Flooding requirements for biodiversity values along the victorian floodplain of the murray valley

摘要

Overbank flooding of rivers is a key process in the maintenance of vegetation types and the species that rely on the fl oodplain forests and woodlands of northern Victoria. Yet the flooding requirements of species and vegetation types are poorly known. Here we present initial estimates of the water requirements for fl ooddependent Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs) and rare and threatened fl ora and fauna species associated with the fl oodplain of the Murray River and its tributaries. Some 110 EVCs were found to be at least partly fl ood-dependent on the Murray River fl oodplains. The total current extent of these EVCs in the study area is 224 247 ha, of which 162 266 ha are on public land. One hundred and twenty-four rare or threatened plant taxa and 62 threatened vertebrate fauna taxa (excluding fish) were classifi ed as at least partly fl ood-dependent. These initial estimates provide important information for land and water managers and researchers alike.