Barrington Tops and Gloucester Tops (24808)
Australia, Australasia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1e

Year of last assessment: 2018

National site name: Barrington Tops and Gloucester Tops

Central coordinates: Latitude: -32.0647, Longitude: 151.5272

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 600 to 1556

Area of KBA (km²): 1296.81664

Protected area coverage (%): 71.30

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Barrington Tops, which also includes the nearby hills of Gloucester Tops, is in the central Great Dividing Range of New South Wales north of Newcastle. The IBA includes Barrington Tops National Park, Stewarts Brook, Chichester, Masseys Creek and Fosterton State Forests, and the majority of Barrington Tops State Forest. The park is located in a region that receives substantial rainfall (average 1325 mm per year at 200 m altitude, much higher at high altitudes). Temperatures in the park are cooler than on nearby lowlands, e.g. sub-zero temperatures are common and the upper regions of the park occasionally receive snowfall in winter. The park is situated on a broad plateau or tableland of volcanic rock (granodiorite and basalt). The vegetation of the park is dominated by sub-tropical and cool temperate rainforests - the latter dominated by Antarctic Beech - and tall eucalypt forests. These communities are replaced on the elevated plateau by sub-alpine eucalypt woodlands, tussock grasslands dominated by Snow Grass, and montane bogs and swamps. This IBA also includes the majority of Barrington Tops State Forest and completely includes Stewarts Brook, Chichester, Masseys Creek and Fosterton State Forests. The National Park rainforests are included in the 'Gondwana Rainforests of Australia' World Heritage Area and about 75% of the park is declared as wilderness area(s).

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. Alliance for Zero Extinction (2018): site confirmed as an AZE site during the AZE project (2015-2018). Taxonomy, nomenclature and Red List category follow the IUCN 2016 Red List.

Additional biodiversity: One hundred and sixteen species of bird have been recorded in Barrington Tops National Park. This total includes the endangered Australasian Bittern (recorded in one of 278 Atlas surveys from 1998 to 2008) and nine other species (Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Gang-gang Cockatoo, Powerful Owl, Barking Owl, Sooty Owl, Masked Owl, Rufous Scrub-bird and Olive Whistler) which are classified as threatened in New South Wales under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW NPWS 2008). Non-bird biodiversity: One hundred and twelve identified species of non-avian terrestrial vertebrates have been recorded in Barrington Tops National Park. This total consists of 21 species of amphibian, 31 species of reptile and 60 species of mammal (eight mammal species are introduced). Twenty-three of the 112 identified species of non-avian terrestrial vertebrates are classified as threatened in New South Wales under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW NPWS 2002). Six of these 23 taxa (Stuttering Frog, Hastings River Mouse, Grey-headed Flying Fox, Spotted-tailed Quoll, Long-nosed Potoroo and Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby) are also classified as threatened at the national level under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The park also supports a diverse range of plant life and is the only site at which the plant Leucopogon pilifer is known to occur.

Other site values: NSW State Government with management by NSW NPWS.

Habitats

Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Wetlands(Inland)	5
Grassland	5
Savanna	45
Forest	45

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Manage fire in a manner that sustains habitat for key bird species. Eradicate or control introduced plants and animal pests. Investigate cause(s) of decline in Rufous Scrub-bird.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration		Ongoing
Climate change & severe weather	Droughts		Ongoing

Additional information

References: NSW NPWS (2008) Atlas of NSW Wildlife. http://wildlifeatlas.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/wildlifeatlas/watlas.jsp accessed 8 June 2008. NSW NPWS (2002). Draft Fire Management Plan for Barrington Tops National Park and Nearby Reserves. New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service [Hunter Region]: Nelson Bay.