Download Natural Grasslands - Northern Tablelands Local Land Services

Photographer: David Carr
NATURAL GRASSLANDS
ON ALLUVIAL PLAINS
INTRODUCTION
All part of a Community
Natural Grasslands on Alluvial Plains is listed as a threatened
ecological community under both the Australian Government’s
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
(EPBC Act) and the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act
1995 (TSC Act).
While a particular ecological community will vary in structure and
composition across its range, there are common elements that
clearly identify one ecological community as distinct from another.
Activities which affect the condition or extent of Natural Grasslands
on Alluvial Plains may require consent or approval.
Ecological communities also exist in different condition ‘states’,
each with defining characteristics. States range from high quality
to degraded with several in between.
Natural Grasslands on Alluvial Plains are usually found on the
Liverpool Plains, the Moree Plains and the Darling Downs (Qld). On
the Liverpool Plains, the community is usually dominated by Plains
grass, while on the Darling Downs, Queensland blue grass
dominates. Mitchell grass is usually the dominant species in drier
parts of the distribution.
Ecological communities are groups of plants, animals and other
organisms that naturally occur together. The structure and
composition are determined by environmental factors such as
climate, landscape position, soil, aspect and altitude.
Management affects the state of a community and depending on
the type of management action, can cause a community to make a
‘transition’ to a better or worse state.
Natural Grasslands on Alluvial Plains
Natural Grasslands on Alluvial Plains is the name given to the
threatened ecological community Natural Grasslands on basalt
and fine-textured alluvial plains of northern NSW and southern
Queensland. This grassland occurs on fertile alluvial soils across
our catchments and is characterised by perennial tussock grasses
such as Mitchell grasses, Plains grass and Queensland blue grass. It
usually has a diversity of grass species, saltbushes and herbs with
occasional shrubs.
Where does the Community Occur?
The community occurs within
the Brigalow Belt South
bioregion but patches extend
into the Nandewar, Sydney
Basin and DarlingRiverine
Plains bioregions also.
Large areas of these grasslands have been cleared for cropping in
the catchments and remaining fragments are listed as critically
endangered. The grassland and its waterways provide an essential
home to many threatened species.
Managing and enhancing biodiversity on your
land helps build a resilient landscape that balances
production and conservation
Description
Identification
Natural Grasslands on Alluvial Plains is a community that changes with seasonal conditions.
It is a grassland community dominated by perennial tussock grasses. The dominant grass
species are usually Mitchell grasses (Astrebla spp.), Plains grass (Austrostipa aristiglumis),
Queensland blue grass (Dichanthium sericeum), Kangaroo grass (Themeda australis), Yadbila
(Panicum queenslandicum) or one of 13 other indicator grass species. There may be many
grass species present, with several co-dominating. The composition of the grassland will
change according to seasonal rainfall, temperature, fire and management.
These grasslands are usually found on cracking clay soils. The soils where they occur are
derived from basalt or are alluvial, quaternary soils. They occur on plains with a slope less
than 5 degrees.
Natural grasslands have very few trees or shrubs, but will have a diversity of herb species
including legumes, orchids, daisies and lilies.
What is not Natural Grasslands on Alluvial Plains?
Many other ecological communities have a grassy understorey, with many species in
common with Natural Grasslands on Alluvial Plains. These include Weeping Myall, Coolibah
– Black Box Woodland and Box-Gum Grassy Woodland, which are also threatened ecological
communities. These communities, and other grassy woodlands like Bimble Box Grassy
Woodland, have a higher cover of trees and shrubs than Natural Grasslands on Alluvial Plains.
Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke
Profile drawing of Natural Grasslands on Alluvial Plains community
Plants of Natural Grasslands
on Alluvial Plains
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INDICATOR GRASS SPECIES
Aristida leptopoda Astrebla elymoides Astrebla lappacea Austrodanthonia bipartita
Austrostipa aristiglumis
Bothriochloa biloba*
Bothriochloa erianthoides
Dichanthium sericeum
Digitaria divaricatissima
Elymus plurinervis
Eriochloa crebra
Eulalia aurea
Panicum decompositum
Panicum queenslandicum
Thellungia advena
Themeda avenacea
Themeda australis
Walwhalleya proluta
Glycine spp.
Glycine spp.
Marsilea spp.Nardoo
Neptunia gracilis
Native sensitive plant
Polymeria longifolia
Clumped bindweed
Portulaca oleracea Pigweed
Salsola kali
Soft rolypoly
Sclerolaena muricata
Black rolypoly
Sida trichopoda
Sida
Solanum esurialeQuena
Vittadinia cuneataFuzzweed
Wahlenbergia spp.
Blue bells
White speargrass
Hoop Mitchell grass
Curly Mitchell grass
Wallaby grass
Plains grass
Lobed bluegrass
Satin top grass
Queensland blue grass
Umbrella grass
Wheat grass
Cup grass
Silky brown top
Native millet
Yadbila grass
Coolibah grass
Native oat grass
Kangaroo grass
Rigid panic
ASSOCIATED WOODY SPECIES
usually absent but may be up to 10% cover
Acacia pendula
Weeping Myall
Acacia stenophylla
River Cooba
Alectryon oleifoliusRosewood
Atalaya hemiglaucaWhitewood
Casuarina cristataBelah
Eucalyptus coolabahCoolibah
Eucalyptus largiflorens
Black Box
Eucalyptus populnea subsp. bimbil Poplar Box
Myoporum montanum
Western Boobialla
Vachellia farnesianaMimosa
OTHER GRASS SPECIES
Chloris truncata
Enteropogon acicularis
Eragrostis leptocarpa
Eriochloa pseudoacrotricha
Iseilema membranaceum
Leptochloa divaricatissima
Paspalidium jubiflorum
Sporobolus caroli
Windmill grass
Twirly windmill grass
Drooping lovegrass
Early spring grass
Small flinders grass
*Listed as threatened under State and/or Commonwealth legislation
Warrego grass
Fairy grass
HERB SPECIES
Alternanthera denticulataJoyweed
Atriplex leptocarpa
Slender-fruit saltbush
Atriplex muelleri
Mueller’s saltbush
Atriplex semibaccata
Berry saltbush
Boerhavia dominiiTarvine
Carex inversa
Knob sedge
Chamaesyce drummondii
Caustic weed
Cullen tenaxEmufoot
Cyperus spp.Nutgrasses
Desmodium spp.
Trefoil
Goodenia glauca
Pale goodenia
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PHOTO KEY:
1 Yadbila grass – Greg Steenbeeke
2 Kangaroo grass – Greg Steenbeeke
3 Queensland blue grass – David Carr
4 Mitchell grass – Greg Steenbeeke
5 Nut grass – Greg Steenbeeke
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Animals of Natural Grasslands
on Alluvial Plains
BIRDS
Parrots
Red-winged parrot
Budgerigar
Blue bonnet
Pale-headed rosella
Eastern rosella
Red-rumped parrot
Cockatoos
Major Mitchell’s cockatoo ●
Sulphur-crested cockatoo
Little corella
Cockatiel
Galah
Ground feeding and low nesting birds
Emu
Bush stone-curlew ●
Australian bustard ●
King quail
Stubble quail
Brown quail
Painted button-quail
Red-chested button-quail ▲
Little button-quail ▲
Banded lapwing ▲
Masked lapwing
Crimson chat ▲
White-fronted chat ▲
Brown songlark
Rufous songlark
Golden-headed cisticola
Singing bushlark
Richard’s pipit
Southern whiteface ▲
Tawny grassbird ▲
Little grassbird
Ground feeding birds
Peaceful dove
Crested pigeon
Double-barred finch
Plum-headed finch
Zebra finch
White-winged fairy-wren ▲
Variegated fairy-wren
Superb fairy-wren
Aerial feeding birds
White-breasted woodswallow ▲
Black-faced woodswallow
Little woodswallow
White-backed swallow
Welcome swallow
Fork-tailed swift ■
White-throated needletail ■
Restless flycatcher
Willie wagtail
Medium to Large bush birds
Pallid cuckoo
Ground cuckoo-shrike
White-bellied cuckoo shrike ▲
Pied butcherbird
Grey butcherbird
Australian raven
Little raven
Torresian crow
Little crow ▲
Australian magpie
Magpie-lark
Apostlebird
Jacky winter
Scarlet robin (winter) ●
Flame robin (winter) ●
Small bush birds
Inland thornbill
Yellow-rumped thornbill
Chestnut-rumped thornbill ▲
Birds of prey
Wedge-tailed eagle
Swamp harrier ▲
Spotted harrier ● ▲
Black-shouldered kite
Whistling kite
Letter-winged kite ▲
Black kite
Little eagle ●
Brown falcon
Nankeen kestrel
Australian hobby
Black falcon ▲
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Nocturnal birds
Barking owl ●
Grass owl ●
Barn owl
Southern boobook
Introduced
Feral pigeon
Common starling
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MAMMALS
Terrestrial (land dwelling)
Paucident planigale ▲
Narrow-nosed planigale ▲
Striped-faced dunnart ●
Fat-tailed dunnart ▲
Common dunnart
Red kangaroo ▲
Eastern grey kangaroo
Short-beaked echidna
Microbats
Gould’s wattled bat
Inland broad-nosed bat
Little broad-nosed bat
Little forest bat
Southern freetail bat
Inland freetail bat
White-striped freetail-bat
Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat ●
Lesser longeared bat ●
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Introduced
European cattle
Goat
Dingo
Domestic dog
Fox
Horse
Cat
Brown hare
Rabbit
House mouse
Black rat
Pig
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PHOTO KEY:
1 Pale headed rosella – M Coulton
KEY:
● Species, population or community listed as vulnerable or
endangered under the EPBC and/or TSC Act
2 Spotted harrier – Phil Spark
3 Bush stone curlew – Phil Spark
4 Red rumped parrot – Iestyn Taylor
■ Species listed as migratory under the EPBC Act
5 Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat – Leah Mackinnon
▲ Species identified as present or returning to vegetation communities
in good condition
7 Planigale – Phil Spark
6 Striped-faced dunnart – Phil Spark
REPTILES
Dragons
Burn’s dragon
Eastern bearded dragon
Long-tailed earless dragon ▲
Turtles
Eastern snake-necked turtle
Snakes
Yellow-faced whip snake
De Vis’s banded snake
Red-naped snake
Grey snake ▲
Mulga snake
Spotted black snake
Red-bellied black snake
Eastern brown snake
Variable black-naped snake
Curl snake
Geckos
Tessellated gecko
Box-patterned gecko
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Blind snakes
Prong-snouted blind snake
Robust Blind Snake
Brown-snouted blind snake
AMPHIBIANS
Ephemeral dams, ponds, wetlands
Legless lizards
Patternless delma
Excitable delma
Burton’s snake-lizard
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Skinks
Five-clawed worm-skink ●
Robust ctenotus
Common dwarf skink
South-eastern morethia skink
Common bluetongue
Shingleback lizard
Frogs & froglets
Water-holding frog
Rough frog
Striped burrowing frog
Green tree frog
Broad-palmed frog
Peron’s tree frog
Desert tree frog
Eastern sign-bearing froglet
Common eastern froglet
Sloane’s froglet ●
Bullfrog
Long-thumbed frog
Ornate burrowing frog
Salmon striped frog
Spotted marsh frog
Painted burrowing frog
Toads & toadlets
Holy cross toad ▲
Wrinkled toadlet
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PHOTO KEY:
8 Shingle back lizard
KEY:
9 Five clawed work skink
● Species, population or community listed as vulnerable or endangered under the EPBC and/or TSC Act
10 Eastern brown snake
■ Species listed as migratory under the EPBC Act
11 Desert tree frog
▲ Species identified as present or returning to vegetation communities in good condition
12 Sloane’s tree frog
Photographer of
all photos on this
page: Phil Spark
Threats and Management
Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke
Threats
Management
Clearing for mining is also a significant threat.
Grazing Management – should aim to increase the diversity of
species in degraded stands, and to allow natural fluctuations in
species composition in response to seasonal conditions to occur. A
mix of occasional short, heavy grazing and regular light stocking is
likely to favour optimal stand development and survival.
Clearing – conversion of native grasslands to cultivation for cropping
is now illegal under the Native Vegetation Act 2003, but still occurs
due to a lack of awareness of the conservation significance of
grasslands. Before converting any pasture to cropping or sewn
pasture, consult the CMA about your responsibilities.
Grazing – knocks out highly palatable or vulnerable species such as
legumes. There can also be a change in the dominant species from
Austrostipa and Dichanthium to Chloris species, then Sporobolus
species and finally a mixture of unpalatable weeds. Undergrazing
can also be a threat, as tussock grasslands will become simpler
unless the biomass of the dominant tussock grass species are
occasionally reduced by fire or grazing.
Weed invasion – weedy perennial grasses present the greatest
threat to this community. The main threatening species are:
Coolatai grass (Hyparrhenia hirta), African love grass (Eragrostis
curvula), Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) and Green Panic (Panicum
maximus). The establishment of some of these species as ‘improved’
pastures adjacent to grassland communities is a significant threat.
Lippia (Phyla nodiflora) is a major threat in periodically-inundated
areas. Mimosa (Vachellia farnesiana) and African boxthorn (Lycium
ferocissima) are less of a threat but do displace grassland species.
The aim of management of Natural Grasslands is to maintain or
increase the extent of the community and to maintain or improve
its condition.
Avoid grazing when the soil is saturated to prevent pugging,
particularly on grey clays. Where possible, avoid grazing when
plants are flowering and setting seed.
Not converting to cropping – before ploughing new areas for
cropping, assess whether or not the site supports Natural Grassland.
Seek advice from the CMA if you are unsure. Don’t allow cultivation
to creep into adjacent grassland areas.
Restoration – natural grasslands can be re-established over time
through assisted regeneration and revegetation. Previously cropped
areas can be left to regenerate, provided invasive grasses are
controlled. Avoid planting trees or dense shrub cover into areas of
Natural Grasslands. Seed of many grassland grasses is available from
commercial seed suppliers.
Changed fire regimes – affect grassland communities by changing
species composition and relative abundance. Too frequent fire can
encourage fire tolerant species like Coolatai grass over native species.
Increasing awareness – become more aware of the occurrence and
extent of Natural Grasslands on your property and in your district.
Many of the few remaining stands are located on stock routes and
roadsides and can be inadvertently destroyed by road maintenance,
grading, dumping soil or inappropriate fire or grazing regimes.
Natural grasslands are most likely to occur on parts of your property
where cropping does not occur, such as adjacent to waterways, in
rocky areas or around areas of other native vegetation.
Feral animals – pigs can cause significant localised damage to
grasslands by uprooting plants and creating opportunities for
weed invasion. The house mouse competes with grassland fauna
for food and habitat, particularly during high population outbreaks.
Disturbance from rabbit burrowing and grazing can also alter
species composition.
Controlling and not spreading weeds – spot spray small outbreaks
of invasive grasses in and around patches of Natural Grassland. Cut
and paint the stumps of invasive shrubs such as African boxthorn
with glyphosate. When maintaining roads avoid bringing machinery
from weedy areas into stands of grassland and avoid cutting drains
or dumping soil in grassland patches.
Changed flooding regimes – alter the species composition of natural
grasslands, often favouring weed species. These changes may come
about through irrigation, road construction, building of floodplain
structures or channel construction.
Climate change – can result in changes to water availability and fire
regimes. It is also likely to change the distribution and impact of
weed species.
Lack of awareness – of the importance or scarcity of this vegetation
community is a major threat as some farmers carry out destructive
acts without even knowing the significance of grassland communities.
ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION:
HOW HEALTHY GRASSLANDS WORK FOR YOU
Healthy Natural Grasslands on Alluvial Plains provide a wide range of benefits that are often
called ‘ecosystem services’. These include traditional services like grazing for livestock, but
also other services such as:
• financial benefits
• soil formation and cycling
• nutrient cycling
• water capture, filtration and delivery to water bodies
•pollination
• pest management (e.g. reducing pest pressure on crops)
• regional climate buffering
• shade and shelter (e.g. for livestock)
• breakdown and absorption of wastes
• a sense of place
•scenery
FURTHER INFORMATION
Look for “Natural Grasslands” on the EPBC Species Profiles and Threats database
(SPRAT) at
www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/index.html
Commonwealth Listing Advice on Natural grasslands on basalt and fine-textured
alluvial plains of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland.
www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/communities/pubs/88-listingadvice.pdf
Nadolny C., Hunter J. & Hawes W. (2010) Native grassy vegetation in the Border
Rivers-Gwydir Catchment: diversity, distribution, use and management. In: Report
to the Border Rivers-Gwydir CMA.
Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke
www.lls.nsw.gov.au
1300 795 299
8:30 am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday
Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke