Biodiversity Assessment - Hampton
Hampton
Introduction
The Hampton Bioregion comprises Quaternary marine dune systems on a coastal plain of the Eucla Basin, backed by stranded limestone scarp. Areas of marine sand are also perched along the top edge of the scarp. Various mallee communities dominate the limestone scree slopes and pavements, as well as the sandy surfaces. Alluvial and calcareous plains below the scarp support eucalypt woodlands and Myall open low woodlands.
Summary of overall condition and trend
The wetlands within the bioregion are caves with locally endemic faunas. The karst systems and stygofauna are thought to be in 'near pristine' condition but threatened by unrestrained recreational access. Several of the plain's ecosystems and species are believed to be at risk from feral predators and stock grazing.
Summary of priority management/consevation priorities
Reserve management in the bioregion is fair to good, however the major constraint to both off-park conservation and NRM is the costs associated with the remoteness of the location.
Natural values
The limestone caves of the Eucla Basin are one of the largest karst systems in the world, including underground networks of caves, blowholes and subterranean streams. A unique styofauna inhabit the cave systems, including some threatened invertebrates (Gondwanan relicts) and sub-fossil remains. High levels of endemism are found in stygofauna as dispersal mechanisms between individual aquifer systems are limited, and faunas have evolved in isolation (e.g. Tartarus mullamullangensis, Tartarus nurinensis). Coastal dunes of the region support three endemic reptile species (Pseudemoia baudini Lerista arenicola and L. baynesi) and one endemic sub-species of reptile (Ctenotus brooksi euclae). A variety of coastal dune plants also occur nowhere else (Scaevola crassifolia, Atriplex cinerea and Euphorbia paralais). Karst features also provide refugia for largely unknown fauna and are thought to have a high species diversity. Coastal dune communities of the Roe Plain are also noted for their high species diversity and endemic plants and lizards.
Land-use is mainly Unallocated Crown Land and Crown reserves, with some areas of conservation reserve.
Click here to link to a table of natural values within each subregion
Wetlands
There are no wetlands of national importance in the bioregion. Four wetlands have subregional significance; all are in caves: Weebubbie, Nurina, Mullamullang and Winbirra Caves. These caves are all currently in near pristine condition, but the future trend is unknown. The threatening processes for all caves is uncontrolled recreational use.
Nationally important wetlands
Table: Australia's Important Wetlands (Directory of Important Wetlands of Australia): their type, condition, trend and threatening processes within each subregion.
There is no data available for this table within the bioregion.
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
There are no true riparian zones within Hampton.
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
There are no Threatened Ecological Communities in this subregion. However, three ecosystems ('Tallerack mallee-heath shrublands', 'Bluebush succulent steppe' and 'drift sands') are thought to be 'at risk'. Their current condition is 'fair', except for the drift sands which are 'good'. Their trend is declining, but 'unknown' for drift sands. The primary threatening processes are feral animals (cats and dogs) and grazing (rabbits and sheep).
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
One bird (Leipoa ocellata) is declared Vulnerable under WA state legislation. A further four species are considered to be at risk (Acanthiza iredalei iredalei, Thalassarche cauta, Tartarus nurinensis and Tartarus mulamullangensis) but the current condition and the trend is unknown. Threatening species include grazing by sheep and rabbits, predation by foxes and fragmentation of the vegetation.
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.
Table: Australia's Important Wetlands (Directory of Important Wetlands of Australia): their type, condition, trend and threatening processes within each subregion.
There is no data available for this table within the bioregion.
Birds
The Hampton bioregion is a narrow strip of coast south of the Nullarbor, and holds a subset of birds that also occur further west. It is of minor importance for a small number of threatened birds. While Rock Doves are established, Common Starlings were recorded once during the first Atlas period only. Guild analysis suggests there have been major declines in coastal and marine birds, but this probably reflects a greater concentration on terrestrial birds as a result of activities associated with Eyre Bird Observatory.
Status: Coastal strip of mallee and chenopod shrubland of biogeographical importance for linking western with eastern faunas.
Rare and threatened: No major populations.
Increasers: None indicative of landscape health.
Indicators: Emu, Australian Bustard, Banded Lapwing, Purple-gaped Honeyeater, Yellow-plumed Honeyeater, Jacky Winter, Varied Sittella, Crested Bellbird, Restless Flycatcher.
Trend: Declines in marine, coastal and freshwater birds, probably reflecting changes in birdwatcher behaviour.
Scenario: Possible declines of species affected by overgrazing, but the pulse of grazing effects may have passed.
Actions: No grazing in representative areas and the adoption of reduced, conservative grazing rates in key habitat across the bioregion. Continue vigilance against invasion from the east by exotic bird species.
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 36 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 .611. (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 .64. (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 .51. (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 .65. (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 unknown. (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 8. (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 23. (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 two A class reserves in Hampton, Nuytsland Nature Reserve and Eucla National Park. The reserve management rank is 'fair' to 'good' for both. Six of the nine vegetation associations in the region are represented in conservation reserves, and the reserve system occupies 10.9% of the region. Two of the vegetation associations (Salt lakes and Bluebush succulent steppe) not currently represented in CALM estate have high priority for acquisition. The constraint is land availability because most of the region is held as pastoral leases. Hampton has a reservation priority class of 4.
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.
Table: Bioregional and subregional priorities and ecosystem priorities to consolidate the National Reserve System and associated ecosystem constraints.
There is no data available for this table within the bioregion.
Off-park conservation for species and ecosystem recovery
Priority species are Critical Weight Range Mammals and chenopod communities. CWR mammals are adversely affected by fire, rabbits, introduced predators and stock. Chenopod communities are threatened by accelerating weed colonisation (especially by Wards Weed Carrictua annua) and reduced richness of communities. A number of actions need to be done to prevent this, including: capacity-building in pastoral industry to optimise chenopod grassland biomass and productivity, research into controlling the Wards Weed, monitoring of rabbit numbers following the population reduction caused by Callicivirus, fire protection of existing reserves, and examination of historical records of original mammal fauna with the view to re-introductions that reconstruct original CWR mammal communities. The Environment Australia Action Plans for Mallee Fowl pertains to the bioregion. Hampton's priority for off-park conservation is ranked as '6' (limited off-park measures are required).
Integrated NRM
A number of NRM actions are currently happening, such as changes to legislation relating to conservation, environmental protection, pastoral activities, sandalwood collection and mining; institutional reform (rural reconstruction, industry reconstruction new tenure and management arrangements); and some rabbit and fox controls are applied as part of threat abatement planning actions on pastoral leases. Opportunities to expand NRM actions include the establishment of conservation areas to fully represent salient features of the Hampton escarpment and Roe Plains, and planning with local governments and National Action Plan for water quality and salinity. The main constraints are high cost associated with remoteness, that Land Administration Act in relation to pastoral operations is not always consistent with conservation goals, and the generally poor awareness of biodiversity values.
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
More information, survey and mapping is required for soils, fauna (data is confined to bird atlas, specific threatened bird distributions and limited monitoring sites for mammals), flora (information is confined to specific threatened flora on a few large reserves), habitat requirements and population trend of nearly all species (including feral animals) and the effects of disturbance by as exotic predators, weed colonisation and fire.
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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