coastal and marine natural values of the kimberley - wwf - Australia

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28. Coastal and Marine Natural Values of the Kimberley4.3 COASTAL FAUNA ANDFLORAWithin the broader coastal environmentof the Northern Kimberley andDampierland there is an importantterrestrial fauna and flora component anda connection between their habitat needsand processes in the coastal and marineenvironment.Figure 8: Dwarf Sperm Whale Kogia simus, recorded over a depth of about 700mbetween Scott Reef and Ashmore Reef in October 2007 (photo, Rohan Clarke). Thisspecies is difficult to observe and often boat shy. Unlike dolphins, including ShortfinnedPilot Whales Globicephala macrorhynchus (Family: Delphinidae), Dwarf SpermWhale and to great extent, beaked whales, are likely to shy away from loud noise. Itis highly likely that these species are seriously underestimated by visual observerson oil and gas exploration (seismic) operations. This is a particularly useful exampleof a species for which correlation with areas of higher than normal biodiversity, asindicated by seabird abundance, may be important for risk assessment.© Lochman TransparenciesMonjon Petrogale burbidgei is confined to King Leopold Sandstone country ofNorthern Kimberley, including coastal areas and some offshore islands.There is a lack of feral animal pests.An absence of rabbits and foxes benefitsspecies such as Bilby Macrotis lagotis,which are in heavy decline in otherparts of Australia. Nonetheless, thereremain some major threats, such asaltered grazing and burning regimes,which also have the potential to affectwater quality in the catchments, andso impact on coastal processes. Theundisturbed offshore islands withrelatively intact terrestrial ecosystems arehence viewed as important biodiversityrefuges (Burbidge et al., 1991; How etal., 2006). Table 6 gives examples ofthreatened species from the region. Anumber of these are declining but occuron offshore islands (e.g. Northern QuollDasyurus hallucatus). Additionally, thereare a range of other threatened and / orendemic vertebrates and flora.The geology of much of Dampierlandoriginates from marine deposits oncoastal plains and supports mangrove,samphire, grasslands, coastal dunecommunities and open-woodlands(Graham, 2002b, c; McKenzie et al.,2003). The predominant vegetationtype is Pindana, which covers most ofthe Dampier Peninsula and the areasinland of eighty mile beach. The blacksoil plains behind Roebuck Bay and theCamballin Floodplain are of particularnote, as they are coupled to coastalprocesses during seasonal indundation.The area is of international significancefor breeding waterbirds, as well asmigratory shorebirds.
Coastal and Marine Natural Values of the Kimberley29.Group Species Status DescriptionMammalBirdNorthern QuollDasyurus hallucatusGolden BandicootIsoodon auratusauratusBilbyMacrotis lagotisLittle NorthwesternMastiff BatMormopterus loriaecobourgianaButler’s DunnartSminthopsis butleriLittle Rock WallabyPetrogale burbidgeiScaly-tailedPossum WyuldasquamicaudataGolden-backed TreeRat MesembriomysmacrurusGouldian FinchErythrura gouldiaeCrested ShrikeTit (Northern)Falcunculusfrontatus whiteiChestnut-backedButtonquail TurnixcastanotaEndangered(WA)Vulnerable (WA)Vulnerable (WA)Priority 1 (WA)Vulnerable (WA)Priority 4 (WA)Priority 4 (WA)Endangered(WA);Endangered(Cth)Endangered(WA);Endangered(Cth)Priority 4 (WA)Formerly widespread across N. Australia. Rangehas contracted considerably. The Kimberley is oneof six main strongholds. Absence of Cane Toadfrom the Kimberley region is one reason for this.Also found on Augustus group of islands.Formerly widespread. Now restricted to mainlandNorthern Kimberley, including Augustus andMiddle Islands.Formerly widespread throughout central andsouthern Australia. Now mostly confi ned to NWAustralia, including the Dampier Peninsula.Rare in west Kimberley. Known from islands ofBuccaneer Arch.Known only from a few specimens, includingmainland northern Kimberley.Restricted range. Locally common in King LeopoldSandstone country of Northern Kimberley,including coastal areas. Also on offshore islandsof Bonaparte Archipelago and Augustus group.Patchily distributed and restricted range inNorthern Kimberley. Also known from BoongareeIsland.Formerly found through NT. Now thoughtrestricted to Northern Kimberley, including islandsof Buccaneer Archipelago.A heavily declining endemic species with afragmented range across northern Australia. TheDampier peninsula represents the southern limit ofits range. Inhabit live tropical open woodlands witha grassy understorey, often in hilly areas (Garnett& Crowley, 2000).Scarce endemic of far Northern Kimberley, mostlyoccurring in woodland types dominated by DarwinWoollybutt Eucalyptus miniata, Darwin StringybarkE. tetrodonta or Smooth-stemmed BloodwoodE. bleeseri. Population thought to be highlyfragmented and under threat from changing fi reand grazing regimes (Garnett & Crowley, 2000).A restricted range species of monsoonal forestsand woodlands, endemic to northern andnorthwest Australia. Population in the Kimberely isisolated. Vulnerable to mismanagement of fi re andgrazing; loss from McArthur Ranges thought to befor similar reasons (Garnett & Crowley, 2000).Further north and the geology is a mixof King Leopold sandstone and volcanicrock. Folding and erosion of these rocksresults in differing vegetation from islandto island, and along the coast. Vegetationalong catchments and watercourses of theNorthern Kimberley controls the rate ofsedimentation and the quality of waterentering estuaries and coastal wetlands,particularly during the wet season. Thiscoastal connection is best exemplified inrainforest and vine thicket formations,where these form a succession withmangroves. Vine thickets support anumber of endemic species and specificrainforest communities including birdssuch as Rose-crowned Fruit DovePtilinopus regina, Little Shrike ThrushColluricincla megarhyncha and RainbowPitta Pitta iris.In addition to threatened species, theKimberley is important for a variety ofendemic species. Although presently notthreatened, the restricted global rangeof species such as Black GrasswrenAmytornis housei makes them morevulnerable to local impacts or to macroenvironmentalimpacts such as climatechange (Olsen, 2007). In the Mitchellsubregion of the Northern Kimberley, thereare thought to be 29 endemic vertebrates(McKenzie et al., 2003; Storr, 1983).Remaining consistent with the themeof this report, protection of terrestrialspecies should be at the ecosystemlevel, as a necessary step in managingbiodiversity and ecosystem integrity. Ahealthy ecosystem will ultimately sustaina wider variety of species.Table 6: Selected threatened terrestrial fauna of the Northern Kimberley andDampierland.
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