Example: Threatened Ecological Community Nomination Form
Use this form to nominate anecological community for listing as threatened (or, for a change in its status) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, theEPBC Act.
Please read these important notes beforeyou fill in this form:- Fill in this form as comprehensively as you can. Much of the information is required under Division 7.2, sections7.03 and7.05 of the EPBC Regulations 2000which are at: and includes the statutory criteria for listing threatened ecological communities(Division 7.1, regulation 7.02).
- Nominations which do not meet the regulated requirements (above) are not eligible for consideration. Items required by the regulations are marked with an asterisk (*) in this form.
- The listing categories for threatened ecological communities can be found in Section 182 of the EPBC Act. The statutory criteria for listing can be found in Division 7.1 of the EPBC Regulations 2000. These are available at:
- To be eligible for listing as threatened it must be demonstrated that an ecological communitymeetsat least one of the six criteria for listing. Note that ecological communities listed as vulnerable are not protected as a matter of national environmental significance (MNES) under the EPBC Act (only ecological communities listed as endangered, or critically endangered, are protected asa matter of national environmental significance).
- The Threatened Species Scientific Committee (the Committee) has developed Guidelines for Nominating and Assessing Threatened Ecological Communities. They are available at: Please read the Guidelines, in conjunction with this form.
- The Guidelines include important information to help you complete particular sections and answer particular questions. This includes guidance (and indicative thresholds) on how to demonstrate that the statutory criteria for the ‘critically endangered’, ‘endangered’ or ‘vulnerable’ categories have been met.
- Consider the full extent of the ecological community at a national scale, not just its occurrence in specific areas or regions. Do not exclude parts of an ecological community simply because the threats and impacts are less, or data is lacking for particular regions.
- A clear and convincing nomination (with supporting data,demonstrating the impacts ofits threats and how it meets the listing criteria) is neededto fully understand how the ecological community has been defined and tojudge its eligibility against each of the criteria for listing.
- The nomination form is separated into sevensections;please complete each section.
- Use as much space as you need to fully answer each question as best you can; with relevant sources cited and quoted directly, or synthesised appropriately. Where insufficient information is available to answer a question, or part of a question,you mustsaythis in your answer. Do not leave the answer space blank.
- A good example of a nomination is at:
Important notes (continued):
- Ensure you have the most up-to-date information: it is recommended that you contact regional Natural Resource Management organisations and/or state environment departments (and relevant experts) where the ecological community may occur. For details see:
- For all facts and all information you present:you must document your reasoning and provide supporting data. Indicate the reliability of (and any uncertainty in) the information. For example, was it based on: a peer-reviewed research publication; observed data; an inference or extrapolation from the data; ‘anecdotal’ evidence; ora reasonable premise not yet supported by hard data? You must provide references to source documents (or to personal communications with experts).
- Personal communications:you may cite the opinions of relevant scientific experts (with their approval) in support of your nomination. If you do this, you should also provide: the names of the experts, their qualifications and contact details (in Section 6of this nomination form).
- Confidential material:identify any confidential material and explain its sensitivity.
- Tables:you may include tables in or at the end of this form, or as separate electronic documents included as appendixes or attachments. Refer to each particular table in the relevant areas of your answers.
- Maps:you must supply and adequately label maps. If you are unable to supply maps electronically, please provide them in hard copy.Also, provide the map data, or reference sources from which data may be obtained.
- Photographs:you should adequately label photographs andonlyuse them as supporting material. The criteria for listing need to be addressed ‘in writing’.
- Cross-referencing: you may cross-reference relevant areas of the nomination form where you need to; e.g. to avoid unnecessary duplication (but answer each question clearly and as thoroughly as you can).
- The Department recognises the significant investment in time and effort required to complete a nomination for a threatened ecological community; it is suggested that you contact us in advance to discuss your prospective nomination. We are happy to provide advice and answer your questions.Please contact:
Ecological Communities Section
Department of the Environment
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
Telephone (02) 6274 2317
Section 1 - Nominator Details and Eligibility for Listing*
Note: Nominator details are subject to the provision of the Privacy Act 1988 and will not be divulged to third parties if advice regarding the nomination is sought from such parties.Your Name*
Organisation, or Company name*(if applicable)
Postal address*
Email*(if applicable)
Phone*
Fax
I declare that the information in this nomination form and any attachments is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Signature (or insert electronic signature)
Date signed
Listing Category for which the ecological community is nominated under the EPBC Act*
Is the ecological community currently listed under the EPBC Act? (Please check one box) / × Not EPBC Act listed
EPBC Act listed
Part of it is EPBC Act listed
If listed/part listed, under what name and in which category is it listed? ……………………………………………………………………………
Proposed listing category.*(Please check one box) / Critically endangered
× Endangered
Vulnerable
Select one or more of the criteria under which you are nominating the community for listing.*(Please check one or more boxes) For further details on these criteria please refer to the Guidelines. The information you provide in Section 5 should support the criteria you select here. / × Criterion 1 – Decline in geographic distribution
× Criterion 2 – Limited geographic distribution coupled with demonstrable threat
Criterion 3 – Loss or decline of functionally important species
Criterion 4 – Reduction in community integrity
Criterion 5 – Rate of continuing detrimental change
Criterion 6 – Quantitative analysis showing probability of extinction
Section 2 – Conservation Theme, Name and Description of the ecological community*
Please answer all the questions, citing references where applicable (also list all references in section 6). If insufficient information exists to answer a question, in accordance with the EPBC Regulations 2000, you must indicate this instead of leaving the question blank.
Your answers may be provided in this form, with attachments as required; or as a separate document. It must include everything requested in this form, including a signed declaration. Please ensure that all questions are answered, with each response clearly indicating to which question it refers.
Conservation theme*
1. Does the nomination meet the annual conservation theme, selected for this assessment period?* If so, please indicate how.*
Note that nominations that do not meet the conservation theme are welcome and will be assessed on their relative merits.
There is no conservation theme for nominations called for 2007.
Name*2.What is the proposed name of the ecological community?*
Consider the dominant species, structure, landscape position and national extent of the ecological community you are nominating. This will help the Committee consider the ecological community’s national context and its likelyits geographic limits.
Also give any other names that have been used recently, including where different names apply in different jurisdictions, regions, or major studies.* Indicate if this information is unavailable.*
The name of the ecological community is: Native Grassland on Basalt and Alluvium of the Brigalow Belt North Bioregion and the Claude River Downs.
The name of the nominated ecological community was proposed by an expert workshop, held by the then Department of the Environment and Heritage in November 2006, during a review of the national “Bluegrass (Dichanthium spp.) dominant grasslands of the Brigalow Belt Bioregion (North and South)” ecological community, which was listed in 2001 (DEH 2006a).
Description*
3. Describe the national distribution in Australia.If possible, indicate the bioregions in which the ecological community occurs (see the Guidelines). Attach or provide a map or maps showing its distribution.*Provide the map data if possible, along with reference sources from which the maps and data may be obtained; or explain how the maps were created and the datasets used.
Also, provide an overview of distributionsurveys to date and how well they cover the ecological community’s national distribution; and where possible, indicate any areas that should be surveyed to allow sufficient understanding of the community’s variability.The ecological community occurs entirely within Queensland and is considered to be limited to the Brigalow Belt North bioregion, plus the Claude River Downs subregion of the Brigalow Belt South bioregion (DEH 2006a). Its occurrences roughly extend from Townsville and Bowen in the north, to Castlevale and Rolleston in the south - and from Moray Downs and Surbiton in the west to Nebo and Junee in the east.
The nominated ecological community occurs in 13 IBRA subregions. The occurrence of the component regional ecosystems in individual IBRA subregions is shown in Table 1.
Table 1. IBRA subregions in which the regional ecosystem (RE) components of the nominated ecological community occurs, as determined by visual examination of mapping provided by Qld Herbarium (Qld EPA 2005b)IBRA Sub-region
(Number & Name) / RE Components from the Previous Listing, Included in this Nomination / Additional REs Included in this Nomination
11.3.21 / 11.4.4 / 11.8.11 / 11.3.31 / 11.4.11 / 11.11.17
1. Townsville Plains / X
2. Bogie River Hills / X / X
3. Cape River Hills / X
4, Beucazon Hills / X
5. Wyarra Hills / X / X
6. Northern Bowen Basin / X / X / X / X
7. Belyando Downs / X / X / X
8. Upper Belyando Floodout / X / X
9. AnakierInlier
10. Basalt Downs / X / X / X / X
11. Isaac-Comet Downs / X / X / X
12, Nebo-Connors Range / X
13. South Drummond Basin / X / X / X / X
15. Claude River Downs / X / X / X / X
The nominated ecological community is comprised of 6 regional ecosystems defined by the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency. In Queensland a Regional Ecosystem (RE) describes the vegetation communities in a bioregion that are consistently associated with a particular combination of geology, landform and soil (Sattler and Williams 1999). Each is given a unique number that relates to the bioregion in which it occurs, the land zone and the vegetation. The grassland regional ecosystems that make up the nominated ecological community occur on basaltic, alluvial or similar substrates and are identified and described as follows (Qld EPA 2005a):
• RE 11.3.21Dichanthiumsericeum and/or Astrebla spp grassland on alluvial plains Cracking clay soils;
• RE 11.3.31Ophiurosexaltatus, Dichanthiumspp grassland on alluvial plains;
• RE 11.4.4 Dichanthium spp, Astrebla spp grassland on Cainozoic clay plains;
• RE 11.4.11Dichanthiumsericeum, Astrebla spp and patchy Acacia harpophylla, Eucalyptus coolabah on Cainozoic clay plains;
• RE 11.8.11Dichanthiumsericeum grassland on Cainozoic igneous rocks; and
• RE 11.11.17Dichanthiumsericeum grassland on old sedimentary rocks with varying degrees of metamorphism and folding.
The inclusion of RE 11.11.17 in the nominated ecological community is still to be confirmed. This is because the principal substrate is metamorphic, but RE 11.11.17 occurs on gently undulating plains and rises formed on moderately to strongly deformed and metamorphosed sediments and interbeddedvolcanics (Qld EPA 2005a).
Certain grasslands that occur in the Brigalow Belt North bioregion are excluded from the nominated ecological community because their soil type is different. The excluded REs are:
• RE 11.8.10Themedatriandra grassland on Cainozoic igneous rocks;
• RE 11.9.3Dichanthium spp, Astrebla spp grassland on fine-grained sedimentary rocks; and
• RE 11.9.12Dichanthiumsericeum grassland with clumps of Acacia harpophylla on fine grained sedimentary rocks.
Previously listed components of the nominated ecological community have been included in five major regional studies and/or have been the subject of other ecological research. Studies known to apply to three of the component regional ecosystems (REs) are summarised in Table 3. Similar data have not been assessed in relation to the other component ecosystems.
Table 3. Major regional and other studies relevant to each subregion in which previously listed components of the nominated ecological community (REs 11.3.21, 11.4.4 & 11.8.11) occur (DEH 2005).Brigalow Belt IBRA Sub-region
(Number and Name) / Major Regional Study1 / Other Relevant Studies
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
2. Bogie River Hills / + / +
4, Beucazon Hills
6. Northern Bowen Basin / + / + / + / + / Fensham (1999);
Fensham, Holman and Cox (1999).
7. Belyando Downs / * / *
8. Upper Belyando Floodout / * / *
9. AnakierInlier / * / *
10. Basalt Downs / + / + / * / Fensham (1999);
Fensham, Holman and Cox (1999); Fensham, Fairfax and Holman (2002).
11. Isaac-Comet Downs / + / + / + / * / Fensham (1999);
Fensham, Holman and Cox (1999).
12, Nebo-Connors Range
13. South Drummond Basin / * / *
15. Claude River Downs / * / *
Notes
1a * = subregion located entirely within study region
+ = subregion partly located in study region
1b Major Regional Studies
- = Townsville-Bowen Area (Christian et al. 1953)
- = Nogoa-Belyando Area (Gunn et al. 1967)
- = Isaac-Comet Area (Story et al. 1967)
- = Dawson-Fitzroy Area (Speck et al. 1968)
- = Fitzroy Region (Gunn and Nix 1977); this study synthesises studies 2, 3 and 4 above.
The ecological community has been reasonably well surveyed through the vegetation mapping programs of the Queensland Herbarium. The following technical detail comes from the Qld Herbarium (2007).
The Herbarium has produced high quality vegetation maps since the early 1970s. These maps have accurate spatial and point data on the distribution and species composition of vegetation communities and regional ecosystems. Survey data is compiled between scales of 1:50,000 and 1:250,000 and the mapping is prepared at a scale of 1:100,000. The survey and mapping includes a pre-clearing distribution, as well as remnant vegetation data for the years 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003. Description of vegetation, ecology and statistics are also documented. Site data are available from the database CORVEG.
The survey and mapping program aims to provide a comprehensive 1:100,000 scale vegetation and regional ecosystem information base across Queensland.
Vegetation and regional ecosystem mapping now exists for more than 70% of the State. The maps are an essential component for the administration of the Vegetation Management Act 1999 and are an important tool for land management, including conservation planning. The Vegetation Management Act status of these ecosystems has been determined from the Herbarium’s regional ecosystem mapping.
The methodology for survey and mapping of regional ecosystems and vegetation communities in Queensland is described by Neldneret al. (2005).
4. Describe the key biological components(main biological features) of thecommunity.*What are the key species and why?* Cite relevant sources and indicate if any information is unavailable.*
For instance, what species (or taxonomic groups) of plants and animals are dominant, characteristic of, or commonly occur in the community; what is the typical vegetation, or other biotic structure (if relevant).
The species that predominate in the grassland vegetation of the nominated ecological community vary with the underlying geology, landform and soil (i.e. they vary between regional ecosystems) although many species are common to two or more of the component regional ecosystems.
The Queensland EPA provides the following descriptions of the vegetation associated with the component regional ecosystems across their range (Qld EPA 2005a):
RE 11.3.21 - Grassland dominated by Dichanthiumsericeumand/or Astreblaspp (A.lappacea, A. elymoidesand A. squarrosa). A wide range of other grass and forb species is usually present and may be dominant, depending on seasonal conditions and management regimes. Frequently occurring species include the grasses Aristidaleptopoda, A. latifolia, Bothriochloabladhii var. bladhii, Brachyachneconvergens, Heteropogoncontortus, Panicumdecompositum, Eriochloaspp, Sporobolusmitchellii and Thellungiaadvena and the forbs Abelmoschusficulneus, Corchorustrilocularis, Commelinaensifolia, Euphorbia coghlanii, Ipomoea lonchophylla, Neptuniagracilis, Phyllanthusmaderaspatensis, Sidaspinosa, S. trichopodaandTrichodesmazeylanicum var. latisepalum. Scattered trees and shrubs may occur including Eucalyptus coolabah, E. populnea, E. tereticornisor Acacia spp.
RE 11.3.31 - OphiurosexaltatusandDichanthium spp grassland. The ground layer has a variable composition, with drier areas dominated by Ophiurosexaltatus, Iseilemaaustrale or Dichanthium spp or Brachyachnetenella. Other common and sometimes dominant grasses include Themedatriandra, Heteropogoncontortus, Eulaliaaurea, Imperatacylindrica,Eriochloapseudoacrotricha, Bothriochloa spp, Panicumdecompositumand Sporobolus spp Other species include the grass Aristidalatifolia and the forbs Neptunia spp, Rhynchosia minima, Crotalaria spp, Euphorbia spp, SidasppandDesmodiumspp. Trees such as Eucalyptus platyphylla, Grevillea striata, Corymbiadallachiana or C. erythrophloia may occur as emergent isolated trees or tall shrubs.
RE 11.4.4 - Tussock grassland dominated by Dichanthium spp ± Astrebla spp (mainly A.lappacea and A. pectinata). Other grasses frequently present include Thellungiaadvena, Panicum spp and Aristida spp. Forbs and annual grasses may become common with seasonal rains. Occasional shrubs and trees may be present in places.
RE 11.4.11 - Dichanthiumsericeum and Astrebla spp grassland with patches of low Acacia harpophyllaor Eucalyptus coolabah trees. Grassland dominated by Dichanthiumsericeum forms a mosaic with clumps of Acacia harpophylla, Lysiphyllumhookeriand L. carronii (usually 8±3m high). A wide range of other grass and forb species are usually present and may be dominant depending on seasonal conditions and management regime. Frequently occurring species include the grasses Aristidaleptopoda, A. latifolia, Astreblalappacea, Bothriochloaerianthoides, Digitariabrownii, D. divaricatissima, Eriochloacrebra, Panicumdecompositum, P. queenslandicum, Paspalidiumgloboideum and the forbs Abelmoschusficulneus, Boerhaviadominii, Corchorustrilocularis, Cyperusbifax, Glycinelatifolia, Hibiscus trionum, Ipomoea lonchophylla, Phyllanthusmaderaspatensis, Malvastrumamericanum, Tribulus micrococcus and Rhynchosia minima.