This Conservation Advice was approved by the Delegate of the Minister on 17 December 2013

Approved Conservation Advice for Thesium australe (austral toadflax)

(s266B of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999)

This Conservation Advice has been developed based on the best available information at the time this Conservation Advice was approved; this includes existing and draft plans, records or management prescriptions for this species.

Description

Thesium australe (austral toadflax), family Santalaceae, also known as toadflax, is a hairless yellow-green perennial herb with slender wiry stems to 40 cm high and with tiny white flowers (George, 1984; Harden, 1992). It mostly flowers in spring and summer (Jeanes, 1999). It is semi-parasitic on roots of grassland species (Leigh et al., 1984), notably kangaroo grass (Themeda australis) (Scarlett et al., 2003).

Conservation Status

The austral toadflax is listed as vulnerable under the name Thesium australe. This species is eligible for listing as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth) (EPBC Act) as, prior to the commencement of the EPBC Act, it was listed as vulnerable under Schedule 1 of the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 (Cwlth).

The species is also listed as vulnerable under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (New South Wales), vulnerable under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Queensland), extinct under the Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 (Tasmania) and threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (Victoria).

Distribution and Habitat

The austral toadflax occurs in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and Victoria (Scarlett et al., 2003; OEH, 2013). Its current distribution is sporadic but widespread occurring between the Bunya Mountains in south-east Queensland to north- east Victoria (Scarlett et al., 2003) and as far inland as the southern, central and northern tablelands in New South Wales and the Toowoomba region (ALA, 2013). The austral toadflax has been recorded once in Tasmania from the Derwent River valley in 1804, and is considered extinct in the state (DPIWE, 2003).

New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA, 2013) indicates that there were 255 austral toadflax herbarium collections between 1990 and 2013 in New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory. Over 200 of these were in the Nandewar, New England Tablelands and NSW North Coast Bioregions. In northern NSW, survey training lead to a significant increase in the discovery of new sites. Many historic sites do not have recent records (Leigh et al., 1984; ALA, 2013).

Queensland The austral toadflax was considered extinct in Queensland prior to the mid-1980s. Collections since the 1990s have been made from Kumbia, Glen Rock Regional Park, Carnarvon National Park, Crows Nest, Clifton, Warwick, Greenmount, Cambooya, Dalby, the Bunya Mountains, Blackbutt and Imbil (ALA, 2013).

Victoria In Victoria, the austral toadflax was previously known from Wando Vale (north-east of Casterton), the upper Goulburn River catchment, the Ovens River catchment and the Murray River catchment, but is now only known from Gippsland (Scarlett et al., 2003). Between 1979

Thesium australe (austral toadflax) Approved Conservation Advice Page 1 of 5 This Conservation Advice was approved by the Delegate of the Minister on 17 December 2013 and 2003, austral toadflax was recorded at five sites with an abundance of 50 to 2000+ plants over an area of 0.08 ha to 24 ha (Scarlett et al., 2003). More recently, the species has been recorded from Suggan Buggan and Green Hills Nature Conservation Reserve (ALA, 2013).

This species occurs within the Australian Alps, Brigalow Belt South, Nandewar, New England Tablelands, NSW North Coast, South East Corner, South Eastern Highlands, South Eastern Queensland and Sydney Basin IBRA Bioregions (ALA, 2013) and the Border Rivers-Gwydir, Central West, Hawkesbury-Nepean, Hunter-Central Rivers, Murray, Murrumbidgee, Namoi, Northern Rivers, Southern Rivers, East Gippsland, Border Rivers Maranoa-Balonne, Burnett Mary, Condamine, Fitzroy and South East Queensland Natural Resource Management Regions (ALA, 2013).

The distribution of this species overlaps with the following EPBC Act-listed threatened ecological communities:

 Lowland Grassy Woodland in the South East Corner Bioregion.  New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Grassy Woodlands.  Natural Grasslands of the Queensland Central Highlands and the northern Fitzroy Basin.  Natural grasslands on basalt and fine-textured alluvial plains of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland.  Natural Temperate Grassland of the Southern Tablelands of NSW and the Australian Capital Territory.  White Box-Yellow Box-Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland.

Threats

The main identified threats to the austral toadflax are: lack of fire/disturbance (Cohn, 2004); existing and intensified grazing by livestock, native herbivores and feral herbivores (Scarlett et al., 2003); residential, infrastructure and agricultural development (OEH, 2013), weed invasion (e.g. blackberry (Rubus spp.)) (Scarlett et al., 2003; OEH, 2013); and infrastructure (road and rail) maintenance, particularly road widening and re-routing (OEH, 2013).

Lack of disturbance causes lower, mid and upper stratum canopy thickening (Scarlett et al., 2003; Cohn, 2004), which reduces species diversity in the lower stratum. Nevertheless, the species has been observed to germinate in lightly grazed country and after drought (Scarlett et al., 2003).

Research Priorities

Research priorities that would inform future regional and local priority actions include:

 More precisely assess population size, distribution, ecological requirements and the relative impacts of threatening processes.  Identify seed germination requirements and investigate management options to stimulate field regeneration.  Identify optimal fire regimes for regeneration (vegetative regrowth and/or seed germination), and response to other prevailing fire regimes.

Thesium australe (austral toadflax) Approved Conservation Advice Page 2 of 5 This Conservation Advice was approved by the Delegate of the Minister on 17 December 2013

Regional Priority Actions

The following regional priority recovery and threat abatement actions can be done to support the recovery of the austral toadflax.

Habitat Loss, Disturbance and Modification  Identify populations of high conservation priority.  Ensure there is no disturbance in areas where the austral toadflax occurs, excluding necessary actions to manage the conservation of the species.  Investigate formal conservation arrangements, management agreements and covenants on private land, and for crown and private land investigate and/or secure inclusion in reserve tenure if possible. Trampling, Browsing or Grazing  Develop and implement a stock management plan for roadside verges and travelling stock routes. Fire  Develop and implement a suitable fire management strategy for the habitat of the austral toadflax that inhibits canopy thickening.  Where appropriate provide maps of known occurrences to local and state Rural Fire Services and seek inclusion of mitigative measures in bush fire risk management plan/s, risk register and/or operation maps. Conservation Information  Raise awareness of the austral toadflax within the local community.  Engage with private landholders and land managers responsible for the land on which populations occur and encourage these key stakeholders to contribute to the implementation of conservation management actions. Population Recruitment and Translocation  Enable recovery of additional sites and/or populations.  Undertake appropriate seed collection and storage.  Investigate options for linking, enhancing or establishing additional populations.  Maintain existing ex situ populations (Scarlett et al., 2003).

Local Priority Actions

The following local priority recovery and threat abatement actions can be done to support the recovery of the austral toadflax.

Habitat Loss, Disturbance and Modification  Monitor known populations to identify key threats.  Monitor the progress of recovery, including the effectiveness of management actions and the need to adapt them if necessary.  Undertake survey work in suitable habitat and potential habitat to locate any additional populations/occurrences/remnants (OEH, 2013).  Mark sites and potential habitat onto maps used for planning (OEH, 2013).  Minimise adverse impacts from land use at known sites.  Do not undertake road works, pasture modification and other land use changes that will impact on this listed species (OEH, 2013).  Protect populations of the listed species through the development of conservation agreements and/or covenants.

Thesium australe (austral toadflax) Approved Conservation Advice Page 3 of 5 This Conservation Advice was approved by the Delegate of the Minister on 17 December 2013

Invasive Weeds  Identify and remove weeds in the local area that could become a threat to the austral toadflax, using appropriate methods.  Manage site/s to prevent introduction of invasive weeds that could become a threat to the austral toadflax, using appropriate methods. Trampling, Browsing or Grazing  If livestock grazing occurs in the area, ensure land owners/managers use an appropriate management regime and density that does not detrimentally affect this species and limit the overgrazing of grassland species.  Where appropriate, manage total grazing pressure at important sites through exclusion fencing or other barriers. Fire  Implement an appropriate fire management regime for local populations.

This list does not necessarily encompass all actions that may be of benefit to the austral toadflax, but highlights those that are considered to be of highest priority at the time of preparing the Approved Conservation Advice.

Existing Plans/Management Prescriptions that are Relevant to the Species

 Austral toadflax action statement (Scarlett et al., 2003).  Identification guide for two nationally threatened ecological communities (DSEWPaC, 2012).  National Recovery plan for Natural Temperate Grassland of the Southern Tablelands (Environment ACT, 2006) and White Box-Yellow Box-Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland (DECCW, 2010).

These prescriptions were current at the time of publishing; please refer to the relevant agency’s website for any updated versions.

References

Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) (2013). Atlas of Living Australia. Viewed: 20 August 2013 Available on the Internet at: http://www.ala.org.au/

Cohn JS (2004). Effects of slashing and burning on Thesium australe R. Brown (Santalaceae) in coastal grasslands of NSW. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 125:57–65.

Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW) (2010). White Box-Yellow Box-Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland National Recovery Plan. Sydney, New South Wales: DECCW. Viewed: 20 August 2013 Available on the Internet at: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/white- and-yellow-box.html

Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment (DPIWE) (2003). Threatened Species Notesheet - Thesium australe. Hobart, Tasmania: DPIWE. Available on the Internet at: http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/Attachments/LJEM- 76QV5J/$FILE/Thesium%20australe.pdf

Thesium australe (austral toadflax) Approved Conservation Advice Page 4 of 5 This Conservation Advice was approved by the Delegate of the Minister on 17 December 2013

Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPaC) (2012). Nationally Threatened Ecological Communities: Natural Grasslands on Basalt and Fine-textured Alluvial Plains of Northern New South Wales and Southern Queensland, and Natural Grasslands of the Queensland Central Highlands and the Northern Fitzroy Basin. A guide to the identification, assessment and management of nationally threatened ecological communities. Canberra: DSEWPaC. Viewed: 20 August 2013 Available on the Internet at: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/natural- grasslands-guide.html

Environment ACT (2006). National Recovery Plan for Natural Temperate Grassland of the Southern Tablelands (NSW and ACT): An Endangered Ecological Community. Canberra, ACT: Environment ACT. Viewed: 20 August 2013 Available on the Internet at: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/tempera te-grasslands/index.html

George AS (1984). Thesium. In: Flora of Australia 22:67. Canberra: Australian Government Printing Service.

Harden GJ (ed.) (1992). Flora of New South Wales Volume 3. Kensington, NSW: University of NSW Press.

Jeanes JA (1999). Thesium. In: Walsh NG and Entwisle TJ (eds). Flora of Victoria 4:37. Melbourne: Inkata Press.

Leigh J, Boden R and Briggs J (1984). Extinct and Endangered Plants of Australia. Melbourne, Victoria: Macmillan.

Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) (2013). Austral Toadflax – profile. Sydney, New South Wales: OEH. Viewed: 20 August 2013 Available on the Internet at: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspecies/

Scarlett NH, Branwell M and Earl G (2003). Action Statement No. 56 Austral Toad-flax Thesium australe. Melbourne, Victoria: Department of Sustainability and Environment. Viewed: 20 August 2013 Available on the Internet at: http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/plants-and-animals/native-plants-and-animals/threatened- species-and-communities/action-statements/flora-and-fauna-guarantee-act-action- statements-index-of-approved-action-statements#PlantsCom

Thesium australe (austral toadflax) Approved Conservation Advice Page 5 of 5