Grevillea Murex)
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Interim Recovery Plan No. 350 Shell-fruited Grevillea (Grevillea murex) Interim Recovery Plan 2014–2019 Department of Parks and Wildlife, Western Australia June 2014 Interim Recovery Plan for Grevillea murex List of Acronyms The following acronyms are used in this plan: BGPA Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority CALM Department of Conservation and Land Management CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CR Critically Endangered DEC Department of Environment and Conservation DAA Department of Aboriginal Affairs DPaW Department of Parks and Wildlife (also shown as Parks and Wildlife) DRF Declared Rare Flora EN Endangered EPBC Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation GDTFRT Geraldton District Threatened Flora Recovery Team IBRA Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia IRP Interim Recovery Plan IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature LGA Local Government Authority MDTFRT Moora District Threatened Flora and Recovery Team NRM Natural Resource Management PEC Priority Ecological Community PICA Public Information and Corporate Affairs RP Recovery Plan SCB Species and Communities Branch (Parks and Wildlife) SCD Science and Conservation Division SWALSC South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council TEC Threatened Ecological Community TFSC Threatened Flora Seed Centre UNEP-WCMC United Nations Environment Program World Conservation Monitoring Centre WA Western Australia 2 Interim Recovery Plan for Grevillea murex Foreword Interim Recovery Plans (IRPs) are developed within the framework laid down in Department of Parks and Wildlife Policy Statements Nos. 44 and 50 (CALM 1992; CALM 1994). Note: The Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) formally became the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) in July 2006 and the Department of Parks and Wildlife in July 2013 (Parks and Wildlife). Plans outline the recovery actions that are required to urgently address those threatening processes most affecting the ongoing survival of threatened taxa or ecological communities, and begin the recovery process. Parks and Wildlife is committed to ensuring that Threatened taxa are conserved through the preparation and implementation of Recovery Plans (RPs) or IRPs, and by ensuring that conservation action commences as soon as possible and, in the case of Critically Endangered (CR) taxa, always within one year of endorsement of that rank by the Minister. This plan will operate from June 2014 to May 2019 but will remain in force until withdrawn or replaced. It is intended that, if the taxon is still ranked as Endangered (EN), this plan will be reviewed after five years and the need for further recovery actions assessed. This plan was given regional approval on 16 June 2014 and was approved by the Director of Science and Conservation on 27 June 2014. The provision of funds identified in this plan is dependent on budgetary and other constraints affecting Parks and Wildlife, as well as the need to address other priorities. Information in this plan was accurate at June 2014. Plan preparation: This plan was prepared by: Robyn Luu Project Officer, Parks and Wildlife Species and Communities Branch, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Western Australia, 6983. Andrew Brown Threatened Flora Coordinator, Parks and Wildlife Species and Communities Branch, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Western Australia, 6983. Acknowledgments: The following people provided assistance and advice in the preparation of this plan: Alanna Chant Flora Conservation Officer, Parks and Wildlife Geraldton District Anne Cochrane Senior Research Scientist, Threatened Flora Seed Centre, Parks and Wildlife Science and Conservation Division Anthony Desmond Regional Leader Nature Conservation, Parks and Wildlife Midwest Region Amanda Shade Assistant Curator (Nursery), Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority Niall Sheehy Flora Conservation Officer, Parks and Wildlife Moora District Benson Todd Nature Conservation Coordinator, Parks and Wildlife Moora District Thanks also to the staff of the Western Australian Herbarium for providing access to Herbarium databases and specimen information. Cover photograph by Gemma Phelan. Citation: This plan should be cited as: Department of Parks and Wildlife (2014) Shell-fruited Grevillea, Grevillea murex McGill. Interim Recovery Plan 2014−2019. Interim Recovery Plan No. 350. Department of Parks and Wildlife, Western Australia. 3 Interim Recovery Plan for Grevillea murex Summary Scientific name: Grevillea murex McGill. Common name: Shell-fruited Grevillea Family: Proteaceae Flowering period: August−September DPaW region: Midwest DPaW districts: Geraldton, Moora Shires: Three Springs, Mingenew, NRM region: Northern Agricultural Morawa IBRA region: Avon Wheatbelt Recovery teams: GDTFRT, MDTFRT IBRA subregion: Avon Wheatbelt AVW01 Distribution and habitat: Grevillea murex is endemic to the northern Wheatbelt area of Western Australia, growing in lateritic-gravel, brown clay-loam or red clayey-sand soil on gentle lower valley slopes or flat areas. Habitat is open York gum (Eucalyptus loxophleba) woodland over open low scrub, grasses and herbs. Habitat critical to the survival of the species, and important populations: Given that Grevillea murex is ranked as Endangered (EN), it is considered that all known habitat for wild populations is critical to the survival of the species, and that all wild populations are important populations. Habitat critical to the survival of G. murex includes the area of occupancy of populations, areas of similar habitat surrounding and linking populations (these providing potential habitat for population expansion and for pollinators), additional occurrences of similar habitat that may contain undiscovered populations of the species or be suitable for future translocations, and the local catchment for the surface and/or groundwater that maintains the habitat of the species. Conservation status: Grevillea murex is specially protected under the Western Australian Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 and is ranked as EN in Western Australia under International Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN 1994) criteria C2a due to less than 2,500 mature individuals being known in the wild, a continuing decline in the number of mature individuals and severe fragmentation of populations. The species is listed as EN under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Threats: The main threats to the species are road, track and firebreak maintenance, insect infestation, altered fire regimes, a reduction of factors positively influencing reproduction, weed invasion and rabbits. Existing recovery actions: The following recovery actions have been or are currently being implemented and have been considered in the preparation of this plan: 1. Relevant land managers have been made aware of the species and its locations. 2. Departmental staff conducted surveys for Grevillea murex between 1990 and 1994, and again in 1996. 3. Declared Rare Flora (DRF) markers have been installed at all road reserve populations. 4. Remnant vegetation containing Population 1c on private property has been fenced and a protective covenant placed over the area. 5. The Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (BGPA) currently have 12 plants growing in their gardens. 6. 1,242 seeds collected from Populations 5, 6 and 7 are stored in Parks and Wildlife’s TFSC at –18C. 4 Interim Recovery Plan for Grevillea murex Plan objective: The objective of this plan is to abate identified threats and maintain or enhance in situ populations to ensure the long-term conservation of the species in the wild. Recovery criteria Criteria for recovery success: The number of extant populations has increased from 10 to 11 or more over the term of the plan and/or The number of mature plants has increased by 20% or more over the term of the plan from 314 to 377 or more. Criteria for recovery failure: The number of populations has decreased from 10 to nine or less over the term of the plan and/or The number of mature plants has decreased by 20% or more over the term of the plan from 314 to 251 or less. Recovery actions 1. Coordinate recovery actions 10. Collect and store seed 2. Monitor populations 11. Obtain biological and ecological information 3. Identify and control a defoliating insect 12. Develop and implement a translocation proposal 4. Undertake weed control 13. Liaise with land managers and Aboriginal 5. Undertake regeneration trials communities 6. Install and reposition DRF markers 14. Map habitat critical to the survival of Grevillea murex 7. Protect plants from herbivory 15. Promote awareness 8. Undertake surveys 16. Review this plan and assess the need for further 9. Develop and implement a fire management strategy recovery actions 5 Interim Recovery Plan for Grevillea murex 1. Background History Grevillea murex was first collected north of Three Springs by C. Chapman in 1975, with subsequent collections made between there and the Mingenew-Morawa Road. McGillivray and Makinson described the species in 1993. Grevillea murex is currently known from 10 populations comprising 314 mature plants. All but one population are located on narrow road reserves which are under threat from road maintenance activities. Description Grevillea murex is an upright shrub 1 to 2m tall with many somewhat hairy branches. The leaves are on stalks up to 1.5mm long and have four or five blunt tipped lobes. The dome-shaped flower heads are at the ends of the branchlets and contain cream to yellow flowers about 3cm long.