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
Appendix 3
Prasophyllum fitzgeraldii R.S. Rogers et Maiden
Fitzgerald's Leek-orchid
- Conservation status:
- EPBC Act 1999: Not listed
- IUCN (2000): V (preliminary assessment)
- NRE (2000): E
- Distribution:
- In Victoria - Goldfields Bioregion. Restricted to east and north-east of the Grampians (Halls Gap, Stawell and Rheola areas), with unconfirmed records from near Portland, Ballarat and Balmoral. Victorian populations of P. fitzgeraldii may be an undescribed species.
- In South Australia - Currently understood to be reasonably widespread from the Eyre Peninsula to the Victorian border.
- Specific details of population localities (including GPS data) are held on DSE and EH internal files.
- Abundance:
- <250 plants known in the wild in Victoria, from 3 key populations. Thousands of plants in South Australia. At the edge of its range in Victoria, but likely to have been more common prior to landscape scale disturbance from clearing, gold exploration and mining.
- Habitat:
- Occurs in woodland dominated by Eucalyptus leucoxylon sens. lat. with an open heathy understorey or in E. baxteri open forest on well drained sandy loam. Critical habitat has not been determined, but may require disturbed soil for recruitment.
- Reservation status:
- Reserved at Deep Lead Flora and Fauna Reserve, Three Jacks Flora Reserve, Arnold West FFR (Victoria). Padthaway CP, Gyp Gyp CP (South Australia).
- Management:
- Parks Victoria (Victoria West Region: Horsham, Central Victoria Region: Inglewood); Department of Environment and Heritage (SA).
| Current threats | Perceived risk |
|---|---|
| Weed invasion | Low in Vic. - weeds are scarce at sites. |
| Grazing/pest animals | High - macropods and rabbits are common at all Victorian sites. |
| Inappropriate fire regimes | Low at present - sites are long unburnt and fire risk is low. |
| Site disturbance | Low at Deep Lead - sites are subject to disturbance by illegal gold prospecting. |
| Reservation status | Inadequately reserved in Victoria, but subject to ECC implementation of ECC recommendations Adequately reserved in SA. |
| Potential threats | Perceived risk |
| Illegal collection | Low - no evidence of collection in the past. |
| Ecology/biology | Moderate in Vic - conditions for seed recruitment and maintenance of pollinator and fungal activity unknown; increased extinction risk due to small population sizes; response to fire unknown. |
- Recovery objectives:
- Maintain and/or increase existing population sizes; protect and manage habitat.
Recovery actions undertaken:
- Monitoring at 2 sites by Stawell Field Naturalists.
- Searches conducted annually by Stawell Field Naturalists, and by Centre for Plant Conservation Biology, Canberra in 2001.
- All Victorian sites were visited during recovery plan preparation.
Issues specific to recovery:
- P. fitzgeraldii populations are vulnerable to damage from trampling in Victoria and site confidentiality is vital. Involvement from non government organisations and individuals will be limited to a small number of individuals with a proven track record in its conservation (ANOS conservation group, Stawell Field Naturalists Club).
- One population at Deep Lead FFR is close to tracks and vulnerable to damage from recreational vehicles.
- Kangaroo numbers at all reserves require assessment particularly in relation to loss of ground flora and soil disturbance. Further searches may prove more fruitful after protective measures have been implemented.
- There is some doubt as to whether Victorian plants are P. fitzgeraldii sens. strict. Or an undescribed species with affinities to P. fitzgeraldii and P. lindleyanum.
- Key populations for recovery actions all occur in Victoria.
Overall recovery strategy:
Known populations will be monitored. Risk management in the short term will include protection of populations from grazing and gold prospecting, and maintenance of site confidentiality. Populations will be managed to promote seedling recruitment, using fine-scale habitat management techniques and re-stocked using seed from cultivated plants. Recovery will be jointly managed by DSE and PV. Involvement from ANOS conservation group and Stawell Field Naturalists will continue.
Consultation:
Parks Victoria (Victoria Region West: Horsham; Central Victoria Region: Inglewood); DSE-BNR SW; ANOS Conservation Group; Stawell Field Naturalists Club; Department of Environment and Heritage, Adelaide.
| Action | Deep Lead (M) | Three Jacks (H) | Arnold West (H) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Determine current conservation status | |||
| 1.1 Clarify taxonomy | L | L | L |
| 1.2 Acquire baseline population data | M | M | M |
| Responsibility | DSE-BNR | DSE-BNR | DSE-BNR |
| 2. Investigate population biology | |||
| 2.1 Describe life history | M | M | M |
| 2.2 Evaluate natural pollination levels and/or causes of pollinator limitation | M | M | M |
| 2.3 Determine the effects of artificial pollination on growth survival and reproduction | M | M | M |
| 2.4 Determine spatial distribution of mycorrhizal fungi | M | M | M |
| 2.5 Determine optimal conditions for growth of mycorrhizal fungi in-situ | M | M | M |
| Responsibility | DSE-BNR, RP | DSE-BNR, RP | DSE-BNR, RP |
| 3. Determine habitat requirements of key populations | |||
| 3.1 Identify key populations | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 3.2 Conduct surveys | M | M | M |
| 3.3 Identify ecological correlates of populations | M | M | M |
| 3.4 Prepare habitat descriptions | L | L | L |
| Responsibility | DSE-BNR | DSE-BNR SW | DSE-BNR |
| 4. Manage risks to populations | |||
| 4.1 Identify and implement strategies to control threats | H | H | H |
| 4.2 Identify disturbance regimes to promote regeneration and recruitment | M | M | M |
| 4.3 Protect key public land populations and habitat | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 4.4 Protect key private land populations and habitat | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Responsibility | PV (Horsham), DSE-BNR | PV (Horsham), DSE-BNR | PV (Horsham), DSE-BNR |
| 5. Promote in-situ recruitment | |||
| 5.1 Prepare habitat for seedling recruitment | M | M | M |
| 5.2 Re-stock populations with seed | M | M | M |
| Responsibility | DSE-BNR, RP | DSE-BNR, RP | DSE-BNR, RP |
| 6. Measure population trends and responses against recovery actions | |||
| 6.1 Conduct annual censusing of populations | M | M | M |
| 6.2 Collate, analyse and report on census data | M | M | M |
| 6.3 Re-prioritise and adjust recovery actions and/or threat management | H | H | H |
| Responsibility | DSE-BNR | DSE-BNR | DSE-BNR |
| 7. Increase populations ex-situ | |||
| 7.1 Hand pollinate plants | M | M | M |
| 7.2 Establish a threatened orchid seed bank and determine seed viability | N/A | M | N/A |
| 7.3 Establish a mycorrhizal fungi bank | N/A | M | N/A |
| 7.4 Establish and maintain cultivated populations | N/A | M | N/A |
| 7.5 Maintain a database of threatened orchid taxa in cultivation | N/A | L | N/A |
| Responsibility | DSE-BNR | DSE-BNR, RBG | DSE-BNR, ANOS |
| 8. Translocate cultivated plants | |||
| 8.1 Determine criteria for re-stocking/re-introduction | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 8.2 Evaluate site suitability | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 8.3 Determine long term cost-benefits and feasibility of translocating plants | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 8.4 Prepare and implement translocation plans | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 8.5 Maintain translocated populations | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Responsibility | DSE-BNR | DSE-BNR | DSE-BNR |
| 9. Implement an education and communication strategy | |||
| 9.1 Prepare technical educational material on in-situ recovery techniques | L | L | L |
| 9.2 Undertake community extension | L | L | L |
| 9.3 Conduct workshops and symposia on in-situ recovery techniques | L | L | L |
| 9.4 Encourage and support research by Higher Education Institutions and existing research partners | M | M | M |
| Responsibility | DSE-BNR, RP | DSE-BNR, RP | DSE-BNR, RP |
| 10. Consolidate recovery and extend networks | |||
| 10.1 Maintain the Threatened Orchid Recovery Team | L | L | L |
| 10.2 Establish and facilitate regional Recovery Teams | L | L | L |
| 10.3 Co-ordinate recovery and exchange knowledge with interstate agencies | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Responsibility | DSE-BNR | DSE-BNR | DSE-BNR |
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