This Conservation Advice was approved by the Minister/Delegate of the Minister on: 3/07/2008 Approved Conservation Advice (s266B of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999). Approved Conservation Advice for Quassia bidwillii (Quassia)

This Conservation Advice has been developed based on the best available information at the time this conservation advice was approved.

Description Quassia bidwillii, Family , commonly known as Quassia, is a small or that grows to about 6 m in height, with red fruit and red flowers from November to March. Its leaves are 4.5–9 cm long, 6–12 mm wide, glabrous (hairless) or sometimes silky to pubescent only on the lower surface, with secondary veins numerous and regularly arranged. Quassia flowers occur in clusters of 1–4, and each flower has 8 to 10 stamens, with filaments densely villous (covered in small hairs) on the outer surface (Harden, 2000).

Conservation Status Quassia is listed as vulnerable. This 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). Quassia is also listed as vulnerable under Schedule 3 of the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and on the Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 2006 (Queensland).

Distribution and Habitat Quassia is endemic to Queensland and is currently known to occur in several localities between Scawfell Island, near Mackay, and Goomboorian, north of Gympie (QDNR, 2000). Quassia has been confirmed as occurring in at least 40 known sites (QDNR, 2001). Quassia commonly occurs in lowland rainforest or on rainforest margins (Hewson, 1985), but it can also be found in other forest types, such as open forest and woodland (QDNR, 2001). Quassia is commonly found in areas adjacent to both temporary and permanent watercourses (Belleng Pty Ltd, 2004) in locations up to 510 m altitude. The species has been cultivated at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne (CHABG, 1994). Commonly associated tree species include Spotted Gum (Corymbia citriodora), Grey Gum (Eucalyptus propinqua), White Mahogany (E. acmenoides), Forest Red Gum (E. tereticornis), Pink Bloodwood (E. intermedia), an ironbark (E. siderophloia), Gum Topped Box (E. moluccana), Gympie Messmate (E. cloeziana) and Broad Leaved Ironbark (E. fibrosa) (QDNR, 2001). Quassia occurs within the Burnett Mary, Fitzroy, Mackay Whitsunday, and Burdekin (Queensland) Natural Resource Management regions. The distribution of this species overlaps with the following EPBC Act-listed threatened ecological communities: • Semi-evergreen vine thickets of the Brigalow Belt (North and South) and Nandewar Bioregions, and • Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla dominant and co-dominant).

Threats The main identified threats to Quassia are soil erosion and habitat clearing as a result of a range of activities including agriculture, forestry, urban development and recreational activities.

Quassia bidwillii Draft Conservation Advice - Page 1 of 3 This Conservation Advice was approved by the Minister/Delegate of the Minister on: 3/07/2008 The main potential threat to Quassia is inappropriate fire regimes. The response of this species to fire is unknown. However, the spread of Lantana (Lantana camara) and exotic grasses, including Guinea Grass (Panicum maximum) and Rhodes Grass (Chloris gayana), may threaten Quassia. The establishment of these weed species is likely to be enhanced after fire (QDNR, 2001; Smyrell, 2007).

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. • Undertake survey work in suitable habitat and potential habitat to locate any additional populations/occurrences/remnants.

Regional Priority Actions The following regional priority recovery and threat abatement actions can be done to support the recovery of Quassia. Habitat Loss, Disturbance and Modification • Identify sites of high conservation priority. • Where Quassia occurs establish a protective buffer that excludes timber harvesting and clearing (QDNR, 2001). • Ensure, road widening, maintenance, development, recreational and agricultural activities (or other activities involving substrate and vegetation disturbance) in areas where Quassia occurs do not adversely impact on known populations. • Investigate formal conservation arrangements, such as covenants or inclusion in reserve tenure. Invasive Weeds • Develop and implement a management plan for the control of weeds that links with the fire management strategy. • Ensure chemical or other mechanisms used to eradicate weeds do not have a significant adverse impact on Quassia. Fire • Develop and implement a suitable fire management strategy for Quassia that links with the weed management plan. • Prevent fire on sites for Quassia where Lantana invasion is a threat. On other sites, until an appropriate fire regime is determined, maintain current fire management practices (QDNR, 2001). • Provide maps of known occurrences to local and state Rural Fire Services and seek inclusion of mitigative measures in bush fire risk management plans, risk register and/or operation maps. Conservation Information • Raise awareness of Quassia within the local community, including landowners. Establishing Additional Populations • Undertake appropriate seed collection and storage. • Investigate options for linking, enhancing or establishing additional populations. • Implement national translocation protocols (Vallee et al., 2004) if establishing additional populations is considered necessary and feasible.

Quassia bidwillii Draft Conservation Advice - Page 2 of 3 This Conservation Advice was approved by the Minister/Delegate of the Minister on: 3/07/2008 Local Priority Actions The following local priority recovery and threat abatement actions can be done to support the recovery of Quassia. Habitat Loss, Disturbance and Modification • Monitor sites to identify key threats or progress of recovery. • Control access routes to suitably constrain public access to known sites on public land. Invasive weeds • Undertake appropriate weed management at known sites. Fire • Protect known sites from unintentional fires. This list does not necessarily encompass all actions that may be of benefit to Quassia, but highlights those that are considered to be of highest priority at the time of preparing the conservation advice.

Existing Plans/Management Prescriptions that are Relevant to the Species. • Species Management Manual (QDNR, 2001), and • Weeds of National Significance: Lantana (Lantana camara) (ARMCANZ, 2001). These prescriptions were current at the time of publishing; please refer to the relevant agency’s website for any updated versions.

Information Sources: Agriculture & Resource Management Council of Australia & New Zealand (ARMCANZ) 2001, Weeds of National Significance: Lantana (Lantana camara) Strategic Plan, National Weeds Strategy Executive Committee, Launceston. Belleng Pty Ltd 2004, Proposed Residential Development Lot 3 RP35335 Doolong Road South, Hervey Bay, Preliminary Information (Part 1) for Environmental Assessment & Approval under Chapter 4 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, Belleng Pty Ltd. Council of Heads of Australian Botanic Gardens (CHABG) 1994, Census of in botanic gardens, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra. Harden GJ (Ed) 2000, Flora of New South Wales, vol 1, UNSW Press, 2nd edition. Hewson, HJ 1985, `Simaroubaceae', , Volume 25: Melianthaceae to Simaroubaceae, Department of Primary Industries, Queensland, pp. 188–196. Queensland Department of Natural Resources (QDNR) 2000, Volume 3: Species management profiles for plants, in Species Management Manual, QDNR, Brisbane. Queensland Department of Natural Resources (QDNR) 2001, Volume 3: Species management profiles for plants, in Species Management Manual, QDNR, Brisbane. Smyrell, G 2007, Indigeaflora, Surveys for Quassia bidwillii in the Hervey Bay region, Unpublished report to the Department of the Environment and Water Resources. Vallee, L, Hogbin, T, Monks, L, Makinson, B, Matthes, M & Rossetto, M 2004, Guidelines for the Translocation of Threatened Plants in Australia - Second Edition, Australian Network for Conservation, Canberra.

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