Biodiversity Assessment - Finke
Finke
Introduction
The Finke bioregion is a geomorphologically complex and varied area of low sandstone ranges, weathered tablelands and rounded metamorphic hills, laterite-capped mesas, saline depressions and sandplains. Dominant vegetation includes hummock grasslands, acacia shrublands and saltbush/bluebush open shrublands. The bioregion includes 3 subregions.
Summary of overall condition and trend
As with other central Australian bioregions, the overall condition of the Finke bioregion is masked by a very strong rainfall effect, with degradation sometimes difficult to detect after a series of unusually good years. However, much of the region has been substantially degraded or altered by a range of pervasive factors. Over-grazing by livestock and/or feral animals (principally rabbits, camels and horses) has degraded many areas, and especially riparian areas, natural waterholes, and fertile lowlands. Foxes and feral cats are widespread and have taken a heavy toll on the native fauna, especially critical-weight range mammals and ground-dwelling birds such as the night parrot. There are major weed infestations, most notably of buffel and couch grass, and of athel pine in riparian systems. Fire regimes have probably changed considerably since European settlement, resulting in broad-scale changes in floristics and vegetation patterning, with declines especially of fire-sensitive species.
Many of these detrimental factors were probably most pernicious and had most explosive impacts in the first few decades following European settlement, and some may have now improved or stabilised (e.g. vegetation change caused by rabbits; some improvements in land husbandry within the pastoral industry), such that there may be some reversals in the general pattern of decline.
All subregions of the Finke bioregion are continental landscape stress class 5 as assessed by the Landscape Health report (1 is most stressed, 6 is least stressed), although this rather gilds the lily. Class 3 is probably more apt.
Summary of conservation priorities
The bioregion is currently very poorly reserved (1% of bioregional extent), and most ecosystems are not represented in the reserve network. Additional reservation would be necessary to achieve a regional CAR reserve system.
However at least as effective for biodiversity conservation would be integrated management (across all tenures) of weeds, feral animals and fire, and implementation of some off-reserve conservation agreements and actions on pastoral lands. Such management actions will require additional resources and some capacity building, especially among Aboriginal landholder groups.
Natural values
The Finke bioregion is notable for its environmental diversity. It includes one nationally significant wetland system, it supports 13 threatened species, and endemic plants including two Acacia species.
Click here to link to a table of natural values within each subregion
Wetlands
The Karinga Creek palaeodrainage system occurs in the far west of this bioregion. It comprises a series of permanent springs, ephemeral seepage creeks and ephemeral lakes formed by discharge from the central Australian groundwater basin, supplemented occasionally by irregular heavy rainfall events. When full, the lakes are important for waterfowl and some shorebirds, especially as stop-over points for the latter during their dispersal across Australia. The system is also important as a research and reference site for hydrogeology and palaeoclimate.
A range of wetlands of subregional significance have been identified. Most of these are near permanent waterholes in the major intermittent/ephemeral river systems, and the broad reaches of the river systems themselves.
Nationally important wetlands
Map: IBRA map showing DIWA locations, towns, subregions, major roads and reserves and most common threatening processes.
Click here to link to a table of Australia's Important Wetlands (Directory of Important Wetlands of Australia): their type, condition, trend and threatening processes within each subregion.
Regionally important wetlands
Click here to link to a table of provisional identification of wetlands of regional significance: their type and special values within each subregion. The reliability of the overall subregional assessment is indicated.
Click here to link to a table of provisional identification of wetlands of regional significance: their condition, trend and threatening processes within each subregion.
Riparian Zones
The bioregion includes most of the catchment of the Finke River, other than its headwaters. A range of pervasive factors degrade riparian zones across this bioregion. Most riparian areas are unfenced and trampled or grazed by livestock and feral animals. There are at least localised patches of serious weed infestation in the bioregion, most notably of buffel grass and athel pine.
Map: Riparian threatening processes.
Click here to link to a table of riparian zones: their average condition, trend and threatening processes for each subregion. The reliability of this overall assessment is indicated.
Ecosystems at risk
No ecosystem has formally been listed as threatened, but wetland and riparian environments are at risk from ongoing degradation by livestock, feral animals and weeds. Other ecosystems are being altered by changed fire regimes, but there is insufficient information currently available to assess the significance of such risks.
Table: Provisional list of threatened ecosystems in Australia: their broad vegetation type (National Vegetation Information System - Major Vegetation Subgroup), recommended status, current legislative protection as a threatened ecosystem, trend and bioregional distribution. These ecosystems are arranged in the bioregion of their principal occurrence. The reliability of the recommended status is indicated.
There is no data available for this table within the bioregion.
Table: Provisional list of threatened ecosystems in each subregion: their threatening processes
There is no data available for this table within the bioregion.
Table: Provisional list of threatened ecosystems in each subregion: their recommended recovery actions
There is no data available for this table within the bioregion.
Species at risk
Many species have been lost from this bioregion over the last 150 years. Of those that persist, 14 species are listed as threatened at Commonwealth or State/Territory level. Of these, there are Recovery Plans established for the central rock-rat and great desert skink. Feral predators are probably an important threat for six species (plains rat, thick-billed grass-wren, southern marsupial mole, great desert skink, central rock-rat and black-footed rock-wallaby), changed fire regimes for five species (thick-billed grass-wren, Acacia latzi, princess parrot, great desert skink and black-footed rock-wallaby), vegetation change caused by grazing by livestock or feral animals for four species (Eremophila A48866, plains rat, bronzeback snake-lizard and black-footed rock-wallaby), and changes in wetlands across their entire range for two species (painted snipe and freckled duck).
There is also some evidence that there is broad scale decline affecting at least some groups of mammals and birds in this bioregion, in addition to those species currently listed as threatened.
Number of taxa in the Finke bioregion listed as threatened at national and/or NT/SA level (nb this table includes only species definitely recorded from the bioregion (rather than putative occurrences based on modelling) and presumed to be still extant in the bioregion).
| Taxa | Commonwealth | Northern Territory, South Australia | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endangered | Vulnerable | Endangered | Vulnerable | |
| Plants | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Reptiles | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Birds | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Mammals | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Map: IBRA map showing frequency of threatening processes for species.
Click here to link to a table of species at risk in each subregion: their status, trend and subregional distribution. The reliability of the assessment of trend is indicated and whether recovery plans have been prepared.
Click here to link to a table of species at risk in each subregion: their threatening processes.
Click here to link to a table of species at risk in each subregion: their status recommended recovery actions.
Eucalypts and Acacias
Endemism
There are no endemic eucalypts, but two endemic acacias in this bioregion: Acacia frumentacea from FIN1 and A. sp. (Kulgera A88932). These species may be affected by changed fire regimes, but there are no data available on their status, trends or responses to putative threatening processes.
Richness
The subregions of this bioregion support only low to moderate richness of Acacia (13-33 species) and Eucalyptus (1-25 species).
Birds
The low dunes of the Finke bioregion, south of Alice Springs, carry many bird species of the semi-arid zone that are also widespread across central and western inland Australia. A few limited range species of the chenopod and gibber habitats to the south-east stray into the edge of the bioregion, and, while there are records of two threatened species, Red Goshawk and Painted Snipe, that are not normally associated with the Centre, the bioregion is unlikely to be significant for these species. Some introduced species have spread out from Alice Springs, including the newly established Barbary Dove, which has become established in central Australia since the first Atlas period, and Long-billed Corellas, which are proving to be highly adaptable aviary escapees. There are few other important trends, although there has been an increased reporting rate of grassland species, counter to trends elsewhere in the country.
Status: Typical semi-arid avifauna, although some species known to have been lost.
Rare and threatened: No major populations.
Increasers: Barbary Dove, Long-billed Corella.
Indicators: Emu, Australian Bustard, Banded Lapwing, White-browed Treecreeper, Jacky Winter.
Trend: Reporting rate of grassland species has increased.
Scenario: Loss of species needing lower grazing and more patchy fire regime.
Actions: No grazing in representative areas and the adoption of reduced, conservative grazing rates in key habitat across the bioregion, along with appropriate fire regime to maintain diversity.
Click hereto download a summary report including the physical characteristics of the bioregion, a species list, and summary statistics [Excel file]. The file may open on your screen. To save it to your system 'Save as' under the File menu.
Mammals
Number of species and status
There are 52 mammal species within this bioregion. (The maximum number of species recorded in a bioregion is 86 and the minimum is 25).
Click here to link to a table of number of species in each status class for this bioregion.
Click here to link to a list of mammal species and their status for this bioregion.
Critical weight range
The critical weight range (35 - 5500 g) of mammals is the size range of Australian mammals that have been most affected by environmental changes following European settlement. In this bioregion, the proportion of mammal fauna within the critical weight range is .538. (The maximum proportion of fauna within the critical weight range recorded in a bioregion is 0.632 and the minimum is 0.222).
Faunal Attrition Index
Faunal attrition is a measure of contraction or loss of species richness with a region. A high index value means many species have declined or are extinct in the bioregion. The index can be used to compare the status of mammal fauna to regional attributes such as changes since European settlement and average annual rainfall. The Faunal Attrition Index for mammals in this bioregion is .42. (The maximum faunal attrition index value recorded in a bioregion is 0.66 and the minimum is 0).
Click here to link to a table of Faunal Attrition Index for groups of mammals shows the contributions of each group to overall patterns of faunal decline.
Faunal Contraction Index
A range contraction index is a measure of the extent to which the range inhabited by a particular species has contracted. A high index value means that many of the species comprising the region's original mammal fauna have contracted from a high proportion of the regions they originally occurred in. The faunal contraction index for the mammal fauna in this bioregion is .41. (The maximum faunal contraction index value recorded in a bioregion is 0.51 and the minimum is 0.07).
Faunal Endemism Index
Endemic species are those restricted to certain regions. Regions containing endemic species are considered to have high biodiversity conservation values because opportunities to conserve those species do not exist elsewhere. A high index value means that the species comprising the original mammal fauna typically occurred in few bioregions. The faunal endemism index value for the mammal fauna in this bioregion is .64. (The maximum faunal endemism index value recorded in a bioregion is 0.79 and the minimum is 0.52).
New Endemism Index
Extant (still surviving) species that have undergone major range contractions can be considered 'new endemics'. Bioregions that contain new endemic species are often important refugia for threatened species. The new endemism index for the mammal fauna in this bioregion is .68. (The maximum new endemism index value recorded in a bioregion is 0.93 and the minimum is 0.5).
Table: Translocated Species
There is no data available for this table within the bioregion.
Exotic Mammals
The number of introduced exotic mammal species that occur within this bioregion is 10. (The maximum number of introduced exotic mammal species in a bioregion is 16 and the minimum is 5).
Click here to link to a list of introduced exotic mammal species for this bioregion.
Extinct mammal species
The number of extinct mammal species that previously occurred within this bioregion is 20. (The maximum number of extinct mammal species in a bioregion is 29 and the minimum is 0).
Click here to link to a list of extinct mammal species for this bioregion.
Management responses
Reserve consolidation
There are no major reserves in the bioregion. The existing small reserves fall well short of the ideal comprehensive, adequate and representative system. Most vegetation types in the bioregion are unreserved, and the few reserved vegetation types are protected to only a very small extent. The main priorities are for increased reservation of chenopod shrublands (NT vegetation types 108, 109, 110 and 111), coolabah (Eucalyptus microtheca) woodlands (NT vegetation type 27), and Acacia shrublands and woodlands.
Click here to link to a table of comprehensiveness, adequacy and representativeness (CAR) of the National Reserve System in terms of ecosystems and area sampled and a ranking of reserve management. The bioregional priority for consolidating the National Reserve System is based on this CAR analysis and threat.
Click here to link to a table of bioregional and subregional priorities and ecosystem priorities to consolidate the National Reserve System and associated ecosystem constraints.
Off-park conservation for species and ecosystem recovery
Conservation measures for threatened species involve the same set of integrated NRM issues described below: landscape-wide amelioration of the impacts of feral animals, weeds, changed fire regimes and livestock.
Integrated NRM
An NHT-supported conservation plan for the NT portion of the Finke bioregion is currently being prepared. This involves a comprehensive biodiversity inventory, assessment of conservation values and threats, and evaluation of options for conservation management. The major NRM priorities are for the establishment or enhancement of collaborative (cross-tenure) management of feral animals, weeds and fire, and the development of some off-reserve conservation agreements including exclosure fencing of sensitive sites and the maintenance of some water-remote (lightly-grazed) areas of environments otherwise favoured by livestock or feral animals.
Map: IBRA map showing frequency of recovery actions (species).
Map: IBRA map showing existing projects part of NRM.
Click here to link to a table of contribution of integrated Natural Resource Management to the protection of biodiversity in each subregion: existing measures and effectiveness.
Click here to link to a table of contribution of integrated Natural Resource Management to the protection of biodiversity in each subregion: feasible opportunities and comments.
Further Information & Gaps
Data gaps and research priorities
Given the existing biodiversity surveys in the NT, the main outstanding research priorities are for addition comprehensive sampling in the SA portion of the bioregion, cross-border integration of data sets and conservation planning, assessment of the responses of biodiversity to threatening processes and their management, and the establishment of monitoring programs for the ongoing assessment of threats, status of native biodiversity, and refinement of management.
Management would also benefit from more detailed environmental mapping, in particular vegetation mapping at the scale of 1:250,000 or better.
References
Environment Australia 2000. Revision of the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia (IBRA) and the Development of Version 5.1. - Summary Report. Department of Environment and Heritage, Canberra.
A complete list of references is available by clicking here.
Further information
View the Landscape Health in Australia report.
View the Terrestrial Biodiversity Assessment 2002 report.
Download the Terrestrial Biodiversity Assessment 2002 Database - Biodiversity Audit Data Entry System (BADES), and specifications
Click here to link to a table of some major data gaps in each subregion in terms of protecting biodiversity.
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