A Compendium of Ecological Information on Australia’s Northern
Tropical Rivers

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

G.P. LukacsA and C.M. FinlaysonB

AAustralian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia

B Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, Australia

Authors

G.P. Lukacs -	Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research, James
Cook University, Townsville Queensland 4811 Australia

C.M. Finlayson -	Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt
University, Albury, New South Wales, Australia

This report should be cited as follows:

Lukacs, G.P. and Finlayson, C.M. 2008. General Introduction. In G.P. Lukacs and C.M. Finlayson (eds) 2008. A Compendium of Ecological Information on Australia’s Northern Tropical Rivers. Sub-project 1 of Australia’s Tropical Rivers – an integrated data assessment and analysis (DET18). A report to Land & Water Australia. National Centre for Tropical Wetland Research, Townsville, Queensland.

Contact information

NCTWR

C/ Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research

James Cook University

Townsville 4811

Queensland Australia

Funding statement

This project was funded by the Natural Heritage Trust Phase 2 (NHT2) and Land & Water Australia (LWA) as part of the Tropical Rivers Inventory and Assessment Project (TRIAP).

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect those of the National Centre for Tropical Wetlands Research and its partners. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this report are factually correct, some  essential  data  rely  on  the  references  cited  and  the NCTWR  do  not  accept responsibility  for  the  accuracy,  currency  or  completeness  of  the  contents  of  this report, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the report. Readers should exercise their own skill and judgment with respect to their use of the material contained in this report.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.	Background and context........................................................... 4

2.	Study Area................................................................................ 5

3.	Strategic Framework ................................................................ 6

4.	Conceptual Approach ............................................................... 7

5.	Linkages to other TRIAP Sub-projects ..................................... 8

6.	Report outline ........................................................................... 9

7.	References ............................................................................. 10

1.	Background and context

Australia’s tropical river and wetland systems possibly represent a unique landscape and form one of the great river drainage networks globally. Furthermore, the network of rivers and wetlands is largely ecologically intact and has not been overly regulated and fragmented as have many large river systems elsewhere (Finlayson and D’Cruz 2005; Nilsson et al 2005; Arthurton et  al  2007).  Together and  individually, Australia’s tropical river  and  wetland systems constitute an internationally significant ecological and social asset (Finlayson and von Oertzen 1992; Australian Tropical Rivers Group 2004). However, increasing pressure on water supply and river systems in southern Australia is driving strong interest in the potential for greater use for agriculture of the perceived abundant water resources in northern Australia (Gehrke et al 2004). The existence of substantial mineral and energy resources in this region is expected to further add to development pressures and increased demand on fresh water resources in the next few decades.

To achieve sustainable development and growth in northern Australia, utilisation of the water resources of our tropical rivers will need to be balanced with providing appropriate protection of the riverine and wetland ecosystems, and the many benefits they provide to society. It will also require sustained effort to reverse the cumulative impacts of over-grazing, invasion by alien species, and changed fire regimes (Douglas et al 1998; Finlayson et al 2005) and to accommodate differing social perspectives and visions for the future (Finlayson et al 1998). For a community-wide vision of sustainable development to be effectively realised, a better understanding of the aquatic ecosystems – the rivers and the wetlands - is required. However, these ecosystems have yet to be studied in a systematic manner (Australian Tropical Rivers Group 2004) despite the opportunities presented by the acquisition of extensive data from new technologies such as remote sensing and GIS (Milne et al 2000; Lowry and Finlayson
2004; Davidson and Finlayson 2007). Across the Australian tropics it is generally only those catchments  with  existing  mining,  urban,  or  intensive  agricultural  development  that  has specific information available on ecology, biology, geomorphology, hydrology and management requirements (Finlayson and von Oertzen 1992; Storrs and Finlayson 1997).

Consequently, the available information is fragmented and insufficient for addressing the management needs of the future (Land & Water Australia 2004). Sustainable management of Australia’s tropical rivers and wetlands will require a strategic and integrated information base for assessment of ecological character, status and change, and the development of policy, especially for environmental flows and potentially competing uses of water (Finlayson and Eliot 2001; Finlayson et al 2009). To progress towards this goal the project “Australia’s tropical rivers – an integrated data assessment and analysis”, more commonly referred to as the Tropical Rivers Inventory and Assessment Project, or TRIAP, was initiated in 2004. The overarching  aim  of  the  TRIAP  was  to  establish  an  integrated  information  base  and framework, built on consultation with stakeholders and analysis of existing information, for assessing status and change of Australia’s tropical rivers (i.e. river basins within the Timor Sea and Gulf of Carpentaria drainage divisions; referred to herein as the Northern Tropical Rivers).

Funded by the Natural Heritage Trust II and Land & Water Australia, and building on the information base compiled by NGIS (2004) and previously established strategic approaches (Finlayson and Eliot 1999; Finlayson et al 2009), the TRIAP comprised three Sub-projects:

1.	Inventory of the biological, chemical and physical features of aquatic ecosystems;

2.	Assessment of the major pressures on aquatic ecosystems; and

3.	Development of a framework for the analysis of ecosystem services provided by aquatic ecosystems.

The outcomes of Sub-projects 2 and 3 have been reported separately by Bartolo et al (2008)
and De Groot et al (2008), respectively. This report presents the outcomes of Sub-project 1.

The major purpose of this project was to undertake a multiple-scale inventory of the habitats and biota of the rivers, floodplains and estuaries of northern Australia and establish an integrated information base  and  framework, built  on  consultation with  stakeholders and analysis of existing information, for assessing status and change of Australia’s tropical rivers within the Timor Sea and Gulf of Carpentaria drainage divisions. The focus area is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1.	The geographic area for the northern tropical rivers inventory. The three focus catchments are shaded red (from Bartolo et al 2008).

The geographic area considered in this project was defined by NGIS (2004) and adopted by Land & Water Australia as the geographic coverage for its Tropical Rivers Program (Land & Water Australia 2005). The area encompasses 51 drainage basins across approximately 1.2 million km2  extending from Broome in Western Australia (Cape Leveque Coast catchment) to the northern tip of Cape York in Queensland (Jardine River catchment). The study considered information from the entire geographic region with more detail being sought for three focus catchments, these being the Fitzroy River in Western Australia, the Daly River in the Northern Territory and the Flinders River in Queensland. The focus catchments were chosen after stakeholder consultation and consideration of their ecological and economic importance.

3.	Strategic Framework

The project was constructed to enable the integration of information from previous data collations and additional published sources to support an initial assessment of the diversity, status and ecological value of aquatic ecosystems across the region. The approach was built around the strategic and multiple-scale framework for integrated inventory, assessment and monitoring developed for the rivers and coastal wetlands in the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory (Finlayson and Eliot 1999; Finlayson et al 2009).

In collaboration with government agencies, educational institutions and local non- governmental and civil organisations, a strategic hierarchical framework for measuring variation in biophysical processes on the coastal plains of the Alligator Rivers Region as well as further afield in northern Australia had been developed and implemented. Development of the strategy followed an assessment of the vulnerability of wetlands within the Alligator Rivers Region to change in climate and rise in sea level (Bayliss et al. 1997; Eliot et al 1999), with the subsequent development of a program for monitoring coastal change (Waterman et al. 2000). The technical components of the strategy were developed after extensive consultation with stakeholders (Finlayson and Eliot 2001) and investigated through multiple projects and analyses over the subsequent decade (Finlayson et al 2009). The consultation and communication steps from Finlayson and Eliot (2001) outlined below were integrated into the strategic framework used to support the inventory component of TRIAP.

•	Establishment and empowerment of an expert centre

•	Consultation with and empowerment of key stakeholders

•	Identification of major processes and causes of ecological change

•	Collation and coordination of available data and information

•	Identification of potential collaborators and partners

•	Design and implementation of technical assessment projects

The technical steps from Finlayson et al (2009) outlined below were integrated into the framework established for undertaking the inventory and providing information for wetland managers across northern Australia.

•	Establish a Geographic Information System structure for data collation, analysis and management

•	Establish and adopt standards for geo-referencing of all field information

•	Acquire data from i) meteorologic and ii) river gauging equipment from automated recording equipment

•	From  available  information  sources,  including  remotely  sensed  images,  estimate historical changes in the rivers and along the coast

•	From available information sources, including remotely sensed images, assess the status and historical changes to the rivers and wetlands

•	From available information, including remotely sensed images and biological records, estimate historical change in the distribution of the fauna and flora of the rivers and wetlands

•	Incorporate  all  spatial  information  and  temporal  descriptions  in  the  Geographic
Information System

•	Acquire  bibliographic materials  and  collate  information on  data  sets  relating  to integrated catchment management in a centralised meta-database

•	Provide a map of the major landforms and landcover within the region as a basis for risk assessments of major pressures

Given the differences in jurisdiction across northern Australia it was not anticipated that a single  authority  or  institution  would  maintain  all  information  required  for  the  above mentioned purposes. With this in mind the strategic framework provided a mechanism for combining  information  obtained  by  different  parties  and  making  it  readily  known  and available to others, as has been done to date by government agencies, local associations, landowners, managers and scientists. The partnership used to implement the strategic framework was based initially around the organisations involved in the National Centre for Tropical  Wetland  Research.  Implementation  comprised  individual  projects  that  were combined to support the key components of the framework.

4.	Conceptual Approach
The conceptual basis for the inventory and assessment undertaken in TRIAP was provided by an integrated framework for wetland inventory, assessment and monitoring (WIAM; Figure
2), the most recent version of which was published by Finlayson et al (2009). The WIAM model, which has been formally adopted and promoted by the Ramsar Wetlands Convention, emphasises that although inventory, assessment and monitoring are discrete components, they are  inter-connected and  can  operate  at  very  different  scales.  For  a  given  investigation, however, scale should be common across all three components to avoid information collected at one scale being used to make decisions or choices at another inappropriate scale (Finlayson et al 2005). Thus, the multi-scalar nature of the WIAM framework is well-suited for analyses across an area as vast and diverse as northern Australia.

Stakeholder Consultation & Communication

INVENTO

ASSESSMENT

MONITORING

Broad scale

Site-specific

Broad- scale

RY

-

Site-specific

Broad- scale

Site-specific

Modelling & Research

Figure 2.	Conceptual model for integrated wetland inventory, assessment and monitoring (WIAM). Modified from Finlayson et al (in press).

The conceptual model shown in Figure 2 was developed to provide information that could be used strategically and in a hierarchical manner to describe the ecological character of river/wetland systems. Maintenance of the ecological character of river/wetlands is a core obligation under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and entails an integrated approach to data collection/collation, assessment and monitoring backed by stakeholder consultation and

communication as well as modelling and research. The model was introduced and adopted by the  Convention after analyses that  illustrated the  generally non-strategic and  incomplete nature of much wetland inventory globally (Finlayson et al 1999). As similar weaknesses existed  in  wetland  inventory across  northern Australia (Spiers  and  Finlayson 1999)  the conceptual model was adopted as the basis for undertaking the inventory component of TRIAP and providing an information resource for assessment and monitoring.

Although the existing biophysical information base for the Northern Tropical Rivers is known to be limited (relative to the size of the region), agricultural and mining development is already occurring and future opportunities are being actively and strategically explored on a northern Australian scale (Commonwealth Government of Australia 2007). Consequently, there is a need to rapidly develop through cost-effective assessments a program of inventory, assessment and monitoring. This project is focussed predominantly on the task of bringing together for the first time a broad range of ecological information to form an inventory base for northern Australia. Previous efforts to compile a suitable inventory base have suffered from inadequate resources with narrow and generally provincial views about data collection and ownership leading to a fragmented and uncoordinated information resource (Spiers and Finlayson 1999).

The inventory data collated through this project will be used to illustrate known areas of biodiversity importance and gaps in information. The data will be linked to a river/wetland typology, which will provide a framework for predicting the possible occurrence of specific biota and habitats within previously unsurveyed areas. The inventory will provide information for policy and management implementation at multiple-scales (e.g. regional, catchment, or individual habitat). This will be possible through the use of GIS data layers and presentation of information at appropriate scales.

Application of the principles outlined in the strategic framework and conceptual model will support the aim of TRIAP to collate and provide information on Australia’s northern rivers and better inform natural resource managers and decision-makers about the ecological status of the rivers and wetlands in northern (tropical) Australia. The overall aim of the project being to: provide an information base for determining management priorities for the rivers and wetlands in northern Australia. This aim has been achieved through the collation of a multiple-scale inventory of the habitats and biota of the rivers and wetlands of northern Australia.

5.	Linkages to other TRIAP Sub-projects
As stated above, this study represents one of three Sub-projects undertaken through the TRIAP. At the outset of the TRIAP, Sub-project 1: Inventory of the Biological, Chemical and Physical Features of the Aquatic Ecosystems of the Northern Tropical Rivers (Lukacs & Finlayson 2008), and Sub-project 2: Ecological Risk Assessments for Australia’s Northern Tropical Rivers (Bartolo, Bayliss and van Dam 2008) were strongly linked through the concept of the integrated WIAM framework (Finlayson et al 2005).

The key linkage is that the inventory data (ie. Sub-project 1) should be able to be used directly for the assessment phase (ie Sub-project 2). Thus, the TRIAP GIS database (ERISS 2008) linked both projects. Much of the data and associated analyses from Sub-project 1 were used in Sub-project 2 as information about ecological assets. Data and information on pressures and threats were compiled through the risk assessment study, as well as a considerable amount of additional ecological assets data and information to supplement that acquired from Sub-project 1. The linkage with Sub-project 3: Development of a Framework for the Analysis of Ecosystem Services Provided by Aquatic Ecosystems (De Groot et al 2008), was less formal, given its site-specific ‘case study’ focus and primary objective of trialing a framework for valuing ecosystem services. Nevertheless, it is not unrelated to this study, and information from Subproject 3 was included in this study where relevant and appropriate.

6.	Report outline

GENERAL INTRODUCTION	George Lukacs & Max Finlayson

TECHNICAL REPORT 1	Geomorphology (Mike Saynor, Wayne Erskine
& John Lowry)

TECHNICAL REPORT 2	Estuaries (Ian Eliot & Matthew Eliot) TECHNICAL REPORT 3	Hydrology (Dene Moliere) TECHNICAL REPORT 4	Riparian vegetation (John Dowe) TECHNICAL REPORT 5	Water quality (Barry Butler)
TECHNICAL REPORT 6	Aquatic macroinvertebrates (Chris Humphrey, Julie Hanley and Caroline Camilleri)

TECHNICAL REPORT 7	Freshwater fish (Damien Burrows) TECHNICAL REPORT 8	Aquatic reptiles (Gary Fox) TECHNICAL REPORT 9	Waterbirds (Donald Franklin) GENERAL SUMMARY	Max Finlayson & George Lukacs

The spatial (Geographic Information System) data for the analyses has been made available on	a	DVD	(ERISS	2008)	that	can	be	obtained	from	the	ERISS	website (enquiries_ssd@environment.gov.au).

The general summary presents the main outcomes from the individual technical reports; readers are referred to the individual reports for details of data sources and analyses etc as undertaken.

7.	References

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Australian Tropical Rivers Group (2004). Securing the North: Australia’s Tropical Rivers. A Statement by the Australian Tropical Rivers Group. Published by WWF Australia, Sydney, 4 pp.

Bartolo R, Bayliss P & van Dam R 2008. Ecological risk assessment for Australia’s northern tropical rivers. Sub-project 2 of Australia’s Tropical Rivers – an integrated data assessment and analysis (DET18). A report to Land & Water Australia. Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist, National Centre for Tropical Wetland Research, Darwin NT.

Bayliss BL, Brennan KG, Eliot I, Finlayson CM, Hall RN, House T, Pidgeon RWJ, Walden D
& Waterman P 1997. Vulnerability assessment of the possible effects of predicted climate change and sea level rise in the Alligator Rivers Region, Northern Territory, Australia. Supervising Scientist Report 123, Supervising Scientist, Canberra. 134 pp.

Commonwealth Government of Australia 2007. A NationalPlan for Water Security. Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 25 January 2007.

Davidson NC & Finlayson CM 2007. Developing tools for wetland management: inventory, assessment and monitoring – gaps and the application of satellite-based radar. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 17, 219-228.

De Groot R, Finlayson M, Verschuuren B, Ypma O & Zylstra M 2008. Integrated assessment of wetland services and values as a tool to analyze policy trade-offs and management options: A  case study in  the Daly and Mary River  catchments, northern Australia. Supervising Scientist Report 198, Supervising Scientist, Darwin, NT, Australia.

Douglas M, Finlayson CM & Storrs MJ 1998. Weed management in tropical wetlands of the Northern Territory, Australia. In WD Williams (ed), Wetlands in a Dry Land: Understanding for Management, Environment Australia, Biodiversity Group, Canberra. pp 239-251.

Eliot I, Finlayson CM & Waterman P 1999. Predicted climate change, sea level rise and wetland management in the Australian wet-dry tropics. Wetlands Ecology and Management 7, 63-81.

ERISS 2008. DVD, Spatial (Geographic Information System) data: Australia’s Tropical Rivers
– an integrated data assessment and analysis (DET18). 2 vols, Supervising Scientist
Division, Darwin, NT.

Finlayson CM & Eliot I 2001. Wetland monitoring in the wet-dry tropics - a paradigm for elsewhere in Australia? Coastal Management 29, 105-115.

Finlayson, CM, D’Cruz R & Davidson NJ 2005. Ecosystem services and human well-being:
water and wetlands synthesis. World Resources Institute, Washington DC, USA

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Finlayson  CM  &  von  Oertzen  IAML  1992.  Wetlands  of  Australia:  Northern  (Tropical) Australia. In DJ Whigham, H Dykyova & S Heijny (eds) Wetlands of the World I:

Inventory,  Ecology  and  Management,  Kluwer  Academic  Publishers,  Dordrecht.  pp
195-243.

Finlayson CM, Eliot I & Eliot M (in press). A strategic framework for monitoring coastal change in Australia’s wet-dry tropics — concepts and progress. Australian Geographic.

Finlayson CM, Davidson NC, Spiers AG & Stevenson NJ 1999. Global wetland inventory –
status and priorities. Marine and Freshwater Research 50, 717-727.

Gehrke P, Bristow K, Bunn S, Douglas M, Edgar B, Finlayson M, Hamilton S, Loneragan N, Lund M, Pearson R, Prosser I & Robson C 2004. Sustainable Futures for Australia’s Tropical Rivers – A strategy for developing research directions for Australia’s tropical river systems. CSIRO Land and Water Technical Report No. 17/04, 19 pp.

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Lowry J & Finlayson CM 2004. A review of spatial datasets for wetland inventory in northern
Australia. Supervising Scientist Report 178, Darwin, Australia.

Milne AK, Horn G & Finlayson M 2000. Monitoring wetlands inundation patterns using
RADARSAT multitemporal data. Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing 26, 133-141.

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Australia, Canberra, ACT.

Nilsson C, Reidy, AR, Dynesius,M & Revenga, C 2005. Fragmentation and flow regulation of the World’s large river systems. Science 308, 405-408.

Storrs MJ & Finlayson CM 1997. Overview of the conservation status of wetlands of the
Northern Territory. Supervising Scientist Report 116, Supervising Scientist, Canberra.
90 pp.

Spiers AG & Finlayson CM 1999. An assessment of the extent of wetland inventory data held in Australia. In CM Finlayson & AG Spiers (eds), Techniques for Enhanced Wetland Inventory, Assessment and Monitoring. Supervising Scientist Report 147, Supervising Scientist Group, Canberra. pp 1-43.

Waterman P, Finlayson CM & Eliot I 2000. Assessment and monitoring of coastal change in the Alligator Rivers Region, northern Australia: a review of initial activities. In I Eliot, M Saynor, M Eliot &  CM Finlayson (eds), Assessment and monitoring of coastal change in the Alligator Rivers Region, northern Australia. Supervising Scientist Report 157, Darwin. pp 149-161.