Indicator: Native species

| Indicator description | Complete list of Indicators |

What the results tell us for Tumut

| List of native plants | Lists of native animals | List of woodland birds in decline |

See also:
| Managing biodiversity | Managing fire regimes | Ecosystem diversity |

There are at least 119 native plant species known to occur in the Tumut Shire (Table 1). Of particular conservation concern is the Tumut Grevillea Grevillea wilkinsonii, originally collected from a travelling stock reserve along the Goobarrangandra River east of Tumut in 1982, and now declared endangered under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and the Commonwealth Endangered Species Protection Act 1992. All known plants (approximately 150, of all age classes) are outside conservation reserves and the species is threatened by a number of factors including flooding, exotic plant competition, herbicide spraying, grazing by animals, clearing, roadworks and fire. For a list of threatened flora species see indicator results for managing biodiversity.

There have been 268 fauna species recorded in Tumut Shire, however this list is not complete (Table 2). Consistent with records for other Shires in the Australian Capital Region, the majority of species reported (154) are birds.

Very little is known of the Shire's invertebrate fauna, largely because of a lack of research generally on invertebrates, despite the large number and diversity of organisms to be studied.

Birds are one of the species most adversely affected by clearing, and there is often a significant lag time between clearing and the effect, ie decline in bird population, taking place (Barry Traill, 2000). In the Region, woodland birds, in particular, have been severely affected by fragmentation and the reduction in the area and size of woodlands, and by predation. Predators include cats, foxes, dogs, and other birds, like Pied Currawongs and Noisy Miners.

In Table 3, we have included information about the condition of some bird species of concern across the Region. At least three of the species included Table 3 as occurring within the Tumut Shire—the diamond firetail Stagonopleura guttata, speckled warbler Chthonicola sagittata and varied sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera.

Data on native fauna species were reviewed as part of the Comprehensive Regional Assessments of Forests in New South Wales between 1997 and 2000. The Comprehensive Regional Assessments covered the Southern and South-East Forests, which fall into the Australian Capital Region. However, we were unable to prepare revised fauna data in time for inclusion in this report, particularly on a shire-by-shire basis. It is hoped that updated information can be provided in the next comprehensive Report.

U=Unprotected; P=Protected; P13=Protected Native Plants; V=Vulnerable; E1=Endangered (see About the data)

About the data

Data for Table 1 were sourced from the 1997 Australian Capital Region State of Environment Report, prepared and published by the Office of the Commissioner for the Environment, Canberra.

Data for Table 2 were sourced from the National Parks and Wildlife Service Wildlife Atlas as at August 2000.

Description Abstract: 'The Atlas of NSW Wildlife is a database containing fauna and flora records, including threatened species, for New South Wales. The collection began in 1802 and is continuing. The data is not comprehensive and should not be considered a complete inventory. Records are classified according to their temporal, spatial and taxonomic reliability. The atlas is based chiefly on incidental sightings, but also consists of systematic survey results. A recent addition, the BSS, allows the storage of systematic survey data.'

Contact: Data Exchange Office, Wildlife Data Unity, GIS Group: phone  (02) 9585 6684

Legal Status — this code identifies the Legal Status of the species within NSW under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act 1995) and the National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974 (NPW Act 1974).

Information on birds within the ACT and Region was sourced from the following publications and sources:

• Canberra Ornithologists Group (2000) Birds of Canberra Gardens. Jointly published by Canberra Ornithologists Group and the Department of Urban Services, Canberra.
• Wilson, S. (1999) Birds of the ACT—Two Centuries of Change. Published by the Canberra Ornithologists Group, Canberra.
• Barry Traill, from Birds Australia, 2000.
• The suggestions and preliminary 'condition' data for the woodland bird species that are under threat were provided by Bruce Lindenmayer, Member, Canberra Ornithologists Group and Conservation Council of The South-East Region and Canberra, Inc.

Description: What does 'native species' measure?

Which data are collected?

• abundance of all known species (including condition of selected species and composition at selected sites) of animals, plants and micro-organisms in each biogeographic subregion

Why do we report this indicator?

Changes in patterns of the number of species of living organisms and their relative abundance in a given area can occur naturally - either seasonally or after significant events such as fire or storms. However, a significant loss of native species from an area is generally a clear indicator of major ecosystem disturbance such as habitat loss or predation/competition from introduced species.

Because it can be difficult to identify all species in an area, and even more difficult to monitor their populations, a few (selected) species are generally identified. A significant decline in the abundance and condition of these few species, if carefully chosen, can be indicative of general trends for native species in the area in general.

The species usually selected for closer monitoring are vertebrates. For both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, the abundance and distribution of vertebrates provides an indication of the health of our environment, because this reflects the quality of their habitat, including overall water quality. Some species are more sensitive to changes in their environment than others, and not all species are naturally found everywhere in large numbers. For these reasons only a few of the more sensitive, and well-studied, species are used for this indicator in the State of the Environment report.