From September 1994, 344 sites were surveyed for flora and fauna (with a further 254 being surveyed for flora only) in the stony deserts of South Australia. This area includes the stony country of the Lake Eyre Basin extending north and north west from the Flinders Ranges to the Queensland and Northern Territory borders, and the Arcoona Plateau west of Lake Torrens. All plant species within a 1 ha quadrat were recorded and their cover abundance estimated.
Vertebrate animals were systematically recorded through direct observations of individuals and traces, and trapping using metal box, pitfall and wire cage traps. Collections were also made opportunistically through spot light observations, predator scat and gut analysis, mist nets, harp traps and bat call recordings. The number of records contributing to the South Australian Biological Survey Database as a result of this survey were: 14784 plants, 4994 birds, 1327 reptiles, 1546 mammals.
Site based information from eight other survey efforts, which overlapped the study area, were included in the analyses.
This resulted in the description of 29 floristically distinct plant communities. The vertebrate analyses related 18 bird, 18 reptile and 15 mammal assemblages, as well as seven frog species, to the landform parameters and vegetation analyses.
Of the 784 plant taxa recorded for the study area only 6% of species were recent introductions. Forty-seven species of conservation significance were identified as occurring in the study area. Twenty were of national conservation significance and 20 were of State conservation significance. The other seven nationally significant species known to occur in the survey area were not recorded at survey sites. Nine species are considered to be endemic to the stony deserts. A further five plant taxa, yet to be described, may be added to this list.
Of the 157 bird species recorded at sites in the study area only one species (recorded at one site) was a European introduction. Forty-two of these are rated as species of conservation significance with four having a national conservation rating. None are endemic to the study area but the stony deserts provide a critical area of habitat for four species.
The 81 reptile species recorded at sites in the study area represent 80% of the total known reptile fauna. Three of these are rated as being of national conservation significance. Four species are considered to be endemic to the study area which also represents the bulk of suitable habitat in South Australia for a further four species.
Of the 40 mammal species recorded at sites in the survey area ten were recent introductions. The 30 native species recorded represent 83% of the known extant mammal fauna. Fifteen species are rated as being of conservation significance of which six are rated at the national level. Three species are considered to be endemic to the stony deserts and two have the bulk of their South Australian distribution within these habitats.
Seven of the ten frog species known from the study area were recorded during the surveys - five at sites and two opportunistically. The other three species have only rarely been recorded. The Innamincka region supports the highest diversity of species (7). Generally, species richness decreases with latitude through the study area - northern regions with more than five species and southern regions with less than four species.
Structural vegetation groups were mapped at a scale of 1:250000 across the study area and these are presented as two 1:650000 scale maps with the report. Geometrically rectified Landsat TM imagery and aerial photography were used to assist in the extrapolation of vegetation boundaries from site based data.
Sites and areas containing high species richness and high diversity of conservation significant species were identified from the site survey information. This information can be used as a basis for identifying areas of high conservation significance for the various taxonomic groups. Important habitat features such as the Davenport Range were not identified by this process, because the sampling intensity did not adequately investigate the complexity of this and other local systems of minor extent. Conservation measures and National Estate values were also discussed.