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Investigations were conducted at 49 sites in New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) to map the location and extent of Sphagnum peatland communities, some of which no longer contained Sphagnum moss. Nine floristic groups were identified for the Sphagnum peatlands based on data from 39 of the surveyed sites. The data were ordinated by hybrid multi-dimensional scaling. The strongest floristic gradients corresponded to changes in altitude, climate and geology and were strongly related to the geographic distribution of sites. While some groups are on land reserved for conservation, others occur on forestry and private land tenures. Reservation has not protected some sites from threatening processes, with most Sphagnum peatland communities surveyed being moss remnants or peatlands in poor condition with invading weed species. The main factors that have led to this degradation are fire, grazing, clearing, feral animals (pigs and brumbies), forestry operations and peat mining.
Floristic composition and environmental relationships of Sphagnum-dominated communities in Victoria
(2003)
Floristic community types and their environmental correlates are described for Sphagnum-dominated communities throughout Victoria. Current threats to the condition of these communities are outlined, with an assessment of their conservation status. Sites from lowland (350 m) to alpine (1780 m) areas were surveyed and seven floristic groups were recognised using cluster analysis and non-metric multi-dimensional scaling techniques. The strongest floristic gradients corresponded to altitude, temperature, rainfall, geology and current condition. Several of the sites surveyed were degraded, with some sites heavily impacted by cattle grazing or invaded by weeds. While some floristic groups, particularly sub-alpine bogs, are reserved in national parks, others such as montane and lowland bogs occur on forestry and private land tenures. Reservation has not protected some sites from threatening processes, most notably in alpine national parks, where cattle grazing has seriously degraded many of these Sphagnum peatland communities to either disclimax communities or isolated moss beds no longer functioning ecologically as peatlands. Further surveys of Sphagnum-dominated communities elsewhere in Victoria are warranted, especially montane and lowland areas. The results suggest Sphagnum-dominated communities will require conservation planning and management action throughout their geographic range in Victoria.