MCU 14/0106 Appendix F - Ecological Assessment

State and Local Government Ecological Assessment
Noosa Civic Expansion



    typical rock types although minor interbedded volcanics may occur. Includes a diverse range of fine
    textured soils of moderate to high fertility, predominantly Vertosols, Sodosols, and Chromosols; and
> Landzone 10: Medium to coarse grained sedimentary rocks, with little or no deformation, forming
  plateaus, benches and scarps. Includes siliceous (quartzose) sandstones, conglomerates and minor
  interbedded volcanics, and springs associated with these rocks. Excludes overlying Cainozoic sand
  deposits (land zone 5). Soils are predominantly shallow Rudosols and Tenosols of low fertility, but include
  sandy surfaced Kandosols, Kurosols, Sodosols and Chromosols.
Land zones were assessed during the field work through review of surface material only.

2.1.2.4            Aerial Photograph Analysis and Survey Sites
Interpretation of aerial photography allowed the establishment of preliminary vegetation line work and
polygon attribution directly in a GIS application (MapInfo). Review of imagery also facilitated the delineation
of land zones. The available remnant regional ecosystem mapping was used to anticipate those regional
ecosystems present.
Historical aerial photography from 1958, 1974, 1979, 1993 and 2002 were reviewed to ascertain areas that
had been historically cleared. While this imagery was registered in GIS, it was not orthorectified, which
consequently reduces its spatial accuracy. Where locations required more detailed consideration,
registration points were selected proximate to the target area in order to reduce errors in registration.
The field work that followed targeted the following:
> a representative range of habitats within the Study Area;
> areas that could not be adequately categorised through air photo interpretation; and
> areas that were considered highly likely to provide habitat for threatened plant species as determined
  through database analysis and known habitat preferences.
Additional opportunistic survey points were recorded during the field survey.
Field surveys were undertaken in March and April, 2013 and September 2014. Quaternary Study Areas
were also recorded during the fauna assessments (Figure 2 shows location of all flora data investigation
points).

2.1.2.5            Reference Sites
Reference sites were established in less disturbed vegetation communities within or in locations proximate to
the Study Area. These were identified as those areas currently mapped as remnant by the Queensland
Herbarium (Ver. 6.1, 2009) and/or were consistently present in aerial imagery since 1973. Preference was
given to utilising sites already mapped by the Queensland Herbarium as a particular regional ecosystem.
Data collected from secondary plots at reference sites allowed an assessment of the remnant/non-remnant
status of a specific regional ecosystem against vegetation height, cover and floristics.
The location of 2 reference sites is presented in Figure 3.

2.1.3              Assessment of Floristics
State significant species are defined as those listed as Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened under
the NC(W)R. Reference to lists derived from Herbrecs and Wildnet searches were assessed to assist in
predictive analysis of species distribution.
Species were targeted on the basis of review of preferred habitat types and correlation of this with habitats
mapped and encountered in the field. The Study Area was slowly traversed for the purposes of an ‘educated
walk’ (Garrard et. al., 2008) and searched for the presence of threatened species identified by data searches
for which habitat potentially occurred on the Study Area. Particular attention was given to ecotones, moister
areas and patches where rainforest species occurred.
Flora species were recorded throughout the Study Area and as part of secondary and quaternary site
assessments.



QIC Noosa Civic Pty Ltd                                  Version 1                              5 December 2014
J13041_Ecological Assessment State Local_V1.docx   Commercial in Confidence                             Page 7