VCE Environmental ScienceUnit 3: Biodiversity

ECOLOGY IN PRACTICE

Created by Thomas Wright – Senior Ecologist, AECOMSponsored by AGL Energy Limited as part of the Macarthur Wind Farm Project

Overview

• Landscape Ecology - Fragmentation– Definition and concepts – Examples of edge-effects

• Ecology in the Field– Case Study: construction of a wind farm

Landscape Ecology - Definition

• How does the environment affect species distribution.

• Environment can mean:– Natural (forests, grasslands, oceans, etc.)– Anthropogenic (paddocks, cities, roads, etc.)

Landscape Ecology - Definition

• Fragmentation is the division of habitat or ecosystems into smaller and disconnected patches/fragments.

• Fragmentation effects can be divided into:– Between fragment-effects (connectivity,

isolation, dispersal); and– Within fragment-effects (edge effects,

disturbances).

Landscape Ecology – Between-fragment Effects

• Patch/fragment – homogenous area with certain spatial features (size, length, width, distance to next patch).

• Isolation/connectivity - how isolated/connected one patch is to another. Is species specific.

• Matrix – the background landscape species are required to disperse through.

Dispersal

Dispersal

Dispersal

Colonisation

Colonisation Colonisation

Dispersal

Dispersal

Dispersal

Colonisation

Colonisation Colonisation

Mt EcclesNational Park

• Is listed as vulnerable under the EPBC Act • Found in southern South Australia, southern Victoria

and eastern New South Wales.• Prefers coastal heathland, heathy forests and forests where there is plenty

of ground protection.• Main threats are:

• C• H• I• P • P• O

• Victorian populations occur around Warrnambool-Otway Plains, lowland Gippsland, Western Gippsland Plain and Greater Grampians.• Gippsland populations is within Melbourne’s Urban Growth Boundary.

Southern Brown Bandicoot

Landscape Ecology – Within-fragment Effects

• Edge effects – interaction between two contrasting patches resulting in altered biology and physical conditions at edges.

Radiant Energy

Wind Energy

Radiant Energy

Wind Energy

Radiant Energy

Wind Energy

Abiotic factors influence organism distribution. List examples

Temperature/Humidity

Light Wind

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Ecology in the Field – Construction of a Wind farm

Wind farm plan

Flora and Fauna

Surveys

VICTORIAN Remnant

Vegetation – NetGain

VICTORIAN FFG Act-

listed Items

COMMONWEALTH EPBC Act-listed

Items

Referral to Commonwealth

Environment Minister

Permit to DSE

Offset Management Plan

Wind farms

• Potential risks to birds and bats – Direct, i.e. collision– Indirect

• Loss of habitat• Avoidance of nesting sites• Noise and other disturbances during construction

• AUSWEA guidelines for bird and bat surveys

• DNWFDG – survey guidelines (draft)

• Bird surveys on Wind Farms• Species• Height• Number• Flight behaviour

– Hovering, circling, horizontal, vertical

• Migratory or sedentary

• Bat surveys on Wind Farms• ANABAT – records echolocation calls• Indirect and direct observations by observers

• General Surveys– Habitat– Nests/Potential Nesting Sites

Wind farms – post construction

• Ongoing Monitoring• Bird-deaths near wind farms

• Auditing• Companies compliance with environmental

management plans– Sound– Visual impact– Pollution – Occupational Health and Safety

References

• Sub-regional strategy for Southern Brown Bandicoot: http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/127760/DRAFT-Southern-Brown-Bandicoot-Strategy_web.pdf

• Birds and windfarms: http://www.environment.gov.au/epbc/publications/wind-farm-bird-risk.html

• Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines – Bird Survey: http://www.agk.com.au/coopersgap/assets/downloads/2_-_Draft_NWFD_Guidelines.pdf