Ecological Communities - A Biological Survey of the Murray Mallee

• Summary
• Full Report

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Summary

The Field Survey

A particularly bright form of the Common Fringe-myrtle Calythrix tetragona (Photo: Tony Robinson)

A Southern Scrub-robin Drymodes brunneopygia on its nest (Photo: Tony Robinson)

Dense heathland (Photo: Tony Robinson)

Open Mallee (Photo: Tony Robinson)

The Murray-Darling Basin in South Australia comprises areas to the north, south and west of the Murray River. This survey covered those areas to the south and west. The remaining areas of natural vegetation are extensively fragmented, being set in an essentially agricultural landscape with only a small number of large patches remaining. A vegetation survey was carried out in the Murray Mallee in 1990 that sampled 678 quadrats. This was followed by a vertebrate survey in October-November 1991 that sampled a sub-set of 173 quadrats.

Survey Results

The total number of records contributed to the Biological Survey Database as a result of this survey was : 20,974 plants, 25 amphibians, 1,551 reptiles, 5,406 birds and 796 mammals.

A consolidated list of plant species from the present survey and 8 other biological surveys covering parts of the study area is provided in the survey report. There are 15 threatened and significant plant species in the region.

Of 79 reptile species known from the area, 55 species were recorded during the Murray Mallee Survey. Reptiles of conservation significance from the area include the Carpet Python, Common Bandy-bandy and Bardick. There were 4 species of amphibians recorded during the survey.

One hundred and sixty eight of the 257 previously recorded species of birds were observed in the study area during the survey. Eight exotic species were recorded from quadrats during the survey. Bird species of conservation significance include: Malleefowl, Regent Parrot, Mallee Emu-wren and Bush Stone Curlew.

The Murray Mallee Survey recorded 31 extant mammal species of the 66 recorded from the area since European settlement. Nine of the 31 species were exotic. The number of native terrestrial mammal captures and observations were low, even of species perceived as common. This raises some serious concerns for the long-term survival of small mammal communities in the Murray Mallee.

Vegetation Mapping

A combined analysis of the plant quadrat data with Victorian plant data resulted in the description of 60 floristic groups of which 35 occurred in South Australia. Using this analysis as a basis, a vegetation map of the Murray Mallee was produced comprising 37 regional plant communities based on the dominant upper-storey plant. Within these 37 regional communities, 129 detailed communities have been identified and mapped.

These detailed vegetation maps are produced at a scale of 1:50,000 as part of the vegetation mapping program for the agricultural areas of the State managed by the Geographic Analysis and Research Group of Planning SA. They are part of an ongoing program to ultimately produce vegetation maps at three regional scales to cover the whole State.

Reference: Foulkes, J. N. and Gillen, J.S. (Eds.) (2000). A Biological Survey of the Murray Mallee, South Australia. Biological Survey and Research Section, Heritage and Biodiversity Division, Department for Environment and Heritage, South Australia.

Full Report

A full report of 'A Biological Survey Of The Murray Mallee, South Australia' is available as an Acrobat PDF file.