conservation and Land Management. ISBN 0-7307-5549-5.
Biodiversity has three components - genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. To be effective, biodiversity conservation programs must address all three elements.
- "Threatened ecological communities". Threatened Species and Threatened Ecological Communities. Department of the Environment and Water Resources. March 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
Links for nomination, related lists and recovery plans.
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WA TECs
[edit]List of Communities on CALM’s Threatened Ecological Community data base
Community identifier | Community name | Category of Threat and criteria met under WA criteria | Category under Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act |
---|---|---|---|
1.SCP20a | Banksia attenuata woodland over species rich dense shrublands | EN B) ii) | |
2. TOOLIBIN | Perched wetlands of the Wheatbelt region with extensive stands of living Swamp Sheoak (Casuarina obesa) and Paperbark (Melaleuca strobophylla) across the lake floor. | CR A) i); CR A) 11); CR C) | EN |
3. SCP10b | Shrublands on southern Swan Coastal Plain Ironstones (Busselton area) | CR B) ii) | EN |
4. SCP19 | Sedgelands in Holocene dune swales of the southern Swan Coastal Plain | CR B) ii) | EN |
5. Clifton-microbialite | Stromatolite like freshwater microbialite community of coastal brackish lakes (Lake Clifton) | CR B) i), CR B) ii) | |
6. Richmondmicrobial | Stromatolite like microbialite community of coastal freshwater lakes (Lake Richmond) | CR B)i), CR B) ii) | EN |
7. Mound Springs SCP | Communities of Tumulus Springs (Organic Mound Springs, Swan Coastal Plain) | CR A) i), CR A) ii), CR B) i), CR B) ii) | EN |
8. SCP20c | Shrublands and woodlands of the eastern side of the Swan Coastal Plain | CR B) ii) | EN |
10. NTHIRON | Perth to Gingin Ironstone Association | CR A) ii), CR B) ii), CR C) | EN |
11. MUCHEA LIMESTONE | Shrublands and woodlands on Muchea Limestone | EN B) ii) | EN |
12. Augustamicrobial | Rimstone Pools and Cave Structures Formed by Microbial Activity on Marine Shorelines | EN B) ii) | |
13. SCP30a | Callitris preissii (or Melaleuca lanceolata) forests and woodlands, Swan Coastal Plain | VN B) | |
14. SCP18 | Shrublands on calcareous silts of the Swan Coastal Plain | VN B) | |
15. SCP02 | Southern wet shrublands, Swan Coastal Plain | EN B) ii) | |
16. SCP3a | Eucalyptus calophylla - Kingia australis woodlands on heavy soils, Swan Coastal Plain | CR B) ii) | EN |
17. SCP3c | Eucalyptus calophylla - Xanthorrhoea preissii woodlands and shrublands, Swan Coastal Plain | CR B) ii) | EN |
18. Thetismicrobialite | Stromatolite community of stratified hypersaline coastal lakes | VN B) | |
19. SCOTT IRONSTONE | Scott River Ironstone Association | EN B) i), EN B) ii) | |
20. SCP20b | Banksia attenuata and/or Eucalyptus marginata woodlands of the eastern side of the Swan Coastal Plain | EN B) i), EN B) ii) | |
21. SCP15 | Forests and woodlands of deep seasonal wetlands of the Swan Coastal Plain | VN C) | |
22. SCP1b | Eucalyptus calophylla woodlands on heavy soils of the southern Swan Coastal Plain | VN B) | |
23. SCP3b | Eucalyptus calophylla - Eucalyptus marginata woodlands on sandy clay soils of the southern Swan Coastal Plain | VN B) | |
24. CAVES SCP01 | Aquatic Root Mat Community Number 1 of Caves of the Swan Coastal Plain | CR B) i), CR B) ii) | EN |
29. CAVES LEEUWIN01 | Aquatic Root Mat Community Number 1 of Caves of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge | CR B) i), CR B) ii) | EN |
30. CAVES LEEUWIN02 | Aquatic Root Mat Community Number 2 of Caves of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge | CR B) i), CR B) ii) | EN |
31. CAVES LEEUWIN03 | Aquatic Root Mat Community Number 3 of Caves of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge | CR B) i), CR B) ii) | EN |
32. CAVES LEEUWIN04 | Aquatic Root Mat Community Number 4 of Caves of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge | CR B) i), CR B) ii) | EN |
33. MONTANE01 | Montane Thicket and Heath of the South West Botanical Province, above approximately 900m above sea level. | CR B) ii) | EN |
34. MEELUP GRANITES | Calothamnus graniticus heaths on south west coastal granites | VN B) | |
36. SCP07 | Herb rich saline shrublands in clay pans | VN B) | |
37. SCP08 | Herb rich shrublands in clay pans | VN B) | |
38. SCP09 | Dense shrublands on clay flats | VN B) | |
39. SCP10a | Shrublands on dry clay flats | EN B) ii) | |
42.) Morilla swamp | Perched fresh-water wetlands of the northern Wheatbelt dominated by extensive stands of living Eucalyptus camaldulensis (River Red Gum) across the lake floor. | PD B | |
43.Camerons | Camerons Cave Troglobitic Community | CR B) i), CR B) ii) | |
44. Bryde | Unwooded freshwater wetlands of the southern Wheatbelt of Western Australia, dominated by Muehlenbeckia horrida subsp. abdita and Tecticornia verrucosa across the lake floor | CR B) i), CR B) ii) | |
45. Bundera | Cape Range Remipede Community | CR B) ii) | |
46. Greenough River Flats | Acacia rostellifera low forest with scattered Eucalyptus camaldulensis on Greenough Alluvial Flats. | CR C) | |
50. Themeda Grasslands | Themeda grasslands of Pilbara Region. Grassland plains dominated by the perennial Themeda (kangaroo grass) and many annual herbs and grasses. | VN A) | |
61. Coomberdale chert hills | Heath dominated by one or more of Regelia megacephala, Kunzea praestans and Allocasuarina campestris on ridges and slopes of the chert hills of the Coomberdale floristic region. | EN B) ii) | |
62. Billeranga System | Plant assemblages of the Billeranga System (Beard 1976): Melaleuca filifolia – Allocasuarina campestris thicket on clay sands over laterite on slopes and ridges; open mallee over mixed scrub on yellow sand over gravel on western slopes; Eucalyptus loxophleba woodland over sandy clay loam or rocky clay on lower slopes and creeklines; and mixed scrub or scrub dominated by Dodonaea inaequifolia over red/brown loamy soils on the slopes and ridges | VN A), VN B) | |
63. Irwin River Clay Flats | Clay flats assemblages of the Irwin River: Sedgelands and grasslands with patches of Eucalyptus loxophleba and scattered E. camaldulensis over Acacia acuminata and A. rosellifera shrubland on brown sand/loam over clay flats of the Irwin River.) | PD A), PD B | |
65. Koolanooka System | Plant assemblages of the Koolanooka System (Beard 1976): Allocasuarina campestris scrub over red loam on hill slopes; Shrubs and emergent mallees on shallow loam red over massive ironstone on steep rocky slopes; Eucalyptus ebbanoensis subsp. ebbanoensis mallee and Acacia sp. scrub with scattered Allocasuarina huegeliana over red loam and ironstone on the upper slopes and summits; Eucalyptus loxophleba woodland over scrub on the footslopes; and mixed Acacia sp. scrub on granite | VN A), VN B) | |
60. Moonagin System | Plant assemblages of the Moonagin System (Beard 1976): Acacia scrub on red soil on hills; Acacia scrub with scattered Eucalyptus loxophleba and Eucalyptus oleosa on red loam flats on the foothills. | VN A), VN B) | |
62. Limestone ridges (SCP 26a) | Melaleuca huegelii - Melaleuca acerosa shrublands on limestone ridges (Gibson et al. 1994 type 26a) | EN B) iii) | |
67. Vine thickets | Vine thickets on coastal sand dunes of Dampier Peninsula | VU C) | |
70. Mt Lindesay | Mt Lindesay – Little Lindesay Vegetation Complex | EN B) ii) | |
71. Russell Range | Russell Range mixed thicket complexes | VN B), VN C) | |
72. Ferricrete | Ferricrete floristic community (Rocky Springs type) | VU B) | |
74. Herblands and Bunch Grasslands | Herblands and Bunch Grasslands on gypsum lunette dunes alongside saline playa lakes | VU B) | |
75. Inering System | Plant assemblages of the Inering System (Beard 1976) | VN A) | |
76. LesueurCoomallo Florstic Community D1 | Lesueur-Coomallo Floristic Community D1 | CR B) i) CR B) ii) | |
77. LesueuerCoomallo Floristic Community A1.2 | Lesueur-Coomallo Floristic Community A1.2 | EN B) ii) | |
80. Theda Soak | Theda Soak rainforest | VU A), VU B) | |
81. Walcott Inlet | Walcott Inlet rainforest swamps | VU B) | |
82. Roe River | Roe River swamp rainforest | VU B) | |
Threatened status per IUCN criteria: Critically Endangered (immediate); Endangered (short term); Vulnerable (medium term). These terms indicate that, without intervention, a community has a high risk of extinction. [1] |