Grassland Indicator Species Lists

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Grassland Quality Indicator Species Lists

Rainer Rehwinkel of the Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW Government) has developed, with help from others, a quantitative methodology for establishing the florist value of remnant grasslands in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales. The full methodology is available from DECC. We have extracted here a short description of the method and the lists of indicator species for three sub-regions of the Tablelands.

This method has been developed using data collected in site surveys of grassy ecosystems throughout the Southern Tablelands in NSW and ACT since the early 1990s. The method is based upon the "significant species" concept, which relies on the application of a "significance score" to most of the roughly 650 species that have been recorded in grassy ecosystems within the region.

Remnant grasslands and grassy woodlands exist along a continuum. At one end of this continuum, there are the rare sites that retain a high degree of integrity (i.e. very high floristic diversity, varied structure that provides habitat for a diverse fauna, and low or absent exotic plant cover). At the other end of this continuum are the more extensive areas of native pasture, and degraded or highly modified grassland. Such grasslands usually have very low native plant diversity, limited fauna habitat values, and often a high cover and diversity of exotic plant species, many of which are either introduced pasture species or agricultural and environmental weeds. Current grasslands vary in their origin. Some are natural, while others are "secondary," i.e. grassland that results from clearing of trees in a woodland or forest.

The method relies on three groupings of species, referred to as:

"Common or increaser species", which do not add much to the value of a site;
"Indicator species, level 1", which indicate that the site has value; and
"Indicator species, level 2", which are the highly significant species; these are the rarest of the grassy ecosystems species and have the highest significance scores.

The indicator species are also sometimes referred to as "grazing-intolerant" or "declining" species. It is thought that these species are rare for two reasons:

some species have always been rare, particularly some species which are restricted in distribution; and
many species are thought to have undergone serious declines since European settlement, from disturbances such as over-grazing and application of fertilisers.

Separate indicator species lists have been developed for three parts of the NSW Southern Tablelands:

Monaro sub-region: from the Victorian border to the south-eastern border of the ACT and west to Kosciuszko National Park (includes Michelago, Cooma, Jindabyne and Bombala);
Eastern sub-region: the area east and north-east of the ACT covering the upper Wollondilly River, upper Shoalhaven River and Lake George catchments (includes Collector, Bungendore, Taralga, Crookwell, Goulburn and Braidwood); and
North-western sub-region: the area north of the ACT, covering part of the Murrumbidgee and Lachlan River catchments (includes Boorowa, Crookwell, Yass, Gunning, Gundaroo and Queanbeyan).

If you are recording the cover and abundance of species in a grassland, you might use the Braun-Blanquet scale:

r <5 % cover and solitary (<4 individuals in a 400m² plot)

+ <5 % cover and few (4-15 individuals)

1 <5 % cover and numerous/scattered (>15 individuals)

2 5% - 25% cover

3 26% - 50% cover

4 51% - 75% cover

5 >75% cover

Appendix 1. List of species of the Monaro Sub-region.

C = common or increaser species;

I = indicator species level 1;

2 = indicator species level 2;

* Themeda australis and Poa labillardierii need to be treated as indicator species level 2 if they dominate a site (more than 25% ground cover).

Note that not all species found in grassy ecosystems of the sub-region are on this list. If other species are recorded in your plot, treat them as C species.

Acacia dawsonii 2

Acacia doratoxylon 2

Acacia gunnii 2

Acacia siculiformis 2

Acacia ulicifolia 2

Acacia uncinata 2

Acaena spp. C

Acrotriche serrulata 2

Adiantum aethiopica 2

Agrostis spp. C

Ajuga australis I

Allocasuarina nana 2

Alternanthera sp.A C

Ammobium alatum 2

Amphibromus spp. C

Aphanes australiana C

Aristida ramosa C

Arthropodium milleflorum 2

Asperula ambleia 2

Asperula conferta I

Asperula scoparia I

Asplenium flabellifolium 2

Astroloma humifusum 2

Australopyrum pectinatum C

Austrodanthonia spp. C

Austrofestuca spp. 2

Austrostipa spp. C

Baekia utilis C

Banksia marginata 2

Billardiera scandens 2

Blechnum spp. 2

Bossiaea buxifolia 2

Bossiaea foliosa C

Bossiaea prostrata 2

Bossiaea riparia 2

Bothriochloa macra C

Botrichium australe 2

Brachycome aculeata 2

Brachycome decipiens 2

Brachycome diversifolia 2

Brachycome graminea 2

Brachycome heterodonta I

Brachycome radicans 2

Brachycome rigidula 2

Brachycome scapigera 2

Brachycome spathulata 2

Brachyloma daphnoides 2

Bulbine bulbosa 2

Bulbine glauca 2

Caesia calliantha 2

Callistemon sieberi 2

Calocephalus citreus 2

Calochilus robertsonii 2

Calotis anthemoides 2

Calotis glandulosa 2

Calotis lappulacea 2

Calotis scabiosifolia var. integrifolia 2

Calotis scapigera 2

Calytrix tetragona 2

Cardamine spp. 2

Carex bichenoviana 2

Carex spp. (excluding C. bichenoviana) C

Cassinia spp. C

Centella spp. 2

Centipeda spp. C

Chamaesyce drummondii C

Cheilanthes spp. 2

Chenopodium pumilio C

Chloris truncata C

Chrysocephalum apiculatum I

Chrysocephalum semipapposum I

Clematis microphylla 2

Convolvulus angustissimus C

Cotula alpina 2

Cotula australis C

Craspedia spp. 2

Crassula spp. C

Cryptandra amara 2

Cullen microcephalum 2

Cullen tenax 2

Cymbonotus spp. C

Cymbonpogon refractus 2

Cynodon dactylis C

Cynoglossum australe 2

Cynoglossum suaveolens C

Cyperus spp. C

Daucus glochidiatus C

Daviesia genistifolia 2

Daviesia leptophylla 2

Daviesia mimosoides 2

Daviesia ulicifolia C

Derwentia perfoliata 2

Desmodium brachypodium 2

Desmodium varians 2

Deyeuxia quadriseta 2

Dianella longifolia 2

Dianella revoluta 2

Dianella tasmanica 2

Dichanthium sericeum 2

Dichelachne spp. C

Dichondra repens C

Dichondra sp.A C

Dichopogon fimbriatus 2

Dillwynia spp. 2

Diplarrena moraea 2

Dipodium punctatum 2

Discaria pubescens 2

Diuris spp. 2

Dodonaea procumbens 2

Dodonaea viscose 2

Drosera peltata C

Einadia nutans C

Einadia trigonos 2

Elymus scaber C

Enneapogon nigricans C

Epacris spp. 2

Epilolium spp. C

Eragrostis spp. C

Eriochilus cucullatus 2

Erodium crinitum C

Eryngium ovinum 2

Eucalyptus aggregata 2

Eucalyptus lacrimans 2

Euchiton spp. C

Galium gaudichaudii 2

Gentiana bredboensis 2

Geranium antrorsum 2

Geranium spp. (excluding G. antrorsum) C

Gingidia harveyana 2

Glycine clandestina 2

Glycine tabacina I

Gompholobium spp. 2

Gonocarpus micranthus 2

Gonocarpus tetragynus 2

Goodenia hederacea 2

Goodenia pinnatifida 2

Grevillea lanigera 2

Gynatrix pulchella 2

Gypsophylla tubulosa C

Hakea microcarpa 2

Haloragis heterophylla I

Hardenbergia violacea 2

Helichrysum rutidolepis 2

Helichrysum scorpioides 2

Hemarthria uncinata 2

Hovea linearis 2

Hydrocotyle algida C

Hydrocotyle peduncularis C

Hydrocotyle laxiflora I

Hydrocotyle peduncularis C

Hymenanthera dentata C

Hypericum gramineum 2

Hypericum japonicum 2

Hypoxis spp. 2

Imperata cylindica C

Indigofera australis 2

Isoetopsis graminifolia 2

Isolepis spp. C

Isotoma fluviatilis 2

Joycea pallida C

Juncus spp. C

Kunzea ericoides C

Kunzea parvifolia C

Lagenifera stipitata 2

Laxmannia gracilis 2

Lepidosperma laterale 2

Leptorhynchos elongatus 2

Leptorhynchos squamatus I

Leptospermum spp. C

Lespedeza juncea 2

Leucochrysum albicans 2

Leucopogon fletcheri 2

Leucopogon fraseri 2

Leucopogon virgatus 2

Liliopsis polyantha 2

Linum marginale 2

Lissanthe strigosa 2

Lomandra bracteata 2

Lomandra filiformis 2

Lomandra longifolia 2

Lomandra multiflora 2

Lomatia myricoides 2

Lotus australis 2

Luzula spp. 2

Lythrum hyssopifolia C

Melichrus urceolatus 2

Microlaena stipoides C

Microseris lanceolata 2

Microtis spp. 2

Mitrasacme serpylifolia 2

Muelenbeckia axilaris 2

Neopaxia australasica 2

Opercularia hispida 2

Ophioglossum lusitaniacum 2

Oreomyrrhis argentea 2

Oreomyrrhis eriopoda 2

Oxalis spp. C

Ozothamnus spp. C

Panicum effusum C

Pelargonium spp. 2

Pennisetum alopecuroides 2

Pentapogon quadrifidus 2

Persicaria prostrata C

Persoonia spp. 2

Pimelea curviflora I

Pimelea glauca 2

Pimelea pauciflora C

Plantago antartcica 2

Plantago euryphylla 2

Plantago gaudichaudii 2

Plantago varia I

Poa labillardieri *

Poa meionectes C

Poa sieberiana C

Podolepis hieracioides 2

Podolepis jaceoides 2

Polygala japonica 2

Polystichum proliferum 2

Poranthera microphylla 2

Prasophyllum spp. 2

Pratia pedunculata 2

Prunella vulgaris 2

Pseudognaphalium luteoalbum C

Pteridium esculentum C

Pterostylis spp. 2

Pultenaea spp. 2

Ranunculus spp. 2

Restio australis 2

Rhodanthe anthemoides 2

Rubus parvifolius 2

Rumex brownii C

Rumex dumosus C

Rutidosis leiolepis 2

Rutidosis leptorrhynchoides 2

Schoenus apogon C

Scleranthus biflorus C

Scleranthus diander C

Scleranthus fasciculatus 2

Scuttelaria humilis 2

Sebaea ovata 2

Selliera radicans 2

Senecio linearifolius 2

Senecio spp. (excluding S. linearifolius) C

Solanum linearifolium 2

Solenogyne dominii C

Solenogyne gunnii C

Sorghum leiocladum 2

Spiranthes sinensis 2

Sporobolus spp. C

Stackhousia monogyna 2

Stellaria angustifolia 2

Stellaria multiflora 2

Stellaria pungens 2

Stuartina spp. C

Stylidium graminifolium 2

Swainsona spp. 2

Tetratheca spp. 2

Thelymitra spp. 2

Themeda australis *

Thesium australe 2

Thysanotus tuberosus 2

Trachymene humilis 2

Tricoryne elatior 2

Tripogon loliformis C

Triptilodiscus pygmaeus 2

Utricularia dichotoma 2

Velleia montana 2

Velleia paradoxa 2

Veronica spp. 2

Viola betonicifolia 2

Vittadinia spp. C

Wahlenbergia spp. C

Wurmbea dioica 2

Xerochrysum spp. 2

Zornia dyctiocarpa 2

Appendix 2. List of species of the Eastern Sub-region.