Gawler Ranges (25103)
Australia, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Gawler Ranges
Central coordinates: Latitude: -32.5845, Longitude: 135.4457
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 200 to 454
Area of KBA (km2): 1634.45472
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The IBA is identical to Gawler Ranges National Park, which is located approximately 350 km north-west of Adelaide and 300 km west of Port Augusta in South Australia. The climate is mild to hot in summer and cool to cold in winter with low, unreliable rainfall of 200 to 300 mm per annum. The IBA is situated among the volcanic hills and valleys of the southern Gawler Ranges. The hills and ranges to the north of the park support hummock grassland, open shrubland and low open woodland. Associated rises and elevated plains are dominated by chenopod shrublands with areas of low or open woodland. To the south of the park are sand dunes and sand plains clothed in mallee woodland. The park features several ephemeral waterways, a number of semi-permanent waterbodies, and some artificial dams and watering points. Drainage lines are fringed by woodland, with samphire growing in small depressions and on the fringes of salt lakes. The IBA is defined primarily as a protected population of Short-tailed Grasswrens, which also occur in neighbouring private pastoral properties but not adjacent protected areas; two other IBAs have been defined for this species in the Flinders Ranges.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: The IBA provides habitat for at least 75 species of birds. Of these, 16 are listed as threatened at national, state and/or regional level: Slender-billed Thornbill, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Southern Whiteface, Major Mitchell's Cockatoo, White-winged Chough, Southern Scrub-robin, Peregrine Falcon, Malleefowl, Purple-gaped Honeyeater (subspecies occidentalis), Grey-fronted Honeyeater, Variegated Fairy-wren, White-winged Fairy-wren, Splendid Fairy-wren, Restless Flycatcher, Gilbert's Whistler and Grey Currawong. The IBA supports an outlying breeding population of Elegant Parrot (Chapple and Lewis 1991). The Atlas of Australian Birds has a single record of the biome-restricted Black Honeyeater and Pied Honeyeater for the period 1998 to 2008 (Atlas of Australian Birds database). Non-bird biodiversity: The IBA supports 976 species of plants and 164 species of animals. Of the 976 species of plants, approximately 53 species are considered to be threatened at national, state and/or regional levels. Of the 164 species of animals, at least 20 species are listed as threatened at national, state and/or regional levels (Department for Environment and Heritage 2006, 2008).
Other site values: South Australian State government with management the responsibility of the Department for Environment and Heritage.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 48 | |
| Forest | 5 | |
| Grassland | 48 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Control or eradicate pest species. Develop and implement agreed fire management practices.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Australian Natural Resource Atlas (2007) Biodiversity Assesment - Gawler. http://www.anra.gov.au/topics/vegetation/assessment/sa/ibra-gaw-natural-values.html accessed 11 February 2008. Christidis, L., Horton, P. and Norman, J. (2008) Subspeciation in the Short-tailed Grasswren (Amytornis merrotsyi, Maluridae). Emu 108: 275-282. Chapple, M. and Lewis, E.A. (1991) Elegant Parrots breeding in the Gawler Ranges. South Australian Ornithologist 31: 73. Department for Environment and Heritage (2006) Gawler Ranges National Park Management Plan. Department for Environment and Heritage: Adelaide. Department for Environment and Heritage (2008) Gawler Ranges National Park. Downloaded from http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/sanpr/gawlerranges accessed 15 July 2008. Baxter, C. and Paton, P.A. (1998) Further notes on the birds of the Gawler Ranges. South Australian Ornithologist 33: 1-15.
Contributors: Graham Carpenter provided information on the grasswrens. Andrew Black and Keith Bellchambers provided comments on the nomination.