MountMercerNatureConservationReserve
ManagementStatement
LandStewardshipBiodiversity Department of Sustainability and Environment
May2005
This ManagementStatement has been written by Hugh Robertson and James Fitzsimons for the Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria.
This Statement fulfils obligations by the State of Victoria to the Commonwealth of Australia, which provided financialassistance for the purchase of this reserve under the National Reserve System program of the Natural Heritage Trust.
©The State of Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment 2005
This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of theCopyright Act 1968.
ISBN1 74152 1521
Disclaimer:
This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its
employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.
Cover:
Tussocks of Common Tussock-grassPoa labillardierei, Mount Mercer Nature Conservation Reserve(Photo:JamesFitzsimons).
Objectives
This Management Statement for the Mount Mercer Nature Conservation Reserve
outlines the reserve’s natural values and the directions for itsmanagement in the short to long term.
The overall operational management objective is:
Maintain, and restore where appropriate, the condition of the reserve while allowing natural processes of regeneration, disturbance and succession to occur and actively initiating these processes where required.
Background andContext
Reasonforpurchase
Since the implementation of the National Reserve System Program (NRS) in 1992, all Australian states and territories have been working toward the development ofa comprehensive,adequateandrepresentative(CAR)systemofprotectedareas.
Ina systematic process to increase the reservation levels of Victoria’s most threatenedecosystems, particularlynativegrasslands and grassy woodlands, the Department of Sustainability and Environment’s conservation land purchase program aims to acquire areas of private land containing high quality samples of suchecosystemsforadditiontothereservesystem.
A strategic assessment of high quality sites containing grassyecosystems on the Victorian Volcanic Plain Bioregion was completed in 1999 (Ross 1999). Amonga number of sites identified as suitable for voluntary purchase and addition to the protectedareaestate,theMountMercer grasslands werepurchased duetotheirsize and good condition.
The purchase was assisted with funding from the National Reserve System Program of the Commonwealth Government’s Natural Heritage Trust (Project No. N425; Mount Mercer was originally known and ‘McNaughtons Paddock’ in the NRS proposal).
The Mount Mercer grasslands fall within the Victorian Volcanic Plains IBRA 5.1 bioregion (Environment Australia 2000) and the Leigh Local Landscape Zone (Rosset al. 2003).
Location
The Mount Mercer Nature Conservation Reserve (Mount MercerNCR) of 214.72 ha is located between Mount Mercer-Shelford Road and the Leigh River, 15 km north of Shelford (Figure 1). It consists of: Crown Allotment 2001, Parish of Lawaluk. Purchase of the Mount Mercer grasslands was completed on6 September 2002. The land was transferred to the Crown on 24 September 2002 and assigned to Parks Victoria for management on 20 October 2003.
Reservation Status
The Mount Mercer NCR is temporarily reserved for the “preservation of an area of
ecologicalsignificance” under theCrown Land (Reserves) Act 1978and managed asa Nature Conservation Reserve.
Thegenericmanagementobjectives forNatureConservationReservesasdefinedbyParks Victoria (2003) are:
Nature conservation reserves a) conserve and protect species, communities and
habitats of indigenous plants, animals and other organisms; b) provide forresearch and studyofthenaturalenvironmentofthereserve wherethisis consistent witha) and there is minimal impact on the reserve; c) provide opportunities for appropriate enjoyment and recreation and education by the public where this does notconflict with a); d) protect Aboriginal cultural sites and places; and e) protect historic features inspecificreserveswherenoted.
Nature conservation reserves are consistent with IUCN Protected Area CategoryIa: Strict Nature Reserve (NRE 1996).
Asthe purchased land was originally freehold, no Land Conservation Council (LCC), Environment Conservation Council (ECC) or Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) recommendations apply. The frontage of the adjoining Leigh River (Figure 1) wasrecommended asa Public Land Water Frontage Reserve (K1) by the LCC (1978).
The Crown Land (Reserves) (Nature Conservation Reserve) Regulations 2004regulates activities in this reserve.
Natural Values and Condition
Refer to Figure2 for the location of threatened species recorded in the Atlas of
VictorianWildlife and Flora Information System1.
Vegetation Types
Plains Grassland is the main Ecological Vegetation Class (EVC) represented in the
reserve2.Plains Grassland is considered endangered in theVictorian Volcanic Plains bioregion and patches of the size present in Mount Mercer NCR are very rare (Ross 1999, Barlow 2000). The grasslands in the reserve also fall within the definitionfor theWestern (Basalt) Plains Grassland Community, which is listed as threatened under the VictorianFlora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. This community was recently nominated for listing asa threatened ecological community under theEnvironmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999(Cwth). Only around0.5% of the originalextentofthiscommunityremainsintheVictorianVolcanicPlainbioregion
1Notethisdoesnotnecessarilyrepresentrecordsforallthreatenedspeciesonthereserve.OnlythoserecordedintheDSEfloraandfaunadatabasesaredisplayed.
2NotethatasofSeptember2004,neithertheMountMercerNCRnorthesurroundinglandhadbeen mappedasPlainsGrasslandEVCwithintheEVC_CMP100geospatialdatalayer.
(Barlow Ross 2001). Valley Grassy Forest EVC occursalong the banks of the Leigh River which borders Mount Mercer NCR (Figure 2).
A number of fine scale vegetation units have been identified in the reserve- Red Soils Grassland (low rainfall), Grey-Brown Soils Grassland (low rainfall), Low rainfallPlains Grassy Wetland, Gorge Shrubland, Creekline Tussock Grassland (Ross 1999), and Grassy Woodland on the Leigh River escarpment (Barlow 2000). One minor drainage line runs north- south through the central part of the grassland, which supports the Creekline Tussock Grassland. Although parts of the property have been cropped and rocks removed in the last 10 years, large areas of native grassland remain (Barlow 2000). Barlow (2000) also mapped fine-scale vegetation units on Mount Mercer NCR including Stony Knoll Grassland, Plains Grassland, Drainage Line Grassland, Degraded Grassland (cultivated land) and Valley Grassy Forest/Riparian Shrubland (see Figure 2).
Ecological Management of Western (Basalt) Plains Grasslands
Control of biomass, particularly ofexotic pasture grass species, may be considered
desirableforfloraandfaunaspecies requiringinter-tussockspaces forhabitat.This may be achieved viaa number of management options:
-Grazing: Sheep grazing has been used asa management tool ona number of
reserves containing Western (Basalt) Plains Grasslands on the Victorian Volcanic Plain. Sheep have grazed Mount Mercer NCR recently ata density of4 dse/ha, whichapproximateshistoricallevels(Barlow2000).Anassessmentof conservation values of the reserve recommended that ongoing grazing by sheep should continue to maintain the conservation values of the reserve (Barlow 2000). Grazing over autumn and winter is preferred to allow native grassland plants to regenerate and set seed during spring andsummer. The availability of water for stock isa key consideration for implementing grazing programs. If utilised, stocking rates will need to be adjusted depending on the cover abundance of vegetation and with seasonal conditions (i.e. rainfall). Additionally, techniques such as ‘crash (or pulse) grazing’ (the introduction ofa large number of sheep for a short period of time) can reduce the density and biomass of dominant grass species, therebyincreasing inter-tussock spaces. In addition, grazingexclusion areas may be used to monitor the impacts of grazing on the grassland vegetation.
-Ecological Burning: Fire may be used asa management tool both to control exotic
pasture species and to promote the regeneration of indigenous flora species relianton the creation of inter-tussock spaces.
Management objectives and targets (short-long term)
-Actively manage the Western (Basalt) Plains Grassland using some of the management options described above to maintain species diversity, richness and structuralheterogeneity in the vegetation.
-Monitor and research outcomes of management actions and adapt management regimes as the need arises.
-Encourageongoingresearchbyuniversitiesandotherscientificinstitutionsinto optimal management techniques formaintaining and enhancing grassland biodiversity.
-Investigatelarge-scalerestoration/revegetationtechniquesforenhancementof nativegrasslandsinthedegraded(formerlycultivated)areasofMountMercer NCR.
Flora
Mount Mercer NCRsupports native grassland that is structurally and floristically
dominated by native species, with good inter-tussock spacing (Barlow 2000). The grasslandcontains populations of the nationally significant3Small Surf-pea Cullen parvum, EarlyGoldenMoths Diuris sp. aff.lanceolata“Derrinallum” and Clover GlycineGlycinelatrobeana, as well as theSmallMilkwortComesperma polygaloidesand Plains Yam-daisyMircoserissp.1 (both vulnerable in Victoria), and Southern Swainson-peaSwainsona behriana(Ross1999, Barlow 2000).
Refer to Appendix1 for flora recorded in Mount Mercer NCR and other grassland sites nearby, including the Shelford-Mount Mercer Roadside Reserve.
Management objectives and targets (short-medium term)
-Record flora in the Parks Victoria Environmental Information System and DSE Flora Information System (FIS), and encourage seasonal surveys.
Fauna
Mount Mercer NCR contains stony knolls, small areas of grassy wetland and
extensive grassland, which provide diverse habitat for fauna. Thegrasslands provide
areas of known habitat for the Fat-tailed DunnartSminthopsis crassicaudata, and potential habitat for nationally significant Striped Legless LizardDelma impar, Plains- wanderer Pedionomus torquatusand Golden Sun MothSynemon plana (Ross 1999, Barlow 2000). Brolga Grus rubicundahave been recorded within 0.5 km of Mount Mercer NCR (Figure 2).
Refer to Appendix2 for fauna records from Mount Mercer NCR and the surrounding areas.
Management objectives and targets (short-medium term)
-Record fauna in the Parks Victoria Environmental Information System and Atlas of Victorian Wildlife, and encourage seasonal survey programs.
-Utiliserockpilesindegraded (formerlycultivated)grassland areastoimprove faunahabitat.
Biosites4
ThreeBiosites are recorded in close proximity to Mount Mercer NCR, these are:
-Site#3222‘Mt Mercer Private"Thurlgona"(GrassABLT02)’(Located
approximately 0.5 km south of Mount Mercer NCR)
3ThreatstatusforfloraandfaunafollowsDSE(2003,2005)
4‘Biosites’aresitesofbiologicalconservationsignificanceandtheirlocationanddetailsaremaintainedonaregisterbytheDepartmentofSustainabilityandEnvironment.
-Site# 4272 ‘Leigh River Gorge (including Cargerie BushlandReserves: Grass VVP178)’ (Located approximately1 km north of Mount Mercer NCR)
-Site# 974 ‘Shelford- Mt. Mercer Road’ (Located on Shelford- Mt Mercer Road approximately2 km south of Mount Mercer NCR)
Refer to Appendix3 for further details
Landscapecontext
Mount Mercer NCR represents one of the largest grassland reserves in the Victorian
VolcanicPlain.Thereservealso“provides ecological linkagesbetweensignificant grasslands on volcanic soils and forests on sedimentary soils. Similarly, thisreserve is probably unique in juxtaposinga major waterway (Leigh River) anda large, floristically significant grassland community” (Barlow 2000, pg. 2). Mount Mercer NCR is bordered to the east by the Leigh River Public Land Water Frontage (PLWF) Reserve and to the west by the Shelford-Mount Mercer Road, which isa roadside of botanical significance for grassland flora (Stuwe 1986, Ross 1999).
Other nearby conservation reserves in the bioregion include the Boonderoo NCR (containing Western (Basalt) Plains Grassland also purchased through the National Reserve System Program), Warrambine Flora Reserve, Corindhap Nature Conservation Reserve and the Cargerie Bushland Reserves (Figure 3). Some private land in the area also contains significant grasslands (Ross 1999).
Grazing is the predominant land use in the area but more intensive agriculture, such as cropping, is becoming increasingly prevalent (Rosset al.2003).
Threatening Processes
Pest Plants
Pest plants are nota serious threat to conservation values of the Mount Mercer NCR
atpresent.Weedcoverisgenerallylow,exceptforsome partsinthenorthofthe reserve (Barlow 2000). However, ongoingpestplantcontrol is recommended to control pasture grasses, Spear ThistleCirsiumvulgareand other weedspecies which have the ability to alter the structure of Western (Basalt) Plains Grasslands and pose a threat to species reliant on the grasslands.
A number of pest plants were observed along the Leigh River corridor adjacent to Mount Mercer NCR duringsite inspection (August 2004). These posea threat to the reserve iftheybecome established inthegrassland.
Management objectives and targets (short-long term)
-Control the establishment and spread of pest plants in Mount Mercer NCR, and
encourage theestablishment of native grasses in their place.
-Increasecoverofnativegrassesbycontrollingandreducingtheextentofexotic pasture grasses through grazing or burning (see ‘Ecological Management of Western(Basalt)PlainsGrasslands’).
-Monitor andcontrol the spread of pest plants from the adjacent Leigh River gorge into Mount Mercer NCR.
-Liaise with Golden Plains Shire to ensure control of pest plants that occur along roadsides adjoining Mount Mercer NCR, to prevent their spreadinto the reserve.
Pest animals
Foxes are present throughout the district, but the impact of predation on native
fauna in the reserve is unknown. However, they may posea significant threat to small mammals (including the Fat-tailed Dunnart), groundnesting or feeding birds, and reptiles. Rabbits are likely to be present in Mount Mercer NCR but their impact on the grassland is undetermined.
Management objectives and targets (short-long term)
-Control foxes to maintain habitat values of the reserve for small mammals and other ground-dwelling fauna.
-Maintain rabbit numbers at less than5 per spotlight km.
PhysicalAssetsandBoundaries
Mount Mercer NCR contains1 small dam located in an intermittent creekline (Figure
1).A windmill driven bore (and tank) is located on private land to the north of Mount Mercer NCR, which is currently utilised by stock grazing the grasslands. Alternative arrangements to provide stock access to water may be necessaryin future (i.e. should grazing be managed by anothergrazier). Fences are in fair to good condition on the southern, western and eastern boundaries, but poor along the northern boundary of the reserve. Two internal fences run north- south through the reserve and may be used to control stock, although at time of inspection (August 2004) only one of these was effective (Figure 1). To assist in the management of grazing in the reserve, additional internal fences may be required to increase the number of paddocks.A gate to the reserve is located off Shelford-Mouth Mercer Road.
The section of the Leigh River PLWF which adjoins the Mount Mercer NCR will be addedtotheNCR(Figure1).
Management objectives and targets (short-medium term)
-Maintain dams required for stock water, and liaise with landowner of the adjacent property to maintain access to windmill with tank.
-Investigate options to establish additional internal fences (and additional water supply) to increase the number of paddocks used for grazing.
-Liaise with adjoining landowners to ensure boundaryfences are maintained ina
stock-proofcondition.
Heritage Values, Condition and Risk
There are no recorded places of heritage value in Mount Mercer NCR. However, some sections of the fence on the western boundary of the reserve have piles of stone alongthe base, which may have heritage value.
Management objectives and targets (short-medium term)
-If sites of heritagevalue are identified in Mount Mercer NCR, assess their
condition and establish management objectives.
IndigenousValues,ConditionandRisk
There are no recorded archaeological sites and no identified sites or features, but the potential for sites of indigenous value is considered to be moderate considering the proximity of the Leigh River.
Management objectives and targets (short-long term)
-Respect the aspirations and rights of the Traditional Owners and the Local
Aboriginal Community in managing the reserve in accordance with relevant legislationand ParksVictoria’s operationalpolicies.
-Work together with the TraditionalOwnersandtheLocal Aboriginal
Community to survey Mount Mercer NCR to identify the location of significant indigenous sites, places and objects.
-If sites, places and objects are identified, assess their condition and seek guidance
from these communities on future management.
Visitor Services, Condition and Risk
There is currently no level of visitor services for Mount Mercer NCR (classified as “Very Basic”). The provisional future level of service will be “Very Basic” (no facilities). Access iscurrently restricted to pedestrian access off Shelford-Mount Mercer Road and possibly from the Leigh River water frontage. While there is no data available, visitor numbers to the Mount Mercer NCR are likely to be low (0-5000 p.a.), because the reserve has been purchased only recently.
Management objectives and targets (short-long term)
-Retain ‘Very Basic’ level of service; i.e. do not provide built facilities or access roads accessible by the general public.
-Maintain existing internal Management VehicleOnly (MVO) tracks where
required. These MVO tracks will not be accessible for public vehicular access.
Signage: Provide locality signage for the reserve within two years and maintain it.
Consultation
This Management Statement has been prepared inconsultation with Ron Hall and Evan McDowell (Parks Victoria).
References and Further Reading
Barlow, T. (2000) An Overview the Conservation Values at McNaughton’s Grassland,
Mt Mercer, Victoria- Report prepared for Department of Natural resources and Environment. HabitatWorks, Preston.
Barlow, T.J. Ross, J.R. (2001) Vegetation of the Victorian Volcanic Plain.Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria113, xxv-xxviii.
DSE (2003)Advisory List of ThreatenedVertebrate Fauna inVictoria- 2003.Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne.
DSE (2005)Advisory List of Rare or Threatened Plants in Victoria- 2005.Department of Sustainability and Environment, East Melbourne.
Environment Australia (2000) Revision of the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) and Development of Version 5.1 Summary Report. Environment Australia, Canberra.
Fitzsimons,J.A., FitzSimons,P.Ashe, C. (2004)Further strategic additions to Victoria’s public protected area system: 2002-2004.TheVictorianNaturalist121, 214-225.
LCC (1978)Final Recommendations Corangamite Area. Land Conservation Council, Melbourne.
NRE (1996) IUCNCategories and Other Key Data for Parks and Conservation Reserves in Victoria.National Parks and Reserves Branch, National Parks Service, Department ofNatural Resources and Environment, Melbourne.
Parks Victoria (2003) Conservation ReservesManagement Strategy.Parks Victoria, Melbourne.
Ross, J. (1999) Identification of priority areas for protection and establishment of protected areas- VictorianVolcanic Plain. Report for Parks, Flora and Fauna, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Melbourne.
Ross, J., Lowe, K.W., Boyle, C. Moorrees,A.(2003)BiodiversityActionPlanning: Landscape Plans for the Eastern Zones in the VictorianVolcanic Plain Bioregion. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne.