State Nrmprogram:Final Report
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1 STATE NRM PROGRAM: FINAL REPORT PROJECT TITLE: Critically endangered flora recovery STATE ID NUMBER: 12030 PROJECT DETAILS 1. Were the final outcomes, activities and/or location(s) of your project significantly different to your original project schedule? ( ) Yes ( X ) No 1.1 Project summary (only complete if your project varied significantly to that described in the original project schedule) This new summary will be used on our website to promote your project. Summary 1.2 Project location (only complete if your project varied significantly to that described in the original project schedule) If the location of your project changed from the original schedule please update these details. General location ‐ street address, lot numbers, reserve names. GPS coordinates Local Government Areas covered by the project Natural Resource Management Region(s) covered by the project [ ] Rangelands [ ] Northern Agricultural [ ] Wheatbelt (Avon) [ ] Perth (Swan) [ ] Peel‐Harvey [ ] South West [ ] South Coast 2 2. ASSETS 2.1 List any assets worth more than $5000 that were purchased with this funding. These assets remain the property of the State Government until new ownership arrangements are established. Asset Purchase Cost What do you recommend should happen Do not include fencing date $ to this asset at project completion? and trees 2.2 Please provide any supporting documents that show how the asset may be managed after this project ends. Evidence may include MoUs or planning documents. 3. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind for which exclusive rights are recognised, they enable people to earn recognition or financial benefit from what they invent or create. Intellectual property developed with grant funding remains the property of the State Government. Please refer clause 17.1 of your Funding Agreement Examples of intellectual property you may produce as part of your project include: digital media, such as applications, software and audio/video clips that can be downloaded online publications, such as books and journal articles methodology, such as a new way to bait feral animals. 3.1 Please describe any intellectual property that has been created through this project that has the potential for exploitation and/or commercialisation, and for which the intellectual property rights should be legally protected under statutory and/or common law. 3 3.2 Please name all publications/reports/data compiled with funding provided to this project in the table below. Please provide hard or electronic copies or a link Document Link Erica Shedley^, Neil Burrows, Colin Yates and David Coates submitted to Biological Conservation. Using bioregional variations in fire history, fire responses and vital attributes as a basis for managing threatened flora in a fire‐prone Mediterranean climate biodiversity hotspot (attached) D. A. Rathbone, S. Barrett, D. Lehmann and E. Harper Unpublished report Vertebrate browsing impacts in a threatened montane ecosystem (attached). Translocation proposal for Daviesia ovata Translocation proposal for Eucalyptus cuprea Translocation proposal for Schoenia filifolia subulifolia Translocation proposal for Andersonia annelsii Translocation proposal for Synaphea stenoloba Translocation proposal for Eremophila rostrate ssp trifida Translocation proposal for Grevillea maxwellii 3.3 How will this information be maintained for future use by other interested parties? All information, in published and unpublished papers and reports will be retained as copies in the Department of Parks and Wildlife library. Data will be maintained on Departmental databases such as the Threatened and Priority Flora Database and Naturemap . 4. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS The points you provide here will be used on our website to promote the achievements of your project. 4.1 Please list the key achievements of your project. In total 105 Critically Endangered plant species across the southwest of the State were provided with increased protection and their conservation status has improved through a range of actions targeting natural populations, and through ex situ conservation measures such as re‐introductions. The populations of these species have been shown to be in poor condition, in significant decline, small and in many cases isolated due to habitat fragmentation. Most of these Critically Endangered species have had a range decline of at least 50% over the last 10 years and/or at least an estimated 20% decline in population size 4 over the last 5 years. They are all estimated to have a 50% probability of extinction in the next 10 years. The actions outlined below, reported against five project milestones, have resulted in significant improvement in the conservation trajectory of these species. Viable populations of 28 Critically Endangered species were established in threat free areas. Fire management protocols were developed and fire management procedures implemented for 42 Critically Endangered species. This includes the development of electronic data reporting fields for fire response monitoring of threatened flora throughout the State. Fencing and grazing control was completed for 29 Critically Endangered species with 11.9 km of fencing erected to protect 1,009 ha from grazing by feral animals and 17,070 ha of land baited for control of rabbits. Weed control and habitat restoration was completed for 34 Critically Endangered species covering 507.1 ha Successful control of Phytophthora dieback disease was implemented in 22 highly susceptible Critically Endangered species covering 329 ha. 5. LESSONS AND UNEXPECTED OUTCOMES 5.1 Did your project proceed as anticipated? ( X ) Yes ( ) No – please explain 5.2 Did anything happen throughout the life of your project that impacted (positively or negatively) on the final outcomes? ( ) Yes – please explain ( X ) No 5.3 Please identify any lessons you have learnt as a result of the project. Significant progress can be made in addressing the decline and potential extinction of Critically Endangered Flora where a strategic and targeted approach dealing with key threatening processes is implemented. Actions such as those targeted in this project which covered managing and controlling the major threats of invasive weeds, grazing and trampling by feral animals, and Phytophthora dieback, can lead to significant progress in reducing the impact of these threats and reversing decline in the populations of the target species. The assessment and development of fire management protocols, and monitoring procedures for fire response of threatened flora can not only result in a direct management benefit for the 42 target 5 species but can also be applied across all 423 threatened plant species in the Sttate. While all these activities have resulted in the refinement of approaches for managing threats and fire, the establishment of new viable populations has posed some of the greatest challenges and the progress made through this NRM project, in this particular activity, has been found to provide a solid background for further success in this area. 6. USE OF PROJECT RESULTS 6.1 Where have your results been used and/or where do you anticipate themm being used in the future? The project focussed on stabilising populations from threats and reversing the decline of 105 Critically Endangered plants in the south west of the State. Activity sites cover south weest region roughly from Shark Bay in the north west to north east of Esperance in the south east as shown in the map below The activities applied across the south west of the State involved controlling the key threats: invasive weeds, grazing and trampling by feral animals, and Phytophthora dieback, and the development of fire management protocols. These activities were aimed at preventing any further loss of individuals from populations of each of the targeted threatened species and providing conditions that will favour recruitment. The use of targeted fire management in some areas has already reesulted in significant recruitment events. Recent assessment of the other major management activity, the establishment of new populations on secure sites, also indicates a potential improvement in the conservation status of the 28 species. The results from these activities are already being applied across other areas of the southwest, targeting additional threatened plant species particularly those ranked as critically endanngered, and can also be applied to management of threatened flora in other parts of the State. 6 6.2 List any benefits this project has provided to other groups. Activities carried out in this project (under 4.1) and the methodologies developed will be of benefit to Regional NRM groups throughout the State, a range of NGO groups ( i.e Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Bush Heritage, Greening Australia) and local community groups where they are involved with the conservation management of threatened plants. 6.3 Describe any future actions that are planned or are likely to arise as a result of this project. All activities carried out as part of this project are likely to be implemented elsewhere, particularly in the southwest, and a number are already planned for other species of threatened flora although these will be reviewed and prioritised depending upon the availability of resources and suitable funding. 6.4 How is your organisation planning to maintain the project after funding has ceased? The Department of Parks and Wildlife in conjunction with Departmental regional Flora Recovery Teams, will continue to target the