Threatened species & ecological communities

National recovery plan for the Cunderdin Daviesia (Daviesia cunderdin)

Department of Environment and Conservation, Kensington, 2009

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Summary

Illustrations and/or further information:

Atkins, K. (2008) Declared Rare and Priority Flora List for Western Australia. Department of Environment and Conservation, Western Australia; Brown, A., Thomson-Dans, C. and Marchant, N. (1998). Western Australia’s Threatened Flora. Department of Conservation and Land Management. pp 80; DEC (2007) Western Australian Herbarium FloraBase 2 – Information on the Western Australian Flora. Department of Environment and Conservation, Western Australia. Accessed 2007. http://www.calm.wa.gov.au/science/  

Analysis of outputs and effectiveness of Interim Recovery Plan (IRP) 37 (1999-2002) prepared by R. Evans and A. Brown.

The criterion for success in the previous plan (the number of individuals within populations and/or the number of populations have increased over the term of the plan) has been met, as follows.

The number of known populations in the wild has increased from one to two with the establishment of a translocated population. The number of plants in the natural population has increased from 5 in 1999 to 9 in 2007 and there are a further 13 plants in a translocated population.

Actions carried out in the previous plan include:

Action 2         Implement weed control. A weed control strategy has been implemented.
Action 4         Collect seed and cutting material. DEC’s Threatened Flora Seed Centre (TFSC) and the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (BGPA) hold seed and the BGPA have plants growing in their rare flora gardens.
Action 5         Develop a fire management strategy. Control burns and monitoring has provided enough information for a fire management strategy to be developed.
Action 6         Stimulate germination of soil stored seed. Germination of soil stored seed was achieved through control burns around dead plants.
Action 8         Promote awareness. A two-sided poster has been distributed to relevant authorities, schools, libraries and other institutions.
Action 10      Research into biology and ecology. Research has been conducted into seed viability, soil seed bank dynamics, factors affecting germination and survival of seedlings.
Action 11      Develop a translocation proposal. A translocation plan was completed in 2004 and a translocated population established.

Actions 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 and other recovery actions included in the previous plan are ongoing and are included in this revised plan.

New recovery actions included in this plan are:

Action 3       Liaison with relevant land mangers
Action 5       Develop and implement fire and disturbance trials
Action 7       Undertake translocation

Current status:

Daviesia cunderdin was declared as Rare Flora under the Western Australian Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 in 1997 and is currently ranked as Critically Endangered (CR) under World Conservation Union (IUCN 1994) Red List criteria B1+2c, e; C2b; D due to the species being confined to a single population containing fewer than 50 plants and, until recently, a continuing decline in the number of plants and quality of habitat. The main threats are road maintenance, weed invasion, inappropriate fire regimes, exposure to wind, senescence, high germinant mortality, chemical spraying, firebreak and fence maintenance, grazing and rabbit burrowing. The species is listed as Endangered (EN) under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

Daviesia cunderdin is known from two populations - one natural (9 plants) and one translocated (13 plants) - in DEC’s Avon Mortlock District.

Description:

Daviesia cunderdin is an erect shrub 1.6 m high by 1.5 m wide when mature. The phyllodes (flattened leaf stalks that resemble leaves) are up to 4 mm long and have a sharp tip. D. cunderdin produces large red pea flowers in Autumn and Winter (Brown et al. 1998). Daviesia cunderdin differs from Daviesia cardiophylla, Daviesia euryloba and Daviesia umbonata in having larger flowers to 18 mm across that are completely red, rather than yellow and red (Brown et al. 1998).

Habitat requirements:

Daviesia cunderdin occurs on lateritic sandy clay, previously supporting undifferentiated kwongan communities with Allocasuarina campestris thickets and Eucalyptus loxophleba and Eucalyptus salmonophloia woodlands.

Habitat critical to the survival of the species, and important populations:

Given that Daviesia cunderdin is ranked as Endangered (EPBC Act), it is considered that all known habitat for wild and translocated populations is critical to the survival of the species, and that all wild and translocated populations are important populations. Habitat critical to the survival of D. cunderdin includes the area of occupancy of extant populations, areas of similar habitat (i.e. Daviesia cunderdin occurs on lateritic sandy clay, previously supporting undifferentiated kwongan communities with Allocasuarina campestris thickets and Eucalyptus loxophleba and E. salmonophloia woodlands) surrounding important populations (this is necessary to allow access for pollinators and protect the natural microclimate in which plants occur) and additional occurrences of similar habitat that may contain the species or be suitable for future translocations.

Benefits to other species or ecological communities:

Recovery actions implemented to improve the quality or security of habitat for Daviesia cunderdin will also improve the status of remnant associated vegetation dominated by Allocasuarina campestris, Eucalyptus loxophleba and Eucalyptus salmonophloia.

International obligations:

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. Daviesia cunderdin is not listed under any specific international treaty however, and therefore this recovery plan does not affect Australia’s obligations under any other international agreements.

Indigenous consultation:

According to the Department of Indigenous Affairs Aboriginal Heritage Sites Register, no sites of Aboriginal significance are known at or near populations of the species covered by this recovery plan. However, the involvement of the Indigenous community is currently being sought to determine whether there are any issues or interests identified in the Plan. If no role is identified for Indigenous communities in the recovery of this species, opportunities may exist through cultural interpretation and awareness of the species.

The advice of the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALSC) and Department of Indigenous Affairs is being sought to assist in the identification of potential Indigenous management responsibilities for land occupied by threatened species, or groups with a cultural connection to land that is important for the species' conservation.

Continued liaison between DEC and the Indigenous community will identify areas in which collaboration will assist implementation of recovery actions.’

Social and economic impact:

The implementation of this recovery plan is unlikely to cause significant adverse social and economic impacts. However, as one population of Daviesia cunderdin occurs adjacent to private land and another on private land the protection of this species may potentially affect farming activities. Management of the roadside adjacent to the natural population will need to ensure the protection of the Daviesia cunderdin plants and habitat.

Affected interests:

Stakeholders potentially affected by the implementation of this plan include owners of private property and the Shire of Cunderdin.

Evaluation of the plan’s performance: The Department of Environment and Conservation, in conjunction with the Avon Mortlock District Threatened Flora Recovery Team (AMDTFRT) will evaluate the performance of this recovery plan. In addition to annual reporting on progress and evaluation against the criteria for success and failure, the plan will be reviewed following five years of implementation.

Completed Recovery Actions

  1. Land managers including owners of private property and Shires with populations on land they manage have been made aware of the threatened nature of this species, its location and their legal obligations to protect it.
  2. Declared Rare Flora (DRF) markers have been installed at Population 1.
  3. A translocation proposal has been prepared and planting undertaken at one of the designated sites.
  4. Fencing of plants at the translocation site has been undertaken.
  5. Prescribed burns of dead plants were undertaken in 1998 and 2000 to promote germination of soil-stored seed.
  6. Smoke water treatments were applied to plots in 2000.
  7. Intensive survey of habitat suitable for Daviesia cunderdin was conducted in 1995 and 1996.
  8. An A4 poster describing and picturing the species, and describing its location, history, and threats has been published and distributed to local land owners, relevant authorities and volunteer organizations, libraries and schools.
  9. Weed control is undertaken regularly using the herbicide.
  10. DEC’s Threatened Flora Seed Centre (TFSC) and the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (BGPA) have seed in storage.
  11. BGPA has approximately ten plants in the botanic gardens.
  12. BGPA have propagated plants from cuttings and seed for planting at the translocation site.
  13. DEC’s TFSC and BGPA have conducted seed germination trials.

Ongoing and future recovery actions

  1. The AMDTFRT is overseeing the implementation of this recovery plan and will include information on progress in their annual report to DEC’s Corporate Executive and funding bodies.
  2. Staff from DEC’s Avon Mortlock District office regularly monitor populations.

Recovery plan objective:

The objective of this recovery plan is to abate identified threats and maintain or enhance viable in situ populations to ensure the long-term preservation of the species in the wild.

Recovery criteria

Criteria for success:

The number of populations have increased and/or the number of mature individuals have increased by fifty percent or more over the five year term of the plan.

Criteria for failure:

The number of populations have decreased and/or the number of mature individuals have decreased by fifty percent or more over the five year term of the plan.

Recovery actions

  1. Coordinate recovery actions
  2. Monitor populations
  3. Liaise with relevant land managers
  4. Undertake weed control
  5. Develop and implement fire and disturbance trials
  6. Develop and implement a fire management strategy
  7. Undertake further translocation
  8. Purchase land bordering the natural population
  9. Revegetate road verge habitat
  10. Collect seed
  11. Obtain biological and ecological information
  12. Promote awareness
  13. Conduct further surveys
  14. Review the plan and need for further recovery actions