We are committed to improving the condition of 20 Priority Places under the Threatened Species Action Plan. The Australian Alps is one of these priority places.
Description
The Australian Alps extend across the high country of the ACT, NSW and Victoria. Their high altitude peaks and plateaus, glacial lakes and alpine and sub-alpine ecosystems are rare in Australia. These support a range of habitat types and species that are uniquely adapted to live in these conditions. The alps are also home to the headwaters of a number of major rivers including the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Snowy rivers.
The Australian Alps National Parks and Reserves are included on Australia’s National Heritage List.
For thousands of years, First Nations people have managed the Australian Alps. The unique environment has spiritual and cultural value to First Nations people. In early summer, Bogong Moths migrate to the cool caves of the alps. Historically, First Nations peoples from across south-eastern Australia visited during the migration. People collected the moths for use in traditional foods and practices.
A number of listed threatened ecological communities can be found in the alps, including:
- Alpine Sphagnum Bogs and Associated Fens
- Silurian Limestone Pomaderris Shrubland of the South East Corner and Australian Alps Bioregions.
There are more than 85 threatened animal and plant species that can be found in the alps including:
- Mountain Pygmy-possum
- Broad-toothed Rat
- Stocky Galaxias
- Southern and Northern Corroboree Frog
- Alpine She-oak Skink
- Tumut Grevillea
- Omeo Stork’s-bill
- Kelton’s Leek-orchid.
Map of the Australian Alps showing the density of threatened species
Key threats
The native plants, animals and ecological communities found in the Australian Alps face a range of threats. They operate independently and together to drive species decline.
The major threats are:
- Habitat loss and degradation. This can result from development for roads and dams and agricultural activities such as livestock grazing.
- Invasive species and disease, including:
- weeds
- vertebrate pests like horses, deer, and pigs which overgraze and disturb soil and vegetation
- cats and foxes which predate on several alpine species such as Broad-toothed Rat and Mountain Pygmy-possum
- diseases like chytrid fungus that affect species such as Northern and Southern Corroboree Frog.
Moderate threats include:
- Changes in fire intensity and frequency in the alps threaten several plant species and ecological communities.
- Many species in the alps are specially adapted to the alpine and sub-alpine climate. Climate change will make these habitats less suitable or disappear.
Other threats affect a smaller number of threatened species and ecological communities.
Priority actions
We have considered habitat condition and threats to help inform actions to benefit threatened species in the Australian Alps.
Key actions to improve condition in this priority place include:
- targeted herbivore (horses, pigs, deer) management
- targeted habitat restoration which may include weed control.
These actions will aim to increase native species cover and diversity. Target areas will be in national parks and nearby off-park areas. Management will also focus on improving condition and extent of 2 threatened ecological communities:
- Alpine Sphagnum Bogs and Associated Fens
- Natural Temperate Grassland of the Southeastern Highlands.
These actions may also benefit species such as:
- Stocky Galaxias
- Northern and Southern Corroboree Frog
- Mountain Pygmy-possum
- Broad-toothed Rat.
We will work in partnership with land and biodiversity managers to deliver these actions.
Improving condition in priority places
Priority place profiles will be updated regularly to include:
- indicators for improvement in condition
- projects to improve condition
- information on changes over time.