RYDE FLORA and FAUNA STUDY 2008 - City of Ryde - NSW ...

native undergrowth has left the ground-dwelling mammals highly vulnerable to attack by
introduced predators.
Large reptiles have been extensively eliminated. This includes goannas, large snakes,
dragons (such as Bearded Dragons) and large skinks (such as Blue-tongue lizards).
Many of these reptiles appear to have either been deliberately killed (mainly snakes),
accidentally killed or killed by domestic animals.
No large reptiles were found in the 2008 surveys.
Frogs have suffered a precipitous decline in Ryde. Most reserves have just one or two
species. There appears to be several reasons for the decline of frogs:
* loss of ephemeral or still-water flooded sites
* loss of creek catchment habitat
* poor water quality
* introduced predatory fish (notable the Plague Minnow, Gambusia
holbrooki).
Pond-breeding species are now confined to back-yard habitats and have been lost from
creek areas. Most tree frogs have disappeared despite the amount of woodland and
forest that has been retained. This is a direct consequence of the loss of breeding
habitat.
Most other animal groups have shown declines in diversity.
The fauna groups that are still well represented in the area are forest and woodland
birds. In some of the larger bushland reserves the tree canopy has been retained and
reserves are close enough together so that birds can move freely between bushland
areas. The birds that have declined markedly are the small passerines that require midcanopy
cover for protection and wading birds.
Invertebrates also reduced in abundance in the smaller and more urbanised reserves.
1.2.3. Impacts
The types of impacts on the bushland areas varied but included:
* weed invasion
* dumping of garden wastes and household rubbish
* planting of non-native or non-endemic plants
* uncontrolled fires that alter plant communities
* contamination of creeks and ground water
* changes in flow patterns of creeks through storm water control
* increased erosion of creek banks
* loss of ephemeral freshwater habitat
Biosphere Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd
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