Scaly-leaved featherflower
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- Bu səhifədəki naviqasiya:
- Road, fence and firebreak maintenance activities
- Inappropriate fire regimes
- Guide for decision-makers
- Benefits to other species or ecological communities
- International obligations
- Role and interests of indigenous people
- Social and economic impacts
- Evaluation of the plan’s performance
- Criteria for failure
- Future recovery actions
Threats Verticordia spicata subsp. squamosa was declared as Rare Flora in June 1995. It is currently listed as Critically Endangered (CR) under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 due to its restricted distribution, low numbers of plants and continuing decline in the quality of habitat. V. spicata subsp. squamosa is listed as Endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
It currently meets Red List (IUCN 2000) category ‘CR’ under criteria A4c; Ba1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v); C2a(i) and D.
Clearing for agriculture around the Three Springs area began early in the 1900s, and has resulted in extensive habitat loss. There has been additional widening of roads and clearing of road reserves in the Shires of Three Springs and Mingenew in the past 10 years. The road reserve at Population 2 was graded in 1990 resulting in the loss of several plants and significant reduction in the amount of available habitat. The main threats to the taxon are poor recruitment, weeds, edge effects, rabbits, road and fence maintenance and inappropriate fire regimes.
Interim Recovery Plan for Verticordia spicata subsp. squamosa
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Population 4b. It may be due to one or a combination of the following: low seed viability, an absence of germination triggers such as fire or smoke, and the high level of weed competition or grazing. Seed viability has been found to be variable but is generally low, and is particularly low in the populations that consist of a single plant (Ginger 1999). •
Weed invasion and competition are threats to all populations. Weeds suppress plant growth and recruitment by competing for soil moisture, nutrients and light. They also exacerbate grazing pressure and increase the fire hazard as grassy weeds produce large amounts of fuel annually.
• Edge effects severely affect small populations, (especially narrow linear populations such as those on road reserves) by exposure to influences from adjacent cleared land. In addition to the proximity of a weed seed source, effects include increased wind speed, fertiliser and herbicide spray drift and runoff, modified hydrology and altered disturbance regimes, including fire.
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Degraded habitat is a threat to all populations. The lack of associated native vegetation increases the likelihood that pollinators will be infrequent or absent. In addition, the lack of available habitat for recruitment is of concern. Six of the nine populations occur on narrow road reserves in an extensively cleared landscape. •
Rabbit warren construction is causing soil disturbance at most roadside populations, in particular Populations 1, 3 and 6a. Population 6b occurs on private property and the habitat also contains rabbit warrens. Increasing nutrient levels and weeds introduced from rabbit droppings are also impacting on the habitat of the taxon. Grazing is likely to impact on the establishment of Verticordia spicata subsp. squamosa seedlings, thereby limiting natural recruitment.
• Road, fence and firebreak maintenance activities threaten plants and habitat at road reserve populations of Verticordia spicata subsp. squamosa. These include actions such as grading the road reserves, chemical spraying, constructing drainage channels and mowing the roadside vegetation to improve visibility. These disturbance events also often encourage weed invasion into adjacent habitat.
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Inappropriate fire regimes would adversely affect the viability of populations, as seeds of Verticordia spicata subsp. squamosa probably germinate following fire. If this is the case, the soil seed bank would rapidly be depleted if fires recurred before regenerating or juvenile plants reached maturity and replenished the soil seed bank. High fire frequency also results in a temporary increase in the availability of nutrients, and this favours weed establishment (Panetta and Hopkins 1991). However, it is likely that occasional fires are needed for reproduction of this taxon, but fire appears to be very infrequent in the habitat of the known populations. Interim Recovery Plan for Verticordia spicata subsp. squamosa
Summary of population information and threats Pop. No. & Location Land Status Year/No. plants Condition Threats 1. NNE of Three Springs Shire road reserve
1992 2 1995 6
1995 2 2000 5
2003 1 Moderate Road and fence maintenance activities, weeds, rabbits, agricultural chemical drift, grazing by stock through fences, drought 2. NE of Three Springs Shire road reserve 1992 3
1999 0 2000 0
Cleared 3. ENE of Yandanooka Shire road reserve
1994 1 1995 1
1997 1 1999 1
2000 1 2001 1
2003 0 [1] Poor
Road maintenance activities, weeds, agricultural chemical drift, rabbits, drought 4a. E of Yandanooka Shire road reserve
1992 1 1995 0
1997 0 1999 0
Poor Road maintenance activities, high level weed competition, agricultural chemical drift 4b. E of Yandanooka Private property 1993 12 1995 10 1998 11 1999 4
2000 4 (2) 2001 5 (4) 2003 8 (2) Moderate Grazing by sheep, firebreak maintenance, shading, drought 5. NE of Three Springs Shire reserve 1995 2 Moderate Quarrying, weeds 6a. NE of Three Springs Shire road reserve
1995 15 1999 10 2000 15 2002 15 2003 12 Moderate Road maintenance activities, high level weed competition, agricultural chemical drift, rabbits, drought 6b. NE of Three Springs Private property 1995 7
1999 7 2003 6
Moderate Grazing by sheep, rabbits, degraded habitat, drought 7. ENE of Yandanooka Shire road reserve
1996 1 1999 1
2001 1 2003 1
Poor Road and fence maintenance activities, high level rabbit disturbance, drought, weeds, agricultural chemical drift, shading 8. E of Yandanooka Shire (unconstructed) road reserve 2000 1
2002 1 2003 1
Moderate Road construction, fence and firebreak maintenance activities, weeds, agricultural chemical drift, drought, rabbits 9T. N of Yandanooka Private property 06.01 (8) 01.02 (8) 06.02 (6+21) 12.02 (4+19) 10.03 0+3 (3+8) Moderate Drought, rabbits
Numbers in brackets = number of juveniles. Plants in 9T listed by year of planting; ie, from 2001 planting + from 2002 planting.
Section 1 provides details of current and possible future threats. Any on-ground works (clearing, firebreaks, roadworks etc) in the immediate vicinity of Verticordia spicata subsp. squamosa will require assessment. On-ground works should not be approved unless the proponents can demonstrate that they will not have an impact on the taxon, its habitat or potential habitat. Interim Recovery Plan for Verticordia spicata subsp. squamosa
Critical habitat Critical habitat is habitat identified as being critical to the survival of a listed threatened species or listed threatened ecological community. Habitat is defined as the biophysical medium or media occupied (continuously, periodically or occasionally) by an organism or group of organisms or once occupied (continuously, periodically or occasionally) by an organism, or group of organisms, and into which organisms of that kind have the potential to be reintroduced (EPBC Act).
known habitat for wild and translocated populations is critical habitat. This includes: •
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areas of similar habitat within 200 metres of populations, i.e. open mallee over low scrub on deep yellow sands (these provide potential habitat for natural range extension); •
corridors of remnant vegetation that link populations (these are necessary to allow pollinators to move between populations and are usually road and rail verges); and •
in the past (these represent possible translocation sites).
Three Priority flora (Atkins 2003) species are known from the habitat of Verticordia spicata subsp.
(Priority 3). In addition, recovery actions such as weed control or planting of buffer vegetation at V. spicata subsp. squamosa populations will help to protect the ecological community in which the populations are located.
This plan is fully consistent with the aims and recommendations of the Convention on Biological Diversity, ratified by Australia in June 1993, and will assist in implementing Australia’s responsibilities under that Convention. V. spicata subsp. squamosa is not specifically listed under any international treaty, and therefore this plan does not affect Australia’s obligations under any other international agreements.
Indigenous communities interested or involved in the regions affected by this plan have not yet been identified. The Aboriginal Sites Register maintained by the Department of Indigenous Affairs does not list any significant sites in the vicinity of these populations. Implementation of recovery actions under this plan will include consideration of the role and interests of indigenous communities in the region, and this is discussed in the recovery actions.
Some populations of Verticordia spicata subsp. squamosa occur on private land and negotiations will continue with regard to the future management of these populations. The implementation of this recovery plan has the potential to have some social and economic impact, where populations are located on private property or other lands that are not specifically managed for conservation such as road reserves. Recovery actions refer to continued liaison between stakeholders with regard to these areas.
CALM will evaluate the performance of this IRP in conjunction with the Geraldton District Threatened Flora Recovery Team and the Moora District Threatened Flora Recovery Team. In addition to annual reporting on progress with listed actions and comparison against the criteria for success and failure, the plan is to be reviewed within five years of its implementation.
The objective of this Interim Recovery Plan is to abate identified threats and maintain or enhance in situ populations to ensure the long-term preservation of the species in the wild.
Interim Recovery Plan for Verticordia spicata subsp. squamosa
Criteria for success: The number of individuals within populations and/or the number of populations have increased by ten percent or more over the five year period of the plan. Criteria for failure: The number of individuals within populations have decreased by ten percent or more over the five year period of the plan.
All relevant land managers have been notified of the location and threatened status of the taxon. The notification details the Declared Rare status of Verticordia spicata subsp. squamosa and the associated legal responsibilities.
Declared Rare Flora (DRF) markers have been installed at Populations 1, 3, 6a and 7. These alert people working in the area to the presence of significant flora, and help to prevent accidental damage. Awareness of the significance of these markers has been promoted to relevant land managers such as local government authorities.
Populations 4b and 6b on private property were fenced in 1997 to prevent sheep grazing and trampling plants and habitat. Rabbit-proof enclosures were installed over the juveniles at Population 4b in May 2000. These were replaced with larger enclosures in December 2003.
Spot weed control was undertaken at Populations 3 and 6a as part of a weed control research project (Obbens 1997). Both sites were spot sprayed with Fusilade in August 1996, achieving patchy but generally good control of target weeds including wild oats (Avena sp.) and annual veldt grass (Ehrharta longiflora). Care was taken to avoid herbicide drift on to non-target plants during spraying. No native species were damaged by the weed control, and this includes several monocot species and Austrostipa elegantissima, a native grass present in the habitat. Small outbreaks of broadleaf weeds occurred once grasses were reduced. Weed control with Fusilade and spotspraying of Roundup was implemented at Populations 3, 4a, 4b and 7 in May 2000. Some hand removal of wild oats has since been undertaken at Populations 3 and 7, and these populations were weed-free in January 2001.
Research into the reproductive biology, seed bank dynamics and seed germination physiology (particularly the response to smoke) was undertaken as part of an Honours project on V. spicata subsp. squamosa and V. albida (Ginger 1999). Details of his findings about number of flowers produced, seed viability, soil stored seed reserves and germination response to smoke were reported in his thesis.
In 2000 CALM staff from Geraldton District attempted to stimulate seed germination with the application of smoke granules in association with weed control. Quadrats were established around each plant in June 2000, and smoke granules applied. Seedlings were evident by August 2000, although by November it was apparent that none of these were of V. spicata subsp. squamosa. It is thought that germination failure is at least partially due to the dry winter experienced that year and the following year.
Approximately 3,700 seeds have been stored at CALM’s Threatened Flora Seed Centre (TFSC), collected from Populations 1, 4b, 6a and 7 over the years 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2002. The initial germination rate of this seed was found to range from 7% to 100%, and after one year in storage ranged from 33% to 100% (unpublished data A. Cochrane 3 ). More seed was collected in December 2003 from Populations 1, 4b, 6a, 6b and 8. Seed was unavailable for collection due to plant absence at Populations 2, 3 and 4a, a lack of flowering at Population 7, and plant immaturity at Population 9T. The quantity and viability of these seed collections is unknown as they have not yet been processed. The seed will be stored at the TFSC until sent to the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (BGPA) nursery to be propagated for translocation.
This taxon has proved very difficult to propagate. Trial grafting of Verticordia spicata subsp. squamosa onto rootstock of Chamelaucium uncinatum was undertaken in 1994, but none of the 58 grafts were successful. Only ten plants resulted from 916 cuttings struck by the BGPA nursery in 1999 and 2001. Seven of those died within 7 months, and the remaining three plants were planted into Population 9T in 2002. An unknown
3 Anne Cochrane, Manager, CALM's Threatened Flora Seed Centre Interim Recovery Plan for Verticordia spicata subsp. squamosa
number of seeds have been sown and smoke treated, with 18 germinants surviving to juvenile stage. All of these were also included in the translocation in 2002 (A. Shade 4 , personal communication). Historically, some plants were planted into the Botanic Garden, but there is evidence that these were of the V. comosa x
spicata subsp. squamosa hybrid (George 2002).
A translocation was developed by staff from CALM’s Geraldton District and implemented in cooperation with the Mingenew Herbarium Group, part of the Mingenew Land Conservation District Committee (LCDC). Assistance with funding was provided by the Threatened Species Network program of the World Wide Fund for Nature. The translocation site is on remnant vegetation on private property, which is protected by a Conservation Covenant. The owner of this land is associated with the Mingenew LCDC. The first planting of eight juveniles occurred in June 2001. All translocates are planted with individual rabbit- proof enclosures and drip-lines from a gravity-fed watering system that is switched on over summer. However, there have been repeated failures of the control box of this watering system, resulting in extended periods over summer with no delivery of water to translocates. Four direct seeding plots were also fenced and seeded. Treatments tested were smoke (applied as vermiculite), raking, and both smoke and raking. Seeded plots were not watered over summer. No seedlings were observed in the seeded plots at any time, although monitoring continued to October 2003. An additional 21 juveniles were planted in June 2002, all with individual rabbit-proof enclosures and driplines. Failures of the watering control box recurred over the summers of 2002 and 2003. The landowner supported the project with occasional manual watering at these times. Survival of the translocates is recorded in the following table.
A double-sided information sheet has been produced, and includes a description of V. spicata subsp. squamosa, its habitat, threats, recovery actions and photos. This will be reprinted, and continue to be distributed to the community through local libraries, wildflower shows and other avenues. It is hoped that this may result in the discovery of new populations, and will raise community awareness of the value of native flora.
Staff from CALM’s Moora and Geraldton Districts regularly monitor all populations of this taxon. Liaison with local residents led to the confirmation of a new population - Population 8.
The Moora District Threatened Flora Recovery Team and the Geraldton District Threatened Flora Recovery Team are overseeing the implementation of this IRP.
Where populations occur on lands other than those managed by CALM, permission has been or will be sought from appropriate land managers prior to recovery actions being undertaken. The following recovery actions are roughly in order of descending priority; however this should not constrain addressing any of the priorities if funding is available for ‘lower’ priorities and other opportunities arise. 1. Coordinate recovery actions
The Geraldton District and Moora District Threatened Flora Recovery Teams will coordinate recovery actions for Verticordia spicata subsp. squamosa and other Declared Rare Flora in their districts. They will include information on progress in their annual reports to CALM’s Corporate Executive and funding bodies.
4 Amanda Shade, Horticulturalist, Botanic Garden and Parks Authority 2001 plantings 2002 plantings Year No.
surviving % survival
Year No.
surviving % survival
Initial (Jun 2001) 8
Jan 2002 8 100
Jun 2002 6 75 Initial (Jun 2002) 21
Dec 2002 4 50
Dec 2002 18
86 Oct 2003 3 38
Oct 2003 8 38 Interim Recovery Plan for Verticordia spicata subsp. squamosa
Kataloq: system -> files -> resources resources -> 3 Plant species and sites 1 Target species resources -> Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia Ecological Community Draft National Recovery Plan resources -> Conservation Management Zones of Australia Eastern Australia Tropical Forests and Woodlands resources -> It is intended that this Plan be implemented over a ten-year period resources -> Magenta Lilly Pilly Syzygium paniculatum resources -> Appendix 4 the responses of native australian plant species to phytophthora cinnamomi resources -> National Recovery Plan Magenta Lilly Pilly Syzygium paniculatum resources -> 1 Introduction 1 1 Background 1 resources -> Syzygium eucalyptoides resources -> Fitzgerald biosphere recovery plan Yüklə 159,34 Kb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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