THREATENED AND IMPORTANT ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES

PRIORITY BC1

Subtropical and Temperate Coastal Saltmarsh

An extensive and important listed ecological community in the region is Coastal Saltmarsh. The Atlas of Coastal Saltmarsh Wetlands in the Cradle Coast Region
(Prahalad 2016) documents and maps twelve discrete wetland complexes in the region. The largest and most diverse of these saltmarsh communities, covering more than 1700 ha, occurs in coastal areas between East Inlet and Woolnorth Point in the far north-west of the region.

The Coastal Saltmarsh ecological community is highly productive as a food source for resident and migratory birds, but it is threatened by the invasive weed Spartina anglica (Rice Grass), by landholder use of tidal barriers or levees to reclaim saltmarsh for pasture, grazing and trampling, eutrophication from upstream land uses, and sea level rise.

outcome

By 2030, the invasive weed Spartina anglica (a key threat to the region’s saltmarsh) is being treated across all saltmarsh communities, and other threats have been assessed and managed.

threats

Local threats that can be addressed by NRM actions:

  • Land use pressures on adjoining farmland including development, intensification of agriculture and other industries, and poor management practices
  • Weeds, feral animals and disease
  • Impacts of recreational uses
  • Inundation and erosion of buffering vegetation due to sea level rise

Actions

BC1.a

Continue the saltmarsh ecosystem recovery activities in the region, focused on reducing threats such as Spartina anglica invasion, and cattle access.

implementation

Investment Opportunity

  • Australian Government
  • Tasmanian Government
  • Regional or Local
  • Private or philanthropic

  • Information gathering activities including assessment, mapping and prioritisation of weeds and project areas.
  • Policy and planning activities such as participating in land-use planning processes.
  • On-ground work including weed and stock management. Land management agreements with landholders focused on saltmarsh protection and rehabilitation.
  • Behaviour-change and capacity-building activities – education, awareness and skill-building focused on the natural values of coastal saltmarsh and buffering Melaleuca ericifolia Swamp Forest, and the importance of saltmarsh for native fish.

Local Councils; Government agencies; Landcare, Wildcare and other community groups; Industry groups (e.g., Dairy Tas, TAPG, Greenhams).

Field days, workshops and educational activities; extension, capacity building and land management agreement opportunities for landholders; volunteer and citizen science opportunities.