The Vertebrate Fauna of Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve: Final

3 METHODS USED TO ASSESS AND
PRIORITISE SPECIES AND THREATS
3.1 SPECIES
Two separate ranking processes were undertaken to help identify fauna species that require focus
given their conservation status. An initial rank was used to identify a suite of priority species. This
subset was then ranked again using a different set of criteria to identify management priorities.
3.1.1 Definition of priority species
On completion of the field survey and compilation of the species inventory, the fauna species list was
examined to identify priority species. Each priority species has a species profile to detail their current
status in the reserve. This is presented in section 5. A priority species is any fauna species with
record(s) from within the park boundary that meets one or more of the following criteria.
Listed as threatened under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act)
and/or the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
(EPBC Act). This includes all species reported from the reserve boundaries that currently occur,
are known to have occurred in the past. It also includes species for which there are only
unconfirmed records or records with low spatial accuracy but may potentially occur.
Native species that are of local importance. All cave-dependent terrestrial vertebrates are
considered priority species for this report, regardless of whether or not they are listed as
threatened. This is in recognition of the specialised management requirements of these species.
The platypus was also included as a local priority in recognition of its iconic status with staff,
residents and visitors to JKCR and association with the Blue Lake. The red-necked pademelon
was also identified as of local importance as it is known from recent cave deposits and uncertainty
exists as to whether or not it still exists in the reserve.
Introduced species that are recognised as a key threatening process (KTP). This includes
introduced terrestrial vertebrates that are listed as a KTP under the TSC Act and/or the EPBC Act.
Not all introduced species are included, as some are largely confined to urban or modified
environments and do not have a significant impact on native fauna.
3.1.2 Setting the management ranking for native priority species
Land managers are faced with a long list of threatened fauna species to manage, however not all
require the same level of effort directed towards them. Some warrant active site-based management
or further survey or monitoring, while others simply require general conservation management of
habitats within the reserve. For JKCR, each native priority species has been ranked as to its priority for
active conservation management. Ranks were determined by assessing information on a species’
status within the park and relating this to information gained from research and regional assessments
across the Sydney Basin over the past 15 years. Note that some threatened species were given a ‘nil’
priority ranking as they are either locally extinct or all records from the reserve were reviewed and
assessed as inaccurate.
The rankings are defined as follows.
Highest: Species that are likely to become extinct from the region in the short to medium term without
action at a site by site level and for which the reserve plays a key role in the regional conservation of
the species.
High: Species that are at risk of becoming extinct or severely declining in the region without
management of key habitats and abatement of threats and for which JKCR holds a significant amount
of foraging, roosting, wintering or breeding habitat relative to the amount reserved across the region.
Moderate: Species for which there is inadequate information to assess their status in JKCR and are
not reserved in high numbers elsewhere in the region. These species have been sighted on very few
occasions and there is a lack of information on their current distribution or rate of occupation of
suitable habitats. If more information is gained on these species in the park and other reserves in the
region, a review of their status would likely see them moved to one of the other priority categories.
This category also includes the eastern horseshoe bat – a poorly known species which is regionally
uncommon and for which there is considerable potential habitat at JKCR.
The Vertebrate Fauna of Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve 23