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Arthur Rylah Institute Technical Paper Series Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Technical Series Report No. 150 Post-fire recovery of priority populations of threatened flora in north-east Victoria after the 2003 bushfires F. Coates, M. Taranto, A. Trumbull-Ward and A. Browne October 2004 Published by the Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment Melbourne, [insert month] 2004 © The State of Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment 2004 This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Authorised by the Victorian Government, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne. Printed by [insert printer’s name and address] ISBN [insert number] For more information contact the DSE Customer Service Centre 136 186 Disclaimer This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. Citation Coates, F., Taranto, M., Trumbull-Ward, A. and Browne, A. (2004) Post-fire recovery of priority populations of threatened flora in north-east Victoria after the 2003 bushfires. Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Technical Report No. 150. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria, Melbourne. Front cover: Banksia canei, Brumby Point, Alpine National Park. Photo: Obe Carter. Coates et al. Post-fire recovery of threatened flora after the 2003 bushfires. Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................V Introduction.......................................................................................................................................... 1 Methods ................................................................................................................................................. 3 Results .................................................................................................................................................10 Discussion...........................................................................................................................................27 Recommendations .............................................................................................................................34 Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................................36 References...........................................................................................................................................37 Appendix 1. Summary of population records for post-fire threatened flora surveys, January – April 2004.........................................................................................................................39 Appendix 2. Fire response characteristics for post-fire threatened flora surveys, January – April 2004. .......................................................................................................................................45 Appendix 3. Summary of actual and potential threats for populations recorded during post-fire threatened flora surveys, January – April 2004. ........................................................47 Appendix 4. Grevillea alpivaga monitoring data.......................................................................53 Appendix 5. Eucalyptus mitchelliana monitoring data. ...........................................................56 Appendix 6. Deyeuxia pungens monitoring data.......................................................................57 Appendix 7. Myoporum floribundum monitoring data. ...........................................................60 Appendix 8. Thesium australe monitoring data. .......................................................................63 Appendix 9. Barbarea grayi monitoring data. ...........................................................................65 Appendix 10. Lobelia gelida monitoring data. ...........................................................................66 Appendix 11. Acacia nanopravissima monitoring data. ..........................................................69 III Coates et al. Post-fire recovery of threatened flora after the 2003 bushfires. List of Tables Table 1. Vital attributes and their codes......................................................................................... 6 Table 2: Example of a life table and hypothetical data............................................................... 8 Table 3. Species Extinct in Victoria: pre-fire conservation status, regenerative response and post-fire conservation status...................................................................................................13 Table 4. Species Endangered in Victoria: pre-fire conservation status, regenerative response, post-fire conservation status and the proportion of re-located populations in the study area that were selected for surveying. .......................................................................14 Table 5. Species Vulnerable in Victoria: pre-fire conservation status, regenerative response post-fire conservation status and the proportion of re-located populations in the study area that were selected for surveying. ..............................................................................16 Table 6. Species Rare in Victoria: pre-fire conservation status, regenerative response and post-fire conservation status. .........................................................................................................17 Table 7. G. alpivaga seedling densities. ......................................................................................21 Table 8. E. mitchelliana seedling densities. ................................................................................22 Table 9. D. pungens seedling and resprout densities ...............................................................22 Table 10. M. floribundum seedling and resprout densities.....................................................23 Table 11. T. australe resprout densities densities ....................................................................23 Table 12. Number of points with and without L. gelida and percent cover of post-fire regeneration........................................................................................................................................24 Table 13. Number of resprouting A. nanopravissima plants. .................................................24 Table 14. Area of occupancy and/or number of individuals for eight burnt populations of E. eichleri. .......................................................................................................................................25 Table 15. No of resprouting D. nitida plants, resprout number and length..........................26 IV Coates et al. Post-fire recovery of threatened flora after the 2003 bushfires. Executive Summary Forty-four species of threatened plants were identified as ‘possibly at risk’ following the bushfires that burnt 1.1 million hectares of public and private land in 2003 (Parks Victoria 2003). The post-fire response of most of these species had not been previously documented. Surveys were conducted for 43 of these species to relocate at least some of their populations within the boundary of the fire-affected area and to assess whether - 1. the target species were burnt and regenerating, 2. were burnt and not yet regenerating but were likely to do so, 3. were burnt and unlikely to regenerate or 4. had not been burnt. Existing population records were prioritised for survey and fieldwork, which was conducted from January to April 2004. Information recorded during the surveys included population size, habitat variables, an estimate of the local fire severity, fire response traits, threats present at the site and management requirements. Information was collected only at burnt sites. By the close of the survey period, 181 populations had been found, including populations that had not been previously recorded. 126 of these populations had been burnt. 17 additional rare or threatened species were found. Twenty-two vascular plant species showed good regeneration at all sites inspected. Seven species were not, or mostly not, burnt across their range within the fire-affected area. Four vascular species and two non-vascular species showed poor regeneration or had not regenerated where burnt. An additional four species were not relocated, but all except one are highly likely to be extant, with no records found for the remaining species. Two species were subject to recovery plan implementation and were not surveyed. Two species are considered to have become extinct pre-fire. Seven species with known locations require further survey to clarify their status. Fire response characters were recorded for 28 species. The majority (14) of species with burnt populations were obligate resprouters with no persistent seed bank. Eight species had the ability to resprout and regenerate from a persistent seed bank. Four species were obligate seed recruiters from a persistent seed bank with no ability to resprout.