Chowilla icon site - floodplain vegetation monitoring 2014 interim report.
Abstract
This interim report describes the methods used to establish the monitoring sites in the Chowilla Icon Site, including survey quadrat design, results from six years of surveys, plus the quantitative and qualitative comparisons of the changes in floristic composition between the 2006 and 2014 surveys. The Chowilla Floodplain is the largest remaining area of underdeveloped floodplain habitat in the lower Murray-Darling system. It was designed as one of The Living Murray initiative's icon sites and management actions are being undertaken to attain the following refined site specific ecological objectives: Objective 5: improve the area and diversity of grass and herblands; Objective 6: improve the area and diversity of flood dependent understorey vegetation; Objective 7: maintain or improve the area and diversity of grazing sensitive plant species; and Objective 8: limit the extent of invasive (increaser) species, including weeds. The report showed no significant increase in the abundance of invasive species; hence, Objective 8 was met in 2013. In 2014, the plant communities of the floodplain sites (1 to 85) were similar to those observed in 2008, characterized by low species richness and a high proportion of salt tolerant taxa and indicate that Objectives 5 and 6 were not met. In contrast, grazing species were abundant in comparison to all other surveyed years (excluding 2011) demonstrating Objective 7 has been met. Likewise, Objective 8 was met in 2014 because there was no significant increase in the abundance of invasive (increaser) species.