INTRODUCTION All part of a Community 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. 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. Ecological communities also exist in different condition ‘states’, each with defining characteristics. States range from high quality to degraded with several in between. 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. Brigalow Brigalow is the name given to the threatened ecological community Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla dominant and co-dominant). This community occurs on clay soils and is characterised by an overstorey dominated by Brigalow or with Brigalow as a co-dominant with other species such as Belah (Casuarina cristata) or Bimble box (Eucalyptus populnea). Unfortunately, large areas of this community have been cleared across our catchment and remaining fragments are listed as endangered. Several threatened flora and fauna species use Brigalow as habitat. Brigalow 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). Activities which affect the condition or extent of Brigalow may require consent or approval. Where does the community occur? Although remnants of Brigalow can be found across north-west New South Wales, the largest patches are distributed south and west of Narrabri and north-east of Moree. Most of the remaining stands of Brigalow are in south-east Qld. Specifically, Brigalow occurs on the north-west slopes and plains in the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion, with outliers in the Darling Riverine Plains and Nandewar bioregions. Photographer: Liz Blair Managing and enhancing biodiversity on your land helps build a resilient landscape that balances production and conservation BRIGALOW
Transcript
INTRODUCTIONAll part of a CommunityEcological 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.
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.
Ecological communities also exist in different condition ‘states’, each with defining characteristics. States range from high quality to degraded with several in between.
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.
Brigalow Brigalow is the name given to the threatened ecological community Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla dominant and co-dominant). This community occurs on clay soils and is characterised by an overstorey dominated by Brigalow or with Brigalow as a co-dominant with other species such as Belah (Casuarina cristata) or Bimble box (Eucalyptus populnea).
Unfortunately, large areas of this community have been cleared across our catchment and remaining fragments are listed as endangered. Several threatened flora and fauna species use Brigalow as habitat.
Brigalow 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). Activities which affect the condition or extent of Brigalow may require consent or approval.
Where does the community occur?Although remnants of Brigalow can be found across north-west New South Wales, the largest patches are distributed south and west of Narrabri and north-east of Moree. Most of the remaining stands of Brigalow are in south-east Qld.
Specifically, Brigalow occurs on the north-west slopes and plains in the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion, with outliers in the Darling Riverine Plains and Nandewar bioregions.
Photographer: Liz Blair
Managing and enhancing biodiversity on your land helps build a resilient landscape that balances production and conservation
BRIGALOW
Profile drawing of Brigalow community
IdentificationBrigalow structure ranges from open woodland to forest, with a canopy dominated by, or including, Brigalow trees (Acacia harpophylla). The height of Brigalow will vary from 9 to 25 metres depending on mean annual rainfall.
Brigalow usually has an understorey with a high diversity of shrub species and a sparse ground layer. In lower rainfall areas, with more widely spaced trees there will be a denser ground layer of grasses, chenopods and herbs. Mistletoe (particularly Amyema quandang) is a common and important component of Brigalow communities.
Species commonly occurring as a co-dominant with Brigalow include: Eucalyptus populnea (Bimble box), E. pilligaensis (Pilliga box) and Casuarina cristata (Belah).
Brigalow is associated with gilgaied, heavy cracking clay or clay-loam soils.
Brigalow trees will vigorously resprout from root suckers if the above-ground parts are removed or damaged. The community can include dense stands of regrowth with a developing canopy.
Where it is mainly foundBrigalow is found on public and private land, usually on deep alluvial, gilgaied clay soils. The community is usually found on plains, alluvial floodplains or low rises.
What is not Brigalow?For Brigalow patches to fit the definition of the community protected under the EPBC Act, they must be larger than 0.5 ha and have less than 50% exotic perennial groundcover.
Not all vegetation communities with Acacia harpophylla are the Brigalow ecological community. This species also occurs in Semi-evergreen Vine Thicket and Weeping Myall Woodland, which are both threatened ecological communities.
EmuBush stone-curlew � Australian bustard � Painted button-quail p Brown quailStubble quailKing quailButton-quail p Red-chested button-quail p Spotted quail-thrush p Tawny grassbird p Little grassbirdRufous songlarkGround feeding birdsCrested pigeonCommon bronzewing p Diamond dove p Peaceful doveBar-shouldered doveWhite-browed babbler p Grey-crowned babbler � White-winged choughApostlebird Southern whitefaceSuperb blue-wrenSplendid wrenVariegated wrenRed-browed finchDiamond firetail � Double-barred finch
Aerial feeding birds
Little woodswallow p Dusky woodswallow p Masked woodswallow p White-browed woodswallow p White-breasted woodswallow p Welcome swallow
Fairy martinTree martin p Fork-tailed swift ¢ White-throated needletail ¢ White-backed swallowRestless flycatcherLeaden flycatcher p Grey fantailWillie wagtailDollarbirdRainbow bee-eater ¢
Medium to large bush birds
Fan-tailed cuckooBrush cuckoo Pallid cuckooShining bronze-cuckoo Black-eared cuckoo p Horsfield’s bronze-cuckooChannel-billed cuckoo Common koel Laughing kookaburraSacred kingfisherRed-backed kingfisher p Ground cuckoo-shrikeBlack-faced cuckoo-shrikeWhite-bellied cuckoo-shrike p Grey shrike-thrushCrested bellbird White-winged triller p Cicadabird Red-capped robin p Hooded robin � Eastern yellow robin p Jacky winterEastern shrike-tit p Golden whistler p Rufous whistlerWhite throated treecreeper Brown treecreeperEastern spinebill p Spiny-cheeked honeyeaterRed wattlebirdBlue-faced honeyeaterYellow-throated miner Noisy minerWhite-naped honeyeater Brown-headed honeyeater p Black chinned honeyeater � Yellow-faced honeyeater Singing honeyeaterWhite-plumed honeyeaterFuscous honeyeater Painted honeyeater � Black honeyeater Brown honeyeaterStriped honeyeater p Olive-backed oriole p Magpie-larkPied butcherbirdGrey butcherbirdPied currawongAustralian magpieTorresian crow
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BIRDS
Animals of Brigalow
Parrots
Rainbow lorikeet Scaly-breasted lorikeet Swift parrot � Musk lorikeet Little lorikeet � Australian king-parrotRed-winged parrotEastern ringneck p Superb parrot ● Eastern rosellaPale-headed rosellaRed-rumped parrotTurquoise parrot � Blue bonnetBudgerigar
EmuBush stone-curlew � Australian bustard � Painted button-quail p Brown quailStubble quailKing quailButton-quail p Red-chested button-quail p Spotted quail-thrush p Tawny grassbird p Little grassbirdRufous songlarkGround feeding birdsCrested pigeonCommon bronzewing p Diamond dove p Peaceful doveBar-shouldered doveWhite-browed babbler p Grey-crowned babbler � White-winged choughApostlebird Southern whitefaceSuperb blue-wrenSplendid wrenVariegated wrenRed-browed finchDiamond firetail � Double-barred finch
Aerial feeding birds
Little woodswallow p Dusky woodswallow p Masked woodswallow p White-browed woodswallow p White-breasted woodswallow p Welcome swallow
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MAMMALS
Terrestrial (land dwelling)
Yellow-footed antechinus p Common dunnart p Water-rat (streams)Narrow-nosed planigaleFat-tailed dunnartEastern grey kangarooCommon wallarooRed-necked wallabyBlack-striped wallaby � Swamp wallabySpotted-tailed quoll � Short beaked echidna
Arboreal (tree dwelling)
Koala � Feathertail glider p Sugar glider p Squirrel glider � Common brushtail possum p
Bats
Microbats Gould’s wattled batChocolate wattled batLittle pied bat � Lesser long-eared batGould’s long-eared bat Greater long-eared bat � Inland broad-nosed batLittle broad-nosed batLittle forest batHairy-nosed freetail bat � Southern freetail batInland freetail batWhite-striped freetail-batYellow-bellied sheathtail-bat �
MegabatsLittle red flying foxGrey headed flying fox �
Introduced
European cattleGoatDingoDomestic dogFoxDeerHorseCatBrown hareRabbitHouse mouseBlack ratPig
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PHOTO KEY:
1. Glossy black cockato – Phil Spark
2. Red tailed black cockatoo – Iestyn Taylor
3. Diamond firetail – Iestyn Taylor
4. Bush stone curlew – Phil Spark
5. Yellow footed antechinus – Phil Spark
6. Common dunnart – Phil Spark
7. Squirrel glider – Phil Spark
KEY:
� Species, population or community listed as vulnerable or endangered under the EPBC and/or TSC Act
¢ Species listed as migratory under the EPBC Act
p Species identified as present or returning to vegetation communities in good condition
Little crow p Little raven p
Australian raven
Small bush birds
White-browed scrubwren p Speckled warbler �
Western gerygoneWhite-throated gerygone
Striated thornbill Yellow thornbill
WeebillBuff-rumped thornbill
Yellow-rumped thornbillChestnut-rumped thornbill p
Inland thornbillVaried sittella �
SilvereyeMistletoebird
Spotted pardaloteStriated pardalote
Birds of Prey
Collared sparrowhawkBrown goshawk p
Spotted harrier � Black kite
Square-tailed kite � Whistling kiteLittle eagle �
Wedge-tailed eagleBlack-shouldered kite
Black falcon p Brown falcon
Nankeen kestrelAustralian hobbyPeregrine falcon
Nocturnal birds
Barn owlSouthern boobook
Barking owl � Spotted nightjar p
Australian owlet-nightjarTawny frogmouth
Introduced
Feral pigeonSpotted turtle-dovep
REPTILES
KEY:
� Species, population or community listed as vulnerable or endangered under the EPBC and/or TSC Act
¢ Species listed as migratory under the EPBC Act
p Species identified as present or returning to vegetation communities in good condition
PHOTO KEY:
8 Burn’s dragon – Phil Spark
9 Green tree snake – Alex Dudley
10 Eastern bandy bandy – Phil Spark
11 Northern banjo frog – Alex Dudley
12 Holy cross toad – Alex Dudley
Dragons
Jacky lashtail Nobbi lashtail Eastern two-line dragon p Burn’s dragonEastern water dragon Eastern bearded dragonLong-tailed earless dragon p
Turtles
Eastern snake-necked turtle Broad shelled snake-necked turtle p (western streams and wetlands)Murray short-necked turtle (major streams)
Snakes
Eastern small-blotched python p Murray-Darling carpet python p Green tree snake p Yellow-faced whip snakeDe Vis’s banded snakeRed naped snakeGrey snake p Pale-headed snake � Mulga snake Spotted black snakeRed-bellied black snakeEastern brown snakeEastern shovel nosed snake p Variable black-naped snakeCurl snakeEastern bandy-bandy p
Box-patterned gecko p Tessellated gecko p Eastern stone geckoEastern spiny-tailed gecko p Dubious dtellaVaried dtella Prickly geckoRobust velvet geckoThick-tailed gecko p
Legless lizards
Patternless delmaExcitable delma p Burton’s snake-lizardLace monitor
Threats Brigalow communities are threatened with extinction or continued decline from both historical and current sources. The area of Brigalow has declined by more than 90% since European settlement, primarily due to clearing for cropping.
Clearing – illegal and legal clearing for fence lines and routine agricultural activities is a significant threat in NSW. It increases the fragmentation of Brigalow and the impact of other threats such as fire, grazing and weeds.
Fire – fire can kill above-ground parts, leaving roots to sucker, with subsequent loss of habitat and delays in flowering and setting seed.
Weeds – invasive pasture grasses such as buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris), green panic (Panicum maximus var megathyrsus) and Rhode’s grass (Chloris gayana) pose a significant threat to Brigalow by displacing understorey species, preventing regeneration of trees and shrubs, and increasing the frequency and intensity of fire. Mother-of-millions (Kalanchoe tubiflora) and other succulent weeds can also invade stands and compete with native plants.
Animal damage – domestic, feral and native animals threaten Brigalow by grazing and trampling plants. Grazing eliminates many plant species and allows weeds to colonise more easily. Trampling and animal movement reduces the amount of leaf litter which is essential habitat for reptile and invertebrate species.
Infrequent seed production – natural regeneration of Brigalow trees is rare. Rare seed set events need to be followed by high summer rainfall.
Climate change – is likely to affect distribution and composition of Brigalow communities and increase the impact of other threats, particularly fire and weeds.
Management The main priority is to maintain or increase the extent and condition of the community. This can be achieved by the following actions.
• It is recommended that you do not clear Brigalow stands, even under permissible exemptions from the Native Vegetation Conservation Act.
• Provide long-term protection for Brigalow through Management Agreements with Local Land Services or Conservation Agreements with the Office of Environment and Heritage or the Nature Conservation Trust.
• Establish a weed-free buffer around existing stands to encourage regeneration of native species from the Brigalow community.
• Control weeds within and near existing stands before they spread. Repeated treatments may be needed.
• Re-establish Brigalow communities through revegetation on sites where it previously occurred. Revegetation should aim to reconnect fragmented stands of Brigalow or to expand the size of existing stands to more than 1 hectare. Seed can be collected when available and ripe (from November through to December), but must be used within 18 months.
• Fence existing stands and exclude domestic livestock. Occasional light grazing may be used if natives are not flowering or seeding.
• Identify and control feral animals, particularly pigs. • Note the extent of grazing by native animals and obtain permits
for control if necessary. • Develop and implement a fire reduction plan.• If establishing exotic pastures, maintain a wide (500 metre) buffer
of native pasture around Brigalow stands.• Retain all fallen timber and leaf litter within Brigalow stands as
these are important habitat for some wildlife.• Retain mistletoe as these provide food sources for birds
and mammals.
Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke
FURTHER INFORMATIONLook for “Brigalow” on the EPBC Species Profiles and Threats database (SPRAT) at www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/index.html
The listing for this community under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act can be found at www.environment.nsw.gov.au/determinations/BrigalowEndComListing.htm
Contact the Local Land Services on the contact details below.
Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke
www.lls.nsw.gov.au1300 795 299
8:30 am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday
ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION: HOW HEALTHY WOODLANDS WORK FOR YOUHealthy Brigalow provides a wide range of benefits that are called ‘ecosystem services’. These include:
• financial benefits• capture of solar energy• soil formation and cycling• nutrient cycling• water capture, filtration and delivery to water bodies• pollination• pest management (such as reducing pest pressure on crops)• regional climate buffering• shade and shelter (such as for livestock)• breakdown and absorption of wastes• a sense of place• scenery
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