Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00045:body:0:p13
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00045
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structure and function is likely to take several decades (McDougall, 2007). Furthermore, if Sphagnum has been completely lost from a site, both the Sphagnum and the bogs that depend on it for the development of permanently moist conditions, may become locally extinct unless new Sphagnum plants can be introduced (Walsh and McDougall, 2004).

The impacts of threats acting on the ecological community may be exacerbated by the interaction of more than one threat: for example, bushfires, particularly frequent bushfires render the ecological community more susceptible to weed invasion.

The jurisdictions involved in the development of this plan, already manage and/or have historically managed these threats to some degree, including through whole of Alps efforts with the Australian government. Continued coordination and cooperation under the guidance of this national recovery plan will be beneficial to the long-term mitigation of threats.

4.1 National severity rating

A risk assessment, estimating the likelihood of a threat occurring and the consequence of its occurrence, was undertaken for each of the key identified threats at the jurisdictional level. The risk assessment was undertaken for both known (existing) threats and potential threats that are new or emerging. Dealing with the emergence of a new threat or new incursion of an existing threat quickly, before it establishes, should be considered a high priority and will be more cost effective.

The risk assessment ratings were consolidated to provide an overall national level severity rating (Table 1). It is acknowledged that state by state, the severity ratings against the threats below may vary slightly. This is reflected in the prioritisation of the actions and tasks in Table 2, where state by state prioritisations of tasks may vary.

Table 1: National Severity rating of key threats
Category                                                                                     Threat (source)                                                National Severity Rating
Climate change                                                                               Climate change                                                 Very High
Fire                                                                                         Fire frequency and  intensity                                  Very High
Domestic stock                                                                               Grazing and trampling                                          Very High
Invasive species                                                                             Feral horses                                                   Very High

Deer                                                                                         High
Feral pigs                                                                                   High
Rabbits and hares                                                                            Low
Foxes (impacts on fauna)                                                                      Medium
Cats (impacts on fauna)                                                                       Medium
Trout (impacts on fauna)                                                                      High
Invasive species                                                                             Weeds – woody                                                   Very High

Weeds – non-woody                                                                             Very high
Pathogens/disease (including chytrid, Phytophthora, and potentially myrtle rust and Didymo)   Very High
Infrastructure, development and recreation                                                   Water infrastructure (includes aqueducts, hydro developments)  Very High

Resort development                                                                           High
                                                                                             Tracks and Roads                                               Medium
                                                                                             Off-track recreation use                                       Medium
Resource use                                                                                 Peat and Sphagnum harvesting                                   Very High

Timber harvesting                                                                            Medium
                                                                                             Ground-water extraction                                        Medium

4.2 Climate change

Climate change must be considered as the most insidious threat impacting the Alpine Sphagnum Bogs and Associated Fens ecological community, even though the future implications and specific details are as yet unclear (Keith, 2004; McDougall and Walsh, 2007; Williams and McDougall, 2007). Climate change has