Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

Skullbone Plains is a nationally significant sub- alpine refuge for endangered animals and ecosystems and forms a crucial link with nearby conservation reserves [ ] 52 A snapshot of biodiversity Skullbone Plains is a former forestry property that is now protected forever by the Tasmanian Land Conservancy as part of Australia’s National Re- serve System — the nation’s most se- cure way of protecting native habitat. The property was purchased in 2011 with just over one million dollars from the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country initiative and generous private donations from the Australian community. The site is a remarkable mix of open valleys, old-growth forests, woodlands, wetlands, bogs, moor- lands, heathfields and grasslands. Extensive eucalypt woodlands cover much of the reserve, providing habitat for top predators including the Tasmanian wedge-tail eagle, the white-bellied sea eagle, the pure- white grey goshawk and the Tasmani- an masked owl. These raptors are all declining in Tasmania and have very little habitat protected elsewhere in formal reserves. The diverse ecosystems are home to four nationally threatened species. Endangered grassland paper daisies dot the highland poa grassland and grassy sedgeland and the Tasmanian devil and spotted tail quoll roam the forests, grasslands and heath. Near-pristine streams, free of the predatory introduced brown trout, support one of Australia’s oldest freshwater fish, the nationally endan- gered Clarence galaxias. The streams flow through one of the property’s most prized environments, the rich- est sphagnum moss beds in Tasma- nia — almost 100ha of threatened alpine sphagnum bogs and fens. The sphagnum moss beds on Skullbone Plains contain fascinating standing wave structures unknown anywhere else on earth. Rich grasslands dominate the property and are interspersed with flowering herb fields, wetlands and moorlands, providing stunning views to complement the ancient glacial landscape. Skullbone Plains is a nationally significant sub-alpine refuge for en- dangered animals and ecosystems but equally importantly, it forms a crucial link with the adjoining Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, the Walls of Jerusalem National Park and other conservation reserves. Together they provide large, contiguous corri- dors of protected areas that will help species adapt to climate change and make them more resilient to other threats. As part of its management pro- gramme, the Tasmanian Land Conservancy is carrying out exten- sive surveys to get a detailed picture of the animals and plants that live there. This information continues to provide an important baseline to help manage biodiversity and ensure Skullbone Plains is managed forever as a world-class nature reserve. T he National Reserve System is Australia’s network of protected areas on public, private and Indigenous land. Following a period of acquisitions and substantial growth over two decades, it consists of over 10,000 properties over 150 million ha covering more than 19 per cent of Australia’s landmass. Skullbone Plains, a 1,647 hectare property adjoining the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, has benefited from the system’s growth. This environment of old-growth forests near pristine wetlands and rare moss beds in the heart of Tasmania’s central highlands provides habitat for several rare and endangered species. Australia David Clode on Unsplash Australia