Ecological Assessment Report

Biodiversity and Conservation Values (3SP246584)                                                                 30/03/2016 16:41:54




 Expert Panel     Very High         Very High         High Rating   High         Medium          Medium          Low Rating    Low
                  Rating - Area     Rating - % of     - Area (Ha)   Rating - %   Rating - Area   Rating - % of   - Area (Ha)   Rating - %
                  (Ha)              AOI                             of AOI       (Ha)            AOI                           of AOI

 If: Relictual
 Populations

 Ig: Variation                0.2               0.6
 in Species
 Composition

 Ih: Artificial
 Wetland

 Ii: Hollow
 Bearing
 Trees

 Ij: Breeding
 or Roosting
 Site


NB. Whilst biodiversity values associated with Criteria I may be present within the site (refer to tables 12 and 15), for the New
England Tableland and Central Queensland Coast BPAs, area and % area figures associated with Criteria Ia through to Ij
cannot be listed in the table above (due to slight variations in data formats between BPAs).

Criteria J. Corridors: areas identified under this criterion qualify either because they are existing vegetated corridors
important for contiguity, or cleared areas that could serve this purpose if revegetated. Some examples of corridors include
riparian habitats, transport corridors and "stepping stones".
Bioregional and subregional conservation corridors have been identified in the more developed bioregions of Queensland
through the BPAs, using an intensive process involving expert panels. Map 3 displays the location of corridors as identified
under the Statewide Corridor network. The Statewide Corridor network incorporates BPA derived corridors and for bioregions
where no BPA has been assessed yet, corridors derived under other planning processes. Note: as a result of updating and
developing a statewide network, the alignment of corridors may differ slightly in some instances when compared to those
used in individual BPAs.
The functions of these corridors are:
- Terrestrial Bioregional corridors, in conjunction with large tracts of remnant vegetation, maintain ecological and evolutionary
processes at a landscape scale, by:
         • Maintaining long term evolutionary/genetic processes that allow the natural change in distributions of species and
         connectivity between populations of species over long periods of time;
         • Maintaining landscape/ecosystems processes associated with geological, altitudinal and climatic gradients, to allow
         for ecological responses to climate change;
         • Maintaining large scale seasonal/migratory species processes and movement of fauna;
         • Maximising connectivity between large tracts/patches of remnant vegetation;
         • Identifying key areas for rehabilitation and offsets; and

- Riparian Bioregional Corridors also maintain and encourage connectivity of riparian and associated ecosystems.

The location of the corridors is determined by the following principles:
- Terrestrial
         • Complement riparian landscape corridors (i.e. minimise overlap and maximise connectivity);
         • Follow major watershed/catchment and/or coastal boundaries;
         • Incorporate major altitudinal/geological/climatic gradients;
         • Include and maximise connectivity between large tracts/patches of remnant vegetation;
         • Include and maximise connectivity between remnant vegetation in good condition; and

- Riparian
         • Located on the major river or creek systems within the bioregion in question.



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