THREATENED SPECIES SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Established under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

The Minister’s delegate approved this Conservation Advice on 15/07/2016.

Conservation Advice Rytidosperma pumilum

feldmark grass

Conservation Status Rytidosperma pumilum (feldmark grass) is listed as Vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth) (EPBC Act) effective from the 16 July 2000.

The species was eligible for listing under the EPBC Act at that time as, immediately prior to the commencement of the EPBC Act, it was listed as Vulnerable under Schedule 1 of the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 (Cwlth).

Species can also be listed as threatened under state and territory legislation. For information on the listing status of this species under relevant state or territory legislation, see http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/sprat.pl

The main factors that causes the species to be eligible for listing in the Vulnerable category are its very small area of occupancy and extent of occurrence and its potential sensitivity to the warming climate.

Description Feldmark grass is an inconspicuous tufted grass. Its leaves grow to only about 3 cm in length, and its flowering stems to about 7 cm in height. The leaves have broad, papery sheaths and are often curved or spirally twisted. The two to four spikelets, which are held against the flowering stem, each contain two to four florets (reduced flowers) (OEH 2012).

Distribution Feldmark grass has a very narrow distribution in the Australian Alps and is more common in New Zealand, where it is “widespread in the drier interior and eastern regions” of the high mountains of the South Island (Mark & Adams 1973).

Surveys indicate that the entire Australian population of feldmark grass occurs in a single population extending about 1 km along the ridge top from the Mount Northcote side of Northcote Pass to the summit of Mount Lee in Kosciuszko National Park in NSW (Ballantyne et al., 2014; OEH 2012).

Its extent of occurrence is estimated to be 0.03 km2 (NSW NPWS 2000) and its area of occupancy is 4 km2 (calculated using the IUCN (2001, 2016) 2 km grid method).

Eight separate collections of Australian specimens of feldmark grass have been lodged in herbaria in NSW and the ACT. All of the Australian collections are located in each of the following areas: Lake Albina; Mt Lee; Mt Northcote and Northcote Pass. Two other populations have been reported but not confirmed with voucher specimens. One of these populations occurs on a permanent monitoring transect below Seaman’s Hut near Mount Koscuiszko and the other occurs near Charlotte Pass (NSW NPWS 2001).

The population along the ridge top is routinely monitored by NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. During the most recent surveys the species is found to remain fairly common at this site, however there is no quantitative populations counts (McDougall K pers. comm. 2016).

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Relevant Biology/Ecology Feldmark grass occurs mainly on exposed mountain ridges and summits where much of the ground surface is comprised of fractured granite outcrops and lithosols (marginally weathered stony soils). In its Australian distribution, the species is associated with two kinds of vegetation associations which make up the windswept feldmark vegetation community. One of these vegetation associations is dominated by Epacris and Chionohebe species and the other is dominated by Coprosma and Colobanthus species (Costin et al., 1979). Windswept feldmark occupies just 28.5 ha of the highest ridges of the Australian Alps These are areas characterised by persistent low temperatures and strong winds. These areas have little snow cover in winter due to the prevailing westerly winds (NSW NPWS 2001).

Feldmark grass is known in association with sparse dwarf shrubs, cushion plants and herbs including: Agrostis muelleriana (Mueller’s bent), Brachyscome sp., Veronica densifolia, Colobanthus pulvinatus (cushion cupflower), Kelliera dieffenbachia, Epacris microphylla sens. lat. (coral heath), Epilobium tasmanicum (snow willow-herb), Euphrasia sp., Ewartia nubigena (silver ewartia), Leucochrysum albicans subsp. alpinum (alpine sunray), Luzula oldfieldii subsp. dura, Lycopodium fastigiatum (mountain clubmoss), Poa fawcettiae (smooth blue snowgrass), Ranunculus muelleri var. brevicaulis (felted buttercup), Rumex acetosella (sheep sorrel), Senecio pectinatus(alpine groundsel) and Trisetum spicatum (bristle grass) (NSW NPWS 2001).

Judging from the species’ habit, distribution and preferred habitat, it is presumed that feldmark grass resprouts following disturbance and is tolerant of low temperatures (NSW NPWS 2001). The species flowers in summer (Harden 1993).

Mark and Adams (1973) note that the species is rhizomatous (NSW NPWS 2001).The population at Northcote Pass has been estimated to be more than 5000 plants and perhaps as many as 30 000 plants but the precise number is difficult to determine as an individual may be indeterminate (NSW NPWS 2001).

Threats Table 1 – Threats impacting on the feldmark grass in approximate order of severity of risk, based on available evidence.

Threat factor Threat type/and Evidence base status Habitat loss, fragmentation and modification Trampling present/ A walking trail on the Kosciuszko Main Range bisects the potential feldmark grass populations and the associated windswept feldmark ecological communities at several points (McDougall & Wright 2004; McDougall & Walsh 2007; OEH 2012). Despite being a formal park trail, sections traversing areas where windswept feldmark vegetation communities occur have received limited management and maintenance, and remain largely unsealed and braided in places, with some bushwalkers known to venture off the trail to enjoy the mountain scenery (McDougall & Wright 2004). Trampling does occur in the area as evidenced by damage to Epacris spp. shrubs. Increased use of this trail by walkers in summer is likely to increase the risk of walkers trampling on feldmark grasses and the surrounding vegetation, and directly damaging or destroying individuals of the species or indirectly threatening the species by causing changes to the feldmark community (OEH 2012). It has been proposed that trampling may hasten the death of shrubs in the windswept feldmark communities on the windward side and inhibit the

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regeneration of shrubs in the ecological community on the leeward side. Trampling may affect flora species shrub succession (NSW NPWS 2001; Ballantyne et al., 2014).The effect of interrupting the feldmark shrub cycles is unknown (NSW NPWS 2001).

Modification present/ In a study of the windswept feldmark ecological communities of walking potential in Kosciuszko National Park, McDougall and Wright (2004) trails found that some flora species were less abundant on the leeward edge of the trail along the Kosciuszko Main Range than on the windward edge. In addition, Ballantyne and colleagues (2014) found that the trail disrupted shrub succession on the leeward side of the trail. Changes in potential Ballantyne and colleagues (2014) predict that, as average microclimate temperatures in the alpine regions of Australia increase with as a result of climate change. It is predicted that climate change will have climate a significant effect on alpine plant diversity and on the change structure and function of many alpine plant communities by impacting upon their physiology and timing of life cycles, and on their interactions with other species. This will subsequently lead to the redistribution of alpine plant communities and changes in their structure and composition (ANBG 2009). Overall snow cover in the region has already declined by 30 % since the 1950s (Green & Pickering 2009; Green 2010), with a 40 % reduction in snow cover in spring (Nicholls 2005). If climatic conditions continue to be warmer in this region, it is possible that the composition of windswept feldmark may become more homogenised with the neighbouring grass-dominated community (Edmonds et al., 2006; Pickering & Venn 2013) and may also be affected by fire, as occurred in some areas of windswept feldmark in 2003 (Worboys 2003; Williams et al., 2008; Pickering & Venn 2013). Long-term changes in snow cover, winter temperatures and wind strength or direction may effect the species and the associated windswept feldmark communities, although it is difficult to quantify or qualify these effects. However, as only one population of feldmark grass is known in Australia, the species is prone to local extinction as a result of rare or unexpected catastrophic events. Warmer temperatures may increase the potential colonisation of the ridges by competitive species such as graminoids like the feldmark grass (Ballantyne et al., 2014). Impacts of domestic animals Grazing by known/past According to Peacock (1996), the main threat to the species stock was grazing by stock, especially given the grass tended to form dense swards. However, stock grazing no longer occurs in Koscuiszko National Park. Given that the flora of the Kosciuszko alpine zone is not adapted to livestock grazing and trampling, its recovery from the impacts of grazing can take a long time. The grazing history and characteristics of a particular site will influence the effects of and recovery from livestock grazing (Scherrer and Pickering 2005).

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Conservation Actions

Conservation and Management priorities Habitat loss, fragmentation and modification

o If trampling is found to be impacting on the species investigate ways to mitigate such as the use of raised walkways and re-routing of the walking trail.

o Work should be carried out to design the trail to reduce the threat to the windswept feldmark community and the feldmark grass. Impacts of domestic species

o Continue to exclude livestock from Koscuiszko National Park. Climate Change

o Collect and store seed from known populations to maintain adequate representation of the remaining genetic diversity from known populations of the species for the potential future restoration of populations and translocations.

o Cultivate plants ex situ to facilitate assisted/migration range shifts in response to climate change. Stakeholder Engagement

o If trampling is found to be impacting on the species run campaigns to raise public awareness and develop signage and educational material to promote minimum-impact use of high-conservation-value areas.

Survey and Monitoring priorities • Continue to monitor and manage the management site established by Office of Environment and Heritage 5 km west of Charlotte Pass. • Establish a monitioring program for the entire feldmark grass population to gather information about and improve understanding of the biological and ecological processes in relation to the feldmark ecological community and assess the threat of bushwalkers to the feldmark grass population. This monitoring project should be carried out over ten years or greater given that the biological and ecological processes in the feldmark ecological community are extremely slow. • Conduct additional searches at unconfirmed locations in Wright’s Creek and below Seaman’s Hut. • Continue to monitor the experimental section of raised walkway in another area of feldmark nearby the feldmark grass population to assess whether it can mitigate the effects of trampling by bushwalkers. Quadrats are to be placed around and beneath the walkway to determine if it interferes with plant community processes. Species composition and plant numbers will be monitored in quadrats. • If the results of the monitoring program indicate that trampling damage is occurring the management of the feldmark grass population will be reviewed and changes made such as minor adjustments to the walking trail alignment or surface.

Information and research priorities • Search for further populations in suitable habitat.

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References cited in the advice

Ballantyne, M., Pickering, C.P., McDouall, K.L. & Wright, G.T (2014). Sustained impacts of a hiking trail on changing Windswept Feldmark vegetation in the Australian Alps. Australian Journal of Botany 62(4), 263-275.

Costin, A. B., Gray, M., Totterdell, C. J. & Wimbush, D. J. (1979). Kosciusko Alpine Flora. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) / Collins, Australia.

Edmonds, T., Lunt, I.D., Roshier, D.A. & Louis, J. (2006). Annual variation in the distribution of summer snowdrifts in the Kosciuszko alpine area, Australia, and its effect on the composition and structure of alpine vegetation. Austral Ecology 31, 837–848.

Green, K. (2010). Alpine taxa exhibit differing responses to climate warming in the Snowy Mountains of Australia. Journal of Mountain Science 7, 167–175.

Green, K. & Pickering, C.M. (2009). The decline of snowpatches in the Snowy Mountains of Australia: importance of climate warming, variable snow and wind. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 41, 212–218.

Harden, G.J. (ed) (1993). Flora of New South Wales, Volume 4. Kensington, NSW: University of NSW Press.

Mark, A. F. & Adams, N.M. (1973). New Zealand Alpine Plants. A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington.

McDougal, K.L. & Wright, G.T. (2004). The impact of trampling on feldmark vegetation in Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales. Australian Journal of Botany 52(3), 315-320.

Murray Catchment Management Authority & Office of Environment and Heritage (2012). New South Wales Murray Biodiversity Management Plan: A guide to terrestrial biodiversity investment priorities in the central and eastern NSW Murray catchment, Murray Catchment Management Authority, Albury.

Nicholls, N. (2005). Climate variability, climate change and the Australian snow season. Australian Meteorological Magazine 54, 177–185.

NSW NPWS (New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service) (2001). Approved Recovery Plan for the Threatened Alpine Flora Anemone Buttercup (Ranunculus anemoneus), Feldmark Grass (Erythranthera pumila), Raleigh Sedge (Carex raleighii) & Shining Cudweed (Euchiton nitidulus). NSW NPWS, Hurstville, NSW.

Pickering, C.M. & Venn, S.E. (2013). Increasing the resilience of the Australian flora to climate change and associated threats: a plant functional traits approach. National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility Publishing, Gold Coast, Queensland.

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Scherrer, P., and Pickering CP. (2005) Recovery of alpine vegetation from grazing and drought: data from long term photoquadrats in Kosciuszko National Park, Australia. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research 37(4): 574-584.

Williams, R.J., Wahren, C.H., Tolsma, A.D., Sanecki, G.M., Papst, W.A., Myers, B.A., McDougall, K.L., Heinze, D.A. & Green, K. (2008). Large fires in Australian alpine landscapes: their part in the historical fire regime and their impacts on alpine biodiversity. International Journal of Wildland Fire 17, 793–808.

Worboys, G.L. (2003). A brief report on the 2003 Australian Alps bushfires. Mountain Research and Development 23, 294–295.

Other sources cited in the advice

ANBG (Australian National Botanic Gardens) (2009). Viewed: 12 February 2016. Available on the Internet at: http://www.anbg.gov.au/anpc/apc/18-2_good-anbg.html.

NSW OEH (New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage) (2012). Feldmark Grass – profile. Viewed: 9 February 2016 Available on the Internet at: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedSpeciesApp/profile.aspx?id=10740.

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