The Little Llangothlin Nature Reserve Ramsar site is located between Armidale and Glen Innes on the New England Tablelands in north-eastern New South Wales (NSW). The Ramsar site comprises all of the 257.6 hectare Nature Reserve which is managed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. The two main wetlands which occur within the Ramsar site, Little Llangothlin Lagoon and Billy Bung Lagoon, are upland lakes on the plateau of the New England Tablelands. Little Llangothlin Lagoon is a permanent lake of approximately 105 hectares in size and 2 metres in depth, one of the largest and deepest lakes within the New England Tablelands lakes system which enables it to contain water in almost all years except during extreme droughts. Its size and depth and its consequent ability to provide a relatively permanent water source makes it a valuable drought refuge for waterbirds. Little Llangothlin Nature Reserve Ramsar site also contains a portion, approximately 7.7 hectares, of the intermittent 17 hectare Billy Bung Lagoon. In addition the site supports terrestrial habitat including about 44 hectare of eucalypt woodland with grass understorey (including patches of the nationally threatened ecological community ‘New England peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) grassy woodlands’) and cleared areas that are predominantly grasslands containing kangaroo grass (Themeda australis) and exotic pasture species (Benson and Ashby 2000). The grasslands support the nationally endangered Austral toadflax (Thesium australe), a small plant which parasitises the roots of kangaroo grass. The site regularly supports large numbers of waterbirds and waders, and is an important drought refuge for waterbirds. The nationally endangered Australasian bittern has been recorded twice at the site in recent years and is suspected to breed there. Little Llangothlin Nature Reserve was traditionally used by Indigenous peoples and numerous artefacts have been found at the site. Currently the Ramsar site is used for scientific research, teaching, and nature-based recreation.
Little Llangothlin Nature Reserve
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Government evidence of impact of climate change:
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Australian Government, Little Llangothlin Nature Reserve Ramsar Site, Ecological Character Description
The climate at LLNR Ramsar site is likely to differ from that at nearby weather stations as a result of higher elevation which is likely to result in slightly lower winter minimum temperatures and increased frosts as a result of the adiabatic lapse rate; which varies between 0.98 degrees Celsius for dry air and 1.5 degrees Celsius for saturated air for every metres of increased elevation (BOM 2010b) cold air drainage and potential temperature inversions as a result of local topography Guyra is situated on the exposed top of a plateau with little surrounding higher land unlike LLNR Ramsar site which varies in height by around 50 metres; the lakes being the lowest locations in the immediate area and potentially subject to cold air drainage which may lower the minimum winter temperature resulting in more frequent frosts; especially in drainage lines and on the alluvial flats adjoining the lakes.
In summary; climate change is likely to result in changes to the ecology of LLNR Ramsar site; however the specific nature of those changes is far from certain.
The climate is changing (see Section 7.5) and there is evidence that the annual rainfall has reduced by around 15 millimetres in the period since 1996 (CSIRO 2007) however this is not considered sufficient to result in any significant change in hydrology.
In summary; climate change is likely to result in changes to the ecology of LLNR Ramsar site; however the specific nature of those changes is far from certain.
The climate is changing (see Section 7.5) and there is evidence that the annual rainfall has reduced by around 15 millimetres in the period since 1996 (CSIRO 2007) however this is not considered sufficient to result in any significant change in hydrology.
Little Llangothlin Lagoon only dries out in extreme drought (Brock et al. 1999; 41).
LLNR Ramsar site provides a habitat refuge for numerous species of waterbird which increase significantly in number at Little Llangothlin Lagoon during times of drought (White 1987).
Little Llangothlin Lagoon only dries out in extreme drought (Brock et al. 1999; 41).
The outlet at Little Llangothlin Lagoon is within the LLNR Ramsar site and could potentially be lowered as a result of erosion (e.g. resulting from direct or indirect human interference such as from vehicular or pedestrian access or (less likely) as a result of the activity of an introduced pest species such as rabbits); or by any planned activity to change the water regime of the lake; such as drying it out temporarily to improve the ecology or to remove a pest species.
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