Threatened species and vegetation communities - Shire of Yarra ...

6Action SheetThreatened species andvegetation communitiesThreatened species and vegetation communities1Broad-scaleHabitat2PropertyHabitat3UrbanBackyards4Waterways& Wetlands5Fire6ThreatenedSpecies7Weeds8PestAnimals

Threatened species andvegetation communitiesVegetation removal and the introduction of pestplants and animals has led to a decline in indigenousflora and fauna, including freshwater aquaticinvertebrates, and damage to our waterways.Ecological principle:ecology of modified landscapesMany vegetation communities throughout YarraRanges are now severely degraded or no longerexist because urbanisation, agriculture, forestry andweed invasion have changed the local landscape.To restore what has been lost, and stop furtherloss, we need to prevent threats to animals andtheir habitat, preserve water catchment areas andwaterways, maintain soil quality, protect our presentand future carbon storage and restrict impacts thatwill result in long-term ecological changes.Much of the remnant vegetation of the Yarra Rangescontains a high proportion of ecologically matureforests of Ash or mixed-species forests. Theseforests are home to many of Victoria’s threatenednative fauna and flora species, including Leadbeater’sPossum, forming significant biodiversity areas.The Brush-tailed Phascogalerelies on large trees, logs and leaflitter to survive. The reduction inthis type of habitat has seen adecline in their numbers makingthem vulnerable to extinction.What is a vegetation community?A vegetation community is part of an EcologicalVegetation Class (EVC) — a classification systemused to describe different vegetation types in Victoriamade up of the combination of plant communities,forest types and physical environments (e.g. landform,geology, rainfall, climate) that occur in similar typesof environments. EVCs can also be used as a guideto the types of animals and other organisms thatare likely to occur in those environments. There areapproximately 300 EVCs in Victoria, 48 of whichare in the Yarra Ranges. The majority of theseEVCs have been exposed to significant vegetationclearance and other threats, which currently placethem at risk of extinction. At least 16 of these EVC’shave a conservation status within the bioregion ofeither Endangered, Vulnerable , Depleted or Rare.Any development in the Yarra Ranges can potentiallyhave a negative impact on threatened species, butwith careful planning these risks can be kept toa minimum.

Flora and fauna goalsPROTECTENHANCERESTOREPROTECTENHANCENET GAINPROTECTRESTOREKNOWLEDGEENHANCENET GAINSTEWARDSHIPRESTOREKNOWLEDGEINFLUENCENET GAINSTEWARDSHIPKNOWLEDGEINFLUENCESTEWARDSHIPGoal 23ENHANCERESTOREGoal 5KNOWLEDGEThe Yarra Ranges Council’s primary focus is to retain and enhance existing vegetation acrossthe municipality.GoalActiveGoal4management to improve flora and fauna in the municipality include3?? encouraging successful natural regeneration of flora; revegetation of indigenousGoal RESTORE6species to supplement missing structure or species within patches of remnant vegetation;the creation STEWARDSHIP of suitable habitat linkages with revegetation; and increasing the size of remnantvegetation patches.??GoalGoal45Goal KNOWLEDGE 7Goal 56STEWARDSHIPKNOWLEDGEGoal 7Goal 6Cobra greenhoodGoal 2ENHANCEGoal 3RESTOREGoal 4RESTOREGoal 5RESTOREGoal 6RESTOREGoal 2ENHANCEGoal 3RESTOREGoal 4NET GAINGoal 5KNOWLEDGEGoal 6STEWARDSHIPRetention of all indigenous vegetation (including trees, shrubs and grasses) is recognised byCouncil as being important. Removal of vegetation causes the decline of indigenous faunaand compromises the way the ecosystem functions to provide abundant clean water andhealthy soil, and maintain the current climate. Vegetation loss has led to the continualINFLUENCEthreatof extinction to many species of flora and fauna.Goal 2This goal, ENHANCE to retain and protect our existing flora and fauna, employs the priority principleof avoiding any further loss of indigenous vegetation. This principle is consistent with theVictorian Native Vegetation Management Framework and the Port Phillip and Western PortCatchment Management Authority’s Native Vegetation Plan.Goal 3RESTOREGoal 2ENHANCEGoal 4The municipality has at least 1365 indigenous flora and 375 indigenous fauna species.Approximately 8% (108 species) of the indigenous flora species and approximately 17% (62species) of the indigenous fauna species in the Yarra Ranges are listed as being ‘Rare’ or‘Threatened’ in Victoria. These numbers do not include a huge number of invertebrates,?? fungi and soil organisms that have not been described or studied within the area. However,it is important to remember that the success of individual species of flora and fauna is relianton their placement across the landscape, interactions at patch and landscape level, and theattributes of the habitat of the particular site.INFLUENCEINFLUENCE

The largest threat to thePowerful Owl is the loss ofsuitable tree hollows. Thisimpacts directly upon nestsites and reduces possumswhich are the owl’s mainfood source.What Council will doCouncil will work with the Arthur Rylah Institute (ARI),DSE, the universities, Commonwealth Scientificand Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO),Melbourne Zoo, and landholders, to develop speciesand ecosystem management plans.Informed decision making is essential for soundenvironmental management, and much of Council’sinformation is accessed through working in partnershipwith DSE and the Catchment Management Authority(CMA).Council will develop appropriate habitat riskassessment procedures for staff or contractorsconducting vegetation removal works on Councilcontrolledland, and ensure that relevant staffmembershave access to threatened species data.Where vegetation removal is unavoidable, then theremust be a program to offset this to ensure thatno long-term decline in habitat that is available forthreatened species will occur.Two Eucalypt species, which are classified as Rare inVictoria, often form part of removal requests: GreenScentbark (Eucalyptus fulgens) and Yarra Gum(Eucalyptus yarraensis). Care needs to be taken inreviewing the identification of these trees as boththese species have been misidentified as other,more common species. Council will ensure that acompetent assessment of impact to threatened floraand fauna species or their habitat is completed withall permit applications involving vegetation removal.Yarra Ranges Council will actively encourage DSEto increase pre- and post-cut auditing on all timberharvesting operations to ensure all precautions toprotect waterways and threatened species habitathave been taken. Council will also actively encourageDSE to amend the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act1988 to more effectively protect and/or managethreats to threatened species and their habitat onpublic and private land at both the forward planningstage (i.e. to minimise pre-emptive clearing) andduring development assessments.The Yarra Ranges Council supports pre-cut ecologicalsurveys on logging coupes to adequately identify anyareas of conservation concern, and to allow for bestpracticeplanning of all coupes and timber harvestingmethods.The Yarra Ranges Council supports the use of timberharvesting practices that achieve the retention andlong-term protection of habitat elements for nativefauna species (i.e. the retention of hollow bearingtrees for animals like Leadbeater’s Possum andPowerful Owl), the retention of understorey flora forfood and shelter and movement for native fauna.Legal responsibilityEnvironment Protection and Biodiversity ConservationAct 1999 (EPBC Act) – protects the environment,streamlines a national environmental assessment andapprovals process, protects Australian biodiversityand integrates management of important natural andcultural places.Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 –seeks to put in place preventative managementmechanisms to ensure no biota or ecologicalcommunities become extinct and that the processesthat threaten biodiversity are identified andaddressed. The Act is far broader than ‘endangeredspecies’ legislation, covering ecological communities;potentially threatening processes; and communityinvolvement in conservation.Planning and Environment Act 1987 – Planningschemes set out policies and provisions (land-useplanning controls) for the use, development andprotection of land for an area. Each municipalityin Victoria is covered by a planning scheme. TheYarra Ranges Council Planning Scheme has strongemphasis in the Municipal Strategic Statement, LocalPolicies, Planning Overlays and Clauses relating tothe importance of protecting indigenous flora, faunaand other biodiversity.

Yarra Ranges CouncilAnderson StreetPO Box 105Lilydale Vic 31401300 368 333yarraranges.vic.gov.auRelated materialsPlans and GuidelinesYarra Ranges Council Flora & Fauna Plan 2012: Sustaining biodiversityfor current and future generations Yarra Ranges Council Environment DepartmentWebsites• EPBC Act• http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/index.html• General websites• www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au• www.dse.vic.gov.au• www.dpi.vic.gov.au• http://www.ppwcma.vic.gov.au/• http://www.vnpa.org.au/ Victorian National Parks Association• http://leadbeaters.org.au Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum• http://www.helmetedhoneyeater.org.au/ Friends of Helmeted Honeyeater:• http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/plants-and-animals/native-plants-and-animals/threatened-species-and-communities/threatened-species-advisory-listsDepartment of Sustainability and Environment Advisory Lists of ThreatenedSpecies:Photo acknowledgements: Esther Beaton, Alex Maisey, Marilyn Grey