Fringing wetland vegetation communities are an important indicator to the health of the Gippsland Lakes providing a range of benefits for flora and fauna.
About this project
This project will undertake flora and fauna surveys within the lower Latrobe Wetlands. Waterbird (fauna) surveys will enhance existing Ramsar monitoring programs by increasing the number of bird monitoring sites adjacent to the Gippsland Lakes Ramsar sites (along the lower Latrobe River and Lake Coleman).
This project will include:
- The flora (plant) surveys will go back to sites where vegetation monitoring was done in 2015 within Sale Common, Heart Morass and Dowd Morass
- The new data will be used to update mapping of the sites to improve accuracy of future survey work. It will also help us to assess climatic and seasonal changes in the makeup of the wetland vegetation and monitor the success of management works.
- Bird surveys in the area will build on the existing Ramsar bird monitoring program in the Gippsland Lakes by undertaking regular monitoring at the new sites of:
- Heart Morass
- Dowd Morass
- Lake Coleman
- Lower Durt’Yowan (Latrobe river).
Project update
In partnership with BirdLife Australia, the West Gippsland CMA monitored wetland birds around Sale Common and surveyed plants on the Lower Latrobe Floodplain that flows into Lake Wellington. Plant surveys found nine rare species, with such beauties as Water Parsnip (Berula erecta), Eastern Water Ribbons (Cycnogeton microtuberosum), Feather-leaf Buttercup (Ranunculus amplus) and the vulnerable River Swamp Wallaby Grass (Amphibromus fluitans). This shows the importance of working with landholders to protect and enhance the Lakes’ floodplains and results will inform future management of the areas.
The bird surveys counted 3,612 birds from 82 species with Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea) being the most abundant. At Dowd Morass (Royal Spoonbills (Platalea regia) were recorded breeding and roosting along with Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae), Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) and Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris).
Project lead
Project partners
