Key Threatening Processes The most relevant key threatening processes to tuart woodlands and forests, as defined at the national level under the EPBC Act are listed in Table 6 Potentially relevant key threatening processes identified in the EPBC Act.. Table 6 Potentially relevant key threatening processes identified in the EPBC Act. Source: Department of the Environment and Energy (2017b). Land clearance Novel biota and their impact on biodiversity Loss and degradation of native plant and animal habitat by invasion of escaped garden plants, including aquatic plants Predation, habitat degradation, competition and disease transmission by feral pigs Predation by cats Predation by European red fox Competition and land degradation by rabbits Dieback caused by the root-rot fungus (Phytophthora cinnamomi) Loss of climatic habitat caused by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases SUMMARY OF ELIGIBILITY FOR LISTING AGAINST EPBC ACT CRITERIA Criterion 1 Decline in geographic distribution – Tuart woodlands and forests originally occupied much of the relatively fertile Spearwood dunes, as well as being present on other landforms of the Swan Coastal Plain. This area was attractive for primary industries such as logging, agriculture and grazing, and so was quickly cleared following non-Indigenous settlement in the 19th Century. More recently, patches have also been cleared for housing and commercial development and associated infrastructure such as roads, with some areas also subject to mining and quarrying. Estimates of the decline vary somewhat with the mapping method. The pre-1750 extent has been estimated as 125 400 ha. This identifies areas that are likely to have been dominated by tuart (which is less than the area across which tuart trees occurred). The current extent has been determined by the area mapped in the Tuart Atlas (Tuart Response Group, 2003) (identifying all tuart tree occurrence) that fall within the area identified by experts as likely to have been dominated by tuart before 1750. This area is approximately 25 410 ha. Accordingly, the loss in spatial extent is estimated to be approximately 80%. This is likely to over-estimate the remaining extent of the ecological community because: some of the remaining area is degraded to an extent that it is unlikely to meet the minimum condition class for inclusion in the ecological community. clearing has continued the data was collected (particularly in the case of the Tuart Atlas which was based on 2002 data). For these reasons it is likely that the ecological community has undergone a severe decline of at least 70%) in its geographic extent. It is thus eligible for listing as endangered under this criterion.
Key Threatening Processes The most relevant key threatening processes to tuart woodlands and forests, as defined at the national level under the EPBC Act are listed in Table 6 Potentially relevant key threatening processes identified in the EPBC Act.. Table 6 Potentially relevant key threatening processes identified in the EPBC Act. Source: Department of the Environment and Energy (2017b). Land clearance Novel biota and their impact on biodiversity Loss and degradation of native plant and animal habitat by invasion of escaped garden plants, including aquatic plants Predation, habitat degradation, competition and disease transmission by feral pigs Predation by cats Predation by European red fox Competition and land degradation by rabbits Dieback caused by the root-rot fungus (Phytophthora cinnamomi) Loss of climatic habitat caused by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases SUMMARY OF ELIGIBILITY FOR LISTING AGAINST EPBC ACT CRITERIA Criterion 1 – Decline in geographic distribution Tuart woodlands and forests originally occupied much of the relatively fertile Spearwood dunes, as well as being present on other landforms of the Swan Coastal Plain. This area was attractive for primary industries such as logging, agriculture and grazing, and so was quickly cleared following non-Indigenous settlement in the 19th Century. More recently, patches have also been cleared for housing and commercial development and associated infrastructure such as roads, with some areas also subject to mining and quarrying. Estimates of the decline vary somewhat with the mapping method. The pre-1750 extent has been estimated as 125 400 ha. This identifies areas that are likely to have been dominated by tuart (which is less than the area across which tuart trees occurred). The current extent has been determined by the area mapped in the Tuart Atlas (Tuart Response Group, 2003) (identifying all tuart tree occurrence) that fall within the area identified by experts as likely to have been dominated by tuart before 1750. This area is approximately 25 410 ha. Accordingly, the loss in spatial extent is estimated to be approximately 80%. This is likely to over-estimate the remaining extent of the ecological community because: some of the remaining area is degraded to an extent that it is unlikely to meet the minimum condition class for inclusion in the ecological community. clearing has continued the data was collected (particularly in the case of the Tuart Atlas which was based on 2002 data). For these reasons it is likely that the ecological community has undergone a severe decline of at least 70%) in its geographic extent. It is thus eligible for listing as endangered under this criterion.
draft-conservation-advice-tuart-woodlands-ec.docx