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Fauna and Flora of the Tamar Wetlands reserve Fauna Wetlands are rich in vertebrates and invertebrates. Some are totally aquatic and remain in the water for their entire lives, others have life cycles which take them from being fully aquatic to being air borne or able to live within both water and air. Yet others are totally terrestrial but rely on aquatic organisms for their food. Invertebrates Dip netting is the best way to discover which macro-invertebrates are abundant in the water, but testing should be done at different times of the day, season and year to build-up a full picture of the invertebrates which inhabit wetlands. Many different kinds of macro-invertebrates have been recorded in the Tamar Island Wetlands, including: Damsel Flies Dragon Flies Mayflies Stoneflies Water Beetles Water Boatman Water Mites Water Pennies Water Striders Fish Four species of fish have been positively identified in the Tamar Island Wetlands, three native and one introduced. It is believed that a second native galaxiid may be present but positive identification has not yet been confirmed. Common Name Scientific Name Status Common Jollytail Freshwater Eel Freshwater flathead Galaxias maculatus Anguilla australis Pseudaphritis urvillii Common Common Common Mosquito Fish Gambusia holbrooki Introduced Gambusia holbrooki A North American species, G. holbrooki has become well established in most mainland states and territories. Its presence was first reported in Tasmania in 1993, having been released into a farm dam. Attempts to eradicate the pest from the dam were unsuccessful and in 2001 it was recorded in the Tamar Estuary within the Tamar Island Wetlands reserve. Since then G. holbrooki has been recorded at other sites across the State. G. holbrooki is a voracious predator of fish and frog ova, larvae and juveniles, it also predates on aquatic invertebrates. The main source of spread is believed to be continued release from captive environments into the wild; water movement within streams and rivers, especially during flood times; and through adherence to birds’ feet and mammal fur when feeding in Tamar Island Wetland Centre – Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania mudflats. G. holbrooki represents a significant threat to native galaxiid populations with adults also being susceptible to predation. In some environments, for example the Tamar Wetlands reserve, the species has the potential to severely impact on Tasmania’s native threatened species, eg. Litoria raniformis, the green and gold frog. Amphibians Five species of Tasmania’s frogs can be found in the Tamar Island Wetlands: Common Name Scientific Name Status Brown Tree Frog Common Froglet Eastern Banjo Frog Green and Gold Frog Striped Marsh Frog Litoria ewingii Crinia signifera Limnodynastes dumerilii Litoria raniformis Limnodynastes peroni Common Common Common Vulnerable Rare Reptiles Only the Copperhead Snake (Austrelaps superbus) has been identified at Tamar Island Wetlands. Copperheads are commonly found around wetlands where they feed on other vertebrate species including frogs, lizards and rodents. Three species of skink have been identified at the wetlands and these include one endemic species and one threatened species. Common Name Scientific Name Status Glossy Grass Skink Metallic Skink Tasmanian Tree Skink Pseudemoia rawlinsoni Niveoscincus metallicus Niveoscincus pretiosus Rare Common Common Mammals Seven mammals have been recorded at the wetlands, three of which are introduced species and one is on the threatened species list. Common Name Scientific Name Status Eastern Quoll Platypus Short-beaked Echidna Swamp Rat Tasmanian Devil Tasmanian Pademelon Dasyurus viverrinus Ornithorhynchus anatinus Tachyglossus aculeatus Rattus lutreolus Sarcophilus harrisii Thylogale billardierii Common Common Common Common Common Common Black Rat Cat House Mouse Rabbit Rattus rattus Felis cattus Mus musculus Oryctolagus cuniculus Introduced Introduced Introduced Introduced Birds Birds are by far the most abundant vertebrate species found at the Tamar Island Wetlands. Some are resident and stay all year round; others are migratory and visit only during the Tamar Island Wetland Centre – Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania warmer summer months; whilst others are occasional visitors, making the journey south when drought conditions on the mainland become too severe. Birds of all sizes, shapes and behaviour can be found at the Wetlands, from pelicans to wrens and raptors to waders. For a full list of the birds which have been recorded at the wetlands, please contact the Tamar Island Wetlands Centre. To date over 50 bird species have been seen at the Tamar Island Wetlands Conservation Area, which includes five introduced species. The most commonly seen all-year-round resident birds at the wetlands include: Common Name Scientific Name Status Black Swan Great Egret Little Grass Bird Little Pied Cormorant Pacific Black Duck Purple Swamp Hen Superb Fairy Wren Swamp Harrier Tasmanian Native Hen Welcome Swallow White-bellied Sea Eagle White-faced Heron Cygnus atratus Egretta alba Megalurus gramineus Phalacrocorax melanoleucos Anas superciliosa Porphyrio porphyrio Malurus cyaneus Circus approximans Gallinula mortierii Hirundo neoxena Haliaeetus leucogaster Ardea novaehollandiae Common Common Common Common Common Common Common Common Common Common Vulnerable Common To help conserve migratory waterbirds the Australian Government has entered a number of international agreements. The Japan Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA) and the China Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA) are two important agreements which allow for the protected passage of migratory birds between our countries. The Tamar River Conservation Area occasionally hosts a number of birds listed on these agreements. Species include: Common Name Scientific Name Agreement Cattle Egret Crested Tern Curlew Sandpiper Greenshank Red-necked Stint Ardeola ibis Sterna bergii Calidris ferruginea Tringa nebularia Calidris ruficollis CAMBA JAMBA CAMBA JAMBA/CAMBA JAMBA/CAMBA Wetlands Flora There are three distinctive vegetation zones at Tamar Island Wetlands: two native plant communities in the low-lying areas; and an area of specifically introduced species on Tamar Island itself. Amongst the native low-lying vegetation communities invasive species are encroaching such as blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) and cumbungi (Typha orientalis). These weeds are being controlled by the Parks and Wildlife Service, with the assistance of the Tamar Island Wetlands Wildcare CARes Group, to prevent further spread within the wetlands. Tamar Island Wetland Centre – Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania The descriptions below cover only some of the plant species found in the wetlands. For a full list of species recorded, please contact the Tamar Island Wetlands Centre. Paperbark swamp forest and scrub The only native tree remaining in the wetlands is the paperbark (Melaleuca ericifolia) which forms several areas of scrub and forest providing habitat for frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals. There is a small patch of remnant forest part-way along the board-walk, near the bird hide and another remnant and regrowth area at the northern end of the island. Reed bed and sedgeland The common rush Phragmites australis is a grass species which grows to about three metres in height and is dominant in some areas of the wetlands as you walk out along the boardwalk. This area is one of the last native grass wetlands in the Tamar Estuary, with the introduced rice grass (Spartina anglica) dominating much of the estuary’s foreshore areas. During the summer the great bindweed (Calystegia sepium) can be seen twining up the stems of the Phragmites. This plant has large white trumpet flowers and is extremely limited in its distribution. In Tasmania it is only found in wetlands within the Launceston region and for this reason it is classified as an endangered plant. Also growing amongst the Phragmites is the endangered gipsywort (Lycopus australis) and the rare mud dock (Rumex bidens). There are areas of spike rush (Eleocharis acuta) sedgeland on the mudflats and reeds such as the rare sea clubrush (Bolboschoenus caldwellii) and the sharp clubrush (Schoenoplectus pungens) can been seen along the board-walk near the Interpretation Centre and the first bridge. Water ribbons (Triglochin procera) are also abundant throughout the wetlands, the tuberous roots of these plants were once used by Aborigines for food. Tamar Island Much of the original vegetation found in the early 1800s was cleared for farming and to enable works programs connected to the dredging program to be undertaken. There are some remnant pockets of the paperbark swamps and conservation measures have helped to replant some of the species which would once have covered the island. These include: canopy trees such as black peppermint (Eucalyptus amygdalina); and white gum (Eucalyptus viminalis); as well as understorey species of silver wattle (Acacia dealbata); bull oak (Allocasuarina littoralis); native cherry (Exocarpos cupressiformis); and prickly box (Bursaria spinosa). The exotic trees, which were planted in the late 1800s to ‘beautify’ the island for picnickers, include: English oaks, spruce, radiata pine, cedar and elm. Efforts to re-establish trees and shrubs on the island have often included the planting of native Australian trees which do not naturally occur in this area and are therefore considered ‘introduced’. These include the Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) which is found along the eastern seaboard of the State and various mainland acacia species. Tamar Island Wetland Centre – Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania