Threatened species & ecological communities

National recovery plan for Twenty-five threatened orchid taxa of Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales 2003 - 2007

Coates, F., Jeanes, J. and Pritchard, A.
Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne, 2002

Contents > Next

1. Introduction

Context

This recovery plan includes 25 nationally threatened orchid taxa from Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales. Twenty of the threatened orchid taxa are endemic to Victoria while two taxa occur in Victoria and New South Wales and three taxa occur in Victoria and South Australia. Nomenclature followed throughout the Recovery Plan is explained below.

Victorian endemics include - Arachnorchis cruciformis, Arachnorchis fulva, Arachnorchis pilotensis, Arachnorchis sp. aff. venusta (Kilsyth South), Petalochilus maritimus, Corysanthes sp. aff. diemenicus 1 (Coastal), Prasophyllum fosteri, Prasophyllum sp. aff. frenchii 2/Prasophyllum frenchii, Prasophyllum morganii, Prasophyllum sp. (Nagambie), Prasophyllum niphopedium, Prasophyllum sp. (Shelley), Prasophyllum suaveolens/Prasophyllum sp. aff. suaveolens, Prasophyllum subbisectum, Prasophyllum suttonii, Pterostylis sp. aff. boormanii, Thelymitra gregaria, Thelymitra hiemalis, Thelymitra arenaria and Thelymitra mackibbinii.

Taxa which occur in Victoria and New South Wales are Arachnorchis concolor and Diuris ochroma.

Prasophyllum fitzgeraldii, Pterostylis despectans and Thelymitra epipactoides occur in Victoria and South Australia. The long term objectives of this project are to minimise the threat of extinction in the wild to 25 nationally threatened orchids of south east Australia and to increase the probability of each taxon becoming self-maintaining through the staged implementation of recovery actions.

Objects of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

  1. To provide for the protection of the environment, especially those aspects of the environment that are matters of national environmental significance; and
  2. To promote ecologically sustainable development through the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of natural resources; and
  3. To promote the conservation of biodiversity; and
  4. To promote a co-operative approach to the protection and management of the environment involving governments, the community, land-holders and indigenous peoples; and
  5. To assist in the co-operative implementation of australia's international environmental responsibilities; and
  6. To recognise the role of indigenous people in the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of australia's biodiversity; and
  7. To promote the use of indigenous peoples' knowledge of biodiversity with the involvement of, and in cooperation with, the owners of the knowledge.

International obligations

None of the taxa covered under this recovery plan is listed under any international agreement. Consequently, the implementation of Australia's international environmental responsibilities is not affected by this plan.

However, the implementation of the Recovery Plan will further support the principles of the following international conventions and agreements:

1992 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity
1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (Agenda 21)

Affected interests

Parties affected by implementation of the recovery Plan are identified below in sections relating to individual species (Appendix 3). All parties were consulted during recovery plan preparation.

Role and interests of indigenous people

There are no indigenous communities involved in the regions affected by this plan. Therefore no role has been identified for indigenous communities in the recovery of this species. "

Social and economic impacts

The implementation of this Recovery Plan is unlikely to cause significant adverse social and economic impacts.

Nomenclature

Orchid nomenclature follows authorities or references listed below (Table 1). Nomenclature for undescribed taxa in the genera Arachnorchis and Corysanthes follow the same authority as taxa belonging to the same taxonomic group (Jones et al. 2002). For all other taxa referred to in the Recovery Plan, nomenclature follows Ross 2000.

Table 1. Name changes and current nomenclature for taxa included in the Recovery plan.
Current name Former name Authority/Reference
Arachnorchis concolor Caladenia concolor Jones et al. (2001)
Arachnorchis cruciformis Caladenia cruciformis Jones et al. (2001)
Arachnorchis fulva Caladenia fulva Jones et al. (2001)
Arachnorchis pilotensis Caladenia pilotensis Jones et al. (2001)
Arachnorchis sp. aff. venusta (Kilsyth South) Caladenia sp. aff. venusta (Kilsyth South) Undescribed, see Jeanes & Backhouse (2000)
Petalochilus maritimus Caladenia maritimus Jones et al. (2001)
Corysanthes sp. aff. diemenicus 1 Corybas sp. aff. diemenicus Undescribed, see Jeanes & Backhouse (2000). Includes populations at Wilsons Promontory National Park and Mornington Peninsula National Park.
Diuris ochroma Diuris ochroma Jones (1994)
Prasophyllum fitzgeraldii Prasophyllum fitzgeraldii Ross (2000)
Prasophyllum fosteri Prasophyllum fosteri Jones (2000)
Prasophyllum sp aff. frenchii 2 Prasophyllum frenchii See Jeanes & Backhouse (2000). Includes populations at Yarram, Clyde and Wilsons Promontory National Park.
Prasophyllum morganii Prasophyllum morganii Jones (2000)
Prasophyllum niphopedium Prasophyllum niphopedium Jones (2000)
Prasophyllum sp. (Nagambie) Prasophyllum sp. aff. campestre (Reedy Lake) D. Jones, pers. comm.
Prasophyllum sp. (Shelley) Prasophyllum canaliculatum D. Jones, pers. comm.
Prasophyllum suaveolens, P. sp. aff. suaveolens (Basalt Plains) Prasophyllum suaveolens D. Rouse, pers. comm. Includes "clumping" and later-flowering "non-clumping" populations restricted to Western Basalt Plains Grassland.
Prasophyllum subbisectum Prasophyllum subbisectum Ross (2000)
Prasophyllum suttonii Prasophyllum suttonii Jones (1998a)
Pterostylis despectans Pterostylis despectans Ross (2000)
Pterostylis sp. aff. boormanii Pterostylis sp. aff. boormanii D. Jones, pers. comm.
Thelymitra epipactoides Thelymitra epipactoides Ross (2000)
Thelymitra gregaria Thelymitra gregaria Jones (1998b)
Thelymitra hiemalis Thelymitra hiemalis Jones (1998b)
Thelymitra mackibbinii Thelymitra Xmackibbinii Jeanes & Backhouse (2000)
Thelymitra arenaria Thelymitra sp. aff. nuda (Laverton) Widespread and common (Jeanes in prep)

Current Species Status

Eleven of the 25 taxa are listed under the EPBC Act 1999. These include one Critically Endangered taxon; six Endangered taxa, and four Vulnerable taxa (Table 2). Preliminary and final assessment of the current conservation status of all 25 taxa according to IUCN Red List criteria (IUCN 2000) criteria have increased this number to 15 Critically Endangered; five Endangered taxa; two Vulnerable taxa; two extinct taxa and one taxon not threatened (Table 2). However, the status of some of these may change with the acquisition of more detailed population data.

Table 2. Current conservation status for taxa listed under the EPBC Act 1999, and conservation status of all taxa according to IUCN Red List criteria (IUCN 2000).
Species name Conservation status (EPBC Act 1999) Conservation status IUCN (2000)
Arachnorchis concolor V CR
Arachnorchis cruciformis N/L E*
Arachnorchis fulva E CR*
Arachnorchis pilotensis N/L CR
Arachnorchis sp. aff. venusta (Kilsyth South) CR CR
Petalochilus maritimus N/L CR
Corysanthes sp. aff. diemenicus 1 N/L CR
Diuris ochroma V V
Prasophyllum fitzgeraldii N/L V*
Prasophyllum fosteri N/L CR
Prasophyllum sp aff. frenchii 2 E E*
Prasophyllum morganii V X
Prasophyllum niphopedium N/L E*
Prasophyllum sp. (Nagambie) N/L CR
Prasophyllum sp. (Shelley) N/L CR
Prasophyllum suaveolens, P. sp. aff. suaveolens (Basalt Plains) E CR
Prasophyllum subbisectum E CR
Prasophyllum suttonii N/L X
Pterostylis despectans E E*
Pterostylis sp. aff. boormanii N/L CR
Thelymitra epipactoides E E*
Thelymitra gregaria N/L CR
Thelymitra hiemalis N/L CR
Thelymitra mackibbinii V CR
Thelymitra arenaria N/L Not threatened
(CR = Critically Endangered; E = Endangered; V = Vulnerable; X = Extinct; N/L = Not listed; * = preliminary assessment)


Distribution and decline

Taxa occur across south-eastern Australia, from the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia to East Gippsland in Victoria, and north to near Albury in New South Wales (Table 3). Populations occur across a wide range of bioregions but are absent from the Victorian Mallee and Riverina bioregions. A comparison of the past and present ranges of taxa show that although most have not experienced a significant range contraction, the number and size of populations has been considerably reduced in all cases and most occur within severely fragmented ecosystems. Population reductions occur across all bioregions and land tenures, with some populations in parks or reserves equally diminished or declining at comparable rates to those on private property or public land not otherwise specifically reserved for conservation.

Habitat requirements and threats

Taxa occur within dry eucalypt forest, heathland, closed scrub and grassland (Table 3). All sites have experienced a range of threats since European settlement, including vegetation clearance, mining, altered fire regimes, habitat damage resulting from recreational use, illegal collection, and the spread of pest plants and animals. Additional threats include inadequate reservation and a poor understanding of management requirements. Some populations may be too small to attract pollinators, or are particularly vulnerable to depletion in the absence of significant recruitment.

The response of populations to disturbance is variable, however few populations have managed to maintain their size as habitats are increasingly depleted as a result of weed invasion, soil erosion, trampling and over grazing by pest animals. Some populations respond well to fire or biomass removal (eg. Thelymitra epipactoides, T. gregaria., Prasophyllum fosteri, P. frenchii, P. suaveolens) and other populations may show similar responses to appropriate disturbance regimes.

Table 3. Current distribution, abundance and habitat of twenty-five threatened orchid taxa in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. Specific details are included with species' actions (below).
Taxon
Abundance
Known Distribution
General habitat
  Current known abundance (approximate number of plants) Current number of known populations Prior abundance (approximate number of plants) Current Past (Victorian Bioregions sensu NRE 1995; Thackway and Cresswell 1995) Past (Victorian Bioregions sensu NRE 1997; Thackway and Cresswell 1995) Current
Arachnorchis concolor < 75 10 Unknown, but likely to have been many hundreds North-east and southern central Victoria and southern NSW
Northern Inland Slopes;
Central Victorian Uplands;
NSW South Western Slopes		 Scattered across central and eastern parts of the goldfields between Albury and the Loddon River
Northern Inland Slopes; Central Victorian Uplands; Goldfields; NSW South Western Slopes		 Open grassy or heathy forests and woodlands, on gravelly, well drained sand and clay loams (Backhouse & Jeanes 1995).
Arachnorchis cruciformis < 150 3 Unknown, but likely to have been many hundreds Western central Victoria near Maryborough
Goldfields		 Western central Victoria near Maryborough
Goldfields		 Heathy forest in grey-brown sandy loam (Jones 1999).
Arachnorchis fulva < 500 4 Unknown, but likely to have been many thousands Western central Victoria near Stawell
Goldfields		 Western central Victoria near Stawell
Goldfields		 Flat or gently sloping terrain in woodlands on gravelly clay loams (Carr 1991, Jones 1991 as Caladenia demissa).
Arachnorchis pilotensis < 5 2 Unknown, but likely to have been < 500 North-east Victoria near Beechworth.
Northern Inland Slopes		 North-east Victoria near Beechworth.
Northern Inland Slopes		 Woodland on grey, well drained gravelly loam derived from granite (Jones 1999).
Arachnorchis sp. aff. venusta (Kilsyth South) < 25 1 Unknown, but likely to have been many hundreds East of Melbourne at Kilsyth South.
Gippsland Plain		 East of Melbourne at Kilsyth South.
Gippsland Plain		 Grassy open forest.
Petalochilus maritimus < 500 1 Unknown, but likely to have been many hundreds Southern Victoria south-west of Melbourne.
Otway Plain		 Southern Victoria south-west of Melbourne.
Otway Plain		 Heathy low open forest on dark grey sandy loam (Jones 1999).
Corysanthes sp. aff. diemenicus 1 < 500 2 Unknown, but likely to have been many thousands prior to habitat clearance Southern Victoria at Wilsons Promontory and south-east of Melbourne at Cape Schank
Gippsland Plain; Wilsons Promontory		 Southern Victoria at Wilsons Promontory and south-east of Melbourne at Cape Schank
Gippsland Plain; Wilsons Promontory		 Closed scrublands in swamps and along water-courses in moist, black, peaty, alkaline soils (Backhouse & Jeanes 1995).
Diuris ochroma < 3,000 10 Unknown, but likely to have been many thousands Central Gippsland at Wonnangatta Valley
SE New South wales at Kybean
Highlands-Southern Fall (Victoria)
South East Highlands ( NSW)		 Central Gippsland at Wonnangatta Valley
SE New South wales at Kybean
Highlands-Southern Fall (Victoria)
South East Highlands ( NSW)		 Montane herbfield on silty clay to peaty soils (Jones 1994).
Prasophyllum fitzgeraldii < 250 (Vic)
Thousands (SA)		 3 (Vic)
Numerous (SA)		 Unknown, but likely to have been many thousands prior to habitat clearance Western central Victoria near Stawell, Maryborough, and the Grampians.
Scattered across southern South Australia.
Goldfields, Eyre Yorke Block, Murray darling Depression, Flinders Lofty Block		 Western central Victoria near Stawell, Maryborough, and the Grampians.
Scattered across southern South Australia.
Goldfields, Eyre Yorke Block, Murray darling Depression, Flinders Lofty Block		 Heathy woodland or heathy open forest on well-drained, gravelly, sand and clay loams (Backhouse & Jeanes 1995).
Prasophyllum fosteri < 20 1 Unknown, but likely to have been many thousands prior to habitat clearance Western Victoria, west of Geelong
Victorian Volcanic Plain		 Western Victoria, west of Melbourne
Victorian Volcanic Plain		 Tussock grassland on rich, water-retentive red-brown soils derived from basalt (Jones 2000).
Prasophyllum sp aff. frenchii 2 250 - 750 4 Unknown, but likely to have been many thousands prior to habitat clearance Southern Victoria, south-east of Melbourne at Clyde, Yarram and Wilsons Promontory
Gippsland Plain;
Wilsons Promontory;		 Southern Victoria, south-east of Melbourne at Clyde, Yarram and Wilsons Promontory; East Gippsland near Bairnsdale and Mallacoota
Gippsland Plain; Wilsons Promontory; East Gippsland Lowlands		 Grasslands, grassy woodlands and heathlands on moderately rich sandy and black clay loams (Backhouse & Jeanes 1995).
Prasophyllum morganii 0 0 Unknown, but likely to have been < 100 Eastern highlands near Cobungra
Highlands-Southern fall		 Eastern highlands near Cobungra
Highlands-Southern fall		 Open Snow gum forest (Backhouse & Jeanes 1995).
Prasophyllum niphopedium 200 - 500 5 Unknown, but likely to have been < 1000 North-eastern Victorian highlands at the Cobberas
Victorian Alps		 North-eastern Victorian highlands at the Cobberas
Victorian Alps		 Alpine heath and snow plains, usually near watercourses on peaty loams(Backhouse & Jeanes 1995).
Prasophyllum sp. (Nagambie) 1,500 - 3,000 1 Unknown, but likely to have been many more thousands Central Victoria near Nagambie
Goldfields		 Central Victoria near Nagambie and near Bendigo
Goldfields		 Sedgy or grassy woodlands seasonally inundated on water-retentive sand and clay loams (Backhouse & Jeanes 1995).
Prasophyllum sp. (Shelley) < 15 1 Unknown, but likely to have been < 250 North-east Victoria
Highlands-Northern Fall		 North-east Victoria
Highlands-Northern Fall		 Winter-wet open riparian grassland.
Prasophyllum suaveolens, P. sp. aff. suaveolens (Basalt Plains) < 300 5 Unknown, but likely to have been many thousands Western Victoria, west of Geelong
Victorian Volcanic Plain		 Western Victoria, immediately west and south-west of Melbourne
Victorian Volcanic Plain; Central Victorian Uplands		 Grassland on poorly drained red-brown basalt loam (Jones 1994).
Prasophyllum subbisectum < 75 3 Unknown, but likely to have been many hundreds Central western Victoria near Stawell.
Goldfields		 Central western Victoria near Stawell and the Grampians.
Goldfields; Greater Grampians		 Heathy woodland and heathy open forest on gravelly clay loams(Backhouse & Jeanes 1995).
Prasophyllum suttonii 0 0 Unknown, but likely to have been < 250 Mt Buffalo
Victorian Alps		 Mt Buffalo
Victorian Alps		 Unknown
Pterostylis despectans < 1500 5 Unknown, but likely to have been many thousands Central Victoria near Maryborough and Northern Lofty near and west of Mt Bryan
Goldfields (Vic) and Flinders Lofty Block (SA)		 Central Victoria near Maryborough and Northern Lofty near and west of Mt Bryan
Goldfields (Vic) and Flinders Lofty Block (SA)		 Open forests and woodlands (Backhouse & Jeanes 1995).
Pterostylis sp. aff. boormanii < 50 3 Unknown, but likely to have been many hundreds North-east Victoria near Beechworth
Northern Inland Slopes		 North-east Victoria near Beechworth
Northern Inland Slopes		 Woodland on well-drained granitic sand and clay loams (Jeanes & Backhouse 2000).
Thelymitra epipactoides < 3000 8 Unknown, but likely to have been many thousands Scattered across south-eastern Australia from the Eyre Peninsula (SA) to East Gippsland west of Bairnsdale (Vic)
Warrnambool Plain; Wimmera; Gippsland Plain, Glenelg Plain, Goldfields, Murray Darling Depression, Eyre Yorke Block, Naracoorte Coastal Plain		 Scattered across south-eastern Australia from the Eyre Peninsula (SA) to East Gippsland west of Bairnsdale (Vic)
Warrnambool Plain; Wimmera; Gippsland Plain, Glenelg Plain, Goldfields, Murray Darling Depression, Eyre Yorke Block, Naracoorte Coastal Plain		 Primarily in mesic coastal heathlands, grasslands and woodlands, but also in drier inland heathlands, open forests and woodlands. (Backhouse & Jeanes 1995).
Thelymitra gregaria < 1500 5 Unknown, but likely to have been many thousands Western Victoria, west of Geelong
Victorian Volcanic Plain		 Western Victoria, immediately south-west of Melbourne Victorian Volcanic Plain Tussock grasslands on rich, water-retentive red-brown soils derived from basalt (Backhouse & Jeanes 1995, Jones 1998b).
Thelymitra hiemalis < 10 5 Unknown, but likely to have been many hundreds South-west Victoria near Portland
Glenelg Plain		 South-west Victoria near Portland and immediately east of Melbourne at Blackburn
Glenelg Plain; Gippsland Plain		 Damp heath and heathy woodland (Backhouse & Jeanes 1995)
Thelymitra mackibbinii < 30 3 Unknown, but likely to have been many thousands Western goldfields near St Arnaud and Stawell
Goldfields		 Central and western goldfields near Stawell, St Arnaud and Maryborough
Goldfields		 Woodland and open forest (Jeanes & Backhouse 2000).
Thelymitra arenaria Widespread Numerous Numerous Widespread Widespread Grassland, woodland, open forest and heathland (Jeanes in prep.).

Existing conservation measures

A wide range of conservation measures are currently underway. Activities include monitoring; searches for new populations; biomass reduction (ecological burning or slashing); PAMA's prepared; fencing; pest plant control; track closures; habitat monitoring; community liaison; hand pollination and seed collection; seed germination trials; trials to culture mycorrhizal fungi. Some of these activities have been in place for up to 10 years (eg. demographic censusing of Thelymitra epipactoides populations).

Representation in conservation reserves varies from well represented to not reserved. Taxa are considered reserved if they are contained within reserves established with a primary aim of nature conservation as defined by the former Victorian Land Conservation Council. Reserves which qualify under this definition include Reference Areas, National and State Parks, Flora Reserves, Flora and Fauna Reserves, Wildlife Reserves, Wildlife Management Cooperative Areas, Streamside Reserves, Bushland Reserves, Multipurpose Parks and Education Areas. In addition, Conservation Parks in South Australia are also included as reserved areas.

A number of new parks and reserves have been recommended within Box-Ironbark vegetation (ECC 2001), which will secure legal protection for some of the 25 orchid taxa, although many of these reserves will still be available for a variety of recreational uses, including bush walking, rally car driving, horse riding dog walking and orienteering. Taxa affected include Arachnorchis pilotensis, A. fulva, Pterostylis despectans, Prasophyllum fitzgeraldii, P. subbisectum and Thelymitra mackibbinii.

Taxa within local government reserves are also considered reserved if the particular reserve has a primary aim of nature conservation and there is a current agreement between local and state governments referring to conservation and management. Taxa occurring on private land protected by a conservation covenant (Victoria) or heritage agreement (South Australia) are also considered reserved. This is in line with current thinking about biodiversity conservation that suggests a range of tenures and protection mechanisms are required to adequately address reservation objectives across bioregions (Bedward et al. 1992, Pressey et al. 1995).

Benefits to other species/ecological communities

The recovery of the twenty-five threatened taxa has a number of potential biodiversity benefits for other species and vegetation communities in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales. Principally, this will be through the protection and management of habitat. The adoption of broad-scale management techniques and collection of baseline data, will also benefit a number of other plant species growing in association with the threatened taxa, particularly those species with similar life forms and/or flowering responses.

All of the threatened orchids occur in highly threatened habitats, such as box-ironbark forests, coastal heathlands, plains grassy woodlands and grasslands and montane/alpine grasslands and herbfields. The identification and implementation of recovery actions will also benefit these threatened habitats where threatened orchids occur.

The recovery of the twenty-five threatened taxa will also form an important public education role as orchids have the potential to act as 'flagship species' for highlighting broader nature conservation and biodiversity issues such as land clearing, grazing, weed invasions and habitat degradation. Germination and cultivation techniques developed during the recovery phase will be of use for other threatened taxa elsewhere in southeast Australia while the requirement to recover taxa across state boundaries will better develop working relationships between state departments on a broader range of biodiversity conservation issues.

Links and relationships

The Recovery Plan is in line with priorities under the Victorian Government Natural Heritage Trust Partnership Agreement with the Commonwealth. The implementation of recovery programs for nationally threatened species is a high priority within Victorian Government threatened species conservation programs. Similar priority is given to threatened species in the South Australian and New South Wales Governments' Partnership Agreements with the Commonwealth.

The Recovery Plan is in line with the objectives of the Victorian Biodiversity Strategy (NRE 1997) which aims to ensure that there is no further preventable decline in the viability of any rare species. It also provides baseline long-term monitoring under the Biodiversity Reporting Framework established by DSE as a key process in implementation of the State Biodiversity Strategy. The project also fits in with a number of regional vegetation strategies currently being prepared by Catchment Management Authorities across Victoria, which identify the conservation and management of rare/threatened species as being of high priority. It will also supplement requirements under various state threatened species legislation including the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 that cover issues of threat abatement and action planning for threatened species.

Recovery planning for threatened orchids will supplement habitat-based programs such as conservation programs for Box-Ironbark forests in Victoria, and grassland and grassy woodland ecosystems of Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales. It is also closely linked with existing environmental management policies currently being implemented by the Department of Sustainability and Environment and Parks Victoria. These include the preparation of guidelines for ecological burning on public land (Fire Ecology Working Group 1999); Bush Tender; vegetation condition assessments in relation to kangaroo management; Botanic Guardians; Land For Wildlife; Rabbit Busters; Good Neighbour; VrotPop (rare and threatened plant database and monitoring).

Recovery plans have been prepared for Arachnorchis concolor ( NSW NPWS 2000) and Pterostylis despectans (Bickerton and Robertson 2000). The former was prepared under NSW State legislation ( NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995) and does not include Victorian populations. However, as required under the EPBC Act 1999, actions included in this recovery plan are adopted here. Victorian populations of Pterostylis despectans are not included in the existing recovery plan as these populations were unknown to the authors at the time of writing. Actions for South Australian populations are adopted here.

Landowner incentives

There are various incentives available to private landowners in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales. These agreements are developed in consultation with the relevant landowners and designed to meet landowner and conservation objectives. Voluntary, binding nature conservation agreements are available in Victoria under the Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972, the Conservation Forests and Lands Act 1987 and the Wildlife Act 1975. Threatened flora management by landowners may also be supported with small cash contributions towards management costs by DSE under the Botanic Guardians grants.

Landowners can enter into binding Heritage Agreements in South Australia under the Heritage Act 1978. In New South Wales, landowners may enter into Voluntary Conservation Agreements and can negotiate for rate concession with local government authorities. After a negotiated management agreement is reached with the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, a covenant is created and is passed on with the title to the property.

Monitoring, performance and review

The recovery plan will run for five years from the time of implementation and will be managed by the Department of Sustainability and Environment (Parks, Flora and Fauna Division) and overseen by the Threatened Orchid Recovery Team (TORT), a steering committee consisting of scientists, land managers and field naturalists (Action 10.1). Technical, scientific, habitat management or education components of the Recovery Plan will be referred to specialist sub-committees on cultivation, research in situ management and community education for ratification.

Existing regional Recovery Teams will be expanded to facilitate interstate co-operation (Action 10.2). Regional Recovery Teams will be responsible for preparing work plans and monitoring progress toward orchid recovery (Action 10.3).

Communication - participants and community involvement

Community involvement will continue to be encouraged for all threatened populations. This will include maintaining links with orchid societies and field naturalists where they already exist for particular taxa and building a statewide network of organisations and individuals for the conservation of all taxa.

The Recovery Plan has the support of government agencies, statutory authorities and community groups involved in orchid conservation in Victoria (Parks Victoria; National Herbarium of Victoria; Australasian Native Orchid Society - ANOS; various field naturalists clubs), who will assist in orchid survey and monitoring efforts.

Damage to orchid populations by visitors and illegal collection has occurred in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales and for this reason community involvement will be restricted to groups and individuals having demonstrated ability and commitment to orchid conservation. Landholders will also be encouraged to protect and manage populations of threatened taxa where these occur on private land.

Tools for implementation

The Recovery Plan draws from the knowledge and experiences accumulated from the Victorian Threatened Orchid Recovery program, which has been proceeding with joint State and Commonwealth support since 1998, with prior State experience dating back to the 1980s.

The Victorian experience in orchid recovery have shown that successful recovery of populations is heavily reliant on sound information practised by a strong and communicative network of organisations and individuals from within State Government, Universities, Botanic and Zoological Gardens and Orchid Societies. To this end, an integrated approach has been developed using a team of talented and committed field naturalists, scientists and on-ground natural resource managers. Examples of the effectiveness of this approach include training landowners, members of nature conservation societies and regional Government agency staff in the implementation of in situ techniques such as hand pollination and censusing; the use of molecular techniques to define the genetic relationships of orchids and their mycorrhizae; the development of techniques for cultivation of a wide range of species, and the use of fire to promote regeneration and flowering.

Estimated Cost of Recovery

The Recovery Plan is fully costed to meet recovery objectives, and benefits to biodiversity values are inherent in its whole-habitat management philosophy.

Average cost of recovery is $20,000 per species per year over 5 years. Threatened flora management by community groups and educational institutions may be supported with small cash contributions from DSE under the Botanic Guardians grants. Parks Victoria will provide fencing, weed control, pest animal control and track management at a number of sites supporting threatened orchids. Commitment of regional staff time by DSE and Parks Victoria totals many thousands of hours. Interstate agency staff in SA and NSW will also contribute resources to the recovery plan. Community volunteers will exceed 500 people per year.

Action 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Total
1 $35,941 $34,109 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $130,050
2 $31,875 $42,321 $57,782 $60,202 $66,984 $259,164
3 $63,748 $42,321 $0 $0 $0 $106,069
4 $159,875 $221,107 $222,880 $110,550 $117,500 $831,912
5 $0 $28,214 $31,380 $35,100 $38,492 $133,186
6 $20,937 $33,214 $47,070 $70,150 $73,238 $244,609
7 $24,937 $35,607 $41,106 $67,406 $64,557 $233,613
8 $0 $48,000 $36,332 $59,712 $50,622 $194,666
9 $35,937 $45,107 $75,690 $99,150 $107,238 $378,122
10 $9,000 $9,000 $9,000 $9,000 $9,0009,000 $45,000
Total $382,250 $539,000 $541,240 $531,270 $547,631 $2,541,391

(Note: the year refers to the financial year, not calendar year ie. 2003 refers to the 12 months from July 2003 until June 2004).

Strategy For Recovery

The strategy for recovery of these orchids is based on habitat protection and enhancement combined with an understanding of the ecological and biological requirements of the threatened orchids necessary for specific population management. The framework for information acquisition is based on the approach outlined by the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council an Biological Diversity Advisory Committee (2001). The emphasis is on using knowledge to better implement in situ management techniques that protect populations and promote regeneration and recruitment. To achieve this, recovery actions are structured to (i) acquire baseline data, (ii) assess habitat condition including ecological and biological function, and (iii) protection to maintain or improve population growth.

On-ground site management will aim to mitigate threatening processes and thereby insure against extinction. Major threats requiring management include accidental destruction, competition from pest plants, inappropriate fire regimes and grazing by pest animals. A range of strategies will be necessary to mitigate these threats including weed control, fire management, fencing, and control of pest animals.

The strategy includes tested techniques where there is strong evidence to indicate a high level of reliability and effectiveness. For example, there have been excellent results using on ground techniques such as fine scale habitat manipulation and direct seeding. Census data have now been used to determine optimal fire frequencies in grassland supporting threatened orchids. Exclusion of pest animals promotes flowering and fruit development, as well as being highly likely to be beneficial for seedling establishment by arresting ground layer disturbance and retaining soil moisture.

Broadscale protection measures applicable to all populations include legal protection of sites, habitat retention and liaison with land managers including private landholders. In addition, searches of known and potential habitat should continue to better define the distributions and size of populations.

The recovery plan also advocates investigation of new strategies to fill some of the major gaps in our knowledge to date. Most significantly, these include an understanding of mutualistic relationships. Successful in situ population management will be founded on understanding the obligate relationships between orchids and their mycorrhizal fungi and pollinators, their relationships with associated flora, and their response to environmental processes. These are directly linked to seed production, recruitment and regeneration and are thus vital to recovery. Demographic censusing will be necessary to gather life history information and to monitor the success of particular management actions.

In addition to the above, ex situ conservation measures will be required for populations under threat of extinction either at present or in the future (E and CR taxa). Such measures may include storage of seed and mychorrizal fungi, and plant cultivation. Cultivating ex situ populations will primarily aim to increase the amount of seed available for reintroduction to sites. Translocation of cultivated plants will be considered only in special cases where there is a high chance of success and where secure sites exist.

A number of taxa included in this plan have only been recently described. Some taxa have been the subject of intensive interest over a number of decades while for other taxa, only basic distribution, habitat and morphological data exist. As a result, the recovery plan details a range of recovery actions considered necessary for the recovery of twenty-five threatened orchid taxa in Victoria and South Australia. Not all actions will be necessary for each taxon, or possible owing to small population size, and the importance of particular actions will vary between populations.

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