User:Fred.e/List of Threatened Ecological Communities

Ecological communities in Australia are assemblages of plants and animals that have a mutual dependency, usually for food or shelter. Australia has 600 000 to 700 000 species, most of them endemic, in an extremely diverse range of habitat. Environmental conditions, such as soil and climate, which limit and isolate species, can sometimes produce a biocoenosis. These communities may contain ecological fugitives, remnants of changes to climate, continuing in isolated groups of flora or fauna. A number of these are found only within these ecological communities. Significant environmental changes over 200 years has either threatened or caused the extinction of many of these.

Description
Communities are identified through the study of the diversity and mutual dependance of the species fixed to the location. While other species, such as birds, may particate intermittently, the community is not dependant on them. The complexity of the interaction of species may also exclude others from entering the community. The assemblages are named for the ways in which they interact and the species contained by them. A predominating environmental factor can sometimes be identified.
 * Climatic change in the biogegraphic region of Southwest Australia has left tree species in isolated habitats, such as those of the Mound springs of the Swan Coastal Plain around aquifer discharges. While other members of plant species are now only found in cooler and moister conditions, the flora help to maintain an assemblage which contains ancient (Gondwana) faunal genera in an unusual permanent water source.
 * A group of cave systems in the same bioregion supports communities, Aquatic Root Mat Community in Caves of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge (No.s 1-4), which are almost entirely self sustained. The roots of tree species, that enter the caves, interact in a complex and isolated relationship with the denizens of the caves, allowing their occupation of the harsh surface environ.

List of Threatened Ecological Communities
At the commencement of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) the list of threatened species, ecological communities and threatening processes consisted only of those previously listed under the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992. The act was ammended in december of 2006, purportedly to streamline the process and give greater certainty to industry. The minister now has veto over the nominations, the time frame of assessment, and acceptance of the recommendations of the Threatened Species Scientific Committee, who generate a Proposed Priority Assessment List. Two new communities were added to list in June 2007, no change of status to others has been given.

The provisions of the original act gave new categories for listed threatened species and ecological communities. Critically endangered and vulnerable have been added to the previous category of endangered for ecological communities. These are attributed by the committee by those criteria used by the World Conservation Union in the IUCN Red List.

Classes
The way in which communities are recognised and given a priority for protection changed with the passing of the 2007 ammmendment. Ecological communities are also given a condition class, those that are deemed to thave suffered significant degardation no longer receive a listing. Landholders may attempt rehabilitation of the communities and they may apply for a grant to do so from the National Heritage Trust, however they are free to continue activities such as landclearing and grazing that may be degrading the site. Those communities listed and existing on leasehold, have been eligible for protection by the funding of fencing and assessment of an abatement plan.

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Threats
The Austalian environment has undergone a significant number of changes in the 200 years since colonisation. The invasion of assemblages by introduced weed species ins the most common threat to the communities. Changes in fire regimes, agriculture, grazing by livestock, salinity, and altered hydrology have directly or indirectly degraded and destroyed these biocoenose communities. The introduction of plants and animals may also cause a significant degradation. The Department of the Environment and Water Resources maintains a Listed Key Threatening Processes, some of which threaten the ecological communities with extinction.

Other listings

 * The recognition, assessment and listing of ecological communities in Australia has been done at various times by all three levels of goverment. The State Government of New South Wales maintains a list of ecological communities ascribed a 'scientific name' within their list of threatened species.
 * Eurobodalla Shire Council Threatened Species and Endangered Ecological Communities of the Eurobodalla Page and fact sheets Report
 * South Australia lists those mentioned on the Federal governments register.
 * The Department of Environment and Conservation in Western Australia has maintained an informal listing of the ecological communities in the state. The criteria for identification of an 'ecological community' is broader than that of the federal government's own. However, over half of the state governments list appears on the federal listing. WA currently has ... 66 threatened ecological communities in W, 3 presumed extinct or destroyed. 31 of these are covered by interim recovery plans.  18 CE, 7 E, 5 V, all with  IRPs. concludes that the rest should get IRP State of the Environment Report 2007 :: Biodiversity"Data source: Department of Environment and Conservation [ver. 2007]. Some fauna are covered within threatened ecological community interim recovery plans; Some plans cover more than one species or threatened ecological community."
 * ACT one EC mention Yellow Box/Red Gum Grassy Woodland

WA TECs
List of Communities on CALM’s Threatened Ecological Community data base