No clear statement as to what/if CEW contributed to community diversity patterns – in community diversity reflected geomorphic zones. Add water to dry wetlands and aquatic plants grow so yes, functional groups are different – in wet and dry wetlands. Wetland fish Support the habitat and What did CEW contribute to: Native fish diversity maintained, or increased breeding requirements of via overbank natural flows. Evidence of native fish populations and native vegetation, waterbirds dominant spp bony herring, Aust. smelt and native fish diversity? – and fish. carp gudgeon breeding. Breeding may have native fish community – occurred post watering or that smaller fish resilience and native fish were washed into the system post natural survival? overbank flows. Wetland frogs and Support the habitat and What did CEW contribute to: Frog outcomes were achieved, with diversity turtles breeding requirements of maintained and populations of southern bell other aquatic vertebrates native fish and other frog persisting in wetlands that were watered. (frog and turtle) diversity vertebrates. and populations? the provision of habitat to support breeding and recruitment of other vertebrates? the maintenance of refuge habitats? Waterbird diversity Support the habitat What did CEW contribute to: Waterbird breeding was assessed via requirements of waterbirds complementary NSW OEH waterbird diversity waterbird species diversity? and breeding. waterbird species of conservation significance? Wetlands that received water had more waterbird breeding*? waterbirds than wetlands that were dry not – surprising.
No clear statement as to what/if CEW contributed to community diversity – patterns in community diversity reflected geomorphic zones. Add water to dry wetlands and aquatic plants grow – so yes, functional groups are different in wet and dry wetlands. Wetland fish Support the habitat and breeding requirements of native vegetation, waterbirds and fish. What did CEW contribute to: native fish populations and native fish diversity? native fish community resilience and native fish survival? Native fish diversity maintained, or increased via overbank natural flows. Evidence of dominant spp – bony herring, Aust. smelt and carp gudgeon – breeding. Breeding may have occurred post watering or that smaller fish were washed into the system post natural overbank flows. Wetland frogs and turtles Support the habitat and breeding requirements of native fish and other vertebrates. What did CEW contribute to: other aquatic vertebrates (frog and turtle) diversity and populations? the provision of habitat to support breeding and recruitment of other vertebrates? the maintenance of refuge habitats? Frog outcomes were achieved, with diversity maintained and populations of southern bell frog persisting in wetlands that were watered. Waterbird diversity Support the habitat requirements of waterbirds What did CEW contribute to: waterbird species diversity? waterbird species of conservation significance? waterbird breeding*? Waterbird breeding was assessed via complementary NSW OEH waterbird diversity and breeding. Wetlands that received water had more waterbirds than wetlands that were dry – not surprising.