South Sister St. Marys, Tasmania
South Sister - flora and fauna
environmental reasons for not logging .....
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| E. collina ssp. deflexifolia - rare vegetation found growing at South Sister. | Tasmanian Devil |
There are many environmental reasons why logging should not go ahead on the South Sister and include:
The South Sister and surrounding forests are unique having enormous biodiversity. There are many threatened species (both flora and fauna) which have been identified in the area. Previously recorded on the proposed coupe (165 hectares), are four species which are endangered or protected including the endangered grey goshawk Accipiter novaehollandiae and blind velvet worm Tasmanipatus anophthalmus, the rare Euphrasia collina deflexifolia (Eastern Eyebright) and the protected Eucalyptus brookeriana.
Within 5000m of the coupe, a further thirteen threatened plant species and five threatened flora have been identified (see below). In addition, the Tasmanian devil, Sarcophilus harrisii was once plentiful but with the facial tumour which has now afflicted the devil leading to drastically reduced numbers, it is now rare to see a devil in the area.
Three moths not previously recorded in Tasmania have been identified on the South Sister. A further 6 moths not previously recorded in any of the Tasmanian National Parks have also been found on the South Sister in 2004.
A new species of lichen and a lichen never before recorded in Tasmania have been identified as well as a two lichens rarely found which will be nominated for Threatened Species Listing.
Detailed surveys have not been carried out on the South Sister and it is likely that there are additional threatened species which have not yet been identified.
threatened species in the area:
Fauna (7 species)
- Accipiter novaehollandiae, Grey goshawk - endangered FPB link, (pdf, 76 KB)
- Aquila audax fleayi, Wedge tailed eagle - endangered DPIW link
- Dasyurus maculatus maculatus, Spotted tailed quoll - rare DPIW link
- Lathamus discolour, Swift parrot - endangered DPIW link
- Perameles gunnii, Eastern barred bandicoot - vulnerable (Commonwealth listing) DPIW link
- Tasmanipatus anophthalmus, Blind velvet worm - endangered FPB link, (pdf, 51 KB)
- Tasmanipatus barretti, Giant velvet worm - rare FPB link, (pdf, 60 KB)
Flora (15 species)
- Carex gaudichaudiana
- Conospermum hookeri, Variable smoke bush - vulnerable; external link (pdf, 230 KB)
- Desmodium gunnii, Slender tick trefoil - vulnerable; external link (pdf, 179 KB)
- Eucalyptus brookeriana (protected under Regional Forest Agreement)
- Euphrasia collina deflexifolia, Eastern Eyebright - rare; external link (pdf, 199 KB)
- Euphrasia scabra, Yellow Eyebright - endangered; external link (pdf, 248 KB)
- Glycine microphylla, Small leaf glycine - vulnerable; external link (pdf, 189 KB)
- Haloragis heterophylla, Variable raspwort - rare; external link (pdf, 175 KB)
- Hierochloe rariflora, Cane holy grass - rare; external link (pdf, 183 KB)
- Hovea longifolia
- Juncus amabilis, Gentle rush - rare; external link (pdf, 174 KB)
- Plantago debilis, Shade plantain - rare; external link (pdf, 154 KB)
- Prostanthera rotundifolia, Roundleaf mint bush - vulnerable; external link (pdf, 160 KB)
- Teucrium corvmbosum, Forest germander - rare; external link (pdf, 196 KB)
- Veronica plebeia, Trailing speedwell - rare; external link (pdf, 161 KB)
Moths
To date, 90 species of moths have been identified however it is expected that there will be many more than this. There are a few species which have not been identified in Tasmania previously (see below) and an additional six that have not been recorded in any Tasmanian National Park.
New Species not previously found in Tasmania
- Family Geometridae Sterictopsis melanoglypta
- Family Oecophoridae Tisobarica sp.
- Family Yponomeutidae Paraphyllis sp.
Moths not previously recorded in a National Park in Tasmania
- Family Arctiidae Scoliacma adrasta (Turner, 1940)
- Family Oecophoridae
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- Telanepsia eucentra (Turner, 1927)
- Thema chlorochyta (Meyrick, 1884)
- Family Yponomeutidae Zelleria callidoxa Meyrick, 1893
- Family Gelechiidae Ardozyga chionoprora (Turner, 1927)
- Family Noctuidae Rhapsa eretmophora Turner, 1932
Lichens found on South Sister
178 lichen species were identified by two lichenologists in 2004 including one newly recorded species and a species not previously found in Tasmania. In addition, two rare species were also found and will be nominated for listing on the Threatened Species List.
New species
- Punctelia sp. (Elix)
New record for Tasmania
- Coccocarpia pellita (Ach.) Mull. Arg
Rare lichens which will be nominated for listing on Threatened species list in Tasmania
- Coccocarpia erythroxyli (Spreng.) Swinscow and Krog
- Xanthoparmelia canobolasensis (Elix)