This Conservation Advice was approved by the Minister on: 1/10/2008. Following a taxonomic revision, the name in the EPBC Act list of threatened species was updated to Gingidia rupicola, effective on: 05/05/2016.

Approved Conservation Advice (s266B of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) Approved Conservation Advice for Gingidia montana

This Conservation Advice has been developed based on the best available information at the time this Conservation Advice was approved; this includes existing plans, records or management prescriptions for this species.

Description Gingidia montana, Family Apiaceae, also known as Mountain Angelica, is a small, erect, perennial herb growing to 50 cm high. Leaves are long and divided with small oval leaflets which have slightly serrated edges. Flowers are white, small and in clusters of 8–12 and the fruit is oval-shaped (Powell, 1992).

Conservation Status Gingidia montana is listed as endangered. This species is eligible for listing as endangered 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 endangered under Schedule 1 of the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 (Cwlth). The species is also listed as endangered under Schedule 1 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW).

Distribution and Habitat Gingidia montana occurs naturally in Australia and New Zealand (Powell, 1992; Quinn et al., 1995). There are three known populations of the species in New England National Park and one questionable record of the species at Tyringham, Ebor Rd, NSW (Quinn et al., 1995; Briggs & Leigh, 1996). The total Australian population is estimated at 20–50 healthy plants (L. Copeland, 2003, pers. comm.). Gingidia montana occurs in crevices of basalt and trachyte rock on cliffs, 1400–1750 m above sea level. Associated vegetation includes Snow Gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora) woodland and at the edge of Antarctic Beech (Nothofagus moorei) forest (DECC, 2005b). This species occurs within the Northern Rivers (NSW) Natural Resource Management Region.

Threats The main identified threat to G. montana is stochastic events relating to the extremely small population size (Peacock, 1996). The main potential threats to G. montana include heavy tourist traffic (Quinn et al., 1995); illegal collection (DECC, 2005b); and grazing by feral herbivores. The species is probably susceptible to grazing damage, as has been observed in New Zealand (Quinn et al., 1995).

Research Priorities Research priorities that would inform future regional and local priority actions include: • Design and implement a monitoring program (NSW NPWS, 1999). • 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. Gingidia montana Conservation Advice - Page 1 of 3 This Conservation Advice was approved by the Minister on: 1/10/2008. Following a taxonomic revision, the name in the EPBC Act list of threatened species was updated to Gingidia rupicola, effective on: 05/05/2016.

• Undertake seed germination and/or vegetative propagation trials to determine the requirements for successful establishment (DECC, 2005a). • Investigate the potential and efficacy of DNA-based identification of individual plants to provide a means for detecting and prosecuting illegal collection from the wild (See Palsboll et al., 2006).

Regional and Local Priority Actions The following regional and local priority recovery and threat abatement actions can be done to support the recovery of G. montana. Habitat Loss, Disturbance and Modification • Monitor known populations to identify key threats. • Monitor the progress of recovery, including the effectiveness of management actions and the need to adapt them if necessary. • Identify populations of high conservation priority. • Manage threats to areas of vegetation that contain populations/occurrences/remnants of G. montana. • Control access routes to suitably constrain public access to known sites on public land (DECC, 2005a). • Undertake rapid action to address any reduction in population health as the only known locality is at an environmental extreme (DECC, 2005a). • Control visitor impact along walking tracks at Point Lookout (DECC, 2005a). • Control illegal flower and plant collection (DECC, 2005a). Trampling, Browsing or Grazing • Manage threats at known sites in reserve areas to control introduced pests such as goats (Capra hircus) (EA, 1999). • Continue baiting to control population numbers of feral animals. Conservation Information • Raise awareness of the G. montana within the local community, especially among bushwalkers using the Point Lookout trail in New England National Park (DECC, 2005a). Enable Recovery of Additional Sites and/or Populations • Undertake appropriate seed collection and storage. • Investigate options for establishing additional populations. • Implement appropriate national translocation protocols (Vallee et al., 2004) if establishing additional populations is considered necessary and feasible. • Maintain ex situ populations of G. montana (DECC, 2005a). This list does not necessarily encompass all actions that may be of benefit to G. montana, 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 • Mountain Angelica – Priority Actions (DECC, 2005a), • New England National Park Plan of Management outlines management objectives and strategies to protect species of conservation significance (NPWS, 1991), and • Threat Abatement Plan for Competition and Land Degradation by Feral Goats (EA, 1999). These prescriptions were current at the time of publishing; please refer to the relevant agency’s website for any updated versions. Gingidia montana Conservation Advice - Page 2 of 3 This Conservation Advice was approved by the Minister on: 1/10/2008. Following a taxonomic revision, the name in the EPBC Act list of threatened species was updated to Gingidia rupicola, effective on: 05/05/2016.

Information Sources: Briggs, JD & Leigh, JH 1996, Rare or Threatened Australian Plants 1995 revised edition, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood. Copeland, L (Botany Department, University of New England). Personal communication. 2003. Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) 2005a, Mountain Angelica – priority actions, viewed 21 April 2008, . Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) 2005b, Mountain Angelica – profile, viewed 21 April 2008, . Environment Australia 1999, Threat Abatement Plan for Competition and Land Degradation by Feral Goats, Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia, viewed 21 April 2008, . NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS NSW) 1991, New England National Park Plan of Management, viewed 21 April 2008, . NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS NSW) 1999, Threatened Species Information: Gingidia montana, viewed 21 April 2008, . Palsboll, PJ, Berube, M, Skaug, HJ & Raymakers, C 2006, ‘DNA registers of legally obtained wildlife and derived products as means to identify illegal takes’, Conservation Biology, vol. 20, pp. 1284-1293. Peacock, R 1996, ROTAP species of the Walcha/Nundle and Styx River Management Areas, State Forests of New South Wales, Pennant Hills, NSW. Powell, JM 1992, ‘Apiaceae’, In: Harden, GJ (Ed.) Flora of New South Wales, vol. 3, pp. 87-116, New South Wales University Press, Kensington. Quinn, F, Williams, JB, Gross, CL & Bruhl, J 1995, Report on rare and threatened plants of north-eastern New South Wales, University of New England, Armidale. Vallee, L, Hogbin, T, Monks, L, Makinson, B, Matthes, M & Rossetto, M 2004, Guidelines for the Translocation of Threatened Plants in Australia (2nd ed.), Australian Network for Plant Conservation, Canberra.

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