Rapid Survey and Control of Target Weeds in the Kilmore-East Murrindindi Complex South Fire-Ground
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Rapid survey and control of target weeds in the Kilmore-East Murrindindi Complex South Fire-ground Prepared for the Department of Sustainability and Environment Kathy Himbeck & Richard Francis Report 1099, Version 1.0 May 2011 Abzeco Pty Ltd. Suite 1, 4 Brisbane Street, Eltham, Vic. 3095 T:(03) 9431‐5444 F:(03) 9431‐5443 ABN 66 967 834 756 Abzeco Weed Mapping & Control Report 1099 for Kilmore‐East Murrindindi Complex Ver1.0 – May 2011 Table of Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................................4 1 Summary ..........................................................................................................................................................5 2 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................6 3 Background......................................................................................................................................................7 4 Project Description..........................................................................................................................................8 4.1 Study Area...............................................................................................................................................8 4.1.1 Kinglake National Park..................................................................................................................8 4.1.2 Paul’s Range State Forest ...........................................................................................................9 4.1.3 Maroondah Catchment .................................................................................................................9 4.1.4 O’Shannassy Catchment..............................................................................................................9 4.1.5 Containment Lines.......................................................................................................................10 Figure 1. Extent of study area for the Kilmore-East Murrindindi South Fire Ground..........................11 Figure 2. Extent of study area at Sugar Loaf Block, showing roads and creeks surveyed for target weeds ........................................................................................................................................................12 Figure 3. Extent of the study area at Everard Block, showing roads and creeks surveyed for target weeds. ........................................................................................................................................................13 Figure 4. Extent of study area at Paul’s Range State Forest, showing the roads and creeks surveyed for target weeds.............................................................................................................................................14 Figure 5. Extent of study area in the Maroondah Catchment, showing the roads and creeks surveyed for target weeds ...........................................................................................................................15 Figure 6. Extent of study area in the O’Shannassy Catchment, showing the roads and creeks surveyed for target weeds ...........................................................................................................................16 Figure 7. Extent of Containment Lines surveyed in the Kinglake region, showing the properties impacted. ........................................................................................................................................................17 Figure 8. Extent of the Containment Lines surveyed at Platts Creek and Brittania Range...............18 4.2 Target weeds ........................................................................................................................................19 5 Methodology ..................................................................................................................................................20 5.1 Survey parameters...............................................................................................................................20 Table 1. Matrix for the determination of Spatial Priority Score (SPS)...................................................21 Table 2. Matrix for determination of Feasibility of Control Score (FCS) ...............................................22 5.2 Control techniques ...............................................................................................................................23 5.3 Restrictions............................................................................................................................................24 6 Results............................................................................................................................................................26 Table 3. List of weed species recorded during the rapid survey and their environmental status (including Regionally Controlled weeds ‘C’ as list under the CaLP Act, 1994) ...................................26 6.1.1 Kinglake National Park................................................................................................................27 Page 2 of 52 Abzeco Weed Mapping & Control Report 1099 for Kilmore‐East Murrindindi Complex Ver1.0 – May 2011 6.1.2 Paul’s Range State Forest .........................................................................................................28 6.1.3 Maroondah Catchment ...............................................................................................................28 6.1.4 O’Shannassy Catchment............................................................................................................29 6.1.5 Containment Lines.......................................................................................................................29 Figure 9. Rapid survey of target weeds within Sugarloaf Block, Kinglake...........................................31 Figure 10. Rapid survey of target weeds within Everard Block, Kinglake............................................32 Figure 11. Rapid survey of target weeds within Paul’s Range State Forest........................................33 Figure 12. Rapid survey of target weeds within Maroondah Catchment, Yarra Ranges National Park. ........................................................................................................................................................34 Figure 13. Rapid survey of target weeds within O’Shannassy Catchment, Yarra Ranges National Park. ........................................................................................................................................................35 Figure 14. Rapid survey of target weeds within Private Property Containment Lines, Kinglake......36 Figure 15. Rapid survey of target weeds within Platts Creek Containment Lines. .............................37 7 Discussion......................................................................................................................................................38 8 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................................40 9 References.....................................................................................................................................................42 Appendix 1 List of State-wide Prohibited and Victorian Alert Weeds that require to be controlled in theKilmore-East Murrindindi Compex South Fire-ground................................................................................43 Appendix 2. Very High Risk and High Risk Weeds as listed in the Advisory List of Environmental weeds of the Ranges bioregions of Victoria. .....................................................................................................44 Appendix 3. Weed species recorded in the study area, showing the number of infestations recorded for each survey area.............................................................................................................................46 Appendix 4. Weed species recorded in the study area from the point data, showing the number of individuals recorded for each survey area.........................................................................................................48 Appendix 5A & B. Weed species recorded in the study area from the polyline and polygon data. ..........50 Appendix 6. Combined list of weed species present in each of the survey areas within the study area..........................................................................................................................................................................51 Page 3 of 52 Abzeco Weed Mapping & Control Report 1099 for Kilmore‐East Murrindindi Complex Ver1.0 – May 2011 Acknowledgements The Abzeco field staff that were involved with the project included Dan Young, Justin Pegg, Karl Just, Ben Hodgens, Mim Grundy, Bradley Jenner, Darren Callaway and Kathy Himbeck. Through the LaTrobe University, cadetship three eager students provided valuable assistance in making the work load a little bit easier including Stuart Campbell, Rohan Ball and Ben Hodgens. A huge thanks to all those that clambered down the steep gullies, fought along beautiful yet extremely dense