Poplar box woodlands of Eastern Australia: an assessment of a threatened ecological community within the IVC framework

Aims: Ecosystems nationally at risk in Australia are listed under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act (EPBC Act), and many cross State jurisdictional boundaries. The determination of these ecosystems across the State boundaries are based on expert knowledge. The International Vegetation Classification has the potential to be useful as a cross-jurisdictional hierarchy which also gives global perspective to ecosystems. Study Area: All bioregions that include Eucalyptus populnea as a dominant or major component of woodlands across the species known distribution. Methods: We use plot-based data (455 plots) from two states (Queensland and New South Wales) in eastern Australia and quantitative classification methods to assess the definition and description for the Poplar Box Woodland ecosystem type (hereafter “ecological community” or “community”) that is listed as endangered under the EPBC Act. Analyses were conducted using kR-CLUSTER methods to generate alliances. Within these alliances, analyses were undertaken to define associations using agglomerative hierarchical clustering and similarity profile testing (SIMPROF). We then explore how assigning this community into the IVC hierarchy may provide a mechanism for linking Australian communities, defined at the association and alliance levels, to international communities at risk. Results: We define three alliances and 23 associations based on the results of floristic analysis. Using the standard rule-set of the IVC system, we found that the IVC hierarchy was a useful instrument in correlating ecological communities across jurisdictional boundaries where different classification systems are used. It is potentially important in giving a broader understanding of communities that may be at risk continentally and globally. Conclusions: We conclude that the IVC hierarchy can incorporate Australian communities at the association level into useful units at higher levels, and provides a useful classification tool for Australian ecosystems. Taxonomic reference: PlantNET (http://plantnet/10rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/) [accessed June 2019]. Abbreviations: EPBC Act = Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act; IVC = International Vegetation Classification; NMDS = non-metric multidimensional scaling; NSW = New South Wales; PCT = Plant Community Type; QLD = Queensland; RE = Regional Vegetation Community; SIMPER = similarity percentage analysis; SIMPROF = Similarity profile analysis.

Shortfalls in extinction risk assessments for plants

Research on species recovery, reintroduction, and conservation disproportionally focusses on birds and mammals. Typically, less attention is given to hyper-diverse but ecologically important groups such as plants and invertebrates. In this study, we focussed on a continent with one of the world’s highest proportions of endemic plant species (Australia) comparing the number of extinction risk assessments relative to birds and mammals. Specifically, we generated a checklist of Australian endemic vascular plants and used three resources which differ in styles and scope to collate information on how many have an extinction risk assessment – the ThreatSearch database, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, (EPBC Act). Between 76 and 93% of endemic Australian plants examined lack an extinction risk assessment based on data from our three sources. We also compared the proportions of endemic plants assessed relative to birds and mammals. Of all endemic plant taxa examined, only 6.8% have been assessed under the EPBC Act, compared with 9.4% of birds and 28.9% of mammals. Similarly, only 8.8% of endemic plants have been assessed for the IUCN Red List, compared with 29.1% of birds and 61.1% of mammals, whereas all birds and mammals have been examined in National Action Plans. This represents a significant underestimation of the actual proportion of Australian endemic plants that are likely to satisfy extinction-risk criteria for listing as threatened. This shortfall in risk assessments for plants is a matter of international significance for conservation given Australia’s high rate of plant endemism. A change in policy and approach to assessing extinction risk is needed to ensure adequate assessment effort across different taxonomic groups.

Groundwater management – working with Queensland and EPBC regulation and processes

Onshore gas development projects are often referred for assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), administered by the Commonwealth Department of the Environment and Energy (DOEE), and coal seam gas projects may require additional assessment under the ‘water trigger’ legislation. Queensland Government approval is also required and both governments’ approval processes can intersect. The two processes may have different scope and timeframes, and these are important considerations for proponents bringing forward new gas supply and project expansions. As co-regulators, the Queensland Government and DOEE routinely look for opportunities to better align regulatory practices and ensure they remain contemporary and fit for purpose. In this context, they are exploring opportunities to improve the administration of requirements for Queensland gas projects to enhance the ability of regulators to assess project approvals, ensure compliance, improve process efficiency, and maintain high environmental standards.

Restricted gene flow in the endangered Capricorn Yellow Chat Epthianura crocea macgregori: consequences for conservation management

SummaryThe Yellow Chat Epthianura crocea is comprised of three disjunct subspecies. Subspecies E. c. macgregori (Capricorn Yellow Chat) is listed as Critically Endangered under the EPBC Act and has a distribution that also appears to be disjunct, with a limited geographic area of less than 7,000 ha. Some populations are threatened by rapid industrial development, and it is important for conservation of the subspecies to determine the extent to which the putative populations are connected. We used 14 microsatellite markers to measure genetic diversity and to determine the extent of gene flow between two disjunct populations at the northern and southern extremes of the subspecies’ range. No significant differences in genetic diversity (number of alleles and heterozygosity) were observed, but clear population structuring was apparent, with obvious differentiation between the northern and southern populations. The most likely explanation for reduced gene flow between the two populations is either the development of a geographic barrier as a consequence of shrinkage of the marine plains associated with the rise in sea levels following the last glacial maxima, or reduced connectivity across the largely unsuitable pasture and forest habitat that now separates the two populations, exacerbated by declining population size and fewer potential emigrants. Regardless of the mechanism, restricted gene flow between these two populations has important consequences for their ongoing conservation. The relative isolation of the smaller southern groups (the Fitzroy River delta and Curtis Island) from the much larger northern group (both sides of the Broad Sound) makes the southern population more vulnerable to local extinction. Conservation efforts should focus on nature refuge agreements with land owners agreeing to maintain favourable grazing management practices in perpetuity, particularly in the northern area where most chats occur. Supplemental exchanges of individuals from northern and southern populations should be explored as a way of increasing genetic diversity and reducing inbreeding.

Preserving Australian native fauna: zoo-based breeding programs as part of a more unified strategic approach

High extinction rates and loss of biodiversity is a critical conservation matter. Twenty-two Australian mammal species have become extinct in the last 200 years. Of the 95 mammal species under the EPBC Act, 51 have recovery plans and 15 of these have captive components. Zoo-based programs as part of a recovery plan can ‘buy’ time for critically endangered species. In Australia, programs are established as a result of government recovery plans, though more consultation with the zoo industry in initial development phase is needed. Often by the time the decision is taken to remove individuals from the wild for captive breeding, the source populations are fragmented and small. As zoo-based programs become more successful, issues with space limitations arise. This may be rectified with regular release of individuals or avoidance of maintaining post-reproductive and/or non-reproductive animals long-term. Those involved in recovery efforts should make few assumptions on the captive productivity of species, unless the species has been held before. Success of the captive component of a recovery program can be measured by the number of animals bred for release and the level of genetic diversity retained by the program. Although recovery teams are responsible for strategy development, good communication between parties from an early stage is essential. Where a captive component is needed, a more unified strategy, developed early, should provide our native fauna with a realistic chance of recovery. Zoo-based breeding programs are useful in assisting with the preservation of some Australian fauna, whilst for others they will have limited relevance.

Importance of getting the numbers right: quantifying the rapid and substantial decline of an abundant marsupial, Bettongia penicillata

Context A reliable measure of population size is fundamental to ecology and conservation but is often difficult to obtain. The woylie, Bettongia penicillata, provides an example where ‘getting the numbers right’ has important implications in verifying and quantifying the recent unexpected, rapid and substantial declines across much of its range. Initial estimates prompted a conservation-status upgrade for the species to Endangered by the Australian Government. The present paper constitutes the foundational paper addressing the first steps of a decline diagnosis framework intended to identify the causes of the recent declines. Aims To verify whether the declines in woylie trap-capture rates are representative of population change; better quantify the size of the largest woylie populations; and review what is understood about the ecology of the woylie and identify key knowledge gaps that may be relevant to identifying the causes of the recent declines. Methods Monitoring data from live-cage trapping (transects and grids), sandpads, woylie diggings and nest-density surveys and spotlighting were collated. Population measures derived from trapping data included capture rates, number of individuals, abundance estimates based on capture–mark–recapture modelling and density using spatially explicit capture–recapture models (SECR). Key results The declines in woylie trap-capture rates were verified as real population declines and corresponded closely with other measures of abundance derived from the same trapping data as well as with independent measures. A 95% decline occurred in the largest extant woylie populations (in the Upper Warren region, Western Australia) between 2002 and 2008. At a species level, woylies declined ~90% (1999–2006), from a peak of ~200 000 individuals in 1999. Conclusions An accurate formal conservation status is an important factor in promoting the conservation of a species. It is recommended that the woylie be considered for Critically Endangered status under the Australian EPBC Act. Implications Adequate and effective monitoring of species is critical to detecting and quantifying population changes in a timely manner. Having an accurate measure of population size can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of conservation and management efforts.

Environmental update for 2007

This environmental update for 2007 covers key environmental issues and development updates for the upstream oil and gas industry in Australia. Driven by market opportunities, the continued significant growth in the exploration and development of oil and gas reserves in Australia is considered against the environmental issues and challenges this growth presents. The number of large projects is testing regulatory approvals processes at a time when there is an ever rigorous and adapting regulatory climate, an increasing need for stakeholder engagement, and sustainability considerations. The review includes a summary of the environmental approval status of the large number of LNG projects in their various stages of development, as well as summary statistics on oil and gas activities in relation to assessment under the key Commonwealth environmental assessment legislation, the EPBC Act. An overview of changes in the main oil and gas legislation is also provided. Major environmental issues affecting the oil and gas industry are summarised, along with details of some of the main areas of ongoing environmental research initiatives. Finally, a summary of the review draws together the matters described in the environmental update for 2007.

The extent of dispersive movement behaviour in Australian vertebrate animals, possible causes, and some implications for conservation

We review categorizations of, and published evidence for, large-scale or dispersive movement in Australia's vertebrate fauna. For the purposes of this paper, dispersive movements are defined as any large scale movements, relative to an individual's territory or to the population breeding range. A continuum in dispersive behaviours can be recognized between regular annual migration and less regular more opportunistic and either more or less extensive re-colonization movements. We argue that dispersive movements can be explained in terms of individuals maximizing Darwinian fitness through optimizing net energy intake traded off against mortality risk, as these vary over space and time. We find that migration, nomadism and other forms of dispersive behaviour can be considered to differ, not in type, but merely in degree. Our review revealed evidence of dispersive movement for 36 (16%) freshwater fish species, 2 (1 %) frogs, 5 (0.6%) land and freshwater reptiles, 7 (100%) marine reptiles, 342 (51%) land and freshwater birds, 88 (56%) marine birds, 27 (8%) land and freshwater mammals, and 28 (50%) marine mammals. The Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) is the Australian Government's main legal instrument for the conservation of biodiversity. While it recognizes, and has special provisions for, international migratory species, the Act does not recognize the special conservation challenges of continental dispersive fauna. The continental dispersive fauna not recognized by the Act includes 246 bird species. We conclude that the EPBC Act needs to be amended to explicitly account for the national conservation responsibilities of the Australian Government with respect to dispersive fauna.

MARINE ZONE MANAGEMENT AND THE EPBC ACT—HOW ENVIRONMENTAL MARINE GEOLOGICAL INFORMATION PROVIDES CERTAINTY FOR PETROLEUM EXPLORATION

To protect the diversity of marine life in Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the federal parliament has passed the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999. The Act is being implemented through the design of a national representative system of marine protected areas (MPAs) that will place under protection a representative portion of Australia’s EEZ by 2012. There have already been 13 MPAs nominated for the southeast region in 2006.Limited biological data in Australia’s EEZ has resulted in biophysical information compiled by Geoscience Australia being used as a proxy for seabed biodiversity in support of marine conservation planning. Information we use to characterise the seabed includes bathymetry, geomorphology, acoustic properties, sediment properties, and slope and sediment mobilisation due to waves and tides. To better characterise habitats on the Australian continental shelf, Geoscience Australia is creating seascape maps (similar to geological facies maps) that integrate these multiple layers of spatial data, and which are useful for the prediction of the distribution of biodiversity in Australia’s EEZ. This information provides 100% spatial coverage based on objective, multivariate statistical methods and offers certainty for managers and stakeholders including the oil and gas industry, who are involved with designing Australia’s national MPA system. Certainty for industries operating in the EEZ is enhanced by a reproducible, science-based approach for identifying conservation priorities and the classification of sea floor types within multiple use areas.