ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES retrorsa

Hemsley The following information is Assessment of fire history is essential provided to assist authors of Species in the determination of Impact Statements, development and presence/absence of the species at any activity proponents, and determining given site. Viable but dormant K. and consent authorities, who are retrorsa seeds may be present in the required to prepare or review soil seedbank irrespective of the assessments of likely impacts on apparent absence of the species threatened species pursuant to the within the survey area. K. retrorsa, as provisions of the Environmental in the majority of the have Planning and Assessment Act 1979. hard coated seeds, enabling them to These guidelines should be read in survive in the soil seedbank for long conjunction with the NPWS periods of time, possibly > 50 years. Information Circular No. 2: K. retrorsa requires high light levels Threatened Species Assessment under for maximum growth and is likely to the EP&A Act: The ‘8 Part Test’ of be a successional species in some Significance (November 1996). localities (i.e. being locally abundant Survey for a number of years after fire and gradually declining in numbers due to K. retrorsa is most easily identified competition and/or shading from trees when in flower. When not in flower and shrubs). the species could be confused with the widespread and variable Kennedia Where K. retrorsa is present, rubicunda. Seedlings of this species dimensions, approximate age of are difficult to distinguish from that individuals and evidence of flowering of K. rubicunda. or seed set should be recorded. In riparian zones or intermittent Life cycle of the species drainage lines intensive searches The lifecycle of K. retrorsa is likely should be undertaken in sunny to be disrupted should any of the situations for seedlings or juvenile following occur: . Presence in such a locality may indicate a population of the Loss of individuals through physical species in the surrounding area. destruction of plants permanently destroys an individual’s lifecycle. K. Surveys should also include rocky retrorsa is not known to reproduce ridgetops, bases of sandstone ledges vegetatively, therefore the plant’s and clifflines especially in areas persistence depends on the production adjacent basalt. and germination of viable seed. Due to the localised and sporadic Seedbank disturbance as a result of occurrences of this species, the use of removal or reduction of leaf litter quadrants and similar survey layer of the soil profile, may disrupt techniques are not deemed the lifecycle of K. retrorsa as satisfactory methods in determining Kennedia seeds are thought to be presence/absence over a wider study stored in the upper layers of the soil area. profile

May 2000 Habitat modification affects the • Management potential of the site lifecycle of K. retrorsa by altering the and the ability to manage current ecological processes within suitable threatening processes habitat. Habitat modification may • Nature of the impact ie whether include weed invasion, reduced water habitat will be permanently quality/rural runoff, and increased removed or temporarily modified. sedimentation of creek/drainage lines. Isolation & fragmentation Management of K. retrorsa habitat Threatening processes should aim to maintain the continuity “High frequency fire resulting in the of habitat between individuals within disruption of life cycle processes in populations, and avoid creating new plants and animal and loss of sub-populations. vegetation structure and composition” Regional distribution is a listed key threatening process under the TSC Act. This key K. retrorsa habitat occurs in highly threatening process is relevant to this restricted portions of the Central species. Western Slopes and Central Coast Botanical sub-divisions. In the Mount Other identified threats to the K. Dangar area the species is recorded to retrorsa population include habitat occur in a range of communities degradation and habitat clearance. including those classified as Viable local population Woodland/Open Woodland Map Unit 6, Woodland/Open Woodland and K. retrorsa is able to produce a large Low Open Woodland within Map amount of long-lived, soil persistent Unit 5 and Woodland Map Unit 4 of seed in a relatively short period of McRae & Cooper 1985 on the time (3-6 years). Thus, any Merriwa 1:100,000 map sheet. assessment of viability should consider the reproductive capacity of Limit of known distribution a site in view of the soil seed bank The northern distributional limit of K. and not confine consideration to the retrorsa in NSW is Mount Dangar number of visible plants. with the southern occurrence at Dingo Significant area of habitat Creek. The following factors should be Adequacy of representation considered. in conservation reserves • Location of the population in K. retrorsa occurs within Wollemi relation to current distributional and Goulburn River National Parks. limits The species is not adequately • Number, density and population conserved due to the small size of dynamics (age) of the individuals known populations within reserves occurring at the site and the predominance of seedlings • Proximity of the habitat to and juvenile plants. existing K. retrorsa sub- Critical habitat populations • Reproductive status of the Critical habitat cannot be declared for population. A large proportion of K. retrorsa as it is not listed on the known K. retrorsa populations Schedule 1 of the TSC Act. are reproductively immature

May 2000 For further information contact Threatened Species Unit Sydney Zone NSW NPWS PO Box 1967, Hurstville NSW 2220 Phone 02 9585 6678 or visit our website at www.npws.nsw.gov.au References Benson, D. H. and McDougall, L. (1996) Ecology of Sydney plant species Part 4 : Peas & Wattles in Cunninghamia Vol. 4(4). Briggs, J. D. and Leigh, J. H. (1996) Rare or Threatened Australian Plants. Department of Conservation and Land Management Soil Landscape Series Sheet 9031 St. Albans 1:100,000 map sheet.

Department of Mines 1:250,000 Geological Series Singleton map sheet SI 56 - 1

Gill, A. M. (1981) Adaptive responses of Australian vascular plants species to fires. Chapter 11 in Fire and the Australian biota (A.M. Gill, R. H. Groves, I. R. Noble Eds) (Australian Academy of Science: Canberra).

Harden, G. editor (1991) Flora of New South Wales Vol. 2 (NSW University Press: Kensington).

McRae, R. H. D. and Cooper, M. G. (1985) Vegetation of the Merriwa area, New South Wales in “Cunninghamia” Vol. 1 (3): 351-369.

Ryan, K., Fisher, M. and Schaeper L. The natural vegetation of the St Albans 1: 100,000 Map Sheet.

Soil Conservation Service of N.S.W. Soil Landscape Series Sheet SI 56 – 1 Singleton 1:100,000 map sheet.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the editor expressly disclaim all liability and responsibility to any person, whether a purchaser or reader of this document or not, in respect of anything done or omitted to be done by any person in reliance upon the contents of this document although every effort has been made to ensure that the information presented in this document is accurate and up to date.

May 2000