Weedscene 26 – 1 2015
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Newsletter of the Weed Society of Victoria Inc. Weedscenevolume 26 issue 1 2015 Hawkweed Hunting in the High Country Volunteers familiarising themselves with mouse-ear hawkweed on the Bogong High Plains, January 2015 Orange hawkweed What is Hawkweed? (Hieracium aurantiacum) The hawkweeds are herbaceous members of the second largest family of . Federal Alert List for flowering plants, the Asteraceae (daisy flowers), and belong to the genus Environmental Weeds Hieracium. Hawkweed spreads by runners which form new rosettes, . State prohibited weed creating a solid mat once established, and by wind-dispersed seed. (depi.vic.gov.au photo) Hawkweed regrows each year from below-ground rhizomes and invades intact native vegetation as well as disturbed sites. Hawkweed is thought to King devil hawkweed inhib it recruitment and growth of neighbouring plants through allelopathic (Hieracium praealtum) exudations, reducing the soil suitability for other species. State prohibited weed (depi.vic.gov.au photo) Three species of hawkweed occur in the Victorian Alpine region (see Mouse-ear hawkweed left) and have a reputation for spreading aggressively in cool-temperate (Hieracium pilosella) areas, often at high altitude, such as in parts of USA, Britain, Canada, . State prohibited weed New Zealand, and mainland Europe away from its natural range. All (depi.vic.gov.au photo) three species are State Prohibited Weeds, the highest category of declared noxious weeds in Victoria, and their eradication is considered possible. In If you think you have found hawkweed, do addition, orange hawkweed is one of 28 weed species on the Federal Alert not attempt to treat or dispose of it yourself: List for Environmental Weeds, being of limited distribution but with the contact DELWP immediately on 136 186 or potential to seriously degrade natural ecosystems. All species of Hieracium email [email protected] have been listed or declared under various State Acts since 2003. continued on page 3/… WEEDSCENE volume 26 issue 1 2015 1 WSV Directory Contents Correspondence and enquiries FEATURE HAWKWEED HUNTING IN THE HIGH COUNTRY Weed Society of Victoria Inc. What is Hawkweed? 1 PO Box 234 Batman Vic 3058 Hawkweed Hunting in the High Country 3 Telephone 0437 861449 Hawkweed in the Victorian Alps 4 ACN A0011723W ABN 15 496 325 152 Threatening Processes for Vegetation in the Victorian Alps 5 Web Site www.wsvic.org.au Hawkweed Eradication Program 6 Secretary Hawkweed Project Control Group 7 Rebecca Grant WSV NEWS 7 [email protected] FROM THE PRESIDENT 8 Weedscene Editor ADVOCACY UPDATE 8 Ingrid Krockenberger [email protected] CAWS REPORT 9 President IN THE MEDIA 9 Matt Stephenson INVASIVE PLANTS PHD RESEARCH PROJECTS [email protected] Investigating the use of carbon for targeted weed management Vice President and for grassland rehabilitation within the Western Grassland Reserve 10 David McLaren DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 11 [email protected] NEW PUBLICATIONS 12 Treasurer COVER PHOTO: Hieracium aurantiacum (courtesy Rob Richardson) Isabella Amouzandeh [email protected] Committee Members Andrew Cox (CAWS Rep) [email protected] Joining the Weed Society of Victoria Rebecca James The benefits of membership to WSV include: ■ [email protected] Weedscene: newsletter packed full of information ■ eWeedscene: regular electronic bulletin on weed news and events Jackie Steel ■ Discounts to WSV seminars, workshops, conferences and [email protected] other events Mark Uren ■ Opportunities to network with others. (email TBA) To apply for membership, download and print the membership Co-opted Members application form from the WSV website, www.wsvic.org.au, Kate Blood complete the details and mail to the WSV Secretary. [email protected] Weedscene Newsletter of the Weed Society of Victoria Inc. Tim Dowling ■ Contributions to Weedscene are welcomed. Please contact the editor [email protected] for further information. Greg Wells ■ Readers are free to circulate and reproduce Weedscene material with [email protected] acknowledgment of the author and source. Country Representative ■ The views expressed in Weedscene are those of the contributors and Les Mitchell are not necessarily shared by the WSV Executive Committee. [email protected] Want to receive Weedscene as a PDF? Contact the Secretary. CAWS Representatives Society Sponsorship Michael Hansford Annual Sponsorship $300 [email protected] ■ Logo displayed on ‘Weedscene’ – four issues per year Andrew Cox ■ Logo and sponsor name on the Society’s website [email protected] ■ One promotional article in ‘Weedscene’ per year (subject to ed. control) WSV Membership ■ One free membership per year (optional) Rates 2014–15 Advertising rates Pay for 1, 3 or 5 years ■ One sixth page 56 mm wide × 128 mm high $50 Concession* $20 ■ Quarter page 180 mm wide × 64 mm high $75 Ordinary $60 ■ Half page 180 mm wide × 128 mm high $150 Corporate $140 ■ Whole page 180 mm wide × 257 mm high $300 * Students and Pensioners Design R.G. & F.J. Richardson, PO Box 42, Meredith Vic 3333 WSV is not registered to collect GST www.weedinfo.com.au Printing Maroondah Printing, 42 New Street, Ringwood Vic 3134 2 WEEDSCENE volume 26 issue 1 2015 Printed on 100% recycled paper Hawkweed Hunting in the High Country by Ingrid Krockenberger Volunteers in Sun Valley, with Rocky Valley Storage Dam visible, top left Taking well over 600 photos is a good measure of my interest/ excitement/pleasure in participating as a volunteer in the Hawkweed Eradication Program in and around the Falls Creek Alpine Resort and Alpine National Park in January 2015. My little old camera certainly had a work-out. The project team had prioritised one hectare grids for hawkweed surveillance based on proximity to known infestations, prevailing winds, suitable habitat types and other factors. About two one- hectare plots were searched per team per day. Several new patches of a few mouse-ear hawkweed plants were discovered in the aptly- named Pretty Valley. (More details on volunteer achievements later Hairy orange hawkweed (right) abutting and partially in this issue.) disguised by the smooth-leafed (possible) field daisy (Brachyscome decipiens), Sun Valley In the easier terrain and vegetation, the one hectare plots were surveyed along well-disciplined lines of volunteers, guided by ropes, to search every square inch for hawkweed. Hazards were well-concealed water-ways meandering through the dense groundcover, and leg-cramps from stepping over springy mattress- like vegetation in the peatland (Ecological Vegetation Class (EVC): Alpine Valley Peatland and Sub-alpine Wet Heath mosaic). In the more difficult terrain – very steep slopes and thick chest-high shrubs (head-high on me!), or snow gum woodland with dense understorey and thick litter layer (EVC: Sub-alpine Shrubland and Mouse-ear hawkweed with flower bud and spreading Sub-alpine Woodland) – it was not possible to use rope-guides, stolons, Pretty Valley as volunteers had the challenging task of surging through dense growth and trying to stay upright, whilst searching for hawkweed. I tried not to think of snakes, as it would not have been possible to distinguish them from the dense branches we were stepping on! (Definitely taking thick gaiters next time – bring on the snakes!) Two members from each team carried GPS devices so that it was possible to accurately map the surveyed areas. The days’ maps were displayed every evening and it was quite entertaining to observe the paths taken by each team, from well-disciplined parallel straight lines to wild curly squiggles, depending on the site. WSV Secretary, Bec Grant on Day 1 continued on page 4/… WEEDSCENE volume 26 issue 1 2015 3 Hawkweed in the Victorian Alps Species Date* Naturalisation distribution Orange hawkweed 1999 Tasmania, Victoria (Bogong High Plains, Mt Hotham, Mt Buller, Ballarat (Hieracium aurantiacum) Botanic Gardens), Kosciuszko National Park King devil hawkweed 2003 Bogong High Plains (Hieracium praealtum) Mouse-ear hawkweed 2011 Bogong High Plains, also NSW (no further information available), eradicated (Hieracium pilosella) in Tasmania and ACT Disturbance factors which favour hawkweed invasion Ski resorts and slopes Known focal points of exotic plant species introductions to the Australian Alps (deliberate garden plantings and possible transfer from ski equipment and machinery) Roads, aqueducts, hiking Exotic species are more prevalent along areas of movement, occupation and potential trails and huts transfer Fire Frequency and intensity of fire is likely to increase as a result of climate change Cattle grazing Large areas were subject to cattle grazing licences from the 1850s until the 2003 fires * First recorded date of naturalisation in Victoria Sources of Information: http://invasives.org.au/blog/hawkweeds-a-recent-discovery-in-victorias-alps-and-a-taxonomic-name-change/ http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/agriculture-and-food/pests-diseases-and-weeds/weeds/state-prohibited-weeds/hawkweed http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/314502/19_2070.pdf Fire The Falls Creek Alpine Resort landscape is draped with the ghostly traces of the 2003 and 2006 fires – vast tracts of silvery snow gum stags, many of which have come to life again from lignotuberous growth at their bases. It is a constant reminder of the transience and vulnerability, yet resilience, of Australian landscapes. And it’s a worrying reminder of the perils of a changing climate, accentuated by the flurry of fire emergency response which was triggered by several lightning strike spot fires in the area. Pretty Valley Road Lightning strike spot fire on Mt Cope, with retreating thunderstorm on the right 4 WEEDSCENE volume 26 issue 1 2015 Threatening Processes for Vegetation in the Victorian Alps What’s at Stake? add that the impact of erosion and sedimentation would The hawkweed eradication program is being conducted vastly increase following fire). at the Falls Creek Alpine Resort and surrounding areas of the Alpine National Park.