Peat-forming bogs and fens of the Snowy Mountains of NSW

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CONTENTS SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................. 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. 5 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1 PEATLANDS AND MIRES ......................................................................................................... 4 Peatland definitions in this report ......................................................................................... 4 The environment of the Snowy Mountains ........................................................................... 6 Vegetation communities on the mires of the Snowy Mountains ........................................... 6 Fauna ................................................................................................................................. 13 MAPPING PEATLANDS .......................................................................................................... 14 Mapping techniques ........................................................................................................... 14 Software ............................................................................................................................. 15 Impact of the 2003 bushfires on map accuracy .................................................................. 15 Mosaiced 1:25 000 topographic maps ................................................................................ 16 A note on the naming of peat areas ................................................................................... 16 Digital elevation model ....................................................................................................... 16 Mire parameters ................................................................................................................. 16 Notes on the peat map ....................................................................................................... 18 RESULTS OF MAPPING ......................................................................................................... 19 Distribution of bogs and fens in southern NSW .................................................................. 19 Altitudinal distribution of mires ............................................................................................ 20 Vegetation community distribution ...................................................................................... 27 Slope and mire hydrogeomorphic class ............................................................................. 28 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MIRES ..................................................................................... 31 Alpine Sphagnum shrub bog on gravel fans ....................................................................... 31 Alpine Sphagnum shrub bog and Carex fen ....................................................................... 32 Treeline alpine mire complex .............................................................................................. 33 Subalpine/alpine transition slope bog ................................................................................. 34 Subalpine Sphagnum shrub bog and Carex fen ................................................................. 35 Large Carex fen with montane Sphagnum shrub bog ........................................................ 36 Montane Sphagnum shrub bog .......................................................................................... 37 Large Carex fen .................................................................................................................. 38 Relict Carex fen with sinuous channel ................................................................................ 38 PEAT AND ORGANIC-RICH SEDIMENTS .............................................................................. 40 Peat volumes ...................................................................................................................... 40 Carbon storage and sequestration ..................................................................................... 43
Carbon sequestration rates ................................................................................................ 46 Hydrology ........................................................................................................................... 49 Mire histories ...................................................................................................................... 50 Knowledge gaps ................................................................................................................. 55 MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS ...................................................................................... 60 Threats ............................................................................................................................... 60 Rehabilitation ...................................................................................................................... 65 Fire protection..................................................................................................................... 69 Education and training ........................................................................................................ 70 CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................... 72 APPENDIX: PRIORITY SITES FOR PROTECTION ................................................................ 73 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 77
Page 2 and 3: Authors Geoffrey Hope, Rachel Nanso
Page 4 and 5: SUMMARY Bogs and fens are common in
Page 8 and 9: INTRODUCTION The Snowy Mountains of
Page 10 and 11: and its surrounds in the past. Thes
Page 12 and 13: Many terms exist to describe peaty
Page 14 and 15: high altitude in shaded aspects wit
Page 16 and 17: Figure 1a. Sphagnum cristatum cushi
Page 18 and 19: Figure 1m. The largest Carex gaudic
Page 20 and 21: Fauna The fauna of the montane and
Page 22 and 23: Level 3 The boundaries of simplifie
Page 24 and 25: and dryland heath on sand ridges or
Page 27 and 28: Figure 2. Number of mires and area
Page 29 and 30: Figure 3b. Mire distribution in the
Page 31 and 32: Figure 3d. Mires in the southern ar
Page 33 and 34: Figure 4 shows that the frequency o
Page 35 and 36: drainage lines and acting to spread
Page 37 and 38: Table 7. Correlation of vegetation
Page 39 and 40: correlate with the buried organic l
Page 41 and 42: Subalpine/alpine transition slope b
Page 43 and 44: Large Carex fen with montane Sphagn
Page 45 and 46: e-wet a small area of the mires in
Page 47 and 48: PEAT AND ORGANIC-RICH SEDIMENTS Onl
Page 49 and 50: Table 9. Estimated mean thicknesses
Page 51 and 52: Figure 17. Organic content vs eleme
Page 53 and 54: Table 11. Estimated peat volumes (m
Page 56 and 57:
to sapric peat and organic clays. T
Page 58 and 59:
Table 14. Earliest dates for the in
Page 60 and 61:
Figure 18. Basal ages of bogs and f
Page 62 and 63:
y a lower influx of microcharcoal.
Page 64 and 65:
Eulamprus kosciuskoi (Lintermans an
Page 66 and 67:
Mire management and rehabilitation
Page 68 and 69:
Figure 21a. Formerly heavily grazed
Page 70 and 71:
63 Figure 21i. Cattle damage to str
Page 72 and 73:
Fire in itself is not usually a thr
Page 74 and 75:
Persistence of peatland ponds with
Page 76 and 77:
Figure 22i. Perisher ski resort is
Page 78 and 79:
Figure 22m. Roger Good and Andy Spa
Page 80 and 81:
APPENDIX: PRIORITY SITES FOR PROTEC
Page 82 and 83:
Code Mire Catchment Tenure Area (ha
Page 84 and 85:
REFERENCES Adam P. 2005. Peat minin
Page 86 and 87:
Good R.B., Wright G., Whinam J. and
Page 88 and 89:
Martin A.R.H. 1986b. Late Glacial &
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Peat-forming bogs and fens of the Snowy Mountains of NSW

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