Rev Fauna Flora Assessment

                                                                                      Native Foresters



known to occur or potentially occurring within the locality, and the occurrence of specific breeding
places or breeding habitat for these species. A statement to justify the suitability and qualifications
of the person undertaking the animal breeding place survey is provided in Appendix D.

For the purposes of this report, the definition of “breeding places” follows that provided in s332 of
the Nature Conservation (Wildlife Management) Regulation 2006. For species such as Koala and
native frogs, who do not use a habitual breeding place, the term ‘breeding habitat’ is used in lieu
of ‘breeding place’. The fauna habitat assessment is important in determining species that may
be in the area but whose presence was not able to be detected.

Habitat features that were considered significant for assessing the presence of breeding places
and/or habitation value for native fauna, include but are not limited to:
     i.   Presence of hollow-bearing trees: These may be used by birds, reptiles or arboreal
          mammals to incubate or rear offspring;
    ii.   Presence of bowers, nests, dreys: These structures are commonly used by birds or
          mammals to incubate or rear offspring;
   iii.   Presence of caves, mounds, burrows, ground hollows and/or coarse woody debris: These
          structures are commonly used by birds, mammals, reptiles or amphibians to incubate or
          rear offspring;
  iv.     Presence of permanent water, ephemeral ponding, depressions and/or, seasonally
          inundated areas: Waterbodies may be used for breeding by aquatic species or
          amphibians, or that may provide intermittent breeding habitat for opportunistic species;
    v.    Presence of large trees: Large trees can be a dominant feature of native vegetation and
          are difficult to replace once lost. Their influence for wide-ranging species can extend over
          a considerable distance from their location.
  vi.     Canopy cover: The uppermost stratum of woody vegetation that forms the canopy
          functions as habitat for birds and arboreal mammals, provides food and resources, and
          determines the degree of light penetration and heat reaching the lower strata and ground
          detrital layer.
  vii.    Weed cover: Weeds can dominate and suppress native plant growth which affects the
          diversity of food sources; they can change the fuel or litter characteristics of a site, thereby
          altering the fire regime, and also prevent recruitment and succession of native vegetation.
 viii.    Understorey components: The shrub and herb strata generally contain the greatest plant
          species richness and can be a useful indicator of disturbance and changes in condition.
  ix.     Organic litter, fallen timber and rocks: Litter cover can be indicative of the degree of
          disturbance of a site, and can be an important determinant of species recruitment. It will
          influence soil microclimates, structure and composition, and provide refugia for
          invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians and ground dwelling mammals.
    x.    Recruitment: Recruitment of plant species, particularly woody perennials, within all strata
          reflects the site’s long-term viability.
  xi.     Landscape context: The size of a patch, its connectivity and distance to a core area of
          vegetation (i.e. greater than 50 hectares) can affect both its regenerative capacity and
          long-term viability. Species–area relationships suggest that large areas support more
          species and populations than smaller ones thus retaining greater genetic variability and
          providing refuge for species susceptible to disturbances.
For each listed species that was identified in Essential Habitat Mapping or Wildlife Online, a
likelihood of occurrence rating was assigned based on the following:
        • Known - species positively recorded by this survey or other survey by qualified
          ecologists during past 30 years;
        • Likely - based on the presence of suitable habitat and recent database records from
          study area or proximity;



Carramar Extension – Fauna and Flora Assessment – Revision 2                                             13