Biodiversity: Species protection
- Authors
- Reviewer
- Key findings
- Indicators and summary of status
- Importance
- Pressure and condition
- Response
- References
Authors
Gordon Guymer, John Neldner, Noleen Kunst and
Rebecca Williams, Environmental Protection Agency
Reviewer
John Neldner, Environmental Protection Agency
Key findings
- Biodiversity loss and decline in Queensland is continuing. Knowledge of the state's biodiversity is improving for some species and ecosystems, but for many species little or nothing is known. New species are still being discovered, with over 50 previously unknown plant species being described every year.
- The major pressures on the state's biodiversity include the loss and fragmentation of native habitat, modification and degradation of native habitat, and competition from introduced plant and animal species. Clearing in the eastern and south-eastern parts of Queensland has seen habitat loss of over 70%. In western and northern parts of the state, native vegetation cover is relatively continuous, although its condition varies. The rate of habitat loss has risen during the past decade, although vegetation clearing has declined since 2000 when the Vegetation Management Act 1999 was introduced. The cessation of broadscale clearing of remnant vegetation at the end of 2006 has decreased this threat to Queensland's biodiversity.
- The number of rare and threatened species has increased slightly with improved knowledge of the state's biodiversity. There has been a decline in the number of species that are presumed extinct with two species being rediscovered. The EPA is currently conducting an extensive review of listed and other species of conservation significance. The provisions of the Vegetation Management Act provide for the declaration of areas of essential habitat. This provides protection for remnant vegetation, based on modelled and voucher-backed information, for all species listed under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.
Indicators and summary of status
Indicator |
Status of indicator |
Extinct, endangered, vulnerable and near-threatened species |
|
Extinct, endangered and vulnerable regional ecosystems |
|
Populations of selected species |
|
Recovery plans |
|
]
]Importance
Queensland 's biodiversity is rich and diverse. Many of its mega-diverse assemblages of species and ecosystems are unique to the state and are recognised internationally.
Queensland 's biodiversity is unique because of its range of landscapes, habitats, ecosystems and species, and because of its isolation and evolutionary history. For example, 45% of its plant species are found nowhere else in the world. The community places a high value on biodiversity and provides strong support for ensuring that no further species or ecosystems are lost.
Extinct, endangered, vulnerable, near -threatened and rare species
The Nature Conservation (Wildlife Management) Regulation 2006 (Qld) lists the known species that are presumed extinct, endangered, vulnerable, near-threatened and rare. The criteria used for listing threatened species are the same as those used by the World Conservation Union (formerly IUCN).
The numbers of listed threatened and rare plant species in each bioregion are illustrated in Figure 7.3.
Quantifying the extent to which all individual species have declined and may continue to decline due to clearing and modification of habitat is only possible for a limited number of species that have been researched in detail. For other species, vegetation or regional ecosystems provide a surrogate for describing the pressure from clearing and modification because these data are available for most of the state. There is limited information available for individual species, particularly those that are common.
The shorter-term impacts of clearing on plants and animals at any site range from the total loss of species that would be experienced in the conversion of native vegetation to cultivation, improved pasture or urban use to a reduction in species richness and diversity that would be experienced when vegetation is converted to native pasture. Habitat clearing across the landscape isolates species populations, reduces the size of populations, favours certain species over others and increases the opportunities for invasive species to displace native species. For long-lived taxa such as birds, there is a time lag between loss of habitat and consequent loss of species, a process that has been referred to as 'extinction debt'.
Figure 7.3 Number of extinct (X), endangered (E), vulnerable (V) and rare (R) plant taxa per bioregion of Queensland
Source: Derived from HERBRECS database on 21 December 2006
Extinct, endangered and vulnerable (of concern) regional ecosystems
Queensland currently has 1351 regional ecosystems listed on REDD, the EPA's regional ecosystem description database (EPA 2005) (Table 7.10). The conservation status of regional ecosystems under the Vegetation Management Act is 92 endangered, 516 vulnerable (of concern) and 743 not of concern. The EPA has built on this status by including an assessment of the condition of each regional ecosystem, and this is termed its biodiversity status. The full criteria for determining biodiversity status are provided at regional ecosystems.
Table 7.10 Queensland's regional ecosystems and their conservation status under the Vegetation Management Act, derived from the Vegetation Management Regulation 2000, as in force 1 July 2006
Bioregion |
Area (ha) 1 |
Regional ecosystems 2 |
||
Total |
Of concern |
Endangered |
||
Brigalow Belt |
36 500 440 |
172 |
55 |
26 |
Cape York Peninsula |
12 152 050 |
222 |
97 |
1 |
Central Queensland Coast |
1 462 970 |
75 |
43 |
9 |
Channel Country |
23 344 860 |
56 |
3 |
0 |
Desert Uplands |
6 885 340 |
77 |
26 |
2 |
Einasleigh Uplands |
11 718 580 |
142 |
36 |
0 |
Gulf Plains |
21 911 140 |
84 |
17 |
1 |
Mitchell Grass Downs |
24 224 420 |
54 |
4 |
1 |
Mulga Lands |
18 584 100 |
65 |
5 |
3 |
New England Tableland |
774 760 |
25 |
10 |
9 |
Northwest Highlands |
7 232 080 |
43 |
11 |
0 |
Southeast Queensland |
6 203 910 |
151 |
75 |
22 |
Wet Tropics |
1 998 980 |
185 |
134 |
18 |
Total |
172 994 530 |
1351 |
516 |
92 |
1 Source: Accad et al. 2006, Table 8
2 Source: Accad et al. 2006, Table 2
Populations of selected species
The Queensland Nature Conservation Act provides for threatened populations of species to be listed and protected (for instance, the koala is listed as vulnerable only in the Southeast Queensland bioregion). In some cases Queensland populations are the only representatives of the species for Australia and in others the state's populations represent a subspecies or significant population of a threatened species.
Recovery plans
Recovery plans set out the research and management actions necessary to stop the decline of and support the recovery of listed species and ecological communities. The aim of a recovery plan is to maximise the long-term survival in the wild of a species or ecological community. Recovery plans are an important response to the decline of biodiversity, and can be prepared and funded by State or Commonwealth Government agencies, or other interested parties, such as conservation groups or Natural Resource Management regional bodies. These plans say what must be done to protect and restore populations of listed species and habitat, as well as how to manage and reduce processes threatening a species or ecological community's survival. Recovery plans achieve this by providing a planned and logical framework for key interest groups, stakeholders and non-government and government agencies to coordinate their work to address and reverse the decline of listed species and ecological communities.
Pressure and condition
Presumed extinct, endangered, vulnerable, near-threatened and rare species
Queensland 's biodiversity is still being documented: more than 50 plant species new to science are discovered and described every year, and new regional ecosystems are being surveyed, mapped and documented (Table 7.11 and Figure 7.4).
Queensland 's native biodiversity is threatened by alien (introduced) invasive plants and animals, most of which have been deliberately introduced (Cook and Dias 2007). Alien plants are becoming established (naturalised) at the rate of 11 species per year and have increased from 1011 species in 1997 to 1190 species in 2007 (Figure 7.5).
The rediscovery of two presumed extinct plant species has seen a decline in this category with a corresponding increase in the endangered category. There has been, overall, an increase in the number of endangered, vulnerable and rare species, which can be explained by greater knowledge gained through increased survey work.
Assessment of trends based on the number of species listed as threatened needs to be considered carefully, and the number listed may increase or decrease for a range of reasons: (a) more species are at risk from a threatening process (such as invasive plants and animals) or a threatening process has declined (for example, tree clearing); (b) new species are discovered, often with restricted distributions; (c) taxonomic research leads to improved definition of species; (d) presumed extinct species are rediscovered; (e) recovery actions have improved the conservation status of species; or (f) new knowledge of a species distribution and ecology is obtained (Figure 7.6).
Table 7.11 Discovery of Queensland's plants, algae and lichens diversity 1913-2007
Group |
Bostock and Holland 2007 |
Henderson 2002 |
Henderson 1997 |
Henderson 1994 |
Bailey |
Angiosperms (flowering plants) |
|||||
Native |
7 901 |
7 677 |
7 512 |
7 252 |
4 626 |
Naturalised |
1 175 |
1 066 |
1 001 |
910 |
297 |
Doubtfully naturalised |
348 |
161 |
128 |
95 |
- |
Subtotal |
9 424 |
8 904 |
8 641 |
8 257 |
4 923 |
Gymnosperms (conifers, cycads and allies) |
|||||
Native |
62 |
59 |
60 |
54 |
29 |
Naturalised |
6 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
Doubtfully naturalised |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
- |
Subtotal |
70 |
64 |
65 |
58 |
29 |
Pteridophytes (ferns and allies) |
|||||
Native |
381 |
377 |
374 |
375 |
233 |
Naturalised |
10 |
10 |
7 |
5 |
0 |
Doubtfully naturalised |
5 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
- |
Subtotal |
396 |
389 |
383 |
381 |
233 |
Non-vascular |
|||||
Bryophytes (mosses) |
556 |
574 |
595 |
- |
360 |
Liverworts and hornworts |
411 |
315 |
- |
- |
113 |
Algae |
1 433 |
1 011 |
1 004 |
- |
718 |
Lichens |
1 742 |
1 558 |
1 370 |
- |
828 |
Total native |
12 486 |
11 571 |
10 915 |
7 681 |
6 907 |
Total naturalised |
1 191 |
1 079 |
1 011 |
918 |
297 |
Total doubtfully naturalised |
355 |
165 |
132 |
97 |
- |
Overall total |
14 032 |
12 815 |
12 058 |
8 696 |
7 204 |
Source: Bostock and Holland 2007
Note on species statistics. Infraspecific taxa and hybrids are not counted separately in this table. Numbers from Henderson (1994, 1997, 2002) have been updated to take into account nomenclatural and status changes that have taken place since their publication.
Figure 7.4 Total number of native plant species known to science in Queensland 1913-2007
Source: Bostock and Holland 2007
Figure 7.5 Alien plant species colonisation of Queensland 1917-2007
Source: Bostock and Holland 2007
Figure 7.6 Trend in the number of extinct (X), endangered (E), vulnerable (V) and rare (R) plant taxa per bioregion, 2002-06
Source: Derived from EPA WildNet database and HERBRECS database
Endangered and of -concern regional ecosystems
Until 31 December 2006, the broadscale clearing of terrestrial woody regional ecosystems was the major threat affecting ecosystem distribution and extent. However, regional ecosystem decline is continuing through other threatening processes such as total grazing pressure, invasive plants and modification to the structure and floristics of ecosystems, groundwater extraction, mining, fire management, infrastructure development, and climate change.
Populations of selected species
Northern hairy-nosed wombat
It was estimated in the 1970s that there were only 35 wombats remaining, which indicates how close the species came to extinction (Table 7.12). The next three estimates (1985-93) were based on numbers of wombats trapped. The estimates have large confidence intervals (ranges) but are good indications of the state of the population. In this period, the sex ratio was highly skewed towards males and the population was tending towards an old age-structure with few young individuals and even fewer births. This was a result of the small size of the population and the central Queensland drought in the mid-1990s. Good rainfall years from 1997 onwards helped to increase the reproductive output of the population and to reduce mortality rates.
From 2000 onwards, population estimates have been based on a more precise and less stressful technique than trapping. Wombats are identified from DNA extracted from hairs that they leave on sticky tape strung across their burrows. This technique documented a large increase to the year 2000 and then, tragically, a decline to 2002 following an outbreak of dingo predation that killed up to 20 wombats. To ensure that this never happened again, a 20-km dingo-proof fence was built around all wombat habitat at Epping Forest National Park. The absence of predators and the provision of supplementary feed and water have brought about a significant recovery in the population. The sex ratio is now much closer to even and there are many signs of young wombats in the population (detected during footprint monitoring and by remote cameras set at burrows and feed stations).
Table 7.12 Population estimate of northern hairy-nosed wombat
Year |
1970s |
1985 |
1987 |
1993 |
2000 |
2002 |
2005 |
Number of individuals |
35 |
62 |
67 |
65 |
113 |
90 |
115 |
Source: Banks et al. 2003, Horsup unpublished data, Hoyle et al. 1995
Koala
Koalas are widely distributed throughout much of the state and generally occur at low but significant densities across their range (White and Kunst 1990; Patterson 1996; Melzer et al. 2000; Gordon and Hrdina 2005). The highest density populations generally occur in the south-east. The Koala Coast is recognised as one of the most significant natural koala populations in Australia, due to the relatively large number of koalas and the area's close proximity to Brisbane, the state capital. The Koala Coast is located 20 km south-east of Brisbane and covers about 375 km². The region encompasses areas of three local government authorities: the mainland portion of Redland Shire, the eastern portion of Logan City and the south-eastern portion of Brisbane City.
The koala population in the Koala Coast in 2005 was estimated at 4611 animals. Based on the 1997 estimate of 6246 koalas (Dique et al. 2004), this represents a 26% decline in abundance of this regional population. The largest proportion of the population persists in the bushland stratum and this part experienced the smallest decline. The strata with the greatest declines have been those associated with the urban zone. Between survey periods, the low-density remnant stratum declined by 69% or 435 koalas, the high-density remnant stratum declined by 52% or 514 koalas, and the urban stratum declined by 48% or 715 koalas.
The urban footprint delineated in the SEQ Regional Plan encompassed 42% of the koala population in 1997. However, as a consequence of the decline in the urban stratum, the urban footprint now supports only 33% of the koala population (Figure 7.7a). Redland Shire has experienced the greatest decline in koala abundance of the three local governments, estimated at 27% (Figure 7.7b). The loss of nearly 1200 koalas from the urban zone is the primary cause of the decline.
Figure 7.7 Change in koala abundance on the Koala Coast area (a) on the urban footprint and the regional landscape and rural production area (RL/RP); and b) in each local government area
Source: QPWS 2007
Loggerhead turtle
Beaches in the south-east of the Queensland mainland and on the southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) are the primary breeding area for loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, in the southern Pacific Ocean. Wreck Island was the most significant breeding site within this population. It has been one of the key index beaches to be monitored annually for assessing the trends in our loggerhead population. These data show a major decline in loggerhead turtle nesting since the 1970s (Figure 7.8).
By the late 1980s, the excessive mortality of loggerhead turtles in prawn trawl fisheries of eastern and northern Australia was identified as the most significant mortality factor causing this population decline. Trawl bycatch mortality directly affects populations of adult and large immature loggerheads.
The use of TEDs (turtle exclusion devices) in prawn trawls became compulsory in 2001 for the east coast trawl fishery and the northern prawn fishery.
The census data from Wreck Island and other loggerhead index beaches all show that the decline in loggerhead breeding has ceased since 2001. This is an indicator that TEDs are working to reduce turtle mortality. We now have the challenge of rebuilding this very depleted population. Given that it takes about 30 years from birth to first breeding, recovery will be a slow process.
Figure 7.8 Number of nesting females tagged during the two-week annual mid-season tagging census at Wreck Island
Source: Limpus and Limpus 2003, and QPWS Marine Turtle database
Cycads
Cycads are considered iconic species (Donaldson 2004) as they are an ancient group of plants with a fossil record extending back to the early Permian. They have significant horticultural interest and have been exploited worldwide, and subsequently are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). There are 300 species of extant cycads in the world and Queensland is a major centre of diversity with 41 species (Forster 2004). Cycads are considered to be in global decline due to habitat decline, illegal collecting, climate change and their inability to out-compete angiosperms (Norstog and Nicholls 1997).
At present 47% (20 species) of Queensland cycads are listed as threatened. The main threats to Queensland cycads are destruction of habitat, harvesting, loss of genetic variation, decline in insect pollinators and land management practices. Populations of cycads most under threat are those that occur in non-remnant vegetation that are outside the reserve system. Five threatened cycad species have significant populations that meet this criterion and action is proposed under the draft recovery plan to protect these populations (Forster and Holland 2005).
Cycas megacarpa is a listed endangered cycad species with a minimum area of occupancy of 25 km² in 46 populations with a projected total of 373 000 adult plants (Forster 2007). The minimum viable population size is 3500-4500 plants, and only seven populations have the population size and age structure to be considered viable. Populations have been declining and continue to do so because of vegetation clearing, habitat degradation, selective eradication, harvesting, poor long-distance dispersal, pollination failure, recruitment failure and unsustainable land management practices. C. megacarpa is present in three national parks, and 12 forest reserves; however, these populations are small and fragmented (Forster 2007). Recovery actions to increase the number of individuals and populations and to secure existing populations have been recommended in the cycad draft recovery plan (Forster and Holland 2005).
Recovery plans
Of the 590 endangered and vulnerable plants and animals listed under the Nature Conservation Act, recovery plans have been prepared and/or approved by the EPA for 15% of the species (Table 7.13). Close to half (46%) of listed threatened animals have recovery plans, but only 6% of plants. More recently efforts have been aimed at developing multi-species plans (for example, national recovery plan for the wallum sedge frog and other wallum-dependent frog species, and draft national recovery plan for Stanthorpe Plateau threatened flora, covering nine threatened wildflowers). Efforts have also been directed toward ecological community-based recovery planning, such as the draft national recovery plan for Mabi Forest, a critically endangered ecological community of the Atherton Tableland. This community encompasses a suite of threatened plants and animals.
Table 7.13 Details of recovery plans approved by the EPA for species listed under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992 as endangered or vulnerable
Taxonomic group |
Number of listed threatened species |
Threatened species with Queensland |
|
Number |
% |
||
Mammals |
38 |
16 |
42 |
Birds |
35 |
14 |
40 |
Reptiles |
21 |
7 |
33 |
Frogs |
25 |
20 |
80 |
Fish |
6 |
5 |
80 |
Butterflies |
7 |
1 |
14 |
Animals (total) |
132 |
61 |
46 |
Plants |
428 |
26 |
6 |
Total |
560 |
89 |
16 |
Source: EPA Threatened Species and Ecosystems Unit and WildNet database
In some instances, plans are used to promote broader landscape conservation that involves landholders. For example, the draft national southern cassowary recovery plan emphasises the need to protect areas of already fragmented habitat from the pressure of development. Similarly, the need for appropriate fire regimes on Cape York Peninsula is not just necessary for the conservation of the golden-shouldered parrot (Psephotus chrysopterygius) but for a whole suite of species in the wet-dry tropical savannas that have declined since settlement, including the crimson finch (white-bellied subspecies, Neochmia phaeton evangelinae), star finch (northern subspecies, Neochmia ruficauda clarescens) and Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae).
Recovery plans funded by the Commonwealth are primarily prepared for species listed under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). These species may not necessarily be listed under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act (for example, spectacled flying-fox). For species listed under the Commonwealth EPBC Act, 73% of listed animals and 9% of listed plants have plans awaiting adoption or already adopted by the Australian Government. Note that the percentage of plants covered by recovery plans has not taken into account threatened species covered by major plans in preparation, such as the semi-evergreen vine thicket, brigalow and bluegrass community plans. Examples of species recovery plans that have drafts in preparation or are awaiting Commonwealth adoption include grey-headed flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus), spectacled flying-fox (Pteropus conspicillatus), boggomoss snail (Adclarkia dawsonensis), large-eared pied bat (Chalinolobus dwyeri) and plans covering native species dependent on natural discharge of groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin.
Response
Extinct, endangered, vulnerable and near -threatened species
The protected area estate and the Vegetation Management Act are effective in protecting most wildlife habitat (except grasslands), but are of limited effectiveness in protecting endangered, vulnerable or rare species across the state in places such as urban areas (where only endangered remnant vegetation is assessed), wildlife corridors and non-remnant vegetation of conservation value. This issue was addressed by the Service Delivery and Performance Commission's report (2007) into the review of EPA, DPI and DNRW; the Commission recommended that this regulatory gap be overcome by amendments to the Nature Conservation Act. This would provide power for a state biodiversity conservation code that would standardise existing requirements for permits to cover the removal of protected native plants and minimise impacts on threatened native animals. The code would be recognised as an Integrated Development Assessment System (IDAS) Code under the Integrated Planning Act. Amendments to the Integrated Planning Act would establish EPA's referral agency roles in IDAS such as in the vicinity of protected areas, in essential habitat for threatened species and in state wildlife corridors. A state biodiversity conservation code would direct and inform state agencies and local government in their planning decisions. The amendments to IDAS are planned to occur by 31 October 2007.
Essential habitat
The provisions of the Vegetation Management Act provide for the protection of biodiversity and maps of essential habitat are one component. Essential habitat is remnant vegetation in which a species that is endangered, vulnerable, rare or near threatened under the Nature Conservation Act has been known to occur. The EPA provides essential habitat species maps based on modelled data or voucher record data. When assessing vegetation clearing applications, the DNRW uses the essential habitat map as a tool to assist in determining whether the vegetation is habitat for endangered, vulnerable, rare or near-threatened species. The performance requirement in the vegetation management code requires that the essential habitat of a listed species be protected.
Back on Track
'Back on Track' is an initiative of the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that aims to prioritise Queensland's native species to guide species conservation and recovery.
The Back on Track framework is designed to prioritise all species, regardless of their current classification under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act or the Commonwealth EPBC Act, to better reflect the level of management required for conservation and recovery. The framework is used to score plant and animal species from marine, freshwater and terrestrial habitats. Multiple criteria are used to identify those species that are most in need of conservation action and which have the greatest chance of recovery.
The process starts by identifying priority species, and then uses this information to identify common threats and actions where invested resources will give the greatest conservation benefit. In this way, Back on Track encourages a multi-species or ecosystem approach to conservation.
The Back on Track framework increases the capacity of government, NRM bodies and communities to make decisions about where to focus on-ground action and investment to deal with threatened species and communities.
The Natural Heritage Trust (NHT2) agreement between the State and the Commonwealth reflects their commitment to work as joint investment partners together with the community and other stakeholders to meet biodiversity conservation objectives. The NHT2 biodiversity investments aim to maintain or rehabilitate populations of significant species and ecological communities.
Endangered and of -concern regional ecosystems
The Vegetation Management Act provides protection from clearing of endangered and of-concern regional ecosystems based on their extent (except for grassland regional ecosystems). The end to broadscale vegetation clearing also protects not-of-concern regional ecosystems.
The EPA has developed a methodology to assess the condition of terrestrial ecosystems (Eyre et al. 2006). This biocondition assessment framework provides a measure of how well a terrestrial ecosystem is functioning for the maintenance of biodiversity values. It is a site-based, quantitative and repeatable assessment procedure that provides a numeric score that can be summarised as a condition rating. The methodology is being trialled in a number of areas in central and southern Queensland.
Population of selected species
The northern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii) is a highly threatened species with approximately 115 individuals surviving at Epping Forest National Park (Scientific) near Clermont, central Queensland. The recovery program has been successful in increasing the population: predation by dingos has ceased after fencing the habitat and maintaining a secure area; water and food is provided; and weeds are controlled. In 2006 a major action of the recovery plan was begun with the translocation of two wombats to the north of Epping Forest National Park. This experience is guiding planning for translocation of wombats to establish a second population. A second population will reduce the risk of extinction by events such as fire or disease.
The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is listed as vulnerable in the Southeast Queensland bioregion. The State Government has committed $2.1 million over four years for the implementation of the Koala Plan to conserve koalas and their habitat in Queensland. The Nature Conservation (Koala) Conservation Plan 2005 and Management Program 2005-15 came into effect on 2 October 2006. These plan answers to the key threats facing koalas, set out strategies to stop the decline of koala numbers and set in train the recovery of the species in Queensland.
The use of mandatory TEDs (turtle exclusion devices) in prawn trawls has assisted the recovery of the loggerhead turtle population by reducing the loss of adults from the population. Other actions, such as controlling fox predation and moving vulnerable turtle nests on the significant nesting beaches at Mon Repos Conservation Park and other such areas, have greatly increased the number of hatchlings reaching the sea. These actions, together with education campaigns regarding the hazards of litter and the importance of slow boat speeds in go-slow zones, are helping the slow recovery of this depleted population.
Within central and south-east Queensland, six species of cycad are listing as endangered. These species are the Cycas megacarpa, Marlborough blue (Cycas ophiolitica), Crane's macrozamia (Macrozamia cranei), Macrozamia lomandroides, Macrozamia pauli-guilielmi and Macrozamia platyrhachis . A multi-species recovery plan has been approved by the EPA for these cycads (Forster and Holland 2005). Currently the Fitzroy Basin Association is funding surveys of Cycas ophiolitica around Rockhampton to improve the mapping of essential habitat for this species. The improved mapping will help inform decision makers on how they can protect populations from the threat of land clearing for development.
Recovery plans
Determination of which species' status should be improved by recovery plans, management plans or species management profiles is now being assisted using the Back on Track species prioritisation framework.
The implementation of recovery plans has had some significant outcomes:
- One of the major threats to the Proserpine rock-wallaby is the loss of individuals through road mortality. A recovery action was successfully implemented at Peter Faust Dam (Proserpine) where numerous wallabies were being killed trying to cross the road to a patch of irrigated green grass. To limit the number of wallabies crossing the road, a new area of irrigated grass was developed closer to the wallaby's habitat, providing safe foraging.
- The yellow chat (Dawson subspecies, Epthianura crocea macgregori) is listed as critically endangered under Commonwealth legislation. It lives on the coastal plains near the Fitzroy River delta and on Curtis Island. The wetland habitat that is critical to its survival has been significantly altered by damming and other physical alterations that affect the flow of water in these areas. Other threats include trampling by feral pigs and grazing by cattle (Houston and Melzer, in press). On Curtis Island, the EPA has been working to control the feral animal population. Interpretive signage has been developed to inform the public, especially anglers, of the presence of this species and the conservation values of the habitat.
- As part of the recovery of Mabi Forest, implementation of recovery actions has begun with vegetation and fauna surveys. Determining the biodiversity of each fragment of forest will help to determine which fragments are most at risk from threats, and priority areas will be identified for habitat rehabilitation.
References
Accad, A., Neldner, V.J., Wilson, B.A. and Niehus, R.E. 2006, Remnant Vegetation in Queensland: Analysis of Remnant Vegetation, 1997-99, 2000, 2001-03, including regional ecosystem information, Queensland Herbarium, Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane, viewed 4 January 2007, www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/plants/remnant_vegetation
_in_queensland.
Bailey, F.M. 1913, Comprehensive Catalogue of Queensland Plants both Indigenous and Naturalised, Government Printer, Brisbane.
Banks, S.C., Hoyle, S.D., Horsup, A., Sunnucks, P. and Taylor, A.C. 2003, 'Demographic monitoring of an entire species (the northern hairy-nosed wombat, Lasiorhinus krefftii) by genetic analysis of non-invasively collected material', Animal Conservation 6: 101-107.
Bostock, P.D. and Holland, A.E. 2007, Census of the Queensland Flora 2007, Queensland Herbarium, Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane.
Cook, G.D. and Dias, L. 2007, 'It was no accident: deliberate plant introductions by Australian government agencies during the 20th century', Turner review 12, Australian Journal of Botany 54: 601-25.
Dique, D.S., Preece, H.J., Thompson, J. and de Villiers D.L. 2004, 'Determining the distribution and abundance of a regional koala population in south-east Queensland for conservation management', Wildlife Research 31: 109-17.
Donaldson, J.S. (eds) 2004, Cycads, A Status Survey and Action Plan, IUCN-The World Conservation Union, Gland, Switzerland.
EPA 2005, Regional Ecosystem Description Database (REDD), Version 5.0, Updated December 2005, Database maintained by Queensland Herbarium, Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane, viewed 20 February 2007, www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/biodiversity/regional_ecosystems.
Eyre, T.J., Kelly, A.L. and Neldner, V.J. 2006, Methodology for the Establishment and Survey of Reference Sites for BioCondition, Version 1.4, Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane.
Forster, P.I.F. 2004, ' Diversity of the cycads of Queensland, together with an assessment of their conservation status', In A.J. Lindstrom (eds), The Biology, Structure, and Systematics of the Cycadales, Proceedings of 6th International Conference of Cycad Biology, pp. 60-72, Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden, Chonburi, Thailand.
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Last updated 12 May 2011