1.1.7.2 Terrestrial species and communities


1.1.7.2.1 Principal vegetation types and distribution patterns

The impact of vegetation clearing in the Gippsland Basin bioregion is evident with 57% of the bioregion covered with non-native vegetation and buildings (Table 20). Of native vegetation identified in the NVIS, 12% of the Gippsland Basin bioregion is covered in eucalyptus tall open forest and open forest with ferns, herbs, sedges, rushes or wet tussock grasses predominately in the east (Figure 44). A large area of open forest is situated in the southern Strzelecki Ranges. The combined eucalyptus open forest categories in Table 20 occupy 23% of the Gippsland Basin bioregion. Collectively, Eucalyptus woodlands occupy a smaller area (8%) but show a high association with palustrine and lacustrine wetlands (16%) compared to eucalyptus open forest (9%);Table 20). Acacia, Melaleuca and Banksia forest or shrublands are associated with marine and estuarine wetlands (12%) as are saline or brackish sedgelands or grasslands (5%).

Figure 44

Figure 44 National Vegetation Information System (NVIS) major vegetation subgroups

Data: Department of the Environment and Water Resources (Dataset 2)

1.1.7.2.2 Species and ecological communities of national significance

The EPBC Act lists threatened flora, fauna and ecological communities under a number of classifications. In the Gippsland Basin bioregion the common classifications and their definitions include:

  • Critically Endangered: species face a high risk in the wild of extinction in the immediate future
  • Endangered: species face a high risk in the wild of extinction in the near future
  • Vulnerable: species face a high risk in the wild of extinction in the medium-term future.

Approximately 24 flora species are nationally protected, with six classified as Endangered and 15 as Vulnerable (Table 22).

Within the fauna biodiversity asset group (Table 22), a total of 45 fauna species are listed as threatened including frogs (one Endangered, four Vulnerable), bats (one Vulnerable), fish (two Vulnerable), invertebrates (one Vulnerable), mammals (six Endangered, five Vulnerable), marine birds (two Endangered, six Vulnerable), waders (one Vulnerable), passerine birds (two Endangered), non-passerine birds (one Critically Endangered, three Endangered, two Vulnerable) waders (one Vulnerable) and reptiles (one Endangered, one Vulnerable).

The Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster), endemic to southern Australia, is the only Critically Endangered species thought to occur in the Gippsland Basin bioregion in association with Jack Smith Lake, indicating potential water dependence.

The importance of the natural diversity maintained within Wilsons Promontory National Park is highlighted with designation of the National Park as a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1981. Diverse vegetation communities exist which include warm temperate and cool temperate rainforest, tall open forests (Eucalyptus spp.), woodlands, heathlands, swamp and coastal communities including mangroves (Parks Victoria, 2002). Three threatened fauna species and three flora species occur within Wilsons Promontory National Park (species name identified with c in Table 22) and one EPBC Act listed migratory species, Sanderling (Calidris alba).

Threatened ecological communities

Ecological communities consist of a naturally occurring group of animals, plants or other biota that interact in a unique habitat. There are 12 EPBC Act listed threatened ecological communities (not shown) in the East and West Gippsland Catchment Management Authorities, however, only four are likely to occur in the Gippsland Basin bioregion (Table 22). Three communities are Critically Endangered including the ecologically significant Gippsland Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis subsp. mediana) Grassy Woodland and Associated Native Grassland. One community, the Subtropical and Temperate Coastal Saltmarsh, is listed as Vulnerable.

The Gippsland Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Associated Native Grassland community is endemic to the region and nationally important as a temperate grassland and grassy woodland ecosystem. Temperate grassland ecosystems are poorly preserved and conserved nationally, and their decline in Gippsland is largely due to land clearing (DEWHA, 2010). The community provides habitat to other threatened flora and fauna and is known to be rich in wildflowers and other plant species (DEWHA, 2010). The association of this vegetation community with water bodies (Table 20) suggests some level of water dependency.

1.1.7.2.3 Species of regional significance

Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (the FFG Act) provides the statutory mechanism for the conservation of flora and fauna that are threatened in the state. In the Gippsland Basin bioregion, 41 flora species are listed as Threatened (FFG Act) of which 16 are listed as Endangered and 11 as Vulnerable (the EPBC Act) (Table 22).

Threatened fauna species total 35 and include four frogs, one bat, two fish, one invertebrate, nine mammals, eight marine birds, two passerine birds, six non-passerine birds, one wader and two reptiles. Many of the FFG Act listed fauna species are also EPBC Act listed (Table 22).

The Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) Threatened Species Advisory List is an additional non-statutory state listing of importance to planning processes. Approximately 32 flora species are listed as Endangered and 70 as Vulnerable. There are ten fauna species that are listed as Critically Endangered, 15 are listed as Endangered and 12 listed as Vulnerable.

Threatened ecological communities

State ecological vegetation community mapping (Native Vegetation-Modelled 2005 Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVC)) identifies 629,569 ha of vegetation communities in the Gippsland Basin bioregion of which 139,906 ha (22%) have a Victorian Bioregional Conservation Status of Vulnerable and 100,775 ha (16%) are Endangered (Figure 45). Broad EVC groups that are Endangered include riparian scrubs or swamp scrubs and woodlands (31,000 ha), plains woodlands and forest (including grasslands, 25,000 ha) and damp forests (24,000 ha). Many other Endangered EVC groups exist within the bioregion, but cover much smaller areas. Lowland forest (51,000 ha), plains woodlands and forest (including grasslands, 30,000 ha) are considered Vulnerable. Approximately 12,000 ha of wetland species are also threatened.

Figure 45

Figure 45 Distribution of ecological vegetation communities with Endangered and Vulnerable conservation status within the Gippsland Basin bioregion

Data: Department of Environment and Primary Industries (Dataset 4)

1.1.7.2.4 Threatening processes

The following potentially threatening processes were collated under the FFG Act. Processes such as alteration to natural flow regimes of rivers and streams, collection of native orchids, degradation of native riparian vegetation along rivers and streams, and fragmentation of habitat are pertinent threats. Introduced plants and animals threaten both terrestrial and aquatic systems through outcompeting and damaging or destroying native biodiversity. In coastal areas, dune degradation resulting from vegetation removal and human impacts threaten biodiversity. In aquatic systems, water quality is threatened by agricultural practices and erosion mechanisms (landslips, gully, sheet rill and river bank erosion) generating sediment and nutrient movement into waterways. In such instances, stream ecology is altered impacting flora and fauna. Grazing or altered hydrology also results in loss of fringing wetland vegetation. Further land clearing poses a major threat to bioregional habitats and biodiversity.

Table 22 Species and ecological communities within the Gippsland Basin bioregion listed as threatened nationally under the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act). State-listed threatened species under Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (the FFG Act) are indicated with a box


Biodiversity asset group

Scientific name

Common name

Status under the EPBC Act

Status under the FFG Act

Water dependence

Comments on water dependence

Plants

Acacia caerulescens

Limestone Blue Wattle

Vulnerable

Possible

Wide range of habitats - often grows close to rivers, lakes and roads

Acacia maidenii

Maiden’s Wattle

na

Likely

Grows at the outer margin of floodplains

Acronychia oblongifolia

Yellow-wood

na

Possible

Occurs in and on the margins of warm rainforests

Adiantum diaphanum

Filmy Maidenhair

na

Likely

Grows along streams and around waterfalls

Amphibromus fluitans

River Swamp Wallaby-grass

Vulnerable

Likely

Wetland species

Boronia galbraithiae

Aniseed Boronia

Vulnerable

Likely

Maybe facultative

Botrychium australe

Austral Moonwort

na

Possible

Wide range of habitats – may be facultative near streams

Caladenia orientalis

Eastern Spider-orchid

Endangered

Unlikely

Grows in well-drained soils

Caladenia peysleyi

Heath Spider-orchid

na

Unknown

NA

Caladenia tessellataac

Thick-lipped Spider-orchid

Vulnerable

na

Unlikely

Grows in well-drained sand/clay loam in heath or grassy woodlands

Caladenia valida

Robust Spider-orchid

na

Unknown

NA

Cardamine tryssa

Dainty Bitter-cress

na

Unknown

NA

Craspedia canens

Grey Billy-buttons

na

Possible

Grows in wet and dry situations

May be facultative

Cryptostylis erecta

Bonnet Orchid

na

Likely

Found along creek lines and rhizomes. Need to be moist at all times

Cryptostylis hunteriana

Leafless Tongue-orchid

Vulnerable

Likely

Grows in swampy heaths

Cullen parvum

Small Scurf-pea

na

Possible

Appears to require winter flooding

Cyathea cunninghamii

Slender Tree-fern

na

Likely

Grows in deep gullies beside creeks

Cyathea leichhardtiana

Prickly Tree-fern

na

Possible

Occurs on mountain slopes near creeks

Dianella amoena

Matted Flax-lily

Endangered

Possible

Grows in well-drained to seasonally wet soils in lowland grassland, grassy woodland, valley grassy forest and creeklines

Diuris punctata var. punctata

Purple Diuris

na

Possible

May be facultative – occurs in association with red gum and swamp gum

Dodonaea procumbens

Trailing Hop-bush

Vulnerable

na

Possible

Grows in low-lying, often winter wet locations

Eucalyptus strzeleckii

Strzelecki Gum

Vulnerable

Likely

Seasonal waterlogging

Grevillea celata

Colquhoun Grevillea

Vulnerable

Unlikely

Occurs in dry schlerophyll woodland and heathy open forest

Hakea macraeana

Willow Needlewood

na

Possible

Found in understorey of wet or dry sclerophyll forest, drought resistant

Isopogon prostratus

Prostrate Cone-bush

na

Unlikely

Occurs in heath on plateaux and ridges or dry open eucalypt woodland

Lachnagrostis punicea subsp. filifolia

Purple Blown-grass

na

Likely

Occurs in wet marshes and slightly saline swamps and depressions

Lindsaea trichomanoides

Oval Wedge-fern

na

Unknown

Found on dry sites in lowland to montane forest/shrubland

Livistona australis

Cabbage Fan-palm

na

Likely

Often in swampy sites

Nematolepis frondosa

Leafy Nematolepis

Vulnerable

Unlikely

Varied habitats including rocky outcrops and tall open forest

Pomaderris vacciniifolia

Round-leaf Pomaderris

na

Likely

Found along creek lines

Prasophyllum correctum

Gaping Leek-orchid

Endangered

Unlikely

Grows in freely draining soils

Prasophyllum frenchiic

Maroon Leek-orchid

Endangered

Likely

Occurs in swampland

Prasophyllum spicatum

Dense Leek-orchid

Vulnerable

na

Likely

Seasonal waterlogging

Prostanthera galbraithiae

Wellington Mint-bush

Vulnerable

Unlikely

NA

Pseudoraphis paradoxa

Slender Mud-grass

na

Likely

Grows in and around pools and watercourses

Pterostylis baptistii

King Greenhood

na

Likely

Grows in moist to wet soils

Pterostylis chlorogramma

Green-striped Greenhood

Vulnerable

Possible

Occurs in moist well-drained soils

Pterostylis cucullataac

Leafy Greenhood

Vulnerable

Likely

Inland populations occur on river banks or alluvial floodplains. Coastal populations grow in seasonally damp, well-drained sandy loams

Pterostylis lustra

Small Sickle Greenhood

na

Likely

Restricted to swampy areas

Pterostylis tenuissima

Swamp Greenhood

Vulnerable

na

Likely

Based on naming

Rulingia prostratab

Dwarf Kerrawang

Endangered

Likely

Associated with wetland margins

Sambucus australasica

Yellow Elderberry

na

Possible

Grows on the edges of rainforests and widespread in coastal districts

Symplocus thwaitesii

Buff Hazelwood

na

Likely

Grows alongside Snowy River

Thelymitra epipactoidesb

Metallic Sun-orchid

Endangered

Unlikely

NA

Thelymitra incurva

Swamp Sun-orchid

na

Possible

Grows in heathlands and heathy woodlands mostly around the edges of grasstree plains

Xerochrysum palustreb

Swamp Everlasting

Vulnerable

Likely

Grows in wetlands, seen growing in water 1 m deep

Frogs

Heleioporus australiacus

Giant Burrowing Frog

Vulnerable

Likely

NA

Litoria aureab

Green and Golden Bell Frog

Vulnerable

na

Likely

NA

Litoria littlejohni

Large Brown Tree Frog

Vulnerable

Likely

NA

Litoria raniformisab

Southern Bell Frog

Vulnerable

Likely

NA

Litoria spenceri

Spotted Tree Frog

Endangered

Likely

NA

Bats

Pteropus poliocephalus

Grey-headed Flying-fox

Vulnerable

Likely

NA

Fish

Galaxiella pusilla

Dwarf Galaxias

Vulnerable

Likely

NA

Prototroctes maraenaa

Australian Grayling

Vulnerable

Likely

NA

Invertebrates

Megascolides australis

Giant Gippsland Earthworm

Vulnerable

Likely

NA

Mammals

Arctocephalus tropicalis

Sub-antarctic Fur-Seal

Vulnerable

na

Likely

NA

Dasyurus maculatusc

Spot-tailed Quoll

Endangered

Likely

NA

Eubalaena australisa

Southern Right Whale

Endangered

Likely

NA

Gymnobelideus leadbeateri

Leadbeater’s Possum

Endangered

Likely

NA

Isoodon obesulus obesulus

Southern Brown Bandicoot (Eastern)

Endangered

Likely

NA

Megaptera novaeangliae

Humpback Whale

Vulnerable

Likely

NA

Mirounga leonina

Southern Elephant Seal

Vulnerable

na

Likely

NA

Potorous longipes

Long-footed Potoroo

Endangered

Likely

NA

Potorous tridactylus tridactylusc

Long-nosed Potoroo

Vulnerable

Likely

NA

Pseudomys fumeus

Smoky Mouse

Endangered

Likely

NA

Pseudomys novaehollandiaec

New Holland Mouse

Vulnerable

na

Likely

NA

Marine birds

Diomedea exulans (sensu lato)

Wandering Albatross

Vulnerable

Likely

NA

Halobaena caerulea

Blue Petrel

Vulnerable

na

Likely

NA

Macronectes giganteus

Southern Giant-Petrel

Endangered

Likely

NA

Macronectes halli

Northern Giant-Petrel

Vulnerable

Likely

NA

Phoebetria fusca

Sooty Albatross

na

Likely

NA

Thalassarche bulleri

Buller's Albatross

Vulnerable

Likely

NA

Thalassarche carteri

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross

na

Likely

NA

Thalassarche cauta cautaa

Shy Albatross

Vulnerable

Likely

NA

Thalassarche chrysostoma

Grey-headed Albatross

Endangered

Likely

NA

Thalassarche melanophris

Black-browed Albatross

Vulnerable

na

Likely

NA

Passerine birds

Anthochaera phrygia

Regent Honeyeater

Endangered

Likely

NA

Dasyornis brachypterus

Eastern Bristlebird

Endangered

Likely

NA

Non-passerine birds

Botaurus poiciloptilus

Australasian Bittern

Endangered

Likely

Nests in swamps

Calyptorhynchus banksii graptogyne

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo (south-eastern)

Endangered

Likely

NA

Lathamus discolora

Swift Parrot

Endangered

Likely

NA

Neophema chrysogastera

Orange-bellied Parrot

Critically Endangered

Likely

NA

Polytelis swainsonii

Superb Parrot

Vulnerable

Likely

NA

Rostratula australis

Australian Painted Snipe

Vulnerable

Likely

NA

Waders

Sternula nereis nereis

Australian Fairy Tern

Vulnerable

Likely

NA

Reptiles

Dermochelys coriaceaa

Leathery Turtle

Endangered

Likely

NA

Eretmochelys imbricata

Hawksbill Turtle

Vulnerable

na

Likely

NA

Ecological communities

Eucalyptus tereticornis subsp. mediana

Gippsland Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis subsp. mediana) Grassy Woodland and Associated Native Grassland

Critically Endangered

na

Likely

Some location near water bodies

Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia

Critically Endangered

na

Likely

NA

Seasonal Herbaceous Wetlands (Freshwater) of the Temperate Lowland Plains

Critically Endangered

na

Likely

Wetland environment

Subtropical and Temperate Coastal Saltmarsh

Vulnerable

na

Likely

Some groundwater connection

Data: Department of Environment and Primary Industries (Dataset 5)

na – Not applicable as species is not listed

NA – Data related to water dependence are not available

a - Species occurs at Corner Inlet Ramsar site

b - Species occurs at the Gippsland Lakes Ramsar site

c - Species occurs at Wilsons Promontory National Park

Last updated:
8 January 2018
Thumbnail of the Gippsland bioregion

Product Finalisation date

2015