Young
Indicator: Ecological Communities
Results for this indicator are also available for [an error occurred while processing this directive]
What the results tell us for Young
Six vegetation communities have been recorded within Young Shire, all estimated to be of conservation significance. The Shire may also contain occurrences of five ecological communities listed as critically endangered or endangered nationally or within New South Wales (NSW). No wetlands of national importance are located within the Shire.
It was not possible to assess accurately changes to the extent and condition of native vegetation in the Shire during the current reporting period. No information was available on vegetation cleared, or vegetation affected by wild fires during the current reporting period.
No information was available on whether reservation targets were met for vegetation communities considered to be poorly represented within the broader region's reserve system in the previous reporting period.
No information was available on Voluntary Conservation Agreements or wildlife refuges during the current reporting period.
Vegetation communities in the Shire
Six vegetation communities (or ecosystems) classified by Priday (2005), as part of recent vegetation surveys of the NSW South Western Slopes region, have been recorded within Young Shire (see Table 1). These surveys provided the best coverage and most consistent description of vegetation in the area.
The easternmost section of the Shire includes the sandstone ranges of the Hervey Group Sediments vegetation landscape and the western parts of the Illunie Volcanics vegetation landscape. Grassy woodlands dominated by White Box (Eucalyptus albens), Yellow Box (E. melliodora) and Blakely's Red Gum (E. blakelyi) (HerS24) were previously found throughout the siltstone areas between the Douglas Range and Bendick Murrell State Forest, however most have been cleared. The two other ecosystems from the Hervey Group Sediments (HerS53c and SouV24a) have been less affected by agriculture. The characteristic shrubby open forest of HerS53c has a more restricted distribution on the footslopes of steep sandstone ranges, and so is of some conservation value. There is also a minor component of the South Western Slopes Volcanics vegetation landscape in the eastern section of the Shire, dominated by grassy box-gum woodlands (SouV24a).
The middle section of the Shire where the Young Granodiorite stretches in a broad north-south oriented belt is comprised mostly of grassy box-gum woodlands (SouV24a), with minor areas of SouV24b on the northern margins.
The westernmost section of the Shire is predominantly alluvial, with some of the Lachlan Sediments/Metasediments landscape in the centre. In the eastern half of this section, grassy to shrubby woodlands (SouA25a) dominate. Much of the western part of the Shire falls within the South Western Slopes Clays vegetation landscape and is dominated by grassy woodlands characterised by Grey Box (E. microcarpa) (SouC25a). All woodlands on alluvium are endangered, and more endangered than the grassy box-gum woodlands dominated by White Box, Yellow Box and Blakely's Red Gum (for example, SouV24a) (Priday 2005).
No information is available to determine the number of communities still poorly represented within those regions' reserve systems in 2008.
| Ecosystem | Description | Vegetation landscape | Soil parent materials | Estimated status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SouV24a | Grassy box-gum woodlands dominated by White Box, Yellow Box and Blakely's Red Gum | South Western Slopes Volcanics | Intrusive and extrusive volcanic rocks varying between transitional siliceous/intermediate (e.g. dacite) to mafic (e.g. basalt). | Endangered.Very few remnants resemble what is assumed to be the 'pre-1750' condition (<1% of former distribution). |
| SouV24b | Grassy box-gum woodlands similar to SouV24a except dominated by White Box and White Cypress Pine with Blakely's Red Gum uncommon | South Western Slopes Volcanics | Intrusive and extrusive volcanic rocks varying between transitional siliceous/intermediate (e.g. dacite) to mafic (e.g. basalt). | Endangered.Very few remnants resemble what is assumed to be the 'pre-1750' condition (<1% of former distribution). |
| HerS24 | Grassy woodlands dominated by White Box, Yellow Box and Blakely's Red Gum. Main occurrence is in the Dananbilla section of the landscape east of Young. | Hervey Group Sediments | Fine- to coarse-grained sediments. Mainly siltstones and sandstones with minor shale and conglomerate. | Endangered |
| HerS53c | Shrubby open forest dominated by Grey Box and Red Ironbark. Found in all but the Jemalong Range section of the landscape. | Hervey Group Sediments | Fine- to coarse-grained sediments. Mainly siltstones and sandstones with minor shale and conglomerate. | Vulnerable |
| SouA25a | Grassy to shrubby woodlands dominated by Grey Box, White Cypress Pine and Yellow Box. | South Western Slopes Alluvium | Unconsolidated alluvial deposits in which vertosols (clay soils) are rare or absent. | Endangered |
| SouC25a | Grassy woodlands dominated by Grey Box, with less common Yellow Box and White Cypress Pine and occasional Bulloak. | South Western Slopes Clays | Unconsolidated alluvial deposits in which vertosols (clay soils) are the dominant soil type. Gilgai microrelief is common. | Endangered |
Source: Priday 2005
Endangered ecological communities
Young Shire may contain five ecological communities listed as endangered or critically endangered nationally or in NSW (Note: threatened ecological community lists are generated based on Bioregions). Four threatened communities are listed under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995; two are listed under the Commonwealth's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Two communities had their final determinations made during the current reporting period (DECC 2008b; DEHWA 2008c).
| Name of ecological community | Status | Date of determination* | Recovery Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuzzy Box Woodland on alluvial Soils of the South Western Slopes, Darling Riverine Plains and Brigalow Belt South Bioregions | Endangered in NSW* | Final: September 24, 2004 | No |
| Myall Woodland in the Darling Riverine Plains, Brigalow Belt South, Cobar Peneplain, Murray-Darling Depression, Riverina and NSW South Western Slopes bioregions | Endangered in NSW* | Final:15 July 2005 | No |
| Inland Grey Box Woodland in the Riverina, NSW South Western Slopes, Cobar Peneplain, Nandewar and Brigalow Belt South Bioregions | Endangered in NSW* | Final:27 April 2007 | No |
| White Box Yellow Box Blakely's Red Gum woodland | Endangered in NSW* | Final: 15 March 2002 | No |
| White Box-Yellow Box-Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland | Critically Endangered nationally# | Final: 17 May 2006 | In Preparation |
* Determinations (preliminary and final) under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 made by the NSW Scientific Committee; Source: DECC 2004a–c, 2008a–h
Other significant communities or habitats
No nationally significant wetlands listed in the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia (DEH 2005a) or Ramsar sites (that is, internationally important wetlands) either occur within or intersect the Shire.
Vegetation extent and condition
Pressures on vegetation extent
Loss of native vegetation continues to be one of the greatest threats to Australia’s biodiversity. The clearing of native vegetation is a threatening process operating on both ecosystems and species (DEHWA 2006). Even if all clearing were to cease now, the decline in vegetation condition is likely to continue for many years, because of the lag effects of vegetation fragmentation and growing pressure from climate change (DECC 2006). The main responses are the Native Vegetation Act 2003 (and supporting Regulations) and improved compliance monitoring. The new legislative regime is expected to provide a means to address this issue.
Clearing was the main pressure on the extent of native vegetation in Young Shire during the previous reporting period. Increased fragmentation and clearing have both have been identified as particular threats to the 12 endangered ecological communities with occurrences in the Shire. No information is available on the extent of native vegetation clearing in Young Shire during the current reporting period. It appears that the trend in the overall rate of clearing is difficult to accurately assess.
There was no information available on changes in native vegetation extent within Young Shire and number of forest vegetation communities affected.
A total of 3,646 hectares of vegetation was approved for clearing within the Lachlan Catchment region, which encompasses Young Shire, under the NSW Native Vegetation Act 2003 during the reporting period. No information was available on clearing applications approved, including clearing areas, within the Council area during the reporting period.
Pressures on vegetation condition
Wildfire is likely to have been a major broadscale pressure impacting the condition of native vegetation in parts of Young Shire during the current reporting period. Available data indicate that no land was burnt in Young Shire during the current reporting period from prescribed burns.
Two separate wildfires occurred within the Shire during the current reporting period. However no information is available on areas burnt by these wildfires. No information is available on the number of forest communities affected by very low severity fires (generally fuel reduction burns) or by fires of unknown severity (generally wildfires).
Other factors such as drought and weed invasion (including the spread of noxious weeds) represent other pressures impacting the condition of native vegetation in parts of Young Shire during the current reporting period.
General threats to the condition of the five threatened ecological communities with occurrences in the Shire include (DECC 2008a; DEWHA 2008b):
- land degradation and fragmentation of remnants;
- grazing and trampling by stock;
- weed invasion;
- erosion and sedimentation;
- soil disturbance caused by feral animals;
- harvesting of firewood and collection of on-ground woody debris;
- high frequency or high intensity fires; and
- climate change.
Conservation and management
Law and policy
Some national and state laws require recovery plans or action plans to be prepared for endangered ecological communities, and for the presence of such communities to be taken into account during decision-making on developments applications. These laws also aim to minimise the effects of threatening processes on endangered ecological communities or prevent communities from becoming endangered. Laws such as the Native Vegetation Act 2003 (enacted during the previous reporting period and replaced the Native Vegetation Conservation Act 1997), also aim to minimise the effects of threatening processes and to protect, conserve and improve the condition of existing native vegetation, particularly at a local and regional level.
Young Shire is located within the Lachlan Catchment Management Authority (CMA) area established under the NSW Catchment Management Authorities Act 2003. Each CMA is required to work in partnership with Local Government as well as other stakeholders, and must develop and administer a regional vegetation management plan. These plans and the catchment blueprints prepared by the catchment management boards which preceded the CMAs, also support the conservation of native ecosystems. The Lachlan Catchment Blueprint (Lachlan Catchment Management Board 2003), completed during the current reporting period, includes a range of management actions to restore, maintain or conserve biodiversity values in the catchment area. The Lachlan CMA had yet to develop its regional vegetation plan as at June 2004.
Local government legislation, regulations and planning documents such as local environment plans (LEPs) may also provide some protection for ecological communities, or limit or prohibit certain activities that may lead to the further decline of endangered ecological communities.
Conservation reserves
Two nature reserves either fall within or intersect Young Shire, covering approximately 3,030 hectares (1% of the Shire). Of these, Koorawatha Nature Reserve, totalling approximately 675 hectares, was gazetted during the current reporting period. No new reserves were gazetted in the previous period. Additions totalling about 85 hectares were made to Dananbilla Nature Reserve in the current period, compared with 500 hectares of additions to reserve in the previous period.
Neither of the two conservation reserves within the Shire had a formal plan of management or fire management plan in place.
| Conservation Reserve | Gazettal Type#. | Area(ha) | No of significant communities+ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vulnerable | Poorly Reserved | |||
| Koorawatha Nature Reserve | Addition | 46.70 | ||
| Dananbilla Nature Reserve | Addition | 84.92 | ||
Source: Department of Environment and Climate Change
Other conservation management
Three privately owned properties in the Shire had a Voluntary Conservation Agreement (VCA) in place, while another five were designated wildlife refuges during the previous reporting period. No information was available on the vegetation communities occurring within these refuges, or whether plans of management or schemes of operation had been developed or implemented for them during the previous reporting period. No information was available on these conservation initiatives during the current reporting period.
The Shire Council was a member of the Olympic Highway 2000 Committee, which also included members from Cowra, Harden, Cootamundra, Junee, Lockhart, Culcairn and Hume Shire Councils and Wagga Wagga City Council. The Olympic Highway Roadside Vegetation Assessment and Management Guidelines report, commissioned by the Committee and completed prior to the current reporting period (Stelling 1996), assessed roadside vegetation, identified significant vegetation and vegetation communities, outlined management strategies and options for roadside remnant vegetation and provided management recommendations. Funding acquired to implement the report's recommendations ceased in 2000, and no further funding was obtained to continue the work.
Eight Landcare groups operated in Young Shire. For information on the range of activities occurring there and in the Lachlan catchment, see the Landcare NSW website.
Community groups, Shire Council and/or other organisations may have undertaken various projects during the reporting period that enhanced the protection of ecological communities in the Shire. No information was available on these projects.
No information was available on revegetation projects, native vegetation preserved or fencing of remnant vegetation during the current reporting period.
About the data
Forest vegetation communities referred to in this report were derived from the Eden and Southern Comprehensive Regional Assessment (CRA) forest ecosystem mapping. This mapping was undertaken in 1998 and 1999 respectively. All calculations are based on the extant and pre-1750 forest ecosystem layers. The extant forest ecosystem layers reflect the extent of these vegetation communities at the time of mapping.
Under the CRA mapping, a Vulnerable vegetation community was defined as one whose areal extent at the time of mapping was approaching 70% loss of its pre-European extent. A vegetation community was defined as Poorly Reserved when less than 15% of its pre-European extent was located in formal conservation reserves across the CRA region. Further information on the 70% clearing threshold and the 15% reservation threshold is provided in JANIS (1997).
The CRA mapping was used for this report because it provided the most current data which covered the entire extent of the majority of local government areas in the Australian Capital Region. However the mapping data have the following limitations:
- some mapped CRA ecosystem types may be inconsistent with vegetation on the ground because the CRA vegetation types were modelled and limited ground truthing was undertaken in some areas
- the vegetation classifications were focused primarily on forest vegetation types and may poorly reflect non-forest communities
- the vegetation classifications used to describe forest ecosystems were not a widely used system
- the vegetation classification systems used in the Eden and Southern CRAs differ and there may be some duplication of forest types at the borders of these two study areas.
No data were available regarding extant vegetation at 30 June 2008, and hence it was not possible to determine changes in the extent of forest communities within the Shire Council area during the current reporting period. Overall vegetation condition assessment across the landscape is very difficult to achieve because remote sensing below the canopy level is still not possible (given current technology and cost requirement in achieving statistically significant results from survey) and the complexities of obtaining permission to enter private land for survey staff.
Mapping of the amount of vegetation cleared was not available at a scale suitable for application within LGA’s boundaries, and reflects significant limitations in accurately assessing this indicator. Broadscale analyses under-estimate the overall rate of clearing because current techniques only operate under large map scales. Effectively this means that it only records removal of woody vegetation that is at least two metres tall with a canopy cover of 15% or more, excluding changes in sparse open woodlands and grasslands, which are extensive and among the most affected vegetation types in NSW.
Fine-scale remote-sensing studies allow a more accurate appraisal of clearing rates in woodlands, open woodlands and shrublands, however coverage is limited to particular regions of NSW. Authors using these methods in the NSW State of the Environment Report 2006 indicate that clearing rates are substantially greater (8–10 times higher) than the estimates obtained from the coarse-scale analyses referred to above. However, being regional, they provide an incomplete view of statewide clearing. The availability of accurate vegetation clearing data is of critical importance for future reporting purposes, due to the threat that this pressure represents to biodiversity.
Data on vegetation approved for clearing within Catchment Management Association regions under the NSW Native Vegetation Act 2003 was accessed through the DECC website under the Public register of approved clearing PVPs and development applications. Geographic analysis would reveal locations within LGA boundaries, however this was unavailable during the reporting period. The data collection system was changed in 2006 with the introduction of the new Regulations. These estimates exclude the area of vegetation cleared illegally and clearing carried out legally under statutory exemptions (in 2005, 40% of all clearing was estimated to be illegal in NSW (Audit Office 2006)).
Threats to each endangered ecological community was provided by DECC, under the NSW Scientific Committee - final determination page, and/or the Threatened Species, Populations and Ecological Communities endangered ecological communities profile page. The information contained in this database is available on the internet link under DECC 2008a in the references. New parks and additions to existing reserves was provided by DECC upon request, as the website only listed all the parks and reserves created over the last 12 months. Information on park and fire management plans, as well as recovery plans for endangered ecological communities was provided by DECC.
References
Audit Office 2006, Auditor-General's Report: Performance Audit, Department of Natural Resources – Regulating the Clearing of Native Vegetation, follow-up of 2002 performance audit, Audit Office of NSW, Sydney
DECC—see Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW)
DEHWA—see Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (Commonwealth)
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)
Lachlan Catchment Management Board (2003) Lachlan Catchment Blueprint, NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation, Sydney, online at http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/care/cmb/blueprints/pdf/lachlan_blueprint.pdf.
Priday, S. (2005) The Native Vegetation of the NSW South Western Slopes; Lachlan, Murrumbidgee and Murray Catchments, report in preparation for NSW Department of Environment and Conservation.
Sattler P and Creighton C (eds) (2002) Australian Terrestrial Biodiversity Assessment 2002, National Land and Water Resources Audit on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia, Chapter 4: Threatened Ecosystems and Species, viewed 4 August 2005, http://audit.deh.gov.au/ANRA/vegetation/docs/biodiversity/bio_assess_threat.cfm.
Stelling, F (1996) Olympic Highway Roadside Vegetation Assessment and Management Guidelines, report for the Olympic Highway 2000 Committee, Albury.
