In the Nick of Time – Post-drought recovery of two threatened Zieria species in central-western New South Wales. By Darren Shelly et al. (Australasian Plant Conservation 30(1): 13-16).
The Bendethera Shrublands are a unique and fascinating ecological community restricted to less than 100 hectares on a series of steep limestone outcrops in the Deua River valley. The community is characterised by a dense shrub layer to around 7.5 metres height and dominated by Acacia covenyi, a locally endemic species, whose blue foliage forms a striking contrast with adjacent Eucalyptus forests (Figure 1a). Scattered eucalypts and kurrajongs emerge above the shrub thicket in places, the latter, according to conventional wisdom, indicating the location of dolines (a shallow, funnel-shaped depression of the ground surface, typically found in karst/limestone regions) in the underlying bedrock. The shrublands were located within the epicentre of some of the most severely burnt areas of the south coast. The fires were preceded by prolonged drought and followed by intense rainfall. We evaluated the impacts of these factors when we returned to our established monitoring sites in November 2020 … [Full-text PDF].
It’s not all about the birds and the bees – Challenges and triumphs of Conservation Seed Orchards at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. By Lorraine Perrins (Australasian Plant Conservation 29(2): 12-14).
One goal of the Tasmanian Seed Conservation Centre, based at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens (RTBG), is to have all of Tasmania’s rare and threatened species and communities secured as long-term collections. Some major challenges in achieving this are:
- 20% of Tasmania is remote Wilderness World Heritage with limited accessibility on foot, by air or sea.
- Many threatened species occur in remote or inaccessible areas, meaning monitoring for seed harvest can be difficult and very expensive.
- Some species occur in very small populations and/or occur sporadically across large areas making locating and harvesting difficult.
Developing ‘Conservation Seed Orchards’ often referred to as ‘Field Genebanks’ can provide a way to overcome some of these obstacles by providing ready access to genetically diverse collections. These are not without their own difficulties however, which can differ for individual sites and species, and need to be recognised and managed accordingly… [Full-text PDF]
Plant conservation and fire. By Tony Auld et al. (Australasian Plant Conservation 28(4): 3-5).
Germination of the rarely seen Pink Flannel Flower (Actinotus forsythii; Apiaceae). By Ruby Paroissien et al. (Australasian Plant Conservation 28(3): 3-5).
Fire is an important driver shaping the composition of plant communities in Australia. Fire ephemerals are a unique element of the fire-vegetation relationship, emerging in the first few months after fire and persisting only for one to several years. These species have a strong dependence on fire to germinate and, as ephemerals only live a short time in their plant phase, spend the majority of their life cycle as seeds in the soil. Consequently, it is likely that they have developed relatively complex and specific requirements to overcome dormancy and promote germination … [Full-text PDF]
New discoveries for the endangered Illawarra Socketwood (Daphnandra johnsonii, Atherospermataceae). By Jedda Lemmon (Australasian Plant Conservation 28(2):13-15).
The New South Wales Government’s Saving our Species program (SoS) aims to secure threatened flora in the wild through targeted conservation projects. Monitoring and conservation efforts for the Illawarra Socketwood (Daphnandra johnsonii), listed as Endangered on boththe NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, has resulted in multiple gains in our knowledge of this species. The Illawarra Socketwood Recovery Plan (DEC 2005) highlighted that limited seed development and factors responsible for the production of ‘pseudo fruit’ are essential aspects of the species’ biology requiring investigation. We are pleased to report that we are now able to explain the cause of deformed fruit in this species. Increased field survey and monitoring has also led to the discovery of many new populations, and we have commenced genetic work to better understand the extent of clonality in this species…. [Full-text PDF]
Threatened plant translocation study: Posidonia australis (Strapweed), Posidoniaceae. By Guilia Ferretto et al. (Australasian Plant Conservation 28(1): 24-26).
Posidonia australis meadows occur in six NSW estuaries (Port Hacking, Botany Bay, Sydney Harbour, Pittwater, Brisbane Waters and Lake Macquarie) have experienced large reductions in distribution since the mid-1900s. It is at risk of becoming locally extinct in some estuaries due to ongoing impacts. One of the ongoing impacts for loss of P. australis in NSW estuaries is traditional swing moorings (Glasby and West 2018). These moorings are composed of a large concrete block connected to a heavy chain that drags along the seafloor as the boat swings on its axis due to shifting wind and tides, directly removing seagrass shoots (Demers et al. 2013). Swing moorings create bare patches or scars that destabilise the sediment and change hydrodynamic conditions, resulting in fragmented meadows (Figure 1) … [Full text PDF]
Fire is the key to survival of Avenue Cassinia. By Bryan Haywood (Australasian Plant Conservation 27(4): 21-23). 
Avenue Cassinia (Cassinia tegulata) is a nationally threatened species occurring in south-eastern Australia. The species has a limited range, in the South East region of South Australia to western Victoria. With a preference for interdunal wetland habitats, Avenue Cassinia has undergone significant reductions in both area of occupancy and population size as a direct result of extensive drainage and land clearance (Thompson and Haywood 2017). Other major threats to the species’ long-term survival include climate change, population isolation (limiting recruitment and decreasing genetic diversity), herbivore pressure, environmental weeds, loss of Indigenous use of fire as a land management tool and overall lack of species knowledge…. [Full text PDF]
Threatened plant translocation case study: Grevillea scapigera (Corrigin Grevillea), Proteaceae. By Bob Dixon and Siegy Krauss (Australasian Plant Conservation 27(3): 22-25).
The Corrigin Grevillea was first collected in 1954, and has been known from only 13 small, mainly degraded roadside populations restricted to a 50 km radius area around the Wheatbelt town of Corrigin in Western Australia. The Wheatbelt region has been extensively used for agricultural purposes and over 94% of its 14 million hectares has been cleared. In 1986 the Corrigin Grevillea was presumed extinct. In 1989 a single grafted plant was identified in Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney and was brought to Kings Park in Perth where it was initiated successfully into in vitro culture. The following year, naturally occurring plants were discovered near Corrigin, and at the time, up to 35 living specimens were known in the wild. Due to its rarity, the destruction of its habitat, the extreme vulnerability of degraded and isolated roadside remnant populations and the low ability of the species to regenerate on its own, translocation was determined to be critical for the survival of the species in situ…. [Full text PDF].
The responsibilities of ecological consultants in disseminating outcomes from threatened species surveys: a call to arms. By Stephen Bell (Australasian Plant Conservation 27(2): 3-6).
Ecological consultants are often in the enviable position of being paid to botanically explore and seek out threatened plants. Yes, there are attractive jobs in remote or pristine locations where few botanists have trod before, but there are also less desirable projects in weed-infested remnants across highly fragmented landscapes or in heavily urbanised environments. Both offer the potential to uncover important information on threatened plants. But are we, as consultants, fulfilling our responsibilities for the cause of conservation by disseminating the outcomes of threatened species surveys and monitoring? …. [Full text PDF]
Threatened plant translocation case study: Ricinocarpos brevis, Euphorbiaceae. By Carole Elliott, Kylie Wilkonson and Shane Turner (Australasian Plant Conservation 26(4): 12-15).
Approximately 1200 wild plants were estimated to occur in the Monarto and Mount Monster populations in 2010 (Pound et al. 2010). The species is listed as Endangered under the Australian Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), and Critically Endangered under IUCN criteria. Translocation trials were conducted at both population centers with the aim of enhancing natural populations while at the same time testing various techniques and management options (Jusaitis 2010). This case study focusses on a trial originally designed to examine the influence of herbivory on translocant establishment, but long-term monitoring additionally revealed an intriguing interaction of climate with herbivory (Jusaitis 2012). ….[Full text PDF]
Recent book reviews
Allure of Fungi by Alison Pouliot. Review by Michele Kohout. [PDF] Australian Forest Woods by Morris Lake. Review by Jugo Ilic. [PDF] A Guide to Native Bees of Australia by Terry Houston. Review by Paul Kucera. [PDF] Restoring Farm Woodlands for Wildlife by David Lindemayer et al. Review by David Cheal. [PDF]