Harden

Indicator: Native Species

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What the results tell us for Harden Shire

The full extent of native animal and plant species diversity in Harden Shire is not known. About 120 plant species (native and introduced) and 108 vertebrate species have been recorded, but these records are not comprehensive. The small difference in reported species diversity of invertebrates compared with the last reporting period reflect factors such as improved use of data sources and survey effort since 2004.

One plant and 14 vertebrate species that occur in the Shire are listed as vulnerable or endangered in NSW and/or nationally. The number of species in the Shire listed as nationally threatened remained unchanged since the last reporting period. An additional 30 threatened plant and animal species are predicted to occur in the Shire.

Native plants and animals in the Shire are subject to National, State and local laws relating to biodiversity protection. Two of the 15 threatened species had formal recovery plans in place; one plan was completed during the previous reporting period. All 14 threatened animal species in the Shire were covered by National Action Plans. Although various recovery actions had been initiated for many of the threatened species, the extent to which activities were carried out in the Shire and had been effective in conserving the species was not known.

What native species occur in the Shire?

No comprehensive lists of plant or animal species were available for Harden Shire. As past extensive clearing has resulted in significant loss of natural habitat for native plants and animals, species occurring in vegetation remnants within or near the Shire provide some indication of the Shire's former native species diversity. Important areas containing remnant vegetation include national parks, nature reserves, travelling stock reserves, road reserves and cemeteries.

Plants (flora)

About 120 plant species, most of them native, have been recorded in the Shire. This figure is comparative with the 2004 State of the Environment Report. No information was available on the abundance of native plant species during the reporting period.

One plant species recorded in the Shire is listed as vulnerable in both NSW and nationally (see Table 1); it was listed prior to the current reporting period. No updated data was provided on predicted species, however based on data gathered for the previous reporting period, scientific experts predict that an additional nine vulnerable or endangered species may also occur in the Shire (see Table 2) although there were no confirmed records of them at the end of either the current or the previous reporting period.

Table 1. Threatened plants known to occur in Harden Shire
Common name Scientific name Conservation status Recovery Plan or Action Plan
National† NSW‡ Change*
Yass Daisy Ammobium craspedioides V V No None

# Status (threat category): E=endangered; V= Vulnerable CE = Critically Endangered

† National Status under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999; ‡ NSW Status under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995; *Change in status singe the end of the last reporting period (see also Threatened species –status).

Source: DEC 2005; DEH NSW; Government 2005

Table 2. Threatened plant species predicted to occur in Harden Shire
Common name Scientific name
Austral Pillwort Pilularia novae-hollandiae
Cotoneaster Pomaderris Pomaderris cotoneaster
Crimson Spider Orchid Caladenia concolor
Mueller's Eyebright Euphrasia collina subsp. muelleri
Pine Donkey Orchid Diuris tricolor
Silky Swainson-pea Swainsona sericea
Tarengo Leek Orchid Prasophyllum petilum
Tumut Grevillea Grevillea wilkinsonii
Woolly Ragwort Senecio garlandii

Source: DEC 2005;

Animals (fauna)

One hundred and eight vertebrate species have been recorded in Harden Shire, about 80% of them birds (see Table 3). This is 20 species more than reported in 2004 State of the Environment Report; the increased number probably reflects the use of different data sources, the inclusion of non-native species in the source data and possibly additional survey work since 2004. Although no fish were recorded in the data sources used for this report, fish species could be expected to occur in the Shire's rivers. The number of invertebrate animals (insects etc) is not known. No specific information was available on the abundance of animal species in the Shire during the reporting period.

Table 3. Number of vertebrate species known to occur in Harden Shire

Animal group (Order) Number of Species Number of Species
State of the Environment 2008 State of the Environment 2004
Mammals 19 10
Birds 83 65
Amphibians 1 1
Reptiles 5 3
Fish - -
Total 108 79

Source: Bionet 2005

Two mammal and 12 bird species recorded in Harden Shire are listed as Endangered or Vulnerable (see Table 4). During the previous reporting period, five species were listed as Vulnerable in NSW, and one species—the Spotted-tailed Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus)—had its status upgraded from nationally Vulnerable to nationally Endangered.

Table 4. Threatened animals known to occur in Harden Shire
Commonname Scientificname Conservation status# Recovery Plan or Action Plan (Date if known)
National† NSW‡ Change*
Mammals
Large-footed Myotis Myotis adversus – V No Action Plan (1999)3
Spotted-tailed Quoll Dasyurus maculatus E V No National Recovery Plan in preparation; Action Plan (1996)2
Birds
Black-chinned Honeyeater (eastern form) Melithreptus gularis gularis – V No Action Plan (2000)1
Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis – V No Action Plan (2000)1
Brown Treecreeper (eastern subspecies) Climacteris picumnus victoriae – V No Action Plan (2000)1
Diamond Firetail Stagonopleura guttata – V No Action Plan (2000)1
Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa – V No Action Plan (2000)1
Grey-crowned Babbler (eastern subspecies) Pomatostomus temporalis temporalis – V No Action Plan (2000)1
Hooded Robin Melanodryas cucullata cucullata – V No Action Plan (2000)1
Regent Honeyeater Xanthomyza phrygia E E No National Recovery Plan 1999–2003;Action Plan (2000)1
Speckled Warbler Chthonicola sagittata –3 V No Action Plan (2000)1
Superb Parrot Polytelis swainsonii V V No National Recovery Plan in preparation;Action Plan (2000)1
Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor E E No National Recovery Plan 2001–2005;Action Plan (2000)1
Turquoise Parrot Neophema pulchella – V No Action Plan (2000)1

# Status (threat category): E = Endangered; V = Vulnerable† National status under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999; ‡ NSW status under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995; * Change in status since the end of the last reporting period (see also Threatened species—status).References: 1 = Garnett and Crowley 2000; 2 = Maxwell et al. 1996; Other sources: DEC 2005b; DEH 2005; Graham 2005; NSW Government 2005.

No updated data was provided for the current reporting period on predicted species, however based on data gathered for the previous reporting period scientific experts predict that an additional 20 vulnerable or endangered vertebrate species, and one invertebrate—the Critically Endangered Golden Sun Moth (Synemon plana)—may occur in the Shire (see Table 5), although there were no confirmed records of them at the end of either the current or the previous reporting period.

Table 5. Threatened animals predicted to occur in Harden Shire
Common name Scientific name
Barking Owl Ninox connivens
Booroolong Frog Litoria booroolongensis
Brolga Grus rubicundus
Brush-tailed Phascogale Phascogale tapoatafa
Bush Stone-curlew Burhinus grallarius
Eastern Bentwing-bat Miniopterus schreibersii oceanensis
Eastern Pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus
Gilbert's Whistler Pachycephala inornata
Golden Sun Moth Synemon plana
Koala Phascolarctos cinereus
Little Pied Bat Chalinolobus picatus
Pied Honeyeater Certhionyx variegatus
Pink-tailed Worm-lizard Aprasia parapulchella
Rosenberg's Goanna Varanus rosenbergi
Southern Bell Frog Litoria raniformis
Square-tailed Kite Lophoictinia isura
Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis
Squirrel Glider (Wagga Wagga pop'n) Petaurus norfolcensis (Wagga Wagga pop'n)
Striped Legless Lizard Delma impar
Yellow-bellied Glider Petaurus australis
Yellow-bellied Sheathtail-bat Saccoclaimus flaviventris

Source: DEC 2005b

In the broader South Western Slopes bioregion within which Harden Shire is located, some bird species that are not listed as threatened are reported to have decreased in abundance over the last 20 years, although others are reported to have increased (Barrett et al. 2003). A selection of these species that occur in the Shire is listed in Table 6.

Table 6. Native birds reported to be declining or increasing in the South Western Slopes bioregion and known to occur in Harden Shire*
Common Name Scientific Name Declining Increasing
Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus   +
Australian Raven Corvus coronoides   +
Barn Owl Tyto alba +  
Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris +  
Brown Falcon Falco berigora +  
Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans   +
Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis +  
Double-barred Finch Taeniopygia bichenovii +  
Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa   +
Fairy Martin Hirundo ariel +  
Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis   +
Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa   +
Grey Shrike-thrush Colluricincla harmonica   +
Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides +  
Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles +  
Noisy Friarbird Philemon corniculatus   +
Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius   +
Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus +  
Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata   +
Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta +  
Richard's Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae +  
Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia   +
Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus   +
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita   +
Superb Fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus   +
White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae +  
White-plumed Honeyeater Lichenostomus penicillatus   +
White-throated Treecreeper Cormobates leucophaeus   +
Yellow-billed Spoonbill Platalea flavipes +  

* For a complete list of declining and increasing species in the bioregion, see Barrett et al. 2003 pages 757–788; Source: Barrett et al. 2003; Birds Australia 2005; CSIRO 2005; NSW Government 2005

Threats and impacts on native species

Habitat disturbance and fragmentation are major threats to the distribution and abundance of native plant and animal species within the Shire; with changes in land cover and land use being significant factors. There is little documented information however on the specific impacts of habitat disturbance, fragmentation or other threatening factors on species.

Although native plants and animals in the Shire would have been subject to prolonged drought conditions during the current reporting period, actual drought impacts on species are generally not known or poorly understood. Such a natural event may however affect the abundance of species by causing localised deaths (plants and animals) and migration out of the area (animals).

Threatening processes affecting plants

Several key processes listed as threatening in Schedule 3 of the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 are relevant to plant species in Harden Shire. They include:

  • alteration to the natural flow regimes of rivers and streams and their floodplains and wetlands
  • clearing of native vegetation
  • competition and grazing by the feral European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
  • invasion of native plant communities by exotic perennial grasses.

The main known threats to the Vulnerable Yass Daisy are agricultural developments and intensification of grazing regimes, weed invasion, road works (particularly widening or re-routing) and inappropriate mowing or slashing in the cemetery sites where the species occurs (DEC 2005b).

Threatening processes affecting animals

Several key processes listed as threatening in Schedule 3 of the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 are relevant to animal species in Harden Shire. They include:

  • alteration to the natural flow regimes of rivers and streams and their floodplains and wetlands
  • bushrock removal
  • clearing of native vegetation
  • competition and grazing by the feral European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
  • competition from feral honeybees (Apis mellifera)
  • infection of frogs by amphibian chytrid causing the disease chytridiomycosis
  • predation by Plague Minnow or Mosquito Fish (Gambusia holbrooki)
  • predation by the European Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
  • predation by the Feral Cat (Felis catus)
  • removal of dead wood and dead trees.

Eight key threats identified for native fish within the Murray-Darling Basin (MDBMC 2003) may also be relevant to fish species within the Shire. These threats are low regulation, habitat degradation, lowered water quality, barriers, alien species, exploitation, diseases, and translocation and stocking.

Threats identified for most endangered/vulnerable animals occurring in Harden Shire are shown in Table 7. The threats include a range of factors that affect species habitat, food sources or population viability. Habitat clearance and fragmentation threaten many of the species. For information about known threats for individual species that occur in the Shire, and other threatened species predicted to occur there, see http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/index.aspx.

Table 7. Known threats to listed Endangered and Vulnerable animals in Harden Shire
Species Threats
Mammals
Spotted-tailed Quoll native vegetation clearance competition with foxes and feral cats non-target mortality from trapping and poisoning of feral dogs mortality resulting from raiding caged birds
Birds*
Black-chinned Honeyeater (eastern form), Blue-billed Duck, Brown Treecreeper (eastern subspecies), Diamond Firetail, Freckled Duck, Grey-crowned Babbler (eastern form), Hooded Robin (southern form), Regent Honeyeater, Speckled Warbler, Superb Parrot, Swift Parrot, Turquoise Parrot habitat clearance and/or fragmentation and/or degradation from native vegetation clearance, overgrazing by stock and rabbits, tree loss through altered water tables, drainage or degradation of deep permanent wetlands, salinisation and lowering of ground water fox and cat predation competition with Starlings for nest sites road mortality

* Each threat listed, and each aspect of each threat, does not necessarily apply to every species; Source: DEC 2005b

What is being done to conserve native species?

Laws and policy

National and State laws provide a framework for the protection of native plant and animal species within the Shire. Two State laws were enacted during the previous reporting period: the Native Vegetation Act 2003 and the Catchment Management Authorities Act 2003. These two laws and the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 provide a landscape scale framework for biodiversity management. The National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, other State laws including the Fisheries Management Act 1994 and Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and the National Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 provide the framework for the recognition and protection of threatened plant and animal species, and usually require the species to be taken into account during proposed developments.

Harden Shire is located within the Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority (MCMA) area. Each CMA is required to work in partnership with local government as well as other stakeholders. The Murrumbidgee Catchment Blueprint (Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Board 2003), completed during the previous reporting period, includes a range of management actions to restore, maintain or conserve biodiversity values.

Local government regulations, legislation or planning documents such as local environment plans may also provide some protection for native species, or limit or prohibit certain activities that may lead to the further decline of protected species. Harden Shire Council assesses development applications under the standard conditions within the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

Recovery planning for threatened species

Of the 15 threatened species known to occur in Harden Shire, two species had formal recovery plans in place (see Tables 2 and 6), one of which was completed during the previous reporting period. Plans were being prepared for another two species. All 14 threatened animal species in the Shire were covered by three National Action Plans, at least two of which were completed prior to 2001.

An array of actions has been detailed by various conservation management agencies for many of the threatened species occurring in Harden Shire. Although recovery actions had been initiated during the previous reporting period by researchers and the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) for the Yass Daisy, Spotted-tailed Quoll and Swift Parrot (DEC 2004), these actions did not necessarily occur within the Shire and no data was available on the effect these programs had on the current reporting period. The extent to which recovery actions are proving effective in conserving targeted threatened species within the Shire is not clear.

Other activities

No updated data was provided on Council activities, but previous actions may have had a flow on effect into the current reporting period. During the previous reporting period, Council implemented a policy to minimise damage to trees along road reserves when upgrading the road network within the Shire. A range of nationally funded activities undertaken during the previous reporting period in the Murrumbidgee catchment (DIPNR 2004) may also have enhanced the conservation of plant and animal species in the Shire.

The Grassy Box Woodland Conservation Management Network was initiated and commenced as part of a Biodiversity Conservation in the NSW Sheep/Wheat Belt project during the previous reporting period. The project included gathering information to assist in assessing the status and extent of endangered ecological communities and threatened bird species across the NSW sheep/wheat belt, of which Harden Shire is a part. On-ground surveys, which commenced just after the end of the current reporting period, are expected to be continued for several years, with each year's survey results being provided to local and regional planning authorities. Harden Shire Council will benefit if future survey sites are located within its boundary.

Harden Shire supports two Landcare groups. During the previous reporting period one local Landcare group undertook an extensive project to plant trees in salt affected land in the Galong area to reduce salinity and ameliorate its effects on biodiversity.

About the data

Data for species lists were obtained from the sources listed below.

  • BioNet (NSW Government 2005)—this database includes records from the Australian Museum, Department of Environment and Climate Change (DEC) and Department of Primary Industries (DPI). The DEC data includes data from the former NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Atlas of NSW Wildlife database (DEC 2005a) and the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens Herbarium Collection database (Royal Botanic Gardens 2005). The DPI data includes data from the former NSW State Forests and the former NSW Fisheries.
  • Atlas of NSW Wildlife (DEC 2005a)—species records are submitted to the Atlas as incidental sightings or systematic surveys, or imported from existing databases. Location details are validated on data entry, based on the grid references supplied. An accuracy index of location is applied and all records are automatically assigned a reliability category, based on the observers' experience. Unusual sightings that fail validations are queried and further validation may occur.
  • Australian National Wildlife Collection Database (CSIRO 2005).
  • Australia's Virtual Herbarium database—contains flora records from the Australian National Herbarium and other major herbaria in Australia (ANH 2005).
  • NSW State Forests data—flora and fauna records held by NSW State Forests South Coast, Eden and Riverina Regions.
  • Atlas of Australian Birds database (Birds Australia 2005)—records of threatened and migratory birds only. Detail about the database, accuracy of its records and other relevant information is outlined in Barrett et al. (2003).

Selection of species records

Species records were selected from between July 1955 to October 2008. This date range was used to eliminate species which had not been recorded in the last 50 years, and to eliminate historic records with poor locational or taxonomic detail.

Due to extensive data and time constraints, some exotic plant species may be included in the list of native plant species and hence also included in the plant species total for the Shire.

Some species, especially plants, may appear more than once in the species lists of native plants and animals where slight variations in spelling or formatting of scientific names have occurred between or within the datasets used to compile these lists.

The total number of plant and animal species referred to in this report equals the total number of taxa listed in the lists of native plant and animal species (i.e. the total 'species' count includes varieties, subspecies, forms and hybrids).

Differences between reporting periods

The DECC Wildlife Atlas is the only source used to generate species lists for vulnerable and threatened flora species during this reporting period. This tool allows for geographic searching by Local Government Area (LGA) boundaries, hence revealing a more spatially accurate data set for the LGA in question. It is possible that the differences in threatened fauna species between 2008 and the 2004 report are due to a different geographic boundary being utilised for the previous reporting period (i.e. CMA regions), which do not correspond entirely with LGA boundaries.

Threatened species—status

Plant and animal species listed under the Commonwealth Government's Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 were automatically transferred to the new Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and were formally listed under the EPBC Act on 16 July 2000. Although this listing date falls within the current reporting period, the status of such species was considered to remain unchanged from the previous reporting period. Data on the status of plant and animal species listed under NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 was not provided for this reporting period and was considered to remain unchanged.

Threatened species predicted to occur in the Shire

No data was provided for predicted threatened species in the current reporting period. Data given here is based on that provided for the previous reporting period. This data was sourced from the DECC, Threatened Species Unit, Southern Directorate as an extract from its Property Vegetation Planning Database.

References

ANH—see Australian National Herbarium

Australian National Herbarium (2005) Australia's Virtual Herbarium database, Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, CSIRO and Australian National Botanic Gardens, Department of Environment and Climate Change, Canberra.

Barrett, G, Silcocks, A, Barry, S, Cunningham, R and Poulter, R (2003) New Atlas of Australian Birds, Royal Australasian Ornithologist's Union, Melbourne.

Birds Australia (2005) Atlas of Australian Birds database, Birds Australia, Melbourne.

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (2005) Australian National Wildlife Collection Database, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Sustainable Ecosystems, Canberra.

CSIRO—see Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

DECC—see Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW)

DEH—see Department of Environment and Heritage (Commonwealth)

Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW) (2004) Recovery Planning Database, Threatened Species Unit, Department of Environment and Climate Change, Hurstville.

Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW) (2005a) Atlas of NSW Wildlife Database, Department of Environment and Climate Change, Hurstville.

Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW) (2005b) Threatened Species, Populations and Ecological Communities of NSW Catchments, viewed October 2008, http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/index.aspx.

Department of Environment and Heritage (Commonwealth) (2008) Species Profile and Threats Database , http://www.deh.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/sprat.pl.

Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources (NSW) (2004) 2003/04 Combined NSW Catchment Management Authorities Annual Report, Volume 1: CMA Activities and Achievements, Department of Infrastructure Planning and Natural Resources, Sydney.

DIPNR—see Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources (NSW)

Duncan, A, Baker, GB and Montgomery, N (eds) (1999) The Action Plan for Australian Bats, Environment Australia, Canberra.

Garnett, ST and Crowley, GM (2000) The Action Plan for Australian Birds, Environment Australia, Canberra.

Graham, C (2005) Charles Sturt University, personal communication.

Maxwell, S, Burbidge, AA and Morris, K (eds) (1996) The 1996 Action Plan for Australian Marsupials and Monotremes, Environment Australia, Canberra.

MDBMC—see Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council

Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council (2003) Native Fish Strategy for the Murray-Darling Basin 2003–2013, Murray Darling Basin Commission, Canberra.

Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Board (2003) Murrumbidgee Catchment Blueprint, NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation, Sydney, online at http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/care/cmb/blueprints/pdf/murrumbidgee_blueprint.pdf.

NSW Government (2005) BioNet System, NSW Government, viewed October 2008, http://www.bionet.nsw.gov.au/BioNet.cfm?is_ie5up.

OCE—see Office of the Commissioner for the Environment

Office of the Commissioner for the Environment (2000) Australian Capital Region State of the Environment Report 2000, Office of the Commissioner for the Environment, Canberra.

Royal Botanic Gardens (2005) Herbarium Collection Database, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.

 

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