Mount Lofty woodlands
| Mount Lofty woodlands | |
|---|---|
Temperate Grassland of South Australia | |
| Geography | |
| Area | 23,800 km2 (9,200 sq mi) |
| Country | Australia |
| States | South Australia |
| Coordinates | 34°45′S 138°51′E / 34.75°S 138.85°E |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | Critical/endangered |
| Protected | 8.92%[1] |
The Mount Lofty woodlands, or the Peppermint Box Grassy Woodland of South Australia, is an ecoregion in South Australia, which includes woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands in the Mount Lofty Ranges, Fleurieu Peninsula, and Kangaroo Island.[2]
Location and description
The ecoregion includes the Mount Lofty Range, Fleurieu Peninsula, and Kangaroo Island, including the city of
The ecoregion corresponds to the former Lofty Ranges
Climate
The ecoregion has a
Flora
Plant communities include sclerophyll forests and woodlands, open woodlands and savannas,
Fauna
The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is found throughout the ecoregion. The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) no longer lives on the South Australian mainland.[5] The platypus was introduced to Flinders-Chase National Park on Kangaroo Island between 1928 and 1946, and is currently established on the western portion of the island.[6] Many species of birds and medium-sized mammals have been extirpated from the mainland portion of the ecoregion, principally from loss of habitat.[2] Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) were introduced to Kangaroo Island in the 1920s. As koala numbers increased, over-browsing caused declines in some native eucalypts, particularly the rough-barked manna gum (Eucalyptus viminalis ssp. cygnetensis). The Government's Koala Management Program captures and sterilizes koalas, plants trees of the over-browsed species, and fixes collars on some trees to prevent koalas from climbing them.[7]
Protected areas
8.82% of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[1]
Most of the mainland portion has been converted to agriculture or pasture.[2]
Protected areas in the mainland include Mount Remarkable National Park, Belair National Park, and Onkaparinga River National Park.[1]
Protected areas on Kangaroo Island include Flinders Chase National Park, Ravine des Casoars Wilderness Protection Area, Cape Bouguer Wilderness Protection Area, and Cape Gantheaume Wilderness Protection Area.
External links
- "Mount Lofty woodlands". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
References
- ^ a b c "Mount Lofty woodlands". DOPA Explorer. Accessed 27 April 2022. [1]
- ^ a b c d e f "Mount Lofty woodlands". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- ^ "Australia's bioregions (IBRA)" Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment, Australian Government. Accessed 31 May 2020.[2]
- ^ Peppermint box (Eucalyptus odorata) grassy woodland of South Australia - ecological communities listing advice Department of the Environment (Australia, 2013–2016). Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ^ "Distribution and Numbers". Australian Platypus Conservancy. Accessed 31 May 2020. [3]
- ^ "Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)". Fact Sheet, Natural Resources Centre, Kangaroo Island, Government of South Australia.
- ^ "Kangaroo Island Koala Management Program". Department of Environment and Natural Resources Fact Sheet, Government of South Australia. Accessed 31 May 2020.