South Coast NRM Assets

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the variety of all living things, the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, the genetic information they contain and the ecosystems they form, the processes and interactions that connect and enable them to exist.

Investment programs include the identification and evaluation of values and threats, biodiversity mapping and monitoring as well as the development of biodiversity catchment management and recovery plans.

The following is a summary of some of the significant achievements to date.

Biodiversity Inventory Program

This activity aims to improve knowledge on taxa and systems of high importance for the conservation of biodiversity that are poorly described or data poor.

A region-wide survey for fungi identified over 500 possible taxa, with 244 distinct taxa, of which 124 were recognised, formally named species. To date 18 taxa not previously known from the Region have been recorded.

Surveys for short range endemic invertebrates resulted in collection of spiders, scorpions, millipedes, snails, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, selected centipedes, true bugs, velvet worms, velvet mites and selected isopods.

Threatened Species and Communities Recovery Action Implementation

Progress continues towards the protection of threatened species, particularly in the following areas:

Gilbert’s Potoroo – cross fostering facility; translocations to Bald Island; regular monitoring; hand rearing; captive breeding; large enclosures for Gilbert’s Potoroos

Dibbler – population monitoring; translocation in the Stirling Range National Park

Noisy Scrub Bird – population monitoring; translocation in Porongurup National Park and Gull Rock National Park

School Biodiversity Awareness Program

This program demonstrates an effective method to make changes to current NRM practises through education sessions with students, fauna trapping and cultural awareness forums.

Cross regional projects

The State-Wide seed conservation strategy focuses on seed collection and storage of specimens in the international Millennium Seed Bank in UK. Seed was used in translocation programs and 46 taxa of threatened flora were represented in the collection.

The Securing a Future for the Dibbler project moved into implementation of the dibbler recovery plan. Monitoring in Fitzgerald River National Park and Escape Island (Northern Agricultural Catchment Council, Jurien) was conducted. Capture of dibbler progeny confirmed the successful breeding of animals re-introduced into the Stirling Range National Park.

Phytophthora cinnamomi – dieback management

Milestones achieved in the fight against dieback:

City of Albany Bush Reserves were prioritised and protectable areas identified.
Twin Creeks Reserve was assessed and protectable areas identified.
high value areas at risk were identified and mapped to establish regional dieback management priorities through the cross regional Project Dieback.
Management actions were developed to contain a Phytophthora dieback infestation within the Bell Track micro-catchment.