Biodiversity of Wielangta Forest - Wild Wielangta - Edublogs

Summary
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Biodiversity of Wielangta Forest
The following report reviews the biological conservation values of Wielangta Forest and
maps forest of high conservation significance.
A new reserve system for Wielangta is proposed that better captures the biodiversity values
thus ensuring their long term conservation.
Flora
Fauna
• Highly diverse, the Wielangta area has been identified as a centre for flora
endemism, containing 30% of all Tasmanian flora species.
• Twenty six threatened plant species are identified along with several that are highly
significant including some of biogeographical importance. Wielangta is likely to
provide an important refuge, securing habitat in the event of climate change.
• The recently discovered Wielangta bird orchid is a species new to science, and is
awaiting formal description.
• Previous assessments have identified 11 floristic communities as having the highest
conservation significance.
• The area is biogeographically significant for many other plant species not listed as
threatened.
• Eucalypt species richness is unusually high and includes at least 18 species, with
several rare and isolated occurrences.
• Relict rainforest and mixed forest communities in Wielangta are identified as
extremely important biogeographically, susceptible to harvesting, and not accurately
identified under previous mapping practices.
• At least 8 threatened fauna occur in Wielangta. Four species are listed as nationally
endangered, including the swift parrot, which is now nominated for up listing under
the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
(EPBCA) as critically endangered.
• Wielangta provides the core range (almost 50% of habitat) for the broad toothed
stag beetle. Nearly all this habitat is located within provisional logging coupes.
• The study area supports a relatively high density of Tasmanian wedge tailed eagle
nests, with ideal nesting and foraging habitat.
• Wielangta is recognised as the heart of the largest Swift Parrot Important Breeding
Area (SPIBA). The Wielangta SPIBA provides the greatest known area of nesting
habitat adjacent to foraging habitat. The report identifies significant areas of
unreserved nesting and foraging habitat.
Wild Wielangta