Schoenus Scabripes (Cyperaceae)
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Please do not remove this page Translocation and population establishment of Schoenus scabripes (Cyperaceae) Milne, Cameron https://research.usc.edu.au/discovery/delivery/61USC_INST:ResearchRepository/12149499750002621?l#13149499740002621 Milne, C. (2021). Translocation and population establishment of Schoenus scabripes (Cyperaceae) [University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland]. https://doi.org/10.25907/00074 Document Type: Thesis USC Research Bank: https://research.usc.edu.au [email protected] It's your responsibility to determine if additional rights or permissions are needed for your use. Downloaded On 2021/10/02 13:00:14 +1000 Please do not remove this page 1 2 Translocation and population establishment of 3 Schoenus scabripes (Cyperaceae) 4 5 6 7 Cameron Milne B.Sc. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 School of Science and Engineering 15 University of the Sunshine Coast 16 17 1 18 Abstract 19 Members of the plant family Cyperaceae are a dominant and diverse contributor to the floristic 20 composition of coastal ecosystems. A mitigation of impacts is often needed where vegetation clearing 21 for development will result in the loss of these plant communities. Mitigation may include 22 translocating plant communities, which involves salvaging and relocating plants, or propagating and 23 planting plants. However, little is known about the translocation of many Cyperaceae species. 24 Understanding how Cyperaceae species can be translocated and established in disturbed landscapes 25 is important to support conservation programs and to ensure that revegetation efforts contribute 26 genuinely to biodiversity. 27 I aimed to investigate the propagation and population establishment of Schoenus scabripes 28 (Cyperaceae) following disturbance as part of vegetation clearing for expansion of the Caloundra 29 Aerodrome on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. S. scabripes was listed as a rare plant under 30 the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 at the time of works. Significant knowledge gaps in 31 revegetation techniques persist for many wet-heath sedges such as S. scabripes, including propagation 32 methods, seed germination and establishment techniques. Three propagation and establishment 33 methods assessed in this study included translocation of mature plants, field establishment of nursery- 34 grown plants, and seed germination. I investigated field establishment techniques for S. scabripes, 35 including planting with organic mulch and planting with companion leguminous plants that fix 36 nitrogen. 37 Whole plant translocation of mature clumps of S. scabripes and translocation of nursery-grown 38 potted plants was undertaken on the study site. Whole plant translocation was undertaken by 39 excavating and transporting turves to the study site using earthmoving machinery and trucks. Nursery- 40 grown plants were planted adjacent to the translocated turves, using four treatments: no mulch; 41 mulch; no mulch but with a companion plant; or both mulch and a companion plant. Establishment 42 and site treatments were evaluated by measuring plant survival, plant health, flowering, stem length, 43 and stem and leaf nutrient concentrations. 2 44 Whole plant translocation of S. scabripes resulted in high initial success with 100% survival of 45 plants for the first 26 months and 62% survival at 50 months after establishment. Nursery-grown 46 plants also established successfully during the first year following planting. However, their survival 47 and health declined subsequently. Nursery-grown plants had stem N concentrations within the ranges 48 previously found for Cyperaceae species. Stem concentrations of P and K were lower than previous 49 observations of other Schoenus species. 50 Germination of S. scabripes seeds collected over two seasons was tested using sixteen seed 51 treatments to identify possible germination cues. Treatments included seed ripening, hot water, dry 52 heat, smoke water, and inundation (anoxic conditions). Negligible germination was obtained in any 53 treatment, with less than 1% of all seeds germinating. 54 I demonstrated that whole plant translocation of S. scabripes using excavation machinery was an 55 effective method for salvage and relocation of a population and was more effective than translocation 56 of nursery-grown plants alone. Seed germination methods for, and dormancy mechanisms of S. 57 scabripes remain unknown. This study will assist researchers and revegetation practitioners working 58 with Schoenus species and will contribute to improving the plant species diversity represented in 59 revegetation projects. 60 61 3 62 Declaration of originality 63 64 This work has not been submitted previously for a degree or diploma at this or any other university. 65 To the best of my knowledge and belief, this thesis contains no material formerly published or written 66 by another person, except where due reference is made in the thesis itself. 67 68 Signed: 69 70 Date: 6th November 2020 71 4 72 Contents 73 Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... 2 74 Declaration of originality ........................................................................................................................ 4 75 Contents .................................................................................................................................................. 5 76 List of figures ........................................................................................................................................... 7 77 List of tables .......................................................................................................................................... 10 78 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... 11 79 Chapter 1 - Introduction & literature review ........................................................................................ 12 80 Thesis introduction ........................................................................................................................... 12 81 Literature review ............................................................................................................................... 14 82 Land clearing and restoration ....................................................................................................... 14 83 Restoration techniques ................................................................................................................. 14 84 Challenges of restoration in coastal environments ...................................................................... 18 85 Cyperaceae - Schoenus scabripes ................................................................................................. 19 86 Schoenus scabripes cultivation and establishment ...................................................................... 20 87 Schoenus seed germination .......................................................................................................... 21 88 Schoenus and fire .......................................................................................................................... 22 89 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 23 90 Research aims and thesis structure .................................................................................................. 23 91 References ........................................................................................................................................ 25 92 Chapter 2 -Translocation and population establishment of Schoenus scabripes (Cyperaceae) ........... 36 93 Abstract ............................................................................................................................................. 37 94 Keywords:.......................................................................................................................................... 37 95 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 38 96 Materials and methods ..................................................................................................................... 41 97 Study species ................................................................................................................................. 41 98 Site description ............................................................................................................................. 44 99 Translocation methods ................................................................................................................. 44 100 Data collection for whole translocated plants .............................................................................. 47 101 Establishment of nursery-grown S. scabripes under field conditions........................................... 47 102 Data collection and analysis of nursery-grown plants .................................................................. 52 103 Stem and leaf sample collection and chemical analysis ............................................................... 52 104 Statistical analysis for translocated whole plants ........................................................................