Southern Yorke Peninsula (26480)
Australia, Australasia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2009

National site name: Southern Yorke Peninsula

Central coordinates: Latitude: -35.1847, Longitude: 137.0128

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 80

Area of KBA (km²): 349.40681

Protected area coverage (%): 69.79

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: This IBA is centred on Innes National Park and Warrenben Conservation Park, on the southern tip of the Yorke Peninsula, 300 km east of Adelaide. The IBA is defined as these protected areas and contiguous natural habitat extending north to Ilfracombe Road and east to Hundred Line Road and along Happy Valley Road to Foul Bay. This large network of remnant native vegetation supports breeding Malleefowl and two species restricted to the mallee biome, Purple-gaped Honeyeater and Western Whipbird; outside of this area, most of the native vegetation on the Yorke Peninsula has been cleared for cropping and grazing. Other remnants around Innes have no active Malleefowl mounds and are judged too small to include within this IBA. The IBA is an undulating plain with calcareous sands and loams forming dunes overlying limestone, with salt lakes and coastal cliffs. It has a variety of habitats, including intertidal ecosystems, beaches and dunes, coastal heathlands, mallee woodlands and inland salt lakes. Temperatures average 28oC in summer and 13oC in winter with an average of 500 mm of rainfall per year.

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: 111 species of native birds have been recorded in Innes NP including Pacific Gull, Sooty Oystercatcher, Hooded Plover, Osprey, White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Emu (Department for Environment and Heritage 2003; Atlas of Australian Birds database). Non-bird biodiversity: Vegetation in Innes National Park includes Cockies Tongue, Coastal White Mallee, Tea-tree and Red Mallee, along with heath, grasses and herbs. These habitats support approximately 333 native plant species, 115 of which are of conservation significance. Ten species of native mammals including the Western Grey Kangaroo are found in the park, along with 17 species of native reptiles including Brown Snake, Bearded Dragon and Sleepy Lizard. The South Australian mainland subspecies of Tammar Wallaby became extinct around the late 1920s; however individuals of a second subspecies endemic to Kangaroo Island have been introduced to Innes NP.

Other site values: Land ownership is mixed. Innes National Park and Warrenben Conservation Park are owned by the South Australian government and managed by the Department for Environment and Heritage. Other areas are private land.

Habitats

Land use: nature conservation and research

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	28
Shrubland	56
Forest	6
Wetlands(Inland)	6
Grassland	6

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Fire management should be monitored. Continue intensive fox baiting to minimise predation on malleefowl.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression	Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Ongoing
Climate change & severe weather	Droughts		Only in the future
Human intrusions & disturbance	Recreational activities		Ongoing

Additional information

References: Department for Environment and Heritage (2006) Innes National Park, Healthy Parks Healthy People. http://www.parks.sa.gov.au/publish/groups/public/@visitormgt/@interp/documents/all/brochure_innes.pdf accessed Feb 2008. Department for Environment and Heritage (2003) Innes National Park Management Plan. Adelaide: Department for Environment and Heritage.